Visited the British Library in London in the first week of March. It was a wonderful experience. I would like to introduce at least some of the facilities for our users, if we get space. I loved the exhibition area, which is huge and simultaenously various exhibitions were on. I loved the one of and about Charles Dickens. This is the bicentennial year of Dickens's birth. I got to see some manuscripts in his handwriting. Also in the exhibition area there was a bench, which had headphones, and choice of excerpts from his novels read by ... can't recollect the name right now. I heard a chapter from A Christmas Carol. It was really good.
The Library also has a Conference Centre, which we most definitely would like to have in our Library in the permanent campus. Also other features like a Cafeteria, various Reading Rooms, seating arrangements outside the Reading Rooms and many more...
British Museum is a vast place and needs much more time than I could spend there. However, whatever I could see was awe inspiring. It shows how the people there value the heritage and culture, (not necessarily their own) and preserve it.
May be more of this in the next.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wi-fi enabled Library
Hello,
Most of the students are enjoying the vacation right now. For those of you who are still here, the library is open and offering all the services as usual. Also, for those of you who are not here, very shortly the library will be accessible to you online, i.e. at least some services to begin with.
There are many new developments in the Library. You will be pleasantly surprised to find the library airconditioned and literally a cool place! Also, the library is wi-fi enabled now, so that accessing Internet will be easier. A photocopier is also available now in the Library. Also, we are working on the Library Software, and very shortly most of the Library facilities will be automated. Lots of new books are being added to our collection at the moment. We are also adding to our team so that we will be able to help you more.
Many of you have borrowed books for the vacation. We would like to get your feedback on them. Those of you who are attending French classes, keep in touch with the language. We will start the classes in July, most probably the 4th week.
So enjoy yourselves and keep reading!
Best wishes,
Anjali
Most of the students are enjoying the vacation right now. For those of you who are still here, the library is open and offering all the services as usual. Also, for those of you who are not here, very shortly the library will be accessible to you online, i.e. at least some services to begin with.
There are many new developments in the Library. You will be pleasantly surprised to find the library airconditioned and literally a cool place! Also, the library is wi-fi enabled now, so that accessing Internet will be easier. A photocopier is also available now in the Library. Also, we are working on the Library Software, and very shortly most of the Library facilities will be automated. Lots of new books are being added to our collection at the moment. We are also adding to our team so that we will be able to help you more.
Many of you have borrowed books for the vacation. We would like to get your feedback on them. Those of you who are attending French classes, keep in touch with the language. We will start the classes in July, most probably the 4th week.
So enjoy yourselves and keep reading!
Best wishes,
Anjali
Friday, January 28, 2011
IITI Booksville
Hello everyone!
First of all, I would like to wish you all a very very happy New Year. Though I have been meaning to write this at the beginning of the month, couldn't find the time. Anyway, Happy New Year, once again.
We have been planning to have a Book Exhibition at IITI for some months now. However, due to space constraint, we could not do it. Now, luckily, we have got 2 halls on the groundfloor, which will be used as labs in future. We have named the Exhibition IITI Booksville. To begin with, I had selected a logo depicting a pile of books. Yugendhar, a student, added the letters B and V joined together. So now the logo is 2 piles of books and the letters B and V in between. You will see the logo on the Banners and the Invitation cards put on the Notice Boards.
The Exhibition will be on from 1st February to 3rd February. On 1st, i.e. next Tuesday, it will be inaugurated by the Director at 12.35 p.m. This time was chosen as students have classes till 12.30 p.m. After that, the Exhibition will remain open till 7 p.m. And on 2nd and 3rd Feb, it will be on from 10.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
Please be there, for the inauguration, and also afterwards, to browse through the books. Remember what Somerset Maugham said about the habit of reading? "To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge against almost all the miseries of life".
See you there,
Best wishes,
Anjali
First of all, I would like to wish you all a very very happy New Year. Though I have been meaning to write this at the beginning of the month, couldn't find the time. Anyway, Happy New Year, once again.
We have been planning to have a Book Exhibition at IITI for some months now. However, due to space constraint, we could not do it. Now, luckily, we have got 2 halls on the groundfloor, which will be used as labs in future. We have named the Exhibition IITI Booksville. To begin with, I had selected a logo depicting a pile of books. Yugendhar, a student, added the letters B and V joined together. So now the logo is 2 piles of books and the letters B and V in between. You will see the logo on the Banners and the Invitation cards put on the Notice Boards.
The Exhibition will be on from 1st February to 3rd February. On 1st, i.e. next Tuesday, it will be inaugurated by the Director at 12.35 p.m. This time was chosen as students have classes till 12.30 p.m. After that, the Exhibition will remain open till 7 p.m. And on 2nd and 3rd Feb, it will be on from 10.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
Please be there, for the inauguration, and also afterwards, to browse through the books. Remember what Somerset Maugham said about the habit of reading? "To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge against almost all the miseries of life".
