Civic Center Library, Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona

The Civic Centre Library in Scottdale, Arizona was telling everyone who came to the library that they were the readers choice for "best library" in 2010.  This was a great promotion as it was impossible to enter the library without seeing this banner.


The young adult area was being well used (despite this photograph), there was electronic music being created and you could hear this when you walked into this space.  It had a glass wall really really clearly letting people know this was the young adult area with signs on it.

There were two fancy saddles in the local studies area, and they were part of the collection.  The local studies area had a very good looking collection, and space for doing research. 


You can look at the slideshow below for more images, or click this link to read about the photographs as well.

Arabian Library, Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona

Arabian Library was the first of the Scottsdale, Arizona libraries I visited.  The library has a dramatic entrance and it reminded me of a canyon, but also a giant snail, and you walk into the shell or the canyon.   It is an unusual building to walk into with a strong sense of drama in the design.   It was also very welcoming so the design was not intimidating, and it was also very practical for the climate.


It was really cute that children could measure their height in horses in the Arabian Library (this feature was repeated in the other horse named branch libraries)


The children's collection had lovely descriptions for the titles which were shelved in the area, they were subject descriptions, and they were whimsical and meaningful (there are quite a few more photographs of these in the photostream)



You can look at the slideshow below, or follow this link to read about the photographs.

Water Brain

This amazing animation was shown at Graphic.  Choose a quiet moment to watch this - it should not be rushed.


Water Brain Complete Edition（16：9） from Johann.Poo on Vimeo.

#whodoneit reading for July

This month started with rereading two Brent Weeks titles, Shadow's end and Beyond the shadows.  They were an amazing reread.  I also read his new novella Perfect shadow which was really impressive.

Other reads included:

• Frances Hodgeson Burnett The secret garden - a stories of garden providing connections
• staying up to date with The Mongoliad - this is great reading
• Minette Walters' A chameleon's shadow - a good challenge to assumptions 
• Paul de Gelder No time for fear - reminded me of why I don't read biographies, but I finished it
• Peter Lovesey The house sitter - provides a different slant on the Rime of the ancient mariner 
• I listened on e-audio to Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly - it translates well to this format - I did not want to stop listening, Jason Chaser Hovercar race, and Hell Island (I really was having lots of fun with the e-audio)
• Dorothy L Sayers A busman's holiday mixes romance and crime
• Douglas Hulick Among thieves - not so much shades of grey as shades of charcoal
• Jesamyn Ward Salvage the bones - a setting and character dominated novel set around Hurricane Katrina
• Quintin Jardine Thursday legend - some gruesome moments
• Summer  of unrest Tom Chatfield - an account of recent world events and a discussion of the role of social media
• J K Rowling Harry Potter and the deathly hallows - a speed re-read after watching the final film
• kept up to date with New Scientist, and Jamie
• also read lots and lots of blog posts and tweets