Well, actually, by association I am!! This article shows Welsh Libraries well and truly bucking the trend of declining and stagnant public library usage seen in other parts of the UK.
Leading from the front (as ever) are Swansea's libraries, with Swansea central Library coming in as the busiest library in Wales and more pleasingly, the 10th busiest in the UK, despite a fairly modest population.
Well done Welsh Libraries - we have proven that the public want and will use good libraries and this is a reflection on the hard work and investment that have gone in over the past few years.
We can only hope that the sucess of this service is in some way recognised by those wielding the budgetary axe in the months to come.
fingers crossed.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Reading...
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I remember this coming out,and later being a mainstay of "one hit wonder" displays (that was before The Little Friend). Never inclined to read it until now, maybe I'm entering my "once a decade" fiction phase...
I remember this coming out,and later being a mainstay of "one hit wonder" displays (that was before The Little Friend). Never inclined to read it until now, maybe I'm entering my "once a decade" fiction phase...
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Have you heard...
You can now download audio books from the comfort of your own home - how cool is that? Don't ask me about the detail though because although I attended a presentation about it I was rather distracted by the charming Gordon Griffin and didn't pay as much attention as I should have.
I can certainly recommend getting hold of some of Gordon's narrations as he is truly fabulous!
I can certainly recommend getting hold of some of Gordon's narrations as he is truly fabulous!
Love in the Library...
Looking for love, or just a good night out?
Why not try your hand at a spot of speed dating at the lovely Killay Library?
Why not try your hand at a spot of speed dating at the lovely Killay Library?
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
I read the news today, oh boy
"Did you see Newsnight?" Did you see Newsnight?" "Did you see Newsnight?"
Are public libraries as anachronistic as Victorian bath houses?
I'm throwing this away
Are public libraries as anachronistic as Victorian bath houses?
I'm throwing this away
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Safe surfing
Interesting article on the BBC website about internet safety for children. It's a difficult issue for parents, teachers and libraries to address and it's one that causes a fair number of complaints from library users.
What is acceptable filtering for one individual is crippling censorship for another, while one person's idea of acceptable material for a child to view is inappropriate to another.
Still - while I by and large think that CEOP is "a good thing", there is no substitute for vigilant and engaged adults helping children thought the internet maze.
More here and here
What is acceptable filtering for one individual is crippling censorship for another, while one person's idea of acceptable material for a child to view is inappropriate to another.
Still - while I by and large think that CEOP is "a good thing", there is no substitute for vigilant and engaged adults helping children thought the internet maze.
More here and here
Friday, 29 January 2010
Reading...
The Jugger by Richard Stark, part of his fantastic, genre defining Parker novels.
I hate telling people what to read but really - you should.
I hate telling people what to read but really - you should.
Monday, 18 January 2010
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Reading...
The To-Do List by Mike Gayle. I've never read any of his 30's lad-lit and probably won't, but I did enjoy this non-fiction which recounts his attempts to feel like a real grown up by tackling a to-do list of epic proportions filled with the sorts of things many 30-something parents would probably be familiar with.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Watching...
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
"Have you read Harry Potter Stu?"
"No, because I am a 40 year old man"
As a child, Stewart Lee helped out in his school library. What a loss to the profession.
"Have you read Harry Potter Stu?"
"No, because I am a 40 year old man"
As a child, Stewart Lee helped out in his school library. What a loss to the profession.
Well there you go...
This article from the dear old BBC on why this year probably won't be "The year of the electronic book"
Having worked in the book trade for 15 years, I can't remember a year since oooh, about 1997, that wasn't going to be "The year of the electronic book" but here we are, hanging on in there with our antiquated quill and ink.
Having worked in the book trade for 15 years, I can't remember a year since oooh, about 1997, that wasn't going to be "The year of the electronic book" but here we are, hanging on in there with our antiquated quill and ink.
Monday, 11 January 2010
Apocalypse (s)Now
So the opening of the newly refurbished Brynhyrfyd Library has had to be delayed by a week due to the dreaded white stuff.
It's a shame as this is probably one of our biggest transformations yet - with £35,000 worth of new books really making a big difference to the stock and the building totally revamped inside and out.
Brynhyfryd will now open on Saturday 16th.
It's a shame as this is probably one of our biggest transformations yet - with £35,000 worth of new books really making a big difference to the stock and the building totally revamped inside and out.
Brynhyfryd will now open on Saturday 16th.
The thing about blogs...
is that they don't write themselves, even when you're really busy. What you need is someone to come along and invent something that extracts thoughts from your head and turns them into erudite and thought provoking blog posts, making you look simultaneously intelligent, witty, hard working, irreplaceable, beloved of the masses and furthermore - stops your boss asking you why you haven't updated the blog for a while.
Kind of like that bit in minority report.
Now that, dear reader, would be a technological advance that would impress even me. Maybe even more than if Blogger came with a spell checker.
Instead we get this , which lets face it, no-one needs.
Kind of like that bit in minority report.
Now that, dear reader, would be a technological advance that would impress even me. Maybe even more than if Blogger came with a spell checker.
Instead we get this , which lets face it, no-one needs.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
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