<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss"><channel><title>Guille Alles Library Blog</title><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html</link><description>Guille Alles Library blog feed</description><copyright>Copyright Guille Alles Library</copyright><lastBuildDate>Fri Mar 19 16:02:59 GMT 2010</lastBuildDate><generator>Library.gg RSS generator</generator><image><title>Guille Alles Library Logo</title><url>http://www.library.gg/images/logo.gif</url><link>http://www.library.gg/</link><width>265</width><height>179</height><description>Guille Alles Library, Guernsey</description></image><item><title><![CDATA[Pure Passion Awards 2010]]></title><description><![CDATA[



 



             




&nbsp;&nbsp;
Pure Passion Awards 2010 
The Pure Passion Awards 2010 celebrates 50 years of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Choose a romantic novel from our display &nbsp;and pick up a Free &lsquo;Pure Passion awards&rsquo; magazine on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library. &nbsp;The Pure Passion awards promotion runs until the 9th March. The magazine gives information on how to vote for your favourite romantic book /film at www.lovereading.co.uk/purepassion.&nbsp; Five lucky winners can win a &pound;50 book token. 
&nbsp;
Romantic Novel of the Year shortlist
Passion&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Louise Bagshawe &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Fairytale of New York&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Miranda Dickinson &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lucy Dillon&nbsp;&nbsp; 
A Glimpse at Happiness&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jean Fullerton&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Glass Painter's Daughter&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Rachel Hore&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Italian Matchmaker&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Santa Montefiore&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Love Story of the Year shortlist
The Notorious Mr Hurst &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Louise Allen &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Animal Instincts &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nell Dixon &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Always the Bridesmaid &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nina Harrington&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Fair Deception &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jan Jones&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Wedding Party &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sophie King &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Claimed for the Italian's Revenge&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Natalie Rivers &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The People's Choice shortlist 
Missing You &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Louise Douglas&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Remembrance Day &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Leah Fleming&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
I Heart Hollywood&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lindsey Kelk&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Rich Girl Poor Girl &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lesley Lokko&nbsp;&nbsp;
Heiresses &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lulu Taylor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Rom Com Award shortlist 
The Rom Com Award is for humorous romantic novels. 
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jenny Colgan &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Nearly-Weds&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jane Costello &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
50 Ways to Find a Lover &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lucy-Anne Holmes &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Rumour Has It &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jill Mansell &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
RNA Romantic Film of the Year 
Confessions of a Shopaholic&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sophie Kinsella&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
An Education&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lynn Barber&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Time Traveller's Wife&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Audrey Niffenegger&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Twilight: New Moon&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stephanie Meyer&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Three independent judges will pick winners from the shortlists chosen by the public.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Pure Passion Awards 2010]]></link><pubDate>22/02/2010</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Costa Book Awards 2009]]></title><description><![CDATA[







The Costa Book Awards 2009
The winners of the Costa Book Awards 2009 Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book categories were announced on Tuesday 6 January 2010. 
The winner in each category receives &pound;5,000. One of these five books will be selected as the overall winner of the Book of the Year on 26 January 2010 and will receive a further &pound;25,000.
&nbsp;


The 2009 Category Award Winners are:


Costa Novel Award Winner
Colm Toibin&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Brooklyn


Costa First Novel Award Winner
Raphael Selbourne&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Beauty 

Costa Biography Award Winner&nbsp;
Graham Farmelo&nbsp;-&nbsp;The Strangest Man

Costa Poetry Award Winner
Christopher Reid-&nbsp;A Scattering

Costa Children's Book Award Winner
Patrick Ness&nbsp;-&nbsp;The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, Book Two)
&nbsp;
For more information&nbsp;on the Costa Book Awards 2009 visit &nbsp;&nbsp; http://www.costabookawards.co.uk/index.aspx
&nbsp; 



On Wednesday 10 February 2010 at 7:30 pm, the 

Guille-All&egrave;s Library&nbsp;Reading Group&nbsp;will be discussing&nbsp;all these Costa Book Award Category Winners. For more information contact Ed Jewell on 720392 or ejewell@library.gg 


&nbsp;




]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Costa Book Awards 2009]]></link><pubDate>22/01/2010</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Last Night of the Proms]]></title><description><![CDATA[






         











 




On Saturday 12 September the Royal Albert Hall will stage London Promenade Concert number 76: commonly known as the &ldquo;Last Night of the Proms&rdquo;. &ldquo;Proms in the Park&rdquo; now takes the Last Night further afield to Glasgow, CountyDown, Swansea and Salford; whilst here in Guernsey thousands will again be joining in the patriotic knees-up on our very own Albert Pier.
The Last Night is, however, more than the flag-waving romp conjured up by &ldquo;Jerusalem&rdquo; or &ldquo;Land of Hope and Glory&rdquo;. It is the climax to a series that has been called &ldquo;the world&rsquo;s greatest classical music festival&rdquo; and, in the spirit of the Proms, international artists will perform a varied programme. &ldquo;Dido&rsquo;s Lament&rdquo; by Purcell, for example, will be sung alongside Gershwin&rsquo;s &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t take that away from me&rdquo;.&nbsp; New works will be introduced, such as fanfares specially written by young Proms Inspire composers.
The Last Night brings together themes from the whole concert series, which started on 17 July. In particular, the 2009 season has commemorated the 250th anniversary of Handel&rsquo;s death and the 350th birthday of Purcell.
If you would like to hear a piece of music from the Proms again, or to hear more of an artist (e.g. Lang Lang or Alison Balsom), come and take a look at our CD Library. All the CDs are on the on-line catalogue where you can find books about music and musicians, as well as our collection of printed music&hellip;
That&rsquo;s if the Last Night has inspired you to take up the trumpet yourself, or to sing some of that great British music&hellip;
www.bbc.co.uk/proms


&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher


Library and Information Officer 

&nbsp;
&nbsp;


&nbsp;

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Last Night of the Proms]]></link><pubDate>07/09/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poets in the Library:  Wilfred Owen]]></title><description><![CDATA[





        











     




Regarded as the greatest of First World War poets, Wilfred Owen was virtually unknown at the time of his death, yet our collective vision of the hell of the Western Front has largely been shaped by his writing.
&nbsp;Pick up a limited edition BBC poetry postcard and find more of Wilfred Owen&rsquo;s work on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poets/wilfred_owen.shtml
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Poets in the Library:  Wilfred Owen]]></link><pubDate>28/08/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Launch of Enemy or Friend]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
On Saturday 4 July 2009 to celebrate the launch of her book Enemy or Friend? Lyn Renouf Edward lead a reading and reminiscence session in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
Based on real life experiences Enemy or Friend? is set in Guernsey during the Occupation, following the life of a child as she attempts to make sense of a complex adult world of anger, cruelty and war.
&nbsp;



]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Launch of Enemy or Friend]]></link><pubDate>22/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Carnegie and Greenaway medal winners announced]]></title><description><![CDATA[






Thurs 23rd June saw the annual invasion of the Guille-Alles Library by 80 children and young people from schools across the island for the Carnegie Greenaway lunch. The Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals are awarded annually by CILIP (the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals) for outstanding books for children and young people. The Kate Greenaway medal is given specifically for illustration, whilst the Carnegie medal is awarded for an outstanding work of young adult fiction.
&nbsp;
Over the previous 6 weeks children in both primary and secondary schools around Guernsey have been &lsquo;shadowing&rsquo; the awards: reading the shortlisted titles and meeting up to discuss what they think of them, and most importantly, which book should win. The scheme gives each participating school their own page on the website to post book reviews and blog about their activities. The lunch gives a small number of children from each school the chance to get together with children from other schools to talk about what they make of the shortlisted books, find out who the overall Guernsey winner is, and hear who the official national winners are as soon as they are announced.
This year there was no clear favourite for either award at the start of the lunchtime discussions, and at the end the votes were still split. The joint Guernsey favourites for the Carnegie following some great discussions were The Knife of Never Letting go by Patrick Ness, and Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks. Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd came in as our third most popular. For the Greenaway The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers came in first, with Little Boat by Thomas Docherty close behind in second.
It&rsquo;s a good job none of us had bet on the official results following our discussions, as following the trend from previous years neither of our &lsquo;winners&rsquo; won! CILIP announced that Bog Child, by Siobhan Dowd won the Carnegie medal, and Harris finds his Feet by Catherine Rayner took the Kate Greenaway medal.
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/home/index.php
Emily Pailing 
Schools Library Liaison Officer
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Carnegie and Greenaway medal winners announced]]></link><pubDate>17/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Dylan Thomas]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not since Bryon had someone so captured the public imagination for living the archetypal poet's life. Dylan Thomas's life was tempestuous, but his poetry was meticulously constructed, with the poet labouring through redraft and redraft, to produce lyric poems of passionate musicality.
Pick up a limited edition BBC poetry postcard and find more of DylanThomas&rsquo;s work on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poets/dylan_thomas.shtml

&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Dylan Thomas]]></link><pubDate>15/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Get fired up for the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Guille-All&egrave;s Library is getting ready to fire up children&rsquo;s imagination and keep them reading during the summer holidays with the Summer Reading Challenge, Quest Seekers. The aim of the Challenge is to motivate children to keep reading over the summer holidays and to encourage them to use their local library. Children need to be members of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library to take part, but joining is free and straightforward. (Parent/carer signature and proof of address needed).
Quest Seekers begins on Saturday 18 July, but children can sign up any time after this during the holidays. On the launch day there will be a treasure hunt around the Library as well as our regular family story time at 2.15pm.
When children sign up for the challenge they will receive a fantastic log book which folds out into a poster, and Quest Seekers card and a dragon bookmark. They can make a note in their log books of the books they are reading and give them a rating.
The great thing about Quest Seekers is that children can choose the books they would like to read, and we have plenty to choose from. There are story books, fairy tales, short stories, graphic novels, information books and audio book sets. For every book they read children will receive stickers (including scratch and sniff ones) to put in their log books.
There will be plenty of themed colouring and activities to keep children busy. There is also a great website ( www.questseekers.org.uk&nbsp;) where children can write reviews, play games and read author blogs. (Parental/carer permission is required for children to &nbsp;use the Library computers.)
After reading six books children will have completed the Challenge and will be invited to a special awards ceremony on Wednesday 9 September where they will be presented with a gold medal and a certificate. They will also receive a swimming voucher and we are very grateful to Beau Sejour for once again providing the vouchers.
The Library will be running special story and activity sessions to support Quest Seekers. These sessions and aimed at 5 &ndash; 9 year olds and will take place on Wednesdays during the summer holidays at 10.54am for one hour. There will also be a book club for 10 &ndash; 14 year olds on Wednesdays at 3.00pm for one hour. As last year, we shall read through a list of books and choose our favourite at the end of the holidays.
Story Stop on Tuesdays at 11am (for 3 &ndash; 5 year olds) and Family Story Time on Saturdays&nbsp;at 2.15pm (open to all children) will continue as usual during the holidays, but our preschool sessions of Baby Bounce and T.O.T.S. will take a break.
There is no booking necessary for any of the events taking place in the Children&rsquo;s Library over the summer.
Why not join up to Quest Seekers this summer? It is fun and completely free!
Jan Foss
Children&rsquo;s Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Get fired up for the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></link><pubDate>10/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Alfred, Lord Tennyson]]></title><description><![CDATA[










TS Eliot said Alfred, Lord Tennyson had &quot;the finest ear of any English poet since Milton&quot;, while lines from his Crimean War poem The Charge of the Light Brigade are indelibly lodged in the minds of even the most poetically resistant.
Pick up a limited edition BBC poetry postcard and find more of Alfred, Lord Tennyson&rsquo;s work on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Alfred, Lord Tennyson]]></link><pubDate>08/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Benjamin Zephaniah]]></title><description><![CDATA[Birmingham's dreadlocked bard 

Benjamin Zephaniah is blessed with a verbal musicality inspired by his Caribbean heritage. His work addresses global issues such as racism, animal cruelty and the need for greater social justice, shot through with a rich humour, drawing on rap and dub rhythms, that make his poetry accessible to children and perennially popular in schools.

Pick up a limited edition BBC poetry postcard and find more of Benjamin Zephaniah&rsquo;s &nbsp;work on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Poets in the Library: Benjamin Zephaniah]]></link><pubDate>01/07/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 second review: Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich]]></title><description><![CDATA[










Review by Kim Clark
&nbsp;A brilliant read, fun packed and utterly hilarious!&nbsp; My entire family are fans of hers, including my granddad! Just such an easily enjoyable read.










Get your copy now
&nbsp;
&nbsp;


&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[30 second review: Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich]]></link><pubDate>30/06/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poets in the Library: John Betjeman]]></title><description><![CDATA[John Betjeman described himself as a &quot;poet and a hack&quot;, a sentiment typical of the wry self-deprecating wit that has earned him an indelible place in the affections of the British public. By his death in 1984, he was probably the 20th century's most popular Poet Laureate.
Pick up a limited edition BBC poetry postcard and find more of John Betjeman&rsquo;s work on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Poets in the Library: John Betjeman]]></link><pubDate>24/06/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 second review: Sunshine to the Sunless by Gareth Thompson]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;Review by Kay Gillespie
This book had me gripped within the first few sentences of the story. Riveting, touching and beautifully written, it stayed with me long after I had read it, a great read for anyone of any age.
&nbsp;
Get your copy now]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[30 second review: Sunshine to the Sunless by Gareth Thompson]]></link><pubDate>12/06/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 Second review]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dewey by Vicki Myron
Review by Jackie Burgess
Dewey is a wonderful, feel good story; I enjoyed every page, laughed and cried at Dewey&rsquo;s antics while he lived in the library.&nbsp;&nbsp; I recommend this book to all cat lovers.&nbsp; 
Get your copy now]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[30 Second review]]></link><pubDate>29/05/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Bookseller Book Video Awards 2009]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Bookseller Video Awards were launched to unite the genres of film and literature and see how&nbsp;they worked online through a joint initiative between Play.com, The Bookseller, Random House and the National Film and Television School.&nbsp; 
Students were asked to submit pitches to write and direct a &quot;book trailer&quot; for three Random House&nbsp;titles. Book trailers are scripted teasers for a book: an excellent way of introducing online readers to the work of authors.&nbsp; 
The three winners were awarded &pound;1,000 each plus &pound;5,000 to make a 90 second video of their chosen title.&nbsp; 15,000 members of the public voted for their favourite book video trailer through Play.com.
Anna Lavelles, a student of the National Film and Television School in Buckinghamshire, was overall winner with her trailer for My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson. She beat Felix Wiedemann's interpretation of Double Cross by Malorie Blackman and Leevi Lemmetty's trailer for&nbsp;Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud. 

Book trailer for Jacqueline Wilson's My Sister Jodie by Anna Lavelle&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Bookseller Book Video Awards 2009]]></link><pubDate>27/05/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[2009 Galaxy British Book Awards – the winners]]></title><description><![CDATA[


&nbsp;The Galaxy British Book Awards honour the best books and authors of the year. They were hosted by Richard &amp; Judy at London's Grosvenor House on 5 April 2009. The nibbies &ndash; so called because of the distinctive pen-nib trophies - remain the only book awards to give readers across Britain a say, with the winners decided by a mix of industry, academy and public voting. 
&nbsp;2009 Galaxy British Book Awards &ndash; the winners

    Galaxy Book of the Year 

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale 

    Outstanding Achievement 

Michael Palin 

    Richard &amp; Judy Best Read 

When Will There Be Good News? - Kate Atkinson&nbsp; 

    Borders Author of the Year 

Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger 

    Tesco Biography of the Year 

Dreams From My Father - Barack Obama&nbsp; 

    Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson&nbsp; 

    Sainsbury's Popular Fiction Award 

Devil May Care - Sebastian Faulks&nbsp; 

    Play.com Popular Non-Fiction Award 

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale&nbsp; 

    Waterstone's New Writer of the Year 

Tom Rob Smith for Child 44 &nbsp;

    WHSmith Children's Book of the Year 

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer Atom 
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[2009 Galaxy British Book Awards – the winners]]></link><pubDate>17/04/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ed Carpenter – Liberty and love]]></title><description><![CDATA[















  










Now here is a nice new book begging to be read.&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Please read me&rdquo; it cries, from the windowsill display.&nbsp;&nbsp; I picked it up and found there had been no takers, yet it was put into stock last December.&nbsp;&nbsp; So I took pity on it and read it, all 565 pages.
Who knows Edward Carpenter?&nbsp;Well at least I did, although I had never read a biography about him.&nbsp;Born in upper-middle class Victorian society he opted for a bohemian life, for example dressing casually, campaigning for human rights, and writing and lecturing on environmental issues.&nbsp;&nbsp; He did things which today are not unusual but then they were highly unusual, and in some case he was the first Englishman to act in that way.
What&rsquo;s more he was a very nice person, friendly, chatty, always ready to help friends and also strangers.&nbsp;He was a mystic before the Beatles, swam nude, recycled waste, fought for the right of women to vote, and so on.
The book is really easy to read, although too long.&nbsp;But don&rsquo;t be ashamed, just skip about.&nbsp;I often do that with non-fiction books.&nbsp;Read ahead, double back, pop-in via the index.
We need guys like Ed Carpenter, lots of them.&nbsp;He made his mark, now it is our turn.
Stephen Collas
Library and Information Officer
 ]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Ed Carpenter – Liberty and love]]></link><pubDate>09/04/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Orange Prize for Fiction Longlist ]]></title><description><![CDATA[







The longlist for the Orange Prize for Fiction, the UK&rsquo;s only annual book award for fiction written by a woman, has been announced. Now in its fourteenth year, the Prize celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women&rsquo;s writing from throughout the world.&gt;


The Orange Prize for Fiction shortlist will be announced on 21 April 2009.&gt;


