This week those of us of a certain age, and who can remember, have been indulging ourselves with memories of where we were 40 years ago. For on July 20, 1969 we witnessed that “small step” as Neil Armstrong hopped out of that lunar landing module onto the surface of the Moon. Looking back on it, years later we can appreciate how much impact this event would have not only on history and science but also on the creativity and imagery we are now so accustomed to. It was only December 1968, with the crew of Apollo 8, the first humans to break free of the Earth's gravity – that we saw for the first time what the Earth looked like in its entirety. That picture which has so inspired the environmental movement. Hollywood discovered space, and films became increasingly authentic in their depiction of space, and of course David Bowie who seemed simply to be from another planet as he wrote his lyrics and sang of outer...

We are having a very busy summer here at the Library. Our daily visits and circulation numbers are increasing every month. The number of books and DVDs borrowed , both in the adult and children's departments are at all time highs. It is great to be able to report this – we must be doing something right! Pizzareadia Summer Reading Club is in full swing. There are quite a number of “eager” readers who have already completed the program, but it is not too late to get in on the fun. Registration is still open, and there is plenty of summer left to complete the 10 books and get in on the prizes and Pizza party at the end.Visit any one of our branches to get registered. Registration for the second session of “Story time – Learning with Books” is still open while spaces are available. This is a four week program for 3 to 6 year olds and preregistration in person, by telephone...

Are you planning a vacation for your family this year? Have you been to the library to pick up some books to assist you? Despite the many search engines and travel sites available at your fingertips on the Internet, most savvy travelers will use a combination of print and on line resources. One of the aims of today's public library is to satisfy the recreational needs and interests of our patrons. Books, magazines and DVD's to help you do your holiday planning abound and the demand has not declined for them. There are two main divisions in our travel section: guidebooks and travel literature. The guidebooks are volumes dedicated to to specific places all over the world, from cities, provinces, and countries to entire continents. Publishers of series such as Rough Guides, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, and Sierra Club produce new and revised titles annually, which include maps and phrasebooks. These guides offer information on many topics; how to get there, accommodation, what to see and give more context to complete the picture of the destination and what to expect. Most of the titles have a related website, which provides up to minute information and interactive blogs. You can read what other travellers experienced last week at the hotel you may be considering. My personal favourite is the Frommer's site.

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Jan Leak, Systems Administrator has contributed the article this week. Working in a library you realize that many, many people are doing genealogy research. Our reference staff deal with emails and questions every single day from those researching their ancestors. It isn’t a hobby of mine and I have never thought that I would become interested in the topic. However, all that might have changed today. The library recently received a subscription to Ancestry.com Library edtion. When we acquire new databases the staff regularly work with them so that we can help the public with their queries. I had spent just a couple of minutes searching my own name when I came across something that astonished me. The database listed twins, a boy and a girl born to my parents two years before my birth. No mention of this has ever been made within the family. Both of my parents are deceased, but I do have one uncle still alive who may be able to unravel this mystery for me. What surprises might you find? Why not pay a visit...