eBranch Blog

Locus Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2009 Locus Awards were announced last weekend at Science Fiction Awards Weekend in Seattle. The Locus Awards are presented to the winners of Locus Magazine's annual reader's poll to provide suggestions and recommendations to Hugo Award voters.

You can find many of the Locus award-winning titles in our catalog. Beat the summer heat with a great Sci Fi read!

Science Fiction
Neal Stephenson. Anathem
Raz, a mathematician, is among a cohort of secluded scientists and philosophers who are called upon to save the world from impending catastrophe.




Fantasy
Ursula K. Le Guin. Lavinia
In The Aeneid, Vergil's hero fights to claim the king's daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word in the poem. Now, Ursula K. Le Guin gives Lavinia a voice in a novel that takes the reader to the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills. It tells the story of her life, and of the love of her life. It is a book of passion and war and the cost of war, generous and austerely beautiful.

Young Adult Book
Neil Gaiman. The Graveyard Book
Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.





Novella
Kelly Link. Pretty Monsters
Kelly Link has lit up adult literary publishing and Viking is honored to publish her first YA story collection. Through the lens of Link's vivid imagination, nothing is what it seems, and everything deserves a second look. From the multiple award-winning The Faery Handbag, in which a teenager's grandmother carries an entire village (or is it a man-eating dog?) in her handbag, to the near-future of The Surfer, a whose narrator (a soccer-playing skeptic) waits with a planeload of refugees for the aliens to arrive, Link's stories are funny and full of unexpected insights and skewed perspectives on the world. Her fans range from Michael Chabon to Peter Buck of R.E.M. to Holly Black of "Spiderwick Chronicles" fame. Now teens can have their world rocked, too!

Art Book
Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. Coraline
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

July Issue of Our Space

The July issue of Our Space: People & Books @ HCPL is now available. With this issue, Our Space becomes a monthly publication.

The current issue features a customer interview with Jan Andreas, a customer at Atascocita, and a staff interview with Gwen McDaniels a reference librarian at Northwest. The featured book lists are Starting Over Fiction and Journey to the Moon. We also have a new feature on literary fiction, this month focuses on Literary Destinations.

While each newsletter is available to read on our website, you can also subscribe to this newsletter or any of the other topical newsletters we offer by email or RSS Feed.

New Titles Cataloged Lists Updated

The New Titles Cataloged in the Past 30 Days have been updated for June 2009.

The lists are in PDF file format and require the free Adobe Reader to view. We hope you enjoy the new format. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this change please use our Feedback Form.

Beat the Heat @ Your Library

With temperatures often in the three digits these days, we invite you to cool off at any of our 25 branches. All branches have air conditioning and plenty of places to sit and relax. You might also want to peruse our collection of books, DVDs, and audios. This would also be a great time to join our Summer Reading Program for Kids, Teens, or Adults. All branches have a variety of programming this summer to help keep you cool.

In addition, Reliant Energy has opened eight cooling centers in an effort to help residents to beat the heat. They are open Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5pm. For specific information on the Beat the Heat Centers, or to schedule free rides to and from the Beat the Heat Centers, interested participants can call 713-497-2711.

County health officials offer these tips to keep cool:
• Stay indoors as much as possible. If you don't have air conditioning, stay in the coolest part of the house and use electric fans.
• Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you don't feel thirsty. Your body needs fluids to keep cool. Avoid beverages with caffeine and alcohol.
• Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you work outside, do it during the coolest part of the day.
• Eat smaller meals, but eat more often.
• Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and a hat.
• Always use sunscreen. Sunburn makes the body's job of keeping cool more difficult.
• Although all are vulnerable to excessive heat, be sure to check on the elderly, children, and those who are ill as they are particularly at risk.
• Ensure that your pets are provided with shade and adequate water.

The record breaking temperatures are also calling for energy conservation. State utility agencies are calling for consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use by:
• Setting air conditioning thermostats to 80 degrees or higher.
• Cooling rooms with fans.
• Closing blinds and drapes on windows that get direct sun.
• Turning off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment.
• Avoid using big appliances between the hours of 3 to 7 p.m.

For additional information on the heat emergency, see the Harris County Office of Emergency Management website.

Top 10 Excuses for Not Joining HCPL's Summer Reading Programs

For your enjoyment, I compiled a list of common excuses heard in the library to avoid joining a summer reading program. Read below, you may find one that sounds familiar!

1) I don't read.
Welcome to 2009; you don't have to read to enjoy a good novel! Listening to an audiobook still counts as reading. All you have to do is sit back and listen to a soothing voice that tells a tale, like storytime!

2) The library is out of my way.
Technically, you don't have to visit the library to check out books. It is possible to not visit all; however, we do hope you visit us, we like to see you. Thanks to our online catalog, you can browse our collection (books, movies, CDs, audiobooks, ebooks, databases) online and in the comfort of your own home. You can make requests online and choose which library to pick them up from. We also have downloadable audiobooks, ebooks, and videos from our Overdrive collection.

3) I only read to my kids.
Have you signed them up for Summer Reading? Reading to your kids has a number of benefits! Not only do you instill the great habit of reading to your children at an early age, you can choose to read a collection of short stories or books suitable for families. If you would like a list of suggested family reads, see our Kids Read booklists.

4) I don't thrive under pressure.
The last thing we want you to feel is pressure. It is not too late to join our Summer Reading Program. Final submissions are due by August 8. If you are unable to complete the required number of books, have no worries. There are no penalties, no punishment, no shaking of fists.

5) I don't check out books from the library.
You do not have to check out books from the library to participate! It doesn't matter where you get your books. The main goal of our Summer Reading Program is to promote a pleasant reading experience, not coerce you to check out more books (but if you want to, super).

6) I don't have time to read a bunch of books and then talk about them.
Our Summer Reading Program is open until August 8. We do not ask you to write a report; however, if you would like to review your reads, we appreciate it and will post them online so that others can see what you have to say. Of course, you are not obligated to rate or review your books.

7) I don't have a library card.
Signing up for a library card and for our Summer Reading Program is free. You can download the library card application, fill it out, print it, and bring it to the location of your choice.

8) Reading puts me to sleep.
Hmm...this one is tough but if reading puts you to sleep, maybe it is a good thing! Reading has calming effects to your body, however, we also have audiobooks for those who prefer to listen and not read.

9) I'm a slow reader.
If you are a slow reader, now is the time to enhance your reading skills. Perhaps scheduling 15 minutes out of your day to read may improve your speed and will give you a momentary escape!

10) I have a short attention span.
Wait, what was I talking about? Just kidding. A solution to this: short stories; simple.

If you absolutely refuse to participate in the reading portion of our Summer Reading Program, check out our online calendar for Summer activities happening at the HCPL location of your choice!

Kingwood Is Taking Shape

The above images are of the construction site for the new Kingwood Branch Library. The structure is starting to take shape and work has begun on the parking lot. The new facility is scheduled for completion in late 2009.

Kingwood staff has put together a composit image showing the building sites and surrounding streets.

Previous posts:
Kingwood's Slab Has Been Poured - 5/11/09
Kingwood Building Site by Air - 4/14/09
New Aerial Photo of Kingwood Building Site - 3/16/09
Kingwood Building Progress - 03/04/09
Aerial Photo of Kingwood Building Site - 02/23/09