A blog to keep up on what's happening for teens at Brooks Memorial Library including: • new books • events • resources available • fun website suggestions • ... and more.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Reading to others


Do you have a younger brother or sister, or an elderly relative with failing eyesight? How about reading a book out loud today? This counts towards your reading time. Did you have a favorite book when you were in kindergarten? Probably you had at least one book that you wanted to hear over and over again. Was it Goodnight, Moon? Or Peter Rabbit? What was your favorite book to listen to? Dig out your copy and share it with a young friend today! If all else fails, read it to your cat!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

ILL = Inter-Library Loan


No, it doesn’t mean that you can borrow a library! But it might mean that you can get your hands on just about any book you want. Now, isn’t that exciting? There are a few rules and limitations (see pamphlet on the reference desk) but basically you fill out a white card with as much information as you have (author, title, publisher etc.) and then the ILL team searches for the book at other libraries. Then they send off an e-mail requesting that the book be mailed to Brooks. Hopefully you get it within two weeks, but you'll need to be patient. A little known fact is that books are not the only item that can be requested. You could get a video, CD, or DVD as well.
And did you know that there are libraries that have some "out of the ordinary" collections? I hear that there is one library in Iowa that loans out cake pans! I triple dare someone to try and ILL a cake pan!! Okay, just kidding! But ILL is there to meet your needs and is a great tool for expanding the items available to you to help you meet your information needs.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Magazines

Why not read a magazine today? Have you checked out the magazines available at the library? You’ll find many magazines against the back wall of the library. And if you are looking for a magazine that is especially geared towards teenagers they are kept in the Teen Room. You can’t miss them. Whether you are into fashion or sports, they are all there. The newest addition to the collection is Shonen Jump.

Did you know that you could check out magazines? Any magazine NOT in a plastic cover (which indicates it is the newest issue) is available to be checked out. For more about teens and magazines click here.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

It's Monday - don't forget to record your reading time for the March Reading Challenge

More on Manga--

If you love manga, then you already know where they are in the library. If you don’t, take those stairs to the mezzanine again and look for 741.5. If you don’t find very many titles, it probably means that they are checked out and you might need to put a hold on one. If you want to find out what titles the library has, search in the catalog under manga.” You’ll find a few things come up depending on how you search, but you should eventually find a subject header for manga which lists 23 titles. These are our newest titles. If you see something that looks good, and if it is checked out, try putting a hold on it. If you don’t know how to do this, ask at the circulation desk. The staff will be happy to put a hold on a book for you, or teach you how to do it yourself. (It’s not hard, but you need to know your library card number.)

On the web click here for a list of links for manga and anime.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Read up on spring sports


Take the stairs up to the mezzanine and turn right. Go as far as you can, and then turn right again. The sports section will be to your left. YA books are marked with a purple dot on the spine, but don’t stop there. We have a great baseball collection, plenty of golf books, martial arts books, soccer, hiking, fishing etc. Get ready for spring and summer by reading up on your favorite sports or prepare yourself to try a new sport.

If you want to do your sports reading online, click here for a comprehensive list of sports sites.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Newspapers


Do you read the Brattleboro Reformer? If your family doesn’t subscribe, we have copies here at the library. You’ll find our newspaper collection across from the magazine collection at the back of the library near the teen room. You’ll find newspapers from nearby towns and some major newspapers such as the Boston Globe, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Hint: the Sunday Styles section and the Travel section of the Sunday New York Times are interesting to read. What section of the newspaper is your favorite?

Did you know that reading newspapers online will count for your reading time for the Reading Challenge? Click here to find a list of English newspapers worldwide that you can read online. Or check out some of these high school newspapers online.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Graduation is Coming


With spring in the air, can graduation be far behind? If you’re a graduating senior this year, first of all congratulations, and second of all do you need any help with your future plans? If so—be it college or work— Jeanne Walsh, the reference librarian is available to help you explore the resources that we have at the library, both print and online. If you are a junior, you may be thinking about college applications. The library can help you with every aspect of applications including essay writing, SAT preparation, college choices, and financial aid.

Here's a tip for preparing for the SAT. You can get a free SAT quizbank from Kaplan here.

Reading comfortably


Where do you do your reading? I do mine with at least one cat, and even four if I’m lucky. Find a comfy place to read. Have you been in the Teen Room lately? We have comfy chairs to sit on. Warning: It’s hard to get up because they are so comfy!

Also, don't forget today at 5 pm we have a TAB meeting today. On Thursday the Knitting Circle will meet in the Teen Room, too.

--Sara

Sunday, March 12, 2006

The March Reading Challenge begins


March 13th is the first day of the annual Windham County Reads March Reading Challenge. Do you have your contract ready? You should have gotten one at school. Ask an English teacher or a librarian for a copy if you don’t have one. Or check out the Teen Room at Brooks. We have copies in a box on the low table. You can also pick up a bookmark there. You’ll need one.

How much reading do you have to do to qualify for some really great prizes? It’s up to you. Think about how much you usually read, how much you can read, and set a realistic goal for yourself. Then start the week with something you really enjoy!

You may be thinking to yourself that you read anyway and why should you bother with this. Sure some of the prizes sound good, but do you even have a chance at winning? You never know… so why not? But more importantly for teens and adults is the idea of commitment and follow-through. Is it harder to do the reading or is it harder to remember to record your minutes each day? If you think recording the minutes is the harder thing to do, then the Reading Challenge can also be a good opportunity to develop some self-discipline and the ability to follow through consistently. So do your reading and record those minutes—not just for the reading and the prizes, but also just to challenge yourself to meet a goal. Stay tuned for daily messages here on the blog!

Friday, March 10, 2006

What are other libraries doing for teens?


If you're interested in how other libraries are using new technologies for service to teens take a look at this. It should keep you busy for awhile! If you scroll down you will see a list of library blogs for teens. (Yes, we're on it!)

--Sara

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

New Non-fiction books!



Do you like reading non-fiction? Are you writing a report? If you need some new and interesting books about American History we have some great new books. Right now they are on the display table near the YA Room, but they will eventually be found shelved with non-fiction. You'll need the call number to find them. (I've linked them here, but if the links don't work, just do a title search in the catalog.)
1.America through the lens: photographers who changed the nation/ Martin W. Sandler. 770.92 SAN
2. The fight for peace: a history of antiwar movements in America/ by Ted Gottfried. 303.6 GOT
3. Let me play: the story of Title IX: the law that changed the future of girls in America/ Karen Blumental 796 BLU
4. Looking like the enemy: my story of imprisonment in Japanese-American internment camps/ Mary Matsuda Gruenewald. 940.53 GRU
5. The real revolution: the global story of American independence/ by Marc Aronson. 973.3 ARO

March Activities


March snuck up on us after a busy February. It's almost spring!
Here is what is in store for March.
Teen Advisory Meeting on March 14th. (Time to be announced later.)
Cookie Thursday on March 16th and 30th this month.
Intergenerational Knitting Circle on March 16th. (That's where the cookies will be so plan to snack and knit.)

At the TAB Meeting we'll take a moment to reflect on our February events and do some planning for the rest of the school year.