Our Giving Tree went up in December when the cold weather was just getting started. It’s colder than ever now and the need continues. So we’re keeping our tree up, adding decorations and collecting donations through the end of February. You can help.
Continue reading “Why are we leaving our tree up? Because it’s COLD out there.”
This week we had a book returned to us from an Illinois library. They got it from a neighboring library in Idaho, who found it in their book return. As much as we’d love to know how and why our book from Ravenna, Ohio, ended up in Idaho and Illinois, we’ll probably never find out. But its arrival sparked a conversation about things that end up at our library that don’t belong to us.
Continue reading “Strange Finds in Our Library’s Book Drop”
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Where to find this book at Reed Memorial Library:
Katie from Adult Services recommends A Sorceress Comes to Call to readers who enjoy a good fairytalesque novel. This book is standalone, but it is similar to other works by T. Kingfisher in that it blends magic, fantasy, and horror.
Continue reading “A Sorceress Comes to Call: A Reed Reads! Book Rec”
Looking for the perfect gift? Wondering what kind of book to get for your friend/sibling/niece and nephew/parent/grandchild? Are you hoping to receive books as gifts? Our staff are readers and gift givers just like you AND we have the advantage of being surrounded by books daily. Here, on the cusp of the holiday season, we give you a brief rundown of books that our staff recommend for both giving and receiving.
Continue reading “Is it better to give or to receive? Both are good – as long as it’s a book!”
Have you been asked to “fax over” some forms or information?
Who faxes stuff anymore since email came along? Where do you even do that in 2024? If you’re under 25, do you even know what a fax machine is? And where am I going to find a fax machine? The answer: your library, of course.
Continue reading “Yes, We Still Fax Things”
It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving is coming and the very next day we kick off the holiday season during Ravenna’s Midnight Madness event. It’s an evening you don’t want to miss.
Continue reading “Ravenna’s Midnight Madness: Family Fun Awaits”
We’re nearing the end of our year-long Bookworm Challenge and November feels like the start of the home stretch. It’s time make a full throttle, wide open sprint towards the finish line. Nonfiction is the genre, giving you permission to pick anything to read, so long as it’s true. Cookbooks? Yes! True Crime? Of course! Decorating? Yep. Crafting? Sure. Rembrandt? Absolutely!
Creating a recommended reading list for nonfiction would be counterproductive since nonfiction is such a broad vista. If you know what topic you’re interested in, you can always search the catalog to find it. But what if you prefer to choose books by browsing around the shelves? For you browsers, lets acclimate you to the shelving system. Then, you can wander through the stacks but not wander aimlessly.
If you still remember the Dewey Decimal system from grade school or if you’re a frequent visitor to these shelves, you probably don’t need to read the rest of this post. Go wild and find your next read for Nonfiction November! If you don’t know the shelving system and don’t know where to start, keep reading.
First, all non-fiction is shelved by assigning broad topics to a numerical range from 0 to 900. This classification guide at right shows the ten classification categories. Inside a sequence, similar subtopics are shelved together, using more decimals and letters as you get more specific.
Let’s look at history as an example. History and Geography are all assigned within the 900-999.99 numerical sequence. Any true (nonfiction) book about historical topics will be shelved inside these numbers. Within the 900 sequence, you find subdivisions like geography and travel (910), biographies (920), European history (940), etc. The chart below, from the website LibraryThing, gives you an easy visual representation of this breakdown.
So if I were looking for a book about the American Civil War, I am able to browse everything our library has about the war in the 970-979 sequence. If I wanted to read about Chinese history, I would browse through the 950-959 sequence. Is it making sense yet?
We have some handy charts inside the library to remind you how the classification system works. If you’re a browser, don’t be discouraged. Reference the chart, look up a keyword in the catalog for a starting point, or ask one of our friendly library staff, “Where can I find books about whales?” Whichever way you use, with the broad shelves of nonfiction to choose from, you’ll have no trouble finding something that interests you.
We’re in the Bookworm Challenge home stretch – finish strong, bookworm!
Pumpkin spice is so over. It’s time for gingerbread, in preparation for this year’s #GingerbreadMadness. This year, you can win bragging rights and a prize for the best decorated gingerbread house. Keep reading to find out more.
Continue reading “Time for a little (Gingerbread) Madness”
Did you know that with your library card, you have free access to over 16 million books, audiobooks, movies, and music from public libraries across the state? This borrowing magic happens through a service called SearchOhio. Did you know that SearchOhio will deliver the item you borrow from Dayton, Cincinnati, Lima, or wherever, here to RML at no cost? If you don’t know, keep reading to find out how it works.
Continue reading “Borrow 16 million more items with your library card”
It’s time to get dressed up in your favorite book-inspired costume and join us for our annual fun-for-all-ages Halloween party. Why should you come? You’ll miss all the fun if you stay home!
Continue reading “You’re ALL Invited: Our Annual Halloween Party”
Sincerely, Cornelius 