Archives for September 2023

Before talking about what’s new, here’s a little information about something old at A.K. Smiley Public Library (besides the beautiful building). Did you know that the article featuring the “New Books at A.K. Smiley Library” is the longest running column in the Redlands Daily Facts?

We have old editions of local newspapers dating back to 1897 available on microfilm that can be viewed on our microfilm reader. However, if you are under a certain age, you might have no idea what that is. Newspapers for many years have been photographed onto a reel of microfilm for preservation, as it takes up a lot less room than the newspapers would, and it lasts longer. The microfilm reader machine makes it possible to view those reels.

Recently while looking up some information for a patron on a Redlands Daily Facts reel from 1920, I ran across the article listing the new books at A.K. Smiley Public Library. I thought it would be nice to share a copy with you, as it is interesting to see what the featured books were. Perhaps you might recognize a few of the titles?

The number of new books that were added weekly in 1920 were probably far fewer than we receive on a weekly basis in 2023. In one recent week, 134 new items were added to our circulating library collection. This number now not only includes books, but also audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and Playaways—items not even dreamt of in the 1920s!

In keeping with the purpose of the article, here is a small assortment of new book titles that have recently been added to our shelves:

“The Wind Knows My Name: A Novel,” Isabel Allende (fiction)

“Grave Expectations,” Alice Bell (mystery)

“The Blue, Beautiful World,” Karen Lord (science fiction)

“Desolation Creek,” William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone (western)

“Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins,” Aidan Levy (biography)

“Secrets of the Elephants,” Paula Kahumbu (non-fiction)

Come in and browse for yourself our different circulating collections available for checkout. Microfilm reels are available for specific research or for viewing old headlines, sports articles, wedding, birth or death announcements, or just to marvel at old store and real estate prices!

The fall season is rapidly approaching, so what better way to celebrate spooky season than with some new horror titles from A.K. Smiley Public Library. 

Margaret and her husband Hal just bought their dream home, a beautiful Victorian house with a wraparound porch and sprawling yard. A few months go by and their dream house is slowly turning into a real-life haunted house when blood starts to drip from the walls. Carissa Orlando’s “The September House” is a blood-chilling read that will keep you up at night. 

Halloween night in 1984, the children of Parmenter Road are gearing up for trick-or-treating, until they are met by a group of strangely dressed children, who are terrified and begging to be hidden away from a being called The Cunning Man. “All Hallows” by Christopher Golden will have you second guessing handing out candy this Halloween.  

Imagine a place where the residents are obsessed with the year 1994. They dress like it, and they watch the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase every night like it is happening in real time. Willow Stone discovers this strange and unusual island after finding out that her son has gone missing and the only hint of his whereabouts are two words: Clifford Island. “Dead Eleven” by Jimmy Juliano will leave you weary of strangers. 

So, turn your lights down low and prepare yourself for a scary good time with these books from A. K. Smiley Public Library.  

Shannon Harris is a phobophile who moonlights as a Library Specialist.

Homesteading has become increasingly popular these past several years. People interested in being more self-sufficient and leading a simpler life have taken up growing their own food, tending livestock, and making homecrafts to use and sell.

It’s not just for those with 150 acres of land, five tractors, and 80 head of cattle, either. The agrarian lifestyle is attractive to those in urban settings with smaller outdoor areas, as well. It can be for you, too. Start off small and see where it takes you. Plant some fruit trees, raise chickens, consider solar options, pickle your own vegetables. Whether your goal is to live off the grid completely, or grow a bed of vegetables for a salsa garden (absolutely), the enhanced connection you’ll feel to the land will offer quite the reward.

“The Tiny But Mighty Farm: Cultivating High Yields, Community, and Self-Sufficiency from a Home Farm” by Jill Ragan is full of guidance and inspiration for those ready to start producing their own food. From deciding what type of grower you want to be–a hobbyist, a homesteader, or a full-time farmer, to mapping out your garden and cost analysis, Ragan offers practical tips to get started. She shares different growing techniques and possible business opportunities, imparting the important message that cultivating also means connection and community. Check out her YouTube channel at Whispering Willow Farm.

