C/WMARS Library Catalog Migration

There are some big changes coming to the online library catalog Memorial Day Weekend -- namely, a whole new catalog system.  If you use the current online catalog system to make requests, build wishlists, or track your reading, there are some things you're going to need to do before the migration to the new catalog is complete.  If your reading history and wishlists are as important to you as mine are to me, be sure to export them and then save them to your computer or email them to yourself -- these lists will not be converting with the new system.  Exporting your lists is easy to do:

1. log in to your account, 
2. go to your reading history or wishlist (select one list if you have multiples), 
3. click on the "export list" button,
4. select "full display" or "brief display" at the top of the page (I recommend "brief"),
5. then enter your email address if you wish to email it to yourself or click in the "screen" button if you simply wish to save it,
6. and finally, click "submit."

For more information about the new catalog system, visit the C/WMARS website -- there are other changes you may be interested in finding out about (like the fact that your PIN will change...).

Enjoy!  I look forward to seeing how the new system operates.
Looking for more information about the Hadley public library?  Check out their NEW website.

Wasp, Blue Flowers, Baby Peaches

(Click on the images to enlarge.)

This Week's News

A few recent news articles for your perusal:

The Hadley Schools Superintendent Search
Report on the Hadley Town Meeting
US Wildlife Service Buys Hadley Conservation Land

I alluded to the new town website on the previous post.  While I like the sharp, clean look of the old website better, the new website has much more functionality.  And though not all the pages are populated yet, there is much more available information than there had been previously.
The library has its own site-within-a-site with links to the catalogs, databases, events, and more; the town by-laws are accessible from the town's homepage; minutes and agendas are available for viewing; bills can be paid online; and there's now a comment form.  You can also sign up for email alerts from the town here: http://www.hadleyma.org/Subscriber
I'm sure more information will be added to the website over the next few months, filling in some of the blank spaces and making it even more useful.

Were you at the Town Meeting Thursday night?  If you weren't, I encourage you to make space in your schedule for the November meeting; if you were, keep up the good work and come back to the next one!  (One of my favourite parts of this year's meeting was picking up my very own copy of the Annual Town Report, in which there is plenty of useful information and one of my photos.)

Calendar Reminder: Town Meeting

Just a friendly reminder that the annual town meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night (Thursday, May 3).  For more information, visit the *NEW* town website.

Asper-grass

Asper: harsh, rough, rugged
Grass: something grown in a lawn around the dandelions and violets
Asper-grass*: rough grass found in a garden patch

You may be seeing the signs pop up around town: $3.50/bunch, Grass -- $4.00; it's asparagus season in the Valley! That rough, green, fibrous, Hadley grass is once again decorating local fields and gardens, being presented at roadside farm stands on nearly every street, and being offered on dinner tables as a tasty, fresh, spring vegetable.

Growing up I was never a fan of asparagus, but living in Hadley has changed my mind; now I can't seem to get enough.  Roasted with shallots, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, it makes a delicious side to nearly any dinner.  This week I'm going to try as a bed of vegetable puree under seared salmon.  And perhaps, if I get really brave, I'll try asparagus ribbons around an egg or asparagus spaghetti....  But Hadley Grass Soup sounds really good, too.

Don't miss out this season.  Local asper-grass is tasty and versatile.  Make sure to stop at one of those farm stands today and pick some up for dinner (or breakfast).

*Asper-grass is a made-up compound word, and as far as I can tell from looking in the Oxford English Dictionary, actually bears no relation to the real word "asparagus."

UMass Falcons

The peregrine falcon has a sad and difficult history in the Eastern United States, with the use of DDT on crops causing the falcon eggs to be thin-shelled and to break under the weight of parent birds during incubation.  By 1966 it seemed that peregrine falcons in Massachusetts were a thing of the past.  When DDT was banned in 1972 (30 years ago), efforts were made to reestablish the falcon, and now there are more than a dozen nesting pairs in Massachusetts.
The UMass Du Bois Library is home to one of these nesting pairs, and they have laid eggs.  You can watch the falcons, and hopefully the chicks in upcoming weeks, from the webcam on the library roof.
Enjoy your view of the birds!

Swan in the Pond

The Kestrel Land Trust has some beautiful conservation land that I'm just beginning to discover.  The other day, Mr Madley and I were cycling/hiking/walking and found a lovely bit of it on Lake Warner.  And this lovely bit had some lovely birds.
For example, the swan:

The Kestrel Land Trust is a special charitable trust founded to assist conservation, protect watersheds, provide walking trails, and create passive recreation areas.  Visit their website to learn more.