Book Discussion: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

 In what ways do you think some of the details of an AI Robot might become a reality in our world?

There has been a lot of talk lately about ChatGPT, AI, and the future. Do you think “robot partners” are a possibility? Do you think they are a good idea? Can you imagine who would want to buy them? Do you think they would look and act like Annie?  

While you were reading the novel, at what point, if ever, did you start to see Annie as essentially human?

Considering that we get to know Doug in the privacy of his own home through the gaze of a robot, how reliable is the portrayal of him?

• Why do you suppose he evokes such powerful reactions? 
• Is he familiar, normal, a monster, or something else? 
• How does Doug’s ability to command Annie change him? 

Doug designs Annie to resemble a specific person from his past. Why is this important? What does this tell us about Doug’s character, his understanding of women, and his desire for control?  

What are the different episodes of betrayal that happen in the novel, and do the reactions to betrayal seem justified to you?

Doug is highly motivated to keep Annie, and she has no choice in the matter. In real life, couples stay together for many reasons even when their relationships are unhealthy. What are some of those reasons, and do you think the novel treats the issue of domestic abuse sensitively?

How do Annie’s other relationships—with Fiona, Christy, Delta, and Cody—cause her trouble or help her grow? How do you think third parties can affect, for better or worse, romantic relationships?

How do the concision and pace of Annie Bot add or detract from the novel? Are there places where you wish you knew more?

The novel includes references to many other books, writers, and poets. Have you read any of the mentioned works? How do you think the allusions mirror the situations and themes of Annie Bot? How are the books, and Annie Bot, related to the ways men and women are socialized in our culture?

• Borges "The Labyrinth Stories"
• The Lottery
• Hills Like White Elephants

What does Doug feel after finding out Annie Cheated? Is Doug responsible for Annies betrayal because he designed and trained her?

Were you surprised by the ending? Was it satisfying? What events do you imagine might follow?

How would this novel have been different if a human woman had purchased a robot boyfriend, or if the relationship involved LGBTQ+ partners?

What leads annies desire to learn programming?

What do you think of Dougs friend Roland?

On Page 66 Doug gets angry with Annie and tells her to never tell him what to think of feel again. Why do you think he reacted so strongly in this instance?

Why does Doug want Delta to think Annie is a human. Do you think Delta knew?

At the end what changes for Annie that she distrusts Doug?

How does her feeling about the way he treats her change over time?

Book Discussion: While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence by Meg Kissinger

Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why or why not?

How does this book compare to different memoirs you have read in this genre?

Did you find the author’s writing style easy to read or hard to read? Why? How long did it take you to get into the book?

Who was your favorite character? What character did you identify with the most? Were there any characters that you disliked? Why?

Did any part of this book strike a particular emotion in you? Which part and what emotion did the book make you feel?

Did the book change your opinion about anything, or did you learn something new from it?

Did the direction of the book surprise you?

Were there any parts of the book that frustrated you?

Did you highlight or bookmark any passages from the book? Did you have a favorite quote or quotes? If so, share which and why?

How would you adapt this book into a movie? Who would you cast in the leading roles?

Were there any instances in which you felt the author was not being truthful? How did you react to these sections?

Book Discussion: The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel

Colossal Labs aims to introduce mammoth genes into the Asian Elephant for conservation purposes. The project claims: "The return of the Woolly Mammoth to the Arctic tundra it roamed thousands of years ago has significant benefits for combating climate change. Mammoths will stir up the icy surface of the landscape, stomp out-thick, low-oxygen trees, and expose healthy, carbon-trapping grasses. That action can restore the tundra, which in turn protects the climate and balances greenhouse gasses."

Read more: https://colossal.com/how-de-extinction-works/#:~:text=The%20return%20of%20the%20Woolly,healthy%2C%20carbon%2Dtrapping%20grasses.

My critiques:

• Dialog is clunky and unbelievable. All three female characters have the same voice and personality. 

Eve’s and Vera’s young lives involve constant travel: “They had grown up on the road, on the move, in countries all over the world. They had been brave, or else they had had no choice.”

What does this nomadic life give to Jane and Sal’s daughters, and what does it take away?
Consider how the family functions when they are abroad versus when they are home in Berkeley. Which lifestyle do you think is better for them as individuals or as a family?
Jane is the only female scientist on her research team. In what ways does her gender hold her back? Do you think this phenomenon is limited to science? What does it mean that Jane’s daughters observe this kind of sexism in action? Do you think Jane would make the same daring choices in response to it all if her daughters weren’t in the picture?


