BOOK DISCUSSION

Sotah
by Naomi Ragen

From Publishers Weekly:

Ragen's second novel (after Jephte's Daughter) revisits the insular world of ultrareligious Jews, focusing on the Reich family's three daughters and how they fare in the elemental rite of passage--marriage. In the Haredi community (made up of Jews who observe "the tiniest dictate of law" and have "boundless contempt" for all things secular), a matchmaker handles--and sometimes mishandles--nuptials based on dowry, piety and family ties, and only incidentally on love or compatibility. Harsh as these customs may seem, Ragen's detailed and thoughtful evocations of daily life in such an enclave offer insights into its members' beliefs. The drama centers on the Reichs' devout middle daughter, Dina, who tries to reconcile her desires and dreams within the confines of her narrow world. How she becomes a sotah (a woman suspected of adultery), her banishment from seeing her husband and young child, and the ultimate reconciliation of her strict faith with the meaningful aspects of a secular society form the heart of this very readable, but at times simplistic novel. Ragen is most successful when she tells the story from the vantage point of the haredi world, less so when her characters are secular Jews. A stronger work of fiction than Jephte's Daughter, the narrative holds the reader's attention throughout.

Please join us for a lively discussion of this novel on Wednesday, February 11. Once again there will be a Brown Bag Lunch discussion from 12:15 to 1:00 pm with dessert and beverage provided by the library. An evening discussion will begin at 7:00 and last one hour. Please register in advance by visiting the Reference Desk or calling us at (610) 655-6355.

DEATH OF A NATIVE SON

JOHN UPDIKE

(March 18, 1932 -- January 27, 2009)

Berks County's pre-eminent literary son died today after having battled lung cancer for some time. John Hoyer Updike was a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, most noted for his Rabbit series. Born in Shillington, the leading light of contemporary American letters was raised in Plowville from the age of 11, and went on to graduate from Harvard University. A voluminous author, Updike penned not only novels but also volumes of poetry and short stories, many of which have been published in the renowned publication, The New Yorker.

Nor has the world heard the last of Updike's unparalleled voice on the written page. His final poetry collection, entitled Endpoint (astonishingly ironic, all things considered...), will be published in September. Two discrete short story collections will be produced in the summer: My Father's Tears and Other Stories will be released in June, and The Maple Stories will be available in August.

Updike's Endpoint includes this hauntingly visionary poem which reveals the author's consideration of his own mortality:

"Requiem"

It came to me the other day:
Were I to die, no one would say,
'Oh, what a shame! So young, so full
Of promise - depths unplumbable!'
Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes
Will greet my overdue demise;
The wide response will be, I know,
'I thought he died a while ago.'
For life's a shabby subterfuge,
And death is real, and dark, and huge.
The shock of it will register
Nowhere but where it will occur.

A bibliography of Updike's major works follows:

The Rabbit Novels

(1960) Rabbit, Run
(1971) Rabbit Redux
(1981) Rabbit Is Rich
(1990) Rabbit At Rest
(2001) Rabbit Remembered

The Bech Books

(1970) Bech, a Book
(1982) Bech Is Back
(1998) Bech at Bay

The Buchanan Books

(1974) Buchanan Dying (a play)
(1992) Memories of the Ford Administration (a novel)

The Eastwick Books

(1984) The Witches of Eastwick
(2008) The Widows of Eastwick

Novels

(1959) The Poorhouse Fair
(1963) The Centaur
(1965) Of the Farm
(1968) Couples
(1975) A Month of Sundays
(1977) Marry Me
(1978) The Coup
(1986) Roger's Version
(1988) S.
(1994) Brazil
(1996) In the Beauty of the Lilies
(1997) Toward the End of Time
(2000) Gertrude and Claudius
(2002) Seek My Face
(2004) Villages
(2006) Terrorist

Short Story Collections

(1959) The Same Door
(1961) A & P
(1962) Pigeon Feathers
(1964) Olinger Stories (a selection)
(1966) The Music School
(1972) Museums And Women
(1979) Problems
(1979) Too Far To Go (related short stories about a single family)
(1987) Trust Me
(1994) The Afterlife
(2000) The Best American Short Stories of the Century (editor)
(2001) Licks of Love
(2003) The Early Stories: 1953-1975
(2009) My Father's Tears and Other Stories

