KGV Library Zone

"Almost no one is using information well"

2008-08-20T13:32:00.005+08:00

"Thought at heart most business problems are information problems, almost no one is using information well"
-Bill Gates "Business @ the speed of thought"

I am glad that he realises the importance of using information. However, I am sad that not many of our leaders can realise this. The underlying factor to use information well is to be information literate.

For all these years, many librarians have pointed out the urgencies to include information literacy into the school curriculum. It is a preliminery step to ensure the younger generation be trained to use information well in the future. Unfortunately, not many school leaders responded to it.

We are facing information overloaded today. Recently, in a discussion forum attended by Bill Gates and the local Universities Vice Chancellors. One of the Vice Chancellor said that he is not satisfied with millions of results from Google or Yahoo. He simply does not have the time to dig out the answer from the millions. At a result, we often get second best information to make decisions. And according to Bill, this is not using information well.

The first step to use information well is to use the right tool to search the information you need. Google or other search engine could be a platform but there are many other subscribed databases that could have it done more efficiently, i.e. more accurate hits. The school subscribed databases served these purposes. Different databases cover different subjects. More importantly, you can avoid the million hits result and all the distracting advertisments.

Next time, when you want to search information, try Global Newsbank or Ebsco to look up current issues, try Questia.com to look up specific information from books, try Britannica instead of Wikipedia, you may discover a whole new world.

The generation of e-books

2008-05-21T14:02:00.005+08:00

E-books have become increasingly significant in the library collection development. A 2007 international e-book survey showed that 88% of respondents "answered that they own or subscribe to e-books" and nearly half of the respondents (45%) have had access "to more than 10,000 e-books".

Most e-book users used it for practical learning where someone has a very definite problem to solve or a research topic. This might be an indicator to fiction publisher that printed fiction is still their main market.

It is also easy to explain why e-books are more popular for information and research purposes. Students wants to have everything in hand NOW! E-books with its instant access feature, students are difficult to resist the temptation. Different e-books are now developing different facilities to make it more user-friendly. Variations on book-marking, highlighting and note-taking are common to most platforms.

Below are some of the e-books with different content emphasis, give me some feedback if you have been using them.

1. Ebook Library (EBL) has the strongest Australian collection.
2. Gale Virtual reference Library focused on the humanities, and on literature in particular
3. Dawsonera, MyiLibrary,NetLibrary,Questia and ebrary are truly multi-disciplinary

Seek and ye shall find

2007-12-18T15:24:00.000+08:00

How often do you search from the web? How do you look up information from the web? Below is the evaluation of an expert in this area Reid Goldsborough, he published an article recently in the Teacher Librarian October, 2007. I would like to share his views with you, hopefully you could get some insight from his views.

He evaluated several on-line databases for the readers.

Wikipedia - The overall quality of Wikipedia's content is good. It contains nearly 2 million articles in English. The downside is: they might have mistakes though they can quickly be corrected. Another downside is that technical articles are often written for technical people without including basic material first. But after all, it's free.

Encylopaedia Britannica - It's cost subscription fee. It has fewer than 10% of the number of articles of Wikipedia. However, the articles tend to be more in-depth than Wikipedia's.

Answers.com (www.answers.com) is a free, advertising-supported service that combines the articles of Wikipedia with content from more than 120 titles from others publishers and its own original content.

HighBeam (www.highbeam.com) provide access to the information in more than 35 million documents from over 3.000 sources, including newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, transcripts, white papers, books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, and almanacs. It is not free.

Dialog (www.dialogweb.com) and LexisNexis (www.nexis.com) are professional databases which aggregate information from hundreds of third-party databases and let you quickly search through any or all of them using the same search procedures. They are widely used by professional librarians and researchers but expensive.

AsMeNow (www.askmenow.com) allow your cell phone or wireless handheld computer to text a question and if your questions are handled, you will be charged.

Jatalla (www.jatalla.com) and ChaCha (www.chacha.com) 's results are ordered by human intelligence. You can even chat with a guide online. These 2 are still being tested.

After all, it seems that quality is still linked to price.

The above content is originally from
GOLDSBOROUGH, Reid (2007) New developments in web seraching, Teacher Librarian, October 2007

A library in my hometown made what I am

2007-10-25T15:05:00.000+08:00

“A library in my hometown made what I am”

I heard a story from the radio, it touched me for a while.

There was a boy who started to do volunteer work in his hometown library when he was at primary school. His main duty was shelving. He gradually started to enjoy his work because he could have a chance to read a lot of books. Later, he had to stop his service because he moved to another town. However, not long after that, he came back again to do the volunteer work; the library staff asked him why. He said he liked his old home town’s library and he liked shelving.

When he grew up, he said to people: “A library in my hometown made what I am”.

Who is he?

He is Bill Gates of Microsoft.

I have been working as a Librarian for ten years. I have never heard such an encouraging statement from my readers or students. In stead, what I have to face today is people’s devaluation of libraries or resource centres. Students thought the world wide web is all they need and Google is all they have to know. It is then not surprising that the professionalism of Librarians is not respected or valued. On the other hand, librarians react positively to this challenge. In these recent years, more and more librarians started to empower themselves with lots of other ICT skills in order to catch up with the big environment outside.

This week, we celebrate International School Library Day. I hope there will be more stories like Bill Gates to come.

Where to read?

2007-09-19T11:03:00.001+08:00

Where’s the best place to read when it is hot and humid as in Hong Kong? Perhaps, Shanghai’s newest library could give us a new dimension for library. There is a new library built on water in Shanghai. It is also the first library built on water in China. The library is located at a new urban area Qing Pu in Shanghai, facing the Huang Pu River. The library house 330,000 items and was opened on 28 August. It is encouraging to hear that there are continuously more modern libraries built and used. Next time, when you are visiting Shanghai, it is worth taking a break " on the water".

2007-09-10T11:43:00.000+08:00

It is a new school year, the school is clean and tidy as usual. There are new paints in some classrooms. Apart from this, KGV is the same KGV. However, the library is different this year. I think not many people notice how different we are. May be KGV is too big, in terms of campus size or school population, the school library seldom attract the attention of the school community. Therefore, nobody notice any changes in the library.

The most noticeable change is Mrs. Sue Chan has left us for Australia. We thanked for her contributions and wish her the best of luck.

Another major change is the new library database system. In the past, we had “Alice” as our online database system. Starting from June, we had “Oliver” coming in to replace “Alice”. During the summer holiday, Oliver has been upgraded to a more powerful version. Students can login to their own account and check their own stuff:
(Login name: Student Number)
(Password: library (could change after login)

Check your personal loan account, including overdue items and loan history
Make a reservation
Email bibliography list to yourself for your coursework reference
Email Alert service for new items or topics of interest
Check the reading list for the specific project
Personalize the search homepage
Other functions includes print and save

I am going to try the new system, please feedback to me if you have any comment and queries.

New Bookmarks for you

2007-08-27T14:53:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to school!

Have you made new plans for the new school year? The library is planning ours for the new school year. Bookmark the following dates to celebrate with the libraries or simply tell me your great ideas, so that we can customize those special days especially for KGV.

International School Library Day

International School Library Day was proclaimed by the IASL President, Dr Blanche Woolls, in 1999 and reaffirmed by the IASL President, Peter Genco, in 2005.
It is a day to promote the school libraries in international schools.
This year's ISL Day will be held on 22 October 2007 with the theme: Learning: Powered by your school library

Hong Kong International Literary Festival
It is a week’s extravaganza programme. The festival gathered many world renowned authors like Man Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai, the iconic Gore Vidal, legendary Jan Morris and bestselling novelist Amy Tan in 2007. 60 students from KGV were able to talk to one of the Battle of the Books author Linda Sue Park last year. This year’s festival will be from 3rd – 9th March 2008. Watch out for more details when nearer of time.

