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From: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults & Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org> To: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults & Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 00:01:12 CDT Subject: PUBYAC digest 178 PUBYAC Digest 178 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Interesting questions by ILefkowitz@aol.com 2) Re: Summer Reading Program by Jodi Cohen <cohenj2@scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us> 3) by Ingrid Arnason <IngridA@wccls.lib.or.us> 4) Re: babes in bookland by "Shalar Brown" <SHBROWN@iowa-city.lib.ia.us> 5) stumper -- rhyming names by Sarah House--Cameron Park Library <sarahh@innercite.com> 6) Most inane reference question by "Katherine Heylman" <kheylman@apk.net> 7) RE: Funniest Reference Question by Donna McMillen <donnamcm@kcls.org> 8) RE: Harry Potter Americanization by "Denise I. Matulka" <dimatulka@alltel.net> 9) job posting - Cleveland Ohio by Amy Switzer <aswitzer@chuhpl.lib.oh.us> 10) RE: Harry Potter 4 by bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams) 11) RE: Storytime Name by "Ruth Shafer" <rshafer@fvrl.lib.wa.us> 12) Re: Harry Potter 4 by Todd A Grazier <tgrazier@gcfn.org> 13) Re: SRC rewards by Sally Goodroe <sgoodroe@hcpl.net> 14) Re: Storytime Name by "andrea " <juvserv@dialup.customnet.com> 15) Re: Summer Reading Prizes by "andrea " <juvserv@dialup.customnet.com> 16) Re: Harry Potter 4 by Jean Canosa-Albano <jcanosa-albano@spfldlibmus.org> 17) Harry Potter at ALA by leslie <jacobsl@first.lib.ms.us> 18) Re: Funniest Reference Question Request by Carol Leeson <cleeson@nslsilus.org> 19) Mysteries for Storytellers by "Bender Sandy" <bendersan40@hotmail.com> 20) stumper by Mary Matuszewski <marym@srls.public.lib.ga.us> 21) Death stalks Harry Potter in 640-page tale by bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams) 22) Re: Funniest Reaference Question by "Candice Morris" <cmorris@mtlib.org> 23) Automated scheduling programs by Carol Hoke <hoke@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ILefkowitz@aol.com To: <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Re: Interesting questions Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:44:43 CDT <Do you have a waiting list yet for Harry Potter #5?> ACK!!! Number 4 is giving us enough headaches for now. Amazing how impatient people are! Ilene Lefkowitz Youth Services Librarian Mount Olive Public Library (NJ) ILefkowitz@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Jodi Cohen <cohenj2@scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Summer Reading Program MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:53:10 CDT
I'm responding to the question about reaching non-readers. It's a good one...and a hard one! Our library is between two public housing projects and has both adults and children with limited reading skills. We are trying to support the kids this summer by a) working with Americorps. Tutors are available for kids three times a week. b) Dispensing "Library Money" for reading and participating in programs. c) Playing "Library Jeopardy" weekly. I put out 5 categories a week and books to match. Kids read for an hour a week to participate. d) Offering "Computer Camp"--special time in our Gates Lab where kids are taught how to perform some basic functions, most of which involve having to read some stuff. e)Forming a volunteer group of kids going into fifth grade..and older. Their primary job is to read to younger children for the Florida Library Youth Program. f) Distributing RIF books. g) Hosting daily activities like "Word of the Day", "Country of the Week" where kids have to write a short report. h) Allowing a lot more chatter and noise than a traditiona library would. As long as the kids are constructively involved and learning something, we try not to dampen their enthusiasm. i) Providing coloring sheets that have some sort of letter or word activity. One on one attention seems to work the best in encouraging kids with limited skills to read. We could use lots more staff, but so far, so good! Jodi Cohen Principal Librarian Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
------------------------------ From: Ingrid Arnason <IngridA@wccls.lib.or.us> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:54:32 CDT Hi everyone, for those of you working on Harry Potter trivia questions, check out this website: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/1900/m.html It is the "Encyclopaedia Potterica", with definitions and explanations of more names, places and things than you could possibly need. Have fun! Ingrid Arnason Youth Services Librarian West Slope Community Library Ingrida@wccls.lib.or.us ------------------------------ From: "Shalar Brown" <SHBROWN@iowa-city.lib.ia.us> To: <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Re: babes in bookland Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:55:48 CDT Hi- I'm only just about to start my second session of programming for infants/parents, so I'm a little new at this, but I'd be glad to tell you my experience. I got a lot of great advice from this group when planning ours! We required advance registration, and limited to 15 pairs of babies/adults (also limited to one baby per adult to avoid one caregiver coming and trying to keep track of several babies since this is supposed to be a "lapsit," one-on-one experience). At our library (Iowa City Public Library) we don't require registration or limit any other storytimes or other programs, so it's different for us, but we did so this time because of limited space and our sanity as well, because it gets a little crazy, as you probably know!) We try to get them to commit to the 4-week session (once/week for four weeks), but with babies you just never know so even though they think they can come all 4 