How would you describe Eve and Veras relationship to each other. What do each of them desire in life?

How do Eve and Veras vision of the future differ?

In what ways does Jane fail and succeed at parenting the girls?

• Jane is a woman achieving alongside her family, not in spite of it
• When Pearl is born why isn't Jane documenting anything. Is this a science experiment or just a wild, fun adventure for her?
• On page 121 why all of the sudden does Jane give the girls a pass for drinking but reacts so strongly about Eve being sexually active?
• When Pearl is born Jane is totally unprepared. Has no idea what to feed her.
• Jane is constantly texting Helen about Pearl when Helen is in the hospital with George. She texts as if she is the priority.
• When Jane sends the girls out to get baby formula and coconut milk why didn't she think to tell them to get a bottle too!
• pg 211 the girls escape from the boat with a hole convinced Helen is trying to kill them all only to then go their mom and ask if they can leave her there alone and go find the place their dad died. If they were so concerned why on the next page are they trying to leave their mom alone with perceived danger?
• Jane avoids ever asking for her husbands police report of his death. Why?

Okay WTF is up on page 123 with Eve artificially inseminating herself with caveman DNA. Was that believable?

Also WTF is up on page 180 when Jane instinctually tried to breast feed Pearl?

Describe Vera’s relationship with Lars. In what ways does this teenage romance point to shifting dynamics between Eve and Vera? Jane’s reaction to learning that they are dating causes Vera to do something very unusual with the remnants of her father’s research. What do you think she is trying to prove to her mother—and more importantly, to herself?


For a nonspeaking character, Pearl plays an essential role in this story. What did Pearl make you feel? What did she symbolize for you? What do Eve’s and Vera’s reactions to Pearl show us about their feelings toward their mother and their status in the family?


Do you think Helen was trying to kill the girls by sending them out on a boat with a hole in it? What motives would she have?


What events lead Eve and Vera to start becoming distrustful and suspicious of Helen and george?


Did The Last Animal make you think at all differently about the history or future of the planet?

What do you think of the idea of bringing back extinct species? What might happen if science takes gene editing more into its own hands?

Book Discussion: Death Valley. by Melissa Broder

Has anyone been to the Mojave dessert or Death Valley?

How did you find the short chapters in the book?

What were some memorable humorous moments in the novel?

On page 1, the narrator’s friend texts her this philosophical quote from Kierkegaard: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” How does this idea resonate throughout the rest of the book? How can we as humans embrace that philosophy?

What is the narrator’s relationship with her father like? Consider the quote: “It is easier to have an intimate relationship with the unconscious than the conscious, the dead than the living. As my father slumbered, I created a fantasy version of him --- resurrecting the man from my youth” (page 4). How does this fantasy of her father come to play a role in the novel?

What does the giant cactus represent to the narrator?

• asylum for both her greatest wishes and everything she was attempting to escape.

How does this novel of transformation in wilderness solitude differ from other books within that genre like Wild or A Walk in the Woods?

• sometimes the peace of solitude can reveal horrors

What are some of the coping mechanisms the narrator uses to deal with her father's convalescence?

Why do you think the author chose to not reveal the narrators name?

What do you think is the difference between empathy and compassion? Which is harder to achieve?
empathy-when we experience the same thing or feel what another person is feeling. We need to pur ourselves in their shoes to relate. Compassion you don't need to put yourself in their shoes in order to have sympathy.

 
On page 59 the narrator says "realization: love is not always a feeling, sometimes its a verb." What does the narrator mean by that?

In chapter 18, Jethra brings up the five love languages when talking about her own father’s passing. What is your love language?

On page 56 the narrators says “Being human, always new things to forgive”. Where do we see forgiveness in the novel?

Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation because you underprepared? How did you handle it?

At one point while lost, our narrator remarks: “It dawns on me then that I must really want to live. And it surprises me” (page 162). How does a brush with her own mortality influence her outlook on life?

What was your impression of the narrator’s novel-in-progress? Why do you think she is stuck figuring out the “desert section”? Does her own time in the desert lead to some sort of epiphany?

Throughout DEATH VALLEY, the protagonist longs to feel less alone and talks to receptionists, anonymous Reddit users and even rocks. What does she get out of these interactions? Why is it sometimes easier to talk to strangers than the people we love? Do you think the talking rocks are an example of magical realism or a fabrication of our lonely narrator’s imagination?