World Book Day
The main aim of the World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading. This year’s World Book Day will be on 6th March 2008.

Have a great Summer!

2007-06-28T09:44:00.000+08:00

Another successful KGV year is behind us, with a long summer to look forward to. For those who are looking forward to having extra spare time to spend on READING (!) there are some great book lists available on the web. Here are just a few ideas:

The HK Battle of the Books reading list: even if you are not going to join the BOB team, this is a fantasitic list of books. My favourites so far: Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, I, Coriander by Sally Gardner and A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. See the full list, along with useful web sites and book quizzes on the BOB web page.
Inside a Dog is one of the best sites for finding new and different books. There are themed booklists, book reviews from other readers, Chapter extracts and book quizzes. Try the "Travel Broadens the Mind" quiz to get in the mood for a vacation. (I scored 6 out of 10).

Readers' Cafe Book Shelf - books reviewed by teens from all over the world. Many of the books on this list have been KGV favourites.

Amazon Listmania is one source for book ideas - this one is a the 2007 Summer reading list from the International School of Lausanne. Some good suggestions from Switzerland!

Happy reading and have a great Summer!

Carnegie Medal WInner Announced

2007-06-22T09:09:00.000+08:00

Meg Rosoff is the winner of this year's Carnegie book prize for children, for her novel, Just in Case. The prize winners are chosen by librarians from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Read about the winner and her book at the Carnegie Medal web site.

You can also check out the PageGV Carnegie Shadowing page, and read some of our students' reviews of the shortlisted books.

The Medal also marked it's 70th anniversary by awarding the public’s favourite CILIP Carnegie Medal winner of all time - to Philip Pullman for His Dark Materials Bk 1: Northern Lights. This is a very popular book with KGV students - read about the award here.

Even More Harry Potter!

2007-06-21T09:48:00.000+08:00

Our picture shows the Last Line entries with some of the votes cast in the People's Choice Award. Visit the library to see the winning entry.

Also in the library: a display of the Potter books 1-6. Try re-reading them all to re-live the Harry Potter experience before Book 7's release date on July 21.

With all the excitement surrounding the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows next month, have a look at the Fact Monster website with lots of quizzes, polls and news stories all about Harry Potter.

Also on Fact Monster, a page All About Books, where you can find book lists, literature guides and book trivia to keep you happy all summer.

Harry Potter People's Choice Award

2007-06-12T14:04:00.000+08:00

Come to the library and vote for your favourite Last Line Competition entry.

Three votes per person; certificate to be awarded tomorrow.

Read the entries here

Share the Thrill. Return the Books!

2007-06-08T15:09:00.001+08:00

June 11-15 is the KGV Library Amnesty Week.

Each year the library loses books. Some, of course, are legitimately lost and will never be recovered. The vast majority, however, are still in the possession of the original borrower and could be returned if the borrower made a small effort.

Imagine the frustration of a student who desperately needs a particular volume to complete a project but finds that week after week that the necessary book is, according to library records, checked out!

KGV Library borrowers are encouraged to return their overdue books and library materials without penalty or fine during an amnesty to be held from 11 - 15 June. No questions will be asked nor fines charged.

The amnesty does not include overdue fines still on record from previously returned materials.

Harry Potter Contest Results

2007-06-08T12:28:00.000+08:00

Thanks to all students who entered the Harry Potter Last Line contest – the conclusions were interesting, and some of them quite funny!

The winners have been chosen and we will award prizes to the value of $1,500 on Wednesday June 13. Meanwhile, entries can be read here.

Harry Potter Last Line Contest - Last Day!

2007-06-03T13:14:00.000+08:00

Monday, June 4th is the last day for entries for the Harry Potter Last Line contest. See the May 21 post for rules and information on how to enter.

Please note, this is not the same contest that requires "scar" to be the last word of your sentence. We would like to know if you think Harry and Voldemort live or die. You don’t have to blatantly state, e.g., “Harry lives and Voldemort dies.” You can be subtle and allow the reader to infer their fates from your sentence.

There are hundreds of $$$ in book tokens to be won, so get your entries in! Good luck to everyone who has already entered.

Battle of the Books Final

2007-05-28T13:07:00.000+08:00

It was a really close contest last Wednesday, with the four top schools in the 2007 competition battling it out for the coveted trophy.
Congratulations to Canadian International School, who narrowly defeated KGV (it was a close call!) and to all students who took part, reading so many great books during the year.
Click here for the full report and more photos

Harry Potter Last Line Competition

2007-05-21T10:09:00.000+08:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released on July 21st: join this competition to celebrate this unique literary event.

The Library will award prizes to the value of $1,500 to KGV students for sentences which conclude the Potter series. Sentences should be:
Creative
Interesting
Plausible, and/or
Humorous

You are free to write any conclusion you want! The only restrictions are that your sentence:

Cannot exceed 75 words
Must be original
Must indicate whether Harry and Voldemort live or die. You don’t have to blatantly state, e.g., “Harry lives and Voldemort dies.” You can be subtle and allow the reader to infer their fates from your sentence.

Deadline: Your entry must be emailed to chansl3@kgv.edu.hk by 3:20 p.m., Monday, June 4th

Put “Harry Potter Contest” in the subject line
Be sure your name and tutor group is on your entry
Attach your entry in a word document or paste it into the body of the email
Only one entry per student

Winners will be announced on Friday, June 8th, and their entries will be posted (with permission) on the KGV Library website.

Judges: Mrs. Phillips, Ms. Cheung, Mrs. Chan, Ms Conway and Mrs. Farquhar

Overdues!

2007-05-17T10:05:00.000+08:00

The last day of school for Year 13 is Friday 18th May. Congratulations on completing your school career!

One of your final responsibilities is to return all your library materials on time.
If you want to keep study materials until you finish your exams, make sure you have made arrangements to do so with the library staff.
Please be reminded that certificates may not be available to students who have not returned overdue books or resolved fines.

Introducing the Book

2007-05-17T09:53:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered what it was like for people in the Middle Ages trying to use a book for the first time? Watch this video:

New Theme Park to Open Soon

2007-05-07T09:28:00.000+08:00

Students who will be in the UK during the summer holidays may be interested in a new theme park, Dickens World, located in Chatham Maritime, Kent. The £62 million indoor themed attraction is based on the life, books and times of Charles Dickens.

Not interested in Dickens? But you may like the "rides and animatronics by RMA, one of the leading UK tectonic specialists in the country.The experience will feature a Dickensian Shopping Mall, together with a multitude of attractions and rides, including a mix of themed restaurants, bars and a multiplex cinema." This may be a day out that even your parents will like.

The library has recently purchased a complete set of Dickens novels in Penguin Classics, and we also have several DVDs of some of the movies based on his work. Browse the collection at the new online Library Catalogue.

Battle of the Books News

2007-04-30T09:36:00.000+08:00

The Battle of the Books Kowloon Schools semi-final was held on 27th April at Sha Tin College. The competing schools were KGV, Sha Tin College, Christian Alliance International School and Australian International School.

After twelve tricky rounds of questions, the two top schools were:
CAIS and KGV - who tied with 100 points each!

They advance to the grand final to be held at H.K.U.G.A. College on 23 May.

