Happy 2010!  May the new year be a healthy one for you.

These days we hear so much about health care and health insurance.  No one knows what the future holds in store for us in terms of sickness and health.  And wise planning is the best approach for a secure future.

Here at the West Palm Beach Public Library we are fortunate to have a series of programs being presented by Shalloway and Shalloway on “How to Get the Best Long Term Care and Pay for It Without Going Broke!”   The next 2-hour program will take place on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 2:00 pm in the Library’s Hibiscus Room on the 3rd Floor.

Shalloway and Shalloway, specialists in elder law, special needs trusts, estate planning, probate, guardianships, and much more, will explain how to get the care you want for your loved one (or yourself!) without worrying about the expense.  This is your chance to get the latest information, get some good tips and advice, and get your questions answered.  With the knowledgeable assistance of Shalloway and Shalloway we can explore the details of Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration benefits, and much more.

This is a topic we hear a lot about, but most of us need more detailed information and need to learn about all the options and how they apply.  It really is never too early to start planning!   Join us at the library for an enlightening presentation, and check out some books on the subject, too!  A few relevant titles to be found at our library are listed below.

• Long-term care : how to plan and pay for it / by Joseph L. Matthews
• The social security benefits handbook / Stanley A. Tomkiel III
• The complete idiot’s guide to your military and veterans benefits / by Lawrence J. Webber and Katrina L. Webber
• Social security, medicare & government pensions : get the most out of your retirement & medical benefits / by Joseph L. Matthews ; with Dorothy Matthews Berman
• Protecting your family’s assets in Florida : how to legally use Medicaid to pay for nursing home and assisted living care / John R. Frazier
• An insider’s guide to better nursing home care : 75 tips you should know / Donna M. Reed
• For service to your country : the insider’s guide to veterans’ benefits / Peter S. Gaytan and Marian Edelman Borden ; foreword by Bob Dole
• Nasty, brutish, and long : adventures in old age and the world of eldercare / Ira Rosofsky
• Estate planning basics / by Denis Clifford

Here’s to a very healthy year, and a year of wise planning!!

Esther Fawn Van Allen, Reference Librarian

‘Tis the season for end of the year book lists!

If you’re looking for book recommendations, you can visit the blog of our venerable Book Goddess year-round.

However, whenever December rolls around, you can’t cross the street without tripping over a book list.  “Top 10 of 2009,” “Best Books for Your Holiday,” “Best Books of the 00’s…”  They’re everywhere!

Here’s a roundup of some of the more interesting lists out there.  To see more information about the books, click on the name of the list.  To request a copy from our library (if available), click on the title of the book.

NPR – Librarian Nancy Pearl’s 2009 Under-The-Radar Books

• Spooner by Pete Dexter
• When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler’s Journey of Staying Put by Vivian Swift
• The Good Soldiers by David Finkel
• Liar by Justine Larbalestier
• Going Bovine by Libba Bray
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
• In the Town All Year ‘Round by Rotraut Suzanne Berner
• Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy
• Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey Through Chile by Sara Wheeler

Amazon – Best Books of 2009 (Editors’ Picks)

• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
• Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
• Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad
• The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
• The City & the City by China Mieville
• Stitches by David Small
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Publishers Weekly – Best Books of 2009 (Top 10)

• Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey
• Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
• A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon by Neil Sheehan
• In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
• Big Machine by Victor LaValle
• The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes
• Stitches by David Small
• Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford
• Jeff in Venice, Death in Veranasi by Geoff Dyer
• Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

New York Times – The 10 Best Books of 2009

• Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Maloy
• Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem
• A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
• Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Wells
• A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert
• The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes
• The Good Soldiers by David Finkel
• Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr
• Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed
• Raymond Carver: A Writer’s Life by Carol Sklenicka

Of course, the list wouldn’t be complete without my own list!  While they’re not all new books, I truly enjoyed the experience of reading them, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them.  Have a question about one of them?  Email me at krabillb@mycitylibrary.org and I’d be happy to tell you more about it and why I liked it.  In fact, I’m always happy to give book (and movie and music) recommendations!

My Favorite 10 Books Read in 2009

• Stitches by David Small
• The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr.
• Madness Under the Royal Palms: Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm Beach by Laurence Leamer
• Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
• Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig

What’s your first book of 2010 going to be?  I’m leaning towards either A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore or How to Rule the World From Your Couch by Laura Day.

Happy reading!

