One, Two or Three Love Affairs to Remember

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the December 29, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

It’s not the holidays for me without a Love Affair. The movie, that is. It might be the original 1939 black-and-white film. Love Affair. Or it could be the 1957 color remake, An Affair to Remember. Or perhaps it’s the1994 Love Affair, Warren Beatty-style. It’s that ending scene on Christmas Day in Terry McKay’s apartment that makes my holiday season a classic affair of the heart.

New Year's Reading Resolution

Read Kate Tigue's column in the December 22, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Kate is a Children's Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

“You must have read every book in this library!” I frequently hear this comment while I’m working at the desk in the library. Most people look a bit disappointed  when I tell them I haven’t read every book in the whole library. Not even close. Librarians try to be well-versed in different kinds of literature but we are just like most people with different preferences. I have to admit, as much as I’d like to pretend I have broad literary taste, I am a niche reader. I have my groove, my comfort zone, my sweet spot when it comes to books and I really have to make an effort broaden my reading horizons. Since 2017 is almost here, it’s a great time to break out of a rut and try new things.

Comic Snob

Read Nicole Guerra-Coon's column in the December 15, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Nicole is a part-time Reference and Children's Library Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

When I was a kid, I did not read comic books.  I didn’t know much about them, other than that occasionally my brother got to buy one at the grocery store, while I got the more sophisticated (I thought) YM or Seventeen magazines.  I thought comic books were for boys, although that really never stopped me in other areas in my young life, like being the only girl on the baseball team. But the stories in comic books seemed silly and boring, and they always seemed to be about Superman or Batman or Archie.

A Taste for Reading ... About Food

Kirstie David is a Simmons College graduate LIS student at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Kirstie's column in the December 8, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

It is remarkable how much of an impact the mention of food has on me when I’m reading. One of my earliest recollections of this comes from the childhood memory of reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Even as I judged the traitorous Edmund for selling out his family, and indeed all of Narnia, to the horrible White Witch simply for Turkish Delight, I was mindful of the magic it had over him. My sympathetic sweet tooth kicked in as I read about how he gobbled down a few pounds of the enchanted candy – each piece “sweet and light to the very center” – and washed it down with a sweet, foamy and creamy beverage he’d never tasted before that “warmed him right down to his toes.”

Giving Thanks for Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the December 1, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

            My holiday movie-watching tradition starts Thanksgiving weekend, the four-day holiday during which I usually have some pleasant and relaxing down-time. These days, it happens when the grown children and their children have left for their own homes after some chaotic few days of high chairs, potty chairs, sippy cups, and Sesame Street.

I nestle on a couch with my knitting needles and yarn, the remote and the dozen or so of my holiday favorites. It’s a contest to see how many I can watch in one marathon sitting.

When Life Gives Your Lemons ... If Only I Could Have Lemonade

Read Alli Palmgren's column in the November 24, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Alli is the Technology Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

I love food so much. I love the social aspect of gathering around a meal or heading out to try new restaurants. Preparing meals for others is one way that I express affection. Food is fuel, but it is so much more to me. As such, I was pretty glum when I learned that I would need to restrict my diet for health reasons. All my favorites are quite literally off the table- no tomatoes, no chocolate, no caffeine, no tea, no coffee, no alcohol, nothing spicy, and nothing acidic. Upon hearing this, I briefly, but seriously, considered dealing with supremely unpleasant symptoms just to continue eating tomatoes and all those acidic fruits I love so much.

Silicon Gunslingers and Clay Philosophers

Jeff Hartman is the Senior Circulation Assistant, Paging Supervisor, and Graphics Designer at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read Jeff's column in the November 17, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Before Jurassic Park released velociraptors on an unexpecting public in Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel and the subsequent films, the author had conceived another story about amusement park mayhem. 1973’s Westworld featured visitors who dressed up as cowboys and interacted with lifelike robot gunslingers. When the androids start to run amok and disobey human commands, the park’s creators and its guests struggle to recognize the extent of the disaster and escape alive.

Build Your Own Book Group

Librarian April Cushing is head of Adult and Information Services at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read her column published in the November 10, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript Bulletin.