Congratulations to all students who took part, and many thanks to Sha Tin, who get to keep the BOB trophy for a few more weeks.

Click here for more details and photos of the event.

Harry Potter 7

2007-04-26T10:02:00.000+08:00

An exclusive offer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now available. This is the final installment of the Harry Potter series.

Price: $175.00 includes a Harry Potter goodie bag.

Release Date: Saturday 21st July at 7 am

Collect books from Swindon or Hong Kong Book Centre

Order forms are available from the KGV Library and the school foyer.
Deadline for orders: May 18 2007

Learn more about this book at J.K. Rowling's web site: http://www.jkrowling.com/

New Library Catalogue

2007-04-17T09:29:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to a new school term - we hope you had a great Easter break and are ready to put in some hard work for the final term of the school year!

Here at the library we are always trying to improve your information search strategies, and we hope you find our latest addition helpful.

Some of you will have already tried "Oliver", our new library catalogue, which is now available on the library search computers, as well as through the web at the library catalogue page.

Some advantages of Oliver include:

access from outside school via the web page
ability to log in to track your loans, reservations and overdue items (login details on CLC)
simple search interface allows you to view all information on the same page
click on a subject to list all items with that subject

Many of our new arrivals will include a cover image in this database. You can easily find new items by using the "Quick Clicks" option.

Please let us know if you have any problems with the new service. We would love to hear any comments you may have about Oliver.

World Book Day Survey Results

2007-03-02T09:26:00.000+08:00

The results of the World Book Day survey are out! The web survey of "the ten books you can't live without" revealed that the classics are still the most popular reads, with Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) taking the top place. Magic and fantasy are also popular, with Harry Potter, Philip Pullman and the Lord of the Rings all in the top ten.

You can see the list, and read extracts from the books at lovereading.co.uk

All of these books are available in KGV Library.

Here's the full list:

1 - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 20%

2 - Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkein 17%

3 - Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 14%

4 - Harry Potter books - J K Rowling 12%

5 - To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee 9.5%

6 - The Bible 9%

7 - Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 8.5%

8 - Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell 6%, tied with:
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman 6%

9 - Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 0.55%

Don't forget you also have time to enter your personal top ten list by clicking on the 'comments' for this blog. See the previous blog entries for details. The competition closes on Monday at noon.

Happy World Book Day!

2007-03-01T09:58:00.000+08:00

Events at KGV for World Book Day this year include:

The "Ten Books You Can't Live Without" Competition. Enter by replying to this blog in the 'comments' field - see the previous blog entry for details. Prizes include vouchers for HMV and Swindon.

"Read Around the World" reading programme for Year 10 students. Your English teachers will give you more details.

Author Talk: Linda Sue Park and Gail Carson Levine. Some students will have the chance to attend a session at the Central Library with these two popular authors. Details from your English teachers. See the Hong Kong International Literary Festival web site for details of these and other festival authors.

Happy Reading!

World Book Day 2007

2007-02-27T10:42:00.000+08:00

Thursday March 1st is World Book Day and 2007 marks the tenth year of this annual event promoting the enjoyment of books and reading.

Web sites to visit:

http://www.worldbookday.com/ for more information about World Book Day
http://www.worldbookday.com/resources/4f.asp for book-related activities including word searches and quizzes
http://www.worldbookday10.com/vote to vote for the ten books you can’t live without.

KGV library is also running a “10 favourite books” competition. List the 10 books (title and author) you can’t live without and tell us about your number 1 book. Why is it at the top of your list; is it a life-changing story or a rollicking good read?

Enter the competition by clicking on “comments” below. If you want to be in the running for a prize, choose “other” and type your name or student number in the name box. The deadline is noon on Monday 5th February. This competition is open to all students and staff!

Chinese New Year

2007-02-08T17:51:00.000+08:00

With Chinese New Year coming up, here are some web sites you might like to visit:

Chiff.com has some history, information about the Chinese zodiac and some prediction for pigs in 2007, as well as links to CNY events around the world.
Stange Horizons Fiction has a weird Year of the Pig short story.
Chinese Zodiac Online for predictions for all the zodiac animals - just for fun!

We have had a software problem with the blog lately, so there have been no updates recently. However check again after Chinese New Year for more updates and library news.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Australia Day

2007-01-25T17:25:00.000+08:00

January 26th is Australia Day - so a Happy Australia Day to all KGV students from Down Under. The day is to commemorate the landing of the First Fleet in New South Waled in 1788. Find out all about Australia, and what's on to celebrate the day, at australiaday.com.au.

We can't be in Australia, but maybe we can choose a book by an Australian author to mark the occasion. There are many favourite Aussie authors, such as John Marsden, Morris Gleitzman and Sonya Hartnett; but here's a few more you might like to try:

Kirsty Murray - Zarconi's magic flying fish This is an exciting story of discovery, change and identity, with all the drama of life under the big top. Before he came to Zarconi's, Gus didn't even know he had grandparents, let alone ones who juggled knives and ate fire. Now, he's caught up in their world of magicians, stilt-walkers, tattooed tent hands, elephant turds - and there's a snake-girl who might become his best friend or his worst enemy. F/MUR

Gail Jones - Sixty lights From her childhood in Australia through to her adolescence in England and Bombay and finally to London, Lucy is fascinated by light and by the new photographic technology. Her perception of the world is passionate and moving, revealed in a series of frozen images captured in the camera of her mind's eye showing her feelings about love, life and loss. In this confident, finely woven and intricate novel Jones has created an unforgettable character in Lucy; visionary, gifted and exuberant, she touches the lives of all who know her. F/JON

Kate Grenville - Secret river William Thornhill is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. The Thornhills arrive in this harsh and alien land that they cannot understand and which feels like a death sentence. But, among the convicts there is a rumour that freedom can be bought, that 'unclaimed' land up the Hawkesbury offers an opportunity to start afresh, far away from the township of Sydney. 6F/GRE

Tim Winton - Cloudstreet A broken-down house of former glories on the wrong side of the tracks, a place teeming with memories of its own, a place of shudders and shadows and spirits. From separate catastrophes, two families flee to the city and find themselves sharing this great sighing structure and begin their lives again from scratch. Together they roister and rankle in a house that begins as a roof over their heads and becomes a home for their hearts. 6F/WIN

KGV Library Logo

2007-01-23T09:15:00.000+08:00

We have decided to try out a new logo for the library. The logo was designed by a former KGV student and features the KGV Lion, and of course, a book.

Look for the logo in the library and around the school, where it will be used on posters, leaflets, library reports and displays.

What do you think of it? Please add a comment to register you opinion!

New book by Eoin Colfer

2007-01-19T11:16:00.000+08:00

Eoin Colfer is the megaselling author of Artemis Fowl and the Supernaturalist. His new book, Half Moon Investigations, is now available in KGV Library.

Meet Fletcher Moon. Half-pint schoolboy and a qualified private investigator. He has solved all sorts of mysteries at school and at home. It was only a matter of time before things got serious. When Fletcher starts asking questions about a spate of odd crimes in the town of Lock, it quickly becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems. And, as Fletcher delves deeper, it‘s not long before the hunter becomes the hunted...

There is a companion web site, http://www.halfmooninvestigations.co.uk, where you can sign up to become a detective, learn about the villains and solve new crimes.

Alternatives to Wikipedia

2007-01-17T11:41:00.000+08:00

Wikipedia is fun to browse but where do you go if you need authorative, reliable, factual information for an essay or assignment? You need information that you can cite with confidence.KGV Library has some reputable information sources which you can find on the database page of the library web site. These resources are only available to KGV students and staff.

