NONFICTION
Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
by Avi Steinberg
In this captivating memoir, Steinberg, a Harvard grad and struggling obituary writer, spends two years as a librarian and writing instructor at a Boston prison, attracting con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world.

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference
by Joanne Oppenheim
Provides the story of life in a Japanese internment camp during World War II through the correspondence of the children in the camp to their librarian, Miss Clara Breed, who worked on their behalf to show the injustice of their imprisonment.

This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All
by Marilyn Johnson
Those who predicted the death of libraries forgot to consider that in the automated maze of contemporary life, none of us--neither the experts nor the hopelessly baffled--can get along without human help. And not just any help--we need librarians, who won't charge us by the question or roll their eyes, no matter what we ask. Who are they? What do they know? And how quickly can they save us from being buried by the digital age? This book is a romp through the ranks of information professionals and a revelation for readers burned out on the cliches and stereotyping of librarians. Here are bloggers, radicals and visionaries who fuse the tools of the digital age with their love for the written word and the enduring values of free speech, open access, and scout-badge-quality assistance to anyone in need.

FICTION
The Borrower
by Rebecca Makkai
Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, finds herself both a kidnapper and kidnapped when her favorite patron, ten- year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home. The precocious Ian is addicted to reading, but needs Lucy's help to smuggle books past his overbearing mother, who has enrolled Ian in weekly antigay classes with celebrity Pastor Bob. Lucy stumbles into a moral dilemma when she finds Ian camped out in the library after hours with a knapsack of provisions and an escape plan. Desperate to save him from Pastor Bob and the Drakes, Lucy allows herself to be hijacked by Ian. The odd pair embarks on a crazy road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets, an inconvenient boyfriend, and upsetting family history thrown in their path. But is it just Ian who is running away? Who is the man who seems to be on their tail? And should Lucy be trying to save a boy from his own parents?

The Ice Queen
by Alice Hoffman
After a small town librarian survives a lightning strike, she seeks out a fellow survivor in a quest for meaning, only to begin an obsessive love affair between two opposites joined by a single common thread.

Lord of the Libraries
by Mel Odom
Working as a master librarian at Great Library, Edgewick Lamplighter takes on inexperienced apprentice Juhg to help acquire volumes for the Vault of All Known Knowledge, a task that is compromised by dark forces.

BONUS: A movie about a librarian!
The Librarian
directed by Peter Winther
A geeky librarian is hired by the prestigious Metropolitan Library, keeper of such top-secret treasures as Excalibur and Pandora's Box. When the Serpent Brotherhood, seeking world domination, steals one of three parts of the magical Spear of Destiny from the library, only this librarian, aided by a gorgeous bodyguard, has the know-how to thwart their plan. But does he know how to be a hero?

Want more recommendations? Looking for something different? Stop by and ask - librarians love to help you find what you’re looking for!

Want to give it a try?

Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit KCPL's website.
2. Choose the eLibrary tab from the left-hand menu.
3. Click the link for Maryland's Digital eLibrary (or choose a tutorial for more information on how to use your eReader or audio player with the eLibrary).
4. Click Login and select Kent County Public Library from the drop-down menu.
5. Enter your library barcode number with no spaces or punctuation.
6. Click the Help tab and read the Quick Start Guide for information on the initial set-up you will need to do prior to downloading items from Maryland's Digital eLibrary. (The initial set-up is very important, so don't skip this step!)
7. Search or browse the virtual collection and begin downloading!

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help with the process, please let us know.

IRS-certified AARP volunteers will be available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursdays beginning February 2nd and ending April 12th.

Administered by AARP, in cooperation with the IRS, this free tax help is available to low- and moderate-income taxpayers of all ages. Returns will be prepared on the computer and filed electronically at no charge to the taxpayer. Each taxpayer will receive a paper copy of his or her return.

Walk-in clients are accepted, however, making an appointment is strongly recommended in order to avoid a lengthy wait. Appointments for tax preparation must be made via Upper Shore Aging. To make an appointment, please call 410-778-2564 on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday. Tax help for those who are home-bound is available and can also be arranged by calling Upper Shore Aging. Tax assistance services for those who are home-bound can also be arranged by contacting Upper Shore Aging.

Monday, January 23rd
10:30 a.m. - Dick Lance's Digital Walk-In Clinic

Wednesday, January 25th
4:30 p.m. - Chestertown Book Group

Thursday, January 26th
12:00 p.m. - Literature with Lunch Bookgroup

Friday, January 27th
2:00 p.m. - Winter Film Festival: Stand & Deliver

Saturday, January 28th
10:00 a.m. - Financial Wellness @your library: Examining Your Financial Future

For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit our online calendar. Have a suggestion for a program you'd love to see at KCPL? Please let us know!

Smarter Personal Banking
Saturday, January 14, 2012 | 10am - 12pm
Main Meeting Room, Chestertown

Join Larry Lyons and Cecil Unruh from Peoples Bank as they suggest ways to:

* improve your on-line banking experience
* prevent Identity Theft
* prepare for financial emergencies

Start the new year with some free financial education!
Refreshments served.

