Library Collections
NICK'S PICKS of Nick's picks - eTumbleBooks for Kids - Books - Magazines and Newspapers - DVDs & Videos - Books on Tape and CD - eAudiobooks & eBooks - Music - Computer Software on CD-ROMs and Console Games - Books on Order - Materials Request
NICK'S PICKS of Nick's picks
Looking for a good book? Librarian Nick Schenkel has been reading and reviewing books for local radio station WBAA for over 25 years. Here is a list of Nick’s favorites of all the books he’s read & reviewed - you may enjoy some of these too!
FICTION
ALCATRAZ vs THE EVIL LIBRARIANS by Brandon Sanderson* On his thirteenth birthday, foster child Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag
of sand which is immediately stolen by the evil Librarians who are
trying to take over the world, and Alcatraz is introduced to his
grandfather and his own special talent, and told that he must use it to
save civilization.
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES of KAVILIER and CLAY by Michael Chabon Chabon deservedly won a Pulitzer prize for this novel which takes us into the world of comic book pioneers in the "golden age of comics" in the early 20th century. With a novel-within-a-novel Chabon explores the tumultuous world of 1930's urban America and Europe through the eyes of his real life and comic protagonists.
BONE FIRE by Mark Spragg* The inhabitants of Ishawooa, Wyoming have enough to contend with on a
daily basis, from runaway children to Lou Gehrig's disease, even before a
teenager is found dead in a meth lab and motorcycle rallies and rodeos
fill the tiny local jail. Moody and beautifully written.
BOY IN THE WATER by Stephen Dobyns An atmospheric mystery set in a private boarding school in upstate New Hampshire.
BREATH: an interpretation of the “Pied Piper of Hamelin Town” by Donna Jo Napoli
CLOSE RANGE by Annie Proulx A collection of Proulx's short stories featuring "Brokeback Mountain" and much more great writing.
DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather A classic. Spare, moving and thoughtful look at the old Southwest.
DESERT by J.M.G. LeClezio (Translated from the French) After being driven from their land by French colonial soldiers in 1909, Nour and his people, "the blue men" must search for a haven out of the desert that will shelter them. Interspersed with the story of Nour is the contemporary story of Lalla, a descendent of the blue men, who lives in Morocco and tries to stay true to the blood of her ancestors while experiencing life as a modern immigrant.
FAMILY DANCING by David Levitt A collection of Levitt's first (and I consider very best) writing, featuring contemporary middle class families in an age of cultural and personal change.
THE FULL CUPBOARD of LIFE by Alexander McCall Smith*
GAS CITY by Loren D. Estleman The saga of a slowly fading midwestern city where the local chief of police, the local crime boss and a high ranking church official all struggle to make sense of the modern world which has moved beyond their understanding. A sad but beautifully told tale of life for many in the contemporary world.
HERCULE POIROT mysteries by Agatha Christie*
HIDDEN MOON: an Inspector O novel by James Church* His best novel featuring Inspector O who finds his career as a detective in Pyongyang, North Korea, a life filled with as much obfuscation as mystery. A many sided look into what life might be like for the citizens of contemporary North Korea.
IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN by Hisham Matar A story that shifts between adult exile and youthful wonder and confusion this tale, set in contemporary north Africa, explores the confusing world of adults (men) in a family that seeks answers to questions about freedom in politics as much as in their family. A thoughtful and strong read.
