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The wait between Star Wars movies is just too long for true fanatics! A good read can help you "Force" yourself to hang in there. Enjoy these stories featuring familiar Star Wars characters—and other tales of galaxies far, far away.

Popular Interests, Read-a-Likes, Reimaginings
May 4, 2017

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One simple fact about the modern world is that the need for learning never ends. Another simple fact? The cost of learning keeps going up. As the Rolling Stones once said:

What can a poor boy do
Except play in a rock and roll band . . .

Nowadays, a poor boy can also go to LinkedIn Learning through the Library’s website and, with just his Library card barcode number, learn the basics of music— and how to play it, record it, and promote it. And that’s just the beginning of what he can learn with LinkedIn Learning's high-quality, self-paced online video lessons.

Think Library , eLibrary
May 3, 2017
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Every day is a celebration of reading at the Library! But Día (or  El día de los niños, El día de los libros) is an extra special celebration.

Kids , Diversity, Read
April 30, 2017
Reading books like these can be one way to remember those who lost their lives during military service. From the American Revolution to more modern conflicts, a wide range of people affected by war are represented here.
History
April 27, 2017
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A Ghana proverb says, “By going and coming, a bird weaves its nest.” The title of this novel tells the story of many people from Ghana who were forcibly removed from their African home, yet centuries later, two descendants return to find their family.

If you liked Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, Yaa Gyasi’s novel will make the perfect follow-up.  Hard to believe that she started writing this in her early twenties and finished it by age twenty-six. It covers much more ground than Whitehead’s historical novel: Africa and the U.S., and much more time, from the mid-seventeen hundreds to now.  

At one point in the novel, a black history teacher describes history as storytelling. Gyasi presents many eloquent and heart-rending stories here. What ties them together is that all the characters belong to one extended family, who were once royalty in Ghana. They became both slave-sellers and slaves. Many came to America.

Gyasi follows two tracks of this family: one remained in Ghana, the other was forced into slavery in the U.S.  It follows their descendants after the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the great migration north.

Gyasi visited Africa as a student to do research on a book about mothers and daughters. But when she toured Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle, something in the rooms, the cellar where slaves were chained and abused in dungeons called out to her. She immediately decided to focus on the African slave trade and its diaspora later in the U.S.

Reviews, Think Library , African American, Fiction, Diversity
April 25, 2017

Many of our myths and stories center on forests, which play a vital role in each of the following books.

Nature and the Environment
April 24, 2017

motherboard_cake_0.jpgPlanning a May 4th Star Wars party—or getting your geek on for a Game of Thrones screening with friends? Whatever you nerd out about, there's a cookbook to add some flair (and food) to your next gathering.

Mixed Ages
April 24, 2017

Libraries support all different kinds of literacy, including financial literacy, the crucial ability to make informed decisions about your money. You can find a wide range of practical resources at the Library to help you become more literate in personal finance. Take a look at these selected titles.

Topical Guides
April 23, 2017
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Wires and Nerve picks up after the events of Winter (and Cinder, Scarlett, and Cress) so STOP RIGHT NOW if you haven't read those books. Actually, what's wrong with you? Go read those! They're so good! Start with Cinder, you're welcome.

Think Library, Teens, Reviews , Graphic Novels & Manga, Sci-Fi
April 18, 2017

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PHOTO: VISIT BLOOMINGTON

Think Library
April 11, 2017

Bloomington's B-Line Trail and bicycle-only traffic lanes make a trip to the Library fun and easy on two wheels. Our shelves—real and virtual—are full of practical and inspiring information on cycling. Try these titles:

Topical Guides
April 3, 2017

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PHOTO: TREVOR KLATKO

Spring is here, and you know what that means—time to start planning this year’s amazing hikes! With all the State Parks, a National Forest, and many Nature Preserves in Indiana, you might find it hard to choose between them. Luckily, the Library has lots of resources to help you prep for hitting the trails.

Think Library
March 29, 2017
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April is Jazz Appreciation Month—a great time to learn more about America’s original art form through the Library.

Originating in the 1910s, jazz has roots in African traditions, blues, ragtime, and European classical music. Gary Giddins’ and Scott DeVeaux’s book Jazz traces the genre's evolution from the early twentieth century to the fusion sounds of more recent times, and describes the major influences in its development. In the Emmy-nominated documentary miniseries of the same name, Ken Burns' Jazz traces the music's history from its beginnings in the African-American community of New Orleans.

Sights and Sounds , Music
March 29, 2017

Books filled with lists, facts, figures, and general information that may or may not be considered "trivial."

Even More Staff Picks
March 23, 2017
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Take a journey back through time this March to celebrate the extraordinary lives of eight trailblazing women. These picture book biographies blend enticing storytelling and eye-popping visual arts to tell the true stories of some of the most remarkable women in science, arts, and activism.

Kids , African American, Biography & Memoir, History, Native American, Picture Book
March 23, 2017