Thanksgiving

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and all, let me tell you about some books with the Thanksgiving theme.   The first is a non-fiction item entitled, “Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War,” by Nathaniel Philbrick. This is a book that was written in 2007.  It is not a new item but it is a great history about the those that landed on what we call Plymouth Rock. Philbrick a consummate historian tells us in the books back flap that he thought he understood the history of the Pilgrims who landed in the new world.  But when he began to research the subject he really had no idea what these people endured, their triumphs and tragedies.

When I was in third grade I visited Plymouth Rock and the famous Plymouth Plantation.  The rock is encased in a gazebo type structure to keep vandals from harming it.  It is right on the coast where the ocean laps up. I still remember the reenactment that was done at the Plantation. The workers who acted out the life style of the people, helped to underscore the difficulty of the immigrants.   When I visited the rock again in 2010 and then had time to enjoy the Plymouth museum I renewed my understanding once again the hardship the people endured.  The book discussed the hardship traversing the seas and then building a colony. 

The meal the inhabitants ate, be they natural born or immigrants was not something that just happened.  The fact that they made it through the harsh winter and had food to eat was a miracle in itself. Let alone the fact they shared a meal of thanksgiving! If you have not taken time to reflect on the meaning yet of this wonderful holiday; the past events that allow us to celebrate and the things that make us truly thankful ourselves, I hope you take the time. 

Take a chance to share with children simple stories about Thanksgiving. Even adults enjoy these. Some you might be able to find on a library shelf would be: “Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by James Dean and Kimberly Dean; “What Is Thanksgiving?” by Michelle Medlock Adams and Amy Wummer; “Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day,” by L. Maria Child and Matt Tavares. 

3D Printers new rave in technology!

Have you heard about one of the newest raves in technology? This beginning may one day change the way we sell things like replacement parts. It will definitely change the way medical devices are invented and produced.  Our library has just added a 3D printer to its technology offerings. We will have it for the public's use. We have just unpacked it and begun to use it, so we are still in the learning stage.

If you have not heard about 3D printers before, let me tell you of an amazing result using one.  Just in the last few years, Garrett Peterson was born with tracheomalacia. His windpipe was would close down and he’d not be able to breath.  Dr. Glenn Green at the University of Michigan contacted a biomedical engineer with the same university and asked him about his 3-D printing capabilities.  They teamed up and created a device from the 3-Printer to keep the windpipe open (http://goo.gl/UwVTIL).  Below is
the picture of the child saved by the use of a 3D printer 
and the new technology!

You may say, this is an extreme case but what about the hand created for a child (https://goo.gl/0xd2Wh).

Mashable on YouTube tells us that 3D printers are being used as adaptive manufacturing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0Z6LplaMU). Objects are created by adding materials layer by layer that create complex parts for parts, machines, cars, planes, you name it! It produces prototype examples that are inexpensive yet give the understanding of what the object or material will look like when finished.  Architects, mechanical engineers, clothing and assessory designers, and many other industries are beginning to use 3D printers.  If you have something you’d like to try and create, come and schedule a time for creating and printing. 

I believe that many will begin with just downloading objects to print, but one day I hope creativity will be sparked and our citizens will begin to design materials that benefit others.

(All photos downloaded from Google Images).