Learn Your Library Resources – Out-of-System Loan Requests

As many of our patrons probably know Moline Public Library is, along with most of the other QCA libraries on the Illinois side of the river, in a library system called PrairiCat. This means a couple different things, but for patrons the main thing is that all of the libraries in the system share material with one another for free. And with nearly 160 different public and school library locations in the system that means we can generally find you what you want (if you don’t mind waiting a bit). But what happens if you want something that no one in our system seems to have?

Before you turn to Amazon, you might want to try an out-of-system loan request. 

An out-of-system request, or interlibrary loan (ILL for short), is an item borrowed from outside of PrairieCat. We can search for and request items from massive database of libraries across the country and even around the world. But there are a few catches.

• MPL Only: Only Moline Public Library patrons in good standing can request an ILL from Moline Library. If you are from a different library, please contact your home library.
• Small Fee: There is a $3 fee for requests for items. This covers postage and handling. This fee is paid when you receive the item you have requested.
• Waiting Period: Waiting periods vary, will typically be longer than for requests (holds) placed within the PrairieCat system.
• Checkout Period: The checkout period is at the discretion of the lending library. The item will be checked out to our library before it is sent to us. That means that, unlike system holds, the due date is already set before the item arrives at our library. For this reason, it is best to pick up your ILL item(s) as soon as possible.
• Renewing: If you would like to renew an ILL, please contact the Circulation Department. We will have to contact the library system that we obtained the item from to ask for a renewal. For some systems, we will receive an answer right away. Other systems may require a few days to get back to us. Please ask for a renewal as soon as you know you need it.

How to Request an Interlibrary Loan

In Person

You can request an interlibrary loan by phone or in person.

Our staff are happy to place requests for you – please visit the library or call us at 309-524-2470.

PrairieCat ILL Request Form Online

You can find the PrairieCat ILL Request Form online.

• Once your are on the PrairieCat ILL Request Form page select the type of material you are looking for from the Interlibrary Loan Order Forms table.
• Enter your library card number, located on the back of your card, and your pin number, and click Submit.
• Enter as much information as you have about the item. The more information you have, the better. However, don’t worry if you don’t have all the information requested on the form.
• Click Submit This Request at the bottom.
• If you would like additional items, please go back to the ILL form and submit your additional requests.

You can find the PrairieCat ILL Request Form page through your Library Account.

• Click on the Account button on the Moline Library website
• Enter your library card number, located on the back of your card, and your pin number, and click Submit.
• On the bottom, right hand corner of the page the is a list of links titled “Library Links.” Click on the ILL request form link to be taken to the PrairieCat ILL Request Form page

When Your Request is Submitted

If we can find the item you are looking for, we will place your request. Be aware that we may not be able to get every item, especially newer and rare items, and, if we can get them, the wait might be longer for harder to find or more popular items. We will contact you if we are unable to find the item.

When we have placed the request, the title will show up in your account under ILL with the phrase “Awaiting Arrival.” This means that the item has been requested – it does not mean that the item is on its way. The library system that has the requested item can still deny to fulfill the request. 

 

If you have more questions, please contact the Circulation Department.

Travel Back in Time: 8 Illuminating History Books to Read Right Now

by JESSICA MIZZI, November 2, 2017, first appearing on Signature Reads

With everything that’s currently going on in the world, sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back (way back, in this case) and try to understand the world in which we live by learning about the past.

The list of eight books below are illuminating reads, packed with detailed information about significant historical events and figures that had lasting impacts on society. Spanning authors Ron Chernow, Kenneth Whyte, Robert Dallek, and more, these books are truly remarkable. So take a break from the present, and immerse yourself in these exceptional true stories of bygone days.

 

Grant

Ron Chernow

Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow, author of Alexander Hamilton, dazzles again with his biography of one of our most compelling generals and presidents: Ulysses S. Grant. Chernow’s evocative portrait of Grant showcases the highs and lows he experienced throughout his life, and provides readers with a deeper understanding of one our most underappreciated presidents. Grant is a masterful combination of research and style – it exposes the true story behind a Midwesterner that became extraordinary.