Encyclopedia Britannica Online Britannica Online includes the full encyclopedia; dictionary and thesaurus; a multimedia database; and access to articles from journals (drawn from ProQuest and EBSCO) Also included are the fulll text of top news stories from the BBC and highlights of the day.

EBSCOhost (includes NoveList)
EBSCOhost offers a variety of popular databases with articles from international magazinesand newspapers; biographies; country reports; TV and radio transcripts; primary source documents; photos, maps and flags. Our EBSCO package includes the Student Research Center.

ProQuest
ProQuest Literature is a UK database for researching literature, authors, criticism and reference. ProQuest History has history resources, lesson plans, class kits, maps and reference materials.

For more information about researching, writing and citing go to the Information Skills pages, or ask a librarian.

His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass Movie

2007-01-12T10:27:00.000+08:00

Mark your calendar: New Line Cinema will release the first installment of author Philip Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy in December this year.

The Stars: Nicole Kidman, Dakota Bue Richards, Eva Green, Daniel Craig
The Story: A 12-year-old girl starts out trying to save a friend whose been kidnapped by a mysterious organization in an alternate world but ends up on an epic quest to save our own world as well.

If you haven't already read Pullman's trilogy, pick up a copy from the library. Note that The Golden Compass was released in the UK as Northern Lights, which includes art by Philip Pullman heading up the chapters. KGV library has both editions, as well as an audio version with a full-cast dramatisation. There are also many other Pullman books, including Lyra's Oxford, a new episode from the Dark Materials universe. Check the following websites for updated information:

Best books for 2006

2007-01-05T13:35:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year!
As mentioned in a previous post, The Young Adults Library Services Association has released its Top Ten Best Books for 2006. Some of these books have been ordered for the library; but here’s a look at two which are already available at KGV.

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
When hapless cabdriver Ed Kennedy offhandedly stops a bank robbery, someone takes notice. The Ace of Diamonds appears in his mailbox with three addresses written on it. Ed is supposed to deliver a message to these addresses, but no one is telling him what that message is. All he is told is that his life depends on it. Read more here.

Twilight: A Novel by Stephanie Meyer
This is a love story with bite. Isabella Swans move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife between desire and danger. Read more here.

Don’t forget if you would like to recommend a book for the library, you can fill in a recommendation slip at the circulation desk. We hope to find some more great books in 2007.

Happy Holidays

2006-12-22T09:00:00.000+08:00

After the previous post about how Christmas lights work, we thought you might like to look at some of the more spectacular light displays around the world.

Of course, in Hong Kong, there is plenty to see! Just take a walk along the harbour. This site explains a bit about Christmas in Hong Kong, and this one has a new photo every day, including Christmas photos.

And for weird and wonderul Christmas light displays from around the world, go to this Flickr collection. Enjoy!

From all of us in the library, have a very happy Christmas and we'll see you again on 8th January (when you return all your holiday reading books!) .

How Christmas Lights Work

2006-12-19T15:02:00.000+08:00

Christmas lights are not only a fun decoration, they are another great exapmle of how technological improvements impact our lives in all sorts of ways. (Brain, Marshall. 2001, How stuff works, Hungry Minds, New York, p. 227)

If you have ever wondered how Christmas lights work, why the whole strand of lights goes out if you pull out or break one of the bulbs, or how they create the lights that blink in different color patterns, this book has the answer.

In the past, Christmas lights consumed a lot of power, until mini-lights were introduced in the 1970s with low wattage and much lower cost. To find out more, borrow the book! Find it on the non-fiction shelves at 600BRA (Technology). Or you can read the article on the web at howstuffworks.com.

Top 10 books for 2006

2006-12-15T09:34:00.000+08:00

The top ten books borrowed from KGV Library in 2006 are:

1. Point blanc; HOROWITZ, Anthony

2. Cirque du freak - Saga of Darren Shan vol.1; SHAN, Darren

3. Mediator 2: Ninth key; CABOT, Meg

4. Tunnels of blood - Saga of Darren Shan vol.3; SHAN, Darren

5. Scorpia; HOROWITZ, Anthony

6. Killers of the dawn - Saga of Darren Shan vol.9; SHAN, Darren

7. Vampire mountain - Saga of Darren Shan vol.4; SHAN, Darren

8. All American girl ready or not; CABOT, Meg

9. Avalon high; CABOT, Meg

10. Mediator 1: Shadowland; CABOT, Meg

How many have you read?

Other Top 10 booklists on the web include:

Teens’ Top Ten (TTT) - voted by US teens during Teen Read Week in October
YALSA Best Books Award - titles that exemplify the quality and range of literature being published for teens; from the American Library Association
Top 10 Books of 2006 - the top 10 books of 2006 that made it to the bestsellers lists (adult readership)

New Books for Girls

2006-12-12T11:10:00.000+08:00

The popular Gossip Girl series is now available in the library. The series is the ultimate in glamour and cool - set in New York's glamorous Upper East Side, the narrative follows the thrills and spills (with Jimmy Choo shoes and shopping at Barneys mixed in along the way) of its richest and most beautiful teenage residents. 'Gossip Girl' is the ultimate in sophistication, scandal and luxury.
Titles on offer include Gossip Girl and Only in Your Dreams. The official Gossip Girl web site is http://www.gossipgirl.net/.

Also available: the Clique novels by Lisi Harrison. The social minefields of Westchester County's most privileged middle school girls drive this page-turning action addictive series, set in New York City's most elite suburban county.
Titles in the library: Clique, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers and Revenge of the Wannabes. Lisi Harrison's Clique website is http://www.lisiharrison.net/.

UNICEF Anniversary

2006-12-11T10:22:00.000+08:00

On this day in 1946 The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established. In 1953 the name was shortened to United Nations Children's Fund, because unfortunately children around the world always need help, not just in emergencies. Find out more about UNICEF at Wikipedia.

The official UNICEF site highlights the many ways that the 60th Anniversary is being marked. This year, why not use UNICEF Christmas cards? The Hong Kong UNICEF site shows some of the cards available; scroll to the bottom of the page for a link to a list of stores in Hong Kong which sell the cards.

New Books

2006-12-06T09:01:00.000+08:00

There are many new new books available in the library, just in time for Christmas borrowing. Some of these include:

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan - On an ill-fated art expedition of the Southern Shan State in Burma, eleven Americans leave their Floating Island Resort for a Christmas morning tour -- and disappear. Through the twists of fate, curses, and just plain human error, they find themselves deep in the Burma jungle...(Senior Fiction)
A Wayne in a Manger by Gervaise Phinn - touching nativity play anecdotes, including children forgetting their lines, ad-libbing, falling of the stage, picking their noses and showing their knickers.
Boyfriend Trap by Mary Hooper - Terri arrives at her older sister's flat with a bag full of teen mags and a head full of True Love, but is dismayed to discover that Sarah doesn't appear to have a single boyfriend! Something must be done...
Everything Bad is Good for you by Steven Johnson - We're constantly being told that popular culture is just mindless entertainment. Steven Johnson says it's actually making us more intelligent.

Check the displays in the library and the Library News Page for more suggestions

Advent 2006

2006-12-01T10:03:00.000+08:00

December 1 is the day we start opening our Advent Calendars! The Advent calendar has its origins in the 19th Century in Germany. Protestant Christian families made a chalk line for every day in December until Christmas Eve. Before long, commercial entrepreneurs started replacing the ephemeral chalk lines with printed calendars. The first known Advent calendar is for the advent of 1851. (Infomation and calendar picture from Christmas Magazine).

