Monday, December 14, 2015


Introducing Our Library Volunteers of the Year!
Leslie Bond 2013
David Hillman 2014
and Charlene Tamayo 2015
Make a difference in your community! Come and be a part of the Taos Public Library team. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer you can pick up an application from the front desk. You must be 16 years or older in order to apply. We look forward to meeting with you. Call Barbara for more information about volunteering in the main library at 737-2597 or Annette at 737-2589 for Children's.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Explore our website at www.taoslibrary.org . 

Newsbank has online access 
to local, state, national news stories and much more!

This is a digital resource brought to you by the 
Taos Public Library.





Thursday, November 5, 2015

Announcing Holiday Book Giveaway 2015! Come join us at the Taos Children's Library - Friday December 4th 2015 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. One free book per child (ages 0-18). Also, one free photo per family with Santa. The first 100 children will receive a free treat bag from Santa. See you there! Contact Annette Montoya at 737-2589 for more information.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015



Each month, the Taos Public Library offers the free use of our Lobby Display cabinet to non-profit organizations.. If you would like to schedule a month to use our display cabinet, contact Tami Concha at 737-2596 for more information.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Check Out Our Indigenous People Materials



KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!!!.......
WRITTEN FOR THE Taos Public Library by Joanne Forman.          Nov. 2015 
            
As you enter your Taos Public Library, to your left you’ll find an entire section - 210 books on Indigenous People. (Please note that some books on this topic are in other sections.)

It’s no secret nowadays that indigenous people all over the world face serious problems, to say the least, but in this newsletter we’ll concentrate on those of what is now the United States of America.

Monday, November 2, 2015





Explore our website at www.taoslibrary.org . Learn one or more of 60+ languages with Mango! It's free! This is an interactive digital resource brought to you by the Taos Public Library.


Thursday, October 22, 2015


The Taos Children's library is accepting donations of Children's DVD's to add to their collection.
Call Annette 575-737-2589 or email at amontoya@taosgov.com for more information.

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Taos Public Library Is The Place For Pet Lovers

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY

Written by Joanne Forman for the Taos Public Library............... October, 2015


WHO’S YOUR BEST FRIEND?

     
     Plenty of people would vote for their dog or cat—or other pet, as their best friend.

     The interest in pets is indicated by your Taos Public Library: there are some 500 books on pets, from dogs and cats to turtles and fish. Whatever your need, your interest, you’ll find it here.
    
     One of the seminal experiences in the lives of many was a beloved pet during childhood; there are few better ways to teach care and responsibility. So here are some books for young people:

     ADOPTING PETS; HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND, by Bill Gutman. J636.7G. (the “J” means the book is found in the Children’s Room.)


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Halloween Book Give-away
1st 100 kids will also receive a trick or treat bag
Free facepainting with Tatyana De Pavloff from 2pm to 3:30pm

Contact Annette Montoya for more information at
575-737-2589 
or amontoya@taosgov.com

Friday, October 2, 2015

Good News For Print Books And Bookstore Lovers!


The reports of the deaths of print books and bookstores may have been greatly exaggerated. The New York Times reported recently that sales of e-books have been slipping while book stores have been showing "strong signs of resurgence."

Friday, September 4, 2015

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Book Signing & Reading



 
 
 
 Local author Steve Tapia, will read from his recently published book:

De La Tierra: the natural world of northern New Mexico
 
Wednesday, July 29th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In the Taos Public Library community room
 
Please join us for an informative look into our unique
natural world!
 
 

Monday, July 6, 2015

Birding Hot Spots book signing



Authors Judy Liddell and Barbara Hussey will sign copies of their local birding book, Birding Hot Spots, in the community room at 6 pm on July 8th.

There will also be a short tribute to Jim Tuomey, a long time friend and staff member of the Taos Public Library.

Please join us!

Monday, June 29, 2015

Designation of Cesar Chavez Days


 

                    KNOW YOUR LIBRARY


Written by Joanne Forman for Taos Public Library……….….July 2015


 

   REMEMBERING A GREAT AMERICAN


   Spearheaded by Taos Town Councilor Judi Cantu, and chaired by prominent Taoseno Arsenio Cordova, August 1 and 2 have been designated CESAR CHAVEZ DAYS.

        Why should we care?

     Elves do not plant, grow and pick the crops.

     While our fruits and vegetables nowadays come from all over the world, much of our produce still comes from California, and the San Joaquin Valley of that state was the beginning of an epic struggle among farmworkers for justice, equity, a living wage and to be treated like human beings.