The Orange Prize for Fiction Longlist 


Debra Adelaide:&nbsp;The Household Guide to Dying


Gaynor Arnold: &nbsp;Girl in a Blue Dress


Lissa Evans:&nbsp;Their Finest Hour and a Half


Bernardine Evaristo: &nbsp;Blonde Roots


Ellen Feldman: Scottsboro


Laura Fish:&nbsp;Strange Music


V.V. Ganeshananthan:&nbsp;Love Marriage


Allegra Goodman:&nbsp;Intuition


Samantha Harvey:&nbsp;The Wilderness


Samantha Hunt:&nbsp;The Invention of Everything Else


Michelle de Kretser:&nbsp;The Lost Dog


Deirdre Madden:&nbsp;Molly Fox&rsquo;s Birthday


Toni Morrison:&nbsp;A Mercy


Gina Ochsner:&nbsp;The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight


Marilynne Robinson:&nbsp;Home


Preeta Samarasan:&nbsp;Evening is the Whole Day


Kamila Shamsie:&nbsp;Burnt Shadows


Curtis Sittenfeld:&nbsp;American Wife


Miriam Toews:&nbsp;The Flying Troutmans


Ann Weisgarber:&nbsp;The Personal History of Rachel DuPree


]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Orange Prize for Fiction Longlist ]]></link><pubDate>19/03/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Children’s Library World Book Day Competition Reviews ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Rainbow Magic: Honey the Sweet Fairy by Daisy Meadows
It is a very exciting book because it makes me feel happy because when Rachel and Kirsty go to the sweet shop and everything gets ruined. So then they save the sweet shop&rsquo;s last day and I like when they go to fairy land and see all the party fairies and get all the yummy sweets.
By Lila, aged 7
Horrid Henry&rsquo;s Big Bad Book by Francesca Simon
I like &ldquo;Horrid Henry&rsquo;s Big Bad Book&rdquo; because it is funny and very lively. There are some reasons why I don&rsquo;t like it as well, one is because I read the stories and after they got really boring. But I do like it. My best story is &ldquo;Perfect Peter&rsquo;s Revenge&rdquo;. My worst story is &ldquo;Horrid Henry&rsquo;s Underpants&rdquo;. It is very funny because it has lots of words like &ldquo;get out of my way, worm!&rdquo; and Francesca Simon is very lively.
By Jasmine, aged 7
Little Miss Neat by Roger Hargreaves
I like the Little Miss collection and the Mr. Men collection but especially Little Miss Neat. I like the detail on the story. I very much like the bit when Mr. Muddle posted a half-eaten sandwich, and when Mr. Muddle goes to Little Miss Neat&rsquo;s house and sits on the chair and says &ldquo;Ouch!&rdquo; and finds all the knives and forks and teaspoons under the cushion. P.S. she&rsquo;s on holiday.
By Elliott, aged 7
That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child
&ldquo;That Pesky Rat&rdquo; is a good book because I like the way that there is a picture of the thing that&rsquo;s there, but it is real. It has good describing words in it and it has pretty patterns. But I think it is a good book because it tells you that everyone is loved.
By Jade, aged 8
Leopard by Bill Jordan
I chose this book because I love animals. This book inspired me to read it. Did you know that leopards are camouflage?
By Chelsea, aged 9
&nbsp;
Animal Farm by George Orwell
&ldquo;Animal Farm&rdquo; is an absolute classic, with an inspired moral about the bad ways of communism. Orwell beautifully introduced the reader to characters such as Boxer the horse, pigs Snowball and Napoleon, and an assortment of ducks and other animals and, of course, Old Major the boar.
After Old Major&rsquo;s dream of freedom, the animals revolt and get rid of the farmer. They run the farm on their own, and all seems fine. However, the pigs Snowball and Napoleon eventually take over as proud leaders.
I found this book exciting, politically based and, at times, very sad.
I would recommend &ldquo;Animal Farm&rdquo; to anybody.
By Tom, aged 10
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a 50/50 Thing! By Chris Higgins
The story concerns a girl called Kathryn (Kally) aged 14 who starts a new senior school and she is waiting to speak to the head teacher called Mr. Davey. She comes across a boy called Jermaine who is in trouble with one of the teachers. He sits on the chair next to Kathryn, it is a very wobbly chair and it snaps. The teacher is not impressed. Mr. Davey comes out of his office and is furious. Kally starts to get to know Jermaine better and gets to call him Jem. They become great friends. Kally also makes friends with the head teacher&rsquo;s daughter Megan and her friends. Kally&rsquo;s mum gets a job part time at a little shop meanwhile Kally&rsquo;s sister, Izzy, ager 6 goes to a different school and becomes great friends with a girl called Molly. Kally&rsquo;s home life is difficult, her dad is in prison for something he never did. Izzy does not know her dad is in prison, her mum has lied and said he is working abroad because he mum thinks she is too young to understand and her mum is stressed because he is not around to help at home. Kally and Jem both enjoy skateboarding. Kally&rsquo;s mum gets given the chance to work full time for two weeks while her manager is on holiday and this means she will earn more money. She starts to change back into the old mum she used to be when Kally&rsquo;s dad was around. The story has a happy ending because Kally&rsquo;s dad comes home from prison and life goes back to normal. Kally and Jem remain friends.
I love this book, it sets the scene very well and I can really picture it in my head. I chose this book because it was a prize at Guides that nobody wanted. I could not wait to start reading it for my literacy homework. I would really recommend this book to anyone who likes a young teenage romance. I have not read any other books by the same author and I would love to but sadly mum thinks perhaps this book was probably too old for me. I have to wait until I am a teenager to read any more.
By Lily, aged 10
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Children’s Library World Book Day Competition Reviews ]]></link><pubDate>12/03/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beat the credit crunch at the Guille-Allès Library ]]></title><description><![CDATA[
10 ways the Guille-All&egrave;s Library can save you money.
&nbsp;

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Buy none, get 8 free.&nbsp;Save money by borrowing instead of buying books and DVDs.&nbsp;You can even borrow music CDs for a small subscription. 
&nbsp;
2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Visit the reading room for a broad selection of magazines and daily newspapers. 
&nbsp;
3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Free Wifi hotspot - check your email or surf the web at high speed. 
&nbsp;
4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; School holidays can be expensive. Children can attend free story and activity sessions at the Library. &nbsp;
5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Socialising isn&rsquo;t always cheap, but joining a reading group is a cost-free way of meeting people and broadening your mind.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The&nbsp;Guille-All&egrave;s runs three reading groups. &ldquo;Book Brains&rdquo; is for children aged 10 and above. &ldquo;The Reading Group&rdquo; meets once a month. &ldquo;The Reading Room&rdquo; is a new on-line reading group.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn a language free of charge; choose from a wide selection of courses in audio format. 
&nbsp;
7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Why not take up a hobby that doesn&rsquo;t cost you money? Books are available on a wide range of subjects. 
&nbsp;
8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There are plenty of free ways to keep babies and toddlers amused and stimulated. Join us for Library activity sessions involving singing songs, rhymes and storytelling. You just need to book in advance but there is no charge. 
&nbsp;
9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By joining the Library you can use the public internet to check your emails or look at the web. School children can do their homework using the Children&rsquo;s Library computers, with printing and photocopying free. 
&nbsp;
10.&nbsp;Planning a holiday or a day trip? Rather than buy a map or travel guide get one from the Library.

&nbsp;

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Beat the credit crunch at the Guille-Allès Library ]]></link><pubDate>11/03/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Children’s Library World Book Day Competition Winners ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here are the winners of the book review competition held to celebrate World Book Day. Congratulations to you both!
&nbsp;
Winner of the 7 and under age group
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure! by Giles Andreae
&nbsp;

Captain Flinn must find the missing treasure and who stole it. It is none other than his arch enemy, T Rex, with a new back up team who plan to make a snack out of Flinn&rsquo;s new friend Gurgleguts. Can Flinn free Gurgleguts and stop the Pirate Dinosaurs?
&nbsp;
By Jack, aged 7
&nbsp;



&nbsp;

&nbsp;
Winner of the 8 &ndash; 11 age group
Lord Loss by Darren Shan
&nbsp;
This author &lsquo;hooked&rsquo; me when I first read this book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. I like the way the author leaves you puzzled at the end of the book because he doesn&rsquo;t explain the ending until the start of book three.
&nbsp;
I wanted to try a different type of book and my friend recommended this one. I am on book four now, and I haven&rsquo;t lost interest. 
&nbsp;
The book is about a boy named Grubbs Grady. When he finds his parents and sister killed by demons, he goes to live with his uncle. Grubbs&rsquo; brother, Bill-E, has a werewolf disease that can only be cured by a win in a chess duel and fight against Lord Loss and his two servants. If they lose they pay the &lsquo;ultimate price&rsquo;!

&nbsp;
Grubbs and Dervish fight and play chess against the demons. They eventually win and save Grubbs&rsquo; brother from turning into a werewolf.

&nbsp;
All of the books have been really exciting and I seriously recommend this book to anyone aged ten or over.

&nbsp;
I am looking forward to reading the next book!

&nbsp;
By Richard, aged 10
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Children’s Library World Book Day Competition Winners ]]></link><pubDate>06/03/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fourteen zebra]]></title><description><![CDATA[Should fourteen zebra decide to stand together in a group, they would be visible to an observer looking out of a window in the International Space Station.&nbsp; Yes indeed it is true!&nbsp; No I haven&rsquo;t been into space to check, but I take the word of author Henry Carroll.&nbsp; In his book Fourteen zebra he clearly states this truth in fact 89.&nbsp; Here the occupants of the orbiting research laboratory are pictured playing a game of I-spy:&nbsp; &ldquo;I-spy something beginning with z&rdquo;!&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Now you know what you are in for, reading Fourteen zebra by Henry Carroll and Nigel Howlett (illustrator).&nbsp; During their four year epic global voyage of exploration they recorded the most significant facts the world has ever seen.&nbsp; Each fact is beautifully recorded in a drawing of great detail.
It is the ideal book to restore a jaded sense of humour.&nbsp; Also it is possibly true, so for the curious it offers a fascinating intellectual puzzle.&nbsp; Is the earliest cutting tool a dried sawfish?&nbsp; Did a tagged ant really walk (or crawl) 1,600 miles?&nbsp; You can be the judge.&nbsp; Have a good chuckle, and maybe learn a thing or two.
Library classification 032.02 CAR, at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library&nbsp; in the Clifton Room, First Floor
&nbsp;
Stephen Collas
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Fourteen zebra]]></link><pubDate>04/03/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[RSS Feeds and Social Bookmarking on the Guille-Allès Library website]]></title><description><![CDATA[To help people keep up-to-date with what&rsquo;s happening at Guille-All&egrave;s Library we&rsquo;ve added RSS Feeds and Social Bookmarks to the Library website.
RSS stands for &ldquo;Really Simple Syndication&rdquo; and it is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web.

Just think about the websites you visit every day. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for just the text you want to read.&nbsp;Imagine if you could visit all those web pages in just one place without being bombarded with advertising, without having to search for new information on the page you&rsquo;d already seen or read before and without having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually.&nbsp;That is what you can do via an RSS feed.
You can use RSS feeds either directly with Internet Explorer or with a feed reader, such as Google Reader.&nbsp;

Social bookmarking allows you to easily save pages you find interesting on-line and share them with your friends. 

For quick and simply guides to RSS feeds and Social Bookmarking have a look at the Common Craft videos below.
















For more information on all things Web 2.0. visit Learning 2.0, a fantastic place to start learning about what you can do on the Internet.
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[RSS Feeds and Social Bookmarking on the Guille-Allès Library website]]></link><pubDate>25/02/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[My life as a wife: love, liquor and what to do about the other woman ]]></title><description><![CDATA[
by Elizabeth Luard. &nbsp;Published 2008
Library classification: 641.509 2 LUA, at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library &nbsp;in the Clifton Room, First Floor
What do you do when the man you love, your perfect husband (love of your life, who loves you too) lives a life of his own?&nbsp; This was a dilemma for Elizabeth Luard. She married &nbsp;young just before the time of liberation in the sixties, and quickly became a mother of five.&nbsp; Just as quickly she learnt her charming, talented, mercurial husband was a law unto himself - opening businesses (with her money), vanishing abroad whenever he pleased. He&nbsp; took lovers at will and as time went by, became &nbsp;a dedicated drinker.
Family life in London is exchanged for the Costa Spain a little before it became a budget resort, then a place for the wealthy, famous and eccentric.&nbsp; Subsequently &nbsp;Elizabeth spent ten years in a remote Andaluc&iacute;an valley with a young family.&nbsp; She later became known for her writings about peasant and Mediterranean food, but she was also a wildlife and botanical illustrator.&nbsp; Once her husband had spent all her inheritance, she supported the family as best she could.
Jumping &nbsp;to London forty years later, the story turns grim as Elizabeth cares for her alcoholic husband to the end.
The book is enlivened by the author&rsquo;s wit, love of family, and sanguine view of life; and also by her recipes!

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Stephen&nbsp;Collas
Library and Information Officer]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[My life as a wife: love, liquor and what to do about the other woman ]]></link><pubDate>18/02/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[James Patterson is the UK’s most borrowed author]]></title><description><![CDATA[Public Lending Right has announced that James Patterson is the UK&rsquo;s most&nbsp; borrowed author. Public Lending Right is an organisation that tracks the loans of books by UK libraries.&nbsp;&nbsp; This information was released by PLR on the 6 February 2009 for data collected between the dates July 2007 and June 2008. 
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
James Patterson is the author of over 50 novels and writes up to 8 books a year with the help of co-writers. His best known series of books are based around his Alex Cross character who is a black homicide detective and single father.&nbsp;




&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[James Patterson is the UK’s most borrowed author]]></link><pubDate>16/02/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Booktime Presentations]]></title><description><![CDATA[
In the last couple of weeks, Schools Library Liaison Officers have been visiting primary schools and presenting reception children with special &lsquo;Booktime&rsquo; packs.&nbsp; 
The Booktime packs are a gift from the Booktrust charity, which also provides &lsquo;Bookstart&rsquo; and &lsquo;Bookstart Plus&rsquo; packs to pre-school children.
&nbsp;
The charity hopes that the book packs help to develop a reading habit from an early age.&nbsp; The packs highlight the importance of sharing books.&nbsp; Children love sharing books with family members.&nbsp; Not just mums and dads but also brothers, sisters, grandmas and granddads.&nbsp; The emphasis is on reading for fun, not just achievement!!&nbsp; 
The Booktime packs contain;
A blue rucksack
Two paperback books for the children
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School by Ian Whybrow&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Booktime Book of Fantastic First Poems by June&nbsp;Crebbin&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Two helpful leaflets for parents
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reading with your Child - This has lots of helpful tips about choosing and sharing books. 
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Family Reading Adventure -This provides ideas about making reading exciting for children of all ages.

The pack also contains some stickers, a bookmark and a book tag.
Many schools invited parents to the Booktime presentations which gave mums and dads the opportunity to find out more about the aim of the book packs.&nbsp; The liaison officers also talked about the importance of reading for pleasure and provided information about the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library.

Lucy Rosenthal
Schools Library Liaison Officer
&nbsp;


&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Booktime Presentations]]></link><pubDate>11/02/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mined Where You Walk]]></title><description><![CDATA[








Le Tissier, Richard.&nbsp;Mined where you walk: The German occupation of Sark: 1940-1945. Seaflower Books, 2008 (LI940.53 LET&nbsp;&nbsp; at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, Lower Hayward Room, 2nd floor).
I read this book last week and despite the tragic subject it was a pleasure to read.&nbsp;The author is a fine writer and treats his characters humanely, whichever side they are on.
Mined where you walk is no quirky title.&nbsp;By the Occupation&rsquo;s end Sark had over 13,000 mines. A dozen German soldiers, English commandos and Sark people were injured or killed by exploding mines.
Sark is a unique place.&nbsp;Reading this book one is reminded that, when the war broke out, Sark was a self-contained, self sufficient rural community, virtually untouched by twentieth century progress.&nbsp;In 1939 there was no electric light but by the Occupation&rsquo;s end quite a few homes had benefited from German-generated electricity.
The occupation was a devastating episode for social and economic life.&nbsp;No Sark residents were evacuated, but over fifty were subsequently deported.&nbsp;Activity was progressively reduced in scope by successive restrictions on movement.&nbsp;Their diet deteriorated to a state of severe deprivation, only just saved from starvation by the arrival of the Red Cross ship Vega in the winter of 1944.
Richard Le Tissier is a Guernseyman with experience in maritime work and airlines.&nbsp;He is now retired and is busy researching Occupation History.
See Also: Le Tissier, Richard. Island destiny: &nbsp;A true story of love and war in the Channel Island of Sark (LI940.53 LET).

Stephen&nbsp; Collas
Library and Information Officer
&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Mined Where You Walk]]></link><pubDate>04/02/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Robert Burns biography]]></title><description><![CDATA[Robert Burns: the Patriot Bard by Patrick Scott Hogg. Mainstream Publishing, 2008. Library Dewey classification number: 821.6 BUR
&nbsp;
Burns Night is well-known for marking the birthday of Robert, or Rabbie, Burns. Surprisingly, it is a holiday more widely celebrated than St Andrew&rsquo;s Day.&nbsp;This year the celebrations have been more enthusiastic than ever, because 25 January marked the 250th anniversary.
&nbsp;
Scotland&rsquo;s national poet is known as much for his romantic exploits as for his poems and songs. By the time of his death at 37 he had fathered over 20 children. The legend of Burns as a ladies&rsquo; man is indeed fascinating, but this new biography puts it where it should be- as less important than the message of the &ldquo;Bard of Ayrshire&rdquo;. He is revealed as a Scottish patriot who wished for &ldquo;Freedom and Liberty&rdquo; for his beloved Scotland, but also as a man who was pragmatically a British patriot who risked his life for democratic reform.
&nbsp;
Whereas previous biographies have portrayed Burns as a confused simpleton, Patrick Scott Hogg places him in the context of the Enlightenment as complex and hyper-intelligent. The day-to-day Burns was stubborn, independent and controversial. 
&nbsp;
This biography draws not only from its subject&rsquo;s usually cited poetry and letters, but also from some newly attributed works, which have been suppressed for over two centuries. It tells the story of a short life with all its ups and downs, giving new insight into the social idealist, the poet of humanity and, crucially, the real man.
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[New Robert Burns biography]]></link><pubDate>26/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[If you want an alternative to Google try … makeuseof.com]]></title><description><![CDATA[






If you want an alternative to Google try &hellip; makeuseof.com
Makeuseof.com is an excellent site that presents 13 alternative search engines that find what Google can&rsquo;t.&nbsp; 
Some of the highlights include MP3REALM a music search engine that searches a vast mile of MP3s, video clips and song lyrics and Blinkx, a video search engine that browses over 32 million hours of video from Myspace, Youtube, and Google video. Quotiki is a quote search engine that has collected thousands of both well-known and obscure quotes. 
If you are looking for something more specialized, like videos, music, fun, food and even files makeuseof.com is a very good starting point. 

Ellie Fowkes
Schools Library Centre Manager
&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[If you want an alternative to Google try … makeuseof.com]]></link><pubDate>21/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A different kind of reading group]]></title><description><![CDATA[





We&rsquo;re starting up a fresh new reading group, to talk about the books that are causing a chatter at the moment; from the latest blockbuster smash, to graphic novel cult classics.
We want to make this easy.&nbsp;So rather than having a regular meeting you have to set an evening aside for, we&rsquo;re going to do this online on the Guille-All&egrave;s Library Forum at http://tinyurl.com/7uaavg.&nbsp;Once a month we pick a book you&rsquo;ve suggested and then you post your comments.



We don&rsquo;t want to do away with human contact altogether, though.&nbsp;We hope to be able to hold special, one-off events, whenever the opportunity arises.


First things first; we would like your ideas as to what books you think would be great for discussion.&nbsp;We&rsquo;d also appreciate any ideas you might have for a suitable name for the new group.&nbsp;Post your ideas on our Facebook Fan Page wall http://tinyurl.com/98vrchor on the Library Forum at http://tinyurl.com/7uaavg.




Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian
Guille-All&egrave;s Library
&nbsp;
P.S. The Guille-All&egrave;s Library Reading Group will still meet on the second Wednesday of each month, for those who prefer a regular, face-to-face chat.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[A different kind of reading group]]></link><pubDate>19/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Costa Book Awards 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Costa Book Awards 2008
The winners of the Costa Book Awards 2008 Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book categories were announced on Tuesday 6 January 2009. 
The winner in each category receives &pound;5,000. One of these five books will be selected as the overall winner of the Book of the Year on 27 January 2009 and will receive a further &pound;25,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Costa Book Award is the only prize which judges children's books alongside adult books in this way. 
Costa Book Awards 2008 Category Winners 
2008 Costa First Novel Award Winner
Sadie Jones - The Outcast 
&ldquo;1957 and Lewis Aldridge is travelling back to his home in the South of England. He is straight out of jail and nineteen years old. His return will trigger the implosion not just of his family, but of a whole community.&rdquo; Click here to read more
&nbsp;
2008 Costa Novel Award Winner
Sebastian Barry&nbsp;- The Secret Scripture
&ldquo;Roseanne McNulty, perhaps nearing her 100th birthday - no one is quite sure - faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. &ldquo; Click here to read more

2008 Costa Biography Award Winner
Diana Athill&nbsp;- Somewhere Towards the End
&ldquo;Looking back on a life well lived and the stories, events and relationships that have peppered it, Athill offers original and lively reflections on the lessons she has learned - lessons that will strike a universal chord with readers in any stage of life.&rdquo; Click here to read more
&nbsp;
2008 Costa Poetry Award Winner
Adam Foulds&nbsp;- The Broken Word
&ldquo;The Broken Word is a delicate and powerful poetic sequence that charts a young man's progress through a dark period in British colonial history - the Mau Mau uprisings in Kenya.&rdquo; &nbsp;Click here to read more

2008 Costa Children's Book Award Winner
Michelle Magorian&nbsp;- Just Henry
&ldquo;Set in post-war Britain, Just Henry is the story of a young boy who escapes the bleakness of life through his passion for cinema. His stepfather, whom he despises, will never compare with his dead father, a war hero.&nbsp;&ldquo; &nbsp;Click here to read more

Judging Panel&nbsp;
The Judging Panel consists of: Rosamund Pike - actress, &nbsp;Alexander Armstrong -&nbsp; actor and comedian, Andrea Catherwood -&nbsp; newscaster and television presenter and &nbsp;Michael Buerk -&nbsp; journalist, broadcaster and writer.&nbsp; The panel will be chaired by Matthew Parris - &nbsp;columnist and broadcaster. 
&nbsp;On&nbsp; Wednesday 11 February at 7:30pm &nbsp;The Guille-Alles Reading Group will be discussing the winner of the Costa First Novel Award: &nbsp;Sadie Jones&nbsp;for her novel The Outcast.
&nbsp;&nbsp;
For more information &nbsp;on the Costa Book Awards 2008 visit http://www.costabookawards.co.uk/awards/thisyearshortlist2008.aspx&nbsp;&nbsp; 


&nbsp;
Jackie Burgess
Library Assistant

&nbsp;
&nbsp;

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Costa Book Awards 2008]]></link><pubDate>13/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A musical Family Story Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[


On Saturday 3 January the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library regular Family Story Time session took a musical twist. 