Some of my favourite online Advent Calendars:

Tate the Cat - a new animated story every year
Christmas Magazine - an old-fashioned picture with links and ideas for Christmas every day.

New look for the library web page

2006-11-29T10:48:00.000+08:00

KGV library has launched a new look for the library home page. All the useful links are still available, but now in a new easy-to-read list format.

Online Search is for the library catalogue, databases and web stites

Information Skills takes you to the search tips and reference guide pages: these are especially useful for senior students' assignments

The Library has general information about library services, rules events and the latest news and announcements. Also check the News Bar at the top of the page.

Check out the new page and let us know what you think. We want to hear from you if you have any suggestions for improvements or additions.

Carnegie long list announced

2006-11-27T15:30:00.000+08:00

CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) has announced the nominations for the 2007 Carnegie Medal. The judges will read and assess each title, and a shortlist for each Medal will be announced in mid April. You can read the full list here.

KGV library already has several titles on the list, including those pictured and others which are on loan. Check the library catalogue - more titles have been ordered!

Earlier this year PageGV was one of the Carnegie Medal Shadowing groups. Click here to read the report and reviews of the 2006 shortlisted books.

Anniversary of the discovery of Tasmania

2006-11-24T09:28:00.000+08:00

In 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered Van Dieman's Land, which he named after his patron. It was later renamed Tasmania (source: The Helicon Book of Days, a book of anniversaries. Find it in the reference section: R394.2).

To find out more about my home state, go to Discover Tasmania, or borrow one of our new books, In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare. In 1999, Shakespeare moved with his wife to Tasmania, 140 miles off the Australian coast and "the most beautiful place I had seen on earth." The book follows Shakespeare's research into his family history, closely tied with Tasmania.

Also check the non-fiction shelves at 919.946.

Les Misérables

2006-11-14T09:49:00.000+08:00

Remember to get your tickets for Les Misérables - coming soon to KGV! The dates are:
Thursday 7th, Friday 8th and Saturday 9th of December (with 2 shows on the Saturday). There are posters around the school with more details of times, prices and how to buy the tickets.

Our picture here is from the Wikipedia Les Misérables Page.

Les Misérables is the world's most popular musical, according to this web site, where you can read about the muscial and the story; there's also some trivia and games. It also has this to say about the School Edition:

The School Edition is shorter because some songs have been trimmed, and it cannot rely on elaborate sets and effects, but nothing major has been left out. It is rare for a musical to be performed by schools while it is still running on Broadway.

Well done to all cast members and staff for getting this far, and all the best for the performances.

The library's copies of Les Misérables (including an abridged version in French!) are on display in the reading area.

The First Web Pages

2006-11-10T12:45:00.000+08:00

On November 13th 1990 the first ever web pages were published by Tim Berners-Lee. Computing students will be aware of the amazing progress of the World Wide web in that short time - most of the computing books we get for the library are out of date within a year or two!

Web sites to visit:

Wikipedia for an overview of the history of the Internet and some of the standards used, as well as some www trivia.
World Wide Web - a copy of the first ever web page, where the concept of hypermedia was introduced
WWW Virtual Library, for real computer history buffs!

The Bottom Shelf

2006-11-06T09:43:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to school after the half-term break! While you were away, the librarians have been busy sorting through the fiction shelves and making room for some of the great new books we have ordered.

We did notice that some of the books on the bottom shelves seem to have been neglected! Unfortunately, we just don't have the space to display all the books in the best places, so when browsing for something to read, don't forget the books at the bottom. Some good bottom shelf authors in Junior Fiction are Lois Lowry, Linda Sue Park and Sonya Hartnett. See who else you can discover...

Happy Halloween

2006-10-27T14:30:00.000+08:00

It's finally half-term break and we can relax a bit! Some of you may be thinking about Halloween on October 31st, and if you hurry there is still time to check out some scary books before the library closes today. Titles include Walking with the Dead (Tales from the Dark Side) by Tim Bowler, The Tower of Moonville by Stephen Elboz and of course the Point Horror Stories by RL Stine, Halloween Night and Halloween night II.

Just for fun, go to the Pumpkin Simulator and try carving your own pumpkin.

See you all on Monday 6th November.

United Nations Day

2006-10-23T10:17:00.000+08:00

On 24 October 1945, the United Nations was formally established, and in 1971, the United Nations General assembly adopted a resolution recommending the anniversary be acknowledged by member states.

Many countries around the world mark the day with “peace marches” and other celebratory events. The outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has prepared a message assessing progress and challenges for the UN. You can read the message or view a video of Kofi Anan at the official web site.

Students interested in the UN can also join the KGV Model United Nations; look out for announcements for when it starts up again.

Diwali

2006-10-22T18:39:00.000+08:00

Many students have been celebrating Diwali this weekend. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. If you want to know more about it, a good place to start is the Encyclopedia Britannica (find it on the KGV Library home page) where you can find several articles.

To see some colourful photos of Diwali around the world, go to CBBC Newsround. There's also a Diwali guide and quiz.

World Rainforest Week

2006-10-17T08:44:00.000+08:00

October 16-22 is World Rainforest Week, promoted by the Rainforest Action Network. We are told that every year nearly 40 million acres of rainforest are lost. Not only are these forests important ecosystems themselves, they also help prevent global warming by absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Members of EDEN will be interested in some of the activities taking place this week. Learn more about some of the programs here; and please take note of Tuesday's report about the Tasmanian forests.

Thanks and have a great World Rainforest week!

Lemony Snicket

2006-10-16T10:04:00.000+08:00

The final installment of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Friday 13th October. A description from the publisher tells us that this book "will answer readers' most burning questions: Will Count Olaf prevail? Will the Baudelaires survive? Will the series end happily? And if there's nothing out there, what was that noise?"

Before you read the book you might like to take a look at A Gruesome Guide to Lemony from NPR. It includes:

An Unfortunate Events quiz
An interview with Lemony Snicket
Literary references in the series
An audio report about the books

Lemony Snicket fans will have to wait for this book to be available from the library, but be patient - it has been ordered!

Kiran Desai wins the Man Booker Prize

2006-10-11T14:42:00.000+08:00

Kiran Desai was named the winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction on Tuesday 10th October. Here is the synopsis of her book, The Inheritance of Loss, from Penguin:

At the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas, lives an embittered old judge who wants nothing more than to retire in peace. But with the arrival of his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, and his cook's son trying to stay a step ahead of US immigration services, this is far from easy. When a Nepalese insurgency threatens Sai's blossoming romance with her handsome tutor they are forced to consider their colliding interests. The judge must revisit his past, his own journey and his role in this grasping world of conflicting desires every moment holding out the possibility for hope or betrayal.

You can watch Kiran Desai talk about The Inheritance of Loss (in Windows Media Player) at Amazon.co.uk .

The library has ordered this book. In the meantime, you might like to read the books written by Kiran Desai's mother, Anita Desai: Fasting, Feasting and The Clear Light of Day; both in the senior fiction section.

Read more at the Man Booker Prize web site: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

Battle of the Books 2006-07

2006-10-05T13:53:00.000+08:00

All students in Years 7, 8, and 9 who enjoy reading can join KGV'S BATTLE OF THE BOOKS TEAM! To kick off, come to the first Battle of the Books meeting in the library on Monday 9th October at 1:45 pm.

Former Battlers are welcome you to join as coaches.

