Skidmore professors Catherine Golden and Tillman Nechtman will spend an afternoon at the library discussing the global history of tea in Victorian-era Britain and beyond.
The program, “From Wonderland to the Jewel in Victoria’s Crown,” takes place Sunday, Jan. 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and starts with the display of a tea box, a popular object in the Victorian household, and touches on tea’s literary influences, including the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
From there, the conversation will turn to the global stage, discussing tea as a commodity in the broader British Empire. It’s a perfect primer to the “Victoria” miniseries, which aired its first episode on PBS Jan. 22. Tea and refreshments will be served.
Golden is a professor of English at Skidmore College and author of “Serials to Graphic Novels: The Evolution of the Victorian Illustrated Book,” due to be published later this year, “Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing,” and “Images of the Woman Reader in Victorian British and American Fiction.” In addition, she is editor or coeditor of five additional books on topics ranging from Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Victorian illustration, literature and culture.
Nechtman’s teaching and research interests focus on Britain and its empire. He has published widely on the cultural relationships between Britain and India in the 18th century. His work has appeared in such journals as History Compass, The Journal of Women’s History, and The Journal of Eighteenth-Century Studies. His first book Nabobs: “Identity and Empire in Eighteenth-Century Britain” was published in 2010. He is now working on a new monograph-length study of Britain’s empire at Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific.
Library extension
Did you know there’s a Google Chrome extension that will show you if a book is available at the library while you’re shopping on Amazon? When you click on a book through Amazon, the number of titles available, including eBooks, will show up on the right-hand side of the window where the purchase options are. You can click the select button from there and be taken directly to our catalog to place an item on hold.
The extension is free and easy to install. Go to the Chrome Web Store and type in “library extension” in the search bar. Click on the “Add to Chrome” button. You will be given the option to set up your library, at which point you can use the drop-down menu to select Bethlehem Public Library or Upper Hudson Library System.
The extension will show up as a small pile of books in the upper right-hand side of your browser, but it should open automatically when you shop for books on Amazon.
New Kindles
We are now loaning out two new eReaders, a Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis. Borrowers can try out the Kindle technology and find out how to download their own digital content from Upper Hudson’s Overdrive collection. The Kindles have a 14-day loan period and are located on the Special Collection shelf behind the Information Desk on a first-come basis. Questions about getting started with eReader technology? Ask a librarian!
Upcoming events
All events are free and take place at Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave., Delmar. For more information, call 439-9314 or visit bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Friday, Jan. 27
Music & Movement
Combining songs, instruments, dancing, learning and fun! Children age 3-6 attend by themselves in the Story Room, while babies and toddlers attend with a caregiver in the community room, 10 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 30
DayWriters
Spend an hour writing with the final half hour for optional sharing and feedback. Open to anyone interested in writing; all genres and abilities are welcome, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Sew It Yourself: Zippered Pouch
Bring 1/4 yard each of two coordinating cotton fabrics and one 12-inch zipper. Basic sewing machine knowledge recommended. Optional: Bring coordinating thread. Sessions at 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Sign up for one session.
— Kristen Roberts
