Where You Lead, I Will Follow...

A new study at Cambridge University, reported that followers are just as important as are the leaders themselves, at least among stickleback fish. The study showed that followers bring out the best in their leaders, and leaders elicit better following skills in their followers. When timid fish were paired with a very bold fish, the bolder fish "inspired" the timid fish into becoming a very faithful follower. “Our study shows that the process by which leaders and followers emerge is a dynamic one,” said Andrea Manica of the University of Cambridge. “Individuals aren't simply born leaders or followers, but their role in a pair - and we could speculate, in a larger group - is the result of social feedback where everyone plays a role.”

As you read the the Library's recommended books on how to develop your leadership skills, remember that followers can bring out the best in a leader.

Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders
Barbara Kellerman 2008

Living into Leadership: A Journey in Ethics
Bowen H. McCoy 2007

The Leaders We Need: And What Makes Us Follow
Michael Maccoby 2007

The Leadership Challenge
James M. Kouzes 2007

The Nature of Leadership: Reptiles, Mammals, and the Challenge of Becoming a Great Leader
Joseph White 2007

The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking
Roger L. Martin 2007

On Becoming a Leader
Warren Bennis 1989

Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman 2002

The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
John C. Maxwell 2005

Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life
Stewart D. Friedman 2008

Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization
David Logan 2008

Earth Construction

I am fascinated with homes made of dirt. That’s right, dirt. It may seem outlandish to some, but earthen construction (building with materials readily available, and often abundant, in nature) has been around since pre-historic times. The current trendiness of all things “green” has put earthen construction back in the minds of architects and prospective home builders. Turns out this inexpensive, structurally-sound, environmentally-friendly construction method, in which adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth, cob, straw bale, earthbag, and other materials are used, can make for a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing home. A wealth of information on this type of construction is available at the library as well as on the Internet.

Books

Alternative Construction: Contemporary Natural Building Methods

Building with Cob: A Step-by-Step Guide

Buildings of Earth and Straw: Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw-Bale Architecture

Design like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crisis

Earth Construction: A Comprehensive Guide

Earth Sheltered Homes: Plans and Designs

The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime, and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes

Websites and Articles

"Down to Earth Homes" from Mother Earth News
"Earth-sheltered homes cut heating and cooling bills, create weather- and noise-proof shelter and blend in with the landscaping, including comparing options, designing with dirt."

"Earthbag Construction" from Mother Earth News
"Make durable buildings from the dirt in your yard"

Green Home Building
Amazing source of information including information on natural building materials, sustainable architecture, building codes and more

House Alive
Organization that teaches natural building and natural design workshops

Rammed Earth Works
"Provides consulting services to architects, contractors and homeowners wanting to incorporate rammed earth into a green building program"

Presidents Day 2009

With a quick search in Encyclopedia Britannica, I find that the origin of Presidents Day dates back to the 1880s. Originally created to celebrate both George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's birthday, we now generally celebrate all president's birthdays on this day.

Here are some interesting facts about both men (also found in Encyclopedia Britannica):

• Lincoln's birthday is February 12, as is Charles Darwin, Judy Blume and Darren Aronofsky
  
• as a child, Lincoln was a fervent reader, some of his favored books were Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Aesop's Fables, later in life, he enjoyed Shakespeare
• Lincoln is often compared to George Washington in character and politics
• Washington's birthday is February 22, as is Ted Kennedy, Steve Irwin, and Drew Barrymore
• Washington enjoyed a good card game, even betting on those games as well
• before politics, Washington was a skilled surveyor

Obviously, you know that the Austin Public Library is closed today, but that shouldn't stop you from doing research. Our databases are always open!

Reel Love

It’s a bit difficult to be completely rosy when writing a Valentine’s Day blog on Friday the 13th. Even on a less ominous day, it must be said that not everyone is in love with this Hallmark holiday. Whatever your romantic situation, if you just want to curl up and watch a movie on Saturday, then a recent title has the ideal suggestion. Flickipedia: Perfect Films for Every Occasion, Holiday, Mood, Ordeal, and Whim provides a selection of popular and obscure films with short critiques. Below is a small sampling of the book’s topic headings as well as a few of the recommended titles available at your library. Let us know if you have other favorites!

Valentines Day:

• Ninotchka (1939)
• Como agua para chocolate = Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

Dating:

• Witness (1985)
• Masculin Feminin (1966)

Heartbreak:

• Brief Encounter (1945)
• 2046 (2004)

Mr. or Ms. Lonelyhearts:

• You Can Count on Me (2000)
• The Swimmer (1968)

Saturday Evening with No Babysitter:

• Iron Giant (1999)
• Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Austin Oral History

KUT recently recorded its 500th sonic ID. You might have heard one of these snippets on KUT over the past few years. They run anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute and a half and feature a unique tale from an Austinite. Some tell how they fell in love with Austin while others tell of meeting their spouse (typically a funny story). Collectively, the sonic IDs weave the unique fabric that is Austin and us. KUT’s site contains the entire archive.

