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!

World Book Week 2015 - Background on reading and literacy

World Book Week

Guildford College LRC – 2-6 March 2015

World Book Week is a chance to celebrate reading.  Reading is one of our most popular hobbies and libraries are the UK’s most significant provider of the reading experience.

Join in our three activities to celebrate World Book Week:

·        Book wall: recommend a book of your choice

·        Micro story: write a 50-word story

·        Location, location, location quiz: relating to books

Get a £1 World Book Day voucher for taking part.   Win a £10 Amazon voucher for the best story or quiz result.

Upward mobility

Literacy and life chances are strongly linked.  Reading develops literacy skills and helps break the cycle of disadvantage.  The habit of reading for pleasure has more impact than parental income and status on a young person’s academic achievement.

http://readingagency.org.uk/news/reading-facts003/

Sign of a strong economy

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) monitors both the number and types of books published per country per year.  It is an important index of standard of living, and of a country’s self-awareness.

The UK is number three in the league tables, reflecting a high interest in education.  It is only overtaken by China and the USA.  It is followed by the Russian Federation, Germany and Spain.

Live Statistics

There are live statistics on titles published this year.  It literally changes as you look at it!

www.worldometers.info/books/

Spoilt for choice

According to Google 130 million books have been published in modern history.  No one can possibly read all of them.

Many of us will fall into our ‘comfort zone’ of finding a few favourite authors and sticking to them. 

To learn effectively, it is to read broadly, picking out authors from different countries and cultures.  Some amazing books have been published by authors who have lived in far-flung corners of the globe.  Examples include The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (India) and The Famished Road by Ben Okri (Nigeria).

Literary prizes and reviews point us to up-and-coming authors.

Man Booker Prize

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK.  Prize winners have come from all over the world.

It is announced every November and the 2014 winner was The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, an Australian author.

Many titles that have won, or been short-listed, have been made into films.  Examples include The English Patient, Schindler’s List and The Life of Pi.

Next Blog

This will give you details of the World Book Week activities we have at the LRC.  Please contribute and take this opportunity to showcase your literacy skills.

What happened during Banned Books Week

The Banned Books displays in all three LRCs last week raised lots of interesting questions about why books might be banned and led to further discussions on topics ranging from Hitler to Martin Luther King, to the Qur'an and the Bible. Students couldn't believe the range of books that have been banned over time.

Some students were brave enough to 'liberate' (borrow) books from the LRC displays. We look forward to hearing their views.




Class visit to Banned Books display at Farnham College

At Farnham College four English classes came to see the displays and do the quizzes. This included two A level classes studying political correctness in language, so the theme of banned books tied in well.

Quiz results:

• At Farnham College Deni Wither won the main Banned Book quiz
• Also at Farnham Lily Bohling won the word hunt, finding an amazing 88 words in 'Banned Books'! Although even more amazing was that adding together all words found by students and library staff, the total was 179! (there may even be more...)
• At Guildford College Musaed AlFoudari correctly identified the 10 banned books from the 15 pictured in the quiz (and wins a £10 print voucher)

For those still wondering, the correct answers to the Guildford College quiz were:

Banned:

 

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J K Rowling)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
• A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
• The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
• Wild Swans (Jung Chang)
• Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
• And Tango Makes Three (Justin Richardson)
• The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
• Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

Not Banned:

• The Brutal Art (Jesse Kellerman)
• Women in Love (D H Lawrence)
• Hairy-Scary Monster (Roderick Hunt)
• Birdsong (Sebastian Faulks)
• The Godfather (Mario Puzo)

Warning - Banned Books

As part of Diversity Week, the LRCs are highlighting Banned Books

Come to the LRCs this week (24-28 November) and be amazed at some of the books which have been banned not just in the distant past but also in the present time. Governments, local authorities, schools (and even libraries) in some countries ban books because they are considered to be dangerous from a moral, political or religious viewpoint.

Banned books have ranged from Madame Bovary, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Heart of Darkness, to Lord of the Flies, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Captain Underpants!

However history shows that banning a book is the perfect way to get people reading and discussing it!

