Year: 2022

Genealogy Events

March 18, 2022
Genealogy Events

Your Guide to the 1950 Census

Join us at this entertaining and informative webinar for a look at the long-awaited 1950 census, recently released by the National Archives! 

In this session you will learn:

  • Interesting and little known stories behind the 1950 census
  • What this census can reveal about your family, (and who you will NOT find!)
  • The important documents associated with this census that you can access right now!

Register for this webinar HERE. You will receive a link to join the virtual Zoom meeting upon registration. This program will not be recorded.

Lisa Louise Cooke is author of several books including The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, 3rd edition.

Lisa produces and hosts the popular Genealogy Gems Podcast, and weekly videos at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.

She offers a Premium Membership at her website featuring exclusive on-demand genealogy education, writes a regular column for Family Tree Magazine, and produces the Family Tree Magazine Podcast.

Discover Our Digital Library!

March 16, 2022
(Re) Discover Digital Reading!

(Re) Discover Digital Reading! Did you know that AAPLD cardholders can check out and enjoy books, audiobooks, music, and video, anytime, anyplace? Using our digital library collections means that you never have to go without something to read or watch.

While our digital collections have plenty of fans, there are still lots of myths and misconceptions that might have discouraged you from trying Libby, Hoopla, Axis360 or Biblioboard.

In honor of the upcoming travel and road trip season-- which digital content is perfect for, by the way-- please join us for a bit of digital library myth-busting!

Myth #1- "I don't have an ereader."

You don't need one! Our Libby, Hoopla, Biblioboard and Axis360 digital library apps can be easily installed on a Smartphone or tablet. The apps are free. Our website has links and video tutorials to get you started. Just download, install, enter your library card number and you're good to go!

Prefer in-person assistance? Stop by the Adult Services Reference desk or Technology desk, and ask a staff member for help.

Myth #2- "I'd rather read print books."

Hey, we get it. We love print books, too. But sometimes, it's just not convenient to carry one around. Ebooks can go anywhere your phone can go.

And reading doesn't have to be an either/or experience. Consider checking out the digital version of whatever you're reading in print, so you can enjoy your book on the go. Sure beats mindless scrolling while you're waiting at the dentist's office.

Myth #3- "Who has time to read?"

And speaking of mindless scrolling, we spend roughly 3 hours or more per day on our phones. What if we used just a little of that time for reading? Now, those empty minutes in the waiting room can be spent devouring the latest must-read thriller, steamy romance, or this month's celebrity reading pick.

Myth #4- "Digital reading is hard on your eyes."

ebook and headphonesOur digital apps include options to customize your reading experience. Dark backgrounds, larger fonts and downloadable audiobooks help give your eyes a rest.

Downloadable audiobooks have the added benefit of being travel- friendly. Listen in the car, or on a plane, and watch the trip fly by!

 

A Month to Make Her-Story!

March 8, 2022
A Month to Make Her-Story!

A powerful and revered First Lady. The first Latina U.S. Supreme Court justice. A ground-breaking comedian. These are just a few of the fascinating women you can discover this month at Algonquin Area Public Library.

A Month to Make Her-Story!March is Women's History Month, and a great opportunity to learn about the contributions women have made to our nation, and to history. Whether its a biography, memoir or historical novel based on real life people and events, browse our online catalog for stories that are sure to inspire readers, regardless of gender.

 

 

Biography

Elizabeth & Margaret: the intimate world of the Windsor sisters by Andrew Morton

Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll abdicated the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension.

Memoir

Just As I Am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson "Just as I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. Here, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams. I am a woman who has hurt as immeasurably as I have loved, a child of God divinely guided by His hand. And here in my ninth decade, I am a woman who, at long last, has something meaningful to say."

Non-Fiction

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of NASA professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these ‘coloured computers’ used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets and astronauts, into space. Moving from World War II through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War and the women’s rights movement, ‘Hidden Figures’ interweaves a rich history of mankind’s greatest adventure with the intimate stories of five courageous women whose work forever changed the world.

Historical Fiction

Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini - The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, Ada’s mathematician mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education. When Ada is introduced into London society little does she realize that her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine,  and enthralled by the plans for even more advanced inventions, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world.

The Seed Library Journal #2

March 7, 2022
The Seed Library Journal #2

Okay, today’s snow put a…chill on warm hopes for an early spring, but I wanted to share some pix I took Saturday, which WAS a taste of spring! I hope you were able to get out and enjoy it.