 

Hoover

Kenneth Whyte

This captivating biography documents the life of Herbert Hoover – one of the most remarkable Americans of the twentieth century. The text provides readers with an in-depth look at his life, his presidency, and his fight against the Great Depression that rocked this nation. Hoover’s vast successes and failures made him one of the most significant men in American history, and for the very first time, his momentous life is captured in a book for all to see.

 

The Three Lives of James Madison

Noah Feldman

Noah Feldman examines the Founding Father who transformed the United States in his “three lives” as a revolutionary thinker, a partisan political strategist, and as president. Madison was ahead of his time – he predicted that foreign threats would negatively affect civil liberties, he feared growing economic inequality, and believed that government by the people demanded resistance to wealth. Madison recognized the importance of the opinions of others, and thought of the media as a safeguard to liberty. His achievements and his struggles continue to impact the United States today.

 

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans

Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager

During the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson was ordered to assemble a coalition of frontier militiamen, French-speaking Louisianans, Cherokee and Choctaw Indians, freed slaves, and even some pirates. And on top of that, he had to defeat the most powerful military force in the world in the complex terrain of the Louisiana bayous. Basically, Jackson needed a miracle. Kilmeade and Yaeger make history come alive with this mesmerizing page-turner. Readers will have a whole new understanding of this great American general, and a renewed appreciation for the brave men who fought so that our country could become what it is today.

 

Martin Luther

Eric Metaxas

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas comes a compelling biography of one of the most inspiring men in modern history, Martin Luther. Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther’s Ninety-five These ignited outrage that would change everything he knew about the world. Eric Metaxas examines this revolutionary man, whose unwavering faith defied the power structure of Western Christianity, and propelled society into the future. Luther’s monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that continue to influence us today.

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Robert Dallek

Considering the current state of our nation, there is no better time to dive into Robert Dallek’s Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life. Roosevelt was a man of compromise – he sought to unite a divided country, and succeeded to do so by exhibiting a great sense of humanity. Roosevelt became a champion of the poor, and won an unprecedented four presidential terms, transforming an isolationist country into an international superpower. This gripping biography contains valuable lessons for leaders around the world.

 

The Written World

Martin Puchner

What would this world be without literature? Not very much. Literature has shaped civilization from the beginning of time, and in this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner takes readers on a trip around the globe, travelling through to showcase the great stories that have created the world we know today. This is the story of how literature changed everything, in sixteen acts – from Alexander the Great and the Iliad to Harry Potter.

 

Prince Charles

Sally Bedell Smith

Sally Bedell Smith examines the British royal family once again in this extraordinary biography. This time, her subject is Prince Charles – the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This fascinating book required years of research, and includes hundreds of interviews with those who know Prince Charles the best. With never-before-seen details and intimate discoveries, Smith reveals that Prince Charles is more complex and compelling than we previously thought.

Books to Film: April Edition

You Were Never Really Here by Jonathan Ames

Movie: You Were Never Really Here
When it comes out: April 6
What the book is about: Joe has witnessed things that cannot be erased. A former FBI agent and Marine, his abusive childhood has left him damaged beyond repair. He has completely withdrawn from the world and earns his living rescuing girls who have been kidnapped into the sex trade. When he’s hired to save the daughter of a corrupt New York senator held captive at a Manhattan brothel, he stumbles into a dangerous web of conspiracy, and he pays the price. As Joe’s small web of associates are picked off one by one, he realizes that he has no choice but to take the fight to the men who want him dead.