Examining Your Financial Future
Saturday, January 28, 2012 | 10am - 12pm
Main Meeting Room, Chestertown

Join Martin Knight & Michael Kelly from Chesapeake Investment Advisors as they present information about developing a lifetime strategy for saving and investment.

Refreshments served.

If you would like more information about these programs, please visit our online calendar or call 410.778.3636.

Interested in additional financial wellness information? We have resources covering personal finance, consumer credit, investments, eliminating debt, home-ownership, and more!

In keeping with the library's mission to provide relevant community programs and services, a showing by the artist, ANGELA RANZONI will be exhibited throughout the month of December.

Angela works primarily in acrylics on small scale canvases. Her palette is bright, moody, and celebratory. Images range from the more abstract to the surreal, often housing fanciful beings in various situations, emotional states, and mysterious landscapes. These expressive characters and landscapes emerge from the shapes and colors she explores when approaching the canvas, most often without a particular image in mind.

Angela has drawn and made things all her life. She studied painting at Massachusetts College of Art and finished her BA at New College of CA. It was there that she further explored her interest in Expressive Arts Therapy and the healing nature of art. Personal experience of the therapeutic and spiritual aspects of art has clarified the importance of continuing to make and exhibit her art, as well as teaching others about the inherent joy and value of the creative process. Her work is often shown at Chester River Artworks and The Chestertown Arts League. She teaches as a visiting artist in the Kent County public schools and with groups of home schooled children through the "Artworks for Children" program.

While Angela's art will remain on display throughout the month, the public is invited to park behind the building and begin their First Friday festivities with a reception to include family-friendly fare at the public library.

This month, the spotlight is on GALE Biography in Context.

Looking for information about current or historical public figures? GALE Biography in Context is the place to go! With articles pulled from hundreds of authoritative sources and updated regularly, you can trust that the information is accurate and up-to-date. This is a great resource for settling friendly debates, creating trivia questions, fact-checking, and doing research for school projects.

Want to give it a try? Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit KCPL's website.
2. Choose the Articles & Info tab from the left-hand menu.
3. Click A to Z List.
4. Click Biography in Context. (If you are accessing this resource outside of the library, you may be asked to enter your library card number at this point.)
5. Happy researching!

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help finding specific information, please let us know.

We invite all aspiring artists to take advantage of a unique opportunity to showcase their talents by applying to be a featured First Friday artist at Kent County Public Library.

For more info about this new opportunity, please stop by or call (410) 778-3636 to schedule an interview.

For details on getting started visit the eLibrary page on our Web site, where we have links to a quick start guide and some video tutorials, or speak with a staff member. We may be able to provide some quick tips and hints on the spot, or if your questions require extra time or expertise, we can schedule an appointment to spend some time answering your questions and demonstrating how to get started.

Happy reading!

For the first time, Kent County Public Library will be offering Story Time for Grown Ups. Bring your lunch, invite your friends and coworkers, and join us at noon to hear short stories read aloud for your enjoyment. The library will provide drinks, dessert, and of course entertainment.

We're kicking this series off at noon on Halloween in the "Hearse House" with some delightfully spooky tales. We'll follow that up in subsequent weeks with a varied selection of literary and popular short stories.

Story Time for Grown Ups is scheduled to take place every other Monday at noon beginning October 31 and ending December 12. It will be held in the Chestertown Library, Inc. Building, formerly known as the "Hearse House," but commonly referred to as the "Yellow Building" in the parking lot of Kent County Public Library's Chestertown Branch.

Public Services Librarian Karen Collier will be selecting and reading the short stories for this series of programs, and looks forward to putting her theatrical and story telling abilities to use with adult audiences. "There are few things more enjoyable than a good story, regardless of your age. The kids already have story time. This one is for the adults. I'm choosing stories for their appeal to adult audiences, and for their entertainment value. I think that story time should, first and foremost, be fun."

Because Story Time for Grown Ups is a brand new concept for the library, staff are making a real effort to get the word out. Ms. Collier says, "This type of program has proven very popular in other libraries around the country. What we want to know is how Kent County residents will respond to the idea. If these first four sessions are well attended, we hope to do this again. So, if you like what you hear, let us know, and bring your friends."

Short stories are the format of choice because their length allows a longer one or a handful of shorter ones to be read in their entirety over the course of the lunch break. Add to that, the fact that short stories tend to be overlooked by many readers in favor of longer works, and you have the perfect opportunity to showcase some truly excellent stories that participants may not otherwise have encountered.

These programs are free of charge and, in the spirit of public libraries, open to all. While not expected, donations are, of course, welcome and help the library keep its doors open and continue to offer the programs and services that matter to our community. For more information about this and other programs, give us a call at 410-778-3636 or visit our Web site at www.kentcountylibrary.org.