Oral histories are a vital element in understanding history. These first-person tales provide a participant’s take on history. A basic search for “oral history” in the Austin Public Library’s catalog retrieves a plethora of interesting oral history collections. A brief sampling includes:

We Would Have Played for Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk about the Game They Loved

Israel at Sixty: a Pictorial and Oral History of a Nation Reborn

Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century: Oral Histories of First- to Fourth-Generation Americans from China, Japan, India, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos

Listening Is an Act of Love: a Celebration of American lives from the StoryCorps Project

Tower Stories: an Oral History of 9/11

Voices of Freedom: an Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s through the 1980s

The Library of Congress has built an impressive Veterans History Project. They also provide a nice compilation of veterans’ oral history projects spanning the spectrum of American conflict involvement.

Engaging Investment Insight

“When you look out the window, you see a lot of bad stuff these days: rising unemployment, lousy corporate profits, government bailouts, unprecedented market volatility, soaring home foreclosures, and investor fraud running into the billions of dollars. I’ll pause now while you throw up.”

This quote appeared on the front page of the January 2009 issue of the DRIP Investor. As you can see, it is quite a colorful remark. I found this to be true of all the newly acquired business newsletters the Austin Public Library has added to its business resources collection at the Faulk Central location. Each newsletter is not only peppered with market insights and stock picks but each is written in an entertaining way and is not simply a dry listing of statistical information with charts. I have listed the titles below along with some key distinctive features.

Cabot Market Letter – Each issue of this biweekly publication includes a Watch List of stocks as well as forecasts for Long-Term and Intermediate-Term market trends. A Current Condition market forecast is also included along with a section entitled Market Timing Wrap-Up.

Dick Davis Digest- The focus of this biweekly publication is on providing market insights and stock recommendations. Individual stocks are listed under broad categories such as Healthcare and Consumer. Categories for Mutual and Exchange Traded Funds are also listed. Each newsletter features a Spotlight Stock and a Follow-Up section.

Dines Letter – The focus of this monthly publication is on a broad market analysis. Areas of concentration include common stocks, currencies, precious metals, international markets, the Internet, and bonds and interest rates.

Dow Theory Forecasts-The focus of this weekly publication is on stock market trends and securities reports. A fixture of each issue is a section regarding Market Commentary and another entitled Analysts’ Choice in which a specific stock is featured as well as its recent performance.

DRIP Investor (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) – The focus of this monthly publication is on the performance of companies that allow individuals to buy stock directly from them instead of going through a stock broker and having to pay a broker’s commission. It features a Question & Answer section covering a broad range of market related topics such as, “Is diversification a dead idea?”

Prudent Speculator – The focus of this monthly publication is on the buying of undervalued stocks that have the greatest promise for realizing substantial capital gains over time. It features a Stock of the Month section as well as lists of recommended stocks to buy and lists of recommended stocks to sell.

Martin Weiss’ Safe Money Report – The focus of this monthly publication is on market analysis from a big-picture perspective. It provides the reasoning for it’s analysis in the form of Proofs and lists Forecasts as well as corresponding Actions to be taken. It also features a Question & Answer section covering a broad range of market related topics such as, “Is now a good time to buy a house?”

Morningstar ETFInvestor – The focus of this monthly publication is on the performance of Exchange Traded Funds. A list of ETF Analyst Favorites is included as well as the ETFInvestor 350 Watchlist.

Celebrate Black History Month with a Novel

If you can’t make it to Faulk Central to browse the Contemporary Black Fiction display on the first floor, please use the shortened list below to find a new author to try. The list includes “Urban Fiction” (also know as “Street Fiction”) which is one of the fastest growing genres. Authors who write greatl novels about African American history are Toni Morrison, Edward P. Jones, Caryl Phillips, James McBride and Lalita Tademy.

Family and Relationships
Connie Briscoe
Tajuana Butler
Eric Jerome Dickey
Bebe Moore Campbell
La Jill Hunt
Marita Golden
Brenda Jackson
Margaret Johnson-Hodge
Sandra Kitt
Mary B. Morrison
Terry McMillan
Evelyn Palfrey
Kayla Perrin
Martha Southgate

Literary
Stephen L. Carter
Pearl Cleage
David Anthony Durham
Edwidge Danticat
Percival Everett
James McBride
Edward P. Jones
Paule Marshall
Toni Morrison
Gloria Naylor
ZZ Packer
Caryl Phillips
Lalita Tademy
Alice Walker
Colson Whitehead

