I do not claim to be an expert in the application of DNA analysis to genealogy research, which is why I always turn to the experts when questions come up. (See previous post on genetic genealogy resources.) More than once I have been approached by someone who asks, “My brother (or sister) and I both…
Goodreads.com tells me that in the past seven years, I’ve listened to 130 audiobooks. In March 2018, a Forbes magazine article quoted research that said that audiobook purchases increased by 20% last year while print rose only by 1.5% and ebook sales dropped by 5.4%. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamrowe1/2018/03/27/the-rising-popularity-of-audiobooks-highlights-the-industrys-backwards-payscale/#784887514723) Clearly I’m not the only one in love with…
Genealogy networking nights are always a good time, because even when I plan something, I never know what’s going to come up. This month I asked people to share stories of weddings and marriages. I thought we might get some good tales of interesting wedding customs or wedding mishaps. Instead, we wandered into the topic…
One of the perks of being a librarian is working with people who have a passion for books. If I hear my coworkers mentioning the same title over and over again, it’s definitely worth taking notice. One of the buzziest mysteries of last year was Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders. (Read Andrea’s review). Even though I…
We’re in the full swing of summer and for anybody still looking for that great beach read, we’ve got you covered! Andrea joins us to talk about must-read titles from five different genres, each with its own appeal. The titles Andrea recommends in this episode are: Gale Force by Owen Laukkanen Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce…
In 1940 London, as the German army mercilessly bombs the city, young Emmy Lake takes a job at a women’s magazine for the advice columnist Henrietta Bird. Large and intimidating, the elderly Mrs. Bird brooks no complaints and does not accept any letters that involve “Unpleasantness.” Her list of unacceptable topics is extensive, covering anything…
In this day and age, it is difficult for the average person to keep up with the fast-paced world of apps and tech. Luckily, our lovely patrons have access to a website that provides courses ranging from animation to the web! This wonderful website is called Lynda and all one needs to access it is…
For years a quilt covered the bed in the master bedroom of the Ansel B. Cook House. We knew it had something to do with the Union Church, but not much else. One day a volunteer asked if we had a list of all the signatures on it. We didn’t. So several volunteers came together…
The Cook Players present Murder in the Keys Who killed famous author Ernie Hammyweight? An audience of about 170 patrons helped solve the crime during a fun event on the evening of June 22 at the Libertyville Civic Center. The performance was several months in the making, when staffers Jo Hansen and Jane Trump tackled…
Last week I celebrated 30 years working at Cook Memorial Public Library. Wow, where did the time go? I spent some time thinking about all the changes that have taken place in those years, one of which was my becoming interested in genealogy and taking responsibility for the genealogy collection and programs at the library—alongside…
