That is Exactly How Books Work

As seen on Closed Stacks:

Though it's sort of weird that the file name categorizes it as a demotivational poster, when it's anything but.

How Much Can a Professional Degree Teach?

Via Closed Stacks, how much can a professional degree teach?

The biggest complaint lobbed at the MLIS by myself and others is that it’s too theory-driven, too abstract, it doesn’t actually teach us how to do what we will do as librarians. You graduate, having read a bajillion articles about privacy, building a balanced collection or library 2.0; but if you haven’t worked in a library, that first day on the job can be a shocking experience.

I'm still happy with choosing a college library tech program after my first year of classes. From what I've heard talking to classmates about their summer job placements, our courses really are very practical and come in handy out in the real world (one person mentioning acquisitions specifically).

Reading the Cereal Box

Puffin has had a brilliant idea: publishing excerpts from Roald Dahl books on cereal boxes. Just good bits to draw them into the story! Maybe that'll get kids to want to read. And maybe it'll sell more books for Puffin, but let's concentrate on that 'kids reading' aspect, shall we?

And Now, Good News from England

There's been quite the uproar about the closing of libraries in the UK. Good news - eight got saved. Northamptonshire responded to pro-library campaigning and adjusted their budget to allow the libraries to stay open, and libraries in a handful of other places have been spared, too.

St James resident Graham Croucher, who has been campaigning to save St James Library, which was one of those earmarked for the chop, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that common sense has prevailed.

“But the work starts now to protect the libraries in the future, because these proposals will come back then, I’m sure.”

Silent Movies Rediscovered

Apparently Boris Yeltsin's Presidential Library had some old silent films presumed lost to history. They sent them along as a gift to the Library of Congress, which was pretty stellar of them.

The Library of Congress was also recently given a huge donation of recordings from the vaults of the Universal Music Group.

Busy times at the LIC!

Chocolate Library, Library of Alexandria, and Condiment Crime Updates

Those upset that the Chocolate Library store was asked to shut down can rejoice: Chocolate Library is go. The shop will also be adding books to its wares... books about chocolate. Everybody wins!

In other good news, the Library of Alexandria (the new one opened in 2002) has thus far been kept safe - people have actually been guarding it.

...When unrest broke out on Friday, a cordon of young people rushed to surround the Library complex (which includes conference halls and a planetarium) and protect it from vandalism.

...The move to protect the Library—as with similar efforts by protesters in Cairo to protect the Egyptian Museum after a group of looters smashed display cases and destroyed two mummies—is not only a matter of guarding the books and other splendid collections housed beneath its circular roof: it is a matter of guarding an idea.

(Read more about the vandalism of the Egyptian Museum.)

In other news, the woman accused of condiment crimes has plead guilty to the charges. The reason for dropping condiments in the book drop? Past conflicts with library patrons and staff. Way to ruin it for the rest of the people, lady. But then, what made her want to ruin the library for others in the first place?

Librarian Wants to Be a Millionaire

Erhard Konerding is a librarian with an awesome moustache. He will also be appearing on Who Wants to Be Millionaire. BUT LOOK AT HIS MOUSTACHE.

The End of the First Semester and Illiterate Babies

Rejoice and make merry, for I am done my first semester of college. One down, three to go and then a library technician diploma will be mine. There's catching up to do, however, so it's time for backdated posting. I can pretend I was here all along!

Frugal Sisters Leave One Million Dollars to Public Library

In the end — after living long, frugal lives — Elsa and Marjorie Goodyear, of Eugene, wanted to show appreciation for the community organizations that were important to them.

That fondness became public Friday when officials announced that the sisters had left $1 million to the Eugene Public Library and a combined $700,000 to three charities: Goodwill Industries, Eugene Mission and Greenhill Humane Society.

These two sisters pinched pennies (they lived in the same house, rode a three-wheel bicycle around town, and made their own clothes) and lived frugally; they had no living relatives, so they left their money to the library and a few charitable organizations. How nice!

Penguin Books' Spinebreakers

First off, kudos for coming up with a badass name about reading. I almost want to join just to say I am a member of SPINEBREAKERS. Instant street cred! Sadly, I am too old. The site is for teenagers 13-18.

Inspired (?) by Facebook, Penguin Books has introduced a social site dedicated to reading. Site founder Anna Raffery, managing director of Penguin Digital, said:

"There are too many distractions out there for teenagers which pushes reading down the list of hobbies. Even other social networks are a major distraction for teens, which is why I hope giving reading its own social network, which is written and edited by teenagers, will help keep reading relevant in the digital age."

Though not intended to be commercial, the site does feature brand-related promotions, but does not have any commercial advertising (and more kudos are given for that).

I know I would've been all over this site as a teenager aged 13-18. I love talking about books but never had the opportunity to do so in high school. One reason why I enjoy my library technician program is that finally I have a large group of associates who like to read.

Goodyear Reading

Though Elizabeth Goodyear passed away, you can still read about her in this New York Times article from 2008: In Strangers, Centenarian Finds Literary Lifeline. The story goes that a yoga instructor befriended her elderly, blind neighbour. She eventually put up signs at various yoga studios downtown (New York, believe it or not) and sent emails asking for people to come read to Goodyear. And people answered, and it brought them together in a wonderful way, and hooray for reading, etc.

Sir Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett is one of my favourite authors. He's the creator of Discworld, a fantasy series with too many interesting and hilarious characters to count. His books take up the majority of one of my shelves; I own more books by him than I do any other author. And he got knighted! And then he forged himself a sword with meteorite ore! I love that guy.

Happy Blogiversary

This blog turns one year old today!

Over the past year, I have blogged kind of almost sort of every day, with large gaps. I am talking to myself pretty much. The blog has been renamed once and moved once. A Twitter feed has been added, allowing me to talk to myself even more. Awesome!

(Also, hi Natasha if you actually did make good on your threatpromise to drop by.)