ISSUE FOURTEEN
JANUARY 2016 P2. YOUR FAVOURITE NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2015. P4. PREVIEW OF NON-FICTION COMING IN 2016. P6. RESULTS OF THE FICTION VOTE. P7. REVIEWS OF STATION ELEVEN AND FINDING A VOICE. P10. PAGE TURNERS DISCUSS THE ROAD.
P11. TOP TEN FILMS OF 2015 AS VOTED BY YOU. P12. REVIEWS OF STILL ALICE AND THE IMITATION GAME. P14. THE TOP 5 OF OUR NEW TV BOXSET COLLECTION P15. BEST COMICS & MANGA OF 2015. P17. GNC INTRODUCE INDIE COMICS AND MANGA. P19. HOW TED TALKS CAN BE A GREAT SOURCE OF EXPANSION MATERIALS. P20. KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT AFFAIRS: JOURNAL ARTICLES ON CLIMATE CHANGE. P21. RESPONSES TO THE LIBRARY SURVEY 2015.
A happy New Year to you all as we delve headlong into 2016 with a review of the best that 2015 had to offer. As 2015 draws to a close it is time for the annual (well it’s the second time we’ve done it so that makes it annual right?) Reviewsletter Awards where we ask you, our wonderful readers and users to rank the various resources added to stock in the last 12 months and so we present top tens in Non-Fiction, Fiction, Film and Graphic Novels as voted for by you! Have a look at the run downs and see what you think. Do let us know if you have any thoughts on the results. In addition to the results of the Reviewsletter Awards there are all of our regular features. In NonFiction we decide to look forward as well as back and give you a glimpse at what to expect to see joining our shelves in 2016. In Fiction and Film we offers reviews of some of the resources added last year that didn’t quite make the top ten but we still thought were great. Page Turners, the library’s student book club offer some food for thought regarding their first read, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and similarly Graphic Novel Club take you through their discussions around indie comics and manga. In Online Resources we take a look at how you might expand your thinking with some thought provoking online videos whilst in Journals we pull together some recent articles from our collection regarding climate change. Finally we offer some feedback to your suggestions that were made via the Library’s 2015 survey. Mike Jones – Assistant Manager, Glyn Library
YOUR FAVOURITE NON-FICTION OF 2015 Non-fiction was a new category for this year’s Reviewsletter Awards and it was met with some fascinating responses that display an interest in materials from across our collection. Where did what you voted for come? There’s a clear preference for books to do with the media and entertainment and finding out what goes on behind the scenes and inspires our favourite performers and filmmakers. Something that resonates throughout all of the votes in each of the sections is that many of the titles making up the top ten lists are ones which we have added to stock as the result of a recommendation from one of our students. Clearly you know what each other like so please do continue to let us know what you would like to see added to our collection. MORE FOOL ME by Stephen Fry ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: B/ FRY Certified national treasure and now also King of the Glyn Library shelves, your favourite non-fiction book added to our stock in 2015 was part three of Stephen Fry’s autobiography (part two is also in our biography section). In this instalment Fry details the darker parts of his career and his battles with addiction. ONCE UPON A TIME: THE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR DISNEY STUDIOS by Bruno Girveau ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: 741.643 GIR A fascinating book for students of art, animation, film history and those with a general interest in culture. Art historian and curator Bruno Girveau takes a look at the influence that the art world had on the early Disney films and the importance in this of them becoming classics of the cinematic world. FRANK: THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED THE MOVIE by Jon Ronson ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY: B/ RON Clearly there were many of you who were fans of the Michael Fassbender and Domhall Gleeson starring film and wanted to know more about the true story that inspired it. Writer Jon Ronson was keyboardist for Frank Sidebottom’s Oh Big Blimey Band and here he details the wonderful world of Chris Sievey’s creation. THE TIGER THAT ISN’T: SEEING THROUGH A WORLD OF NUMBERS by Michael Blastland ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: 510 BLA There seems to be a theme amongst many of your choices of distrust in governments and politicians. This book aims to unravel the world of numbers and statistics and empower readers to look beyond the figures used by those in power to bamboozle us and see the truth of the matter beyond them.
BLACK HOLES & BABY UNIVERSIES AND OTHER ESSAYS by Stephen Hawking ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: 523.88 HAW Part autobiography, part philosophical meanderings and part scientific statement this collection of essays and other writings from the world’s most famous physicist reveal him as much more than the genius behind A Brief history of Time. Hawking manages to bridge two of our lists, appearing in the guise of Eddie Redmayne on our film list! HOW TO BAKE by Paul Hollywood ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: 641.815 HOL With The Great British Bake Off being the most watched television programme of 2015 it’s no surprise to find this on the list. Hopefully you all now know how to avoid a soggy bottom and can bake up a treat. Just in case you were wondering the Glyn Library Team are partial to a nice slice of cake (hint hint!) PETER JACKSON: FROM GORE TO MORDOR by Paul A Woods ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: 791.430233 JAC Another person to pop up more than once on our countdowns with the last of his Hobbit trilogy in the film list, Peter Jackson’s career is examined in this book through a series of articles, essays and reviews as well as interviews with the man himself. Covering his whole career so far from low budget horror to epic fantasy! HOW CORRUPT IS BRITAIN? By David Whyte (306.4 WHY) PANDORA’S DAUGHTERS: THE ROLE AND STATUS OF WOMEN IN GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITY by Eva Cantarella (930 CAN) FRAMING MUSLIMS: STEREOTYPING AND REPRESENTATION AFTER 9/11 by Peter Morey (070.449297 MOR) WE ARE ANONYMOUS: INSIDE THE HACKER WORLD OF LULZSEC, ANONYMOUS AND THE GLOBAL CYBER INSURGENCY by Parmy Olson (364.168 OLS) SEX, LIES AND THE BALLOT BOX; 50 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BRITISH ELECTIONS by Phillip Cowley (324.941 COW) TRANS: A MEMOIR by Juliet Jacques (306.768 JAC) WHIPPING GIRL: A TRANSEXUAL WOMAN ON SEXISM AND THE SCAPEGOATING OF FEMINITY by Julia Serano (306.768 SER) THE SNOWDEN FILES: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST WANTED MAN by Luke Harding (323.448 HAR) PUNK: AN AESTHETIC by Johan Kugelberg (741.67 KUG) TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES: A RESOURCE FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY by Laura EricksonSchroth (306.768 ERI) An interesting range of titles make up the 3 votes club pitting them alongside each other in equal eighth place. The theme of mistrust in the powers that be crops up again with looks at corruption in Britain, media representation of certain ethnic groups, the world of “hacktivism”, a deconstruction of the British electoral system and a profile of Edward Snowden, the man who exposed the levels of surveillance to which American and British governments are imposing on us. Alongside these it’s good to see our updated range of books on the transgender community have been heartily welcomed and that nearly 40 years on from its inception Punk still reverberates with young people.
