Steampunk Gypsy

[Source:  The Book Connections ] [Source:  IFLA Call to Action: International Literacy Day ] [Source:  International Literacy Association ]

No worries! I have a big project I need to be working on for the next little bit - there's no exact deadline, so I can't tell you when exactly I'll be back. I might drop a few lines now and then, especially if something happens with CISA/CISPA or net neutrality, or book banning, or...well, all that stuff I care about a lot. I will also be writing some for Banned Books Week, for sure, so there's that!

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Bodleian Library Launches New Digital.Bodleian Site   Indianapolis launches literacy-promoting "Big Free Libraries"   Read before you speak  "I have a suggestion: If you want to complain about curriculum, you need to read the books. Twice in the last week, undergraduates in North Carolina — first at Duke University and then at the University of North Carolina — have objected to assigned books they haven’t read." Sound advice. Making Maps for Books: Two Cartographers Tell Us How It’s Done   Learning to Read: A Survival Guide for Parents   Dear Mom, Dad, and Teacher: This Is Why I Read  "On the last day of our ten-week Bookopolis Book Club session, I asked a group of fourth and fifth graders a simple question: Why do you read? Here are some of their sincere and unprompted answers..." ‘Dune’ at 50: Why the Groundbreaking Eco-Conscious Novel Is More Relevant Than Ever   Health, Science, Net, ...

Google has a new logo ! The celebratory Google Doodle  is cute: Google's made a lot of changes over the last 17 years or so: I like the new logo. Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike AIA/ALA Library Building Awards  So pretty... The digital debate is done, and the reading public are the winners   A College Curriculum on Your Bookshelf: 50 Books for 50 Classes   Hayao Miyazaki to build children’s nature retreat   A Day for Robots (and Humans)  Little Robot is out today!!  Neil Gaiman: 'my parents didn’t have any kind of rules about what I couldn’t read'   Neil Gaiman: “Freedom of speech is a hugely important thing.”   Literature of 9/11 college class accused of being 'sympathetic towards terrorism'  "Alec Dent, a freshman journalism major at UNC, hasn't taken the class or read any of the books on the syllabus, but said he's concerned that the class isn't 'fair and balanced,' reports WRAL-TV. 'The mo...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike The “Landmark Undertaking” of the Tulane Libraries Recovery Center   Librarian's lifeline offer for suicidal children spreads on Twitter   Freedom Ride images transport Indigenous librarian to a different era   Kullervo: Tolkien's fascination with Finland   Health, Science, Net, & Tech U.S. Appeals Court Overturns Decision That NSA Metadata Collection Was Illegal   Twitter just made it harder to hold politicians accountable.   Google to kill single most annoying thing about browsing the Web  "In a soon-to-be-released update to the Chrome browser, Google will no longer allow sounds and videos to load in background tabs. You will have to click on a tab to load a video or streaming media file -- even if it is set to auto-play." What was fake on the Internet this week: Selfie lice, Joey Fatone and James Earl Jones RIPs   Education Put the “Ph” Back in PhD   Roelofs: Berea Co...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike The heartbreaking farewell: the world's greatest sports library checks out   Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program Donates Books To Children To Promote Literacy   As Islamic State group threatens its history, Iraq moves to digitize its national library   Japanese school board bans acclaimed anti-war manga   Children's Books Set in Libraries   Associated Press sues FBI over fake news story   Health, Science, Net, & Tech Facebook Goes Nuclear On The Messaging War With Its M Assistant   Father accused of robbing South Lyon Vibe Credit Union to pay for daughter's cancer treatments   NASA: Sea level rise could be worse than we thought  Related:  Your life on earth  "How you and the world have changed since you were born." Tesla's New Car Is So Good, It Literally Broke the Consumer Reports Scale   Education Star Scholar Resigns From Northwestern, Saying It...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike This Scholar’s Library In The Middle Of A Forest Is The Perfect Secluded Getaway   Calais migrant camp gets makeshift library – and it needs more books   Purcell police puzzled by woman's odd library theft  "She walked away with 21 DVDs of seasons 1-9 of 'The Waltons' television series."  Health, Science, Net, & Tech Digital surveillance 'worse than Orwell', says new UN privacy chief    Hawaii’s Governor Dumps Oil and Gas in Favor of 100 Percent Renewables   Education CFPB Considers Suing Student Loan Giant Navient For Cheating Borrowers   International Report: 50 North Korean Submarines Vanish From Radar  That can't be good... Islamic State photos show devastation at Palmyra temple   Politics Progressives pressure Hillary Clinton on Wall Street bonuses  "Eight groups representing the U.S. Democratic Party's progressive wing planned to call on Hillary Clin...

