Blogalogue - what's wicked in Libraryland

Sit. Stay. Read.

2009-11-11T01:00:00.003+11:00

Dogs help L-plate readers
You may have heard about Dewey the library cat, but how about a library having a therapy dog?

A recent news story that caught my eye has it that dogs can help people learn to read. Dogs, you see, are patient, non-judgemental and don't know more than the novice reader. Reading to a dog boosts confidence and reduces stress and some libraries in America have visiting therapy dogs to help with their reading programs.

I wonder if it would work with cats? Or teddy bears?

harps

Frankston Blogs

2009-11-10T17:23:00.006+11:00

7 locals blog off
Frankston Blogs, an experiment in community blogging, has started.

Here's who blogging:

Alex (librarianship student, you might have seen her around the Library)
Bronwyn (art historian)
Bruce (Hon, MP, Liberal member for Dunkley, you may have voted for him)
comrade harps (dodgy haiku blogger)
Simon (urban design consultant)
Stephanie (nursing student) and
Yvette (foreshore dog walker)

The affected lowercase comrade has already suggested that he votes his preferences away from his local member, so it'll be interesting to see how they'll get on. Will they find a common humanity and shared parochialism?

All are invited to leave comments on the public musings of these colourful local identities.

harps

Free Internet at Mahogany

2009-11-09T01:00:00.004+11:00

Get web in Frankston North
The Mahogany Neighbourhood Centre now has free public broadband web access available.

There are 3 computers available Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 4.30pm and they can be booked in 30 or 60 minute blocks. Bookings can be made by calling into the centre at 26 Mahogany Avenue or phoning 9786 1445.

harps

Victoria's literary history on display

2009-11-07T01:00:00.003+11:00

The Independent Type:
Books and Writing in Victoria
The exhibition
This free travelling exhibition celebrates Victoria's rich and diverse written culture, highlighting the stories, the voices and the spirit of independence that have made our literature unique.
.
When: Saturday, 14 November - Sunday, 13 December
(not open Monday, 30 November thru Wednesday, 2 December)
Where: Frankston Library

The talk
The Curator's Talk is an engaging introduction to the exhibition, presented by Steve Grimwade.

When: Tuesday, 17 November, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Where: Frankston Library
Bookings: 9784 1020

harps

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - it's voting time!

2009-11-04T11:09:00.008+11:00

The Australian Book Review magazine is running a vote on the favourite Australian novel and there's a lot of books up as prizes. First prize is the complete, 99 book Popular Penguins series - now that's a temptation! Voting closes 1 Feb 2010.

.
Kim

Libraries closed for upgrade

2009-11-03T01:00:00.005+11:00

Libraries closed 30 Nov to 2 Dec
To enable the installation of RFID equipment, we need to take some time out to let the techs have their way with our desks and computers. To this end, the libraries will be closed on the following days:

Frankston Library and Carrum Downs will be closed Monday, 30 November and Tuesday and Wednesday, 1 and 2 December.

Although the returns chutes will be closed from 4:00 pm Sunday, 29 November, you can still return your loans to the Langwarrin and Seaford Council Shops, where you can also access public computer, printing and photocopying services.

RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) will allow members to issue their own loans, regardless of format, so you'll be able to borrow CDs and DVDs through the new self checkout units as well as books and magazines.

harps

Alternative arrangements for Frankston returns

2009-11-02T01:00:00.003+11:00

Return to the desk at Frankston
17-18 November
While work is done in the returns room at Frankston Library, the returns chutes will be closed on Tuesday, 17 November and Wednesday, 18 November.

During library hours, you'll be able to return items to the Issues Desk. After hours returns can be made at the Carrum Downs Library, where the chutes are adjacent to the car park.

The work is associated with the change over to an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) based circulation system, which will enable you to borrow all formats through self serve checkouts.

harps

Shame makes the world go around

2009-11-01T01:00:00.002+11:00

Roo Boy's book
One of the best to play the game.
A match winner.
A bad boy too.

Place your reserve now.

