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About Pratt Chat

Pratt Chat is the official blog of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Join us for stories about experiences, events, programs, collections, and all kinds of treasures found at the Pratt Library.

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Interviews with Pratt Chat readers, Library customers, and staff.

Submit your profile now using our online form, or contact us for more information.

Featured Posts

Light Street Branch’s Lynne Parks Earns 2013 Baker Artist Award
Light Street Branch’s Lynne Parks Earns 2013 Baker Artist Award
By Tom Warner

10 Answers to eBook and eReader FAQs
10 Answers to eBook and eReader FAQs
By Anjanette Wiggins

Young Makers are Building Circuits at Waverly Branch
Young Makers are Building Circuits at Waverly Branch
By Rose Anne Ullrich, Children's Librarian, Waverly Branch

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Guest Contributors

     
  • The Best Book Club Ever
    By Tonette Cherry, Guest Blogger
    Posted on 5/7/2013
    The best Book Club Ever meets at the Brooklyn Branch Enoch Pratt Library. Soda and coffee served as refreshments, an it is a comfortable and relaxed setting. There is a group of us ladies who meet every ...more
  • Young Makers are Building Circuits at Waverly Branch
    By Rose Anne Ullrich, Children's Librarian, Waverly Branch
    Last Edited on 4/30/2013
    On April 16, Waverly Branch hosted an exciting children's program called Chemistry in the Library, presented by Dr. Sandra K. Young, the Materials Research Engineer/Program Manager at the US Army Research ...more
  • Today is National Bookmobile Day!
    By Carlotta Young, Bookmobile Librarian
    Last Edited on 4/17/2013
    Held on the Wednesday of National Library Week, National Bookmobile Day began in 2010. This day recognizes the role of bookmobiles and direct delivery outreach services in fulfilling the mission of libraries. ...more
  • Birds of a Feather Double-Bill Together
    By Marc Sober, Guest Blogger
    Last Edited on 4/15/2013
    While planning my FILMTALK screening at the Central Library for April 20, I wanted to do something a little special, as it was to be the 10th anniversary of the Saturday morning program (see a list of ...more
  • [Guest Post] Enoch Pratt Free Library , an Anchor for Baltimore
    By Kitty Mervine
    Last Edited on 4/12/2013
    Reposted with permission from Yankee Skeptic. ...more
  • Commemorating History by Creating Butterflies
    By Stephanie Jarvais, Children's Librarian at Brooklyn Branch
    Last Edited on 3/28/2013
    I recently spent ages planning a children's program entitled "Let’s Make Butterflies," and I was very excited to share it with my regular kids. You can imagine my disappointment when I got a Jury Duty ...more
  • Hopping on the Pratt Buck Bandwagon at Southeast Anchor Library
    By Ellie Mullen, Guest Blogger
    Last Edited on 3/15/2013
    Children at the Southeast Anchor Library are rolling in the dough... Pratt Bucks that is! Since the introduction of Pratt’s Read Down Fines initiative in January, the children’s department has seen a significant ...more
  • Sports Journalism 101 with Stan Charles
    By Linda Schwartz, Brooklyn Branch
    Posted on 3/7/2013
    For more than 20 years Stan "the Fan" Charles has kept his finger on the pulse of local Baltimore sports. The Ravens, the Orioles, the Terps, he's covered them all. Currently he is the publisher of the ...more
  • Creative Solutions: Check Out a Circulating Laptop at the Central Library
    By Sarah Kuperman, Guest Blogger
    Last Edited on 2/22/2013
    My job in Collection Managment is a "behind the scenes" assignment. My usual work involves websites and spreadsheets. A bright spot in my work week is the time I spend working at the Information Desk in ...more
  • The 'Academy Awards' of Children's Literature
    By Ruth Anne Champion, Children's Materials Coordinator, Collection Management Department
    Last Edited on 1/24/2013
    What’s that book with the shiny medal on the cover? ...more
  • Poetry & Conversation: Talking with Poet Kathleen Hellen
    By Shaileen B
    Last Edited on 1/24/2013
    Umberto's Night: doesn't that have a terrific ring to it? This darkly musical phrase is the title of a new book by Kathleen Hellen, whom we welcome to the Pratt Library on January 30 for the first Poetry ...more
  • How does the Library Get its Books?
    By Lynn Stonesifer, Collection Management Department