Guille-All&egrave;s Library Readers&rsquo; Representative, Amanda Jones, kindly agreed to read some of her favourite stories, accompanied by Autumn Curtis-Summers on the harp.



The Bunny Dancer, by Jane Hissey from Guille-All&egrave;s Library on Vimeo.


Autumn Curtis-Summers playing the harp in the Guille-All&egrave;s Children's Library from Guille-All&egrave;s Library on Vimeo.


]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[A musical Family Story Time]]></link><pubDate>03/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Web 2.0: what next?]]></title><description><![CDATA[
&nbsp;
From Barak Obama&rsquo;s weekly YouTube address, to the reporting of the Mumbai attacks via Twitter, Web 2.0 technology could be said to have come of age in 2008.&nbsp; Alex Iskold&rsquo;s article, A Guide to The Contextual Web, is a (fairly) accessible account of what to expect next.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Iskold believes &ldquo;we are witnessing the birth of a fundamentally new kind of web, a smarter one, a contextual one. Unlike the old web we are used to, this one understands what we are doing and helps us. It is a web in which we search less and find relevant content faster.&rdquo;&nbsp; Such a move will potentially fundamentally change the way we all use the Internet, creating a web &ldquo;with less choice and more meaning&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The developments predicted by Iskold could make this an exciting year for all of us on-line; not least for Librarians, as we try to pick a way through the clouds of information available.&nbsp; We&rsquo;ll endeavor to keep you abreast of the latest developments; to help you find the facts you need, when you need them in 2009! 
&nbsp; 
Happy New Year 
&nbsp; 
Ed Jewell 
Customer Services Librarian 
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Web 2.0: what next?]]></link><pubDate>02/01/2009</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The art of prize-fighting]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Literary prizes loam large on the Library&rsquo;s horizon; both as an indicator of which authors will be in demand and as jumping off points for reading group discussions.&nbsp; Tom Chatfield&rsquo;s recent article in Prospect magazine, The art of prize-fighting, gives an interesting overview of the world of literary prizes; looking at how awards have developed and the impact they now have on the literary world.&nbsp; A timely pause for thought before we launch once again into a year populated with Oranges, Bookers and, of course, Richard &amp; Judy.
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The art of prize-fighting]]></link><pubDate>22/12/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[If you visit one new site this week try… 23 Things]]></title><description><![CDATA[23 Things started life as a training package designed by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to help their staff get to grips with Web 2.0.
&nbsp;
The 23 Things website is a great way for anyone, though, to find out a bit more about what Web 2.0. is, and to experiment with some of the new concepts and tools that are blossoming around the web.
&nbsp;
Covering 23 subjects including blogging, social bookmarking and RSS feeds, the 23 Things website includes helpful pre-recorded talks, explaining how to take your first steps with the different Web 2.0 tools and what they can be used for.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[If you visit one new site this week try… 23 Things]]></link><pubDate>10/12/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Great Books for Christmas]]></title><description><![CDATA[







Great Books for Christmas

Lucy and Rachel, two of our Schools' Library Liaison Officers, were on BBC Radio Guernsey last week to talk about their school book groups and also to give some ideas about great books for Christmas.

Rachel loves Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
This is the first novel for Meyer and has earned her a cult following, particularly among teenage readers.&nbsp;This is set to increase dramatically with the release of a film of the same title.&nbsp;Twilight is the story of Bella, a 17 year old girl, who moves to a small indistinctive American town where she meets Edward, an extremely attractive boy in her class.&nbsp;Although Edward seems to take an instant dislike to Bella, all is not what it seems and they soon fall in love.&nbsp;This is a gothic romance story which has completely captured my imagination to the point that I have already read the three sequels.&nbsp;
Rachel loves 50 Ways to Save The Earth by Anne Jankeliowitch
This is a gorgeous book. It combines amazing photography by Philippe Bourseiller with fifty simple tips on ways to make your lifestyle more environmentally friendly. The book is divided into seven different chapters covering everything from helping to save endangered species to putting your trashcan on a diet. Each chapter is accompanied by gorgeous pictures of various environments around the world, from Egyptian deserts to glaciers in Iceland. It is a book with a message, but put together so beautifully that it would appeal to everyone, environmentally-minded or not.
&nbsp;
Lucy loves picture books by Tim Hopgood
Hopgood&rsquo;s first three books, &lsquo;A Dog called Rod&rsquo;, &lsquo;Here comes Frankie!&rsquo; and &lsquo;Our Big Blue Sofa&rsquo;, have made him one of my favourite picture book authors/illustrators of 2008.&nbsp;His distinctive style of illustration has clearly developed from his 20 year career as a graphic designer.&nbsp;Hopgood uses a combination of materials, techniques, effects and textures in his books which result in pictures that look good enough to eat, or sparkly enough to cheer up even the grumpiest of dads.&nbsp;For those of you who want more details;
A Dog called Rod - Elsa is a little girl who wants a dog but she lives with her dad in a block of flats and he doesn&rsquo;t think a large pet is a good idea.&nbsp;After looking after a neighbour&rsquo;s pet dog, Elsa realises that a real dog isn&rsquo;t as wonderful as her imaginary pet, Rod.
Here comes Frankie! - Frankie is fed up of living a quiet life, his pets, his parents, his house and his street are all quiet.&nbsp;He decides to learn to play the trumpet and the sounds, smells and colours that his playing creates change everyone&rsquo;s lives in a wonderful way.
Our Big Blue Sofa &ndash; This is another story about the power of the imagination.&nbsp;Jessy and Tom&rsquo;s sofa at home is big and blue.&nbsp;The sofa morphs into many amazing forms of transportation and takes them on a different adventure every day.
Click on the following link to view some of Tim Hopgood&rsquo;s illustrations;
http://www.celiacatchpole.co.uk/hopgood/index.htm&nbsp;




Rachel Mahy &amp; Lucy Rosenthal 
Schools &nbsp;Library Liaison Officer
&nbsp;

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Great Books for Christmas]]></link><pubDate>05/12/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[XEROX Artzine]]></title><description><![CDATA[







The XEROX Artzine is now available in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
XEROX is a DIY art publication based in Guernsey, produced in collaboration with the ReadersWives Collective.&nbsp;The monthly publication covers the arts scene from Guernsey, London, Brighton and beyond. 

Subjects covered by articles in this edition of Xerox include: the Brighton Photo Biennial 2008, the Guernsey can, Damien Hirst, the Turner Prize (and the celebrity culture surrounding it), and the art world of islands.
It&rsquo;s eclectic, challenging and refreshing.
So next time you see &ldquo;Xerox&rdquo;, pick it up- it&rsquo;s well worth a look!

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

An on-line version of XEROX can be found at http://xeroxartzine.wordpress.com/.
The ReadersWives Collective are based at the Centre Fold Gallery, Trinity Square, St. Peter Port.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[XEROX Artzine]]></link><pubDate>03/12/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[BBC Headroom.  Mental well-being for all.]]></title><description><![CDATA[




The BBC&rsquo;s new campaign- on radio, TV, and the website- is entitled &ldquo;Headroom&rdquo;.&nbsp;It is also an information service, and encourages everyone to look after their own mental health.&nbsp;Advice on the everyday stresses and strains of life abounds, and there are also answers to more complex problems.
Ruby Wax- comedienne, TV presenter and psychotherapist- offers regular advice at Ruby&rsquo;s Room.&nbsp;Topics so far covered include: Anorexia, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Breakdown, Depression, Exam Stress, Schizophrenia, Self Harm and Suicide.






&nbsp;

&nbsp;
Books available in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library supporting this promotion include titles on Anger, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Suicide, Self Harm; and they can take the form of personal accounts of sufferers, poems and novels. Some of the recommended titles are on display and available at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, while other titles will be in stock very soon.





Headroom runs throughout November and into December.

Stephen&nbsp; Collas
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[BBC Headroom.  Mental well-being for all.]]></link><pubDate>26/11/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guille-Allès Library and CinéGuernsey book & film evening]]></title><description><![CDATA[


The Guille-All&egrave;s Library and Cin&eacute;Guernsey are joining forces to present an evening of book and film discussion.&nbsp; 

At 7:30pm on Thursday 20th November in Candie Museum, Frossard Hall, Cin&eacute;Guernsey will be screening The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.&nbsp; A discussion will be held afterwards comparing the film to the novel.&nbsp; 

Doors will open at 6.45pm for a pre-film glass of wine which is part of the &pound;7.50 ticket price. Tickets are available on line at www.guernseytickets.gg or by calling 712240. 

Copies of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby, are available in Clifton Room, on the first floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library. 

At 43, Bauby was defined by success, wit and charisma. But in the course of a few bewildering minutes, the editor-in-chief of French Elle became a victim of the rare locked-in syndrome.&nbsp;After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working.&nbsp;Only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. &nbsp;Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 

By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines travelling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavour of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an &quot;inexhaustible reservoir of sensations,&quot; keeping in touch with himself and the life around him. 

In 2007 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was turned into a film, directed by Julian Schnabel, staring Mathieu Amalric as Bauby. The film won awards at the Cannes Film Festival, the Golden Globes and the BAFTA Awards, as well as four Academy Award nominations. 

Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Guille-Allès Library and CinéGuernsey book & film evening]]></link><pubDate>05/11/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Soul of the Sea]]></title><description><![CDATA[




If the above title means nothing to you, you might (like me) have been out of the island or otherwise engaged when it was launched. If so, you&rsquo;ve missed a treat- but there&rsquo;s still time to experience it.
It&rsquo;s a new ballad by Magnus Buchanan based on Victor Hugo&rsquo;s Toilers of the Sea. An exhibition of The Soul of the Sea has been showing this October at the Gallery in Mansell Street, St Peter Port, with illustrations by Charlie Buchanan complementing the poem.
&nbsp;
To see these pictures and to hear local people reading the ballad visit www.soulofthesea.co.uk.&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s a great project involving local adults and children, so &ndash; go on, pay a visit now!
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer










The Soul of the Sea: Part 1 of 5
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Soul of the Sea]]></link><pubDate>29/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Book Week 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[This annual event aims to encourage and inspire even the most reluctant readers to read.&nbsp;It is organized by the Schools Library Service and sponsored by the Bachmann Group.
&nbsp;
Poets Brian Moses, Wes Magee and Andrew Fuseck-Peters performed for over 5,000 of the islands school children to celebrate National Children&rsquo;s Book Week.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
During the week a whole range of activities and events took place.&nbsp;One of the highlights was a public performance by the three poets at the Princess Royal Centre for Performing Arts.&nbsp;There was also a poetry competition, judged the poets, and a book signing event at the Press Shop.&nbsp;Many of the schools had book character dressing up days, poster competitions and sponsored reading events.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Poems by Wes Magee and Brian Moses can be found at Children&rsquo;s Poetry Archive http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive and Andrew Fuseck Peters hosts his own website, www.thetallpoet.com, which includes examples of his work. To find out more about National Children&rsquo;s Book Week visit&nbsp;http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/Home .
&nbsp;

Ellie Fowkes
Schools&rsquo; Library Centre Manager

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Book Week 2008]]></link><pubDate>24/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guernsey on YouTube]]></title><description><![CDATA[Videos featuring Guernsey are quietly piling up on the online video site, YouTube.

For a quick (700mph) tour around the island watch the 2007 film, Guernsey on Speed.  




 

For a more relaxed, though no less fascinating experience, there is Antony Gormley - Lot, a documentary film following the installation of Antony Gormley's sculptures, &quot;Lot&quot; at Castle Cornet in June 2008.



 

Finally, for extreme sports fans there are a plethora of videos, including footage of Lib Jam, held on Liberation Day, 2007.



 

Happy viewing!

Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Guernsey on YouTube]]></link><pubDate>22/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Where & when do you read?]]></title><description><![CDATA[






I was recently asked an intriguing question; &ldquo;where and when do I do most of my reading?&rdquo;&nbsp;While I wish I could say that I set a quiet hour or two aside every day in a peaceful, sunlit room; the truth is that my reading often takes place in snatched moments during the day.&nbsp;On the bus, in the bathroom whilst cleaning my teeth and in bed before falling asleep would all feature in my top 5 most frequent reading venues.&nbsp;
The question made me wonder where and when other people do most of their reading.&nbsp;Whether it's up a tree or infront of your computer, where and when do you normally read?&nbsp;Post your top reading venues on our Forum, or on our Face Book Fan Page Discussion Board.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Where & when do you read?]]></link><pubDate>15/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How do you look after your mental health?]]></title><description><![CDATA[To celebrate World Mental Day on 10th October, the Mental Health Foundation is launching a new booklet, How to look after your mental health. It offers 10 simple tips that anyone can use to help manage their mental health
&nbsp;
Mental health is about how you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs. Being mentally healthy doesn&rsquo;t just mean that you don&rsquo;t have a mental health problem.&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re in good mental health, you can make the most of your potential, cope with life and play a full part in your family, workplace and community.
&nbsp;
Copies of How to look after your mental health can be downloaded at&nbsp;http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ways/ .&nbsp;The Mental Health Foundation can also be contacted on 0207 803 1101 or via e-mail at info@mhf.org.uk
&nbsp;
Books on Prescription
Since October 2005 patients visiting their Doctor in Guernsey with mild to moderate psychological problems can, if appropriate, be &lsquo;prescribed&rsquo; a self help book as well as, or along side traditional medicine.
&nbsp;
How the Book Prescription Scheme works
Guernsey GPs have been issued with a list of the recommended resources available in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library and with a Book Prescription Scheme pad.
&nbsp;
If appropriate your GP can prescribe you a self help book as well as, or along side traditional medicine.&nbsp;You can then use the prescription to find the resource, either in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, or in a bookshop.
&nbsp;
Borrowing the Books
All the recommended books are available in the Clifton Room, on the First Floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
There are several computer terminals logged onto the Library catalogue in the Clifton Room, so you can search for the titles you need.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is always someone at the enquiry desk, should you need any help.&nbsp;All enquires are treated confidentially. 
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re not a member of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library a correctly filled in prescription will serve as proof of address and we can get you signed up and borrowing books immediately.&nbsp;If the book you need is not available you can make a free reservation by showing a member of staff your prescription.
&nbsp;
If you have any questions you&rsquo;d like to ask about the Book Prescription Scheme, please contact me on the e-mail address or phone number below.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian
(01481) 720392
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[How do you look after your mental health?]]></link><pubDate>08/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[National Poetry Day]]></title><description><![CDATA[







In case you haven&rsquo;t noticed, National Poetry Day is almost upon us again: Thursday 9 October.
This day is a nationwide celebration of poetry that happens in libraries, pubs, schools and workplaces. This year the theme is WORK of all kinds- whether in the classroom, office, on the factory floor or building site.

See the website www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk for ways to get involved- you can even send a free e-poem to your colleagues and friends!
&nbsp;
Here at the Library you can find a considerable stock of modern poetry [Dewey classification number 821.914], as well as the old favourites [from 821], and poetry collections [at 808.81].
&nbsp;
If you would like to try your hand at writing some poetry yourself, come and have a look at the books on how to do it [at 808.1] All these can be found in the Hayward Room on the second floor of the Library, where you will also find other tools to hand which will help you: rhyming dictionaries, dictionaries, thesauri etc.
Come in and have a go! 
&nbsp;
Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[National Poetry Day]]></link><pubDate>02/10/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[If you only visit one new site today...]]></title><description><![CDATA[try www.commoncraft.com, a nifty site which sets out to explain complicated or new ideas in plain English, through simple videos.&nbsp; Focusing mainly on explaining Web 2.0 concepts, such as social media, podcasting and RSS feeds, this is an essential site if you want to get to grips with the latest must-know concept quickly.
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian
&nbsp;

                                                             ]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[If you only visit one new site today...]]></link><pubDate>27/09/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Roseville Family Centre Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[





Roseville Family Centre Library
The Roseville Family Centre (community) Library achieved its first birthday on 
22 September.&nbsp;Situated in the Petit Bouet Road, it is a part of the Roseville Housing regeneration project.
The community centre is owned by The Guernsey Housing Association and leased to the local charity Families First.
A community library service is available two hours per week, at a weekly coffee morning, on Mondays from 9.30-11.30 a.m.&nbsp;This is supported by the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, which supplies the books, DVDs and audio books available for loan.
The library is run by volunteers with support staff from the Guille-All&egrave;s.&nbsp;More volunteers are needed, and anyone is welcome to give it a go.&nbsp;Any enquiries are welcome to Stephen telephone 720392 line extension 8227 or at the community centre during opening hours.
Last Monday eight people visited the library and spent most of two hours talking, having coffee and biscuits and changing their books.&nbsp;A gaggle of little boys amused mums and friends with games, endless chatter and &ldquo;music&rdquo; on an electronic keyboard.&nbsp;The mayhem makes RFCLib a jolly place to be.
The sunny spells sent light streaming in through the ceiling high windows, brightening the outdoor area too, with its trees and flower beds.
Topics under discussion included being pregnant, giving birth, wayward partners (i.e. men), expensive stuffed toys, and some difficulties of life in general and lots more.&nbsp;Gossip, stories and homely advice abound, and we all have a laugh.
Come and try it out!&nbsp;If you are walking by, drop right in.&nbsp;For drivers parking is limited, but you are allowed to use Checkers Upper Deck parking and there are steps to the pavement to shorten the walk from there.
To be continued...



