Liam Guthrie, Regional History Librarian On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress voted to overwhelmingly to enter into The Great War in Europe following an impassioned plea by President Woodrow Wilson. As reported on April 4th in the local Wood River Times, Wilson stated, “…the United States must enter the war to make the world safe for democracy, as only one of the champions of the rights of mankind, and will be satisfied when those rights are as secure as the faith and freedom of … [Read more...] about Ketchum Goes to War
Library Blog
Book Review: Careless People:
A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism Librarian Andrea Nelson recommends "Careless People" by Sarah Wynn-Williams. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Back when Facebook (now Meta) was young, a sign hung on the wall of … [Read more...] about Book Review: Careless People:
Film Review: The Substance
Wood River Museum Collections Specialist Ellie Norman recommends the film, The Substance, starring Demi Moore. I first saw The Substance at last winter’s Sun Valley Film Festival, and it immediately stuck with me. Coralie Fargeat’s latest film is an audacious, bloody, and bitingly intelligent horror movie that digs deep into our cultural obsession with youth and beauty. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-famous television personality whose career begins to fade as she ages. … [Read more...] about Film Review: The Substance
Basque Sheepherder Arborglyphs
Ellie Norman, Wood River Museum Collections Specialist A photograph from The Community Library’s Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History documents a carved figure on the soft bark of an aspen tree in Neal Canyon, about eight miles north of Ketchum. The carving, or arborglyph, was created by a Basque sheepherder during Idaho’s sheep ranching era. By the early 20th century, Idaho had become one of the world’s largest sheep producers. At its peak, 3.2 million sheep grazed its … [Read more...] about Basque Sheepherder Arborglyphs
Finding Financial Security
Reference Librarian Buffy McDonald recommends The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. If you have been thinking about your finances lately, you may want to read The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. He has a seven-step system that has helped many people find their way out of the turmoil of financial instability. To begin with, he says, you will want to save $1,000 as quickly as you can to get a starter emergency fund in case unforeseen financial events occur. This is a way to give … [Read more...] about Finding Financial Security
Banned Book Week | Challenges to the Freedom to Read
Director of Library Operations Pam Parker recommends All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson and Plainsong by Ken Haruf. Statistically, book challenges may have dropped in 2024 over 2023. Yet these numbers cloud another reality—thousands of titles are no longer reaching their intended audiences due to the widespread use of challenges that have opened the door to an increasing number of book bans. According to PEN America, some16,000 instances of bans have occurred in public schools and … [Read more...] about Banned Book Week | Challenges to the Freedom to Read