COMING IN 2016… As we enter a new year it shouldn’t just be about looking back at the successes of the last twelve months, we should also be looking forward to how we can make the most of the coming year. With this in mind we thought we’d give you a sneak preview of some of the non-fiction titles we are going to be adding into our stock between now and the summer break. Please do let us know what you think of these, whether you would like to reserve any of them to be the first to borrow when it arrives or whether there is another book you know of due to be released soon that you would like to see added to our stock. As ever, we want the strongest factor in our stock development to be your needs and so your feedback is crucial to this. THE POET’S TALE: CHAUCER AND THE YEAR THAT MADE THE CANTERBURY TALES by Paul Strohm DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 7th January 2016 There are many book written analysing the stories and meanings behind Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales but this new biography takes the man himself as the subject and looks at the procession of circumstances in 1386 that lead to Chaucer being in the ideal position to create his masterpiece and secure his place in history. DARK MATTER AND THE DINOSAURS: THE ASTOUNDING INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE UNIVERSE by Lisa Randall DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 14th January 2016 We know that dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid colliding with Earth but Lisa Randall explores this further looking at the role dark matter had in this event and the influence it has had on the cosmos from the Big Bang to today and beyond. FINAL SOLUTION: FATE OF THE JEWS 1933-1949 by David Cesarani DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 28th January 2016 David Cesarani takes a new look at the holocaust and the horrors experienced by Jewish people under Nazi rule. He offers a fresh perspective that indicates that the persecution of the Jews was as much a result of the war as it was any Nazi predisposition to the idea. WHY FONTS MATTER by Sarah Hyndman DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 28th January 2016 You may not think much of what font you use when typing something but how the words you write are presented can offer a depth of meaning that the words alone cannot convey. At least this is the premise of this fascinating book from Sarah Hyndman who opens up about the science and art of how fonts influence you. WEST OF EDEN by Jean Stein DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 4th February 2016 An oral history of Hollywood from the mouths of the biggest stars of the day including Lauren Bacall, Arthur Miller, Dennis Hopper and Stephen Sondheim as interviews by Jean Stein who has her own steeped history with the film industry, growing up in a fairytale mansion during Hollywood’s golden age
SKETCHBOOKS by Grayson Perry DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 4th February 2016 A first collection of sketches from the brilliant British artist charting his career from art school to putting on sell-out exhibitions. The book beautifully demonstrates the workings of an artist with the sketches showing how ideas form and develop into the finished pieces now revered through the art world. MODERN ROMANCE by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 4th February 2016 If you are aware of Aziz Ansari from TV show Parks & Recreation or from his stand-up you may wonder what he’s doing on a list of forthcoming academic books. Here though he teams up with eminent sociologists to conduct an in depth study into the place of romance in the modern world with humour yet insightful results. THE LIFE PROJECT: HOW THE STUDY OF SIX GENERATIONS SHOWED US WHO WE ARE by Helen Pearson DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 3rd March 2016 A remarkable and unique set of studies that began with a survey in 1946 that continues today and has encompassed six generations of children and over 70,000 people making it the most comprehensive observation of human development ever. This not only details the findings but also the methods and people behind them. AND THE WEAK SUFFER WHAT THEY MUST? By Yanis Varoufakis DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 7th April 2016 Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has become the poster boy for antiausterity economics and in this latest book he looks at the crumbling European Union and how without radical change is will fail and fall, leading us into a global financial hole even deeper than the one we’re currently in. BLACK BOX THINKING: MARGINAL GAINS, CREATIVE INNOVATION AND THE SECRETS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE by Matthew Syed DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 7th April 2016 Matthew Syed continues his investigation into how great people perpetuate success, began in Bounce, with this look at what he terms “black box thinking”, those who are interrogate their mistakes and use them to further future strategies to succeed. GIRL UP by Laura Bates DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 21st April 2016 From the author of the successful Everyday Sexism comes this examination of the way in which young women are presented with certain expectations regarding body image and exposes the lies that are perpetuated via the media and through peer pressure on social networking sites. HOMINTERN: HOW GAY CULTURE LIBERATED THE MODERN WORLD by Gregory Woods DUE TO BE PUBLISHED: 29th April 2016 An ambitious study of homosexuality throughout the course of the last few hundred years and the influence it’s had in shaping modern Western culture. The book travels across the world talking to key people and discussing issues such as discrimination, the coping strategies of minorities and the hypocrisies of conservatism.
YOUR FAVOURITE FICTION OF 2015 Once again young adult and fantasy fiction dominates our top ten fiction books with there also being a strong link with those titles which have become well known in other mediums. As with the Non-fiction, many of these have also been added to stock as the result of recommendations from our students showing that you know best what our users like. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ WEI The profile of this book was doubly raised this year with not only the Matt Damon starring film being released but also the book being given away free as part of the World Book Night celebrations. Still this doesn’t guarantee a book’s success. That comes from the quality of the story of a man stranded on Mars. FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION by Veronica Roth ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ ROT Veronica Roth is one of only two authors on our list to be appearing for the second year running showing the enduring appeal of young adult fantasy fiction with our users. This is a prequel to the Divergent trilogy giving background to minor character Four and how he became the person we meet in the first book. WICKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST by Gregory Maguire ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY: F/ MAG Whilst many of the other books on this list have become more famous after being made into movies this is a book better known as a hit stage musical. Gregory Maguire’s retelling of the Wizard of Oz is a much darker affair than Stephen Schwartz’s show giving it a bit more edge and making it a compelling read. FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM by Newt Scamander ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ ROW Harry Potter remains a huge cultural property as witnessed by the frenetic buying of tickets to the new play and of course in the expansion of the wizarding world in the forthcoming film adaptation of this book. This was originally put together by J K Rowling for Comic Relief as a textbook from within the world of Hogwarts. SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ LAN You may recall from the “our suggestions” segment in November’s issue that this was a recommendation on our suggestions boards and we were unsure whether the book was of the correct level for our students. It’s placing at number 3 in our list would indicate that it is, another example of our users know best.
CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ CLA Last year the first title in the Mortal Instruments series placed 8th on our list and at the time we said that books 2 to 6 were on order, a decision that was clearly vindicated by the appearance of this title at number 6 this year. Interestingly this is book 3 in the series. I wonder what makes it stand out from the others? I AM NUMBER FOUR by Pittacus Lore ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ LOR The second title on our list to be written by a fictional character (the other being Newt Scamander). Pittacus Lore is allegedly an alien from the planet Lorien telling the story of some of his kin who were hiding out on Earth and hunted by the Mogadorians. MR MERECEDES by Stephen King ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ KIN It’s good to see an old school horror author like Stephen King hanging out in this list with these young pretenders. There’s no supernatural element in this though. Mr Mercedes is a riveting suspense thriller pitting a retired cop taunted by the case he never sold against the perpetrator of that notorious crime. THE RAILWAY CHILREN by E Nesbit ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ NES With our list being about items added to our stock this year, not just necessarily those published this year, it means we can have classics like this cropping up. It’s fantastic to see that even after all these years this 1906 classic still resonates with readers. NO GAME, NO LIFE by Yuu Kamiya ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: F/ KAM Just 2 months ago I was unaware of the existence of the “light novel” genre, a Japanese form where manga-esque tales are presented in written rather than graphic form. Thanks to a suggestion for this book though we now have a number of these type of books adorning our fiction section.
STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel
Reviewed by Polly Halladay
‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel, in a way, is an undefinable novel. It dapples in dystopia, naturalism and magic realism. Simply, it is a novel about memory, art and survival. More revealingly, the Georgia Flu pandemic has ravished the world with a mortality of 99%. What remains raises issues of social, psychological, physical and political considerations; that which Mandel subtly and explicitly explores. In the aftermath of a pandemic – How would people interact, survive, live, govern themselves?
These musings of what life would be like without our current capitalist and materialist structures are the core of my attraction to this book. Mandel’s ‘Station Eleven’ depicts a crumbled civilisation inhabited by an interesting social mixture of those who can remember life before the collapse and those born after. Remnants of the past litter the landscape, as one would expect. For those who can remember lies want of documentation; wherein a functionless iPhone and a stiletto heel form objects of a museum in the recesses of an abandoned airport. For those born after the Flu lies the magical contemplation of lightbulbs, airplanes, running water! For everyone, lies the issue of survival in a world without readily available food, electricity or medical care; with sparks of extreme religious, tyrannical groups and a dwindling supply of ammunition... Mandel manages to encapsulate these issues and eclipse her own interest in the arts in the adventures of the Travelling Symphony, a band of actors and musicians who traverse through the settlements that have grown 20 years into the altered world, performing classical music and Shakespeare. Additionally, Mandel layers over all this, an interweaving plot switching backwards and forwards in time, examining the implications of lives on others and asking questions about art, fame and the relationships that sustain us through everything. In this way, Mandel’s novel doesn’t encumber itself in the weight of one genre, as with most apocalypse novels pushing grimly into horror or dystopia, but skips excitingly between. Detailed and profound, her novel cumulates as associative connections are concluded between characters and time frames. It expressively combines material destruction with poignant sentimentalities examining the human condition, “The more you remember, the more you’ve lost”. I found it compellingly unique with an accessible contemporary style that kept me turning till the very end. Interestingly, Mandel’s detailed thematic choices left enough unexplored areas to keep me wanting even after her story had concluded. What happens to these characters, do they survive, does civilisation rebuild, and does culture remain?
FINDING A VOICE by Kim Hood
Reviewed by Hollie Cornell
Kim Hood’s first novel, finding a voice is definitely worth a read. Life isn’t easy for thirteen year old Jo, not only does she have minimal friends at school as she’s known as the ‘outcast’ but she also has to look after her mum who suffers with a mental illness. Jo has to balance the pain of school life and her mother’s troubles, therefore never has any time to herself. When Jo volunteers to help out with special needed children in her school, she never thought she’d gain a friendship in Chris. Chris is a disabled boy in a wheelchair who sadly can’t talk, but underneath is a normal boy, who has the biggest smile and something he is hiding from everyone. Jo has difficulty communicating with Chris to begin with but it improves as time goes on and they are able to communicate without having to use speech. As their friendship grows Jo starts to find out how terrible Chris’ life really is; not being able to talk to anyone, having no family, and not being treated fairly in his home. Desperate to change that, Jo makes a decision that could leave Chris in serious danger and herself in big trouble. Finding a voice is a very good novel for all ages, but in particular young teenagers. Kim Hood addresses mental illness in a simplified but effective way. It informs people who don’t know a lot about the subject and she allows the reader to understand how it affects the person, people around them and the obstacles they face. Kim Hood writes about controversial issues that are so important and common in today’s society, mental illness, disability, not fitting in, bullying and the idea of normality that is questioned frequently. This makes it so relatable to young people today that may be going through the same struggles.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone, it is a very good read and it won’t take very long to get through at all. This book highlights the importance of friendship and how unlikely friendships can sometimes be the most meaningful and also how spoken communication isn’t always necessary in understanding each other.
Want to know about the latest additions to our fiction section? Follow our Pinterest board for monthly updates and reviews. Click the logo above to follow us. Here are some of the books recently added to there and our collection… THE FISHERMEN by Chigozie Obioma Set in Nigeria, four young brothers take advantage of their father’s long absence from home, by skipping school and going fishing. Along the riverbank, they encounter a madman, who predicts that one brother will kill another. A gripping piece of modern African literature which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara Following four close friends who decide to move together to New York to try to carve out lives for themselves. They begin broke and aimless, but their friendship and support of one another keeps them afloat in their varying successes. One of them, however, is hiding childhood scars which are proving impossible to heal.
PRINCE OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence A magical fantasy series about an exceptional young warrior and anti-hero named Jorg, the Prince of Thorns. He possesses the power to influence the living and the dead, and leads a band of violent outlaws in a world filled with evil and chaos. The first in a dark three part trilogy.
ATTACK ON TITAN: BEFORE THE FALL by Ryo Suzukaze Prequel to the popular manga series. Humanity has learned to live in complacency behind its high walls, protected from the giant Titans. But when a Titan-worshipping cult opens one of the gates, a Titan wreaks havoc, consuming the cultists. After the bloodshed, a baby is discovered alive inside the body of one of the cultists. What will be the fate of the ‘child of the Titans’ be?
PAGE TURNERS BOOK CLUB Page Turners is the Glyn Library’s student book club who meet each month to discuss a book of their choice. For their first selection of the 2015/16 academic year they looked at Cormac McCarthy’s postapocalyptic modern masterpiece The Road. Here’s what the Page Turner members had to say about the book: "Depressing and difficult to slog through, but worth it."
"Even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it."
"A little slow and dull, but I think that's the point; to show how their dystopian world is just slow and dull for them now."
"Gripping."
"Although it is pretty sad, I found it kind of uplifting - especially the end." "Chilling. I got real shivers down my spine at some of the more... 'graphic' moments."
The discussions bought out some very interesting points as detailed below. Have read and see if you agree with them. Warning though, SPOILERS abound!
The lack of names and speech marks made the book quite impersonal, as if this life could happen to anybody. It also meant the reader is forced to look closer at what is being said and what sort of style the characters say/do things with.
The wife has an idea of protection in death, that death is a relief, and goes to show how people change after PTSD (in the flashbacks to before/at the beginning of the end of the world, she is far more carefree and compassionate, but the apocalypse gets to her and she changes into a cold, distant, suicidal character).
Boy finds the other young boy, and is told of a community of people - humans band together even in the darkest of times, but the father is still distrusting and maybe even a little masochistic.
Throwing away his wallet could be a symbol of him throwing away his identity.
Significance of the fire - carrying the fire is them controlling the fire... fire destroyed the world around them, and so they escaped their destruction by fire and now "carry the fire", controlling it... and therefore controlling their destinies.
Role reversal of father and son during the father's death is interesting - father is the protector throughout the novel, the one who looks after and comforts the boy, but the father lies by the beach on the brink of death (perhaps him dying at the beach also symbolises the death of his dream that there would be salvation there) and is protected and comforted by the boy. It could be argued that the boy matures dramatically throughout the course of the novel and is able to be there for his father without breaking down thanks to his father's earlier guidance about fear and pain; by maturing so much, the boy could be seen to continue his father's life and their search for a better world in joining the family whom find him at the end of the novel.
The father's viewpoint is quite cynical and bleak, and when he dies at the end, the lexis becomes much brighter and hopeful (even though it isn't specified that the boy is the new focaliser by the end, he could be seen as such due to the associations between hopefulness and youth).
YOUR FAVOURITE FILMS OF 2015 For the second year running it’s sci-fi films that dominate our list, showing that whilst many awards ceremonies continue to ignore genre cinema, such plaudits mean nothing to our users and they watch what they want. Over half of the list are sequels and seven of the ten have spawned from literary origins. BIG HERO 6, directed by Don Hall ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ BIG In a year of big bombast blockbuster movies it’s interesting to see this simple and sweet Disney film come out on top of your list of favourites. The story of a young robotic genius and his inflatable robot friend this won last year’s Best Animated Film Oscar and clearly resonated with audiences of all ages. PITCH PERFECT 2, directed by Elizabeth Banks ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ PIT The first Pitch Perfect film was somewhat of a sleeper hit, showing off the vocal talents of Anna Kendrick and turning Rebel Wilson into a household name. This enjoyable sequel sticks to the follow up formula of upping the stakes and adding in extra conflict for the main character but does so in a charmingly tuneful way. THE HOBBIT; THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, directed by Peter Jackson ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY: DVD/ BAT The middle instalment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy made it to number 2 in last year’s list and we wondered whether the final part would make it as high. Well it almost did. The Battles of the Five Armies certainly gave what was promised in the title but felt like it never matched the crescendo of the Return of the King. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, directed by Matthew Vaughn ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ KIN A lesser known comic property from Scottish writer Mark Millar and English director Matthew Vaughn showed Bond how to make a modern, fun, violent, gadget ridden spy movie with excellent turns from newcomer Taron Ederton, Samuel L Jackson, Michael Caine and an against type Colin Firth proving he’s a man of action. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, directed by Joss Whdeon ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ AVE Joss Whedon’s follow-up to the hugely successful Avengers Assemble was always going to struggle to match its appeal and critics would have you believe it missed the mark by some way, but you clearly disagree. The opening assault on the Hydra base was certainly visually brilliant and threads were sown for this year’s Civil War!
JURRASIC WORLD, directed by Colin Trevorrow ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ JUR Over 20 years after we originally visited Isla Nublar we’re back and this time the dinosaur zoo is very much open. Of course things go awry and the pre-historic monsters wreak havoc. This film is a whole lot of fun with great set pieces and a nice commentary on the current film industry’s need to forever go “bigger”. THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, directed by James Marsh ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ THE Eddie Redmayne rightly cleared up at the 2015 awards ceremonies for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in this films based upon the memoirs of his first wife Jane. It’s a beautifully touching tale of a brilliant man and how a family copes when illness intervenes. INSURGENT, directed by Robert Schwentke ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ INS Divergent placed number 4 in last year’s list so its follow-up has slipped in your estimations. Following in the wake of The Hunger Games and its ilk this is certainly one of the better young adult series to be adapted, as displayed in it attracting such talent as Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, directed by George Miller ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ MAD Personally this was my favourite film of the year (yes even over Star Wars) with its hark back to the big budget, stunt laden films of the 80s. At the same time though it had a nice modern touch with its plot and characters offering a feminist perspective on what is normally a male dominated genre. THE GRUDGE, directed by Shimizu Takashi ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: JAP DVD/ GRU It’s great to see a foreign language film punctuating our list and, again, one added to stock as the result of a student recommendation. This modern classic of Japanese horror presents 6 intertwining segments based around the same cursed house and the murderous ghost who resides there.
STILL ALICE directed by Richard Glatzer
Reviewed by Natalie McGhie
Still Alice is the story of an ambitious teacher who is diagnosed with Alzheimers’ disease. As her illness takes over her life at a frighteningly rapid pace, Alice ends up struggling to remember the memories that are important to her, such as the name of her eldest children. During the film, the family relations are flipped on their heads: Alice’s husband John tries to be supportive but generally ends up making things worse, and their feisty youngest daughter Lydia, with whom Alice often butted heads, steps up to care for her mother.
This film is really, really hard to watch. Throughout the first 30 minutes, Alice’s paranoia seeps into you as the viewer, and I found myself tense and anxious as I wondered just how scared she must be feeling. After she gets her diagnosis, things go from bad to worse. The cinematography used as a way of viewing Alice’s mental deterioration is very creative; the background blurs completely out of focus and all sound volume is lowered, leaving both Alice and the audience trapped in a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours. Julianne Moore’s performance as Alice is incredible: she doesn’t shy away from any of the emotions she must play, and you end up forgetting you’re watching a film and instead feel like an invisible bystander in Alice’s dayto-day life. The ending left me in tears. However, I would have liked to have seen some more glimpses of Alice before she developed Alzheimers’. From the moment the film starts it plunges you right into the beginning stages of her disease, such as when she muddles up a conversation in the very first scene, or forgets a crucial word in the next. Whilst Alice is devastated that she is losing herself, this is the only part of the film that I felt oddly detached to; I didn’t know who Alice was before her disease developed, and so I whilst I definitely sympathized with her, it was hard for me to relate to her in this instance. As it is, the film seems to show her in the light that her illness is what makes her interesting enough that audiences want to sit down for 90 minutes and watch her-and this seems hypocritical to the point the film was trying to make, being that people are more than just their illnesses. All in all, however, whilst I felt the start was rather jumpy, I’d absolutely recommend Still Alice. It’s a heavy film to watch, but it’s a brilliant insight into a disease not many people know much about.
THE IMITATION GAME directed by Morten Tydlum
Reviewed by Jade Mansbridge
The Imitation Game is a 2014 historical drama film loosely based on the biography ‘Alan Turing: The Enigma’ written by Andrew Hodges. Based on true and emotional events, the film was directed by Morten Tyldum, and was praised for its deep and rich undertones of love, loss and strength. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. The Imitation Game recounts the cruel outcome of the man who solved the enigma code, the man who was estimated to have shortened the war by two years, the man who was gay. The Imitation Game has been nominated for, and has received, numerous awards with Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Turing particularly praised. The film and its cast and crew were also honoured by Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group in the United States due to the recognized deep themes of homosexuality. It was also given many awards for its direction, and for me this was the most striking aspect of the film. It features a story like narrative, and many flashbacks that serve to give deeper insights to Turing's life. He is a character we, the audience, feel connected to and emotionally invested in throughout the film; due to our understanding of his difficult past and his ever-vulnerable states of mind. The film is an elegantly written and poignantly performed masterpiece. It’s undeniably strong in its sense of a bright light burned out too soon, and the often undignified fate of those who dare to chafe at society's established norms. The Imitation Game also features themes of love, though not in the generic or accepted forms usually expressed in movies - especially those based during WWII. Its diversity and shock factor are definitely elements which make The Imitation Game so memorable and special.
To end, I would recommend The Imitation Game for its amazing actor performances, chilling and thoughtprovoking storyline (based on true events), and incredible direction. Its dark undertones, paired with the victorious invincibility of helping the Allies win the Second World War create an emotional and touching story from beginning to end. A must watch.
YOUR FAVOURITE TV DVDs OF 2015 You may have noticed that the Library added a range of TV boxsets to our DVD stand at the start of this year. None of them managed to crack the top ten DVDs overall so we thought we’d present them in their own mini-league with the top 5 for your perusal. It’s great to see a home grown show like Black Mirror mixing it up with the big budgets American televisual behemoths and that 4 of the 5 shows have debuted in recent years is indicative of the golden age of television we are currently enjoying. THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE, created by Frank Darabont and Robert Kirkman ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ WAL That this just missed out on the overall top ten by one vote shows how popular this show has become. It’s not all that surprising to find this topping the list though, seeing as the graphic novel series on which it is based is the most borrowed comic book in the Library. GAME OF THRONES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, created by D B Weiss and David Benioff ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ GAM Arguably the biggest show on TV in recent years and you clearly agree. This adaptation of George R R Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series is truly epic, juggling a plethora of characters and storylines across a vast fictional world where an initial era of peace soon gives way to a grand familial war. BLACK MIRROR, created by Charlie Brooker ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY: DVD/ BLA Charlie Brooker has long been one of the most insightful critics of British media and culture. With the Black Mirror series he turns his sharp focus on the place that technology plays in modern society offering visions of a near future in which current trends have been fully realised to drastically alter our lives. ROOTS, created by Marvin Chomsky ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ ROO This series, originally broadcast in the 70s, clearly stands the test of time, still resonating with today’s students. Roots is the story of a slave family, an alternate history of America from a black perspective spanning four generations from entrapment to emancipation. FARGO: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, created by Noah Hawley ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: DVD/ AVE Emulating the soul of the 1996 Coen Brother’s film of the same name, this ten part series is one of the most compelling pieces of television to broadcast in recent years. Martin Freeman is brilliant as the put upon everyman whose chance meeting with Billy Bob Thornton’s ice cool hitman sets off a chain of events no-one could predict.
YOUR FAVOURITE GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2015 The top part of this countdown certainly seems to have some correlation to those comics which have recently been adapted for the big and small screen. Western comics once again win out over manga with a decrease in the number of the Japanese form making the top ten. Honours are even though between the big hitters DC and Marvel with both having 4 titles on the list. DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR by Frank Miller ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ FRA Having watched the excellent Netflix series based on this book it is easy to see why it has topped this year’s list of your favourites. The terrible Ben Affleck starring film is now a distant memory with Daredevil now known as the gritty vigilante serving out rough justice by night and civil defence by day in his Matt Murdoch, lawyer guise. SUICIDE SQUAD: KICKED IN THE TEETH by Adam Glass ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ GLA A little known title until recently this has become more well known thanks to the forthcoming film. The Margot Robbie and Jared Leto starring picture will take influence from this version of the Suicide Squad, part of DC’s New 52 reboot which places Harley Quinn at the centre of the team of supervillians. BATMAN/SUPERMAN: CROSS WORLD by Greg Pak ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY: G/ PAK Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of the most anticipated films of the year and so I can see why this was picked up by so many of you. Whilst there is conflict between the two in this story, the focus is on the formation of their lasting friendship showing both old and young versions of the characters. ANT-MAN: SECOND CHANCE MAN by Nick Spencer ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ SPE Another comic buoyed by a successful film adaptation, the Paul Rudd starring flick was a pleasant surprise considering its chequered development. Like in the cinematic outing, Ant-Man here is the second incumbent, Scott Lang, reformed burglar looking for a chance to prove he’s the hero he wants to be. YOUNG AVENGERS: STYLE > SUBSTANCE by Kieron Gillen ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ GIL In much the same way the teen protagonists of the young adult fiction series seem to resonate with our users, so too it seems does this teen version of the Avengers. Kieron Gillen is an emerging talent in comics (check out his brilliant Darth Vader) and really captures what it’s like to be a teen, not least one with super powers!
TOKYO GHOUL by Sui Ishida ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ ISH The top rating manga book in our list is a recent addition to our collection and another fine example of our users knowing what’s best for their fellow readers. This tells the story of Ken Kaneki the first half-human/half-ghoul hybrid and is drawn into the physical and political battle between the two forms. PANDORA HEARTS by Jun Mochizuki ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ MOC A fine example of the sprawling fantasy worlds that can be found throughout the different manga forms. This follows Oz, a carefree teen and heir to an aristocratic family whose life changes on his fifteenth birthday when dark forces rise to punish him for the sins of a past life! SUPERMAN: WHAT PRICE TOMORROW by George Perez ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ PER The man of steel is clearly popular with our readers, appearing 3 times on this list. In this New 52 run of the comic Superman is presented a moral quandary as it becomes evident he is responsible for the latest villain to attack Metropolis. With even the Daily Planet turning on him he must work to save the city and his reputation. THE FADE OUT: ACT ONE by Ed Brubaker ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ BRU The only book on this list which doesn’t feature a superhero or some kind of fantastical element. This is like an old Hollywood noir film, in fact it’s set around the shooting of an old Hollywood noir film and is full of intrigue, suspicion and rich characters full of flaws and plenty to hide. ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ MOR Lex Luthor has finally achieved what he always wanted to, he has killed Superman. Well, not quite, the big blue boy scout is dying, slowly and so here we get what’s somewhat akin to a greatest hits tour with Supes revisiting old friends, adversaries and worlds to tidy up any loose ends before his demise. MS. MARVEL: NO NORMAL by G. Willow Wilson ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ WIL A groundbreaking book from Marvel, featuring their first Muslim superhero in a lead role. This is so much more than just that headline though, it’s a brilliant examination of what it is to be a modern teenager who just so happens to have religious conflicts on top of the normal problems and in addition now develops super powers! GYO by Junji Ito ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: G/ ITO Junji Ito is the master of Japanese horror manga and in this is one of his finest works. A stench of death hangs over Okinawa and when a strange, legged fish appears on the scene Tadashi and Kaori spiral into investigating the horrors of the sea. A brilliantly written and drawn book.
DOUBT by Yoshiki Tonogai ON SHELF IN THE GLYN LIBRARY AT: JAP DVD/ GRU Another late addition to our stock which has made an instant impact. Doubt is an interesting commentary on modern society with its story revolving around a smartphone game which goes viral. When some friends who have met online decide to meet up they find themselves embroiled in an all too real-life version of the game.
GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB INTRODUCES… Graphic Novel Club have been busy during the last half term, meeting and discussing a wide range of comics and graphic novels. Here they give their recommendations on anyone interested in indie comics and introduce you to the Glyn Library’s manga collection…
At another exciting meeting for the Graphic Novel Club as we explored the Indie scene of the Graphic Novel World. Expanding our horizons, we also looked at web-comics when making our selections.
Saga A journey across space, a family in peril, a war between a planet and it’s moon and the story of a bounty hunter and his cat. All of this and more is contained within the pages of Saga and it’s a wild ride. I wouldn’t recommend this for younger audiences, as it often features explicit material, for example, a whole planet dedicated to sex. If you’re okay with that, however, the Saga is a adventure worth reading.
The Lumberjanes This is a quirky adventure focused on a small group of campers, at a Scout Camp. Going on bizarre adventures is the mindset here, as they hunt after the Kitten Holy, while annoying the hell out of their supervisor. Grace Ellis has done a sterling job of creating unique, fun characters and with a rumour of a movie on the way, personally, I can’t wait to see more.
Ava’s Demon - www.avasdemon.com A webcomic following the adventures of a girl named Ava, oh, and the demon who’s been torturing her since birth. The art in this comic is fantastic, and seeing the variety of characters and locations is thrilling, as we bounce from planet to planet, all the while hearing about the mysterious Titan, both person, religious symbol, and corporation. There isn’t much out right now, but with regular updates, and themes like immortality and religion already being played with, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
CraftyGirls - http://tomboy-comics.deviantart.com/gallery/40946682/MinecraftCraftyGirls A webcomic based on Minecraft, building massively on the original premise. Mixing comedy with a story to fascinate, we explore the role of a group of people, as they become part of a plot which would shake the very foundations of the servers to the core. With a minimalistic art style, the characters are identified by clothing and hair, with most everything else staying in black and white. My only complaint would be a few typos here and there, but given the author is dyslexic, that is understandable.
Romantically Apocalyptic - http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com/ This post-apocalyptic tale is one of the more well known webcomics out there. What would happen if you could wish for anything, at anytime? Now think if everyone could do that, it doesn’t end well, with most of humanity ending up dead. The art staggers, as with regular updates we are wowed time and time again at the time and effort put into this comic. Definitely one to check out, even if you just look at the first page.
Our next session was all about Manga, the Japanese form of comics that has become increasingly popular in the west. All of the manga listed this week can be found in the library’s stock, so don’t be afraid to go and have a look.
Blue Exorcist So, your father’s a priest, your house is a church and your Brother’s doctor? Wrong, instead you're the son of Satan and your house has burnt down around you, oh yeah, and your Brother’s a demon hunter, who knew?
Tokyo Ghoul In another example of a sudden change in life, a date with what should have been his sweetheart goes horribly wrong for Kaneki as she tries to eat him, in the cannibal kind of way. She was a ghoul, and in order to save his life he gets her organs! Making him the same kind of monster.
Durarara!!! In the town of Ikebukuro, we follow a twisted love story, through the perspective of several different characters, all with their own interweaving plots, all adding to the bustling city. A personal favorite of mine, I’d highly suggest this one for any who like a hint of the Supernatural
Fairy Tale A guild of Mercenaries in a fantasy world, our protagonist, Lucy, joins one of the most rowdy guilds out there, as they go on adventures far and wide, helping not just themselves, but so many others.
GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB MEET EVERY OTHER TUESDAY TO DISCUSS COMIC BOOKS, MANGA & MORE, AROUND A CHOSEN THEME. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING EMAIL library@barton.ac.uk FOR MORE INFORMATION.
TED TALKS We often talk about encouraging you to engage in wider reading and while the choice of wording would imply this would involve strict use of the printed form what we actually mean is for you to explore content additional to that which you are provided in class, regardless of what form it takes. One such excellent source of materials to enhance and inspire your learning is TED. TED is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation committed to spreading great ideas and sparking conversation. Their primary means of doing so is via talks which are filmed and presented on their website. Over the years these talk have featured many of the foremost thinkers in their areas and so they have built up quite an archive of materials which you may find useful in inspiring your own research or as a source to quote in your writing. Below are some examples of the kind of talks available via TED.com, click on the screenshot to watch the video online.
HAVE WE REACHED THE END OF PHYSICS? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does so much interesting stuff exist in the universe? Particle physicist Harry Cliff works on the LHC at CERN, and he has some potentially bad news for people who seek answers to these questions. Despite the best efforts of scientists we may never be able to explain all the weird features of nature. Is this the end of physics?
HOW TO USE DATA TO MAKE A HIT TV SHOW Does collecting more data lead to better decision-making? Competitive, data-savvy companies like Amazon, Google and Netflix have learned that data analysis alone doesn't always produce optimum results. In this talk, data scientist Sebastian Wernicke breaks down what goes wrong when we make decisions based purely on data — and suggests a brainier way to use it.
AN UNDERWATER ART MUSEUM, TEEMING WITH LIFE For sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the ocean is more than a muse — it's an exhibition space and museum. Taylor creates sculptures of human forms and mundane life on land and sinks them to the ocean floor, where they are subsumed by the sea and transformed from lifeless stone into vibrant habitats for corals, crustaceans and other creatures.
ADVENTURES IN TWITTER FICTION In the 1930s, broadcast radio introduced an entirely new form of storytelling; today, micro-blogging platforms like Twitter are changing the scene again. Andrew Fitzgerald takes a look at the (aptly) short but fascinating history of new forms of creative experimentation in fiction and storytelling.
CLIMATE CRISIS AND COP21
A journal review by Steve Squibbs This edition of the Reviewsletter takes a look at coverage of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change that took place in Paris at the start of December. It is unsurprising that the gathering of world leaders, whose stated aim was to combat one of, if not the, biggest issues facing humanity should produce as much journalistic output as it did in the weeks running up to and following COP21. What follows then is only a selection of the articles to be found in our journal collection in the final two months of last year. A wealth of articles on climate science and the political process surrounding global agreements on climate change can be found in our magazine archive, and library staff will be only too happy to help you explore the subject in greater depth. If you are looking for an overview of the science behind climate change a good place to begin would be December’s edition of BBC Focus, in which Ravilious (2015) traces the historical development of our understanding of global warming and looks at some of the key evidence linking rising temperatures to human activity. Also well worth investigating is a special report on climate change produced by The Economist (2015). Freely available online, the report looks at some of the key issues surrounding the talks in Paris, including renewable energy, China’s position as the world’s biggest polluter, geoengineering/manmade global cooling, and biodiversity. The issue of biodiversity is taken up by climate change experts Callaghan and Johansson (2015) in Biological Sciences Review where they consider the impact of a rapidly warming Arctic climate on local species and ecosystems,
as well as the global effects of Arctic climate change. As one might expect of a newspaper based in the conference’s host city, November’s edition of Le Monde Diplomatique featured a series of articles ahead of the Paris talks. Well known for its critique of capitalism and neo-liberalism, the paper’s special report includes a piece by Sinaï (2015), who looks beyond international diplomacy, and its reliance on international market mechanisms, to alternative ways to protect the environment. It is a theme expanded on by Bonneuil (2015) in Le Diplo’s December’s edition, highlighting the damage that has been done to the poorest nations and people through a process of ‘unequal ecological exchange’. Elsewhere in the pages of Ethical Consumer Stevens (2016) explores the extent of corporate lobbying in the run-up to COP21. Unsurprisingly oil and gas companies were particularly active, with some campaigning against emissions reduction targets at the same time as calling for ambitious action at the climate summit. Leaving fossil fuels in the ground and developing renewable alternatives is one of the key demands of the environmental movement, which partly explains the large-scale opposition to fracking in the UK. In a comprehensive article for Economic Review Birdi (2015) considers the economic costs and benefits of hydraulic fracturing, including environmental risks and externalities, as well as the potential for crowding out investment in renewables. Unfortunately, in spite of the hyperbole surrounding the deal that was finally agreed in
Paris, the agreement and the commitments made by the individual countries lack the kind of specific action to reduce fossil fuel use that would be necessary to limit global warming to 1.5%. According to Le Page (2015), writing in the New Scientist, we should prepare for a markedly different future, with rising sea levels, droughts, floods and extreme heat waves.
Finally, for the Francophones among you, Chez Nous (2015) has a double-page spread on five priorities of the French government on climate change.
Articles: Birdi, A. (2015) 'Frackonomics: gas and the UK's energy future', Economic Review, 33(1), pp. 20-24. Bonneuil, C. (2015) 'Balance Earth's budgets now', Le Monde diplomatique, (1512, December), pp. 12-13. Callaghan, T. and Johansson, M. (2015) 'The changing Arctic: local and global implications', Biological Sciences Review, 28(1), pp. 2-7. Chez Nous (2015) ‘Changement climatique: la voie française’, Chez Nous, (59, Novembre - Décembre), pp. 8-9. Descamps, P. (2015) 'Six degrees of disaster', Le Monde diplomatique, (1511, November 2015), pp. 10-11. The Economist (2015) Special report: climate change [Online]. Available at: http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/sponsorships/[ALL28]/20151128_Climate.pdf (Accessed: 1 December 2015). Le Page, M. (2015) 'Will Paris deal save our future?', New Scientist, 228(3052/3053), pp. 8-9. Ravilious, K. (2015) 'How do we know? The earth's climate is changing', BBC Focus, (288, December), pp. 106-111. Sinaï, A. (2015) 'Heating the planet is an ecocrime', Le Monde diplomatique, (1511, November 2015), pp. 10-11. Stevens, G. (2016) 'Corporate lobbying, cosy meetings and mixed messages', Ethical Consumer, (158, January/February), pp. 36-37.
LIBRARY SURVEY 2015 FEEDBACK SPECIAL! In November we sent round our annual Library Survey to all students in the College and had some excellent constructive feedback about the library and our services. Below are our responses to some of the most prominent recommendations and requests to appear in your answers.
More computers/faster computers There were a lot of comments and requests regarding the IT provision in the Library which is an ongoing theme that crops up every year. Unfortunately there is very little space for us to add in additional PCs. We feel it is important for the Library to contain a good mix of computer and study spaces and so we would not like to use up to open tables with more computers. We will feed back your comments regarding this
and also the concerns about the speed of the computers to the College IT Department and will keep you informed of any future developments.
Bigger manga collection We would love to expand our manga collection, it is one of the most popular and well used sections of the Library. The current stand that houses it is at capacity so we are looking at alternative display options to allow for more room. In the meantime please do continue to recommend new manga titles and we will accommodate them as best we can. As you will have seen from the results of the Reviewsletter Awards, the resources which resonate best with our users are those recommended by their peers.
Make sure you stock the relevant course textbooks/more textbooks We do our best to liaise with subject staff to ensure we have copies of the most up to date and relevant course textbooks and revision guides. If we do not have the book you are looking for please let us know either by speaking to a member of Library Staff or by emailing library@barton.ac.uk. We will normally stock up to 6 copies of any course textbook and have them available on a range of loan lengths with at least 1 copy as reference only so there should always be one for you to use in the Library.
More comfy seating for sitting and reading We are well aware of the popularity of the reading spaces we have amongst the shelves and are encouraged by how well they are used for reading books for both study and pleasure. Unfortunately, the Library is very tightly designed to utilise the building as efficiently as possible and we have to give priority to spaces for study. We are very much in favour of this idea though and will keep it in mind should the opportunity arise for any re-organisation or expansion of the space.
An online list of newly stocked books by subject This is another great idea and one which we are taking on board. In the coming months we are going to be launching websites for each of the subjects taught in College which detail the physical and virtual resources available to students of that course. On the front page of each of these will be a rotating display of the latest resources to be added to that subject area. We hope that this will not only increase awareness of the resources available to you but also make them easier to access.
Add some LGBT fiction With February being LGBT History Month, now is the perfect time for us to expand our provision in this area. We will have a look at what we already have and what we can get to increase our collection. If anyone has any recommendations please do let us know via the usual channels.
Personal Library accounts where students can see what they have on loan and when they’re due back This facility already exists. If you go to the Library Catalogue you can log-in by typing your username into the “reader code” box in the top right hand corner. Once logged in you can see what resources you have on loan and when they are due back. When logged in you can also renew loans, make reservations, create reading lists and review the resources you’ve used. If you are unsure about how to do any of these please speak to a member of Library Staff.
Computers being used for non-College work Some of the complaints were regarding all of the computers being in use in the Library and that some of these were being used for non-College work purposes. We do try to be vigilant with this but it is often difficult to determine what is College work and what isn’t. For example a student sat watching videos on YouTube may be doing so for media studies or a student looking at clothes may be doing so from a fashion perspective. Please can we remind all students that the computers are there for you to carry out your College work and ask you to be disciplined in doing so. If you cannot find a computer and think a student is misusing them please do report it to a member of Library Staff and we will take action.