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Wed, April 3, 2013
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In tech news reported right before the Easter holiday last week, it was revealed that Amazon had bought the social reading website Goodreads.
The news was posted on Goodreads official blog, expressing their excitement over the new partnership, especially the ability to now bring Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle.
This is not the first time Amazon has aquired a website like Goodreads.
They acquired both Shelfari and AbeBooks back in 2008, as well as owning other such social networking via media sites like IMDb from as far back as 1998.
Goodreads, launched in 2007, is currently the leading book-centric social network, boasting over 16 million registered users.
That doesn't mean that there are not other contenders out there, the two most high profile being LibraryThing (although it is a pay service and not free like Goodreads) and the recently launched Bookish (backed by Penguin, Hachette and Simon & Schuster).
The Free Library currently incorporates Goodreads reviews through our VuFind online catalog.
Goodreads has stressed on their blog post that nothing about their service will change, including the millions of book reviews and ratings already stored on the Goodreads website. While no one is quite sure what will or will not possibly happen to Goodreads right now, we can assure Free Library cardholders that we will be updating you with any new info when it is available and any actions we may or may not take to change our service with Goodreads.
Tags:
reading,
tech,
website
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Amazon acquires Goodreads March 2013 |
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Thu, December 20, 2012
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We love year-end "Best of" lists here in Libraryland! There's so much good stuff published each year that we ache to share the books we love with everyone we can get our hands on.
Sometimes we just want to force you all to curl up in a comfy chair with a cup of hot cocoa and a fantastic book and not re-emerge until you're done. Since some people might get mad if we did that (and we don't have an endless supply of hot cocoa), we use Best Of lists to try to get you to love what we love.
As a librarian in Philbrick Hall at the Parkway Central Library, I'm so fortunate that I get to see all the new and cool books, both fiction and non-fiction, that come though our doors. I've sifted through the 267 books that I've read this year (so far) to come up with my 20 favorites to share with you!
This month I'm counting down my personal favorites that were published in 2012 over at the Philbrick Hall Facebook Page. Each day I'm posting a new book, ranging in topic from memoir to history to romance to science fiction to essays, and I'll unveil my absolute favorite of them all on New Year's Eve.
All the books are available right here at the Free Library either as a real book, an e-book, or both. Come like Philbrick Hall and see what I've been reading!
Tags:
reading
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Books! |
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Mon, November 22, 2010
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I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner |
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Thanksgiving is once again upon us! But before you succumb to pre-shopping anxiety and turkey-induced food coma, don’t forget about sharing the spirit of the season with the little ones. Here are some especially wonderful Thanksgiving books for the preschooler in your life, all available at your local Free Library location.
In I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner, that old lady is at it again, gobbling up all the Thanksgiving feast! A new take on a traditional cumulative rhyme, with hilarious illustrations.
A class trip to farmer Mack Nuggett’s turkey farm takes a surprising turn in Dav Pilkey's 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving when the children discover the farmer’s plans for the turkeys - Ollie, Stanley, Larry, Moe, Wally, Beaver and Groucho - and take matters (and the birds) into their own hands.
What are you thankful for? Feeling Thankful by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly depicts pre-school and school-age children recounting the things in their life they are most thankful for.
Thanksgiving Day at Our House: Thanksgiving Poems for the Very Young by Nancy White Carlstrom is a great collection of poems about one family's activities on Thanksgiving Day, including pondering the history behind the holiday, welcoming visiting relatives, praying for others, enjoying the good food, and giving thanks at the end of the day.
Click here for even more Thanksgiving Day book suggestions from the Free Library of Phildelphia children's librarians.
Thanksgiving can be a tricky holiday to explain honestly to young children when we know that much of the depictions of Native Americans are disrepectful of their rich and ongoing cultures. It's especially important when we celebrate Thanksgiving with young children that we keep our eyes open for stereotypes which are less than favorable. A great resource for a Native American perspective on Thanksgiving is Oyate, a Native organization which educates the public to see that Native American history is alive and that Native Americans are portrayed honestly. Take a look at their Native American take on Thanksgiving and share 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Margaret M. Bruchac and Catherine Grace O'Neill, available at many Free Library locations.
And last but not least, share this interactive rhyme with the kids on the ride to grandma’s house:
The Turkey
The turkey is a funny bird. (Hook thumbs together and spread fingers to create turkey tail.)
Its head goes wobble, wobble. (Wobble head back and forth.)
And all it knows is just one word: (Hold up one finger.)
"Gobble, gobble, gobble." (Make mouth shape with hand, opening and closing it while sounding like a turkey.)
Tags:
Holidays,
Pre-K,
Recommendations,
children's programs,
family programs,
reading
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'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey (of Captain Underpants fame!) |
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Thanksgiving Day at Our House: Thanksgiving Poems for the Very Young by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by R. W. Alley |
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Tue, October 19, 2010
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It’s been a week and people are still talking about the New York Times article titled "Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children," which ran on October 7, 2010. From the more than 350 comments posted on the New York Times site to the various other blog posts that have popped up, the author of the article sparked a lot discussion and debate. As a children’s librarian, I’m glad to see that so many people are talking about reading and sharing what reading means to them. For anyone out there concerned that the Free Library of Philadelphia is giving up on the picture book, you can ask the children’s librarian at your local branch to recommend one of the new or classic stories that fill our shelves. Children’s librarians are happy to work with a child and caregiver to find a good read in the format that is the perfect fit.
There is no one size fits all to instilling a love of reading and learning in a child, but as a librarian I encourage parents and caregivers to start building the foundation when a child is born. Check out these books for babies and the calendar of events for infant storytimes. Looking for more? The staff has put together some great links for parents.
Keep checking back for additional blog posts by our diverse staff of children's librarians!
Tags:
Pre-K,
Recommendations,
early literacy,
reading
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Wed, September 29, 2010
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September 25 - October 2 is Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association. Banned Books Week calls attention to issues of censorship while celebrating the freedom to read.
Tonight--Wednesday, September 29--the Free Library will host a Banned Books reading at 7:30 p.m. in the Parkway Central Library's Montgomery Auditorium, in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union. Tonight's Banned Books celebration will be emceed by performance poet, Lamont Dixon, and guest readers will read selections from frequently banned books. These guest readers include famed folk musician John Wesley Harding; local authors Greg Frost, Merrie Jones, and Dennis Tafoya; Scribe Video founder Louis Massiah; and “Philly Poe Guy” Ed Pettit. The Banned Books program will also include a discussion of the controversy over banned books and the freedom to read.
In honor of Banned Books Week, the American Library Association lists the top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2009.
1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: drugs, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
2. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality
3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: anti-family, drugs, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group
4. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group
5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
6. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
7. My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
10. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
You can also check out the ALA's full list of the most frequently banned books from 2000-2009. Do any of your favorites appear?
Tags:
Banned Books,
Events at the Library,
reading
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Cover of ttyl by Lauren Myracle |
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Cover of And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson |
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