According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York. Following the example of New York, several other states decided to also honor workers by celebrating the labor and achievements of their workers with a special day. Eventually, by the year 1894, twenty-three other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28th of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Thus Labor Day was born as a national holiday. Originally, the form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. Unlike many holidays, Labor Day is not associated with any one famous person, religion, race, folk custom or specific symbol, image or color. Today, for many families, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the return to school and more serious work related endeavors. It often represents a long weekend during which family and friends gather together for picnics, parties and barbecues.
Given the though economic times we are in today, I would like to give thanks for work. To be employed and to be able to labor, create, and strengthen our families, communities and our nation. So on behalf of myself and the library, have a safe and happy Labor Day.
See you at the picnic, parade, barbecue and the library!
~ Yvonne ~
Can you imagine life without zippers, kleenex, antibiotics and play-doh? Thousands of inventors have helped to shape the world into what it is today, and choosing the best ones is no easy task. To honor intrepid inventors and the wonderful things they create here is a list of New Hampshire inventors:
If August turns out to be as hot and humid as this July we hope to continue finding people enjoying the cool library environment and borrowing items to use indoors. Gardeners who find it too uncomfortable to work outside may enjoy 
why not take a break from your usual authors in order to read up about your New Hampshire surroundings. Here are a few titles for some interesting nonfiction reading to get your brain recharged for September. Look for these titles in our online catalog, or ask the reference librarians for assistance. If you don’t want to check them out, a copy can be read in the air-conditioned New Hampshire Room.
The Winchell room will never be the same again! We are pleased to announce that after much planning and preparing we are unrolling a complete series of computer classes at the Manchester City Library! Regularly we will teach what we like to call “No Frills” computer skills. Still learning to use a mouse? Look for Basic Computer Skills I. Intro to the Internet is back, too! After two months off, this widely popular class returns with a new teacher on August 31st. That afternoon brings a great chance to sign up for your own email address and gain some practice with web searching. The class will meet at 1:30pm-3:00pm for a slow paced introduction to getting onto the internet. This class is geared towards beginners and will introduce you to basic Internet and email skills. Other future class offerings include a class on August 2nd about Facebook. Intro to Facebook will be from 6:30pm-7:30 and requires an email address to complete the class. So if you have experience with email and are interested in trying Facebook, please sign up. There will be a brief discussion of the Facebook privacy settings so you can be responsible and understand the benefits and risks of using Facebook. Another class offering will be on August 23rd. Come learn about the depth of research tools available to library patrons online. Learning about our databases with Ebsco will provide a great overview and introduction to the hundreds of research and reference tools available at your finger tips. Use the Novelist database for an amazing list of book suggestions. Access thousands of magazine articles, car repair manuals, academic journals, and information on history, genealogy, current events and business. Specialist Pam Erickson from Ebsco will be there to give you a genuine learning experience. Please preregister, bring your library card, and arrive early for this amazing 6:30pm-7:30pm class. See all of the amazing tools and try them out for yourself.
