Posts by Michelle
Let’s Talk About It – The Known World by Edward P. Jones (August 4, 2022)
The first Let’s Talk About It program will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2022, from 6:30-8:30 in the Library’s meeting room. Several copies of the book are available for checkout. Below is some information about the book and the speaker for August.
About the Book
From National Book Award-nominated author Edward P. Jones comes a debut novel of stunning emotional depth and unequaled literary power. Henry Townsend, a farmer, boot maker, and former slave, through the surprising twists and unforeseen turns of life in antebellum Virginia, becomes proprietor of his own plantation―as well his own slaves. When he dies, his widow Caldonia succumbs to profound grief, and things begin to fall apart at their plantation: slaves take to escaping under the cover of night, and families who had once found love under the weight of slavery begin to betray one another. Beyond the Townsend household, the known world also unravels: low-paid white patrollers stand watch as slave “speculators” sell free black people into slavery, and rumors of slave rebellions set white families against slaves who have served them for years.
An ambitious, courageous, luminously written masterwork, The Known World seamlessly weaves the lives of the freed and the enslaved―and allows all of us a deeper understanding of the enduring multidimensional world created by the institution of slavery. The Known World not only marks the return of an extraordinarily gifted writer, it heralds the publication of a remarkable contribution to the canon of American classic literature. (Summary from amazon.com)
About the Speaker
Dr. Kalenda Eaton is a humanities scholar whose research interests include studies of the American west; intersections of Black literary and gender studies; Black social and cultural history; and Black Diaspora studies. Recent publications can be found in Gender and the American West, American Studies Journal, Teaching Western American Literature, and Africa Today. She is a Fulbright scholar, experienced administrator, and advocate for the public humanities. (More information from the University of Oklahoma)
Building Resilience Through Playfulness
Join Virginia Savage, LCSW, Art Therapist, on Saturday, July 23, from 10 AM – 12 PM and continue our conversation about mental health as we engage playfully with art materials. Then, using found objects and our imaginations, we will create a three-dimensional figure that will serve to invite us to be more light hearted and have fun this summer.
We will talk about the importance of self-awareness for improving our feeling state. You may not know it, but what you say to yourself, what’s called our inner dialogue, can make a big difference in how we feel and act in the world. We will look at some common cognitive distortions (thinking errors) that can create unnecessary inner turmoil and then will use a method called re-framing to reword our negative inner dialogue to a more balanced way of thinking. This process promotes peace of mind.
We will be using some art materials to create visual reminder to be more self-aware of how our thoughts impact our feelings.
This program is free; however, space is limited, so registration is required.
Call (405) 222-6075 or email library@chickasha.org to register for a program.
This program is funded in part through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Chickasha Public Library offers free virtual Financial Literacy Mini Clinic
If you’re interested in setting yourself up for financial success, join the Chickasha Public Library’s free Financial Literacy Mini Clinic. This four-week virtual clinic will be taught by Leslie A. Sledge, a NACCC certified financial counselor and credit restoration specialist.
Each session will cover a different financial topic, including:
- Becoming Financially Fit – Our Financial Well-Being is no different than our physical well-being. We set goals on becoming physically fit. Do we set goals for our finances as well? Together lets see what it takes to become Financially fit.
- Becoming Credit-Worthy – Very few of us can say that we got a financial education at home or in school. Learning a few basic financial concepts will help put us back on the road to Taking Control of our Finances.
- Becoming Debt Free – Don’t let that three digit number, known as your “credit score” or purchasing goods and services without cash, known as “being extended credit”, confuse you. Lets learn how to build that score and learn how to use credit the way it was designed.
- Building Savings for Now, for Investments, and for Retirement – There are options out there when it comes to dealing with and understanding debt. We can look at different strategies for resolving financial dilemmas that some of us may find ourselves in.
“There are so many individuals struggling right now and don’t know where to turn, I just felt like this is the right time to offer the help that many are seeking,” Sledge said. “This is a valuable opportunity to expand your financial knowledge and to plan for the future.”
The classes will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on February 11, February 18, February 25 and March 4. Participants can register for one class or all four classes, and will receive a Zoom link for each class. There is a limit of 20 participants per class, so it is important to register early in order to reserve a spot. To register or for more information, call the Library at (405) 222-6075 or email library@chickasha.org.
Sledge has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has been a credit restoration specialist for 6 years and a certified financial counselor for 4 years. Every class will include opportunities to ask individual questions and receive answers, and the final class will include a summary of the information covered in previous classes.