Stephen&nbsp;Collas

Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Roseville Family Centre Library]]></link><pubDate>24/09/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[There is still time to join the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Team Read, the annual Summer Reading Challenge at the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library, is up and running. In the first two weeks a record 587 children have signed up and are eagerly reading their six books. Forty-six have already completed the Challenge! 
&nbsp;
The podium display on the Children&rsquo;s Library wall is filling up with children&rsquo;s names as they reach bronze, silver and finally the gold level.
&nbsp;
There is a great website to complement the Challenge: www.teamread.co.uk. The site is a giant stadium and children can sign in and create their own character and reading log. They can exchange jokes, add reviews of their favourite books or put a message on the big screen. There are author blogs and games too. Children aged 10 and over will receive an Extreme Team Read card (while stocks last!) which allows them entry to a secret part of the website where they can exchange messages with others and take part in a personality quiz.
&nbsp;
There are weekly events for children during the summer holidays. For 5 to 9 year olds there is a story and activity time every Wednesday at 10.45am for one hour. Parents can leave children at the Library for the hour but will need to sign a registration form leaving contact details. Every Wednesday afternoon at 3.30 &ndash; 4.30pm there is a book club for 10 to 14 year olds. So far we have read The Family from One End Street and Tom&rsquo;s MidnightGarden and still to come are Skellig, The Owl Service and TheBorrowers. Copies of these books are available to borrow from the Library; please ask at the Children&rsquo;s Library desk.
&nbsp;
Our story times are continuing as usual during the summer. Story Stop for 3 to 5 year olds is on a Tuesday from 11.00 &ndash; 11.30 am and the Family Story Time is every Saturday at 2.15 &ndash; 2.45pm.
&nbsp;
There is no need to book places at the Wednesday events or the story times. 
&nbsp;
Team Read runs until Saturday 30 August so there is still plenty of time to join in. It is fun, free and there are hundreds of books to choose from! If children read six books and finish the Challenge they will receive a Beau Sejour swimming voucher as well as an invitation to our special ceremony on 3 September where they will receive a medal and a certificate!
&nbsp;
For further information please contact Jan Foss on 743639, jfoss@library.gg&nbsp;or see the blog dated 23 July 2008.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[There is still time to join the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></link><pubDate>05/08/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[DVDs- NEW ADDITIONS]]></title><description><![CDATA[We have recently added to our DVD collection a selection of films from a company going by the unlikely name of &ldquo;Artificial Eye&rdquo;. Artificial Eye is one of the UK&rsquo;s leading distributors of world cinema. It specializes in releasing foreign and arthouse films on DVD and video.
&nbsp;
Here are three examples. For further information about the films visit www.artificial-eye.com.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The double life of Veronique
&nbsp;
&hellip;is one of the most acclaimed films by Polish auteur Krzysztof Kiesiowski (director of Dekalog and the Three Colours trilogy). It is a lyrical and enigmatic tale of duality and yearning.
(In Polish and French with English subtitles.)
&nbsp;
Land and freedom
&nbsp;
&hellip;is Ken Loach&rsquo;s acclaimed 1936-set film about the Spanish Civil War, in which Ian Hart stars as a disillusioned Liverpudlian who decides to follow his principles and join the fight against fascism in Spain. This epic and brilliantly acted film is one of the most powerful and moving war films ever made.
(In English and Spanish with some subtitles.)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;The Apu trilogy 
&nbsp;
&hellip;is the most celebrated work of Satyajit Ray: the greatest filmmaker to have emerged from Indian cinema. The three films are enormously touching in their simplicity, emotional sweep and visual beauty.
(In Bengali with English subtitles.)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
These are just a few of our new DVD titles, but there are many more. Come and look for yourself on the second floor of the Library.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[DVDs- NEW ADDITIONS]]></link><pubDate>30/07/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Get set for the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Get set for the Summer Reading Challenge!
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library is on its marks and getting set to keep young people active and keep them reading throughout the summer holidays...with the Summer Reading Challenge. This year it is called Team Read and the theme is Sport- to tie in with the Olympic Games. The aim of the Challenge is to motivate children to keep reading over the summer holidays and to encourage them to use their local library. Children need to be members of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library to take part, but joining is free and straightforward. (Parent/carer signature and proof of address are needed.)
&nbsp;
Team Read begins on Saturday 19 July, but children can sign up any time after this during the holidays. On the launch day there will be a treasure hunt around the Library as well as our regular family story time at 2.15pm. 
&nbsp;
When children sign up for the challenge they will receive a fantastic log book which folds out into a poster. They can make a note of all the books they read and give them a rating. 
&nbsp;
The great thing about Team Read is that children can choose the books they would like to read and we have plenty to choose from. There are story books, fairy tales, short stories, graphic novels, information books and audio book sets. &nbsp;For every book they read children will receive stickers to put in their log books, going from bronze to gold levels.
&nbsp;
Children will also be able to track their progress on our display wall, moving their sport sticker from the bronze podium through silver to gold. There will also be plenty of themed colouring and puzzles to keep them busy. There is a fantastic Team Read website (www.teamread.co.uk) which children can use to write reviews, play games and read author blogs. (Parental/carer permission is required for children to use the Library computers.) 
&nbsp;
After reading six books children will have completed the challenge and will be invited to a special awards ceremony on 3 September where they will be presented with a gold medal and certificate. They will also receive a swimming voucher and we are grateful to Beau Sejour for once again donating the vouchers.
&nbsp;
The Library will be running special story and activity sessions to support Team Read. These sessions are aimed at 5-9 year olds and will take place in the Children&rsquo;s Library on Wednesdays during the summer holidays at 10.45am for one hour. There will also be a book club for 10-14 year olds on Wednesdays from 3.30pm for one hour. The book club is taking a different format this year, with the young people reading past Carnegie Medal winners. At the end of the holidays we shall vote for our favourite summer read. 
&nbsp;
Story Stop on Tuesdays at 11am and Family Stories on Saturdays at 2.15pm will carry on as usual during the holidays, but our preschool sessions of Baby Bounce and TOTS will take a break. 
&nbsp;
Why not join up to Team Read this summer? It&rsquo;s fun and completely free!
&nbsp;
Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Get set for the Summer Reading Challenge!]]></link><pubDate>23/07/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rolling Stone and Edge arrive at the Guille-Allès Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Following requests from readers, Rolling Stone and Edge magazines have now arrived at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, along with other requested titles Country Smallholding and The Oldie.
&nbsp;
Rolling Stone is a classic US magazine devoted to music, popular culture and politics. Founded in 1967, it&rsquo;s synonymous with influential music reviews and relevant in depth political stories, as well as covering film and television. 
&nbsp;
Edge is a long standing computer games magazine, providing reviews of games of all formats. It also includes news on the latest technology and interviews with game creators and other leading figures in the gaming world.
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library takes 50 magazine titles every month. They cover all sorts of subjects, from Private Eye&nbsp;to Good Housekeeping, from Empire and Vogue to Yachts and Yachting. &nbsp;The magazines are kept in the Reading Room on the first floor, with the daily newspapers, and are available for readers to browse any time. 
&nbsp;
Missed an article? We keep all our magazines for reference for at least six months. Just ask a librarian and we&rsquo;ll find the back copy you want. Back copies of some titles are available for loan, including Homes and Gardens, Paris Match and She.
&nbsp;
Are we missing a magazine &nbsp;you think would be popular? Suggest a title by filling in a request card or ask a member of staff. 
&nbsp;
Whatever your interests, there&rsquo;s something for you at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.

&nbsp;

Emily Pailing
Library Assistant
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Rolling Stone and Edge arrive at the Guille-Allès Library]]></link><pubDate>04/07/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ATTENTION ALL FILM BUFFS AND MUSIC LOVERS!]]></title><description><![CDATA[ATTENTION ALL FILM BUFFS AND MUSIC LOVERS!
Up on the second floor of the Library we&rsquo;re beefing up some of our NON-BOOK sections: notably DVDs and Music CDs. 
&nbsp;
DVDs
This popular section will soon include more than 500 films. Having started out as &ldquo;classic&rdquo; and literary films, it is now broadening to include many of the most popular movies of the twentieth century. To give you some idea, here are some recently added titles.
&nbsp;
The English Patient
The Full Monty
As Good As It Gets
Mrs. Brown
&nbsp;
You can borrow 2 DVDs at a time, for free, for three weeks on an adult Library card.
&nbsp;
MUSIC ON COMPACT DISC
If you&rsquo;re not already a member, come and join our CD Library! It&rsquo;s &pound;10 for 2 years&rsquo; membership. See Music CD Library for further details.
&nbsp;
Because the feed-back from our existing Putumayo World Music CDs has been so good, we are boosting the folk/ethnic section of the CD Library with another batch! (For a background to Putumayo visit www.putumayo.com ) These intriguing titles include:
&nbsp;
Afro-Latin Party,
Celtic Crossroads,
&nbsp;and Music From The Chocolate Lands.
&nbsp;
For the children, new Putumayo Kids CDs from different countries and cultures are enriching the collection.
&nbsp;
We are also adding to stock some Music Rough Guides CDs with such exotic titles as Bellydance and Hawaii.
&nbsp;
All these non-book items&nbsp;are on our Catalogue - just like the books - (e.g. under the keyword &quot;Putumayo&quot;), but please come into the Library to see them for yourself.&nbsp; The colourful, award-winning cases of the Putumayo CDs in particular are a joy to browse through.

Happy viewing and listening!



Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[ATTENTION ALL FILM BUFFS AND MUSIC LOVERS!]]></link><pubDate>17/06/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Orange Prize Evening Review]]></title><description><![CDATA[After several weeks of promotion and some frantic last minute reading, Wednesday 4June arrived, and saw me buying bucks fizz, blowing up orange balloons and hunting high and low for an orange table cloth.&nbsp;Not exactly a typical Wednesday evening at work, but 4 June was the Orange Evening, and the Reading Group plus a few new faces gathered at the Guille-All&egrave;s to discuss what we thought of this year&rsquo;s shortlist, and vote for our winner, before finding out who the Orange Prize judges had chosen.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
First up for discussion was &lsquo;Lullabies for Little Criminals&rsquo;, by Heather O&rsquo;Neill, which was introduced by the Customer Services Librarian Ed Jewell. He gave a good summary, but unfortunately the subject matter (a neglected 12-year-old girl falling into drugs and prostitution in Montreal&rsquo;s red light district in the 1970s) didn&rsquo;t exactly make it seem like an appealing read, despite the fact that it is very well written, and is actually much more uplifting than the subject sounds! 
&nbsp;
Next was &lsquo;The Road Home&rsquo;, by Rose Tremain, which was obviously a popular title as several of the group had already read it. It tells the story of Lev, an Eastern European immigrant from an unspecified country, who travels to Britain to make some money for his mother and daughter back home. There was a fair amount of discussion about this book, both about the sympathy you feel for the main character, and how Rose Tremain uses the novel to make some pointed comments about the British.
&nbsp;
Then we moved on to talk about &lsquo;Lottery&rsquo;, Patricia Wood&rsquo;s debut novel about a man with a low IQ who wins the Washington State Lottery. This had also been read by several people, and following a positive review and several amusing readings from the book, the general feeling was that it was a good, warm-hearted, entertaining read, but perhaps not the stuff of prize-winners. 
&nbsp;
With three books down and three to go, we paused for a drink and a chat, and to have a browse of the bookstall, which was kindly provided by the The Press Shop. Unfortunately, time was running away with us (we obviously all had far too many intellectual comments to make about the first three books!), so fairly soon we were sat back down and looking at the next of the titles up for discussion: Sadie Jones&rsquo; &lsquo;The Outcast&rsquo;. 
&nbsp;
&lsquo;The Outcast&rsquo; is the story of Lewis, who following a stint in prison returns to his village to find himself unwanted by both his family and the rest of the community. Only a couple of group members had read this title, and whilst it was well written and fairly easy to read, no one gave it a totally positive review; it was felt that the author missed out some key sections of Lewis&rsquo;s life, such as his time at school and actually in prison, which could have been important in understanding his character. 
&nbsp;
We moved on to discuss &lsquo;Fault Lines&rsquo;, Nancy Huston&rsquo;s novel which encompasses one family&rsquo;s history from 2004 to 1944. The book is narrated by four different children, and it became obvious that the first child, Sol, was extremely unpleasant, which made it difficult reading for some. Others found that once they had read past Sol&rsquo;s section of the story, it was an elegantly constructed and well written story, although you did have to suspend belief a little to imagine that the 6 year old narrators would have had such complex thoughts about quite deep issues.
&nbsp;
The final novel discussed was also the one that caused most controversy. Charlotte Mendelson&rsquo;s &lsquo;When we were bad&rsquo; tells the story of a Jewish family, with an overbearing mother and her dysfunctional children, all of whom have their issues to deal with. Whilst the reviewer and some of the group thought it was an excellent book with engaging characters and amusing turns of phrase, others found it claustrophobic and were left not really caring about the fate of the characters at all. 
&nbsp;
Having shared our thoughts and argued for our favourite, it was decision time. In our Orange Evening vote, Rose Tremain was the clear winner, with&rsquo; Lottery&rsquo; and &lsquo;When we were Bad&rsquo; coming in second and third respectively. Obviously a good choice, as the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction judging panel announced that this year&rsquo;s winner was in fact Rose Tremain for &lsquo;The Road Home&rsquo;. 
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Emily Pailing
Library Assistant
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Orange Prize Evening Review]]></link><pubDate>11/06/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Children’s Illustrator  at the Guille-Allès Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[
The Children&rsquo;s Library was delighted to welcome the children&rsquo;s book illustrator Martin Wright to lead two workshops during the half term week. Martin is very experienced at working with children and adults and frequently visits schools and libraries in the UK. He has even worked on a cruise ship.
&nbsp;
It was obvious from the start that he had a great rapport with the children as, pencils in hand, they waited eagerly to see what they would be drawing. Martin helped them draw a beach scene and asked for suggestions as to what to put in the picture. The workshops were interactive, with the children drawing their suggestions on Martin&rsquo;s flipchart.
&nbsp;
Martin wanted the children to make up their own story so he started with a Guernsey cow and the young people chose to call her Goofy. Goofy was surprised by aliens who wanted to borrow some sugar. The children made all the decisions, very democratically, by voting for the most popular suggestion. Martin chose individuals to come and draw Goofy and the aliens. 
&nbsp;
In the afternoon session Martin carried on with the story and the children chose to have Goofy and the aliens trying to borrow sugar from some ants, then going to take the sugar bowl from the farmhouse. He modelled the farmer on one of the girls, who looked very fierce and angry at the thought of an alien stealing her sugar. 
&nbsp;
The children decided on a happy ending, however, as the farmer invited Goofy and the alien and the ants to a picnic. There were lots of goodies to draw on the picnic blanket and one boy was chosen to model as the farmer in this scene.
&nbsp;
A total of 58 children attended the two sessions and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as well as learning a great deal about drawing. Martin made sure that even little ones could join in and all the children felt part of the event. Some were motivated to make their own illustrated stories at home and others brought their own drawings to show Martin.
&nbsp;
We would like to thank Martin for leading such fun and inspiring workshops, which will be remembered for a long time to come.


&nbsp; 
Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Children’s Illustrator  at the Guille-Allès Library]]></link><pubDate>04/06/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Orange Prize: Book Reviews]]></title><description><![CDATA[Seven of the best books published by female authors in the past year have made it through to the Orange Prize for Fiction shortlist, and the winner will be announced in just under three weeks time on&nbsp;4 June. Over the last few weeks Guille-All&egrave;s staff have been appearing on Radio Guernsey between 11.30 and 12.00 on a Friday, to discuss the short-listed titles. This week the titles being reviewed are Nancy Huston&rsquo;s &lsquo;Fault Lines&rsquo; and Patricia Wood&rsquo;s &lsquo;Lottery&rsquo;.
&nbsp;
Nancy Huston is an accomplished Canadian novelist who now lives in France, and &lsquo;Fault Lines&rsquo; was originally written in French and translated into English by the author. It&rsquo;s the story of one family and how the experiences of each person have an impact on the next generations. The plot unfolds in reverse: the story is told by four different six-year-old children, one from each generation, starting with Sol (a spoilt American prodigy in the 21st century) and going back to Kristina (Sol&rsquo;s great grandmother),who is a child living in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The book is compelling reading, partly because each child gives you an interesting insight into their world (although you do have to suspend belief a little, as I can&rsquo;t imagine having such in depth conversations with most six-year-olds), and partly because the backwards narrative means you keep gaining glimpses into what happened in the past, but don&rsquo;t find out the whole truth until the very end. It&rsquo;s elegant and wonderfully executed, and I really enjoyed reading it. My only criticism could be that it&rsquo;s almost too good: it&rsquo;s so polished, it lost a little heart on the way. That said, it was still a fantastic book that I&rsquo;d happily read again.

&nbsp;
The other book that I&rsquo;ve read on the shortlist is Patricia Wood&rsquo;s debut novel &lsquo;Lottery&rsquo;. Less ambitious in some ways than Huston&rsquo;s, &lsquo;Lottery&rsquo; is the story of Perry L Crandall. His IQ is only 76, but he&rsquo;s not retarded (you have to have an IQ of 75 to be retarded). He lives with his Gram in the town of Everett, and the rest of his family want little to do with him. That is, until he wins the Washington State Lottery. In some ways the plot is predictable, but this story is much more about character than plot. And it has a wonderful cast of characters. Perry himself is endearing; in many ways he understands the world around him better than others, and makes you question what makes a person capable: their IQ or their character? His family are painted as a self-seeking bunch who inevitably only value Perry for his money (when he gets it), and Gram is Perry&rsquo;s anchor - the constant around which he builds his life. When the worst happens and Perry is cut adrift, he quickly finds out who he can really rely on. If you like gritty real-life drama then this probably isn&rsquo;t the book for you. But if you like feel good fiction that makes you laugh, then &lsquo;Lottery&rsquo; is definitely worth a read.
&nbsp;
If you like the sound of these books, you can check out the catalogue and reserve your copy here. Or tune in to Radio Guernsey (93.2FM and 1116MW) on Fridays at 11.30 until 30 May, and listen to Guille-All&egrave;s staff reviewing the rest of the shortlist. 
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;d like to have your say about the book you&rsquo;ve read, come along to our Orange Evening on Wed 4 June, or log on to the forum at www.library.gg/forum. We&rsquo;d love to know what you think. 

&nbsp;

Emily Pailing
Library Assistant
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Orange Prize: Book Reviews]]></link><pubDate>21/05/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Orange Prize]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hot on the heels of the Galaxy Book Awards, which were held last month (awards included the popular Richard and Judy award for Best Read), the Orange Prize shortlist was announced on April 15th. With so many recommended reads out there, it can be hard to know what to choose.
&nbsp;
When swimming (or drowning) in a sea of shortlists and awards, it helps to find out a bit more about what each award is for, and what criteria it uses to select shortlisted titles. The Galaxy Book Awards recognise fiction and non-fiction, with the emphasis on books that are accessible and popular; the Richard and Judy award is voted for by members of the public. By contrast, the Man Booker prize aims to &ldquo;promote the finest in fiction, by rewarding the very best book of the year&rdquo;, and is decided by a committee of highly acclaimed critics, authors and academics. So if you want a good beach book, one of the Galaxy Book Award winners might be the right choice for you. If, on the other hand, you fancy applying your mind to something a bit more challenging, then one of the Booker winners, past or present, might be just the thing.
&nbsp;
The Orange Prize falls somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum. It is awarded annually for the best novel by a female author published in English that year. The five judges are chosen from amongst the leading women in a variety of professions including authors, broadcasters, editors, library representatives, and in fact anyone who has a passion for books and reading.&nbsp;To make it to the shortlist, the judges have to feel that a book is one they are enthusiastic enough about to pass on to a friend and urge them to read; the Orange Prize emphasises accessibility alongside excellence and originality. 
&nbsp;
As the Orange Prize is only open to female authors, it obviously doesn&rsquo;t recognise any outstanding book by a male author that year, so it&rsquo;s not a complete guide to good fiction. But if you want to discover a new author or try a new genre then it&rsquo;s a great place to start.
&nbsp;
Still need some help deciding which of the shortlist to go for? A member of staff from the Guille-All&egrave;s Library will be on Radio Guernsey every Friday from 11.30-12 until 30th May, discussing a shortlisted title. So tune in to 93.2FM or 1116MW and find out who we think should win.
&nbsp;

Emily Pailing
Library Assistant
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Orange Prize]]></link><pubDate>14/05/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Guide to Book Blogs: part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Following on from our previous blog post, we&rsquo;ve set out to find some more of the best book blogs out there. This is as always only a small selection, but if you&rsquo;re not sure what you&rsquo;re looking for or you&rsquo;re running short of time, then check out the following:
&nbsp;
Reading Matters http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/
With 284 reviews online and counting, Reading Matters appears to have enough book suggestions to keep you going for several years, as well as blogs on many other things. Helpfully categorised in several ways, the information is accessible and readable, and the reviews are clearly rated from &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t bother&rsquo; to &lsquo;Definitely worth reading&rsquo;. There is also an online Book Group, with a new title discussed each month and suggested questions for consideration. Best of all, the books reviewed are a great mixture of &lsquo;literary&rsquo; and &lsquo;popular&rsquo;, so whether you want to know more about Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy or Jodi Picault and Maeve Binchy, Reading Matters is the place to be. 
&nbsp;
Of Books and Bicycles&nbsp;www.ofbooksandbikes.wordpress.com
As you&rsquo;d expect, this blog is &lsquo;mostly about books and reading with the occasional post about cycling thrown in&rsquo;. The US based blogger is a book lover and an avid cyclist, who discusses all sorts of books: her most recently read include Mary Shelley&rsquo;s Frankenstein, Dashiell Hammett&rsquo;s The Glass Key, and Robert Louis Stevenson&rsquo;s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Most interestingly (in my opinion) she&rsquo;s involved with several book groups, and as well as posting her opinion of their current read online, she also provides links to the blogs of several other book group members, so you can read their opinions as well. 
&nbsp;
Brit Lit Blogs www.britlitblogs.com 
This is not a blog in itself, but a brilliant site set up by 6 British bloggers who wanted to promote the literary blogging scene. They&rsquo;ve put together their latest blog entries, plus links to many other literary blogs, to make it easier for the media and publishers to find out about what goes on in the blogosphere. It also makes a great starting point for anyone interested in finding out more about books, reading and literary life in general. So if the blogs we&rsquo;ve highlighted aren&rsquo;t your style, or you&rsquo;d like to find out more, then check out britlitblogs and see where you end up.

