We here at the Library are always looking for new and shiny resources for you, beloved patrons, and trying our darnest to put the world at your fingertips. Today, we got a little closer to that goal by making Hoopla available to you!
Hoopla is an online service that allows you to download & stream free videos, music, audiobooks, comics, and ebooks on your mobile device or computer. For those of you who use Overdrive, it is much like that, except with even more resources, like videos–not only feature films, but workout videos, educational programs, kid’s programming, and much more; tv shows, ranging from The Librarians (obviously!) to National Geographic and back again; and music, from Hamilton to Mozart. Additionally, while Overdrive allows you to download files, Hoopla is a streaming service, meaning your desired material is available immediately, without having to take up any real space on your devices. This is sensational for those of us who like to listen to audiobooks at work, would like to try a new yoga routine, even on the go, or who would like to catch up on their favorite new show without ads, fees, or membership costs.
It’s a really fantastic resource, no matter your age or interests….and best of all, it’s really easy to use! In fact, Hoopla can be mastered in four easy steps. First and foremost, check out the website at http://www.hoopladigital.com/home
*Note: Click on the screen shots below to enlarge them.
Register for a hoopla account by visiting hoopladigital.com, or by using our mobile app on your iOS or Android device. You will need to provide an e-mail address, create a password, and have your library account information ready. Our free mobile app can be found in the App Store and the Google Play store.
2. Easily browse titles on your computer or mobile device by clicking Browse All on the format (Music, Movies, Audiobooks, eBooks, Comics, and Television) you would like to browse further on. You can also search for a specific title by clicking on the Search box or magnifying glass and typing in your title(s)/keyword.
3. To borrow a title, click on the title and then click the Borrow button. Your borrowed titles can be played right after borrowing, and found under the My Titles menu for viewing/listening. Enjoy your selected titles! (Note: You will be able to borrow 10 titles each month.)
Borrowed titles will be automatically returned when your lending period is over. There are no holds, wait lists, or late fees for any of hoopla’s content.
If you have any questions, you can click on the Help link found at the bottom of hoopladigital.com, or check in with your friendly Library Staff via phone or in person!
We sincerely hope you enjoy this new resource–let us know if you find any new favorites while browsing Hoopla!
Today, the Free For All is celebrating the birthday of American author, and indisputable Interesting Personality, Hunter S. Thompson!
Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on this day in 1937. He was the eldest of three sons, born to Jack Robert Thompson, a First World War veteran and subsequently an insurance adjuster, and Virginia Ray Davidson, who was the head librarian at the Louisville Public Library. The young Thompson enjoyed writing from an early age, but his budding career, such as it was, was cut short when his father died, leaving the family in poverty. Thompson himself was unable to finish high school because he was arrested for abetting a robbery, and sentenced to sixty days in prison. After his release, he joined the Air Force, serving until 1957, when he was honorably discharged as an Airman First Class. His commanding officer wrote about him, “In summary, this airman, although talented, will not be guided by policy”.
Thompson had practiced his writing throughout his military career, working as a sports editor in the local papers where he was stationed. Following his discharge, he became a full-time journalist, and it wasn’t long before he began establishing a name for himself. His first book, a history of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (though the club itself doesn’t use an apostrophe in its name, Thompson’s book rendered it “Hell’s Angels”, and thus it has been published since then). Thompson spent more than a year traveling with the Hells Angels, and initially got along well with them, until they began to suspect that he was exploiting the club for personal gain. Following a savage beating by the club, Thompson moved to Colorado, and began working on more mainstream pieces–that is to say, he began focusing on mainstream politics, the counterculture (and backlash against said counterculture) of the 1960’s, the Vietnam War, and the 1968 Democratic Convention, but did so in a way that was uniquely, fascinatingly his own.
