Training summary

I have to admit to being biased. As one of the creators of this training, I think it was thorough, informative, and useful in a variety of ways. I hope that future librarians will also find it useful. I will say that had the training been held during the slower months of February and March, more staff may have been able to take time and enjoy the learning process.

I do hope that the new RS committee can take what we have done and move forward with Readers' Services for BCPL. The next logical step? Be More Bookish Part 2--Children's RS.

Week 9--Book trailers

I think that the intended audience for book trailers are people who "live" online and may not set foot in a bookstore or library very often. These people are information collectors, and it takes something visual and interactive to get and hold their attention. For this audience, I feel that trailers serve their intended purpose. They may never be useful for mainstream use, but that's okay. They don't need to be. They also serve as discussion fodder and creativity for fans. I viewed trailers for Crossedby Ally Condie and Ruby Red by Kristin Gier. Both were created by teen fans, and I was quite impressed.

Week 8

Read the articles and watched the video.

Assignment 3&4:

Science--in general, the 500s

The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean--a very readable exploration into the curious world of DNA and just how some people are genetically predisposed to certain interests and skills. 572.8 K

History--920-940s

The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard--written in typical Patterson style, the death of the boy king is presented as a thrilling murder mystery. 932.014 P

Travel--910s

A Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor--Obi-Wan Kenobi takes a motorcyle trip from Scotland to South Africa, meeting both welcoming and not-so-welcoming people along the way. 910.4 M

 Adventure--harder to pin down, but outdoor-type would be in the 790s

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakaur--a literal step-by-step story of the quest to climb Mount Everest. 796.522 K 

Week 7 Assignment 4

Tor Teen is well laid out and easy to follow, if slightly boring. Being Tor, it is clearly a sci-fi/fantasy leaning imprint. Lots of focus on Ender's Game, what with the movie coming soon. I expect to see quite a bit of movie tie-ins with this imprint, since the genre lends itself to visuals.

Teens @ Random is a fun, interactive imprint site. Tabs for newsletters, community, and "fun" make for easy navigation. Fantasy is in high focus here as well, with lots of dragons and teen girls "draping" all over the book covers. There is even a ticker, for those who need even more visual stimulation to keep interested.