Last week we celebrated Banned Books week in an event called BANNED: A Virtual Banned Books Read-Out & Discussions on the Freedom to Read at Rutgers. In my flash talk at the online event, I mentioned a library and information science-related weekly newsletter called KIT Hírlevél (Library, Information & Society News) in Hungary. The newsletter polled its readers … Read More
A children’s book shredded in public by a member of the parliament. A poster outside a bookstore warning customers of books with “homosexual propaganda dangerous to children.” A mayor demanding that a book should be removed from a library display, upon (alleged) complaints from the public. Finally, a newsletter polling librarians whether professional organizations should raise … Read More
BANNED: A Virtual Banned Books Read-Out & Discussions on the Freedom to Read September 30, 2021 at 5:30 – 7:00 pm EST Presented by: SCARLA (The Student College, Academic, and Research Libraries Association), LISSA (Library and Information Science Student Association), and Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read promoted … Read More
If you’re appalled by violence and graphic details in a book or movie but––pun intended––you’d kill for a good mystery, cozy mysteries are for you. Rest assured, you are not alone. Cozy mysteries became one of the most popular escapist genres during the pandemic. What the heck is a cozy mystery anyway? Sounds like an … Read More
Interviews with Authors Art librarian Megan Lotts recently published a new book entitled Advancing a Culture of Creativity in Libraries: Programming and Engagement. It gave us the idea to launch a new interview series about titles that Books We Read affiliates have written or are currently working on. Known for her imagination, creativity, and vision, … Read More
Banned and challenged books receive a great deal of attention from librarians, the champions of freedom of speech. Books We Read partnered with several other groups for Banned Books Week in 2020. In an introduction to banned books, we were tempted to sort them into categories based on the grounds for the ban or challenge: … Read More
In an article entitled Summer Tales Book Club in New Brunswick hosts renowned authors, recently published in the Rutgers University Library Newsletter, we reviewed exciting events and activities Books We Read contributed to Summer Session 2021 at Rutgers-New Brunswick. Happy New Semester on behalf of the entire Summer Tales Crew! In the summer of 2021, for the … Read More
Bibliotherapy, or guided reading, is defined as using books from a list created under the guidance of a subject expert in order to address a therapeutic need. It has been shown to help people when reaching a crossroads and facing critical decisions. A good book offering solace, enlightenment, and inspiration may become a factor in … Read More
I hardly remember birthdays. But come August 15, I can’t help asking “Who remembers Jellinek?” In an editorial for the Jellinek Special Anniversary issue of the CAS Information Services Newsletter, we (co-authors Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano) cited an article written in 1982 by Mark Keller, editor of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, with … Read More
Tired of reading books? Tired of listening to books? Tired of talking about books? Here’s another creative activity related to books: book sculptures. Full disclosure: we never get tired of anything related to books (including dusting bookshelves). Book sculptures or, in other words, literary sculptures, range from a simple (?) origami using pages of recycled … Read More