For more new biographies, take a look at the what's new page.

harps

Free Christmas movie night

2009-10-29T14:14:00.007+11:00

The Muppet
Christmas Carol
Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet cast do their take on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Of course, it's a lot funnier that the book.

When: Thursday, 10 December at 6:30 pm
Where: Frankston Library Long Room
Bookings: 9784 1020

harps

Where's the Fast Fiction?

2009-10-29T01:00:00.002+11:00

Frankston's
Fast Fiction
selection is now residing in front of the Non-Fiction collection.

With Fast Fiction, you can find a selection of adult fiction books grouped by genre; things like romance, fantasy and horror.

harps

Crossing live to Japan

2009-10-27T01:00:00.002+11:00

Sister city video chat
Frankston's sister city is Susono in Japan, and this Sunday we'll cross live to an Australian Fair in Susono via a video link in the Frankston Library's Community Room 2 (aka, The Long Room, on the ground floor).

You'll be able to observe the activities in Japan and communicate with the locals. In turn, the folk from Susono can find out a bit about Frankston.

When: 1 to 3:00 pm, 1 November
Where: Frankston Library Long Room

harps

A challenging title

2009-10-26T08:50:00.000+11:00

The longest title?
While wandering through the web I happened to come across the longest and possibly most ridiculous book title I have ever seen:

History of the Great Rebellion. From its commencement to its close, giving an account of its origin, The Secession of the Southern States, and the Formation of the Confederate Government, the concentration of the Military and Financial resources of the federal government, the development of its vast power, the raising, organizing, and equipping of the contending armies and navies; lucid, vivid, and accurate descriptions of battles and bombardments, sieges and surrender of forts, captured batteries, etc., etc.; the immense financial resources and comprehensive measures of the government, the enthusiasm and patriotic contributions of the people, together with sketches of the lives of all the eminent statesmen and military and naval commanders, with a full and complete index. From Official Sources.
By Thomas P. Kettell

If you're having trouble believing that someone could actually do that, here it is on Google Books.
I wish to issue a challenge to all comers to outdo me and find a more long-winded title (or subtitle, as the case may be). Please leave your contenders in the comments section, preferably with a link to the source.

The prize?

Er...

Well, bragging rights are good, right?

Scott

Libraries closed Melbourne Cup Day

2009-10-21T09:57:00.007+11:00

In celebration of equine immortality
Frankston and
Carrum Downs Libraries
will be closed on
Melbourne Cup Day
Tuesday, 3 November

The returns chutes at Frankston will close at
9pm on Monday, 2 November
and re-open at 9am on Wednesday, 4 November.
.
Returns at Carrum Downs will cease on
Monday, 2 November when the library closes at 6pm
and will resume at 11am, Wednesday, 4 November.

harps

Mamma Mia! screening

2009-10-21T09:30:00.007+11:00

Great songs
ordinary singing
in the Long Room
Be a dancing queen at a special screening of the sing-a-long favourite, Mama Mia! (Rated PG). Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan let rip with karaoke precision in this feel good comedy musical that's peppered with hits from '70s mega group, ABBA.

Entry: free
Fresh popcorn: $2
Where: Frankston Library's Long Room
When: Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 6:00pm
.

harps

Back to the future

2009-10-21T09:00:00.004+11:00

Celebrating Mechanics Institutes
It's History Week 2009 and we've just launched the Frankston residency of a travelling display on the history of the Mechanics Institutes of Victoria. The display features pictures and stories from around the state, with a special emphasis on Frankston's own Mechanics Institute.

Mechanics Institutes were (and still are in some places) the local home of what we would now call lifelong learning. Many became public libraries and Frankston's first free library was established in 1880 with 300 books at the Mechanics Institute on Nepean Highway. They were also places for classes, meetings and debate, which is the kind of thing public libraries are now catching up on.

The display is in and near the Long Room at Frankston Library until the end of the first week of November.

harps

yourtutor afternoon tea

2009-10-20T14:44:00.007+11:00

Margaret and Glenn invite you
In the frame is our yourtutor top 15 national e-learner leader award. In the box is afternoon tea.