&nbsp;

Emily Pailing
Library Assistant
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Guide to Book Blogs: part 2]]></link><pubDate>26/04/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brush up your Shakespeare!]]></title><description><![CDATA[
April 23 is generally thought to be both Shakespeare&rsquo;s birth- and death-day.&nbsp;Whether or not this is actually true, it is fitting that the great English bard should be celebrated on St George&rsquo;s Day.
&nbsp;
His great literary and cultural importance is also reflected in the fact that- uniquely, I believe- he has his own Dewey Decimal Classification number.
&nbsp;
So&hellip; up in the Hayward Room at 822.33 in the Library&rsquo;s number sequence you will find books on Shakespeare&rsquo;s life and works. The individual plays (books and cassettes), as well as books about &nbsp;them, are at 822.331. (If you would like to listen to them on compact disc, ten of the plays are on order in this format, and should shortly be available for loan.)
&nbsp;
On the second floor landing of the Library you will discover a good selection of Shakespeare plays on video at V822.331. There are even several versions of the same play in some cases, so that it&rsquo;s possible to compare different dramatic interpretations. For those of you with just a DVD player, there is also a small (and growing!) selection of the plays available in the DVD collection on the same landing.
&nbsp;
So, (whatever your choice of format) why not (re-)experience the beautiful, rich writings of the bard? Remember- &ldquo;The play&rsquo;s the thing&rdquo;!
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Brush up your Shakespeare!]]></link><pubDate>21/04/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sensational Spring Stories at the Children’s Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[The school holidays are upon us and the Children&rsquo;s Library at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library is offering story and activity sessions for children aged 5 to 11.
&nbsp;
The sessions will be held on Wednesday 9 and 16 April. The morning sessions run from 10.45 until 11.45 and are aimed at 5 to 7 year olds. The afternoon sessions are at 2.00pm for one hour and are aimed at 8 to11 year olds.
&nbsp;
The sessions are split into roughly half an hour of stories and half an hour of fun activities usually linked to one or more of the stories heard. 
&nbsp;
There is no need to book for these sessions, just come along to the Children&rsquo;s Library on the day. If parents or carers wish to leave their children in the Library they will be asked to fill in a register. Children must stay in the Library until they are collected.
&nbsp;
For further information please call the Children&rsquo;s Library on 743635.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Sensational Spring Stories at the Children’s Library]]></link><pubDate>03/04/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Learn a language]]></title><description><![CDATA[Up on the second floor of the Library in the Hayward Room sits one of our most popular sections. Next to the Local Studies collection (rather ironically!), you will discover a treasure trove of training tools enabling you to communicate with the outside world &ndash; yes, even beyond Torteval!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The selection of multi-media language courses includes, of course, Portuguese, Latvian and Polish. We also hold courses designed specifically for speakers of these languages to learn English. You would expect to find the languages of our closest European neighbours (French, German, Spanish, Italian&hellip;), but our courses in Chinese, Tagalog, and Swahili might come as a surprise!
&nbsp;
These multi-media packs include tapes for those still with cassette players. However, most are now compact disc packs, and we are buying as many of these as our budget will allow, so that they will ultimately replace the tape cassettes.
&nbsp;
Styles of courses range from the more traditional Hugo&rsquo;s &ldquo;&hellip;In three months&rdquo; series to Michel Thomas&rsquo;s &ldquo;no books, no writing&rdquo;, rather alternative approach. Sometimes it takes more than one attempt to find a course style which suits you; so it is advisable to take two different courses home to try. 
&nbsp;
You can develop your linguistic skills to an advanced level, or you might just want to learn the basics for a holiday (eg. &ldquo;Travel pack&rdquo; or &ldquo;Get by in&hellip;&rdquo; series). In response to demand, most courses start at beginner level. &nbsp;

As this is such a popular section, it is better to search it using the Library&rsquo;s online catalogue at www.library.gg &nbsp;than to browse the actual shelves. That way you will be able to see the titles currently on loan. For example, given that the Dewey classification number for learning French is &ldquo;448&rdquo;, the number for French CD packs will be &ldquo;CD 448&rdquo;. So&hellip; at the &ldquo;search&rdquo; page, if you just click on &ldquo;advanced search&rdquo;, tab down the search terms for &ldquo;classification&rdquo;, and then type in &ldquo;CD(space)448&rdquo;, you should end up with a list of all the available courses. If the one you want is on loan, you can of course reserve it online.

Finally, why not test your new skills and have a go at reading in the language?&nbsp;There&rsquo;s a whole collection of foreign fiction just waiting to be discovered! And you can use the adjacent Library section of dictionaries, phrase books, grammar books etc. to back up your learning.

However you choose to go about learning your new language, please don&rsquo;t forget the Library: come and ask me for advice on which course would suit you, and if we don&rsquo;t have the one you want&hellip;just ask!
&nbsp;
Bonne chance!


Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Learn a language]]></link><pubDate>19/03/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Library Guide to Book Blogs.]]></title><description><![CDATA[For those of you who are only just beginning to find out about the wonderful world of blogging, and for those of you who are blogging pros but would like a little guidance through the millions of blogs available, the Guille-All&egrave;s Library presents its guide to the best book blogs around.
&nbsp;
What follows is just a small selection of the blogs that discuss the literary world. Some are by authors, some are by journalists and writers, one is even by &ldquo;a Devonshire based bookaholic, sock-knitting quilter who happens to be a community nurse in her spare time&rdquo;. The thing they have in common is that all of them are avid readers, and all of them want to share their views on the latest news and the books they&rsquo;re reading.
&nbsp;
So if you want to find out more about a book you&rsquo;re considering reading, share your thoughts on the last thing you read, or find out what&rsquo;s going on in the world of books generally, then check out the following:
&nbsp;
Dovegreyreader Scribbles http://www.dovegreyreader.typepad.com/
&nbsp;
As the bookaholic sock-knitting quilter mentioned above, dovegreyreader regularly updates her friendly, accessible and informative blog with her thoughts on anything from the latest book on her bookshelf to the imminent closure of her village shop. Alongside the blog run seemingly never-ending lists of books: books she&rsquo;s reading currently, books she&rsquo;s blogged about, books she&rsquo;s read and books she plans to read. Oh, and there&rsquo;s a handy list of links to other book blogs - just in case you run out of ideas from her site.
&nbsp;
So Many Books http://somanybooksblog.com
&nbsp;
So Many Books is another &lsquo;reader&rsquo; blog, created by someone who loves books and wants to share her ideas and experiences. A bit more literary in places than dovegreyreader (her latest post is all about Herodotus) it&rsquo;s regularly updated and discusses a myriad of issues. There&rsquo;s a book quotes section (worth checking out) and, my favourite element of the site, a list of links to other sites: the Blogroll.
&nbsp;
Ready Steady Book http://www.readysteadybook.com/Blog.aspx
&nbsp;
This is &ldquo;an independent book review website &hellip; which is devoted to reviewing the very best books in literary fiction, poetry, history and philosophy&rdquo;. As you can tell from the online description, this site focuses more on literary issues and less on popular fiction, and the blog reflects these interests. Most recent of the regular posts are a discussion of the value of poetry (stimulated by a post on fellow book blog Bookninja http://www.bookninja.com) and a link to a recently created philosophy blog. Not exactly light reading but, if you&rsquo;re feeling intelligent, worth a look.
&nbsp;
There are many more blogs out there worthy of a mention, so keep checking out the Guille-All&egrave;s blog in the coming weeks and we&rsquo;ll post some more up soon. Let us know what you think of these blogs: post your comments on The Forum.
&nbsp;

Emily Pailing
Library Assistant

&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Library Guide to Book Blogs.]]></link><pubDate>14/03/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Take the Great ]]></title><description><![CDATA[
Wednesday 12 March 2008.
&nbsp;
Reward yourself with a shopping spree, two weeks in the sun, some new furniture, a second hand car, or the deposit on a house.
&nbsp;
These benefits are made possible by stopping a twenty cigarette per day habit, assuming you pay &pound;5.20 for each packet. The shopping spree treat would be yours after one month, and you could save up the deposit on the house in one year.
&nbsp;
Smoking is expensive!
&nbsp;
Reward your body too.&nbsp;After only twenty-four hours you will be free of carbon monoxide and you will have begun to clear tar from your lungs.
&nbsp;
Two days after stopping smoking you are free of nicotine.&nbsp;Your appetite develops along with senses of taste and smell.
&nbsp;
It may take nine months to rid you of all coughing and wheezing. However, you will gradually have more energy, develop a healthy circulation system and be able to enjoy vigorous exercise.
&nbsp;
Smoking is really bad for you, but superficial damage is reversible!
&nbsp;
Who would start smoking knowing these facts at the outset?&nbsp;Once addicted, everything changes.&nbsp;The addict doesn&rsquo;t make rational judgements. Critics often forget that smokers are addicted to nicotine.&nbsp;It is much more than a bad habit&hellip;.
&nbsp;
Fortunately, there is a lot of help and support for people giving up smoking.&nbsp;Visit the &ldquo;No Smoking Day&rdquo; website at www.nosmokingday.org.uk to learn about therapies, and receive a free quit pack.&nbsp;Join the online forum, and use the e-mail support service.&nbsp;You will find links to other sites and all the advice and help you need.
&nbsp;
If all this has inspired you to quit, No Smoking Day on Wednesday 12 March could be the time. If you take this opportunity you will not be alone - you will be stopping with more than a million other people!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Helpful books available at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library are as follows:
&nbsp;
Quitting Smoking For Dummies by David Brizer,
Easy Way To Stop Smoking by Allen Carr,
Quit Smoking Today byPaul McKenna,
How To Stop Smoking And Stay Stopped For Good by Gillian Riley, and
Kick Your Smoking Habit by David Streek.
&nbsp;
These books, along with similar titles, can be found in the medical section of the Clifton Room on the first floor of the Library.
&nbsp;

Stephen&nbsp;Collas
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Take the Great ]]></link><pubDate>12/03/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[World Book Day 2008 in Schools’ Libraries]]></title><description><![CDATA[
Thursday 6 March 2008 is World Book Day and schools around Guernsey are celebrating in a variety of ways.
&nbsp;
Beechwood &amp; Elizabeth College&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Beechwood&rsquo;s World Book Day celebrations involve the pupils dressing up as book characters and an author visit.&nbsp;Leander Deeny, a new author, will be visiting the junior pupils, as well as Elizabeth College seniors the following week.
&nbsp;
Amherst Infants
Amherst Infants are having a space-themed day, which will involve book displays, lots of story telling, a treasure hunt and an opportunity for the children to dress up.
&nbsp;
La Mare Primary
La Mare Primary are having a book cover design competition. The winner will be given the privilege of choosing a selection of new books for the school library.
&nbsp;
La Mare Secondary
There are a number of activities happening at this school! They are holding a photo competition in which each teacher will have a photograph taken with their favourite book - holding the book to cover their face. The students will then have to guess which teacher is in each photo based on the book they are holding. There will also be a short story competition, and a &ldquo;Design a Book Poster&rdquo; competition. During lunchtimes the Harry Potter films are being shown, and there will be a &ldquo;Harry Potter Fan Quiz&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Le Rondin
Le Rondin are having a &ldquo;Food Day&rdquo;. There will be food-themed stories throughout the day, and corresponding cooking activities for pupils to take part in.
&nbsp;
St Martin&rsquo;s
Every year St Martin&rsquo;s hold a fancy dress day for the lower school, in which students and teachers come dressed as book characters. There will be stories and book related activities throughout the day, and a parade for children to show off their costumes.
&nbsp;
In addition to these plans, Guernsey school children receive a World Book Day voucher.&nbsp;The vouchers are handed out at school and can be used either:

    for a &pound;1 discount on any book over &pound;2.99, or 
    in exchange for a specially published &pound;1 book. &nbsp;&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Participating bookshops are: The Press (Smith Street), Button&rsquo;s Bookshop (Smith Street),The Lexicon (The Pollet), and The Bookshop (South Side).&nbsp;Vouchers can be used throughout March 2008.
&nbsp;

Rachel Mahy &amp; Lucy Rosenthal 
Schools &nbsp;Library Liaison Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[World Book Day 2008 in Schools’ Libraries]]></link><pubDate>05/03/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Super Links]]></title><description><![CDATA[We've been trawling the web to find the very best websites for local and national information.&nbsp;For up-to-date links on a wealth of topics including business, health, art, travel, and&nbsp;literature see our weblinks section.
&nbsp;
For more in-depth local information visit the Guernsey Information Network: our&nbsp;custom-designed database for community information. 
You can search for information on local charities, sports clubs, hobbies and crafts clubs, churches and many other community groups and organisations.

From the home page, you can search for groups, leave comments about the database, register your own group online and even link to the Guille-All&egrave;s Library catalogue.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Let us know if there is a link we should list or if you would like your organisation&rsquo;s details added to the Guernsey Information Network.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell, Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Super Links]]></link><pubDate>29/02/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Story sessions in the Children’s Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every child loves listening to stories (and many adults too!) and the Library is the perfect place to come and spend half an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Town. 
&nbsp;
Every Tuesday from 11 &ndash; 11.30am Story Stop is held in the Children&rsquo;s Library at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library. This is a very informal time for children aged 3-5, along with their parents or carers. There is no need to book and if your child wants to listen to just a couple of stories that&rsquo;s fine! You can come and go as you please.
&nbsp;
On Saturday afternoons from 2.15 &ndash; 2.45pm there is a Family Story time - again in the Children&rsquo;s Library. This is a fun time of stories for children of all ages and adults are encouraged to stay too, which gives the half hour a real family feel. Like Story Stop, it is very informal, there is no need to book and you do not have to stay for the whole time.
&nbsp;
We encourage children to talk about books and to tell us about their own favourites. There is always the opportunity to borrow any of the books from the story time and to choose new favourites from our large array of fiction and non-fiction. It&rsquo;s all free, so why not include a story time with your next visit to Town?

Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Story sessions in the Children’s Library]]></link><pubDate>18/02/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The 6 Book Challenge]]></title><description><![CDATA[
The 6 Book Challenge is a really simple idea that aims to:&nbsp;

    support adult literacy learners get to grips with reading 
    encourage readers to talk about what they&rsquo;ve read 

The scheme is absolutely free and completely confidential.&nbsp;Adults who would like to get involved can sign up for the 6 Book Challenge through the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project.&nbsp;Participants will be given a Reading Diary and asked to record the books they read through January to May.&nbsp;Those who read 6 books by&nbsp;the end of&nbsp;May will receive a certificate and enter a prize drawer for a VIP trip to London for two.
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library has a range of books specifically designed for adults getting to grips with reading. &nbsp;The section is called &lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; and is positioned between the romance and teenage sections in the Assembly Room.&nbsp;The section includes fiction and non-fiction materials and a range of genres such as romance, adventure, crime, comedy, chick-lit, biography and even self help books.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; is great for a wide range of readers particularly if:

    You are learning to read 
    You are learning English as a foreign language 
    You have a reading difficulty, for example, dyslexia 
    You are a young adult 
    You want something quick to read 

&nbsp;To sign up for the challenge or for more information on the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project call Janet Wakefield on 737518. 
For more information on &lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; resources call Ed Jewell on 743634.&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The 6 Book Challenge]]></link><pubDate>31/01/2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A day in the life … of a Librarian, or musings from the enquiry desk]]></title><description><![CDATA[The background
The appeal of Librarianship for me was partly that I would be able to build on my first degree (in modern languages):
&nbsp;a. by doing a second (masters) degree in Information Science and Librarianship and 
&nbsp;b. by becoming a Chartered Librarian after further study and professional development.
This career choice also offered the chance to do something I believe in: serving the community by providing a resource available to everyone - regardless of status, wealth etc.
&nbsp;
The job
Venture into the Library and your impression may well be one of stillness; yet continuous industry (mostly behind the scenes) ensures that the stock is actually neither static nor stale. The stages of this stock cycle have been described here in previous blogs (notably that of 22/08/2007) ie. stock-selecting, -purchase, -organization, and &ndash;access. If you take these last two stages and broaden them into the organization of, and access to, information, you have summed up most of a Librarian&rsquo;s day. This includes (Dewey) classification, cataloguing (amending and creating computer records) and enquiry desk work. 
So, to imagine that professional Librarians spend all their time sitting round reading the books is as silly as to think that people working in sweet shops consume their stock all day!
&nbsp;
I won&rsquo;t bore you with a detailed run-down of my typical day&hellip; (which in any case does not exist &ndash; the unpredictable nature of enquiry desk work alone ensures that every day is different!)&hellip; but I should like instead to throw around a few ideas about us and this resource we provide.
&nbsp;
Some ideas
A Librarian will not always know a fact, but should know where to find it (ie. possess research skills).
&nbsp;
In order to give an accurate answer to an enquiry, the Librarian needs not only these research skills (based on knowledge of how information is organized), but also the capacity for critical thinking ie. evaluating the information found. This latter skill is needed as never before, which should make Librarians gold dust! It&rsquo;s not the quantity of information around us which is the problem (which you will know if you&rsquo;ve ever &ldquo;googled&rdquo; anything!): it&rsquo;s the quality. This capacity for critical thinking, drawn from Librarians&rsquo; education, experience and expertise, is itself a resource which the Library provides, along with books, DVDs, internet access etc.
&nbsp;
A delightful example of lack of critical thinking occurred not long ago when several national newspapers reported incorrectly in obituaries of composer Ronnie Hazlehurst that he had written the &ldquo;S Club 7&rdquo; hit: &ldquo;Reach for the Stars&rdquo;. Somebody had put this &ldquo;fact&rdquo; on Wikipedia and the journalists had failed to check it out!
&nbsp;
The more technologically sophisticated our society becomes, the more discerning we need to be. Technology is not an end in itself. It&rsquo;s merely a tool, and it&rsquo;s not always the right tool for the job. Exciting as new formats may be, books still have their place. For one thing, authors of books have taken responsibility for their words (unlike many who contribute to the internet), and are therefore more likely to have their facts right.
&nbsp;
In conclusion&hellip;
At the Library, information resources (in whatever format) are organized in such a way as to make them as accessible as possible. The aim is to enable readers to help themselves. But, despite our best efforts, no arrangement of a collection can suit everyone (eg. some readers will want to search by a specific title, and some will just want to browse.) Because of this, and because of that capacity for critical thinking, I believe we Librarians shall continue to have a service to offer our community: as a species, the Librarian is not extinct yet!
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer
&nbsp; ]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[A day in the life … of a Librarian, or musings from the enquiry desk]]></link><pubDate>17/11/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tell us what you think – The Public Library User Survey]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
From Monday 5 November &ndash; Saturday 10 November we are going to be surveying our visitors to find out how satisfied they are with the Library&rsquo;s services. 
&nbsp;
We will be running a PLUS survey (Public Library User Survey).&nbsp;PLUS surveys are used throughout the UK to evaluate Library services and have been used by the Audit Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to set standards for Libraries.
&nbsp;
What we hope to find out
We hope the survey will tell us what our users have come to the Library for, what they go away with, and the kind of service they encounter along the way.
&nbsp;
Anyone aged over 16 will be eligible to take part.&nbsp;Help and guidance will be provided by Library staff.
&nbsp;
Type of survey
We will be conducting a &lsquo;sample survey&rsquo;, which means that rather than surveying every visitor, we want to talk to a cross-section of 500 adult visitors during the course of the week.
&nbsp;
The survey form is fairly short: 21 tick-box questions, covering all aspects of our service from the resources we offer, to the building and opening hours. The survey takes around five minutes to complete and Library staff will be on hand to help, should you require any assistance. 
&nbsp;
So, come and help us build a better Library service!&nbsp;If you are over 16 years old, pop in between Monday 5 November &ndash; Saturday 10 November and ask a member of staff in the Entrance Hall for a survey form.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Tell us what you think – The Public Library User Survey]]></link><pubDate>29/10/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring the Library: The Clifton Room]]></title><description><![CDATA[Where is it?
&nbsp;
The Clifton Room is located on the first floor of the Library. On entering the Assembly Room (the large fiction room), the Clifton Room becomes visible if you continue through and turn right.
&nbsp;
A little history
&nbsp;
The Clifton Room takes its name from the land lying behind the Library.&nbsp;High up on Clifton Street is Clifton Hall, the Salvation Army Citadel.&nbsp;Overlooking the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, it makes an impressive sight with its banner-like wall decoration in blue and gold.&nbsp;Clifton Hall was the French Calvinist Sion Chapel from 1829-1831 and succeeded The Assembly Rooms as a social spot when they became the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s in this room?
&nbsp;
The Clifton Room holds non-fiction (ie factual) books. Subjects cover the first half of the Dewey classification number sequence and include Mind, Body and Spirit, Society, Business, Science, Wildlife, Cookery, and Computing. The number sequence continues with Arts subjects on the second floor of the Library in the Hayward Room.
&nbsp;
How to find what you want
&nbsp;
There are several ways to search for what you want. First of all you can use the OPAC or online catalogue. &nbsp;Secondly there is a subject index. Thirdly, you can ask at the enquiry desk, where a member of our staff will be eager to help!
&nbsp;
Now come and visit us to see for yourselves!
&nbsp;

