ISB's Dr. Davies Library Weekly News

Library Website: https://library.isb.ac.th/home                                    Vol. 2, No. 2 Aug. 19, 2024

Reading, Reading, Reading

Last week and th first week of school I had loads of students and teachers come in for what in the library world we call, Book Talks.  They are one of my favorite things to do as a Librarian as I get to talk to a group of people about books.  I love reading and sharing what I read is part of that love I have for reading.   That said I will be the first to admit that sometimes these sessions can be a little boring.  You may not know the book or the genre, you might not know the author, or you might not care.  It's possible.  

I tried something new this year and I think it worked a bit better.  I picked out a load of books I had read from across all genres and nonfiction.  Then I left them out on the tables and asked students to explore the books.  As an experiment this was really interesting.  Before I even said anything students were looking at the books and reading the back cover.  So very proud that like me, a book infront of me peaks my interest. 

I then spoke about whichever titles they wanted to hear about.  This was more fun and a bit more tailored to the students than in the past.  The bigger thing was that it did get students and teachers talking about books.  For me that is a win.  Remember reading is a great escape, it has been shown to improve the functioning of our brains, and by the nature of reading it makes us more interesting.

Come to the library and grab a book to read for entertainment this year.  If you have trouble selecting stop by my desk and I will help you pick something.  

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE   Genially is my new favorite presentation (slideshow templates). There is a free version for students and teachers.  It has most of the cool stuff includin Ai support.  Also has the ability to remove backgrounds.  While I am recommending this one this week, remember that Canva also has a lot of great templates as does Google Slides.  Don't waste your time trying to develop theme for your slides - pick one instead.   Or just get inspired by one of the professionally made templates and create your own. Try a new tool.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP When to Reply on Social Media… And When to Not. Social media can be a good thing, however, we all know there are some downsides.  This article appeared in Wired Magazine.  It takes a good look at when we should reply and when we should just ignore it.  Really great thinking here and some easy to follow suggestions by Estelle Erasmus. Erasmus, Estelle. “When to Reply on Social Media—and When to Not.” WIRED, WIRED, 26 May 2021,  Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

LIBRARY RESOURCES ISB Main Library Website   Direct links to tools to support your research. SORA (audio and ebooks) Research Databases  Mybib.com and Citation Support  Ai Research Tool:  Consensus EE Website Request EE or Research Help from Mr. Bell

Dr. Davies Library Hours and Information 7am - 5pm Mon - Thur. 7am - 4:30 Fri 9am - 1pm Sat Request that the library purchase books using the Book Request Form.  For Specific Questions and Bookings contact:  Ms. Kehe (Middle School) Mr. Bell (High School)

BELL's BOOK REIVEW

Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy is the second part of The Passenger.  These two new books by McCarthy signaled his return to writing.  While The Passenger is a winding story Stella Maris is the story of Alicia who is the sister to Western, her estranged brother, from the first book.  Her story is much darker.  She has been admitted to a Psychiatric Hosipatl to help her deal with some of her demons.  As we learn though she has no shortage of issues and reasons why these issues would make life difficult.  Interesting thing here is the story is told through the discussions/sessions she has with her doctor.  They dig deep into many issues, thoughts, and ideas.  This is a fast paced book for adults.