I should have seen it coming. Interest in my book club of over a quarter century had been steadily declining. The former minister’s wife moved to Rhode Island, the writer was taking a Tuesday night class, the frequent flyer could no longer commit, and the endodontic office manager just stopped coming. Finishing the selection each month, while encouraged, was not required, although requests to refrain from giving away the ending were generally ignored.

The Ethel to My Lucy, The Thelma to My Louise

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the November 3, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

In the first semester of seventh grade, my parents ripped me from what was a comfortable Berkeley, California childhood.  I had already left New England when I was six years old to begin a new life in Northern California. In this next move, however, I was in junior high where it was supposed to be a new, cool adventure. Yet, in mid-October, our family moved twenty miles away to the boring suburbs. Worse yet, I was plunked back in elementary school where, in 1964, the neighborhood school included kindergarten through the 8^th grade.

The Spice of Life

Liz Reed is the Adult and Information Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Liz's column in the October 27, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Well, it’s that time of year again. We’ve all seen the ads and we’ve all heard the commercials. Some of us can’t stop talking about the elephant in the room, some bemoan that it seems to creep earlier and earlier every cycle, and some just wish it were over. Whether you anticipate or dread it, none of us can deny that now, in late-October 2016, we are smack-dab in the middle of - pumpkin spice season.

The Library: Striking a Chord

Kirstie David is a Simmons College graduate LIS student at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Kirstie's column in the October 20, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

When I was child I spent so much time at the library it felt like a second home. As the years passed, other pursuits such as afterschool activities and part-time jobs began to monopolize the free time I had happily spent lost in books. During high school and college the library became relegated to a more utilitarian role – a place to study in peace or conduct research. After graduating, I found my way back to using the library for fun. Yet throughout my life and wherever I go the library has always been a resource I am aware of and a place I feel welcome. I was surprised to learn that this is not a universal experience. When a friend bemoaned that she was going broke buying DVDs for her young children, I asked why she didn’t just go to the library. She said she didn’t have the time or patience to hunt for them. My recommendation that she search the online catalog and simply place holds was a revelation. Yet in all the time I was singing the praises of the library, it never occurred to me to set my sights on becoming a librarian. Luckily, I finally had a revelation of my own and enrolled in Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science.

Comfort and Joy in the Writings of Ann Hood

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the October 13, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I wish I had thought to spend my 60^th birthday having as much fun as author Ann Hood has. By the time she turns 60 this December 9, she will have celebrated with 60 cupcakes with 60 different book groups.

The Path to Publication

Nancy Ling is an Outreach Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read the published version of Nancy Ling's column in the October 6, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Many years ago my Grandmother and Great Auntie Babe decided to take my cousin and me for a hike up the Blue Hills. We were seven or eight years old. It was one of those memorable days, not because of the weather (hot and sticky) or the prediction (a warning to watch out for rattlers). No, it is engrained in my memory because of the silly conversation we had along the way.

Schooled: Teaching Yourself the Science and Art of Cooking

Read Kate Tigue's column in the September 29, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Kate is a Children's Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

If you’ve been reading this column for any length of time, especially in the past few weeks, you might have noticed the library staff are a little obsessed with food. Okay, we’re extremely obsessed with food. Need a restaurant recommendation? Call the library. One of us is bound to have a detailed review of a place that features the cuisine you desire. But many of us are accomplished home cooks and/or bakers and much of our non-work related conversation revolves around dishes we’ve made or are hoping to make. Many staff events have been catered in-house by our talented colleagues.

Boxer: A Woman's Best Friend

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the September 22, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Chuisle Canelli

In 2005, I worked as a library director by day and renovated a haunted Victorian home by night and on the weekends. I was single, lived alone and craved a companion – the four-legged kind. On Labor Day weekend, eleven years ago, an adorable 3-1/2 month old Boxer came to live with me.

I was a bit naïve about the Boxer breed, I admit. I didn’t realize that this cute puppy with her uplifted nose and chronic under bite possessed an inbred desire to protect me above all else. Boxers are considered a personal-protection breed in the AKC working dog category. And she took her work very seriously. Any two or four-legged creature coming within sight of our car or our home was simply there to kill us. Or so she instinctively believed.