In 1970, Thompson heard of the murder of Mexican-American television journalist Rubén Salazar, who had been shot in the head at with a tear gas canister as officers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department moved against a Vietnam War protest known as the National Chicano Moratorium March. Eager to discuss the growing racial tensions in the United Stated, but unable to place his idea into words, Thompson instead accepted a job from Sports Illustrated that would allow him to travel to California for himself and see the places he wanted to describe. He was supposed to write a 250-word description of a local motorcycle race. Fired by his trip, by the people he met, and the things he saw, Thompson instead submitted a 25,000 word manuscript that would become the basis for his most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a Roman à clef, which means “novel in a key” in French. The term was coined by a woman named Madeleine de Scudery in 17th century France, who wanted to write about her opinions about her own society friends and local politicians, but didn’t want to get dragged into courts for libel, so she changed their named to something colorful and descriptive, and used the veneer of fiction to tell the absolute truth. Thompson’s work, essentially does the same with 1970’s America. His two main characters are named Raoul Duke (meant to be Thompson himself) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo (who was really Thompson’s traveling companion Oscar Zeta Acosta, pictured at left with Thompson). The book itself talks about their drug-filled and alcohol-soaked journey to California, but the line between fact and fiction is constantly blurred, as Thompson relates their drug-addled hallucinations as reality, and makes it nearly impossible tell the difference between the world in his characters’ heads and that going on outside it. What is evident throughout is their mutual belief in the destruction of the American dream, and of the counter-culture of the 1960’s, which was supposed to restore some ‘goodness’ to American (and world) society. In Thompson’s view, both dreams had ended up devouring themselves, leaving nothing by moral destitution, corruption, and disillusionment in their wake. To quote from Fear and Loathing:
San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of…no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant…
There was madness in any direction, at any hour… You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning…
And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave.…
So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.
Though there were plenty of critics who opposed to rampant drug use in the book, it was generally clear from the beginning that it was destined to become an American classic that, in its own, very unique way, managed to capture what was best and worst in America without flinching.
Thompson was also responsible for creating “Gonzo Journalism”, a type of reporting that was very similar in style to Fear and Loathing–that is, it blended fiction and non-fiction without clear delineation, but did so in order to tell the most truth in a way that he felt traditional journalism couldn’t. Thompson would use the style to describe any number of major events in American history, typically surrounding politics. He was sent to cover what appeared to be the end of the Vietnam War, but arrived in Saigon hours before the fall of that city, to discover that Rolling Stone had cancelled his assignment, leaving him in one of the most chaotic and dangerous cities in the world without money or health insurance. Though Thompson managed to get home, his relationship with the magazine that had been his primary outlet was forever soured.
Though he continued to write sports pieces for ESPN magazine up until his death, Thompson’s health was suffering, and he was growing increasingly despondent over his own decline. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home on February 20, 2005 at the age of 67. At his funeral, apparently according to his own wishes, his ashes were fired out of a cannon and accompanied by red, white, blue and green fireworks, set the the music of of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” and Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”.
So, happy birthday, Hunter S. Thompson. In honor of this American original, feel free to come into the library and check out his work for yourself! We’ll leave you with a quote from his Gonzo work, The Proud Highway:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
Today at the South Branch is Caturday!, a day designed to celebrate all things feline. There’s just something about books and cats that go well together, and what better place than the library to celebrate that great combination. We’ve talked about cats before here on the blog, but it seemed like, on Caturday! of all days, another post was warranted.
Authors seem to be particularly fond of cats. Perhaps there’s a recognition of mutual temperament there, but authors with cats seem to be particularly well-documented. This Slideshare presentation offers up 10 such examples, including Free For All favorite, Neil Gaiman who has talked about many of his cats on his blog. Mental Floss has also posted an article about 11 writers who loved cats. While many of the writers included in the slideshare overlap with the Mental Floss article, I had to post the latter because the introductory image of Mark Twain holding a kitten melted my heart as the image makes a man with a reputation for being a curmudgeon look a bundle of fluff, cigar and all. While personally, I find many of Dr. Seuss’s iconic characters to look vaguely cat-like (and of course, the Cat in the Hat is most definitely feline) there is some recently discovered artwork of his that features a cat in a more definitive way. Here is an image of his aptly titled “Wisdom of the Orient Cat,” which seems to speak volumes to cat potential.
