Do you want a better way to keep up with your library books? Well, LibraryElf.com may be just the answer. According to their website they can help you keep track of all the materials you check out from the library. I have personally used the site and I really liked it. All you have to do is sign up (it’s free) and LibraryElf will send you email reminders when your books are due or when an item you have on hold is available (my favorite feature). It’s a pretty cool site so be sure to check it out.

As posted previously, Guardian Unlimited, of the UK, ran a public survey to discover the definitive book of the 20th century. And the winner by 22% (drum roll please) was… 1984 by George Orwell, beating out 50 other hopefulls that included The Great Gatsby, Cather in the Rye, and The Diary of a Young Girl.

Here is a list of the top 10 books, as voted on by the public (according to the article by Guardian Unlimited they are listed in order of publication date):

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Does anyone else think that it’s even slightly humorous that Bridget Jones’s Diary made it to the top ten list? It’s just a little funny to think that the humorous misery of single life was a definitive topic of the 20th century.

Today we have officially begun offering DVDs at our library. The collection includes everything from documentaries to blockbusters. We have worked hard to create a wide selection, so hopefully we have something for everyone. I am sure they will go fast so come by soon and check one out.

Okay all you parents out there, if you’re struggling to find ways to entertain your children how about picking up a few books for them at the library. PBS has created a site with helpful tips for encouraging your kids to read. They even have a section that outlines how to work through the dreaded ”required reading list”.

Update: Reading is Fundamental (RIF) also has a helpful website with summer reading tips. Their site also includes a great list of popular books this summer as well as a list of great vacation reads.

Check it out and let me know if you think either of these site are helpful.

found via LII