Are you practicing literate behaviors? 

From Publishers Weekly and the December 17th, 2007 issue:

With barely a half-million residents, Wyoming – 97,000 square miles of rugged terrain, where the Great Plains meet the Rockies – ranks dead last in population among the 50 states. But with about 40 retailers selling books there, one store for every 13,000 residents, Wyoming ranks #1 on PW’s bookselling health index.

Bookselling Health Index

Household Income: $43,332
Population: 507,000
Independent bookstores: 21
Chain Bookstores: 4
Total Bookstores: 25
Big-Box Bookstores:4
Total Stores: 39
Stores Per Capita: 1 per 13,000
Per Capita Rank: 1

Before we congratulate ourselves, a USA Today article, ranks USA cities literacy rate with

Minneapolis as #1 and Seattle, Pittsburgh, Denver and Washington, D.C., in the top 10 every year. St. Paul also is a noteworthy exception, says Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. More than many cities, St. Paul residents show evidence of stable or increased literate behaviors, be it reading newspapers or magazines, going online, library use, or buying books from a local bookstore.

Of course, they have bigger populations behind them.

Wyoming, have you read today?

There is a great new blog devoted to encouraging reading and reporting what you have read. Each month has a theme, but you are not otherwise restricted from reading things you like. As of today, they have 98 readers signed up.

From the intro on the blog:

Welcome to the Book A Month (BAM) Challenge. Right around the first of the month, every month, we’ll be posting a theme. All you have to do is read a book that corresponds to that theme and post a review, either on your own website/blog and comment with a link to it or in the comments for the post itself. Pretty simple, right? This is perfect for those looking to fulfill their New Year’s Resolution of “read more books”. See you around January 1st!

Sound interesting? Click on the underlined “Book A Month (BAM) Challenge“.

From wired.com, the top ten big scientific discoveries that WIRED compiled.

10.  Transistors Get Way Smaller
9.  Scientists Clone Rhesus Monkey to Produce Stem Cells
8.  Planet Discovered That Could Harbor Life
7.  Engineers Create Transparent Material as Strong as Steel
6.  Soft Tissue from T. Rex Leg Bone Analyzed
5.  Laboratory Mice Cured of Rett Syndrome
4.  Enzymes Convert Any Blood Type to O
3.  Mummified Dinosaur Excavated and Scanned
2.  Chimpanzees Make Spears for Hunting
1.  Researchers Turn Skin Cells to Stem Cells

Read more.

There have been a number of movies which originated from books showing this Holiday season. Of course, not all movies make it to our county and not all books are available in our libraries. Which do you think is better, reading the book or watching the movies? 

Which do you prefer to first, read the book or watch the movie?

Never judge a book by its movie. – J. W. Eagan

The following are movies made into books and showing this season:

Martian Child
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, Sophie Okonedo, Oliver Platt, Bobby Coleman, Richard Schiff
Director: Menno Meyjes
Distributor: New Line Cinema
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: November 2nd (wide)
Based on: THE MARTIAN CHILD: A Novel About a Single Father Adopting a Son by David Gerrold

No Country for Old Men
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Kelly MacDonald, Woody Harrelson, Stephen Root
Directors: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Distributor: Paramount Vantage, Miramax Films
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 9th (limited)
Based on: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy

Beowulf
Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Hellion Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 16th (wide)
Based on: BEOWULF
Movie Tie-in: BEOWULF by Caitlin R. Kiernan and Neil Gaiman

Love in the Time of Cholera
Cast: Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Hector Elizondo, Liev Schreiber, Fernanda Montenegro, Laura Harring, John Leguizamo
Director: Mike Newell
Distributor: New Line Cinema
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 16th (wide)
Based on: LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Mist
Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, Bill Sadler, Jeffrey Demunn, Frances Sternhagen, Alexa Davalos, Nathan Gamble, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer, Robert Treveiler, David Jensen
Director: Frank Darabont
Distributor: MGM Distribution Company
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 21st (wide)
Based on: THE MIST by Stephen King

Starting Out in the Evening
Cast: Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose, Lili Taylor, Adrian Lester
Director: Andrew Wagner
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 23rd (limited)
Based on: STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING by Brian Morton

Chronicles of an Escape
Cast: Rodrigo de la Serna, Nazareno Casero, Lautaro Delgado, Matias Marmorato, Pablo Echarri
Director: Israel Adrian Caetano
Distributor: First Take (IFC)
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 28th (limited)
Based on: PASE LIBRE by Claudio Marcello Tamburrini

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Anne Consigny, Patrick Chesnais, Niels Arestrup, Olatz Lopez Garmendia, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Marina Hands, Max von Sydow
Director: Julian Schnabel
Distributor: Miramax
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 30th (limited)
Based on: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY: A Memoir of Life in Death (LE SCAPHANDRE ET LA PAPILLON) by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Atonement
Cast: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Joe Wright
Distributor: Focus Features, Universal Pictures International
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: December 7th (limited)
Based on: ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan

