150 Ways to Wish Someone a Merry Christmas!

Afrikaans - Gesëende Kersfees / Geseende Kerfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar
Afrikander - Een Plesierige Kerfees
African (Eritrean) (Tigrinja) - Rehus-beal-ledeats
Albanian - Gezur Krislinjden / Gézuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri!
Amharic - Melkam Yelidet Beaal
Arabic - I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida
Argentine - Feliz Navidad Y Un Prospero Ano Nuevo / Felices Pascuas y Feliz Año Nuevo
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Aromunian - Crãciunu hãriosu shi unu anu nãu, bunu!
Azeri-Azerbaijan - Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia - Selamat Hari Natal
Basque - Eguberri Zoriontsuak eta Urte Berri On
Bengali - Shuvo Baro Din Shuvo Nabo Barsho
Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian - Feliz Natal e Prospero Ano Novo / Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton - Nedeleg laouen na bloav ezh mat
Bulgarian - Vasel Koleda / Chestita Koleda / Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo / Tchestita Nova Godina

Catalan - Bon Nadal i Feliç Any Nou
Cantonese - Seng Dan Fai Lok, Sang Nian Fai Lok
Choctaw - Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Cornish -Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsican - Bon Natale e Bon capu d' annu
Crazanian - Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree - Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Creek - Afvcke Nettvcakorakko
Chinese - Cantonese - Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese - Mandarin - Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Croatian - Sretan Bozic / Èestit Boiæ i sretna Nova godina
Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Czech Republic - Vesele Vanoce

Danish - Glaedelig Jul / Glædelig Jul og godt nytår
Duri - Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Dutch (Netherlands) - Prettig Kerstfeest

Egyptian - Colo sana wintom tiebeen
English - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Eritrean - Rehus-Beal-Ledeat
Eskimo - Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo
Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian - Rõõmsaid jõulupühi!
Euskera - Zorionak eta Urte Berri On

Faeroese - Gledhilig jól og eydnurikt ny`ggjár
Farsi - Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Fijian - Marau na Kerisimasi
Filipinos - Maligayang Pasko
Finnish - Hauskaa Joulua / Hyvää joulua ja Onnellista uutta vuotta
Flemish - Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French - Joyeux Noël et heureuse année / Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
Frisian - Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier
Friulian - Bon Nadâl e Bon An Gnûf

Gaelic-Irish - Nolag mhaith Dhuit Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise
Gaelic-Scot - Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur
Galician - Bon Nadal e Bo Ani Novo
German - Frohe Weihnachten / Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr / Frohe Festtage
Greek - Kala Christougenna Kieftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos / Kala Khristougena kai Eftikhes to Neon Ethos
Greenlandic - Juullimi Ukiortaassamilu Pilluarit

Hausa - Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara
Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka / Mele Kalikimake me ka Hauloi Makahiki hou
Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha / Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shana Tova
Hindi - Shub Naya Baras / Shubh Christmas
Hungarian - Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket / Kellemes Karacsonyiunnepeket & Boldog Új Évet

Icelandic - Gledileg jól og farsaelt komandi ár / Gledileg jól og gott nytt ár
Indonesian - Selamat Hari Natal / Selamah Tahun Baru
Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit / Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois - Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay
Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo / Buone Feste Natalizie / Buon Natale e felice Capodanno

Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jèrriais - Bouan Noué et Bouanne Année

Karelian - Rastawanke Sinun, Uvven Vuvenke Sinun
Korean - Chuk Sung Tan / Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Krio - Appi Krismes en Appi Niu Yaa
Kurdish - Seva piroz sahibe u sersala te piroz be

Ladin - Bon Nadel y Bon Ann Nuef
Lappic - Buorit Juovllat ja Buorre Oddajahki
Latin - Natale hilare et Annum Nuovo
Latvian - Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu
Lausitzian - Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lebanese - Milad Saeed wa Sanaa Mubarakah
Lettish - Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu / linksmu sventu Kaledu ir Laimingu Nauju Metu
Livian - Riiemlizi Talspividi ja pagin vonno udaigastos
Low Saxon - Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Luxemburgish - Schéi Krëschtdeeg an e Schéint Néi Joer