2021 in Nonfiction
This year seems to have passed by very quickly, especially after the strangeness that was 2020. It still feels like 2021 is just beginning, but there are only a few weeks left until 2022. Therefore, now is a good time to highlight a few of the nonfiction books that were released during this year, specifically those about current events and issues that have affected many people during this past year.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact various aspects of everyday life, a few people have given some early thoughts and assessments of what the post-pandemic world might look like. One of these is Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria (303.49 Zakaria). Lessons such as “life is digital,” “inequality will get worse,” and “globalization is not dead” are discussed in individual chapters. Zakaria goes into detail about international relations, economic factors, social interactions, and offers some thoughts and insight about some of the complicated issues that intersect with and affect one another. Because of the wide-reaching nature of the pandemic, there are likely to be many more forthcoming books offering a wide variety of perspectives about health, medicine, public policy, safety, the economy, technology, and other ideas.
Navigating the digital landscape is becoming increasingly important because so much information is now transmitted through online sources. Knowing how to find reputable sources can feel overwhelming, so Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them by Dr. Seema Yasmin (610 Yasmin) is one source that can help people who are looking for health and medical information. Each chapter covers a specific question (“Do cell phones cause cancer?,” “Is trauma inherited?”) and gives facts and data from medical studies and explains their relevance to both individual and public health.
One health topic that affects many people is the complex and tragic nature of addiction and how to prevent it. The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence by Jessica Lahey (649 Lahey) is described as “a comprehensive resource parents and educators can use to prevent substance abuse in children. Based on research in child welfare, psychology, substance abuse, and developmental neuroscience, this essential guide provides evidence-based strategies and practical tools adults need to understand, support, and educate resilient, addiction-resistant children. The guidelines are age-appropriate and actionable—from navigating a child’s risk for addiction, to interpreting signs of early abuse, to advice for broaching difficult conversations with children.” This book discusses the genetic nature of addiction and gives tools and resources with which to help children and young people access prevention and treatment for addiction.
And because we all need some positivity, Let Us Dream: The Path To a Better Future by Pope Francis (261.8 Francis) gives some much-needed optimism to today’s current events. Many problems are discussed, but solutions are offered for dealing with both personal and societal crises. This can help the world feel less overwhelming. There are also many examples of ordinary people helping others, starting with simple steps, along with a hopeful reminder that it is always possible to create a better world for the future.
Words About Words
I will be writing about a very self-referential topic, that is, words about words about words. Specifically, words the books in the 400s about language and how it works. If you want to enhance your linguistic capabilities, justify your usage of the Oxford comma, or just simply wonder about words, there is a library display with a delightfully wordy collection of books about a variety of topics related to writing in English.
The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal (422 Crystal) tells the history and origin of 100 words, and you can a learn a variety of fun facts about each. These how the word “music” has been spelled over 40 ways throughout history, as well as changes in the British and American editions of the Harry Potter books. A similar book, What in the Word?: Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to the Peskiest Questions About Language by Charles Harrington Elster (422 Elster) describes the linguistic quirks that created some common and uncommon words and expressions, including pronunciations and usage.
Punctuation is a closely related topic, and one that can increase the clarity and precision of written language. For a broad overview of practical punctuation, there is Punctuation for Review and Reference: A Style Manual with Exercises by Edward Voeller (428.2 Voeller). If you are looking for a more in-depth look at punctuation and why it matters, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss (428.2 Truss) allows the reader to “look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are.”
If you are curious about how language affects communication, Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher (410 Deutscher) proposes that the language we speak can influence how we think and express ideas, while arguing that not all languages are equally complex. Colors such as blue and green are expressed differently, depending on the language being spoken, with varying descriptions and levels of detail. This book is also a fascinating way for English speakers to learn a little bit about how different languages can be from one another. One example that this book uses to illustrate the variety that exists is ǃXóõ, a language spoken in parts of Botswana and Namibia, which contains perhaps the highest number of phenomes and click consonants in any language in the world.
Languages can also affect group identity and how people relate to one another. You Are What You Speak by Robert Lane Greene (417 Greene) describes how the quest for societies to have a unified language with which to communicate created communities, forged national and ethnic identities, has led some people to denounce incorrect or non-standardized use of a particular language, has led others to encourage learning multiple languages, and the wide-ranging effects of politics in language. It is a broad, complex topic, which is worth exploring because of how language and identity are intertwined.