Mastering the Art

Diane Phillips is the Technical Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.  Read Diane's  column in the September 15, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I recently reacquainted myself with one of my favorite cookbooks, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. I added this book to my personal collection back in the late ‘80s when I was working at the Morrill Memorial Library as a page.  This particular edition of this classic was being withdrawn from the collection.  Even at my young age, I knew this was a deal I shouldn’t pass up, even if I wasn’t cooking for myself yet, as I was still in high school. At home, we ate the usual American fare, mostly meat and potatoes.  Occasionally, I’d have a taste of traditional dishes from Lithuania, as both sides of my family emigrated from the Baltics.  Why I decided to bring this selection home at that time was a bit of a mystery.

Serial: Life After the Podcast

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the September 8, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

The story of two young star-crossed lovers could have remained a small story. In fact, it did for about fifteen years. Two high school seniors – one murdered and the other convicted of the crime. 

It was 1999 in Baltimore, Maryland. There was an ice storm that closed school for two days. There was hockey and wrestling. There were cars, and jobs, and friends, and teachers. There were two devastated families of two good kids - one Korean-American and the other Pakistani-American.

Rhode Island: Not Just Family Guy

Sam Simas is a Technology Assistant at the Morrill Memorial Library this winter and spring. Read Sam's column in the September 1, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I give directions by referencing where things used-to-be; I drink cabinets from Newport Creamery, and I drank coffee milk and Del’s Lemonade growing up (I still do, but that’s our secret).  And like most people believe themselves to be, I am a questionably qualified driver--although I’ve been told Massachusetts-people (Massachusettites?  Massachusettans?  You all really need to work on that...) don’t agree. I’m used to telling people, “No, Quahog is not an actual town,” when I am asked about the television show Family Guy.  I may be a stereotypical Rhode Islander.

Your Daily Funnies

Jeff Hartman is the Senior Circulation Assistant, Paging Supervisor, and Graphics Designer at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read Jeff's column in the August 25, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Growing up, I had a morning routine.  I’d fix a bowl of cereal, pour myself a glass of juice and open up the Globe to the comics.  My early favorites included Garfield and Mother Goose and Grimm – the punchlines didn’t change much, but Odie falling off the table was funny every time.  As I got older, I preferred the family humor of FoxTrot and For Better or Worse.  I even eventually began to appreciate the adult political takes found in Doonesbury and Bloom County/Outland.

Loafing Around: Adventures in Bread Making

Read Alli Palmgren's column in the August 18, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Alli is the Technology Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

My husband and I were visiting my sister at her home in New York last winter. While I had known for some time that she had turned into an incredible bread baker, my husband was experiencing the fruit of her labors for the first time. While he was was blissfully savoring his fourth or fifth piece of just-out-of-the-oven

Piecing It Together @ the Library

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the August 11, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Growing up, my family was not a puzzling one; to clarify, we did not do jigsaw puzzles. Of course, we had small puzzle toys for our family of four children when we were young but I don’t remember doing jigsaw puzzles with my family or friends as a young child or teen.

I think I must have first fallen in love with jigsaws when my children were babies - when I had very short or very long stretches of time on my hands between their naps or after their bedtimes. We lived in Ireland at the time and the toy shops in Cork and Dublin were filled with wonderful European puzzles of rich scenes and thousands of pieces and they captivated me.

“Laissez les bon temps rouler!”

Liz Reed is the Adult and Information Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Liz's column in the August 4, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Or, if your Cajun is a little rusty, “let the good times roll!” This phrase captures the joie de vivre, or joy of living, carefree attitude characterizing the culture of New Orleans. Known as Nollins or Nawlins, NOLA, The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City that Care Forgot, and Mardi Gras City, New Orleans is truly unique.

            I had the great pleasure of visiting NOLA this past spring. Whether your interest lies with cuisine, music, history, folklore, nature, art and architecture, or vice, there is something for everyone in New Orleans. The number of attractions and pastimes is almost overwhelming; I spent a week in New Orleans and only saw a fraction of what the city has to offer. Luckily, NOLA is such a popular tourist destination that there are lots of guidebooks and websites to help you plan your trip.

Bird Brain

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the July 28, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

When I wrote several columns about birds in 2011 and 2013, I shared the many new books that you’ll find in our library’s collection.  (For anyone hoping to read a past column, you can find all of our nearly 400 columns archived online or organized annually in spiral books that are available from our adult services librarians.) 