     Some Taosenos wonder why we should care. Do you eat? Care.

     And some have never heard of the man who is certainly to be ranked among great Americans; along with others, the creator of the only lasting farmworkers labor union in American history.

      Read up! As usual, your Taos Public Library has books ready to help you with this history.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

What's on your MUST READ list for the Summer? Here's Ours



Whether you're on a beach, mountain top, or bike;  in a car, tent, hotel room, or home sweet home, summer is the perfect time to unwind by spending time with an old favorite author or a new up and coming one.
If you like to carry home a stack of books, stop by Taos Public Library for all your romance, mystery, New York Times bestsellers, gardening, grilling needs. Don't forget to log on to New Mexico Library to Go for all the latest e-books and e-audios.
Looking for a book we don't have? Stop by the circulation desk to request it, either through interlibrary loan if it's older, or fill out a purchase request card for new titles.

Here are some great summer reads, you won't be able to put down!

Let the great world spin by Colum McCann

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

The marriage of opposites by Alice Hoffman

Memory Man by David Baldacci

The cuckoo's calling by Robert Galbraith

Orphan train by Christina Baker Kline

The art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein

Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Book of life by Deborah Harness

Stone mattress by Margaret Atwood

All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin

After I'm gone by Laura Lippman


This is just a drop in the proverbial bucket, covering fiction, and impartial to my personal taste.

If you're inspired to do so, let me know what you're summer pics are!










Unmask Your Creativity With Duct Tape!


 


   Teen Summer Reading Program

Unmask! Your creativity

Duct tape craft

Wednesday June 17th

2:00pm to 3:00pm

Located in the

Library Community Room

Duct tape is provided.

 










Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Every Hero Has a Story- Children & Teen Summer Reading Program 2015




The Children's Library summer reading program kicks off on Friday, May 29th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Register for the summer reading program and pick up a free book!

The teen summer reading program also begins on Friday, May 29th, from 10:00 am to 4;00 pm. The first 20 teens to register will receive a free book and book bag!

 

Thank You to our sponsors: the Friends of the Library, Taos Milagro Rotary Club, and Macy's.

Thursday, May 7, 2015



                    KNOW YOURLIBRARY


     The Taos Public Library……
May 2015……Let's Eat!!!

Can’t boil water? Or looking for something new and different to perk up dinner?

 
 As usual, your TAOS PUBLIC LIBRARY is ready to come to the rescue!

There are over 250 books on every aspect of cooking, from soup to nuts, from here in New Mexico to (among others) Africa, Italy, France, Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Morocco, Lebanon, and.

Monday, May 4, 2015

One Magical Instant from Photographer Steve McCurry

This post is a bit of a departure from what's happening at Taos Public. I couldn't resist sharing these beautiful images from book lovers around the world. Taken by National Geographic photographer, Steve McCurry. I hope you enjoy these images and author's quotes as much as I did.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

It's National Library Week!



"Check It Out" - Taylor Swift Parody Video for National Library Week

These librarians really know how to belt it out (with a little help from Taylor Swift) and get down!

This will have you dancing down the aisles!



From Off the Shelf blog, their favorite books about libraries and librarians.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

New Mexico Library Snapshot Day



Taos Public Library Will HELP CAPTURE PICTURE OF
NEW MEXICO LIBRARIES ON Thursday, APRIL 16
 
Taos Public Library will participate in a statewide library advocacy event on Thursday, April 16: New Mexico Library Snapshot Day 2015. Administered by the New Mexico State Library, the goal of Snapshot Day is to demonstrate the impact library services have on the state by tracking participation in library programs and services rendered on a single day.

Participating libraries will also gather photos from their libraries, which will be compiled by the State Library to create a comprehensive picture of a day in the life of New Mexico Libraries.

“Snapshot Day has been a successful advocacy project across the country for the past few years, and we are excited to get New Mexico involved again,” Acting State Librarian and Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Secretary Michael Delello said. “It’s an excellent way for New Mexico libraries to come together and promote the vital services they provide in their communities each day. By sharing data, photos, and stories about their libraries, they can really impact decision makers in their communities.”
 
Come be a part of "a day in the life" of your library, by sharing antidotes, what value(s) the library holds for you, what service you love the most, and maybe have your photo taken.


 

Monday, March 30, 2015


KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!

A Service of the Taos Public Library…April 2015……written by Joanne Forman…….

   GARDENERS, GET YOUR TROWELS!!!!

