NBA: Teams to Watch and Books to Read

Basketball season for the NBA is in full swing, and I couldn't be more excited. I've been watching as many games as I can, and stocking up on books about the NBA and/or by NBA players and coaches. Today, I'm sharing which teams I think you should be watching, and which books I'm adding to my stack of books to read.

Teams to watch: Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers: With a record of 5-14*, the Lakers aren't having a great season so far. Multiple players have had injuries so far this season, and Steve Nash is out for the season due to an injury. Still, the Lakers could make a comeback, and I'm keeping an eye on them to see if they do.

Los Angeles Clippers: Fortunately, Los Angeles basketball fans have two teams to root for, and the Clippers are doing well. Their record is 13-5*, and with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick, and DeAndre Jordan, they have a strong team. Griffin was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week, and if they keep playing as well as they have been, I think they have a shot at making the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks: The Western Conference wouldn't be complete without the Mavs, who won the NBA Championship in 2011. Their record is 15-5*. Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 19.4 points per game, while Monta Ellis is averaging 19.6 points per game, and Chandler Parsons is averaging 14.4 points per game. The Mavs are another team who could make the playoffs.

Teams to watch: Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are 11-7* so far, and now that Pau Gasol is on the team, I've been keeping a close eye on them. Gasol, who struggled in his last few years on the Lakers, is averaging 19.4 points per game. In addition, the Bulls have two players from UNM, Cameron Bairstow and Tony Snell, which is reason enough to keep an eye on the team.

Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers are a good team to watch if only for their losing record of 1-17*.  Despite their losing records, the 76ers haven't been losing by much; on December 1, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs by only six points, and on November 29, they lost to the Mavericks by seven points. With only one win under their belt, they're not going to make the playoffs, but it'll be interesting to see how the season turns out for them.

Cleveland Cavaliers: No list of teams to watch would be complete with LeBron James's team. So far, they're 9-7*, and now that James is back on the team, it'll be interesting to see how well they do this year.


Books to read


Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA by Lance Allred

I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It by Charles Barkley

Taking Shots: Tall Tales, Bizarre Battles, and the Incredible Truth About the NBA by Keith Glass

The Official NBA Encyclopedia edited by Jan Hubbard

Vintage NBA Basketball: The Pioneer Era (1946-56): A Mostly Oral History by Neil D. Isaacs

The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul by Phil Jackson

Operation Yao Ming: Inside China's Great Leap to the NBA by Brook Larmer

Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers by  Wayne Lynch

Doc: The Rise and Rise of Julius Erving by Vincent M. Mallozzi

Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered 
the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever by Jack McCallum

The Perfect Team: The Best Players, Coach, and GM: Let the Debate Begin! by the NBA

Shaq Uncut: My Story by Shaquille O'Neal

Keepin' It Real: A Turbulent Season at the Crossroads With the NBA by Larry Platt

The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA by Charley Rosen

Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Birth of the NBA by Michael Schumacher

The Book of Basketball: the NBA According to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons

Assisted: An Autobiography by John Stockton

A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball by Dwayne Wade

West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life by Jerry West

Loose Balls: Easy Money, Hard Fouls, Cheap Laughs, and True Love in the NBA by Jayson Williams


*All team records are as of December 3, 2014.

Holiday Romances

Ah, winter holidays. Hanukkah! Winter Solstice! Christmas! Kwanzaa!  New Year's Eve! 'Tis the season for shopping,and gathering together for extravagant meals, and going to parties, and participating in winter sports.  A great time for...romance? Whether you want a little light reading by the fireside or something a little steamy to keep you as warm as a Snuggie despite winter's chill, we've got some reading suggestions for you!

What a Lady Needs for Christmas by Grace Burrowes

A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

Cowboy Boots for Christmas (Cowboy Not Included) by Carolyn Brown

Huckleberry Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand

All He Wants for Christmas by Lisa Plumley

Christmas Brides by Suzanne Enoch... [et al.]

Season for Desire by Theresa Romain

A Highland Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear

Clara's Wish: An Amish Christmas Romance by Beth Shriver

A Very Merry Temptation by Kimberly Kaye Terry, Pamela Yaye & Farrah Rochon

Hot Christmas Nights by Farrah Rochon, Terra Little, Velvet Carter

Where Treetops Glisten: Three Stories of Heartwarming Courage and Christmas Romance During World War II by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin 

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Holly Black ...[et al], edited by Stephanie Perkins [Young Adult]

Our Website's New Look!