Poetry

(1957) Ex-Basketball Player
(1958) The Carpentered Hen
(1963) Telephone Poles
(1969) Midpoint
(1969) Dance of the Solids
(1977) Tossing and Turning
(1985) Facing Nature
(1993) Collected Poems 1953-1993
(2001) Americana: and Other Poems

Assorted Non-Fiction, Essays, and Criticism

(1965) Assorted Prose
(1975) Picked-Up Pieces
(1983) Hugging The Shore
(1989) Self-Consciousness: Memoirs
(1989) Just Looking
(1991) Odd Jobs
(1996) Golf Dreams: Writings on Golf
(1999) More Matter
(2005) Still Looking: Essays on American Art
(2007) Due Considerations: Essays and Criticism

ELF - keeping tabs on your library material

One of my New Year resolutions was to return library books on time. I'm an impulse shopper kind of person; if a piece of reading material catches my eye (which happens quite often), I have to have it. So I'm taking books home pretty much every day. They end up on my bookshelf and a month later, I receive an email saying this material is a week overdue, that material is five days overdue, and the other new movie I checked out is also a week overdue. The fines add up!

So, not to sound like a late night infomercial, I have a solution. I am testing a service called Elf, a web based and tool that alerts the user to impending due dates by email. The preferences are customizable; they can be set up to send the notification a certain number of days before the due date, or it could be set up to send a weekly reminder on a designated day of the week. This would be convenient for those who come into the library every Wednesday, for example.

The Basic service described above is free; however, there is also a Premium service that, for a fee, compiles a summary of accounts for families with more than one card, or for those who have library cards at more than one library.

The Berks County Public Library System library cards are accessable through this service; anyone who has an RPL card or a BCPL card may sign up for an account. I will post a follow-up of my success (or failure) with ELF.

RESOURCES FOR THE JOB SEEKER

The economy has been facing a tumultuous downturn for the better part of the last eighteen months or so. As information professionals, my colleagues (the Reference Librarians) and I at The Main have noticed a sharp upsurge in internet patrons--many of whom are neophytes to the online world--using the web to locate employment. The Reading Eagle newspaper carried an enlightening article this past Friday (January 16) which touched upon this trend (see "A Ready Resource", C section of that day's edition).

To that end I am sharing some resources for patrons who may need assistance tracking down places to research employment opportunities on the internet. Local, physical contact information is also shared where relevant:

BERKS & BEYOND EMPLOYMENT

926 Penn Street

Reading PA 19601

(610) 376-9675

http://www.berksandbeyond.com/

FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE

http://www.usajobs.gov/

JOBS IN PENNSYLVANIA

http://www.jobsinpa.com/


LABOR READY
355 Penn Street

Reading PA 19601

(610) 372-5575

http://www.laborready.com/

PENNSYLVANIA CAREERLINK

501 Crescent Avenue

Reading PA 19605

(610)988-1300

http://www.pacareerlink.com/

PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL SERVICE

http://www.scsc.state.pa.us/

PENNSYLVANIA JOBS

http://www.pennsylvaniajobs.com/

READING AREA JOBS

http://www.readingberksjobs.com/

TAX FORM TIME

Tax forms are the most popular government publications the Reading Main Library receives. All local, state, and federal forms and publications will be made available to the public on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2.

Please note that while the library is able to provide access to these publications, the librarians are not permitted to assist patrons with any tax questions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1) Which tax form should I use?

2) How do I fill out this form?

3) Can you explain or interpret this tax publication or instruction?

We are fortunate that there is an IRS Office located very close to the Main Library; it's at 201 Penn Street and we direct all tax questions there.

Here are some helpful telephone numbers for patrons with questions about tax forms:

READING CITY--TAX ADMINISTRATION OFFICE:

(610) 655-6334

BERKS COUNTY EARNED INCOME TAX OFFICE:

(610) 372-8439

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE:
1-888-728-2937*


FEDERAL TAXES/INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE:

1-800-829-1040

* There is no option to speak to a human being (shameful, isn't it?) via this number. It does, however, provide a wealth of information that just may provide the answers one is seeking. Patrons who do wish to speak to someone directly must utilize a toll number: 717-787-8201.

HAPPY FILING...