To join the Battle of the Books:

read 27 specially selected books during the school year
work with a team
come to lunch time practice sessions during the second and third terms
take part in a final inter-school competition in May 2007

Battle of the Books summaries are now available - take a look at what the teams are reading this year.

Fiction Prize announced

2006-09-30T09:22:00.000+08:00

The Guardian (UK) Prize for Children's Fiction has been announced - and the winner is

A Darkling Plain by Philip Reeve

This is the second Guardian prize for Philip Reeve, who was also a winner for Mortal Engines. A Darkling Plane is one of four books which follow the adventures of Tom Natsworthy and his companion Hester Shaw in a "lawless post-apocalyptic world".

Web sites to visit:

The prize announcement at The Guardian
Philip Reeve biography at Scholastic

KGV library has a copy of A Darkling Plain, as well as other Philip Reeve books; including Mortal Engines which is on this year's Battle of the Books list.

Hobbit Day!

2006-09-22T09:03:00.000+08:00

This one is for Hobbit fans: today, 22nd September is now regarded as Hobbit day (although there is some dispute about this, because of the difference between the Middle Earth Calendar and our present-day calendar!).

The first chapter of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit is titled "An Unexpected Party", which refers to the birthdays celebrated that day: in the year 3001 of the Third Age, Shire Reckoning, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins celebrated their shared birthday. Bilbo was eleventy-one (111) and Frodo was thirty-three.

KGV Library has two copies of this book, along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy which follows it. In the future, you may also look out for Children of Hurin, another Middle Earth story recently completed by JRR Tolkien's son, Christopher. Click here for the BBC news story.

What this librarian is reading

2006-09-16T18:55:00.000+08:00

After all the celebrations surrounding Roald Dahl Day, it seemed a good idea to relax with a juicy detective story; especially as it was also Agatha Christie's birthday last week.

To mark the 80th anniversary of its publication, I chose The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which was unusual and controversial at the time. This was the book which made Agatha Christie a household name. This time, a wealthy widower is found stabbbed to death in his study. For those who have read the book, you will know why I remembered exactly who the murderer was, so it was not really a new mystery for me. However reading it for the second time, I could piece together the clues and see how everything fit so well. Christie is a very clever writer indeed, and her books use simple, direct language which leaves the reader looking for the next clue.

The library's small collection of some of Agatha Christie's 80 mystery novels can be found in the fiction section (F/CHR).

More Dahl Day news and quizzes

2006-09-14T10:37:00.000+08:00

There was an exciting contest yesterday in the library with enthusiastic teams competing for top honours in the Birthday Battle. Congratulations to all teams who did very well; and especially to teams 1 and 2 who tied for first place! These two teams should come to the library at lunch time on Friday for a tie-breaking round and a Wonkalicious Party!

We have a new quiz question from Mr Wickens' favourite book:

How many animals sat down to the Great Feast?

Hand in your answer at the library by tomorrow (Friday) to go into the prize draw. A special question sheet and other quizzes can be downloaded on the library home page.

The Dahl Birthday Battle

2006-09-12T10:40:00.000+08:00

We are pleased to have a total of six Year 7 teams taking part in the Roald Dahl Day Battle to help celebrate his birthday.
The event will start at 1:30 and will be followed by a special Middle School Assembly which will focus on Roald Dahl and his work.

Birthday Battle teams: Please be in the Library promptly at lunchtime on Wednesday 13th.

Roald Dahl Day

2006-09-05T13:50:00.000+08:00

On Wednesday September 13 KGV will be joining schools around the world to mark Roald Dahl Day. Wednesday would have been Roald Dahl's 90th birthday, but the celebrations continue all week! Look out for

A Roald Dahl display in the foyer (including competitions for fun and prizes)
Roald Dahl Birthday Battle (year 7 only), Wednesday lunchtime
A Wonkalicious Party (Library, 15th Sept), for competition winners
A book display in the library (see photo)

We need help with the library display board: four of the BFG's dream jars are still empty.
Write a review of a Roald Dahl book (not too long!) and we will add it to one of the empty jars.

More information about Roald Dahl can be found at http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/childrens/roalddahl/day/ . You may find some competition answers there!

Alex Rider

2006-09-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

The Stormbreaker movie is now in Hong Kong cinemas - some fans saw the movie in the UK over the summer holidays, but for those who didn't, don't miss the chance now! Even if you haven't read the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, you are sure to enjoy this action-packed adventure story. As well as the action, there is plenty of humor throughout the movie.
To find movie times in your area, come to the library and check the SCMP movie listings page.

Web sites to visit: http://stormbreaker.com/ for more about the movie.
http://www.alexrideradventures.com/ for more about the books AND to view the Scorpia trailer!
http://www.alexrider.com/ for highly classified information on Alex Rider.

The library also has Scorpia and many other Anthony Horowitz books; check the library catalogue to see what is available - these books are very popular!

Pluto demoted

2006-08-28T14:32:00.000+08:00

Many of you will have heard the news last week that Pluto is no longer classed as a planet. It will now be reffered to as a "dwarf planet". See the full story, including a video report, at the BBC.

Unfortunately this sudden change in the Solar System means that some information in our encycolpedias and books about astronomy (Dewey number 523) are suddenly incorrect! Please keep this in mind when looking for information on this topic. You may also find the latest information about the Solar System through our databases; in particular Global Newsbank and EBSCO. You can access these from the library home page.

Here's quick quiz from the bbc:
Now that Pluto's been stripped of its planetary status, which is the outer-most planet in our solar system? I am sure all our science students know the answer!

Tolstoy's Birthday

2006-08-28T08:52:00.000+08:00

Today is the birthday of Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). Find out all about Tolstoy at http://www.ltolstoy.com/, which includes a timeline, biography, links to e-texts and some reading tips.

Tolstoy's most famous works are War and Peace, an epic story of a Russian family during the Napoleonic wars; Anna Karenina, a story of a fashionable Russian lady who feels her life is empty. KGV has the newest translation of Anna Karenina which "reads as if it could have been written yesterday" (San Fransisco Chronicle).

These books are BFBs (Big Fat Books)! War and Peace has 1315 pages, while Anna Karenina has 'only' 817 . If you would like to try something shorter, we also have The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, a short story collection. These works can be found in the senior fiction section of the library.

Welcome Back!

2006-08-25T08:54:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to the new school year 2006-07

Students who are new to the school will be issued a student card which is also used as your library card. The library is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; feel free to come in and browse the shelves!

More information about library services can be found on the KGV library web site. Be sure to keep checking the library site as well as this blog for information on new books, databases, homework help and library activities.

KGV Music Tour

2006-07-16T17:47:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in a previous post, the KGV Orchestra and Choir have enjoyed a VERY successful music tour to Italy. Highlights included well attended concerts with contributions from local celebrities (e.g. a mayor who does Elvis impersonations!), trips to amusment parks and historical places such as Venice and Pisa, AND the chance to perform in the Vatican! Go to the tour web site and click on "daily weblogs" to read all about it.

We hope everyone enjoys their summer holidays, and if you are also leaving Hong Kong for a while, happy travelling! Look out for some interesting library programmes next term - see you all then.

Last week of school!

2006-07-04T08:45:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the last week of term at KGV! To all those students going away for the summer, happy travelling, and best wishes to the Year 13 students who graduated last Friday. Congratulations!

Meantime, be sure to have all library items returned by Thursday 6th July. Be aware that non returns or unpaid fines may result in a delay in receiving certificates.....

Important Notice

2006-06-26T09:19:00.000+08:00

The library will be closed from 28th to 30th June (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) for staff training. We will be learning about a new Library Management System - look out for some exciting changes in the library catalogue next term!