Stephen&nbsp;Collas
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Exploring the Library: The Clifton Room]]></link><pubDate>26/10/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turner Prize 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[Turner Prize 2007
&nbsp;
Mention the Turner Prize and most of us think of controversial art installations such as the room with lights going on and off (by Martin Creed), or a dishevelled bed (by Tracey Emin)&hellip; and of course the accompanying media circus asking: &ldquo;Is it really art?&rdquo; But reactions such as this mean that the annual award is doing its job: to bring modern British art to new audiences, and also to promote public debate.
&nbsp;
The Prize, established in 1984 and named after the painter J.M.W.Turner, is awarded to a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. The Turner Prize this year is being shown at Tate Liverpool, as a curtain-raiser for Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008. That makes it the first time the award has been presented outside London. 
&nbsp;
If you happen to be travelling through Liverpool, the exhibition runs from 19 October 2007 &ndash; 13 January 2008, with the winner being announced on Monday 3 December.
&nbsp;
[Much more likely, you&rsquo;ll be doing a spot of Christmas shopping in London over this period &hellip;Give your credit card a rest and have a &ldquo;butcher&rsquo;s&rdquo; in Tate Britain, where a major retrospective is being held, presenting works by all the past winning artists of the Prize, including Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor and Gilbert &amp; George.]
&nbsp;
Back to this year&rsquo;s crop &hellip; the four artists short-listed for the &pound;40,000 Prize are: Nathan Coley, who makes installations based on buildings; Zarina Bhimji, a photographer and film maker; Mike Nelson, an installation artist and Mark Wallinger for his &ldquo;State Britain&rdquo; exhibition at Tate Britain. The last of these contenders is hotly tipped to win because of his powerful political comment on Tony Blair&rsquo;s Britain.
&nbsp;
One plea: don&rsquo;t take the critics&rsquo; (or the scoffers&rsquo;) word for it. Try and experience the art in some way for yourself &ndash; on the Internet or T.V. if not &ldquo;in the flesh&rdquo; &ndash; and &hellip; well you might just be surprised&hellip;
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

&nbsp;
A Cherry-pick of Titles from our Stock
&nbsp;
BOOKS
&nbsp;
Installation Art: A Critical Histor: (Claire Bishop): 709.04 BIS
The Turner Prize: (Virginia Button): 709.04 BUT
Saatchi 100: 709.04 SAA
Tate Women Artists: (Alicia Foster): 709.22 FOS
The Words of Gilbert &amp; George: 709.22 GIL
Michael Landy Semi-detached:709.22 LAN
&nbsp;
VIDEOS
&nbsp;
Tracey Emin: Illuminations: V709.04 EMI
Gilbert &amp; George: V709.04 GIL
Michael Landy: V709.04 LAN
The Saatchi Gallery 100: V709.04 SAA
Anthony Caro: V730.92 CAR
Tony Cragg: V730.92 CRA
Anish Kapoor: V730.92 KAP
Howard Hodgkin: V759.2 HOD
&nbsp;
Reserve your copy now on our on-line catalogue.]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Turner Prize 2007]]></link><pubDate>20/10/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Ideal Home]]></title><description><![CDATA[In anticipation of the forthcoming Cardiff Christmas Fayre Ideal Home Show we want to show how you can create your own ideal home with a little help from the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.
&nbsp;
The scope of Ideal Homes Shows is enormous.&nbsp;In terms of the Guilles-All&egrave;s Library stock it is covered both by applied sciences and the Arts.&nbsp;Books are found in several different areas because the Dewey classification system places a topic first under its broader subject area. This may be confusing at first, however the subject index helps you find specific topics and connects you to related ones.
&nbsp;
Every aspect of home life and lifestyle is covered in the Shows - &nbsp;including DIY, interiors, gardens, fittings, design, and furnishings.&nbsp;Listed below are introductory titles on each of these topics.
&nbsp;
DIY
&nbsp;
Reader&rsquo;s Digest DIY manual (with CD-ROM)
&nbsp;&ldquo;The only book you need, to do every job around your house and garden, safely, confidently and professionally&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
The great DIY book: projects for the home and garden
&nbsp;&ldquo;Its crammed full with every project&hellip;divided into three colour coded sections &ndash; work basics, indoor, outdoor&hellip;the book offers instructions and diagrams including handy hints&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The all-colour illustrations are precise and clear.

DECORATING
&nbsp;
Decorating do-it-yourself step-by-step
Here are one hundred techniques for painting, special paint finishes, papering, tiling and laying floors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The book includes an illustrated guide to all the essential tools you will need and how to use them&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Annie Sloan&rsquo;s complete book of decorative paint finishes, with over 600 how-to photographs
&ldquo;Annie Sloan is one of the world&rsquo;s most respected and innovative experts in colour and paint for the interior&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
LIGHTS
&nbsp;
Reader&rsquo;s Digest wiring and lighting manual
This is expert guidance on working with electricity safely.
&nbsp;
Lighting gardens: creative solutions for today&rsquo;s gardens
These lighting solutions will help you enhance the look of your garden and extend the time you can enjoy being outdoors.
&nbsp;
PLUMBING
&nbsp;
The ultimate guide to spas and hot tubs: installation, troubleshooting and tricks of the trade
&ldquo;Let Terry Tamminen &lsquo;poolman to the stars&rsquo; show you how to do-it-yourself and save thousands.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
ECO-STYLE
&nbsp;
The green self-build book: how to design and build your own eco-home
&ldquo;Start by broadening your horizons with Jon Broome&rsquo;s guide to green self-build.&nbsp;Careful consideration of the many practical issues involved is complemented by architectural wisdom and inspirational tales of personal experience&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
From Good Housekeeping: The eco-friendly home by Dan Phillips 
&ldquo;Make your home kinder and safer for the environment and members of your household&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Allergy-free living by Dr P Howarth and Anita Reed
Here is invaluable information for allergy sufferers of asthma, eczema, hay fever and many other allergic conditions.&nbsp;Practical, medically endorsed advice should keep your family healthy.
&nbsp;
FURNISHINGS
&nbsp;
The new curtain book: master-classes with today&rsquo;s top designers
&ldquo;This is an unashamedly luxurious book brimming with inspiration..
&nbsp;
Curtains offer so much more than a way to keep out light.&nbsp;Here is the world of swags, tails and minimalist breaths of muslin from such designers as Eldo Netto and Kit Kemp.
&nbsp;
SPECIFIC ROOMS
&nbsp;
The Kitchen from &ldquo;The Practical Library of Home Decoration&rdquo;
&ldquo;The two ambient extremes are warmth of the old style against the pragmatism of contemporary design.&nbsp;First principles are efficient space and ease of use.&nbsp;Everything must adapt to the space and budget available&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
OUTDOOR
&nbsp;
B&amp;Q Outdoor living: the complete B&amp;Q step-by-step guide to designing and enjoying your garden
&ldquo;All the inspiration and advice you need to design, create, grow and enjoy your garden from B&amp;Q&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
It combines garden design, DIY, horticulture and outdoor living in one good-looking and authoritative volume.&nbsp;It offers readers all the knowledge and inspiration they will need to create their perfect outdoor living space.
&nbsp;
Check our on-line catalogue to see if the title you require is available.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Ideal Home]]></link><pubDate>12/10/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bookstart in the Guille-Allès Children’s Library]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bookstart is administered by the UK charity Booktrust and endeavours to encourage a lifelong love of reading in children early by giving free packs of books to preschool children.
&nbsp;
In Guernsey, each baby is given a Bookstart bag containing board books and a nursery rhyme place mat by the Health Visitor at his or her 8 month health check. When children reach 2 years old they can claim a colourful Bookstart+ bag containing books, crayons and number friezes. These bags are kept in the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library and are given in exchange for a voucher given out at the infant&rsquo;s 2 year health check. Vouchers are also kept at the Children&rsquo;s Library.
&nbsp;
We are very pleased to be introducing the Bookstart Treasure Chest for 3 year olds on Saturday 6th October. As the name suggests, the Treasure Chest is a box which is filled with books, a colouring book and pencils, bookplates and information for parents and carers.
&nbsp;
The Treasure Chests will be kept at the Children&rsquo;s Library and will be given in exchange for a voucher available at preschools, pre-receptions and the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library.
&nbsp;
To celebrate the launch of the Bookstart Treasure Chest there will be two half-hour workshops running on Saturday 6th October. These will be very informal and will explore fun ways of looking at books with preschool children. Parents, carers and anyone involved in looking after infants are welcome to attend. There will be one workshop from 10.00 &ndash; 10.30am and one from 2.15 &ndash; 2.45pm. Story times will run alongside the workshops, so the whole family can visit the library on Saturday. If your child is 3 years old they can pick up a Treasure Chest to take home! The workshops are free but you need to book a place, either by visiting the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library or calling 720392 ext 8203.
&nbsp;
Another Bookstart initiative recently adopted by the Guille-All&egrave;s Library is Book Crawl. Book Crawl aims to encourage library use by giving a sticker to an infant every time they visit the library. Once a child has collected 5 stickers they receive a certificate designed by a leading children&rsquo;s illustrator. There are 5 certificates to collect so that makes for lots of fun library visits!
&nbsp;
Do take advantage of all the free initiatives offered by Bookstart to encourage your child to develop a lifelong love of reading and books.
&nbsp;

Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Bookstart in the Guille-Allès Children’s Library]]></link><pubDate>03/10/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[National Poetry Day: Thursday 4 October 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
National Poetry Day this year celebrates the theme &ldquo;Dreams&rdquo;, with readers of all ages enjoying poetry across the UK. A huge range of events is planned including a Dream Tour, in which four poets (one from each home country) will tour the&nbsp;UK's four capital cities.
&nbsp;
Since 1994 National Poetry Day has engaged millions of people with poetry through events like these. Such a variety of poetry is being written and read these days that it was decided to choose a different theme each year to highlight particular poets and styles of poetry. One year Roger McGough was the poet in residence to explore the theme &ldquo;Britain&rdquo;; another year some of Britain&rsquo;s top chefs were invited to help contribute poems and recipes to a book on the theme &ldquo;Food&rdquo;; then in 2005 a poll was taken to determine whose poem on the theme &ldquo;the Future&rdquo; should be sent into space (Adrian Mitchell&rsquo;s &ldquo;Human Beings&rdquo; won). Last year a hot topic of today &ndash; &ldquo;Identity&rdquo; &ndash; was explored through poetry.
&nbsp;
At the Guille-All&egrave;s Library we are mindful that poetry is also alive and kicking here in Guernsey through many groups and individuals, and we provide an extensive poetic range for both adults and children. If you are seeking a specific poet&rsquo;s work, you can find it on our catalogue by searching under 'author'.&nbsp; Otherwise, poetry anthologies can be found at the Dewey classification number 808.81 on our shelves.
&nbsp;

From the beginning of October a National Poetry Day display will be positioned on the second floor landing; designed to lure you up to the poetry collections on the second floor of the Library, where you can also find books on how to get the most out of reading poetry, or where to start if you fancy writing a verse or two yourself.
&nbsp;

Even before we&rsquo;re old enough to realize, much of our learning takes place through the medium of poetry. &nbsp;Poems, songs and rhyme form a key part of all our sessions for Pre-School Children.&nbsp;There&rsquo;s a great selection of poetry books in the Children&rsquo;s Library, ideal for children of all ages, should you be looking for a funny rhyme, a poem to use in the E.S.B. or a contemplative piece.
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library&rsquo;s Reading Group is also in on the act: it will be talking about the works of the American poet Emily Dickinson on Wednesday 10 October 7.30 pm. &ndash; 9.00 pm. 
&nbsp;
One of the plus points of poetry is that you can sample it in bite-sized chunks: ideal if you live a busy life. So how about using the opportunity of National Poetry Day to take a little time out &ndash; even if it&rsquo;s just 10 minutes &ndash; to daydream a little? Have a go at a haiku, or revisit a favourite verse. I&rsquo;m sure you will find the experience life-enhancing, and (who knows?) you might even find your Dreams coming true&hellip;
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[National Poetry Day: Thursday 4 October 2007]]></link><pubDate>29/09/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Once Were Warriors: discussing the book and the film]]></title><description><![CDATA[On Wednesday 5th September Cin&eacute;Guernsey and the Guille-All&egrave;s Library joined forces to present a book and film evening.&nbsp;The film up for discussion was Once Were Warriors, by Alan Duff; a hard hitting portrayal of life within a working class Maori community.&nbsp;The discussion following the film raised many complex and interesting issues, some of which are outlined below.
&nbsp;
Background to the book
The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, describes Alan Duff as a novelist, newspaper columnist, polemicist and cultural phenomenon. Born into a Maori family, Duff was raised in a state housing area in Rotorua. &nbsp;He was expelled from school and became a runaway, ending up as a state ward at Hamilton Boys&rsquo; Home. &nbsp;&nbsp;After a troubled childhood Duff began writing full-time in 1985. &nbsp;Once Were Warriors was published in 1990. It had an immediate and huge impact.
&nbsp;
In articles and books Duff has developed his ideas on the failures of Maoridom, castigating both the traditional leadership and the radical movement for dwelling on the injustices of the past and expecting others to resolve them, instead of encouraging Maori to get on and help themselves. 
&nbsp;
Differences between the book and the film
The film diverges some way from the film.&nbsp;For example, the book suggests that Jake sexually assaults his daughter several times. In the film Grace&rsquo;s assailant is Uncle Bully.&nbsp;Nig&rsquo;s life in the gang forms a minor part of the film, while it is a significant sub-plot in the book.&nbsp;Finally, the books ends with Jake homeless and broken, with Beth teaming up with a Maori Chief to lead the Pine Block community in a renaissance of self-awareness and self-sufficiency.&nbsp;The film ends with Jake cursing as his family leave him in the bar.
&nbsp;
Pointing out differences between the book and the film simply produces a long list with little meaning, though.&nbsp;It is perhaps more fruitful to look at the themes that drive the original story forward and ask how they are changed by the differences between the book and the film.
&nbsp;
Patriarchal book &ndash; matriarchal film
Once Were Warriors reads at times like a polemic.&nbsp;From the word &ldquo;go&rdquo;, life in Pine Block is given a bad wrap.&nbsp;Things only get better when the people take responsibility for their own lives, lead by the Maori Chief.
&nbsp;
Much of&nbsp;the action in the book is driven by men.&nbsp;Duff shows corrupted fathers and father figures (like Jake and the leader of the Brown Fist Gang) destroying lives, while positive father figures (like the Maori Chief) lead people forward.
&nbsp;
In the film women are given a more powerful role, while the polemic of the book is diminished.&nbsp;Beth is a more positive, stronger character in the film, eventually creating a new family.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the film, when the family make a trip to visit Boogie in the boy&rsquo;s home, Beth stays out of the bar and tries to drag Jake away to resume their trip.&nbsp;In the book Beth stays in the bar with Jake, only becoming upset after she has shared the family&rsquo;s picnic with the rest of the bar. 
&nbsp;
Through slight changes in characters&rsquo; behaviour in the film the&nbsp;patriarchal narrative put forward by Duff is changed to have a decidedly more feminist influence.
&nbsp;
History
Race and history feature prominently in both book and film, but are used in almost diametrically different ways.&nbsp;In the film Maori history is shown in a positive light as an empowering force.&nbsp;Both Nig and Boogie are shown to develop when they return to the Maori warrior tradition, in contrast to the brawling example set by their father.
&nbsp;
The book takes a more ambivalent stance towards Maori history.&nbsp;While the Maori Chieftain uses history to inspire the residents of Pine Block, he also emphasises the need to move forward.&nbsp;Nig&rsquo;s gang is portrayed in the book as a group of thugs, using Maori history more for fashion tips than for its guiding principles.&nbsp;

&nbsp;
Race 
Race forms a backdrop to both book and film. In the film the only white figures are figures of authority, the police and the judge.&nbsp;By doing this the film implies that the Maori population is being treated as an underclass.

&nbsp;
Duff&rsquo;s book is, again, far more ambivalent.&nbsp; White characters in the book include the Tramberts: sheep farmers who own a large house on the edge of Pine Block.&nbsp;In the book Grace watches the Tramberts&rsquo; seemingly perfect life from a tree in their garden &ndash; the tree from which she eventually hangs herself.&nbsp;Jake&rsquo;s response to the Chinese who run a takeaway is also interesting, in that he mocks their work ethic. In fact throughout the book Duff shows non-Maoris as aspirational, rather than oppressive, characters.

&nbsp;
Both in terms of history and race, the film portrays a simpler, black and white view, while Duff offers a more ambivalent response. This allows him to reinforce his political arguments further.
&nbsp;
Both the book and film of Once Were Warriors are available from the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.&nbsp;Visit our online catalogue to check availabilty, reserve your copy and join in the discussion.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Once Were Warriors: discussing the book and the film]]></link><pubDate>19/09/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Summer Reading Challenge Overview]]></title><description><![CDATA[Summer Reading Challenge Overview
10/09/07
&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s Summer Reading Challenge - the &nbsp;&ldquo;Big Wild Read&rdquo; -&nbsp;has been a huge success at the Guille-All&egrave;s Children&rsquo;s Library. This year 612 Bailiwick children between the ages of 2 and 15 signed up to take part, and an impressive 423 managed to complete the challenge, representing a finish rate of 69%. 
&nbsp;
Children taking part in the Challenge were encouraged to read 6 books over the summer holidays and note them down in their Big Wild Read log books. For every book read they earned a sheet of stickers to stick in their log books. Some of the stickers were &ldquo;scratch and sniff&rdquo;, which proved very popular - especially the smelly trainers one! Those who managed to complete the Challenge were rewarded with certificates and medals at our special ceremonies held on Wednesday 5th September. We are also grateful to Beau Sejour for providing swimming vouchers as an added incentive to get to the end of that sixth book!
&nbsp;
Children read a wide variety of books for the Challenge, both fiction and non-fiction. One of the aims of the Summer Reading Challenge is to promote Library use, but books from home count as well. The chief aim is to keep children reading over the long summer holidays by making it informal and fun. This year there was an added environmental message and every book read counted towards a tree-planting scheme in the UK. Children were also given a packet of flower seeds when they signed up and we planted some in the Children&rsquo;s Library too, which grew and flowered over the summer.
&nbsp;
It is a pleasure to see children visiting the Library, eager to talk about books they had read, telling us whether or not they had enjoyed them and picking a favourite. We are looking forward to next summer&rsquo;s Challenge and hope even more children will take part.
&nbsp;
For those who were unable to attend the ceremonies, the certificates and medals are available for collection at the Children&rsquo;s Library. Any remaining in October will be sent to the relevant schools for distribution.
&nbsp;

Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Summer Reading Challenge Overview]]></link><pubDate>10/09/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Proms]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week sees the series climax of a great British institution. No, I am not referring to the Final of &ldquo;Big Brother&rdquo;, but to &ldquo;The Last Night of the Proms&rdquo;. If you have been unaware of the London Promenade Concerts you must have spent the summer in some Royal Albert Hall-shaped spaceship! This year the BBC has celebrated the 80th anniversary of its association with the Proms. Thanks to the BBC&rsquo;s promotion through its radio and television broadcasts over the years, this classical music festival has become known world-wide.
&nbsp;
Surely the Prom&rsquo;s founder, Robert Newman, could not have imagined this when he stated his intention back in 1895 (with the help of Henry Wood as conductor) to:
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Run nightly concerts and train the public by easy stages&hellip;Popular at first, gradually raising the standard will I have created a public for classical and modern music&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Indeed, this &ldquo;public&rdquo; has grown even larger and perhaps more socially diverse in recent years because of access through the internet and mobile phones.
&nbsp;
Enough of the history&hellip; (and if you have not had enough of it, read The Proms: a New History &nbsp;ISBN 050051352X, which you can find in the Library at Dewey Classification Number 780.941 PRO)&hellip;what about this season&rsquo;s concerts? Well, the artistes have included international singers such as Renee Fleming, Anna Netrebko and Anne Sofie von Otter; soloists as talented as pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and violinist Maxim Vengerov; top orchestras from Europe, America and Japan; and the world&rsquo;s greatest conductors. Notable themes for this year&rsquo;s Proms have been: words and music &ndash; ie the importance of the words in music &ndash; (Shakespeare, WH Auden, William Blake), Elgar and Sibelius.
&nbsp;
Should you be inspired to listen to more music by these composers or performed by one of these artistes visit the Guille-All&egrave;s Library CD Library, which offers a large selection of classical music as well as many other genres. &nbsp;&nbsp;Take your research further by browsing our on-line catalogue and reserve the items that intrigue you.


