Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

READ THIS BOOK.  IT IS IMPORTANT.                                      

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide is filled with stories about the lives and experiences of women and girls throughout the world.  The accounts can be appalling and heartbreaking, but also uplifting and inspiring.  Woven into the stories are facts, statistics, and practical suggestions for action and positive change.   After reading the book, I came away with a new determination to do what I can to improve the lives of others. 

You can find the BSC Library’s copy at: HQ 1236.5 .D44 K75 2009

Now, this book is the inspiration for a celebration of International Women’s Day in movie theatres nationwide on Thursday, March 4.   On that night at 7:30 p.m. (all time zones), CARE will present HALF THE SKY.  The Grand Theatres in Bismarck is one of the participating theatres. 

Half the Sky will feature an uplifting night of music, celebrity discussion and the world premiere of “Woinshet,” a powerful short film co-directed by Academy Award® winner Marisa Tomei that chronicles the struggles of an Ethiopian woman who triumphs over violence and discrimination.

Tickets for the two-hour event will be available at the Grand.  A portion of proceeds will be used to support CARE’s work around the world. 

Read this book and help spread the word about the March 4 event!

— Marlene Anderson, Director of Library Services

ODIN UFind – New Search Interface

There is a new search interface for the ODIN library catalog.  UFind has a Web 2.0 flavor that we think you will like.  You can add your own tags and comments to bibliographic records, get suggestions for similar resources, create your own lists of favorites, and more.   

For example, “BookTalk” has been added as a tag to books that we’ve read for our BookTalk at BSC discussions.  Try typing “BookTalk” in the search box, choose “tag” from the drop down Fields menu, then click on Find.  The result will be a list of BookTalk selections from the past 11 years, which you can further sort by author, title, or publication date.  Clicking on an individual title will bring up the full record for that item, including suggestions for similar resources and other options.  Cool!

Of course, if classic ODIN is more to your liking, you can still use it.

Check it out!

President’s Day Holiday Hours

The BSC Library will be CLOSED during the President’s Day holiday weekend:

• Saturday, February 13 — CLOSED
• Sunday, February 14 — CLOSED
• Monday, Febraury 15 — CLOSED

We will resume regular hours on Tuesday, February 16, when we open at 7:30 a.m.

Confessions of an Eco-Sinner (Book Review)

Confessions of an Eco-Sinner by Fred Pearce

Coming across the circulation desk at the BSC library, this book’s title piqued my interest.  What exactly is an eco-sinner?  The subtitle “Tracking Down the Source of My Stuff” further intrigued me.  This book is written in a series of short articles chronicling the author’s journeys around the world to find where his stuff comes from and what the environmental, economic, and human impact of Western consumption is becoming.

Many facts are presented about the impact of such far-ranging items as coffee, gold, bananas, and fish. Some of the information is sad, some startling, and some scary. If you want a source of information about issues affecting the world we live in that goes beyond today’s headlines, this is a book you might enjoy checking out.

BSC Library call number:  GE 195.7 .P43 2009

Lori J. Smith