The Spinning Man by George Harrar

Movie: The Spinning Man
When it comes out: April 6
What the book is about: Mild-mannered philosophy professor Evan Birch spends his days teaching college students to seek truth. Then, one afternoon, he’s pulled over by the police, handcuffed, and questioned about the disappearance of a local high school cheerleader. When the missing girl’s lipstick turns up in his car, the evidence against him begins to build. Even his wife and sons are having their doubts. And as the investigating officer engages him in a decidedly non-Socratic dialogue, Evan Birch begins to understand that truth may be elusive indeed-but sometimes you have to pick a story and stick with it…

Zama by Antonio di Benedetto

Movie: Zama
When it comes out: April 13
What the book is about: Zama takes place in the last decade of the eighteenth century and describes the solitary, suspended existence of Don Diego de Zama, a highly placed servant of the Spanish crown who has been posted to Asunción, the capital of remote Paraguay. There, eaten up by pride, lust, petty grudges, and paranoid fantasies, he does as little as he possibly can while plotting his eventual transfer to Buenos Aires, where everything about his hopeless existence will, he is confident, be miraculously transformed and made good.

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni

Movie: The House of Tomorrow
When it comes out: April 20
What the book is about: Sebastian Prendergast lives in a geodesic dome with his eccentric grandmother, who homeschooled him in the teachings of futurist philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller. But when his grandmother has a stroke, Sebastian is forced to leave the dome and make his own way in town. Jared Whitcomb is a chain-smoking sixteen-year-old heart-transplant recipient who befriends Sebastian, and begins to teach him about all the things he has been missing, including grape soda, girls, and Sid Vicious.

Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

Movie: Disobedience
When it comes out: April 27
What the book is about: The story begins with the death of the community’s esteemed rabbi, which sets in motion plans for a memorial service and the search for a replacement. The rabbi’s nephew and likely successor, Dovid, calls his cousin Ronit in New York to tell her that her father has died. Ronit, who left the community long ago to build a life for herself as a career woman, returns home when she hears the news, and her reappearance exposes tears in the fabric of the community.

 

 

 

Books to Film: March Edition

Death Wish by Brian Garfield

Movie: Death Wish
When it comes out: March 2
What the book is about: Paul Benjamin, a successful accountant in New York City, is enjoying a three-martini lunch when his home is broken into by a gang of drug addicts. For just a handful of money, they savagely beat Paul’s wife and daughter, leaving his wife dead and his daughter comatose. Grief-stricken and forced to reevaluate his views, Benjamin becomes disillusioned with society and plots his revenge on the perpetrators, whom the police are unable to bring to justice. Armed with a revolver and total disregard for his own safety, he sets out to even the score.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

Movie: Red Sparrow
When it comes out: March 2
What the book is about: In present-day Russia, ruled by blue-eyed, unblinking President Vladimir Putin, Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle. Ordered against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a young CIA officer who handles the Agency’s most important Russian mole.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Movie: A Wrinkle in Time
When it comes out: March 9
What the book is about: Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Movie: Love, Simon
When it comes out: March 16
What the book is about: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly & J. M. Ken Nimura (artist)

Movie: I Kill Giants
When it comes out: March 23
What the book is about: Barbara Thorson, a girl battling monsters both real and imagined, kicks butt, takes names, and faces her greatest fear in this bittersweet, coming-of-age story called “Best Indy Book of 2008” by IGN.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Movie: Ready Player One
When it comes out: March 29
What the book is about: In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin

Movie: Lean on Pete
When it comes out: March 30
What the book is about: Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home, food on the table, and a high school he can attend for more than part of a year. But as the son of a single father working in warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, Charley’s been pretty much on his own. When tragic events leave him homeless weeks after their move to Portland, Oregon, Charley seeks refuge in the tack room of a run-down horse track. Charley’s only comforts are his friendship with a failing racehorse named Lean on Pete and a photograph of his only known relative. In an increasingly desperate circumstance, Charley will head east, hoping to find his aunt who had once lived a thousand miles away in Wyoming but the journey to find her will be a perilous one.

