Calling all Writers

Do you like to write? Are you part of writer's group? Do you love all of your English classes? Are you a writer?

If yes, then you have to check out the following new subscriptions to the library.

Puckerbrush Review

Writer's Digest

Poets & Writers

Paris Review

We also have Echoes magazine and Cafe Review.

Stop by and get a little inspiration.

Around Campus

If you walk from the library to the residential construction classroom on campus, you'll get to see some wonderful student projects. It all began with a flat tire. Guy Jackson, NMCC residential construction instructor happened to notice my car in the parking lot and spotted a flat tire. He was nice enough to offer to fill it with air. While he worked on my car, I walked through the residential construction area and saw some wonderful projects the students were completing. One project really caught my eye. A beautiful set of stairs constructed by NMCC student Gail Thibault. They were so nice that I asked if I could come back and take a few photos for the library blog.

There are so many wonderful things happening all around campus that it is really essential that we all leave our own areas and visit other parts of campus. For me, getting out of the library that day meant that I was able to see the wonderful work of NMCC students in action.

Here are a few photos. See for yourself. These stairs are so nice that it's going to be hard to let people walk on them.

End of the Semester

The semester is coming to an end and the last day for many students will be December 16th. During the break, we'll be working on a library survey that will be posted online in early January.

We'll also be planning for additional classroom visits in the spring and we'll be thinking of ways to make the library more relevant to student needs. During a budget crunch it isn't easy to add new services and new resources. Still, we hope to add a few in the coming year. There is a need for additional online databases and e-books. We would like to make it possible for you to access everything you need from the comfort of home.

If you have time before the semester ends, stop by the library to share any thoughts you have about improvements. If there were things that frustrated you this semester or things that you loved about the library this semester, we welcome your thoughts, comments, and input.

Good luck with the rest of your semester. Happy Holidays!

Gail Roy
Assistant Dean of Learning Resources

What Can the Library Do For You?

Depending on your perspective, this semester has gone by really fast or it might be one that will never end. Either way, you can relieve some of the stress and make things easier on yourself by contacting a librarian, using the library's online resources, and/or using Noodlebib for those MLA or APA citations.

Students are busy all during the semester. We know that. We want to help. We can show you where to find what you need quickly.

Give the library a try. Talk with a librarian. Contact us.

Let us show you what the library has to offer.

We can help. Honest.

Victorian Christmas Customs

Victorian Christmas customs topic of December 2 presentation
at NMCC at noon in the Edmunds Conference Center

With another Holiday season approaching and Presque Isle’s Sesquicentennial year coming to an end, Northern Maine Community College will host a presentation given by a local historian that takes a look back at the origin of many of the traditions we celebrate today. Victorian Christmas customs will be presented by Kim Smith from the Presque Isle History Society on Wednesday, December 2, at 12:00 noon in the Edmunds Conference Center at NMCC. In addition to the discussion led by Smith, attendees will also learn how to make a Victorian ornament by making one themselves. Materials will be provided.

“Many of the current traditions we practice during the Holiday season come from the Victorian era,” said Smith. “I plan to discuss what the Victorian era was, and where many of the traditions we look forward to each year come from.” Smith will cover a number of topics in her presentation that involve the Christmas tree, including the origin of artificial trees, the concept of a village or train under the tree, Christmas tree lights and the tree stand. She will also discuss Victorian traditions and their evolution as it relates to Christmas cards and wrapping paper, as well as Christmas carols and window displays. Smith has researched and written over twenty presentations of topics of interest on Presque Isle’s History. She presented these topics on a weekly basis over a five month period to the Seniors Achieving Greater Education (SAGE) program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle; and currently on a monthly basis as the “Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series” for the Presque Isle Historical Society.

She also researched, prepared, and implemented a “Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Presque Isle”, a two-hour, two-mile tour given monthly and upon request. In addition, she served on the joint City/Historical Society Committee which wrote and implemented a "Self-Guided Walking Tour" that features 28 plaques around town with vignettes detailing the historical significance of each property as well as historic photos of the sites. As a former professional model, Smith was instrumental in implementing “freeze” modeling to the Historical Society’s exhibit at the Historical Pavilion at the annual Northern Maine Fair in which freeze models wear antique clothing. This exhibit has earned the Historical Society the coveted “Best Living History Exhibit” award for 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the exhibit prepared by Smith won the prestigious “Best Overall Exhibit” award. In 2007, Smith earned the Silver level award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation for donating over 250 hours of her time to the Historical Society and the Gold Award in 2008 for donating over 500 hours of her time.

