Conference

I'm currently at UNI attending a conference about blogging, wikis, and social software. Right now we are on the blog portion, and since I already have my blog set up, I'm experimenting with layout, RSS feeds, etc.

Humorous books

Are you in need of a good laugh? I recently read an article that explained how laughter can actually benefit your health, including lowering blood sugar in diabetics. So, for the health of it, here are 15 books that I found to be laugh-out-loud funny:

• About a Boy by Nick Hornby -- ""We've always thought you have hidden depths," said John. "Ah, but you see, I haven't. I am this shallow.""
• Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding -- "Sunday 1 January: 129 lbs. (but post-Christmas), alcohol units 14 (but effectively covers 2 days as 4 hours of party was on New Year's Day), cigarettes 22, calories 5424"
• Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman -- "12th Day of September: I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say."
• Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella -- "I know exactly how much my Visa bill will be. Sort of. Roughly. It'll be about...£200. Three hundred, maybe. Yes, maybe £300. Three-fifty, max."
• Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French -- "Monday. Morning: slept. Afternoon: slept. Evening: ate grass. Scratched. Night: ate grass."
• Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin --
• Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
• The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald --
• Harris & Me: A Summer Remembered by Gary Paulsen -- "Later I would come to know a great deal about electrical things. I would understand that water is an excellent conductor of electrical energy but that urine, with its higher mineral content, is even better and what Harris did amounted to hooking a copper wire from his business to the electric fence."
• One for the Money (& the entire Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich --
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis -- "Keh-ee! Keh-ee! Hel' me! Hel'me! Go geh Momma! Go geh Mom-ma! Huwwy uh!

(To be continued.....)

What are your favorite funny books? Please share them!

Booklists

My sister Heather has a booklist addiction. She pretty much won't read something unless it's on a list, which means she creates a lot of lists! Fortunately, she's very good at it. She's making some right now for her library (Waterville Public Library--the best little library in Northeast Iowa!!!) that are for children. So, if you need some ideas for books your children may enjoy, I'm sure she would have some great suggestions for you. And, if you happen to live in/around Waterville, she's getting ready for a great summer reading program. Check it out!

And of course, if you need ideas for books YOU can read over the summer, let us know...I'm sure we can come up with a great list for you, too!

Intro

I don't especially like blogs, but what am I doing? Creating a blog! I guess I'm just trying to keep up with the times. During my sleepless nights (not really!) of pondering how to make the library a more useful, cooler place, it came to me....Facebook! So anyway, that was my first foray into social networking. Now I'm trying blogging. It's all part of my experimentation with different formats to see which (if any) students are more likely to respond to.

On that note....if you have any research questions, etc., please, please ask me! It makes me feel useful. :)