Literary Birthdays for February 28th

Lemony Snicket -- born Daniel Handler on February 28, 1970 in San Francisco, CA. He is the author of the wildly popular A Series of Unfortunate Events books penned under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket. The thirteen volume series features the grim misadventures of the orphaned Baudelaire children.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Literary Birthdays for February 27th

John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, CA and died in New York, NY on December 20, 1968. Throughout his long and controversial career, Steinbeck extolled the virtues of the American dream while he warned against what he believed to be the evils of an increasingly materialistic American society. The Grapes of Wrath is perhaps the best example of Steinbeck's philosophy, perception, and impact. It was also the only one of Steinbeck's many novels to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1940.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807 in Portland, Maine and died in 1882. He is remembered best for his longer narrative works, like the Song of Hiawatha, which address American themes and subjects, often providing vivid descriptions of the American landscape that appealed greatly to readers worldwide.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

The Secret is Still a Bestseller

According to a blog post from the Los Angeles Times Jacket Copy Blog, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is approaching a benchmark of being on the L.A. Times bestseller list for 100 weeks.

The article said that the book was largely influenced by Wallace D. Wattles' 1910 book, The Science of Getting Rich. It was released in November 2006, but sales didn't really take off until Byrne appeared on the Oprah show.

Other titles that have been in the 100 plus club are: The Da Vinci Code, The Pillars of the Earth, and All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

PEN/Faulkner Prize Winner Announced

The Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction is the largest peer-juried prize for fiction in the United States.
The winner for 2009 is:

• Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

O'Neill, whose book is narrated by a man who lived in downtown Manhattan at the time of the 2001 terrorist attacks, will receive $15,000.

The finalists (who each receive $5,000) are:
Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum for Ms. Hempel Chronicles
Susan Choi for A Person of Interest
Richard Price for Lush Life
Ron Rash for Serena

The judges considered close to 350 novels and short story collections by American authors published in the US during the 2008 calendar year. Submissions came from over 70 publishing houses, including small and academic presses. Antonya Nelson, a PEN/Faulkner Judge, said: "Our choices were of a vast and robust variety. The historical novel is alive and well. The short story collection is alive and well. The crossover/transcending-genre novel is alive and well. The political novel is alive and well. Men and women, writing like geniuses, all alive and well."

Previous winners include Philip Roth, John Updike and E.L. Doctorow.

Literary Birthdays for February 25th

John Saul was born on February 25, 1942 in Pasadena, CA. He is a best selling horror novelist who has produced a suspenseful thriller every year since 1977.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Time Magazine All-Time 100 Novels

Looking for something to read -- here is a list put together by Time Magazine critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo. They pick the 100 best English language novels (in their opinion) from 1923 through 2005.

Indie Bookstore Finder

The American Booksellers Association recently updated their indie bookstore finder.

Using the interactive map, readers can find all the indie bookstores within 100 miles of their hometown--complete with Google Map links and rating functions. The map now also includes other kinds of indie businesses, including arts & crafts stores and restaurants.

Here's more info from the site: "The Indie Store Finder map is the heart and soul of the Indie Community, and we've been working hard to make it easier and more useful than ever. 'More Info' links now provide expanded bubbles with store hours, descriptions, and pictures--right on the map! A 'Become a Fan' button is even included, so you can show your love for several stores in your area all at once."

A New James Patterson Book

Does a bestselling author (16 million books sold in North America alone last year) really need to take on a collaborator? Probably not, but for whatever reason, James Patterson has decided to write a book with the help of about 28 of them.

Airborne, Patterson’s latest book, will be released electronically beginning on March 20, one chapter at a time. Patterson wrote the first and last chapters himself, but the 28 chapters in between will be written by people Patterson doesn’t know – writers who won a contest sponsored by Borders Australia and Random House. Each will write a chapter of 750 words or less.

At the end of the process, the whole book will be printed but that print edition will be given only to the writer-participants. It will not be mass produced.

Can such a book be any good? Wait and see. You can follow the process on Facebook, Twitter, or by RSS feed.