Finally, if you are wanting more utilitarian options, there are several dictionaries and thesauruses on the shelf in the 400s in nonfiction for those times when you need a specific word for your sentence. There is also The Handy English Grammar Answer Book by Christine Hult (428.2 Hult) for connecting those words together in a way that is easily understandable. If you want to explore any and all of the words you need to achieve optimum wordiness, spectacular sentences, and promising paragraphs, there are many books that will help you to do that in a variety of ways!
Artistic Adventures!
Are you feeling creatively inspired by the happy frenzy of colorful books on the outside of the library building? Do you want to acquire new art skills in drawing, painting, craft making, or photography? If so, you can find your inner artist by exploring the 700s in nonfiction! If you aren’t sure what you would like to pursue artistically, browsing through the entire section can lead to encounters with new and interesting art possibilities. There are collections of art from various museums (709 Smithsonian), specific types of art (759.979 Tanner), as well as art from a particular time and place (709.45 Toman). These can give you an idea of what kinds of art you may want to learn more about.
For “how to” books that develop technical skills for drawing and painting, a good place to start is Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards (741.2 Edwards). This book contains exercises that will help train your brain to be able to draw what you see from life. A delightfully whimsical book that can help you to develop both skills and whimsy is The Pencil Playbook : 44 Exercises for Mesmerizing, Marking, and Making Magical Art with Your Pencil by Ana Montiel (741.24 Montiel).
There are several books about pencil drawing that teach how to sketch buildings, people, wildlife, objects, and developing skills such as shading and perspective. The books in 741 go into detail about drawing in both pencil and colored pencil, and how to make your art come alive as realism, fantasy, or illustration. Because drawing is a foundational skill for all two-dimensional art, these books can also help develop technical and compositional skills that are also used for oil pastels, painting, and photography.
Learning how to paint can feel overwhelming at first, but there are many books that break down the process into specific skills and techniques that build upon each other. A quick look through the 750s will give you books about color, composition, texture, and some of the finer points about the differences between acrylic, oil, watercolor, or tempura paint. If you are unsure about the different types of art supplies, books about painting can help to explain the different effects and uses of each type of paint, as well as specific considerations. There are many photos of the art in progress that will show what the canvas looks like during various stages, which can help you to visualize each step. One word of caution, however: although art books show completed steps, they don’t always show the mistakes that often happen as part of the learning process (and can sometimes lead to new discoveries!). In addition to painting on canvas, you can also read about painting murals (751.73 Grund), objects (745.723 Edwards), and henna (391.6 Roome). If you want to do art while simultaneously playing with your iPad, there is even a book that will teach you how to do that (776 Jardine).
If you love paper, ephemeral documents, and preserving memories, scrapbooking is a great way to combine all of those. To learn more, look in 745.593 for lots of tips and techniques that will turn your pretty paper and photographs into beautiful memories. More paper fun can be found with collage, including Collage with Color: Create Unique, Expressive Collages in Vibrant Color (702 Davies) and Collage Lab: Experiments, Investigations, and Exploratory Projects (702.81 Shay).
Finally, if you want a truly self-referential experience, you can make books into art with Alter This! Radical Ideas for Transforming Books into Art (745.593 Hennessy)! While you should never alter library books in any way, old books can be given a new life as artwork and can be a great way to display both creativity and a love of reading.
Lifelong Library Learning
As students prepare for a new school year, everyone who wants to learn has the opportunity to do so at the Chickasha Public Library. One of the great things about public libraries is that education and information are freely available to everyone, which makes it a great place for self-directed learning. There are opportunities for both current students, as well as those who have been out of school for a long time, to fill in subject area gaps, study for exams, review past knowledge, and find out more about something completely new and fascinating.
For those wanting to learn something specific, Universal Class is a database that offers over 500 free online courses that can be used for continuing education credits, to develop new office skills, or simply because the subject looks interesting. From the Chickasha Public Library homepage, click on E-Resources to find several educational databases, and then click on Universal Class. There are courses in all academic subjects, as well as computer training, business, career training, resume writing, homeschooling, genealogy, test preparation, and writing skills. In addition to practical knowledge, there are also more esoteric and interest-based courses, including digital photography, landscaping, habits of millionaires, clutter control, meditation, cake decorating, innovative thinking, speed reading, and the art of breathing. You can take as many of these courses as you want and work at your own pace.
Another online database is EBSCOhost (also listed on E-Resources), which provides free access to academic sources for research and writing papers. This provides students with reliable, peer-reviewed information and studies that are often hidden by online paywalls. In addition, a toolbar on the side can show how to cite that article using different formats.
