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There is one week each year when it is completely acceptable to fawn over libraries and librarians and all that they do for communities, institutions, and the world in general. Of course, you may find yourself doing that every week of the year, anyway, but we have great news for library fans -- it’s National Library Week in the US.
If you want to show your support of libraries this week, enter the American Library Association's contest, and help spread the word about all the great ways that your library helps people in your community. Contest details and other ways to show your love of libraries can be found at: [http://www.ilovelibraries.org/national-library-week]
0 Comments on National Library Week contest as of 1/1/1900
So today is the last day of National Library Week. In celebration, enjoy this delightful video from Common Craft for your average non-library literate layman. If you are a librarian, show this video to those members of your family who heard you had to get a Master’s degree and asked you, “What? So they teach you how to put your hair in a bun and go ‘Shh’ all day?”
There is a saying in my family: A music video isn’t viral until soldiers perform a version of it. Admittedly it’s a relatively new saying. The same might also be said for librarian parody videos, though. When they’re doing a song you haven’t heard of, you best be looking that puppy up. Case in point . . .
The moment he’s reading Beloved sort of stands out. Otherwise, perfectly fine. The ending is pitch perfect. Thanks to Melanie for the link.
One more. This time with a Taylor Swift-centric vibe. Author Patricia Hubbell ought to be well pleased:
In other news I was so pleased to see James Kennedy and his 90-Second Newbery shenanigans appear on this recent episode of Kidlit TV. You should watch it if, for no other reason, the fact that you get to see Ame Dyckman briefly prance. And prance she does!!
Next up, the Mazza Museum! I love that place, but the smiling blonde is way way way perky.
Speaking of perky, Scholastic ups the ante with a professional announcer talking up their summer reading challenge. Not a bad idea. Offer kids the chance to be in a world record and watch your participation numbers skyrocket.
And for our off-topic video, this week this post alerted me to the existence of this movie scene from the film Bedazzled. This constitutes my new favorite thing.
3 Comments on Video Sunday: “You fill me with inertia.”, last added: 4/20/2015
Peter Cook! Dudley Moore (in his early days)! Haven’t seen the original Bedazzled in years, but boy did I love it (and them) way back when.
James Kennedy said, on 4/19/2015 9:44:00 PM
Ha! Another Mallory Ortberg fan! I *thought* that video looked familiar… yet another thing we have in common!
melanie hope greenberg said, on 4/20/2015 8:31:00 AM
Thanks for posting that library funk video. Surprised no one else sent it. Had the pleasure of seeing Dudley Moore and Peter Cook on Broadway many a moon ago.
So what’s the talk of the town these days? Well the relative brouhaha came about at the end of last week when ReedPOP announced a panel of “the world’s biggest children’s authors” in the field. That the luminaries in question were all white and male struck a raw nerve with a whole slew of folks. Since that moment there’s been some fancy footwork and a promise to add some additional folks. The solution is ludicrously simple, of course. If the gist of the grouping is to have the top selling authors of books for kids then just grab Rachel Renee Russell and ask her to join. The fact that she isn’t tapped for more panels has always struck me as odd.
I am not immune to professional jealousy. Wish that I was. Fortunately, most of the time I am able to convert the green eyed monster into genuine fascination and interest (much, I’m sure, to the discomfort of the people I’m suddenly obsessed with). Take this week’s example: One Margaret H. Willison. I was listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour, a podcast I like quite a lot in spite of the fact that they can’t tell YA fiction from MG. Anywho, they have a children’s librarian that they love very very much. Ms. Willison has been a longstanding fan of theirs and Stephen Thompson mentioned that she was on track to be the next Nancy Pearl of children’s books. Oh aye! So I checked her out and she did a NPR piece called 3 Bedtime Picture Books That Won’t Put Parents to Sleep. Excellent choices one and all. She’s one to watch then.
This news made me inordinately happy recently. The Multnomah County Library System and the Seattle Public Library went head to head in an all out reference battle. The question? Who could answer the most book recommendation queries via Twitter? And I am happy to report that Portland (where the Multnomah system lives) won all the way!! Way to go, you literary denizens you. Thanks to AL Direct for the link.
Recently a new library opened up at NYU. Called the Georgiou Library and Resource Center for Children and Literature the site will do a lot of outreach to the community as well as operate as a research facility. Its librarian is the multi-talented Kendra Tyson and the collection, “contains several categories of children’s literature, including counting books, fairy tales, poetry, biography, and holiday books. It also houses Mother Goose books geared for African, Chinese and Russian audiences, bi-lingual counting books, and the Metropolitan Museum’s of Art’s Museum ABC (Little Brown, 2002), which portrays a range of world cultures through its collections.” I was lucky enough to attend a small event for the library recently and in the course realized that there are other similar collections out there that I just don’t know well enough. Like the Cotsen Children’s Library, for example. Some of you will nod sagely and murmur “of course” when I mention it but to me I was ashamed to discover that not only are they the Princeton children’s library but they maintain these FABULOUS blogs! The Cotsen Children’s Library blog is updated quite regularly and the Pop Goes the Page is maybe the best arts & crafts for library programs blog I’ve witnessed in a very long time. They’ve also archived a variety of different interviews with children’s authors called The Bibliofiles that are well worth finding too. Man. That would be the life working at either of these libraries, am I right?
Good old, ShelfTalker. I love it when they list a whole slew of their favorite first lines of 2014. And in the process I discovered at least one book that I hadn’t even heard of until I read its line. Bonus!
You know what? Fair play to Mackenzie Kruvant. There she is at Buzzfeed, slaving away with such pieces as “Which Sex And The City Guy Is Your Soulmate?” but often she’ll come up with a really good children’s literature piece. Example: 15 Adorable Children’s Books For Your Little Architect . Perhaps she got some help from a librarian somewhere to write it, but if she didn’t then it’s a pretty darn good encapsulation of what’s out there. Well played, madam.
NYPL likes it when I blog on their site from time to time, so I’ll tend to do pieces I wouldn’t normally do here. Case in point, recently I did the post Make ‘Em Laugh: Gut-Busting Picture Books That’ll Have ‘Em Rolling in the Aisles. I really try to give attention to funny picture books when they come out. And though I didn’t mention them in the piece (I only included stuff you could currently check out of the collection) if I were to put that post here I’d be sure to include the 2014 titles Big Bad Bubble by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (without a doubt their best work to date) and Monkey Goes Bananas by C. P. Bloom and Peter Raymundo. Both books are danged funny. If I make a funny picture book prize this year, they will both be up for serious contention.
A friend on mine on Facebook mentioned that he had a 12-year-old in his branch who was interested in Socialism and did we have any books to recommend? Naturally my thoughts turned to Little Rebels, but that’s a lot of picture books (many of which are out of print). Fortunately marxists.org (!) has a booklist of its own. Say they, “This is the start of an ongoing broad bibliography of children’s literature for MIA with title first, divided by age range and fiction/non-fiction. Some of these books were written to be expressly radical, and others need a stretch to find political implications. Compiled by Sally Ryan.” Cool.