Macedonian -Streken Bozhik
Malayalam - Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal
Malaysian - Selamat Hari Natal
Maltese - Il-Milied It-tajjeb / Nixtieklek Milied tajjeb u is-sena t-tabja
Mandarin - Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Manx - Ollick Ghennal Erriu as Blein Feer Die Seihil as Slaynt Da'n Slane Loght Thie
Maori -Meri Kirihimete
Marathi - Shub Naya Varsh
Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye
Monogasquev - Festusu Natale e Bona ana noeva

Navajo Indian - Ya'a't'eeh Keshmish
Norse-Danish - Gledlig jul og godt Nytt Aar
Norwegian - God Jul og Godt Nyttår

Occitan -Polit nadal e bona annada
Oriya -Sukhamaya christmass ebang khusibhara naba barsa

Papiamento - Bon Pasco / Un Felis Pasco y un Prospero Anja Nobo
Papua New Guinea - Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pashto - De Christmas akhtar de bakhtawar au newai kal de mubarak sha
Pennsylvania German - En frehlicher Grischtdaag unen hallich Nei Yaahr
Peruvian - Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Polish - Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia / Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese - Boas Festas / Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo / Feliz Natal e propero Ano Novo
Punjabi - Nave sal di mubaraka
Pushto - Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha

Raeto-Ramance - Bella Festas da zNadal ed in Ventiravel Onn Nov
Rapa-Nui - (Easter Islands) - Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian - Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche - Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn
Romani (gypsy) - Bachtalo krecunu Thaj Bachtalo Nevo Bers
Romanian - Craciun Fericit
Russian - Pozdrevly ayu sprazdnikom Rozhdestva Khristova is Novim Godom

Sami - Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan - La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardian - Felize Nadale e Bonu Cabuannu
Sardinian -Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian - Hristos se rodi
Serb-Croatian - Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Singhalese - (Ceylon/Sri Lanka) - Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Samoan - La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Slavey - (a Dene Language from the Northwest Territories in Canada) - Teyatie Gonezu
Slovakian - Vesele vianoce A stastlivy Novy Rok / Vesele vianoce a stastny novy rok
Slovene - Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto / Vesele bozicne praznike in srecno novo leto
Slovenian - Sretan Bozice
Sorbian - Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto
Somali - ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican
Spanish - Feliz Navidad y prospero Año Nuevo
Sudanese - Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal
Swahili - Krismas Njema Na Heri Za Mwaka Mpya
Swedish - God Jul Och Gott Nytt År / Denna hÄlsning kommer från Sverige / Glad jul och ett gott Nytt ar

Tagalog (Filipino) - Maligayang Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tamil - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai
Tok Pisin - Meri Krismas & Hepi Nu Yia
Tongan - Kilisimasi Fiefia & Ta'u fo'ou monu ia
Trukeese - Neekirissimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech
Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun / Yeni Yilnizi Kutar, saadetler dilerim

Ukrainian - Srozhdestvom Kristovym / Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku
Urdu- Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Vepsi - Rastvoidenke i Udenke Vodenke
Vietnamese - Mung Le Giang Sinh. Cung Chuc Tan Nien

Welsh - Nadolig Llawen / Nadolic Llawen. Blwyddn Newdd Dda

Xhosa - Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi EmnandI Nonyaka Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo Namathamsanqa

Yayeya - Krisema
Yiddish - Gute Vaynakhtn un a Gut Nay Yor
Yoruba - E ku odun, e hu iye' dun Yugoslavian - Cestitamo Bozic -->

Zulu - Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

New December Fiction

Fiction - December 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

To pay homage to a well-known poem:

'Twas the night before exams, and all through the house
Lots of students were stirring, with lone library mouse;
The books were arranged on the front shelves with care,
In hopes that vacation soon would be there;
The students were settled all busy in chairs,
Working hard singly, in groups, or in pairs;
Librarians brought out more novels to read,
If after a test, a good break you're in need;
For after New Year, we'll be back to the grind,
For that, being well-rested's the best state of mind;
One wish more: May your work load be light,
And Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Several new acquisitions are now available for your holiday break enjoyment.

