September 2008 Archives
Can reading be toxic to your brain? Take a look at our "toxic books" display in the library foyer. You'll find several books that have been challenged or banned somewhere in the U.S. for various reasons. Usually those reasons are political, religious, or social. For example, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird have been challenged for racial issues. The Golden Compass and all the Harry Potter books have been challenged for religious reasons. The Chocolate War has been challenged for mature content, offensive language, and violence.
The books on display are marked with locations and reasons for being challenged or banned. You can find more about banned books and the reasons they have been banned at these sites:
http://www.forbiddenlibrary.com/
http://ala8.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.htm
http://www.ila.org/pdf/2008banned.pdf
According to the American Library Association, "A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others." This is a basic intellectual freedom issue and The American Library Association states that it is your right to "seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction."
Who would you vote for or, if you're 18 already, who should you vote for?
Play the Select A Candidate game to see how your political interests, opinions and views match up with those of the 2008 Presidential candidates and compare your choices with those of other demographic groups:
http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/engage08/selectacandidate/
Try this 3-D multimedia online game where you make tough decisions as you run for the presidency:
This Budget Hero game lets you try to manage the federal budget:
http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/engage08/budgethero/
Take a look at this 2008 Interactive Electoral Map:
Watch political campaign ads from 1952 to 2008 here:
http://www.livingroomcandidate.org
Find more information on the issues and candidates as well as information on how to register to vote here:
www.declareyourself.com/index.php
Every edition of a book has a unique number (the 13 digit ISBN), just as you have a unique social security number or student id number. A library book has a call number that represents its' home location on the library's shelves, just as you have a home address where you live. Different editions of a book can have the same call number, just like your family members can have the same home address. Your social security number will not help someone find out where you live, and neither will the ISBN help you find a book on the shelf. The call number is the only number that tells you where to find a book on the shelf. The call number consists of a Dewey classification number and a Cutter number, which is the second line on the book's spine label and serves to arrange books alphabetically within a classification number. In our library, fiction books will not have a Dewey number, but will have FIC before the Cutter number.
When you want to find a book, be sure to look at the bottom of the catalog record screen and copy down the call number and location. The location will give you the general location of the item (reference, stacks, college collection, videos, etc.) and the call number will give you the specific shelf location.
As the presidential election campaigns heat up, check out our V for Vote! display to read about the candidates and the process. We have books by and about the candidates (such as McCain’s Faith of My Fathers and Why Courage Matters; Obama’s Audacity of Hope and Dreams from my Father).
among others.