Things to do in the LRCs this week:

• Read more about what happened when some books were banned
• Enter the LRC banned book quizes (£10 print voucher prize at Guildford)
• Borrow a banned book from the LRCs and find out how dangerous it is!

Celebrating Diversity Week 2013!

All three Colleges was busy last week celebrating Diversity Week. We hope you had fun... we certainly did and here is what we got up to!

Around the world with your LRCs!

Guildford College LRC

79 Students attended two talks by Bob Thompson 'Developing Education in Africa: experiences of volunteering in South Sudan'

There was good feedback from the talks and the Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies students hope to make a link with a school in South Sudan.

Farnham College LRC

54 students and staff contributed to the Why I love my Country Display! They covered 21 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Comments included: 

• the fact that many nationalities live in harmony with each other (Malaysia and Nepal) 
• “you can lay on a beach, diving in crystal clear sea water, enjoy the breeze on the mountain top, trek through a rain forest, or shop and party in the City of Malaysia” 
• ”I love the sound of the traffic and how it is still bright at night from the lights of the billboards everywhere” (HK) 
• “Vietnam is where saying “I love you” is impossible, according to the BBC, since we have more than 40 different pronouns to describe the relationships between individual and groups, based on ages and positions.” 
• Nepalese students commented on the beauty of the mountains and fantastic food, but one said that a surprising thing was how there would suddenly be a strike and they would have a day’s holiday. 
•  UK students said they love their freedom of speech, free healthcare and education and several said they love our weather!
• One student was reading the descriptions on the board and realised there was a student in college from her home town in Zimbabwe – she is going to try to make contact...watch this space...

Merrist Wood College LRC

At MW LRC students participated in an Equality and Diversity Treasure Hunt Quiz.

We have also had lots of equality and diversity fiction being borrowed from our displays at all the LRCs if you are interested in borrowing some E&D resources here are our recommended reads and watches!

A selection of Equality & Diversity Resources

available from your LRCs

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Fiction: about a young hermaphrodite (FC LRC: F WIN)

Britain’s Gay Footballers (dvd) BBC 3

Amal Fashanu, niece of Justin Fashanu, the only ever openly gay British professional, goes on a mission to discover why no gay player has followed in her uncle's boots in over twenty years. (MWLRC: 796.334 BBC)

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Fiction: a murder mystery with the detective, and narrator, Christopher Boone a fifteen year old with Asperger's Syndrome. (All LRCs F HAD) Show More

Show Less

Drawing Autism by Jill Mullin.

A collection of inspirational artwork produced by people with autism. (FC LRC: 709.04 MUL)

Equality and Diversity in Policing by Brian Stout

(MW LRC: 363.2 STO)

Equality and Diversity in the Lifelong Learning Sector 2^nd ed. by Ann Gravells

(GC & MW LRCs: 374.017 GRA)

Finding the Real Me: True Tales of Sex and Gender Diversity by Tracie O’Keefe

(FC & GC LRCs: 306.77 OKE)

Killing Honour by Bali Rai

Fiction: about honour killings and violence towards women. (All LRCs: F RAI)

Milk (dvd) starring Sean Penn

Film: inspiring story of the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America, Harvey Milk. (GC LRC: 791.437 MIL)

Noughts and Crosses Trilogy by Malorie Blackman

Fiction: Against a background of prejudice, distrust and violence a romance builds between, Sephy a cross and Callum a nought. One that is to lead them into terrible danger… (MW LRC F BLA)

Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Fiction: A quirky comedy that brings two people with mental health problems, Pat and Tiffany, together. (MW & GC LRC F QUI)

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Fiction: about Jenna who survives a car crash that kills her best friend but leaves her permanently scarred. (GC LRC: F JAR)

Succeeding in College with Asperger Syndrome: a student guide by John Harpur

(FC LRC: 371.90474 HAR)

Untouchable (dvd) starring Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy

Film: a French comedy drama about the friendship between a rich quadriplegic and his Senegalese carer.  (GC & FC LRCs: 791.437 UNT)

Zelah Green by Vanessa Curtis

Fiction: Zelah calls herself a “cleanaholic” and through her rituals has found a way to cope with the tragedy in her life. (FC LRC: F CUR)

Summer Term Round Up!

