Library Blog

Can You See Me in This Camo?

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Camo is sitting in plain sight in most every corner of the the Gold Mine Thrift store this season. The Fall/Winter Opening revealed a wide assortment of camo-wear in rugged colors, shapes and sizes, including boots, hats, tops, and bottoms for men and women.

Plus … new merchandise is hitting the floor every day to keep you camouflaged in the great outdoors – and maybe even in a crowd!

Happy camo shopper - Gold Mine Fall Opening 2024
Camo boots mens Gold Mine
Camo bottoms mens Gold Mine

    Proceeds from the Gold Mine help support books, literacy, and programs at The Community Library. The store is located at 331 Walnut Avenue in Ketchum.

    All Things Plaid

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    The Fall/Winter Opening at the Gold Mine Thrift store has revealed a delightful selection of hats, boots, and apparel – for adults and children – in a wide assortment of colors, shapes and sizes.

    And … new merchandise is hitting the floor every day to keep you warm, cozy, and stylish during the chilly season!

    Mens plaid shirts Gold Mine Thrift

    Pictured above:

    • Plaid Aviator Cap from REI in charcoal, men’s small/medium for $18
    • Girl’s Skirt with Dog Appliqué from Mini Boden in houndstooth plaid with button tab closure, 100% cotton, size 9-10Y
    • Ceramic cup from the housewares department will add charm and delight to your autumn hot chocolate
    • Men’s plaid, long-sleeved shirts in flannel, cotton, and corduroy, with choices in many sizes, patterns, and colors

    Proceeds from the Gold Mine help support books, literacy, and programs at The Community Library. The store is located at 331 Walnut Avenue in Ketchum.

    Book Review: This Is Your Brain on Food

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    Circulation Supervisor Cándida Miniño recommends This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo.

    In This Is Your Brain on Food, Dr. Uma Naidoo explains how food is a powerful tool in managing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and even ADHD.

    In this book, the author informs how different nutrients affect our mood and cognition. She discusses the roles of various food groups, from omega-3 fatty acids to gut-friendly probiotics, and does so while sharing her own experiences and case studies from her practice.

    Naidoo offers strategies for incorporating brain-boosting foods into our regime, giving general guidelines that let us add provisions to our meals without having the strictness of a diet.

    If you prefer meal plans, she curated recipes you can implement in your daily life.

    My favorite parts in the book are the cheat sheets for each chapter, that tell you the foods to embrace and to avoid depending on the issue you want to improve.

    This book is a reminder that our relationship with food can profoundly impact our minds, and it encourages us to take control of our health—one meal at a time.

    Find it in print and eaudiobook here.

    Review: YOTO Player

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    Children’s Librarian and Programming Assistant Haley Christianson recommends Yoto players.

    Haley Christiansen Yoto review LR

    Did you know that the Children’s Library has Yoto players to check out! Do you know what a Yoto player even is? I know I really did not until recently.

    A Yoto player is a screen-free device for children that plays audiobooks, music, podcasts, and more. They come in a full-size version and a mini version. The only difference between the two is the full-size version has a nightlight and can tell you the room’s temperature—both fun things but not needed to listen to a good audiobook.  

    I personally checked out the full-size version along with a few of the Yoto cards in the Library’s collection. I really enjoyed the variety of choices that we have of Yoto cards. I was able to choose a picture book (Dragon Loves Tacos), a chapter book (Holes), and a meditation activity (Meditate with Me: A Step-By-Step Mindfulness Journey).

    I found the Yoto player extremely easy to use. All you need to do is put in your card of choosing and it automatically starts to play.

    Once the audio is playing, the device is easy to control with two knobs; one for volume and the other for the flipping through the chapters. I can see parents and teachers finding Yoto players to be a lot easier to use compared to computers, apps, or CD players.

    I also liked that, because the Yoto cards are already downloaded on the device, there was no need for Wi-Fi connection. This makes it easy to take on adventures! I personally used it to listen to Holes over the weekend while also doing a puzzle … also from the Library!  

