tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17182912204399118532012-02-01T11:59:30.783-05:00Thoughts (and I use the term loosely!) from the Halton District School Board library staff.VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.comBlogger5821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-60653056544789277242012-02-01T11:59:00.000-05:002012-02-01T11:59:30.791-05:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-39533753824545666422012-02-01T11:58:00.000-05:002012-02-01T11:58:13.123-05:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-59571591886041278762012-01-30T11:22:00.000-05:002012-01-30T11:22:26.697-05:00

Authorities investigating a break-in at a public library were surprised to discover the culprit was a 20+ pound turkey.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-80227161897936371762012-01-26T11:27:00.001-05:002012-01-26T11:27:58.288-05:00

Two Agincourt Collegiate Institute students launched a Lego man more than two dozen kilometres above sea level — and they have the pictures to prove it!  Thanks to Tim T. for the link!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-87034033258998035152012-01-25T11:14:00.000-05:002012-01-25T11:14:35.739-05:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-31197301073233148472012-01-25T11:05:00.000-05:002012-01-25T11:05:44.024-05:00

Where else would you be able to borrow a cake pan?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-56293290232051978642012-01-25T11:00:00.001-05:002012-01-25T11:00:45.485-05:00

The Ottawa Public Library is lending a stripper, a prostitute, a Somali refugee, a judge, an HIV-positive man, a Peking Opera performer, a woman born as a man, a police officer and a bipolar man as part of its Human Library program. The Human Library is an incredible program that started in Denmark in 2000, when an anti-violence group was asked to build a program that would promote dialogue,

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-37780541276883065882012-01-25T09:33:00.003-05:002012-01-25T09:39:39.515-05:00

Congratulations to Library Services' Bonnie Starr, who is the recipient of the Ontario Library Association's Technical Service Award for 2012!Sponsored by Brodart Canada, the award recognizes the Ontario librarian, teacher-librarian, technician, library worker or department who has made a substantial achievement to their institution and/or the library profession in the area of technical

Steffibeanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769331086644913758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-58347108092597003762012-01-23T11:55:00.001-05:002012-01-23T11:56:57.711-05:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-33277716211334570152012-01-11T09:26:00.001-05:002012-01-11T09:28:04.671-05:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-78963789189900751572012-01-04T15:51:00.001-05:002012-01-09T10:14:29.025-05:00

So many books, so little time...sigh.  Here's the best of what I read in 2011, enjoy! Lemon by Cordelia Strube (F, YA & Canadian)Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides (F)Map of Bones by James Rollins (F)Stash by David Klein (F)The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann (NF)The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward (F)Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-86693017997364790292012-01-04T14:54:00.000-05:002012-01-04T14:54:05.107-05:00

What a cool gift for the bibliophile in your life.  Spineless Classics can put an entire book on a poster, from beginning to end, as a picture that you can read!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-3668778283126171012011-12-06T14:35:00.000-05:002011-12-06T14:35:40.014-05:00

It started suddenly. Without warning. Last spring, Julie Johnstone, a librarian at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, was wandering through a reading room when she saw, sitting alone on a random table, a little tree.It was made of twisted paper and was mounted on a book. Follow the adventure....http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/10/28/141795907/

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-72545131049009140852011-12-06T12:33:00.000-05:002011-12-06T12:33:22.221-05:00

Quebec's eighth-graders scored 'significantly lower' than Canadian students as a whole and unfortunately no solution for this problem exists...in Quebec.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-78948393245541284152011-12-06T12:27:00.001-05:002011-12-06T14:43:44.021-05:00

What does Lady Chatterley's Lover have in common with Field & Stream?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-83857693212424719222011-11-30T11:11:00.000-05:002011-11-30T11:11:15.191-05:00

It's more than just buying your favourite authors.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-67503772012599282902011-11-30T11:07:00.000-05:002011-11-30T11:07:14.046-05:00

The British Library Newspaper Archive has put 300 years of history online with sixty-five million historic newspaper articles.  This is a free resource, covering the most significant events over the last 300 years including the Battle of Waterloo, the Crowning of Queen Victoria and coverage of Jack the Ripper's rampage through Whitechapel.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-21936798208452737342011-11-30T10:59:00.001-05:002011-11-30T11:07:26.988-05:00