The holidays upon us! Congratulations to all students who have completed their courses this year and we look forward to seeing those of you who are coming back next year in September.

Here are a few things that have been happening in the LRCs over the last term:

Farnham LRC

• Revision Display: The LRC ran a successful revision display and staff were impressed with how hard students have been studying and using the silent study area.

• New iMacs: The LRC has had new iMacs installed and staff have been trained up and are ready to help you with navigating the desktop and using Illustrator. 

Merrist Wood

• Cloud Printing: Cloud printing has really taken off this term with lots of students using the service.

• New iPad 4s: The LRC has 20 brand new iPad 4s for loan to staff either individually or as a set.

Guildford College 

• Book Swap: Many thanks to staff members for their generous donations, we had a total of 60 books in our Book Swap. Many were swapped and, in the spirit of promoting reading for pleasure, those without a book to swap were urged to take one that appealed. We were left with just 3 books, so many students will be able to sit back and relax with a good book this summer.

• New LRC Induction Film: Filming of the new LRC Induction Film for 2013-14 has been going well. A big thank you to all the students who have taken part and a special thank you to year 1 Media students for filming and editing it.

• Mini Displays: We currently have Displays up for Holiday Fiction and Travel Guides so pop in before your holiday and pick one up!

• 6 BookChallenge: The 6 Book Challenge has come to an end. A big congratulations to the 25 students who managed to read 6 books and have been entered into the national prize draw.

Have a lovely summer and we will be back in September to keep you up to date with all your LRC news!!

Book Swap at GC LRC

To celebrate the advent of summer the LRC at Guildford College is holding a Book Swap. Please  bring along a fiction book to swap and find something new to read during the holidays!

When: Thursday 13 June, 10 am – 4 pm

Where: Guildford College LRC

If you have any unwanted fiction books (in reasonable condition) that you would like to donate to the book swap, they will be most welcome.

Warning Banned Books!

To celebrate Equality and Diversity Week 2012 all three LRCs showcased Banned Books!

Banned Books created a stir at all the sites with students getting involved in the quiz as well as discussing the books that were banned and also the issues surrounding the banning of books.

The aim of the quiz was to correctly identify whether the books had been or are currently banned either here in the UK or in another country. We used the following website as a guide to which books were banned and why. We had over 220 entries so a big thank you to everyone who took part!

The winners are: Lorna Taylor (FC), Mo Herbert (MW), Mary Apple Radam (GC).

Here are the answers so you can check which ones you got right:

Birdsong - Not Banned
Women in Love - Not Banned
Hairy Scary Monster - Not Banned
To Kill a Mocking Bird - Banned
Black Beauty - Banned
A Clockwork Orange - Banned
Refugee Boy - Not Banned
Wild Swans - Banned
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Banned
The Perks of being a Wallflower - Banned
The Brutal Art - Not Banned
And Tango Makes Three - Banned
The Da Vinci Code - Banned
The Godfather - Not Banned
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Banned 


Students also submitted comments and reviews of Banned Books -  here are a few along with some pictures of our displays. Enjoy!

Wild Swans by Jung Chang. "It is a brilliant book! So vivid and honest and it's all true. It actually happened that is what is so incredible. I admire these 3 brave women."

"Harry Potter banned in America? Meant to be a so called 'free country'! Censorship comes to mind."


"American Psycho should be permanently banned it's a very disturbing read" 


"Adolf Hitler's 'Meine Kampf' should not be banned - he was entitled to his political opinion."

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. "I loved Of Mice and Men because it was interesting and made me want to read more."


The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. "My favourite book ever. Clever, smart, thoughtful and very moreish. Read this hundreds of times. Worth a read!"

iSkills comes online

Our iSkills section on Moodle is beginning to take shape and we're busy putting together information and activities that we hope will help you to make the most of the resources we have to offer.

We're pleased to launch our first item - 'Referencing: a guide to the basics'.  

The mix of information and activities provides an introduction to the basic Harvard style and will give you a good start in developing your knowledge. Don't forget to check with your tutor to make sure you're using the correct format.

Please take a look and let us know if you like it!

We've got lots of plans for more content so watch out for what's coming up - and don't forget you can also follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with what's happening in the LRCs.