I wrote about my experiences as a non-birding wife; that is, one who is married to a man who stops conversations, meals, and eyes-on-the-road to stare at, point out, or listen to birds. I used to find it particularly annoying when I was interrupted. Gerry would excitedly stop everything to exclaim about the long lines of black cormorants on the electrical wires. When he spied the trail of a circling hawk spotting an unfortunate prey, all other words and thoughts went out the window.

Pick Me Up Books for Your Summer

Nancy Ling is an Outreach Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read the published version of Nancy Ling's column in the July 21, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Open any paper, stream the news, and soon you will feel overwhelmed with the world. A car bomb killing hundreds in Bagdad, a train going off the tracks in Pennsylvania. Truly it’s a wonder we get out of bed every day and head to work or the gym. Lately I’ve found myself avoiding many things but reading isn’t one of them. Instead my tastes have changed. Now I’m searching for what I’ve termed a good “Pick-Me-Up” book. No, not a book on dating, but one that makes me smile. While I may be The Queen of Denial, a humorous escape seems like the perfect remedy to this world’s ills.

Free Fun in Massachusetts: A Day at the Zoo

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the July 14, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

In 1889, when Andrew Carnegie wrote his essay titled Wealth, it was published in the North American Review and soon after became known as The Gospel of Wealth.  In the article, Carnegie reasoned that successful capitalists have an obligation to improve the world, both culturally and socially, with the bulk of their riches. They must, he contended, leave the world better than they found it. “I should consider it a disgrace to die a rich man,” in Carnegie’s words speaks to his legacy to the world. Carnegie’s wealth built over 3,000 public libraries in English-speaking countries, many of them in the United States. The foundation in his name endures to this day.

Netflix and Binge

Read Kate Tigue's column in the July 7, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Kate is a Children's Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

Sometimes sunny days are just too sunny.  That’s what I used to tell my mom when I was a kid and sick of being outside in the summer.  She thought I was nuts.  She may still think I’m nuts.  I’m not a home-grown New Englander but I can complain about the weather with the best of them. Yes, I griped about the cold and the snow all winter and groused about any rainy day in the spring. Summer is finally here and the weather has been perfect.  Like San Diego-perfect.  Like it’s a crime-to-stay-inside perfect.  And yet...sometimes sunny days are just too sunny!

A New England Food Fight!

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the June 30, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Fights within a family are nothing new. The world’s oldest literature records them (Cain and Abel), history chronicles them (Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth 1), and folklore embellishes them (the Hatfields and McCoys).

            Massachusetts is not new to family troubles, either. In-laws in the Porter and Putnam families tussled in Salem during the 1600s and some of that acrimony fed the Witch Trials. The Friendly’s brothers fought over ice cream. Even the famous Koch brothers’ in-fighting has a tie to Massachusetts – three of the Koch brothers attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Election Fever

Norma Logan is the Literacy Coordinator at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read Norma Logan's column in the June 23, edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Since last June, for anyone paying attention to the political arena, it has been a whirlwind of emotions and news bites.  More than twenty politicians have come and gone out of the presidential campaign, and we are now edging closer to seeing one non-politician and one career politician left standing.  Emotions are running high, and we still have a long way to go.

In Search of the Perfect Tomato

Read Alli Palmgren's column in the June 16, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Alli is the Technology Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

For the first time in over two months, my husband and I are able to eat dinner at the kitchen table. Since March, nearly every flat surface in the house has been completely covered in seedlings. While I devoted a fair amount of counter space to peppers, strawberries, pumpkins, and the like, it is really the dozen varieties of tomatoes that have taken over our house and my life.

Trains and More Trains

Margot Sullivan is a part-time reader's advisory and reference librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read her column as published in the June 9, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Many, many, many years ago at Boston University I took a course on Middle Eastern History with a young professor who is now Professor Emeritus – foreign policy in the Middle East.  I am not really sure why I took the course other than it was something totally new and different but I ended up writing the final paper on the construction of the Berlin to Baghdad Railway. I do remember enjoying the research.  From 1899 to 1914 and eventually 1940 this immense project was fraught with politics, finances, and confusion. The reasoning behind such an enormous and long linking between two geographical areas was that Germany would get oil and Turkey would trade for needed goods. Abdul Hamid ll was the last sultan to have absolute control over the Ottoman Empire from 1876 to 1909 when he was deposed. The alliance with Germany and Kaiser Wilhelm ll which included the Baghdad Railway construction was unsuccessful. There is still discussion today as to whether this undertaking helped bring about World War l.

