Saturday, April 3, 2010
What is your favority genre or book?
Let me know what your favorite book or genre is at this time. Maybe I'll have a few more things to read this summer (like I don't already have a HUGE list!).
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
I recently finished this book--a book that could not be put down. It's a book within a book. A story of a family, a fire, of twins.
Margaret Lea works in her father's antiquarian book shop and prefers to read old books. She does not like contemporary writers and it's even better if the author is dead. She has written a few essays and short biographies of old authors. When a living, contemporary author asks her to write a biography, Margaret balks.
Once she meets Vida Winter, she wants to leave. This is not her world, this is not the type of author she writes about in her essays. Ms. Winter draws upon her heart--Margaret's lost twin. In the oral retelling of her life, Ms. Winter reveals she is a twin...or is she?
In a very popular method of writing, Setterfield tells a tale within a tale and links the two in bizarre ways. She leads the reader through decades of lives and mysteries. Ms. Winter states that her tale is "just a sub-plot" in the real story. We find similar stories in Louise Penny's writing, with Inspector Gamache who says, "Murders really start years and sometimes decades before they really occur." But, I digress. We hear of Ms. Winter and her sister Emmeline. We learn their mother was insane and their brother not far behind. We learn of a governess and a doctor who try to split the twins with devastating results. We come full circle with the story of a 60 year old man that crosses paths with Margaret as she investigates the story of Angelfield.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, I was completely drawn into the story and could not put it down. It held my attention, because as with Margaret, I had questions. I wanted to hear the rest of the story. Ms. Winter draws out the tale, as she says, "All good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end."
Margaret Lea works in her father's antiquarian book shop and prefers to read old books. She does not like contemporary writers and it's even better if the author is dead. She has written a few essays and short biographies of old authors. When a living, contemporary author asks her to write a biography, Margaret balks.
Once she meets Vida Winter, she wants to leave. This is not her world, this is not the type of author she writes about in her essays. Ms. Winter draws upon her heart--Margaret's lost twin. In the oral retelling of her life, Ms. Winter reveals she is a twin...or is she?
In a very popular method of writing, Setterfield tells a tale within a tale and links the two in bizarre ways. She leads the reader through decades of lives and mysteries. Ms. Winter states that her tale is "just a sub-plot" in the real story. We find similar stories in Louise Penny's writing, with Inspector Gamache who says, "Murders really start years and sometimes decades before they really occur." But, I digress. We hear of Ms. Winter and her sister Emmeline. We learn their mother was insane and their brother not far behind. We learn of a governess and a doctor who try to split the twins with devastating results. We come full circle with the story of a 60 year old man that crosses paths with Margaret as she investigates the story of Angelfield.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, I was completely drawn into the story and could not put it down. It held my attention, because as with Margaret, I had questions. I wanted to hear the rest of the story. Ms. Winter draws out the tale, as she says, "All good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end."
Friday, February 12, 2010
Social Responbility
When you think of a library, bookshelves lined with tomes comes to mind. If you are a bit younger, rows of computers may spring in there. These days, some libraries are so busy, you see more of the people than of the contents--which is good!
Libraries and librarians want to be busy. Librarians LIVE to serve. We live to answer questions (maybe not all of us live to answer questions from living people, but instead wish to answer a long standing theoretical question.) I like to answer people's questions. I like to dig into something and come up with material. I like to read.
One of the biggest debates in librarianship is how far do we go in our service to the patron? Do we simply fulfil their requests or do we promote our services and skills to the public/private sector that may even cross lines into the more controversial areas of life?
I have no problem putting myself out there to provide information (so long as it is sound and factually supported). I have no problem supporting another's viewpoint, again so long as it can be factually supported. Ethically, I cannot withhold information when asked for within the context of patron seeking information. In schools, parents would challenge THAT whole idea and I would have to be prepared to say I will provide it within the bounds of the school board and following the curriculum.
Social responsibility. Just how far should a library go to aid the public it serves? It has been well documented that public libraries have served their communities in astounding ways and means. In MN, we have some very well known libraries. William Mitchell Law (St Paul Central); Rondo Community Library; Roseville Area (Ramsey County's main); James J. Hill; Mpls/Hennepin County Main; etc. Our libraries serve a diverse and expanding community of new Americans. We have East African, Southeast Asian, Russian, Polish, Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Chicano/Latino communities in full bloom. They have schools, mosques, temples, churches, clubs, stores, and more. They are integrated on a daily basis and have taken on the tasks to learn the English language, obtain jobs, utilize services, and contribute. Some of the populations have reached out asking for the services. Some have not. Do we have a responsibility to say, "Hello. My name is.... I can help you find information/learn skills/apply for a job/apply for aid/take the citizenship test/'fill in your choice here'?" I think we do.
Libraries and librarians want to be busy. Librarians LIVE to serve. We live to answer questions (maybe not all of us live to answer questions from living people, but instead wish to answer a long standing theoretical question.) I like to answer people's questions. I like to dig into something and come up with material. I like to read.
One of the biggest debates in librarianship is how far do we go in our service to the patron? Do we simply fulfil their requests or do we promote our services and skills to the public/private sector that may even cross lines into the more controversial areas of life?
I have no problem putting myself out there to provide information (so long as it is sound and factually supported). I have no problem supporting another's viewpoint, again so long as it can be factually supported. Ethically, I cannot withhold information when asked for within the context of patron seeking information. In schools, parents would challenge THAT whole idea and I would have to be prepared to say I will provide it within the bounds of the school board and following the curriculum.
Social responsibility. Just how far should a library go to aid the public it serves? It has been well documented that public libraries have served their communities in astounding ways and means. In MN, we have some very well known libraries. William Mitchell Law (St Paul Central); Rondo Community Library; Roseville Area (Ramsey County's main); James J. Hill; Mpls/Hennepin County Main; etc. Our libraries serve a diverse and expanding community of new Americans. We have East African, Southeast Asian, Russian, Polish, Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Chicano/Latino communities in full bloom. They have schools, mosques, temples, churches, clubs, stores, and more. They are integrated on a daily basis and have taken on the tasks to learn the English language, obtain jobs, utilize services, and contribute. Some of the populations have reached out asking for the services. Some have not. Do we have a responsibility to say, "Hello. My name is.... I can help you find information/learn skills/apply for a job/apply for aid/take the citizenship test/'fill in your choice here'?" I think we do.
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