Smith holds a Master’s of Science in Business degree from Husson University; a Non-Profit Organizational Management Certificate from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs – Political Science from the University of Maine at Orono. She has worked both as a professional disc jockey and a television announcer for public television. In addition, she has served as the executive director for three non-profits and served as a consultant to three others. She is a long-standing member of MENSA and a member of Sigma Beta Alpha, the international honor society of Business Administration. Currently, Smith is the Chairperson of the City of Presque Isle’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. She is a member in good standing of Presque Isle’s Historical Society where she is in her third term as Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary. Smith is a published writer, having had articles appear in a national publication, a regional magazine, and a newspaper downstate.

Native American Presentation

NMCC to mark Native American Heritage Month
with presentation on Traditional Native American Culture
and Spirituality

The community is invited to join in a presentation on Traditional Native American Culture and Spirituality on Tuesday, November 24, at 12:00 noon in the E. Perrin Edmunds Library on the Northern Maine Community College campus.

The discussion, led by Joseph Davis, the cultural advisor and traditional ceremonial leader to the Wesget Sipu Tribe, is being coordinated by NMCC to mark National Native American Heritage Month. Davis will speak about the spiritual values of Native life found in tribes across the country.

In his presentation, Davis will address the universal importance of the environment to Native peoples and also discuss the differences that emanated from geography. For example he will speak about the importance the Plains Indians placed over generations on the buffalo, and how comparatively ancestors of the Wesget Sipu Tribe looked to the caribou and moose.

“Essentially the traditions of Native American culture and spirituality are based on the same basic tenets. Some of the traditions vary depending on the geography and climate of where the tribes are located across the country. However, we are all defined by our geography and the environment, and many of the traditions come from these two,” said Davis.

Davis, who also serves on Council for the Wesget Sipu Tribe in northern Aroostook County, was born in Louisiana and grew up in Niagara Falls, New York before joining the U.S. Military. When he returned from his service in the Army, he lived in Buffalo, New York for a while before relocating to Chicago. While in Chicago, he was a frequent guest lecturer on Native American culture and history at several colleges and universities. He relocated to the St. John Valley three years ago.

“It’s an honor and a pleasure to be asked and to come to Northern Maine Community College to help celebrate Native American Heritage Month. I look forward to speaking about a topic that is very important to both me personally and to this region,” said Davis.

Recent PEW Report

College Enrollment Hits All-Time High, Fueled by Community College Surge

Read report here.

Ghost Stories

Nothing like a good ghost story. Stop by the library on Thursday, October 29th at 1:00 to hear some Aroostook county ghost stories read by NMCC English instructor Jen Graham.

Read the Bangor Daily News story.

Are they talking about you?

You might be interested in the following study by ECAR on undergraduate students and information technology. Many of you will clearly see yourself in this study, others might be interested in learning more about new technologies.

At the library, we are always interested in finding news ways for students to access information they need in the most efficient way.

Stop by the library and let us show you some ways you can make school life easier by learning
and using technology to find and access the information you need.

Read the report here.

ECAR
EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research


Since 2004, the annual ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology has sought to shed light on how information technology affects the college experience. We ask students about the technology they own and how they use it in and out of their academic world. We gather information about how skilled students believe they are with technologies; how they perceive technology is affecting their learning experience; and their preferences for IT in courses. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 studies. It is based on quantitative data from a spring 2009 survey of 30,616 freshmen and seniors at 103 four-year institutions and students at 12 two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 62 students at 4 institutions; and review of qualitative data from written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2009 study also includes a special focus on student ownership and use of Internet-capable handheld devices.

Maine Humanities Reading Council Series Continues

The Maine Humanities Reading Council Series continues.

Two talks left in our series: Maine Wilderness: Defining Maine.


Join us on Tuesday, October 20th at noon. Forester, Tim Scott will give a presentation and lead a discussion on Campfires Rekindled by George S. Kephart.

Final presentation in the series is scheduled for Monday, November 9th at noon. NMCC instructor, Jan Grieco will lead discussion on We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich.

Stop by and visit our Maine Collection and learn more about the area where you live.