The Golden Compass
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Daniel Craig, Tom Courtenay, Christopher Lee
Directors: Chris Weitz and Robert Shaye
Distributor: New Line Cinema
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: December 7th (wide)
Based on: THE GOLDEN COMPASS: His Dark Materials, Book 1 by Philip Pullman

I Am Legend
Cast: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Dash Mihok, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan
Director: Francis Lawrence
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures Distribution
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: December 14th (wide)
Based on: I AM LEGEND by Richard B. Matheson

The Kite Runner
Cast: Khalid Abdalla, Homayon Ershadi, Shaun Toub, Atossa Leoni, Said Tashimaoui
Director: Marc Forster
Distributor: Paramount Vantage
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 14th (limited)
Based on: THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini

Youth Without Youth
Cast: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Granz, Andre Hennicke, Marcel Iures
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: December 14th (limited)
Based on: YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH by Mircea Eliade

P. S. I Love You
Cast: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Gina Gershon, Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick Jr., Jeffrey Dean Morgan, James Marsters, Kathy Bates, Marcus Collins
Directors: Richard LaGravenese and Steven Rogers
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures Distribution
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 21st (wide)
Based on: P. S. I LOVE YOU by Cecelia Ahern

Charlie Wilson’s War
Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty
Director: Mike Nichols
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Release Date: December 25th (wide)
Based on: CHARLIE WLSON’S WAR: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile

Persepolis
Cast: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes, Francois Jerosme
Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 25th (limited)
Based on: PERSEPOLIS: The Story of a Childhood and PERSEPOLIS 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Cast: Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox
Director: Jay Russell
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: December 25th (wide)
Based on: THE WATERHORSE written by Dick King-Smith, illustrated by David Parkins

There Will Be Blood
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds, Kevin J. O’Connor, Dillon Freasier
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor: Paramount Vantage, Miramax International
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: December 26th (limited)
Based on: OIL! by Upton Sinclair

  By Daksh Sharma and Mashable.com

 

Lulu, a book publishing site.

Amazon.com – Search from thousands of books, buy them online and read excellent reviews.

Booksprice.com – Users can search and compare prices of new and old books from all major stores.

Bookswellread.com – Users can share reviews of some of their favorite books with others.

Titlez – Users can perform a comparative analysis of a book or group of books with other books in the market.

Whatshouldireadnext.com – Users enter their favorite book and they are a recommended a new book based on analysis of the reading preferences of other registered users.

Book Communities

aNobii – A great way to create book listings, interact with people and express thoughts.

Booksconnect.com – A site which connects book lovers, writers and resellers. Users can discuss with each other, stay updated about events or network with interesting people.

BookJetty.com – Community site where users can tag their favorite books.

BookRevyoo.com – Users can read and rate books from multiple categories.

BooksWellRead.com – Excellent community for book readers looking for recommendations.

Connectviabooks.com – People can create list of read books and share their opinions with others.

Delicious Library – Browse the stream of books shared by other users.

Douban.net – Users can find interesting books recommended by other members and participate in discussions & reviews about a particular book.

Facebook.com Favoritebooks – Developer application on Facebook allowing users to share their favorite books with other users who can write comments.

Goodreads.com – Users can keep a track of books read by them, find out what their buddies are reading and also get recommendations from others who have read a book.

LibraryThing.com – Enables users to create an online catalog of books.

Project Gutenberg – Excellent platform for collaborative sharing of books.

Reader2.com – Users can find new books and recommend their own books to others.

Shelfari.com – An online shelf for sharing favorite books with friends.

Squirl.info – Nice way to share & organize information about books.

Storycode.com – A site for making book recommendations to other users.

Tagabook.com – A tagging site for book lovers allowing them to tag their favorites.

Vitalsource.com – Users can purchase their text books, download them and keep the mobile books with them all the time.

Zestr.com – Cool way to create a catalog of books online.

Publishing

Bibli – Book publishing & sharing platform for poems, scripts, short stories, novels etc.

Blurb.com – Create and sell books.

deusto.com – Book publishing platform for writers to create digital books.

Glypho.com – Collaborative platform for reading and writing books.

Mixbook.com – Users can create amazing books by mixing stuff like pictures to create books in collaboration with their friends.

Sharedbooks.com – Users can publish their information from multiple sources in the form of a structured printed book.

Book Search & Exchange

Americabookshelf.com – One of the largest book exchange clubs across the US.BookCrossing.com – A community of users from over 130 countries who exchange books with each other at public places like cafes, parks etc.

Booksfree.com – A large and the most extensive library of books.

Bookhopper.co.uk – Free community for UK residents to share used books with each other.

Bookins.com – Book sharing website enabling members to exchange used books with each other in real time.

BookMooch.com – An interesting concept where users can exchange books with others through points. Users gain points when they give books to others.

Booksalescout.com – Online community of users allowing them to sell books in the US.

Bookswim.com – Book borrowing service with free shipping for registered website users.

Feedbooks.com – Users can search & download free PDF books from the internet.

Google Book Search – One of the best search engines for books allowing users to preview some chapters from the book they’d like to buy.

