Oh, Where Have You Been, MLC, MLC?

Oh, where have you been, charming MLC?

Have you noticed a dip in the amount of Facebook posts you see in your News Feed from your favorite community organizations and non-profits? Facebook is famous--dare we say infamous?--for changing their policies and procedures. (Just this morning they began rolling out changes in the layout for pages, so expect a new look for all those places you follow by June 13!) If you'd like to see more of your favorite places in your News Feed, we suggest the following easy-as-pie steps:

Visit the page you've missed seeing.

Hover you mouse over the Liked button until the drop-down menu appears.

Click Get Notifications. A check mark will appear.

We suggest doing this for all your favorite pages!

Want to further change what you see in your News Feed? Facebook has some pointers here: https://www.facebook.com/help/www/218728138156311?rdrhc.

If you also have the song "Billy Boy" running through your head now, here's a link to the music and lyrics: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/childrens/billyboymp3.htm. Enjoy!

Have questions? We have answers! Leave a comment or give us a call!

Graphic Novels @ MLC

Did you know that we have graphic novels in our collection? We sure do, and we want to tell you all about them!

So, what is a graphic novel? According to getgraphic.org, graphic novels are "similar to comic books because they use sequential art to tell a story", but they are "generally stand-alone stories with more complex plots." Graphic novels span many genres in both fiction and nonfiction.

So come on by and check out this select list of graphic novels:

• Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age by Ariel Schrag
• Templar by Jordan Mechner
• Battling Boy by Paul Pope
• Gris Grimly's Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus by Gris Grimly, assembled from the original text by Mary Shelley
• Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
• The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
• Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust
• Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Woman Rebel: the Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Bagge
• Children of the Sea, volume 1 by Daisuke Igarashi
• Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
• The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone
• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
• Habibi by Craig Thompson
• A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld
• I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly
• Jimmy Corrigan: the Smartest Kid on Earth by F.C. Ware
• Set to Sea by Drew Weing
• Ooku, volume1, the Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga

http://www.getgraphic.org/whatisagraphicnovel.php

Book of the Day: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

We're excited! We're currently in the process of adding SO MANY new titles to our Book Club in a Box program! One title that I'm particularly excited about is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Here is the summary from the novel's Goodreads page:
"Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be."

I'm a huge fan of a good coming of age story (or bildungsroman, if you will) and I can't wait to dive into this one! The kit should be available for use within the month! 

Feel free to contact me if you'd like more information about this Book Club kit or any others that we have. I can be reached at amellon@mlc.lib.ms.us or 601-432-4117. Stay tuned for more information about all of our new titles!

Book of the Day: March: Book One

 

The Book of the day, March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and illustrated by Nate Powell. This graphic novel is dedicated to the life and Civil Rights work of Congressman John Lewis, and has received the 2014 Coretta Scott King Award.  March begins with Lewis’ vivid description of his childhood in rural Alabama through his college years in Nashville, Tennessee.  During this time Lewis recalls his inspirational meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the start of the Nashville Student Movement, and his involvement in demonstrative sit-ins.  We also get to see other important figures of the Civil Rights movement such as: Rosa Parks, Jim Lawson and Z. Alexander Looby.

 

 Lewis even pays tribute to his school library and librarian, stating “I loved going to the library.  It was the first time I ever saw Black newspapers and magazines like JET, Ebony, the Baltimore Afro-American, or the Chicago Defender.  And I’ll never forget my librarian.” 

March: Book One is the first installment of John Lewis’ trilogy.  The next 2 volumes will be released over the next couple of years.  Come check out this book at the Mississippi Library Commission or your local library.  This novel is also a new title that will soon be part of the Book Club in a Box titles for public libraries.  For more information on Book Club in a Box contact Ally Mellon at 601-432-4117 or amellon@mlc.lib.ms.us.

MLC Reads

While not everyone who works at the Mississippi Library Commission is a dedicated reader -- it truly isn't a job requirement, y'all -- many of us love to do nothing more than snuggle down with a good book. We always welcome recommendations for another stellar novel and reaching out to other readers (YOU!) is an excellent way to accomplish that. We'll be sharing what we're reading from time to time here on the blog. You can also find these at our MLC Reads Goodreads shelf - be sure to send us a friend request! - and our MLC Reads Pinterest board. Join us in our fun, and let us know what you're reading!