Book Discussion: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

A woman in upstate New York who works transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach becomes infatuated with one of his clients, a repressed married woman from Switzerland who has a refreshing attitude towards trauma.

Have you ever been to Hudson, NY? How would you describe it? Similar or different from the author?

What does the beehive inside the house represent? Is there a metaphor buried there? (maggots at the heart of the hive)

In the beginning of the book we learn that Greta was diagnosed with Emotional Attachment Disorder by a therapist. (a behavioral disorder that effects the ability to form and maintain relationships.) In what ways does this manifest in her relationship with Big Swiss?

When speaking with OM about her trauma Big Swiss says on page 8 "I'm not attached to my suffering. I'm not attached to what happened to me. I don't believe it explains everything about me, because I haven't made it part of my identity. I'm a worker, not a wallflower. I would never call myself a "survivor" I'm just -not one of those trauma people." Is trauma something you think a person can ever get over? Does making trauma part of your identity hold you back or fuel you?

On page 79 Big Swiss says she accepts some responsibility for her attack because she went to his house on his own volition and ignored her instincts.  Does society condition victims to think they were players in their own trauma? What are your thoughts on this? 

On p. 247 Greta mentions Big Swiss might have something to teach her about living. To "eradicate self-pity and replace it with something productive." How do you think one can actually accomplish that?

Did you find OM an effective therapist?

Big Swiss was not able to orgasm for her whole life until the mid-point of the book. She describes masturbating to images of flowers. Is this just a metaphor or do you think there is something deeper there?

What do you think drew Big Swiss to Greta?

Throughout their affair what traits or behaviors do Greta and Big Swiss bring out in each other?

Was Greta obscuring her true identity from Big Swiss an ethical violation? How would you have handled it if you were Greta?

On page 216 at the dinner party with Luke Big Swiss says that the Swiss "like to keep each other in check. Americans could never handle that, because they're such infants, and so easily rattled. They can't ride the train without getting their feelings hurt. They can't walk down the street without being offended." Do you think this is true of Americans? If so why is that?

There are times that Greta seems to be hostile or antagonizing to Big Swiss. Where does that behavior come from? P. 232 Big Swiss tells her her tough girl routine is transparent.

What did you think of the ending?

Adult Spelling Bee

This adult spelling bee was created by J. Davies at the Albany Public Library. I served as emcee of the evening and a good number of teams showed up, I believe around 60 or so people. This differs from a traditional spelling bee in that most rounds are team challenges.

There were 5 Rounds of gameplay:

Round 1: Commonly Misspelled Words-Can your team identify which if these everyday words are spelled correctly? Round 1 sheet for players

Round 2: JUMBLE!-Create the longest word possible out of 14 letters we give you. Form for team to place letter tiles on or write in

Round 3: Is it in the Dictionary?-Do you think "twerk" is list in the Oxford English Dictionary?

Round 4: Hot P-o-t-a-t-o-Can your team guess the next letter in these difficult to spell words? Round 4 words

The Finale: The Spelling Bee- Send your team's best spellers to the front of the room to suffer or win prizes. List of words for the bee 

Here is the powerpoint presentation used to introduce and explain the rules of each round. We did this program a number of years ago so not all the files are intact. Any answer sheets, etc we had available are hyperlinked above.

Poster for the event

Happy Spelling!

Handmade Holidays: Druzy Stone Essential Oil Necklaces

Essential oils can be dropped onto the lava beads on this necklace before wearing to give off a lovely subtle scent.

Supplies needed:
Essential Oil
10mm black lava rock beads
Crystal/Labradorite pendant
Golden spacer beads
Various 8 or 10 mm round or flat semi-precious stone beads
Jump rings
Stainless steel gold plated chain
Eye pin with loop on one end
Pliers: flat nose, round nose, cutters

These are great directions on how to make a loop in an eye pin (in this case for the top of the necklace)

Handmade Holidays: Infused Vinegars

To make your own infusion use 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs per 2 cups of vinegar. If using dried herbs use 1/2 cup herbs per 2 cups of vinegar.

Always use glass jars with plastic or cork tops, not metal (it will react with the vinegar.) If using a metal lid like a canning jar lay a piece of plastic wrap over the lid and then screw in the metal lid so the vinegar has no contact with the metal.

Always wash all jars, utensils, etc in hot soapy water before using so they are sterilized.

