New look Key Note coming soon

Key Note is re-launching in the next few days.
 
Here’s what you can see on the new service.
 

• Redesigned reports with better graphics and formatting to show you trends more clearly.
• Clearer signposting of links between companies and markets to speed up your research.
• Improved List Builder so you can add filters when creating your contact lists.
• Enhanced ‘Favourite’ tool so you can select companies and people as well as market reports.
• Easier to use Benchmarking tool still with five full years of data.

  
They're just adding a few last minute touches and expect the new site to be live as soon.

Easter opening hours

The Easter holidays will soon be upon us and so, if you plan to visit us, here are the opening times of the LRCs.

All three LRCs will be closed on the bank holidays:

Good Friday (3 April)
Easter Monday (6 April)

Farnham College

Tuesday 7 April     9.00 - 5.00
Thursday 9 April    9.00 - 5.00

Guildford College

Monday 30 March - Wednesday 1 April         9.30 - 4.30 (closed 12.30 - 1.30)

Merrist Wood

Monday 30 March - Wednesday 1 April        9.00 - 1.00

Tuesday 7 - Wednesday 8 April                    9.00 - 1.00

Opening times may be subject to change at short notice so please check with the relevant LRC before travelling

World Book Week 2015

Thanks to everyone who participated in World Book Week.  This was run across all three sites of the Guildford College Group and impact differed accordingly.

Merrist Wood

Merrist Wood had an imaginative display which focused on where a book could take your imagination.  Access to different places was demonstrated by the theme of foreign travel.  It was represented via a trunk covered in travel stickers, and on top of it was a globe, travel guides and holiday accessories such as a sun hat and sunglasses.   Hung in a washing-line style above the issue desk were pictures of people reading books in unlikely places!
However, the 'piece de la resistance' had to be the life-size cardboard cut-out of 'fit' Anton du Beck, presumably to fuel romantic fantasies!  Questions were asked on arrows to suggest where your story would take you...  
A big thank you to LRC Assistant, Jackie Smith, also an experienced party organiser.  The displays were much-appreciated by library visitors who all had their day brightened.

Farnham

Farnham generated a lot of enthusiasm for the 'Location, Location, Location' quiz where there were an impressive 47 entries.  A big thank you to site librarian, Ingrid Whatmore, who has established good links with the English teaching staff .

Guildford

Guildford did well with the micro-stories.  We had 20 entries and most were very good efforts demonstrating superb imaginative skills.  A big thank you to supported learning students and teachers for their enthusiasm.
Fifty words is challenging in terms of writing a story.   However, we let everyone have four free words 'On my way to...'.  Sadly anyone going over the 50 word limit was disqualified from winning.
We had some suggestions on the book wall, kicked off by staff.   Books of interest included the following fiction titles:

• Eric Carle: The very hungry caterpillar
• Anne Frank: Diary of a young girl
• Esther Freud: Hideous Kinky
• Mark Haddon: The curious incident of the dog in the night time
• EL James: Fifty shades of grey (1 of 3) 
• EL James: Fifty shades darker (2 of 3)
•  EL James: Fifty shades freed (3 of 3)
•  Henry James: Portrait of a lady
•  Pittacus Lore: I am number four
• Ford Madox Ford: The good soldier
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Love in the time of cholera
• Anne McCaffrey: Dragonsong
• O'Hearn: Pegasus series - eg. The flame of Olympus
• Karl Ore Knausgaard: Death in the family
• Arundhati Roy: The god of small things
• Graeme Simsion: The rosie project
• Kathleen Tessaro: The perfume collector

And non-fiction:

• BS7671 wiring regulations
• Dale Carnegie: How to win friends and influence people 
• Stephen Covey: The seven habits of highly effective people

Participation in the quiz was disappointing, but our winner was a worthy entry.

Winners at Guilford:

Location, Location, Location quiz - Petva Ivanova

Micro-story Winner - Rupert Turner (50 words)

Micro-story Runner-up - Lewis Gerrad (45 words) Highly Commended

Micro-story Commended - Alexandra Ross (47 words)

Micro-story Commended - Louise Jordan (45 words)

There were some good entries which exceeded the word limit.  Two notable ones are from Francis Terry and Katarina Feoce.

 

World book week activities - in detail

It is world book week at the LRC.  It is celebrated in schools, colleges and libraries right across the UK.  It is to celebrate the joy of books and the positive role they play in our lives.

Books help one relax and escape to a more appealing place in a busy but hum-drum life.  They raise literacy levels and help feed our imagination.  Also they help inspire new writers.

About world book day

World book days is an annual event organised by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to promote reading, publishing and copyright. 

In the UK it is celebrated on the first Thursday in March.  World Book Day is on Thursday 5 March 2015.

Activities on offer at Guildford College

At Guildford College we have three activities on offer: a ‘book wall’, ‘a micro-story’ and a ‘location, location, location quiz’.  Please support your LRC by taking part.

Prizes are available for the best story and highest quiz score. 

Book Wall

Join in the spirit of World Book Week by adding the name of a book which you think will help or bring joy to others.

My favourite book is ‘Hideous Kinky’ by Esther Freud which is about an adventure within a different culture to the UK.  It is easy to read and inspired me to go to Marrakech in Morocco.  The story was made into a film starring Kate Winslet.

What is your favourite book?   What benefit did you reap from it?  Why would you recommend it to others?

Micro-story

A micro-story involves writing a short story of up to 50 words.  The theme is ‘on my way to…’ and the aim is to take your imagination on a journey.

Where do you fancy going?  Have you any holiday destinations in mind?  Or perhaps you are embarking on a nightmare rather than a dream?

50 words is not much so every word will need to have impact.  It will be a challenge for many people to stay concise.

Finally a micro-story is a good way for people with writing ambitions to start out.  It is wise to stick to a simple plot.

Location, location, location quiz

Location, location, location is the buzz word in terms of buying a house.  To hit the jackpot, you buy in the right place at the right time at the right price.

In terms of the quiz, it is about identifying the location of 10 library items in terms of place, time and shelf number.  You can look at all 10 items on display.

Ironically it is shelf location that is the easiest category as there are only two possible formats (book fiction or dvd film).  It is really simple to work out!

Place is straightforward too as you can usually just look at the item and work this out.  Time is more challenging, especially if other items are in a similar timescale. 

The ‘Speedy Gonzalez’ amongst you can take a guess, but the ‘Dot the I’s and cross the T’s’ type may wish to conduct some research on your smartphone.  Useful websites include Amazon, Wikipedia and Schmoop.

Quizzes are fun and help one to learn.  We hope all those interested in books will have a go.  You have nothing to lose as answers are all guessable, so you could even be right without knowing!

Rewards

The prize for the short story and the quiz is a £10 Amazon voucher.  All those taking part can get a £1 World Book Day token.  Please ask at the issue desk for this.

Finally it is not the winning but the taking part!  Just participating will make you learn something.

That said, winning is something you can put on your CV…Good luck!