See you there,
Best wishes,
Anjali
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Nobel Prize for Literature 2010
Hi!
The Nobels have been announced. Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa has won it this year. After Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won it in 1982, Llosa is the first South American winner of the Nobel for literature. He is also the first Spanish language writer since Mexico's Octavio Paz in 1990. His debut novel, "The Time of the Hero" was buildt on his experiences at the Peruvian military academy. It won the Spanish Critics Award. However, copies of the novel were burned by the military authorities, who claimed that it was a false account. In addition to numerous novels, he also has many non-fiction works to his credit. He has received several awards and prizes. His doctoral thesis was on Garbriel Garcia Marquez.
Another Nobel of interest to me is the Nobel Peace, which went to Liu Xiaobo this year. Xiaobo is also a writer, a literary critic, and a prominent political activist, who has struggled for human rights in China. He has been prominent in the Chinese democracy movement since the Tiananmen Square killings in 1989. He has been jailed many times, and happens to be in prison at present. Can we hope that the Nobel may lead to his release? The Washinton Post seems to disagree:" In the past, pressured and powerful states have clamped down even harder on domestic dissent in the wake of the Nobel Peace Prize, rather than knuckle under to the Nobel committee.
This is the lesson of the awards to Tibet's Dalai Lama (1989), Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi (1991) and Iran's Shirin Ebadi (2003). "
Let's hope that in case of Liu Xiaobo, things turn out differently, and congratulate the Nobel Laureates!
Best wishes,
Anjali
The Nobels have been announced. Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa has won it this year. After Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won it in 1982, Llosa is the first South American winner of the Nobel for literature. He is also the first Spanish language writer since Mexico's Octavio Paz in 1990. His debut novel, "The Time of the Hero" was buildt on his experiences at the Peruvian military academy. It won the Spanish Critics Award. However, copies of the novel were burned by the military authorities, who claimed that it was a false account. In addition to numerous novels, he also has many non-fiction works to his credit. He has received several awards and prizes. His doctoral thesis was on Garbriel Garcia Marquez.
Another Nobel of interest to me is the Nobel Peace, which went to Liu Xiaobo this year. Xiaobo is also a writer, a literary critic, and a prominent political activist, who has struggled for human rights in China. He has been prominent in the Chinese democracy movement since the Tiananmen Square killings in 1989. He has been jailed many times, and happens to be in prison at present. Can we hope that the Nobel may lead to his release? The Washinton Post seems to disagree:" In the past, pressured and powerful states have clamped down even harder on domestic dissent in the wake of the Nobel Peace Prize, rather than knuckle under to the Nobel committee.
This is the lesson of the awards to Tibet's Dalai Lama (1989), Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi (1991) and Iran's Shirin Ebadi (2003). "
Let's hope that in case of Liu Xiaobo, things turn out differently, and congratulate the Nobel Laureates!
Best wishes,
Anjali
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Central Library IITI on Twitter
Dear All,
Now the Library is on Twitter. All important announcements will be put here, so keep checking the following link:
http://twitter.com/knowledgeforall
The 1st tweet is about the Library Orientation classes to be held on Aug 25 5.30-6.30 p.m. for 1st year students, and Aug 28 10.45-11.45 a.m. for 2nd year students. Everyone is required to attend.
Anjali
Now the Library is on Twitter. All important announcements will be put here, so keep checking the following link:
http://twitter.com/knowledgeforall
The 1st tweet is about the Library Orientation classes to be held on Aug 25 5.30-6.30 p.m. for 1st year students, and Aug 28 10.45-11.45 a.m. for 2nd year students. Everyone is required to attend.
Anjali
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Queen of Crime - Agatha Christie
Dear All,
I am happy to be back here after a long long time. I see that there are 2 new followers. Hello, there! I hope all of you bring your friends too and the group grows.
I have noted your suggestions, and we will get the books suggested by you.
The new sensation in the Library is the Agatha Christie collection, who is known as the Queen of Crime throughout the world. According to HarperCollins, her publisher, she is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. In addition to crime novels and short story collections, she has authored 19 plays, and 6 novels under the name of Mary Westmaccott. 'The Mousetrap', her most famous play of all, opened in 1952, and is the longest-running play in history. It is still running at St. Martin's Theatre, London. The shows are at 7.30 p.m. everyday from Monday to Saturday, and also Matinees on Tuesday and Saturday.
My personal favorites from her plays are: 'The Mousetrap' and 'Witness for the Prosecution'. They must be awsome on the stage.
Out of the novels, 'Dead Man's Folly', 'The ABC Murders', 'Why didn' they ask Evans?', 'Cards on the Table', 'Evil under the sun' .. are my favorites. Of course, there are so many more. Many were made into films. I remember watching 'Evil under the sun' , and '4.50 from Paddington' . However, there are so many more.