Come talk to us

Next time you visit a library, stop and ask a librarian for help. Many seem to just come in and look around and leave. Would you go to a store and leave without getting what you wanted? Of course not. Then why come to the library and leave without getting what you need?

We try to ask everyone if they need help or if they are finding what they need, but sometimes we may just miss you. So, don't be shy. Come talk to us.

We really are interested in your research topic and we can direct you to great sources of information. Finding good information is a great start in writing your papers. Spend some time with a librarian and let us help you.

We think you'll be impressed with the results and we know that your instructor will be impressed with the information you have found.

Finding good information is the first start of any research project. Once you have your topic, come on in and talk with a librarian. You'll be glad that you did.

Maine Libraries Snapshot Day

All libraries throughout Maine collected statistics, photos, and library stories on one day (September 30, 2009) and submitted the information to the Maine State Library. This one day snapshot is intended to show the value of libraries and how people use libraries every day for a variety of reasons.

Want to see some amazing photos of libraries throughout Maine? Take a look here:
http://www.maine.gov/msl/snapshot/index.html

Can you spot the NMCC library?

Statistics to follow.

College Advice From People Who Have Been There

From the New York Times:

College Advice From People Who Have Been There

http://tinyurl.com/m6bbba

Starting College Words of Wisdom:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/opinion/l13college.html

NMCC From the Air

Our thanks to Capt. Ray Burby and the Civil Air Patrol for sending a copy of this wonderful photo they took on September 12th while up in the air.

The photo was taken on Saturday morning, September 12, 2009, around 9:20 am and from 4500 feet in the air.

If you look to the left of the photo, you'll see the library!

Photo is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without the owner's permission.
Photo credit: Captain Ray Burby and the Civil Air Patrol

Native Cultures Books

We just added some wonderful new books on Maine Native Cultures. Stop by the library and look through our Maine Collection.

In the meantime, you can read about Wabanaki Ethnography free online here:

http://www.nps.gov/acad/historyculture/ethnography.htm

We are also in the process of planning an event for November--Native American Month.
We would welcome your input. Look for information sometime in October.

Fall Winter Expo 2009 and Passport Information

Join us at the Fall Winter Expo 2009 in the Forum in Presque Isle on Saturday Sept 26th from 10-6 and Sunday, Sept. 27th from 10-4.

The Mark & Emily Turner Library and the NMCC Library will be sponsoring a passport booth. Stop by and pick up an application, get your questions answered, or apply on the spot.

Don't keep putting off getting your passport card. It's easier than you think.

We'll be raffling off a great gift basket with plenty of treats and a $25 gas card.

Bangor Metro Magazine

Check out page ten of the September issue of Bangor Metro. There you'll find a photo of NMCC's Wind Technology Instructor Wayne Kilcollins atop a wind turbine. If you don't like heights, the photo just might make you a bit dizzy.

Learn more about NMCC's new Wind Power Technology program by visiting our webpage or contacting the admissions office.

Don't have your own copy of Bangor Metro? Stop by the library to read our copy.

Book Signing September 15th from 11-1

Come and meet Jim Carter, author of Six Decades of Wildcat Basketball: A History of Boys and Girls Basketball Presque Isle High School 1950-2009.

Jim will be signing copies of his new book ($22 +tax) and will be happy to talk sports with anyone who stops by.

For additional information, click here.

Thoreau Sept 14th at 6pm

Join us in the library at 6 pm on September 14th for a talk on Thoreau.
As part of the reading series sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council, David Raymond will give an entertaining lecture on Thoreau.

The series is entitled: Maine Wilderness: Defining Maine.
Click here for additional information about the series.

To learn more, visit NMCC webpage and click on reading series link or contact Gail Roy at 768-2718 or groy@nmcc.edu

Book Signing September 9th

Join us in the library on September 9th from 11 -1 for a book signing by author, Wendy Koenig. Wendy's recent book of poetry, Lions in the Closet, is a book which deals with the strength within women. The book features cover artwork by Heather Nunez. The book also features art by Koenig, as well as by Shelby Wilcox, Jason Grass, Tammy Bragdon, Carol Ayoob and Carola Ertel.

Wendy is a graduate of the University of Maine Presque Isle and has garnered national awards for several of her science fiction pieces. Titles of her other books are: Under the Twin Suns, One to Lose, and her first poetry book These Burning Stones. She also co-authored Breathe Vol. 1.