What People Are Reading: February Best Sellers

NYT Combined Print & E-Book Fiction

1. JUDGMENT ROAD by Christine Feehan (NEW)

As the enforcer of the Torpedo Ink motorcycle club, Reaper lives for riding and fighting. He’s a stone-cold killer who turns his wrath on those who deserve it. Feelings are a weakness he can’t afford–until a gorgeous bartender, Anya Rafferty, gets under his skin…

2. THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn
3. FALL FROM GRACE by Danielle Steel (NEW)
4. THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
5. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng
6. ORIGIN by Dan Brown
7. BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate
8. READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
9. ABOUT THAT KISS by Jill Shalvis (NEW)
10. THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham

Genre Friday – Magical Realism

Robert Gonsalves, On the High Seas

Magical Realism is a very interesting genre. In the broadest, and most obvious terms, it deals with stories that incorporate magic into realistic settings. That could be viewed as an oversimplification though, since the same thing could be said for Urban Fantasy, which is a very different animal indeed. So, while magical realism could arguably be given a place at the speculative fiction table (and maybe even the little table near the kitchen that is reserved for Fantasy genres and subgenres), it typically isn’t. And for good reason. Often viewed as literary fiction, rather than the often less respected genre fiction (haters gonna hate) it could be compared to, it has a style and feeling all its own.

This may have something to due with its attributed origins as a primarily Latin American product.  Jorge Luis Borges, Elena Garro, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende, among others, are seen as founders and pioneers of the genre. It has spread out from there, with authors of other places and cultures taking to the surreal world of magical realism, but no matter where they are from the genre always has certain elements in common to one extent or another.

Magical realism incorporates magic into the everyday, mundane world in a way that almost suggests it is commonplace; or, if not commonplace, than at least not terribly alarming to the protagonist. Its mystic elements, usually (or at least traditionally) rooted in folklore or mythology, are often subtle or underplayed and may go completely unremarked upon in the story. The subtle blending of the detailed, real-world setting with the fantastical, and the characters’ often almost casual acceptance of it (‘Huh, cats don’t usually talk, but it would be rude not to say hello‘ or ‘That is a little odd, the ghosts of my long dead ancestors don’t usually appear in my breakfast nook, I should ask them if I can get them anything‘) create a surreal, dream-like feeling in many of these works. In many situations, the calm, dream-like feeling is strengthened even further by the narrators indifference. They are frequently equally as unaffected by the “real” elements of their world as they are the fantastic, never seeking an explanation for their circumstances or the things they have witnessed. Meanwhile, the reader, confronted by a constant barrage of strange and impossible events in this realistic setting, experiences an ever-building sense of mystery, and occasionally foreboding, as the characters and the story calmly approach the point of climax.

If you enjoy waking from those particularly weird and vivid dreams that leave you with a distinct sense of confused wonder, or if wish you had dreams like that, then this is the genre for you.

Examples:

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Books to Film: February Releases

The 15:17 to Paris by Jeffrey Stern

Movie: The 15:17 to Paris
When it comes out: February 9
What the book is about: On August 21, 2015, Ayoub El-Khazzani boarded train #9364 in Brussels, bound for Paris. He was heavily armed and his mission was clear.  Another major ISIS attack was about to begin. Khazzani wasn’t expecting Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone. All three were fearless. But their decision-to charge the gunman, then overpower him even as he turned first his gun, then his knife, on Stone-depended on a lifetime of loyalty, support, and faith.

Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James

Movie: Fifty Shades Freed
When it comes out: February 9
What the book is about: Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Movie: Peter Rabbit
When it comes out: February 9
What the book is about: When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor’s garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. Any child with a spark of sass will find Peter’s adventures remarkably familiar. And they’ll see in Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail that bane of their existence: the “good” sibling who always does the right thing. One earns bread and milk and blackberries for supper, while the obstinate folly of the other warrants medicine and an early bedtime.