Today at the South, as part of our Caturday! celebrations, we have two local shelters visiting and talking about cat care, cat facts and funny cat stories: Northeast Animal Shelter and PALS. Northeast Animal Shelter, based in Salem, has been helping dogs and cats find their forever homes for 40 years and have placed over 125,000 animals in that time. PALS is also based in Salem and is exclusively run by volunteers “dedicated to helping homeless cats and kittens find suitable, loving homes.” All are welcome to stop by the South Branch to chat with the shelters’ volunteer representatives to talk about adoption, volunteering or cat care and advice.
Lest you think that we here at the library are all talk, be assured that those aforementioned cat-loving authors are in good company with staff here at the Peabody Library. Just to prove it to you, here are some of the staff’s beloved feline counterparts, some with literary connections of their own:
Zen, Main Library:
Brady, Main Library:
Gemini, Reference Desk:
Salem, West Branch
Elphie, West Branch
Tess, Reference Desk
Charlie, Reference Desk
Oscar Wilde, Circulation Desk
Victor, Archives
Reepicheep, Children’s Room
Vishti, Children’s Room
Lizzie, South Branch
Till next week, dear readers, whether you are a fellow ailurophile (cat lover) or prefer your books without a side of fur (or an entire cat sleeping on the pages), I hope you’ll recognize how much cats have an affect on literature. Whether you choose to celebrate with us here at the South or from afar in your own way, happy Caturday!!
We’re changing things up a bit today, beloved patrons. Because tomorrow is Caturday at the South Branch, a celebration of all things feline. Thanks to the brilliant (and cat-loving) Lady Pole, the South Branch will be bringing you a day of cats and the people who love them. Not only will there be cat books and cat videos, the South Branch will also be hosting acclaimed author Alicia Potter, who will be reading her book Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats and talking about her experiences fostering cats. Her books will also be available for purchase (though purchase is not required to attend). As if that wasn’t enough fun, there will also be representatives from the Northeast Animal Shelter and PALS, both from Salem, who will be pleased to answer your feline-related questions, and discuss cat adoption. Here is a full schedule of Caturday Events–it’s an all-day celebration, so feel free to drop by!
9:30AM – Favorite Internet Cat Videos
10AM – Northeast Animal Shelter
11AM- Alicia Potter & Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats
12PM – PALS
1PM – 2016’s Best Internet Cat Videos
ALL DAY – Cat crafts, cat trivia, chat with presenters
So, in honor of this brilliant idea, and in the spirit of finding homes for all our four-legged friends who are looking for forever homes, today we teamed up with the wonderful people at the Northeast Animal Shelter and PALS to bring you a brief bio, health information, and, of course, a ridiculously cute photo, of some of the cats currently at the Shelter, who are just waiting for someone like you to come calling. Below, you will also find the contact information and websites for both these organizations, if (and when) you begin thinking about adopting a cat….though, for those of us with cats in our lives, we all know that it is us, in reality, who have been adopted by the cats…..
And so, without further ado, please enjoy our first Five Cat Friday!
Whiskey Girl: Hello, my name is Whiskey Girl and I am a local surrender. I used to live with a girl chihuahua and I really enjoyed her company. I also love head butting my person and sit right next to her. I really am a sweet girl. I should let you know that I am not a fan of being picked up, but I do love being petted. I also have the sweetest meow when I am playing! Come in and meet me, I know you will fall in love!