Hope to see you there!

The Maine Woods

First meeting in the reading series will be held on Monday, September 14th at 6 pm in the E. Perrin Edmunds library at NMCC.

NMCC Humanities Instructor, Mr. David Raymond will give a talk on Thoreau. Discussion about the book will follow.

Please contact Gail Roy at groy@nmcc.edu or at 768-2734 for additional information.

Copies of the books in this reading series are available for loan through the library.

Defining Wilderness: Defining Maine

Join us the fall for a Maine Humanities Council Let's Talk About It Reading Series in the library.


The series title is Defining Wilderness: Defining Maine. The series examines Maine wilderness and looks at how various people have experienced it and written about it over time.

Books in the series:

The Maine Woods / Henry David Thoreau, The Wilderness at Chamberlian Farm: A Story of Hope for the American Wild / Dean Bennett, Fly Rod Crosby: The Woman who Marketed Maine / Julia A. Hunter, Campfires Rekindled / George Kephart, We Took to the Woods / Louise Dickinson Rich.

Where on Campus?

Can you identify this spot on campus?

Quiet spots on campus

Need to find a quiet place on campus to study? You can always start with the library. It is sunny, comfortable, pleasant, and a great place to study and do your research. Empty classrooms are another great place to go. Schedules are usually posted on the door so you'll know when the room is empty. The Academic Success Center has private study rooms you can reserve and is a wonderful place to go for tutoring help.

In the nice weather, we have outdoor seating, the gazebo and lots of grassy areas around campus to sit and relax.

If you don't mind a little noise, check out the space near the bookstore and you can always sit in the dining commons and do a little studying while eating.

There are also nice little hidden areas in buildings on campus where you'll find a couch or some chairs tucked away in a nice little corner or in the hallways.

Newspaper Donation to College

A few weeks ago, 93-year-old Harold Quass of Presque Isle was cleaning out a closet in his Maple Street home when he came across a cardboard box with a typewritten index card neatly labeled “keepsake newspapers.” It was a box packaged by his late wife Dorothy before her death in January 2002, and enclosed was a collection of two dozen well-preserved newspapers from key moments in U.S. history dating back to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

“I didn’t know she (Dorothy) was collecting these newspapers and certainly didn’t know the box was in the back corner of the closet all these years. When I first came across it, I thought ‘there is some junk that should go to the dump’, but when I looked at the label and realized there was something of value inside, I knew I couldn’t throw it away,” said Quass.

Instead, Quass knew immediately where the papers belonged – Northern Maine Community College – a place where they would be preserved and available for future generations to appreciate, and a place he knew well and thought highly of from his more than two decades as a faculty member in the automotive technology program. In fact, Quass was the second-ever instructor hired by then Northeastern Maine Vocational Institute when the college first opened its doors to students in 1963.

“I’ve got a great love for this place and it was the first place I thought of when I realized what I had found,” said Quass in presenting the collection to Gail Roy, who serves as NMCC’s assistant dean of learning resources. “The events chronicled in these newspapers in my lifetime unfolded while I was here at the college. I remember a student coming into my classroom to tell me that the President (Kennedy) had been shot.” Indeed the collection of papers, which extend from November 23, 1963 through November 7, 1984, begin with Bangor Daily News editions covering the assassination of Kennedy and the immediate aftermath, including the BDN edition featuring the famous photo of Jack Ruby shooting Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on the cover.

In addition to the original and full editions of the Bangor Daily News, some of the other papers in the collection chronicling the major news events are the Maine Sunday Telegram and the Boston Sunday Globe. Included are the June 6, 7, 8 and 9, 1968 editions which detail the shooting death of Robert F. Kennedy and the events that followed; the June 21, 1969 special edition of the BDN previewing the Apollo Moon Landing, which was remembered this summer on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the event; July, August and September 1974 papers reporting the impeachment and resignation of President Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford becoming the nation’s 38th President, as well as his pardon of Nixon; and the January 21, 1981 edition with the frontpage headline “Hostages Freed”, at the end of the Iran Hostage crisis, which culminated
at the same time President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

“NMCC is delighted to receive this donation for our library’s archives. The newspapers will be used by students conducting research, put on display in the library for special events throughout the year, and will be available for use by anyone in the community wishing to review them,” said Roy. “The historical information and photos in these newspapers are valuable research resources. We are very grateful that Mr. Quass thought of contacting the college and appreciate his generous donation.”

