Tile Competition Results!

Well, the Competition of Awesomeness volume II is over, and we've got the tiles in! They are gorgeous, too! We just wanted to give you a glimpse of what they look like, so here are the 13 entries we got:

And announcing the winners:

1st Place: Ozma of Oz (2nd row down, right column)
2nd Place: Christmas Elephants (bottom row, middle column)
3rd Place: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events  (top row, left column)

Banned Book Week Roundup!

All good things must come to an end, and on Saturday we had our last Banned Book Week Event. But we wanted to share photos and videos from our various events with you guys who weren't able to make it! Here are the highlights:

Banned Book Readout:

And here's an amazing video of Pam Doffek, our Library Director, reading from "The Adventures of Captain Underpants":

ALA Chapter Banned Books Party Costumes:

Go Ask Alice

50 Shades of Gray

Farenheit 451

The Color Purple

The Hunger Games

Lord of the Rings

Napoleon (Animal Farm)

Peter (Superfudge)

Where's Waldo

James and the Giant Peach

Lord of the Flies

Slaughterhouse 5

The Whole Group!

Books in Focus: AYA

By Jade Stagg

AYA is set in the affluent Ivory Coast of 1978.  Upon this backdrop, readers experience firsthand the everyday pleasures and pains of a studious, supplemented by the adventures of her friends and family.  The text is inspired by Abouet’s childhood in Abidjan, and Oubrerie’s vibrant drawings bring the story to life.  Additional glossaries offer definitions, dance move instructions, drink and food recipes, and instructions on how to tie a fashionable pagne cloth into a skirt or head wrap. AYA was the 2006 award winner for Best First Album at the Angouleme International Comics Festival.

AYA is just one of the fantastic selections the Goldstein Library has in its growing collection of graphic novels.  Come and take a look at our collection and find something new!

The Goldstein Chronicles 1.1: "The LUV Collection"

by Rob Stephens

Hello, loyal Goldstein Library fans! Here at the Goldstein, we're always looking for fun ways to serve FSU, so today I am starting the inaugural issue of The Goldstein Chronicles, a diary of the comical, whimsical, and capricious occurrences from our library. Here it is:

1.1: The LUV Collection

Shelf reading: grunt work of libraries. A rite of passage: all librarians spend days of their lives grabbing spines and putting the word back in order. But it's also zen: order and space, the beauty of the mundane, dusty hands. And every once in a while, during the practice of reading shelves, one stumbles upon a flaw that is perfect, like the one I found today.

The section I am currently shelf reading is located in the Goldstein's Juvenile (JUV) collection, ranging in LC call number from LSL JUV PZ 7 .K46825 to LSL JUV PZ 7 .S2492.

In case you don't know, the "LSL" stands for "Library Science Library," the old school name for "the Goldstein Library" (we prefer Goldstein Library now, thank you!). "JUV" stands for the Juvenile Collection (as opposed to our EASY collection or PROF [professional] collection, for example).
  
As you might imagine, shelf-reading in this area can be particularly mind-numbing because the smaller call numbers are so close together. However, today I came across a special book entitled Shadow People by Joyce McDonald, pictured left,

And that's where the magic happened, because you see, Shadow People is shelved incorrectly. To the right is a close up of the call number:






where is the LUV collection??

[NOTE: If you haven't already got the (admittedly really cheesy / awful / lightly comic / hilarious / bibliophile-only / SPINE-breaking) joke, this book is listed not as being in the Juvenile collection, but in the LUV collection. Didn't know we had that here]

I was forced ask myself, in a moment of existential crisis, "Do we have a LUV collection? What do I do? What does it all mean?"

So, first I decided to investigate: why is this book placed in LUV? Here's an excerpt from the inside cover:

"four seemingly different teenagers [...] are thrown together by a chance meeting at a deserted camp. Or maybe it isn't chance. For there are bonds that tie them to each other, bonds of loneliness, of frustration -- and of anger [...] These five voices combine to tell the chilling tale of what happens in a small town when teenage fury is unleashed."
   

huh?

