AT THE LIBRARY

September 4, 2008

New Books

Although September actually takes its name from the Latin word for "seven", in our Gregorian calendar it falls as the ninth month. Among the many events and anniversaries honored and observed at this time of year, consider the following.

According to the CDC’s National Survey of Children’s Health 2003, 8.8% of Ohio youngsters aged 4 to 17 have at some point been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Because it is such a challenging health issue for the children themselves, their families, teachers, and peers, September has been designated "Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" month to promote public awareness and understanding. To help with this, the Library has several good resources available, including The AD/HD Book: Answers to Parents' Most Pressing Questions by Beth Ann Hill with James A. Van Haren, Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, and The Survival Guide for Kids with ADD or ADHD by John F. Taylor.

It was on June 28, 1894 that President Grover Cleveland signed into law the act that made the first Monday in September a legal holiday for federal employees and the District of Columbia, what we now celebrate nationally as "Labor Day". According to the Department of Labor website, this day "… is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country". Unfortunately, national civic holidays are typically received as just another day off from work or school, rather than an opportunity to reflect upon the reasons for our remembering. As an antidote to the national amnesia that overtakes us at such times, Priscilla Murolo and A.B. Chitty’s From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: a Short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States would serve well, along with Labor's Story in the United States by Philip Yale Nicholson. And as a reminder that working men and women’s trek to safe, clean workplaces, regulated hours, pay commensurate with work, and many other achievements was not made easily or without struggle, there is Mother Jones: the Most Dangerous Woman in America by Elliott J. Gorn.

The PALS Foundation (www.pals.r8.org) reminds us that September is "World Animal Remembrance Month", a time to reflect on the welfare of all Earth’s animals and to remember especially companion animals, animals who suffer from cruelty and neglect, those who are lost in natural disasters, and those who are killed in the line of duty. Powerful choices to read and think over would be Without a Tear: Our Tragic Relationship with Animals by Mark H. Bernstein and The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We Love by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff.

Finally, here is a shameless plug. September is "Library Card Sign-up Month", a perfect time to stop by the Main Library, the Branch Library, or the Bookmobile and join the ranks of Rodman’s thousands of registered borrowers. It’s easy, it’s free, and requires only a photo I.D. Once you’ve signed up, you have access to a treasure house of books, magazines, audio books, DVDs and videos, music CDS, computers, and so much more. It offers homebound service, too. And if, by chance, Rodman doesn’t have what you’re looking for, Rodman can probably get it for you. In a loud, fast, stuff-obsessed world, Cicero’s words have a hard time being heard, but they ring with truth: "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need". You may have to provide the former yourself, but the latter is already here, ready and waiting...