Today in History: Silly Edition

It's Friday, and sometimes even adults have to be a little silly.

Today (November 15) is the birthday of author Daniel Pinkwater. Haven't heard of him? Your children might have. He's written such wonderful books as Fat Camp Commandos, Fat Men From Space, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, and The Neddiad: How Neddie took the train, went to Hollywood, and saved civilization. All of these titles are in the children's fiction collection here at the library.

Not so silly: Today is also the birthday of American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. You can look at some of her works in The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum here at the library (759.13 G296, on the second floor).

In the mood for some music? Celebrate Kevin Eubanks' birthday by listening to his CD, Zen Food, available at the library (CD MJ EUBA ZF M 54; sorry, that's a long call number!). He was born in Philadelphia, making him one of our many regional artists.

Back to being silly, here's some theatrical history for you. On Nov. 15, 1886, Charles A. Gardiner's play "Karl The Peddler" used the name "George Spelvin" as one of the actor's names, to hide the fact that one actor was playing more than one role in the play. The female version of this name is "Georgina" or "Georgette", or something similar. It's said that "George Spelvin" has appeared in more than 10,000 Broadway performances since then. The Pottsville Library has a number of books about the history of Broadway, both reference and those that can be checked out, if you're curious to read more.

The final silly fact for the day: Tomorrow, November 16, is the annual elephant roundup in Thailand. With elephant demonstrations, tug-of-war between an elephant and 100 men, and elephant races, who could pass up such a day? Don't believe me? You can read the Wikipedia page about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surin_Elephant_Round-up.

Have a great weekend!

Tis the Season to Make Some Memories

As our society gets more and more consumer-driven (stores opening on Thanksgiving, anyone?), some people are fighting against it by trying to make more of their own items or making gifts for others. Whether you want to give cookies or candles, knitted scarves or painted ornaments, we have books that will help you create memories for everyone on your list!

The Oxford Christmas Book for Children (j 394.268 O) has crafts that kids can make, along with games, recipes, and stories.

Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts (745.594 St49) has Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's crafts to try (not to mention holidays from the rest of the year, too).

Feeling a little broke? Holiday Crafts Under $10 (745.5941 H717) can help you figure out things to make that won't empty your wallet.

Christmas Comfort & Joy: 501 Crafts, Decorating, and Food Ideas to Make Your Holiday Unforgettable (745.594 C464) might seem more ambitious, but who says you have to try all 501?

Beautiful Beads (j 745.58 R) has some great ideas for projects that kids can make for each other.

Or you can give EcoArt! (j 745.5 C) a try, helping kids ages 3 to 9 create with recycled materials.

Want to learn how to paint? The 751 section on the second floor has a wide variety of books on how to use watercolor, oil, or acrylic paint to express your creative side.

Or, teach yourself how to knit, using Getting Started Knitting (746.43 W892) as your guide. There is even a book just for kids who want to learn, Kids Knit! (j 746.43 B).

Don't forget all the magazines that put out Christmas cookie specials, often starting with the November issues. Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Martha Stewart Living, and Taste of Home are all great places to find new cookie recipes to celebrate the season.

Did we miss something? Contact the Reference Department and we'll help you find information on the craft you want to explore.

Fall Events at the Pottsville Library

The Pottsville Library will be offering a new computer class this month. "Perils of the Internet; or, There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!" will be on Tuesday, October 29 at 2:30 p.m. The class will also be offered on November 19 at 6 p.m. if you prefer evenings. The class is free, but class size is limited and you need a valid Pottsville Library card to sign up. Call the library at 570-622-8880 to register, or stop by the Circulation Desk next time you come in. Henry's discussion of spammers and hackers is sure to be entertaining and informative!

On October 31, from 4 - 6 p.m., the Children's Room will be hosting a haunted house open to all ages. This will be taking place during the downtown Pottsville merchants trick-or-treating. Come in to the library to find out what kinds of scares the Teen Advisory Board has come up with this year! City-wide trick-or-treating will be from 6 - 8 p.m. that evening.

Looking further down the road, don't forget the Local Author Showcase from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. here at the Pottsville Library on November 30, during Small Business Saturday activities in downtown Pottsville. Almost 20 authors will be on hand with their books on a wide variety of subjects, giving you a great opportunity to pick up some holiday gifts and support Schuylkill County people at the same time. The city will be hosting the Santa Parade at 5:30 p.m. that day, followed by the lighting of the tree in Garfield Square at 6 p.m.

Questions about things happening at the library? Please call us at 570-622-8880 to find out what else is going on at your public library!

October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Recent years have seen a big increase in the number of foods being sold and advertised as "gluten-free". Most people understand this refers to wheat, but many aren't sure of the purpose. October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, to help people understand what celiac disease is and how gluten is involved.

According to the definition by the Celiac Sprue Assocation (www.csaceliacs.org), celiac disease (or CD) is not an allergy or an intolerance. CD is an autoimmune disorder that can damage the small intestine and make it difficult for people to absorb nutrients. The reaction is triggered by eating certain grain-based products, such as wheat, barley, rye, and oats, all of which contain gluten. CD is not something you can catch; you have to be genetically disposed to it, and experience some kind of trigger (which could be environmental, emotional, or physical), and have a diet that includes wheat, or barley, etc. You can find out more information at "Celiac Disease Defined" or at the Mayo Clinic's page, "Celiac Disease".

