Ask Jeeves Picture Search

Today one of my colleagues passed along this story from Search Engine Watch about the new & improved Picture Search at Ask Jeeves.

The distinguishing factor here is that, unlike the pile o' pictures you get with Google's image search, the Ask Jeeves Picture Search tool offers suggestions to narrow and expand your search with related terms (just like your trusty library catalog!)

I just played with it for awhile and I'm impressed -- my dad's been looking for Renaissance drawings for a poster he's making at work, and he hasn't had good luck Googling.

When I Asked Jeeves for "renaissance art" I got a list of Related Names like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelangelo, and Expand and Narrow options like Medieval Art and Renaissance Paintings. Very cool indeed. Thanks, Jeeves!

"Radical Militant Librarian" Buttons!

I love that someone at ALA actually made Radical Militant Librarian buttons (and I actually ordered one!) in response to all this PATRIOT Act tomfoolery.

It's perfect -- slightly superhero, a dash of political discontent, and a whole lotta fiesty librarian.

And when Sonja sends me my Pirate button, my look will be complete!

Librarian Trading Cards

I just found out about these today and couldn't wait to join in the fun!

Check out the other librarian trading cards at Flickr!

Top 25 Reads of 2005

I've kept a book journal since 1997, and every January I tally up the just-passed year's reads. I read 87 books in 2005, only 22 of which were re-reads (mostly in the bathtub and never library books).

In 2005 I finally became a professional librarian, which means more and more people ask me to recommend good books, which means I end up reading more and more excellent books so I can make sure I'm recommending worthwhile reads.

So, since I read so much this year and so much of it was wonderful, and since so many of you ask me for reading recommendations, here are ...

Librarianna's Top 25 Reads of 2005*

The novels that knocked my socks off:

• A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
• The Smallest Color - Bill Roorbach
• The Well of Lost Plots - Jasper Fforde
• Ireland - Frank Delaney

A triad of dystopian novels about the dark side of cloning:

• Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
• Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
• My Sister's Keeper - Jody Picoult

Historical fiction so real you're there:

• The Night Inspector - Frederick Busch
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R. King

And historical non-fiction so compelling you forget it's real:

• The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
• Assassination Vacation - Sarah Vowell

A one-two punch to blow your mind by making sense of our world:

• Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
• The World is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman

Young Adult novels set in our own world:

• Rats Saw God - Rob Thomas
• Whale Talk - Chris Crutcher
• The Adrian Mole diaries - Sue Townsend

... and in worlds almost like our own:

• The His Dark Materials triology - Philip Pullman
• The Dark is Rising sequence - Susan Cooper
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

Graphic Novels to inhale in a single sitting:

• Abarat - Clive Barker
• Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

And Newbery Award Winners that made this grown-up laugh and cry:

• The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
• The View from Saturday - E.L. Konigsburg
• Kira-Kira - Cynthia Kadohata

* only a handful of these titles were published in 2005, but 2005 is when I read them all, and all for the first time!

Stay tuned ...

Okay I know I haven't blogged in eons, but just keep your pants on (people who shall remain nameless) I'm working on it!

Tune in this weekend and I should have something to show you.