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Trivia, Books on Books & Generalities: by Kim Stack

Kim Stack

Adult Special Topics—03/05/10
The description for Chambers Mini Book of Facts says that it’s 432 pages. I ask you, how mini can this book be? Still, it claims it’s perfect for the information junkie. I swear to you, I didn’t intend to grow up as an information junkie or a trivia buff or a geek, a nerd, or a compulsive collector of lists. Personally, I am inclined to blame Melville Dewey.

What I am, unabashedly, is a lover of books, and do you know where public libraries which use the Dewey classification system actually shelve books about books? In the first century: the 000s, where library science, rare manuscripts, and all those lovely trivia-packed books known as generalities are organized. Including: The Book of Percentages which tells me that 95% of shoplifters are female; The Book of Celebrity Useless Information which tells me Johnny Depp is afraid of clowns and The Infinity of Lists in which an inspired Umberto Eco tells us in his forward that this mixture of essay, anthology and illustrated catalog can only “end with an etcetera.” For browsers like me, this can only be good, as I’m absolutely hooked on this type of book.

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Happy Birthday to Seuss: by Deanna Spears

Deanna Spears

Juvenile & YA Special Topics—03/05/10
Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone, was born on March 2, 1904, over seventy years before I made my own entrance into the world. Despite our generation gap and over 2,000 miles between my old Kentucky home and his residence in California, Geisel impacted my life immeasurably. He gave me the power of imagination and persistence when I dived into McElligot’s Pool. Horton Hears a Who! and The Sneetches inspired me to always be tolerant of others, no matter how small or different they seemed. My tolerance was enhanced by open-mindedness when I opened the pages of Green Eggs and Ham. Yertle the Turtle’s great burp taught me to appreciate democracy, and the plight of The Lorax tempered my appreciation of freedom with responsibility toward people and Earth. I also learned that “Things“ aren’t always under my control in The Cat in the Hat, so sometimes responsibility simply means stepping outside “The Waiting Place” featured in Oh! The Places You’ll Go.

The best gift he gave me was an unending desire for truth and progress: Although his short, rhyming syllables and visual clues helped me understand the concepts of reading, his morals inspired me to always, always read toward the concept of better understanding. In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I recall a quote from the Birthday Bird in Happy Birthday to You!: “A present! A-ha! Now what kind shall I give…? Why, the kind you’ll remember as long as you live!“

Dr. Seuss passed on in September 1991, but his legacy lives on in many languages, formats and fans. So on that note, I want to wish a very happy birthday to my beloved Birthday Bird, Dr. Seuss. May children the world over continue to feel your presents.

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This month, we sit down with Ken Burns

Ken Burns has been making films for more than 30 years. Since the Academy Award-nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1982, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. The late historian Stephen Ambrose said of his films, “More Americans get their history from Ken Burns than any other source.” Burns’ documentaries have been nominated for two Academy Awards (Brooklyn Bridge in 1982 and The Statue of Liberty in 1986) and have won seven Emmy Awards, mostly from The Civil War and Baseball.

Recent Interviews

BWI’s Collection Development Department has had the pleasure of sharing some time with several of today’s top authors, artists and illustrators.

Collection Development

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