And in case we don't have the chance to say this in person: Good luck with the last exams, and a Happy Holiday season!

(P.S. Thanks to Ms. Francescone for the inspiration!)

Ornament Station

Ornament Station
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

We set up a small crafts station on one of the tables with supplies and instructions for those whose crafty juices still run high despite the end of the semester crunch. Pictured to the right are just a few of the ornaments dreamed up by our staff and students. Why not take advantage of the exam week schedule to have quality time with paper in a purely recreational sense!

Lost and Found

Lost and Found
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

It's that time of the year again... We've set out the larger lost and found items in the lobby. If you've lost something smaller, ask about it at the front desk; we have a bin under the counter for delicate wares. Come and get yours before the break.

Teen Suicide

Teen Suicide
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Our display on bullying and suicide prevention was inspired by the Governor’s Academy Peer Advisors. This group of upperclassmen works to support fellow students with information, advice, and support. Recently, a Brooks Academy student and friend to a number of students here took his own life. This tragedy inspired the Peer Advisors to hold a fundraiser for the American Suicide Prevention Association and the World Wildlife Foundation, a favorite cause of the young suicide victim.
In addition to the Peer Advisors, we have a counselor on the faculty who can help students with difficult issues. As a library, we provide books that may help friends of troubled students know where to turn. Students who are concerned about a friend can use these books, turn to their faculty advisor or any other trusted adult, talk to the peer advisors, or meet with our school counselor. We are committed to being a community of caring and support. Congratulations to the Peer Advisors for adopting the cause of suicide prevention and for collecting over $700 to support these causes.

Depression Era Decoded

Depression Era Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

One of our latest displays covers the Great Depression (1929-1939). Come in and read about the causes and effects. Letters in their own words tell how the ecenomic hardships affected everyday people. We also have a book on the FDR's Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins (the first female cabinet member), whose efforts impacted the creation of the New Deal - and Social Security.

You can find the display at the back of the reference room, near the four computer workstations.

Holiday "Fireplace" in the Library

Holiday Fireplace Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

The semester is almost over. Next week we'll have exams before the holiday break starts.

This display introduces inspiring, quick, and fun reads for the break; feel free to pop in and borrow a few. (More new books are visible via Flickr and LibraryThing, and The Book Network offers short reviews should you find yourself stumped for reading.)

The display was made by Miss Driskill. Aren't her visual skills amazing?

Many Celebrations This Week

Childrens Xmas Display1
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

During yesterday’s morning meeting, Mr. Nelson shared information on the many remembrances and celebrations that occur this week. While many of us think of today as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Muslims are celebrating Al-Hijra, the first day of Muharram, or the Islamic New Year celebration.. Today is also the 6th day of Hanukkah, and tomorrow is Bodhi day, celebrating Siddhartha Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment. This Saturday, our many talented students will celebrate the with a holiday concert at 8pm in the Performing Arts Center. Our candlelight service in the chapel at 4:30 Sunday will be followed by a traditional holiday dinner.
In the library, we encourage people of all faiths to explore their beliefs through books and websites. A good place to start to find the best websites about religious holidays is the Internet Public Library.
Browsing the nonfiction shelves from 200-299, students will find 634 books on religion including major religions from around the world. Books on holiday celebrations are also found with the cookbooks (640), the cultural celebration books (390), the religious books, and also in our holiday displays. To find a book on a particular topic, search our online catalog.

Latest Reviews: December 2010

New Fiction - April 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Looking for something to read to give your brain a break, and break up your routine?

The latest batch of reviews linked to our "virtual collection" include Little Bee (pictured at right) by Chris Cleave, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, and Ape House by Sara Gruen, for example.

You can always find even more reviews through our LibraryThing profile.

What do you do when you are done reading a book?