Hey, remember when I mentioned that I’d interviewed Deborah Underwood about her amazing Bad Bye, Good Bye? I got a little confused about when it was going to post but now, happily, it is up up up! If you ever wanted to know the ins and outs of writing a rhyming picture book, you are indeed lucky.
Got a little confused with the headline on this one, but as it happens it has absolutely nothing to do with the bookstore Books of Wonder here in NYC. No, this little article is instead about a cool new collection within the Toronto Public Library. Its full name is “The IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities”. Say they: “As its official name indicates, this collection comes from IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People. The IBBY collection features more than 3000 multilingual books in sign language, Braille, Blissymbolics, as well as cloth and tactile books and other formats — all for and about children and teens with disabilities.” I’m downright envious again. Thanks to Deb Pearson for the link.
In the world of book awards we’ve two to consider today. The Eisner Award nominations came out and I see a lot of familiar faces in the youth category. Meanwhile the Minnesota Book Awards were announced and you might be surprised to discover some of the winners.
Whenever someone asks adult authors to name the children’s books that inspired them there is a danger of the books being the same old, same old. That’s part of the reason I like this post from World Literature Today. Yes, there are some rote choices, but there are also some really obscure titles. The Summerfolk by Doris Burn? The Three Fat Men by Yuri Olesha? Tim and the Hidden People by Sheila K. McKullagh?!? Wowza. Thanks to Mom for the link.
Daily Image:
Good news, poppins. Today you have a chance to buy cool things and be a good person in the process. And just in time for my incipient birthday too! The site Out of Print has been killing it in the library-chic neighborhood. Observe the cool things that there are to buy:
Mom, Kate, I will happily take that iPhone case. Wouldn’t say no to any of those baby onesies, for that matter.
Now, how does buying this stuff make you a good person? Well, it seems the site is THIS WEEK (it is National Library Week after all – my workplace got me a mug and everything) giving money to the following school if you buy stuff. Voila:
P.S. 244 (The Active Learning Elementary School “TALES”) is an early childhood public school (Pre-K to 3rd grade) located in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York. The majority of students do not speak English at home and qualify for subsidized meal plans, yet at TALES they thrive. A model for public schools at both the national and state level, P.S. 244 has been recognized for its focus on health and nutrition and ranks among the healthiest schools in the country. In 2013, P.S. 244 also ranked 11th in the state for test scores and has been heralded for its innovative curriculum and extremely hard working staff.
With all of these strengths, they also have challenges. The school’s current library has no formal checkout system and relies on volunteer staff. The result? The space serves more like a reading room than a true library. Students aren’t able to check out and read these books at home, families miss out on sharing the joy of reading with their kids and the school is unable to implement a summer reading program to enhance student reading skills during off-school periods.
Help us to give this school and its students the library they deserve. During National Library Week (April 13-20), we are donating a portion of our sales to purchase and implement a scanning system for P.S. 244 and to train staff to manage it. We will post updates after the donation and share stories from students and teachers about the impact of this new system.
Many thanks to Ms. Marci for the links!
3 Comments on Fusenews: Not seething with envy. It’s more of a percolation process., last added: 4/17/2014
melanie hope greenberg said, on 4/17/2014 6:59:00 AM
My beau was in Professor Georgiou’s NYU class back in the late 1970′s. He suggested I audit classes which the good professor allowed (still have Georgiou’s purple mimeographed notes). He thought my writing was “preachy”. However, he sent me to his friend at UNICEF and I got my first ever professional illustration job! What a wonderful tribute to a dedicated children’s book lover. Yay!
Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn said, on 4/17/2014 12:07:00 PM
Woohoo for the Multnomah County Library system. Best libraries ever (I’m sure NYPL is a close second, Betsy). #bookmatch was fun to follow, and I highly recommend it to other library systems. Go Timbers! #RCTID
Elizabeth Bird said, on 4/17/2014 6:13:00 PM
How cool would it have been if they’d made a video out of it? Next time.
Jessica Lee is a teacher librarian at Willard Middle School in Berkeley, California. She has also been an English teacher, a public librarian, and a waitress, but her favorite terrible-teen job was selling snacks at Six Flags Magic Mountain. She is the mom of two boys who are also students at her school, fully integrating the work-life experience.
From ancient times to the creation of eBooks, books have a long and vast history that spans the globe. Although a book may only seem like a collection of pages with words, they are also an art form that have survived for centuries. In honor of National Library Week, we couldn’t think of a more fitting book to share than The Book: A Global History. The slideshow below highlights the fascinating evolution of the book.
Illustrations of runic stones from the Danish scholar Carl Rafn’s ‘Runic Inscriptions in which the Western Countries are Alluded to’, in Mémoires de la Société Royale des Antiquaires du Nord, 1848–9 (Copenhagen, 1852); the variety of languages is notable. Private collection.
A composing frame with two sets of cases of type: the upper case lies at a steeper angle than the lower case. By permission of Oxford University Press.
Some cuneiform (wedge-shaped) signs, showing the pictographic form (c .3000 BC ), an early cuneiform representation (c. 2400 BC ), and the late Assyrian form ( c .650 BC ), now turned through 90 degrees, with the meaning. Line drawing by Chartwell Illustrators.
Michael F. Suarez, S.J. and H. R. Woudhuysen are the authors of The Book: A Global History. Michael F. Suarez S.J. is Professor and Director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. H. R. Woudhuysen is Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford.
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I encourage you not only to celebrate and patronize your library, but also to consider become an advocate for libraries and librarians. Below are some of the ways you can help your favorite library.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, whose mission is "to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. ... IMLS supports the full range of libraries, including public, academic, research, special and tribal, and the full range of museums including art, history, science and technology, children’s museums, historical societies, tribal museums, planetariums, botanic gardens and zoos."
Your child's school library. Ask questions about your child's library. Is it staffed by a professional librarian? What is its annual book budget? How often do students have an opportunity to visit the library? Let school administrators know that the school library is important to you and your child.
Your school's library. Are you a teacher? Your school's media specialist can work with you to ensure that your students have the resources and skills they need for important projects. Make it a point to meet with your school's librarian or media specialist on a regular basis.
This week is National Library Week in the United States. Oxford University Press is celebrating the contributions of these institutions to communities around the world in a variety of ways, including granting free access to online products in the United States and Canada. To better understand the work that goes into these reference works, we sat down with Senior Marketing Manager Brian Hughes to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the digital space; how Oxford strives to provide knowledge to students, scholars, and researchers; and the hidden considerations that must be made.
What do you do here at Oxford University Press?
I’ve been with OUP for 14 years now and have seen many of our products develop from ideas on paper to the dynamic research and teaching tools they are today. After working in academic marketing for well over a decade, I moved to the global online team and I’m extremely lucky that my current role is diverse and ever-changing. That’s the exciting part of working with digital products.
