Meet Merlin, the Cumming Library’s summer mascot! Merlin is a Twin Halfmoon Betta fish with beautiful flowing royal blue fins creating a halfmoon shape.
The scientific name is Betta splendens but they are often known simply as Bettas (pronounced BAY-tas) or Siamese Fighting Fish. The latter name comes from the fact that the males are especially aggressive and only one male can be in a tank or they will attack each other.
How much do you really know about the Sharon Forks library? Does the library have books in other languages? Where are the Classics located? Answer these questions and more by participating in our Scavenger Hunt this summer at the Sharon Forks Library!
While it is geared towards adults, teens and families are welcome to participate as well!
Adults who answer at least five scavenger hunt questions may receive a small prize at any of our Ask Us desks (while supplies last).
Happy Hunting!
In Eva Jurcyzyk’s debut novel, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, a career librarian finds herself in charge of a university’s rare books department when her boss suffers a sudden stroke. Liesl Weiss is more than qualified to take care of the department’s daily operations, but when a valuable manuscript goes missing, old office rivalries come to light, and university donors express frustrations, it’s no longer business as usual. Since the university refuses to involve the police in the search for the missing books, Liesl finds herself in the position of questioning and scrutinizing her long-time coworkers and friends, including her former lover. I really enjoyed this debut novel. Eva Jurczyk is a writer and librarian living in Toronto, and her love of rare books and libraries really shines in this intriguing story.
If you love books and libraries, check out The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
We're almost halfway through the year! Are you working on your FCPL Reads 2022 goals? Here's the next reading goal to inspire you to Read Something New (to You!) in 2022!
Are you a fan of local history?
The Buford Dam: A Local Resource Explored program on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library is a great opportunity to learn about a local resource. Fed by the waters of the Chattahoochee River and the Chestatee River, Lake Sidney Lanier is Georgia’s largest lake. Explore the history of Buford Dam and Lake Lanier with Ranger Geoffrey Whitehead of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Learn more about the background of the Army Corps, from post-World War II events that led to the development of Buford Dam through today’s power generation. Hear about the construction of the dam and facts about the completed lake. What agencies are involved with the lake, and who makes the decisions about water release, power generation, recreation access, fishery management, and facilities maintenance? Finally, consider the original purpose of the Buford Dam versus current day operations—are we still accomplishing the mission?
How long have you been at FCPL?
We’ve all heard about John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emmerson. But have you heard of Nan Shepherd, Isabella Bird, or Ann Grant?
On a recent trip to Scotland, I visited the National Library of Scotland’s exhibition, Petticoats and Pinnacles: Scotland’s Pioneering Mountain Women.
This exhibit reveals how women have overcome physical and social barriers to spend time in the mountains — not only as climbers but as writers, artists, and leaders. As you wander through the displays, you learn how these women went to extraordinary lengths to simply enjoy their hobbies in the outdoors. They encountered discouragement and even anger from the public for wanting to walk alone in nature. Society could not comprehend why a woman would want to leave her household chores to spend time in nature, especially doing so alone without a male chaperone. These women learned to adapt to wearing men’s outdoor clothing because outdoor clothes for women were not created until the mid-20th century. Imagine having to choose between wearing a long, heavy skirt with laced boots not designed for hiking, or wearing oversized male clothing and shoes, or boys' clothing. They also were often excluded from historical records due to their “unsuitable” hobbies.
One such pioneer is Nan Shepherd, a Scottish Modernist writer and poet, who is best known for her groundbreaking memoir, The Living Mountain, based on her experiences of hiking in the Cairngorm Mountains. Before my journey to her native homeland, I had only recently learned about Shepherd by reading Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs, which we discussed at the April meeting of Bookish Trailblazers. When I arrived in Scotland, I immediately sought out her book, The Living Mountain, to read as we trekked across the country so I could be transported to her world. This book is now one of my favorites. It’s a quick read, less than 200 pages including the introduction and epilogue, yet it perfectly and eloquently encapsulates the atmosphere and life of the Cairngorms. Her writing, while deeply profound, is more simple and easy to follow than the daunting works of Thoreau or Emerson. As you read her thoughts, it’s hard to believe she has only recently been officially recognized as one of Scotland’s greatest authors, when in 2016 the British 5-pound note was reprinted with one of the few known photos of her on the front of the bill. She is the only female, besides the Queen, to be featured on any British currency.
After visiting the exhibit in the National Library of Scotland and after devouring The Living Mountain, I was inspired to look into the American counterparts of the women in the Scottish exhibit. Here are a few of the extraordinary and overlooked female American pioneers:
Clare Marie Hodges (1890-1970) was the first female National Park Service ranger and remained the only female ranger for 30 years.
Isabella Bird (1831-1904), although not American, traveled across Rocky Mountain National Park, often alone and unarmed, and she was one of the first women to make a living as a travel writer and photographer.
Ruth Dyar Mendenhall (1912-1989) shocked 1930’s gender norms by choosing a life of adventure after having two children, becoming one of America’s first female mountain climbers. She and her husband co-authored several climbing guide books.
I highly encourage you to check out the exhibit’s page on the National Library of Scotland’s website to learn more about Scottish women in the outdoors and how they influenced the perception of women in the outdoors. Also be sure to check out FCPL’s outdoor book club, Bookish Trailblazers. In this book club, we read and discuss books about outdoor adventure and nature from all different perspectives. If you decide to read The Living Mountain, I recommend having photos of the Cairngorms at hand so you can easily visualize what Shepherd describes in her book. And if you ever have a chance, the wild Scottish Highlands are a must visit.
Here are a few more recommended reads in FCPL's collection.