Some people donate, some people shelve, others use books as decor. Artist Mike Stilkey paints on books. I found this to be such a lovely idea. I already think books are art but to further their value by not only keeping them intact but using them as a medium for further expression. Brilliant!

Click on his name to check out his amazing website!

Traditional vs. Electronic Reading

Selecting the format we do our reading in - paper or electronic - is relatively easy nowadays. It is possible, for example, to get your daily dose of readable news either in the traditional newspaper format, as an e-newspaper online, as an e-mail feed, or as an e-reader subscription. There are of course also audiovisual news in multiple formats available from multiple sources, and the selection of e-books grows every day.

Selecting a format often simply comes down to your preferences and the demands of the task at hand. Do you need to make notes? If so, are you able to make them electronically, or do you prefer scribbling in the margins? Is it possible to move your electronic notes between applications? Do you hate ink smears on your fingers? Are you in an area outside a network? Is word search necessary for your current reading need? Is electricity available? Do you love the feel of paper on your fingers? Is your gadget out of power? Does paper dust dry your skin? Are you perhaps too lazy to turn your e-reader on?

Here is a video that cleverly demonstrates the differences between traditional print materials and e-text. In the words of our Technical Theatre Director, Mr. Repczynski, it's "obviously a marketing tool selling a product, but I still found it humorous."



There are as many ways to work as there are people, and increasingly, as many ways to read. What are your reading preferences, and why?

Starting the Holiday Season

Hanukkah Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Students, faculty, and staff have returned from a well-earned Thanksgiving break, and are gearing up for the final weeks of the semester. Welcome back!

To celebrate the holidays, we have built several displays in the library. Feel free to come enjoy the lights and ornaments in the library lobby!

Pictured to the right is our Hanukkah table. If you're interested in reading about Hanukkah, you can find books at the call number 296.4 upstairs.

Opposing Viewpoints on Immigration

Opposing Viewpoints on Immigration
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Today's convocation featured three immigrants who shared their stories and their efforts toward passing legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to continue their education in the United States. Two had come to the United States as elementary school-aged children and graduated from high school in Massachusetts. The two bills that they are trying to get passed are the Dream Act and Massachusetts House Bill 1175, an act to allow undocumented immigrants the right to attend college in state at resident tuition rates. They said that the cost of higher education was prohibitive to most undocumented immigrants.
The books in our display give both sides of the immigration issue. You can look in our catalog for more books and electronic resources to help explain the immigration issues. Electronic resources can be accessed on campus or at home through passwords students can find in our library Moodle courses.

National Gaming Day @ Your Library

Gaming Display1
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Last Saturday, November 13th, 2010, was the third National Gaming Day at your Library. This display offers you glimpses of the history of computer and video games. Did you know that the first interactive computer game was invented by an MIT student in 1961?

P.S. If you're interested, Governor's students have a gaming club. They meet Friday evenings in the library electronic classroom.

E-Books in our catalog and print books on our shelves

E-Books in our catalog and print books on our shelves
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

We have begun collecting e-books that can be accessed by students without leaving the computer. We also still have print books for those students who prefer to come into the library to work with a more familiar format.
Yesterday I attended a panel discussion on the future of libraries at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury. Presented by the Greater Boston Cooperative Library Association, panelists presented their visions of how expected changes in the world will transform both library spaces and offerings. While a few libraries have decided to purchase more electronic books and fewer paper books, the panelists stressed that the future library will contain books in various formats. One panelist noted that some students refuse to use Kindles when offered, preferring to wait for the paper book to return. Multiple learning styles will require us to cater to information in all its formats. One recurring theme in the presentation was that electronic sources are not yet as structured as print sources, making information more difficult to locate and less comprehensible. The ability to locate information in context, as part of a coherent and in-depth study was mentioned as a strength of paper formats. Library as space was also discussed with panelists assuring us that the library will continue to exist as a meeting, research and study space even as virtual spaces are created to house electronic materials.

