Weekly Specials, News & More
The Webster’s New International Dictionary was revised and expanded in 1934 for a second edition. This edition is popularly known as Webster’s Second or W2. This enormous dictionary has over 600,000 entries and reportedly contains every word used in the works of Shakespeare including the names of all the characters. Also included in this edition are a Pronouncing Biographical Dictionary; many proper names from mythology, fiction, and the Bible as well as names of buildings and works of art; a ten page section titled Arbitrary Signs and Symbols; and more than 30 color plates. Webster’s Second contains a famous error, the inclusion of the ghost word “dord." Dord is the result of a slip of paper written during the editing process which read “D or d, cont./density” This notation was made by the chemistry editor and indicated that D or d were abbreviations for the word “density." D or d was misinterpreted as a single word and dord became a synonym for density. Dord was first noticed by an editor five years later. We have one of these wonderful, massive dictionaries in the bookstore and it can be yours for $45.00.
Special topics in the spotlight this week are; philosophy, religion, women’s studies, and vehicles. And, don’t forget a week from this Saturday is our annual September Book Sale. Books are 10¢ each or $2.00 for a bagful.
This weeks we are featuring two new categories of books. First we have a great selection of books about vehicles. You will find books about cars, boats, trains and planes, both modern and vintage. This collection includes some very fine books but the selection is limited so if you're interested hurry down. Secondly we have put together an interesting group of books about women's issues, these include women's studies and history, literature, short stories and more. We even have a book signed by Gloria Steinem.
Don't forget the September Book Sale is coming soon. The big day is Saturday, September 19, 9:00 to 3:30. It will be held in the Van Deusen Room in Central Library.
Saturday, September 19 is the date for our annual September Book Sale. For the second time we will hold the sale inside instead of outdoors. The sale, to be held in the Van Deusen Room on the third floor of Central Library, will open at 9:00 and conclude at 3:30. Books will sell for 10¢ each or you can fill up a grocery-size bag – ours or yours – with books for only $2.00
This week in the store there are a couple of things I would like to bring to your attention. We have a lot of religion books! There are books about different religions, various religious and spiritual practices, Bibles, study guides, commentaries, and more. Look for these religion books on a cart in the center aisle. Another group of books I’d like to tell you about are the special children’s books that have either Michigan authors or illustrators. Some of the stories are set in Michigan. These are mainly picture books but there are also a few chapter books. This is a very nice selection of children’s books with a connection to Michigan. Finally we have a couple of attractive large framed prints for sale. If you looking for some wall art check these out; you can’t bet our prices.
"More than any other single skill, the ability to read – and read well – allows a child to succeed in school, learn about the world, function in society, and some day have good job options." (A quote from the National Children's Literacy Website.) We all know that the ability to read is life-changing. For many of us the idea of life without reading is almost unimaginable. As parents we hope our children not only become good reader but learn to enjoy reading. One of the ways to encourage reading in children is to let them own there own books. The Children's Area in the bookstore is filled with wonderful books for children of all ages. Books start at 25 cents and most are less than $2.00. If you have children or grandchildren, nieces or nephews, I would encourage you to check out the Children's Area at the bookstore. For just a little bit of money you can make a big impact on a child's life.
Every so often we receive a book as a donation that I think deserves some special attention. If the book is a “collectible” book we list it online on our book sale site (librarybooksales.org) and place it in our Collector’s Corner Cabinet. I have decided to use this space to highlight some of these special books from time to time. So, today I want to tell you about a book titled Focus on Africa by Richard Upjohn Light. This book has Richard Upjohn Light’s bookplate on the front inside cover and the words “Author’s Copy” written on the front free endpaper.
Richard Upjohn Light was a grandson of W. E. Upjohn (founder of The Upjohn Company); he was also a neurosurgeon, aviator, cinematographer, and director of the Yale School of Medicine (1933 – 1935), director of The Upjohn Company (1337 – 1968), and President of the American Geographical Society.
In September of 1937 Richard Upjohn Light and his wife Mary, decided to fly over South America and Africa to celebrate their recent marriage. He piloted the plane and she was the co-pilot, navigator, and radio operator. At the time, many parts of the world had not been aerially photographed; the American Geographical Society was trying to accrue aerial views in order to assemble complete aerial documentation of the world. Richard and Mary decided to record the trip through aerial photographs and Mary added photographer to her list of duties for the trip. In September of 1937 the Lights left Kalamazoo in a Bellanca monoplane. The plane was unheated and they had to breathe with the aid of oxygen tanks because the plane was unpressurized.