    Posted on 1/7/2013
    "I thought book publishers just gave you their books!" ...more
  • [Video] An Evening of Classical Music at Reisterstown Road Branch
    By Greg Fromme, Reisterstown Road Branch
    Last Edited on 12/20/2012
    On Wednesday, December 12, the Reisterstown Road branch had the privilege of hosting two extraordinary Baltimore area musicians for an evening of classical music. ...more
  • Film Event: December's Double-Thrill Double Bill
    By Marc Sober and Tom Warner
    Last Edited on 12/13/2012
    Marc Sober in the Humanities Department has been hosting "FilmTalk," a once-a-month Saturday morning film and discussion series, for almost 10 years. Tom Warner, in the Sights & Sounds Department, has ...more
  • [New] Pratt eLibrary: Get more for free
    By Sarah Kuperman, Collections Management Department
    Posted on 12/4/2012
    A customer with a question about reading eBooks on her iPhone recently phoned the Library for help. The conversation resulted in a helpful one-on-one session in the Central Library’s Wi-Fi coffee shop. ...more
  • The Poet: Tim Ward and the Power of Words
    By Shaileen B.
    Last Edited on 11/19/2012
    I rarely forget how powerful words can be, but if I ever did, I'd remember as soon as I ran into Tim Ward. Tim, a seemingly sturdy man with a big, deep voice, has made it to almost every one of the Pratt’s ...more
  • 12 Graphic Novels that Define the Genre
    By Marc Sober, Humanities Department
    Last Edited on 11/19/2012
    What are graphic novels? We know them when we see them—they have text and pictures together. Isn’t that the same as comic books? Essentially, they are two kinds of works using the same methods, just as ...more
  • Unwanted Man? Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
    By Shaileen B
    Last Edited on 11/7/2012
    We don't want to hitch our dreams to the wrong man. That's why, for months now, America has been abuzz about a major decision. When one of us is summoned to embody an ancient vision for all of us, feelings ...more
  • Book Review: America the Philosophical
    By Joe Arcieri, Humanities Department
    Posted on 11/7/2012
    I have read articles by Carlin Romano, professor of philosophy at Ursinus College, on various web sites and found them informative. When I learned that his new book, America the Philosophical (2012), touted ...more
  • Vote FOR Question E. E for Enoch Pratt
    By Carla D. Hayden
    Last Edited on 11/5/2012
    On this election eve, we should all be excited to exercise our freedom and be part of this democracy. As Americans, it is our responsibility to engage and participate in this process that helps shape the ...more
  • Photography Exhibit: One View Of The World
    By Ryan O’Grady and Danni Downing
    Last Edited on 10/26/2012
    The Fine Arts and Recreation Department is hosting an exhibit called One View of the World, featuring photography by Danni Downing. The exhibit runs through December 9th at the Central Branch/State Library ...more
  • Baltimore: My City, My Home
    By Harriet Lynn, Producer/Artistic Director of Heritage Theatre Artists' Consortium
    Last Edited on 10/19/2012
    My mother, Ruth Garbis (née: Rochkind), was a gifted poet who did not take her work seriously. However, she was passionate about the written word, and would literally surround herself with books. The Enoch ...more
  • Celebrating Pratt's Legacy, Staff and Retirees Share Years of Service and Wisdom
    By Darcell Little, Manager of Documents Unit/State Publication Depository and Distribution Program
    Last Edited on 10/10/2012
    "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." -Benjamin Disralei ...more
  • More than Pooh: The A. A. Milne Story
    By Ann Weller Dahl
    Posted on 9/21/2012
    Mention the name "A.A. Milne" (1882-1956) and it’s a safe bet that most readers of a certain age will respond, Winnie-the-Pooh. They would be quite correct, having probably been raised, as was I in the ...more
  • Enoch Pratt’s Birthday Celebration
    By Cherlane Harris, Guest Contributor
    Last Edited on 9/21/2012
    I thought I knew everything there was to know about Enoch Pratt, but the 204th birthday celebration held at the Reisterstown Road Branch Library proved me wrong. There is nothing like an hour spent with ...more
  • Living With Henry, And Waltzing With David: Mencken Day 2012
    By David Donovan and Ryan O'Grady
    Last Edited on 9/20/2012
