Staff Picks

Summer has passed its halfway point, which means now is a perfect time to check in with your summer reading goals. Have you surpassed expectations? Have you read so many books that your brain is full to bursting?

Or are you stuck on the same novel you started back in June?

No judgement either way; we all read at our own rhythms, and there’s much to be said for taking things slow. Still, if you’re looking for something to jumpstart your brain, here are a few ways the library can help you find your groove again.

1. Read a shorter book. If you just can’t seem to focus long enough to get through the latest Dungeon Crawler Carl, why not give your patience a break and pick-up something you can finish in an evening? If you’re on a science fiction kick, check out Martha Wells’ Murderbot series, each entry of which is under two hundred pages long.

2. Need some motivation? Consider signing up for Adult Summer Reading Bingo, exclusively for Yarmouth residents. Plant a seed, collect shells or rocks, or simply bring your library card into the library, and you can check off a box. For every four checks in a row, you’ll get a raffle ticket for one of our excellent Merrill Memorial Library tote bags. (For a bonus ticket, write a book report and email it to ckleftis@yarmouthlibrary.org.)

3. Change genres and formats. Merrill has poetry, short fiction, and plays available for your perusal on the second floor in the study area right next to the large print books. While you’re there, you can see the latest art exhibit, and maybe get inspired!

4. Don’t worry about it. Seriously. I know from personal experience that it’s easy to get caught up in feeling guilty about not getting enough done, but it’s summer. Who cares? If you aren’t in the mood for a good book, go for a walk, see a movie, or do absolutely nothing at all. It’s fine. The books will wait for you.

Zack

I’ll admit it: I don’t like change. One of the reasons I love working in libraries is that they are, in some ways, places designed to make change easier for everyone. Want to learn about something new? We’ve got a book, or more likely several books, that will help you, not to mention all the friendly librarians ready and eager to guide you on your way.

Still, not even the library is immune to new developments, and this last year brought us a big one: Personal Identification Numbers, or PINs,, which are now a requirement for anyone who wants to request a book through interlibrary-loan.

PINs may sound like a pain, but they’re a necessary, important way for us to safeguard the privacy of all our patrons. The books you request and check out are your business and no one else’s, and PINs provide added security to make sure that remains the case.

Setting up a PIN is easy. The next time you go to put a book on hold, you’ll see a form that asks for your patron barcode (the number on the back of your library card) and your PIN. If you don’t already have a PIN, or if you’ve forgotten it, there’s a “Create/Reset PIN” link under the PIN field. Just click on that, and you’ll be able to provide your own four number code.

If all of that sounds too complicated, you can also just call the library (or come to the Circulation desk) and ask us to enter a PIN into your library record. You will still need to choose your own number, though, so make sure it’s a memorable one.

Have you seen the new display in the library’s audio-visual section? Mike has put out a selection of the library’s Criterion Collection DVDs and Blu-rays, and there’s a lot of great stuff to choose from. Here are some of my favorites:

If you’re in the mood for warm-hearted and funny, check out Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King. Released in 1991, the movie tells the story of a radio shock jock (Jeff Bridges) whose on-air antics inadvertently lead to tragedy. Stripped of his fame, the former DJ meets up with a homeless man (Robin Williams) on a mythic quest. King finds Gilliam’s baroque sensibilities grounded by terrific performances from Bridges, Williams, Mercedes Ruehl (who won an Oscar for the film), and Amanda Plummer.

Want something spooky and outside the mainstream? Try Carnival of Souls, an eerie black and white ghost story about a woman who may (or may not) have survived a horrible car crash. The twist isn’t much of a twist, and the movie is often clumsy and oddly paced, but for the patient, director Herk Harvey’s knack for creepy landscapes and striking camera angles creates a mood that’s unlike anything else I’ve seen.

For a more professional experience, there’s Thief, written and directed by Michael Mann (his feature film debut). James Caan offers one of his best performances as Frank, a jewel thief and ex-convict determined to build the kind of life he spent his time in prison dreaming about. Fans of Mann will recognize a lot of his stylistic obsessions already evident here, including long takes, sleek, frequently gorgeous visuals, and an obsessive attention to detail.

Finally, if you don’t mind a heavy dose of cynicism with your laughs, there’s Billy Wilder’s Ace In The Hole. Best known for comedies like Some Like It Hot and The Apartment (and the noir classic Sunset Boulevard), Ace finds Wilder at his most nihilistic, following the adventures of a reporter (Kirk Douglas) who stumbles over the scoop of a lifetime–provided he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. A bleakly funny take on America’s national obsession with turning tragedy into an amusement park, Ace might be too bitter for some, but its honesty rings true even today.