Collection Of Books

Roberto Echaurren Matta, 91, a Chilean master of surrealist painting and sculpture, died Saturday in a hospital in Civitavecchia, near the Tuscan town of Tarquinia, where he lived in a convent. Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said Mr. Matta's death "represents the passing of one of the last major figures of painting in the 20th century." Mr. Matta's images of cosmic creation were true to surrealist ideals, although his imaginative use of color and sense of humor made his work difficult to classify.

Hundreds of people in Mount Vernon were shopping. They were eating. They were dancing - some of them in puddles. But at the Baltimore Book Festival yesterday, Holger Staude was reading. The used book that the Princeton sophomore had picked up was too good not to pause and flip through. "It's How to Do Just About Anything, and it's actually very interesting," Staude said. He'd stopped at a chapter called "How to Ease Family Tension at Your Wedding," even though the German native visiting a friend in Baltimore had no immediate plans to marry.

ONE GROUP that ought to be happy about the Clinton moving into the White House is booksellers.News stories have described the president-elect's reading habits, which are voracious and varied. Throughout the campaign, he kept two books going at all times, one policy-oriented and one fiction. A Washington Post story on the subject noted that the Clintons like to socialize with their favorite authors and suggested that Baltimore's prize-winning historian Taylor Branch, an old friend, ought to "dust off his tuxedo."

Roberto Echaurren Matta, 91, a Chilean master of surrealist painting and sculpture, died Saturday in a hospital in Civitavecchia, near the Tuscan town of Tarquinia, where he lived in a convent. Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said Mr. Matta's death "represents the passing of one of the last major figures of painting in the 20th century." Mr. Matta's images of cosmic creation were true to surrealist ideals, although his imaginative use of color and sense of humor made his work difficult to classify.

For the first time ever, parts of the recently acquired James W. Rouse archive collection will be presented to the public tomorrow afternoon during a ceremony devoted to the planned community's roots.The Columbia Association (CA) will hold a preview of the collection from noon to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Welcome Center near the restaurants that overlook Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia's Town Center.CA intends to open a full collection of books, papers and business records next year for students, urban planners and residents.

ENGLISH IS CONSIDERED a Germanic language, yet it has long been a marvelous hybrid. Take the word book. It comes from the Germanic word beech, because our chief linguistic ancestors wrote on the bark of that tree.Yet a collection of books isn't called a bookery, but a library. That word comes from the Latin word liber, meaning first the bark of a tree, and then a book.A list of related books isn't called a librography, but a bibliography. Here we find the Greek word for book, biblos (or biblion)

The most modern of conveniences -- the Internet -- played a role in the purchase of a 1767 reference book by a generous donor for the Historic Annapolis Foundation.William N. Turpin, a retired educator who is an archaeology volunteer for the foundation, was inspired to purchase the book, Isaac Ware's "A Complete Body of Architecture," after hearing a lecture at Brice House given by Edward C. Papenfuse, the state archivist.Local historyThe book was particularly relevant to Brice House because a copy of it had been ordered from England by James Brice before he began building his home on East Street.

After four years of spending cuts, Carroll County's library system has lots of catching up to do if it is to replenish its collection of books, records and videos. The library's board of trustees just approved an increase for new book purchases, but even that additional sum won't come close to restoring the collections to their previous levels of excellence.The trustees have budgeted $553,000 for materials, an increase of $95,000 from last year. According to the rule of thumb that between 16 and 20 percent of a library system's budget should be devoted to buying new books, the proposed amount is inadequate.

Seashores must have been created with children in mind.From the moment they arrive at the beach, they industriously start digging holes. The bigger the better. Or they proceed to bury body parts -- theirs and others'.Sand isn't the only appeal either. Low tide draws the most timid toddler to the water, while older kids can stay in the ocean for hours riding waves on surf mats and boogie boards.Playing in the sand and water may entertain children for a while but, eventually, they look around and realize there is more fun to be had. The razzle-dazzle of amusement parks and arcades beckons.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the best-selling novel about Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, "No Ordinary Time," paid Baltimore a visit yesterday. She was invited, by an old friend, Lois Shofer, to participate in a book-signing to benefit Network 2000 and its programs for women and the Margot and Diane Dippold Women's Collection of books that deal with women's issues. This collection is housed at the Central Enoch Pratt library, where the book signing party was held last night.The party began about 5 with wonderful box suppers provided by Gourmet Caterers for the party's planners.

