Looking for a book?

Fancy something to read, but not sure what?  Want some recommendations?  Or do you just like a good book review?  Well, why not try out this site:  Nerdy Book Club

With a huge archive of book reviews, this is certainly one enjoyable way to find something you may like to read!

Hooray!

My blog has had over 1000 page views  :)  This may not seem like a lot to some people, but is an achievement for me.  So thank you to everyone who reads this  :D

A life of Crime?

Well, the polls are in: and it seems that Crime is the topic of choice in the public library world!

Get Borrowing!

Looking through the list of the most borrowed books of 2012, it's interesting to see so many crime novels in the top 20.  James Patterson has certainly been very busy!

(I also love that the most borrowed childrens fiction book is the Gruffalo.  A brilliant book).  Its nice to see that the classics are still popular, with Roald Dahl still featuring heavily on the borrowing figures.

What does anyone else think of the list?  Anything you think should be there but isn't?

Another academic year

And so here we are, at the start of a new academic year, all bright and enthused and ready to go... or at least, as enthused as you can be at 3.40pm after a busy day...  We've had *lots* of student inductions today, so we've had many students through the door.  We've also had lots of questions and issuing of materials, so a good start to the year!  I still need to get used to having so many students about though, having had a relatively quiet but steady summer.

So, what are my plans for the year?  Still undecided as to the details, but with broad project ideas to work with.  I've made a start with a few new Prezi presentations for our team, which have gone down very well - this tool has been a great find from the cpd23 things course.  I'm hoping to develop more with this program, with possibly the end aim of creating an online Library induction - has anyone reading this blog tried this?  How did it work?  Any hints and tips gratefully received!  For now?  I think it's time i got back to my withdrawing  :)  Talk soon!

I'm still here...

... though you would be forgiven if you had thought I had dissappeared completely, it's been so long since I last posted.  (I actually hadn't realised just how long until I looked back at my blog...)

So, what have I been up to?  Nothing completely earthshattering with regards to work - just making my way along as usual, and trying to make up some more professional development time: something which is hard to do after 6 years in the job.  cpd23 definately helped with that this year, but since I completed it I'm having to look for some more options.  Any suggestions are more than welcome!

I've been keeping up with the reading, and am still really enjoying reading about what you are all getting up to in your libraries.  We are heading to the end of term now (just about 4 weeks to go!) and are alternatively packed with people trying to get assessments finished, and really quiet - as we are now: I think all the students are out enjoying the sunshine, and who would blame them?  Once the holidays start, we'll get going with all the routine jobs again - stocktake this summer (though don't tell anyone - I think they're planning that for the first couple of weeks of the holiday when I happen to be on leave - sorry girls!).  I've been really productive and made some mini-bunting for a little Jubilee themed book display which I'll be putting up next week.  Just business as usual really.  How about the rest of you - are you celebrating Jubilee weekend with anything special?

Winter wonderland

All Libraries are wonderlands, aren't they?  So the title works  :)

I'm going to go all festive as we're at the end of November (though if you ask those I work with, I've been counting down the days for a while now...) and I think I'm going to put up the decorations at work today!  Granted, this is slightly earlier than I would do usually, but I'm out at one of the branch sites and I only work here 2 days a week.  So if it doesn't get done today, I won't get the chance until next Tuesday, and the lovely lady I work with has said I can get the decorations out of their boxes!  (she actually said I could decorate last week if I felt like it, and though tempted, I decided it was a bit early - even for me).

So, the question out to all of you in blogland: when do you decorate and turn your Libraries / workplaces into winter wonderlands?

Chocolate for Librarians? I think so!

With Christmas coming, I'm sure that you're all looking for some lovely presents for that librarian in your life (or, if you are that librarian, looking for something to put on your wish list to Santa!)  How about this (click link!): a perfect Library of chocolates!

(p.s. - I'm not endorsing this product or website in any way - I just happened to find them and thought it was a cool idea.  I'm taking no responsibility for the actions of any of you who just have to buy - or find something else when browsing!)