Monthly Archives: November 2014

General

Beloved Films, Beloved Authors

Films about the lives of authors are always intriguing!  Here we have five films about some of the most beloved authors.

William Shakespeare
Anonymous (2011), directed by Ronald Emmerich, 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, Rhys Ifans as the Earl of Oxford/Rafe Spall as William Shakespeare

This film explores the less-than-popular theory that Shakepeare’s plays were actually written by the Earl of Oxford, who hid behind Shakespeare to remain anonymous.  Whether or not you take the theory seriously, the film can be an interesting one to watch and even spark conversation.

 

Jane Austen
Becoming Jane (2007), directed by Julian Jarrold, 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen

This film takes a look at Austen’s personal and romantic life, centering on her relationship with Tom Lefroy.  Some audiences really enjoy the romantic focus, while others would prefer a take on Austen that focuses more on her literary accomplishments.

 

Beatrix Potter
Miss Potter (2006), directed by Chris Noonan, 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter

This film about a female author does center on her literary accomplishments, rather than a romantic relationship.  There is an important relationship in the story, but the film is ultimately about Potter’s career and how she works toward her dreams.

 

P.L. Travers
Saving Mr. Banks (2013), directed by John Lee Hancock, 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers

This film starts “at the very beginning” – showing flashbacks of Travers’ life throughout the film, and ending with the release of Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964).  The movie gives audiences a sense of Travers’ difficulties with turning her beloved nanny into a “cavorting, and twinkling” one.

 

J.M. Barrie
Finding Neverland (2004), directed by Marc Forster, 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, Johnny Depp as J.M. Barrie

This film highlights Barrie’s controversial relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family, and its impact on his famous Peter Pan.  Sequences that take the audience into Barrie’s imagination add just the right amount of fantasy.

Academic, Check this out:, General

How do you think college students do research?

Holiday BakingEmily Singley wanted to know whether commonly held assumptions about the research skills of college students hold true. She looked at seven studies published within the last three years, and saved us all a lot of work by sharing her results! This is what I love about online publishing….the greater good of all! So, out of nine very interesting findings, I share my highs and lows here!

What delighted me….that students do use library databases–though they often start with Google.

What saddened me….when students need help, they rarely ask librarians for help!

Read the full blog post to read about all of the findings at How college students really do research!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/oese4sa, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

 

 

General

900 vintage video games for fun

Tecnologia - Technology (2)As if you need another thing to distract you from doing your work! Recently the Internet Archive announced that they made 900 vintage video games available to play in your browser. They call it the Internet Arcade and have plans to even make it bigger! At least with these arcade games it won’t cost you a quarter for each time you play!

Tip: Browse to the bottom of the images/marquee to find subjects/keywords!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/pkdbtf9, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MN State Library Updates

state_mnTO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: November 20, 2014
SUBJECT: Web Page Updates, 90-Second Newbery and MNsure

State Library Services Web Page Updated
The State Library Services web page is a one-stop resource for many of State Library Services’ programs and activities. There, you’ll find resources for promoting the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, an online form to request our Early Literacy and Keep Reading Fun bookmarks, and a link to more information about the statewide initiative to explore the future of e-books. You can also easily access information about library construction grants, LSTA grant opportunities, and statewide public library statistics.

Calling All Kid Filmmakers!
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers make movies that creatively tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in ninety seconds or less. With the deadline to submit films set for December 20, 2014 (deadline extended to 1-16-2015 as of 12-11-2014), there’s only one month left to create. Please promote the opportunity to local kids and families through your library or school. Visit the State Library Services web page to download the logo, a sample press release, a flyer, a video invite from 90-Second Newbery founder James Kennedy, and more.

Mark your calendar for the first-ever Minnesota screening of the best 90-Second Newbery entries on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 3:00-4:30 pm at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central. Co-hosts of the event will be James Kennedy, founder and curator of the 90-Second Newbery, and Kelly Barnhill, Minneapolis author of The Witch’s Boy. For more details, please contact Jennifer Verbrugge, Library Program and Partnership Coordinator, at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356.

MNsure Webinar for Libraries Available for Viewing
MNsure’s webinar on open enrollment is available for viewing on MNsure’s YouTube channel.  The session reviewed MNsure’s marketing, outreach, and operations for the current open enrollment period that runs through February 15, 2015. For more information or to request the webinar slides, please contact Emily Kissane at emily.kissane@state.mn.us or 651-582-8508.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Copyright Event a Success!

copyright_SHAs attendees entered the Stearns History Museum, it was clear that the Museum had been transformed into a Winter Wonderland! Amid the sparkly lights, snowmen and evergreens, participants grabbed food and drink rations, their folders of materials, and hunkered down for a rollicking three-hour romp through the “sometimes gray” world of copyright. CMLE was pleased to offer Nancy Sims, Copyright Librarian from the University of MN as the workshop presenter. The event started with basic copyright/fair use information along with good coverage of professional liability and ethics.  Next, Nancy moved to some hands on group work to allow people to flex their newly learned fair use strategies on a number of actual copyright conundrums! The content concluded with a rich list of resources to be freely used with no worries, the “black and white” portion of the day. Watch our weekly blog posts as we highlight some of those resources.

Evaluations show the learning happened, sometimes in a big way, and lots of perks were available to those who participated in this event. Prizes and chocolate are always popular. But this year, CMLE was also able to offer a free, Creative Commons copy of Carrie Russell’s Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians and Educators eBook to each participant.

Thank you to all attendees and Nancy Sims for a wonderful event. Stay tuned for more “Copyright Continues…” blog posts from CMLE!

Do you have ideas for other events? We invite your suggestions at admin@cmle.org