The Pottsville Free Public Library has several books available to help you manage a gluten-free diet. Below are some titles and and their call numbers to help you find them. All of these books, plus others, are available to be checked out:

Celiac Disease: a hidden epidemic (2006) -- 616.399 G825

Cooking for Your Gluten-free Teen (2013) -- 641.5 B453

The Dairy-free and Gluten-free Kitchen (2012) -- 641.3 J284

The G-free Diet: a gluten-free survival guide (2009) -- 613.2 H276

Gluten-free Girl (2007) -- 615.854 Ah34

The Joy of Gluten-free, Sugar-free Baking (2012) -- 641.5 R275

The Affordable Care Act and Ways You Already Benefit

There is so much confusion being spread about what the Affordable Care Act does and does not do, that it can be hard to know whether it's worth it all or not. Here are some ways many people already benefit from this important law:

• Students up to age 26 can remain on their parents' health insurance plans. Many young adults just getting out of college struggle to find a full-time job which provides health benefits, so in one stroke the law increased the number of people with health insurance. This started with plans beginning on or after September 23, 2010.
• Uniform Coverage Summaries for Consumers requires all plans to provide a uniform summary of benefits and coverage, making it easier for individuals and businesses to compare plans and to understand what is and is not covered by the plans. Kind of like making sure that you are comparing apples to apples, and not apples to lemons. This went into effect in 2012.
• Children cannot be excluded from a parent's health coverage because of the health status of that child. This went into effect in 2010, and meant that thousands of children with chronic health conditions like juvenile diabetes would not be without health insurance.
• Starting in 2010, new health plans had to provide certain preventive services without "cost-sharing" for patients. These preventive services include recommended immunizations and screenings, as well as preventive check-ups for children.

More changes (and benefits) are coming in the very near future:

• Starting in 2014, adults cannot be denied health insurance because of pre-existing health conditions. Those with pre-existing conditions also cannot be charged more for health insurance than those who are healthy. So, say you have Type II diabetes and you decide to change jobs: if your new employer offers health insurance to the other employees, you cannot be denied the same health insurance coverage, nor can you be required to pay more for your insurance than your coworkers (if employees contribute to their health insurance coverage).
• Starting October 1, 2013, you can visit the Health Insurance Marketplace to find a health insurance plan that meets your needs. All plans in the marketplace will be required to meet minimum levels of coverage. Some states have created their own "exchanges", others use the federal "exchange". Visit www.healthcare.gov and click on the "See Your Options" button for more information, even before Oct. 1.
• Starting in 2014, even "grandfathered" plans must eliminate annual limits for coverage; lifetime limits were eliminated in 2010. Grandfathered plans are employer health insurance plans that were in place on March 23, 2010, and are restricted in what changes may be made to the plans.

For even more information about the Affordable Care Act and how it's changing health insurance for everyone, visit either HealthCare.gov's "How does the health care law protect me?", or the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform site.

New School Year Means Science Experiment Time!

"Hey Mom, I forgot to go to the library to do my science homework!"

If you've heard this line too many times to count, we have some good news for you: The Pottsville Library has some online science resources you can use from home, any time of day or night. These materials don't count as "Internet resources" in teacher's instructions, which usually means the kids can't use Google to find their information. The online resources from the Pottsville Library are authoritative reference materials appropriate for school kids to use for homework assignments.

The Reference Department has purchased a number of science experiment ebooks, available for you to use from your home computer. Just go to the library's home page at www.pottsvillelibrary.org, click on the link that says "Infobase eBooks", and enter your Pottsville library card number. There are a number of subjects available here, in addition to the 12 books just on science experiments. Is your son or daughter interested in Forensics? Biology? Weather? We have books with experiments in these fields!

Additional ebooks are available from the Britannica collection. From the library's home page, click on the link that says "Britannica E-Books", and enter your Pottsville library card number. There are several ebooks dealing with specific parts of the human body, as well as books on fossil fuels and renewable energy.

And if your student needs more information to go along with their project, you can also access the POWER Library, a collection of reference materials available to residents of the state of Pennsylvania. From the Pottsville Library's home page, click on the link that says "POWER Library Network", and enter your Pottsville library card number. Elementary school students can use the "Kids Search", "Primary Search", or "SIRS Discoverer" databases. Middle school students can use "Kids Search", "SIRS Discoverer", or "Middle Search" databases. High school students should use "MasterFILE" (general topics), "GreenFILE" (for environmental issues), or "Newspaper Source Plus" (specifically for newspaper articles).

If you are really stuck trying to find something, and the library is closed for the day, you can also use the "Ask Here PA" service (on the Pottsville Library home page), available to all state residents. A librarian is always available to help you find materials that can be trusted.

Have questions about using online resources? Contact the Reference Department at potref@pottsvillelibrary.org, or by telephone at 570-622-8880.

Changes to the Way You Dial

Just a reminder to everyone that soon you will need to include the 570 area code when you dial local telephone numbers! Northeastern Pennsylvania will soon get a new area code, 272, which will cover the same area as 570. Starting on September 21, you will need to always dial ten digits to reach someone, whether they live next door or across the state. If you do not use all ten digits, you will hear an error message prompting you to redial correctly.

If your cell phone is programmed with your contacts, you will need to make sure you add the area code to all your contacts' phone numbers.  You might have already received a reminder about this from your cell phone service provider.

The new area code will begin after October 21. Calls to both 272 and 570 numbers will be local if they are within your regular local calling area now. (Basically, what is a local call now will be local after the new number is put into use, regardless whether it is 570 or 272.)

For more information, check out Verizon's web page at www22.verizon.com/multimedia/areacodes/pennsylvania/pennsylvania.aspx.