We’ll plant our Seed Library sunflowers on the east side of our house, where they’ll get lots of morning sun. With luck, they’ll be tall enough to see from inside the front porch.

And unrelated to the Seed Library, but still pretty cool, our lilac bush has buds!

Any signs of spring you’d like to share?

Dig Into A Gardening Adventure!

March 2, 2022
Welcome to The Seed Library Journal

AAPLD's new Seed Library offers a  bounty of vegetable, herb and flower seeds free of charge! Whether you're an experienced gardener, or just getting started, it's not too early to prepare for growing season! Learn more about the Seed Library, and request seeds online. We'll fill your order and notify you when your seeds are ready to pick up.

This season, Adult Services Library Associate Elizabeth Harmon will share her experiences planting her Seed Library flower seeds, and watching her garden grow! Follow Elizabeth's gardening journal through the Adult Services Blog and AAPLD's Facebook page.  And if you're planting seeds from the Seed Library, let us know how it's going by leaving a comment on social media.

 

 

The Seed Library Journal- February 23

I picked up our seeds today. We have Morning Glories, Moonflowers, Delphinium, Bee Balm, Asters, and one of my favorites, Sunflowers.  My husband Tom and I discussed where we'll plant the flowers in our gardens, and how many seeds we'll be starting indoors--36. As a kid, I remember starting seeds in cardboard egg cartons. Though I haven't tried it in a really long time, we're going to this year! Time to eat more eggs.

We want to transplant our seedlings outside Memorial Day weekend, so we need to plant the seeds inside by mid-March.  Our next challenge is to find a warm spot that gets good sun, and where our curious kitty won't try to eat the baby plants. And, do we need to buy a grow-light?

 

Family Research Tips

February 24, 2022
Family Research Tips

Read all about it! Find your McHenry County ancestors in the newspaper

McHenry County early newspapers were filled with interesting tidbits that can help you fill in the details in your family history. From as early as 1846, with the Illinois Republican, McHenry County residents could read news from around the country and keep up with the affairs of the world around them. You may find your ancestor mentioned in society news, death notices or obituaries, articles about local businesses, politics, or court cases. Start by using general search terms, using just a surname within a range of dates, for example. Widen searches to other locations in the county or different surname spellings if you come up empty. Don’t forget to search for related surnames, and search in nearby towns or townships; you may find a relative that will help you connect your family lines to others in the area.

AAPLD offers patrons three databases that provide access to some of McHenry County’s earliest newspapers. The first newspaper in the county was the Illinois Republican. In 1854 it became the Republican Free-Press, and in 1856 became the Woodstock Sentinel, which still publishes today.
Go to Newspapers.com for these papers:

  • The Algonquin Herald – 1902 to 1910
  • The Sentinel (Woodstock) – 1860 to 1926.
  • Daily Sentinel (Woodstock) – 1922 to 1985.
  • Crystal Lake Herald – 1875 to 1963.
  • McHenry Plaindealer – 1875 to 1985. (Later merged with The Northwest Herald.)
  • Marengo Beacon/Republican – 1872 to 1986.
  • The Northwest Herald is available at Chicago Area Newspapers from 2005 to present day.

You will need your AAPLD library card and PIN to access these databases. From another library? Check with your library to find out how you can access early local newspapers.

Local History Notes

February 24, 2022
Local History Notes

Naming the Village of Algonquin

The village was first known as Cornish’s Ferry, from Dr. A. B. Cornish, an early settler near the ford above mentioned [Crystal Lake inlet to the Fox River]. Later, when a considerable settlement had grown up, by vote of the inhabitants the name Osceola was adopted. But it was learned that there was already a town of the same name in the State. Therefore the choice of a permanent name was left to Mr. Edwards, the chief property owner in the village, and he chose the name which it now bears.

~From the 1885 History of McHenry County, p. 390.

Algonquin was the name of a ship Mr. Edwards once owned, according to the Village of Algonquin website. The name Algonquin became official on December 23, 1847.

These Local History Notes were transcribed from the History of McHenry County, Illinois: together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens. The book was originally published in 1885, and reprint copies are available for use at the Algonquin Library.

Ask at the Adult Services desk for assistance in finding these and other local history materials.