Yale has put this beautiful, fragile manuscript online.  It's amazing that the colours are still so vibrant! "Written in Central Europe at the end of the 15th or during the 16th century, the origin, language, and date of the Voynich Manuscript—named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller, Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912—are still being debated as vigorously as its

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-59793107264781694032011-11-29T10:48:00.001-05:002011-11-29T10:49:08.952-05:00

Thanks to Jeff B. and Shelia P. for the heads up. Canadian libraries are on guard after Penguin announced last week that they will also restrict library access to ebooks the same way HarperCollins has. Ken Roberts from the Hamilton Public Library and Susan Caron from the Toronto Public Library offer their thoughts.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-20625286056835842882011-11-29T10:33:00.000-05:002011-11-29T10:33:23.901-05:00

It's doubtful we'll ever get there, and even if we could, does anyone truly want to be bookless?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-33974406828630096182011-11-16T15:41:00.000-05:002011-11-16T15:41:26.266-05:00

These will definitely be noticed by your teen patrons...http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/11/we-have-most-awesome-library-ever.html

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-44266450195525536582011-10-27T12:13:00.000-04:002011-10-27T12:13:18.882-04:00

Thanks to Jo D. for these great costume ideas!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-31009567300723170832011-10-27T12:05:00.001-04:002011-10-27T12:19:22.180-04:00

A day in the life of a mobile digital omnivore.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-51041396396933225022011-10-14T12:56:00.000-04:002011-10-14T12:56:46.697-04:00

Now, not only will October 31st be known for its free candy, but it will go down in history as the day HDSB Library Services launch their new Audio and eBook service!  Here's a sneak peek...

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-65727676712263574902011-10-14T12:52:00.000-04:002011-10-14T12:52:50.973-04:00

The goal of the new Literature Prize is "to offer readers a selection of novels that, in the view of expert judges, are unsurpassed in their quality and ambition".  Sounds good to us!  Thanks to Linda P. for pointing us to this article!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-69081111963246383182011-10-14T12:49:00.000-04:002011-10-14T12:49:07.594-04:00

Thanks to Lynne P.D. for this interesting article!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-23439764457389400212011-10-14T12:42:00.000-04:002011-10-14T12:42:32.630-04:00

All over the world are incredible libraries. Take a look...

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-16233812073582129872011-10-11T09:56:00.001-04:002011-10-11T09:56:46.949-04:00

Is there really such a thing as a digital native?  Joe Grobelny questions whether "... anything can properly be 'native' to a habitat that changes so rapidly and thoroughly as networked culture..."

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-42410981569282133732011-10-07T19:31:00.000-04:002011-10-07T19:31:08.248-04:00

From some of the 'turkeys' in Library Services!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-22960114935658090192011-09-28T11:56:00.001-04:002011-09-28T11:58:28.288-04:00

Libraries everywhere are offering innovative, new programs to their patrons.  Chicago's public libraries are just one more example of what a little creative thinking can do for you. Have you checked out your local public library branch lately?  You might be surprised.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-67016342183744859102011-09-15T11:35:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:35:17.433-04:00

Rick Brooks and Todd Bol like to spend their weekends building libraries...little libraries.  Their libraries are generally made of wood, about 24" x 24" x 30", and cost only around $350. Brooks and Bol are the co-founders of the Little Free Library, a nonprofit they began in 2009 when they started building and installing their little libraries around Madison, WI.  The libraries contain a

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-62741959066543022112011-09-15T11:23:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:23:28.865-04:00

The Speaking Picture Book is a movable book, considered to be the first of its kind and magnificent condition.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-55469803522244338012011-09-15T11:15:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:15:51.676-04:00

For those of us with a trust account we're dying to spend, here’s something to add to the shopping list: some rare Poe 1st editions.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-10878555755990932422011-09-15T11:09:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:09:32.505-04:00

The smallest library in the United States is a vintage 1960s English model telephone booth that was recycled, restored, and converted to house it's tiny collection.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-27774680713798186302011-08-25T15:47:00.001-04:002011-08-25T15:48:22.695-04:00

Not quite sure how this would work since our reading speed varies depending on the content we're trying to absorb, but Booktrack, a start-up in New York, is planning to release e-books with soundtracks that play throughout the books, an experimental technology that its founders hope will change the way many novels are read.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-48630626938524969422011-08-23T12:53:00.000-04:002011-08-23T12:53:25.320-04:00