Mystery
Eleanor Taylor Bland
Stephen L. Carter
Gar Anthony Haywood
Yolanda Jo
Barbara Neely
Hugh Holton
Walter Mosley
Valerie Wilson Wesley
Paula Woods

Urban Fiction
Chris Abani
Michael Baisden
J. California Cooper
E. Lynn Harris
Donald Goines
Sister Soujah
Vickie Stringer
Nikki Turner
Carl Weber
John Wideman

The Value of a Cultural Education

The Iraqi National Library Director, Dr. Saad Eskander, has had my attention for some time now. Dr. Eskander has been working to restore the Iraqi National Library and Archive (INLA) after it was burned and looted in 2003 by Americans, Sadaam loyalists, Iraqi citizens, and professional thieves. Dr. Eskander estimates that 60% of the archival materials and 95% of the rare books collection were either stolen or destroyed. In particular, he has called on an American organization with strong ties to former President Bush and a number of neoconservative think tanks, the Iraq Memory Foundation, to return an estimated 100 million pages of archival material that was seized by American troops. In order for Iraq to rebuild itself, Dr. Eskander believes a library is essential. He has talked at length with many American news organizations about the value of a library and archive in preserving culture, sharing culture, and providing a “cultural education”. He emphasizes the importance of cultural education in rebuilding a society and combating religious fundamentalism.

Dr. Eskander’s dedication to the INLA has not been without significant struggle. He and his staff have suffered through death threats, sniper attacks, further looting and the like. You can read many of the articles and profiles out there on Saad Eskander in the library’s databases and on the internet. Here is just a sampling:

“The Baghdad Librarian’s Story”
BBC profile of Dr. Eskander

“Books, Tears, and Blood”

Profile of Dr. Eskander, his work, and his struggle from The Guardian

Diary of Saad Eskander

Blog Dr, Eskander kept between Nov. 2006 to July 2007

Iraq National Library and Archives

INLA homepage including photos of the destruction and reconstruction of the library

“Iraq Records Spark Controversy”
“Millions of Saddam Hussein's records could soon be accessible at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University, but the plan has been criticized by the director of the Iraq National Library and Archives (INLA).”*
*To read this article search from Factiva, log in with your library card number, and search for the title of the article.

“Iraq’s Cultural Curators Defy Sectarian Unrest”

NPR piece on Dr. Eskander and the INLA

“The Tale of Iraq’s ‘Cemetery of Books’”

From Academic Search Complete, Saad Eskander’s keynote speech to the Internet Librarian International 2004 conference

Books of Interest

Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries Throughout History

A Universal History of the Destruction of Books: From Ancient Sumer to Modern-Day Iraq

The Book to Movie Biz

Adapting novels to film once again proved to be a winning formula for Oscar nominations in major categories.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was nominated for best picture, best director (David Fincher), best actor (Brad Pitt), best supporting actress (Taraji P. Henson) and best adapted screenplay.

Slumdog Millionaire, based upon Vikas Swarup's novel Q&A, was nominated for best picture, best director (Danny Boyle) and best adapted screenplay.

The Reader, based upon Bernhard Schlink's novel, was nominated for best picture, best director (Stephen Daldry), best actress (Kate Winslet) and best adapted screenplay.

Revolutionary Road, based upon the novel by Richard Yates, was nominated for best supporting actor (Michael Shannon), best art direction and best costume design.

Other new or coming soon movies based on books are:

Defance

Killshot

The Spirit

Yes Man

The Watchmen

Angels and Demons

Atlas Shrugged

Deal Breaker

Neuromancer

The Lovely Bones

Shanatram

Financial Aid

Financial aid deadlines for the 2009-2010 school year are drawing near, so be sure to visit the Austin Public Library’s Research Guide for guidance in filling out the online FAFSA application. The guide provides simplified instructions to help you get started and links to worksheets and web sites. For additional resources, check out Ed Pubs, which allows anyone to order free education publications. Some publications are also available for viewing as a PDF file, such as Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid. Many books on the subject are available for check out or in the reference section of the Faulk Central Library collection:

Scholarships: Billions of Dollars in Free Money for College

The Scholarship Book: The Complete Guide to Private-Sector Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loans for the Undergraduate

The College Board Scholarship Handbook, 2009

Paying for College Without Going Broke

How to Go to College on a Shoe String: The Insider's Guide to Grants, Scholarships, Cheap Books, Fellowships, and Other Financial Aid Secrets

John Updike R.I.P.

John Updike passed away yesterday. He was seventy-six. His career spanned seven decades and provided American letters with an incredible portfolio of novels, short stories, poems, essays, and criticism. The prodigious body of work is schockingly impressive, but even more so for me, is his position as a beacon for a life lived engaged with thoughts and books.

I was fortunate to attend an Updike talk last year. My reflections, as well as a list of notable Updike books, can be found here.

For All the Gold in the World?

