Pierce County Library System
Information & Imagination

Pierce County Library's neighbor to the north, the Seattle Public Library, has a new City Librarian:
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The CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News recently reported on the role of libraries in hard economic times.
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The downward economy is putting more stress on libraries. Popular movies and books now have wait-lists, the unemployed are in line for computers to work on resumes and some librarians are even acting as unofficial job counselors. In segment from the January 23, 2009 National Public Radio program "Day to Day", Madeleine Brand talks with Linda Yoder, director of the Nappanee Public Library in Indiana.
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Libraries today have become multimedia centers, offering not only books but DVDs, e-books and Internet access. They can also be an especially important community resource during times of economic hardship. This hour-long conversation offers a look at the future of libraries in a slowing economy.
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Steve Campion reviews this vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos, written by the nation's best-known astrophysicist.
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You may think of your cat as simply being your pet -- but in author Terry Bain's amusing and insightful book, reviewed here by Steve Campion, their true nature is revealed.
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In "1776," insightfully reviewed here by Steve Campion, award-winning writer David McCullough tells the story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence - when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
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Steve Campion reviews author Linda Greenlaw's wry and witty tales of fishermen, their wild times, and their wilder tales -- some of which may actually be true!
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In March 1910, an avalanche sent a series of stranded railway cars hurdling into a deep canyon in Washington's Cascade mountain range. Steve Campion reviews Gary Krist's history of a tragic event which, almost 100 years later, still remains America's deadliest avalanche disaster.
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Steve Campion reviews a book for younger audiences that goes behind the scenes of the fast-food industry.
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Steve Campion reviews author Jerry Ellis's moving and fascinating account of his own modern pilgrimage along the famous path one traveled by the characters of Chaucer's classic collection of chivalric romances, bawdy tales, fables, legends, and other stories.
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For more than twenty years, Michael Frayn's "Noises Off" has been successfully produced again and again by hundreds of theatrical companies - and no wonder; it's easily one of the most hilarious comedies ever written. Go behind the scenes and read what the actor's read as Steve Campion reviews the print version of this comic classic.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the third of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the third of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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Most people can trace their ancestry back five, six, or perhaps ten generations -- but in "Deep Ancestry," reviewed here by Steve Campion, author Spencer Wells documents a landmark study tracing genetic DNA back to ancient times and revealing just how universal our human heritage really is.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the fourth of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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It can sometimes be a challenge to get kids to read -- but often all it takes is finding those books that really reflect their experience and interests. Grab a pencil and a notepad as Elise DeGieuseppi offers a wide range of suggestions that we know will delight and fascinate the younger members of your family.
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Steve Campion reviews a fascinating account of the catastrophic events that helped to shape the history of Washington State.
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Laura talks about the program details and what the purpose of the event is - to share with everyone beautiful Korean culture and to introduce Pierce County Library System's growing World Language Collection.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the third of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the second of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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Whether you're looking for a challenging career opportunity or have just always thought it would be fun to work in a library, you'll want to give a listen as Holly Gorski, Human Resouces Director with the Pierce County Library System, offers practical information about the qualifications, background, and interests most desireable for library employment.
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When it comes to string instruments, no name is more synonomous with excellence than that of Antonio Stradivari. Steve Campion reviews a recent book that blends history, biography, and a passion for music into a fascinating look into the history of six fabled instruments created by the legendary craftsman.
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Help your baby or toddler become ready to read as Susan Anderson-Newham, Early Learning Librarian with the Pierce County Library System, offers the first of a series of six friendly and helpful podcasts offering simple and useful hints and tips to both parents and caregivers.
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In the conclusion of our Sherlock Holmes adventure, the consulting detective has cleverly arranged for Irene Adler to inadvertently reveal the hiding place of that potentially scandalous photograph. But Ms. Adler may be a better and more cunning adversary that Holmes suspects!
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Whether you're looking to rebuild an engine, research a recent medical diagnosis, get a good grade on that school report, or are just in need of some good and reliable information, Pierce County Library's reference librarians are here to help. Give a listen as Keith Knutsen, librarian with the Lakewood Library, offers a brief review of the wide range of reference resources that are available to you.
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Steve Campion reviews a book with a unique and interesting perspective on global decision-making.
