Tag Archives: Reading

Books, General

Why we should all be reading before bed!

Just in case you needed any encouragement for fitting in some extra bedtime reading, this article from Bustle makes a strong case for the reasons why it’s actually healthy to read before falling asleep. (Although it does note the difference between getting so hooked into your book that you end up reading instead of sleeping, which is not the goal!)

Here are a few reasons from the article regarding why reading before bed is a great idea:

  • Retain more: “When you sleep, your brain dumps all of your short term memory goo into the long term memory goo-reserves (in a manner of speaking). That means that the things you read right before bed stick with you better in the long run.”
  • Calming ritual: “Reading is the perfect kind of ritual: it forces you to lie down and cut out the distractions, it’s quiet, and it doesn’t get boring because you’re always reading something new.”
  • Better focus: “Not only does reading boost your concentration in general, reading before bed will help you concentrate more on whatever it is you’re reading in the moment. You won’t be battling ten thousand other distractions.”
Academic, Books, Tech

What’s in the box: Penn State brings Short Edition reading dispensers to campus

Short Edition Stories 1

(From the Daily Collegian, by Erin O’Neill)

“Students looking for a quick read on the way to class may be in luck.

Penn State became the first educational institution in the world to collaborate with Short Edition, a French-based company that produces dispensers to print free short stories.

The goal of the partnership is to foster discussion on creative story-telling and promote the arts and humanities.

There are four dispensers in Penn State’s libraries, as well as one downtown at the Schlow Library.

The other two dispensers are in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library in Stuckeman Building and the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library in Davey Lab.

Since being installed on May 9, the dispensers at the university’s main libraries have printed over 1,000 stories, according to Jill Shockley, Manager of Public Relations and Marketing for Penn State Libraries.

“My initial reaction was, wow,” said Shockley of so many stories being printed with many students home for the summer. “Ultimately we hope this sparks dialogue between reader and author.”

Penn State’s recent collaboration with the Short Edition will facilitate further conversation around creative writing pieces on a custom website.

“We see the partnership with Short Edition as the first step toward a growing number of thoughtful and creative exchanges, beginning with the installation of Short Edition dispensers around the University Park campus and the development of the online content management platform,” said Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, according to a press release.

Short Edition dispensers allow readers to request a one, three, or five-minute story, which is then printed on a paper as wide as a typical receipt.

Penn State students, faculty, staff or community members will soon be able to submit their own work for print.”

(Read the rest of this article here!)

 

Books

Up for a challenge? Pick one of these summer reading challenges

Looking forward to getting some reading done this summer? Want to make your book choices a little more interesting? This list of different summer reading challenges from BookBub Blog has some creative ideas to get you started! Break out of your reading rut and enjoy your summer reading by following one (or more!) of their challenge ideas:

  • Banned Books Reading Challenge 2017: “The reading challenges below offer multitudes of possibility for expanded horizons” and include instructions like:
    • A children’s book from the most frequently challenged children’s book list
    • A non-fiction book that deals with First Amendment issues or intellectual freedom
    • A book whose main character is an adherent of a religion that is not your own
  • 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge: “Reading well doesn’t necessarily mean reading more.” This challenge has two lists to choose from: “Reading for Fun” and “Reading for Growth.” Some of items from each list include:
    • A book set somewhere you’ve never been but would like to visit
    • A book of any genre that addresses current events
  • Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge: “We encourage you to push yourself, to take advantage of this challenge as a way to explore topics or formats or genres that you otherwise wouldn’t try.” This challenge includes:

Will you participate in a reading challenge this summer? We’d love to hear about it!

Books, CMLE

Read with CMLE: Goodreads books for May!

Looking for your next great read? We hope you will join us in our CMLE book groups! Take a look at what we will be reading during the month of May:

For our group CMLE Librarian Professionals we will be learning about persistence while reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.
“In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people-both seasoned and new-that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called “grit.” Why do some people succeed and others fail?”

For our fiction group CMLE Librarians Enjoying Books we will be reading The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton.
“Fiona Sweeney wants to do something that matters, and she chooses to make her mark in the arid bush of northeastern Kenya. By helping to start a traveling library, she hopes to bring the words of Homer, Hemingway, and Dr. Seuss to far-flung tiny communities where people live daily with drought, hunger, and disease. Her intentions are honorable, and her rules are firm: due to the limited number of donated books, if any one of them is not returned, the bookmobile will not return.”

Books, Communication

Twelve Things That Happen When You Read for 24 Hours Straight

Bibliotecaestantes

This article is from Book Riot, by Danika Ellis. We are not having an official CMLE 24 hour readathon this April – but we would love to hear from you about the books you are reading!

In Minnesota, this event starts Saturday at 7:00am; so as you read books this weekend, use to connect with the larger community around the world, and to connect with us! Sign up at the official website, and let’s read!

“(If you’d like to follow my journey through these 12 stages, I’ll be live tweeting @DanikaEllis!)”

“Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is–well, self-explanatory for the most part. It takes place every April and October, and it is a huge internet book party! I love it! (Unsurprisingly, because I’ve written about it a bunch.) There is a misconception about the readathon I’d like to address, though. For some reason–who knows why!–people seem to think you have to read 24 hours during the 24 hour readathon. You can, of course! But you can also just read as much as you want to. I’ve stayed up the full 24 hours before, though I did take breaks during a few of the hours. I usually regret it, though. Here is my experience of reading for 24 hours: Continue reading Twelve Things That Happen When You Read for 24 Hours Straight →