Sometime every summer, a little list slips onto the YA shelves near the School Summer Reading titles. Every once in a while, books featured on that list are on display and teen readers snatch the books up. This quiet little list is actually not that quiet at all. It is a nationally recognized list of books chosen by teens, for teens, and mostly about teens from a variety of genres.

This list is the Teens’ Top Ten Nomination list (compiled by YALSA-American Library Association).

Just by looking at the list this year, there are some really, really popular books everything from titles everyone can’t stop talking about to titles that make you remember “Oh yeah, I wanted to read that.” To me, this year’s list is extra good as I often find that almost everything is checked out!

Have you (or parents, your teen) been reading the titles? Have you read only a handful, but feel they are the best? Vote! Yes, vote for your favorite books and see if they make it to the Teens’ Top Ten List! Voting opened on August 23rd and goes until September 17th! Winners will be announced in October 2010, during Teen Read Week.

Until then, vote and tell your friends to vote, and pass the word! After you vote, check in October 2010 to see which books are the Teens’ Top Ten Books of 2010.

Remember this post where we sampled some of what maybe the most anticipated books-to-movies coming out for 2010?

Once again, 2010 is just full of books-to-movies coming out. Some of the latest have been:

• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World based on the Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley.  (Due out August 13)
• Flipped based on the book by Wendelin Van Draanen (Due out August 27)
• It’s Kind of a Funny Story based on the book by Ned Vizzini (Due out September 24)

And some books to TV including the Pretty Little Liars series, which is based off of these books.

In Twilight news, Break Dawn is slated for a two part release, one in November 2011 and another in 2012.

Don’t forget to check the catalog for the books and for the DVDs (when they are released). Some in the previous post may be on DVD now.

Did we forget something you’re looking forward to (such as Beastly based on the book by Alex Flinn which has been pushed from 2010 to 2011)? Let us know in the comments.

We’re still here! And so is Y.A. Wednesday! We are in full Summer Reading Mode with lots of books being checked out as well as activities for Children and Teens hence why the blog has been quiet. Have you noticed the “Important News” toward the top of the web page? This is where we list upcoming events and closures so if you want to see what we have happening this week, just check that!

With the return of Y.A. Wednesday, I’d like to draw your attention to the Teen Summer Reading Program. Teens (ages 13-18) still have time to sign up if they’d like a chance to win one of the two gift bags we have left or collect Book Dollars for the Big Bash on August 20th! The last day to sign up is August 6th by 5 PM! After that, teens will have 2 weeks to collect Book Dollars for the Big Bash or Raffle Tickets for the last prize bag so there is plenty of time to get something.

If you have signed up for the Teen Summer Reading Club or know a teen who has, but hasn’t been collecting Book Dollars or Raffle Tickets because s/he lost their log in information, contact us!

Happy reading!

Just a little history I was reminded of while watching Swing Kids last evening.   Not sure how the connection came, but the German resistance, in this case by young people with a passion for American jazz and swing, reminded me of a little known event of 56 years ago that also involved resistance.  I remember it only because a family member witnessed it.

The event in question is the workers’ uprising in Berlin of June 16-17, 1953.  Some 6,000 people showed up for a protest on the 16th and on the 17th some 17,000 or more took to the streets.  They were met by Soviet and East German tanks who opened fire on them.   Many were killed, thousands arrested.  The uprising was crushed, nevertheless, it planted the seed of future revolts against the Communist regimes of the East Block countries.  There are a number of accounts of the events surrounding the 17th.  And, this YouTube video has photos of the day, including protested taking down the flag from the Brandenburg Gate.

So, what did my eyewitness see?  Hundreds of people listening to speeches in a public square.  And then, the sound of tanks approaching – they entered the square at one side and advanced on the crowd.  Many clambered over a six-foot wall to escape and then they ran.  One thing my eyewitness saw was a young German effectively stopping a tank – by ramming a crowbar into the tank tracks on one side.  Made the tank go around in circles since the jammed track could not advance any more.

My eyewitness, an American who could not afford to be caught in East Berlin, made out and back to the western sector of Berlin.  My eyewitness’ account of this day still gives me the shivers.

You don’t have to have an iPod to enjoy free audiobooks but I find listening to a book on my iPod as a great way to keep myself busy while waiting on line, traveling,  or relaxing in the backyard.

Downloading an audiobook from the Chester County Library website is easy. Go to www.ccls.org and click on the download audio and ebooks icon. Download the overdrive software to your computer and you’re ready to go.
Now all you have to do is choose the books you want and put them in your eBag. The book will stay there for 30 minutes,  this is when you should decide if you want to borrow it. Next you borrow the book. Borrowing times vary and many books can be downloaded to your iPod or burned to CDs. After the borrowing time the book goes back to the virtual library for others to use.