Libraries I've Known and Loved

Jeff Hartman is the Senior Circulation Assistant and Paging Supervisor at the Morrill Memorial Library. Jeff also creates the graphics used in marketing library services and programs. Read Jeff's column in the June 2, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. 

I started out in the basement, two afternoons every week, all summer long.  It was hot that year, and I rode my bike downtown, but it was a good chance to get out of the house.  And I got all of my volunteer hours out of the way before my freshman year of high school even started in the fall.  It was dusty down in the basement, but cool and quiet, and all I had to do was rip barcodes off of old magazines, stamp them “WITHDRAWN,” and wheel my booktruck down through the stacks to get a new batch.

Reinventing the Librarian of Congress

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the May 26, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. 

            I visited the Library of Congress on a trip to Washington, DC in 1999 and I applied for my first LOC library card. During that first trip to the Library of Congress I was awed that I, merely a citizen of the United States, could get a library card from such an iconic American institution. I remember registration as quick and, while I managed to visit a few of the library’s research collections, I admit that I really just loved returning home with the card in my wallet.

The Bravest Character I Know

Nancy Ling is an Outreach Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read the published version of Nancy Ling's column in the May 19, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I thought I would take this opportunity to let someone else’s words speak to our library readers. This year the topic for our annual essay contest was “The Bravest Character I know.” We had over 100 entries and while the decision to choose winners from the various age groups is never easy, the best writing seems to rise to the top.

Saying Goodbye to Big Blue

Librarian April Cushing is head of Adult and Information Services at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read her column published in the May 12, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript Bulletin.

I paced the mini-mart attached to the former Mobil station on Nahatan Street, anxious why it was taking so long. My recent inspection had resulted in a big red rejection sticker, so this was the last hurrah. The door to the garage finally opened. The verdict was in.

Player Piano

Sam Simas is a Technology Assistant at the Morrill Memorial Library this winter and spring. Read Sam's column in the May 5, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

           Alice cleans up when people move, or leave, or need to cut the clutter of their never-organized closets.  And she finds, between the discarded lamps, yellow curtains, creaking bed frames, rusted bicycles, and cracked tile floors, the remnants of family holidays, birthdays, and many, many, abandoned pianos.

The Library Without Walls - Kids on the Move

Read Jean Todesca's column in the April 28, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Jean is the Head of Children's Services at the Morrill Memorial Library.

            We’re so excited!  The MBLC Preschool STEAM Grant has given the Children’s Department the chance to flex its creative muscles.  STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.  Since November, we have provided many opportunities to examine these subjects.  Now nature is our upcoming point of interest!

            Our next adventure is three storytimes to be held at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon.  We are taking our programming outside the library walls!  On Wednesday, May 11, 18 and 25, our young patrons ages 3-6 will have the opportunity to learn about frogs, butterflies, and songbirds.  Patti Austin will guide through the activity. 

            “Touch & Feel” of specimens, stories, and a nature walk will round out the programs.  We are hoping to see some frogs!  The sanctuary provides natural items for the children to examine.  We ask the adults to expand the child’s experience by using the K-W-L Strategy.  Before you arrive, ask the child-“What do you know about frogs?”  After they respond, ask-“What do you want to learn about frogs?”  Finally, after the event, ask-“What did you learn about frogs?’  These conversations will enhance the child’s observation skills as well as create a fun family discussion and shared experience. 

            Our Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary programs will illustrate that reading and learning can expand outside of the brick and mortar buildings.  The library isn’t just for books anymore!

            If you and your preschooler would like to join us, email norchild@minlib.net.  Space is limited and you must provide your own transportation.  We are planning on beautiful weather, but as New Englanders we never know.  So, dress for the weather. 

            The Children’s Department is happy to provide these unique experiences.  So, see you there!

A Writing Life

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the April 21, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I started writing newspaper columns in 2001when I was a librarian at the Peterborough Town Library in New Hampshire. All four professional librarians on staff there shared the writing task and I was assigned every third week of the month. I joyfully wrote about children’s books and programs that we offered to the youth of Peterborough. Sometimes, I volunteered for an additional week because it was the part of my job that I loved best.