Quass, who served on the faculty at NMCC between 1963 and 1985, is a native of Independence, Iowa and first came to Presque Isle in January of 1942, when he joined the military and was assigned to the Presque Isle Army Air Base. At that time, Quass recalls, the base was being built and other than the runways and a few buildings there wasn’t much to the site.

“I was assigned to snowplowing duty to keep the runways clear of snow,” said Quass. “It wasn’t long before I let folks know about my work as a mechanic in Iowa, and I was reassigned to the vehicle maintenance shop.” Quass spent three years at the PIAAB and during that time met and married the former Dorothy King of Presque Isle. After brief stints in Gander, Newfoundland, where he was assigned prior to being discharged from the military, and a short period with
Dorothy back in his home state of Iowa, the couple permanently located in Presque Isle.

After working as a mechanic for just over 15 years, Quass was hired by Keith Thompson, the very first principal (now president) of NMCC to teach as an auto mechanics instructor. It was during his 22 years at the college that his wife Dorothy, unbeknownst to him, was collecting the keepsake newspapers. “She was the kind of person who would hold on to things. She never threw
anything away,” said Quass of his late wife, who served as Presque Isle’s city clerk for a number of years. “I am pleased that the students at NMCC and the local community will benefit from her foresight.”

Library of Congress on Flickr

Visit the Library of Congress Flickr Historic Photos Pilot Project:

LC on Flickr

See a sample of the wonderful photos in their collection.

From the Library of Congress Flickr page:

"The Library of Congress invites you to explore history visually by looking at interesting photos from our collections. Please add tags and comments, too! More words are needed to help more people find and use these pictures.

By way of background, Library of Congress staff often make digital versions of our popular image collections available online as quickly as possible by relying primarily on the identifying information that came with the original photos. That text can be incomplete and is even inaccurate at times. We welcome your contribution of names, descriptions, locations, tags, and also your general reactions.

The Library’s Prints and Photographs Division houses some 14 million items, ranging from historical photographs and architectural drawings to advertising labels and posters from all over the world. You can find more than one million pictures among the digitized collections in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog at the Library of Congress Web site. You might also enjoy the special presentations of photos also appear in American Memory and Exhibitions.

For more information or to ask a question about the sets of photos in flickr, please visit the Prints and Photographs Reading Room home page."

NMCC Graduation Photos

Here are some wonderful photos from graduation.

A few campus photos

Also recently donated to the library

We just received a wonderful stuffed Cat In The Hat from NMCC instructor Heidi Broad-Smith.
He sits out near the children's books and is there for any child who visits the library.
The adults like having him around too.

Just donated

Thanks to Rick Flannery for his donation of the book Birds and Wind Farms to the library.
It is a wonderful addition to our collection of books for the Wind Technology program.

The library accepts donations of books and monetary donations in support of our collection.
If you wish to donate a book in honor or memory of someone, please contact Gail Roy at 768-2734 or email.

Weeding a collection

Annually we do a thorough review of all that sits on the shelves in the library. We look at items to see if they should be pulled due to condition, relevancy, age, etc. The books are either offered to other libraries or put out on our free shelf in the library.

Some works are easy targets for removal. Medical, computer, technology, and other areas where information changes rapidly will need to be updated more often. English literature, history, art, and children's books have a longer staying power.

As we cull the collection this year, I'd like to post a few of my favorite "withdraws" and offer up their replacements.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was in desperate need of replacement. Our 1977 copy of the book (below) is well worn and has been read many many times. The pages are dog-eared and the paper and cover are warped. The cover art is intriguing though and I may just save it for a book display. The newer 50th anniversary edition replacement appears below as well.

Reading Aloud

Some thoughts on Reading Aloud from the New York Times.

A quote worth sharing

For all the 2009 graduates who have gained new knowledge, wisdom, and experience, put it all to good use and continue to learn, grow and evolve. CONGRATULATIONS!

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.”