The most modern of conveniences -- the Internet -- played a role in the purchase of a 1767 reference book by a generous donor for the Historic Annapolis Foundation.William N. Turpin, a retired educator who is an archaeology volunteer for the foundation, was inspired to purchase the book, Isaac Ware's "A Complete Body of Architecture," after hearing a lecture at Brice House given by Edward C. Papenfuse, the state archivist.Local historyThe book was particularly relevant to Brice House because a copy of it had been ordered from England by James Brice before he began building his home on East Street.

ON A BONE-CHILLING winter day, nothing beats curling up with a book by a fire.And the perfect place to find a good book at a good price is Books With A Past -- a used bookstore that opened two years ago in Glenwood.The shop is owned and operated by Glenwood residents Mary Alice and Marvin Schaefer. They have expanded the store twice since opening in the Inwood Village shopping center in June 1996. The store boasts nearly 100,000 volumes.According to "The Used Book Lovers Guide of the South Atlantic States," Books With a Past "has a little bit of everything."

For the first time ever, parts of the recently acquired James W. Rouse archive collection will be presented to the public tomorrow afternoon during a ceremony devoted to the planned community's roots.The Columbia Association (CA) will hold a preview of the collection from noon to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Welcome Center near the restaurants that overlook Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia's Town Center.CA intends to open a full collection of books, papers and business records next year for students, urban planners and residents.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the best-selling novel about Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, "No Ordinary Time," paid Baltimore a visit yesterday. She was invited, by an old friend, Lois Shofer, to participate in a book-signing to benefit Network 2000 and its programs for women and the Margot and Diane Dippold Women's Collection of books that deal with women's issues. This collection is housed at the Central Enoch Pratt library, where the book signing party was held last night.The party began about 5 with wonderful box suppers provided by Gourmet Caterers for the party's planners.

SIX AMERICAN POETS. Edited by Joel Conarroe. VintageBooks/Random House. 281 pages. $12.TC I FINALLY did it! I finally got through a book that otherwise would not have been a chore. I have AIDS, you see. The eyes burn, and I get too quickly tired. But enough about that. I want to talk about something more life-giving and life-sustaining. I want to talk about poetry.The wife of a dear friend of mine sent me a delicious meal last week, and his son sent me a collection of books. I consumed everything with gratitude.

After four years of spending cuts, Carroll County's library system has lots of catching up to do if it is to replenish its collection of books, records and videos. The library's board of trustees just approved an increase for new book purchases, but even that additional sum won't come close to restoring the collections to their previous levels of excellence.The trustees have budgeted $553,000 for materials, an increase of $95,000 from last year. According to the rule of thumb that between 16 and 20 percent of a library system's budget should be devoted to buying new books, the proposed amount is inadequate.

SIX AMERICAN POETS. Edited by Joel Conarroe. VintageBooks/Random House. 281 pages. $12.TC I FINALLY did it! I finally got through a book that otherwise would not have been a chore. I have AIDS, you see. The eyes burn, and I get too quickly tired. But enough about that. I want to talk about something more life-giving and life-sustaining. I want to talk about poetry.The wife of a dear friend of mine sent me a delicious meal last week, and his son sent me a collection of books. I consumed everything with gratitude.

It is called The List, and all 43 pages of it sit in a terminally cluttered corner deep within the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, where it consumes much of Allan H. Holtzman's professional life.His job is to eliminate The List, but like Sisyphus with his boulder, Mr. Holtzman will never complete his task. Just as he crosses one item off The List, another is added.The List is more than 600 out-of-print books that the Johns Hopkins University library would like very much to add to its collection of 2.1 million books.

Seashores must have been created with children in mind.From the moment they arrive at the beach, they industriously start digging holes. The bigger the better. Or they proceed to bury body parts -- theirs and others'.Sand isn't the only appeal either. Low tide draws the most timid toddler to the water, while older kids can stay in the ocean for hours riding waves on surf mats and boogie boards.Playing in the sand and water may entertain children for a while but, eventually, they look around and realize there is more fun to be had. The razzle-dazzle of amusement parks and arcades beckons.

ONE GROUP that ought to be happy about the Clinton moving into the White House is booksellers.News stories have described the president-elect's reading habits, which are voracious and varied. Throughout the campaign, he kept two books going at all times, one policy-oriented and one fiction. A Washington Post story on the subject noted that the Clintons like to socialize with their favorite authors and suggested that Baltimore's prize-winning historian Taylor Branch, an old friend, ought to "dust off his tuxedo."