I agree with Howard’s post on using a strong word to describe listening to an audiobook rather than just, listening.  I believe that much more intense listening goes into enjoying an audiobook. I like Howard’s suggestion of audiolistening. I think I will use that term from now on.

I have just borrowed The Help and Sense and Sensibility.

This is just another amazing way to use your local library.

Happy Listening

I am the dog loving librarian that fell in love with Dewey Readmore Books, the small-town library cat who touched the Spencer Public Library in Iowa and people all over the world. I hope he doesn’t mind that I borrowed his name.  This amazing cat made his debut to the world in the book Dewey by Vicki Myron. Abandoned as a kitten in the freezing cold drop box Dewey recovered and went on to encourage, comfort and love the patrons at his public library. Children will enjoy this version  Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library This is an uplifting story that may motivate you to pet a kitten and visit your public library.

There has been lots of verbiage going around on the ‘net about Facebook’s privacy policies or lack there of.  Many folks now advocate opting out by deleting one’s account (not an easy thing to do; Facebook really really wants you to stay) and Dan Yoder over at rocket.ly has is list of Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook.  The fact that nothing you post on Facebook is ever truly private is a compelling reason, if that is something you are concerned about (there are lots of reasons why many people do care about privacy).  To counter Yoder’s position, read David Lee King’s 10 Reasons NOT to Quit Facebook.

Which ever way you go, remember that your personal information is yours to control.  You can tailor your Facebook profile and feed to suit: read this post by librarian Bobbi Newman on opting out.  Also look at Facebook’s own Help Center pages like this one on Social Plug-Ins.

Regardless of your decision about Facebook, or any other social media, be aware of what you are putting out on the Internet about yourself.  None of it really ever goes away and some of it can come back to haunt you.  Or worse.

Quick update on another issue with Facebook profiles and apps, from Today @ PCWorld blog.

Hello everyone. This is Howard Sundwall, on the board of the WCPL. I’ve been invited to co-write this blog and I’m happy to be here.

In addition to several print books I’m reading right now, I’m also listening to an audiobook (downloaded to my iPhone free in MP3 format from the CCLS system). It’s “The History of Warfare” by my favorite military historian, John Keegan. That leads me to a question. You read a book but you listen to an audiobook. Is ‘listen’ the right word? It doesn’t sound strong enough for the engaged, active listening that’s required. We need a new word for attending to audiobooks. Audioreading? I don’t think eReading fits — that’s for reading an electronic book (something else I do on my iPhone!). Lreading? Ear-reading?

Just finished reading Marilyn Johnson’s newest, This Book Is Overdue, and was again reminded how much I love delving into archives, those lovely collections of papers, books, photos, etc that form the basis of good historical research.

WCPL has an archive, small but interesting to a library director who needs a five minute break.  Yesterday’s find was buried in handwritten notes of a library meeting at the Drexel Institute of Technology on February 18, 1937.  A WCPL librarian, who I don’t know, went to that meeting (I hope she had enough money to partake of the luncheon, cost 50 cents).  She, except for one sole librarian all of WCPL’s directors have been women, attended a session on good books for children.  She listed lots of titles with a note next to each as to why it was recommended for purchase for public libraries.

And, there in and among those long ago titles is Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder with a note “wonderful!”  Seventy-three years ago that book was a hit, one that every public library probably purchased with scarce funds in the midst of a depression.  It’s still a hit and WCPL carries it.

Finally, if you look carefully on our shelves in j Fic you’ll find the 1940 edition of Wilder’s The Long Winter. That’s the year it was first published.  There are other, similar gems in this library.

As National Library Week 2010 started to wind down, West Chester Public Library Celebrated in style with the Fifth Annual Literacy Heroes Breakfast on April 16, 2010 at the lovely Longwood Gardens.  At our Fifth Literacy Heroes Breakfast, 8 more Heroes were selected and honored for their contribution to the community.

The Fifth Annual Breakfast was a morning of stories and fond memories. At the Breakfast, Howard Sundwall, WCPL Board President, pointed out how in 5 years, 40 Literacy Heroes have been chosen and impacted by this award. The 2010 Master of Ceremonies, ABC Meteorologist Adam Joesph, spoke to the crowd about how books and literacy impacted him. Each winner came to the stage and spoke about how books helped them, how they were inspired, and many mentioned how important the library (any library, including West Chester Public Library) impacted them and led them to that podium where they gave thanks.

The Literacy Heroes Breakfast is one of Chester County’s finest events and is inspiring for everyone who attends. Maybe it is the smell of flowers and the early morning dew or maybe it is the quiet conservatory early in the morning, that makes the event magical. For others, it is the heroes, who found a need, determined they were going to find a way to provide that need, and are being celebrated with family, friends, and those who truly recognize those helping in our own communities.

Think of your hero and please remember to nominate them when that time comes. Until then, take a moment and browse the photos of the event.