As it turns out, it would be about enough to fill two Olympic size swimming pools. This figure takes into account all of the gold ever mined since mankind decided that this intrinsically worthless metal is worth suffering for. The cover story of the current issue of National Geographic (APL also subscribes to National Geographic en Espanol) describes in detail the very high price paid by the individuals extracting gold from the ground as well as the considerable burden on the environment imposed by this remarkably wasteful activity. Consider this, 250 tons of rock were drilled through, pulverized, chemically treated, and finally disposed of just to mine enough gold to cast and polish a single wedding ring.

Staff Picks

We want to keep our book lists and research guides current and fresh, so we are always adding new content. We have just added a new reading list – Faulk Central’s Staff Picks. Last fall I asked staff at Central to send me their favorite book that was published within the last decade. Out of all 60 responses, I only got one duplicate – Kafka on the Shore, and that may be because the main character, Kafka Tamura, lives clandestinely in a quiet, private library in Takamutusu, Japan. I also had to change the time span from 1998-2008 to 1997-2008 because a staff member wanted to include American Pastoral, which was published in 1997; but won the Pulitzer in 1998. For reviews of the books, use Fiction Connection. When you have chosen your next book to read, place a hold, and then pick it up at your convenience.

We Can Save You Money

If you keep any eye on the news, you have probably seen or read about the upsurge in public library use that has coincided with the economic downturn (for example, listen to this excellent segment from the Diane Rehm show [scroll down to 11:00]). Many people turn to their local public library during times of economic crisis to check out books; save on entertainment costs; use computers to access the internet and type up resumes; take free computer classes on subjects like Microsoft Word or Excel; and/or get free assistance from trained librarians on questions regarding anything from foreclosures to job searches to health issues.

Checking books out from the library may not only save you the cost of a book, but could also save you money on home improvement, food, and/or clothing costs. We have books that will give you home improvement ideas complete with step-by-step instructions, books that will get you started growing your own produce, books to help you learn to sew and make your own patterns, and much more. On top of that, we have tons of DVDs and music CDs to take a bite out of that almost $2500 a year the typical American family spends on entertainment costs (see "Consumer Expenditures in 2006").

If you are one of the many people whom do not own a computer or do not have internet access, come to the library and use our computers or bring your laptop in for wireless internet access. If you’re still new to computers or certain computer programs, check out our free computer classes and contact us to sign up. Additionally, we offer a service for an hour a week in which one of our trained, talented librarians will sit in the computer lab and help answer computer questions ranging from how to copy and paste to where to go online to look for jobs.

However, the computer lab isn’t the only place you can take your questions. Professional librarians are on staff at the Faulk Central Library during our open hours. We can help you find information on virtually any topic you can think of and there are many topics we have already created in-depth guides for that can be found here.

Books

101 Ways to Use Your First Sewing Machine

The All-in-One Garden: Grow Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs, and Flowers in the Same Plot

Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew

Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting

No-Fear Home Improvement

Sheetrock & Shellac: A Thinking Person’s Guide to the Art and Science of Home Improvement

MLK Day

The Library is closed Monday, January 19, to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Dr. King’s dream of social equality, justice, and peace continues to be an inspiration to millions across America and the world. Dr. King was in Menphis to support striking black garbage workers in the spring of 1968 before he was assassinated in by a sniper on April 4. Two websites about the life and legacy of this great American hero are: The King Center and the King Institute.

The definitive book about King and his era is America in the King Years, a three-volume history that will endure as a masterpiece of storytelling on American race, violence, and democracy, which the Library owns.

Taste of Sweet

At my house, we are still trying to recover from holiday sugar coma. We overindulged in the delectable pies, cakes, and cookies that tempted us at every holiday party and family gathering. Now that it’s over, we feel guilty and wonder where it all went so wrong. So, when I ran across the book The Taste of Sweet: Our Complicated Love Affair with Our Favorite Treats, I had to check it out.

In the book, author Joanne Chen examines the science, history, and mythology of our sense of sweet. For instance, do you remember being taught that we taste sweet at the front of the tongue, bitter at the back, and so on? Not so. We can taste all flavors all over the tongue, according to psychologist Linda Bartoshuk (p. 22). Chapters are based on questions the author came up with while pondering her own love of sweets. It’s a fun read, especially if you enjoy it with a latte and a few cookies.

The library has books on the other senses as well:

What the Nose Knows: The Science of Scent in Everyday Life by Avery Gilbert

The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell by Rachel Hertz

Inner Touch: Archaeology of a Sensation by Daniel Heller-Roazen

I See a Voice: Deafness, Language, and the Senses--A Philosophical History by Jonathan Rée

A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

John Dos Passos

John Dos Passos was born today…in 1896. He is well-regarded, but not to the level that his work and influence merit. He was a pioneer of the nonlinear novel, polished the stream of consciousness form, and chronicled America’s international ascent and domestic rumblings.

