Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title

I'll vote for Curbside Consultation of the Colon

What do Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice and If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs have in common? Both are previous winners of the annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title.

The prize is now open to public voting on a shortlist of 6 top odd titles. Unfortunately, Excrement in the Late Middle Ages has been left off the list.

.

To vote, go theBookseller.com. The winner will be announced on Friday 27 March, 2009.

.

If you've got a favorite odd book title, feel free to share it via the comments link.

.

harps

Big Ideas

Where do writers get their ideas?
That's the question that John Scalzi tries to answer in a regular feature of his Whatever blog.

The Big Idea lets authors from a range of genres (though mostly fantasy and SF) explain in their own words where the ideas behind one their books came from, how they were researched and developed and eventually weaved into a story.

The result is an intriguing insight into the creative mind of the author.

harps

Why the black windows at Frankston?

A multi-purpose answer coming soon!

.

harps

In a 140 keystokes or less

Twitter reads
For readers with short attention spans:

books summed up

novels in short bursts

first lines

haiku

harps

Premier's Reading Challenge 2009

We've got the books tagged!
The race is on for school kids to get reading as part of the Premier's Reading Challenge.

Each year, students from prep to year 10 are set the challenge to read or "experience" a set number of books by 31 August. Those who complete the Challenge receive a certificate from the Premier and plenty of valuable learning along the way.

To help you find the right titles, we've labeled the books from the reading lists with their appropriate year level. This way, you can find the Challenge books simply by scanning the shelves.

harps

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Storytime in the park

When the Frankston Toy Library presents its annual Teddy Bears' Picnic in the George Pentland Garden, we'll be there!

Our storytime team will be presenting at 12.50 (Lake Stage) and 2.00pm (Judging Area) , the latter right after the Teddy Competition (which includes contests for the Teddy Most Like Owner and Most Interesting Old Teddy).

The Picnic starts at 11.00am, Sunday 22 February and runs through to 4.00pm. Entry is $2.50 per person (kiddies under 18 months free) via the Foot Street gate. Most of the numerous displays and activities are free.

.

harps

Libraries closed Tuesday 3 March

Library training day
The Frankston and Carrum Downs libraries will be closed on Tuesday 3 March due to an all day team training event.

The returns chutes will be closed from 9pm Monday 2 March at Frankston and from 6pm Monday 2 March at Carrum Downs. They will re-open at 9am at Frankston and at 11am at Carrum Downs the next day.

You'll still be able to return items and access public PCs at the Langwarrin and Seaford Council Shops between 9am and 5pm.

harps

Official bushfire widget

Bushfire info goes viral
Official Victorian bushfire info can be found across a panoply websites and platforms, now including this official widget. The idea of the widget is to provide critical alerts, plus some multimedia, and to take the stress from some of the most heavily official used sites.

If you've got a blog, Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle or whatever, you can add it. It's on this post and at the top of the Blogalogue's blue sidebar (but that's a bit small to read).



harps

Frankston's coffee cart

Fresh tea and coffee
You can now consume fresh coffee at the Frankston Library. It's hand-made, organic fair trade and it comes in six hot liquid varieties.

There's also six tea variations, plus hot chocolate.

A regular cup is $3.50 and a large is $4.00.

The coffee cart is in the Library Forecourt (Playne Street) Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00am - 5:00pm and on Saturdays 9:00am - 4:00pm.

As this a trail, please support it so that it can continue and grow.

harps

After Hell on Earth

You know what this is about.

You can give at the Frankston and Carrum Downs Libraries.

.

harps

Library Express turns 5

Party Time!
Frankston Library Express celebrates its 5th birthday on Tuesday, 17 February!

To thank our valued members for their support over the years, we're throwing a party. There will be balloons, giveaways, competitions and even free liquid caffeine.

Library Express is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:30am to 8:30am, at Frankston Train Station. You can join at the station and borrow books and/or CDs to enjoy on your journey.

harps

Book Sale 14-15 Feb

Book Sale table plus
We are having a slightly expanded Book Sale table at Frankston Library on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February.

Moved out near the Biography collection and enlarged with extra shelves and tables, this is your chance to buy up big and cheap on the books that we used to loan (plus a few unwanted donations too).

Important: BYO bags!

harps

Summer Read on Flickr

Book, camera, you!
The nice folk over at the Melbourne Library Service are running a photographic competition to complement the Summer Read.

To enter, all you have to do is send in a photo of yourself in your favourite summer reading place, describe the place and tell them about a great book you’ve read this summer.

The prize is a $50 Reader’s Feast book voucher.

For more info, please see their competition page and to see some of the pictures already entered, take a peek at their Flickr slideshow.

harps

yourtutor competition

Promote yourtutor to your mates
Creative school kids can win an iPod Shuffle with this great competition.

yourtutor is the Library's online tutoring service, where students can chat with a tutor to overcome their homework hassles. To win, entrants can create an advertising campaign outline, a slogan, a poster, a postcard, a business card or a video that promotes the service.

There are two competition categories, one for primary school students and another for secondary school students. The entrant judged to have the best submission from each category will win an iPod Shuffle. The competition closes on the 26 June, 2009

To help you get a handle on what yourtutor is, here's a little video we made.



Terms and conditions
1. Create a promotional campaign outline, slogan, poster, postcard, business card or video to promote the Library’s yourtutor online tutoring service to fellow school kids..

2. Email your work to the library, including the following: your name, telephone number, school and library membership number. If you are not already a member, you can join online. Please use the subject line in your email: yourtutor competition.

3. All work submitted must contain original content by you.

4. Where other people are identifiable, you must be in a position to authorise their participation or confirm their permission to be involved.

5. By submitting, you agree to the library displaying or otherwise using your work online or in print in the future for promotional purposes. You understand that there will be no payment made, no matter how often the images are used by the library. In return, we will we acknowledge you as the creator.

6. There are two competition categories, one for primary school students and another for secondary school students. The entrant judged to have the best submission from each category will win an iPod Shuffle.

7. The competition closes on the 26 June, 2009 and the winners will be notified by the library.

harps

The yellow zebra

Collective Monochrome #16

Public viewing
3rd February - 3rd May 2009
Frankston Library
60 Playne Street, Frankston
Open 7 days

.

harps

Library Lovers Day 09

Love your library
and we'll love you back!

For lovers of libraries, Valentine’s Day is now known as
Library Lovers Day.

.
It’s the perfect day to celebrate your deep and enduring relationship with your library.

Visit Frankston or Carrum Downs libraries on 14 February for your chance to win one of 12 romance packages, including a bottle of bubbly, a double movie pass and chocolates.

.

There will be chocolate giveaways, romance-inspired displays
and splashes of romantic red and passionate pink.

Happy Library Lovers Day from all the staff at
Frankston and Carrum Downs libraries!.harps