Although our students complain that they have little time to read outside of their classroom assignments, there is an author that is mentioned time and time again by the students as a favorite when they have the time to read for pleasure. Jodi Picoult is able to capture their imagination with her timely plots, often taken right from the headlines of the day. We own 11 of her books and they are all popular. Harvesting the Heart, Mercy, My Sister's Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, The Pact, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Second Glance, Songs of the Humpback Whale, The Tenth Circle and Vanishing Acts are in our collection, but not necessarily on the shelf.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Refining the Collection
I am not the kind of librarian who loves to weed. Faced with a book that hasn't gone out since the 1960's, I still try to manufacture an excuse as to why we should keep it - perhaps its historical significance???? (although that's hard to justify among the hard sciences!) But when faced with a need to weed, I can be ruthless. Our library management system was bought out last year by another vendor and I am exploring my options. But with any decsion, paying the migration of unnecessary records is NOT an option.
Fortunately, weeding does have its 'fun' moments. In the front of a little math book was handwritten "You were voted onto the social committee. Don't tell yet!" And when was the last time you even saw a black bobbypin, never mind one used as a bookmark?
Fortunately, weeding does have its 'fun' moments. In the front of a little math book was handwritten "You were voted onto the social committee. Don't tell yet!" And when was the last time you even saw a black bobbypin, never mind one used as a bookmark?
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
What's Missing??????
As students depart for home for the semester break, you'll see an unususal sight - an empty library. We pride ourselves on the number of students we serve each and every day and keep statistics to show our numbers. But tomorrow is the end of the first semester and second quarter of the school year. Both students and staff will get a well-deserved 4 day break. We'll look forward to seeing our students fill the library again on Wednesday, January 30th.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
A Surprising Culture
The Governor’s Academy ESL students recently completed a project on Flickr titled “A Surprising Culture.” Students were asked to capture the differences between American culture and their own through photographs and descriptions. This year’s ESL students come from Russia, China, and Taiwan, and each has a unique perspective on how life at The Governor’s Academy differs from the schools they came from. This is the second year that Flickr was used with this class led by Mrs. Gold. Last year students put together a set called "A Day in the Life."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Recycling at The Academy
As one of our green efforts, we recycle in the library. In the foyer is our main recycling basket for cans and bottles. We also have a container in the Electronic Classroom. Students in the Afternoon Program work under Dr. Scheintaub to recycle water bottles and to redeem returnables for cash which is donated to Partners in Health. The Academy raises about $1000 each year this way.
Two new books point the way to everyday strategies for recycling and reusing. True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet (333.72 MCK) and Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew, and Reuse to Make Things Last (363.72 BAI.) Both books can be found in the Green Cup Display in the front of reference.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Martin Luther King Day at the Academy
The Academy celebrates Martin Luther King day in a special way this year as the schedule pictured indicates. It is a day full of discussion, listening, and gaining a better understanding of how to make Dr. King's dreams a reality. A full description of todays events can be found on the Governor's website. The book pictured on the left, Mine Eyes Have Seen: bearing witness to the struggle for civil rights, depicts the civil rights movement through photos and essays. Although it mainly focuses on Martin Luther King, it also includes other leaders and community organizations that have worked and continue to work for equality.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Documenting acquisitions
Arriving in a steady stream at the Pesky Library are new books and DVDs. We struggle with the best ways to let the academy community know what we have. E-mails go out to individuals or departments highlighting titles we think match-up. All new books are entered into LibraryThing before they are placed on the new book shelves in the front alcove. Lately, we have started taking pictures of books and DVDs, sometimes an entire small order, sometimes a group on a theme. We put the pictures into a New Aquisitions Set on Flickr with a list of the titles in the description. If anything strikes your fancy, send us a message and we'll hold it for you!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Reading for Pleasure
Most students enjoyed the holiday break and several even mentioned that they enjoyed the free time to READ. When asked what they had read over the vacation, some of the titles mentioned were: Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle (our commmon book for this year), J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Jhumpa Lahiri's InterpreterThe of Maladies, Ann Brashares' The Last Summer of You and Me, Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, Catherine Clark's Maine Squeeze, Jenna Bush's Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope, Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts:A Novel, Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Stephenie Meyer's New Moon, Cinda Williams Chima's The Warrior Heir, Daniel Silva's The Messenger, Scott Westerfeld's Specials, Jodi Picoult's Keeping Faith, Diana Gabaldon's The Outlander, and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. This list is an eclectic mix, for sure. However, it seems that when students have free time, some of them will pick up a book and read for pleasure. Several students even asked the librarians for suggestions for titles before the vacation. We think "Reading for Pleasure" is an encouraging trend.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Aviator Has Returned
You never know what will come through the door of the library. Today we received a package from one of our former students from Thailand with a DVD inside. It seems The Aviator has been traveling about, but has now been returned to the Pesky Library. Our DVDs are a popular part of the collection, so to have a student really make an effort to return one is appreciated!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Race is Underway
With the Presidential election year well underway, the library will be following the political events of the coming months on our current events board. The map side will document the results of the primaries and caucuses in the coming months by tallying the top winners for each party. The opposite side will hold the headlines from local papers as candidates forge on to November. This will be an evolving display and a wonderful record of how the democratic system works. Stay
tuned… Monday, January 14, 2008
View from a window...