~Confucius~

Kerck Kelsey Presentation in Washburn

Kerck Kelsey visit on May 14th at 7 pm Washburn Elementary School

Ten remarkable children grew up on a simple farm in remote Livermore,
Maine. Four were elected and reelected to the U.S. Congress from four
different states. Two of the four would later be separately considered
for Republican nomination for president and vice president of the
country. Two were ambassadors, two were state governors, and twoothers
worked to establish the great mills that would become General Mills.
Growing up in rural poverty, their advantages were few, but together
they left a record of achievement that will probably never be equaled
again by a single generation of any American family.

After a career in textbook publishing and banking, Kerck
Kelsey received a Master's Degree in History from Harvard University
just before his seventieth birthday. He wrote his thesis on the eldest
Washburn brother, Israel Jr. It was later published as Israel
Washburn, Jr.: Maine's Little-Known Giant of the Civil War. He wrote
the book Remarkable Americans: The Washburn Family, which was
published in 2008. Mr. Kelsey will be giving a lecture at Washburn
Elementary School, Thursday May 14 at 7 pm. Washburn Memorial Library
and the Salmon Brook Historical Society are sponsoring the lecture.
Come and hear about a great Maine family.

For additional information contact:

Katherine Corey-Librarian/Director
Washburn Memorial Library
1290 Main Street
P.O. Box 571
Washburn, ME 04786
(207) 455-4814
kcorey@washburn.lib.me.us

Carbon Offsets

If you plan to travel, you may want to learn more about carbon offsets.

Visit Carbon Fund for more info.

End of Semester

This is an exciting time of the academic year. Students are finishing up the year and many are getting ready to graduate. It has been wonderful for me to attend year-end events and to witness the joy and elation shared by all students during this time.

We are all looking forward to NMCC graduation for the Class of 2009 to be held on Saturday, May 16th. I am hoping to post some graduation photos here so check back.

To the members of the Class of 2009, we extend congratulations and our very best wishes for a productive, meaningful, and happy future.

Poetry Contest

Thanks to all who entered our poetry contest. There were many amazing and excellent poems submitted. The winning entry was submitted by Amber Hill.

Amber won a gift basket and will get to help create her own READ poster.

Amber's poem appears below:




Lying in bed with the dark and the cold
by Amber Hill

Lying in bed, with the dark and the cold,
Fighting off the dreams passing through my mind
Seeing moon light upon the empty fold.

Remembering time past and days of old,
The passing since, to me, has not been kind;
Lying in bed, with the dark and the cold.

Many things said, many things yet untold,
Small and fleeting thoughts which prove to remind,
Seeing moon light upon the empty fold.

Your companionship valued more than gold,
But now, you are gone, and me, left behind
Lying in bed, with the dark and the cold.

Bitter feelings, in my heart, taking hold,
Yet fond memories become more refined
Seeing moon light upon the empty fold.

My soul filled with a great, yet controlled
Inner aching, foreign and undefined,
Lying in bed, with the dark and the cold,
Seeing moon light upon the empty fold.

Sesquicentennial Quilt

A beautiful quilt created by the 13 members of the Crown of Maine Quilters is on display in the library this month. It took the quilting group 3 months to complete this quilt.

Lavone Walters from the quilting group stopped by the library and provided a description (below) of each of the quilt panels.

Crown of Maine Quilters:
Members - Lona Cyr, Lois Griffin, LaVone Walters, Cathy Shaw, Theresa Good, Judy Green, Carla Catlett, Kay Crary, Deidre McMahon, Chris Murphy, Barbara Rouse, Lori Shaw, Lucinda Jacobs

Description from LaVone Walters:

This quilt was made by 13 members of the Crown of Maine Quilters. All blocks represent places in Presque Isle and Maine. On the top row we have two pine trees (Maine in the Pine Tree State). The center is the emblem chosen by the City of Presque Isle for the 150 year celebration.

Row 1 :
The bear - Maine black bear
Potato basket - The potato industry as it used to be in Maine
Preble Hall - Represents the University of Maine College system.
Balloon site - site of the first successful Trans-Atlantic balloon crossing made in 1981 and landed in France. We held our 25th anniversary celebration on August 17, 2003.
Railroad station - Represents travel by rail and for many years the only way of shipping potatoes from Aroostook County.
Chickadee - Maine state bird.

Center Star - according to one of our quilting books this is the Maine state star - Presque Isle is the Star City and the city's colors are blue and white.

The four corners represent some of the following Maine sports: Upper left = camping, upper right = baseball, lower left = hockey, lower right = hunting and fishing.

