Shelburne Public Library shares weekly news, recommended read of the week

December 4, 2025 · 0 Comments

Did you know if the Shelburne Library doesn’t have a book you are looking for, they will borrow it from another library?

After hearing the poem “All at Once” by Clint Smith when listening to Brene Brown’s latest book “Strong Ground,” Shannon, the library’s new chief executive officer, knew she wanted to read more of Smith’s poetry. However, both Shelburne and Orangeville (Shannon’s home library) didn’t have his latest collection “Above Ground.”

That’s when Jade and Amy, the Shelburne Library’s Interlibrary Loan experts came to the rescue. Within just two weeks of making the request, Shannon had a copy in her hands all the way from Niagara Falls.

So, the next time you search the library for a book, and they don’t have it, remember that the staff are happy to help you borrow a copy from another library. Talk about service!

This week’s recommended read

“I’m Supposed to Protect You From All This” by Nadja Spiegelman: For a long time, Nadja Spiegelman believed her mother was a fairy. French-born New Yorker art director Françoise Mouly exerted a force over reality that was both dazzling and daunting. As Nadja’s body changed their relationship grew tense. Unwittingly, they were replaying a drama from her mother’s past. Eventually, Françoise recounted her turbulent adolescence, and the weight of the difficult stories she told her daughter shifted the balance between them.

Why Molly recommends it: I first read Maus in my AP Lit class, as most people my age did. To me, it was a revolutionary medium to tell such a difficult story (see also: Persepolis). When I saw his daughter had a memoir, I was surprised there wasn’t more fanfare surrounding it. I was also surprised to learn her mother and grandmother were both writers and editors.

This memoir was meant to just be about her mother, however, when pursuing her mother’s ‘true’ story, Nadja is instead launched on a full generational journey following her mother, her grandmother and her great grandmother.

I was mesmerized by what she unearthed, her ability to relate emotional subject matter succinctly and the atmosphere she manages to inject into every chapter. We are all connected by our matrilineal lines, even when they seem disconnected. We are also defined by our family stories, whether the details are actually correct or not.

This is a book about reconnection, redemption and above all: Love.