Arrival Date: 4/13/2016
Age: 7 years
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Sex: Female
Nivea: Hello, my name is Nivea and I am a 6 year old kitty and a local surrender. When I first arrived I was very grumpy. All I can say is I really do not like being put into my carrier. When put into my kennel, I was relaxed and happy. Then I was put into a carrier and into a van to go to the vet. Boy, I really dislike traveling. I really would like to be your one and only please. I do enjoy being petted and having attention on my own terms. I will let you know when I have had enough via a quick growl or a soft swat with my paw. If you would like to meet me, come on in! Arrival Date: 5/31/2016
Age: 6 Years
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Sex: Female
Max: Hello, my name is Max and I am a local surrender. I lived with another cat and was surrendered when I became diabetic. My diabetes is doing very well, I guess they say that it is borderline, almost to the point of non-existent! I am a nice boy and I enjoy being petted and brushed. I also love playing with both catnip and string toys. I do not care to be picked up though. Nothing about me is shy, I also have a wonderful purr. I have been diagnosed with diabetes, but it is well under control, almost to the point of non-existent. I lived with another cat and we got along well. Come on in and meet me! They do same day adoptions and I will be so happy to find a home today!
Arrival Date: 3/23/2016
Age: 12 Years
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair
Sex: Male
Nana Gumbo, a quiet, mellow and affectionate 9-year-old, has a sweet temperament. She does, however, live to lounge, and is quite happy sleeping in a sunny spot, or at the foot of your bed. Nana is looking for a home with peaceful surroundings but can adapt to a more lively environment once she feels secure. If you have the patience to introduce Nana to your home slowly, showing her kindness until she builds trust, she will be a loving companion. Nana is a girl who simply doesn’t want to be rushed (unless it’s to the couch for some serious petting!) Nana Gumbo has been spayed, microchipped, tested negative for FeLV/FIV and is up-to-date on vaccinations.
Minou (French for “kitten”) is a 7-year-old wonder cat. He may act timid for the first few seconds, but then shows his affectionate side, head butting with such force that he’ll knock you over. Although he doesn’t like to be held for long, he can be picked up and cuddled. Minou simply loves human companionship and will be eager to be your new best friend. He would, however, like a quieter home as he did get stressed living with a toddler and a dog in his original home. Minou will make a great first pet in a home with older children. Minou has been neutered, microchipped, tested negative for FeLV/FIV and is up-to-date on vaccinations.
For more information on these wonderful kitties and others, for more information on the adoption process, or to make donations to these wonderful places, please contact:
And, all at once, summer is here with a vengeance, dear readers. For those of you looking for a place to cool off for a bit, please know that our A/C is happily droning away. Please feel free to come in and beat the heat–and while you’re here, you can avail yourself of our long list of events, which includes book groups, activities for kids and young adults, and programs to help you stay active in a safe (and cool!) setting.
We also have thousands of materials to keep you busy while you are soaking up the A/C, too–and our staff continues to come up with some phenomenal selections of their favorite summer reading for you to try! Here are just a few more that have been added to our lists. You can find these (and many more) on the new Free For All Display on the shelves across from the Circulation Desk!
From Upstairs At The Main:
A Man Called Ove: Swedish author Fredrik Backman has earned rave reviews around the world for his unexpectedly charming and touching novel about the curmudgeonly Ove, an elderly man who has been ignored by his neighbors for years. But when a new young couple moves in next door, and inadvertently flattens Ove’s mailbox, they begin to see that beneath the grumpy, sharp exterior is a man with many stories to tell, and plenty of love still to give. Backman’s unique sense of humor makes this story into something truly original, and makes for a story that is heartwarming, quirky, and will most certainly change the way you look at the world around you.