LITERATURE OF THE AXIS OF EVIL: contemporary writing from Iran, Iraq, North Korea and other labeled enemy nations of the US. Fascinating, translated
THE MOONSTONE by Wilkie Collins
MOVING HOUSE: stories by Pawll Huelle
MURDER ON THE APPIAN WAY: a novel of ancient Rome by Steven Saylor *
OBEDIENCE by Will Lavender
THE SHADOW YEAR by Jeffrey Ford
SHERLOCK HOLMES mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle*
WHEN WILDFLOWERS DIE, a Phoebe Siegel mystery by Sandra West Prowell*
THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett
*Part of a series of books by this author
NONFICTION
ALONE IN THE KITCHEN WITH AN EGGPLANT: confessions of cooking for one and dining alone by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
DANCING IN THE DARK: A cultural history of the Great Depression by Morris Dickstein
THE DEEP: life in the deep oceans by Claire Nouvian
FEDERAL WRITER’S PROJECT travel guides to the States of America from the 1930’s and 1940’s
A GIRL NAMED ZIPPY: growing up small in Mooreland, Indiana byHaven
Kimmel
GRANT AND TWAIN: The story of a friendship that changed America by Mark Perry
LAFAYETTE LEADERSHIP PROFILES: local men and women share their stories in how they came to a lifetime of service* by Lillian price, Jan Mattew, Debbie Lowe and Nancy Kleckner
IN EUROPE: travels through the the 20th Century by Geert Mak
READING THE OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages by Ammon Shea (OED: Oxford English Dictionary)
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS: a Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
SHAKESPEARE (a biography) by Michael Wood
ULTRA MARATHON MAN: Confessions of an all-night runner by Dean Karnazes
WHY CATS PAINT and WHY PAINT CATS by Burton Silver and Heather Busch
*includes a short biography of this author
eTumbleBooks for Kids
Books
The library offers over 100,000 books for all ages -- from novels to non-fiction, board books to large print. The check-out period for all books is 3 weeks. You may renew a book once as long as there are no holds on the item.
Magazines and Newspapers
The library subscribes to more than 200 titles. The newest edition of each title is available for use in the library, but older copies of all periodicals circulate for 3 weeks. You may renew a magazine once as long as there are no holds on the item.
INSPIRE, magazine indexes, encyclopedias, and other databases for residents of Indiana, provided by the State of Indiana, the Indiana State Library and INCOLSA.
DVDs & Videos
The library collects thousands of videos in VHS and DVD formats, including award-winners, foreign films and a large children's collection.
- All DVDs circulate free of charge for 1 week. You may renew a DVD only once as long as there are no holds on the item.
- All VHS videos circulate free of charge for 3 weeks. You may renew a VHS video once as long as there are no holds on the item.
- Patrons may check out 10 DVD's and 10 Videos.
Recently Purchased DVDs
Materials Request
Books on Tape and CD
Best Sellers and older classics are available for all ages. The check-out period for books on tape and on CD is 3 weeks. You may renew a book on CD or tape once as long as there are no holds on the item.
eAudiobooks & eBooks
Visit our electronic branch at the Indiana Digital Download Center, iddc.lib.overdrive.com This collection of online digital content is easily accessed with your library card and password. (if you need help call the information desk at the library 765-743-2261.)
Indiana Digital Download Center is our growing consortium's online presence at OverDrive. The consortium is comprised of 8 libraries that are pooling funds to purchase digital content for their patrons.
Tippecanoe County Public Library is also in an OverDrive consortium but we felt that it would give our patrons, including our reciprocal borrowers, access to more materials if we joined the other Indiana OverDrive consortium
Click on the logo to go to NetLibrary and learn more about NetLibrary's eAudiobook collections. Then come into the West Lafayette Public Library and set up a free NetLibrary account and you will be able to access this eContent from home. You can look at the West Lafayette Public Library's eAudiobook collection - which is provided through NetLibrary - by visiting the NetLibrary site from the Library or while logged into your library account. This eContent is made available through a multi-library cooperative purchase with other Indiana Libraries offered through INCOLSA. This service seems to work the best with Internet Explorer.
Music
The library has a large collection of music CDs as well as an extensive sheet music collection. The check-out period for CDs is 3 weeks. You may renew a CD once as long as there are no holds on the item.
Link to a great collection of online sheet music, all with an Indiana connection at IN Harmony.
Computer Software on CD-ROMs and Console Games
The library maintains a collection of computer software on CD-ROM for all ages, including both Mac and PC formats. The library has begun collecting console games for the Wii and PS2 systems as well.
- The check-out period for software is 3 weeks. You may renew a CD-ROM once as long as there are no holds on the item.
- The check-out period for console games is 1 week with a limit of 1 per patron. You may renew a console game once as long as there are no holds on the item.
Books on Order
- "Books on Order" alphabetically by Author or Title
- Materials Request
Materials Request
The Materials Request form will allow you to request that the library purchase items to be added to the library's collections. You may want to check the Books on Order by Author or by Title to see if we already have the item on order. Patrons that request items are automatically added to the hold list if and when the item is received.
