Mercer County Library Blog

My brother John used to enliven dinner conversation with the most disgusting “facts” gleaned from Ripley’s Believe it or Not books. Sherpas sewing leather to the soles of their feet and people propping their eyelids open with toothpicks were particular hits. But the fact that eels, which I already found creepy, can slither on dry land took the biscuit! Then my other brothers talked of electric eels, spiny eels, and something collectively imagined called “Conga eels,” which lurked in the dark waters of the Amazon River and leapt into canoes, encircled people in their coils, and squeezed until they could bite off their preys’ heads and suck out the jelly like toothpaste from a tube. After that, my nightmares came fast and furious. Fifty years of recurring bad dreams later my work required reading The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrick Svensson. I was enchanted by his description of the eels in th...

Some selected books on vegetable gardening from the Mercer County Library System collection: General guides These include several books for people with space to cultivate an in ground garden, for people with outdoor space like a deck or patio, and finally for people who have no access to outdoor space or who simply want to grow food indoors. The following three books assume nothing and walk the novice gardener through every step of the process, but are also detailed enough to be of use to the more experienced gardener. The Vegetable Gardeners Bible by Edward C. Smith is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of growing vegetables and herbs. It discusses planning your garden, the tools you will need, soil preparation, and includes an introduction to composting and an illustrated guide to dealing with disease and pests. A series of plant and herb portraits follows the extensive introductory material. These portraits cover guidelines on sowing and growing, including how to plant, wate...

Spring has arrived and our thoughts turn to our yards. What to plant? Shrubs, trees, vegetables? Whatever you choose, why not consider making it more appealing to wild passers-by as well? If we substitute native plants for more exotic varieties, those visitors will stay longer – and that promotes a healthier environment for all, restoring some balance to the local environment.  The first part of creating the welcoming yard is selection of plants. Using native species such as the black-eyed Susan, for example, we restore part of our area to its original natural surroundings. Choosing a selection of plants brings diversity to your yard. With diversity of plants comes diversity of visitors – and those are not only attractive, but beneficial. Birds keep pest insects away, including mosquitoes. Bee and butterfly populations are in serious trouble, so provide a variety of flowers for those pollinators to do what they do best. (You may feel further inspired and wish to get a beehive ...

The more we get together Together, together The more we get together The happier we'll be 'Cause your friends are my friends And my friends are your friends The more we get together The happier we'll be This song is a traditional American children’s song. The tune is from a 1679 Viennese song by Marx Augustin. It is a story time favorite and a sad reminder of exactly what we have been missing this last year…being together! I don’t think that you would be surprised to know that, as a youth services librarian, the best part of my job is spending time with young families. Up until a year ago, Miss Briana and I would spend our days in the activity room with children and their caregivers; baby times, story times, craft times, book clubs, just to name a few. We were either in the room or planning for activities in the room. But as with all gathering, it came to a screeching halt last March. The library quickly adapted with virtual programmi...

As the end of winter approaches, people’s thoughts often lead to spring-cleaning. This blog post is about a different sort of spring-cleaning activity that may save your home and your family! (And it doesn't involve dusting.) I'm writing about inspecting the things in our home made for safety - ours and the safety of our house itself. This can be done even if we are still snow-challenged. Let’s Get Started! Smoke Alarms If your smoke alarms require batteries, and it has been several months since they were last changed, replace those batteries. You don't want to wait until after they have worn out! Many people replace smoke alarm batteries when our clocks are changed in the spring as daylight savings time begins and again in the autumn when it has ended. Remember to test the smoke alarms by pushing the test button on each one. Smoke alarms are some of the most important safety tools in your home. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (a department of FEMA), there shou...

 A designated week celebrating women’s achievements started in 1981 and was then proclaimed a month-long celebration in 1987. It has been celebrated every year since. The month of March is meant to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments women have made throughout United Stated history, many of which were unsung or credit was mistakenly given to men for decades.  To find out more about Women’s History Month, visit its website , hosted by the Library of Congress. Be sure to check out our library displays and our online event calendar for programs throughout the month of March celebrating women and their successes! In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to celebrate strong ladies in the young adult (YA) fiction genre. This genre often celebrates strong young women and their talents and leadership. Common themes in YA fiction include friendship, first love, family relationships, and finding your identity in this world. And, according to a 2017 article in The Atl...

As March approaches, many people look forward to the return of spring and the new green foliage which shortly follows. March is also known for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, with their many green decorations, a reflection of the Emerald Isle – Ireland - from where it originated. Many Americans don’t know this, but in the past, St. Patrick’s Day was not a ‘big deal’ in Ireland. Irish immigrants made it one in the States and, due to America’s influence around the world, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is now as big celebration as it is in the United States. St. Patrick’s Day also makes us think of leprechauns, which made me decide to do this blog post on Celtic mythology and religion.  (The ancient Celts also gave us Halloween, which was brought to America primarily by Irish immigrants.) Despite advances in archeology, ancient Celtic culture is fairly shrouded in mystery like the misty winds of Ireland, but there is still a treasure trove of infor...