New Zealand Libraries

In honor of Debbie Pennino, I thought I’d share a recent “library news” story that I came across: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10497791. Around Auckland, library users have expressed a greater desire to access resources from other branches in their area. (There’s also a fun bonus map of New Zealand’s regions!)

The World of the Tudors

Since I read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, I was compelled to see how Hollywood translated her novel onto the big screen. It certainly didn’t disappoint me in terms of the visual feast of elaborate costumes, dangerous family rivalries, and sinister court intrigue!! Though all the fascinating elements were there that defined the Tudor reign, I still felt the movie fell short of the book. As a fan of historical fiction, I love Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl, who also wrote extensively on the Tudors in her other novels as well. Her prose infuses the reader with the deep, rich textures of court life along with insightful character development. So come to the library, and explore her wonderful works of fiction and dive into a fertile world of imagination.

Privacy? No more …

One thing libraries take seriously is the privacy of their users. We go to great lengths to ensure that what you’re reading is for your eyes only. That’s why this article is so disturbing: http://www.eff.org/issues/printers. In an effort to stop counterfeiters, the Secret Service has persuaded some laser printer manufactures to encode printed pages with identifying information that could be used to track the printer and the person who used it. Sure, we can all agree that counterfeiting is a crime, and it certainly needs to be prosecuted, but isn’t this going too far? What do you think? Should be libraries be doing something about this?

Curling up with a good mystery

Picture this, cup of tea, piece of cake, and you curled up on the sofa!  Doing what, you asked?  Reading a great mystery, that’s what!  Haven’t heard of any good titles?  Well do I have one for you!  Heard of James Patterson’s Alex Cross series? No? You don’t know what you’ve been missing.  One of my favorites is The Big Bad Wolf.  While this wolf won’t blow your house down, you may want to lock your doors and check your windows after reading.  Patterson’s characters jump off the pages right into your scary heart.  Enter in Dr. Alex Cross, detective and psychologist all rolled into one.  He’ll need both those skills to help solve the murders he encounters.  Will he be able to? I can’t give away much more of the storyline, but you can read all about the adventures of Alex Cross.  Where, you asked?  Snell Library that’s where.  Check him out, you won’t be disappointed.

Handing the Web Back to the Experts?

Here is an interesting Newsweek article suggesting that the Internet is beginning to move back away from the Web-2.0 phenomenon of user-generated content. (Just when some of us are getting excited about adopting Web 2.0 features!) The article explores the idea that Web users may now be more interested in seeking out expert opinions and reliable knowledge online. What do you think — what is the place of user-generated content versus expert knowledge on the Web?