And that 'Last Night' party?&nbsp; Well, the Prommers are a unique committed bunch and those who book at least six concerts well in advance are given priority to buy tickets for the &quot;Last Night&quot;.&nbsp; But Proms in the Park&rdquo; now relays the concert to sites around the UK: to Carrickfergus, Glasgow, Swansea and Tees Valley, as well as London. Not to mention of course the audience of many millions around the world.
&nbsp;
Has the &ldquo;Last Night&rdquo; party lost its fizz for you? Or perhaps you are a tad uncomfortable with its blatant patriotism? I would urge you to give it another try nevertheless. The &ldquo;Last Night of the Proms&rdquo; is more than its now traditional finale. The programme is carefully selected to bring together the themes of the season, and introduces new works alongside the much-loved classics. In doing so it stays true to that original spirit of the Proms. 
&nbsp;
And after that&hellip;GO ON &ndash; turn your telly or radio up high and join the global knees-up! 
&nbsp;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Proms]]></link><pubDate>05/09/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A day in the life ... of a Librarian]]></title><description><![CDATA[Forget the stereotype - the days of dusty, untouched Library bookcases are now most certainly over. The buzzword for 21st Century Public Libraries is access: making sure that people can get the information they want when they want it. As a Librarian, I spend most of my time helping to develop the Library&rsquo;s information collection, and providing access to this information. It&rsquo;s easy to see that both are essential if the Library is going to satisfy customer demand &ndash; a well-stocked Library is no use if you can&rsquo;t find anything! Answering readers&rsquo; enquiries efficiently is the end result of a lot of preparation and organization behind the scenes.
&nbsp;
Stage 1: Choosing Stock
Librarians need to know what people want to read, listen to, or watch. To help keep our finger on the pulse, we glean advice from professional magazines, reviews, and even word of mouth. Library members also help by giving us feedback on what they&rsquo;ve enjoyed, and what they&rsquo;d like to see more of. Once we&rsquo;ve established what we need to buy, our Acquisitions Assistant places the order.
&nbsp;
Stage 2:&nbsp;Where will it go, and how will we find it?
Once the new stock arrives, we have to make sure that, wherever we put it in the Library, we&rsquo;ll be able to find it again quickly. We give each book a classification number to tell Library staff where to shelve it. This helps the public to find the book by keeping all the books on a certain subject together. We also edit or create a new electronic record for each book, so it can be found on our online catalogue. Library assistants then &lsquo;process&rsquo; the book &ndash; covering, labelling and making it ready for loan.
&nbsp;
Stage 3: Avoiding information overload!
As much as Librarians love books, we all have to face up to one hard truth: to house the new books coming in, and to keep our stock fresh, we have to lose some too! We call this &lsquo;weeding&rsquo;, and I think the gardening metaphor is quite fitting. Gardeners dig up old and tired plants to make space for new life; Librarians discard the damaged and out-dated &nbsp;to make room for fresh stock. It&rsquo;s a process that requires care and, on occasion, some difficult decisions. 
&nbsp;
Step 4: Accessing the books
Another big part of Library work is manning the enquiry desk. Our users come to the desk with all sorts of enquiries &ndash; from wanting to know where the bestselling thrillers are shelved, to needing very specific information on specialized subjects. Enquiries are also very helpful for the Librarian, as they provide valuable information on which books are useful, and which stock areas need developing a bit more. Then the whole process of selecting, buying, organizing and accessing can begin all over again&hellip;.
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[A day in the life ... of a Librarian]]></link><pubDate>22/08/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Things Fall Apart  by Chinua Achebe]]></title><description><![CDATA[Back in dim and distant December 2006 the Guille-All&egrave;s Library Reading Group agreed that one meeting would be given over to discussing a work by the winner of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize.&nbsp;&nbsp; The prize, awarded bi-annually, recognises writers for their achievement in fiction.&nbsp;The 2007 shortlist included Margaret Atwood, Doris Lessing, Ian McEwan, Michael Ondaatje, Philip Roth and Salman Rushdie.&nbsp;On 13 June the prize was awarded to Chinua Achebe. 
One of the most memorable books I have read so far this year is Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie&rsquo;s epic novel set during the Nigeria-Biafra war.&nbsp;I was therefore pleased when Achebe won the 2007 Man Booker International Prize, giving me an opportunity to dive once again into Nigeria&rsquo;s rich culture and history.
Described by one judge as &lsquo;the father of modern African Literature&rsquo; Achebe has written six novels, as well as several collections of short stories, poetry and political commentary.&nbsp;Born in 1930, Achebe grew up in a Nigeria controlled by Britain.&nbsp;The experiences Achebe had as a child echo throughout his first novel, Things Fall Apart - the book the Guille-All&egrave;s Library Reading Group will be discussing on Wednesday 12 September.
&nbsp;
Described by the Man Booker judges as one of the finest novels ever written, Things Fall Apart was published in 1958 and has sold over 10 million copies around the world. The book tells the story of Okonkwo, a leader and local wrestling champion of nine Igbo villages in Nigeria.&nbsp;Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Things Fall Apart describes the calamitous impact of the arrival of the British colonists and their attempts to pacify the region.&nbsp;Man Booker judge Colm T&oacute;ibin encapsulates the power of Things Fall Apart, writing: &ldquo;This book manages to capture an essential moment in the colonial drama; it dramatises momentous change with clarity, sympathy and astonishing fluency and ease.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
I hope you can join us on 12 September to discuss your response to Things Fall Apart. &nbsp;If you can&rsquo;t make the meeting, but would still like to join in the discussion log into The Forum and post your comments.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell, Customer Services Librarian.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Things Fall Apart  by Chinua Achebe]]></link><pubDate>15/08/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Elvis Week: 11-19 August 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[&ldquo;Elvis is dead!&rdquo; What a shock it was to hear those words!&nbsp;Although barely a teenager, I already had some inkling of the impact &ldquo;the King&rdquo; had made on popular culture. Incredibly, 16 August marks the 30th anniversary of that day. &ldquo;Elvis Week&rdquo; this year is therefore expected to be the biggest ever celebration of all things Elvis. (You have been warned!)


Just a brief look at www.elvis.com reveals a host of interesting facts e.g. that Elvis&rsquo;s twin brother was stillborn, or that when he was 11 his mother talked him into accepting his first guitar &ndash; instead of the bicycle he wanted, but which his parents could not afford. The eclectic musical influences on Elvis mentioned on this website also offer glimpses into his early life: the country music radio programmes his family loved; the all-night sings he frequently attended at his church; and the black Rhythm &amp; Blues he absorbed on famous Beale Street as a Memphis teenager.







Take a look at www.elvisweek.com and its &ldquo;LIVE GracelandCam&rdquo; to see the King&rsquo;s former home. Unfortunately, for a considerable chunk of what is daytime over here, you will be greeted by a rather spooky night scene! Would you like to &ldquo;discover your inner Elvis&rdquo;? Alternatively, you can take part in the tradition of signing the wall in front of Graceland &ndash; virtually! &nbsp;Or, should the Graceland spirit truly move you, the site will help you plan a real visit to Memphis.




If all this has put you in the mood to dig deeper into the Elvis phenomenon, search our Library catalogue under the two keywords: Elvis Presley.&nbsp; As well as the printed music, CDs and biographies you might expect to find, you will come across books written from rather unusual angles, such as connections with the Memphis Mafia, or Elvis&rsquo;s fashion. One of the books in our stock even describes a journey &ldquo;to explore the worldwide legacy of the king of rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;roll&rdquo;. It is entitled In Search of Elvis and is written by Charlie Connelly (best-selling author of Attention All Shipping). In his search Charlie meets, amongst other unlikely characters, a professor in Finland who performs Elvis songs in Latin while wearing a kilt, and Elvis Priestley, the minister of an Elvis-themed Anglican church! 




Such is the effect &ndash; even after all these years - that this hugely talented, charismatic and yet humble, kind man has on his fellow human beings. His marital and drug problems are well documented. It may be claimed &ndash; and justifiably - that too much of his talent and energies were spent on making his 33 films - the Hollywood dream. Although these were successful, I would argue that Elvis was at his best and happiest when simply singing &ndash; especially when singing to a live audience, with all the excitement and interaction that involves. A great example of this was his 1968 TV special &ldquo;Elvis&rdquo;. This show effectively sparked off a new, creative era in what we now know was his all too brief career.



In short &ndash; &ldquo;The King is dead; long live the King!&rdquo;

Sarah Fletcher
Library and Information Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Elvis Week: 11-19 August 2007]]></link><pubDate>09/08/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]></title><description><![CDATA[The seventh and final Harry Potter book was published at one minute after midnight on Saturday 21 July. The book has already broken all records with Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders for being the most pre-ordered book in history (www.wikipedia.com) and many bookshops including many in Guernsey opened on Friday evening so that youngsters (and the not-so-young!) could get their hands on one immediately and read into the early hours.
&nbsp;
The publication of the final book has been overshadowed by speculation that some stores would begin selling the book before the embargo was lifted. Plot rumours abounded on the internet, with J.K. Rowling herself issuing an appeal that: &ldquo;everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan &hellip; help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day&rdquo; (www.jkrowling.com). The price of the book has also been major news with larger stores able to use discounts to sell it for far lower than the Recommended Retail Price of &pound;17.99.
&nbsp;
The main question on everyone&rsquo;s lips has been whether Harry himself will survive the final instalment. J.K. Rowling has of course been silent on the subject, although in the past she has said that if Harry were dead it would prevent other authors from trying to write sequels (www.wikipedia.com). She has intimated that one or two main characters will not survive and speculation has been rife as to which of them this might be. One thing is certain: there will be a final show-down between Harry and Voldemort which only one - or perhaps neither - &nbsp;will survive. 
&nbsp;
Love or loathe Harry Potter, it has to be acknowledged that in writing about the adventures of the boy wizard, J.K. Rowling has switched not only many children but also adults on to reading. To see queues of children waiting at midnight for a book to be published is very heartening. 
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library has six children&rsquo;s copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, one adult copy and has ordered the audio book on CD. 
&nbsp;

Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]></link><pubDate>25/07/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ian McEwan]]></title><description><![CDATA[As with most intense relationships I can remember where and when I&rsquo;ve encountered Ian McEwan&rsquo;s work.&nbsp;Amsterdam, a park in Bournemouth, summer 2005.&nbsp;The Comfort of Strangers, Mile End, spring 2006.&nbsp;Enduring Love, my parent&rsquo;s house, Boxing Day 2006.&nbsp;On Chesil Beach, on a plane between Gatwick and Guernsey, spring 2007.
&nbsp;
Born in 1948 Ian McEwan has written ten novels, two collections of short stories, two children&rsquo;s books, several screen plays and an oratorio.&nbsp;During his career two clich&eacute;s have been attached to McEwan&rsquo;s work by critics.&nbsp;First, all his plots turn on one traumatic event that upsets the comfortable, middle class lives of his characters.&nbsp;Secondly, his work is marked by a dark taste for the macabre.
&nbsp;
The first clich&eacute; seems to miss the point of Ian McEwan.&nbsp;McEwan is a chronicler of middle class life.&nbsp;Almost all of his books focus on middle class, English life.&nbsp; The interest comes from what happens after that life is disturbed, be it through a missing child, a ballooning accident or a simple miscommunication.&nbsp;While the event which sets the plot in motion is often shockingly memorable, it is the rest of the story that matters: how the characters rationalise and respond to the incident.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The second accusation - that McEwan has a marked taste for the macabre - is perhaps closer to the mark.&nbsp;Certainly McEwan&rsquo;s early writing is frequently disturbing.&nbsp;Events during The Cement Garden and The Comfort of Strangers are profoundly unsettling.&nbsp;However, during his career McEwan has refined this sense of darkness, using it more sparingly, so that it now serves as an icy rapier to tear through the fa&ccedil;ade protecting middle class lives.
&nbsp;
What makes McEwan&rsquo;s writing particularly captivating for me is his depiction of place and his sharp character observations.&nbsp;The walk through the country in Amsterdam, or the cooking of dinner in Saturday are so vivid you feel you could have experienced them yourself.&nbsp;The panic when a child is lost in A Child in Time is tangible, while slow collapse of a relationship in On Chesil Beach is agony to read.
&nbsp;
McEwan has a deft understanding of English life and that is perhaps why his work tends to fix itself in your mind.&nbsp;I could be wrong.&nbsp;Maybe he is a one trick pony obsessed with the perverse.&nbsp;Come and tell me what you think at the next 
Guille-All&egrave;s Library Reading Group meeting, or post your comments at The Forum.&nbsp;Personally, I look forward to my next encounter with Ian McEwan.

Ed Jewell, Customer Services Librarian]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Ian McEwan]]></link><pubDate>19/07/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Summer Reading Challenge]]></title><description><![CDATA[The summer holidays are nearly here and that means one thing: it&rsquo;s time for the Summer Reading Challenge! This year it is called The Big Wild Read and the theme is conservation and ecology. The aim of the Challenge is to keep children reading over the summer holidays and to encourage them to use their local library. Children need to be members of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library to take part, but joining is free and straightforward (parent / carer signature and proof of address needed).
&nbsp;
The Big Wild Read begins on Saturday 21st July, but children can sign up at any time over the holidays. On the launch day there will be a treasure hunt around the library as well as our regular family story time at 2.15pm. 
&nbsp;
When children sign up for the challenge they will receive a fantastic log book in which they can make a note of all the books they read and give them a rating. They will also receive a packet of seeds to plant in their garden or a window box. We planted some seeds in the Children&rsquo;s Library and we could already see them growing after 3 days!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The great thing about The Big Wild Read is that children can choose the books they would like to read and we have plenty to choose from. There are story books, fairy tales, short stories, graphic novels, information books and audio book sets. &nbsp;For every book they read children will receive a set of stickers to put in their log books. (This year there are also scratch and sniff stickers!). After 3 books they will be given an &lsquo;eco-tester&rsquo; with more tips on conservation and recycling.
&nbsp;
Children can write reviews on leafy &lsquo;post-it&rsquo; stickers and add them to the wall display in the Children&rsquo;s Library. There will also be plenty of themed colouring and puzzles to keep them busy.
&nbsp;
After reading six books children will have completed the challenge and will be invited to a special awards ceremony on 5th September where they will be presented with a medal and certificate. They will also receive a swimming voucher and we are grateful to Beau Sejour for donating the vouchers.
&nbsp;
The library will be running special story and activity sessions to support the Big Wild Read. These sessions are aimed at 5-7 year olds and will take place in the Children&rsquo;s Library on Wednesdays during the summer holidays at 10.45am for one hour. There will also be a book club for 8-11 year olds on Wednesdays from 3.30pm for one hour, where children can discuss the books they have been reading as well as play games and look at other reviews on The Big Wild Read website.
&nbsp;
Story Stop on Tuesdays at 11am and Family Stories on Saturdays at 2.15pm will carry on as usual during the holidays, but our preschool sessions of Baby Bounce and TOTS will take a break. 
&nbsp;
Why not join up to the Big Wild Read this summer? It is fun, informative and completely free!


Jan Foss
Childrens Librarian
&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Summer Reading Challenge]]></link><pubDate>11/07/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bridging the Gap]]></title><description><![CDATA[A great new section has recently been added to the Guille-All&egrave;s Library. &nbsp;The section is called &lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; and is positioned between the romance and teenage sections in the Assembly Room.&nbsp;The section includes fiction and non-fiction materials and a range of genres such as romance, adventure, crime, comedy, chick-lit, biography and even self help books.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; is great for a wide range of library users particularly if:

    You are learning to read 
    You are learning English as a foreign language 
    You have a reading difficulty, for example, dyslexia 
    You are a young adult 
    You want something quick to read 

&nbsp;The following resources may be of particular interest:&nbsp;
Books published by Barrington-Stoke
These short and lightweight books are particularly popular with young adults because they offer high interest fiction that does not require a high reading ability.&nbsp;The books have been specially developed with dyslexic readers in mind.&nbsp;Cream or yellow coloured paper is used in place of white and the special font helps to reduce word blurring and jumping.&nbsp;Line spacing is generous and chapters are kept short helping to make reading an easier and more enjoyable experience.&nbsp;For more information about these books go to: http://www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/&nbsp;
&lsquo;Quick Reads&rsquo; 
This series of books include both adult fiction and non-fiction titles and have many similarities to Barrington-Stoke books.&nbsp;Many of the books have been written by well-known authors or celebrities. &nbsp;The Quick Reads series have also been published in audio format. &nbsp;For more information go to: http://www.niace.org.uk/quickreads/user/index.php&nbsp;
Book and audio packs
Many people might be familiar with books on cassette or CD, sometimes known as &lsquo;talking books&rsquo;.&nbsp;This idea has been developed with the introduction of &lsquo;book and audio packs&rsquo;.&nbsp;These packs contain both a book and a cassette or CD version.&nbsp;The packs offer the borrower a choice of listening to a story using the tape/CD, reading the book or following the audio version using the book.&nbsp;For this reason, the packs are particularly useful for reluctant readers or people who are learning to read.&nbsp;For more information about these audio resources go to: http://www.wfhowes.co.uk/cerp/
&nbsp;
We hope that the &lsquo;Bridging the Gap&rsquo; section will be a useful and interesting addition to the Guille-All&egrave;s library.&nbsp;We would love to hear your opinions and look forward to receiving any ideas you may have to help us improve and develop the section.&nbsp; Post your&nbsp;thoughts on The Forum or fill in a comments form in the Guille-All&egrave;s library.



Lucy Rosenthal
Schools&rsquo; Library Liaison Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Bridging the Gap]]></link><pubDate>04/07/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Viaer Marchi 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[Viaer Marchi 2007
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Viaer Marchi takes place this year at Saumarez Park on the evening of Monday 2 July. Organised by the local National Trust, it is a celebration of all things Guernsey and is an evening of fun for children and adults alike.
&nbsp;
The Guille-All&egrave;s Library will have a stall at the event and we will be promoting our Summer Reading Challenge. This is a UK-wide initiative, now in its 9th year, which aims to keep children reading over the six week summer holiday. The Challenge begins on Saturday 21 July - the first day of the school holidays - and the theme this year is ecology and conservation. When they sign up, children receive a logbook to note down all the books they read. Children can collect stickers for every book they read and those who complete the challenge and read six books are presented with a certificate and a medal at a special ceremony.
&nbsp;
We shall have samples of this year&rsquo;s goodies which include packets of seeds which children receive when they sign up, and &ldquo;eco-testers&rdquo; which are given as an incentive after reading three books. We are grateful to Beau Sejour Leisure Centre for once again providing swimming vouchers for those who manage to complete the challenge. On the stall there will also be a selection of the newest books in the Children&rsquo;s Library to browse through and whet the appetite, as well as balloons to take away.
&nbsp;
We will also have details of the Library&rsquo;s Reading Group which meets on the second Wednesday of every month. In July the topic is spy fiction, and future discussion subjects include the Booker Prize, and the works of Ian McEwan and Emily Dickinson.
&nbsp;
Staff will be on hand to chat about the Summer Reading Challenge and the Reading Group and to answer any other queries you may have about the Library. Do visit us as you walk around the park; our stall will be close to the arena. Here&rsquo;s hoping that the weather will be better than last year!]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Viaer Marchi 2007]]></link><pubDate>28/06/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Electronic Librarian]]></title><description><![CDATA[
Hi! My name&rsquo;s Talis and I&rsquo;m a computerised Library Management System. My headquarters are in Birmingham but in Guernsey you&rsquo;ll find me at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, the Institute of Health Studies and Social Care Library, the Priaulx Library, the Guernsey College of Further Education Library and the Schools&rsquo; Library Centre.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have many faces and work in lots of different ways. I have a team of people in the Library to help me work to the best advantage for you, the Library user.