times, a lot of times they don't end up, but of the 15 signed up, we generally have more than 80% attending each week. We didn't want to do a whole lot of publicity because of the low limit, but we did our general things: press release, flyers in-house, and article in our library newsletter. We have a big demand, and usually quite a large waiting list, but our hands are kind of tied because of our space issue. Our format (I do the program with a friend/volunteer) is as follows: 1) a 20-25 minute program with a variety of songs, finger/action/tickle/bouncing rhymes, poems, and usually 3 books, 2 of which we got 15 copies of so each pair can look at it themselves (we use both each week so they can get familiar with them over the 4 weeks) and one other book that we enhance in some way since it's hard to get babies to attend to a storyteller - for example, one of us read "Chicka Chicka boom boom" while the other kept the rhythm on a drum, we also used the drum with "Old black fly"; used a big book, etc. If we have to read a small book, we walk around the group so everyone can see the illustrations up close at some point. We wrote the words to the rhymes and songs on big paper and hung it on the wall so everyone could see them. I had my 3rd-6th grade youth volunteers illustrate them also, which everyone liked. We also gave handouts with all the rhymes + actions, poems, and songs listed, as well as an extensive bibliography of recommended books and music! for infants/toddlers. 2) A parent education/discussion time: each week we'd prepared a topic so "lectured" briefly on it, then invited questions/discussion. The topics we did were: using sign language with infants; language development; how to choose a good book for your baby; and making your own book. We wrote up pretty extensive handouts for each of these topics as well, so that we wouldn't have to spend TOO much time talking about them, since the babies' attention limit is gone by then. We provide toys for them to play with while the parents are participating in this part. And at least with our first group, many were willing to participate and chime in so that was welcomed! We're hoping our second group is as willing! 3) Time to socialize/play in the room. On the last day we gave them a nice plastic bag (from Upstart) filled with library handouts and booklists and child development info from our county extension office. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me. Shalar Brown Iowa City Public Library (319) 356-5200, ext. 304 shbrown@iowa-city.lib.ia.us ------------------------------ From: Sarah House--Cameron Park Library <sarahh@innercite.com> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: stumper -- rhyming names Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:57:17 CDT Hello, A patron is looking for a book she remembers reading last summer. The book is older, probably a short chapter book, or possibly a beginning reader. The story centers on 4 people with rhyming names. One thing she remembers is the four eating french fries and thinking they're in France. She say's it is very funny. This is all she remembers. Any ideas? Please reply to Sarahh@innercite.com
Thanks!
Sarah House El Dorado County Library sarahh@innercite.com ------------------------------ From: "Katherine Heylman" <kheylman@apk.net> To: <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Most inane reference question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0019_01BFE214.FB6B4DC0" Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 13:58:39 CDT This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01BFE214.FB6B4DC0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This isn't the funniest reference question, but it has to be one of the silliest. A 6th-grade girl was following me around=20 for about ten minutes with a book in her hand as I was dealing with=20 a 2nd-grade class. I was finally able to give her my attention.=20 She held out the book and asked me, "Does this book have pictures in it?" What can I say? Kay Heylman=20 ------------------------------ From: Donna McMillen <donnamcm@kcls.org> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: Funniest Reference Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:00:09 CDT One of the strangest questions I ever had was when a boy and his dad asked for help in finding a book on small mammals. After much questioning and looking at field guides, they said the animal was in front of the library! Sure enough, we took the field guide out and were able to identify the critter hiding by one of the benches--a type of vole. I'm just glad they hadn't brought it up to the reference desk to ID it! Donna McMillen, Managing Librarian donnamcm@kcls.org King County Library System Algona-Pacific Library 255 Ellingson Road, Pacific WA 98047 phone: (253)833-3554 fax:(206)296-5019 "...And then there were books, a kind of parallel universe in which anything might happen and frequently did..." from Anna Quindlen's How Reading Changed My Life, 1998. ------------------------------ From: "Denise I. Matulka" <dimatulka@alltel.net> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: RE: Harry Potter Americanization MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:01:30 CDT I would Like to begin by stating one thing: as much as I loath the ridiculous display over the mediocre HP books (Please...don't e-mail me...I will try to explain), I do like that in 1999, the year when print was supposed to die and paper become extinct, a new generation of kids picked up books!! In fact, I think the phenomenon isn't because of HP or Rowling, but rather a "collective conscious" telling the computer moguls just how wrong they were. I'm glad someone brought up the "Americanization" topic. In an article in "Riverbank Review" by Michael Patrick Hearne (Spring 2000), Hearne quotes Arthur Levine (Harry's US publisher) as