** Britta**

I was talking with my American friend about movies and she asked me which new Bollywood movie we have got in our library.  When I told her the name OM SHANTI OM, she gave me a mysterious smile and told her story of OM SHANTI OM.  This is the first Bollywood movie she saw on the plane, when going to New Delhi from New York, a non stop 14 hours flight.  She was not able to sleep and out of sheer boredom she tuned in to the English subtitled Bollywood movie OM SHANTI OM.  She used to think that Indian movies are melodramatic, silly and just song & dance drama of 3 hours – everything she dislikes in a movie.  But she loved that movie and on her trip she watched some more and she was hooked. Now she is addicted to Bollywood Cinema and has seen almost all the movies that we have in our collection and what I have at home.

Some people have negative preconceptions about Indian movies but thanks in part to the Oscar Winner Slumdog Millionaire, Indian movies are catching on like crazy.  It is surprising for me when patron ask for the Bollywood movies by their titles.  The response to these movies is tremendous. Some Westerners find song & dance aspect of Indian movies hilarious but it is part of the grammar of Indian filmmaking.  Songs are a beautiful and unique part of Bollywood movies and I’d be devastated if they vanished.

I can proudly say we started our collection of Indian Cinema in our library a long time ago and we have some of the best movies of Bollywood and other Indian filmmakers.  The most notable is by director Satyajit Ray, who has a global audience.  Though deeply rooted in Indian culture, his films manage to produce a universal humanistic response because it is all about human relations.  I think Cinema has an amazing power to touch people across the world, in whatever language or whatever form.  Eventually it is all about the human emotions.

I enjoy movies from all over the world, but yes, Bollywood films are very special because I’ve grown up watching them.  They are a part of me. You laugh, you cry, feel like dancing with characters and this is the appeal of the Indian Cinema. Check out some Indian movies and tell me how was your experience of watching the Bollywood Cinema and I am sure you will fall head over heels just like my friend did.

- Manju

Hello again from the West Palm Beach Public Library.  Today let’s talk about using the computer to fill out forms online.  Sometimes it can seem rather challenging!  These days government agencies (at all levels: local, state, and federal) are providing forms to be filled out online, and in some cases this is the ONLY way these forms can be completed and submitted.

At the Library’s e-Government workshops every Monday  from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, there are library staff in the Computer Lab on the 2nd Floor to assist people for 2 free computer hours with e-Government websites.  In case you are wondering about the term “e-Government”, it represents the delivery of services traditionally provided by government agencies via electronic means.  Here is a list of some of the websites the library staff can help you with:

Links for E-government Workshops

Federal

• I want to file my FAFSA so I can get financial aid through my college: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
• I need to make an appointment for immigration: http://infopass.uscis.gov/
• I need to check the status of my case in Immigration: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
• I want to apply for a passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
• I need to get a new social security card, where do I go? http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/
• I need to file for social security benefits:  http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/
• I want to file my taxes:  http://www.irs.gov/
• I need to check on the status of my tax refund:  http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html?portlet=4

State

I want to apply for food stamps:  http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/

I want to apply for Medicaid:  http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/

I want to file for Unemployment: http://www.floridajobs.org/Unemployment/

I need to claim my weeks for Unemployment or check on my claim:  https://www2.myflorida.com/flccid/

I want to renew my car registration: https://www7.hsmv.state.fl.us/VirtualOffice/faces/lobby.jsp

I want to renew my driver’s license: https://www7.hsmv.state.fl.us/VirtualOffice/faces/lobby.jsp

Local

I want to pay my utility bill (City of WPB only): http://www.wpb.org/utilities/ways_to_pay.html

I want to look up or pay my property tax: http://www.pbcgov.com/tax/i&p_property.shtml

I want to see the value of my property:   http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/papa/aspx/GeneralSearch/GeneralSearch.aspx

In addition to providing  assistance in completing applications and forms, the Library will try to help with such e-Government needs as finding information about government programs and services, jobs, education, and other government transactions, and obtaining free e-mail accounts.  Library staff members are not permitted to give legal, financial, or medical advice and are not case workers. If you know of someone who might need some help, please tell them about the Library’s Monday e-Government workshops.  It is important to bring with you any necessary information that might be needed to complete the form you are filling out, such as addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and birth certificate information.    See you there!

Esther Fawn Van Allen, Reference Librarian

Hosting author or literary events can be the most rewarding of all library programs.  Author programs can connect our readers and writers in ways that enrich both groups.  They also provide informative and entertaining programs to our local community.

Here at the West Palm Beach Public Library we have a “booked” schedule of events with authors and writers who will share their latest works and musings.  So be sure to mark your calendars and join us for the following programs to get your literary fix!

• Frank McKinney:  Times bestselling author, real estate “artist”, and philanthropist Frank McKinney will be here to discuss and sign  copies of his latest book “Burst This! Frank McKinney’s Bubble-Proof Real Estate Strategies.”   Praised by Donald Trump for his “groundbreaking deals and rock-star looks”  McKinney creates multimillion dollar estate homes and recently completed the world’s largest “green” mansion.