The Etymologist by Night

Liz Reed is the Adult and Information Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Liz's column in the April 14, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

    The library building may be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, but being a librarian involves a set of skills that aren’t always easy to switch off. When I’m not being a librarian in the workplace, I find that I’m most often engaged as an etymologist for friends and family. In other words, I’m the go-to person when someone wants to know the history of a word beyond the simple definition. Luckily for them, I find etymology, or the history of words, fascinating.

Beyond My Job Description

Samuel Simas is the technology assistant at the Morrill Memorial library; he is a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Read Sam's column in the April 7, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

When I worked at the Washanuck Library there was a wasp-nest humming in its eaves; a football sized wasp-nest that discharged angry bullets (or were they wasps?), which, if they could have spoken, would have said, “Stay away from our hive.”

I carried overdue books, a backpack, and a water-bottle up to the front door where I didn’t notice the yellow fiend, dart side pointed skyward, who had positioned itself on the door-handle.  The eaves weren’t enough; the hive wanted the whole building, the books and their vanilla scented pages, the crisp air-conditioning, the new computers and DVDs.  I imagined the queen sitting in her glob of honey, rubbing her prickly feelers, humming,

Coming to Light

Nancy Ling is an Outreach Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read the published version of Nancy Ling's column in the March 31, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

As a mother raising two teenage girls, I find myself thinking about role models quite a bit. These days who do our girls have to admire? I’m grateful for the fact that strong women are out there inventing technologies, running companies, and changing the world. While there are still fences to be climbed and boundaries to be pushed, my daughters’ generation has a growing confidence that they can do anything they put their minds to.

Exploring Mortality with Atul Gawande

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the March 24, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

In 1967 when the Beatles released the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club album, I was finishing my freshman year in high school. That historic album included the hit song written by Beatle Paul McCartney that most of us know all the words to sing along: When I’m Sixty-Four.

Ziggy Played Guitar .. And Read A Lot, Too

Read Kate Tigue's column in the March 17, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Kate is a Children's Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

It’s been over two months since legendary rock star David Bowie passed away at the early age of sixty-nine after a near two year battle with cancer. Fans around the world were devastated and shocked as the notoriously private musician didn’t share much about his personal life with the media and his death proved to be no exception. Bowie was so reclusive that it is not even known what type of cancer he had. We do know one thing for sure from Bowie’s public statements and interviews: his love of music was only paralleled by his love of reading. Yup, the world’s biggest rock star was also an obsessive bibliophile. In 1998, Vanity Fair magazine published Bowie’s answers to the infamous Proust Questionnaire. The first question asks “What is your idea of perfect happiness?” Bowie responded simply, “Reading”.

A Librarian’s Approach to Marathon Training

Meredith Ruhl is an intern at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. She is currently in her last semester in the Simmons College Graduate School of Library Science. Read Meredith's column in the March 10, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

If you drive along Commonwealth Ave. in Newton on a weekend morning in the late winter or early spring, you will likely see hundreds, if not thousands, of people running in the carriage lane next to the main road. Often braving not only the steep terrain of Heartbreak Hill but also subzero temperatures, snow, and ice, these intrepid runners are training for the Boston Marathon. Many are tackling their very first marathon and doing so to raise money for local charities, as I am this year.

Just One Bite, or the Mantra of a Mother of a Picky Eater

Diane Phillips is the Technical Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.  Read Diane's  column in the March 3, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

I've been thinking a lot about food lately.  It's not due to any diet plans or anything fun like planning for a party.  I’m finding that I'm becoming obsessed with food choices, calorie counts, nutritional values and meal plans because I live with a "picky eater.

Dealing with Canasta

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the February 25, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Weather everywhere can be unpredictable, and Florida is no exception. Freezing temperatures in the winter have killed orange crops as far south as Miami. Oppressive heat in the summer scares off most tourists all over the southernmost state.

Our recent vacation on the Floridian west coast last month was planned with only relaxation in mind. Oh, yes, of course we hoped to leave the frigid temperatures behind. However, we longed to visit with friends even more. They had recently moved to the Cape after living in Norwood for more than 40 years. As retired New Englanders often do, our friends now “snowbird” in Florida for the winter months.