Jean-Paul Sartre considered Dos Passos “the greatest writer of our time.” E.L. Doctorow wrote: “It is a nice irony that not the era’s big literary personalities, but this quiet inhibited young man, would produce the most vaultingly ambitious novel of all—a twelve-hundred-page chronicle of the historic and spiritual life of an entire country in the first three decades of the twentieth century.”

No one was better at revealing the ways in which America and Americans engaged with an increasingly complex world. His disparate characters grabbed at opportunity with élan and shivered with trepidation over war, relationships, and money. Dos Passos portrays a world in which individuals awkwardly strive for better lives. We all wrestle with that.

The U.S.A. Trilogy is Dos Passos’ masterpiece, combining artistic innovation, political criticism, and cultural engagement.

The Austin Public Library owns the separated trilogy:
The 42nd Parallel
1919
The Big Money

We also have the collected trilogy:
The U.S.A. Trilogy

Cuba: All Sides at Once

As of late, I am fascinated by all things Cuban. I am one of many who are watching for signs of political and economic change on the island with eager anticipation. The New York Times Magazine recently featured an article describing daily life in Cuba entitled, “The End of the End of the Revolution.” Everytime recently arrived Cuban immigrants come into the library I question them about contemporary Cuban society and politics and what the Revolution currently means to them.

As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a recent acquisition made by my astute colleagues at the Austin Public Library. The book is entitled, Cuba : Art and History, From 1868 to Today and it enables the reader to develop a deeper, visually rich, understanding of Cuba’s history and its people ranging from way before the Batista dictatorship and the ensuing revolution it helped to bring about, to the revolution’s aftermath and contemporary Cuban society.

Deep in the Art of Texas

The Blanton Museum is currently showing Alternate Worlds: The Visionary Artist in Texas, an exhibition of paintings, objects and works on paper from the Blanton's collection by Swearingen and fellow Texas artists Eddie Arning, John Banks, Hector Alonzo Benevides, Carl Dixon, Peter Drgac, Mark Cole Greene and Ike Morgan. These Texas artists offer unique interpretations of our everyday lives.

The exhibit may inspire you to learn more about Texas artists at your Library. We received three new books – the top three listed - about Texas artists in 2008, which is a record number for one year.

A Texas Journey: the Centennial Photographs of Polly Smith

Intimate Modernism: Fort Worth Circle Artists in the 1940s

Julian Onderdonk: American Impressionist

Core: Artists and Critics in Residence - Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Traces of Forgotten Places: an Artist's Thirty-year Exploration and Celebration of Texas

Melissa Miller

Jerry Bywaters, Interpreter of the Southwest

The Art and Life of Lucas Johnson

Health Information on the Internet

There is a glut of health information to be found on the internet and it is sometimes difficult to gauge which of these websites contain the most accurate information. On our website, you can now find a comprehensive guide to the best health related websites on the internet. The types of websites range from doctor locators to social networks to blog directories. More and more people are turning to the internet to research their health conditions, find licensed and highly rated doctors, and interact with people all over the country dealing with similar health issues. Though approaching health research can be overwhelming, armed with APL’s new guide and the below listed pieces of advice, you should be off to a good start.

1. Analyze the make up of a web address and be wary of addresses that end in a .com. .Com usually denotes a commercial organization’s website. .Org, .gov, and .edu represent non-profit organizations, government offices and departments, and educational institutions, respectively. Knowing more about the type of organization that has created a website will help you decide how credible the information being provided is. Also, looking for an About Us or similar section on the website will reveal more about the creators of that website.

2. By joining a health related social network you can discuss treatments, doctor advice, and more with others experiencing similar health issues. By locating a blog pertaining to your health condition you can find advice, read about new developments, and interact with the medical professionals or patients who write it.

3. If you’ve decided to look into the medical literature (articles written about various subjects pertaining to the medical profession), only worry about reading the Introduction and the Discussion/Conclusions sections of each article. This will help you get to the gist of the article without having to stumble over the more technical aspects. Also, search for review articles that synthesize the literature for you and make your research a little easier.

4. Use "Deciphering Medspeak", a publication by the Medical Library Association, to help you understand any medical jargon you might come across.

5. Finally, when using our new guide be sure to look for the top 10 most useful health websites, denoted by an *, as selected by the Medical Library Association.

And, as always, the librarians here at APL are available every day of the week to answer any questions you might have about health information on the internet.

You, too, can be Crafty!

