Posted by eileen on December 30, 2009
Such a lovely song, but where did it come from and why do we sing it on New Year’s Eve? I decided to do some quick database searching to get an answer. According to a 1998 article from The Christian Science Monitor, “Scottish poet Robert Burns is credited with writing the song, though it’s more likely he pieced the words and melody together from old Scottish folk songs. Translated, ‘auld lang syne’ means ‘old long since,’ or ‘days gone by’ in a Scottish dialect.” The words we sing today are slightly different from Burns’ original poem. Here are the first couple verses:
| SHOULD auld acquaintance be forgot, |
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| And never brought to min’? |
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| Should auld acquaintance be forgot, |
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| And days o’ lang syne? |
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| We twa hae rin about the braes, |
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| And pu’d the gowans fine; |
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| But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit |
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| Sin’ auld lang syne. |
The entire text of Burns’ poem can be viewed at Bartleby.com.
Guy Lombardo and his band, The Royal Canadians, are credited with making the song a New Year’s standard, after playing it on the radio to millions of Americans on December 31, 1929. For more information about that historic performance, take a look at Sarah Burton’s Moment: December 31, 1929: The Roosevelt Grill, New York City, five minutes to midnight… This article and the earlier mentioned article can be found in InfoTrac General One File. WPL card holders can access this database from home and anyone can access it from inside the library.
More information:
Auld Lang Syne Lyrics from Wikipedia
History of Auld Lang Syne from About.com
Links to sheet music from About.com
Posted by eileen on October 30, 2009
The November/December edition of the Focus on the Library newsletter is now available at the library! Pick up your copy at the Checkout Desk or the Reference Desk. If you don’t have time to come to the library (or don’t feel like braving the rain), don’t worry! Focus on the Library is also available online through our Book News page. Would you like to be emailed each time a new edition is available online? Go to the Book News page and click Sign Up, next to the Focus on the Library link.
WPL also puts out many other online newsletters, including: New Fiction, Children’s Fiction, and many more! The Book News page also has links to award-winning titles and other lists, like the New York Times Bestsellers.
Posted by eileen on September 21, 2009
Football season is in full swing and we bet you’re dying to know more. Interested in Chicago Bears history? Check out a great book, like Mudbaths and Bloodbaths: The Inside Story of the Bears-Packers Rivalry or The 50 Greatest Plays in Chicago Bears Football History. More interested in the coaches? Check out Halas’ autobiography (or Ditka’s!). Is there a great Chicago Bears book that you don’t see in our catalog? Make a suggestion! Let the Reference Desk know what books you would like to see added to the collection.
More info. online:
Official Website – Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears Team Page
Tribune article – Chicago Bears beat Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14
Watch Bears videos on YouTube!
Posted by dawn on July 29, 2008
Opt In to My Reading History to keep track of what you’re reading, watching and listening to! Log into your library account using your barcode number and PIN. Click the My Reading History button then click the Opt In button. See the Opt Out button instead? Then you’re already keeping track of your checkouts. Anything checked out after clicking the Opt In button will display on the screen in alphabetical order by title. To remove titles, click the box in the Mark column to select the titles you wish to delete. Then click the Delete Marked button. You can delete everything in your list without selecting them first by clicking the Delete All button. To Opt Out, click the Delete All button to delete your reading history, then click the Opt Out button. You’re the only one who can see your reading history - it is only accessible with your library barcode number and PIN.
