Thursday, September 25, 2014

Kevin Hickey reviews The Broken Road by Patrick Leigh Fermor September 30

Book reviews or author talks every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. at the main branch of the Albany Public Library auditorium, first floor. Light refreshments served.


September 30— Book Review—The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Reviewer: Kevin Hickey, PhD, professor of English & Africana studies at Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Try Your Local Library Instead of a Coffee Shop to Get Work Done

When you think of a library, most people think of a quiet place to study. If you want to get work done and spread out, you go to a coffee shop. Newer libraries offer the same amenities as coffee shops, and sometimes even more.

Fast Company says libraries have turned into great workspaces.

More from LifeHacker.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Banned Book Week: Ensuring Everyone Has a Choice

In honor of Banned Books Week - September 21-27, 2014 Meryl Jaffe thought she'd share clips from articles and resources to ensure that everyone has the option to read what they choose.

This year, Banned Books Week 2014 events and celebrations will emphasize a thematic focus on comics and graphic novels.

So in the spirit of spreading awareness of how schools, libraries and individuals can fight censorship, below, are some wonderful links both from School Library Journal, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and additional recommended resources:

School Library Journal has two outstanding articles that discusses comic and graphic novels in schools: the challenges they face and why it's a fight worth fighting. Teaching With Graphic Novels by Brigid Alverson, School Library Journal September 8, 2014 relates that:
This is the paradox of graphic novels: The visual element that gives them their power can also make them vulnerable to challenges. Researcher Steven Cary calls this the “naked buns” effect...

At the same time, graphic novels are increasingly used in the classroom. For over a decade, public librarians have been promoting graphic novels as literature, and researchers have studied their benefits in educational settings.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Ronald Helfrich reviews the novel The Master and Marguirita by Michael Bulgakov September 23

Book reviews or author talks every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. at the main branch of the Albany Public Library auditorium, first floor. Light refreshments served.



September 23— Book Review— The Master and Margarita, a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Reviewer: Ronald Helfrich, PhD, SUNY Oneonta.

September 30— Book Review—The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Reviewer: Kevin Hickey, PhD, professor of English & Africana studies at Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Neil Gaiman's library (2009)

we asked one of our all-time favorites, Neil Gaiman, if he’d be willing to give us a peek into his personal library, and he graciously agreed.

Gaiman first gained wide acclaim with his complex and literate 75-issue comic series The Sandman, and has since broadened his scope to write award-winning and bestselling novels (American Gods, Anansi Boys), screenplays (“Beowulf”) and yes, he still continues to write comics.

Naturally we’d assumed that someone whose work is filled with references ranging from literary to mythological would have a fairly extensive library but even so, we were a bit unprepared for the scope of what he sent us. In the basement of his house of secrets we find a room that’s wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with books (along with a scattering of awards, gargoyles and felines).

More from Shelfari.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Chicago, NY, Hawaii on Obama Library's Short List

The Barack Obama Foundation, which is developing and raising money for the massive legacy project, announced Monday that it has selected four universities to compete for the library, culled from an initial list of 13 applications submitted earlier this year. The University of Hawaii, in Obama's birthplace Honolulu, made the cut, as did New York's Columbia University. The University of Chicago, where Obama used to teach, and the University of Illinois at Chicago round out the list.

More from Newsmax

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Radical Librarianship: how ninja librarians are ensuring patrons' electronic privacy

Librarians in Massachusetts are working to give their patrons a chance to opt-out of pervasive surveillance. Partnering with the ACLU of Massachusetts, area librarians have been teaching and taking workshops on how freedom of speech and the right to privacy are compromised by the surveillance of online and digital communications -- and what new privacy-protecting services they can offer patrons to shield them from unwanted spying of their library activity.

It's no secret that libraries are among our most democratic institutions. Libraries provide access to information and protect patrons' right to explore new ideas, no matter how controversial or subversive. Libraries are where all should be free to satisfy any information need, be it for tax and legal documents, health information, how-to guides, historical documents, children's books, or poetry.