Row 2
Winter Sports Center represents Aroostook State Park, Quoggy Joe, and Nordic Heritage Center
Post Office - Presque Isle Post Office
Communication towers represents the radio and television towers
Church represents all the churches in the area

Row 3
Barn represents the agricultural way of life in the area.
Airport - became the Presque Isle airport after the Presque Isle air base closed.
School House - represents the one room school houses of many years ago.
Hospital - this building represents all the local health care.

Row 4
Moose represents the wildlife in Maine
Library is the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library
Fair grounds - Northern Maine Fair
Fire Station - Old fire station the way it looked so many years ago
Fiddleheads - spring delicacy of Maine
Deer - white tail deer, more of the wildlife in Maine
Bottom - Landscape from Chapman Road looking at Haystack Mountain in the center.

Quilt Display Schedule:

April / NMCC
May / Presque Isle Middle School
June / Presque Isle Airport
July / City Hall
August / Presque Isle Historical Society
September / University of Maine Presque Isle
October / Chamber of Commerce
November / Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library
December / Police Station

Adventures with Ari by Kathryn Miles

We just received our copy of Adventures with Ari. I started reading it immediately and took it home with me to read over the weekend.

The author, Kathyrn Miles, is an associate professor and director of the writing at Unity College in Maine. She teaches in the Environmental Writing program.

The cover describes the book best: a puppy a leash & our year outdoors.

Read more about the book at Kate's blog.

The mosting exciting news about this new book is that the author will be at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle on Saturday, April 25th at 1pm. Ari will be there too!

Architectural history class student project

You must see this amazing student project completed by NMCC student Kris Bouchard for his architectural history course with NMCC instructor Laura McPherson.

Kris did a wonderful job creating a working Roman aqueduct. It is on display in the library.

View the aqueduct here if you can't make it to the library.

For his next project, Kris is working on a Mayan pyramid.

Quilt on display in the library

Stop by to see the beautiful quilt made to celebrate Presque Isle's Sesquicentennial.



Details about the quilt and the makers to follow.

Come and Read It

We have the book on our shelves so stop by and pick up a copy and read Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Research in the digital age

“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”

Albert Einstein

How do you approach the beginning of your research for a paper, presentation, speech, or special project? Where do you begin, where are you in the middle, and how does it all come together in the end? At first, research may seen frustrating, complex, and unruly. Once you gain confidence in searching and using the tools at hand, it becomes easy, natural, and the process actually makes sense.

Our goal at the library is to help you make sense of the research process. We can show you where to look, how to effectively search for information, and how to evaluate and sift through the information you locate. Research is a fluid process with a beginning, middle, and end. One bit of information can lead to another and so on.

Take a minute and look at The Student Discussion Groups video on YouTube.

Web search strategies in plain English (Common Craft).

An important part of the research process is learning to become and "information literate" person.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (a division of the American Library Association) offers the following definition of Information Literacy:

Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." 1 Information literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources. Because of the escalating complexity of this environment, individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices--in their academic studies, in the workplace, and in their personal lives. Information is available through libraries, community resources, special interest organizations, media, and the Internet--and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability. In addition, information is available through multiple media, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it. The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society. The sheer abundance of information will not in itself create a more informed citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively.

Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to:

* Determine the extent of information needed
* Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
* Evaluate information and its sources critically
* Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
* Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
* Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

How can we all be more green?

Earth Day is this Wednesday, April 22nd. Every year I promise myself I'll do something to be more green and each year I try to add at least one new way to move toward a greener lifestyle.

I recycle, use a clothesline, take shorter showers..... You get the idea.
This year I want to learn how to compost for the garden and I'll be thinking of ways in which the library can become more green.

Here are a few good sites to get you started:

Culver City has some great ideas on how to be more green.

Green Guide for everyday living.

Nature Conservancy Carbon Footprint Calculator

Green Product Checklist

Earth Day History

We have many new books in the library with some great ideas on how we can all make changes at work and at home to become a bit more green. Stop by and see if there is something of interest to you.

Join us on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd at noon and hear two NMCC instructors talk about their areas of expertise: Wayne Kilcollins / Wind Technology and Pam Buck / Green Building Design.

It will be interesting, fun, and you'll learn a lot. Can't think of a better way to spend Earth Day!

See you on the 22nd at noon in the library.