Color in the New Books Shelves

New Books Shelves Nov 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

The brightest fall colors are, unfortunately, already fading and it's getting dark sooner and sooner. While we cannot do anything about the dwindling daylight, we can add to the comforts of the library. We work with the school Facilities Department to adjust the temperature to just right. We turn on the lights for easy reading and studying. We make sure that work surfaces stay clean for everyone's comfort. We rotate displays for both inspiration and eye candy. And we add color to our new books shelves by facing some of the books out. I think it perks up the new books nook nicely. What do you think?

Thanksgiving Reading!

We are getting so close to the Thanksgiving break! I know that it is hard to see through the haze of exams but you are days away from freedom. Not only will you be free but you will also being eating lots of delicious food, spending time with friends and family, and catching up on all the sleep you are missing during exams.

Hopefully you will also use your time off to read something. Not a text book, not a magazine, not your friends’ Facebook statuses, but a book. Though everything you are reading for class is educational and enjoyable it is hard to see that when you are consumed with how many pages you have to read in one night. Reading isn’t supposed to be a chore, it is supposed to transport you to other worlds and make you fall in love with characters.

So, I hope that during the brief respite from class, while you are stuffing your faces with turkey and pie, you also take the time to read something that you like. It may be a trashy romance novel, a biography about your favorite football player or a Russian classic; whatever it is remember that reading is fun!

The Puzzle Has Been Solved

The Puzzle Has Been Solved
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Each month we have one or more puzzles at the circulation desk. They give students a challenge to keep their minds and hands busy while waiting for books and laptops to be checked out. This month's puzzle is an especially difficult one - a wooden box to construct from numerous tiny pieces. It's been done, though, proving that perseverance does pay off. This student decided she would figure it out and succeeded. Perseverance paid off for many students on campus this week as grades for the first quarter were handed out. Congratulations to our puzzle solvers and to everyone who decides to make good things happen in their lives.

Hard at Work on the Laptops

Hard at Work on the Laptops
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

While many people think of books when they think of libraries, computer access is rapidly becoming more and more important for library users. These students are busily typing essays on two of the twelve laptops that students can use in the library. We have 26 desktop computers, too, so there’s seldom a time when a student can’t find a free computer. Of course, many students prefer to carry their own laptops with them, a growing trend that caused us to upgrade our wireless access this year. We have a second wireless network to handle the extra traffic. Students can log onto our secure network for printing and to access programs that teachers have set up for them. Visitors can still use our guest network. Additional wireless hubs throughout the building have made connection much faster and smoother.

Latest Reviews: November 2010

Historical Fiction February 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Looking for something to read to give your brain a break, and break up your routine?

The latest batch of reviews linked to our "virtual collection" include for example Tinkers by Paul Harding, For the Win by Cory Doctorow, and Becoming Jane Eyre (pictured at right) by Sheila Kohler.

You can always find even more reviews through our LibraryThing profile.

Women Who Rock Display

Women Who Rock Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

We're currently inundated not only with fall rains, but also new displays!

Late last week we were treated to two visual feasts. This display celebrates women rockers, starting from the 1960s. Come on in and get a glimpse of how these sassy songwriters started a new wave of cool. (More rock music books can be found at the shelf location 780 and onwards.)

How the Other Half Live... Women, that is,

How the Other Half Live... Women, that is,
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

This month we have two displays dedicated to women. One is called “Women Who Rock,” while the second shows “How the Other Half Lives.” Books displayed on the “other half” cover women and women’s issues in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. The timeliness of our display was evidenced when we open this morning’s New York Times and learned from the front page that Afghan wives are turning more and more often to suicide to escape their “abuse and despondency.”

Alissa J. Rubin reports that burning is a commonly sought way to escape the horrors of these women’s lives. They have little chance to get help for their depression when even admitting to mental difficulties is considered shameful. Sadly, their mental traumas are often inflicted on them by spouses or other members of their families. If you’d like more information on the lives of Afghan women, check out one of the books in our display or read today’s New York Times.

