Blogs

December's history blog  is about the brick industry of Rockland County. At one time, Haverstraw was one of the greatest brickmaking centers in the East with the entire river front from Haverstraw to Grassy Point dotted with brick yards. In its height, there were 38 yards producing 326,000,000 bricks annually. "For a century and a half" wrote G. Wilson Bartine in the Journal News, "Haverstraw's terrain was cut and slashed and pitted with yawning holes to furnish clay for the manufacturing of bricks, which were then sent up and down the Atlantic seaboard.

Try to imagine the terrain as the rolling hills and level plains were replaced with deep water-filled holes, some of them many acres in extent. The trivia question is:

When did brick making begin in Rockland County?

 a)1770's         b)Early 1810's                c. Mid -1830's

Tune in next week for the answer. For futher informatio the Rockland Room has several books on brick making and there is a short concise history in

Together! Our parent/child (ages 9-11) book talk series sponsored by the NYS Council for the Humanities has been postponed due to presenter illness.  The first meeting was scheduled for tonight 12/9.

We are proud to be a recipient of this grant from the Humanities Council and look forward to being able to present this program soon.  Information about rescheduling this program will be posted to our website and at the children's reference desk as soon as it is available. We regret any inconvenience the postponement may cause. 

A.F.I.  Crash Love                                                                                                 MR AFI CL I17

Archuleta, David.  Christmas From the Heart                                                        R ARCH CFT J94

BCD Ahern

14+ hours.

BCD Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Read by Barbara Rosenblat and Cassandra Morris. 8 discs. 9+ hours.

"Renee, the concierge of a Paris apartment building who looks down her nose at the elites she must kowtow to while surreptitiously studying art, philosophy, and music…. Paloma is a 12-year-old living on the fifth floor who is also appalled by what she sees around her and decides to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday."

BCD Bradford

Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Read by Katherine Kellgren.

11 discs. 13 hours.

BCD Brown

Preparation for the Christmas season is on its way along with Chanukah and Kwanzaa.  It is a time of gift giving and what better way to start then creating edible presents from your kitchen?  Culinary treats as holiday gifts are personal and thoughtful especially when you make them yourselves.  Homemade gifts from the kitchen may save you some money.  They can also be customized for those with special diets or allergies.  It is also a wonderful way to gather the family together in making them!