The Ned M. Barnes Northwest Room at the Downtown Library has some pretty fantastic rare books and ephemera to display. This month Northwest Room Librarian Riva Dean assembled rare books detailing the rise of caricatures for Foibles and Follies: Caricature and Cartoons. The books span from the 18^th century through the 20^th and detail caricatures and cartoons from French, English and American artists. Caricatures were used to comment on anything from fashion and lifestyles of aristocracy to government and major issues of the day. Caricatures were a form of satire popularized by the fact that people from many different walks of life could appreciate and understand what the artist was trying to convey. Those who couldn’t afford to buy prints or books of the drawings would crowd around storefronts looking at the displays. The exhibit features a wide variety of books, from Francisco Goya to William C. Morris. Goya, a famous Spanish painter, known as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the Modernists was already quite famous before printing his book of caricatures in the 18^th century. William C. Morris was the first editorial cartoonist at The Spokesman-Review from 1904 to 1913. The images are fun and evocative of the many stories and eras they depict. You’ll definitely want to crowd around the windows and display cases of the Northwest Room to see this fascinating exhibit.

Pictured at right: William C. Morris self-portrait

Change!
If you’ve been to the Downtown Library lately you’ll most definitely have noticed lots of change. We now have the entire kids and young adult sections on the 2^nd floor. The former children’s area (on the 3rd floor) is empty except for a few chairs and partial shelving units.

Why?
Two main reasons: 1. easier access to materials for our youngest customers; 2. hosting Mobius Science Center on our 3^rd floor for approximately six months while their new, permanent home is under construction. Change is good and we’re already hearing from parents who are enjoying not having to go as far for storytime and to access kid’s books.

Excitement!
We’re super-jazzed about the Mobius Science Center partnership! We have been ramping up STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning opportunities in all our libraries and hosting Mobius Science Center in our Downtown location is a perfect way to expand on those learning opportunities! While in the library, there will be a $7 suggested donation for admission into Mobius Science Center and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult to enter. Please note that Mobius Children’s Museum will not be moving – they’re staying in their current location, in the lower level of River Park Square.

Join Us!
On Wednesday, April 8 at 11:30 am there will be a grand opening of Mobius Science Center in the Downtown Library; we’d love to see you there!

Staff at the Downtown Library have been cleaning house a bit and reorganizing a lot in preparation for the new RFID self check and to make room for Mobius Science. Combine all of this activity with the beautiful sunny weather Spokane has been enjoying, and one can see why we have spring cleaning on the brain. So 648 Housekeeping seemed like a natural subject to peruse for the March Dewey article.

Cleaning may seem like a straightforward subject, but apparently it’s much more than dust bunnies under the couch or hard water stains in your tub. For example, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering & Organizing, seems to espouse that tidying up will result in not only a clean home, but a clear mind and outlook. Throw Out 50 Things: Clear Clutter, Find Your Life is another book that takes cleaning to the next level. Clutter Busting: letting Go of What’s Holding You Back follows this trend of cleaning as a metaphor for life, but this one may not be for the faint of heart. Chapters include “Clutter is an Addiction” and “Clutter as Punishment.” Step away from the broom mom. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-free Approach to Intentional Living and Organize and Create Discipline: An A-Z Guide to an Organized Existence follow the same vein.

For those of us who would prefer to read books about cleaning in hopes that it will magically translate into a clean home, we have titles like: Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens. This is such a pretty title that I actually want to go spend time in my laundry room (even if I am just reading the book while drinking coffee and not actually loading the machine). Speed Cleaning is tempting because it seems so direct and to the point. Another angle to cleaning that looks fun (by this, I mean another angle that may trick me into wanting to clean) is “green” books. Greening Your Cleaning, Herbal Homekeeping: Simple Recipes for a Naturally Clean Abode and Organic Housekeeping all conjure images of bright, clean homes; very inspirational. If all else fails, check out The House that Cleans Itself. Really, what could be better?

The Dewey article above listed books to inspire spring cleaning but now you’ll need your cleaning soundtrack. Freegal is just the place to look. Remember, you can download five songs a week with your library card and they’re yours to keep (they don’t expire). We don’t want you to get stuck surfing Freegal (since the objective is cleaning) so we’ve selected five songs to get you moving. Enjoy!

• “Whistle While You Work,” done by Artie Shaw and His New Music is a great one to start with. It’s upbeat and bound to put you in a good mood. It’s found here on a collection of songs: The Great Depression – American Music In The 30’s. Some of the other songs might be appropriate too. As you survey your spring cleaning project you might want download “We Sure Got Hard Times,” or “Gloomy Sunday.”
• The instrumental, “Clean Sweep,” by Bobby Broom is a sure bet, how can you beat all those cleaning references in one song and artist?!
• Post-punk rocker Lizzy Mercier Descloux will pick up the pace of your clean up with the song, “Payola.” The repeated refrain of “pick it up” is sure to get us doing deep knee bends to retrieve stuff from the floor!
• If electronica is your thing then try Plastic Noise Experience (PNE) and their song “Vacuum” from their album, Reiz und Reaktion. The piece has a nice quick beat that will turn vacuuming into an aerobic workout.

Happy cleaning (or at least music listening).