There are a ton of different methods and recipes out there for making infused vinegar. Some heat up vinegar, some don't. For this project we are following directions provided in the book Herbal Vinegar by Maggie Oster (available as an ebook on Hoopla)

You can use different kinds of vinegar with different results.

1. Wash canning jar and 10 ounce glass bottle with cork and their lids in hot soapy water. Rinse well with hot water. Fill a large deep pot about half full with water. Place the jars upright into the pot; add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the water to just before a boil and leave in pot for 10 minutes. Add the lids to the pot, and then remove the pot from the heat. This will sterilize them.

2. Thoroughly rinse herbs or other fresh ingredients. Zest lemon by using a vegetable peeler to remove strips of the outer skin (zest), leaving the bitter white pith behind. Peel shallot's outer skin and slice into narrow strips.

3. Put fresh ingredients into mason jar. Use glass (not metal) measuring cup and measure out 10 ounces of vinegar, pour vinegar into mason jar.

4. Steep in a dark place at room temperature for 2-4 weeks. Do not put in the sun to steep. Shake contents occasionally to make flavorings are always completely covered by vinegar so that they do not mold.

5. After 2-4 weeks or til the taste is to your liking, strain the vinegar. Place a funnel into the glass jar, line it with a coffee filter and pour the contents of your mason jar mixture into jar. If the mixture going into the glass bottle is cloudy repeat the process with another coffee filter.

Shallot, Tarragon & Lemon Vinegar Recipe
Adopted from this Eating Well Recipe

10 ounces cider vinegar
1 shallot peeled and quartered
2 strips of zest from lemon
3 sprigs fresh tarragon

To gift create a unique tag to tie around the neck of the bottle. Include a recipe for how to use the flavored vinegar.

Recipe to use your vinegar in:
From this site: https://www.thegunnysack.com/garlic-and-herb-chicken-marinade-recipe/

Garlic and Herb Chicken Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 35 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Serves 4

2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp minced onion
2 tsp roasted garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Mix together sea salt, minced onion, roasted garlic powder, black pepper, coriander, parsley, and paprika.

2. Put the spice mixture, olive oil, and vinegar into a gallon sized ziptop bag. Add two pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Toss to coat well, place in the fridge and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

3. Grease the grill grates, discard the marinade and grill the chicken over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side for a total of about 10 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

Handmade Holidays Natural Pinecone Wreaths

Pine cone wreaths that use wires to affix the pine cones to the wire frame look wonderful but can be very time consuming to make. This small wreath is a quicker version that uses hot glue to adhere the pine cones and decorations to the frame.

Supplies Needed:
18 mini pine cones Can be bought on Amazon or Oriental Trading
20 medium sized pine cones (purchase online or at craft stores)
Artificial bird
8" diameter green wire wreath form
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks
White acrylic paint
Paper plate
Foam brush
Burlap or raffia ribbon to hang and/or make a bow on
Various dried flowers, moss and natural decor. I used acorns, dried flowers and dried Eucalyptus all purchased from Michael's Craft Store.

1. Plug in your hot glue gun and get glue sticks queued up

2. Lay out your pine cones on the outer most ring of the wreath. Move them around until everything fits into place.

3. Once you have everything all set the way you like then one by one start gluing the pine cones to the wire frame. Try putting the glue on the pine cone then sticking it to the frame. If this technique does not work well for you try putting the glue on the frame and sticking the pine cone to it.

4. Once the outer ring is complete, do the same using the medium pine cones to the innermost ring.

5. Use mini pine cones in different directions to fill in the gap between the outer and inner rings.

6. Once all your pine cones are affixed flip it over and add some extra hot glue to the back of the wreath to any pine cones that are loose.

7. Squeeze a small amount of white paint onto a paper plate. Use a foam brush and dip into paint. Make sure not too much paint is on the brush. Gently paint the pine cones to give the allusion of snow on them. Be careful not to go into the grooves of the pine cones, just gently brush the surface of them. Too much paint and it will look like your wreath got caught in a snow storm! If you prefer a naked wreath you can skip this step too.