We've given the library's website a new look! Don't worry, same address, same great content, only now the site will be the same whether you are accessing it from your computer or your smartphone. We’ve also added a dropdown menu so that you can find what you’re looking for faster.

The beta site has been available for preview for a while now, but here's some features we'd like to mention:

Top Menu

• My Account: View your checked out items, renew them, place holds, view (and pay) fines; access your reading history (if you've opted in), your preferred searches, and your lists. This link now takes you to Encore instead of Classic Catalog, for you to take advantage of the Overdrive & 3M Cloud Library integration (check out digital media directly from the catalog!).


• Books and More: Have questions about Interlibrary Loan?  Want to Suggest a Purchase? Want to see lists of new music, DVDs, and audiobooks? You can also sign up for library emails to get book suggestions by mail and access Classic Catalog, if that's your preferred catalog search.


• Downloads: Use this to search our copious digital media offerings (3M Cloud Library, eBrary, OneClickDigital, Overdrive, and Zinio).  There's also an "About and Help!" page, which includes descriptions of the services, printable instructions, and links to in-person assistance through our Gizmo Garage programs.


• Research: Includes an A-Z list of of eResources and databases, a list of guides for 23 subjects (from Career Resources to Grants to New Mexico Interest and beyond), and links to our Genealogy Center and Special Collections Library.


• Events: Want to just see today's events?  How about just Storytimes or just computer classes?  You can find them here, or search by branch, age group, or subject.


• About Us: Read library news (nice pictures of our new Central & Unser Library!), view our mission statement, learn about special programs, services, and how you can get involved! Includes links to the Library Advisory Board, Friends for the Public Library, and Albuquerque Library Foundation.


• Ask Us: Really, ask us. Type in your question or see if the answer is already in our popular topics!  You can also text us a question.

Click on Mi Biblioteca for information about the library in Spanish.  Click on Hours & Locations for an overview of library locations, hours of operation, and contact information.  Click on the branch of your choice to find out more about their ongoing programs, amenities and services, and meeting and/or study room availability.

Note: If you enter a search term in Find Books, eBooks, DVDs, and more, you will be searching in Encore.

Right Sidebar

Much of the same information you can find in the top menu, but no searching required for those who want to scroll a list of events, visit the Teen Zone or Kids Corner (find events in these age groups, get homework help, see library eResources for youth...and for parents!), or see a list of Gizmo Garages and Computer Classes. How Do I...? has a dropdown menu of FAQ, such as Get a Library Card, Suggest a Purchase, and Pay Fines. Tutor.com links you to our homework help learning suite and the Library Card Mobile App shows you how to put your library card barcode on your phone - one less thing in your wallet! There's also links to a Value Calculator, our digital media info page, and a link to items labeled as "staff picks" in the library catalog.

Bottom Menu

Yay, you made it to the bottom of the page!  This menu contains many of the same links mentioned above, but includes contact information and links to the library's social media accounts - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and this blog.

Any questions?  Ask Us! Either use the link from the library website or leave us a comment below.
 

Reading Oral Histories

I found myself going to sit at the kitchen table, unable to wash any more dishes, moved to tears.  No, nobody was cutting onions.  My friend was reading, Listening is an Act of Love out loud to me while I worked.  The everyday stories of the everyday people who told them reached into my heart and stirred up a connection with them that burned in my chest and ran down my cheeks.  Their stories were my story, their hearts were my heart, full of both pain and joy.  I marveled at the things we humans go through as we live out our short lives, and I wanted to hear more.

StoryCorps is a nonprofit organization, founded by Dave Isay in 2003, whose goal is to give voice to the stories each of us have through recording, sharing and saving oral histories.  How is this done?  Individuals choose a partner who is significant to them in some realm of life, whether this person is a spouse, longtime coworker, good friend, or close relative, and choose the questions they would like to ask each other.  The partners make an appointment to record their interview at a StoryBooth near them (currently, StoryCorps is in Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco).  Each StoryBooth has a facilitator to guide the process.

