It seems like forever, but we’re finally ready to announce the winners of last summer’s “DESIGN A BOOKMARK” contest at the library! We collected entries all summer, and then had a local artist go through them to choose winners in each category. We’ve got the bookmarks printed (thank you, Ferguson Graphics!) and now we’re ready to show you the winning bookmarks.
In the 8 – 10 year old category:
WILL CHAPMAN!
In the 14 – adult category:
KATE MARTIN!
And in the 11- 13 year old category:
Hannah Shulist!
Congratulations to all our winners! Their bookmarks will be given out to new members of the library for the next few years. Stop by to see the display!
If you’ve ever done a Google search, you’ll know that when you begin to type in what you’re looking for, Google provides a simple drop down list of possible words you might be ready to type. Where do these options come from? From fellow users, of course. So, when you see those five or six possible results below the search box, they’re actually questions people have typed into Google. The most popular searches, actually, not just random or recent searches.
When you think about it, it’s insight into a culture. Heartbreaking insight, actually. Watch the video below and you’ll see what I mean. (Keep in mind, some of the search results are quite graphic. But even those say something about the state of our fellow human beings today.)
Yes, the little symbol above has a few meanings. Whether you know it as a number sign or a hashtag, it was once just a symbol that became a word in our society. Even a famous musician once decided he’d rename himself and use a symbol instead of letters. It worked for a while, but we’ve gone back to calling him by his royal name, for the most part.
While symbols often change their purpose in our communication, there will always be a use for them, especially in this world on texting and 140 character tweets. You can find a bigger list of symbols that we turned into words right here.
I come across words everyday that I’d probably mumble into my shirt if anyone asked me to say them out loud. Unless you happen to hear a word or a name you’re unsure of, how else can you be sure of a pronunciation?
Forvo.com is a fabulous site that allows people to ask for a word or name they don’t know how to pronounce, and someone will upload an audio file of that word so everyone can hear it. Isn’t that amazing? There are words in other languages, words you might find in a dictionary, but also names and places that you might be reading about in far-off countries. Readers can vote on the pronunciations they think are most accurate, so there won’t be any discrepancies because of local dialects etc.
Even if you’re not struggling with a word right now, it’s a fascinating site to peruse. You might even come away learning a thing or two!
Recently, the OCLC (the Online Computer Library Center), posted a fantastic visual reference on How Canadian Public Libraries stack up! The results were truly fascinating and I think we can learn a lot about how the public uses and views libraries, through it. The OCLC is a worldwide library cooperative that aims to improve access to information held in libraries and find ways for libraries to reduce their costs through collaboration.
A few of the fascinating comparisons?
Nearly two out of three Canadians have library cards…almost the same percentage as people who have passports. (But of course, the library is your passport to anywhere, isn’t it?)
Canadian libraries circulate 10 times more DVDs each day than the online DVD rental company, Zip.ca. (All right, no word on the comparison to Netflix users, but I feel like we could probably give them a run for their money, too!)
Nearly 200 public libraries offer meeting spaces…and Carleton Place Public Library is one of those included!
To see all of the unique comparisons, just click on the photo below to see a larger version. It’s really something!
For Frivolous Friday, it’s time we went to space for a while!
Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield is currently living on the International Space Station as the Commander of Expedition 35. He is the first Canadian Commander of a mission to the ISS, and although the five month stay is almost over, he’s been more active in space than some people are here on Earth. If you haven’t been following his frequent posts on Twitter and YouTube, you’ve been missing some fascinating stuff!
The official website for the Canadian Space Agency boasts a lot of interesting information about the mission and the studies being done on board the ISS. The science studies include a look at the dangers of radiation exposure during long-term missions as well as the effects of weightlessness in space during that same extended period, as well as many smaller experiments. But Hadfield has been busy doing his own “studies” in space, usually after prompts from school children he’s been interacting with during the stay. For example, he recently talked about making a peanut butter and jam sandwich in space, which isn’t as simple as it might sound.
One of the funniest things is the photo contest! You have another few weeks to drop by and add your own photo to the mix. Just upload the image of Chris in his astronaut gear, pop him into a photo YOU take, and then submit it to the site. The three top photo entries with the most votes will win a signed t-shirt and the winning photo entrant will win meet Commander Hadfield during a private webcast.
If you’re interested in reading some books about the International Space Station, or any of the other wonderful books we have about space flight or missions, drop by the library and we can suggest some good reading. Until then, get those photos uploaded and keep watching the official site or Twitter for regular updates from this fascinating Canadian!