    These devices are quite popular, and checking one out through the Library is a great way to try them out! 

    Find the full-size Yoto player here.  

    Find the mini Yoto player here. 

    Book Review: Cocktails with George and Martha

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    Director of Philanthropy Carter Hedberg recommends Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Philip Gefter.

    “What a dump!” Martha exclaims in her best Bette Davis imitation, kicking off the boozy journey of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

    Thus begins Edward Albee’s masterpiece. I’ve always loved the play, which I saw at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Rhuel. At least once a year, I watch the film adaptation, starring Elizabeth Taylor as Martha and Richard Burton as George.

    So, imagine my excitement when the book, Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was released.

    By 1966, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were not only towering Hollywood stars but also one of the most famous celebrity couples in the world. Their real-life romance captured the public’s imagination, and their fiery relationship added to the depth of their portrayals in the film. The film became a critical and commercial success and garnered thirteen Academy Award nominations and five wins, including Taylor’s gutsy performance which won her a second Oscar.

    Gefter’s book delves into the off-screen and on-screen interplay between Taylor and Burton, exploring the ways they helped shape the film. But the book goes beyond the film and Taylor and Burton. It also gives insight into Edward Albee, the brilliant playwright behind Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

    Albee’s revolutionary hit play, first staged in 1962, was a shocking portrayal of a tumultuous marriage filled with cocktails, contradictions, mind games, and love.

    Cocktails with George and Martha offers a fascinating look into the dynamics of George and Martha, one of the most iconic fictional couples in American theater. It not only pays homage to Albee’s masterpiece but also provides an in-depth perspective on how the play became a film, the explosive, real-life marriage of its stars, and how first-time director Mike Nichols pulled it all together into a groundbreaking film.

    According to author Gefter, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “is not just about one marriage. It’s about marriage.” For fans of the play, the film … or marriage, this is a delicious must-read. To steal another quote from Bette Davis, this time from All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” Nothing could be truer than a night with George and Martha.

    Find it print in our collection here.

    A Busy Day on Main Street

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    Liam Guthrie, Regional History Librarian

    A busy street of cars, pedestrians, and horses in winter.
    Gold Mine Collection, Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History (F 08422)

    It can be easy to imagine the past as a quieter, emptier place sometimes, and in some places it certainly was. But this photograph of Ketchum’s Main Street circa 1938 definitively shows that Ketchum was not one such place. The street is teeming with pedestrians even on a cold winter day. A policeman directs the flow of cars entering the crowded road. A couple men appear to be ski joring ­—­ skiing while being pulled by horses — down the middle of the road as onlookers watch on. It certainly is a lively scene.

    The buildings and stores lining Main Street also tell a great story of 1930’s Ketchum. Lane Mercantile and Griffith Brothers Grocery call back to the town’s pre-Sun Valley ranching roots. Clubs and casinos like The Alpine Café and Bar, The Sawtooth Club, and Frontier Casino show the thriving gambling scene in Ketchum, driven by the wealth flowing into Sun Valley in droves. Meanwhile the Conoco and the Westcott Oil Co. gas and service stations speak to the growth of the automobile occurring across the country in this time period. Other buildings lining Main street include hotels, a sporting goods store, and a laundry.

    Every inch of this photograph is rich with detail, each telling its own story about Ketchum’s history: The men leaning over the false front of The Alpine’s roof. The woman crossing the street, pulling her jacket closed against the cold. The cars stopped on the opposite end of the street as crowds of people, and a dog, walk across. Each is its own vignette of life in Ketchum in 1938.

    It is likely that many in this crowd have bets on the skiers about to race down the middle of main street, eagerly awaiting the result. It is just as likely that the people waiting in their cars are annoyed at the stoppage and eager to be on their way. Still others may just be trying to cross the street and get their weekend shopping done. Afterall, the people in this photo ultimately aren’t all that different from us today.

    Note this story was originally published in September of 2024 in the Idaho Mountain Express.

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