More from BoingBoing.net

Friday, September 12, 2014

Author talk: Kwane Somburu,, author of A Succinct Analysis September 16

Book reviews or author talks every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. at the main branch of the Albany Public Library auditorium, first floor. Light refreshments served.


September 16— Author Talk—A Succinct Analysis by Kwame Somburu, scientific socialist & activist.

September 23— Book Review— The Master and Margarita, a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Reviewer: Ronald Helfrich, PhD, SUNY Oneonta.

September 30— Book Review—The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Reviewer: Kevin Hickey, PhD, professor of English & Africana studies at Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Millennials Are Better-Read, Vastly Superior to Rest of Population

On Thursday, as A.O. Scott mourned the death of adulthood in American culture (R.I.P.), a new study by the Pew Research Center confirmed that it's young adults who are keeping American (literary) culture alive. Contrary to reports that have questioned whether or not millennials read, younger Americans actually read more than their older counterparts: 88 percent of Americans younger than 30 reported having read a book in the past year, compared with 79 percent of those older than 30.

What’s more, libraries are not a cherished refuge of the old, but a destination for the young: In a September 2013 survey, 50 percent of respondents between the ages of 16 and 29 had used a library in the past year, compared with 47 percent of their older counterparts, and 36 percent of people under 30 had used a library website in that same time frame; compared with 28 percent of the over-30s.

More from Slate.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

48 Library Stories You May Have Missed

The last month of the summer was chock-full of library and information stories ranging from articles about special collections, eBooks, library robots, and Legos to digital citizinship, makerspaces, and gamified instruction! Check out these 48 posts, infographics, and articles to get you caught up on what’s happening in the LIS world.

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Library Programs2 Symposium - creative program opportunities for your library, school or social group

Library Programs2 is bringing new and innovative types of programming information to libraries, schools and other institutions across the Capital District region and beyond. The group is holding a symposium on October 9, 2014, from 1 pm to 3:30 pm at the University at Albany, Campus Center Ballroom.

This event features exhibits of programs from educational, entertainment and cultural programming specialists. These informative displays will highlight presentations and demonstrations that will focus on education, entertainment, and cultural awareness, creating new programming opportunities to bring back to your institution. And it’s FREE.

Library Programs2 includes over 45 different presenters who offer a variety of programs, classes and demonstrations. We will also have fabulous door prizes and light refreshments.

Please go to the website for additional information.

The organizers are the University at Albany IST601 class for Summer 2014. They are all graduate students in the Information Science program at the University at Albany and will one day be planning their own educational programming at various institutions.

An RSVP would be nice (not necessary) either to cgerm ain@albany.edu (the class instructor) or via the RSVP link at http://libraryprogramssquared.wordpress.com/.

See you on October 9th!

Thursday, September 04, 2014

Richard King reviews Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis September 9

Book reviews or author talks every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. at the main branch of the Albany Public Library auditorium, first floor. Light refreshments served.


September 9— Book Review—Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis. Reviewer: Richard King, retired attorney.

September 16— Author Talk—A Succinct Analysis by Kwame Somburu, scientific socialist & activist.

September 23— Book Review— The Master and Margarita, a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Reviewer: Ronald Helfrich, PhD, SUNY Oneonta.

September 30— Book Review—The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Reviewer: Kevin Hickey, PhD, professor of English & Africana studies at Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

NYCLU Banned Books Week Event at Albany Public Library

On Tuesday, September 23rd, 6PM, the New York State Civil Liberties Union, Capital Region Chapter will sponsor a local ReadOut! at the Albany Public Library Main Branch!

A ReadOut is an event where local actors, writers, poets, and prominent community leaders read brief excerpts from books that have been banned or challenged in America. Historically, people have read from children books, classics, and modern works of literature.


Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Check out the frequently challenged books section to explore the issues and controversies around book challenges and book banning. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.

One of this year's readers will be APL Executive Director Scott Jarzombek.

If you have any questions regarding the event, feel free to contact Joanna Palladino at Joanna.Palladino@gmail.com or John Cirrin at millais@nycap.rr.com