You will probably know me best under my name of Circulation. When you join the Library I keep a record of your name and address linked to the barcode number on your membership card. Then, when you borrow a book, the book and borrower barcodes are scanned in by one of my friends at the issue counter and I know who you are and which books you have. (And if you don&rsquo;t bring them back on time I know where to send the reminder letter!). 
&nbsp;
I also keep track of which books people have reserved, which books have been renewed and how much money is owed. When you bring the book back I break the current link between the item and you, but I have a very retentive memory about the books you have had out in the past &ndash; just ask me about it. 
&nbsp;
I am very useful to the Librarians who need to select new items for the Library or to trace details of books requested by you. I have a host of databases they use to find all the information they need. These details are passed to the Acquisitions Assistant who uses me to place an order with one of our Library suppliers. When the item arrives, it is passed to a Librarian, who uses me in yet another way. In Cataloguing, Librarians are able to use the record from the database, which gives details such as the author and title, and they add the local details such as the barcode and where it is shelved in the Library. The work of the Acquisitions Assistant and the Librarians all goes towards creating the Library online catalogue, known as OPAC or Prism. That&rsquo;s what you use as a Library member to see what is in stock, if it is on loan and I even let you reserve it from the OPAC. All you need is your Library card number.
&nbsp;
During the night, while you are all asleep, I am still working hard, producing various statistics which are useful to the Library management, such as how many books we loan each day; preparing reminder letters and letters for people who have reserved books. All the information that I process is then saved by a member of the Systems Team onto a security backup tape, so if there is a problem such as a power failure, the most recent data is still available.
&nbsp;
As you can see, I work very hard and I do try to be good, but occasionally I will fail and that&rsquo;s when the Systems Team have to get me back on my feet again. Sometimes they have to ask for help from the nice people in Birmingham or the wonderful computer experts in Guernsey. I am very lucky to have such clever people to look after me. Once or twice a year I have an upgrade to load new procedures, as decided by the people at HQ. The Library staff just love this, as they have to learn the new working practices very quickly! Well, I like to keep them on their toes.
&nbsp;
I hope you have enjoyed reading this potted biography and that it has given you a glimpse of the work that goes on behind the scenes to enable you to use the Library.
&nbsp;
Yours
&nbsp;
Talis

&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Electronic Librarian]]></link><pubDate>20/06/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Orange Evening 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wednesday 6 June&nbsp;saw debate fly thick and fast in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library as readers gathered to discuss who they felt should win the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007; the UK's only annual book award for fiction written by a woman.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Discussion began with Kiran Desai&rsquo;s The Inheritance of Loss. &nbsp;Opinion was split on this account of life in the northern Himalayas during the 1980s.&nbsp;While there was general agreement that the book featured some beautiful writing, some found it lacked &lsquo;grippability&rsquo; and felt the style was overplayed at the expense of the plot.
&nbsp;
Anne Tyler&rsquo;s Digging to America&nbsp;was warmly received. &nbsp;Tyler&rsquo;s light-hearted tale tells the story of two Korean babies growing up with two very different adopted families in Baltimore, USA.&nbsp;The group was particularly impressed with Tyler&rsquo;s naturalistic dialogue, which helped to convey a tangible sense of the characters inhabiting this gentle book.
&nbsp;
Continuing the humorous theme, discussion moved on toA Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers&nbsp;by Xiaolu Guo.&nbsp;Xiaolu Guo's first novel in (deliberately bad) English is a romantic comedy about two lovers who don't speak each other's language. The heroine is a Chinese girl who has been sent to London to study by her parents.&nbsp;While most of the group appreciated the humour, some felt the novel had a tragic undertone as the heroine seemed unable to find a place she could call home.
&nbsp;
After a short break proceedings reopened with Rachel Cusk&rsquo;s tale of suburban malaise: Arlington Park.&nbsp;This short novel provoked a strong response from the group.&nbsp;There was general agreement that the characters in Arlington Park were difficult to empathise with, twisted as they were with bitterness at their apparently unfulfilled lives. Cusk&rsquo;s style of writing and the structure of the novel were also called into question; though some readers appreciated her pointed observations. 
&nbsp;
The penultimate novel up for discussion drew a starkly different response.&nbsp;Half of a Yellow Sun&nbsp;by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received almost unanimous praise.&nbsp;Set in Nigeria during the 1960s, Half of a Yellow Sun is a novel of epic scope, following the lives of its characters as they live through the Nigeria-Biafra war.&nbsp;The power of this emotionally gripping novel became clear when sections were read aloud during the discussion.&nbsp;Adichie&rsquo;s careful, poised style could convey both a sickening sense of horror in the passages describing the terror of the war, and a humorous mood in the lighter passages.
&nbsp;
The Observations&nbsp;by Jane Harris was the final book on the shortlist to be discussed.&nbsp;An account of Bessy&rsquo;s life as a maid in nineteenth century Glasgow, The Observations divided opinion within the group.&nbsp;While some felt this was an entertaining piece of historical fiction, others felt the plot was unnecessarily confusing and the denouement unsatisfying.


Having worked our way through the shortlisted titles, we were ready to vote for our own winner of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007.&nbsp;While&nbsp;The Observations garnered one vote, Half of a Yellow Sun stormed home with 15 votes: a near unanimous win that was reflected in the final decision made by the UK judges.
&nbsp;
Ed Jewell, Customer Services Librarian
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Orange Evening 2007]]></link><pubDate>11/06/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month]]></title><description><![CDATA[Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month takes place in June each year.&nbsp;
It is an ongoing campaign to increase awareness and funding for research into these cancers and in particular testicular and prostate cancer.
&nbsp;
Results from the 2006 Everyman Survey showed that only 28% of men regularly check themselves for testicular cancer.&nbsp;Those at greatest risk are aged between 15 and 45. Everyman state that although this cancer affects only 2,000 men a year in the UK, it is becoming more common.&nbsp;The overall cure rate is 95%, rising to 99% if caught at an early stage.
&nbsp;
One in twelve men is diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year; almost 36,000 cases.&nbsp;This cancer chiefly affects men aged over 50.&nbsp;
More men die of prostate cancer in the UK than of lung cancer- about 10,000 deaths annually.&nbsp;The majority are aged 60 and over.
&nbsp;
Regular check-ups to enable early diagnosis are strongly recommended.&nbsp;The cancer is slow growing and often will not significantly affect one during one&rsquo;s lifetime, with cause of death being something other than the cancer.&nbsp;For younger sufferers there is a range of treatment options.
&nbsp;
A selection of books relating to male cancer are on display on the first floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.&nbsp;The following titles are particularly recommended:
&nbsp;
Surviving prostate cancer by Torrey &amp; Fuller, 2006
The prostate book by Peter Scardino, 2005
Prostate cancer for dummies by Paul Lange &amp; Christine Adamec, 2003
Prostate cancer by Mason &amp; Moffat, 2003
The rapid recovery handbook by E. &amp; T. Motyka and M. Mead, 2006
The complete guide to relieving cancer pain &amp; suffering by Richard Patt &amp; Susan Lang, 2004
&nbsp;
Other good sources of information include:
&nbsp;
Directory of cancer self help and support and user groups 2006/2007 by Macmillan Cancer Support, 2006
&nbsp;
Helpline: Health Information (Information Exchange Guernsey) tel: 707470
&nbsp;
Websites:
&nbsp;
www.cancerhelp.org.uk/&nbsp;
&nbsp;
www.cancerbackup.org.uk/cancertype/testes&nbsp;
&nbsp;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/testicular_cancer 
&nbsp;
www.everyman-campaign.org -where leaflets are available to download]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month]]></link><pubDate>06/06/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Guide to Stress-Free Travel]]></title><description><![CDATA[The great British summer is almost here and many of us may well be tempted to flee our unpredictable weather for sunnier climes. Don&rsquo;t let the stresses of planning get the better of you: whether you are researching that much anticipated trip of a lifetime or desperately seeking inspiration for a last-minute break, there is help at hand in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
The first-time traveller
If this is your first trip abroad, or your first holiday with the kids in tow, you&rsquo;ll want to make sure that it is going to run smoothly. The Rough Guide&rsquo;s First-time series are packed with useful tips to ensure that your trip is safe, fun, and that you won&rsquo;t miss out on any of the must-see sights. If you&rsquo;re taking the car, you may want to borrow a European road atlas. We also stock British street atlases. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
The lap of luxury
Cruising is very popular with many islanders and in the Guille-All&egrave;s Library you can read up on the best ships and find out about places that simply must not be missed en route. For those who prefer to keep to dry land, the Hedonist&rsquo;s series will point you in the direction of the hippest hotels and hangouts of Paris, London, Rome and Marrakech.
&nbsp;
A taste for adventure
Backpackers throughout the world know the value of a reliable guide book and the Guille-All&egrave;s Library stocks a wide selection of guides from three of the main players in travel publishing: The Rough Guide, Lonely Planet and Footprint. You&rsquo;ll find everything from guides to the most inaccessible Himalayan states to ideas for adventures closer to home- in the French Alps or the Scottish Highlands and Islands for example. Whatever your destination, complement your choice of guide with a book on travel health and safety such as Nick Warden&rsquo;s The complete SAS guide to safe travel. 
&nbsp;
Home birds
Some may argue that there is nowhere better to spend the summer than on a beautiful Guernsey beach. If you are staying in the Channel Islands this holiday season, take a look at the guides and walking books in the Local Studies section. 


Flights of fancy
With the wealth of travelogues available, you don&rsquo;t need to catch a flight for a taste of distant lands. The Guille-All&egrave;s Library stocks travel stories from modern classics by Dervla Murphy and Paul Theroux to the down-right wacky road-trips and &ndash; a recent acquisition - Tony Wheeler&rsquo;s Bad lands, in which the author visits all the countries of the &ldquo;Axis of Evil&rdquo;.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Still lacking inspiration?
If you keep getting the feeling that you&rsquo;ve &lsquo;been there, done that&rsquo;, the BBC Books&rsquo; series of Unforgettable places to see before you die offers some fresh and exciting ideas. Lonely Planet&rsquo;s Travel book and Blue list also offer excellent overviews of world-wide destinations that are worth the journey. 
&nbsp;



Finding the books
The travel section is located on the second floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library, in the Hayward Gallery.&nbsp;Staff are always on hand to help you find what you need, or check our on-line catalogue to see if we can help start you on your journey.

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Guille-Allès Guide to Stress-Free Travel]]></link><pubDate>30/05/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Day in the Life of a Schools' Library Liaison Officer]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have been working as a librarian for almost 5 years now, and still the most common question I am asked is &ldquo;so, do you just stamp books all day and stuff?&rdquo;. The answer, as you are about to find out, is a resounding &ldquo;no&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
I am a Schools&rsquo; Library Liaison Officer; a fun and demanding job with the unfortunate acronym SLLO (slow!). However, despite the job title, my days are almost always hectic. I am responsible for the running of the libraries in 11 of the primary and secondary schools in Guernsey. There are two other SLLOs who have responsibility for the remaining schools.
&nbsp;
Today, as always, I began my day with a lot of coffee. I am a terrible morning person! A great benefit of my job is that I usually get to avoid the awful commute into town, as I am always out and about working at my various schools. This morning I was required at a primary school to train their new library monitors. These are students at the school who have taken on the responsibility of helping run the library, and I trained them to use the database on the library computer and to understand the search functions and the subject indexes so that they can help other students to find whatever they are looking for when they come to the library.
&nbsp;
At around 10.30 I had a little time to myself, which I used to go through some lesson plans I am writing. I am often asked to give &ldquo;Library Skills&rdquo; lessons at schools to students of various ages. These lessons involve teaching students how to plan their research, showing them how the Dewey Decimal System works, how to find information in the subject indexes and on the library computers, and how to find information on the internet. These skills are all very important, and I take this part of my job very seriously. As children get older and go into secondary education they are required to do more and more independent studying, and it is important that they feel comfortable going into a library and picking up a book or using a computer and knowing that they will be able to find the information they are looking for.
&nbsp;
I usually have to squeeze a lunch-break in around my appointments, and today was no different. I scoffed my sandwiches down in my car, and then I was off to another school for a lunch-time book club. This is one of my favourite parts of my job; just chatting to children or teenagers about what they read. Today we were talking about books on the shortlist for the Carnegie &amp; Greenaway awards. I love it when students are enthusiastic about something they have read, and there is no better feeling for me than to recommend a book to someone and find out that they have really enjoyed it. The book clubs are fun and informal, and I always encourage students to read whatever they are interested in. All reading is good, so I don&rsquo;t care whether they are into James Joyce or Doctor Who!
&nbsp;
During the afternoon I spent some time with a teacher at a secondary school looking at the stock in her library and deciding what new books to order. Obviously finances are always limited, so the teachers and I work together to make sure we spend the money in the best way. We try to get a good range of interesting fiction, and also good quality non-fiction books that are relevant to the curriculum and reflect the interests of the students. It is sometimes quite difficult to get a good balance! There are so many wonderful books around for children and young adults and I am always wishing we had more money to spend.
&nbsp;
After 3.30 I am usually found at my desk on the top floor of the Guille-All&egrave;s Library. I use this time to catch up on emails and phone messages and to prepare for whatever I am doing the next day. I am always dying for another coffee by this time! As soon as I finish this blog entry I have to plan a presentation for a staff meeting next week. I often do presentations for teaching staff to help them understand all the services and support that the Schools' Library Service can offer them. Then I have a couple of phone calls to make, and it will be time to head home.
&nbsp;
So, there you are. As I said, this job is hectic, demanding and fun, and I feel very lucky to be doing something that I really believe in for a living. And I didn&rsquo;t stamp a single book all day!





Rachel Mahy
Schools&rsquo;&nbsp;Library Liaison Officer

]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[A Day in the Life of a Schools' Library Liaison Officer]]></link><pubDate>23/05/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[BBC Radio Guernsey Studio 1 Review: The Inheritance of Loss]]></title><description><![CDATA[There is always at least one book on the Orange Prize short list that stops me in my tracks, that is a bit special.&nbsp;It may well not be perfect, or go on to win the prize, but it has a certain something.&nbsp;Kiran Desai&rsquo;s, The Inheritance of Loss is, more often than not, staggeringly wonderful.
&nbsp;
The book revolves around an aging Judge, his granddaughter, Sai,&nbsp;and their cook, living in the northern Himalayas during the 1980s.&nbsp;Much of the first third of The Inheritance of Loss is used to set the scene, giving us a sense of life both within the Himalayas and of the cook&rsquo;s son&rsquo;s life as an illegal immigrant in New York.&nbsp;From the very start of the novel, though, there is a sense of the politically inspired violence that will eventually break through the apparent idyll and affect everyone&rsquo;s lives.
&nbsp;
Life starts to change for the family when Sai&rsquo;s new physics tutor arrives; a young Nepali whom she falls in love with.&nbsp;Despite tender beginnings, their relationship is gradually threatened as the tutor becomes involved with a Nepalese insurgency.
&nbsp;
As the story moved forward I became increasingly aware of the skilful way Desai had gradually built up the characters, so that as the action unfolded I felt genuinely concerned for their fate.&nbsp;Desai has that great skill of making you empathise with characters who are pretty unpleasant.&nbsp;Part of this skill is rooted in the way Desai makes the link between the character&rsquo;s attitudes and actions and the context within which they live: the grinding poverty which is their inheritance of loss.
&nbsp;
Though never forced home the theme of poverty is always there in the background; the characters are trapped by circumstances beyond their control, patterns of behaviour that have been set down over decades of colonialism.&nbsp;I think this is made clear in an intriguing passage involving mice.&nbsp;At the very start of their relationship Sai runs from her tutor, overcome by the power of her emotions.&nbsp;While her tutor waits for her to return the mice in the house quietly re-merge from their holes;
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was quite extraordinary how tenacious they were &ndash; you&rsquo;d think their fragile hearts would shatter, but their timidity was misleading; their fear was without memory.&rdquo;
P116
&nbsp;
It is the memories of loss and disappointment that ensnare the characters; from the Judge&rsquo;s memories of racist humiliation in England while training for the Indian Civil Service to the aggrieved nationalism that fires up Sai&rsquo;s tutor.
&nbsp;
Throughout the novel Desai shows how capitalism perpetuates the inequalities set in place by colonialsm.&nbsp;Take the following postcard written by Western tourists visiting Dargling.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Had a great dinner for $4.50.&nbsp;We can&rsquo;t believe how cheap this country is!!!&nbsp;We&rsquo;re having a great time, but we&rsquo;ll be glad to get home, where, let&rsquo;s be honest (sorry, we&rsquo;ve never been the PC types!) there is widespread availability of deodorant&hellip;&rdquo;
P201
&nbsp;
With little passages like this Desai opens up the paradox of poverty.&nbsp;We want cheap holidays and goods, but don&rsquo;t like the smell of the East.&nbsp;&nbsp; We fail to make the connection that if we pay rock bottom prices they will lead rock bottom lives. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
And that for me is the power of this novel.&nbsp;Besides its beautiful writing and gentle humour The Inheritance of Loss has the power to question our assumptions and challenge us to action.







Ed Jewell
Customer Services Librarian

Join in the discussion at The Forum
&nbsp;
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[BBC Radio Guernsey Studio 1 Review: The Inheritance of Loss]]></link><pubDate>11/05/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Carnegie and Greenaway Celebrations]]></title><description><![CDATA[
In 2007&nbsp;the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals&nbsp;are celebrating 70 years of the Carnegie medal and 50 years of the Greenaway medal.&nbsp;You have the chance to cast your vote for your all-time favourite Carnegie and Greenaway medal-winning books by going to the Celebration website at: 
&nbsp;
http://carnegiegreenaway.org.uk//celebration/top_tens.php
&nbsp;
A shortlist of the top 10 all-time favourite winners so far can be found at: 
&nbsp;
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/celebration/top_tens.php?action=list




Meanwhile the shortlists for the 2007 CILIP Carnegie &amp; Kate Greenaway Awards have been announced.&nbsp;&nbsp;Discuss who you think should win this year at The Forum.


]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[Carnegie and Greenaway Celebrations]]></link><pubDate>01/05/2007</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007]]></title><description><![CDATA[
The shortlist for the 2007 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction, the UK&rsquo;s only annual book award for fiction written by a woman, has been announced. Now in its 12th year, the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in international women&rsquo;s writing.

This year&rsquo;s shortlist honours both new and well-established writers and reflects the international reach of the prize with authors from Nigeria, China, India and America represented.


The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday 6 June 2007. We will be celebrating at the Guille-All&egrave;s Library with an Orange evening &ndash; an opportunity to get together and discuss the shortlist over some refreshments and see if our winner matches that chosen by the judges!

The Prize was set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote fiction by women throughout the world&nbsp;to the widest range of readers possible and is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. 
&nbsp;
The winner will be presented with a cheque for &pound;30,000 and a limited edition bronze statue known as &lsquo;the Bessie&rsquo;, created by artist Grizel Niven. 
&nbsp;
Previous winners are Zadie Smith for On Beauty (2006), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), Valerie Martin for Property (2003), Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (2002), Kate Grenville for The Idea of Perfection (2001), Linda Grant for When I Lived in Modern Times (2000), Suzanne Berne for A Crime in the Neighbourhood (1999), Carol Shields for Larry&rsquo;s Party (1998), Anne Michaels for Fugitive Pieces (1997), and Helen Dunmore for A Spell of Winter (1996). 
&nbsp;
The judges for the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction are:
Muriel Gray (Chair), Writer &amp; Broadcaster 
Kathryn Hughes, Historian &amp; Critic 
Maya Jaggi, Critic &amp; Journalist 
Marian Keyes, Author 
Kate Saunders, Writer &amp; Journalist 
&nbsp;
For more on the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction visit www.orangeprize.co.uk
]]></description><author>ga@library.gg (Guille Alles Library Administration Department)</author><link>http://www.library.gg/84.html#<![CDATA[The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007]]></link><pubDate>27/04/2007</pubDate></item></channel></rss>