New Technology Comes to the Library

Bonnie Wyler is a Literacy/Outreach Librarian at the library. Read Bonnie's column in the February 18, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

In early January, the power-adjusted table arrived at the library.  Within a week, it had been assembled and placed in the Reference Department, awaiting the remaining hardware and software that will make it a dedicated accessible workstation.   When the workstation is complete, it will provide the most up-to-date assistive technology available for library patrons who have vision loss or other disabilities.  Because we know that age-related eye diseases are a leading cause of vision impairment, meeting the needs of older patrons and others with vision loss is a growing priority for the library.

Man in the Wilderness: Hugh Glass

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the February 11, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Each year I promise myself that I will see most of the Oscar-nominated films. My hope is always simply that I can watch the presentation program with enough meaningful attention to the awards to ignore all the bad jokes. Unfortunately, that quest hasn’t been exactly fruitful lately. I actually don’t believe I’ve tuned into the Academy Awards telecast for the past several years.

This year, though, I’ve totally surprised myself. Or let’s say, my husband, Gerry, has surprised me.  And he’s surprised himself. He’s not a go-to-the-movies kind of guy, but this year he made it his goal to make me one happy wife.  Over the holiday vacation and beyond, we’ve managed to see eight of the top 2015 movies together.  Add to that the three I managed to see on my own. I’ve topped every goal I could hope for.

A Picture Book is Worth a Thousand Words

Read Alli Palmgren's column in the February 4, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. Alli is the Technology Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library.

In the past few months, I have begun reading books that I would not normally read. While I am still tearing through my usual mysteries and non-fiction best sellers, I have added a number of books with very unconventional plots to my “read” list.

Rappin' with Alexander Hamilton

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the January 28, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

The name Hamilton is nearly a household word. One of my daughters lives one of the many Hamilton avenue, streets, and boulevards in our country. At least 28 of our 50 states boasts a city or town named Hamilton. Hamilton College is the third oldest college in New York. It was chartered in 1812 and is one of the oldest colleges in the United States.

Empty Nest - Full Basement

Librarian April Cushing is head of Adult and Information Services at the Morrill Memorial Library. Read her column published in the January 21, 2016 issue of the Norwood Transcript Bulletin.

You can tell a lot about a person by her basement. I’ve spent more time than usual below street-level lately, between putting away Christmas accoutrements and re-homing clutter in preparation for a proper house-cleaning. My basement has been filling up faster than a debutante’s dance card. As I made my way through the maze it struck me how much of the stuff belongs to my kids. I’m not talking about the remnants from childhood. I’m referring to the clothing, kitchenware, artwork, books, bikes, bedding, wedding miscellany and giant golf mat they left behind when they took off. And there’s the rub: I don’t mind having their belongings under my roof; I’d just rather have them.

I’m struggling with the fact that three of my four daughters now live far away, and probably getting farther. My youngest, in New York City, plans to study overseas, my 30-year-old recently moved back to London, and the newlyweds just drove 3,000 miles in the opposite direction to begin married life in San Francisco. I’m grateful to have one child who promises to stay put. The peripatetic nature of my progeny is particularly difficult for this Norwood resident whose neighbors all seem to live within shouting distance of their kin. Sure, I’m envious.

Inspiration at a Midwinter Meeting

Charlotte Canelli is the library director of the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Charlotte's column in the January 14, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin. I belong to several professional organizations for librarians, and the largest of these is the American Library Association. ALA has been holding annual conferences in June since 1876. In fact, it held one of its first summer conferences right here in Boston in 1879 with its largest participation in its then five-year history – 162 members.

The numbers have grown, and currently, there are less than ten cities large* enough to host the annual ALA conference (held in June) with the highest number of attendees nearly 30,000 (Washington, DC in 2007). Other annual conferences destinations are Anaheim, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Chicago. (*Large conference cities are those who can house the attendees to area hotels and shuttle them back and forth between the event venues.)

The Selfish Knitter

Liz Reed is the Adult and Information Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Liz's column in the January 7, 2016 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.

Early January is a time to pause and take a breath. The holidays are over, the hustle and bustle of the past month has slowed, and winter is just getting started. As I recently mentioned to some friends, winter is the knitter’s natural habitat, especially if you’re a knitter who enjoys working with wool. I’ll go a step further here and say that if winter is the knitter’s natural habitat, January is our nesting time, the time when we can settle in, hunker down, and focus on projects that we want to do for ourselves.