To help us celebrate the former, we invite you to share with us the latter.

yourtutor is our online homework help service, connecting students up to year 12 with tutors between the hours of 4 and 8:00pm, Monday to Friday.

When: Friday, 23 October, 4 - 4:30 pm
Where: Frankston Library Long Room
.
harps

It's the end of the world as we know it?

2009-10-20T08:50:00.005+11:00

There is the theory...
The story goes that the Maya Long Count calendar ends on or about 12 December, 2012 (fortunately, after the London Olympics). Some people see great doom, gloom and planet ending dread in this. Others, a little more optimistically, see it as the dawn of the New Age. Skeptics reckon on it being a non-event, like the time that Adelaide sneakily survived an earthquake and tsunami prediction back in the 1976.

Anyway, in the tradition of Irwin Allen, comes the 2012 disaster movie, out soon (the producers obviously want to make their money on it well before the due date). It makes for a cool trailer.

We have numerous books on the whole 2012 thing; some are fiction and others, well, we'll see.

harps

September 09 customer feedback

2009-10-19T16:35:00.004+11:00

I'm excited!
It's my favourite blogging time of the month. It's when we get to read what really cheeses our library customers off, what turns them on and how our Library management team respond to the hot button issues. Sometimes it's feisty, but there's also plenty of nice stuff: we are good!

So, if you dare, here's the September 2009 customer feedback for Frankston and Carrum Downs for your reading pleasure.

harps

Playback feedback

2009-10-19T15:15:00.005+11:00

On Friday night,

something special happened
in the library.

Regina said:
It was wonderful to have Playback Theatre in my community...
it touched me deeply;
cheering for a woman on morphine patches (surprise!),
belly laughing, wonder, joy, comedy,
who we really are.
Thank you.

Jess said:
I had a disappointing day
and it put a smile on my face :)

We hope to play guest to the
Melbourne Playback Theatre
again.

.
Libraries change lives.

harps

Library TV special report: We have great coffee!

2009-10-16T15:31:00.006+11:00

harps

The 2009 Noble Prize for Literature

2009-10-13T12:26:00.005+11:00

Goes to Herta Müller
A German speaking Romania whose father was mixed up with some dubious stuff back when (and whose mother spent 5 years in a labour camp with the winners), Herta understandably has been awarded for her writing about "the landscape of the dispossessed" and having done so with "the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose". Maybe concentration is a poorly chosen word.

Herta's work has been translated into English and we currently have one, The Land of Green Plums, currently circulating.

On a lighter note, you might have a bit of fun with the official Noble Prize in Literature games page!

harps

Printing upgrade this week

2009-10-13T12:14:00.003+11:00

No PCs, printing or copying
this Wednesday and Thursday
at Frankston and Carrum Downs
Due to upgrade work on the Library's printing and photocopying system, there will be no public computer access, no printing and no photocopying available at the Frankston and Carrum Downs Libraries Wednesday, 14 and Thursday, 15 October.

Wifi access at Frankston will still be available, as will PC access, printing and copying at the Seaford and Langwarrin customer service centres.

The new system will be more convenient, enabling access to print jobs from a touch screen/card swipe unit located at each copier.

harps

What Frankston's new desk is about

2009-10-12T16:49:00.002+11:00

harps

Suspended by blue balloons at your library

2009-10-12T16:43:00.004+11:00

In recognition of Anxiety and Depression Awareness month.

harps

October's live music

2009-10-10T01:00:00.004+11:00

Live in the Library Lounge
at Frankston
Sunday, 11 October, 1:30-3:00pm
One of Frankston's favourite buskers, Eric Parker, returns for an encore performance!

Sunday, 25 October, 1:30-3:00pm
Members of the Mornington CEF Players sing hits from the fifties and sixties featured in the jukebox musical Return to the Forbidden Planet, inspired by the classic sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet, itself based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest! Super.

harps