Uprooted: Naomi Novik is quickly becoming a household name in the world of fantasy, and this stunning novel has been a huge success with critics and readers alike. Agnieszka loves her home in her quiet valley with her friends and relations. But their peace is maintained at a terrible cost. Her people rely on the maniacle wizard known as the Dragon to keep the evil in the woods at bay. The Dragon requires that one young woman be handed over to serve him for ten years, and the time for the next sacrifice is fast approaching. Agnieszka is convinced that her best friend will be the Dragon’s next choice, and is heartbroken over her powerlessness to save her–but when the Dragon comes, it’s Agnieszka he has in his sights…This blend of fairytale and coming-of-age novel was nominated for a Hugo Award (one of the most prestigious awards in the fantasy genre), and was named among the best books of last years by a number of outlets, making it an ideal place to start for those looking to add a little more fantasy to their lives!
From the Reference Desk:
Shirley I Jest! A Storied Life: Cindy Williams, half of the comedic duo of Laverne & Shirley, has had a wild and lively career in show business. This book is an engaging and heartfelt journey from Williams s blue collar roots to unexpected stardom from being pranked by Jim Morrison while waiting tables at Whisky a Go Go to starring in one of the most iconic shows on television. Even for those who didn’t watch her show, Williams writes with a comic flair that is simply infectious, and her tales of rubbing elbows with the talented, the famous, and the infamous, are totally fascinating, especially because she never loses the common sense and insight that came from a childhood outside of Hollywood’s glitz and facades, bringing the reader on her wild ride with heart and humor.
From the Circulation Desk:
The Luminaries: I think I’ve mentioned Eleanor Catton’s magnificent debut novel in the past, but it deserves to be mentioned again (and again, and again). This is a fascinating story about a strong, enigmatic, and resolute woman, and the many lives that come within her sphere. Walter Moody has arrived in New Zealand hoping to make his fortune, but his trip has been marked thus far by nothing but disaster. But when he stumbles on twelve men holding a secret meeting, he finds himself drawn into a tale of gold and opium, of trust and lies, of truth and fictions, that will ultimately change each and every man involved…and re-define the woman at the center of each of their tales. Catton based the structure of her book on the Zodiac (as it appeared in the late 19th century), making this book as striking in its set-up and premise as it is in its use of language. Moreover, I cannot recommend the audiobook of this novel more highly. Mark Meadows’ narration is spellbinding, and his ability to do All The Voices blew me away!
Until next time, dear readers–safe travels, and good books!
Last Tuesday, the lovely readers at the West Branch’s monthly Literatea program traveled to France via books and tea. The tea of the month was Remembering Paris. For my suggestions of books to pair with that tea, see the July Newsletter.
On the subject of armchair travel to France, our readers also suggestedThe Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, which tells the story of the quirky owner of a floating bookstore. Another reader suggested all of Peter Mayle’s books. Mayle writes both fiction and nonfiction set in France. Especially highly recommended are his nonfiction work A Year in Provenceand his novel Anything Considered.
Other top suggestions included The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith, which is the saga of a 17th century female Dutch painter and a modern day art forger.
Several of our perennial favorite authors have newer titles out that our readers didn’t love quite as much as they had hoped. In this category are LaRose by Louise Erdrich, which like its predecessor, The Round House, deals with Native American justice and Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende, which weaves a love story between the survivors of the Holocaust and a Japanese internment camp.
Happily, not all of our favorite authors are letting us down. The release of Cometh the Hour, the latest book in the Clifton Chronicles, led Jeffrey Archer fans to suggest that those who have not yet done so, should start at the beginning with Only Time will Telland catch up on the multi-generational family saga. Meanwhile fans of Chris Cleave’s Little Bee, also put in a good word for his newest novel, Everyone Brave is Forgiven.
Two readers recently enjoyed The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi, which is a novel about the life of a woman living in Kabul in 2007. This fiction pick led another reader to describe a nonfiction book that she enjoyed, which was written by an American journalist who interviewed and described the lives of Middle Eastern women. Using my librarian sleuthing skills, I narrowed this down to two possible titles: one is Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks and the other is Price of Honor by Jan Goodwin. Both received excellent professional reviews.
Hopefully, my fellow book lovers, these suggestions will keep you contentedly reading until Literatea return in August with more tea and books you won’t want to miss!