April Fool - There was no March posting. March Madness was everywhere it seems, and so little time was reserved for Readalot.

I did finish "Dewey - the small town library cat who touched the world" by Vicky Myron. The book revolves around Dewey (a nearly frozen kitten found in a book drop), and his adopted owner, the Librarian of Spencer Public Library of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey's full name is "Dewey Readmore Books." Now how can you beat that for a clever library promotion? For those of you in the know, Dewey refers to the Dewey Decimal System used by most public libraries to organize their books. "Readmore" is just good advice. Though we learn to enjoy the cat and his fame, the book tells more than the story of a cat. It's about starting over and surviving tough times in a small town with depressed economic conditions. You don't have to like cats to enjoy this book, but it does help!

Another March activity for me was to attend the "Computers in Libraries" conference at Crystal City in Arlington, VA. While there, I purchased a book that critically examines news sources. This guide is straight forward about the persons behind the online sites. The criticism is written by a a journalist and may have some bias. Don't be surprised that Al Jazeera ranks far better than Fox News and U.S. News and World Report. However, consulting many sites is a good idea, and this book will help you to do that. Here is the title and author:

Consider the Source
A Critical Guide to 100 Prominent News and Information Sites on the Web
By James F. Broderick and Darren W. Miller

Both of the above books will be available in the library soon. Sorry, but "Consider the Source" will be on Reference and therefore will need to be consulted on campus. We can send it to any library location through our courier service.