 

      It’s finally Spring, and as well as the voice ot the turtle dove, the voices of gardeners are heard in the land. Trowels, seed catalogs in hand, and that fanatical gleam in their eyes, hundreds and hundreds of Taosenos are descending upon their yards, determined that THIS YEAR, everything they plant will grow, everything will be bounteous and beautiful and satisfying.

Bless you all!

And, of course, your Taos Public Library is ready to offer all the hope, help, advice you could possibly need, with over 250 books on all aspects of gardening. Go to! You DO have a library card, don’t you? If not, get one instantly!

  Most of the books on gardening in our library are in the 631-638 area, according to our Dewey Decimal System, so we won’t give all the exact numbers—except for the exceptions.

   The primary thing to read up on is particulars of gardening for our arid climate. (You CAN grow things like roses, but it isn’t easy!) To name just a few on this vital topic:

 THE DRY GARDEN: a practical guide to planning and planting. Mark Rumary

 WATERWISE PLANTS FOR SUSTAINABLE GARDENS. Laura Springer Ogden.

 GARDENING THE ARID LAND.  Robert Gerard.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015


KNOW YOUR LIBRARY


A service of the Taos Public Library. March 2015. written by Joanne Forman…….

  THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD


     A late friend had words of wisdom: “Parenting is the triumph of unskilled labor.”

     Yea, verily! And yet we all know that it’s the most important job in the world. Fortunately your Taos Public Library is ready to help, with books on all aspects of this formidable, sometimes agonizing, ultimately (one hopes) rewarding task.

      THE guide is, possibly, still: Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care by the late Dr. Benjamin Spock.( 649.1 Spo.) Reassuring and practical, it is very detailed, and full of detail about everything single mothers you’re likely to run into when caring for a new, small human.

       Perhaps just as useful, and still relevant long after his departure from the scene is The Mister Rogers Parenting Book, by the late Fred Rogers. His gentle, low-key insight into the fears, sorrows and joys of a child is a marvelous guide to understanding your own cherub.

     Also helpful: 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year by Randy Dean and Lori Gorno. (649.122Dea.)

      It’s a painful topic, but one that only too many face: divorce. And your library has help: Child Friendly Divorce by Diane Berry. (306.89). Many have seen (or experienced) children becoming bounc-

ing balls as parents express their anger; this book can help avoid that sorry situation.

     Further help and rescue for today’s world can be found in Anchors for the Innocent: inner power for today’s single mothers and fathers by Gail C. Christopher.(306.856 C556a.)

     An interesting

     An interesting topic, especially for Taos, is Becoming a Bilingual


Family by Stephen and Jeffrey Marks. (420.42Mar.) In most nations of the world, the teaching of a foreign language begins in the first grade or even kindergarten. The mantra in the USA, however, is that it will confuse children. To which this writer has always asked, are our kids stupider than others? Of course not! And those who grow up in bi-lingual (or more!) households don’t seem especially confused. In today’s global world, more than one language needs to become the norm!


     Another aspect of today’s life is that expensive treats and ventures are increasingly beyond the reach of parents. (Why this is so is a whole other topic!) But there’s help available: The Big Book of Family Fun by Gwen Ellis (649.1 Ell) shows ways you can enjoy life without a lot of money.

     Something else that can be a big thing of child-rearing today is dealing with the apparently increasing problem of bullying: Bullyproof Your Child For Life by Joel Haber (649.64Hab.)

     It is often with fear, trembling, frustration and sheer angst that parents face dealing with the troubled, troubling teens. Fear not!

There’s The Everything Parenting a Teenager Book by Linda Sonna, a sometimes Taos resident. (649.125Son.)

     An increasing problem rearing a teen these days can be the computer in its myriad manifestations. Yes, there’s help: Generation

 My Space by Candice M. Kelsey (305.235Kel.) Good luck!

     And there’s help for something all parents dread: How to Raise

A Drug Free Kid by Joseph Califano.

      No matter your offspring’s age, a parent can always use Is That Me Yelling? By Rona Renner (649.1Ren.) The parent who’s never yelled at their kid is either fibbing or is a saint. This book can help you keep your cool—no matter how aggravating your little darling.

      Last and very far from least, there is a periodical (your Taos Public Library has an excellent selection), with a no-nonsense title:

Parenting. This magazine has a wide range of up-to-date information about every aspect of this—the most important job a person can do.

     Like all public institutions, the library always needs monetary help! If you can afford to sponsor this or any periodical (or if you can get together people to do so)—that is an enormous benefit for the entire community.

