BROKEN SHELVES


a more natural way of shelving books.
the new structure that appears through the broken shelves gives space to differently sized books.

The Future of Libraries

Beginning the Great Transformation

By Thomas Frey, Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute

We have put together ten key trends that are affecting the development of the next generation library.  Rest assured that these are not the only trends, but ones that have been selected to give clear insight into the rapidly changing technologies and equally fast changing mindset of library patrons. Read the whole article

What is Books For Treats?

Books for Treats is a program that encourages you to give "gently read" children's books at Halloween instead of candy.

Champagne & Cordial Launch of the lateSt beautiful picture book:

Champagne & Cordial Launch of the latest beautiful picture book:

India the Showstopper by Kerry Argent.

Avid Reader Bookshop

193 boundary st., west end.


Friday 4th Nov. 6.00pm

free event but please rsvp 3846 3422


India the elephant has always been the star of the show. But when tough circus re-trainer Oswaldo tries to teach her new tricks, everything starts to go wrong. From one of Australia's most gifted picture-book makers comes a story to enjoy over and over again.


Kerry Argent is one of Australia's finest and most highly acclaimed
illustrators. Her work includes One Wooly Wombat, Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa, Too Loud Lily & Wombat Divine.


India the Elephant helps War Child. 10% of sales on the night will be donated to War Child www.warchild.org.au


For information about Kerry Argent please contact Sonia at Allen & Unwin soniap@allenandunwin.com

Answers.com Creates One-Click Answers Tool for Wikipedia Content

Word from Answers.com that they have partnered with the Wikipedia Foundation to use Answers.com's 1-Click Answers technology to create a co-branded version of Answers.com to be called 1-Click Answers, Wikipedia Edition. Article continues

The Adelphi Charter on Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property responds to one of the most profound challenges of the 21st century:
How to ensure that everyone has access to ideas and knowledge, and that intellectual property laws do not become too restrictive.
The Charter sets out new principles for copyrights and patents, and calls on governments to apply a new public interest test.

Discover great new writers

This list of mini-reviews is issued seasonally, by Barnes and Noble. There are details of the selection process and archived lists.

"Librarians and The War On Terror"
By Jonathan Crowhurst

In the wake of the World Trade Center attacks of September 11 2001,
George W. Bush signed into US law a piece of legislation which has
split library and information science (LIS) practitioners (and liberal opinion) - 'The Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism' or USA PATRIOT Act 2001.

The law also included a number of antiterrorism measures, but several provisions in the Patriot Act (as it became known) are seen by many as an attack on some of the fundamental rights enshrined in the US Constitution .

Read the whole article

In designing our libraries and their services, we try to look at all the various markets we target, and we have made progress in leaps and bounds when it comes to children and young adults. But what about men? What have we done to encourage their use of the library? How has it affected the layout of the library and the services we offer?

"How do the library's female librarians decide what programs to put on for men? How do they choose the best materials in subjects and genres they don't understand well?" asks Marylaine Block. "So, here's a fantasy I have, about designing a library that says to men who walk through the door, "We get you. You're welcome here."" And she provides some very useful, practical suggestions. You can read them in her excellent Ex-libris column

Using Participatory Design to Improve Web Sites
...Participatory design (PD) originated in Scandinavia in the 1970s as a way to empower workers by involving them in the design of tools and artifacts. The method drew on the workers' "tacit knowledge"—i.e., their implicit or unarticulated knowledge learned and transmitted through experience and apprenticeship. At first glance, PD sounds like user-centered design, but there are differences. PD is design by users, while user-centered design is design for users.
 
In today's library school curriculum, we have developed several disciplines that design user-friendly computer interfaces, such as user studies, information architecture, and human-computer interaction. However, Web designers rarely involve users in the actual design process. Whether it's a cause or an effect of not involving users, contemporary interface design focuses on usability, not functionality.  Whole article

'Manga' publishers see cell phones as the future

Cartoon-strip publishers, whose printed-matter sales have been losing steam, are actively embracing mobile media because cell phones are what young people are spending their time and money on. Article continues

Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1905-1982
Access a unique record of books and reviews reflecting the ideas that shaped the 20th century
Virtually every major idea that shaped the 20th century found expression in books. The reactions to those ideas are reflected in the reviews of those books, and this new database makes it easy to search this vast record of information. Reflecting nearly eight decades of H.W. Wilson’s Book Review Digest, this database provides excerpts from and citations to reviews of adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction.

Fathers reading aloud

Marylaine Block has produced this excellent compilation of reading lists for Fathers reading aloud. Not only are the lists a great idea, but the whole concept is one that any of us can use be it in public or school libraries. Male reading role models are to be applauded at any time.

Fathers & Sons Booklist
http://www.st-charles.lib.il.us/arl/booklists/father.htm
If you're considering book clubs for fathers and sons, or fathers and daughters, here are some books you might start with. See also a reading list on Fathers in Fiction compiled by the subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list http://www.webrary.org/rs/flbklists/Fathers.html, Read-alouds for Dads & Daughters from the Santa Clara County Library http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/kids/lists/dads_daughters.html, Read-alouds for Dads & Sons http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/kids/lists/dads_sons.html, King County Library System's Men in Children's Lives Booklist http://www.kcls.org/pp/menlives.cfm, and the Reading with Dad Initiative booklist http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/Literacy/dadlist.htm