Which Greek God are you?

How long has it been since I showed you a way to make your name mean something else? We did have fun with the Soap Opera Name generator didn't we? Good times. Now for something that could have been dignified but, you guessed it, falls somewhat short. I test these things out you know before I inflict ... offer them to you. I liked my incarnation so much that I had to share. Prepare to be amazed and meet Zitousia, Goddess of Affordable Housing and Spoiled Food. Honestly, have these people met me? I can't find the cameras. You always knew you were special so get a name that announces it! Hop on over to the Greek God Generator and unleash your inner ... realtor?

Heads Up! New Hours A-Comin'

Due to cuts in the budget of the City of Des Moines, our library hours will be changing soon. As of Monday June 1st:

Central Library will close at 6:00 PM on Thursdays.

All branches (except Central) will open at 1:00 PM on Fridays.

Telephone service will be offered Monday-Friday, 9-6.

*All locations will close on Sundays during the summer.

Note: Central Library Sunday hours will resume September 2009 - May 2010.

Get Yourself Some Free Email (Rerun)

Need help getting started with email? So many employers require that you apply online and have an email account for their reply to you, it's hard to get by without one. Through our website we have step-by-step instructions to help you sign up for a free Yahoo email account. Our instructions also provide information on sending emails. Remember, once you have filled in the Yahoo ID line and the Password line be sure to make note of your ID and password. (Library staff cannot retrieve them for you). So go ahead and amaze your friends! Once you think of something to say besides, "Hey, I've got email!"
Click here to go to the instructions.

Build a Birdhouse

Guess what's the best stuff you can use to build a birdhouse? Wood! Who knew? I thought popsicle sticks were best, but I suppose they're made out of some kind of wood. Or wood-like product. Anyway, there are many many kinds of houses you can build, most of them doable in a weekend. Instant gratification! You get to pound nails and show off your creation all in the space of a couple days. So construct a few avian palaces and see who shows up. We're crossing our fingers for goldfinches.

Birdhouse Books

Closed Today...

In Honor of Memorial Day

Memorial Holiday

All 6 buildings of the Des Moines Public Library will be closed Saturday May 23th thrugh Monday May 25th in honor of Memorial Day. We will see you Tuesday.

State of Confusion

Let us now consider Idaho. How many of us have uttered some variation of the phrase "not the potato state, Iowa". Too many to count. Did you know that the Des Moines Public Library owns over 40 works of fiction that feature the state of Idaho? Neither did I! One of them is by John Saul! A horror novel set in Idaho! Guardian is the title! There's even a Stuart Woods novel, Heat, that takes place in Idaho. It's about cults! Obviously Idaho is a hotbed of excitement and maybe we should acquaint ourselves better with our partner in disorientation. Then we can say, "No, not the state in Stuart Woods Heat, Iowa". Have bushels of fun:

Idaho Fiction

If you'd like to try a Children's Book ...

Read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Presented as a set of interlinked stories, it tells of Nobody (Bod) a lad whose life was saved as a tot when he wandered into said graveyard. Someone Very Bad had just done away with his family and wants to do the same to him. I know! It totally sounds familiar! The tone is both lighter and more mysterious than those books about the kid with the glasses. Bod is raised by ghosts and learns their ways - disappearing, walking through walls - but if he leaves the graveyard the Very Bad Someone will immediately pounce. The Graveyard Book is even better than Coraline, and that's saying something kids.

urban legends/folklore jan brundvand

Love the urban legends. When I was a pup all we had was the guy with the hook for a hand. A classic, true, but limited. Here's a quote from Jan Brundvand, King of the UL's, about a 'fresh' tale.

" It is the story about a woman sitting in her car in the supermarket on a hot day. She hears a loud bang from behind her; something hits her in the back of the head. She puts her hand up to the back of her head, and feels something gooey. She thinks she has been shot and her brains are coming out. When someone stops to help her, the person discovers that a canister of ... biscuit dough has exploded in her grocery bag, located in the back seat of her car."

Biscuit dough. Delicious treat or vicious weapon? Be afraid.

Urban Legends Books

Source: CNN.com September 22, 1999Web posted at: 1:00 p.m. EDT an edited transcript of our chat with Jan Harold Brunvand.