Category: displays

On Display: “For Brevity’s Sake” – The Short Story: Writers and their Craft

Matthew

The Oxford English Dictionary defines brevity as “being short in speech or writing; contraction into few words, conciseness, terseness”.

That we encounter brevity on a daily basis should come as no surprise. Twitter, one of the most widely used social networking services, is designed to only allow users 140 characters to convey thoughts, news, or commentary in dispatches known as Tweets. Most academic journal articles feature an abstract that summarizes the salient points of the document in a very brief paragraph, comprised of no more than a few sentences. Even the act of texting imposes its own economy of language. We have become reliant on brevity to enable us to evaluate information quickly in a fast-paced society.

But we continue to read books, which is a good thing. Fiction, in particular, offers refuge from our busy lives and great stories serve to reflect and even affirm the human condition, reminding us that our struggles and victories, while uniquely our own, share a common thread in the great and shared human experience.

Short stories use this thread to weave such stories in impossibly succinct ways. To develop an entire character study or arc within the span of a few pages is remarkable. Consider what Andre Dubus, one of the great short fiction authors of our time, asserts about the craft and brevity of the short story:

“I love short stories because I believe they are the way we live. They are what our friends tell us, in their pain and joy, their passion and rage, their yearning and their cry against injustice.” 

Indeed, short stories are the way we live – particular moments of drama or inspiration whose meaning may (or may not) be immediately known. Whether it’s the emotional depth of Alice Munro (recent winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature), the Modernism of Jorge Luis Borges, or the everyman realism of Raymond Carver, everyone has a (short) story to tell.

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, inquire at the Reference Desk.

Come find your favorite story today!

On Display: Out in the Stacks: LGBTQ Authors, Characters, and Topics

Liz

national_coming_out_dayDid you know that October 11 is National Coming Out Day? It marks the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (learn more about the history of the day here). Here at the library, we’re recognizing the day by kicking off a new display, Out in the Stacks. The library’s collections include a wealth of LGBTQ-related information; we’ve hand-picked an array of books, audiobooks, and DVDs that spans fiction, history, biography, and more. Rediscover classics like The Times of Harvey Milk or Rubyfruit Jungle, or delve deeper into topics with books like Transgender 101 and The Lavender Locker Room.

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board (which may include some items that aren’t on the display because they’re on reserve for a course). If you don’t see what you’re looking for, come ask at the reference desk!

 

Image courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign.

On Display: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hope Houston

national-hispanic-heritage

September marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month.  According to the Library of Congress, Hispanic Heritage Month was first observed under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Traditionally, it begins on September 15 to commemorate the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The official celebration extends from September 15 to October 15 in order to acknowledge the rich and storied histories of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.  It was enacted into law under President Reagan on August 17, 1988.

Come to the library to peruse Bentley’s collection of books and films relating to the history, culture, food, land and peoples of the Americas.  Also, check out our display on Pinterest.

On Display: Book Buzz – Books Reviewed by Library Staff

Lisa

book-buzz-logoSix summers ago (July 26, 2007 to be exact) the Bentley Library Book Buzz site launched its first book review to promote the library’s Popular Reading collection. Over the years, library staff have posted their reviews about the books and audiobooks in the collection on Book Buzz. Though popular titles come and go, we’ve generally kept the books that have been reviewed and added them to our stacks. We’ve built quite a collection and the display from July 16 through August 26 will feature highlights from our Book Buzz site. Visit our display in the entryway on the Library’s main floor or check out our display on Pinterest!

Have you already read or listened to one of the Book Buzz titles?  We’d love to hear what you have to say, whether you agree with our reviewers’ opinions or not. Take the opportunity to tell the world what you thought of one the books our staff has reviewed by commenting here or on the individual review in the Book Buzz blog.

You are also invited to write your own original review of any of our print or audio titles in the Popular Reading Collection or any of the e-book or e-audio itles in OverDrive.  Submit a book review using the Book Buzz submission form.  For more information, please read the Book Buzz review guidelines.

On Display: Set in Massachusetts

Donna

Discover Massachusetts through books and film!  The library’s new display highlights books and movies that take place in cities and towns throughout Massachusetts.  You will be transported via books, audiobooks, and DVDs to locales such as: Boston, Cambridge, Gloucester, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Concord, Lowell, Worcester, Chicopee, Northampton, the Berkshires and more!

Come by the library to check out the display, take a look at the Pinterest board, or see the entire list of materials in our catalog.  If you don’t see what you’re looking for, come ask at the Reference Desk!

Set in Massachusetts
Click to view “Set in Massachusetts”
books & DVDs on Pinterest.

On Display: Library Mix Tape: Books & Films about Real & Fictional Musicians

Liz

Music Display SignOur new display highlights books, audiobooks, and DVDs from our collections that feature musicians and the musical life. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find:

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, come ask at the reference desk!

On Display: From Apple to Zara: Companies & CEOs

Macee

What do the financial collapse of 2008, the bailout of General Motors, the rise of “social couponing” sites, the family behind the creation and sale of Tabasco sauce, and Donald Trump have in common? They’re all represented rectangle-image-apple-to-zara PMin our new library display, From Apple to Zara: Companies & CEOs. We’ve selected a mix of titles in print, on audio and on DVD ranging from the multinational to the domestic, from the classic to the may-become-classic, and from the socially responsible to the ruthless.

You can easily identify the items you’d like to check out in a few different ways: come by the Library to browse the display, look at the entire list in the catalog (you can click “Request” to place an item on hold) or view the entire display on Pinterest.

On Display: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Lisa

On display at the Bentley Library is a selection of Science Fiction & Fantasy novels for your reading pleasure. Come escape into an adventure filled with magic, explore visions of the future or marvel at the vivid worlds created by these brilliant authors. We are highlighting a number of Hugo & Nebula Award winners, NPR Listeners Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Choices, and new releases in these genres for you to experience.

Many of these titles are available as downloadable books & audiobooks through our Overdrive service which you can experience on a device of your choosing (laptop, NOOK, Kindle, iPad, etc.). Stop by and browse, view a list via the catalog (you can click “Request” to place an item on hold), or check out the display on Pinterest.

Science Fiction Display Word Cloud