The new catalog is live, have you tried it out yet? This refers to the visiting the catalog through a web browser (the CountyCat app has stayed the same). You can log in to your account as usual to manage holds, pay fines, and browse for new things to borrow.

The library hosted our Annual Edible Book Festival in April. An edible book is an item that looks like a book, puns on a title, refers to a character, or just has something to do with books. The only rule is that entries must be made from edible ingredients. During the festival, all who attend get to vote on their favorite edible books. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone that participated. We had a lot of amazing entries so thank you and we hope to see you back in 2025 as we celebrate 10 years of the Edible Book Festival at our library!

I like to keep track of what I read on an app mainly because I have reached an age where I can't always remember what I read. This is especially true when a patron or a friend asks me what I have read recently. Then, my mind goes completely blank.

I recently traveled to Mexico City to spend the holidays with my son and his wife who are currently living there. No trip to Mexico City is complete without a visit to Casa Azul in Coyoacan, which was the home of Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), who has long been one of my favorite artists. I love the very intimate nature of Kahlo’s paintings which are often self-portraits, done in a wonderfully magical style. Although her paintings are quite dreamlike, Frida stated, “I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.” I also admire Kahlo for the way she lived her life with abandon, despite the ever-present pain she was in and the many operations she endured throughout her life after surviving a catastrophic bus accident when she was a teenager. My trip inspired me to put together a list of books about Frida Kahlo that are in the youth collection at the Whitefish Bay Public Library.