Friday it was rain, today it is snow. As the classes change and students move from building to building, I can see them hunkering down trying to keep the snow out of their faces. This would be the perfect day to pick up Winter World: the ingenuity of animal survival (591.43 HEI), Snow in America (551.57 MER), A Guide to Nature in Winter (574.5 STO), or Little Book of Snowflakes (551.57 LIB), all located in the front lobby of the library.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Rainy Day Project
The month of January becomes the perfect time to take up projects old and new. We have been making our way through the history collection, weeding and adjusting call numbers when the time allows. It just so happens that today lends itself well to such a project with the rain pouring outside. Upstairs on the second floor all is quiet, and with a laptop, call number paperwork, and highlighter at the ready, the project continues! As we find books that need more specific call numbers, we pull them aside with the subject specific number and the changes are made in cataloging. Our history collection is looking good as it is being fine-tuned and makes it much easier for our students to locate the subject they need.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Global warming impact on sports
During the presentation yesterday by Joe Zillo from the Defenders of Wildlife on climate change, he mentioned this issue of Sports Illustrated. The article "Going, going GREEN" by Alexander Wolff made some points that I hadn't thought about. Beyond the rising seas' effects on the coasts, golf courses' changing uses of resources, and the impact of the warmer winters on ski areas (issues that we often read about in this geographical area,) he discussed how temperature affects the distance a ball travels, how the emerald ash borer is munching through the trees used to make bats, and how sports arenas will need to become sustainable. If you want to read the article, we have this issue of the magazine at the circulation desk. Come on by!
Monday, January 07, 2008
New Projects ~ Creating a Mash-up in English
With exams now behind us and a new year ahead, this is a time when new projects are introduced before the completion of the semester. An exciting project we have seen comes from one of the Academy’s A.P. English Classes. Students will be preparing a “mash-up” of audio and visual images based on one of the poems from the British Romantic Poets. Students will be using Audacity (or a recording program of their choosing) to record their poems. We (an English teacher and librarians) learned how to use this program during a collaborative brainstorming session last week. Students arrived today as pictured, and were given further instructions on how to record their p
oems, how to add music and gather images for their mash-ups. Students have the opportunity to bring their poems to life using dynamic technologies and we look forward to working with them to see how their projects evolve.
oems, how to add music and gather images for their mash-ups. Students have the opportunity to bring their poems to life using dynamic technologies and we look forward to working with them to see how their projects evolve.
Friday, January 04, 2008
A New Year : A New Challenge
Happy New Year to all! This New Year brings new opportunities to members of the Governor’s Academy as the Green Cup Challenge is well underway. The library has joined the efforts by providing resources on “going green” as pictured in the display. Some of our new titles include: Wake Up and Smell the Planet: the non-pompous, non-preachy grist guide to greening your day (333.72 WAK), Wisdom for a Livable Planet (333.72 MCD), How to Live Well Without Owning a Car (332.024 BAL), Organic, Inc.: natural foods and how they grew (338.171 FRO), North Country (DVD NOR), When the Levees Broke (DVD 976.33 WHE), and Who Killed the Electric Car (DVD 629.22 WHO). For a full listing of the resources on display visit the library’s Flickr Display page. We look forward to adding new resources to the display as the Green Cup Continues in the coming months in hopes of inspiring all who take part!
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