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Inspired by Jane Austen

In anticipation of Stages St. Louis’ upcoming production of Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice, the Library is showcasing books inspired by Jane Austen’s life and works. See how her vision and influence live on in these titles.

Heat Up Your Summer

The temperature is going up outside and these titles are hot as well!  Here are some of the biggest books coming out this summer!

New Movies of Interest

Two moderate hits from recent times include Steven Soderbergh’s warmly received spy thriller Black Bag and prolific-as-of-late Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. With films including Erin Brokovich and the Oceans trilogy, Soderbergh knows how to construct a sophisticated and compulsively watchable drama, so it’s hard to go wrong. Last year’s Queer may have flown under your radar, but if sumptuous cinematography and intricate South American period set design (think The Man from Havana in retina popping technicolor) sounds like a good time to you, I can’t recommend it enough. Daniel Craig gives a capital P Performance, the best of 2024. 

Sci-fi indie thriller The Assessment is now on our shelves. In a future where parenthood must be government-approved, Elizabeth Olson and Himesh Patel play aspiring parents who must undergo a rigorous seven day assessment with an inscrutable assessor played by Alicia Vikander. If you liked Alex Garland’s Ex Machina or even oldies-but-goodies like Gattaca, then you’ll find a similar tonal experience in The Assessment. 

And finally, we’ve acquired Criterion Collection’s release of Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep. Premiering in 1978, this black-and-white 16mm film is an underseen treasure in the neorealist tradition, but fragmented into vignettes. If independent black art house film is a phrase that catches your interest, then there’s no better way to experience it than with Criterion’s new 4k restoration.

Library of Things Spotlight:

DIY & Maintenance Tools

The Kirkwood Public Library has many items you can borrow from books to movies, magazines to music. We also loan out a variety of non-traditional library items. We refer to these items as the Library of Things. Each month, we will be highlighting parts of this collection.

Featured in July is our collection of home DIY and Maintenance tools. Have you ever found yourself needing a tool to assist in a home project? KPL has a variety of items you can checkout to help. Why purchase it for a one time need, when you can borrow from the library.

Why not repair your phone instead of buying a new one. Test the air quality of your home, or measure your electricity usage. Need to label that circuit breaker box? I know I did, and our circuit breaker locator did just the trick. Drop that wedding ring down the drain? Try our endoscope to locate and fish it out! Does that article of clothing have a tear? Our sewing machine has more stitch patterns that you could possible want.

Our collection features:

• Air Quality Monitor
• Digital Radon Detector
• Digital Wall Scanner
• Electrical Test Kit
• Electricity Usage Monitor
• Electronic Repair Tool Kit
• Industrial Endoscope
• Infrared Thermometer
• Laser Distance Measure
• Laser Level
• Moisture Meter
• Sewing Machine

View our entire collection of DIY and Maintenance items here. And while our selection is not comprehensive, we welcome suggestions for new additions to the collection. You can use the contact forms on our website to make a suggestion to the Technology dept. And if you need assistance with your project, be sure to search our catalog and Hoopla, where you might just find something to help.

Music and Memory

Join us on July 25th at 10:30 AM for Memory Cafe: Music and Memory, brought to you by Maryville University’s Music Therapy Department. “Come experience a creative way of increasing you and your loved one’s well-being through the power of music! Music therapy uses the innately healing properties of music to promote opportunities for connection, expression, and relaxation. Activities may include listening and discussing music, group singing and/or instrument play, and music-assisted relaxation. No musical experience is needed; only a willingness to connect through music!”

As always, there will be some fun activities and light refreshments. Registration is helpful and can be found here. We hope to see you there!  If you have any questions about this program for families affected by dementia, please contact Lynne Haynes at lhaynes@kplmo.org or 314-821-5770 x 1018.