Library Movers and Shakers: Interview Series

For the past decade Library Journal has been honoring librarians who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty, singling them out via the “Movers and Shakers Award” for their innovation, service and ways they’ve otherwise raised the profile of quality library service. This post is the first in a series of interviews I conducted with the 2011 [...]

Booked Author Robyn Okrant @ Algonquin Library!

Author Robyn Okrant spent one year living the Oprah life as expressed on her TV show and website. Then she wrote a book about her experience, outlining the good, the bad and the ugly. Robyn will be here to read from her book and answer questions about her experiences, writing, and anything else that’s on [...]

Librarian Movers and Shakers: Interview Series

For the past decade Library Journal has been honoring librarians who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty, singling them out via the “Movers and Shakers Award” for their innovation, service and ways they’ve otherwise raised the profile of quality library service. This post is the first in a series of interviews I conducted with the 2011 [...]

Borders. And so it begins.

Chances are there’s a Borders store near you that’s either closing or will close within the next year. Fortunately, the store in my town will remain open – for now - though another location 15 minutes north of here isn’t quite so lucky. I’ve visited the unfortunate Borders store three times since they put up the [...]

Upcoming Author Readings/Signings – Borders, Oak Brook

 Squee!  Ian Rankin, one of my very favorite cute contemporary mystery/crime novelists, is coming to Borders in Oak Brook this Friday evening. Nice of them to give so much notice, eh? He will be reading from and signing copies of his  new novel The Complaints. Friday, March 18 7:00 p.m. Borders, Oak Brook 1500 16th Street, [...]

A Widow’s Story by Joyce Carol Oates

A Widow’s Story by Joyce Carol Oates Oh God – you are going to be so unhappy. – Gail Godwin ______________________________________________ I guess the only way to do this is just plunge right in, though of all the books I’ve reviewed this one is probably among, if not the most difficult. I don’t mean difficult [...]

Of library catalogs and such

We’ve just switched our library catalog over to Bibliocommons, a much more interactive, 21st century social networking-friendly system than our previous catalog – iBistro. It was rolled out to the public around March 1, but we had time to play with it before the inevitable questions started. And dear reader, I am in love! I’m the [...]

List of authors published by HarperCollins

Link. Another thing to consider in this ongoing debate.

On the necessity of reading bestsellers

As a public librarian, I’m expected to have at least some familiarity with what’s on The New York Times bestseller lists, some knowledge of the writers who regularly appear in the top ten or fifteen. And rightly so, considering how many readers follow popular writers religiously.  There are also readers who need to fill time with similar reads, [...]

Best selling books of all time – Pt. 2

Here’s the next section of best-selling books to mull over. Part One of the list can be found here. These have sold between 30 and 50 million since their publication: The Hite Report by Shere Hite – 48 million Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – 45 million The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter [...]