The Whole Kit and Caboodle

Every morning on Facebook, we post a quote from a Mississippian, usually an author. This morning, we quoted Beth Henley, the Pulitzer-winning playwright from Jackson:

There weren't all that many poem books you could get off a the traveling book mobil. Most books I got was about animals. Farm animals, jungle animals, arctic animals and such. Course they was informative, I learned some things; they's called: a gaggle of geese; a pride of lions; a warren a rabbits; a host a whales. That's my personal favorite one: a host a whales!

-Beth Henley, MS playwright of "The Miss Firecracker Contest"

After this, of course, we had to find more. (Aren't collective nouns fun?) For this, we turned to the Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Here are some of our favorites for you to enjoy:

• Array of Hedgehogs
• Bloat of Hippopotami
• Bouquet of Pheasants (They don't smell pleasant...)
• Cloud of Grasshoppers



A Splother of Rabble,
or a Rabble of Splother

• Crash of Rhinoceros
• Dreadful of Dragons 
• Gang of Elk (At our next neighborhood watch meeting, we're discussing the influx of elk gangs in the area.)
• Kindle of Elephants (Elephants--the reading animals!)
• Parcel of Penguins
• Pomp of Pekingese
• Scourge of Mosquitoes
• Troop of Bees
• Turn of Turtles
• Walk of Snails (Hmmm.... Still pondering this one.)
   
• Consternation of Mothers
• Horde of Young Readers
• Macaroni of Poetry Selections (I'm trying to figure out how to work this into conversation.)
• Posy of Literary Pieces
• Rabble of Readers
• Sect of Old Maids



A Parcel of Penguins

• Shush of Librarians
• Splother of Children
• Wedge of Standing People

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schoolchildren_reading_1938.jpg

Letters About Literature Competition

Letters about Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. At the state level, it is sponsored by the Mississippi Center for the Book and Friends of Mississippi Libraries.

Students in grades 4-10 are encouraged to write personal letters to the authors of their favorite books, explaining what the book meant to them. The books can be fiction or non-fiction, and can even be a short story, poem, essay, or speech (but no song lyrics). A letter is less formal than a book report or a research paper and students are encouraged to write in their own voices, as if they were having a personal conversation with the author.

There are three Levels of Competition:

Level I: Grades 4-6
Level II: Grades 7-8
Level III: Grades 9-10

Judges for the Mississippi Center for the Book will choose first-, second-, and third-place winners in each of the three categories; these winners will receive cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50, respectively. First-place winners in each of the three categories will also advance to the National Level Judging.

Judges for The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will select three first place winners to receive a $1,000 cash prize and three second place winners to receive a $150 cash prize.

Letters must be postmarked by January 11, 2013 and be accompanied by an entry coupon, available at http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/ For more information, email Mississippi Center for the Book Coordinator Tracy Carr at tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us.

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Books & Library Goodness…On Microfilm!

We often receive requests that involve digging around in our microfilm collection. There's always an abundance of fascinating news that we are more than happy to show you! Here are a few pictures from three Mississippi newspapers that involve—*drum roll*—books and libraries! There’s even one about microfilm! Enjoy! 

  The description below this picture from The Clarion-Ledger on June 6, 1954 reads: 

“FLORENCE BRANCH LIBRARY – This modern bookmobile carrying 2500 books visits Florence for three hours each Tuesday afternoon. Books on a variety of subjects are offered for both adults and children. Here a group of younger readers, and an adult reader pose beside the Capital Area Regional Library bookmobile with Miss Manie Berry (on step), head librarian.”

The description below this picture from the Jackson Daily News on October 21, 1962 reads: 

“MUCH NEWSPRINT – Dr. John Pilkington, Ole Miss English professor and secretary of Friends of the Library, looks over a roll of microfilm on the London Times with Mrs. Mary McClain, chairman of Friends. The microfilm roll contains 50 times more newsprint than the giant stack of papers on the right. Through a gift from Friends, the Ole Miss Library recently acquired a complete microfilm file of the London Times.”

 

 The caption below this picture from The Quitman County Leader on March 12, 1920 reads: 

“A number of states successfully operate book wagons for the circulation of reading material in the rural districts. The American Library Association includes the needs of the rural communities in its Enlarged Program which is the backbone of its ‘Books for Everybody!’ movement. The A.L.A. hopes some day to see book wagons in every state and is pledged to advocate such service.”

    

The caption below this very blurry photo from The Quitman County Leader on May 22, 1920 reads:

“Books are frequently referred to as tools and as the key to the treasure trove of knowledge. The American Library Association is daily demonstrating in the U.S. Public Health Service Hospitals that convalescent soldiers and sailors find returning health and increasing strength in good books.”

 

Do you have a Pinterest account? If so, follow us and check out our “Library Goodness” and “Readers” boards!

"A County Library Book Wagon." The Quitman County Leader [Marks] 12 Mar. 1920, 30th ed. Microfilm.

"Books As Medicine." The Quitman County Leader [Marks] 22 May 1920, 40th ed. Microfilm.

"Much Newsprint." The Clarion-Ledger [Jackson] 21 Oct. 1962, sec. A: 10. Microfilm.

Shearer, J. L. "Florence Branch Library." The Clarion-Ledger [Jackson]. Microfilm.