Against-the-Grain.com » Quirkies

ATG Quirkies: Cornell Puts a Lawn in the Library

gilsont — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:42:34 +0000

LJ reports on a possible new trend in library interior design. In an attempt to help students “chill” during stressful final exams, the Cornell library provided “a dose of contact with nature” by “installing a ”green sward” or indoor lawn.

The article goes on to [...]

ATG Quirky: An entire book encoded into genetic material.

gilsont — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:12:45 +0000

Harvard University researchers encode book into DNA

Here is one bit of news that may be tough to get your head around! It’s being reported by a number of sources ranging from this article in the New York Daily News, famous for its headline approach [...]

ATG Quirky: A Medieval Helpdesk

gilsont — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:09:04 +0000

Some of you may have seen the English Language remake of this original taken from the show “Øystein og jeg” on Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK)in 2001. With Øystein Backe (helper)and Rune Gokstad (desperate monk). Written by Knut Nærum. Here is the original Norwegian version. Although produced in the early 2000′s, they are both still [...]

What Books do at Night – after the Bookshop Owner has Gone

gilsont — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:23:32 +0000

Stop-motion video shows books at play after the bookshop owner has gone

Check out this very cool stop-motion animation from Type Books a Toronto bookshop as “their shelves mysteriously and mischievously reorganizing themselves after everyone has gone home.” Book lovers everywhere will be delighted to see print books “come alive” in this obviously [...]

“An unusual use for an old book” – In support of UK libraries

hindsl — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:05:42 +0000

Mystery book sculpture artist blazes a trail with amazing gifts

Perhaps one of the biggest mystery of this past summer in the UK was “an anonymous artist … delighting Edinburgh’s literary scene by leaving a series of intricate book sculptures on the doorsteps of various local institutes and art groups that support literature.” [...]

An Unusual Library Finds a New Home

hindsl — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:30:44 +0000

An Unusual Library Finds a New Home

This article from the NY Times discusses the Read/Write Library, Chicago’s largest depository of grass-roots printed materials. “Formerly known as the Chicago Underground Library, Read/Write rejects the selectivity of traditional libraries and collects “anything from university press to handmade artists’ books to zines made by [...]

Patrons Navigate Daunting WSU Library Thanks to Haunted Tours

hindsl — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:56:14 +0000

Librarians have a reputation for being quiet and well-behaved. But not Washington State University librarian Lara Cummings during her Haunted Library Tours. She howls. She shrieks. She leaps from behind walls to spook tour members. “She’s hilarious. Who’d have guessed it could be so fun to learn their way around a library?” said Brie Brenner, [...]

Quirky News Items 09/25/11

cgoldsmith — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:44:59 +0000

Singing Sashimi and Making a Robot with Mom: My Visit to the Future at Maker Faire

The World Maker Faire brings amateur and professional tinkerers, geeks, and artists together for a weekend of “serious fun.”

Credo Reference Performs the “Dewey Song”

Credo Reference employees perform the “Dewey Song” as a shout-out to Jenny [...]

Noah Webster Corn Maze

hindsl — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Submitted by James Marsh, The Book House:

Just read your ATG Book of the Week on Noah Webster. I thought you might get a kick out of the following link that my daughter is involved with: www.mikesmaze.com . It’s a corn maze in western MA with Noah as this year’s “subject.”

[...]

Piers Cawley, “Child of the Library”

hindsl — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:05:09 +0000

Local Publisher Offers FREE Hurricane eBook

hindsl — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:53:46 +0000

WHAT ANIMALS DO BEFORE A HURRICANE
Picture Book Explains How Animals Prepare for this Natural Disaster

To better help parents and educators explain hurricanes to children, Sylvan Dell Publishing is proud to offer Ready, Set…WAIT!: What Animals Do Before a Hurricane free on their website, www.SylvanDellPublishing.com until September 17th. Vetted by experts [...]

AI’s Emmy award goes to Swarmanoid robot book heist

hindsl — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:45:54 +0000

Thanks to John Riley (BUSCA) for submitting this link from www.physorg.com:

“Robots removing a book off a shelf? Hardly what you would consider worthy of a video award. Not unless you’re talking about a special platoon of robots known as a swarmanoid. Their book heist actually won the “Oscars” of the Association for the Advancement [...]

Becky Lenzini’s adopted Taos dogs

hindsl — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:45:03 +0000

Pepper

hindsl — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:34:34 +0000

Picture submitted by Christine Ross, University of Florida

Pepper LOVES bags, boxes – anything she can crawl inside – only takes her seconds once one is set on the ground. This photo, although you cannot see the label, features her sleeping inside an EBSCO bag that I got from a vendor table.

Pearl Rose Hodges

hindsl — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:11:23 +0000

Dear Katina,

Hope you are doing well! Since you posted a rumor about my pregnancy, here’s a photo of Pearl Rose Hodges (took her dad’s last name). Pearl was born on 26 April 2011 and weighed 6 lbs 3 oz & was 19 inches tall at birth. She’s thriving and about to be 5 [...]

John Wyatt

hindsl — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:57:52 +0000

Adam and Caroline Goldsmith’s son John Wyatt at age six weeks. Isn’t he a cutie??? Look at that grin!

Caroline started working for the Charleston Conference and Against the Grain last year, and we’re glad to welcome Wyatt to the family.

Baby Pictures – Thomas Mack Gremillion

hindsl — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:38:30 +0000

Introducing Becky Lenzini’s new grandson: Thomas Mack Gremillion. Isn’t he cute!

Boise Book Drop Vandal Sentenced to Jail

hindsl — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:16:18 +0000

Associated Press – January 29, 2011 2:54 PM ET

A 75-year-old woman has been sentenced to at least a month in jail after pleading guilty to dumping maple syrup, corn syrup, ketchup and mayonnaise into a library book drop in Idaho’s capital city.

Hilarious Spoof: “So You Want To Be An Academic Librarian?”

hindsl — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:03:22 +0000

Had to share this post from Kent Anderson on the Scholarly Kitchen. Enjoy!