Literary Birthdays for February 23rd

W.E. B. Dubois [W(illiam) E(dward) B(urghardt) DuBois] was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, MA; immigrated to Ghana, 1960; became a naturalized Ghanaian citizen in 1963; and died on August 26, 1963 in Accra, Ghana. DuBois grew up in Massachusetts and did not begin to comprehend the problems of racial prejuduce until he attended Fisk University in Tennessee. By 1903 he had learned enough to state in The Souls of Black Folk that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line," and he spent the remainder of his long life trying to break down racial barriers.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Literary Birthdays for February 22nd

Edna St. Vincent Millay was born on February 22, 1892 in Rockland, ME and died on October 19, 1950 in Austerlitz, NY. Throughout much of her career, Pulitzer Prize winner Millay was one of the most successful and respected poets in America.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Literary Birthdays for February 21st

Chuck Pahalniuk [Surname is pronounced "paul-ah-nik"] was born on February 21, 1962 in Pasco, WA. Pahalniuk began his writing career with the apocalyptic novel Fight Club, which became a cult classic and the basis of the 1999 Hollywood film of the same title.

Anais Nin [first name is pronounced "anna-ees"; surname is pronounced "neen"] was born on February 21, 1903 in Paris, France; brought to the United States in 1914, became an American citizen; and died on January 14, 1977 in Los Angeles, CA. On a ship bound for New York from Barcelona in 1914, eleven year old Anais Nin began writing the journal that would gradually evolve into the most acclaimed work of her literary career, The Diary of Anais Nin.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.
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Famous Librarians

Here is a post from OnlineBestColleges.com that lists 25 Famous Librarians Who Changed History.

They ask: "Have you ever wondered the past life or secret dreams of your local librarian as they helped you find research paper resources and swiped the bar code on your books? As it turns out, a lot of world leaders, famous authors and legendary philosophers and scholars had careers as librarians."

Who are these librarians? The list includes:

• Ben Franklin
• Mao Zedong
• J. Edgar Hoover
• Lewis Carroll
• Laura Bush

Click on the link above to read more.

The Library Gets Left Out

Library Journal reports that Rutgers University's School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS) (in New Jersey) has decided to remove the word library from its title and change the name of the school to the School of Communication and Information. The article quotes the Dean, "Dean Jorge Reina Schement offered extensive arguments for the name change, including an increase in the school's competitiveness..."

Looking at the google map of accredited library schools in North America, there are still quite a few of the institutions that offer a Masters degree in librarianship (library studies) that have the word library in the school or department name.

As a graduate of Rutger's "Library School" -- it is a sad day for me that the word library is being left out.

Literary Birthdays for February 19th

Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, CA. Amy Tan's novels concerning the bonds between Chinese-American mothers and daughters have earned her a worldwide audience. Although immersed in the rich lore of Chinese myth and history, Tan's works transcend the particular and become testaments to the universal themes of love and forgiveness. Tan introduces characters who are ambivalent, as she once was, about their Chinese background, but who move to a deeper understanding of themselves as they confront their ancestors' struggles in China and America. One of her most famous novels is The Joy Luck Club.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Romance by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is doing her best to corner the romance market. Not only is she a bestselling romance novelist, but she is now turning her talents into running a romantic bed and breakfast in Boonsboro, Maryland.

Read more in this USA Today article. Roberts said: "The whole idea was the rooms' themes had to be linked to literary couples who ended up with happy endings." She was challenged to find enough couples to fill the bill. "Romeo and Juliet? Dead. Tristan and Isolde? Dead. Not happy. Dead, dead, dead. Rhett Butler and Scarlett? He didn't give a damn. You try finding seven of them."

Here are some of the rooms:

• The Marguerite and Percy room is based on Baroness Emmuska Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.
• The Titania and Oberon room from A Midsummer Night's Dream "...has an organic, more fanciful theme."
• The room named for Jane and Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre includes a fainting couch.
• There's a room designed with Elizabeth and Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in mind.
• There's also a suite named for Buttercup and Westley from The Princess Bride.

Literary Birthdays for February 18th

Toni Morrison was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, OH. Her award winning novels chronicle small-town African-American life, employing "an artistic vision that encompasses both a private and a national heritage," to quote Time magazine contributor Angela Wigan. She is considered a great storyteller through here works such as The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved.

Wallace Stegner was born on February 18, 1909 in Lake Mills, IA and died on April 13, 1993 in Santa Fe, NM. The American West figured prominently in his writings. His novel The Big Rock Candy Mountain ranges over North Dakota, Washington, Minnesota, and Saskatchewan. The Pulitzer Prize winning Angle of Repose concerns a professor in California who writes a book about his grandmother, an illustrator and writer of the old West.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Books by Dan Brown

In May of this year the movie version of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (author of the Da Vinci Code) will be arriving in theaters.