    I was born in the northeast of the USA and so H. L. Mencken was somewhat of a mystery to me when I moved to Baltimore six years ago. Working at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, every day I have the privilege ...more
  • Baltimore Speaks Out! with Wide Angle Youth Media
    By Deborah Taylor, Young Adult Librarian
    Last Edited on 9/14/2012
    One of the most successful program partnerships in Young Adult Services in recent years has been the ongoing presence of Wide Angle Youth Media, a non-profit organization that provides Baltimore youth ...more
  • The Book Buggy: Better than the Ice Cream Truck!
    By Marilyn Hage, Mobile Services Children's Librarian
    Last Edited on 9/13/2012
    As I travel to every corner of Baltimore in the passenger seat of the Book Buggy, I never get tired of observing people doing double-takes and smiling when they spot our colorful bookmobile. I have been ...more
  • Hitting the Streets at the Highlandtown Farmers' Market
    By Cindy Kleback, Ellie Mullen, and Sara Demian
    Last Edited on 9/12/2012
    The Southeast Anchor Library has been hitting the streets... Conkling Street, to be exact. Librarians from the Southeast Anchor have been participating in the Highlandtown Farmers’ Market on the first ...more
  • Virtual Supermarket: Delivering Groceries to your Neighborhood Library
    By Laura Fox, Baltimore City Health Department
    Last Edited on 9/11/2012
    "Get your groceries at your local library" is not something that most people think of when they think of their local library. The Baltimarket Virtual Supermarket Program is a partnership between the Enoch ...more
  • Artist as Reader: A Portrait of Trish Rawlings
    By Shaileen B, Fiction Department
    Last Edited on 8/22/2012
    When Patricia (Trish) Rawlings drops by the Fiction Department, she hovers over our new books like an excited hummingbird. Trish is more than just a passionate reader, however. A writer and artist herself, ...more
  • A Voyage of Discovery: The Writing of Laura Ingalls Wilder
    By Ann Weller Dahl
    Last Edited on 8/22/2012
    Four generations of children and adults have enjoyed the classic novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) known collectively as the Little House books. Wilder was 65 years old when the first of the nine ...more
  • Wii Fun! My Volunteer Experience at the Pratt
    By Melissa Chalmer, Volunteer
    Last Edited on 8/17/2012
    As a member of the Nintendo Generation, I was ecstatic to learn that the Pratt Library Wii system was going to make its debut at the Roland Park Branch. I was asked to pilot the three-day Teen Wii program ...more
  • Summer Reading Program Finales at the Reisterstown Road Branch
    By L. Scott, Lamar Pinkett, and Becky Hass
    Last Edited on 8/14/2012
    What are YOU saying about the Summer Reading Program this year? ...more
  • Photos: Light St Branch Altered Book Contest Winners
    By Melanie Jacobs, Light Street Branch
    Last Edited on 8/13/2012
    Through the years, the Friends of Light Street Branch have made significant contributions to the library. The group has purchased a book drop, given $500 to enhance the children’s book collection, and ...more
  • Grow Your Child's Brain
    By Selma Levi, Children's Department Supervisor, and Ryan O'Grady
    Last Edited on 8/6/2012
    Looking for an exciting and interactive learning tool for your toddler or young child? Look no further. Here at The Enoch Pratt Free Library State Library Resource Center Children’s Department, we post ...more
  • New Digital Collection: Manumissions, Indentures, and Bills of Sale
    By Michael Scott, Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Coordinator
    Last Edited on 8/6/2012
    On July 29, 1845, Betsey Nugent, a free woman of color living in the Howard District of Anne Arundel County, bought her daughter Harriet from slaveowner Rezin B. Simpson for $260. She had borrowed some ...more
  • The Unique Baltimore Art of Painted Screens
    By Cindy Kleback and Morgan Stanton, Southeast Anchor Library
    Posted on 7/20/2012
    According to The Painted Screen Society of Baltimore, painted screens were first introduced to the city in 1913. Row home owners, particularly in the ethnic neighborhoods of East and Southeast Baltimore, ...more
  • Get Fit @ Your Library
    by Ann Marie Lalmansingh, Waverly Branch
    Last Edited on 7/18/2012
    Get Fit @ Your Library began at the Waverly Branch library three years ago. The line dancing classes led by Frances Spears and Ann Marie Lalmansingh, staff at the branch, whose commitment to promoting ...more