After an interview, participants receive a CD copy of their recording, which will also be preserved in the Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.  As you may have guessed, some of the 55,303 interviews have been transcribed and included in Dave Isay's books, all of which our library currently has.  A selection of interviews are also aired on NPR every Friday.

If you want to feel more connected to your fellow human beings, I highly recommend checking out one of these powerful StoryCorps books:

Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps

All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps

Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps

Listening is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Lives from the StoryCorps Project


Here are some of the other fascinating oral history books available at the library:

What Was Asked of Us: an Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It

Strong Medicine Speaks: A Native American Elder Has Her Say

Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression

Oral History: An Interdisciplinary Anthology

Voices of the Territory of New Mexico

Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s 


In addition, the library has a collection of books from NPR, including ebooks and eaudiobooks.

If you are interested in preserving some of your own family stories by oral history, take a look at these reference books at Genealogy in the Main Library:

The Oral History Workbook

Family History, Genealogy and Oral History Workshop

(Keep in mind that you will not be able to check out reference books to take home with you.)

The StoryCorps website itself also has a helpful do-it-yourself section!



Last, but not least, have a look at these sites for a Southwestern take on oral history:

UNM's Health Sciences Library Oral History Program for Medical Professionals

Southwest Oral History Association

UNM's Oral History Projects Collection

American Indian Oral History Collection

Route 66 Oral History Office

Thanks and Giving: Bringing Gratitude Into Your Life

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. 

~Albert Schweitzer

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

~ Marcel Proust
 

Happy Thanksgiving!  What are you feeling thankful for this year?

Sometimes, in our daily lives, it's harder to remember to feel thankful. We've compiled a list of titles to keep you grounded in gratitude year round, so you can , like Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh, "...promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live."


Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott
 
10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children - And Ourselves - The Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happier Lives by Goldie Hawn with Wendy Holden

Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning To Say Thank You Changed My Life by John Kralik

365 Thank Yous: The Year A Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik

Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart by Trista Sutter

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons

On Gratitude:Sheryl Crow, Jeff Bridges, Alicia Keys, Daryl Hall, Ray Bradbury, Anna Kendrick, B.B. King, Elmore Leonard, Deepak Chopra, and 42 More Celebrities Share What They're Most Thankful For by Todd Aaron Jensen [eBook]

The Joy Compass: Eight Ways to Find Lasting Happiness, Gratitude, and Optimism in the Present Moment by Donald Altman [eBook]

A Book of Miracles: Inspiring True Stories of Healing, Gratitude, and Love by Bernie S. Siegel with Andrea Hurst
 
Sweet Gratitude: Bake a Thank-You For the Really Important People in Your Life by Judith Sutton

Help Yourself: Celebrating the Rewards of Resilience and Gratitude by Dave Pelzer

Abundantly Simple: Everywoman's Gratitude Journal by Helen Kafka, Laura Hellen [eBook]

F**k It Therapy: The Profane Way to Profound Happiness by John C. Parkin

25 Days to Better Thinking & Better Living: A Guide For Improving Every Aspect of Your Life by Linda Elder and Richard Paul

Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul by Brett C. Hoover [eBook]

Don't Miss Your Life: Find More Joy and Fulfillment Now by Joe Robinson

The Gratitude Power Workbook: Transform Fear Into Courage, Anger Into Forgiveness, Isolation Into Belonging by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons [eBook]

Seasonal Awareness and Wellbeing by Marie-Claire Wilson  [eBook]

And don't forget the giving!

Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton

A Path Appears: Enriching the Lives of Others--And Ourselves by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem by Ken Budd

Everyone Helps, Everyone Wins: How Absolutely Anyone Can Pitch In, Help Out, Give Back, and Make the World a Better Place by David T. Levinson
   

Recommended Sports Books for Adults & Youth

We are deep within the 95th regular season of the National Football League! 256 games to be played out over a seventeen week schedule leading up to Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015, with 3 games on 3 networks on Thanksgiving Day: the Detroit Lions will host the Chicago Bears on CBS; the Dallas Cowboys will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox; and on prime-time NBC, the San Francisco 49ers will host Seattle Seahawks (championship rematch). Will you be watching? For the first time ever, no AFC (American Football Conference, one of two conferences of the NFL) teams will appear on Thanksgiving.