8. Let paint dry and start hot gluing the bird and any other decorations you like.

9. Use raffia to make a hanging string in the back of the wreath.

10. Feel free to use ribbon or raffia to make a bow at the bottom of your wreath. 

You are done! Hand your beautiful and lovely smelling decoration on your door or gift it to a loved one :)

Handmade Holidays Stenciled Tea Towels

Tea towels are everywhere now with cool designs and cheeky sayings. Stenciling with paint is a cheap alternative to silk screening or iron on designs. This project was created (and images below) from these directions: https://makinglemonadeblog.com/diy-tea-towel-tutorial-stamped-kitchen/ 

Supplies Needed:
Steam Iron
Water for Iron
Linen Flour Sack Towels 28x28
Liquitex Fabric Effects Medium
Acrylic Paints ( I like Liquitex Basics brand)
Stencils: these are the ones I purchased
-Martha Stewart Large
-Phrases
-Borders
-Birds
-Letters
Foam brushes 
Paper plates
Plastic Knife to mix paint
Blue painters tape
Table covering (I use white tablecloths)

1. Start by washing and of course ironing the towels.

2. Prepare your paint on your plate.  If you have fabric paint, then you can skip this step.  If you have craft paint, mix it with a two parts paint, one part Fabric Painting Medium using the plastic knife.  It’s great stuff to have on hand, by the way– even though it’s white, it won’t change the color of the craft paint you are using.  It turns any craft paint into fabric paint!

3. Lay out the towel and decide where you want the design to be.  Unless you are doing an allover design, it might help to first fold the towel as though you are hanging it.  See which part is showing, and that’s the part you’ll want to paint.  Feel free to mark with seamstress chalk or tape if you wish.

4. Place a piece of cardboard underneath the fabric so paint doesn’t bleed through.

5. To stencil the towel:  Tape your stencil in place using an easy release tape like painters or masking tape.  Use a foam brush to lightly tap paint all over the stencil. Use a different foam brush for each color. If you only have one wash it between uses and make sure all the water is dry otherwise the water from the brush will make the paint bleed on your towel.

6. Wash and dry foam brush between colors and be careful to not smear the other paint on the towel if you are working on different areas.

7. Let dry for 24-48 hours, and heat set with an iron.

Harry Potter Trivia Year 2

This was our second year doing a Harry Potter Trivia night and it sold out yet again with 18 teams registered. This event takes about 2 hours and is limited to ages 18+. Big shout out to Kristina Ronald and friends at the Guilderland Public Library for letting me use two of their rounds from a previous trivia night they ran. You will also want to download and install this font on your computer in order to see the fun Harry Potter font on the documents below.

All the rounds were a hit except for the Hogwarts Class Catalog. They thought it was too hard and missed HP in it. So if I were to do this again I would swap that round for something else. 

Round 1: Name the Characters-Name the character from the films whose face is covered with a white circle. We are looking for first and last names of the characters. 

Powerpoint Presentation Questions

Blank Sheets and Answer Key

Round 2: New Phone Who Dis?-Name the character who’s texts appear in blue in these made-up text message exchanges.  We are looking for first and last names of the characters (when applicable.)

Powerpoint Presentation Questions

Blank Sheets and Answer Key

Round 3: Chapter Illustrations- Using the picture “bank” write the correct matching book number in the blank space. Bonus points if you can name the chapter.

Blank Sheets, Questions and Answer Key

Round 4: Hogwarts Class Catalog-I hope you have been practicing for your NEWT’s because in this round we will go through the Hogwarts class catalog and ask you questions based on those classes. Some of the classes you will find represented include: Divination, Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures. Fair warning, these are real world questions so if you are a good friend who came tonight with not much Potter knowledge this is your round to shine! 

Blank Sheets, Questions and Answer Key

Round 5: Spells-Remember matching games from your years at Howarts. Well, this is like that. On a separate sheet is the word bank (warning there are more words than questions.) Fill in on the answer sheet the correct spell name. Since this is your final round, each correct answer is worth 2 points.

Blank Sheets, Questions and Answer Key

PRIZES:

I made four different prize packs based on the four Hogwarts Houses. First place team gets to pick their prize pack and so on down the line.

Ravenclaw:

-Shirt

-Socks

-Perfume

Gryffindor:

-Shirt

-Socks

-Perfume

Hufflepuff:

-Shirt

-Socks

-Perfume

Slytherin:

-Shirt

-Socks

-Perfume

Buttons, one button per prize pack

Best Team Name: Pez Dispensers 

Last place: I always give out a last place team prize. It is all a lot of fun with a little light teasing but it also keeps teams from leaving early if they have low scores. This game I gave out bags of jelly slugs 

Best Costume: Lunch Bag

Harry Potter Escape the Room

Ages 14+ (too difficult for younger folks)
Escape room designed using the plans of librarian Beth Crawley from the Programming Librarian Interest Group on Facebook

1.  Scenario Card: You must navigate the room and complete the clues in order to find your lost Hogwarts Express ticket and catch your train to Hogwarts on time. Good luck. You have 30 minutes to complete the room and are allowed only 1 hint. If you want a hint ask one of the moderators by yelling “HINT” from the top of the stairs in your best indoor library yell.