In 1941 Focus on Africa was published (American Geographical Society), describing in text and photographs their flight across Africa. The dust jacket blurb calls this book describing the Light’s trip from Cape Town to Cairo part… “travel book”…part “study in geography”…and a book of “risky adventures”.
Richard Upjohn Light and Mary Upjohn (Light) Meader both had strong, deep ties to our community. Both were adventurers, pioneers and philanthropists, they were committed to cultural understanding, education and the arts. These are the kind of people we all can proudly say come from our hometown.
Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christy, Rex Stout, Ed McBain, Mignon G. Eberhart, Erle Stanley Gardner, A.A. Fair, G.K. Chesterton, Dashiell Hammett. These are some of the famous mystery authors of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. You can find paperback books by these authors and more priced at only 25¢ in our large special selection of vintage paperback mysteries. If titles like "The Case of the Negligent Nymph" and "The Case of the Glamorous Ghost" (Gardner) or "The Lady in the Lake" (Chandler) remind you how much you enjoy the classic mysteries of days-gone-by; come to the bookstore and treat yourself to a couple dollars-worth of great old-time suspense. We are also continuing the sale on more current mystery and fiction week; these select books are priced at only 50¢ each. And, this is the last week for the Christmas in July sale.
Downtown Kalamazoo is the place to be this week. Sidewalk Sales will offer great opportunities to save money while you enjoy outdoor entertainment and special activities for children will keep them occupied and happy. Although the bookstore is not on the mall we are just down the street. We certainly hope you will visit us while you're downtown. To celebrate Downtown Kalamazoo and the Sidewalk Sales we are having a super sale on select fiction and mystery. Both select hardcover and paperback mystery and fiction books are only 50¢! I'm sure you'll find some of your favorite authors at this sale and at this price you can stock up. While you're here be sure and check out the Cookbook Sale cart and the Christmas in July Sale.
If you like to cook or just find pleasure in reading recipes, I think you will enjoy looking through the wonderful selection of cookbooks available in the store this week. In addition to general and basic cookbooks you will find specialty cookbooks, gourmet and ethnic cookbooks, cookbooks with recipes for healthy foods and those with recipes for comfort foods. There is a cookbook that tells how to put together twenty minute meals and there's also one of Julia Childs cookbooks. It is an inspiring selection of cookbooks all gently priced.
The Christmas in July sale continues this week. You can get an early start on planning for the Christmas season. Start now with some helpful ideas you'll find in the selection of books on Christmas crafts, decorating, cooking, and other Christmas activities.
Christmas in July. We are spotlighting Christmas-themed books this month for all those well organized, plan-ahead type of people who actually start thinking about and planning for Christmas early in the year. You will find Christmas craft books, cookbooks, activity and decorating books, children and adult fiction even Christmas videos! If you've never started thinking about Christmas in July before, maybe this is the year to start planning early and then you can be one of those lucky people who are able to relax in December and enjoy a less stressful holiday season.
Check last week's post for information on some really special law books.We are happy to have a couple of extraordinary sets of classic legal works for sale.
The bookstore will only be open Wednesday and Thursday due to the Fourth of July holiday. Be sure and plan to make it in early this week so you will be set for the long holiday weekend.
I’m excited to be able to tell you about some of the extraordinary books we have in the store this week. For starters we have a beautiful set of special leather-bound editions of classic legal works privately printed for members of the Legal Classics Library. There are 26 volumes, part of a larger set, all uniquely bound in a variety of colored leather bindings. Titles include; The Great Speeches and Orations of Daniel Webster, the Magna Charta, the Common Law and Other Writings by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Art of Cross Examination by Francis Wellman, Ancient Law by Henry Sumner Maine, and twenty one other titles. These 26 volumes are being sold as a set for the very reasonable price of $500. Another remarkable set of books available this week is the Commentaries on the Laws of England by William Blackstone. This very attractive four volume set is bound in brown leather and sells for $175. Both of these sets of books not only contain an abundance of classic legal knowledge but they will definitely look elegant on your bookshelves..
A couple of other items I’d like to bring to your attention include a nice selection of books on nature and our collection of yearbooks. If you enjoy books on nature be sure and check out the Science and Nature area in the store. It is particularly well stocked with a variety of interesting nature books. Finally, many of you may not know that we carry and sell high school and college yearbooks. Donated yearbooks, not needed for the library collection, are priced and shelved in our Reference section. We recently received books from Loy Norrix, Kalamazoo College, and WMU. If you are looking to replace a missing yearbook, check us out.