TGA Hosts Special Olympics on Sunday

Special Olympics Soccer Volunteers
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Governor's is getting ready to host our yearly Special Olympics. More than 1,000 athletes, representing more than 100 teams from across the state, gather to compete in a series of round-robin soccer matches. As hosts, our students - all volunteers - are responsible for arranging the opening ceremonies, running "Olympic Town," organizing public relations activities, registering athletes, feeding participants and overseeing the competitions.

Set-up is taking place on Saturday, and the event itself on Sunday. It looks like the weather is going to cooperate, and everywhere on campus (including the library!) you can see cheerful students carrying their bright green Special Olympics t-shirts. The excitement is certainly building! We're sure this year's Olympics will be as wonderful as last year's - just look at this photo from 2009 - and smiles will certainly abound.

For the Love of Language

"For me, it is a cause of some upset that more Anglophones don't enjoy
language."

Thus begins Stephen Fry's exhortation on the joys offered by English. Fry is an acclaimed writer and actor (best known for his role as Jeeves, the "gentleman's personal gentleman"). He provides us with delightful insights into prevalent attitudes about proper or correct language. If this sounds boring, believe me, it is not! Here is another quote:

"The worst of this sorry bunch of semi-educated losers are those who seem to
glory in being irritated by nouns becoming verbs. How dense and deaf to language
development do you have to be? If you don't like nouns becoming verbs, then for
heaven's sake avoid Shakespeare who made a doing-word out of a thing-word every
chance he got."

Have a look yourself:



(The rest of the audio file is available at Fry's website.)

Free Online Courses

Feeling ambitious? Gov's classes aren't enough for you? Or maybe you're a senior and want to get an advantage over your competition for getting into your dream college? Check out the MIT OpenCourseWare!

They offer courses in Architecture, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Management, Science, and others; also cross-disciplinary courses are offered. The Highlights for High School section offers hands-on learning tools like labs, video demonstrations, and competitions. They also provide exam prep materials, introductory MIT courses, and writing tools. It's a real treasure trove. Happy discovering!

Halloween Visitors

Halloween Ghost and Rainbow
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Our library had such fantastic creatures visit us for Halloween this year. They included for instance a princess, a bumblebee, a quarterback, a beaver, and a chatty group of oPods - in several bright colors, of course! This couple, however, was the best. Don't you just love the creativity of the rainbow costume!

Comfy Chairs

Comfy Chairs
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Too hard?
Too soft?
Just right. .....
Just like Goldilocks, this student couldn't resist falling asleep in one of our comfy, cozy chairs.
As the end of the quarter approaches, more studying can be seen in every nook of the library. Some students study between catnaps.

A Solitary Moment

A Solitary Moment
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

The quarter is almost at an end, and our students are working very hard on finishing their assignments. Fortunately, there are still moments to dedicate just for yourself amidst all the academic frenzy...

Local Musician at the PAC Tomorrow

We have great pleasure of welcoming guitarist Bob Squires to The Governor's Academy. He will play a mixture of classical and pop pieces tomorrow, Thursday Oct 28th, at 7 p.m., in the PAC lobby.



Squires studied classical guitar at Lowell University. He has recorded with Essex County Symphony, North Shore Philharmonic, and the Slovak Radio Symphony, for example. He's also known as the former lead guitarist for the rock band Beatlejuice, the popular Boston-based Beatles tribute band. He has performed as a solo artist around the world.

Bob Squires frequently gives performances for the Boston Classical Guitar Society and other local venues in the Boston area, including the Hammond Castle Museum, the Beauport Museum, and the Cape Ann Historical Museum.

Monday's visitor!

Mrs. Toumayan looked up from her computer. "Are they messing with us?" she asked, referring to the Evening Staff. She thought that the bat on the shade was one of our paper decorations. I assured her it was 3-D. Mr. Pirie in the Science Department came to the rescue. He brought a fish net and trapped him (her?). Once outside, the little creature just lay there panting. Mrs. Toumayan made a little bat house from an amazon.com box with a note requesting all to let the bat nap. When we checked a little later, he had cuddled up to the side away from the opening. When Miss. Driskill went to dinner, she discovered he had moved on. This morning when I walked in, I looked up but he had found a better place to be.