Welcome back to Genealogy at AAPLD

February 23, 2022
Welcome back to Genealogy at AAPLD

Welcome back!
Beginning in April, join us for a monthly Genealogy Interest Group. Just getting started or stuck at a brick wall? This group is for you! Learn about genealogy topics and resources, and get help with your family research. Bring your genealogy questions and dig into the library’s online resources (and more!). Check the LIBRARY NEWSLETTER  for these programs and others!

Online resources
Check out these GENEALOGY RESOURCES available through AAPLD.
Some are available from home, while others are available in-library only.

In-library Research
Our special genealogy and local history collection provides books that will help you research your family and learn about the rich history of Algonquin and the surrounding area. Browse the collection and work on your family research in our Genealogy section in Adult Services. SEARCH THE CATALOG

Have questions?
Ask a Genealogy Librarian for help with genealogy questions.

Check out 2022 Oscar Nominated films!

February 17, 2022
Check out 2022 Oscar Nominated films!

Check out 2022 Oscar Nominated films!Oscar season is here, and it's time to catch up on nominated films you may have missed. Catch some of this year's best movies and performances at no cost at all-- thanks to the power of your library card!

We've profiled the films in our collection that have received Oscar nods, and also included the categories in which they've been nominated. Click here to place a hold, or call the Adult Services department. Get the popcorn ready, it's showtime!

Available Now

Dune- Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design, Cinematography, Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects, and Score

King Richard - Richard Williams is determined to write his two daughters, Venus and Serena, into the history books. Training on tennis courts in Compton, Richard shapes the girls' adamant commitment and intense intuition. Together, the Williams family defies the odds. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Will Smith), Best Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis), Original Screenplay, Editing, and Best Original Song ("Be Alive")

The Eyes of Tammy Faye - An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Actress (Jessica Chastain), Makeup and Hairstyling.

Spencer - During her Christmas holidays with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, Diana Spencer, struggling with mental health problems, decides to end her decade-long marriage to Prince Charles. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Actress (Kristen Stewart)

Encanto - A Colombian teenage girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Animated Feature, Score, and Song (Dos Oruguitas)

Luca- Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Animated Feature

The Mitchells vs. the Machines - A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Animated Feature.

Raya and the Last Dragon - In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Animated Feature.

Cruella - Estella is a young and clever grifter who's determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. She soon meets a pair of thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they build a life for themselves on the streets of London. However, when Estella befriends fashion legend Baroness von Hellman, she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella. (IMDB). Nominated for Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling.

Free Guy -In the extremely popular video game, Free City, a NPC named Guy learns the true nature of his existence when he meets the girl of his dreams, a human player. This player's interactions with Guy has massive affects on him, the game, and real world as they play it. (IMDB)  Nominated for Best Visual Effects

Four Good Days - A mother helps her daughter work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse. (IMDB). Nominated for Best Song (Somehow You Do).

No Time To Die - James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. (IMDB) Nominated for Sound, Visual Effects and Best Song (No Time to Die).

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization. (IMDB) Nominated for Visual Effects.

Coming Soon!

These Oscar-nominated films have not yet been released on DVD and Blu-Ray, but they are on order. Place your hold now!

Belfast - A young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Kenneth Branagh), Best Supporting Actor (Ciaran Hinds), Best Supporting Actress (Judy Dench), Original Screenplay, Sound and Song (Down To Joy).

Licorice Pizza - The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), and Original Screenplay.

Nightmare Alley - An ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is. (IMDB)  Nominated for Best Picture, Production Design, Costume Design, and Cinematography.

West Side Story -An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.  (IMDB) Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose), Production Design, Costume Design, Cinematography, Sound

The Worst Person in the World -The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature

Coming 2 America - The African monarch Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet this unexpected heir and build a relationship with his son. (IMDB). Nominated for Makeup and Hairstyling.

House of Gucci - When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel their legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately...murder. (IMDB) Nominated for Make-up and Hairstyling.

Spider-Man: No Way Home - With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. (IMDB) Nominated for Visual Effects.

Flee - An animated documentary telling the true story about a man's need to confront his past in order to truly have a future. Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 36, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for over 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time, he is sharing his story with his close friend. (IMDB). Nominated for Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, Best International Feature

Summer of Soul - Part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten--until now. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Documentary

Cyrano - A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne, Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian. (IMDB) Nominated for Costume Design.