The moderator will hand the group a lockbox with a blue multidirectional lock on it with a riddle on the top that reads:

Start at the end.

2. On the table will be three of the HP books. In the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, hidden among the pages is the Marauders Map.

3. On the map, the group will find the names of Moony, Prongs, Padfoot, but NOT Wormtail.

4. Hidden in the room will be a plastic rat. Taped to the bottom of the rat will be this riddle:

When you arrive at Hogwarts
On to your head this is placed
It will then tell you out loud
In which house you will be based.

5. This riddle will lead the group to the sorting hat. Inside the sorting hat will be a lockbox with a red combination lock. The group must use the numbers from the Quidditch match poster to unlock the box. The scores on the Quidditch match poster will read Gryffindor: 30, Ravenclaw: 20, Slytherin: 26, Hufflepuff: blank. This is the code to the box.

6. Inside the lockbox will be four cards, each representing one of the four Hogwarts houses. Each of the cards will have a number in each corner and a scrambled word on the back (this will represent the order of the houses/items). If you unscramble the words they will say: crown, locket, chalice, sword

7. The group will then need to find the four items in the room belonging to members of the four houses:

Ravenclaw: crown 

Slytherin: locket

Hufflepuff: chalice

Gryffindor: sword

8. On each of the items hidden in the room there will be a directional arrow. The group will have to put the items in order as per the numbers on the corner of the Hogwarts house cards.

9. The arrows on the items will open the blue multi-directionallock The combination is up (Ravenclaw), down (Slytherin), right (Hufflepuff) , left (Gryffindor)

10. Inside the multi-directional lockbox there will be a Howler. The Howler will read:

Excuse me!

How dare you lose your train ticket!

I am absolutely disgusted.

You better locate it shortly or you are going to be in serious trouble.

The train will leave without you mark my words.

If you do happen to make it on time just know that

If you put another toe out of line, you’ll be brought straight home!

Oh, and dear, if you’re looking for your next clue,

“I allow thedrinker to assume the form of someone else.”

11. This clue will lead the group to the bottles of potions, specifically the Poly Juice potion.

12. Behind the label of the Polyjuice potion will be XY390. This is the Azkaban number Sirius Black is holding.

13. Tucked behind the frame holding the Wanted Poster for SiriusBlack will be a postcard and blue decoder. Place the decoder over the postcard and certain words and numbers appear.

14. Once decoded, the code will read: I open at the close and 1/2/13

15. Inside the room will be a backpack. Inside the backpack will be miscellaneous items including a lockbox with My golden snitch written on top of the box.

16. When the group uses the code 1213 from the postcard to unlock the box with the 4 number combo lock they will find the goldensnitch and the train ticket (can be printed from the Scenario Card).

NOTES:

BOXES: I could not find lockboxes that would work for me so I made my own. I bought these plain wooden boxes from Amazon. I painted them in metallic colors and added this hardware to them. They came out wonderful and really fit the HP theme. 

POTION BOTTLES: I got the glass bottles from Amazon and printed the labels out. I applied them to the bottles with Modge Podge. I have a soap making business so I have lots of clay, herbs, etc. So I used those to make the potions and powders. Just make sure whatever you use is non-toxic. Some of the ingredients I used: tea leaves, carrot root powder, rose clay, calendula, charcoal powder, food coloring, vanilla, sandlewood. 

POSTCARD: Print out both sides and put together then laminate. To make the decoder I used a large index card and cut out squares to reveal the words I wanted below. A trick is to print a second copy of the postcard text, use an X-acto knife to cut the words out, then put over cardstock and trace the empty squares. Cut those out and you have a decoder you can

lay over the postcard to reveal the hidden message!

RED HERRINGS: 

• I used stuff laying around the library to actually make the room look like a study. In fact we used one of our study rooms! I used this fake brick wall since half of our room was glass and I wanted to obscure the view. 
• I put this cutie in a decorative birdcage I had previously bought at Michael's Craft Store. 
• I made our own Tom Riddles Diary 
• Printed out a couple of Daily Prophets (1) (2) I tea stained them to age them as well. 
• Not really a red herring but thought this would be helpful to put in the room to help those who have not used a combo lock in a while!

