Whatever name I go by, it means the same thing. I'd rather read a good book than (almost) anything else. If I'm at church, I find the church library; at a party, I find the host's bookshelves; on vacation, look for my face behind the printed book cover. In bed when I was little, I'd hide under the covers with a flashlight so I could read when I was supposed to be sleeping. When we went camping, I didn't worry about bringing snacks, but I'd make sure my flashlight batteries were working - eating was optional, reading was not. It was a compulsion.
When I was a kid, I got motion sickness in the car from reading all the billboards and signs as we passed them.
In this Age of the Internet, reading has achieved the distinction of a rare science.
Internet Public Library, founded by the U. of Michigan and hosted by Drexel U., offers a catalog of digital resources such as Project Gutenberg , World Wide School Library, and Digital Book Index. Free access to hundreds of thousands of texts. Library of Congress, located in Washington, D. C., "serves as the research arm of Congress". It is the largest library in the world. Their Virtual Reference Shelf includes a link to Bartleby, with its links to free digital works such as thirty-seven of Shakespeare's plays.
Bookworms are all born asking "Why?". Now, we can get answers. Ask A Librarian, or even Chat With a Librarian, (American Memory Historical Collection - one of six collections where you can chat live with a Librarian). Research the world's largest library from your own home. Request books or materials not available at your local library. Find bills in the House or Senate with Thomas, launched in 1995 "to make federal legislative information freely available to the public". Learn with webcasts and other audio-video LoC resources online.
LibraryThing is the place to catalog your books, find reviews and recommendations for books, chat with people who like to read what you like to read (or want to read), and so on. You can purchase CueCat at LibraryThing for $15. Mine arrived today, so now I can scan the ISBN number for my books, and speedily load them into my library at LibraryThing. It doesn't require any software, and works through your computer's USB port. CueCat would make a great stocking stuffer for the bookworms on your Christmas or Hanukkah list. Bookworm heaven. Dis-advantages: so many books, so little time.
2 comments:
Wow, P. you are so right: so many books, so little time.
And I love the idea of BookCrossing. We have something similar here, though it seems to be restricted to the Capital cities.
great resources!
i checked out librarything but was annoyed by the restrictions (unless you pay). that's why i ended up on goodreads, which is free, and i adore.
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