"Teenage fury" sounds like the opposite of the LUV collection. But who am I to challenge the ways of the catalogue? (I'm just a GA / I need no sympathy...) At least there are "bonds..."
  And then, after wandering about the Goldstein, looking for this "LUV" collection and realizing that the collection had no home, I decided that I needed to create a home for LUV.


Attempt 1: The LUV Collection Shelf (LSL LUV PZ 7 .M478418 SH 2000 through LSL LUV PZ 7 .M478418 SH 2000)





No, that's no good. A one book collection? (I'm not scouring the entire collection to find another...).

How about this?

Attempt 2: The LUV Collection


That's better. Ok, I'm just kidding of course. This book belongs in JUV! But I do wish we had a LUV collection... maybe I can convince Goldstein to do a LUV display...



(that's better)

 

Goldstein Must Reads

Reason #3 to Visit The Goldstein Library This Fall:

by Rob Stephens

Oh yeah - we've got some great collections in The Goldstein, and we want you to check them out! Here are some highlights and new additions that are particularly awesome:

#1: Graphic Novels

Did you know that Goldstein has an entire collection of graphic novels? These awesomely illustrated books and novels are a great way to spend your free time! Here is a favorite graphic novel that's being checked out a ton by all ages and sizes: Level Up by Gene Luen Yang, a Printz Award winner. This book follows Dennis Ouyang as he struggles "with bad grades, a video game addiction, and his father's death." The book is stellar, and as of now... available for checkout too!

On the other side of the graphic novel spectrum, we have a series of books by Saddleback Educational Publishing that retell American History in graphic novel form. One example is The Fight For Freedom, 1750-1783 which traces the turmoil and triumph of the American Revolution. Very educational, and a great way to take a fresh look at US History!

 

#2: Expanded Information Technology Collection

Over the past year, The Goldstein has especially focused on expanding and updating its Professional Collection, in particular with regard to the information technology section. Needless to say, it is important to stay on top of all the latest technological developments if you are in a computer, information, or communication field, and The Goldstein Library is the place for you!

 Pictured right is one of our most recent examples, Programming Android, a resource that teaches "Java programming for the new generation of mobile devices.." If you're considering creating a new app for Android phones, this is a great resource. 


Another example of a recent acquisition is David Powers' Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 : designing and developing for mobile with jQuery, HTML5, and CSS3: Studio Techniques, pictured left. Acquired just in 2011, this book provides information on creating websites and applications that work on mobile platforms using Dreamweaver CS5.5.


And there are tons more where those came from!




#3: Novels for ALL Ages
We've got an EXCELLENT collection here at The Goldstein Library of novels that I'm sure you'd be interested in, including (but not limited to): 

- The entire Harry Potter Series
- The entire Twilight Series
- The entire Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series
- The entire Hunger Games series
- Novels from the Redwall series, including a graphic novel version of Redwall
- Why We Broke Up
- Novels from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit
- Novels from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
- AND SO MUCH MORE!

If you're looking for something to read while taking a break from studying, come by, and we'd be more than happy to help you find a fun novel!

#4: Award Winners

The Goldstein Library has a few extra special shelves that you should check out: the award winners. Right in the front of Goldstein, there are shelves specifically for Newbery Medal Winners, Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books, and Other Award Winners. If you're looking for a book that you know is going to be an absolute hit, then grab one of these! One example of such a book is Chris Raschka's A Ball for Daisy (pictured right), which won the Caldecott Medal in 2010.  

No More Dead Dogs

by Rob Stephens

Eight Grader Wallace Wallace shares one thing in common with George Washington: he cannot tell a lie, not even a little white lie. And so when his literature teacher asks his opinion about a class book, Wallace “feels compelled to inform his teacher that it was one of the worst books he’s ever read. Why does the dog in every classic book have to croak at the end?” (Book cover).

