A Few More Fun Links...

Hello bookworms!

Still wondering what is there to do when you are stuck inside? I  have a few more links that I found out about while catching up on all the news. At least in this way, you can feel like you have some adventure in your life!

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

• Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France is an art museum that has the option to explore masterpieces online, all without the tourist cameras in your face! Google has provided an interactive experience, so you can "walk" through the halls of the museum. 
• Browse around the beautiful Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France! Another lovely Google interactive experience, where you can take in the breathtaking views.
• The Smithsonian Natural Museum of History in Washington D.C. is a museum where you can look at dinosaur bones, gardens, gems, insects, and more! This is also an interactive experience, which you can choose through the different links they offer on their website.  
• Explore Yogyakarta, Indonesia's Prambanan, the Largest Temple Complex in the area with stunning architecture. 
• Take a virtual tour of Valley Forge National Park in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. You can see a tour of Former President Washington's headquarters!
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Boston, Massachusetts has some interesting fashion design you can preview, as well as other styles of art.



Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels

• Into trains? The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania is offering virtual tours!
• Yaoyi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors is an exhibit that I wanted to visit at least once. Now we all can through NPR's short video walk-through, where you can see everything in detail. 
• If you like classical music, you can listen to Berlin's Philharmonic online performances. Just be sure to enter in the code mentioned at the top, as this is normally a paid service, but is free for the time being. 
• The Vienna Opera in Austria is offering online performances of their latest performances. For someone who has yet gone to an opera in person, I am watching quite a bit of these performances online...
• The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City has some of their collections online for you to browse from afar.
• The Social Distancing Festival is a mix of live streaming events from online artists that you can enjoy from home. It was made to help those artists who events and projects where cancelled due to COVID-19. 



Photo by Magda Ehlers from Pexels

• Speaking of live streaming, you can watch gamers, musicians, artists and more live stream daily on Twitch. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can sponsor a streamer for a month for free and have access to bonus content!

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

• Check out the animals via live cams at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California or the panda cam at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.!
• Or check out the underwater views of animals at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois is releasing behind the scenes content on their Facebook page, which includes penguins running through the museum. So cute!
• Runner's World is hosting a free 15-minute LIVE workout on their Instagram page starting at 12:00 p.m. noon ET.
• Corepower Yoga is offering free streaming classes for yogis, so stretch out and feel good!
• The Everywhere Book Fest is a virtual book festival for children's literature to help make up for the cancellation of live fests and fairs. It is slated to take place May 1 - May 2, 2020. You can see information as it is available via Twitter (linked above) or via the event website here. 
• Learn a new language with Duolingo!
• Practice (or learn) coding skills with Codeacademy.
• Take a free class with Coursera, where you can learn new skills or build upon the ones you already have.

Am I missing anything that you found and want to share? Let me know in the comments!

Take care, keep healthy, and happy reading! :)

Hello Seattle!

Hi Gals and Guys,

I am in between a few books and am a bit behind on my requests. To those who I said I would review, please be patient, I am currently writing a review and am in between a couple more books. :)

In the meantime, I would like to share with you a bit of history from Seattle. With permission from my lovely friend with a passion for architecture, I would like to present to you... *drum roll please* the Seattle Public Library!

A bit of history:

(c) A.T.R. 2018

The Seattle Public Library had a rough start. In 1868, the town gathered to form a library association, which later became an official city department in 1890. Tight budgets led to a small existence for the library until 1899, when the library rented the Yesler Mansion, the "city's most elegant structure!" Unfortunately, in early 1901, a fire destroyed the mansion and much of the collection. The library had to be restored. Andrew Carnegie heard of the disaster and agreed to donate $200,000 to help create a fireproof library, which benefited the $50,000 budget the city had already raised towards a new library and maintenance. After much debate between city members and the library board, it was decided that the block between Fourth and Fifth Avenue and Madison and Spring Streets would be the new site of the library and was bought in 1902. An architecture competition then ensued, with a total of thirty firms competing! The ultimate winner of the contest was Peter J. Weber, who created a design for the library based on a Beaux-Arts design. Beaux-Arts architecture is a style that evolved from Roman and Greek influence, focusing on symmetry, interior spacing, columns and pediments, stone materials, statues/figures, a raised story, and a very decorative surface in all. (Seattle Public Library Website, Chicago Architecture Foundation)

(c) A.T.R. 2018

Over time, the library grew as the city did, with branches opening in the surrounding neighborhoods. Andrew Carnegie was a key philanthropist and donated much to fuel the growth of the libraries. But, by the 1920's and continuing into the depression, the library (termed the Carnegie Library due to the amount funded by the philanthropist) went through much change. Overzealous patrons who were down on their luck and a dwindling budget led to crowded facilities, an issue that helped push the city to develop a 10-year plan to expand the library. The library was also a source of information during wartime, with circulation increasing throughout the years. With its popularity rising, the library had to undergo physical changes to accommodate the public's needs. The old Carnegie library was knocked down, and in 1960, a new main library branch designed by a Seattle firm, Bindon & Wright. This new branch had a particularly interesting innovation - a drive-up window for book pick-ups! (Seattle Public Library Website)

(c) A.T.R. 2018

Celebrating its 100th birthday in 1991, the Seattle Public Library looked once more into revamping the premises. In 1998, a project titled "Libraries for All" proposed a makeover for the library, which gained much public approval, and the project was voted in. The project led to four new library branches in neighborhoods without libraries, as well as the overall expansion and renovation of current branches, including the large main branch. This once again led to a decision of who would design the new renovated branch. Out of 29 architecture projects, Rem Koolhaas won with his unique glass design, for which he won the highest architecture honor: a Pritzker Prize. Rem Koolhaas is known for his "gravity-defying" architecture designs, focusing much on glass and shape. His designs have built up his reputation to be one of the best architects of the 21st century! His design of the Seattle Public Library provided a glass and steel frame, which now houses a book spiral and a "living room" overlooking Fifth Avenue. The reopening of the main branch was in May 2004, with the Libraries for All project finishing in 2008. (Seattle Public Library Website, Architecture & Design Magazine)

A spectacular open and airy space to visit, relax, and read, the Seattle Public Library has helped provide a haven for those seeking knowledge and leisure since it was built. If you have not visited yet, both my friend and I highly recommend it!

(c) A.T.R. 2018

(c) A.T.R. 2018

(c) A.T.R. 2018

Have you visited any remarkable libraries lately and would like to share your story? Let me know in the comments below!