Please don't squeeze the Charmin!
Do you remember that phrase from the television commercial? How about the theme song for Sesame Street? Are the letters A.O.K. stuck in your mind? If so, you're not alone. The book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell explains how ideas and trends become popular and acceptable in society. For instance, Hush Puppies, those trendy shoes, became fashionable due to a few youth who were buying them at thrift shops. Before long, Hush Puppies were being used by fashion designers.
“How does a $30 pair of shoes go from a handful of downtown Manhattan hipsters and designers to every mall in America in the space of two years?” Gladwell asks. “The Tipping Point” goes on to explore how just a few influential types of people can spread ideas and why some concepts are so appealing they're irresistible.
And while it's entertaining to find out how trends get started, there's a larger purpose to “The Tipping Point.” If you're someone who cares about your community and wants to see it change for the better, for example, “The Tipping Point” offers a lot of ideas for starting what Gladwell calls a “positive epidemic.”
In the next month, you'll see posters throughout the community featuring people holding copies of Gladwell's book. Cayuga Reads, whose vision is to provide an opportunity for the community to come together to read the same book at the same time, has chosen Gladwell's book for the community reading program. In October and early November, programs sponsored by area libraries and schools will be held throughout Cayuga County.
We've already got lots of copies of the book available to borrow at the Seymour Library. We'll be having book discussions of “The Tipping Point” at the library, as well as a poetry contest and an essay contest. There will also be panel discussions with community leaders who will talk about factors that led to major changes in their organizations.
In 2004, a report by the National Endowment for the Arts stated that only 57 percent of American adults had read a book in 2002. Last month, an Associated Press/Ipsos poll reported that one in four adults did not read any books in the past year. Perhaps you have not read a book in a long time, or maybe you are an avid reader. In either case, “The Tipping Point” is a book that is bound to get you thinking about your world in a new way.
This time last year, I was planning a trip to Auburn in October to coincide with a book discussion that was part of last year's Cayuga Reads program. Coming to that book discussion - the first program I'd attended at Seymour Library - helped me learn more about the community and connected me with other people who like to read and talk about ideas. I'm excited to have a different role in this year's Cayuga Reads program. I'm looking forward to participating once again in a community-wide book discussion, and I hope I'll see you there.
Sheila Anderson is the director of Seymour Library in Auburn.
Fall storytime sessions
The fall session of storytime at Seymour Library begins this month with classes for toddlers and preschoolers.
€ Toddler Time is for children 15 months to 3 years old and is offered at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 18, and at 11 a.m. Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 19.
€ Preschool Storytime is for children 3 to 6 years old, is offered at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 18.
Storytime meets weekly and features stories, songs and activities that encourage early literacy skills. The program is free, but registration is required. The library is located at 176-178 Genesee St., Auburn.
To register, visit the Children's Room at the library or call 252-2571.
“How does a $30 pair of shoes go from a handful of downtown Manhattan hipsters and designers to every mall in America in the space of two years?” Gladwell asks. “The Tipping Point” goes on to explore how just a few influential types of people can spread ideas and why some concepts are so appealing they're irresistible.
And while it's entertaining to find out how trends get started, there's a larger purpose to “The Tipping Point.” If you're someone who cares about your community and wants to see it change for the better, for example, “The Tipping Point” offers a lot of ideas for starting what Gladwell calls a “positive epidemic.”
In the next month, you'll see posters throughout the community featuring people holding copies of Gladwell's book. Cayuga Reads, whose vision is to provide an opportunity for the community to come together to read the same book at the same time, has chosen Gladwell's book for the community reading program. In October and early November, programs sponsored by area libraries and schools will be held throughout Cayuga County.
We've already got lots of copies of the book available to borrow at the Seymour Library. We'll be having book discussions of “The Tipping Point” at the library, as well as a poetry contest and an essay contest. There will also be panel discussions with community leaders who will talk about factors that led to major changes in their organizations.
In 2004, a report by the National Endowment for the Arts stated that only 57 percent of American adults had read a book in 2002. Last month, an Associated Press/Ipsos poll reported that one in four adults did not read any books in the past year. Perhaps you have not read a book in a long time, or maybe you are an avid reader. In either case, “The Tipping Point” is a book that is bound to get you thinking about your world in a new way.
This time last year, I was planning a trip to Auburn in October to coincide with a book discussion that was part of last year's Cayuga Reads program. Coming to that book discussion - the first program I'd attended at Seymour Library - helped me learn more about the community and connected me with other people who like to read and talk about ideas. I'm excited to have a different role in this year's Cayuga Reads program. I'm looking forward to participating once again in a community-wide book discussion, and I hope I'll see you there.
Sheila Anderson is the director of Seymour Library in Auburn.
Fall storytime sessions
The fall session of storytime at Seymour Library begins this month with classes for toddlers and preschoolers.
€ Toddler Time is for children 15 months to 3 years old and is offered at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 18, and at 11 a.m. Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 19.
€ Preschool Storytime is for children 3 to 6 years old, is offered at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 18.
Storytime meets weekly and features stories, songs and activities that encourage early literacy skills. The program is free, but registration is required. The library is located at 176-178 Genesee St., Auburn.
To register, visit the Children's Room at the library or call 252-2571.
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