If that's not enough excitement -- Director Ron Howard let it slip that Dan Brown has finished his third book featuring Da Vinci Code protagonist Robert Langdon. Brown says on his website that in the new book Langdon becomes "embroiled in a mystery on US soil" and that the novel "explores the hidden history of our nation's capital."

It has been reported that this new book will be called The Solomon Key. The release date has not been announced yet.

Literary Birthdays for February 17th

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, (born 17 February 1930), who also writes under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, is an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries.

Chaim Potok was born Herman Harold Potok on February 17, 1929 in New York, NY and died on July 23, 2002 in Merion, PA. [He changed his given name to Chaim -- pronunced "Hah-yim"] He is familiar to many readers as the author of best-selling novels like The Chosen and The Promise.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

It's Your Turn to Write About the Library

Woman's Day magazine has announced a call for entries on a timely topic: using the library to help save money. From February 17 through May 18, 2009 women ages 18 and up are invited to send in stories in 700 words or less for a chance to be profiled in the March 2010 issue. Up to four women's stories will be featured.

Literary Birthdays for February 16th

Richard Ford was born on February 16, 1944 in Jackson, MS. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the novel Independence Day.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

E-books for Handhelds

Google Books unveiled what could be the largest collection of digital books formatted for cellphones. The company took 1.5 million of the books it has scanned through its partnership with several major college libraries and prepped them for the small screen of iPhones or phones using Google’s Android operating system. They are free public domain books, including everything by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

A Canadian company will be launching a new service called Shortcovers, which will enable consumers to read books on iPhones, BlackBerrys, Microsoft Mobile handsets, and Android smartphones. They will offer a wide variety of printed matter according to a company statement: "Discover thousands of books, chapters, news and magazine articles, short stories, blog posts, and more, anywhere, anytime online and on your mobile device."

More Cut Backs for Librarians

It was announced by Editor & Publisher (America's oldest journal covering the newspaper industry) that the news research library at the Wall Street Journal is set to close on March 23, 2009 and all librarian positions will be eliminated.

When asked who will do the research for reporters, they said, "No one. The reporters will probably be using a Lexis product called Due Diligence Dashboard." The Assistant Librarian, Leslie A. Norman, commented that "it cannot replace [the librarian's] knowledge about how to research using all the tricks we've learned over the years. We figure that the reporters will probably spend 10 times our compensation trying to do their own research."

New Literary Website

BigIdeaAuthors.com is a site that is being created by author John Scalzi, who says that there is a need for new, professional literary outlets since newspapers and magazines are curtailing or dropping entirely their book/publishing coverage, offering publishers and publicists fewer professional outlets to promote and advertise their works and authors.

His new online literary site is designed to inform readers about new books, entertain them through author essays, appearances and interviews, and motivate them to buy new books and discuss them with friends and acquaintances. The site will debut on April 20, 2009.

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth.

According to a story on the CBSNews Sunday Morning Show "more than 10,000 books have been written about Lincoln since his death in 1865." [The Buena Park Library has close to 90 titles on Lincoln.]

James McPherson, a Pulitzer Prize winning Lincoln scholar, proclaims Lincoln himself to be one of America's best writers saying that the Gettysburg Address is "...one of his two best writings, the other being the second Inaugural Address. And I wouldn't necessarily want to choose between the two, but certainly the Gettysburg Address is one of the two best things he ever did -- and the two best things that any American ever did."

Read more about the Gettysburg Address. Read more about his second Inaugural Address.

Literary Birthdays for February 11th

Sidney Sheldon was born February 11, 1917 in Chicago, IL and died on January 30, 2007 in Rancho Mirage, CA. He was a novelist, screenwriter, and playwright; as well as a creator, producer, and writer of television shows, including The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, and Hart to Hart. His first novel, The Naked Face, sold only 17,000 copies initially; but he persisted in his efforts and his next work, The Other Side of Midnight, sold over three million copies in paperback. Since then, Sheldon published a steady stream of bestsellers; by 200, his seventeen novels had sold more than 300 million copies in 180 countries and had been translated into 51 languages, including Urdu and Swahili. According to the the Guinness Book of World Records, Sheldon is the most-translated author in the world.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Database of the Month: LearningExpress Library

The LearningExpress Library offers FREE and unlimited access to courses and practice tests online -- just visit our database page on the Buena Park Library District's website.

