Holder's can of worms

Hanging around mlk library? Start your own 'investigation' into the CIA through the books in the Social Sciences division. Peruse our display table for titles on the CIA, Department of Justice, human rights, terrorism and torture .

Here is the NYTimes take on prosecuting the CIA.

Questioning the sex of an athlete

source : flickr commons

Caster Semenya, a South African teenager, won gold in the 800 meter race at the world athletics championship last week. what was quite a remarkable feat - she finished a full 2.45 seconds ahead of the closest opponent- is quickly becoming overshadowed by the debate over her gender.

While this may seem incredulous to some (including Semenya's family and the South African government), there have been cases of female impersonation in athletics. according to the daily mail, the most famous case is German athlete Dora Ratjen, a high jumper who claimed he was forced by the Nazis to disguise himself as female in the Berlin Olympics. the first athlete to be caught through gender testing was Polish runner Ewa Klobukowska who won medals during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

The ny times has an interesting piece on Caster Semenya and sex determination in sports here.

Books on women in sports: MUS 796.082
Books on gender and sex: SOC 306.7

Tintin au la bibliotheque? Non en brooklyn.

source: flickr commons

The controversy around Tintin and his trip to Congo isn't news to those aware of censorship issues. How do libraries deal with patrons and book challenges like Tintin au Congo? NYTimes shares the Brooklyn public libraries approach as well as some interesting examples of book challenges.

Interested in books on libraries, censorship, and intellectual freedom? Poke your nose around LIT 025.

Bye bye amps and drum kits! It's back to book carts.

source: kim swartz

Where oh where was the Sociology Library Associate last week? Rockin' out with sixty 8-18 year old little ladies at girls rock! day camp, that's where. I joined 2 DCPL YA librarians and over 100 rad DC women in organizing and leading camp this summer.

How did the public library help these kids rock out, you might ask? Well, we held some camp-related instrument shares at MLK library and the Southeast branch in the months leading up to camp, and during camp week our table in the 'Hall of Sisterhood' just about spilled over with DCPL library books. We had books on band art, instrument instruction, biographies of women who rock and the history of women in music. The girls (and volunteers) could look to the books for inspiration during camp week and also be reminded of the resources at their local library! We even got some kids signed up for DCPL library cards! It was a great week and I look forward to next summer.

Here are some highlights:
http://dcist.com/2009/08/click_click_girls_rock_dc_2009.php?gallery0Pic=1#gallery

http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/girls-really-do-rock.html

http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/live-dc/girls-rock-dc-a-recap/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h87bnFXaO40

History-Biography August book displays

History-Biography has a book display commemorating the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne earlier this year. We also have displays on Corazon Aquino and honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alfred Lord Tennyson . Books on display include:

Tennyson, the Unquiet Heart - Robert Bernard Martin
92 T312M


The Poetical Works of Tennyson
821 T312A55

Corazon Aquino: The Story of a Revolution - Lucy Komisar
92 A657K

Great Harry - Carolly Erickson
92 H5216E

The Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser
923.142 F841

Stop by the History-Biography Reading Room at MLK to check out the displays!

All the World's A Stage - August Edition

image source : wikipedia

The next All the World's A Stage book club meeting will be on Monday, August 24th, when we will be discussing Joseph Ellis' Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel: Room 221, 7 PM.

Our tie-in film on Monday, August 10th will depict what was happening on the other side of the Pond - "The Madness of King George" will be shown at 2:00 and 6:30 in the west lobby on the 2nd floor. Hope to see you there!

dcpl + wamu

DCPL Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper was on The Kojo Nnamdi Show this afternoon. Listen to it here.

Yay: Circulation is up in every single branch in the system.
Boo: Our budget cuts are looking like 16%. Scary!!!