Category: displays

On Display: Best Books of 2016

Lisa

Best Books of 2016Happy New Year! In keeping with tradition, we have spent the last couple of months combing through some of our favorite reviewer’s year-end best books lists* to bring you our 8th annual Best Books display.

Stop by the library’s lobby to browse 2016’s best fiction and nonfiction titles. With over 160 books to choose from, we are certain you will find something to capture your interest. Some of these books have received numerous accolades and publicity, but you’ll also find great books that did not receive as much mainstream attention.  Many of these titles are also available to download or read/stream online from OverDrive, our digital book and audiobook collection.

If you don’t find anything at first glance, we encourage you to keep checking back.  Books will be added to the display as new acquisitions arrive and currently checked-out books are returned. If you have a best books list to recommend, please share in the comments.

These are just a few of the best books of 2016

* Lists consulted: Bloomberg, Booklist, The Boston Globe, CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, The Christian Science Monitor (fiction; nonfiction), The Economist, Entertainment Weekly, Fast Company, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, The New York Times, NPR, Publishers Weekly, strategy+business, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

On Display: Giving

Donna

We’ve all heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but do you know about Giving Tuesday?  Seeking the true spirit of the season, #GivingTuesday is intended to be a global day of giving, encouraging you to help others through the gift of time, donation, or action.  Inspired by this year’s #GivingTuesday on November 29, 2016, the library’s latest display is all about giving back.  The collection features books about kindness, philanthropy, volunteering, charity, social action, and altruism; there are also some movies featuring selfless characters like Amélie and Forrest Gump.

The entire list of titles in the Giving Display can be found in the catalog (if you’d like, click the “Request it” button to place an item on hold).  Stop by the library to check them out and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please come ask at the Reference Desk.  To learn more about #GivingTuesday, please visit the web site: https://www.givingtuesday.org/.

 

giving-display-image

On Display: Office Culture

Macee

Every office has its quirks, its characters and its particular ethos. Because people spend so much time in an office environment, often a unique culture evolves. My coworkers and I have a wall where we post funny sayings overheard in our office over the years. Other offices have slightly different conventions, such as the classic scene in the movie Office Space where the printer/fax machine is destroyed. coffeemachine
For this display, we’ve pulled together books and films that relate to office culture. Whether you are looking for titles on organizational change, personal development, leadership, effective management, teamwork, work/life balance, diversity and inclusion, generations in the workplace, and other work-related topics, you’ll find something of interest. On the lighter side, we’ve also included books on office pranks, office supplies, and some classic Dilbert comic strips to lighten up your daily workload. And yes, you can check out Office Space and watch Michael, Peter, and Samir destroy that prinstaplerter.pencil-cup

We know you’ll want to check out some of these items, so grab some Post-It notes to write down titles of interest. Or, come to the Library to browse the display, look at the entire list in the catalog (if you’d like, click the “Request it” button to place an item on hold), and/or visit the Reference Desk to see titles included in the display but not currently featured on the display units.

We aren’t necessarily advocating for extra time spent in the office, but we hope you’ll spend some time with titles from the Office Culture display.

On Display: A World of Books: International Fiction

Macee

There’s still a bit of summer left … what better time to discover a new author or settle in with an old favorite? This collection of books (and audiobooks) written by international authors (including two works by Bentley faculty members) offers titles from 44 countries.

Photo: Blogspot user doloretes
Photo: Blogspot user doloretes

It includes titles originally published in countries where English is the primary language, and titles that have been translated into English. The main focus of the display is 20th- and 21st-century authors, but you’ll also find some classics from previous centuries.

Also included are film adaptations of novels and plays.

Stop by the library’s lobby to browse the selections, or view a list of the titles on display. 

 

On Display: Presidential Biographies

Kimberly

whitehouseOn display at the Bentley Library (May 17 – June 27) is a selection of presidential biographies. Before the image of dusty dense tomes is brought to mind, please be aware that we’ve left those titles in the stacks!

There are a plethora of presidential biographies published, so choosing a small selection was the challenge. We’ve looked at Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award listings, book review sources, best presidential biography lists, and solicited faculty recommendations to prepare this display. We’ve tried to include at least two titles for each president.

When browsing the display shelves, you’ll notice that some of the titles include a “Bentley Pick” bookmark.

benteypickThese bookmarks indicate titles recommended by your fellow Bentley readers including Professors Gary Donato, Clifford Putney and Chris Beneke and President Gloria Larson. If you would like to recommend a title from this display, just fill out a bookmark at the Reference Desk or send your suggestion to refdesk@bentley.edu and we’ll include a bookmark in your choice.

I’ve heard many interesting comments from patrons and colleagues in preparation for this display. Many roadblocks/perceptions that stop patrons from enjoying these titles include:

  1. They are too weighty/heavy!

Many of these titles are available in a handy paperback format and some are available through OverDrive and can be borrowed through an e-reader. See curated online display

  1. I don’t have the time to slog through the text!

Many of these titles are available as audiobooks on CD format and through OverDrive. Just listen while in the car, walking your 10,000 steps or relaxing on the beach : )

  1. They are too dry and boring!

Many of these titles have won awards, are best sellers, and some, according to the reviews, even read like thrillers.

Why not make a goal of reading a biography for every president? This is a challenge that many readers have taken on. For example, My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies is a blog by avid American history fan, Stephen Floyd, about his experience reading through the presidents. Why not read and join in the conversation? If you’d like a complete listing of all the titles recommended to keep after the display comes down, just send an e-mail request to refdesk@bentley.edu and we’ll send you the list for your own records.

We hope that you enjoy this selection and maybe check one out for your next “beach read”. Start your journey today!

Bibliography

Readers and Writers: A Display of Books (& Films!) about Books

Jaimie

On display at the Bentley Library from April 5th – May 16th is a collection of titles about reading and writing. If you have a love for literature, be sure to take a look! We’ve divided the display into a few categories so you can find a book or movie that suits your interests the most. See the attached PDF Category List for the full list of titles in each category – although some fit more than one!

  • Readers: In these titles, books play a starring role. Possession by A.S. Byatt tells the story of two scholars searching for a hidden history inside old books, and in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell a college freshman tries to navigate life through her obsession with her favorite book series.
  • Writers: Fictional stories about the craft and life of writers. Try Rick Moody’s Hotels of North America for a story about a man working through his troubles by writing online reviews. Or pick up Misery by Stephen King – the book or film version! – to see what happens to a writer when he’s confronted by his disgruntled biggest fan.

There are plenty of books and movies on this display that will satisfy your bookworm curiosities. Whatever genre you prefer, we hope you’ll find something new to read or watch!

On Display: Testing, Testing 1,2,3

Dominique

Now on display in the library’s lobby, the “Testing, Testing 1,2,3” display has three kinds of materials:

  1. Assistance with practice for professional exams, certifications, and credentialing.  Advancing a career to the next step sometimes requires taking a test such as GMAT, LSAT, GRE, CPA exam….  The likely users of these materials are graduate students or people about to finish their Bentley undergrad  journey.
  1. For anyone who has headaches getting ready for assessments in a timed setting, there is a wide selection of books with tips for users to study smarter, not harder.  Titles in this group address strategies for test taking, time management, study skills, and stress busting. Outsmart the  test.
  1. Finally, the “Testing, Testing 1,2,3” display offers material to answer academic questions such as, “What is the value of standardized tests in our school systems?” and “In what ways has teaching-to-the-test influenced education?” These materials will benefit researchers looking into education theory and the culture of standardized assessments.

Stop by to browse and borrow.

On Display: The Best Books of 2015

Lisa

blue ribbonHappy New Year and welcome to the library’s 7th annual best books display! This year we have combed through eighteen* year-end “best books” lists to bring you the Best Books of 2015.

The display features fiction and nonfiction titles that have spent weeks on the bestseller lists, and also highlights critically claimed books that have not garnered as much mainstream attention. Intrigued? Stop by the library’s lobby to browse the selections or click here to view a list of the titles on display. Many of these books are also available as downloadable and streaming eBooks and audiobooks via the library’s OverDrive digital collection.A few selections from the Best Books of 2015 display

More than 150 books and audiobooks are currently on display. More titles being added as they are acquired and returned, so keep checking back!

Please visit the Reference Desk if you need help finding a book or would like to learn more about downloading eBooks and audiobooks from OverDrive.

*Sources consulted: Amazon.com; Bloomberg; Booklist; The Boston Globe; CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries; The Economist; Entertainment Weekly; Financial Times; Forbes; Inc. Magazine; Kirkus Reviews; Library Journal; The New York Times; NPR; Publishers Weekly; strategy+business; The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.