There are other sporting events of note in November, including the New York City Marathon, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, rivalry games in college football, NASCAR Ford Ecoboost 400 (the championship round of the Sprint Cup), the Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships, the XXII Central American and Caribbean Games, PSA Men's World Squash Championship, the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, and World Weightlifting Championships; and in December, the World Swimming Championships and the International Rugby Board Women Sevens World Series are happening.

Who knew late fall was so chockablock with sporting events? Even if you can't catch all your favorite sports live this season, perhaps you'd like to use the upcoming holidays to kick back with some reading about sports - here are some titles we think you might enjoy! We even have a couple of books to get your sporty kids reading.

Adults

Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, The Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker by Doug J. Swanson

Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football by Nicholas Dawidoff

The Magnificent Masters: Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf and the 1975 Cliffhanger at Augusta by Gil Capps

The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead

Pete Rose: An American Dilemma by Kostya Kennedy

Ping Pong Diplomacy: The Secret History Behind the Game that Changed the World by Nicholas Griffin

Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival From the Bottom of the Pile by Nate Jackson

Why Football Matters: My Education in the Game by Mark Edmundson

Against Football: One Fan's Reluctant Manifesto by Steve Almond

Parcells: A Football Life by Bill Parcells and Nunyo Demasio

Season of Saturdays: A History of College Football in 14 Games by Michael Weinreb

Football: Great Writing About the National Sport edited by John Schulian

Newton's Football: The Science Behind America's Game by Allen St. John, Ainissa G. Ramirez, PH.D

I Am Zlatan: My Story On and Off the Field by Zlatan Ibrahimović with David Lagercrantz
 
Children

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football's Make-or-Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty

Muckers by Sandra Neil Wallace [eBook]

The Soccer Fence by Phil Bildner

Soccer Star by Mina Javaherbin 

So, You Want to Work in Sports?: The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Sports Industry by Joanne Mattern 

Stealing the Game by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld

Taylor Swift: Country artist turned pop star and literacy advocate

Taylor Swift's newest album, 1989, was released on October 27 of this year. Industry experts predicted the album would sell over 1.3 million copies through November 2, according to an article on Billboard's website. Swift, who finally admitted in a Rolling Stone article that she's no longer a country artist and is now a pop artist, was thrilled when her album did better than predicted, if her Instagram video is any indication. 1989 became the first platinum album of the year, selling 1.287 copies in the first week (which is also the most successful record debut since 2002), according to The Washington Post.

In addition to being a powerhouse in the music industry, Swift has proven herself a philanthropist as well. While she has donated money to many organizations, I'm going to focus on her support of literacy. According to Wikipedia, Swift has done the following (in chronological order):

In 2009, Swift donated $250,000 to schools that she had ties to. The money went to purchasing books, funding educational programs, and helping pay teacher salaries.

In 2010, she participated in Scholastic's live webcast, Read Now! With Taylor Swift, to help celebrate Scholastic's Read Every Day campaign.

In 2011, Swift partnered with Scholastic Books to donate 6,000 books to Reading Public Library, in Pennsylvania.

In 2012, she donated 14,000 books to Nashville Public Library, in Tennessee. Some of the books she donated to Nashville Public Library went into circulation, while others were given to children from low-income families, preschools, and daycares.  Swift also partnered with Scholastic again in a second live webcast, where she promoted reading, and she co-chaired the National Education Association's Read Across American campaign, which included recording a public service announcement encouraging kids to read.

In 2013, Swift donated 2,000 Scholastic Books to the early literacy program Reading Hospital Child Health Center.

In 2014, she appeared in a READ campaign, sponsored by the American Library Association, and she participated in a third Scholastic webcast.

Want to know more about Taylor Swift, or to just check out her music? The library has plenty of things you can check out!

Taylor Swift's albums

Taylor Swift
Fearless
Speak Now
Speak Now Deluxe Edition
Red

Taylor Swift biographies

Taylor Swift by Holly Cefrey
Taylor Swift: Secrets of a Songwriter by Amy Gail
Taylor Swift: Love Story by Amy Gail Hansen
Taylor Swift: Every Day is a Fairy Tale: The Unofficial Story by Liz Spencer