If you’ve  ever asked yourself the same question after reading classics like Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows, then this is the book for you. Come by the Goldstein Library to check out this fun and excellent novel by award-winning writer Gordon Korman!

LMNO Peas

Who doesn't love a good alphabet book? LMNO Peas by Keith Baker is about all the "work and play" the alphabet peas get into.  Baker uses the alphabet to stand in as part of the environment, having the peas interact with the letters as they go about their work and play.  For the letter M, the miners are mining down into the M, while for the letter K, the kayakers are kayaking down the K.  Each letter also has its own texture, for example, the letter P has paint dripping down the letter.  

Baker also uses little details on each page to keep the reader intrigued.  Whether you are trying to find the little red lady bug hidden on every page or understand the play on words, like the difference between a King of the Kingdom and the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Baker captures the readers eye on every page.

Check out some other cool ABC books the next time you are in the Goldstein Library.

A is for the Americas by Cynthia Chin Lee and Terri de la Peña

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Gone Wild by David McLimans

The Graphic Alphabet by David Pelletier

 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6949680-lmno-peas

Are robots cool? Yeah, robots are cool.

Are you curious, or do you want to become an expert at trivia? Look Now: The World in Facts, Stats, and Graphics is a book filled with awesome information. You probably won't ever use this information for work, or school or whatever, but that's what makes it fun to look through!

Chinese is the most spoken language, followed by Spanish, then English, Arabic, and Hindi. (Pages 72 & 73)

A chart on pages 96 & 97 shows where a country lies on a grid where how rich it is runs across the bottom and how happy it is runs up the side. They even color code the big dots to show what continent the countries are from. European countries have the biggest range of happiness and income. North America has some poor and very happy countries, too!

Interested in how citizens are being watched? Pages 134-135 will tell you that! Apparently London has 7,431 cameras watching, while Sydney, AU; Paris, FR; and San Fransisco, USA have a combined total of 493 cameras monitoring the public.

"Japan expects to have 1 million robots by 2025."

How are those for fun facts?

Boating Squirrels

I want to tell you about The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. 

This was a book written by Beatrix Potter and some would consider the book a classic.  A lot of people think that classic books are boring, but the illustrations are so cute and there isn't much text at all!

Check this out, this is what a whole page of text looks like:

"They made little rafts out of twigs, and they paddled away over the water to Owl Island to gather nuts.  Each squirrel had a little sack and a large oar, and spread out his tail for as sail."

What happens when you Google "Google"?

I found out something interesting today.  If you go to Google (the online search engine- that will be important later), anyway, if you go to Google and type into the search bar "do a barrel roll" the Google search results will actually rotate!  It was pretty funny to see.  Go check it out now, if you want.  But open another tab!  We don't want to lose you yet (you're a pretty cool person).

So why am I bringing up this search engine trick?  It could just be because I have a short attention span, but that's not completely true this time.  This time I want to write about The Google Book. WAIT.  Don't leave- the book is not about the search engine.  The Google Book was written by V.C. Vickers and it was published in 1979, which was waaay before Google (the search engine) was created.

 Why should you be interested?  The book is full of verses, but they're not boring like all the poetry that people try to trick you into reading.  Try this and see if you're interested:

"THE FLABBYTOES

But mark!! What is that sound I hear?

Someone in agony I fear! –

Oh no!! It is old Flabbytoes,

You can't mistake his funny nose."

Okay, you didn't really care for that?  Well, there's some pretty rad pictures, too.

Banned Books Week is here!

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

This book was banned and challenged many times bases on the themes which are anti-God, anti-Catholic, and anti-religion.

This book has sparked much controversy because of its statuses as an award winner and as a commonly banned and challenged book.  The book won the Carnegie metal in 1996 and in 1997 it was one of the ALA Best Books for Young Adults, an ALA Notable Children's Book, on theTexas Lonestar Reading List, and won the Maine Student Book Award.

Interested yet, or are you bored from my describing why you should read it?

