In Search of Lost Words …

In Search of Lost Words …

by, Suzanne Moore, Ashe County Librarian

Every year there are selected words deleted from dictionaries (Merriam-Webster’s, Oxford, Collins) in order to make room for new words or terms with new meanings.  We were reminded of this recently when Betty Rembert gifted a lovely book in memory of her husband George and her son Mark.  The Lost Words by, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, is a beautiful book of acrostic poetry and watercolors about words that have been removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary.  What shocked us was the type of words that were deleted.

“The deletions,” according to Robert Macfarlane, “included acorn, adder, ash, beech, bluebell, buttercup, catkin, conker, cowslip, cygnet, dandelion, fern, hazel, heather, heron, ivy, kingfisher, lark, mistletoe, nectar, newt, otter, pasture and willow. The words taking their places in the new edition included attachment, block-graph, blog, broadband, bullet-point, celebrity, chatroom, committee, cut-and-paste, MP3 player and voice-mail.” 

So you can see by the words listed here that technology is beginning to subtlety replace our natural world.  Although these new technological words are important to know, as a country girl I hate to see them replacing words that are important to name nature.  I have a niece that was raised in an urban environment and remember her first time to visit me in the country.  It was fun watching her play and discover things in our woods and pastures that she had never seen before.  Needless to say she took home a box of nature findings to share with her city friends for show-and-tell.

The Lost Words can be previewed on-line and there is also a free downloadable Explorer’s Guide, made available through a John Muir Trust.  This book is available for check-out, and is a valuable resource to promote natural literacy.

Other gifts of late were received in memory of Pat Hartman, a well-loved library patron, by friends and family to enhance the library’s large-print collection. Katy & Morris Walker also donated a gift in memory of Clifford Stamper. All donations are gratefully appreciated and used to directly benefit our community.

Ashe County Public Library will be closed on May 28 for Memorial Day

Dates to remember in May: 

 Children’s Programs

• Baby Bounce meets every Friday at 10:30 a.m. for ages birth to 2 years.  Enjoy stories, rhymes, bounces, and songs with a stay-and-play social time afterwards. 

• Tot Time takes place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays for ages 2 and 3.  Wiggle, giggle, laugh, sing, and create.  A fun-filled time featuring stories, music, and a craft.

• Storytime for ages 4 and 5 is at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday.  Join us for ABC adventures with stories, art, and music. 

• FREE Comic Book Day is on May 5 and begins at 11:00 a.m. Comic books will be given away while supplies last.  Stay for a Cosplay Photoshoot at 2:00 p.m.

• The Illustrator Book Club meets at 3:30 p.m. on May 10 for grades 3-6.  Observe an artistic style and attempt to re-create it.

• Celebrate Raising a Reader in conjunction with Ashe County Partnership for Children at 10:30 a.m. on May 23.

• Join us for a BOY BITES BUG Release Party at 4:00 p.m. on May 24.  Author Rebecca Petruck will debut her new critically-acclaimed middle grade novel.  The reception will feature some unique snacks for sampling.

Tween & Teen Programs

• T for Teen – Gamers Unite! Meet-up at 4:00 p.m. on May 1. Xbox360 and laptops available for teen gaming.

• Board Game Café is open at 4:00 p.m. on May 8.  Come and make some friends! Play a variety of board games and enjoy coffee and sweet treats.

• The Teen Creative Corner meets at 4:00 p.m. on May 15. Join us for a wide range of creative crafts and projects.

• TLC (Teen Listening Council) is a safe place for teens to talk openly about any subject. Drop in at 4:00 p.m. on May 22.

Adult Programs

• For all your tech troubles, book and appointment with our friendly reference librarians.  Call 336.846.2041 x227.   Free computer classes are offered on a variety of topics every Tuesday.

• Yoga Club meets in the library’s downstairs meeting room at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays.

• Drop in for support on your PhD (Projects half-Done) at 10:00 a.m. on May 5.  Find new ways to stay motivated to achieve your goals throughout the year!

All Ages

•  Read & Craft meets at 10 a.m.  on May 19. Travel the world with a hook in one hand and a ball of yarn in the other. This month, go to Germany.  Instruction available for beginners and project materials are provided.

• The Community Drum Circle meets at 5:30 p.m. on May 10 and 24.  Join the celebration of drums, while exploring the soul and spirit of music!

• Mountain Music Slow Jam will meet from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on May 5 and 19 in the downstairs meeting room. Songs are explained as to timing, breaks, etc… and played in slow time.  Designed for beginners, all skill levels are welcome.

Special Events

• A special gallery opening and reception, Photovoice: Ashe Families Finding Hope, will be held at 4:00 p.m. on May 3.  View and hear stories in this unique format of photographs and narratives as told by Ashe County individuals with special needs.  The stories represent what parents would like everyone to understand about their children and how they found support.  Meet the participants and their families at this very special event.

• The Gertrude Francis Foodways Collection will be revealed with a special reception beginning at 10:00 a.m. on May 5.  This permanent library collection was purchased with a gift from Mary and Stevan Sayre in memory of their mother. Books in the collection celebrate the culture of food in Appalachia, North Carolina, and particularly in Ashe County.  It is composed of locally published cookbooks, local food memoirs, stories about Gert’s Diner and other local food experiences, as well as books about food and culture.  The reception features author Emily Nunn (The Comfort Food Diaries), Travis Birdsell of Ashe County’s Cooperative Extension, Sonya Vannoy of Ashe Farmers Market, and local artist/storyteller, Stephen Shoemaker.  Samples of local foods will be served.