I know I posted about New Year’s resolutions a couple years ago, but today’s post has a slightly different slant. This year, my resolution is to be craftier. Austin has got to be one of the craftiest towns I’ve ever had the honor of living in and I am so happy for it. I must say, I’m handy with a sewing machine, needle and thread, but have no clue how to knit or crochet. I’m a pretty good embroiderer, but I have no idea how to start a mosaics project. I like to think I know how to scrapbook, but no way am I anywhere near a sculptor! There are a lot of things I’d like to learn and this is the year I’m going to do it. If you feel the same way, check out the links below for help in fulfilling that craft dream. Good luck and let me know what crafty endeavors you’re up to!

Craft books can be found anywhere in the 740s…best thing to do if you’re open to anything is to scan those shelves in any of our Libraries. Otherwise, check these specific titles out for some help:

Subversive Cross Stitch one of my favorites! Not something your Grandma would ever have imagined.

Ultimate A to Z companion to 1,001 needlecraft terms for when you have no idea what aida cloth is or how to understitch, this is the book for you.

Amigurumi! : super happy crochet cute I must learn how to crochet and this is my goal to learn, how to make super cute creatures!

Here are just a few of the hundreds of cool Austin craft websites, take a look at them for hands on help and help in getting started with materials:

Future Craft Collective: a site dedicated to bringing kids into the crafty world and getting them excited about it! Lists classes, events and workshops.

Average Jane Crafter: a blog that lays it out there for you, even you – an everyday average person – can craft! Lots of great links, free patterns and other fun blogs.

Austin Craft-o-Rama: a brick and mortar store right here in Central Austin. Yards and yards of fabulous fabric and classes for everyone. A must visit for any crafter.

Finally, check out this research guide I wrote, it’s a primer for anyone looking to get started in fabric crafts or just needs a fresh idea! (Feel free to let us know if you have an organization or association that meets, we’ll add you to the guide.)

Another new database!

The wait is over. JSTOR is now available at the Austin Public Library! Thousands of academic journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences are keyword searchable and appear in PDF format. Search results also include a tab for relevant images. Access is unlimited within the Austin Public Libraries while remote access with a library card number is limited to three concurrent users.

JSTOR also provides tutorials for searching, using the Article Locator, as well as creating a MyJSTOR account. Account holders can save citation lists to print, export, or email later. If the tutorials aren't enough help, you can always Ask a Librarian.

Happy New Year. Happy Reading.

***Book club plug***

I would like to invite you to attend one of the Austin Public Library’s book clubs this spring. The Austin Public Library hosts a variety of book clubs throughout the city. From classics to sci-fi to notable contemporary titles, we have a book club for you. For a list of dates and titles, click here.

Below is a rundown of the book clubs run by the Faulk Central Library.

Graphic Novels Book Club
January 21: Blankets by Craig Thompson
February 18: Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
March 25 (4th Wed., not 3rd to avoid SXSW): Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
April 15: Watchmen by Alan Moore
May 20: Y: The Last Man (vol. 1) by Brian Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Meets at: Halcyon (218 W. 4th St)
7-8pm

Contemporary Fiction Book Club
February 2: Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
March 2: Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner
April 1: The End by Salvatore Scibona
May 4: Goldengrove by Francine Prose
Meets at: Little City (916 Congress)
7-8pm

Still Life

To me, Mickey Rourke’s life is a movie unto itself. As a younger man, his was poised to take his place amongst the great actors of the Twentieth Century. Critics heralded and lauded his acting abilities and likened him to giants such as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Robert De Niro. Sadly, his success went straight to his head and after making a series of critically acclaimed films his career imploded. A series of very poor films followed and a talent burning bright with promise slowly began to dim.

Fast forward ten years later, Mickey Rourke is back staring in a new film, the Wrestler, that once again has critics rumbling about a potential Oscar win. The Austin Public Library has collected several of his films that are representative of the greatness he once exhibited and that has resurfaced these many years later. Check them out and see for yourself.

Rumble fish

Angel heart

Diner

9 1/2 weeks

Barfly

Hadrian

The Library has a new book about Hadrian, the Roman Emperor. Lavishly illustrated with key works of art and objects, sculptures, bronzes, coins and medals, drawings, and watercolors from museums around the globe, Hadrian: Empire and Conflict
conveys a vivid sense of the world Hadrian inhabited. The author shows the emperor from many angles—as a complex individual, as a military leader and strategist, as the amateur architect who created magnificent buildings such as his villa at Tivoli (an empire in miniature), as the lover who deified his male lover Antinous after his mysterious death, and, finally, as the traveler who tirelessly roamed his empire and its boundaries.

A much older book, The Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, recounts Hadrian's boyhood, his triumphs and reversals, his deep love affair with Antinous, and his gradual reordering of a war-torn world in an imagined letter to his successor and adopted grandson, Marcus Aurelius. The book captures the inner thoughts and feelings of a wise old man nearing death and offering his wisdom to his young heir. The greatness of the book is due to Yourcenar's extensive research and brilliant writing, and its universal wisdom.
It's many readers favorite book.