Friday, February 20, 2015

New Online Database: El Portal






El Portal is an exciting collection of online databases, including:

 

  ·     Brainfuse-  an online educational portal that specializes in live one-to-one tutoring, study skills-building, resume and interview resources and review, and career assistance through its HelpNow™ and JobNow™ services. These services assist students, including college, and adult learners.

·     Kids InfoBits- meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5.

·     Junior Edition- provides middle school and junior high students with access to magazines, newspapers, books, and other reference content. 

·     Opposing Viewpoints- is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today's hottest social issues. 

·     Academic OneFile- is the premier source of peer-reviewed full-text scholarly content across the academic disciplines. 

·     Chilton Library-represents the most authoritative automotive repair information available to car owners. 

·     Gale Reference Virtual Library- 24/7 access to your library’s best reference books and encyclopedias 

 

 *ask a librarian for a demonstration highlighting potential applications of these databases, including capabilities to download articles onto digital devices, highlight text, print, and share via email.

 

 


 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Annual Movie Donation Drive

 
 
 

You love movies. Who doesn’t? But we all have movies that, well, we know we’re never going to watch again. But just because it wasn’t your cup of tea, doesn’t mean that there might not be someone else who would love to see it.
So why not donate it to the Taos Public Library? Taos Public Library is holding its Annual DVD & Blu-Ray donation drive! During the month of February we will be gladly accepting all DVD & Blu-Ray donations. We cannot guarantee that we will add every movie donated into our collection, but nothing will go to waste.

And if you think there are any holes that need to be filled in our movie collection, please donate any films, television shows or documentaries you think the whole community might enjoy! Show your library a little love!



Monday, February 2, 2015

Know Your Library- February Edition


  START ‘EM YOUNG!

by Joanne Forman


 
   Peel the kids away from the TV, the computer and the cell phone and get them started on winter sports-after all, Taos is one of the great areas of the planet for this. And, as usual, your Taos Public Library has books to help get started.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Latest Staff Pics


Soldier’s Heart

By Lee Burkins





               If you never thought you would want to read about Vietnam War experiences through the eyes of the warrior, this book is for you.  This is a memoir of war in all its horrors, waste, monumental expense, death, depravity and ferocity, but also an account of what happens to a combat veteran when he comes home with the dead eyes, the thousand meter stare, and his mother asks, “Son, what has happened to your eyes?”

               The author, Lee Burkins, skips around through the events of his life in short, compelling chapters, from Vietnam and Southeast Asia to Hawaii, Seattle and Colorado, from fighting for Veterans’ rights, to his first job back working in his hometown gun shop and terrifying the customers.  He travels from soul-searching with his shrink (who finally saved him from blowing his brains out) to addressing a crowd of college students about the war, at times shooting heroin and at other times struggling to grow orchids on top of Mauna Kea.  (Read the orchid story!) 

               Everywhere, every minute over the years, he carried the PTSD of what he had seen and done at the orders of his government in the Vietnam War.

               Today he practices Taoism and teaches Tai Chi.  To find out how Lee Burkins transforms from Green Beret Special Forces Sergeant to what he is today, a man of peace, laughter, a love magnet and instructor in the arts of meditation, movement and energy helping veterans and others, you will just have to read Soldier’s Heart.  The author’s resistance to writing these memories down was so strong, he broke his hand deliberately in an effort to prevent himself from telling his truth.  The only reason he persisted was the fear he had felt when the doctor suggested he write his story down.  Once he recognized the fear, he knew he must force himself to do it.

Judith Bronner








Skylight portrays the hopeless, love less lives of working class Lisbon families living in six apartments in the same decrepit building. Each of the characters have their own psychological struggle, sexually repressed young women living with their unmarried aunt/mother, a kept women in danger of losing her patron to a younger, attractive neighbor, an older philosophical cobbler, an unhappy married couple vying for their son’s love and affection, an aimless drifter who refuses to be taken in by the “tentacles” of life.

With all of these characters, one has the feeling that their unfulfilled lives will never change or improve. They are stuck with their lot in life.

Skylight is moving in the intimate, seemingly mundane details of the day to day lives of families living in close proximity to their neighbors, and how they are both satisfied with small pleasures, and feeling hopelessly trapped in loveless marriages.

Skylight was submitted to publishers in 1953. It was ignored by the publishing house until 1989, when Saramago began receiving some acclaim for other works. He refused the invitation to have it published. Nearly 60 years later, and after Saramago’s death, Skylight was published to critical acclaim in 2014.

Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1998.
 
Lisa Bayne


 

20 Years of Service!

 
 
Children's library supervisor, Annette Montoya, was recently honored by the Town of Taos, for her twenty years of service.
 
 Congratulations Annette!