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The International Edible Books Festival takes place every year on April 1 (or so). This "celebration of the ingestion of culture and a way to concretely share a book [that] is also a deeper reflexion on our attachment to food and our cultural differences" involves--you guessed it--book artists and others creating edible works that represent, [...]

Next Monday, April 2, is World Autism Awareness Day.  Autism now affects 1 in every 88 children in the US, according to a report released this week by the Center for Disease Control.   An additional startling figure is that the cost of autism in the US is greater than that of the entire GDP [...]

Who knew that renowned physicist Sir Isaac Newton also dabbled in Bible study? Among the many manuscripts in the National Library of Israel's collection are commentaries by Newton on the Tabernacle and Temple, alchemy, calculations dealing with the end of time, and interpretations of the Bible. He believed that God chose him to deliver the [...]

With record highs in New York this week and a very mild winter, home gardeners are ready to enjoy spring in the backyard.  There are many gardening web sites but one sponsored by the Department of Horticulture and Cooperative Extension at Cornell University, gardening.cornell.edu, is well done.  It provides resources for not only the home [...]

Wonderful news today from ProQuest. They will continue the tradition of publishing the Statistical Abstract of the United States, beginning with the 2013 edition (in print and digital formats).  They will partner with Bernan Press who will continue the tradition of publishing the print edition.   No word on pricing at this time.  Here is [...]

Actually, the program is called Every Day Is Science Friday. You can hear it on NPR stations every Friday between 2 and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Check your local stations for air time. You can also get it on the web at http://www.sciencefriday.com/. It is a talk show devoted to science topics in the news [...]

Legend has it that each year the swallows return to California's San Juan Capistrano Mission on St. Joseph's Day, March 19th.  The "Fiesta de las Golondrinas," a month-long celebration in the city of San Juan Capistrano, includes  a Swallows Parade. A look at  the American Birding Association's  Birding Festivals Directory  (searchable by state, country and month), proves that swallows [...]

Although there continues to be discussion on whether there is climate change,  since 2008 ClimateCentral.org analyzes and reports on climate science.  The organization believes the "climate crisis" is a real danger.  Their goal is to inform and inspire Americans to "support the actions needed to keep the crises from getting worse." In conjunction with news [...]

According to this article on library website usability, the terms that library patrons misunderstand most include "database," "library catalog," and "reference." What library terms trip up your patrons? What words do you use instead?

In a move that is sure to rock the world of reference, Encyclopaedia Britannica has just announced that it will no longer publish a print edition. Read more about it at http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/after-244-years-encyclopaedia-britannica-stops-the-presses/

Alan Lomax was one of the great scholars of folk music. He traveled the world recording songs and learning about musical traditions. He died in 2002, but his collections live on in the Folklife Reading Room of the Library of Congress. There scholars will find 650 linear feet of manuscripts, 6,400 recordings, 5,500 images, and [...]

Even in the digital age librarians are still for books and libraries of any kind.  Now libraries are appearing on lawns thanks to Todd Bol who wanted to honor his mother's love of books.  He began Littlefreelibrary by building a model of library, putting it on his lawn in Wisconsin and filling it with books.  [...]

There are a few reference-related programs at the upcoming Public Library Association conference next week (March 13-17, Philadelphia) that I am really looking forward to.  (all information provided by the PLA conference website) I don't think I've ever seen a program offered on this topic before: Birds Do It, Bees Do It, and You Know [...]

Now that many newspapers have eliminated their book review section, it is welcome news that Slate has announced a new weekly book review section. Slate, a liberal online news source, is published  by the Washington Post.  It was highlighted as a Web Site of the Week in 2010.  The new Slate Book Review will be [...]

International Women's Day is March 8th. To celebrate and see how far we have come and how much further we have to go, check out UNESCO's World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education. Using information from UNESCO's Institute of Statistics, the atlas calls attention to persistent gender disparities and the need to focus on education [...]

The Dictionary of American Regional English, aka DARE, is now complete.  Volume V, covering Sl-Z, has just been published by Harvard University Press.  This monumental reference work "documents words, phrases, and pronunciations that vary from one place to another across the United States."  Its entries "include regional pronunciations, variant forms, some etymologies, and regional and [...]

Aroundme is the best of a  number of apps that is a travel necessity if in an unfamiliar city. When relocating it is good for a quick view of an area. Aroundme provides lists of the nearest gas stations, restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, hospitals, etc.  In addition to area movie theatres, there is a link [...]

March is Women's History Month. This year's theme is "Women's Education -- Women's Empowerment." Here are a few useful websites to bookmark for yourself and your patrons. The National Women's History Project has downloadable brochures that highlight pioneering women in education. The National Women's Hall of Fame website provides bios and further reading about notable [...]