Out of Business

I noticed that the B. Dalton store in the North Riverside mall is closing on January 9th. They had 40 % off. Check it out if there is anything you can't just live without!

RIP, Kirkus

Anybody else bummed out by the demise of Kirkus Reviews? I'm really going to miss their frequently snarky take on books. Yes, half the time I rolled my eyes at what I considered their anal-retentiveness and/or hyper-political-correctness, but agree with them or not, I could always count on Kirkus to have a blunt/sharp angle on things...boring, never. I kinda hope Booklist or HB or somebody steps up to fill the void they'll leave, by sharpening up their reviews and worrying less about offending folks.
This NY Times article sums it up pretty well:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/books/12kirkus.html

Are You Smarter Than An Eighth Grader?

Take a look at this eighth grade test from 1895 Salina, KS. Would you pass? At a glance, I could maybe get 50%. I haven't sat down to see if I can remember all nine uses for capital letters, etc, though.

O Tannenbook

I'm wondering...does anyone have any favorite Christmas or holiday books? Books that you might not be able to read in a public library storytime but you love to read to your own kids or give them as gifts or just love seeing on a display because you know some child is going to love it?

I've always loved the belated Christmas chapter in Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter, but that doesn't really count as a holiday book. The Polar Express creeps me out. There are some great Nutcrackers out there but none spring to mind on their own. I did love The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, but again that's a chapter book. Any wonderful picturebooks out there I shouldn't miss?

Oh, yeah! I love this version of The Gift of the Magi.

go blog go!

Just a reminder, folks, that you can add "keeping it small at OPPL" to your RSS reader (like Google Reader) if you've got one. Then you won't miss a post!

And we all really like it when we all post, so thanks for every time you get something up here!

I just can't stop using exclamation marks for this short message!

Your favorite blog-pushin' step-boss,
Rory

World's cutest library

This is a very clever and cute idea. Take a classic British phone booth and convert it to a lending library! Shelley--think your new building manager would go for it? :)

Annoying things that patrons say

This list of annoying things that patrons say is really funny. I like messages 6, 12, 26, 34...well, we librarians seem to have a lot to say on this topic. Share you own grievances here--it will be cathartic. Just today in my ST, a mom moved my very obvious storyteller's chair (you know, the only one at the front, facing the group--duh) and was using it so I had nowhere to sit when I came in!

Best Picks

SLJ has their best picks of 2009 on their website. Looks like alot of good ones!

click here for the list