With warm weather and sunny skies comes the itch to get outside and try something new. What’s on your Spring Curiosity List? Let us know and we’ll be happy to connect you with resources, books, materials, programs, and services to get you started on exploring new ideas, places, and possibilities! #ConnectToCuriosity at Poudre River Public Library District!
Here’s what some of our librarians and library staff have put on their personal Spring Curiosity Lists and how they connect to their curiosity!
Container Gardening for Food
Erin K.: I’m curious about container gardening for food. I’ve just checked out three books on the topic this week and am reading up as a result of this warmer weather. I don’t have any experience in container gardening OR growing food, but I was inspired by the Seed Swap and am feeling confident I can give it a go.
My number one way to connect to curiosity is to binge on allllll the books. I want to container garden? I bring home 10 books and narrow it down to three that I read. I’m curious about mindfulness? I check out everything on the shelf and flip through them all. It’s both the best and the worst thing about working in a library; it just feeds my addiction.
| Grow Vegetables in Pots by DK Publishing |
| Grow Your Own in Pots: with 30 Step-by-Step Projects Using Vegetables, Fruit, and Herbs by Kay Maguire |
| Pot it, Grow it, Eat it: Home-Grown Produce from Pot to Pan by Kathryn Hawkins |
| Edible Spots & Pots: Small-Space Gardens for Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Containers, Raised Beds, and More by Stacey Hirvela (eBook) |
Exploring Paris on Vacation
Miranda W.: My best friend and I are taking a trip to Paris next month – we’ve been before but there are always more things to do and discover so I’m curious about the new places we’re going to explore, French history, cosmetics and skin care (I found a pharmacy that sells fancy French beauty products at a discount – you’re welcome, face and credit card!), and of course, all the delicious pastries and food we’re going to eat.
Does being on the internet constantly count as connecting to curiosity? Just kidding…sort of. I read a lot – books, blogs, Twitter feeds, and Instagram hashtags. A word or idea will send me off on a curiosity exploration. I’m basically on the verge of falling down an informational rabbit hole at all times, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Watercolor Painting
Drew G.: As a storytime librarian I have a wonderful excuse to spend a lot of time looking at picture books. And while I really appreciate a well-told story or a clever rhyme in verse, I also love the art and the various ways it is used to add to the storytelling. I have long been fascinated by the different styles of illustration that get used in this genre, and one of my favorites has always been watercolor and mixed media. So I have decided it is time to connect to my curiosity and take a beginning watercolor class (they get offered year-round through the Fort Collins Recreator), as well as checking out some of our non-fiction books on art.
| Pen & Ink with Watercolor by George Olson |
| Just Add Watercolor: Inspiration & Painting Techniques from Contemporary Artists by Helen Birch |
| Water Paper Paint: Exploring Creativity with Watercolor and Mixed Media by Heather Smith |
| Various children’s picture books by Jon Muth, Deborah Freedman, and Emily Gravett |
Music and its Effects on the Brain and Memory
Sylvia G.: Growing up we were not a musical household. I didn’t learn to play an instrument and today I can only carry a tune if I am standing next to someone who can. But they need to be standing right next to me and on my ‘good ear’ side. So it has always amazed me how music can so dictate my emotions. Every time I hear Andrea Bocelli begin to sing “Con te partirò” I start crying. I may not know Italian but I do know that the arrangement was intended to affect my brain to stir certain passions.
Then I became curious about what can music do for a brain that may have certain challenges like memory issues or problems coordinating a smooth gait? Turns out there’s a whole field of study dedicated to studying the non-pharmacological medicinal effects of music! So to learn more I partnered with Dementia Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado (DFCNoCo) to present a program at Old Town Library for people with dementia and their care partners titled “Moments of Music.” It is not a scientific study or anything, just a chance to share the effects of music in a fun, safe environment.
To learn the science behind it all I have a hold on the eBook Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by the famous neurologist Oliver Sacks. I am looking forward to seeing where this new interest will take me next!
(Note: Oliver Sacks’ book Musicophilia is also available in print. And you can check out various Andrea Bocelli music CDs from the library or stream them using hoopla.)
What are you interested in learning about or exploring this spring? Share with us how you plan to #ConnectToCuriosity.