Much of my time does involve working with the User Experience Platform Management (UXPM) Group, which looks at the functionality and design enhancements for our digital products. I’m also very involved in the Future Business Models Group, which looks at how we can better serve our customers in the near and distant future. The group discusses options and scopes out pilots that will help the business make evidence-based decisions about viable new sales models. For example, later this year we’ll be piloting a Pay-Per-View option on some of our products. In this case we are partnering with a third party but we will have reliable data that will aid us in determining whether building the option ourselves would be feasible. I’m also working with a group that’s looking to make our presence at academic conferences more efficient and further integrate our digital products in the day-to-day discipline marketing. It’s rewarding to work in so many areas and see how the digital program impacts them in a positive way.
What’s the dynamic of the product marketing team?
The biggest difference from my previous positions in academic marketing is that my daily interactions are strictly with those within OUP. Each of the groups and teams that I work with now are made up of an impressive cross-section of the organization: sales, market research, technology, finance, and design. Whether it’s deciding on a site change to Oxford Bibliographies or testing a new price for Grove Art, there’s a team of people helping to ensure the decision is the right one for the Press, both now and in the future.
How do you choose which enhancements to make or prioritize?
There’s a small assessment group that reviews all enhancement requests that come from different parts of the business. First and foremost, we think about how the enhancement is going to help the user. We ask ourselves a lot of questions:
Will this change improve the user journey?
How will it impact users coming from other Oxford digital products?
Are users expecting this functionality because it’s common on competitors’ products?
Of course, we always have to look at the cost. Generally the business case is strong and the benefits will outweigh the cost and the enhancement is approved. But when that’s not the case, it’s important that we in the assessment group provide context for the rejection and provide feedback. Just saying no isn’t fair. But in the end, if it’s good for the user and is cost effective, the change does get approved. Implementation isn’t always immediate. We have to design, test, and schedule the enhancement, which can take a few months, so it’s also important to explain that timeline to my colleagues throughout the business.
What makes excellent online reference from a user experience or web perspective?
Users expect digital products to be intuitive, information to be served up quickly, and finally, information to be as relevant as possible. It’s important once a user engages with any of our digital products that they are able stay within the OUP ecosystem. They came to us as a trusted resource, so we try to create connections between our online products — giving them all the information they need. We have a very short window in which to capture the users’ attention before they move on in their research. We are constantly working to provide them with the best online experience possible. It sounds like a simple task, but it takes a lot of work and a lot of people to make it happen.
What kinds of new tools or technologies would you love to explore further?
One very exciting tool we’re looking to implement within the next six months is an A/B testing system. This will be a very important piece of business intelligence that we’ll be able to use when it comes to enhancements and product development. Currently, we’re unable to test in a live environment, and being able to serve up attributes like availability markers or style changes to different groups will help us make the right decision for our users. I think this is going to be one of the most exciting and important pieces of UX in the next year for the digital program.
What should new users of Oxford’s online resources should know?
Oxford digital products are extremely dynamic. Not just when it comes to functionality or technology, but also content. Our content is being updated on a regular basis; we don’t just replicate the print in an online environment. New types of content are also being added, for instance, we’re adding timelines and commentary to supplement what has appeared in print.
Is there anything loyal users would be surprised to learn about our online resources?
One thing I was surprised to learn is just how much goes on “behind the scenes” to make our digital products better for users. Helping students and researchers along their digital journeys involves a lot more than site design. The team of people working to improve search results, linking, and deliver the best and most relevant content to our users. There’s a lot more than data feeds and style sheets when it comes to digital products.
Professionally speaking, I come from a print background and until I started in my new role, I had no idea how much work and effort went into any one of our products. In 2003, when Oxford Scholarship Online launched, there was nothing like it in the market. Someone once commented that “Oxford has the ability to see around the corner” when it comes to digital publishing. I think that’s pretty telling when it comes to our development and commitment to academic research.
Brian Hughes is Senior Marketing Manager for Oxford University Press’s online program, and oversees advancements on over 40 online products. He has worked at Oxford for 14 years.
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I have been a contributor to Vicki Arnold’s The Library Adventure for awhile and I am so proud to be a part of such a wonderful site.
The Library Adventure was founded by Vicki Arnold in 2013 when she was faced with the quandary of how to fit her love of the library and books into her already bursting at the seams blogging schedule. She wanted a place for others to share their library finds with other bibliophiles.
As she started brainstorming, the idea kept growing and The Library Adventure was born. The Library Adventure strives to be a go-to resource for both library patrons and librarians. While The Library Adventure is for library fans of all ages, there is a special focus on children. I am not alone as a contributor, there are many wonderful bloggers and writers who contribute and you can get to know them here.
In honor of National Library Week (April 13-19) I thought I would shine the spotlight on Vicki’s amazine site, and recap some of the book jumps and activities I have done on The Library Adventure along with a few of my favorite posts from other contributors.
The Penderwicks: A summer Tale of Four Sisters,Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall is filled with adventure, mystery, suspense, friendships, and villains–all of these ingredients mixed together make the best summer ever for the Penderwick sisters Rosalind, Jane, Skye, and Batty. Rosalind, the oldest, assumes the responsibility of taking care of her younger sisters. Jane just wants to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Skye wants to finish her novel. And Batty…wants to be a butterfly. When they arrive at Arundel Hall for the summer with their Botanist father and their dog, Hound, the girls had no clue what was awaiting them behind the high walls of the Arundel house. Read article in its entirety HERE.
Pippi lives all alone in a large yellow and pink house, her mother died when she was a baby and her father is lost at sea somewhere but expected to return. Pippi fills her days with pancakes, games, dancing, and many other antics. Her best friends are a monkey named Nilsson and a white horse she lets in the house and sleep in the living room. She supports herself with her suitcase full of gold coins. Clearly, she needs no one and is very capable of handling every detail of life on her own. Read the rest of the article HERE.
Note: Myself and intern Hannah Rials had SO much fun creating this Hands On Activity! Let’s see if your family can create their own “Long Stockings!”
The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood Activity
Over the years my family has enjoyed reading a variety of “great flood” tales from our local Blount County Library. This month found us enjoying the Creek Indian version called, The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood by Gerald Hausman and beautifully illustrated by Ramon Shiloh.
In this version, spotted frog announces to the world that a great flood is coming which will destroy all of their homes. All of the animals ignore spotted frog’s warning, except an otter named Listener. Read the rest of the article HERE.
We recently picked up a wonderful book from the Blount County library, this wonderful Kenyan Tale called, “Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya” by Mary and Rich Chamberlin, Illustrated by Julia Cairns.
This beautiful heart warming story shares the great message of “give and you shall receive.“ As Mama Panya and her young son Adika walk to the market, Adika invites every friend he meets to come and eat pancakes with him and his mother. Read the rest of the article HERE.
**Tops Picks from other Library Adventure Contributors**
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears tells the tale of the mosquito. This little creature begins the story by attempting to tell his friend iguana about a farmer digging yams. The grumpy iguana doesn’t believe the tall tale his friend is telling so he puts two sticks in his ears and walks away in a huff. As the other animals pass by the iguana they are confused about his actions. Iguana has no idea he sets off a chain of unfortunate events impacting all of the animals in the forest.
“Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens. He was one of the most noticeable members of the Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about whom little was known, except that he was a polished man of the world.” Read the full article HERE.
Be sure and visit The Library Adventure to find even more delightful book reviews and hands-on activities!
In honor of the beginning of National Library Week this Sunday, 13 April 2014, we’re sharing this interesting excerpt from Contemporary Fiction: A Very Short Introduction. As technology continues to evolve, the way we access books and information is changing, and libraries are continuously working to keep up-to-date with the latest resources available. Here, Robert Eaglestone presents the idea of the seemingly simple act of writing as a form of technology.
The essential thing about technology is that, despite our iPhones and computers and digital cameras and constant change, it is not new at all. In fact, human civilization over the longest possible time grew up not just hand in hand with technology but because of technology. Technology isn’t just something added to ‘being human’ the way we might acquire another gadget: the essence of technology is in the creation of tools, technology in the creation of farming and in buildings, cities, roads, and machines. (p. 87) And perhaps the most important form of technology is right here in front of you, you’re looking at it right now, this second: writing. It too—these very letters here, now—is, of course, a technology. Writing is a ‘machine’ to supplement both the fallible and limited nature of our memory (it stores information over time) and our bodies over space (it carries information over distances). So it’s not so much that we humans made technology: technology also made us. As we write, so writing makes us. It is technology that allows us history, as a recorded past and so a present, and so, perhaps a future. So to think about technology, and changes in technology, is to think about the very core of what we, as a species, are and about how we are changing. As we change technology, we change ourselves. And all novels, because they are a form of technology, implicitly or explicitly, do this.
The word ‘technology’ comes from the Greek word ‘techne’: techne is the skill of the craftsman or woman at building things (ships, tables, tapestries) but also, interestingly, the skill of crafting art and poetry. ‘Techne’ is the skill of seeing how, say, these pieces of wood would make a good table if sanded and used in just that way, or seeing the shape of David in the block of marble, or in hearing how these phrases will best represent the sadness you imagine Queen Hecuba feels in mourning her husband and sons. It’s also the skill, in our age, of working out how best to use resources to eliminate a disease globally, or to deliver high-quality education. But ‘techne’ has become more than just skill: it is a whole way of thinking about the world. In this ‘technological thinking’, everything in the world is turned into a potential resource for use, everything is a tool for doing something. Rocks become sources of ore; trees become potential timber for carpentry or pulp for paper; the wind itself is captured by a windmill or, in a more contemporary idiom, ‘farmed’ in a wind farm. Companies have departments of ‘human resources’. Even an undeveloped piece of natural land, purposely left undisturbed by buildings and agriculture, becomes a ‘wilderness park’, a ‘machine’ in which to relax and recharge (p. 88) oneself from the strains of everyday life. Great works of literature are turned into a resource through which to measure people, by exams or in quizzes. This is the point of the old saw, ‘To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail’: to a technological way of thinking, everything looks like a resource to be used (just as to a carpenter, all trees look like potential timber; to a university academic, all fiction is a source of exam questions). More than this, the modern networks which use these resources are bigger and more complex. Where once the windmill ground the miller’s corn to make bread, now a huge global food system moves food resources about internationally: understanding and using these networks are a career in themselves. This technological thinking, rather than the tools it produces, is a taken-for-granted ‘framework’ in which we come to see and understand everything. Although many people have made this sort of observation about the world, the influential and contentious German philosopher Martin Heidegger, from whom much of the above is drawn, made it most keenly.
Is this a bad thing? It certainly sounds as if it might be. Who wants, after all, to be seen only as a ‘human resource’? It’s precisely technological thinking that has put the world at risk of total destruction. On the other hand, technology has offered so much to so many: in curing illness and alleviating pain, for example. The question is too big to answer in these simple terms of ‘bad’ or ‘good’. However, contemporary fiction seems very negative about technology, positing dystopias and awful ends for humanity. However, I want to suggest that contemporary fiction doesn’t find the world utterly without hope, precisely because of technology.
Robert Eaglestone is Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is Deputy Director (and formerly Director) of the Holocaust Research Centre. His research interests are in contemporary literature and literary theory, contemporary philosophy, and on Holocaust and genocide studies. He is the author of Contemporary Fiction: A Very Short Introduction and Doing English: A Guide for Literature Students (third revised edition) (Routledge, 2009).
The Very Short Introductions (VSI) series combines a small format with authoritative analysis and big ideas for hundreds of topic areas. Written by our expert authors, these books can change the way you think about the things that interest you and are the perfect introduction to subjects you previously knew nothing about. Grow your knowledge with OUPblog and the VSI series every Friday, subscribe to Very Short Introductions articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS, and like Very Short Introductions on Facebook.
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Bats at the Library by Brian Lies Another inky evening’s here- The air is cool and calm and clear. Can it be true? Oh, can it be? Yes! Bat Night at the library! Join the free-for-all fun at the public library with these book-loving bats! Shape shadows on walls, frolic in the water fountain, and …
Love libraries? Support libraries and show your love for National Library Week by adding one of these great images to your FaceBook page. Includes instructions on how to do this.
I just added it to my two author pages.
0 Comments on Support & celebrate libraries on your FaceBook Page as of 1/1/1900
Here are a few things you can do to celebrate National Library week.
Share your library story in 17 syllables and 140 characters. Enter the National Library Week twaiku contest - tweet a twaiku (Twitter haiku) about your love of libraries. Details here. Today is the deadline so act fast! I entered. "A welcoming place/ All things good, together/ Home, your library"
Many libraries are threatened with budget or staffing cuts. If you love your library, tell your friends, write the newspaper, blog it, tweet it, post it! (and, oh yeah, you can tell your librarian, too!)
So what are you waiting for? Visit your library today!
0 Comments on National Library Week as of 4/13/2011 7:06:00 AM
when last seen, I was on my way to Indianapolis, where I gave the 33rd McFadden Memorial Lecture. I talked about libraries (because it was National Library Week) . This was a bit intimidating, as previous lecturers included John Updike, Maurice Sendak, Lloyd Alexander, Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut (who had been an Indianapolis resident).
At the end of the lecture I was presented with the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Award for Literature, a national literary award created and administered by the the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library "In celebration of those whose literary works uniquely document and define the human condition". The award itself made me ridiculously happy, as it's a beautiful sheet of metal with a Kurt Vonnegut self portrait on it, and Vonnegut was a writer who meant the world to me growing up: The Sirens of Titan was my first Vonnegut book, read when I was about ten years old, and it changed the way I thought. (We chatted only once, when he was in London, on the phone. He didn't want to do an interview, but was happy to talk, so we talked.)
This is me backstage holding my Kurt Vonnegut Literary Award.
National Library week celebrates the special way in which libraries provide resources to children and adults across the country. Back in 1950, researchers found that Americans were drifting away from reading and spending more time on other activities. To get Americans hooked on reading, the National Book Committee launched National Library Week in 1958 with the goal of keeping communities connected to their local libraries.