We've been very busy at JWS this summer...lots of changes...from this...  to this... and this... Drop by for a peek at our new and improved look!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-3006666197743657132011-08-23T11:21:00.001-04:002011-08-23T11:21:49.242-04:00

Thanks to Scott M. for sending this one in!From Amazon.ca..."Modern life is abuzz. There are huge LCD WiFi HD TVs and Facebook requests and thumbs tapping texts and new viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn't it be nice to say goodnight to all that? Like the rest of us who cannot resist just a few more scrolls and clicks, you may find yourself ready for bed while still clinging to your

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-77322714511959501912011-08-23T11:13:00.000-04:002011-08-23T11:13:31.306-04:00

Nota Bene, a Canadian bookman, has developed into a new online service for bibliophiles, Literary Tourist. The site's aim is to provide the traveling public with useful information to help them find the best possible literary travel experiences while promoting the well-being of used antiquarian bookstores and other literary destinations in North America and around the globe.  So cool.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-8954612063070722622011-08-23T11:07:00.000-04:002011-08-23T11:07:59.346-04:00

Are we surprised?  We shouldn't be. The results of a two-year study examining how students view and use their libraries are in: "Students rarely ask librarians for help, even when they need it, and the idea of a librarian as an academic expert who is available to talk about assignments and hold their hands through the research process is, in fact, foreign to most students."

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-31279454835749049962011-08-09T12:01:00.000-04:002011-08-09T12:01:00.909-04:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-43209447824053750712011-08-09T11:38:00.000-04:002011-08-09T11:38:19.720-04:00

Molly Hayes at The Spectator has invited the iconic author, Margaret Atwood, to Hamilton to see how much "we love libraries in this town".

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-27594378668169393652011-08-09T11:30:00.000-04:002011-08-09T11:30:19.507-04:00

Teen books are becoming a form of sex education for today's kids...and it's not really a bad thing.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-70140579587326239482011-07-26T12:44:00.000-04:002011-07-26T12:44:05.321-04:00

Our very own teacher librarian, Sandra Rogers, is headed to France for a two weeks PD tour with 29 other teachers from across Canada.  They'll be visiting Normandy, Arras and Paris to experience Canadian military history sites such as Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach first hand.  You can follow her adventures on her blog: http://sandrarogersjuno.tumblr.com/

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-78679936518405080732011-07-18T11:22:00.000-04:002011-07-18T11:22:49.832-04:00

Here's a follow up to my April post about the New York Public Library's scavenger hunt..."On the evening of Friday, May 20, 500 young adults gathered at the New York Public Library (NYPL) to do what no one had done before: spend the entire night in one of the city’s great public spaces, indulging in an ambitious, interactive game that would test their collaborative abilities while

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-72664596331310296192011-07-13T12:39:00.000-04:002011-07-13T12:39:16.998-04:00

I'm sure my friends would laugh and say how much more can you possibly read, but honestly, this is the perfect vacation for me!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-71807999338077814712011-07-12T09:36:00.000-04:002011-07-12T09:36:19.533-04:00

Drexel's new library is full of flexible space, with furniture is movable and walls that act as one giant whiteboard...but not one book.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-60605976833427096292011-07-07T09:41:00.002-04:002011-07-07T09:41:55.417-04:00

Nice little editorial from The Windsor Star.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-36536010683795168302011-07-04T15:21:00.000-04:002011-07-04T15:21:19.235-04:00

Check out this brand spanking new blog, Tales From the Library.  Best of all, you're encouraged to submit some of your own "tales from the library" - whether you are a patron or an employee!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-76853085694604890192011-07-04T14:56:00.000-04:002011-07-04T14:56:54.017-04:00

I thought this was a great idea...a family wanted to visit every branch of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System to remind citizens of all the important uses of the public library system.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-37209294496154003212011-07-04T14:50:00.000-04:002011-07-04T14:50:13.538-04:00

TEDx (based on the TED Conference and TED Talks) came up to the University of Toronto this past week-end and let the library world have it's say.  Colleagues tell me the videos might not be uploaded for a while, but as soon as I get my dirty little hands on the links, I'll post them for you.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-30859687546280244312011-07-04T14:43:00.000-04:002011-07-04T14:43:17.342-04:00