  • Caribbean Heritage Month at the Pratt
    By Ann Marie Lalmansingh and Becky Hass
    Last Edited on 7/17/2012
    June marked the seventh year of celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month. The celebration also marked the 50th anniversary of independence for Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Three Pratt branches ...more
  • The Trial of the Century? Not OJ. Not the Manson gang.
    By Jackie Watts, Menckeniana Editor
    Last Edited on 8/28/2012
    The State of Tennessee v. Scopes, which began on July 10, 1925, was the first trial subjected to the massive burden of worldwide attention. Before the formation of any of America’s three major broadcast ...more
  • Palimpsests to Grangerism: Altered Books at the Pratt
    By Melanie Jacobs, Light Street Branch
    Last Edited on 7/6/2012
    Have you ever considered altering a book and transforming it into a work of art? Accidentally dropping a book in a puddle of water doesn't count! ...more
  • Liberty Defined
    By Brian DeLuca, Roland Park Branch
    Last Edited on 7/3/2012
    On this Independence Day, the political arena reverberates with attempts to elucidate the intentions of our Founding Fathers when they first established this country. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, ...more
  • Librarians from Colombia Visit the Pratt
    By Cindy Kleback and Edwin Perez
    Posted on 6/22/2012
    The Southeast Anchor Library recently hosted a delegation of librarians from Colombia on the first stop of their tour of American libraries sponsored by the Department of State’s International Visitor ...more
  • Visit the Humanities Department
    By Ellie Luchinsky, Humanities Department Manager, and Ryan O'Grady
    Last Edited on 6/21/2012
    Come see us on the third floor! ...more
  • Mysteries at the Museum: The Pratt on the Travel Channel
    By Jeff Korman, Librarian, Maryland Department
    Last Edited on 7/5/2012
    It is always an honor to be asked to speak about Edgar Allan Poe and the wonderful collection of Poe documents that are held in the Pratt Library. In January, I spent half a day being interviewed and ...more
  • What Father's Day Means to Me
    By Brian DeLuca, Roland Park Branch
    Posted on 6/15/2012
    It was two months before my twelfth birthday when my father died. It was September 11th, a date that would mean tragedy for my family, decades before it had meaning for the rest of the world. It’s an odd ...more
  • Baltimore Sailabrates the Bicentennial of War of 1812
    By Katie H., Librarian, Social Science and History Department
    Last Edited on 6/13/2012
    The War of 1812, sometimes referred to as America’s second war of independence, began in June 1812 and continued until the signing of the Treaty of Ghent brought it to an end in 1815. It took place for ...more
  • Our New Poet Laureate, Natasha Trethewey
    By Shaileen B, Librarian, Fiction Department
    Last Edited on 6/18/2012
    Here's how a woodpecker strikes you if you're Natasha Trethewey, who has just been named the new U.S. Poet Laureate: "So insistent" at pecking, she says, this bird must be looking for more than "beetles ...more
  • Friends School of Baltimore Seniors Volunteer
    By Tyler Lehmann, Volunteer
    Last Edited on 6/7/2012
    Every year, Friends School of Baltimore high school seniors end classes a month early to begin their Senior Work Projects. The Senior Work Project is a month long internship required for all seniors to ...more
  • Power in Volunteering, Power in Dirt
    By Tyler Lehmann, Volunteer
    Posted on 6/6/2012
    The Volunteer Luncheon on May 15th was an occasion to recognize the valuable work done by Enoch Pratt Free Library volunteers. The guest speaker at the event was Baltimore’s Chief Services Officer, Vu ...more
  • Maryland's Veterans At Your Library
    By Jeff Korman, Manager of the Maryland Department
    Last Edited on 5/25/2012
    As Memorial Day approaches we take time to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. In the Maryland Department at Pratt we are often asked for information about Maryland ancestors ...more
  • Let's Chat
    By Carla Hayden, Pratt CEO
    Last Edited on 5/24/2012
    Let’s chat!That’s the simple concept of the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s new blog, Pratt Chat.Since Enoch Pratt first opened the library’s doors more than 125 years ago, the Pratt Library staff have been ...more

 

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