It’s Criminal! True Crime in the Library

Have you already burned through your true crime podcasts and netflix queue?

If so, then go old-school and check out a book! From gory to white-collar, of-the-moment to historical, scientific to hard-boiled, we’ve got a book for you.

In Memorium: Dorothy S. (Muse) Chittum

In Memoriam

Dorothy S. (Muse) Chittum

Death: March 2019

Wood County Library Director, 1968-1988

“…To be a true library, it must be used.”

The following is an excerpt from an article entitled “New Parkersburg South Library Opens to The Public,” published in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel on 31 Jan 2016, following the completion of the South Parkersburg branch renovation:

“I looked up the definition of libraries,” said Chittum, who attended Saturday’s event. “Libraries are a collection of graphic materials such as books, films, magazines, manuscripts and phonograph records designed for use. The phrase ‘for use’ is important since books and other materials brought together do not necessarily constitute a library, thus copies of recent books in a publisher’s warehouse to be sold are not libraries.”

Chittum said a shelf of cookbooks and recipes in a house qualifies as a library. She said for the new branch to be a true library it must be used. The original south branch built in 1972 was what was called an “instant library” and it was the first one built in the state and in the U.S.

When Ms. Chittum took over, the library was in the Carnegie Library building – now the former Trans Allegheny Book Store – and was director when the current library was built on Emerson Avenue in 1976. Along with the building of the Emerson Library, Dorothy was able to build a branch in South Parkersburg, a branch in Williamstown (1977), and to help get a special law passed in 1987 that finally provided dependable permanent funding to support the library in Wood County.

Thank you Dorothy for your years of service.

She Has a Name

Have you ever noticed how many book titles refer to a woman only in relationship to other people, or only by her physical characteristics?

My Name is: Linda Wallheim

My name is: Joan Castleman

My name is: Naomi Malcolm

Our names are: Stella, Ritzi, and Maria

My name is: Marie Perry

My name is: Vivienne de la Mare

My name is: Li-Lin

My name is: Nell Gwynne

My name is: Samantha Whipple

My name is: Josephine

My name is: Fanny Savage

My name is: Amy Wilde

My name is: Martha Houghton

My name is: Kimberly Chang

My name is: Louise de la Valliere

My name is: Rakhel Malacouti

My name is: Anna Benz

My name is: Peggy Shippen

My name is: Emily Hudson

My name is: Catherine Land

My name is: Ann Eliza Young

My name is: Brunella Cartalno

My name is: Greta Wegener

My name is: Maya Wolfe

My name is: Anna Fox

The Big Library Read: April 1-15, 2019

Alongside thousands of readers worldwide,Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library patrons can discover a remarkable true story through the largest global digital book club, Big Library Read. From April 1–15, booklovers can borrow, read and discuss Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung’s heartbreaking yet hopeful Homes: A Refugee Story ebook from their public library with no waitlists or holds. Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library readers may join by visiting https://wvreads.overdrive.com/ or downloading the Libby app. More than 19,000 libraries around the world are participating.

Big Library Read is available in more than 90 percent of public libraries in North America and facilitated by OverDrive, the leading platform for ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. Homes: A Refugee Story, a 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award finalist for nonfiction, was chosen by a popular vote of readers and librarians worldwide.

“It brings such joy to Abu Bakr and me that his wish of wanting to tell the world of Syria’s plight is being fulfilled in such a far-reaching way,” said author Winnie Yeung. “For this is the magic of books: they don’t just feed our imaginations, they build bridges of understanding. The relationship of sharing, receiving and honoring each other is the true gift of storytelling —something I am so grateful to be a partner in.”

Homes: A Refugee Story chronicles the struggles of the al Rabeeah family who left their home in Iraq for Syria in hope of a safer life – just before the Syrian civil war broke out. Abu Bakr, one of eight children, was ten years old when the violence began on the streets around him: car bombings, attacks on his mosque and school, firebombs late at night. Homes tells of the strange juxtaposition of growing up as a typical teenager in a war zone: horrific, unimaginable events punctuated by normalcy – soccer, cousins, video games, friends.

Big Library Read is an international reading program that simultaneously connects millions of readers around the world with an ebook through public libraries. Homes: A Refugee Story is the 18^th selection of this program which began in 2013 and takes place three times per year. Readers can join an online discussion about the book at https://discuss.biglibraryread.com/. The free program runs for two weeks and only requires a library card to get started.

Homes: A Refugee Story can be read on all major computers and devices through Libby or libbyapp.com, including iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phones and tablets and Chromebook™ without waitlists or holds. Through Libby, readers can also “send to Kindle®” [US libraries only]. The title will automatically expire at the end of the lending period, and there are no late fees.

To join the discussion, learn about past Big Library Read ebooks and download Libby, visit biglibraryread.com.

Women’s History Month

//www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97500299/

March is Women’s History Month! In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Enjoy browsing some of our collection that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. If you are interested in more, come on in and browse!