I came across this blog post the other day and thought it was quite intriguing...I don't know if I completely agree with all of her points, but I definitely think it's time to change the topic.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-21184419741370790492011-06-28T12:19:00.000-04:002011-06-28T12:19:03.796-04:00

I don't have a lot of details, but today I heard on the radio that to support literacy and summer reading Big B Comics will give a free comic to every kids who brings in a report card with a 'A' on it!!  Very cool!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-85070954771257453522011-06-28T12:04:00.000-04:002011-06-28T12:04:11.780-04:00

Charles Darwin had close to 1500 books in his personal library. And now, thanks to the Biodiversity Heritage Library, you can browse a good chunk of his collection digitally.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-11221247842832615222011-06-23T11:20:00.000-04:002011-06-23T11:20:25.899-04:00

This cool site helps authors really learn what you want to read about.  While most of the writers are well known, there are others who appear here for the first time, and instead of waiting for them to publish their work, Unbound lets you to listen to their ideas for what they'd like to write before they even start. Then, if you like their idea, you can pledge to support it. If they hit the

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-39793481939807204962011-06-23T11:15:00.000-04:002011-06-23T11:15:56.512-04:00

Interesting!  This new site opens up the mysterious world of hiring by making real cover letters open to the public.  And they're looking for more submissions!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-89759460916053028322011-06-23T11:09:00.002-04:002011-06-23T11:09:40.758-04:00

Many bookstores, and not just the independents, are starting to charge readers for author events.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-77103816820612876842011-06-21T14:45:00.002-04:002011-06-21T14:54:55.677-04:00

$40 million in budget cuts isn't holding the New York Public Library back!  In fact, they're leveraging all sorts of social media tools to put together some of the most innovative online projects around. From crowdsourcing projects to iPad storytelling to good ole blogs, there is tons to discover, and for most projects you don't even have to live in New York to enjoy them!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-42790501538871532202011-06-21T14:34:00.000-04:002011-06-21T14:34:27.617-04:00

The Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library, which sends out hundreds of thousands of books to children each month, has begun a partnership with American Printing House for the Blind to expand their offerings to include books in Braille.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-87178490531718999432011-06-21T14:27:00.000-04:002011-06-21T14:27:28.572-04:00

The British Library and Google have partnered to make 250,000 out of print books digitally available. The goal is to digitize up to 40 million pages, from the French Revolution to the end of slavery.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-56547586433967589652011-06-21T14:22:00.000-04:002011-06-21T14:22:40.739-04:00

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has voted to open up the naming system so that any established organization with enough cash can apply to create its own version of .com, .org or .gov.   That's $185,000.00 big ones, thank you very much.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-70988334471002887492011-06-21T14:18:00.000-04:002011-06-21T14:18:43.021-04:00

 Adam Bateman's book art.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-75696031531475109612011-06-17T10:23:00.000-04:002011-06-17T10:23:21.762-04:00

From our retiree, Jean Frisby: I attended the Halton Board Retirement Dinner last night and had a wonderful evening.  Thanks to Lynn and Bruce for being such great company, and thank you to the organizing committee for providing such a special night.  

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-63408608397353883372011-06-17T10:18:00.000-04:002011-06-17T10:18:37.039-04:00

Today's library staff are making huge contributions in both distance learning settings and specialized environments such as libraries serving medical students. These 'embedded' staff members are bringing the library to their patrons, no matter where their patrons are.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-8639302762271934522011-06-16T15:33:00.000-04:002011-06-16T15:33:17.836-04:00

How do you get recognition when most of your work is done behind the stacks?  Don't worry, library supporters are speaking out on our behalf.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-63727429974401675622011-06-16T12:22:00.000-04:002011-06-16T12:22:58.552-04:00

Young Adult author David Gatward is writing a new series of ebooks featuring four kids who are kidnapped by the nefarious criminal, Dr Crookshanks, and his accomplice, Professor Kaufman. They are forced to jump into classic adventure stories to steal famous fictional artifacts such as the map in Treasure Island, using a gadget called the Nautilus.  I have to admit, booksurfers sounds great...but

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-77100702245771635022011-06-13T14:45:00.000-04:002011-06-13T14:45:03.784-04:00

Here's some suggestions to stock up your shelves for summer reading!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-34009681661752259542011-06-13T14:42:00.000-04:002011-06-13T14:42:21.998-04:00

