March Circulation Statistics . the Library Checked out a Total of 125,939 Items in March

4-07-06

March Circulation Statistics. The Library checked out a total of 125,939 items in March, resulting in an impressive 9.9% increase in circulation over March 2005. Especially popular adult collections were large print books (22.2%), compact discs (22.7%), audiobooks (38.9%), and DVDs (48.2%). Children’s materials that circulated well include picture books (18.6%), readers (26.6%), fiction (10.5 %), audiobooks (12.2%), and DVDs (42.8%).

First Tuesday. The April First Tuesday at the Library concert was entitled “Prerequisites for Peace: A Cabaret Show” and was presented by Laila and Yohannes Murphy. The show included Laila Murphy on vocals and flute, Yohannes Murphy, vocals, and Daniel Crothers on keyboards. Laila and Yohannes have been performing together for over ten years and their voices create a unique, harmonious blend. They performed with the voices of Baha at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and they continue to perform throughout the Portland area. Laila attended Northwestern University where she earned a degree in flute performance and a certificate of musical theater. She recently played the lead role in Lakewood Theater’s “The Spitfire Grill.” She’s also a substitute flutist with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Yohannes has been performing since a very young age. His music is influenced by the time he spent in Southern Africa. His vocal talent has earned him lead roles in a number of musical shows. The concert was presented with support from the Friends of the Library.

Children’s Sign Language Series. Another five-week series of “Sing and Sign Musical Playtime” kicked off this week. The classes are designed for caregivers and children from birth through age two. Even before babies are able to speak, they can communicate their wants and needs to their caregivers through sign language. The fun, interactive workshop incorporates American Sign Language into theme-oriented play activities. Participants sing songs, learn and review favorite signs, and play games that help children learn new signs. The series is geared for families who have done some signing, but it’s also a great chance for beginning signers to get their feet wet. Sessions are facilitated by Dawn Prochovnic, M.A., the founder of Small Talk Learning. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Library.

Children’s Art Series. The Youth Services Department launched a new special four-part series of art classes for children in first-fifth grades: “Young Rembrandts Drawing Classes.” These drawing classes teach children how to draw using an innovative step-by-step drawing method. The sessions help to develop concentration, fine motor skills, writing readiness, visual discrimination, and spatial organization in a fun environment. The art teacher, Meredith Dunn, is an art therapist with a private practice in child and family therapy in Lake Oswego. Dunn states that “The kids really are proud of their artistic skill and the colorful drawings they produce. They finish with wonderful pieces that display their growing skills and confidence. Even adults are impressed with the sophistication of the art work.” The Young Rembrandts series was made possible by the Friends of the Library.

Children’s Chess Series. The five-part spring series of chess classes, for children in third- sixth grades, kicked off last Saturday. Chess Coach Frederick “Fritz” Balwit is the facilitator who provides lessons, practice, and individual coaching. Balwit currently works as a chess instructor at both Mt. Tabor and Glencoe Elementary Schools. He’s also coached at the university level in Queretero, Mexico. Balwit earned a Masters Degree in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He converses in several foreign languages, he’s taught history and English as a second language, and he plays several musical instruments. While his interests and talents are wide-ranging, he claims that chess is his first love. Chess programs are made possible by the Friends of the Library. Miscellaneous Nonfiction. Sometimes, the most interesting books are hard to fit into common categories. Library users who want to spice up their reading with something different may want to try one of the following new titles: _ American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn _ The Bobbed Hair Bandit: A True Story of Crime and Celebrity in 1920s New York _ Don’t Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes From the World’s Greatest Chefs _ Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern _ Forensic Detective: How I Cracked the World’s Toughest Cases _ Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, and Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour _ Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture _ The Last Playboy: The High Life of Porfirio Rubirosa _ A Left-Hand Turn Around the World: Chasing the Mystery and Meaning of All Things Southpaw _ Medic! How I Fought World War II With Morphine, Sulfa, and Iodine Swabs _ Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping _ Offbeat Museums _ The Parting Glass: A Toast to the Traditional Pubs of Ireland _ Rubble: Unearthing the History of Demolition _ The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!: American Films of the 1970s _ Strange Red Cow and Other Curious Classified Ads From the Past