Take a Trip through the NH Collection

Previous blogs have highlighted many of the special sections of the NHTI library available to students to enjoy from graphic novels to DVDs to ESL books. One area that should be of special interest to residents of the Granite State is the NH Collection.

Tucked against that far wall as you enter the building (behind the rolling stacks) you will find several shelves of books dedicated to the history and happenings of New Hampshire  It is here that you will find interesting books on individual NH cities, land features such as Mount Washington, nefarious doings that will curdle the blood, and famous personages that have either been born in the state or have visited. Read below for just a taste of what the collection offers.

Mary Baker Eddy by Gil Gillian
Born in Bow, NH Mary Baker Eddy did what so few others, man or woman, has ever done – created a new religion that in 2015 boasted over two billion members. Take this book off the shelf and learn how she went from being a middle-aged widowed and divorced mother in poor health to the founder of The Church of Christ, Scientist as well the founder of a newspaper and three magazines.

Abraham Lincoln in NH by Elwin Page (Author), Mike Pride (Editor)
In February of 1860, Abraham Lincoln graced NH with a three-day visit when he visited his son, Robert, at Phillips Academy in Exeter. While here, Lincoln gave three speeches which helped him gain NH’s backing to be the next President of the United States. 

My Brave Boys: To War with Colonel Cross and the Fighting Fifth
by Mike Pride and Mark Travis
When the Civil War came calling, how did New Hampshire measure up? Mike Pride and Mark Travis use letters, newspaper articles and diaries to shine a light on the courageous “Fighting Fifth” of New Hampshire.

Stories from the White Mountains: Celebrating the Region's Historic Past
 by Mike Dickerman
The White Mountains of New Hampshire has a past rich with explorers, lumberjacks, hotels, trains and so much more. Mike Dickerman brings this history to life detailing events covering plane crashes, logging railroads and even the great Hurricane of 1938. A great read for those who want to look past the foliage and into the background of the area.

Judgement Ridge: the Dartmouth Murders and the Making of Teenage Killers by Mitchell Zuckoff
In January of 2001, two Dartmouth College professors were viciously murdered in their own NH home. The town of Hanover was rocked by the news and by the fear generated in the wake of the murders of Half and Susanne Zantop. Who did it? Why? The answer is as chilling as the crime.

The NH Collection at NHTI Library offers many interesting and exciting looks into our state history.  Take a moment to browse through this area to learn something new about New Hampshire. From the unique storytelling of Fritz Wetherbee to books explaining how our little state owns the first-in-the-nation primary the NH Collection is sure to have something for you.

Let's Take a Trip to Another Land: Dystopian Reads by Annie Gagne

I've always thought reading was a great way to escape one's own reality in exchange for the comedies, tragedies, and the high and lows of their favorite stories. In actuality, there is no better way to escape reality than to enter that of a dystopian novel. Societies divided into factions or districts provide a stark contrast to our everyday communities. What about a world where aliens come to your world and inhabit a human's body in an attempt to make a more peaceful world?  How about a life of never-ending video games that are seemingly meaningless, but are instead preparation for a battle against aliens looking to destroy Earth? These are just a few of the kinds of worlds you can dive into in a dystopian novel and, even better, most are written as a series! Here are a handful of novels you might want to pick up:

 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.*

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.  

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing unrest that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.*

 The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. *

 The Giver  by Lois Lowry

The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.*

 The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.*

 Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.*

 The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them - the beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see.  To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.*

Happy reading!

*Summaries provided by Goodreads

Where Did All of These Movies Come From?

Some of our longtime students know that we have an eclectic and interesting collection of feature films on DVD and Blu-ray. Those who have taken Professor Steve Ambra’s film studies classes are probably aware of that as well. Up until now, it’s been a little difficult to find them because they were divided between shelves in the Circulation Office and stored away in a back room. Now, for the first time, they have a new home in our browsing area just inside the Library to the right of the main entrance. Our collection includes an extensive non-fiction DVD collection which can be searched by the catalog, and an equally impressive collection of films, TV series and children’s videos, all arranged by the title of the show!

To find a movie now is as easy as ABC. If you want Casablanca, look in C; The Man Who Knew Too Much, look in M; and for Disney’s Peter Pan, just look in the children’s section under P.

TV shows, specials and mini-series are shelved next to the feature films and they are also browsable by title…Foyle’s War under F, and Prime Suspect under P.

You may want to conduct your own set of film studies once you see that we have an extensive collection of movies by Hitchcock and Kubrick, as well as John Ford, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, Buster Keaton, and Sergio Leone!

And all of these DVDs check out for 7 days at a time, giving you plenty of time to curl up on the couch with a nice cup of cocoa and indulge yourself when you need a break from studying for that killer AP exam.

Also, while we know that fictional films are great, don’t forget to turn around and look at the non-fiction films that we have as well. While you may want to grab a catalog computer to look up a special subject, a quick look at the shelves reveals DVDs on Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Ted Williams’ baseball career, Ken Burns’ history of Jazz, PBS’s Eyes on the Prize, weather and climate, first aid, animals and plants and hundreds of other subjects just waiting to be explored.

So, come in and take a stroll past our videos. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find…all because you are part of the NHTI community!