Springtime means only one thing, it is time to go outside and get back under the sun. The days are longer, and there is no time like the present. Once again the skateboards come out, and the tricks keep flippin'. With all of this in mind, let's take a look at what the library can offer skaters, whether you are skating around or back inside after a long day out. Here are some tunes to thrash around to, some books to read up on and some movies to feel inspired by.

Other than a skateboard, there is no item more necessary than the soundtrack, so without further ado the top skate bands and music to skate to:

The collision of punk and skating made sense, from the sounds of the Adolescents to the Dead Kennedys to the legendary Black Flag - Damaged, we have a perfect fusion of concrete noise and grinding songs. Thrash, from the Suicidal Tendencies to the great Kill 'Em All album by Metallica marries the sound of skating with the bowl of destiny, whereas the hard rock anthems of Iggy & the Stooges - Raw Power, X - Los Angeles, and Wild Gift help us make those ollies and flips. Heavy metal from the most revered and worshipped Master of Reality, or really just all of Black Sabbath to the classic sounds of Blue Öyster Cult and Deep Purple - Fireball, to modern day classics like both of Sleep's albums, the hour long ecstasy and elevation that is Dopesmoker to the fantastical voyage of life on Holy Mountain. Or, check out Electric Wizards NEW behemoth of an album Time to Die.

There is no way to end the discussion of a great skate soundtrack without the hip hop angle, from the new albums by Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty, Big Krit - Cadillactica, Rae Sremmurd - Sremmlife, YG - My Krazy Life and Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$ to New York's finest with: Notorious BIG - Ready to Die, my personal favorite Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, the anthemic, exciting, as well as politically spot on Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, KRS-One and his revolutionizing albums with Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded, the "no need to introduce," but always a need to include Raekwon or Wu-Tang related albums and without a doubt some of the greatest songs to listen to, sing along to and, skate to A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory.

Yet, there is plenty of time to hit the books as well. We have many books that deal with skating; History, Photos of, How-Tos, fiction. Some of the great photo history books includes both New York and beyond. For an exquisite documentation of the New York skate scene we have Full Bleed. Providing a more in-depth general skate life, Thrasher, who not only puts out one of the best skate magazines, has compiled a few books as well: Skate & Destroy: 25 Years of Thrasher and Epic Spots: The Places You Must Skate Before You Die. For a general combination of skate, punk, hip hop and alternative culture you can get no better than the photography and story of Glen Friedman, with Glen E. Friedman My Rules. On the historical side of skating we have an interesting book of interviews in The Skateboard: The Good, The Rad, The Gnarly as well as with The Concrete Wave. Sean Mortimer published Stalefish in 2008 which is an investigative look into skating, why people do it, stick with it, and ultimately identify with that culture. In the same manner, Curry Malott does that with Punk Rocker's Revolution in which a look at punk life, turns that subculture into an identity against the mainstream. And for those of any age trying to get into (or back into) skateboarding, the ever in-depth how-to in The Skateboarding Field Manual, as well as a look into the most legendary feats done on board Skateboarding Legendary Tricks 1 AND Skateboarding Legendary Tricks 2.

Last, how about ending the day with a movie that will bring out a similar enjoyment as your daily ride. From documentaries about skate culture to feature films that we have come to know and love, skating has created some great movies and we have them here at the library. For feature films we have a story based on the Dogtown boys with Lords of Dogtown, starring many favorite actors this movie follows the progression of skating and skate culture. Almost any list of movies needs to have Repo Man, it might not involve skateboarding, but if you have seen it you know why it is here. If you have not seen it, then check it out or place a hold now! While musically CBGB Omfug Punk from the Bowery documents a time and place in which the music and energy of skating was made. We Are the Best is a brand new film that heartily shows growing up different and finding DIY, punk and rebellion.

The great part of skate movies are the number of documentaries that have come from the culture. From Waiting for Lightning, the story of trying to skate over the Great Wall, to the story of being the first skater with a prosthetic leg as in Never Been Done. Dragonslayer documents growing up with the dream to be a skater and the pitfalls and the empowerment that can come in between. While California, New York and everywhere else in the United States has been known for and documented when it comes to skating, This Ain't California documents three folks who grew up in the German Democratic Republic and their use of skating as a way to rebel and live out an independent life, meeting up with them again in 2011 to do a where-are-they-now interview. Tips or tricks on skating? Go no further than Beginning Skateboarding.

There you have it! The library has lots more to explore in the area of skateboarding so be sure to browse through our collections on your next ride.