New Graphic Novels!

Graphic Novels- October 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Our latest batch of new books is out! They include these graphic novels. They deal with relationships, bogeymen, homelessness, and the Easter Bunny. Quite a selection, don't you think?

Look for them - and other recent arrivals - in the new books shelves (the window nook near the front desk).

Halloween Display

Halloween
Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

"The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of....

Boys."

(Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree)

This and many other stories can be found on our colorful Halloween display, right at the front desk.

School Exchange Programs

School Exchange Programs
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Yesterday's all-school convocation was led by the students who participated in our 2010 foreign and domestic exchange programs. The travelers shared their impressions of their host schools and countries/ communities and showed us numerous pictures from their trips. Applications are due shortly for students wishing to participate in this year's programs. Please stop by the library to see our display of photos from last year's trips.

The Latest Issue of The Governors Is Out

The Governors Oct 15 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

The October 15th issue of The Governor is now available! Pick up your copy at the library. Check out the picture of the raising of our covered footbridge, and stories covering the appointment of a new headmaster. Don't forget to read the article Nightmare on Elm Street on p. 5 for the inside scoop on our haunted school!

S'mores at the Student Center

Mr. Banister-Marx has his fire pit out at the back patio of the Student Center tonight. Come one, come all for comfy chairs, s'mores, and music! Mr. B will also be providing guitars from his collection for guitar playing.

School Library Journal Reviews

School Library Journal Reviews
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Mrs. Toumayan, our technical services librarian, is showing off the most recent issue of School Library Journal. She is one of their newest book reviewers. Her review of Deborah Ellis’ No Safe Place appeared in the September 1st issue. No Safe Place is the story of teen orphans, human trafficking, and injustice in the world. To learn why Mrs. Toumayan calls this an “exciting and moving story” read her review online at School Library Journal.

Haunted!

Haunted4
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

In addition to our Gothic display, we put together a collection of haunting finds. Inexplicable smells or sounds? Feelings of being watched? Come see what it's all about!

P.S. Did you know that Governor's had been haunted from the 1960s...?

Progressive Era

Progressive Era
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

This year we're highlighting the Twentieth Century, one decade at a time, in the library. This month's display focuses on the Progressive Era. Books on one side of the display show people and events that marked the first decade of the century. On the other side of the display are books relating to the social conditions that led to the reforms of the Progressive Era.

Gothic Nightmare

Often when we think of the word Goth or Gothic we think of teenagers in all black clothing, lots of eyeliner reading The Bell Jar and writing poetry such as, “my shoes are red/ my soul is black/ I hope you have/ A heart attack.” However, the term Gothic has a rich cultural history with almost nothing to do with the band Bright Eyes.

Ms. Struck is teaching an IDS (Interdisciplinary Studies) class in which she explores the many meanings and creative outlets of the Gothic ideal. Her class is covering a wide variety of Gothic topics; from Dracula to Big Fish. Through this diverse curriculum we can see that Gothic is a rather hard term to define. It can be a scary story, a long hallway, a romantic interlude with a boy in a leather jacket or a photo of a pale girl with bright red lip stick. It can also just be a feeling, fleeting and dark.

I’m sure that everyone has had one or two Gothic moments in their life. So re-watch The Crow and turn off the lights and indulge in your own Gothic Nightmare.

One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato Display
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Have you looked at our potato display? It may not offer you a sweet treat, but there are plenty of sweet details of the history of potato farming at the farms that existed on the current-day school grounds. You can get a glimpse of authentic, 18th century documents from the school archives, too, and details of the organic potato farming here at the Academy.