NEW TITLES ON RELIGION

At the end of last year the Reading Public Library received a generous bequest from the estate of the late William Cassidy to be utilized for the procurement of books. A portion of the money was put towards expanding the Main's spirituality and theology holdings. Here is a sampling of some new items we have acquired thanks to the late Mr. Cassidy's beneficence:

The Agnostic Reader

by S. T. Joshi, 2007

211.7 Agn

All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints,

Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture

by Richard R. Losch, 2008
220.9203 Los

The Aquinas Catechism: A Simple Explanation of the Catholic
Faith by the Church's Greatest Theologian

by St. Thomas Aquinas, 2006

230.2 Tho

Astrology

by Derek and Julia Parker, 2007

133.5 Par

The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology

by Tim Winter, 2008
297.209 Cam

Cultivating the Buddhist Heart: How to Find Peace

and Fulfillment in a Changing World

by Nichiko Niwano, 2008

294.3444 Niw

The Dalai Lama: Essential Writings,

by the Dalai Lama, 2008
NEW 294.3923 Bst

Decoding Mary Magdalene: Truth, Legend, and Lies

by Amy Welborn, 2006

226.092 Wel

The Delusion of Disbelief: Why the New Atheism is a Threat

to Your Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness

by David Aikman, 2008

211.8 Aik

Doing Jewish Theology: God, Torah, and Israel

in Modern Judaism

by Neil Gillman, 2008
NEW 296.3 Gil

The Druids

by Ronald Hutton, 2008

NEW 299.16 Hut

Encyclopedia of Mary
by Monica and Bill Dodds, 2007

232.9103 Dod

Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca

by Rosemary Guiley, 1999

133.4303 Gui

Essential Hinduism

by Steven J. Rosen, 2008

294.5 Ros

Essential Writings of the American Black Church

by John Hunt, 2008

NEW 277.3082 Ess

The Everyday Torah: Weekly Reflections and Inspirations

by Bradley Shavit Artson, 2008

222.106 Art

The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book: Rituals, Spells,

and Sacred Objects for Everyday Magick

by Skye Alexander, 2008

133.43 Ale

Evidence for Faith 101: Understanding Apologetics in Plain Language

by Bruce Bickel, 2008
239 Bic

Falun Gong and the Future of China

by David Ownby, 2008

299.51 Own

Head and Heart: A History of Christianity in America

by Garry Wills, 2008

277.3 Wil

History of Polish Christianity

by Jerzy Kloczowski, 2008
NEW 274.38 Klo

How to Read the Qu'ran

by Mona Siddiqui, 2007

297.12261 Sid

Introduction to Traditional Islam: Foundations, Art, and Spirituality

by Jean-Louis Michon, 2008

NEW 297 Mic

John the Baptist: Prophet and Disciple

by Alexander J. Burke, Jr., 2006

232.94 Bur

The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality

by Andre Comte-Sponville, 2008

NEW 211.8 Com

Living Without God: New Directions for Atheists,

Agnostics, Secularists, and the Undecided

by Ronald Aronson, 2008
NEW 211.6 Aro

Lutheran Identity: A Classical Understanding

by Frank C. Senn, 2008

284.1 Sen

Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis

by Tammi J. Schneider, 2008

222.110922 Sch

New Dictionary of Saints: East and West

by Michael Walsh, 2007

270.922 Wal

New Interpreter's Study Bible

(New Revised Version), 2008

220.52043 NRS

Nuns: A History of Convent Life, 1450-1700

by Silvia Evangelisti, 2008
NEW 248.8943 Eva

Russian Orthodoxy Resurgent: Faith and Power in the New Russia
by John Garrard, 2008
281.947 Gar

Sense of the Faithful: How American Catholics Live Their Faith

by Jerome P. Baggett, 2008
NEW 282.73 Bag

Shamans of the World: Extraordinary First-Person Accounts

of Healings, Mysteries, and Miracles

by Nancy Connor, 2008
201.44 Con

Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction

by Eleanor Nesbitt, 2005
294.6 Nes

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

by James Strong, 2007
220.5203 Str

Teach Yourself Buddhism

by Clive Erricker, 2008

NEW 294.3 Err

Understanding Intelligent Design

by William A. Dembski, 2008

213 Dem

Upanisads

translated from the Sanskrit by Patrick Olivelle, 2008
294.59218 Upa

The Vision of Mormonism: Pressing the

Boundaries of Christianity

by Robert L. Miller, 2007
289.332 Mil