According to some experts, the Earth has warmed anywhere from 0.5 to 1.0°C (1 to 2°F) over the last century. This small amount may make a huge difference causing glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. We could see even more of this warming in the future, perhaps another 3°C, or 5°F.

Are we are on the verge of massive global climate change? Decide for yourself about the effects of global warming and trapped greenhouse gases. The library has DVDs and books on the topic to get you started.

BOOKS

The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means For Life on Earth, by Tim F. Flannery. 363.73874 FLAN 2005

Kicking the Carbon Habit: Global Warming and the Case for Renewable and Nuclear Energy,by William Sweet. 333.794 SWEE 2006

Global Warming in the 21st Century,by Bruce E. Johansen. R363.73874 JOHA 2006 V.1-3

An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It ,by Albert Gore. 363.73874 GORE 2006

DVDs

An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning. A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide. DVD 363.7387 INCO 2006

Global Warming: the Signs and the Science, Alanis Morissette, narrator. DVD 363.73874 GLOB 2005

Due to space constraints on the shelves, the Library must consistently weed the book collection to create room for new books and other materials. Often, we find some unusual or offbeat titles which we would like to share. (The following titles are not being weeded!)

Sleeping Where I Fall: A Chronicle ,by Peter Coyote, is a book for hippies, ex-hippies, or those interested in the 60's counter-culture revolution.

Time and Again, a novel by Jack Finney, is a haunting story of a man transported back in time to fall in love with a beautiful woman of yesteryear.

The following is an excerpt taken from Knights of the Road: a Hobo History. "There were two distinct classes of these wanderers: the hobo was a migratory worker; the tramp was a migratory non-worker. While the tramp had an absolute aversion to work, the hoboes were the ‘working class’ of the road. They labored in oil fields, logging camps, cattle ranches, construction sites, canneries, and harvest fields."

A Bondswoman's Narrative, written in the 1850s by a runaway slave, is an historically important literary event and a gripping autobiographical novel.

Earrings: From Antiquity to the Present. Daniela Mascetti takes us on an historical tour of one of the oldest of human ornaments. The earliest archaeological evidence for earrings indicates an origin in Western Asia perhaps 5000 years ago.

The Codebreakers: The Story of Secret Writing., David Kahn traces cryptology's origins to the advent of writing. It seems that as soon as people learned how to record their thoughts, they tried to figure out ways of keeping them hidden.

A Personal Record – Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) Author of Lord Jim (1900) and Heart of Darkness (1902), Conrad fills this 1912 autobiography with tales of his Russian childhood and his ocean voyages as a sailor on French and British merchant ships.

W. C. Fields by Himself: His Intended Autobiography. Fields' grandson has collected his letters, scripts, reviews and newspaper articles. This is an invaluable work for anyone interested in Fields' career.

On the Rez is Ian Frazier's experiences with the Oglala Sioux of South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation. Reads like a trip to another country, right here in America.

Truth Stranger than Fiction: Father Henson's Story of his Own Life with an introduction by H.B.Stowe, is the autobography of Josiah Henson, an escaped slave whose life story inspired H.B Stowes "Uncle Tom," in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Have you found any unusual or noteworthy books in our collection? Please let us know for another installment of this article!

February is Black History Month- an annual celebration that has existed since 1926, and presents the opportunity to share the historical and present contributions of African Americans.

Below is a sampling of the Library holdings on Black history, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, literature by African American authors, and the Black experience in the United States:

African American History, is a three volume resource which considers the history and issues central to the African American experience.

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience.

All Aunt Hagar's Children, by Edward P. Jones. The 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction returns with a collection of 14 short stories.

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic, by Erskine Clarke, examines letters, plantation and church records, court documents, slave narratives, archaeological findings, and the memory of the African-American community, to shed light on the long-suppressed history of the slaves of the Jones plantations.

Epic Journeys of Freedom: Runaway Slaves of the American Revolution and Their Global Quest for Liberty, by Cassandra Pybus.

Landmarks of African American History, by James Oliver Horton, discusses 13 historic places, beginning with Jamestown, VA, and ending with the Woolworth department store in Greensboro, NC, the site of the first student sit-in in 1960.

Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, by James W. Loewen. Some cities in the past had posted signs: "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On You In ___."

Teahouse of the Almighty: Poems, is a passionate, celebration of poetry's liberating power by National Poetry Series winner Patricia Smith.

Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour : a Narrative History of Black Power in America, by Joseph Peniel.

