BRRRRRRRRR

Boy, is it cold outside. It's so cold that the Bullis Room feels warm today. (That's an "inside" joke, folks.)

So what to do on a cold day? (We're told there are more days like this to come, so we need to have a plan.)

Our suggestion: Stay inside and read a good book. Better yet, come to the Bullis Room and (with a Bullis volunteer to assist you) find a good book, nestle into a comfortable chair over by the window, and enjoy.

There are lots of books to choose from ... fiction as well as non-fiction. History, horticulture, law, engineering, mathematics, religion, astronomy, science ....

We hope you can find (or make) the opportunity to stop by sometime in the next few weeks. And while getting here may be a bit chilly, we promise that you'll be surrounded by lots of good, warm books. Can any of us ask for anything more?

DR. CHASE'S RECIPES, BLACKSMITHING, AND A BEAR

A Bullis Room volunteer reads Dr. Chase's recipe for improving poor iron for use in blacksmithing.

Below is our November 27, 2009 post. This week we took another look at that entry after we attended a Friends of Macedon Public Library blacksmithing presentation on Wednesday by two members of the New York State Designer Blacksmiths. They gave us the fascinating history of blacksmithing and brought us up to date on the current status of this craft. Afterwards, they asked if the Bullis collection had any books on the subject. Dr. Chase's book soon came to mind, and we're looking for others. In the meantime, we're zeroing in on blacksmithing recipes in this little book in order to share them with anyone interested.  We'll post some of them with you in next week. For now, perhaps you'd like to refresh your memory about this fun-to-read Bullis book.

"This little blue-covered book, which measures about 4 by 7 inches, is almost hidden by the thicker, taller medical tomes on the shelf. But it contains what must have been useful information in its day, proving that good things really do come in small packages.

Published in 1872 by R.A. Beal, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dr. Chase's Recipes; or, Information for Everybody; An Invaluable Collection of About Eight Hundred Practical Recipes instructs merchants, grocers, saloon keepers, housekeepers, physicians, druggists, barbers, bakers, and farmers how to make apple pie, an ague cure, deer skin tanning solution, a chronic rheumatism cure, washing fluid (saving half the wash-board labor), a Good Samaritan liniment, and 794 more concoctions. (Whew!)

Our copy is the 73rd edition and states that 730,000 copies (at $1.25 each) had been sold at that time, leading the author to the conclude that a good many folk recognized the value of so much handy information packed into one volume. Today, we may find many of these recipes outdated, but they still make entertaining reading. We recommend you spend some time with Dr. Chase's little blue book."

THE WELCOME MAT IS STILL OUT...

...and this is a friendly reminder that you're invited to stop by and browse the shelves in the Bullis Room.

Just call the main desk (986-5932, Op. 3), leave your contact information, and we'll arrange a time to meet you. Or, if you see a volunteer in the Bullis Room on your next library visit, simply open the door and say hello.

Usually, someone is in the room at these times:

Mondays, 1 PM to 4 PM Tuesdays, 12:30 PM to 2 PM

1st Thursday of the month, 10 AM to Noon

Fridays, 2 PM to 4:30 PM

Hope to see you soon. We'll leave the light on.

VOLUNTEERING

Ever wonder what it takes to keep a collection of unique books organized, usable, and available? Lots of stuff.
Here's some of the things that happen during a typical week here in the Bullis Room:

dusting
organizing files and documents
shelf reading
cataloging materials
maintaining the database
repairing books and materials
planning outreach
maintaining display case
researching
interpreting materials
planning publicity
transcribing account books and diaries
evaluating materials
numbering documents
cross-referencing ephemera in books and on data base

AND (equally important)

sitting at the round table or in one of these soft chairs, enjoying a book or some of the fascinating maps, diaries, and other documents that make up this collection.

The Bullis Collection cannot be maintained without the dedicated volunteers who donate their time and talents to its well-being. Come to think of it, that's true for our community...and country...and this world in which we live. Thank you, Volunteers, everywhere, for all you do and for just being there.