Time Changes All

 

An old read...

 

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”  ― George Orwell, Animal Farm

 

 

 

I have not read this book since my school days and I think I need to add it to TBR list.  

So long to another library

It is always sad to hear that another library has closed, or is closing. All those precious books to be sold in book sales or auction, or worse—destroyed. Libraries hold a soft spot in my heart, and I have spent many hours in the library reading and researching, and I have spent many hours with my kids checking out books and movies. I also worked part-time at my local library as a Library Assistant, and then became Library Director. My local library closed during the pandemic and never re-opened. The Fort Worth Central Library was never one that I frequented often, and is now shutting its doors.

Fort Worth’s downtown library has shifted locations a few times in its 120-year history. In April 1892, several women meeting in the home of Jennie Scott Scheuber formed the Fort Worth Public Library Association, paving the way for the first library. Built in 1901 by H.H. Greene in the neoclassical style on Hyde Park land granted by Mrs. Sarah Jennings (with a stipulation that the land always be used for a library/park purposes) and a generous donation of $50,000 from Andrew Carnegie, The Carnegie Public Library opened on October 17th 1901 at 915 Throckmorton Street.

Green, Herbert H., Architect, Schwartz, Charlie L, photographer. Carnegie public library, Fort Worth, Texas / photo by Charlie L. Schwartz. Ft. Worth Texas, ca. 1905. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007684776/.

During the onset of the Great Depression, reading rooms were becoming overcrowded, and it became apparent that a bigger library would need to be built. An appeal from the library board to the Public Works Administration in 1933 eventually secured funds for a larger building, but those funds would not arrive until 1937. The Carnegie Public Library was demolished in 1938, making way for a new triangular shaped three story building designed by Joseph R. Pelich. After serving as head librarian for 37 years, Mrs. Scheuber retired and Harry Peterson became the first professional library director, who was responsible for converting the library’s collection to the Dewey Decimal System.

W.D. Smith Commercial Photography, Inc. Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. "Fort Worth Public Library ." UTA Libraries Digital Gallery. 1963. https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/img/10006597

The Fort Worth Public Library remained at this location for almost 40 years until the library moved to its current location on West 3rd Street in 1978. With funding from a bond proposition, a new building was built to accommodate the growing population. This building was originally designed as an underground library with street access through the Tandy Center Subway, and would be plagued with roof leaks for years. In 1981, Edwin E. Bewley, the great grandson of Sarah Jennings, initiated a lawsuit against the City of Fort Worth to regain the property - citing that it was not being used as a public library or for any other purpose which fell within the terms of the April 8, 1892 Agreement, and its use as a public library had been abandoned by the City of Fort Worth. The city tried to appeal, but lost, granting Sarah Jennings' heirs entitlement to recover the title and take possession of the property. The land and the building were later sold to a private developer.

Copyright © 1997–2023 John Roberts. Architecture in Fort worth "Fort Worth Public Library". https://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/fwlib.htm.

The Fort Worth Public Library, or Fort Worth Central Library as it is known, added an expansion in 1995, raising the entrance to street level. The interior was redone in 1999, but the Fort Worth Tornado that swept through downtown in March 2000, caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the new additions. The library remains incredibly underutilized - only one of three floors is accessible to the public. Staff closed the basement at the start of the pandemic and the third floor, which they can only access by using a ladder and a maze of hallways, remains unfinished. This unfinished floor reflects the troubled history of the building.

The Central Library building was sold in December 2022 for $18 million. City officials decided that the location no longer fit into the library's future plans and that they would be seeking something smaller to ensure that a library would still be present within the community.

I am an avid reader and although I have traded my hard copies in favor of digital copies, I still believe our libraries play a key role in our communities. Libraries are more than just a place for stocking the bookshelves. By providing services like e-books, e-readers, computers, tablets, and Wi-fi, our libraries are allowing easy access to digital information, which is a crucial step in becoming more modernized. Libraries also offer free workspace to get together with you team on projects and videoconferencing. They are our universal centers that provide access to information to anyone, and everyone, and equal access to everyone is a core value of libraries.

Yay!! I can finally read my books again. 😊 Bought this baby yesterday and it was delivered today. I got my Kindle connected and linked and my Goodreads. I have been missing reading before bed.

 

First Line Fridays

It's FRIDAY, which means it time for First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books! So, grab your closest book, or scroll to it. 😀 My first line is:

The man stood in the shadows preparing for murder.

The Serpent Sword (The Bernicia Chronicles Book 1) by Matthew Harffy

Certain that his brothers death is murder, young farmhand Beobrand embarks on a quest for revenge in war-torn Northumbria. When he witnesses barbaric acts at the hands of warriors he considers his friends, Beobrand questions his chosen path and vows to bring the men to justice.

What are you reading? 🙂

WWW Wednesday

I cannot believe it has taken me almost a month to complete a book! 😬 I usually average a book a day, but I was majorly side-tracked last month.

It's Wednesday and time for WWW Wednesday - a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. If you want to participate, answer the below questions and post your link on Sam’s page. Feel free to leave your link here as well. I would love to see your WWW!

The three W’s stand for:

What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: The Serpent Sword (The Bernicia Chronicles Book 1) by Matthew Harffy
Certain that his brother’s death is murder, young farmhand Beobrand embarks on a quest for revenge in war-torn Northumbria. When he witnesses barbaric acts at the hands of warriors he considers his friends, Beobrand questions his chosen path and vows to bring the men to justice.

Just finished reading: Wolf of Essex by Matthew Harffy
Rushing headlong through Wessex, Dunston will need to use all the skills of survival garnered from a lifetime in the wilderness. And if he has any hope of victory against the implacable enemies on their trail, he must confront his long-buried past – becoming the man he once was and embracing traits he had promised he would never return to. The Wolf of Wessex must hunt again; honour and duty demand it.

Reading next: The Cross and the Curse (The Bernicia Chronicles Book 2) by Matthew Harffy

After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns a hero. His valour is rewarded with wealth and land by the king of Northumbria. He retires to his new estate with his bride only to find himself surrounded by enemies old and new.







I believe there are six books in this series. Lets see if I can tackle them all and during the Holidays. LOL! 🤣

WWW Wednesdays

Time got away from me today. I can't believe it took me two days to finish the book I was reading! Oh my word! 😂

It's Wednesday and time for WWW Wednesday - a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. If you too want to participate, answer the below questions and post your link on Sam’s page. Feel free to leave your link here as well. I would love to see your WWW!

The three W’s stand for:

What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: Wolf of Essex

by Matthew Harffy

Just finished reading: Dawn of Wolves Book#3 The Kingdom of Mercia series by Jayne Castel

What am I reading next? I have yet to decide what I want to read next. We will see where my current read takes me! The Bernicia Chronicles, maybe. 😉

What are you reading at the moment? What did you recently finish?

And what do you wanna read next?

First Chapter - First Paragraph

It's Tuesday and today I am doing my very 1st First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesdays Intros, now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read. 😊

I am currently reading Dawn of Wolves book #3 of The Kingdom of Mercia series by Jayne Castel. This book will focus on Wulfhere, an exiled prince and son of King Penda of Mercia. (you get two paragraphs today!)

THE FULL MOON sailed high in the sky. It drifted in and out of patches of wispy clouds, intermittently illuminating the world below in silver. The rain had cleared, as hoped, although the ground still squelched underfoot.

Wulfehere crept forward, alongside the eastern bank of the River Tame, his wolf at his heels. Mòna moved silently, aleter and watchful, her white pelt glowed palely in the darkness, like the moon she was named after.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?