For future university students...

2006-06-19T12:41:00.000+08:00

Right now A-level students are busy with exams; some lucky ones have already finished. We hope you are all successful, and those who plan to continue their education can attend the university of their choice.

If you are going to a UK university, take a look at the Times Online web site. There are articles on student issues such as living on a budget, and advice from current students in the Up Front section. There's even a Student Weblog about the experiences of a student as he goes through his first year at the University of Bristol.

Good luck and enjoy your future studies!

World Cup 2006

2006-06-12T10:45:00.000+08:00

Is the World Cup dominating your life right now? If so you have probably already found plenty of good football web sites. This Internet Index has lots of links all in one place...it is an American site, so they call the game "Soccer", but there are links from all over the world.

Newsbank has a special report feature with full newspaper coverage of background articles and current events.

Enjoy the games, and good luck to everyone who joined in the KGV Fantasy Football League.

Orange Prize for Fiction 2006

2006-06-07T09:21:00.000+08:00

The Orange Prize (UK) winners have been announced:
Orange Prize for Fiction 2006 winner: On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
Orange Award for New Writers 2006 winner: Disobedience by Naomi Alderman.
More information about the prize and the books can be found at http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/

Both these books have been ordered for the library's senior fiction section. Other titles by Zadie Smith in the library are White Teeth and Autograph Man. Don't forget, if you would like us to order fiction books, you can get a Recommendation Slip from the library.

World Environment Day

2006-06-02T10:27:00.000+08:00

Monday June 5 is World Environment Day. WED was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, and is commemorated every June. This year the theme is Deserts and Desertification and the slogan is "Don't Desert Drylands!" The Hong Kong Environmental Campaign Committee will also mark WED. Here the focus is on wasted management, with the slogan "Be Responsible for Our Environment, I Can and So Can You". Find out more at the Biology "Topic of the Month" page.

KGV Art Exhibition 2006

2006-05-29T11:15:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to all the GCSE, A/S Level and Advanced Level Art students who have been working hard to produce the 2006 KGV Art Exhibition. A wonderful temporary art gallery has been set up in the main hall; we wish you all a very successful opening evening tonight.

For those students who are inspired to pursue Art as an advanced subject, don't forget that the library has many excellent art resources, including (by shelf number):
730s - Sculpture
740s - Drawing and Decorative Arts
750s - Painting
760s - Graphic Arts and Prints
770s - Photography and Digital Art

Shadowing the Carnegie Medal

2006-05-25T18:32:00.000+08:00

The PageGV Reading Group from years 7-9 are "shadowing" the Carnegie Medal which will be announced on July 8th. This means that the group will read the shortlisted books, assess them by the same criteria used by the librarian judges, and share their views with other reading groups.

The first book to be read and discussed is Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce, who won the 2004 prize with Millions.

Further information about Shadowing can be obtained by visiting the Reading Centre anytime, by checking the displays in the English classroom corridors, or by visiting the library's Carnegie Medal pages.

KGV Orchestra and Choir to tour Italy!

2006-05-22T11:54:00.000+08:00

The members of the KGV Orchestra and Choir who will be touring Italy this summer must be looking forward to a fantastic trip! They will perform four concerts and visit some very famous locations, including Venice (watch out for the pigeons!), Pisa, Verona (remember Romeo and Juliette?), and of course Rome.

The library has many books about Italy, including travel guides, histories, books about Italian art, cook books and fiction. Some of these are now on display, as seen in the picture above.

Buono viaggio!

Les Miserable at KGV!

2006-05-15T11:29:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to KGV on being awarded the rights to perform Les Miserables. This will be the first time the ‘School Edition’ is performed in Asia. The production will run for 4 nights in December and auditions will take place in June.

The story takes place in 19th Century France, and examines the nature of good, evil, and the law. Find out more about the story and Victor Hugo at Wikipedia.

If you are inspired to read the novel by Victory Hugo (only 1,231 pages!), it is available in the KGV library in the senior fiction section. An abridged version is available in French and can be found in the Modern Languages Corner. The DVD of the 1998 film version of Les Miserables (not the musical) is also available in the library.

Librarians in training

2006-05-10T15:17:00.000+08:00

Visitors to the library may have noticed two new faces recently. Our temporary helpers were Anthea and Vivian who are library students from HKU. They have been doing some of the never-ending jobs around the library and we hope they have learned a bit more about what librarians actually do.

If anyone really is interested in library science as a career, a very old (and sometimes funny) movie from 1947 can be seen on the web at the Internet Archive. Please feel free to ask any of the librarians if you have any questions about the profession.

David Almond

2006-05-10T09:21:00.000+08:00

Author David Almond is in Hong Kong for a few days visiting schools to talk about his books and writing, but with the exams in full swing, he is unable to visit KGV. His next stop is Shanghai.
He has signed his latest book for us, which you can find in the library along with his earlier works. Clay has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal which will be announced later this year; and his first novel, Skellig, won the Whitbread Children's Award and the Carnegie Medal in 1998. Find out more about David Almond at http://www.davidalmond.com/.

Real Climate

2006-05-02T09:23:00.000+08:00

For those students studying hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as other weather topics, try the Real Climate blog. It is written by several people with special knowledge in the field. Use the search box to find information on subjects like greenhouse gases, aerosoles, hurricanes and oceans.

Welcome Back

2006-04-25T08:55:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to the final term for this school year! Some of you will be studying for final exams or vital coursework...the library staff wish you all the best for this important term. Don't forget that you are welcome in the library if you want a quiet place to study or to borrow a good book to help you relax. We are open during break and lunch times, and after school until 4:30 pm.

Homework help

2006-04-04T14:21:00.000+08:00

The displays in the library show some ideas about assignment research and writing. Did you know that the library web site also features assignment help?

Start here to find information on how to find information ("Research Guide"), evaluate web sites and create a bibliography. The pages include links to some great web resources such as interactive tutorials about how to successfully complete your assignments.

For Sherlock Holmes fans

2006-03-27T14:23:00.000+08:00

Stanford University has produced an excellent Sherlock Holmes resource as part of their ongoing series on Victorian authors. It includes a biography of the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a discussion of Victorian times, and pictures of the era. Start here to explore the author, the times and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. You can also check the library catalogue to see what is available in KGV.

Books to movies

2006-03-21T12:04:00.000+08:00

After the "Books go to Hollywood" quiz on World Book Day, some of you might be interested in other book to movie transitions. This library dicusses several books which have been adapted to movies, and gives links to the official movie sites. To find out if KGV has the book or DVD of a title you like, check the library catalogue.

Guys Read!

2006-03-15T13:39:00.000+08:00

Guys Read is a web site dedicated to books for boys. It was started by Jon Scieszka, who says "Boys often have to read books they don’t really like. They don’t get to choose what they want to read. And what they do like to read, people sometimes tell them is not really reading."

This web site picks books for guys, helps them find others and tries to find out what guys like. There are lots of links to author web sites which can tell you more about your favourite books.

ESF Orchestra and Choir

2006-03-13T16:24:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. is the performance you have all been waiting for! The ESF Orchestra and Choir will perform again at City Hall. Musical selections include Haydn's Symphony no. 100 (Military); Pirates of the Carribean; four jazz spirituals and the Harry Potter Suite. Good luck everyone with your final rehearsals tomorrow: we are looking forward to hearing and seeing the performance.

