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Anyone recognize anyone in this photo?

Lake School 1921. Photo Courtesy of Paul Beck.

War Stories: History & Fiction

We’ve got a new book group starting at the Library this fall.  Patron Clyde Cooke will be leading a group on war stories.  If you’re a military or history buff, or you just like a good adventure story, this is a group to check out.  The group will meet the second Tuesday of the month through November and perhaps beyond, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Clyde is a graduate of West Point and a former teacher of ROTC at the University of Cincinnati.  He led similar discussions with the cadets.

September 9th, they’ll take up The Killer Angels: a novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara.  This Pulitzer Prize winner has been called “the best Civil War novel ever written”.  This is the story of the Battle of Gettysburg told from the viewpoint of the men who fought it.

October 14th, the group will turn to nonfiction for An Army at Dawn,  Rick Atkinson’s depiction of the Allied invasion of North Africa and the tensions between the American and British forces.  Atkinson is another Pulitzer Prize winner, as a journalist rather than a novelist.

November 11th, the group will journey to the future for classic science fiction author Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers.  This book won a Hugo, the highest honor for science fiction, and it has it all: fast paced action, politics and philosophy.  In other words, plenty to talk and argue about.

Copies of the first book are now available at the Reference desk.  Stop by and pick one up soon to give yourself time to become thoroughly absorbed in the Civil War before the discussion.  And Clyde would appreciate it if you’d leave your name with us, just so he’s got an idea how many folks to expect.

Two More Days to Picture You Reading!

We’ve got a new set of contest photos (real cute ones!) posted on our flickr page.  The deadline for our contest is this Friday, August 15, and we’d love to have more entries!

Here are the contest rules.  Show us how creative a reader you are.

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You may know this today as the John Christ Winery. Date = early 1900s. Photo courtesy Vicki George.

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From our growing historical photo collection:

Neither the photo’s owner nor us is sure where this is, it was purchased at a local garage sale!  It looks local.  Let us know if you have any ideas — buildings change a lot through the years and sometimes even disappear.  Courtesy of Jean Foutz.

Unknown Home, Avon Lake c.1890?

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Hello.

As you may, or may not be aware, the Library is working with the Avon Lake Historical Society to collect old photos.  You’d be surprised how few we actually have.  We want to add any donated photos to our collection, and we intend to scan them, as well as borrowed photos, to keep as digital objects.

Once we have collected a critical mass of pictures, of enough different subjects of interest, we intend to publish them in a book through Arcadia Publishing, who have a track record in this field.

If you have original photos (not news clippings, photocopies, pictures of pictures), postcards, line art that depicts people, places, events, buildings, streets, etc. of Avon Lake, we are interested.  Contact me (Gerry).  We’ll take care of them forever if you donate them, and if you loan them to us (and give us permission to do so), we will credit you and have the pictures scanned to be available for the book and for use and study.  Spread the word to those who may not read this!

As often as possible, I will post some of the photos we’ve received here at our blog.  We invite your comments, feedback and questions. Post them here or email me gvogel ( At) avonlake.lib.oh.us.

First one follows:

Movies On The Lawn FRIDAYS

As the summer winds down, we have a fun option for the whole family ready to roll!

Enjoy 1. a movie 2.  on our lawn/patio 3. on a giant screen 4. after hours.

Movies start at 9 pm.  Hey, it has to be dark out!  Bring blankets or lawn chairs if desired (we’ll have a few chairs and benches as well), as well as refreshments.

Tomorrow, August 8th:

August (get it?) Rush

Freddie Highmore, Liv Tyer,
Keri Russell, Robin Williams
Warner Bros.; Directed by Kirsten Sheridan
Rated PG; 100 minutes; 2007

Two young musicians have a chance encounter but when they are torn apart they leave an infant in their wake. Young August Rush, orphaned by circumstance, uses his unique inherited musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.

Friday, August 15th:

Finding Nemo

Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneris

Walt DIsney Pictures; Directed by Andrew Stanton

Rated G; 100 minutes; 2003

A father-son underwater adventure featuring Nemo, a boy clownfish, stolen from his coral reef home. His timid father must then travel to Sydney, and search Sydney Harbour find Nemo