If you prefer learning through print books, there are many of those as well. There are study guides for all of the major academic exams (SAT, SAT, PSAT, GED, GRE), as well as for police, fire, postal, and military exams. Individual subject areas can be found throughout the nonfiction section. Staff can help find books about specific information, such as how to use an iPhone (004.1675 Pogue), increasing your Spanish vocabulary (463.2 Larousse), vehicle repair (629), writing a resume (650.14 Rosenberg), World War 2 (940.5), Oklahoma history (976.6), or extraterrestrial worlds (999).
If you are a beginner in a particular area, any book in the “for dummies” series is a good option for learning the basics of something before moving on to more advanced or specialized material. There are also many books in the 900s that can give a broad, general overview of historical events or geographic areas.
Wandering through the stacks and browsing through books is also a highly recommended way to encounter all kinds of knowledge. It is also a great way to gain an appreciation of just how much information there is to learn about everything. Whether it is something as specific as sailing knots (623.8882 Altimiras) and soil management (635.0489 Reid), or the latest scientific discovery (500s), learning is a never-ending process that lasts a lifetime. While it is impossible to understand the totality of human knowledge (which is always increasing), it can be fun to try to learn as much as possible about a variety of different subjects.
Finally, if you would like to learn about a specific title or subject that the library does not yet have, you can always talk to staff about a material request, and we will try to find something for you. Finding information is what we do and connecting people with the resources for intellectual discovery and educational attainment benefits the entire community.
Library History Display
As you walk into the library, you might notice a new display case next to the Bill Wallace display. The new case, still in progress, contains items and documents relating to the people and events during the early years of this library. Founded in 1905 as a Carnegie Library (the current building was constructed on the same site in 1964), the Chickasha Public Library was the first free public library in what was then Indian Territory, and it has been operating continuously for 116 years.
On the top shelf is a copy of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which was one of the first books added to the library’s collection in 1905. There is also a photograph of Sallie Thompson (1870-1936), who served as the first, fourth, and eighth librarian of the Carnegie Library between 1905 and 1929. At times she was the only staff member; she also occasionally worked without pay in order to keep the library open. A small square photo next to Sallie Thompson depicts school children arriving with donated books for the opening of the Carnegie Library on March 23, 1905. This photo was taken from the second floor of the library building.
The next shelf contains a handwritten librarian’s report from 1907, a postcard showing the Carnegie Library, a photograph of library board president Stella Brown (1861-1911), as well as Stella Brown’s 1906 resignation letter, in which she called the library “a great success.”
The photograph on the third shelf is Frances Manby Hamilton (1860-1919), a prominent library supporter who greeted people as they entered the Carnegie Library for the first time on March 23, 1905. Frances Hamilton is looking in the direction of the front door so that her photograph can continue to greet people as they enter the library. A small paper brochure from 1962 proclaims “A New Library for Chickasha” and gave information to the public about the need for a new building because the Carnegie building had fallen into disrepair and was unsafe. Next to the brochure is an invitation to the opening of the new Chickasha Public Library when the building was completed in 1964. There are also a few newspaper clippings about the library’s beginnings.
The very bottom shelf contains the first accession book where Sallie Thompson recorded the donated books that made up the entire initial collection, as well as handwritten record books containing receipts, notes, expenses, and other daily tasks, from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Finally, there is a framed document on the wall between the display cases. This was from the very first meeting of the Carnegie Library Committee in April 1904, where the women’s club members who had applied for and received a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie began planning and organizing their fundraising and public awareness campaigns. The process of maintaining, adapting, and growing the library with new information, formats, books, technology, and resources is an ongoing process that continues to this day.
The documents and photos currently on display are just a small part of the treasures that have been found in dusty boxes and drawers. Everything from letters, library board meeting minutes, notes scrawled on the back of envelopes, financial records, newspaper clippings, receipts, and book acquisitions can give clues that illuminate the daily life of the library as experienced by its staff, as well as the public. Many of these documents were used as primary sources for research while writing the history of this library (available to check out or to purchase for #10) and are tangible representations of the past and the historical context in which the library existed.
The purpose of the history display is to make these photos and documents available to everyone so that anyone who visits the Chickasha Public Library can learn about and appreciate its role in the intellectual and cultural life of this community during the past 116 years. This library continues to build on that historical foundation while also continuing to evolve to meet the informational and recreational needs of the community.
Book your next travel adventure!
After a year of staying home, cabin fever has set in and many people are thinking about their next trip, whether real or imaginary. Traveling to different parts of the world is one of the best ways in which to interact with and learn from the many cultures, languages, beliefs, and histories that make up the varied experiences of our shared humanity. Unfortunately, travel can also be expensive, but you can always plan and learn about different travel experiences for free by exploring some of the many books at the Chickasha Public Library!