Kids probably aren't asking for their own E-Book reader...yet.  But when 9 year-old David Olson got one for his birthday, he went from reading 50 minutes a day to about 2 hours.  "I don't know why I read more now.  I guess I've just gotten in the habit of reading two hours a night, sitting in bed, curled up in a ball, reading with the Kindle light on."  Well, I guess it beats reading by

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-91264331862527484232011-06-13T14:34:00.000-04:002011-06-13T14:34:12.139-04:00

Cool.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-81081126881231485562011-06-09T09:33:00.000-04:002011-06-09T09:33:50.868-04:00

Digital textbooks aren't that popular with students right now, but that might be changing.  While 55 % of students still prefer print over digital textbooks, among the 7 % of students who own tablets devices, 73 % prefer a digital textbooks.  70% of college students are interested in owning a tablet and 15 % say they plan to buy one in the next six months.  I wonder what the high school

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-21338731411355114542011-06-08T11:49:00.001-04:002011-06-08T11:50:26.212-04:00

Nate D. Sanders Auctions is offering a first edition copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first volume in the Oz series.  The book is in awful condition, grimy, worn, and lacking two plates, but it has something very special going for it...L. Frank Baum inscribed it with a lovely, whimsical verse.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-48857099539267080862011-06-08T11:40:00.000-04:002011-06-08T11:40:15.233-04:00

Books are being thrown away, or sometimes packed away, as digitized versions become more readily available.   This is an important time to plan carefully for our future.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-43949060063378211762011-06-08T11:29:00.000-04:002011-06-08T11:29:21.999-04:00

A Saskatchewan woman took over a collection of 350,000 books when her neighbour threatened to burn her husband's collection after he passed away.  But now what?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-43166056988234120892011-06-06T15:43:00.000-04:002011-06-06T15:43:28.363-04:00

A year later and the project is still in the very beginning stages...but the tweets keep piling up exponentially.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-50448704051190032062011-05-31T09:25:00.000-04:002011-05-31T09:25:45.489-04:00

The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-64867346997960619042011-05-30T10:15:00.000-04:002011-05-30T10:15:04.966-04:00

Digital Libraries don't spell the end of your local library, if anything, it would do the opposite.  Just think about all that you want to do in your library but can't due to time and budget restraints.  Now imagine yourself freed from those barriers...

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-26406318676453662582011-05-27T12:00:00.000-04:002011-05-27T12:00:19.155-04:00

After a quick and loud outcry from the students and community, it seems like the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is having to go back and rethink their decision to cut library staff. 

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-14711147796531715382011-05-26T09:38:00.000-04:002011-05-26T09:38:39.593-04:00

With libraries facing a growing demand for E-Books and publishers struggling to find a business model that works, everyone is trying to sort out the new rules of the game before it's too late.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-28973857877570061902011-05-20T11:38:00.000-04:002011-05-20T11:38:33.557-04:00

Seth Godin's thoughts on the library of the future.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-34787375750730984852011-05-18T08:52:00.000-04:002011-05-18T08:52:35.333-04:00

With so much information going viral, the phenomena of the wisdom of the crowd is becoming extinct.  With so many of us viewing the same information, our opinions become less diverse and is leading to a 'dumbing down' effect.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-67906851791426150632011-05-18T08:45:00.000-04:002011-05-18T08:45:01.507-04:00

The time for debate is probably long past, but how does social media fit in the classroom?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-35761566214510688332011-05-16T08:10:00.001-04:002011-05-16T08:48:17.592-04:00

In Windsor, a 15-year-old Assumption student is organizing a May 16th strike by high school students across the Catholic system, protesting librarian layoffs that he says threaten their education. And in California, if state education cuts are drastic, the librarians' only chance of keeping a paycheck is to prove they're qualified to be switched to classroom teaching. And a local perspective

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-88739547477330869722011-05-11T10:00:00.000-04:002011-05-11T10:00:39.217-04:00

What an amazing idea!  In 1971, in an effort to attract as many youngsters to the new library as possible, children's librarian Marguerite Hart wrote to a number of notable people with a simple request: to reply with a congratulatory letter, addressed to the children of Troy, in which the benefits of visiting such a library were explained in some form. And lots of them replied!  Like Isaac

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-6973075686242584832011-05-11T09:48:00.000-04:002011-05-11T09:48:19.647-04:00

We know that one of the best ways parents can connect with their children is to read to them. That usually ends when the kids learn to read for themselves...but not for Steve and Alice.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-87891562886416287282011-05-05T09:16:00.001-04:002011-05-05T09:16:52.081-04:00

Push Pop Press software developer Mike Matas, demos the first full-length interactive book for the iPad -- with clever, swipeable video and graphics and some very cool data visualizations to play with (be sure to watch him 'be the wind'!).  The book is "Our Choice," Al Gore's sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth." 