There is a broad range of practice tests offered on such official exams as the ACT, SAT, GED, ASVAB, Firefighter, Police Officer, Paramedic, EMT Basic, U.S. Citizenship, Postal Worker, Cosmetology, Real Estate Agent & Broker Exams. This valuable service is available 24/7 from any internet-enabled computer--in the library and even from your home!

There are more than 300 online practice tests for students and adults of all ages. All practice tests include instant score reports that help you target those skill areas that need the most attention. Complete answer explanations accompany each test question so that you understand why a particular answer is right or wrong.

In addition to the wide range of interactive skill-building courses and hundreds of instantly scored practice tests, you have access to supplementary online resources in the form of electronic reference books (E-BOOKS). Over 130 skills remediation and test-preparation books for middle school and high school students, adult learners, parents, and career professionals are now available in PDF format.

News About the New Kindle from Amazon.com

Amazon.com announced the availability of Kindle 2 on Monday, February 9th. This second generation electronic reader is a slimmer and faster version of the original Kindle that was introduced 14 months ago.

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos envisions a day when the industry will shift almost entirely from paper to digital. He says that "Our vision is every book every printed in any language, all available in less than 60 seconds. The fact that [digital sales] are growing quickly suggest that 10 years from now, we could see digital books as the primary way books are sold, just as we talk today about digital as the primary way music is sold."

According to an article in the L.A. Times: "The average American hasn't come close to abandoning the printed page yet. Electronic books generate less than 1% of the $25 billion U.S. book publishing market. But they are a fast growing segment of the publishing industry, with sales that grew 62% in the first 11 months of 2008."

Stephen King has written Ur, a novella to be published just for the Kindle. King said, "You're going to like this gadget. But you're going to like books too. It isn't as though the two things are in conflict with one another. They're like peanut butter and chocolate -- when you put them together, you've got a whole new tasty treat."

Bailout Proposed for Book Reviews

Here's an interesting article from Slate.com: A bestselling author proposes the most improbable bailout yet.

It starts off saying: "Of the many once mighty American industries now on life support, from cars to banks to newspapers, few are struggling more than book publishing. Last month, the major publishing houses announced layoffs, pay freezes, and reorganizations. Even the leading publisher of Bibles...had to cut 10% of its workforce."

So, historian and bestselling author Douglas Brinkley has suggested a federal subsidy for book reviews. Brinkley said: "Like public television, I think book review sections almost need to get subsidized to keep the intellectual life in America alive..."

It was suggested that Obama could save the publishing world. He is the most successful author ever elected to the White House and he could save the industry with a stroke of the pen by writing a book a year for the rest of his Presidency.

Literary Birthdays for February 10th

Boris Pasternak was born on February 10, 1890 in Moscow, Russia and died on May 30, 1960 in Peredelkino, U.S.S.R. Nobel laureate Boris Pasternak was highly regarded in his native Russia as one of the country's greatest post revolutionary poets. He did not gain worldwide acclaim, however, until his only novel, Doctor Zhivago, was first published in Europe in 1958, just two years before the author's death.

For more information about this author please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Inspired by Dickens

From USA Today's Book Buzz:
There are several books due to be released soon that are inspired by the works of Charles Dickens. We'll see if they have the same staying power -- not one of Charles Dickens' 20 novels has gone out of print since his death in 1870.

The new novels inspired by Dickens are:

• Drood by Dan Simmons: imagines the unsolved mysteries of the author's final years. (due out February 9)
• The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl: imagines the quest of Dickens' American publisher to discover the ending to Drood. (due out March 17)
• Wanting by Richard Flanagan: features Dickens as a character, defending the reputation of the real-life Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who disappeared in a search for the fabled Northwest Passage amid reports of cannibalism. (due out May 12)

Literary Birthdays for February 8th

Jules Verne was born on February 8, 1828 in Nantes, France and died on March 24, 1905 in Amiens, France. He is best known for his novels Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Verne is thought to have foreseen the submarine, the airplane, and perhaps the automobile. Although modern technology has outstripped his vision, his best work remains relevant and is still read after more than one hundred years.

