Weblog Archive

Hello

Did you join the library on Saturday, or are you already a member?  If you haven't yet joined, you still can you know, either visit your local library, or if you live/work/study in North Lincolnshire you can use our new online joining facility.

Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about today was some of the more unusual things people come into libraries looking for. 

• We've seen matchboxes with insects in that needed to be identified.
• We've been asked to find a hotel, without knowing its names, address or postcode.
• We've been asked to find out "Who was beaten to death with their own wooden leg?" *
• We've been asked to find the average weight of a Karki Campbell duck.
• We've been asked to diagnose what was wrong with someone's printer.
• We've been asked for a book with a green cover that someone had borrowed months previously.

So don't feel embarrassed about the strange questions that you need to come into the library to ask us, we'll do our best to find the answer for you (and if we can't find it we can usually direct you to someone else to ask).

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Suzanne

*It's Sir Arthur Aston just in case you were wondering - North Lincolnshire library members can read all about him by going to the North Lincolnshire Libraries website and visiting the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography in the online reading room.

Hello

As a child my mum used to regularly take me to my local library.  I have several early memories of the place.  I remember the kinderboxes full of picture books, I remember being given pictures of Mr Men to colour in by the library staff and being so proud when I could spot my ones on the wall and I remember reading the Princess and the Pea (and subsequently finding a lump in my bed and being convinced that I was actually a real princess).

Libraries genuinely do have the ability to change lives, ok so I may be slightly biased but I do passionately believe that public libraries make a huge difference.  Your library card is a passport to a whole new world and everyone has the right to join their local library.

Tomorrow (26^th April 2008) is Join Your Library Day.  It marks the start of a national campaign to encourage more people to join their local library.  Your local library will welcome you as a member, whether you live, study, or simply just work nearby.  Join as part of the campaign and you will get a joiner's pack and a free book of recommended reads (whilst stocks last).  Even if you can't get into the library straight away, we are launching a brand new fantastic feature where you can join North Lincolnshire Libraries online.  Visit our website for more details.

And you can tell us about your early memories of going to the library, or how the library has made a difference to your life by posting a message on our discussion boards.

Have a good weekend and hope you'll be visiting your local library very soon.

Suzanne

Hello again

Have you ever tried reading a book whilst doing the ironing?  (Bear with me on this one... there is a point, honestly!)  It's OK until you get to a really interesting bit and find yourself concentrating so much on the words in front of you that you forget that you have an iron in your hand and... you can see where I'm going with this, can't you?    Anyway, wouldn't it be much easier if someone could read the book aloud to you - that way you could still listen to the story and concentrate on what you were doing, like the ironing, cooking, driving the car etc.  But there isn't always someone there who's willing to read to you is there?  In fact it would be much easier if the book could be recorded somehow onto a CD or MP3 so you could just listen to it when and where you want.  And then you could borrow different recordings from your local library, a bit like you do with printed books. 

And do you know what...?  You can!

Yes, I know, that was a very complicated way of saying that you can borrow talking books from your local library.  You can listen to them while you're cleaning the house, on a long journey, doing the gardening, in fact wherever you want.  They are available on CD from your local library right now and very soon we will even have some on individual MP3 players (I'll update you more on those when we get them).

Why not give one a try?

Suzanne

Hi

Isn't it annoying when you want to know a quick fact, but the library is closed?  Or you need to do some research, but you know that you are stuck at work all day and so won't be able to get to the library?  Well have you ever thought of letting the library come to you - well OK, it's not exactly a home-visit, but we do have lots of resources that are just a mouseclick away, and all you need is an Internet connection and your library card.

Oxford English Dictionary

• the most authoritative dictionary of English in the world
• contains over 600,000 words and uses 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of sources - from classic literature to pop

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

• explores the lives of over 55,000 people who have shaped the British past over the last 2,400 years and contains over 10,000 portrait illustrations
• entries range from Julius Caesar and Boudicca - to Princess Diana and Sid Vicious

Oxford Music Online

• the ultimate authority on all aspects of music worldwide
• covers classical to hip hop and from baroque to blues
• over 45,000 specially commissioned articles by 6,000 contributors on people and places, instruments and techniques, genres and styles

Oxford Art Online

• the ultimate authority on all aspects of the visual arts worldwide - from pre-history to the present day with over 2,500 illustrations
• more than 21,000 biographies of artists, architects, sculptors, patrons, , theorists etc

Oxford Reference Online

• fast access to top-quality information on every subject - from art to zoology
• in-depth content offered by titles from the Oxford Companions series
• contains English, French, German, Spanish and Italian dictionaries

All of these resources are available to all North Lincolnshire Library members using any computer, anywhere, at any time of the day or night  (and just in case you're reading this while being a member of another library, most public library authorities offer the same access, but you'll have to follow the links from their webpages).

