Squeaking Into the Public Domain

American copyright is a strange beast. The law can be a bit complex, but to sum it up, a creator (or the creator’s estate) can hold exclusive copyright to a work for 70 years after the author’s death or 95 years after publication. After that time, the works are released to the public domain. When a work is in the public domain, it can be rebroadcast, reworked, streamed, performed, and so on and so forth free of charge! This can spur a massive amount of creativity and help bring to light some older classics.

Works entering the public domain this year include: 

• Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (the oldest American picture book still in print)
• House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (Tigger’s first appearance) 
• The Passion of Joan of Arc (a silent French film, often considered a landmark of cinema and known for its unique cinematography) 
• Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (a book at the center of multiple famous obscenity trials) 
• Animal Crackers (a film by the Marx Brothers. The songs written for the film, such as “Hello I Must Be Going” and “Hooray for Captain Spaulding!” also enter the public domain). 
• The Man Who Laughs (an influential German Expressionist film, best known for its influence on Universal horror movies and the Batman villain the Joker)

All About That Braille

Braille: it's the bumpy bits that Blind people use to read, right? Invented by Frenchman Louis Braille (1809-1852) in 1824, this writing system is known worldwide as an aid for those without vision. It can be found nearly everywhere, from elevators to the tops of fast food drink lids, but that might be all you know about braille. There are some pretty cool facts about the little bumps that connect the visually impaired to both the written word and a world designed around those who have sight. Let me share a few of my favorite nuggets about how braille came to be and why we love it so much, because here at MLC? We're all about that braille.

Dr. King in Mississippi

Dr. Martin Luther King was a lasting inspiration for our country. Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, his leadership helped millions of Americans achieve civil rights and changed the country for the better. His name has become synonymous with the idea of perseverance against adversity. He is celebrated across the United States and the world with bridges, schools, churches, and libraries that carry his name. According to Wikipedia, in Mississippi alone there are at least 22 towns with a Martin Luther King road, street, or boulevard. While he himself spent less time campaigning for change directly in Mississippi, Dr. King still held her people close to his heart. During his speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, King specifically calls out Mississippi as a place he hoped to see "transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice." King did visit our state several times during his short life and was present for some significant points in our history. Check our our brief timeline of some of the events below.

Looking For a Few Good Readers

Talking Book Services (TBS) is one of the best kept secrets in Mississippi, and, truth be told, in the entire nation. Thing is, TBS is something everyone should know about. It provides thousands upon thousands of books and magazines directly to people who want to read them, so that every American, regardless of disability or reading ability can access the reading material they want. But when did this amazing program come about, just who is eligible, and what do they even get? Well, let me tell you...

Read with MLC: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

There's something about clearing out the holiday decorations and putting up a new calendar that makes anything and everything seem possible. Start exercising? You got this. Eat healthier? You can do it. Learn a new language? Research your roots? Read more? Turns out there's probably a book for that, and we've got you covered at the library.

Alongside those New Year resolutions, we challenge you to join our 2024 Reading Challenge. January's prompt is to read a book that has the word "New" or "Year" (or both!) in the title. There are quite a few books that qualify in our library catalog (surprise, surprise), but here are a couple of wide-ranging suggestions: