Do You Dare To Write A Scary & Suspenseful Short Story?

Are you ready to start celebrating Teen Read Week 2012?

 

 

Are you a bestselling author in the making?

 

Do you dare to take on our short story writing contest?

 

 

 

 To celebrate Teen Read Week 2012's focus on horror, suspense, and supernatural literature, our Student Library Advisory Board has opened a short story writing contest to all NCS Middle and Upper school students!  The contest has a few basic rules to keep it interesting and fair, so please come by the library or email Ms. Dickinson at kdickinson@cathedral.org for details!

 

 

All entries must be submitted by Monday Oct. 22,

so tiptoe, sneak, or slither your way into the library

to pick up your guidelines & entry form today! 



Library Update!

Welcome Back, NCS! We at the library are thrilled to see everyone back on campus and look forward to hearing about your summer adventures when you stop by to see us!  We are also excited to share the recent expansions to our library services to kick off the fall term.  In addition to our usual plethora of fresh books, we have a few other new additions to the library space.  

 

Firstly, Mr. Lucas' office has been transformed into our new Digital Media Production Lab.  This lab now contains 8 new Mac computers, each equipped with Final Cut, Adobe Photo Shop, and other related software.  There is also a new green screen wall, a range of new camera equipment, and a color scanner for student and faculty use.  This lab and its equipment will be available for faculty, staff, and student use during regular library hours, including after school.  The space will provide students (or faculty and staff) with a consistently available work area for projects related to the manipulation, creation, and production of digital media (such as films, video or multimedia presentations, etc.). 

 

Secondly, we've purchased a set of 20 iPod Touches to be used as video cameras, digital cameras, and audio recorders.  The iPods will be available for student checkout or for faculty checkout as a set for classroom lessons or projects.  We also have a few iPads that can be checked out for in library use for students during the school day.     

 

As usual the library is open every week day from 7:30am to 5:00pm.  Stop by and check out our fresh supply of books, our exciting new equipment, and our September display highlighting excellent online sources for homework help!

Show Your Library Some Love (And Get A Delicious Thank You!)

Need a break from AP exam panic and end of term crunch time?

Stop by the NCS Library for a sweet distraction!

 Swing by the library all this week, Monday May 14-Friday May 18, to join in our Love Your Library Cookie Campaign and/or to enter your name in our raffles for some free books!

To snag a sugary treat, just venture over to the library and find the yellow bookcart with markers and 'I Love Our Library' pink posters.  Then fill in the heart with the reason (or reasons) you love our library.  Return your library love proclamation to a library and choice a reward from our varied selection of homemade cookies! 

While you're there, check out our book raffles and enter your name for chances to win a copy of several great books.  The prizes include a signed copy of Kristin Cashore's brand new novel Bitterblue and a signed copy of the newest Gallagher Girls novel Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter!

Looking for a Fierce & Fantastic Read?

Here in the NCS Library, we're very excited and honored to be welcoming famed fantasy novelist Tamora Pierce, author of a plethora of fabulous books, as one of our writers at Writer's Day 2012 tomorrow!  Some of her most popular series include The Circle of Magic novels, The Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals series, and the Beka Cooper trilogy.  In celebration, I put together a list of fantasy novels featuring fierce heroines and thrilling adventures.  This list includes Tamora Pierce's novels as well as a range of books with similar themes, characters, and settings!

Click on the link below to check it out!

WARRIORS: Fantastic Tales Featuring Fierce Heroines  

Calling All Hunger Games Fans: Let Your Library Help You Survive Until March 23!

Attention All Hunger Games Fans!

Can't Wait Until March 23?

Trying To Survive Until You Can See Panem On The Big Screen?

Come to the NCS Library & Enter Our DYSTOPIA Trivia Contest!

-Form a team of no more than 5 members.

-Swing by the library and pick up a yellow DYSTOPIA entry packet.

-Answer the 20 trivia questions inside and return the packet to a librarian by FRIDAY MARCH 16 @ 5pm!

There will be winning teams in both Upper School and Middle School and the each winning team will receive a goodie basket (including gifts cards for local theatres) for their inevitable trip to the see the movie over spring break!

Don't Forget! Drop your answers to our bonus Hunger Games geography trivia in the red box in the library by TUESDAY MARCH 13 and you have a chance to be one of the lucky recipients of a special Girl On Fire cupcake before break!

And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!

Update on Hunger Games Movie Goodies!

For all our Hunger Games fans eagering awaiting the film's release on March 23, the media machine behind the likely blockbuster has produced two new exciting digital goodies to hold you over.  Yesterday, a second theatrical trailer burst onto the Internet to add to the hype.  Check it out here at the Entertainment Weekly website!
Are you more excited to see the movie? Or are you worried that some of your favorite pieces of the book are going to be lost on the cutting room floor?