This year’s National Library Week theme, “Communities Thrive at Your Library,” highlights the importance of libraries in these tough economic times. Today, more than ever, individuals are turning to their local libraries for everything from a relaxing novel to job-hunting tools, reminding us that even in the age of Nooks and iBooks, libraries still provide access to tremendous resources, and more importantly, a place for communities to come together.
So hop in the car, get on the subway, or hit the sidewalk and head to your nearest library! Bookshelves full of fabulous books await you!
Congratulations to Mary Ann, winner of our latest giveaway! She will soon receive a copy of the anthology Ladybug, Ladybug and Other Favorite Poems, which features Cathy Cronin's poem "Firefly." Mary Ann shared that in honor of National Poetry Month, she is highlighting poetry books on her blog, Reading, Writing, and Recipes, all month long. In fact, she even mentions Ladybug, Ladybug in one of her posts.
April is an especially busy month here at TeachingAuthors.com: next Thursday we will celebrate our first Blogiversary! As part of our celebration, we'll be offering a unique giveaway. I'm going to keep you in suspense until then. Meanwhile, keep celebrating National Poetry Month and National Library Week.
Happy Writing! Carmela
2 Comments on Our Giveaway Winner and More Giveaway News!, last added: 4/15/2010
Carmela, I'm so excited to have won Ladybug, Ladybug, and Other Favorite Poems. Thank you, too, for linking to my blog, Reading, Writing, and Recipes. I think getting kids to read is fundamental. I want them to think, too. In addition to featuring books on Reading Mondays, my blog activities include Recipe Wednesdays and Writing Fridays, all connected to a weekly theme. This week it's all about pajamas. Coming up next is a week devoted to Earth Day.
I love how you connect reading, writing, and food on your blog, Mary Ann. We did a series of posts here on TeachingAuthors on "food in fiction." You can read them here: http://www.teachingauthors.com/search/label/Food%20into%20Fiction Happy Reading, Writing, AND Eating!
Last year, during this celebratory week, 4 authors -- Amy Hest, Carolyn MacCullough, G. Neri and Mitali Perkins -- offered their memories, stories, celebrations. They're so telling and varied and interesting that I want to share them with you again. After all, this stuff never gets old.
"I will never forget the day I got my first library card -- it was green -- and the thrill of signing my name -- oh, so carefully -- at that tall (and scary) desk as the librarian looked on, and my mother. Doors were opening ..."
Carolyn MacCullough, author of Once A Witch (September 2009):"My first job that came with a real paycheck was in the town library. I was a shelver. For four hours a day, three times a week, I made an endless loop of the shelves where I tucked books back into their proper home. If I could empty a cart in less than fifteen minutes, I let myself have five minutes to duck down in some semi lit corner and dive deep into whatever book I was reading at the time. Surrounded by the smell of ink, and the rustle of thousands and thousands of pages, it was then that I decided librarians were some of the luckiest people on earth."
1 Comments on Celebrate National Library Week, Day 4: Amy Hest, Carolyn MacCullough, G. Neri and Mitali Perkins talk it up, last added: 4/15/2010
With apologies to Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson, this is the perfect week to serenade, if not all libraries I’ve loved before, certainly the Top Five.
In all truth, I could not NOT love libraries.
I grew up in Philadelphia, home of Benjamin Franklin, founder of our country’s first subscription library, The Book Company, in 1731. Franklin and fellow Junto members each invested 40 shillings or more each year to support the library and buy books.
Annual Philadelphia grade school trips to Franklin’s Arch Street gravesite had me quoting proverbs from Poor Richard's Almanac to and fro. I graduated the University of Pennsylvania, the college Franklin founded in 1651. Maybe there was something in the water, either in the Delaware or the Schuylkill River? There was certainly something book-loving in my home, where I often played Library, lending out my Golden Books, childhood biographies of famous Americans and Honeybunch titles to friends and neighbors, date-stamping their book cards and charging fair fines.
Here are my Top Five Brick-and-Mortar Library Loves in chronological order. I wouldn’t and couldn’t be a TeachingAuthor without them.
The Penn Wynne Library was but a stone's throw away from my new suburban home. Thanks to my trusty library card, the first I'd ever owned, I spent my tenth year voraciously reading through the blue-spine-ed books on the "K" shelves of the library's Children's Room. I rode along with Nancy Drew and her River Heights companions, seated in the back of Nancy's spiffy blue roadster, supposedly following clues and feeling the breeze, yet unknowingly uncovering how to tell a story. Through adolescence, I sewed along with Jo and her sisters, I strode the moors, I walked the streets of Chicago with Sister Carrie. Writers are readers, and that's the Truth. How nice that my Penn Wynne Library gifted me with so many wonderful teachers.
Oh, do make time and space in your Life to visit the Newberry. Architecturally, the Newberry Library is a Winner, BUT...so are the collections it houses. The Kidlitosphere's very own Jenny Schwartzberg oversees the Children's Literature and you can see some original Mother Goose pieces. Check out the offerings at http://www.newberry.org/collections/childrensbooks.html Happy Library Week! Esther Hershenhorn
They will be put to great use and the second copy of Lipstick Apology and Eternal will get sent over to the branch library for even more great reading opportunities!
So exciting!!
Thank you for having such a great contest, and thank you SO much to all the authors and other donating peoples for such a great book basket!!
How are you celebrating? Taking a library book out to lunch? Giving your favorite librarian flowers? Inviting a friend to visit the library with you? Reading your favorite library book to your Mom, Dad, or little brother or sister?
There are so many ways to celebrate National Library Week. But if you aren't able to visit your library this week, never fear. The American Library Association has a fun list of great web sites you can visit at home.
How am I celebrating National Library Week? Today I volunteered in the library at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. I had a wonderful time reading with Isaiah, Michael, and Giuad. I learned of North American exploration and settlement. I shared the fun adventures of Frog and Toad, and I enjoyed a poetic biography about Coretta Scott King.
So, what are YOU doing to celebrate NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK?
0 Comments on National Library Week as of 1/1/1900
I haven’t been that engaged online lately, so I feel like I’m getting back up to speed anyway and then there’s all this stuff going on. So let’s knock this out in one post, shall we?
Over at Booklights, Jen is talking about Drop Everything and Read Day (known as D.E.A.R. Day) held every year on April 12th in honor of Beverly Cleary’s birthday. Makes me want to put off the housecleaning today and pick up a book. But to be fair, pretty much everything makes me want to put off the housecleaning and pick up a book.
Today also begins National Library Week, which is bittersweet this year. Personally, because I was laid off from my own library job that I loved and now miss. But more broadly, because all over the country libraries and their staff are on the budget chopping block. Very sad. Let’s hope our love of libraries can help government officials see their value.
Fortunately, we have great news coming in from Chasing Ray about the Operation TBD wish lists: “Neil Gaiman tweeted about them on Friday and sent our visitor number into the stratosphere which was very very cool. Over 300 books have been bought thus far which gets us close to the halfway point.” Keep those contributions coming!