Both of her famous detectives are very different from the stereotypical detective: Hercule Poirot, the not so young anymore detective, who has a passion for order and method, and prefers to sit and employ his grey cells rather than following footprints in the mud or searching for fingerprints, is very interested in the psychology of the criminal.
The other detective, Miss Marple, is an elderly lady, who seems a fluffy, fluttering kind, but is in fact sharp as a needle, and is always looking for parallels to the personalities from the crime scene from her own experience. Her theory is human nature is the same everywhere.
In addition to the novels and plays, we have her Autobiography. It was published in 1977, a year after her death. Her life seems fascinating, spanning two World Wars. She learnt nursing and worked as a nurse during the war, and her knowledge of nursing is quite obvious from her books. She had been on various archaeological expeditions with her second husband, Max Mallowan, and her knowledge of the subject is reflected in many of her novels. On the whole, her autobiography seems as captivating as her novels.
Bye for now, and see you in the Library Orientation lectures on 25th of August and 28th of August. Check the notice boards on M211 and outside the Library.
Best wishes,
Anjali
I am happy to be back here after a long long time. I see that there are 2 new followers. Hello, there! I hope all of you bring your friends too and the group grows.
I have noted your suggestions, and we will get the books suggested by you.
The new sensation in the Library is the Agatha Christie collection, who is known as the Queen of Crime throughout the world. According to HarperCollins, her publisher, she is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. In addition to crime novels and short story collections, she has authored 19 plays, and 6 novels under the name of Mary Westmaccott. 'The Mousetrap', her most famous play of all, opened in 1952, and is the longest-running play in history. It is still running at St. Martin's Theatre, London. The shows are at 7.30 p.m. everyday from Monday to Saturday, and also Matinees on Tuesday and Saturday.
My personal favorites from her plays are: 'The Mousetrap' and 'Witness for the Prosecution'. They must be awsome on the stage.
Out of the novels, 'Dead Man's Folly', 'The ABC Murders', 'Why didn' they ask Evans?', 'Cards on the Table', 'Evil under the sun' .. are my favorites. Of course, there are so many more. Many were made into films. I remember watching 'Evil under the sun' , and '4.50 from Paddington' . However, there are so many more.
Both of her famous detectives are very different from the stereotypical detective: Hercule Poirot, the not so young anymore detective, who has a passion for order and method, and prefers to sit and employ his grey cells rather than following footprints in the mud or searching for fingerprints, is very interested in the psychology of the criminal.
The other detective, Miss Marple, is an elderly lady, who seems a fluffy, fluttering kind, but is in fact sharp as a needle, and is always looking for parallels to the personalities from the crime scene from her own experience. Her theory is human nature is the same everywhere.
In addition to the novels and plays, we have her Autobiography. It was published in 1977, a year after her death. Her life seems fascinating, spanning two World Wars. She learnt nursing and worked as a nurse during the war, and her knowledge of nursing is quite obvious from her books. She had been on various archaeological expeditions with her second husband, Max Mallowan, and her knowledge of the subject is reflected in many of her novels. On the whole, her autobiography seems as captivating as her novels.
Bye for now, and see you in the Library Orientation lectures on 25th of August and 28th of August. Check the notice boards on M211 and outside the Library.
Best wishes,
Anjali
Friday, June 4, 2010
Summer Moonshine
Just finished reading 'Summer Moonshine' by P G Wodehouse, one of my favorite authors. I have always felt that he is God's gift to all of us. This book is hilarious. If you have not read it already, grab it, is my advice. See what Lynne Truss has to say about good old Plum:
"You should read Wodehouse when you're well and when you're poorly; when you're travelling, and when you're not; when you're feeling clever, and when you're feeling utterly dim. Wodehouse always lifts your spirits...."
There is a Wodehouse Society in UK which is a treasure trove of information on the author. Check it out at:
http://www.pgwodehousesociety.org.uk
Wodehouse has been criticized by many who think that the world that he depicts in his novels no longer exists and that it is no longer relevant. However, I think that as long as human beings continue to possess a sense of humor, and can appreciate a laugh, a giggle, or a chuckle, dear old Plum would always be relevant, and I sincerely hope that means forever!
Best wishes,
Anjali
"You should read Wodehouse when you're well and when you're poorly; when you're travelling, and when you're not; when you're feeling clever, and when you're feeling utterly dim. Wodehouse always lifts your spirits...."
There is a Wodehouse Society in UK which is a treasure trove of information on the author. Check it out at:
http://www.pgwodehousesociety.org.uk
Wodehouse has been criticized by many who think that the world that he depicts in his novels no longer exists and that it is no longer relevant. However, I think that as long as human beings continue to possess a sense of humor, and can appreciate a laugh, a giggle, or a chuckle, dear old Plum would always be relevant, and I sincerely hope that means forever!
Best wishes,
Anjali
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