Well, it's a pretty interesting book, and you should check it out.  It follows Lyra in a world where part of each person's soul can take the shape of an animal.  Until puberty the daemon can change shape, but around that time they become permanent.  Lyra searching for her friend, Roger, and father, Lord Asriel and meets up with Mrs. Coulter.  When she finds out that Mrs. Coulter is one of the ones responsible for the recent trend of missing children, she runs away and eventually finds Roger.  Now she has a new goal: she must get the alethiometer (which looks like a compass with a gold back!) to Lord Asriel.

Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!

Arr, September 19th be Talk Like a Pirate Day.  Arr ye interested in readin' about some Seadogs and Buccaneers?  Try out some of these great books at the Goldstein Library, where ye don't hafta Hornswaggle - books check out fer free at libraries!



The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen
--Two women who sailed with Calico Jack Rackham and his pirates in the early 1700s do their best to defend their ship while the men on board are busy drinking.

Captain Butcher's Body by Scott Corbett
--Two boys confront the ghost of a long-dead pirate on an island off the coast of New England.

Pirates! The True and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, Female Pirates. by Celia Rees
--In 1722, after arriving with her brother at the family's Jamaican plantation where she is to be married off, sixteen-year-old Nancy Kington escapes with her slave friend, Minerva Sharpe, and together they become pirates traveling the world in search of treasure.


Pirate Royal by John and Patricia Beatty
--After being unjustly accused of theft, imprisoned, and sold as a bondservant, a seventeenth-century English youth joins a band of pirates.  Several years later he gains both pardon and praise from the King of England for his service to Henry Morgan, the famous buccaneer.

Enjoy Talk Like a Pirate Day, and enjoy a good read!

A book to Tweet about

The Cuckoo’s Haiku and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows

The Goldstein Library has a lot of illustrated books - I mean it does have the juvenile collection - but the illustrations in one of these books are pretty amazing.  The Cuckoo’s Haiku is filled with watercolor paintings of birds and bird-themed scenes.  Even if you’re really not into birds, the paintings are pretty spectacular, and the poems are short.  Come check it out and see if there’s something you like about it.  If you end up hating it, let us know that too.  We’ll comp you a free cup of coffee on any Friday you show up!

1980's and 90's throwback

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is like one of the best books ever.  It was originally published in 1989 so you may have read before, or had it read to you, but it’s totally worth another look.  I mean, just read it out loud - it is pretty fun.
(Hey now, that guy over there may look at you but it will definitely be in admiration and jealousy.  He wishes that he had a sweet quote to read aloud.)  Seriously, try it now.

“Skit skat skoodle doot.
Flip flop flee.
Everybody running to the coconut tree.
Mamas and papas
and uncles and aunts
hug their little dears,
then dust their pants.”

Pretty awesome, right? Yeah, I knew it.

"The sheep were still enjoying the high life..."

The Quest of the Warrior Sheep by Christine & Christopher Russell

"A crazy caper about five sheep, one cell phone, and the greatest quest of the woolly lives."

And so, new to the amazing Alcove collection, The Quest of the Warrior Sheep is available to be checked out! A cell phone lands on Sal the sheep's head which gets him and his posse to head out on an adventure.  But this cellphone telephone belongs to a couple criminals - oh noes! - who are trying to get it back.  Find out what happens when the two meet.

The American Library Association recently had their annual conference in New Orleans, and while some of the Graduate Assistants had fun going, you're wondering why we're telling you.  No, we're not rubbing it in.  Why you should care is because there were lots of awesome books being sold and given away throughout the weekend, and that is where this great find came from!

Gators are Aweful

Alligators are Awful (And They Have Terrible Manners, Too) by David McPhail

So, some of the Graduate Assistants in the Goldstein Library are from northern parts of the country, and we don’t know a thing about Alligators.  We were so relieved when we found this book because it told us everything we needed to know to cope with Gators in Florida.  Check out this gem: “They sit in front of you at the movies and never take off their hats.” I mean, yeah I’m jealous that gators look good in top hats, but come on.  I want to watch the movie, not some shadow.