Celebration of National Poetry Month continues with the schedule posted at KidLitosphere Central. I know that I’ve seen some wonderful features so far, and I’m looking forward to more. If anyone is taking requests, I’d like a poem about allergies to commemorate this record-breaking pollen count. Thanks.
Hey, I’ve got a speaking gig on Wednesday for SCBWI Mid-Atlantic talking to published authors and illustrators about KidLit blogging. I’d love to see you there. Yes, you.
Save the Date for the 48 Hour Book Challenge on the weekend of June 4–6. More information will be coming, along with a sign-up page and prizes, so stay tuned. Oh, and if you have prizes you’d be willing to donate, let me know at MotherReader AT Gmail DOT com.
Speaking of all-weekend events leads me to announce Tohubohu’s next participation in the 48 Hour Film Project on the weekend of April 30th. We’ve engaged the fabulous Robin Brande as our writer (Hooray!), and have a great team of actors and crew ready to go. Now all we need is the genre, and required character, prop, and line of dialogue to make a seven-minute film. Easy, peasy.
We can also finally release access to our last movie, done as part of the International Shootout. For that competition we were given a simple theme: The End of the World. We went for a family drama, featuring our two daughters along with other fine actors. The visuals at the end always get to me, and well, the singing there is my younger daughter and me. Check out “Uncertainty Principle.” Hope you like it!
Let's hear it for librarians! Yes, April 11 - 17 is National Library Week and my prompt to cheer it up for the people and places so integral to our communities. I've asked some author and illustrator friends to share a few words, memories, stories to rally us all to talk-up librarians and I'll be running these pieces all week-long. You'll hear from Laurie Halse Anderson -- the official spokesperson for the American Association of School Librarians' School Library Month 2010 celebration, Christine Brodien-Jones, Deborah Heiligman, Mark Stamaty, Adrienne Sylver and more. Enjoy -- and please share your stories with us, too.
Laurie Halse Anderson, author of INDEPENDENT DAMES, CHAINS, SPEAK, WINTERGIRLS and many other acclaimed books for children and teens, talks of the importance of libraries: "School libraries [and I might add her words work for public libraries as well] are not luxuries, they are the foundations of our culture....Let's fight to make sure that every school in America has an amazing library staffed with an incredible librarian." She shares that math scores are up across the country, but reading scores are not."We haven't asked parents to volunteer to teach our algebra classes... we haven't fired math teachers and let kids to figure it out on the Internet, but we've closed libraries and fired librarians, who are the central figure of literacy in any school."
Here's a short video of Laurie explaining to students at her local high school why every school MUST have a library and a qualified librarian. Big thanks to this independent dame...
This week is National Library Week. So the blogosphere has declared Monday as "Library Appreciation Day."
Celebration Giveaway!
Be a follower of my blog and comment on today's post telling everyone "why you love libraries." Then, you will automatically and be entered into a drawing for 2 fantastic prizes:
1) Win a large book basket for your local library that includes over 20 great books from children book authors who have graciously donated.
2) Win a Query Critique from Mandy Hubbard (author of Prada & Predudice and fabulous new agent at D4EO Literary (Her submission guidelines can be found here!)
Top Reasons why everyone should use their Public Library
1) Believe it or not, not everything is on the Internet (I know you are in shock but its true!)
2) They carry books not in print! (like The Pink Dress by Anne Alexander)
3) The number of books available is amazing and everyone can find something. (Do you know how many books are in the library? Neither do I, but that’s not the point.)
4) They have access to more than just books (archives of Newspapers, Magazines, and old
5) They actually know about books. (unlike the people working at bookstores who think Moby Dick is shelved in nonfiction)
6) Who else is going to learn the Dewey Decimal System? (You?)
7) You can count on the accuracy of information. (Because contrary to a politician's belief Dinosaurs did NOT exist 4,000 years ago. ;)
8) You are paying for it through taxes! (So use it or lose it!)
9) They have great community programs and classes.
10) Libraries offers open access to all kinds of information no matter how controversial (Here's to free speech!)
11) If your library offers wi-fi, it’s probably free. (maybe even the coffee!)
12) Someone has to buy all those books that college professors write. (At least they sold one copy!)
13) Not everyone can afford books, but everyone has access to the library. (no matter how bad the economy is, libraries can help you escape into another world.)
14) Libraries provide free and abundant knowledge to everyone (BTW, this is a privilege people haven't always had).
15) A librarian is always ready to help you find what you need and what you didn't realize you wanted. (Thank god for librarians!)
16) Where else can a kid walk out with 20 books they want to read for free. (especially all the ones they would never read unless they got them at the library)
17) Where else can a young kid get their own card to get books. (and charges no interest!)
18) You can't find everything at Barnes and Noble. (Especially the turn-of-the-century National Geographics which can be very entertaining.)
19) Despite advances in computer technology, a human can still find information better than a search engine. (They are much more friendly too.)
20) Because let's face it, where would we be without libraries?
76 Comments on Happy Library Appreciation Day! :), last added: 4/14/2010
I like libraries because I get my paycheck from one!
But that's not the most important reason.
I love libraries because many times they eliminate socio-economic barriers for students and the general public. If you don't have a set of encyclopedias at home, or the Internet, libraries usually do, and you can do your homework there, or even take a college class online and your playing field is even with everyone that has those resources personally.
I love libraries because I get to hang out with like-minded people who love literature and love to talk about it (and not always as quietly as you think libraries are supposed to be...)
I love libraries because they can borrow books for their patrons from other libraries, sometimes from the other side of the world!!
I could really go on and on, as I've got an advantage to seeing what public libraries do for people on a daily basis, but I'll save space for other comments. :)
I'm a follower! I love my library because it keeps my book budget in check, and because the inter-library loan is ah-MAZ-ing! I can get almost any book in a few days. Plus just walking through the shelves calms me down...And the Friends of the Library Bookstore? Like-new books for $2. Awesome.
I love my local library. The staff there always have a good recommendation. I can read books that I would never be able to afford to buy. I can have quiet time away from the kids. My writing group meets at the library. It's just an all-around great place. I've been using it since I was small and remember the day I got my own library card. It was awesome.
Thanks for the roundup, Shelli, and for including my interview link. The wonderful librarian I spoke with also talked about usage being up in these tough times--one more reason to keep doors open!!
I love that there is a story or poem for everyone in the library, whether opening our eyes to something new, or calling us back to a place of comfort. Political shouting matches can be left outside, and everyone is welcome. And you can leave with your arms full!!
All great reasons!! I do love my library, and the librarians there. They are amazing in their knowledge and love for books! I don't think I've ever been looking for something that they haven't been able to find for me, even if it was without a title!
I lived in a town once where the library was open 4 hours a week. I nearly had a heart attack!!
I love my library! I mean, where else can I get free books to read? That, and they have a great literacy program that I think is awesome and I love helping out with!
If I purchased every book that I read, I'd be in debt up to my eyeballs! Libraries are awesome. As a child, I looked forward to winter and summer breaks because I'd go to the library and bring home stacks of books. Now I bring my kids with me so they can experience the same joy. Yay for libraries!