Team Sign-up Sheet

Future Adult Program Ideas

• Get Lowes to come and do how-to demos on things like installing tile, hardwood flooring, building decks, using power tools, plumbing, dry walling, etc.
• Folded book heart https://www.instructables.com/id/Folded-Book-Art-Best-most-clear-Tutorial-available/
• Peep Literary Diorama contest  https://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/art-diorama-contests/ http://blog.fgculibrary.info/2017/03/08/literary-peeps-diorama-contest/  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProgrammingLibrarianInterestGroup/permalink/1636619973082563/
• Bow making workshop
• Book wreath https://www.vintagepaintandmore.com/2013/11/book-page-wreath-tutorial.html
• Buy blank gift bags and cut out and paste completed adult coloring sheets on them to make cute customized bags. Embellish with glitter, ribbon, etc.
• Bob Ross painting night https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/07/04/painting-with-bob-ross-at-your-local-library-you-might-have-to-wait-in-line/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.223f9c83d169
• Canvas Pouring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wpvUXq--ss Do over metal pans to collect the drips
• 
  

80's Trivia for Grown-ups

I did this team trivia night on a Thursday evening in April during National Library Week. We had our best turnout yet with 69 adults in attendance. This was one of my favorite trivia nights I have ever done because it was such an interesting mix of people. Unlike pop culture fandom trivia nights this evening brought together people who loved different aspects of the 1980's from movies, to music, fashion and cartoons. The spirits were high and the music round even inspired sing-alongs which I recorded and can be watched on my library's facebook page. 

This trivia night is pretty movie heavy because I figured film was a unifying topic that most people can appreciate. I could have created a dozen more rounds of trivia on different topics! It was actually quite a challenge to limit myself.

Below is the rounds and supporting documents you will need to run this trivia. I tend to make my trivia nights a little on the hard side which die-hards appreciate.

All correct answers are worth 1 point, no points for incorrect answers. Teams turn in their answer sheet for grading to judges after each round. Halftime scores announced during break after round 3. I always go over the answers from the previous round before I start a new one. Instant gratification and all.

Grading Sheet
Team Table Signs

ROUND 1: Name that TV Show or Movie
Questions you read
Answers
Blank Answer sheet for teams
In this round you will read a brief synopsis (found on IMDB mostly) of a movie or TV (at the end.) Teams will write down what show to film you are referring to. Read each twice through.

ROUND 2: Name that Robot or VHS Tape
Powerpoint with answers
Answers for judge
Blank worksheet for teams
A ton of fun! The worksheet looks great printed on 11x17 paper too. Han
d out the worksheet and have teams write in either the name of the robot or the name of the movie. The robots are famous 80's robots

or androids. The VHS tapes I took images of tape covers and photo-shopped the title out. Teams had a blast with this round because they could talk as a team to figure things out and it was more visual/hands-on as opposed to just listening. When you go over the answers you can use the powerpoint and the answers are filled in there. There is also a text only answer key for the judges.

ROUND 3: Mondo Mix Tape
Powerpoint with questions (sound bites built in)
Answers
Blank answer sheet for teams
My favorite round! I used Wavepad Sound Editor to clip mp3 songs into 20 second clips. I tried to crop the song at a chorus so it was more recognizable. Open the Powerpoint and each audio file is embedded into the screen. Play each once through and then ask if anyone wanted any a second time at the end of the round. Teams write down the band, don't need the name of the song. Don't be alarmed if teams starting singing along!

ROUND 4: Traditional Trivia
Questions you read
Answers
Blank answer sheet for teams
This is what you think of when someone says trivia night. A real m
ixed bag of questions. The Stephen King question really threw people! You read the question 2x through and the teams write the answers.

ROUND 5: Movie Dialog
Questions/Script for readers
Answers
Blank answer sheet for teams 
In the beginning of the evening have these printed out and collect them at
the break. Put them in a basket and during this round you will have Reader A, B, or C read the script/dialog from a film. If their name is called to read they earn 1 bonus point for their team. You can have them read twice or once if you are short on time. This is always a good time and gets the audience up and out of their seat. The teams will listen to the volunteers read the lines of dialog and write down the name of the film which it is from.