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Listen in as Lisa Bitney chats about Pierce County Reads, a program which encourages everyone in Pierce County to read and discuss the same book, which is scheduled to begin in late 2007.
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Give a listen as the library's Deputy Director Georgia Lomax chats about the many interesting and useful resources available through the Pierce County Library website.
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In the first of a new and ongoing series of podcasts, Youth Services Librarian Lauren Murphy chats with Katie and Chris, two typical teen library users, about what they've been reading lately and their experiences as part of an often on-the-move military family.
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Steve Campion reviews a pictorial chronicle of the "golden age" of mountaineering in the Northwest, written by a legendary team of hiker/photographers.
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After a day of investigating in disguise, Sherlock Holmes returns to Baker Street to relate his amazing experiences to Dr. Watson, as well as to plan his next move to recover that potentially damaging photograph from the elusive Irene Adler.
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Got some time to spare? Want to put that time to good use and serve your community as well? Give a listen as Karol Barkley, Volunteer Services Manager, chats about the many volunteer opportunities available at both your local library and in serving homebound cardholders throughout Pierce County.
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With no formal training in warfare, horsemanship, or matters of state, the teenage girl who would soon become known as Joan of Arc had an uncanny ability to win the respect of men, lead them in battle, and save a country. Hear Steve Campion's review of Donald Spoto's "Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint."
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There have been, to date, only fifteen perfect games pitched in the modern era of baseball. Steve Campion reviews this first in-depth look at baseball's nirvana.
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Steve Campion reviews a recent book detailing birdwatcher Richard Koeppel's life-long obsession with seeing as many birds as possible in his lifetime - and the effect his quest had on his relationship with his son.
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One of the hottest trends in the home entertainment market today is the DVD release of a wide variety of television series from around the world. Grab a pencil and paper and listen in as Kati Irons chats about many of the TV series - old and new, familiar and obscure - that are coming soon to the DVD shelves of your local Pierce County Library.
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There are a lot of fun, interesting, and imaginative materials for kids, teens, and young adults at every Pierce County Library. Sit back and relax as Elise DeGuiseppi takes you on an audio tour of what you'll find at your local library branch -- including everything from board books for babies, those much-talked-about graphic novels for young adults, and practically everything in between.
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After being hired by a disguised European nobleman, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson attempt to retrieve a photograph which could compromise the future reign of a soon-to-be-married monarch.
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Did you know you can check on the latest news in Toledo, Ohio...or read up-to-date articles from thousands of magazines around the world...or quickly access information from hundreds of professional journals -- and all from the comfort of your own home? Give a listen as Keith Knutsen, Reference Librarian at the Lakewood Library, tells us all about the many magazine and newspaper databases available to Pierce County Library cardholders.
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Bill Bryson's lighthearted memoir of growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in the early 1950s - including his brief but shining career as a superhero - is the subject of Steve Campion's latest podcast book review.
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On March 29, 2007, best-selling Seattle author Erik Larson will be speaking in person at the Lakewood Pierce County Library. Hear an interview with editor Betty Prashker of Crown Books about the imagination, research, and hard work that went into writing "Lethal Passage," "The Devil in the White City," "Isaac's Storm," and his newest book "Thunderstruck."
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Have you already read everything ever written by every one of your favorite writers? Listen in as Lisa Bitney, one of the Pierce County Library System's collection management librarians, shares her personal suggestions, ideas, and wisdom about where to turn -- including ways that the nice folks in your branch library can lend you a helping hand.
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Steve Campion reviews Erik Larson’s latest best-selling book – a fascinating turn-of-the-century tale of a ghastly murder, the development of wireless communication, and how both seemingly unrelated events came to cross paths on the high seas.
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Steve Campion offers his take on John Grogan’s best-selling memoir about a wildly neurotic Labrador retriever named Marley, who taught both he and his wife many important lessons about loyalty, exuberance, and passion.
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Susan Anderson-Newham, Pierce County Library's Early Learning Specialist, offers handy hints and simple tips to parents of younger children -- including information on the many services the library has to offer to both you and your child.
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In an entertaining interview, Pierce County Library Deputy Director Georgia Lomax chats about her background and also discusses both the challenges and the exciting opportunities public libraries face in the new millennium.
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