Great post! Thanks for supplying the list! I also have a post up and am donating to my local public library for each comment. Stop by http//:lisadesrochers.blogspot.com =)
I love libraries because that's where the magic happens. Any given day you see another person find a book that may change their lives, whether it be a kid finding the book that will teach them to read, or an adult finding something to help them through a crisis.
Libraries are magical, and I'm very excited that my titles will be part of that magic. =)
Already a follower. I love my library because it's where I get most of my books to read. I can use interlibrary loan. My kids love the library and the programs offered. When I have to research - interlibrary loan is invaluable!!!
I love my library--so many stories waiting to be discovered! Before I even had kids I became a reader at story time. It was great preparation for when I did have my own children.
I love the library. I love borrowing books I don't want to own and the library can afford to buy so many more than I could. Plus mine lets you borrow books they don't carry from other libraries in the state. That and the bookstore are my favoirte places. Thanks for the contest.
Already a follower and I love my library because they offer all kinds of programs for writers. They bring some in to do seminars, they have writers in residence that help wanna be writers.
Plus knowing you can always go there for a book, is very comforting.
I would never be able to afford to read if it wasn't for libraries. Some of my greatest childhood memories are of browsing libraries and coming out with an armload of books.
I love libraries mainly for the fact, where else can I go and pick up books that I'm on the fence of buying. I have found a lot of books that I first read in the library, and then went and purchased after the fact. Also, my kids can sit in the middle of the floor of the library and read some books while I do some writing. It works wonders.
I'm lucky enough to live in a community where the library has consistently been named #1 for its size. If they don't have what I need, they're happy to get it for me through Interlibrary Loan. No need to enter me in your contest--I just wanted to say "thanks" for linking to us. Carmela TeachingAuthors
The number one reason that I love the library is because they carry my (I call them mine, because I check them out constantly :) Harry Potter books on CD. LOVE! Our libraries are awesome! They are so helpful and have so many different things available, not just books, but programs and other things. I looked up a book the other day that they didn't have, and they asked if I wanted to suggest that they get it. I did and two days later they emailed me saying they were going to get it. How awesome is that?
I LOVE being a part of this, Shelli. GREAT idea! And although I donated a book - I sure wouldn't mind winning that basket. I know just the library who would get it too!
At my participating blog post I share my coloring page widget, so I hope librarians especially will check it out! http://dulemba.blogspot.com/2010/04/library-appreciation-day-at-faeriality.html :) e Elizabeth O. Dulemba http://dulemba.com
I love public libraries because so much of what libraries do promotes social justice--the free access to books and computers and places for kids to go after school, where they can learn to love words, is so so important....
And I love having a library 4 doors down the street so that I always have more than enough books to read!
Awesome contest!! Wow! Why do I love libraries? Besides the obvious reasons, going to the public library brings back memories for me from my earlier child hood. I remember getting my first library card! And now, as a mom, I love that I can take my daughters to the library and make new memories with them.
The library I visited as a child was only 707 sq. feet total in size but it introduced me to a world much larger where anything is possible. There's no place better to browse and find new things to read and its free for everyone! A library card is one of the most valuable possessions a person can own.
Awesome contest! I love libraries because the one I live near pretty much made my childhood. & they always help out when you're too broke to buy the book!
I love my library because the stack of books I get for myself is like getting Christmas presents any time of year--all those shiny possibilities to play with. But especially I love how it shows my children that reading is cool to other people too, not just because mom says they are.
Thanks for linking me! I interviewed my sweet, local Youth Services librarians who have been so good to me and my children over the years.
This is like a party for librarians and nobody has to dust or vacuum. Nor should we. We should be reading those great books in the library--and writing more of them.
Thanks, Shelli, for shining a spotlight on a place and people we writers treasure. I'll be writing about the library all week on my blog, including a book launch and an author interview. Again, no dusting required!
Great post! I love the library because the kids and I are always happy there. It's been true ever since I started bringing them for storytime when they were little. No stress, no squabbling...it's magic. And the new self-checkout they just installed is really cool, too - it scans a whole stack of books at once!
I am a follower, and I love libraries because they have books to read for fun, books to do research, magazines, newspapers, wonderful librarians, and if they don't have what you need they'll find it for you at another library.
I'll be honest - I wasn't a big fan of libraries until recently.
Now, I never have to take a break between books; it's like having the world's biggest TBR pile ever, and because I can request books, if I see one I wouldn't normally look into (a nonfic, frex), no problem! Just get it from the library!
Reason 1) Because I'd go broke (or my parents would have back in the days before I finished high school) if I had to buy every book I read. I still average between 6 & 10 books a week, most of them from the library, althuogh these days I'm downloading them through the electronic libraries.
Reason 2) The peace and serenity that can be found surrounded by books and the smell of books. Many good times and papers/stories written in the quiet rooms of my local library.
I love my library, because my daughter whips through books and I can't possibly afford to buy them that quickly! Also, I go there to research and just to check out what is out there. Great post! Libraries rock!
10.) If they don't have the book in stock they will find it for you in another library. 9.)There are things to do than just check out books such as resume critiques and writing workshops. 8.) Long road trips to the in-laws are never complete without an audio book from the library. 7.) People don't judge me when I search through the teen magazines to find out who Justin Bieber is... (Did you know that he is more than just a trend on Twitter?) 6.) Librarians seem to have a vast knowledge of everything bookwise. 5.) If you're a college student you know where to go during finals week. 4.)You can find works by local writers/musicians that you can't find elsewhere 3.)A one stop shop for book reports. 2.)They always smell very interesting 1.) In economic harships..FREE BOOKS.
Libraries not only provide many types of information, but they provide space for listening to and conversing with other authors. I enjoy attending a writer's group there.
I love libraries because when I was a kid, it was the one place I could go and not feel like a nerd for loving books so much! Plus there was always something new to discover.
I love libraries because that's where you can find librarians and librarians are the most knowledgeable, resourceful, helpful people in the world. I love when my sons come home from school with a new book and the explanation, "Mrs. Hester, the librarian, said I would love this book." Her track record is nearly perfect.
Great contest! I love our library - part of it is the smell of books everywhere! I also love bringing my little ones there and letting them pick out a ton of books. Last night they sat together on the floor paging through their library books and discussing them with each other - it was really cute!
I love libraries. Let me count the ways. Or not -- because there wouldn't be enough space. I love them because the people are nice, helpful, friendly, knowledgeable. I love them because of the wonderful programs for kids, adults, teens. I love libraries because of the books, books, books. Sometimes, when I'm doing research with picture books, I max out my limit of 30 on my card, then switch to my husband's, and then my mom's and no one bats an eye. Of course, they know me by now so that helps. Yeah for librarians who are overworked, understaffed and underpaid. You can find my blog at Reading, Writing, and Recipes (maryanndames.com)
I love my library too! One of my big 'growing up' moments was being able to walk to the library & back by myself with my 2 big bags of books. It was a great moment :)
I love my children's librarian. We see her every week at storytime, and she knows my children's names. And I'm a big fan of the new release teen section where I can pick up a book and read it FOR FREE.