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine

Movie: The Female Brain
When it comes out: February 9
What the book is about: This comprehensive new look at the hormonal roller coaster that rules women’s lives down to the cellular level, “a user’s guide to new research about the female brain and the neurobehavioral systems that make us women,” offers a trove of information, as well as some stunning insights into the female brain from birth (“baby girls will connect emotionally in ways that baby boys don’t”) to birthing (“Motherhood changes you because it literally alters a woman’s brain-structurally, functionally, and in many ways, irreversibly”) to menopause (when “the female brain is nowhere near ready to retire”) and beyond.

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

Movie: Annihilation
When it comes out: February 23
What the book is about: Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer. This is the twelfth expedition.

Every Day by David Levithan

Movie: Every Day
When it comes out: February 23
What the book is about: Every day a different body. Every day a different life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

Movie: The War with Grandpa
When it comes out: February 23
What the book is about: The hilarious story of a boy who leaps into battle when he’s forced to share a room with his grandfather. Peter is thrilled that Grandpa is coming to live with his family. That is, until Grandpa moves right into Peter’s room, forcing him upstairs. Peter loves his grandpa but wants his room back. He has no choice but to declare war! With the help of his friends, Peter devises outrageous plans to make Grandpa surrender the room. But Grandpa is tougher than he looks. Rather than give in, Grandpa plans to get even.

And, They’re Off!

A quick look at the best selling authors and books at the start of the new year.

NYT Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Best Sellers

1. THE PEOPLE VS. ALEX CROSS by James Patterson

Alex Cross is on the wrong side of the law. Serving a suspension from the force while he awaits trial for murder, Cross has been branded as a trigger-happy cop, another bad apple walking the streets with a gun, an accusation that Cross will do anything to refute. To make himself feel useful again, Cross opens a counseling office in the basement of his home. When his former partner Sampson shows up needing his help, Cross jumps at the chance, even if it may end up costing him what’s left of his career. When a string of young, blonde women go missing, the investigation leads Cross and Sampson to the darkest, most depraved corners of the internet. Struggling to prove his own innocence and uncover the truth lurking online, Cross must risk everything to save his most at-risk patient of all…himself. 

2. TWO KINDS OF TRUTH by Michael Connelly
3. ORIGIN by Dan Brown
4. THE WANTED by Robert Crais (NEW)
5. TWISTED by Helen Hardt (NEW)
6. DARKER by E.L. James
7. THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham
8. THE SUN AND HER FLOWERS by Rupi Kaur
9. THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn (NEW)
10. MILK AND HONEY by Rupi Kaur

Genre Friday – Weird Westerns

True or False?

Sergio Leone’s iconic Man with No Name Trilogy would’ve been better if Clint Eastwood’s horse was actually a steam-driven, robotic mount and he had a demonically-possessed, talking Peacemaker that had all the best lines.

If you answered “True,” or even “False, because those movies are great, but I would totally watch that crazy robot horse, talking gun one too,” then weird westerns might just be for you.

Weird West tales, you may have guessed by now, are a mashup of traditional Western settings, themes and tropes and various elements of speculative fiction. Many such stories incorporate steampunk elements. Remember The Wild, Wild West TV show… or the later movie starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline if the TV show was before your time? Perfect example of what we’re talking about. They may also feature magical realism and/or fantasy like incorporation of magic or fanciful creatures. Like other historical fiction, the stories can feature real-life people and events, although many weird westerns start their world-building from scratch.

Examples:

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

The Devil’s Call by J. Danielle Dorn

The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman

The Haunted Mesa by Louis L’Amour

Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente

Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher

The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt (illustrator) & Tyler Crook (illustrator)

 

 

Learn Your Library Resources – NEW Circulating Board & Card Games Collection

Just in time for those long holiday breaks!

The new board game collection, funded by the Friends of the Moline Library, is now available for check-out!

More than 25 games, ranging from Pit to Sorry to Settlers of Catan, are located on the 2nd floor at the end of the reference collection shelving area, on the opposite side of the older newspapers. Games check out for 3 weeks and are “holdable.” You can even search our catalog to see what games are available – use the word “games” as a keyword and then limit the results to “3-D object” as the format.

Contact the reference desk at (309) 524-2470 with any questions.