John Grisham was born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, AR; son of a construction worker and a homemaker. The author of seventeen back-to back bestsellers, many of which have been turned into blockbuster movies, Grisham can count his revenues and copies sold of his legal thrillers in the hundreds of millions. As of 2008, his books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide. His current book is The Associate.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

The Last of the Sunday Stand-Alone Book Review Sections

The Washington Post has decided to stop the print version of Book World, its Sunday stand-alone book review section, and shift reviews to space inside other sections of the paper. Book World was one of the last remaining stand-alone book review sections in the country, along with The New York Times Book Review.

"The advertising in Book World didn't justify the amount of space that we dedicated each week to books coverage," said Marcus Brauchli, executive editor of The Washington Post.

The New York Times Book Review is now the largest remaining Sunday tabloid section, publishing at least 24 and as many as 30 or more pages a week. In addition to being included in the Sunday paper, The Book Review is sold as a separate section to 23,500 subscribers.

The San Francisco Chronicle publishes an 8 page book review that is inserted into its Sunday Insight section. The Los Angeles Times lost its stand-alone Sunday section in 2007.

Literary Birthdays for February 7th

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born February 7, 1867, in Pepin, WI; died February 10, 1957, in Mansfield, MO. She is best known for the Little House series of children's books based on her childhood in a pioneer family.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England; died at Gad's Hill, Kent, England, June 9, 1870. The popularity of Dickens' novels and short stories has meant that they have never gone out of print. Great Expectations was voted one of Britain's 21 best-loved novels by the British public as part of the BBC's The Big Read in 2003.

Sinclair Lewis was born on February 7, 1885 in Sauk Centre, MN and died on January 10, 1951 in Rome, Italy. He was an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Film Version of Award Winning Novel

It was just announced that The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman will be a movie. The book just won the American Library Association's prestigious Newbery Medal. Director, Neil Jordan, will both write and direct the film. Jordan has directed such films as The Crying Game and Interview with a Vampire.

Cell Phone Novels in Japan

According to an article on the Daily GalleyCat Blog 86 percent of Japanese high school students read cell phone novels.

The cell phone novel was born in 2002, when the author Yoshi wrote Deep Love: Ayu's Story for the cell phone. The book exploded in popularity, spawning print books, cartoons, and a film. The genre evolved, as authors published short novels in 70-word installments for the cell phone.

Ten of Japan's print bestsellers in 2007 were based on cell phone novels--successfully selling about 400,000 copies apiece. An article from Japan Today said that one company has released 40 titles that have sold 10 million copies.

What the Buena Park Library Staff is reading RIGHT NOW!!

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson
Why are you reading this book?
It sounded funny and interesting. Overall, it was a good memoir of growing up in the 50's and 60's in the midwest.

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
Why are you reading this book?
I love the way she writes and the way she intertwines the stories of different families and people together (as in her previous books: Case Histories and One Good Turn).

Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov.
Why are you reading this book?
I'm reading the entire Foundation Series and this is number 4 in a series of six.

Eat This, Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds -- or More! by David Zinczenko
Why are you reading this book?
I want to make healthier choices in the foods I choose to eat.

Events versus Process by Paul Scanlon
Why are you reading this book?
He was a guest speaker at my church and made the book sound quite interesting.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Why are you reading this book?
I'm continuing with the Twilight Saga; but not finding this book as good as Twilight.

Shadows of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark
Why are you reading this book?
It's a new mystery -- and I love mysteries. I saw it mentioned in one of the book ads in Library Journal.

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Why are you reading this book?
I read the reviews and it sounded good. It's about what happens to a couple in the aftermath of the Columbine incident. It's very interesting they way the author weaves in the historical aspect of the story into the present day.

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Why are you reading this book?
I'm reading the whole series and this is the third book, that follows Dune and Dune Messiah.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Why are you reading this book?
She's written a whole series about vampires -- the HBO series True Blood is based on this series.

God's Spy by Juan Gomez-Jurado
Why are you reading this book?
I read some of the reviews on the back cover and who could resist a mystery about an Italian serial killer that's a priest.

The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver
Why are you reading this book?
I like all his books -- so, I picked up his latest. It's quite good -- it doesn't include his usual characters this time.