Of course you do! Who doesn't  love their librarian?! So, you should nominate your favorite for the  2015 I Love My Librarian Award ! You can nominate your favorite  school librarian ,  public librarian , or  academic librarian . Make sure you check out the  details ! Hurrah! Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike 10 Years After Katrina: Commemorating Libraries and Librarians  Today's post features Jefferson Parish libraries!  Millions in Damage at Jefferson Parish Library   Undercover Republican Goes Hillary-Hunting in Clinton Library  This probably sounds nuts to most of you - but this sounds like the kind of job I'd love to do. Other than working for the Republicans, of course.  Boy trips, punches hole in $1.5 million painting  ...Ouch... The surprising benefits of reading before bed   Five Books That Dump You into a Pit of Despair   Science-Fiction Prize Is Awarded to Chinese Writer ...

Today is  Duke Kahanamoku’s 125th birthday ! He gets a  Google Doodle : He's known as the father of modern surfing, and starred in several movies. He also won several Olympic medals. But that's not what makes him awesome. This is what makes him awesome: [Source -  How Duke Kahanamoku Saved Lives With His Surfboard ] Yep. Pretty dang awesome. Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Value of the library goes beyond dollars and cents   Coloring Book Clubs Cross the Line into Libraries  I want this in my library... Health, Science, Net & Tech No, You Do Not Have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day   Cuba's Had A Lung Cancer Vaccine For Years, And Now It's Coming To The U.S.   Destroyed by ISIS, artifacts may find new life after 3D reconstruction   Education How The U.S. Is Neglecting Its Smartest Kids   "Sorry, I'm Not Taking This Test"   Louisiana Louisiana trooper dies after being shot, tau...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike World’s Oldest Multicolor Printed Book Opened and Digitized for the First Time  So pretty: The Coolest Book-Themed Sculptures  Also pretty! August 23, 1869:  Edgar Lee Masters, author of Spoon River Anthology, is born  "The book contained a series of short, unrhymed poems, the meditations of deceased residents of the small town of Spoon River. In just a handful of lines, the speakers outline their lives-mostly unhappy, unfulfilled, and full of bitterness, anger, or love for other speakers. The poems expose the sterility and small-minded element of small-town life, which became a theme of other writers in the 1920s, notably Sinclair Lewis."  Who Won Science Fiction's Hugo Awards, and Why It Matters  Related:  I WON 5 HUGO AWARDS. And we all lost.   Australian academics seek to challenge 'web of avarice' in scientific publishing   Health, Science, Net, & Tech What wa...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike What Your Reading Style Says About You: 7 Different Ways To Read, And What They Say About Your Personality  I'm a juggler. I'm currently reading six books, and I'm seldom reading fewer than three at a time. Heh. Books You Won't Believe Are Banned   Faked peer reviews prompt 64 retractions   Health, Science, Net, & Tech Brace yourself: SOPA set to strike again   How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election  Well, that's frightening... Great American Eclipse Less Than Two Years Away   Hurricane Danny Weakens; Tropical Storm Watch For Leeward Islands; Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Drought Relief   Education Malala achieves top GCSE grades The Coddling of the American Mind  "In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health." The new tool colleges ar...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike The People You Can Check Out of the Library   Rockaway Beach Library Set to Reopen for First Time Since Sandy   Preserving Africa’s Heritage   Up From The Ashes, A Public Library In Sri Lanka Welcomes New Readers   ‘Drinkable book’ filters filthy water and makes it safer to drink, researchers say   This School Gets Kids to Read—By Giving Them a Bike From Harry Potter Latin to Hunger Games Rome: the classical jokes hiding in your favourite children's books   Maya Angelou's Art Collection Will Give You The Fire To Finish The Day Right   14 Women Writers Who Dominate The Universe Of Sci-Fi   11 Frequently Banned Books By Female Writers That You Absolutely Cannot Miss   IRONY ALERT: Downers Grove Council Approves Would-be Censor for Library Board    Misleading AP Story on Iran Deal Draws Fierce Critique   Health, Science, Net, & Tech Poor Stewardship: Why The ...

