At the end of this training, I'm left with thinking about how fast technology is developing. When I went to a training years ago about RSS feed, nobody I talk to knew what they were. I love how the vision of Sandy Berman to make LOC subject heading be more democratic has become reality with all the user generated tagging.
This was a very worthwhile effort for our system.
Great job SPPL
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Top ten book list for 2007
Hello everybody, 2007 was a good year for my reading life. My hearty brew of fiction, comics, sci-fi, mysteries, and non-fiction keeps me content and excited to be in the librarian world. So on with the show:
1) Yiddish Policemen's Union- Michael Chabon. The Diaposa of Jews had been settled in Alaska for 50 years until now when the US will take over. A fun mystery in love with language. I couldn't get through his other book this year "Gentlemen of the Road" -So from your favorite Library guy stick with Yiddish.
2) Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao- Junot Diaz.
A Dominican/ American family story told from various first person accounts. This book was written for me with my fluency in nerd speak and Spanish. Part of it takes place in New Brunswick, NJ where my brother lived for years, and also in the Dominican Republic. Good reminder of the sometimes untranslatable nature of language. This is Junot's first book in 10 years. He needs to write more quickly
3) Brief Encounters with Che Guevara- Ben Fountain
My short story collection of the year. Politically smart. Strong character development. A nice internationalism and variety to the stories. The graduate student caught by FARC in Columbia story has stayed in the memory for months.
4) Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian- Sherman Alexie
Having this young adult novel be mostly autobiographical gives the emotional impact that much more power. Sherman was the only Indian to leave his reservation to go to an all white high school. Funny and tragic in equal measure like great YA lit. Reminded me of the best Chris Crutcher books. I loathed Sherman's other book this year- "Flight" It's so rare for me to find an author who gets two in row perfect, and Alexie fails like Chabon.
5) Alice in Sunderland- Bryan Talbot
Mammouth graphic novel about the history of Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, Sunderland, England, comics, and much much more. Completely unique in graphic design and execution. A great book to own to allow multiple readings.
6) Evolution's Darling- Scott Westerfeld
Westerfeld writes great YA novels, but this is definately adults only speculative fiction at its best. Robot/Human/transhuman meta-narratives. Sentient ships/Robot Sculptors/ hot action.A bundle o fun
7) Spellman Files- Lisa Lutz Around thanksgiving when the first best of the year lists come out, I race to read a few titles that are new to me. This debut novel about a family of kooky PIs from San Francisco was a great mystery find that had been getting wide acclaim. Milk coming out of your nose funny. I didn't want it to end, and I'm thrilled there is going to be a sequel.
8) Kampung Boy and Town Boy- Lat Sweet and delightful autobiographical comics from Malaysia's most famous comics writer. Want to know what it was like to grow in the countyside in 50's Malaysia and then the city? Enjoy the art as well as the warm stories.
9) Skin Hunger- Kathleen Duey So you want to be a Wizard? Not after reading this YA novel. Two different story lines never completely come together about a farmer's daughter who knows the old ways, and the teen age boy who is forced to be a wizard's apprentice or die trying. A great sense of place and pacing.
10) Black Metal- Rick Spears This graphic novel was tons of Metal fun with a hilarous take on the dark myths behind all good black metal songs. Two twins reborn from an ancient demon to continue the battle for hell. (Bloden- this one must find your home)
Other book news. Mike Rollin's wife Laura Flynn has her memoir coming out next Feb called "Swallow the Ocean: A memoir
Here's Amazon's description:
Charismatic, beautiful Sally Flynn was the center of her daughters' imaginations, particularly Laura's. Without warning, life as they knew it changed as paranoid schizophrenia overtook Sally. Whether it was accusing Laura’s father of trying to win her over to the side of Satan, or buying only certain products that were evil-free, glimmers of her mother’s future paranoia grew brighter as Laura’s early years passed. Once her husband left the family and filed for divorce, Sally’s symptoms bloomed in earnest, and the three girls united in flights of fancy of the sort their mother had taught them in order to deflect danger. Set in 1970s San Francisco, Swallow the Ocean is a searing, beautifully written memoir of a childhood under siege and three young girls determined to survive. In luminous prose, this memoir paints a most intimate portrait of what might have been a catastrophic childhood.
It was a great read and you should buy 10 copies as Birthday/MayDay/Hey it's a Wednesday/ presents. and my friend Tony is building the website to go along with the book, so there.
Feel great in 08
M
1) Yiddish Policemen's Union- Michael Chabon. The Diaposa of Jews had been settled in Alaska for 50 years until now when the US will take over. A fun mystery in love with language. I couldn't get through his other book this year "Gentlemen of the Road" -So from your favorite Library guy stick with Yiddish.
2) Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao- Junot Diaz.
A Dominican/ American family story told from various first person accounts. This book was written for me with my fluency in nerd speak and Spanish. Part of it takes place in New Brunswick, NJ where my brother lived for years, and also in the Dominican Republic. Good reminder of the sometimes untranslatable nature of language. This is Junot's first book in 10 years. He needs to write more quickly
3) Brief Encounters with Che Guevara- Ben Fountain
My short story collection of the year. Politically smart. Strong character development. A nice internationalism and variety to the stories. The graduate student caught by FARC in Columbia story has stayed in the memory for months.
4) Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian- Sherman Alexie
Having this young adult novel be mostly autobiographical gives the emotional impact that much more power. Sherman was the only Indian to leave his reservation to go to an all white high school. Funny and tragic in equal measure like great YA lit. Reminded me of the best Chris Crutcher books. I loathed Sherman's other book this year- "Flight" It's so rare for me to find an author who gets two in row perfect, and Alexie fails like Chabon.
5) Alice in Sunderland- Bryan Talbot
Mammouth graphic novel about the history of Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, Sunderland, England, comics, and much much more. Completely unique in graphic design and execution. A great book to own to allow multiple readings.
6) Evolution's Darling- Scott Westerfeld
Westerfeld writes great YA novels, but this is definately adults only speculative fiction at its best. Robot/Human/transhuman meta-narratives. Sentient ships/Robot Sculptors/ hot action.A bundle o fun
7) Spellman Files- Lisa Lutz Around thanksgiving when the first best of the year lists come out, I race to read a few titles that are new to me. This debut novel about a family of kooky PIs from San Francisco was a great mystery find that had been getting wide acclaim. Milk coming out of your nose funny. I didn't want it to end, and I'm thrilled there is going to be a sequel.
8) Kampung Boy and Town Boy- Lat Sweet and delightful autobiographical comics from Malaysia's most famous comics writer. Want to know what it was like to grow in the countyside in 50's Malaysia and then the city? Enjoy the art as well as the warm stories.
9) Skin Hunger- Kathleen Duey So you want to be a Wizard? Not after reading this YA novel. Two different story lines never completely come together about a farmer's daughter who knows the old ways, and the teen age boy who is forced to be a wizard's apprentice or die trying. A great sense of place and pacing.
10) Black Metal- Rick Spears This graphic novel was tons of Metal fun with a hilarous take on the dark myths behind all good black metal songs. Two twins reborn from an ancient demon to continue the battle for hell. (Bloden- this one must find your home)
Other book news. Mike Rollin's wife Laura Flynn has her memoir coming out next Feb called "Swallow the Ocean: A memoir
Here's Amazon's description:
Charismatic, beautiful Sally Flynn was the center of her daughters' imaginations, particularly Laura's. Without warning, life as they knew it changed as paranoid schizophrenia overtook Sally. Whether it was accusing Laura’s father of trying to win her over to the side of Satan, or buying only certain products that were evil-free, glimmers of her mother’s future paranoia grew brighter as Laura’s early years passed. Once her husband left the family and filed for divorce, Sally’s symptoms bloomed in earnest, and the three girls united in flights of fancy of the sort their mother had taught them in order to deflect danger. Set in 1970s San Francisco, Swallow the Ocean is a searing, beautifully written memoir of a childhood under siege and three young girls determined to survive. In luminous prose, this memoir paints a most intimate portrait of what might have been a catastrophic childhood.
It was a great read and you should buy 10 copies as Birthday/MayDay/Hey it's a Wednesday/ presents. and my friend Tony is building the website to go along with the book, so there.
Feel great in 08
M
web 2.0 awards
I was not impressed with many of the winners this year. The online gaming sites seemed mediocre at best, and what's the deal with the dead links for some of the winners.
I like the format of the Webby awards better. http://www.webbyawards.com
M
I like the format of the Webby awards better. http://www.webbyawards.com
M
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
wiki wiki on the wall
Relaxing to spend some time playing around PBwiki. I've used the YALSA gaming wiki in recent years to look up programing ideas.
Librarians like adding to lists as much as other professions, and wikis are here to stay.
I have found errors on Wikipedia so I try and explain the difference to students when they need an authoritative source to know the difference between an encyclopedia and wikipedia.
M
Librarians like adding to lists as much as other professions, and wikis are here to stay.
I have found errors on Wikipedia so I try and explain the difference to students when they need an authoritative source to know the difference between an encyclopedia and wikipedia.
M
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