Trust me, the resources are fab, especially when you have a sudden burning desire to know the proper meaning of a really random work - like gorm!

Why not check them out and see what you can find!

Online Reading Room

Until next time

Suzanne           

It is flattering but scary to accept the responsibility of this task. What an honour, to be taking part in the process which decides the medal winners for such respected awards. When I look at the experience & knowledge of previous judges, it makes me feel quite humble, but so many have said, " you can do it, and you'll enjoy it " there is no option but to get on with it!

Opening the boxes containing the long listed titles was like Christmas coming early. After sniffing at them & stroking them, I unpacked them properly & tried to decide which would be first. I have had to buy a new bookshelf because my shelves are already full of craft things (which won't get much use until after short listing, that's for sure)

Having to read 80 titles in a few weeks, digest them, write notes & highlight quotes, is indeed quite a pressure. I have been surprised how many of the ones I did not know gave me a good read, gems I would otherwise have missed. Even the ones with over 500 pages were a delight to journey through - how delicious to be able to submerge myself so totally & call it work - and the illustrations, fabulous!

Explaining to non-book-world friends the implications of it all makes you choose your words carefully, and I am sure a few just don't grasp the pleasure to be had from such a diverse and brilliant collection. The guidelines set down by criteria for consideration gave me plenty of help, and I soon found myself looking at the books with a different eye. I cannot imagine how 12 of us, all with different viewpoints and preferences, are going to reduce such an excellent long list to a shortlist without coming to blows. It will be a strain keeping emotions under control, but I very much look forward to sharing my thoughts with the other judges.  Being involved in the whole process is exciting and rewarding, not to mention the thought of thousands of young people who will be reading what we have recommended.

I challenge you to read at least five from each full list, just to experience the variety and skill of the authors and illustrators - reach for your library ticket right now!

BREAKING NEWS

***Shortlists announced 18^th April***

Kate Greenaway Medal                                        

• Anthony Browne - Silly Billy                       
• Polly Dunbar - Penguin                                               
• Emily Gravett - Monkey & Me                        
• Emily Gravett - Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears     
• C.A.Duffy/ Jane Ray - Lost Happy Endings                      
• Chris Riddell - Ottoline and the Yellow Cat    
• Ed Vere - Banana!                                          

 Carnegie Medal

• Kevin Crossley-Holland - Gatty's Tale
• Linzi Glass - Ruby Red
• Elizabeth Laird - Crusade
• Tanya Landman - Apache
• Philip Reeve - Here Lies Arthur
• Meg Rosoff - What I Was   
• Jenny Valentine - Finding Violet Park

Rosie Scotting B.Lib MCLIP     

Librarian: Children & Young People         

North Lincolnshire Libraries

Hi

Today I'm going to tell you all about a great website that our Children's Librarian has just shown me.

The ReadingZone

You can choose whether to enter the Children's Zone, Young Adult Zone, or Family Zone.  Within each you can access book reviews, enter competitions, and find out the latest reading news.  The Children's Zone has a "What's next" section so that if you've finished reading all the books in a particular series you can see what else you might like to read. Whilst in the Family Zone there is advice on how to share books with children, as well as a forum for you to discuss your child's reading.

All in all there is something for all the family, you really should visit and check it out.

And if you do find a good book on there, don't forget to tell us all about it on ReadNorthLincs.

Suzanne

Hi

I just thought I'd tell you about a couple of things that we have coming up over the next few weeks.  Have I mentioned that 2008 is the National Year of Reading?!?!  We're planning all sorts of events to appeal to cross-sections of the community.  You might have already come across our under-fives story times that are running at Barton Library on a Monday afternoon and the Central Library on a Thursday morning.  They are proving to be hugely successful and children, parents and the staff all seem to be really enjoying them (and as one of the storytellers I should know!)

We also have Join Your Library Day on 26^th April - so if you're not already a library member you should go along to your nearest library and join (I'll tell you a bit more about it nearer the time).

On 23^rd May we have a Silver Surfer session at the Central Library for those who don't know what this Internet and email lark is all about and want a little taster.  So if your parents or grandparents fit the bill then let them know about it.  You can find out more by contacting the library on 01724 860161.

And then the big event for May is our Health Choices Day on 28^th May in the Central Library.  Various health practitioners will be with us all day to help you with some of the health choices that you have to make, from choosing a hospital to keeping yourself healthy.  Again, I'll tell you more about it when plans have been firmed up.