See more historical fiction in the Library's Good Reads list.

Job Hunting Means Networking

When you're trying to find a job, you really need to use the power of your network. Face-to face networking tends to be the best way to find a new job. So says an article in the New York Times. But use social networking sites to find potential contacts. Join a network of people to share job ideas and leads, and keep up morale.

The Library's Job Searching Guide has a section on social networking, with links to the most popular websites. Select "Social Networking" from the top index.

Come to the Library after the holidays to use the public computers to create and print a resume, sign up for an MS Excel class, or find companies in your field.

Alive

36 years ago on this day the survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force crash were rescued in the Andes. Their story is a familiar one. You may have read the book, you may have seen the movie, or you may know the story firsthand. Those who survived, did so through horrific weather conditions and made difficult decisions, one of which was turning to cannibalism. These young men survived the mountains for ten weeks before being rescued by helicopter. And even then, the rescue took two days, leaving six survivors in the mountains before being able to return.

The survivors have put together a very nice website detailing the crash and everything after. Visit today and help celebrate their rescue. While you're in the Library check out the books and movie on their story.

The Story of the Andes Survivors: Alive

Miracle in the Andes

Alive (movie)

If this topic interests you, you should check out more:
Left for dead : surviving the deadliest storm in modern sailing history

35 miles from shore : the ditching and rescue of ALM flight 980

Survive: stories of castaways and cannibals

Follow/Friend/Fan APL

Have you found the Austin Public Library on the social networking sites yet? We have pages on MySpace and Facebook, so become our friend and/or fan. We update the sites with our blog posts, news about the library, program announcements, and photos from our events.

No time to surf the web? Then, follow us on Twitter! Short text announcements (140 characters or less) can be delivered directly to your phone and to your Twitter account online. You'll be the first to find out about our programs, new databases, important library updates, and much more. Also be sure to check out our online events calendar for youth and adults. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up with all of the fun and informative programs we have scheduled for 2009!

The best part about these social networking sites is that it's easy to let us know your thoughts. Send us comments, write on our wall, text us @replies. No matter how you do it, we want to hear from you!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!

Austin Public Library customers can now enjoy online access to more than 800 full-content newspapers and magazines through our newest database - PressDisplay.
Visually stunning, PressDisplay presents the periodicals in their traditional format and layout, including color images, editorial content, classifieds, and advertisements.
Once inside a newspaper, readers can turn the pages as if holding the actual paper, zooming into individual images and articles. But you should see for yourself - you will be impressed.

2666

Have you ever felt like you were the last person to find out about something important or artistically great? That was the feeling that overcame me as I confidently brought up the subject of Chilean born writer Roberto Bolano to a couple of my highly literate friends. One of my friends was gracious in his response while the other, who lived in Chile for 20 years, simply rolled his eyes and pitied me. Luckily for me, and the rest of Austin, my well informed colleagues at the Austin Public Library have already acquired many of his books including a title that appears in the New York Times as one of the best books for 2008, 2666. However, be forewarned. If you’re expecting fantastical tales involving magical realism you will be sorely disappointed. Bolano’s fiction is bracing and dark and in keeping with a man who has not lived an easy life.

English Translations:

2666

The savage detectives

Nazi literature in the Americas

Last evenings on Earth

Amulet

Distant star

By night in Chile

Original Spanish:

Nocturno de Chile

Amuleto

Los detectives salvajes

El secreto del mal

Putas asesinas

Crooning Christmas

I don’t know about you, but when the holidays come ‘round, I enjoy listening to Frank Sinatra. For some reason Mr. Sinatra exudes something special at this time of year. I am not one who enjoys going to the mall or shopping centers to do any kind of Christmas spending, but if Frank is crooning over the loudspeakers, it makes everything a little better. I recently read that he put forth the extra effort at this time of year. He loved the holidays. Perhaps it is because his mother was born on Christmas day, or perhaps it is because today is his birthday, but whatever the reason, we’re happy he did. If you’re in the mood for some Sinatra check out the following titles. You can find more by doing a simple search for “Frank Sinatra” in our catalog. Enjoy the holidays.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas sound recording

Christmas songs by Sinatra

Christmas is...

DY-NO-MITE!

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, amassed unimaginable wealth, and earned the merchant of death epithet that hounded him throughout his latter years. Wanting to leave a more positive legacy, Nobel arranged for the creation of the Nobel Prizes—to be awarded after his death—through a substantial endowment.

The annual prizes award “achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace.” In some fields, notably literature, the prize is typically perceived as a lifetime achievement award, whereas the peace prize is often awarded to an individual or group for a unique peace brokerage. No matter the criteria, receiving a Nobel Prize exalts the recipient to rarefied air. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded 107 years ago on December 10, 1901.