Lionsgate also recently kicked off another fun online bonus feature: the Capitol Couture Tumblr.  It's a cool peek at the world the film creators are working to develop based on Suzanne Collins' descriptions. 

Also--the library will soon be announcing our very own competition to help pass the last few weeks before the film's premiere at the end of March! Keep your eyes and ears open for updates!   

Can't Remember A Book You Heard About During A Booktalk? No Problem!

Calling all 7th and 8th graders!

The library has a public service announcement for you!

 At the request of several middle schoolers, Ms. Dickinson has put together a list of the books she has brought to 7th and 8th grade class meetings (including cover images and small summaries).  After a booktalk visit to class meeting, many middle school students come to the library asking about a book they saw but can't remember the title or author or other details.  So now if you remember that a book sounded interesting to you but you can't remember its title (and so you can't find it in our library, another library, or a book store), just take a peek at these handy lists! The lists can be downloaded from the links below; copies of the lists are also posted up on the bulletin board in the main middle school entryway, near the 7th and 8th grade mailboxes.  Remember if you want to get on the waiting list for a book, just stop by the library and talk to Ms. Dickinson!
   
7th Grade List
8th Grade List

Books! Food! Fun!: Teen Read Week 2011 @ NCS Library

Don't forget to stop by the library this week & check out

our Teen Read Week activities, 

celebrating the joys of reading for fun!

There is a book cover makeover contest running all week; your entry gets your name entered in a raffle for a Starbucks giftcard and the display of your redesigned book cover image on campus!

Swing through the library anytime this week to enter your name in our book raffles!

We'll be giving away one copy each of:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Matched by Ally Condie

We're also running another easy activity with a tasty reward!

  Come by the library to pick up one of our Reading is Sweet templates and decorate it with words and/or pictures about what, when, where, or why you read for fun.  When you turn your answer back into a librarian, you get a coupon to trade in on

Friday Oct 21 for a baked good made with love by your librarians!

Since the theme for Teen Read Week this year is Picture It @ Your Library, the library book displays are featuring fiction and nonfiction about all kinds of visual arts!



Congratulations to the Letters about Literature Finalists

The following students have advanced to the final round of state-level judging for “Letters about Literature.” an annual reading-writing contest held by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book and in partnership with Target Stores.

To enter, readers in grades 4-12 write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, contemporary or classic—explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for grades 4-6; Level II for grades 7- 8; and Level III, for grades 9-12. NCS students took part in Levels I and II under the guidance of the school Librarians Laurel Lennon.and Katherine Menz.

All of these NCS students are invited to an awards ceremony and luncheon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library on April 30.

Middle School Students
Ezekiella Carlos ‘15
Diana Hla ‘16
Meredith Holmes ‘15
Sarah Lipson ‘15
Isabella Small ‘15
Katherine Ann Van Kirk ‘15

Presentation on 21st Century Textbooks

On Wednesday, March 2, Chip Chase and Katey Craver gave a presentation to the annual conference of the DC/MD area independent school bookstore managers focusing on the future of the textbook.

In the presentation, we address the problems of using ebooks as textbooks, and then imagine how textbooks will look in the future, whether we will use enhanced e-textbooks or move away from textbooks altogether and use open educational resources.

To access the presentation and resources, go to:
http://www.ncslibrary.org/textbooks

21st Century Textbooks: Implications for Independent Schools on Prezi

Author Siobhan Vivian Visits NCS Via Skype

On Tuesday, November 16, the 7th and 8th grade classes were visited by author Siobhan Vivian via Skype.  Ms. Vivian is the author of A Little Friendly Advice, Not That Kind of Girl, and NCS Book Club selection, Same Difference.

During the skype interview, students were able to listen to Ms. Vivian talk about her writing process, her inspirations, and her recommendations to students.  Students were also able to ask questions.

For more information about Siobhan Vivian, visit her website, or check out one of her books from the library!

NCS will host an AISGW Conference: "The Evolution of 21st Century Libraries"

On Tuesday, November 9, NCS will host an AISGW Conference on "The Evolution of 21st Century Libraries."  Dr. Katey Craver will join a panel to discuss the future of school libraries.

From the AISGW Website:

In this program, a panel of leading library experts will discuss how technology and economics are reshaping traditional school libraries and how librarians are working to manage these changes while finding ways to continue libraries' core mission -- teaching students literacy and research skills.

Event registration information is available from the AISGW website.

(Image: UCF Library Stacks, a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (2.0 Generic) image from Amadeus ex Machina's photostream)

Wireless Network Now Available in the Library

The wireless Internet connection is now available in the Library.  If you need to connect to the network with a personal computer, please see Mr. Rentz or Mr. Chase.

Thanks to the tech department for their hard work!