Friends of Ocee Library

Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:18:00 +0000

For those of you who like to plan ahead, we will be having a used book sale Friday July 27 & Saturday July 28. I'll post more details later, but consider this your 'Save the Date' card!

I also got word that the library system will be having an adult summer reading program (in addition to the traditional children's program) for the first time this year, so keep an ear out for more information on that as well.

From this week's media:

Here's a solution to all the books we have left over after a book sale! (This particular 'book igloo' was actually constructed from the remains of a Navy base library after it was decommisioned.)

Flavorwire has 10 Beautiful Buildings Inspired by Famous Books - this particular one is a tribute to Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Danny Fein has a series of lithographs called "Litographs" based on famous books. This one is Moby Dick - you can see a close-up at the bottom that shows you how the words from the book are used to create the design of the finished work. You can read more about them at Brain Pickings, or purchase one from the artist's web site.

This and that in the news

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:07:00 +0000

Stuttgart City Library, Stuttgart, Germany

Flavorwire (always a big fan of books and reading) has a list of the 25 most beautiful public libraries in the world.

Two more library related articles were in today's Atlanta Journal Constitution (thanks for all the coverage lately, AJC - libraries can use all the positive press they can get these days!):

Libraries add more to the mix
The other was a "My Opinion" piece by Karen Huppertz (which I can't unfortunately find online to link to, but was on Metro page B5 in the 4/22/12 AJC), which actually gives a shout-out to Friends of the Library organizations and encourages donations to them!

Another piece of book related news concerns the Pulitzer Committee decision to not award the Fiction Prize this year (a real slap in the face and very unpopular decision).

Recently in the AJC:

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:39:00 +0000

Grasping the e-book era

and

Metro libraries cope with money woes

Also, have a Happy Library Week!

Finding Books in the Oddest Places

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 02:46:00 +0000

In a phone booth in New York City...

In an iconic English phone booth...

In Little Free Libraries all over the country...

Even here in Atlanta ...

Great trend, I'd have to say!

March winds blow...

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:48:00 +0000

in this WPA piece from the 1930's.

This & That

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:04:00 +0000

via tanaudel

From the Atlanta Journal - Constitution: Reading... for life without 'Downton'

J.K. Rowling’s plot chart for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

From Flavorwire: Charts and Diagrams Drawn by Famous Artists

Illustration by Jessica Fortner

From the New York Times: Learning to Love Airport Lit

From the News-Gazette: High Schools Add to Reading Lists

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:50:00 +0000

“What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

Anne Lamott

Books to Look Forward To

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:39:00 +0000

Book Pages' 30 Most-Anticipated Books of 2012

Flavorwire's 10 New Must-Reads for January

Indiebound's Next List for January

Amazon's Best Books of the Month

And in case you made a certain New Year's Resolutions, Daily Beast's 12 Best Diet Books of 2012

"The Library Phantom Returns!"

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:07:00 +0000

A follow-up to my November 8th post about the mystery book art objects left in Scottish libraries is here on the NPR website.

Close-up of "Feathers" on a cap (photo by Chris Scott on Flickr)

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:06:00 +0000

“What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of  paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you,  comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and  how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean;  they show us how to live and die.”

      Anne Lamott 

And some bonus funny, for those of you who've ever shelved books in a library:

From here

Open Air Library

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:06:00 +0000

This open air library in Germany is a cool idea - it is built on a reclaimed industrial site and serves as park, library, concert hall, etc. for the neighborhood. It operates on the honor system, using donated books. You can read more and see more photos here.

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:36:00 +0000

Breathe it in

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Two things to make you smile

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:46:00 +0000


From cheezburger.com

From Pamela Fugate's Etsy shop

How come nobody leaves us a tree?!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:47:00 +0000

A "poetree" that popped up at the Scottish Poetry Library

This is a really cool story, from NPR, about a series of mysterious gifts (including a coffin!) left in libraries, and other book related venues in Scotland. The objects were all paper sculptures crafted from books and the suspected "donors" included novelist Ian Rankin.

And who did it finally turn out to be? Well, you'll have to read the story to find out, but let's just say it probably isn't the ending you're expecting!

Left at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

Library Design

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I love a well-designed building, and if it's a library, even better! These photos are of the new Stuttgart, Germany public library, and even though I know I wouldn't be able to read any of the books, I still wish I could be there.

It's probably going to be a total bear to keep all that white clean, and to heat and cool all that space in the middle, but boy, is it gorgeous...

You can see more pictures here.

Supporting Libraries in Tough Times

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Yesterday, the Atlanta Journal Constition's Op-Ed Page focused on the changing roles of libraries as the economy falters and e-books and other electronic media gather steam. One of the articles was on Gwinnett County Public Library's challenges as they find their budget cut 15% by their county commissioners. The Gwinnett County Library is one of the best I have ever used, and it is very frustrating that its commissioners have failed to recognize the value of its services. (The GC library system has taken it all in stride, however, and is busy looking for new ways to raise money and stretch its existing budget to cover as much as possible - showing a flexibility that demonstrates why it is such a good library system.)

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library system has been very lucky thus far - Fulton County commissioners have done the right thing and recognized that libraries become even more important to patrons in times of need. The library provides so many services free of charge: internet access, programs on health, job searching, resume writing, etc., not to mention access to all the knowledge and entertainment contained in the hundreds of thousands of books on its shelves (and in its ebook catalog).

Kudos to our commissioners for standing behind Fulton libraries - your support is definitely appreciated!

