LIBRARY TALK – APRIL 29, 2021

Some days the staff wishes the circulation desk was outside so that we could enjoy the weather, and the early part of this week was definitely in that category!  I hope that everyone had a chance to take advantage of some of the best weather the Ohio River Valley can experience.

A patron commented on the lack of banners on our fence for events, and while realizing why (no mass gatherings allowed yet), it is a strong reminder that we haven’t had any programs now for over a year, other than a few craft programs for kids spread out over the day so that we don’t violate the recommended limit.  We, like so many of our patrons, hope to be able to start planning programs soon.  The Summer Reading Program (SRP) for the kids is being sketched out and we hope it is much more in person than last year, but we can only tentatively plan speakers/performers. It is a wait and see game, and we realize it is frustrating for you as it is for us! This year’s SRP is Tales and Tails, which should be fun and very animal-focused. Stay tuned.

I was looking at the 2021 Oscar winners and a few things came to mind–as more films are done by Netflex, Amazon, HBO and other streaming organizations, it will be a longer wait for when (and if) they will be available on DVD or Blu-Ray. Darn.  One movie, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, has a small local interest tie–over the years we’ve mentioned the blues and jazz player Joe Smith who was born in Ripley in 1902–he played the coronet and trumpet in many of the best-known groups in the 1920s and 30s, including for a time with Ma Rainey and Her Georgia Band. I doubt if he is portrayed in the movie, but still, little ole Ripley has connections with so many people throughout history.  It is always rewarding to find names and events that link Ripley to the world, and a reminder that good things can come from small packages!