Wednesday, November 18th from 6:30-7:30pm Auditorium

• Deborah Pollack: Meet bestselling author, lecturer, and art dealer, Deborah C. Pollack!  Deborah Pollack will be here to discuss and sign copies of her recent book “Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind the Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach” a biography of the famous pioneer artist who laid the groundwork for Palm Beach’s image as a tropical paradise.

Deborah is a bestselling author, lecturer, and Palm Beach art dealer who specializes in Florida artists.

Wednesday, December 2nd from 6:30-7:30pm Clematis Room

• Eliot Kleinberg:  The Historical Society of Palm Beach County presents “Wicked Palm Beach, Lifestyles of the Rich and Heinous” a lecture by renowned local author and journalist Eliot Kleinberg.Eliot Kleinberg will draw on his “Post Time” column in the Palm Beach Post to offer this unique glimpse into the extraordinary history of Palm Beach.  A book signing will immediately follow his lecture.

Thursday, December 3rd from 6:00-8:00pm Clematis Room

Christine Stapleton:  Here is your chance to meet celebrated Palm Beach Post reporter Christine Stapleton!  Some of her many awards include: Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award 2004 and 2006 and the 2008 Mental Health America Journalism Award. She is a senior fellow of the Knight Foundation and has appeared on The Deborah Norville Show, Inside Edition and City Confidential. Christine Stapleton will be here to discuss and sign copies of her book “Hoping for a Happy Ending: A  journalist’s  story of depression, bipolar and alcoholism.”
Saturday, December 12th from 12:00-1:30pm Clematis Room.

Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe:  Come out to the Library and meet humor writer Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe! Articles of hers have appeared in The New York Times, Smart Money Magazine, Playbill Magazine, and The Jewish Press.Marjorie Wolfe will be here to speak on the topic “The Humor of Molly Goldberg” the beloved character created by television pioneer, Gertrude Berg

Thursday, December 17^th from 1:00-2:00pm Clematis Room.

All programs are FREE and do not require registration.  If you need more information about any of our author/writer visits please contact the library at 561-868-7701.

See you soon!

Theresa

One of the best things about the library is that it’s in the middle of such a vibrant community.  There’s always something going on.

While you may know about the weekly Clematis by Night concerts and the seasonal greenmarket, there’s so much more happening in West Palm Beach!

• The city of West Palm Beach keeps an online event calendar listing everything from events in local restaurants to kids’ activities at the South Olive Community Center.  They’ve also got a Twitter account to keep you updated.
• West Palm Beach’s Downtown Development Agency keeps their own event calendar that focuses on the Clematis District and Cityplace.
• Or course, there are always events happening right here at the library!  (Don’t forget our Twitter updates.) Our Friends group puts on some great programs as well.
• While we love to have you at the city library, the county library has some pretty darn good programs and events too.  Choose your local branch to see what they’ve got going on.

If you’re curious to see how the community is changing, check out the Clematis Street Blog.

If you want to know what’s going on right this very second, @aGuyonClematis posts information and pictures about the here and now on Clematis Street.

Next time you’re in the neighborhood, make sure to stop by the library!  If none of these events appeal to you, we’ve got loads of materials on cooking, crafts, and hobbies.  We’ll make sure to keep you busy!

**Britta**

Oct. 2^nd is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and I remember my mother also on that day because there are so many memories of my mother associated with Gandhi. She was a true Gandhian and used to tell us stories about Mahatma Gandhi when we were growing up. Now I realize that by telling all those stories she was telling us how to be brave, truthful, and courageous.  I grew up understanding Gandhi through those stories.

 But there is one story about Gandhi my mother never told us.  I found that even in the literature about Gandhi there was some unspoken blacking out of Gandhi’s son Harilal from Gandhi’s daily world.  This is evident from his secretary Mahadev’s meticulous record keeping; even that is totally silent about Harilal.

 I would like to share my thoughts about that.  It is a story of a failed father who carried a deep wound in his heart –his son Harilal, roaming the streets like a beggar, converting to Islam and then back to Hinduism, and finally dying of syphilis and alcohol abuse.  Harilal was Mahatma Gandhi’s eldest son and a most inconvenient truth.  He rebelled against his father’s idealistic principles and sought to live a life where he would not have to carry the burden of being the son of Mahatma Gandhi.

 I wondered why Mahatma Gandhi could not save the soul of his own son when he was transforming the soul of the nation. The conflict between father and son is complex; I tried to read whatever I could find on that aspect of Gandhi.  It makes me sad but I can never make Harilal a yardstick to understand a great man like Gandhi, nor do I have the moral authority to even question a man like Gandhi.