In the meantime if you want to keep up-to-date with all of our coming events then check out our events calendar.

Hope to see you in the library soon!

Suzanne

Hi

How are you today - good I hope?

Have you ever thought about all the different things that you read in a day - most of them without even realising?

From the moment that you get out of bed you're reading - cereal packets, coffee jars, newspapers, text messages, medicine instructions, TV guides, road signs, bus timetables..... the list goes on and on!  Try listing all the things that you've read today, or even just the last thing you read before this, and you may find that you surprise yourself - see it's not all about books!

Anyway, have a good weekend and don't forget to keep telling us about what you've been reading.

Suzanne

Good Morning

After the excitement of the manga event that took over the last few entries, it's time to get on with the next stage in the National Year of Reading. 

Each month throughout 2008 (starting in April) there is a theme, and this month's theme is "Read all about it" - the aim being to read anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere.  So I'm setting you all a challenge ... your mission for April is to read.  I don't mind what you read, or where you read, the choice is yours - but if you do find something really good, or somewhere really good, then please tell us all about it.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Suzanne

PS: Don't forget to register on the site if you want to be able to add comments to the blog or the discussion boards.  Find out how by clicking on the "How to post a message" link on the left of the page.

Hi

Today I just want to tell you about how fab the manga event that we held on Thursday night was.  We had over 160 people attend which was brilliant.  Thank you to Nick and Andy from Tokyopop for all their hard work, thank you to all the library staff who put so much into arranging it all and for all that they did on the night, but the hugest thank you goes to all of you who came and were so enthusiastic and joined in with all the activities.

Here in North Lincolnshire we now hold the record for the highest score on the manga quiz.  Apparently our winner on the night got more questions correct than anyone else had at any of the other events that Tokyopop have run - so well done!

The art work that the manga and anime fans brought in on the night was fantastic (you can see photos of some of it in our photo album from later today) and, although there could only be one winner, many of the pictures were of such good quality that they would have easily won at any other event.

The cosplayers were brilliant as well - there were some fabulous and very brave costumes - again photos will be in our album.

The atmosphere was fantastic and everyone had a ball - including the staff.

Anyway, that's all for now, but do look at the photos in our album and if you did attend the event do give us your views on our discussion boards.

Until next time - Happy Reading!!!!

Suzanne

Hi

As you might have heard (especially if you read our last blog entry), tonight the Central Library is hosting the ReCon event, for local manga and anime fans.  As someone who knows the terms, but has never read a manga book, I'm very grateful to Kitty for writing the last blog for me - if I'd written it you'd probably be non-the-wiser as to what manga is!

Anyway, library staff have been very busy preparing for the event for the last few weeks, and we are delighted to be able to say that as of yesterday (Wednesday) morning, it is totally sold out - so apologies to anyone who hasn't been able to get a ticket.  We just have to put the final arrangements in place this afternoon, so if you are in the Central Library after about 4pm you might notice us moving some of the furniture around - hopefully there won't be too much disruption.

We've got a fab evening planned, with cosplay, art competitions, quizzes, and the most recent Nintendo games, all sitting alongside some of the latest manga titles for you to borrow.  Then on Monday I'll be bringing you a full review of the evening, along with photos of some of the things that we got up to.  So if you want to see some of the artwork that participants created, and some of the cosplay costumes that they were wearing then you know where to come.  And if you have got a ticket, then I'll see you tonight!

Have fun!

Suzanne

Hello - My name is Kitty and I'm a manga fanatic!

I'm here to tell u just a little about the manga event and what exactly manga and anime is all about!

So, what is manga?

Manga is Japanese art form, which started shortly after world war 2. In the 1950's manga became a major part of the Japanese publishing industry and is still one of the most popular forms of comic books today, since it has a range of action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, for all ages.

What is anime?

Anime is basically short for animation, which is the form of manga.  It started because there were not enough western actors or fantasy landscapes in Japan, so animation started.  In 1970 anime popularity started to expand as Osamu Tezuka created the first "mecha" or "giant robot" anime.  Now there are a few varied types of anime from Bishojo (pretty girl characters) to Maho shonen (magical boy characters or Maho shojo for magical girl) or Sentai (fighting or combat anime).

The manga convention

The Scunthorpe Central Library is holding a manga convention on Thursday 3^rd April 6.00-8.00, tickets are £1, the convention includes promotions, cosplay (dress up as your favourite anime, manga character) drawing competition (bring your drawings with you!) and of course the no. 1 Japanese snack Pocky!

Kitty