From Karen / That Wild Country by Mark Kenyon

FIND IT HERE:
Catalog

From Beryl / Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl

This is the story of a former Berkeley hippie entering the corporate world and worrying about losing her soul. It highlights the moment restaurants became an important part of popular culture, a time when the rise of the farm-to-table movement changed, forever, the way we eat.

FIND IT HERE:
Catalog / Libby

From Kristin / Horse by Geraldine Brooks

From Travis / The Dogs Bark by Truman Capote

FIND IT HERE:
Catalog

From Isabelle  /
Thirty Minutes Over Oregon : a Japanese pilot's World War II story by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Expedition Backyard : exploring nature from country to city by Rosemary Mosco

From Linda / Magazines at the Library like National Geographic, People, the Week and Time

Magazines at the Library like National Geographic, People, the Week and Time grab my attention when new issues arrive.  I love looking at the pictures and reading about places from all over the world, people and sometimes current events.  In addition to what is available for check out at the Library, the Libby app has over 5,500 magazines to subscribe to for FREE. 

Every topic of interest can be explored. There are no loan limits, wait lists and no due dates.  My current magazines on Libby are Quilting Arts, Love Patchwork and Quilting, Love of Quilting and Simply Sewing.  When a new issue drops, I get a notification on my phone.   I stopped buying quilting magazines; now, I can look at the current and back issues to spark my creative, obsessive endeavors without spending a dime.  With your library card, you can check out magazines at the Library for 3 weeks at a time, or download them from Libby.  Happy magazine binge reading!!!

FIND IT HERE:
Magazines on the Libby App

From Cheryl / Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

There are two boards that serve our library: Advisory Board and Library Foundation Board. Although they have different purposes, their main focus is support of our library.

The Advisory Board has 7 members: Barbara Skillman, Karen Hendrickson, Ramona Revak, Doug Furr, Kate Cunningham, Arthel Kline and Patty Dorroh, county commissioner. Primary responsibilities include proposing governance policies to the County Court for approval, approving an annual budget for the library, offering advice and community input regarding the operation of the library. They meet the last Tuesday of the month at 4:30 pm; meetings are open to the public. 

Harney County Library Foundation Board is currently composed of 4 members: Fred Flippence, Myndi Hemphill, Mike Laiosa and Jean Seeley. This 501(c)3 nonprofit board manages the Claire McGill Luce endowment, fundraises and accepts donations, grants and gifts for support of the library. They meet the third Tuesday of the month at 5 pm; meetings are open to the public.
We are so grateful to these people for volunteering their time and offering their support for our library. 

For more information: Harney County Library Foundation & Harney County Advisory Board

Our collection is home to a wide variety of self-improvement and skill-building materials. There are a few on display and MANY withing the stacks

Here is a sampling to get you started.

Listed below are books available at Harney County Library, as well as streaming services available through Hoopla. Click the image to see more information about the item!

Available streaming on Hoopla (FREE with your library card):

Available streaming on Hoopla (FREE with your library card):

Available streaming on Hoopla (FREE with your library card):

Book recommendations from staff members of Harney County Library! All of these titles are available either in the catalog, at the library, or on one of our e-book/audiobook platforms.

A group of the most talented magicians is selected for possible initiation into a secret society. Only five will be chosen. During the qualification year, this group will fight to survive and prove themselves the best.

Available here: Catalog (order via Sage) / Libby App / Hoopla

Based on a true story of women artists in early 1900s, when the art world was dominated by men, this tells the story of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint. Hilma and her friends formed the club for emotional support as they pursued their passion.

Available here: Catalog (order via Sage)

One of the great unsolved criminal cases of the 20th century:  the only skyjacker never to be caught by authorities.

Available here: Catalog (at HCL) / Libby App

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in jail convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. No visitors until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew.

Available here: Catalog (order via Sage + soon to be added to HCL) / Libby App / Hoopla

Set in a time when many believed a woman’s place was in the home, Elizabeth Zott is a scientist who finds the road to success very bumpy. Forging her own path, she eventually finds herself the star of a cooking show that sparks a revolution.