saying he was "translating" not "Americanizing." WRONG. Hearne goes on to defend his point quite eloquently. The English school experience is a VERY unique one, by altering the language in the book, Levine also diminished the literary quality. (As far as I am concerned.) I also strongly feel that such interference is like "dumbing down" the books for kids. In fact, I think that was why I couldn't warm to the "phenomenon" as others have done. I felt cheated!! AND I (or anyone else) shouldn't have to order from the UK because an editor decided that American children (and adults) aren't able to sort out unfamiliar words used within context. Croopus (as Dido Twite would say), give kids credit! I am a HUGE fan of British fiction (especially a mystery) so suffice to say the absence of the British voice was jarringly apparent to me. I still stand firm that Aiken far surpasses Rowling in characterization, plot, imagination, and style. I was glad to find an article in Horn Book titled, "Harry Potter, Dido Twite, and Mr. Beowulf" by Brian Alderson (May/June 2000) that supports my "side." He ponders, in reference to Aiken's achievements, what "quirk it be that Harry Potter, all three books old, is deemed superior." One last thing--I just saw "Chicken Run." I was greatly gratified to hear British slang such as torch ("flashlight" in the US), bum (derriere), summat ("something" as in I want something to eat), and owt ("anything" as in I didn't do anything). Plus the British symbol for the pound note instead of a dollar sign appeared on the money bags. Children seemed to enjoy the film despite the British accents. Thank goodness Arthur Levine wasn't the sound editor.... ___________________________________________ Denise I. Matulka dimatulka@alltel.net Picturing Books: A Web Site About Picture Books http://www.geocities.com/dimatulka Author of "Picture This: Picture Books for Young Adults" http://info.greenwood.com/books/0313301/0313301824.html ------------------------------ From: Amy Switzer <aswitzer@chuhpl.lib.oh.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: job posting - Cleveland Ohio MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:02:47 CDT The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library has a permanent full time professional position in the Children's Services Department for an energetic and innovative team player who loves children. This is the opportunity for a dynamic children's librarian with initiative and leadership skills to participate in children's programming, reference service, collection development, and outreach responsibilities. Graduate degree from an accredited library school required. Dedication to customer service, creative programming abilities, computer/Internet skills and familiarity with children's literature are essential. Annual salary of $32,519 for a 40-hour work week including nights and weekends, as well as excellent benefits including health, dental, and long term disability insurances. Equal opportunity employer Send resumes, postmarked no later than July 14, 2000 to: Human Resources Coordinator Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library 2345 Lee Road Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 ------------------------------ From: bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams) To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: Harry Potter 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:04:42 CDT The title "HP and the Doomspell Tournament" was always touted as a working title and that it probably would not be the actual title... It will be as annoying (if not more so) than those asking for HP and the Philosopher's Stone, even though they already read HP and the Sorcerer's Stone.... Bina Williams Bridgeport (CT) Public Library bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us ---------- From: Julie Ann Rines Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 6:34 PM To: pubyac Subject: Harry Potter 4 I was just on Amazon.com and noticed(it would be hard not to) thet they have changed the name of the book to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I think we are going to be spending a lot of time explaining to patrons that they haven't missed a book! Does anyone know why the name was changed at this late date? Julie Rines jrines@ocln.org ------------------------------ From: "Ruth Shafer" <rshafer@fvrl.lib.wa.us> To: <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: Storytime Name MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:06:08 CDT We have a program we call Bonkers for Books > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-pubyac@prairienet.org [mailto:owner-pubyac@prairienet.org]On > Behalf Of Joyce Ryl > Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 12:44 PM > To: pubyac@prairienet.org > Subject: Storytime Name > > > I will be doing a new children's program this fall for 3, 4, & 5 year > olds. This program will include stories, fingerplays, music, games & > crafts. I would like to come up with a clever name for this program. > I'd appreciate any & all ideas! > > Also, I'd like to limit this to 15 children & run it for about 45 > minutes. Does this sound do-able? > > Thanks to all who take the time to respond! > > Joyce > holjr@lakeland.lib.mi.us > > ------------------------------ From: Todd A Grazier <tgrazier@gcfn.org> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Harry Potter 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:07:41 CDT
It is my understanding that the "Doomspell Tournament" was a rumor, it never appeared on the Scholastic website. It may possibly have been the working title, but Ms. Rowling has stated in interviews that she did not want adults to spoil it for the children, hence no review copies and the added security and secrecy where the books are being warehoused. Come July 8 we will all bee in for a 700+ page treat.
