What's Happening!

Wow! It has really been a long time since I’ve posted anything. I’m sorry about that. It’s been a busy time here at the library. Our annual book sale is coming up next weekend, July 28th and 29th! This year it starts at 9 am on Saturday instead of 10, so come down and get an early start!
Our library cat, Page, is doing really great. She has made a ton of friends. Some come in daily to see her and give her a treat. She loves her laser toy and she also enjoys lying on the green chairs.

Our back parking lot is getting a facelift thanks to the Village. There’ll be a few more parking spaces! Our garden is also looking beautiful, thanks to the Garden Club.

The theme to this year’s Summer Reading Program is Dream Big, Read! There are a few programs left, including building fairy houses at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Under the Big Top, and the Planetarium! The Fairy Houses and the Planetarium require sign ups so please call the library for more information.

We also have a computer lab thanks to a grant from MidYork. We have 5 laptops on loan through the month of September. The library is offering computer classes, including (but not limited to) Introduction to Computers, Basic Excel, and eReaders. Please see our website for more information (www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org) and call to sign up (315.655.9322).

Also, check out our awesome Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cazenoviapubliclibrary!

Book Sale!

Our 37th annual book sale is next weekend, July 24th and 25th. It is a very busy, hectic time for the library. Many people donate books, and the Friends of the Library sort them so that they are easier for people to find when it comes time to buy. The barn is so full. I believe that there are more books in there then I have ever seen before. Isn’t that great? I am really looking forward to everyone coming to the library next weekend and perusing the tent, barn, and Community Room for buried treasures in the form of a good book.

Spring Time

Spring is in the air here at the Cazenovia Public Library! The flowers are blooming, Page, the library cat, is so restless that we’ve decided she can go outside, and the building is getting a fresh coat of paint. Oh, and the summer reading program is coming up. This year’s theme is “Make a Splash, Read!” They’ll be many water themed activities and a big celebration so stay tuned for more information.

Dr. Stuart Tyson Smith, Egyptologist and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California-Santa Barbara, gave a talk about the Kushites here at the library recently (see my last post). He took a tour of the museum afterwards. It was very enjoyable and informative to hear what he had to say about me and my friends the cat, ibis and falcon.

It was also lovely to see the Burton Street second graders from Cazenovia! I hope that they had a great visit!

An Interesting Speaker!

We are having a guest speaker at the library soon. He's going to talk about Egypt. I can't wait! Here's the news article:

Egyptian Dig Presentation at the Cazenovia Public Library

Egyptian enthusiasts will not want to miss an exciting presentation “The Kushites Strike Back!” by Dr. Stuart Tyson Smith, Egyptologist and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California-Santa Barbara. All are invited to join him in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room on Friday, April 2nd at 7:00 P.M. as he sheds light on the complex cultural and political dynamics that emerged at the beginning of the first millennium BC.
Known as the “Pharaoh of UCSB,” Smith has worked on five archaeological expeditions to Egypt, including the Nile Delta, Middle Egypt, and Luxor’s Theban Necropolis. His current research and most recent book Wretched Kush (2003) explores the rise of the Napatan Kingdom of Kush, who turned the tables on their conquerors and became Pharaohs of Egypt’s 25th Dynasty (1050-750 BC).
In “The Kushites Strike Back,” Smith will focus on Tombos, a New Kingdom (1500-1070 BC) colony in Nubia, now present day Sudan. Here both Egyptians and locals apparently shared the rule. Using stable isotope analysis, investigations have probed the idea about who had the controls.
This cultural entanglement in Egypt’s New Kingdom Empire and Nubian ascendancy is typically viewed as a transfer of culture. But, does recent evidence instead represent the creation of a cultural hybrid? From his winter 2010 expedition to Tombos, Smith will provide some new evidence.
Taking a break from the academic world, Smith taught Hollywood how to speak ancient Egyptian. He became the Egyptological Consultant on the hit MGM movie Stargate, giving advice on the script, sets and costumes, and recreating spoken ancient Egyptian for about half the movie’s dialogue.
He again consulted on the script and dialogue for another hit movie, the Universal remake of The Mummy, and continued this work in 2000 with the sequel The Mummy Returns.
Visit www.anth.ucsb.edu/faculty/stsmith/ for more information on the amazing career of Dr. Stuart Tyson Smith.
This event was made possible through the efforts of Christopher DeCorse, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. With their sponsorship and the generosity of the Friends of the Cazenovia Public Library, this event is free and open to the public.
For more information, call 655-9322 or visit www.midyork.org/cazenovia.

Winter

Winter is usually my least favorite time of the year because not many school children stop by the museum, but this year has been very eventful.
The snow in Cazenovia is piling up. On days when the sun comes out it is very beautiful. Today it’s actually very cold and windy. Probably not a good day to do much but sit inside with a cup of hot chocolate or tea and read a good book. I can recommend a few if anyone is interested. The Help by Kathryn Stockett has been very popular.
Our library cat, Page, is getting along great with absolutely everyone. She is very lovable and playful. One of her favorite activities is running all around the library chasing a ball made of scrap paper. I think her other favorite activity is laying on the front desk and being petted by everyone who walks in. Page also likes to eat and sleep. I think she may be getting a little rounder around her middle, now that I think about it.
We had an art exhibit here for the past two months featuring a local artist named Merrill Bailey. He taught here in Cazenovia. The exhibit featured his watercolors, postcards and sketches. This brought many people into the library right up to the very last day of the exhibit.
The library is also working on a brand new website, and the Friends of the Library purchased a television. The television is running a slideshow of old pictures of Cazenovia for all to see.
I cannot wait to see what the coming months will bring. I think the cat and I are getting spring fever!

A New Cat

Recently the library has adopted a new library cat! Her name is Page (get it, Page! haha!) and she is very friendly and playful. She loves everyone that comes in and greets them with a 'meow!'

Cazenovia School Sixth Graders

The Cazenovia School sixth graders have been visiting these past few days. They have been learning all about me and listening to the new presentation that our museum educators put together. It has been great seeing how enthusiastic they have been. I hope they come again!