Available here: Catalog (at HCL) / Libby App

 A bereaved musician embarks under sail in a not-too-distant America in search of his departed, deeply beloved, wife. He finds an increasingly desperate and illiterate people, a malignant billionaire ruling class, crumbled infrastructure, and a lawless society. His private quest for the love of his life sweeps up friends and foes alike.

Available here: Catalog (at HCL) / Libby App / Hoopla

A series that has caught my ear recently is the Lady Darby Mysteries by Anna Lee Huber.  The first book, The Anatomist’s Wife, was published in 2012 & the latest book, A Fatal Illusion (Lady Darby Mystery, #11), was published last year.

The Goodread's summary of The Anatomist’s Wife:
"Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.

Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage—a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn’t about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl.

When Kiera and Gage’s search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim…"

I am currently listening to A Study in Death - book 4.  This series is a little dark, but highlights the intellect and observational skills of a strong female character that doesn’t always conform to societal norms.

Some books in series available at the Harney County Library - click here
All books in series available in the Sage System - click here
E-Books (1-11) available on Libby - click here
Audio (1-11) available on Hoopla - click here

Four pensioners in a retirement village form a club that meets in the Jigsaw Room on Thursdays. So far, so normal, right? But wait, these elders have formed a group they call the Thursday Murder Club, whose purpose is reviewing old, unsolved murder cases from files kept when one of them retired.

Soon enough they have a real murder to solve. They may use their old age to insert themselves into the police case but their minds are sharp and the whole group is very resourceful. At times laugh out loud funny, other times so very sad, yet realistic in dealing with issues of aging, this whodunit is clever, witty and completely entertaining.

If you like this book, there are 3 more in the series (so far). I think each one gets better!

Large Print Book available at the Harney County Library - click here
Playaway Audio available at the Harney County Library - click here

The crumbling remains of a once bustling component of America’s National Air Defense Command system perches on the skyline from a mile-high butte overlooking the cities of Burns and Hines in Oregon’s southeastern corner. Following its closure and abandonment in 1970 after fifteen years of service, this former military installation has been a curiosity to visitors and area residents who only know the site as an eerie remnant from the Cold War era and a heavily vandalized teen hangout.

In an effort to capture the fast-disappearing knowledge of this fascinating chapter in Harney County history, the Harney County Historical Society, in conjunction with the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room at the Harney County Library and the Harney County Chamber of Commerce invites the public to a roundtable community discussion of the 634th Radar Squadron Burns Air Force Station, colloquially known as the Radar Base. Former military personnel, civilian employees, and families are encouraged to join us April 5th at 6 p.m. in the Chamber of Commerce meeting room to share recollections, photographs, or other memorabilia of their experiences associated with the Radar Base. Several local community members who were stationed at the base for a time will begin the discussion by recounting their own experiences.

Seventy years ago, in April 1954, construction began on the 31-acre military facility atop Burns Butte that would house the 634th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron tasked with operating and maintaining search radar sets and height-finder radars. Distinctive rubberized “bubbles” protected the delicate radar electronics from the harsh environment atop the butte. The Burns installation was one of many radar sites and “gap fillers” along a Pacific coast route known as the “Pine Tree Line” –part of the first coordinated system for early detection of a Soviet bomber attack on North America. Rapidly evolving jet and missile technology led to modifications in most of these early detection systems which then joined the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) defense system.

The Burns Radar Base was planned as a small community within itself, having many of the same facilities found in any town: housing, cafeteria style dining hall, independent water supply, recreation room and sporting equipment, mail room, etc. in addition to twenty Quonset barracks buildings, an officer’s quarters, two supply houses, two warehouses, well house and a headquarters building. In June 1955, an advance group consisting of a commander and eight men arrived at the site, followed by upwards of 70 enlisted men and their families. At the time of closing in 1970, the base supported twenty civilian employees and 106 Air Force officers and enlisted personnel.