/` o") Todd A. Grazier ,( )' tgrazier@gcfn.org _"_ Columbus Metropolitan Library "Opinions are my own, but you may borrow them with a valid library card." ------------------------------ From: Sally Goodroe <sgoodroe@hcpl.net> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: SRC rewards MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:09:13 CDT Dear Fellow PUBYACers: Our library system has had the philosophy that the rewards of recognition and the satisfaction of reading should be the rewards for completing the requirements of the Summer Reading Club. The book by Alfie Cohn, called PUNISHED BY REWARDS, has some good discussions about what kinds of rewards we give kids, and whether certain types of rewards actually establish a change in behavior, or simply make the child do the activity only as long as the reward is present. Since I have been in both situations - a library system that offers coupons and incentives and one that does not - I can see arguments for each practice. We would like to reward each child who completes the program with a book, a fun, inexpensive paperback. This would fit in with our philosophy in that it rewards reading with more to read. I have talked with some systems who collect donated books to give away. Has anyone actually purchased books to give? If so, did you find great deals out there? What sort of funders did you tap? We are talking about a large number of kids here (10,000 or so) and do not want to disappoint anyone; in addition, we expect an increase in finishers if we actually have a more tangible "prize." Please reply with any helpful hints to me directly. Thanks, Sally sgoodroe@stic.lib.tx.us -- Sally Goodroe, Children's Specialist Harris County Public Library, Houston 8080 El Rio Street, Houston, TX 77054 713-749-9031 FAX 713-749-9090 ------------------------------ From: "andrea " <juvserv@dialup.customnet.com> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Storytime Name Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:10:40 CDT Please feel free to pirate our name, "Finger Frolicks." I think you may have trouble keeping kids that young involved for 45 minutes. Perhaps you could be a bit more conservative in the length of the program...it's easier to adjust the time to more than to less if you find it easy to keep their attention. I don't! You may want to mention whether or not you want parents present (with 15 kids I would suggest you do) and make your expectations concerning their participation or non participation clear at signup. Good luck!! I have had tremendous trouble getting and maintaining any kind of core group of this age--nap times, fussiness and moods being imporatant factors in children this young. Good luck and enjoy the little cuties! Andrea Terry Libby Memorial Library, Old Orchard Beach, ME ------------------------------ From: "andrea " <juvserv@dialup.customnet.com> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Summer Reading Prizes Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:13:49 CDT I tend to be an "anything to get them to read" librarian. I have a transient, blue-collar population. These children are definately motivated by whatever prizes I can scrounge up, beg, borrow or get grants for. Local businesses seem supportive of my goals to reward the children, and help provide these prizes. Reaction to my "bribes" has definately been mostly positive. I figure if a child is a good reader, they're going to read anyway and the rewards are perks. If they're a hesitant reader, the prizes will act as motivators. Thanks everybody for providing a positive, respectful forum for the exchange of ideas! Andrea Terry Juv Serv Librarian, Libby Memorial Library, Old Orchard Beach, ME ------------------------------ From: Jean Canosa-Albano <jcanosa-albano@spfldlibmus.org> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Harry Potter 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:15:14 CDT The Tournament of Doom (?) was just a RUMORED title. Either the rumor was wrong, or the decision was made to change it once the Doom title was circulated. Jean Jean M. Canosa Albano, MLIS Head of Youth and Outreach Services Springfield Library 220 State Street Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 263-6800, ext 291 (voice) (413) 263-6825 (fax) (413) 736-4738 (TTY) jcanosa-albano@spfldlibmus.org (e-mail) ------------------------------ From: leslie <jacobsl@first.lib.ms.us> To: PUBYAC <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Harry Potter at ALA MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:16:41 CDT Another question for you people in the know --- Friday, July 7th, at midnight, where should we be when we're in Chicago for ALA? Is there a close bookstore party or something? I haven't heard that Scholastic is doing anything. Maybe I'm not one of the chosen. So what do the unchosen do? Please let me know! Leslie/ First Regional Library in Mississippi jacobsl@first.lib.ms.us ------------------------------ From: Carol Leeson <cleeson@nslsilus.org> To: Donna Worth <dworth@mtlib.org> Subject: Re: Funniest Reference Question Request MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:18:09 CDT I had a young man come in and ask for the name of the inventor of the wheel. He also needed the date it was invented. I found some books on early man and explained that we did not have records from that point in history, but we could find the time period in which the wheel appeared etc. About 45 minutes later the young man came back with his father who insisted that the teacher required that they have a name and a specific date. I also handled a telephone question in which the caller asked for basic information on Harriet Tubman. I pulled the appropriate encyclopedia and proceeded to answer questions about date and place of birth, married?, any children etc. Then he wanted to know if she had a pet? No information on that one. The next question was "What was her campaign slogan?" OK back to the reference interview, we were really looking for info in Harry S. Truman. Got to get those ears checked. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Carol Leeson Head of Youth Services Mount Prospect Public Library 10 S. Emerson Mt. Prospect, Il 60056 (847)253-5675 cleeson@mppl.org The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Library. ------------------------------ From: "Bender Sandy" <bendersan40@hotmail.com> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Mysteries for Storytellers Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:19:22 CDT Hello Everyone, I need your help again. I am looking for some good tellable mystery stories for elementary age children. I am working on a special mystery program for grade 1 thru 5 and would like some good ideas. TIA PLEASE send replies to: bendersan40@hotmail.com Thanks! ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: Mary Matuszewski <marym@srls.public.lib.ga.us> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: stumper MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:20:48 CDT Hello, I have a young patron who is looking for a what she believes is a YA book. In the book, the children think the dad is dead (but he's actually a vampire), the sister is a vampire, and the brother is a ghost. The patron believed that "vampire" was in the title. I have checked Novelist and all the L.J. Smith titles I had on the shelf, but I'm stumped! Thank you so much! Mary M Statesboro Regional Library marym@srls.public.lib.ga.us ------------------------------ From: bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams) To: "'Pubyac'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Death stalks Harry Potter in 640-page tale MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:22:08 CDT
LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - The fourth Harry Potter book, which goes on sale on July 8, is a massive 640 pages long and features the death of a favourite character, author Joanne Rowling said in an interview on Friday. Rowling would not reveal the name of the character before ``Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' hits the shops but said she always intended to bring death into her best-selling children's books about the adventures of a boy wizard. ``If it is done right, I think it will be upsetting but it is not going to be damaging,'' Rowling told the Times newspaper. The book is more than twice the length of the previous three Harry Potter stories, and one of the longest children's books written. Its plot has been kept a closely guarded secret. The book, eagerly awaited by millions of children, is the latest in a series that has already sold 30 million copies in 31 languages. Harry Potter has spent 98 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, was on the cover of Time magazine and is now to star in a Hollywood film with an all-British cast. In the interview, the Edinburgh-based author described how her experience as a struggling single mother, desperate for money, helped her create the series in the mid-1990s. However, Rowling said that while her success had brought financial security, she disliked fame intensely and hoped to ``fade back into blissful obscurity'' after completing seven books in the series. Forbes magazine has estimated her personal fortune at $15 million. Rowling denied reports she had clashed with American director Steven Spielberg over the film adaptation of her first book, ``Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.'' ``Did I have a fight with him? No I definitely did not,'' she said. ``There were things he said that I didn't agree with and things he said that I did agree with.'' The film is to be made with Christopher Columbus as director and is expected to be released next year. Bloomsbury, the British publisher of the series, said last week it would print 1.5 million copies of the new Harry Potter book -- a record first run for any book, according to the company -- and intended to reprint the book straight away. Online bookseller Amazon.Com said the launch was set to be the biggest online bestseller ever. 07:47 06-30-00 Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. ------------------------------ From: "Candice Morris" <cmorris@mtlib.org> To: <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Re: Funniest Reaference Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:23:38 CDT Straight out of library school, my very first reference question was "Do you have any books on pyramids?" I did a reference interview because I could think of all kinds of pyramids from Egyptian, Aztec, Mayan, geometrical to financial. The patron wanted a book on cheerleading pyramids. Since then I have learned the magic phrase "What kind of information on (fill in the blank) are you looking for?"
Candice Morris cmorris@mtlib.org Lewis & Clark Library 120 S. Last Chance Gulch Helena, MT 59601 Phone 406 447-1690 x15 Fax 406 447-1687 ------------------------------ From: Carol Hoke <hoke@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: Automated scheduling programs Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:25:20 CDT Unfortunately the basic response to my question was "let me know if you find something because we would like something or what we are using isn't very good either." So if anyone finds such a program, please let the whole list know. Many of us are wondering. Thanks. -- Carol Hoke Children's Services Manager Cedar Rapids Public Library 500 First St SE Cedar Rapids IA 52401 398-5145, ext. 259 fax 319-398-0746 Hoke@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us ------------------------------ End of PUBYAC Digest 178 ************************ |
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