Do you find yourself wondering about faraway people and places that you have not had the chance to visit? How about a place you know absolutely nothing about or a place you have always been interested in? The great thing about the Chickasha Public Library’s collection is that there are no limits to what you can learn and discover. If you are interested in browsing through geographical Dewey decimal categories, look in 914 (Europe), 915 (Asia), 916 (Africa), 917 (North America), 918 (South America), and 919 (Australia and New Zealand). If you read one book from each continent, it can be an easy way to take a mental trip around the world. Reading about the cultural attractions and historic landmarks from different countries and continents can help you plan a future trip, learn more about the languages and history of different places, and find the most beautiful scenery.
Traveling within Oklahoma is relatively accessible and inexpensive for many people, which makes it easy to explore for both quick getaways, as well as longer vacations. It can also be a fun way to experience your familiar home state with fresh eyes. Oklahoma: off the beaten path (917.66 Palmer) can help you discover new and interesting places close to home. Find your next outdoor adventure with Oklahoma hiking trails (917.66 Frates), explore history with Historical atlas of Oklahoma (911.766 Goins), or plan a spooky trip with Weird Oklahoma: your travel guide to Oklahoma’s local legends and best kept secrets (133.109766 Treat).
For road trip enthusiasts, Drives of a lifetime: 500 of the world’s most spectacular trips (910.202 Bellows) describes some of the world’s most beautiful places in which to drive. If you are looking to find pockets of various cultures while embarking on a road trip closer to home, Abroad at home: the best international travel in North America (917.304 Abroad) will help you to visit some of those places without having to buy a plane ticket.
If you want to further immerse yourself in learning about someplace new, there are also language books and dictionaries, biographies and memoirs written by people from various countries, books about how various cultures interconnect with one another, and history books that can give insight into how and why the past continues to affect current events. Reading about different perspectives can give valuable insights into others’ experiences and develop an understanding and appreciation of diversity both at home and around the world. It is never too late to learn about someplace new, or to find new information about somewhere you have already visited. And reading travel books can also give you new ideas about where you might want to go next!
Finally, if you are feeling creative and would like to start your own country, you can find some examples in An atlas of countries that don’t exist: a compendium of fifty unrecognized and largely unnoticed states (911 Middleton). Imaginary countries can be delightfully whimsical, and they require an incredible amount of ingenuity and problem-solving skills to develop and maintain. Learning about some of these geographical quirks can also spur interest in how communities, states, and countries govern themselves, as well as the many ways in which borders are drawn.
No matter where you want to go, there is a book for you here at the Chickasha Public Library!
Chickasha Public Library to Host Sing a New Song 2: Changing Lives Through Music
On Saturday, July 17th, the Chickasha Public Library will be hosting Sing a New Song 2: Changing Lives Through Music. Designed for adults and teens and presented by Peter Markes, the goal of this workshop is to develop techniques for songwriting lyrics through a process called sensory writing. The free, one-hour program will begin at 10 a.m., and registration is required due to limited seating.
Peter Markes (pronounced Marcus) is an award-winning music educator and performer based out of Oklahoma City. Audiences are mesmerized by his one-man band live-looping performances where he takes his 5-string electric violin to create and build pop hits from scratch! Also a guitarist and singer-songwriter, Peter has written and released numerous songs in the folk-pop genre, and his debut solo album, I Have A Dream, can be heard digitally worldwide. He is also a member of the band Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road and has performed and taught in over thirty countries.
Workshop attendees will learn about the process of lyric writing and how that can be used to create songs. The information will be accessible to everyone, regardless of the amount of previous musical experience.
“Music is an essential part of the human experience,” said Michelle Skinner, a Chickasha Public Library employee. “It is a universal language that connects us all together, as well as a powerful means of communication and self-expression.”
Learning musical skills has many mental and physical health benefits as well. According to researchers from Johns Hopkins University, listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. Learning and creating new music, such as songwriting, keeps the brain active, helps to preserve memory function, and helps with language and verbal literacy. By engaging the brain in a variety of ways, music enhances both emotional and cognitive functioning. This workshop is a great way to learn about and explore new forms of self-expression while also having fun and developing new forms of creativity.
This program is funded through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The program will be in person at the Chickasha Public Library, located at 527 W. Iowa. Registration is required due to limited seating. For more information and to register for Sing a New Song: Changing Lives Through Music, visit or call the Chickasha Public Library at 405-222-6075.