In “The Seven-Step Homestead: A Guide for Creating the Backyard Microfarm of Your Dreams,” Leah M. Webb starts off small, showing you how to prep, plant, and tend a couple of 4 x 8 foot garden beds. As you advance through the book, the growing space for the homestead gradually gets larger and the diversity of plantings include trees, shrubs, and storage crops, like potatoes and beans. Also included is a chapter on raising chickens, their care, food, and types of enclosures.

“The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land” by Angela Ferraro-Fanning has all the important information you’ll need to run a full-fledged homestead. Not only does she include information on soil health, planting, and sample layouts for different sized homesteads, but expands to incorporate information on animals and orchards. All of her animals, in addition to being super cute, are contributors to the farm, as well. The horses provide manure for compost and pull carts. The ducks provide eggs and control the insect population. Her chapter on designing a pasture covers the many considerations that you’ll need to address, like grazing and pasture rotation, when keeping livestock.

Both my great-grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Maxson Sr., (1841-1899) and grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Maxson Jr., (1879-1928) were pioneers in the walnut farming industry in the El Monte and West Covina areas. Along with other local growers, my grandfather founded the La Puente Valley Walnut Growers’ Association in 1912 and was its original member until his death. I inherited a bit of that growing passion too and enjoy tending a small grove of olive trees in my backyard.

The Redlands Adult Literacy Program is preparing to publish its sixth volume of Our Stories, A Collection of Writings, composed of writings from adult learners and tutors who participate in the Redlands Adult Literacy program.

The anthology includes writings that express empathy and gratitude for those who have impacted the authors’ lives, reflections about home or books that the authors have read, significant memories of family and friends, recollections of unexpected happenings, and stories about being close to nature.   

Through their writing, participants of the literacy program describe the challenges they face due to their low reading and writing skills and the joy they experience when they learn to read and write proficiently. “It is very hard to live on our world if you cannot read,” wrote one learner who is working diligently with his tutor to improve his reading skills. His dreams are to be able to comfortably read in public and share stories with his grandchild.   

Another learner shared that her mother is a housewife who is the hardest worker in her entire village. Her mom had big dreams for her children. The adult learner wrote, “My mom does not know how to read and write. She sent us all to school.” Education is an important part of her family because her mother knows the struggles of those who cannot read and write and the opportunities that arise when people are educated.   

Stories in this collection reflect the wide range of writing levels of adults in the literacy program. Each author worked diligently through the writing process with the assistance of a volunteer tutor. By working with their tutors, learners develop vital literacy skills that help them overcome obstacles in their lives.   

On September 19th, the Redlands City Council will consider the approval of a proclamation declaring Sunday, September 24th, Adult Literacy Day in Redlands. In prior years the City Council declared Adult Literacy Day to emphasize the importance of literacy in employment, family education, and civic engagement. To further celebrate the life-changing impact of literacy, the Redlands community is invited to join the Adult Literacy Program in its Celebration of Authors on Sunday, September 24th at 2:00 p.m. at the Contemporary Club, 173 S. Eureka St., Redlands. Adult Learners will read from their works which are published in the anthology. Light refreshments will be served. 

Our Stories, A Collection of Writings, Volumes 1 through 6, are available for checkout at Smiley Public Library. Additionally, many of the authors who submitted writings for the anthology accepted an invitation to read their stories on videotape and share them with the Redlands community. Some of these stories are available on the literacy webpage, www.akspl.org/literacy. 

If you would like to volunteer with the Redlands Adult Literacy Program, please contact Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator, at (909) 798-7565 ext. 4138, or email literacy@akspl.org. You can learn more about the adult literacy program by attending the next volunteer tutor orientation scheduled for October 4, 2023. Please contact Diane for more information.   

If you know of someone who needs help in reading and writing, please encourage them to take the first step in changing their life by contacting the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. Tutoring is free and confidential.