World Book Day revisited

2006-03-07T09:25:00.000+08:00

World Book Day at KGV was a great success with everyone enjoying reading! The competitions were very popular, although "Guess who's reading" seemed quite tricky for most people. The answers are now on display, and can be seen on the library web site. Click here to see some photos from the day.

KGV Karnimal

2006-03-04T08:58:00.000+08:00

Today is KGV Karnival day! From 12 noon until 5 pm you can enjoy many activities including sports competitions and demonstrations, delicious food from all over the world, cultural, dance and martial arts performances. Live music including rock bands, orchestras, jazz bands, drummers and several individual performers as well as an incredible international fashion show, juggling, stiltwalkers, a bouncy castle and a wide variety of games organized by the students. Don't forget the many stalls - including my personal favourite, the used books stall!

World Book Day Today!

2006-03-02T08:43:00.000+08:00

Everyone is welcome to join our WBD events:
*"Guess Who?" - What did your teacher read when they were at school? What do they read to their children? Enter the competition and find out. It's on the library CLC, in the foyer, the library itself and on the screen in the foyer.
*Paddyfield Book Fair in the Library. Open all day TODAY from 10:30am to 4:00pm. Your teacher may take you during your lesson time. Don't forget to bring money with you. A book can be bought for HK$70.00 - HK$100.00
*When Books Go to Hollywood - after the launch at assembly...identify the quote from the book and the movie which followed. Prizes to be won.
*Your teachers will share a favourite book with you each lesson...what will it be?
*Battle of the Books party - All BOB teams and coaches, please come to the library to celebrate the World Book Day at 1:45p.m.
*TOMORROW in the Reading Centre - a WBD party for invited guests only.

World Book Day events @ KGV

2006-02-27T14:45:00.000+08:00

Thursday March 2nd is World Book Day. This is an annual event supporting books and reading. It began in the UK, to encourage reading for pleasure. KGV joins the celebration! Events to look out for include:

Teachers reading to their class
“Guess who’s reading” photo competition
Paddyfield book fair in the library (10am - 3:30 pm)
“When Books go to Hollywood” Quiz - look for the book and DVD display in the library.

Check the library web page for more.

Get ready for World Book Day

2006-02-24T16:09:00.000+08:00

KGV celebrates World Book Day on 2nd March. Start now by trying to guess which staff member is reading a favourite book. Give your answers under "comments", mentioning the book and teacher.
See more photos at our World Book Day photo page.

Jeeves To Retire

2006-02-23T08:49:00.000+08:00

Jeeves, of Ask Jeeves, has been on-line for ten years and will soon retire as the face of this popular search engine. The site will continue under the simpler name ask.com. You can see more about the change and send Jeeves you best wishes at the official retirement site.
To learn more about ask.com, and how to use it for your assignment research, go to the KGV library's search engine page.

Painting blog

2006-02-21T12:44:00.000+08:00

If you are an art student, you might be interested in A Painting a Day, a blog by Duane Keiser, an artist in Virginia USA. For this blog he paints a new painting every day (starting October 2004). They are postcard sized oil paintings of everyday objects (e.g. today's chocoloate). Paintings like this remind us to open our eyes to see ordinary things in different and beautiful ways.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T08:46:00.000+08:00

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." -- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

To all those celebrating Valentine's Day, we hope you have a lovely day.

For those not celebrating, here's some other February 14th trivia, from Answers.com:

1876 - Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for the telephone,as does Elisha Gray.
1946 - ENIAC (for "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer"), the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania.
1966 - Australian currency is decimalised.
2003 - The death of Dolly the sheep, first cloned mammal

And in Denmark it is Gaekkebrev - a day for gift exchange by school kids

What this librarian is reading

2006-02-13T09:14:00.000+08:00

Small Island by Andrea Levy was the Orange Prize winner of 2004. I am finding it a really "good read": the passionate writing makes the reader feel involved with the characters. The story is interwoven between the viewpoints of the different characters, and the voices are all compelling. Set during and just after the Second World War, "Andrea Levy handles the weighty themes of empire, prejudice, war and love, with a lightness of touch and a generosity of spirit that challenges and uplifts the reader" (from the back cover).

See more about this book at http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/2004prize/winner/

Available on the senior fiction shelves, F6/LEV.

The Chronicles of Narnia

2006-02-06T08:48:00.000+08:00

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has finally arrived in Hong Kong!

For those who saw the movie - what did you think? Was it too long? Were the talking animals realistic? Did you think the battle scenes were scary? Was the air conditioning in the theatre so cold you actually thought you were in Narnia?

Click here for the official movie site.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

2006-01-27T08:54:00.000+08:00

Next week we will all be enjoying a break for Chinese New Year. The year of the dog is nearly here; and everyone loves dogs! They are loyal, responsible, helpful, loving, anxious and graceful. Just for fun, click here for your Chinese Zodiac predictions for 2006. Have a great holiday and see you again on 6th February.

Mozart's Birthday

2006-01-23T11:49:00.000+08:00

Friday 27th January will be Mozart's 250th birthday! As music students will know, he was a child prodigy who wrote his first symphony at the age of 8, and during his short lifetime wrote over 600 pieces of music. RTHK Radio 4 will mark the anniversary with a day of Mozart music. Visit their web site for more facts about the composer or find books about Mozart in the library (Dewey number 780.92). You can also borrow Amadeus on DVD, for a look a Mozart's life and times.

All about Charles Dickens

2006-01-20T09:06:00.000+08:00

For Dickens fans, the BBC have a fun animation to help you discover more about Dickens' life, and what influenced his work. There are also links to other resources about the Victorians, and a game: "Can you survive Charles Dickens' London?". Click here to start.

Booktrusted booklist

2006-01-17T09:19:00.000+08:00

Here's a quick way to find new books by subject: go to Booktrusted.com's booklist page. Here you can choose a genre (eg fantasy, school stories, crime and mystery), keyword (eg boys, christmas, classic) and age range. Click on "Find books now" to get your recommendation.

By choosing science "fiction", "adventure" and "teenage", I found A Sterkarm Kiss by Susan Price. A short review is included (it is an exciting time travelling novel!). This book is available in the library.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

2006-01-13T15:42:00.000+08:00

Nominated as one of the best books of 2005, Airborn is an exciting action-adventure story. The cartoonists at Unshelved recently featured it here, and the author's official website gives you an inside look at an airship. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Tintin!

2006-01-10T13:57:00.000+08:00

On this day in 1929, Tintin - a comic book character created by Hergé made his debut. He went on to be published in over 200 million comic books in 40 languages. The library has Tintin books in English, French and Spanish. Visit Tintin's official web site at http://www.tintin.com/ .

Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults for 2005

2006-01-02T14:39:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year! The Young Adults Library Services Association has released its Top Ten Best Books for 2005. This is a US association which takes nominations from members to find books published in the past 16 months that are recommended reading for young adults (ages 12 to 18). See if you agree with the choices here.

KGV library has books by authors on the list: Christopher Paul Curtis, Marchetta Melin, Michael Morpurgo and Kenneth Oppel. (There will be more about Oppel’s Airborn in a future entry.)

What did you read this Christmas?

2005-12-28T17:16:00.000+08:00

Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce was a good choice for the Christmas holiday. From the cover: "When a bag stuffed full of money drops out of the sky Damian and Anthony find themselves rich. Very rich indeed. Suddenly the brothers can buy anything they want - except the one thing they really need..." Add a menacing robber and a school nativity play, and you have an entertaining, funny and touching story. The Carnegie Medal-winning book and an audio-CD of the story are both available in the library. For extra enjoyment, get the DVD of the film version. Go to http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/millions/ to see the trailer.