Creative Writers Series

If you missed the first two writers series held in April, you have one more chance to attend the final part of the series on Thursday, April 23rd at noon in the library. Come and hear some great works read by wonderful writers.

Presque Isle's 150th Birthday Party

If you missed the party on April 4th on the Northern Maine Community College campus, you can view some photos from the celebration.

View Photos

Wonderful events are taking place throughout the year to celebrate the 150th birthday of our city.

Events will be advertised in the Star Herald, at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library, Chamber of Commerce, and Presque Isle Historical Society.

International Energy Agency

For those working on reports dealing with energy issues, you might want to take a look at the International Energy Agency site.

There are many useful reports on this site. For example, Key World Energy Statistics, Renewable Energy Essentials: Wind.

Walking Tours of Historic Presque Isle

Eight people met at the Vera Estey House in Presque Isle on Saturday at 10 am for a historic walking tour of the city. Dressed in period costume, Kim Smith of the Presque Isle Historical Society led the tour. Blue skies and lots of sun made it a perfect day to take the 2 mile, two and one half hour tour. The tour was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history. Kim made the walk interesting and shared fascinating facts that made history come alive.

Green plaques have been installed throughout the city designating historic locations. Self guided walking tour brochures are available at City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and available as a PDF on the Historical Society's website (www.pihistory.org).

If you are interested in taking the next guided walking tour of the city, contact the PI Historical Society at 762-1151 or email pihistoricalsociety@hotmail.com

Getting Ready for Presque Isle's Birthday Party

The official launch of the City of Presque Isle's 150th Birthday will be celebrated on Saturday, April 4th, from 11-2 on Northern Maine Community College campus. Join us for an art show, live music, games for the children, arts & crafts, cake cutting ceremony, olde tyme food, and much much more.

The Wednesday Evening Fiddlers, Gallagher Brothers, the Maine Event Barbershop Group, and the Presque Isle Middle School Jazz Band will be performing throughout the day.

"Mawi-taneg epit-jig" - Gathering of Women -Micmac Ladies Drumming Group will perform in the library.

Everyone on campus pitched in on Friday to get set for the event. We look forward to seeing you there on Saturday!

Happy 150th Birthday Presque Isle!

Poetry Contest

This April
Celebrate National Poetry Month &
National Library Week by entering our poetry contest

This year at the E. Perrin Edmunds Library, National Poetry Month and National Library Week collide to create a poetry writing contest you'll want to enter.

Write a poem with a library related-theme and submit it @ the library or to groy@nmcc.edu.

Select any library related topic. Write about libraries you love or libraries you hate. Wax eloquent on nice librarians, evil librarians, virtual librarians, books, reading, and research. Write about your favorite author, best book, the end of libraries, ebook readers, reading online.

Select any poetry form. Any length.

Poems will be reviewed by a panel of judges.

Deadline to submit: April 24th

Prize: Gift Basket & Your Own Read Poster

Images of Maine and Native American Women in Literature

Images of Maine and Native American Women in Literature

Join us on Thursday, March 26, in the library at 12 noon for readings from work by and about Native American and Maine women writers. The student readings will include works by Sarah Orne Jewett, Gladys Hasty Carroll, Ruth Moore, Edna St. Vincent Millay Joy Harjo, Cathie Pelletier, Louise Erdrich, Carolyn Chute, Leslie Marmon Silko and others.

English Instructor Jan Grieco will begin the hour-long program with a brief overview of the contributions of women writers to the field of literature, with a focus on Maine and the Native American experience.

The reading is to commemorate Women’s History Month.

Photography Exhibit

For the month of April the library will host a photography exhibit by Ray Burby. Ray's work is beautiful and we are delighted to be hosting this art show.

The exhibit will run from April 4 - 30th.

Visit his site for a sample of his work.

Bring your snowmobile to school

Northern Maine Community College is located in one of the prettiest areas of Maine and outdoor recreation opportunities are abundant here.

But, many don't know that if you live on campus, you can bring your snowmobile and ATV to campus with you. There are trails right near the campus and many students enjoy using their snowmobiles as a nice break from studying.

So, if you are thinking of coming to school here, be sure to bring along your snowmobile for some winter fun.

NMCC Job Fair

Photos from the NMCC Job Fair held on March 12th from 9-1. The job fair was a great success. Hope you were able to stop by and meet with area employers today.