Dreams & Swords

April 2006 issue

March2006 issue
February 2006 issue
November 2005 issue

Dreams & Swords
All books are either dreams or swords,
You can cut, or you can drug, with words.
- Amy Lowell (Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds)

Check the Library's website for the archives of the Dreams & Swords column.

"Change Your World @ Your Library."
The March Dreams & Swords column didn't appear in the last issue of the Gargoyle, but you can find it archived on the Library's website. The column focused on Women's History Month and some of the interesting resources your college library provides. So, if you're curious as to who the Guerrilla Girls are, or interested in exploring the sociological and economic impact of Tupperware or Barbie, or want to read the Woman's Bible, or want to learn about the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy by the United States government, check out the column.

For our April column, we're highlighting National Library Week and the various activities our library is sponsoring. "Change Your World @ Your Library" is the theme of this year's National Library Week (April 2 - 8). In celebration we'll be hosting a movie night in the Library, a student trivia contest, and a poll soliciting information from faculty, staff and administrators on their reading, film and web interests.

Tuesday night, April 4, at 7:00, the Library will be showing a classic film whose protagonist is a librarian (yes, such films do exist and as a matter-of-fact a documentary is currently being made titled The Hollywood Librarian: Librarians in Cinema and Society … sure to rival March of the Penguins at the box office). Popcorn and lemonade will be served.

Throughout the week, students are invited to participate in a trivia contest and be entered into a drawing for a collection of prizes (on display in the Library). The haul includes a gift certificate from Capitol Book & News, two passes to the Capri, a music CD, a dvd of the film Crash, a copy of the first issue of the new comic Rex Libris (the true power of the secret society of librarians finally revealed!), and many other items selected by the library faculty and staff and donated by some of our favorite local retailers.

Campus faculty, staff and administrators have been invited to participate in a poll that shares their reading, film and web interests including best, worst, funniest, and scariest books read; best film seen; and favorite website visited for fun. You may have taken notice of the American Library Association READ posters hanging throughout the Library. A drawing will be held and one faculty, staff member or administrator will win the opportunity to be immortalized in his or her own READ poster, which will be framed and hung in the Library.

We'll also be sharing results from OCLC's "Top 1000" list of items held in libraries worldwide. OCLC is the Online Computer Library Center and has over 50,000 members around the globe (including us). In 2005, the Center compiled a list of the top 1000 items held by its member libraries. Come see what titles topped the list - what the top children's titles are, the top music titles, the top banned book titles ...

So, we look forward to seeing you during National Library Week. Change your world at your library.

Eric A. Kidwell
Director of the Library