To me this is a conflict of a principled father and an unfortunate son.  Gandhi became a greater human being by putting his principles and quest for human dignity above everything else - even his own son. He made a personal sacrifice; a very difficult choice to make.

 P.S. I am sure after reading this you would like to know more about Harilal and the good news is – Harilal Gandhi: A Life is on order and will soon be available for checkout.

Manju

Hello again.  I am eager to tell you about a wonderful upcoming event at the West Palm Beach Public Library:  92YLive – Mitch Albom: Have a Little Faith.  It will be held in the library auditorium (3rd Floor) on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:45 PM.

I highly recommend that you try to attend this event.  I had the privilege of hearing Mitch Albom talk at an American Library Association conference a few years ago, and he was absolutely fantastic – one of the most moving and delightful experiences ever!  A really memorable occasion!  He is not only a great writer but an enthralling public speaker: inspiring, fascinating, and entertaining. He had all of us in the audience laughing, crying, and frequently doing both at once!

Mitch Albom is as gifted a speaker as he is a writer.  He brings to life the connection between his sports writing and human interest stories of empathy and drama in such books as Tuesdays with Morrie and Five People You Meet in Heaven.  His new book Have a Little Faith proves to become another great read.  I plan on attending this event on November 4 if at all possible.  For anyone who wants to be truly entertained (and enlightened!), it is strongly recommended.  Come and share this and many other terrific events with the Library Friends.  Enjoy!

Have a Little Faith: Mitch Albom

Writer and broadcaster Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie (the best-selling memoir of all time with more than 14 million copies sold), The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day, has become an inspiration to millions of people around the world. His forthcoming book is Have a Little Faith: A True Story of a Last Request. Albom is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and the host of two radio shows that are broadcast in 38 states.

Live from NY’s 92nd Street (92YLive) is a live, satellite-broadcast event, that allows people all over the nation to access the Y’s cultural and educational programs. This event is ongoing, with our first program being the Forum on Sustainable Global Enterprise.

This program will provide an opportunity for the audience to ask questions of the presenters, as if they were in the New York audience.  For more information about the 92YLive programs go to http://www.92y.org/live

Friends members can attend for $5.00, the General Public can attend for $10.00.

Remember, Friends receive email notices and reminders of events and can access many events at discounted prices or attend for free.

To register, please visit the website of our Friends group:  http://www.friendswpblibrary.org/

Esther Fawn Van Allen, Reference Librarian
West Palm Beach Public Library

I am a procrastinator.  No doubt about it.  However as I began my job of  forwarding  library event information to various organizations I realized that one particular event hit a nerve.   In promoting our “Hispanic Breast Health” lecture program I have heard numerous stories from individuals who have either experienced first-hand breast cancer or know others who have dealt with this terrible disease.   So no more postponing my physical! The date is set and I am also making sure I attend this valuable and informative program.

Please make every effort to take your breast health into consideration!  Be  proactive and attend the West Palm Beach Public Library’s Hispanic Breast Health presentation this Saturday from 1:00-2:00pm.  Dr. Elisabeth A. McKeen will present the latest information on breast health for the Hispanic population. She will speak about breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment. Dr. McKeen will also answer questions from the audience. A translator will be provided.

Particularly for our Hispanic community we need to get the word out!  Did you know that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic/Latina women?   Also, according to the National Cancer Institute it estimates that a woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of developing invasive breast cancer during her lifetime! 

So bring your mother, sister, grandmother, and anyone else you care about to the library’s breast health presentation and let’s not put off hearing about what we can do to learn and possibly prevent breast cancer.

• Date/Time: Saturday, October 10 1:00-2:00pm
• Location: West Palm Beach Public Library Auditorium
• Cost: FREE

See you there,

Theresa

Once a year, libraries around the United States salute intellectual freedom by highlighting books that have been banned or challenged in school libraries and public libraries.  Banned Books Week, which is September 26 – October 3 this year, celebrates our freedom to read materials which may have controversial content or unpopular viewpoints. 

If you come into the library in the next week or so, you’ll see our Banned Books Week display in the New Fiction section on the first floor.  We’ve highlighted some of the most often challenged and banned books.

You would expect to see books such as Lolita and Harry Potter on display, but many of the books frequently challenged in schools and libraries are surprising.  Here are a just a few examples:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
• The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• King & King by Linda de Haan
• The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé
• Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle (one of my personal favorites)

Come to the library and check out something from our display.  Open your mind by getting to know a different point of view.

**Britta**