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-57744624841380714402011-05-04T14:34:00.000-04:002011-05-04T14:34:00.360-04:00

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-31802485512711140942011-05-04T14:01:00.000-04:002011-05-04T14:01:56.193-04:00

At the end of this month, award-winning librarian, author and NPR commentator Nancy Pearl will begin writing a new monthly library-themed column for Publishers Weekly called Check It Out.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-49904065731533253372011-05-04T12:54:00.000-04:002011-05-04T12:54:32.803-04:00

Panoramic photographer Jeffrey Martin spent five days shooting this 40-gigapixel image of the library at Strahov Monastery in Prague.   You can look in any direction (be sure not to miss the beautifully painted ceiling), and zoom in closely enough to read the ancient lettering on the spines of these very old books. Martin stitched 2,947 individual photos together to make the image.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-49940711783844955862011-05-04T12:48:00.000-04:002011-05-04T12:48:43.852-04:00

Adapted from the Agnostic, Maybe blog: Ken Robinson – Schools Kill Creativity:  A look at how libraries as a whole approach their patrons.  Are we nurturing the creativity of others?  Are we looking at their interests and curiosities?  Furthermore, are we creating our own hierarchy of literacies?  Why do some treat book borrowers better than movie borrowers?  Why does certain kind of

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-51117170897320843102011-05-04T12:33:00.000-04:002011-05-04T12:33:00.538-04:00

With cuts looming everywhere, we really need to think about what we would lose.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-67863889166472104322011-05-04T11:24:00.000-04:002011-05-04T11:24:31.100-04:00

Imagine how many kids would be using the library if this was part of your orientation!

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-82726236954381088992011-04-20T11:00:00.003-04:002011-04-20T14:42:12.718-04:00

So often we now are presented with visual information instead of textual.  And while showing students how to read critically and formulate queries is part of the teaching them how to research, how do you teach students to critically read something that has no text?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-21145341968823141792011-04-12T10:11:00.000-04:002011-04-12T10:11:33.647-04:00

An incredible look at the Vatican Library.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-44161125893421466592011-04-08T10:00:00.001-04:002011-04-08T10:03:47.763-04:00

The New York Public Library has launched a website to introduce a massive, invitation-only, smart-phone based scavenger hunt. The game works by getting players to download an app for their iPhone or Android-based smartphones and then head to the library's Stephen A. Schwarzman building (which celebrates its centennial this year), to play. And if you're not a New Yorker, you can play a

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-42154004162767497462011-04-05T09:57:00.001-04:002011-04-05T09:57:37.855-04:00

The symbol for 'heart' has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary Online...what?!?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-36108181409878180772011-03-22T11:22:00.001-04:002011-03-22T11:23:04.015-04:00

Yale Law Library is testing a controversial canine tranquilizer...Monty.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-48372610161753539642011-03-22T11:17:00.000-04:002011-03-22T11:17:15.120-04:00

Iranian-born artist Alireza Darvish, who has used books as metaphors in his art, is a political refugee and speaks out on censorship through his art.  BookTryst.has posted their interview with him along with his stunning artwork.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-3162403094549420912011-03-17T15:00:00.000-04:002011-03-17T15:00:45.514-04:00

Take a look at Su Blackwell's incredible portfolio.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-92039776565152407022011-03-16T10:53:00.000-04:002011-03-16T10:53:21.073-04:00

With tongue firmly planted in cheek...

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-71522182206654235262011-03-09T10:04:00.000-05:002011-03-09T10:04:12.862-05:00

Check out this clever video promoting libraries in Ireland.

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718291220439911853.post-58494703452840178182011-03-04T12:27:00.000-05:002011-03-04T12:27:14.979-05:00

An anonymous author is posting pages of his unpublished novel on lampposts around New York City...but is the writing as clever as his marketing strategy?

VirtualMehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861831825796198051noreply@blogger.com0