That's right, it's this  Master of Horror's 125th birthday!  H.P. Lovecraft not only wrote some of the most terrifying yet eloquent stories ever, he was well aware of the priority books should take in one's life: "I couldn't live a week without a private library - indeed, I'd part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1500 or so books I possess."  [ Source ]  And, luckily for everyone, there's an absolutely gorgeous annotated edition of his works available! Check it out at your local library! If they don't have it, request it for purchase or ask if they can get it through interlibrary loan! Here are some more links for you: Top 5 H. P. Lovecraft Facts You May Not Know   The H.P. Lovecraft Archive 5 Ways to Celebrate H.P. Lovecraft’s 125th Birthday   Celebrate H.P. Lovecraft’s 125th birthday with this Lovecraftian alphabet   Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlik...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Why 2030 Matters: Libraries and South Africa’s Future How Literature Inspires Empathy   Fifty Pounds of Books, Paper, and Toys Delivered to South African Preschoolers   Bedtime Stories for Young Brains   Interrogating Texts: Six Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard v Read an Excerpt from Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and The Spindle   I'm so excited!!!  Romanian City Gives Free Bus Rides To Passengers Who Read Books Inside   Walker campaign screens reporters' questions   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Gets Banned at a Florida High School   BELOVED (Not American History) Taught Me About the Horrors of Slavery  And this is why students should read fiction that centers around serious and uncomfortable issues.  New Yorker Decides US Has Too Much Free Speech; Dismisses 'Free Speech Extremists'   Education For Incoming Freshmen, Which Cult...

Happy 95th Birthday to the 19th Amendment!   Seriously, Google - no Doodle?! I am disappointed in you... On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote, was ratified. The following week it was certified by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby, officially enshrining the new law into the U.S. Constitution. Although it was made law in 1920 with ratification by two-thirds of the states, it wasn't until 1984 that the final state, Mississippi, passed their ratification. Learn more from This Day in History:  Woman suffrage amendment ratified Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike Strong Libraries, Strong Societies   Libraries on the front lines of the homelessness crisis in the United States   Why You Should Pick Up A Novel If You're Feeling Lost   Berea College Preserves Appalachian History With a New Digital Preservation System   Politics Trump calls for deportation of illegal immigrants, en...

Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike A Jubilant IFLA Conference Opens in Cape Town   Chelsea Manning denied access to legal library prior to prison hearing, she says    Vernon Area Public Library No Longer Collecting Overdue Fines   Maintain Your Productivity Flow by Reading During Your Breaks   Are Americans falling in love with censorship?   U.S. 287 book tosser pleads guilty to littering, ordered to pay $1,725 for clean-up   Stop Feeding the Beast – The Reading Myths We Pass on As Truth   Net, Tech, Health, & Science NSA Spying Relies on AT&T’s ‘Extreme Willingness to Help’  Related:  Here’s Why the Close Collaboration Between the NSA and AT&T Matters  "New disclosures about the National Security Agency’s partnership with AT&T could reignite constitutional challenges to the spy agency’s efforts to wiretap the Internet." The Weight of the World  "Of all the jobs in the world, Figuere...

We've picked up a new family activity - we're all learning to play instruments. I'm doing the easiest, of course - I'm learning to play guitar (strumming). Swicky is playing piano, Coconut and DH's brother are learning guitar (fingering), while DH is learning banjo. So, yeah, Bluegrass. So far, DH, his brother, and I can play "You Are My Sunshine" okay. I mean, it's two chords, so I'm really just having to learn to switch between the two, and also MY FINGERS HURT SO MUCH! That's been my day, anyway. Links! Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike A Golden Era for Young Readers: The Story Behind Little Golden Books   Marvel's newest superhero is a preteen girl genius with a T-Rex sidekick   How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Revived Modern Myth-Telling   Net, Tech, Health, & Science Researchers Who Provided Key Evidence For Gluten Sensitivity Have Now Thoroughly Shown That It Doesn't Exist   Education Why Sesam...

It looks amazing! What is Missy doing there? Is she going to be friend or foe or something in-between? Who is Maisie Williams playing? (Please be Jenny, please be Jenny, please be Jenny...) Peter Capaldi continues to seem awesome, and there are so many nods to Classic Doctors! Links! Libraries, Books, Authors, & Suchlike A love letter to libraries  from Jenny Lawson, author of Furiously Happy . "Librarians are how libraries speak.  Theirs are the small faces behind a million stories and facts.  Theirs are the simple hands that introduce you to the people who will shape you, and the ghosts that will haunt you, and the ideas that will drive you, and the friends that will never leave you.  They know the science of knowledge and beauty and laughter, and – though you can’t quite imagine it – they’ve cried over the same books that have broken and rebuilt your heart.  They’ve ridden in the same sleigh with the snow queen.  They’ve flown over Londo...