Oh, and the value of those 47 million book checkouts, plus the 13.5 billion computer sessions, and the programs attended by 1.4 million children?
$1,300,000,000
Best of all, Georgia libraries only had to spend $188 million to get those $1.3 billion in benefits to their patrons - nice return on the investment!

Bookfessions

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:59:00 +0000

Bookfessions is a website chock full of great quotes inspired by reading. Check it out frequently: it's constantly updated. And hey, if you've got something pithy to say about your reading life - contribute!

A Fulton Family Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

David and Rob Fulton, with a portrait of their father, Dr. Robert E. Fulton, at the opening ceremonies for the Ocee Library in October 2004

As many of you know, the Ocee Library's official name is the Dr. Robert E. Fulton/Ocee Library. Dr. Fulton was a County Commissioner and Library Board Trustee who fought long and hard for the creation of the Ocee Library. We literally would not exist if it were not for his passion. Unfortunately, Dr. Fulton died suddenly just before the library opened, and the name of the library now reminds us of his dedication to our cause. (You can read more about the history of the Ocee Library by scrolling down at this post.)

After Dr. Fulton's death, his family has continued to stand by the library and they have donated funds for a variety of library needs through the years. Sadly on Friday, Dr. Fulton's eldest son, David Fulton, also passed away suddenly. David's brother Rob describes his brother as being "being most like my father, especially in terms of his unrelenting ability to get things done" (a trait of his father's that we most definitely benefited from!). His death is devasting not only to the Fulton family, but also to our library - we have always appreciated the Fultons' continuing support of their father's namesake library.

David Fulton, visiting the library named after his father

David lived in Massachusetts, and is survived by his mother Autumn Ireland, wife Sherry, and children Kathryn and Jaclyn. He also leaves siblings Rob Fulton and Lori Cutillo. (David Fulton's complete obituary can be viewed here, or here.)

Paul Auster on reading

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:27:00 +0000

“Reading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice: reading for the pure pleasure of it, for the beautiful stillness that surrounds you when you hear an author's words reverberating in your head.”
― Paul Auster, The Brooklyn Follies

A guy that reads

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:51:00 +0000

Robby's blog

I love this guy! He's a 16-year old book blogger who just loves to read, plain and simple - you can (and should!) read a Publisher's Weekly interview with him here. The interview is awesome - it's great to see such enthusiasm for books in a teenage boy.

Bonus link: Here's Library Journal's list of books to look out for this fall: they lose points for only listing books by author & title - no synopsis or link - but it's a great resource for those that love to read beyond the bestseller list.

New website

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Byliner is still in beta, but looks interesting...

I'll let them describe themselves:

Byliner is a publishing company and social network built around great stories.

Byliner publishes original narratives by some of the most accomplished writers working today, at lengths that allow them to be read in a single sitting. Called Byliner Originals, these stories typically range between 10,000 and 35,000 words and are available in digital form, with select titles also available as audio or print-on-demand books. They tackle compelling stories from the worlds of culture, technology, politics, business, sports, science, crime, adventure, and more.

On Byliner.com, readers can discover, share, and discuss stories with a community of fellow readers, receive personalized recommendations, and follow their favorite writers — ensuring that they never miss a great read. Byliner.com also acts as a platform for writers, enabling them to connect directly with their audience.
Byliner.

We’ll find you something good to read.

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:35:00 +0000

The quote is from the play/movie The History Boys, and the design above is from Design Crush.

Louisa at the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +0000

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library is presenting a series of events this fall centered around Louisa May Alcott. These events take place mainly at the Central Library downtown, but a couple of them are a little closer to home at the Roswell branch: a Civil War lecture October 1st, and a Noonday Nosh Reading Group discussion of her biography, Louisa May Alcott: The Woman behind Little Women, on October 18th.

Here is the info Margaret Roach sent around to all the Friends:

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is pleased to announce a series of reading, viewing, and discussion programs focused on Louisa May Alcott’s life and the historical and cultural context that inspired her remarkable body of work.

Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women is a documentary film co-produced by Nancy Porter Productions, Inc. and Thirteen/WNET New York’s American Masters, and a biography of the same name written by Harriet Reisen. Louisa May Alcott programs in libraries are sponsored by the American Library Association Public Programs Office with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The library received an NEH grant of $2,500 for the program series.

The Library System is presenting a number of programs during September, October and November which will re-introduce audiences to Louisa May Alcott’s story. Programs include a community-wide library event focused on Louisa May Alcott’s life, work, and times; a reading and scholar-led discussion of Alcott’s lesser-known works; a discussion of Alcott as a literary phenomenon and social reformer; and a film screening and discussion of the documentary and biography.

Louisa May Alcott is recognized around the world for her novel Little Women, but few know Alcott as the bold, compelling woman who secretly wrote sensational thrillers, lived at the center of the Transcendentalist and Abolitionist movements, and served as a Civil War army nurse. The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s public programs present a story full of fresh insights about Alcott and a new understanding of American culture during her lifetime.

We would like to invite you to attend these exciting programs focused on Louisa May Alcott. The first program, “Transcendental Wild Oats”: Louisa May Alcott and Reform, will be held at the Central Library Wednesday Sept. 28 at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Robert Sattelmeyer will be the guest speaker.

To see descriptions of all the programs in the Louisa May Alcott series, please visit the webpage here or contact program contact John Wright at 404-730-1745 or john.wright@fultoncountyga.gov. We hope you can join us as we explore Louisa May Alcott at our libraries.