Shelli: All the posts you gathered were incredible! I never knew about the International Youth Library in Munich. A friend, former school librarian, was just in Munich last week and didn't know about it either. Now she wants to go back!!!
I'm late to the party, but I have to say I can't imagine a world without libraries--a place anyone can go to find doors to other worlds, insights to different peoples and information to lead better lives. They are remarkable places.
Libraries are the place to meet and greet. Its a place to feel safe while you are looking for a job, or taveling to annother land in your thoughts with a good book in your hand. Its the haven on a rainy day, a way to connect with the world or to be alone and find peace.
I know I'm late, but what the heck. Give me libraries or give me death. They've always been my safe haven, a place to both live and play, to learn and grow. I cannot imagine a world without them. Especially since I practically have one in my own right. LOL
What a cool post! And great contest as well. I love libraries because they remind me of one of the best parts of my childhood. I always loved reading as a kid, and my grandma would take me to the library every summer for the summer reading program. I loved it! I wish my local library had one of those for adults! :-)
When I was a child, I was late to my own birthday party because I was at the library. I wasn't even disappointed!
I can't count the reasons why I love libraries, but now that I'm a mom, here's a few:
Lego club. Books on CD's for long car rides. New books every day for avid kid readers (otherwise I definitely would go broke). Interlibrary loan. Book clubs for my kids. Book sales.
Here's another post for you Shelli. This one about National Library Worker Appreciation Day. http://ajboll.livejournal.com/87360.html I don't think anyone is late as National Library Week goes on until Saturday.
I love libraries because each has so many different things to offer. You can spend the whole day getting lost in New York's main library on 42nd Street or DC's Library of Congress. Or even visit libraries when travelling overseas, like the great old libary in San Miguel Allende, Mexico.
I love libraries because they are welcoming and inclusive to everywhere and introduce children to a world of imagination...new lands and characters that will stay with them through adulthood.
I love libraries because, then being a poor middle/high-schooler and now an even poorer college student, I wouldn't be able to read all the wonderful novels I wanted to read if I had to buy them all. Libraries are also such a wealth of resources. And just being surrounded by all the smells of books! That's awesome. :]
I love libraries because they gave me refuge and a place to feel "at home" when I was transferred all over the US with my Air Force father. Now, I love them even more because my dear daughter is getting her Library Media Specialist degree next month!
I LOVE Libraries because of all the resources and free information they offer. Access to information is essential. As Ben Franklin's library motto said, "To support the common good is divine." Plus they got all them books!lol
I love my local library because it is our only community center. Most people in the apartment buildings around our library get their only internet service through our library, and it offers great resume writing, job search, and citizenship classes. They even have ice cream socials on summer evenings! Frankly I don't think everyone in the neighborhood would be attracted to the library if books were the only draw. But the library (which also has a terrific book collection) serves as the main meeting place for this transient neighborhood. We would have much less of a community without it.
I love libraries because they make me feel excited to learn. I enjoy the quiet hushed atmosphere. I love being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books contained within four walls.
I love libraries because they are there when I am unable to buy all my favorite books, which is often these days. Or if I want to preview a book before I buy :)
I love libraries because they hold so much potential. I get excited just walking in the door, thinking about how maybe I'm going to find the next great book that takes me somewhere I've never been before.
I love my local library! I love them so much I am actually studying to be a librarian! I think its a great way to invest in your local community and get to know those around you.
I love the way they smell. And I love all the activities they offer for my son - story times, scientific explorations, magic shows...so many things to learn!
I love, love my library! Not only for the atmophere, but also for the librarian's expertise. I rely heavily on them for upcoming books and they know the stories that I might be interested in and my personal tastes.
Not sure if this was mentioned already, but libraries are a great source for research as to what's being published in the genre you write and by which publishers.
One of the best ways to get acquainted with your genre and even possibly find your own voice is through reading. The library offers a huge selection to choose from.
I also use the library to take out magazines I want to write for. It's important to study them first.
A library is allegedly coming to the corner of our county sometime in the next decade (read: never). In the meantime, our nearest branch is in a burg called Walkersville. The whole building is approximately the size of our living room and kitchen combined. Given the obvious constraints, their collection is impressive. (They have MIND GAMES on the shelf and once featured FIRST GRADE STINKS prominently in the children's corner. What's not to love?)
When my daughter turned two, I was excited to take her to our first Story Time. After the first half-hour experience, my excitement waned considerably. Ms. Shelba was fantastic. My daughter, alas, was not. She was mostly concerned with wandering the aisles, pulling books off shelves, and making repeated breaks for the parking lot. At least it's fairly easy to corral a wayward kid in a library the size of a postage stamp. Despite the browsing opportunities the aisle-roaming afforded, we were not so long for story time.
Blessedly, the library bookmobile now comes to my daughter's preschool. Apparently she is angelic and attentive during story time. She and her brother frequently play "libary" at home. This is a game that has the rare cachet of House, School, Princess, and Horsie. My daughter, by some miracle certainly not wrought by me, has come to view the library as a magical place.
My college students, on the other hand, were reluctant attendees last week at a presentation from the campus librarian about research and materials available to them. As I have observed in many classes now, the idea of reading actual books or journal articles (a requirement for this assignment) is pretty much a non-starter among today's Digital Natives. If you can't find it on the Net, forget it.
I do understand this mentality. I am a proud member of Generation X. I have my Kindle for PC app, and I adore the instant gratification it affords. I operate a paper-free office for my job. I read everything on my computer screen. And I can't imagine how I ever lived without the Net.
The thing is -- our students can access the campus library from the comfort of their own homes. They can search for information, reserve books, read articles (CQ Researcher!), and even watch movies. Our local library allows patrons to renew books online and sends overdue reminders via email. Yay, 21st century!
In my mind, the library is a place with cozy chairs and that scintillating smell of books old and new. But technology has made it possible for the library to come to my home -- and not just in the let's-pretend way of my children.
And if you're looking for a fantastic addition to your home library, remember to enter our new book giveaway! Before entering, be sure to first read our Giveaway Guidelines here.
If you'd like a chance to win an autographed copy of the anthology Ladybug, Ladybug and Other Favorite Poems, post a comment here telling us why you'd like to win the book. Also, we'd love to know if you're doing anything special to celebrate National Poetry Month. And please, don't forget to provide your email address or a link to your own blog in your comment so that we can contact you. (U.S. residents only, please.) Entries must be posted by 11 p.m.(Central Standard Time) Wednesday, April 14, 2010. The winner will be announced on April 15.
It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide.
opens we are introduced to the main character – Phileas Fogg:
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Peter Cook! Dudley Moore (in his early days)! Haven’t seen the original Bedazzled in years, but boy did I love it (and them) way back when.
Ha! Another Mallory Ortberg fan! I *thought* that video looked familiar… yet another thing we have in common!
Thanks for posting that library funk video. Surprised no one else sent it. Had the pleasure of seeing Dudley Moore and Peter Cook on Broadway many a moon ago.