It’s a new year, and we are forging ever onward into the future. We may not have flying cars or teleportation, but the canny library patron can travel far and wide. Get your ticket to the future (or even, perhaps, the past?) and check out one of our time travel themed books displayed on the second floor.
Get your imagination flowing with “The Wonderful Future That Never Was: Flying Cars, Mail Delivery by Parachute, and Other Predictions from the Past” by Gregory Benford (609 Ben). Aspiring inventors may enjoy “Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel through Time” by Richard J. Gott (530.11 Got) and Michio Kaku’s “Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel” (530 Kak) which examine the real science of fantastical concepts. For a more philosophical approach, try “The Order of Time” by Carlo Rovelli (530.11 Rov).
Once you’ve built your time machine, learn to navigate the past with Jane McIntosh’s “Handbook to Life in Prehistoric Europe” (930.1 McInt). Also, check for inclement weather with “World’s Worst Natural Disasters” (DVD 904.5 Wor) before you travel. “NTC’s Dictionary of Changes in Meaning” by Adrian Room (412 Roo) provides the highlights of the evolution of the English language, and so is a must to prevent misunderstandings. Time machines can get expensive and you may need some cash, so take along Harry Mullan’s “Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing” (796.83 Mul), but don’t tell anybody, and don’t leave it behind.
Revisit such classics as “Back to the future” (DVD FIC Bac) and Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (FIC Twa). Or try a fresh, futuristic take on the tropes with “Before the coffee gets cold: a novel” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (FIC Kaw) and “This is how you lose the time war” by Amal El-Mohtar (FIC El-Moh). If it’s February where you end up, check out “Groundhog Day” (DVD FIC Gro), “About Time” (DVD FIC Abo), and “Outlander” (DVD FIC Out) for a little sci-fi romance.
This is only a small sample of the wonders on display and available for checkout up on the second floor, near the Reference Desk. Many of these titles have sequels and adaptations, as well as audiobook, ebook or large print versions. You can see these options in our catalog, check out our upcoming programs, and much more on our website at www.cdpl.lib.in.us. You may also call us at 765-362-2242 or send us a message at ref@cdpl.lib.in.us. The library is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Susanna Howard is a library assistant in the Reference and Local History department at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
