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Lifestyle Columns

When a Tiffany glass vase isn’t a Tiffany

Arthur J. Nash worked for the Thomas Webb & Sons art glass factory in his native England, but didn’t do his best, most innovative work until he came to America. His glassmaking expertise made him a perfect fit for the Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, founded in 1892. Although Louis ...

An old fashioned app: Farm calculators

“But when are we going to use this in real life?” That question comes up in math classes, much to the chagrin of many teachers. It’s not just a classroom cliche to say that math is everywhere, from planning a budget to decorating a room. Even careers that aren’t directly connected to ...

Best Nonfiction Books of 2025 (so Far)

There are many “Best Books of 2025 So Far” lists out right now, so I chose some of the top picks to share with you. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (921 Twain) • Amazon’s Best Books of 2025 So Far Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (599.324 Dalton) • New York Times Best of the Year (So ...

Vlaminck brings new styles to vases, canvases

Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958), born in Paris, was one of the painters who exhibited at the 1905 Salon d’Automne, considered the beginning of the Fauvism art movement. The name “Fauvism” came from a critic’s negative reaction to the exhibition, insulting the paintings on display as the ...

Penny rugs provide a historic example of repurposing

The environmentalist movement popularized the saying “Reduce, reuse, recycle” in the 1970s, but the sentiment goes back much farther than that. Historically, people avoided buying new items to save money, or simply because said new items were not as readily available to purchase as they are ...

Summer reading and beyond

This year’s summer reading program theme was Color Our World. I want to take a moment to thank all the parents, caregivers, children, and teens who participated this year. I would also like to thank the library staff. They did an excellent job helping to make the program happen throughout a ...