Lazylibrary.com – Special search engine for readers looking to read short books with less than 200 pages.

Live Search Books – Platform for searching books of interest online.

Manybooks.net – Users can search for free ebooks for their PDA, ebook reader or iPod.

PaperBackSwap.com – Users can share books amongst each other and only pay for the delivery charges.

Pazap.com – A book trade engine for students to buy and sell old books.

Read It Swap It – A free service that allows users to exchange books with others.

Socialbib – Book swapping network between students, the website does the searching for books.

Whatshoulditreadnext.com – Users enter a book of their preference and the search engine recommends books on the basis of reading habits of other users.

Worldcat.org – Extensive catalog of books available for viewing and downloading.

Others

bibliophil.org – Users can monitor their library books with public or private security access.LeapTag.com – newsreader that picks users reading preferences and understands the books that they like.

Thatscrazyhot.com – A cool bibliography generator for book titles.

New to and still wary of football, I enjoyed reading Playing for Pizza.  A down-on-his-luck football player finds himself in Parma, Italy – home of the world’s best Parmesan cheese, among other local foods of pride- playing ball for a previously unknown football league. The games ring true; the competition, the comradery, the injuries and the excitement.

Amidst a new culture, an unknown language and a disdainful attitude, Rick Dockery plays a season tougher than expected, falls in love with the cuisine, finds himself a member of a team while finding himself in the process. A quick, although somewhat superficial read.

Evaluating Websites

The World Wide Web is a vast resource of information and anyone with web building knowledge can create a Web site. This is important to remember when looking for reliable information and when citing sources.
To effectively gather the information available on the Web you should keep in mind that each search engine has different methods of searching. To get a complete picture of the information available on the surface web use get in the practice of using several different search engines. Once websites are found it is necessary to know how to evaluate Websites by finding the following criteria and answering these questions:

1. Author of Site
2. Objective
3. Purpose of Site
4. Accuracy
5. Intended Audience
6. Comprehensiveness
7. Design
8. Currency

Author

• Who is the author of the Web site and how are they related to the information they are providing?
• The author can be an individual, an educational institution, a nonprofit organization, a government agency, a company, or an employee or volunteer of any of these groups. (If a web extension is “.org”, “.edu” or “.gov” it is considered a reliable source.) What are the credentials of the author or organization? Who else are they affiliated with?

Purpose

• Is the purpose or mission of the Web site clearly stated?
• Is the content informative, or for sales or advocacy?
• Does the site meet your information needs?

Audience

• Who is the intended audience of the Web site? For instance, the general public has different needs than
  scholars or children.

Design

• Is the Web site easy to use?
• Does the site require additional technical needs?
• Is the organization of information clear?

Objective

• Is the information provided objective or subjective?
• Are opinions stated as such?

Accuracy

• Are grammar and spelling correct?
• Does the Web site provide hyperlinks or footnotes to primary source information?

Comprehensiveness

• Is the Web site comprehensive in its content?

Currency

• Web sites providing news, statistics, and medical information should be current.
• Does the Web site provide dates when pages were last updated?
• Are links to additional Web sites outdated?

For further information consider the following sources:
Olin and Uris Library
New Mexico State University Library
University of California Berkeley Library

Apprehensive filled me when a patron came in looking for a cookie recipe that belonged to her great aunt.  All she knew for sure was that the dough had cream cheese in it and the cookie folded. I was doubtful that we would find it, but looked through the recipe section and through online resources, when I realized that she would recognize a picture of the cookie before I did. She sat down with a selection of holiday cookbooks and wonder of wonders, she found her cookie! They were printed under a different name but in the cookbook they were called Holiday Horns, -she recognized them from the picture and they looked tasty.

Many of us panic when thinking ahead to what to cook this year for family and friends.  We want to make it special but the old favorites, may be just that – kind of old.

The libraries in our country have a spectacular array of cookbooks, old favorites and many that are ethnic and might offer a new idea for your Christmas dinner.  Don’t forget magazines, the newest issues offer timely ideas and two years of back issues are housed at the library. Take a look and you might find that favorite old recipe which was lost or possibly find something new and delightful that will make your Christmas dinner fabulous!

A new friend shared her recipe for Potica, something I had not heard of before moving here, and now it is a Christmas standard. Do you have a favorite that you might be willing to share?

Videos and work from a talented group of staff and students @ Kansas State.

Thanks to Helene Blowers and LibraryBytes.

Baldacci resurrects The Camel Club with Stone Cold (The Camel Club and The Collectors) with Oliver Stone, Milton, Caleb and Rubin playing their loyal supporting roles in ferreting out justice. Annabelle Conroy appears after conning a viciously vindictive casino owner. Harry Finn leads a double life as father extraodinaire and a Homeland security expert while systematically eliminating those responsible for his father’s (Raymond Solomon) murder. How do all these lives and histories and personalities and goals fit together? This novel reads like two separate stories with converging journeys becoming closer and more interconnected until they collide, revealing personal tragedy and bureaucratic corruption and surprising secrets.