 Being bullied can affect physical and mental health at any age. Children who are bullied may lack confidence, feel bad about themselves, have few friends and spend playtime alone. They may find it difficult to concentrate on their work, or complain of various physical symptoms. They may worry and try to avoid going to school. Others become very anxious, find it hard to sleep and or may feel depressed. These problems can carry on long after the bullying has stopped.

Don't suffer in silence. If you could use further information on the topic of "bullying," please check out or request a DVD or book on the topic:

DVDs

Stop Bullying! Standing Up for Yourself and Others (20 minutes), is targeted for a middle school student audience, ages 11-14. Through expert advice and students' real-life experiences, Stop Bullying! gives students concrete steps they can take to respond to bullying.

The DVD features nationally acclaimed and Emmy- nominated youth speaker, Mark Brown, who has dedicated his career to helping young people all over the USA.

Bullying! What Every Adult Needs to Know (30 minutes), is the companion in the Bullying series targeted for parents, teachers, athletic advisors - anyone who works with youth.

BOOKS

Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet: How To Deal with Bullies, by Catherine DePino. PARENTING CHBK DEPI

Dealing with Bullies, by Pam Scheunemann. EASY 303.6 SCHE 2004

Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People: How to Beat Them Without Joining Them, by Ronald M. Shapiro. 303.69 SHAP 2005

Bullying : Deal with it Before Push Comes to Shove, by Elaine Slavens. JUV 702.34 SLAV 2003

Books on CD are a "go-anywhere" item, and can be enjoyed where books cannot, such as driving, gardening, exercising, or washing dishes...

Give them a try, you might just find yourself hooked, looking for more. Here are some newer titles to get you started:

Sir Ian McKellen makes the text come alive with his wonderful reading of Homer's Odyssey, perhaps one of the greatest stories ever told.

Under and Alone, by William Queen, is the true story of the undercover agent who infiltrated America's most violent outlaw motorcycle gang.

Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell is M. C. Beaton's eleventh Agatha Raisin mystery.

Judge and Jury, by James Patterson, is a fast paced page turner that won't disappoint.

Back Story, by Robert Parker. Mystery fiction's Spenser- the tough yet sensitive Boston private eye, is fast-paced and fun.

Cold Case Squad. Series heroine Britt Montero (The Ice Maiden; You Only Die Twice) breathes new life into old, cold cases and tracks killers whose trails vanished long ago. The story is set against the backdrop of Miami Beach.

Intensity, by Dean Koontz, relvoves around a young woman who tries to outsmart and escape from a serial murderer.

Learning to Kill by Ed McBain. Listen to the 25 crime stories the late Mystery Writer's Association Grand Master. (1926–2005) A must for those interested in police procedural series.

The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett, is a classic packed with action and mystery.

While the Civil War was moving toward its inevitable conclusion, General William Tecumseh Sherman marched 60,000 Union troops through Georgia and the Carolinas, leaving a 60-mile-wide trail of death, destruction, looting, thievery and chaos. In The March, E.L. Doctorow has put his unique stamp on these events.

In Ride of Our Lives, "Today" correspondent Mike Leonard decided to take a month off to accompany his aging parents on a journey to the places of their youth, along with a number of American landmarks.

The Book of the Dead, by Douglas Preston, is the ultimate showdown between good and evil in a story set against the backdrop of an ancient Egyptian curse.

Attila: The Barbarian King Who Challenged Rome, by John Man, is a solid, simple, traditional, and well- written biography. A fascinating man in a fascinating era.

Superman Returns, by Marv Wolfman. After a long visit to the planet Krypton, the "Man Of Steel" returns to earth to become the people's savior and reclaim the love of Lois Lane

The Stonehenge Gate is Jack Williamson's combination of science fiction inventiveness and heroic quest. The work offers a stimulating origin story for humanity.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. A born storyteller, Fanny Flagg is a marvelous reader with a warm, welcoming Alabama accent to spin an engrossing yarn.

If you have missed getting reminder notices from SAILS about items ready to be picked up or soon to be due back, you may need to check the SAILS website for possible reasons.

Some system problems, now resolved, had caused a disruption in this service but some users still may not be getting their notices. A large number of emails sent from the SAILS Network are being returned because they are seen as SPAM.

Visit the SAILS website for tips and instructions on changing your computer settings, based on your e- mail provider.

Thank you. 

Thanks for reading our newsletter. If there are events or services you would like to see profiled in the future, email or stop by and let us know. Contact us at info@amesfree library.org
Sincerely,
Ames Free Library Staff