All Aboard the Trans-Siberian Railroad

The Ruidoso Public Library is closed today, November 11, to observe Veterans' Day, and will re-open Tuesday, November 12, at 9 am.

Join me, Jennifer Stubbs, this Friday, November 15, at 11 am for a photographic tour of Russia.  I have scanned in my photos from a trip in 2003 half-way round the world.

I winnowed the album down to about 50 photos, only half of which are about the train-travel experience on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.  I only rode from Moscow to Lake Baikal over Spring Break.  Many photos focus on the Lake itself.

Armchair Travel

Sharon Stewart has arranged another tour of presentations to take you around the world without needing to check your passport or vaccinations.  This November you are invited to explore Bolivia and Russia.
First, Bolivia.  This Friday, November 8, at 11 am, join Dr Clayton Alred of ENMU-Ruidoso.  He will share photos from a Rotary trip through this South American country.

Find a gorgeous book on not-to-miss hikes from around the world, including one in Bolivia: The Takesi Trail.

To round out your introduction to Bolivia you may like to visit the World Factbook for facts, such as the flag and statistics, or Wikipedia for additional insights.  

As a reminder, the Ruidoso Public Library will close to observe Veterans' Day next Monday, November 11.  We will re-open Tuesday, November 12 at 9 am.

Map your favorite book!

Image from Lucius Beebe Memorial Library on flickr

Have you read a book and wondered what the location really looked like?  In my case, I did not read Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee mysteries until after I had lived south of Gallup and Grants for several months and moved away from the state for a couple of years.  Yet I found having the personal knowledge of the towns, distances, and local quirks contributed depth to my appreciation of the novels.
In my mother's case, when she read Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch books, she wondered how many places were based on a real place.  As luck would have it, another fan of the books shared that thought and made a Google map to answer.

If connecting a story to real places catches your fancy, you might also be interested in the Placing Literature project here: http://placingliterature.wordpress.com/page/2/ .  This project focuses on books set in Duluth, New Haven, and San Francisco (see their site for the reading list).

If you are interested in following walks through well-known towns and titles, Ruidoso Public Library has three: one for Santa Fe, another for Dickensian London, and one on Hemingway's Paris.

Armchair travel connects exotic locales and literature without leaving the comfort of home (or the public computers at the library!).  I found a Google map of St. Petersburg, Russia, including photos of locations from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment (available online to read or listen to).  Comment below, email the library, or call us if you would like to find a map connecting a specific author, book, or city through literature.

Luggage-friendly travel guides at the library (or online if you are already on the road)

The titles above are available on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.  Download before you leave the library or anywhere on the road with your card number.

Now you may discretely plan your day or route without waving a guidebook around like a white flag.

You may download individual pages or sections or the entire book.  You may return to stream (or surf) the material, depending on your internet access.

Think of all the extra space you might find in your suitcase.

P.S. Ruidoso Public Library will not open Monday for Memorial Day.  We are open Saturday, May 25th and Tuesday, May 28th.  Drop in early to stock up!

#3 Research Assistance

Gloria H, Chaparral, NM, 9 y.o.

When you have a pesky problem to solve, Google may be the first thing you think of, but a librarian (and the library) can provide depth, context, and help identifying the real question.

Merrit B, Santa Fe, 13 y.o.

We have helped with information on legal forms, medical conditions, and shopping comparisons.  As librarians, we cannot advise on legal or health matters, but we can help you think through what you really want to ask.  We can share books, websites, and county or state government resources, which define terms, explain the steps necessary for filing a form, or to whom else you might best ask your questions.

If you are considering a new pet, vehicle, or vacation, we'd love to help you.  We have books for all ages on which pet fits your personality, how to take care of the pet you have, or how to mourn the loss of a pet.  The library subscribes to Consumer Reports, both the magazine and the annual buying guide.   If you cannot decide on where to spend your vacation, you may check out travelogues, travel guides, and how-to travel books (hiking, trains, cruises, or accessibility).

If you are interested in very deep research, you can set up an appointment with a librarian to take a quarter of an hour or more to explore your topic, then give the library some time, maybe a few days, to gather the very best resources for you to explore.  One of my favorite tasks at the library is demonstrating Grzimek's (said Chimex) Animal Encyclopedia or Opposing Viewpoints (two online databases or encyclopediae) for a student writing a paper on zebras or the economy.  

Care 2 share your wreaths? Road safety info & Closed this weekend

Twig Whispy Wreath

Sharon would like to offer our walls to display your wreaths.

Wine Cork Wreath with directions

The theme is "A Mountain Country Christmas" (no offense intended) and open to any homemade wreath.

Gerber Daisy Wreath

Feel free to call Sharon for details.

Tie Wreath by GoodHousekeeping

With weather starting to oscillate between sunny and otherwise, here are several websites and phone numbers to check before you travel:

http://splash.nmroads.com/  5 different ways to learn about New Mexico road conditions

Road Advisory Hotline - 1-800-432-4269  (if you are already on the road, please pull over or have a passenger call)

Statewide Map at http://advanced.nmroads.com/  (if you have really fast internet access)

http://net.nmroads.com/ for a simpler map

Text only messages at http://net.nmroads.com/?Display=nomap  (if you have a dial-up connection)

The NM Dept of Transportation also offers an RSS feed.  When I tested it last week, my email filled with repeated messages, though they covered the whole state.  It felt redundant to me, given access to the maps and text messages above.

Finally, Ruidoso Public Library will be closed Friday and Saturday, November 18th & 19th while we begin the process of replacing the carpet throughout the building.  Please keep your fingers crossed that we don't have any injuries!