The roundtable event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Harney County Historical Society. Phone: 541.573.5618    Email: [email protected]

Learn more about the history of the Burns Radar Base in the files at the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room and through our online digital archives.

More exciting news from the library! Isabelle, our Youth Services Coordinator, has spearheaded a project that involves our beautiful library park, library teen advisory board, and a talented local muralist. As of this week, we have nearly reached our fundraising goal of $4,500.

We began raising money in December of last year. We were gifted some gorgeous handmade butterfly-themed ornaments created by talented volunteers and sold them for $5, $10, and $20. Many folks made individual donations and we also received some assistance from the Harney County Library Foundation to cover the initial deposit. In the past couple months, Isabelle has reached out to local businesses and received many generous contributions. These businesses will be featured on display panel adjacent to the art installation.

Want to know more about the mural? This public art project consists of a large mural that will be painted by teen volunteers and Tori Schmidt, artist and owner of Sage DesignWorks, on an exterior wall of the Harney County Library. The surrounding space is currently home to a seasonal interactive StoryWalk and tons of native plants, including milkweed! The mural itself depicts several monarch butterflies and milkweed in bloom.

We are still just $500 short of the goal ($523 to be exact)! If you would like to make a small individual contribution, please visit the Foundation’s donation page. If you are a business owner and are interested in making a larger gift, please reach out to Isabelle at [email protected].

We feel incredibly grateful for the community’s support and cannot wait for the weather to warm up so we can get started!

This February, Oregon Humanities awarded up to $25,000 in funding to enable rural and rural-serving Oregon libraries to create and host events in their own communities that reflect the 2024 theme, Fear and Belonging. A staff member (Isabelle!) at the Harney County Library applied for, and was awarded, $2,400 to host a series of four events titled “Finding Common Ground Speaker Series.”

The first event is on March 5, 2024 at 6-7 pm and will be a presentation by our own local High Desert Partnership, a national leader and model in the field of collaborative work.

The following three events will take place in early May, July and September. These will feature:

• Emma Ronai-Durning from Rural Organizing Project, who will talk about ROP’s work giving a voice to underrepresented groups in rural Oregon.
• U of O Professor Peter Walker, with a presentation on different approaches to collaborative natural resource management in the Western US and other parts of the world.
• Native American author and activist Jacqueline Keeler, who will present an Indigenous perspective on centering Native voices in our approach to natural resource management and other community issues.

Presenters will also take questions from the audience in a setting fostering dialogue and understanding, as we thrive to find common ground to move our communities into a positive future. And to set the tone, yummy refreshments will be served!

 In August 1995, author and artist Edward Gray presented two paintings of Harney County scenes to the people of Harney County. The paintings were given in appreciation for help received while conducting research for his books detailing the lives of two notable area stock men.

Gray is the author of William "Bill" W. Brown, 1855-1941: Legend of Oregon's High Desert; including a history of the Wagontire Mountain Range Feud and Life and death of Oregon "Cattle King" Peter French, 1849-1897.

Hours of research went into the Peter French book with the help of the Harney County clerk’s office and various individuals, Gray said.

One painting is of the field where Harney County’s famous cattle king, Peter French, was killed. The other is a scene from Steens Mountain.

Originally, the paintings were displayed in the Harney County clerk’s office. Former County Clerk, Dee Swisher later donated one of the paintings to the Harney County Library, where it is on display in the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room along with other pieces of Gray’s artwork.

Subsequent to Gray’s untimely death the following year, his entire working research library—books, research notes, interviews, artwork, photographs and more—was donated to the Harney County Library. That collection, together with the library’s local history collection and a collection from Walt McEwen, a local rancher and book collector, were the basis of the Harney County Library’s western history archives.

Browse items from our Edward Gray Collection online in our digital archives. Make sure to take a walk through the Western History Room in the back of the library to view Gray’s artwork in person.

Gray's two books on Harney County history, along with two other books on South-Central Oregon history, are available for general circulation. Find available titles in the SAGE Library System catalog.