For a comprehensive list of all Nobel laureates, including brief biographical information and acceptance speeches, click here.

The Austin Public Library owns hundreds of books by Nobel Prize winners. An author search by the writer that interests you will reveal what titles the Austin Public Library owns. Using your library card and PIN, you can then place holds on your preferred titles and designate to which location you would like them sent.

The below titles provide history and insight into the Nobel Prize and its winners:

Alfred Nobel: a Biography

Champions of Peace: the Story of Alfred Nobel, the Peace Prize and the Laureates

The Moral Architecture of World Peace: Nobel Laureates Discuss Our Global Future

The Politics of Excellence: Behind the Nobel Prize in Science

Genius Talk: Conversations with Nobel Scientists and Other Luminaries

It's the Thought (Book) That Counts

Publishers that are advertising in the major book reviewing publications are using the hook "It's the thought that counts", hoping that this holiday season we will thoughtfully choose the perfect book for someone we know. Below are some "best of 2008" book lists to help you with your book shopping.

New York Times Best 100 books


Austin Public Library's Good Reads - Fiction


Austin Public Library's Good Reads - Nonfiction

Economists's Best Books of the Year

Library Journal's Best Books of 2008

Amazon's Best of 2008

NPR's Best Books of 2008


Publisher's Weekly Best of 2008

International Herald Tribune's 10 Best

Washington Post's Best Books of 2008

Traveling Librarian: Travis County Law Library

The Traveling Librarian only had to walk a few blocks for an informative tour of the Travis County Law Library today. The library is small, but houses a multitude of resources for both lawyers and the public. Texas Statutes and Case books are available for checkout to attorneys with a current Texas Bar card. The library also has thousands of reproducible forms as well as a variety of books on all topics of federal and state law. Four public computers provide access to legal web sites, forms, Lexis-Nexis, and Westlaw. Reference librarians can help you locate the resources you need, and a reference attorney is available to assist with paperwork for some family law cases. Here are just a few of the online resources highlighted in the training:

Texas Law Help – free forms, legal information, and Legal Aid Directory. Browse by topic or search by keyword. Also available for other states, in Spanish, and in Vietnamese.

Free Texas Forms – a quick reference listing the most frequently requested forms available on Texas Law Help

Travis County Law Library Research Links – find links to statutes, codes, courts, rules, departments, agencies, associations, and other law libraries

TexasOnline – Texas government portal (recently revamped to be more user friendly!)

The Austin Public Library also has many legal resources including our Legal Research Guides, law databases, and books available for checkout or through our Netlibrary ebook collection. Just ask if you need help locating materials on a specific topic.

Back to the Future?

Havana, Cuba prior to the 1959 Communist Revolution is a place that fascinates me. I have always been a sucker for spectacle. I imagine breath-taking beach scenes and a tropical paradise. I imagine narrow streets teeming with nightlife. I imagine brightly light casinos blasting their illumination onto passers by. I imagine Afro-Cuban rhythms and distant echoes of trumpets lifting people off sidewalks and into nightclubs packed with stylishly dressed people.

It turns out that what I imagine is almost exactly how it was. Of course, what I fail to imagine is the bloody apparatus of political dictatorship coupled with a tight Mafia control that perpetuated this mythical tourist fantasy land. I also fail to imagine the crippling poverty endured by the people living in the countryside and the decades of exploitation they suffered by foreign owned companies focused on the production, sale, and exportation of sugar.

In Havana Nocturne, T.J. English does a superb job of painstakingly, yet very entertainingly, explaining all the forces at work and their varying motivations that culminated in the creation of a gambling paradise for the Mafia as well as a potent political insurgency that left its mark on history and inspired similar uprisings internationally.

Related Titles:

The Mafia in Havana : a Caribbean mob story

Havana before Castro : when Cuba was a tropical playground

The silent don : the criminal underworld of Santo Trafficante, Jr

Gangsters, swindlers, killers, and thieves : the lives and crimes of fifty American villains

Fulgencio Batista

The early Fidel : roots of Castro's communism

Fidel Castro handbook

Che Guevara : a revolutionary life

Compaanero : the life and death of Che Guevara

2008 National Book Award Winners

November means many things to many folks: Day of the Dead, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, football weekends. There is another—albeit less known—cultural event each November. Every mid-November the National Book Foundation gathers in Manhattan for a celebration of the past year’s written word. The zenith of the evening comes with the presentation of the Nation Book Awards. See who the nominees were or place a hold on one of the 2008 winners:

Fiction
Shadow Country
Peter Matthiessen cut, revamped, and reformed his Watson trilogy

Nonfiction
The Hemingses of Monticello: an American Family
Annette Gordon-Reed discusses the close relationship between the Hemingses and Jefferson families

Poetry
Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems
a selection from Mark Doty’s seven books of poetry.