Friday Faculty Seminar

Friday Faculty Seminar
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

One Friday each month, a faculty member shares his or her expertise or avocation with the rest of the faculty as part of the library's Friday Faculty Seminar program in the Bragdon Reading Room. Today, Mr. Wann shared his Shakespeare expertise as he spoke of "Shakespeare the Phenomenon" and encouraged faculty members to try writing with a quill pen.

Nobel in Literature 2010

Nobel in Literature 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2010 was awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat".

He was born on March 28, 1936, in Arequipa, Peru. As an author, he had an international breakthrough with the novel La ciudad y los perros (1963; The Time of the Hero, 1966). This novel was considered controversial in his home land. A thousand copies were publicly burnt by officers. His well known works include Conversacion en la catedral (1969; Conversation in the Cathedral, 1975), La guerra del fin del mundo (1981; The War of the End of the World, 1984), and La fiesta del chivo (2000; The Feast of the Goat, 2001). Mario Vargas Llosa is also a noted journalist and essayist.
Read more at the official home page of the Nobel Prize.

Latest Reviews: October 2010

Sports - 700s - June 2010
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Looking for something to read to give your brain a break, and break up your routine?

The latest batch of reviews linked to our "virtual collection" include Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf, The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, and Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield, for example.

You can always find even more reviews through our LibraryThing profile.

Junior History Research Topic Ideas

Wall Street: A History of the Stock Market
Originally uploaded by Pesky Library

Juniors are busy choosing topics for an in-depth research paper on a topic in American history. We’ve compiled stacks of books, arranged by topic, in the library to give them ideas. Other great places to find ideas are found on our flickr page. Issues and Controversies in American History, one of our subscription databases, lists more than a hundred potential topics to write about. Our Junior History Moodle page has lists of topics previous students have used and links to databases and passwords so our students can view those databases from anywhere they have an Internet connection.

Banned Books

There is a strange dichotomy in this country. We are torn between what we want to be able to say and what we want others to be able to say. The first amendment clearly states ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.’ These lovely lines written by the founders of this country seem quite clear. So, how is it possible that books can be banned?

You can trace the origins of this kind of censorship all the way back to 399 BCE. Socrates, the father of philosophy and one the greatest thinkers of all time, was put to death for corrupting the minds of the youth in Athens.

Just as Socrates was accused of corrupting young minds so are some works of literature. The precedent for banning books was not set until 1982 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that books could be banned from public libraries and in particular from school libraries for being ‘pervasively vulgar.’ This begs the question, what does ‘pervasively vulgar’ mean?

It is here in the vagueness of language that censorship becomes a terrifying tool. ‘Pervasively vulgar’ means something different to everyone. Some people find violence vulgar, others sex, still others find the idea of a woman being allowed to drive a car vulgar. Whose definition of vulgar is correct? The answer is everyone’s. Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe; again the first amendment clearly denotes this. There is nothing wrong with finding something offensive, there is something wrong with trying to force your beliefs on others. That is what book banning is trying to do.

Rather than simply putting the book down, many people take up arms to try and get the offensive book banned. The trouble is people seem to want both freedom of speech and restriction at the same time. They want the right to speak out against a book but they don’t want the book to speak for its self. It is the ultimate double standard, similar to when you are driving a car.

When you are driving, pedestrians are the most irritating and inconsiderate people on the planet. However, when you are a pedestrian, drivers are all going too fast and should let you stroll leisurely through the streets. It is the same thing with censorship; you don’t want anyone telling you what you can and cannot say, but you want to be about to forbid others from saying certain things.

Luckily, books have a means of fighting back. Books inspire curiosity and a desire for understanding and education. It is with these tools that books provide a means to overcome censorship. Great works of literature always speak of the human condition and part of being human is, in a way, vulgar. We do not want to read stories without turmoil and often this turmoil stems from humanity's many flaws, such as violence. Without our flaws we would not be human, just as without conflict books would merely be 3 page descriptions of butterflies or teddy bears (not that there is anything wrong with butterflies or teddy bears). Imagine how dull literature classes and libraries would be if every book was devoid of conflict. Imagine how dull life would be if all the banned books were no longer read.