Elizabeth Edwards Announces New Book

The Raleigh News & Observer just announced that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, will be coming out with a new book about her life. Random House, Inc., will be publishing the book: Resilience: Reflections On the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities, and says that "this short, powerful pocket-sized inspirational book makes an ideal gift for anyone dealing with difficulties in their life, who can find peace in knowing they are not alone, and promise that things can get better."

The book is scheduled for publication on May 12 and is a follow-up to Edwards' bestseller: Saving Graces which was published in 2005.

The most expensive books

The online bookseller Abebooks has published their list of the top 10 most expensive books sold on their website in 2008. Here is one of the books from their list:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
This was a rare first edition signed by JK with the dust wrapper panels signed by the cover artist Cliff Wright. The first issue has a misaligned block of text which was corrected in the subsequent issues.

Price of this copy at Abebooks: $12,874
Price of a regular copy at Amazon: $7.99

Hero Pilot is a Librarian's Hero Too

The Mercury News recently posted this article:

Associated Press

Posted: 02/02/2009 02:29:41 PM PST

FRESNO — Hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger is now every librarian's hero, too.

When the US Airways pilot's plane ended up at the bottom of the Hudson River on Jan. 15, so did a book he had checked out from the library at California State University, Fresno, through his local library near Danville.

Sullenberger contacted library officials and asked for an extension and waiver of overdue fees because the book was in the airliner's cargo hold.

Fresno State library officials said they were struck by Sullenberger's sense of responsibility and did him one better: they're waiving all fees, even lost book fees, and placing a template in the replacement book dedicating it to him.

The book's subject? Professional ethics.

Literary Birthdays for February 3rd

Gertrude Stein: She was born on February 3, 1874 in Allegheny, PA and died on July 27, 1946 in the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Stein was a poet, short story writer, novelist, and literary experimentalist who spent most of her life in France.

James Michener: He was born on February 3, 1907, probably in New York City, and died on October 16, 1997 in Austin, TX. He authored more than 40 titles, the majority of which are novels of sweeping sagas, covering the lives of many generations. Michener was known for the meticulous research behind his work.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Literary Birthdays for February 2nd

James (Augustine Aloysius) Joyce was born on February 2, 1882, in Dublin, Ireland; died following surgery for a perforated ulcer, January 13, 1941, in Zurich, Switzerland. He was an Irish expatriate author of the 20th century. He is best known for his landmark novel Ulysses (1922) and its controversial successor Finnegans Wake (1939), as well as the short story collection Dubliners (1914) and the semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916).

Ayn Rand: (first name rhymes with "pine") Was born as Alice Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905, in St. Petersburg, Russia; came to United States, 1926, naturalized, 1931; died March 6, 1982, in New York, NY. She was a novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. She wrote the best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and developed the philosophical system known as Objectivism.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated in United States and Canada on February 2.

In weather lore, if a groundhog, also knows as a woodchuck or marmot, emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for 6 more weeks.

Since the release in 1993 of the film of the same name, Groundhog Day, the phrase is sometimes used in English to mean "the same thing over and over again" particularly in reference to unpleasant repeating cycles.

Literary Birthdays for February 1st

Meg Cabot was born Meggin Patricia Cabot on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. She is a "chick-lit" author of romantic comedies for teens and adults. She has also written under the name Meggin Cabot, as well as the pseudonyms Patricia Cabot and Jenny Carroll. She has written and published over fifty books, and is best known for The Princess Diaries.

James Langston Hughes, better known as Langston Hughes, was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, MO; died May 22, 1967, of congestive heart failure in New York, NY. He was a poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright, song lyricist, radio writer, translator, author of juvenile books, and lecturer.

Muriel Spark was born Muriel Sarah Camberg on February 1, 1918, in Edinburgh, Scotland; died April 14, 2006, in Florence, Italy. She married Sydney Oswald Spark in 1937. Spark began writing seriously after the war, under her married name, beginning with poetry and literary criticism. In 1947, she became editor of the Poetry Review. Her first novel, The Comforters, was published in 1957.

For more information about these authors please visit the Literature Resource Center.

Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual observance to recognize achievements and contributions by African Americans. It dates back to 1926, when it was launched by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The observance period was initially one week and known as "Negro History Week", but since 1976 it has been Black History Month.

Library Lovers' Month

Library Lovers' Month is a month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries of all types. This is a time for everyone, especially library support groups, to recognize the value of libraries and to work to assure that the Nation's libraries will continue to serve.