Here are some pics of the addition going up:






The masons have their mortar delivered to them via heavy machinery--in large tubs. The machine to the left is setting the tub on the scaffolding for the mason. Pretty cool and no one gets hurt, except possibly the librarian who may or may not get out of the way fast enough. I did, though it took me a minute to realize it wasn't chasing me. And they say libraries are quiet, possibly boring places!



Here is the framework for our roof! Rivet guns are involved, and it is a little noisy.



So there you have the progress report for the addition. Now for the fun part! Answer this question, and win a fabulous prize or two!

How many bricks were ordered for this project? The contest will be open through out the weekend. The closest guess submitted by 9 AM Monday morning will win--this will give everyone an opportunity to guess. Please share this contest with your staff who may not have access to email or the blog on a regular basis.

And no fair asking the contractor. He will tell me.

Cheers,
Melody

Famous Readers

You too can be a reading star, spreading the word about great books you have read with the community. Even if Amanda's baked delicacies have not enticed you thus far, you can now be immortalized in the fabulous new Staff Picks display in the lobby at Downtown.



So if you read or watch something you enjoyed, feel free to share with the rest of us. Your pick will lead Bookletters subscribers to titles they didn't know about.

And don't you love to see what everyone else is reading? I know I do! Plus I get to persuade people that books with talking animals are too for grown-ups! We can go on safari, see what a wombat really does all day, and see why it is hard to forget Sarah Marshall.

Of course, you are not limited to books. Your Staff Picks editor, Amanda, welcomes reviews of videos/dvds that are in our library collections as well. So whether you enjoy documentaries or nonfiction, chick flicks or chick lit, true crime or film noir, share your picks with us!

Remember, sharing is nice!

Cheers,

Melody

Earth Movers

Here at Downtown, the earth was moving! The contractors broke ground, and we are moving ahead on the addition to the building, providing much needed space for the Harrington Library Consortium, TPLS, and a meeting room and classroom.

The heavy equipment, including a blade, roller, and skid loader, were performing a motorized ballet:

And voila! The pad is ready for the next step!

This process is vital to having a good foundation. Good dirtwork makes all the difference in a building, whether it is a house or building that covers acres. The roller is a pad-foot roller, which compacts the soil better, particularly clay soil.

It was pretty loud, and the building did vibrate at times. In case you didn't see the article in the newspaper, we will be adding 3260 square feet to the building.

Progress is moving pretty quickly on the addition. The footings were poured next, after much drilling and jackhammering needed to connect the new foundation to the existing one. The giant crane was pretty cool. That is about 4 stories tall, ladies and gentlemen! The crane was connected to two concrete trucks, and the job took maybe an hour to complete. See, the right equipment does make all the difference! I guess a hammer might be better than a shoe. Hmm.

Here is the big crane truck.

Pretty impressive. What you can't see is the cement truck behind this guy, piping the cement to the crane/hose apparatus.

What is it all for? To pour the footings for the new addition.

Here are some crew members adjusting the rebar. The plan is taking shape, and you can almost visualize walls and doors, as well as windows.

NPR Listeners Choose Best Beach Books

Here we are at the end of July already. School will be starting before you know it, and then we will be oohing and ahhing over cooler temperatures and autumn leaves. So what better time to consider this list, compiled by NPR fans, of the best summer reads?

Summer reads are generally considered fluffy and light, but looking at this list makes me wonder about that! One Hundred Years of Solitude? Really?

So what book is your ideal summer read? I would have to go with a re-read of Austen or the Harry Potter series.