PRIZES:
You can see from the photos here that I got a mixture of vintage 80's prizes off Etsy and newer replicas from Amazon.com. I made 3 piles of prizes and first place got to choose their pile first and so on down the line.

Best costume won a Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutles Chia Pet

Best Team Name (Skeletor's Legwarmers) won fishnet gloves for their whole team

Last place team won the pictured t-shirt clips. I had a lady from the audience show us how you use them and funny enough the team that won them was all men! I always give a prize to last place as it keeps all the teams from leaving early and is always good for a laugh.

The team names that my creative patrons came up with: Weird Science, Skeletor's Legwarmers, ThunderPuss, Malachi Crunch, The Breakfast Club, L-Squared, Member Berries, Mutually Assured Instruction, Masters of the Universe, The Goonies, Hey You Guys!, Tiff and the Holograms, Back to the Fu-Trivia, The Brat Pack, 13% Attitude, Baby's Corner, the Outsiders, Cat Memes

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Every April, on Poem in Your Pocket Day, people celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others throughout the day at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, and on Twitter using the hashtag #pocketpoem.  Poem in Your Pocket Day was originally initiated in 2002 by the Office of the Mayor, in partnership with the New York City Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education, as part of the city’s National Poetry Month celebration. In 2008, the Academy of American Poets made the initiative national, encouraging individuals across the country to join in and channel their inner bard. 

This is the third year in a row I have used the Poem in Your Pocket to do a display. I cut out the tiny poems and roll them up into scrolls as pictured above. I put them out in a cute bowl with a sign and patron take one home to enjoy and pass on.

I also post the poems one a day leading up to Poem in Your Pocket Day on our Facebook page. Since it's National Poetry Month this is a great little way to make poetry come alive.

Poem in Your Pocket Day Website

These poems come from the Poets.org listing made curated for Poem in Your Pocket day. I copied selected ones and made them into pocket sized poems that you can print out and roll up.

2018 Poems 

2017 Poems

2016 Poems

2015 Poems

Doctor Who Adult Trivia Night

I did a Doctor Who themed adult trivia night at my library. While I was hoping for more attendees (had 35, but have done similar programs in neighboring towns and draw more like 65 people) I was pleased with the great group I got.

Teams of 2-6 adults ages 14+ registered in advance. I actually had several teams with kids show up not knowing and I let them in. One of the teams comprised a father and his two girls actually took third place.

Teams all came up with some great team names: my personal favorite was the Ood couple. We had 5 rounds and finished up in 1 hour 40 minutes. The teams seemed to really love the questions and everyone had a great time. We even had a Dr. Who Meet-up.com group come.

Four people came in costume and the best one got a weeping angels coffee mug.

I made clusters of three prizes and the top 3 teams could choose their prize packages (1st place chooses first and so on.) The prizes were all Doctor Who merchandise.

After each round is over and the teams have turned in their sheets to the grading table I have my assistant grade as we go over the answers. Let the group yell out the answers. I only give team scores at halftime and of course at the end of the night.

Here is the blank template for keeping score 

Cool background you can use for your posters

As you go through and download the templates below please note some formatting may have changed from being uploaded to Google Drive. 

Round 1: Companions & Villains 
For this round show each slide on the screen one by one and have the participants write on their answer sheets the correct answer. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. When team is done have them bring it up to the grading table.

• Powerpoint Questions
• Blank Sheet for particpants 
• Answer Key

Round 2: Missing Words

For this round participants will complete one worksheet per team. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. When team is done have them bring it up to the grading table.

• Blank sheet for participants 
• Answer Key

Round 3: Who Dat?

For this round participants will have to write on their answer sheets which two characters are speaking in the dialog. At the beginning of trivia night have volunteers write their name on a piece of paper if they wish to volunteer to read the dialog. Each person gets one bonus point for their team. Pull two names out, hand each a script and tell them if they are reader A or B. Only one person from each team can read in each scene. Have them read twice aloud and then they can sit with their teams. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. When team is done have them bring it up to the grading table.

• Scripts for readers
• Blank sheet for participants
• Answer Key 

Round 4: Trivia

For this round participants will answer all questions. Read aloud the questions twice each. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. When team is done have them bring it up to the grading table.

• Trivia questions
• Blank sheet for participants
• Answer Key

Round 5: Where in the Universe

For this round show each slide on the screen one by one and have the participants write on their answer sheets the correct answer. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. When team is done have them bring it up to the grading table.

• Powerpoint Questions
• Blank sheet for participants
• Answer key