Assignment #6: School Library Website Review

Overall, the school library's website works very well. It is easy to access information, because the links are all placed under categories right at the top of the page. The intended audience of the library website are the grade eight to twelve students of our school, and perhaps the teachers as well. When students are viewing the website, they want quick access to whatever they are looking for. They do  not want to waste time searching the site when they likely have assignments and projects that must be completed. I think that this website offers students just that: fast, reliable information. It is visually pleasing as well, which is just as important.

The only suggestion I can come up with that would improve it would be to add onto the site more. Provide more links, more resources and more information if possible, because that will make this website even more informative for students. Building upon a website with more helpful information will always improve its usefulness.

Banned Book

There are several reasons as to why a book may be banned from a school library. Opposed to a regular library, a school library has to be more careful about what is in the collection. All of the material must be appropriate for minors to view. That means that anything with extreme sexuality, violence or even profanities may be unavailable to the students. Books may also be censored from a school if it carries a hateful, offensive message. Of course everyone is offended by different things, so this would mainly just include books that have a racist, bigoted or homophobic theme that is degrading to those being oppressed or if it promotes a negative attitude towards those people. Books that have a strong political message that is viewed as harmful to society, such as books praising Nazis, will probably be banned as well. This kind of censorship, in my opinion, is understandable, because the school could face legal troubles if a parent complains that something their child viewed was not age inappropriate.

A commonly known banned book is To Kill a Mockingbird. It has been challenged in the past because some think it is racist and it's use of profanities may be offensive. There is also mention of rape, which many think is inappropriate as well. I have not read this book  before, but I know that several English classes read it for their novel study last year. None of my friends have ever felt that it was too inappropriate for them to be reading in class and I find it interesting how it is still being challenged to this day.

The Scarlet Letter is another book that continues to be challenged. It was written in 1850, a time where people were much more strict when it came to topics of promiscuity. I personally have not read this book either, but I do know what it is about and I think that it is a little unusual that people are still offended by it, and even claim that it is sinful. Compared to what is on TV everyday, this seems minor.

Some of the banned books that are in our school library today include both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Scarlet Letter, as well as Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby, Beloved, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye. A banned book that our library does not carry is Gone With the Wind. Out of these books, I have read only The Great Gatsby and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I do not see much of a reason to ban The Great Gatsby. Perhaps it would offend people in the 1920s, but there is nothing offensive in that book compared to modern day standards. I cannot comment on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because I read that book years ago and I do not remember it well.

I choose to read the book, Beloved. It was definitely a well written novel, but it is not something that I would recommend to my friends. At times I found it difficult to follow and there were several times throughout reading it that I did not want to continue, It goes straight into the plot without first giving much of a background on the characters. This was confusing, because it would mention a character or a place without giving much of a description as to what it was. However, as the book progressed, it began to make more sense and more of an explanation was given.

It is justifiable that this book made some people uncomfortable, but it is mildly inappropriate only to present realism. It is not obscene or disturbing and I would certainly not support a ban on it. It does touch upon darker themes, such as racism and rape, and it is not a novel that I would suggest an eleven year old read, but I think that most people above the age of fifteen would be able to read and comprehend it in a mature manner.

As previously mentioned, Beloved is already included in our school library's collection and it should stay. It is not a book that many would even bother to pick up if they were unable to handle stories for more mature readers. Just by reading the summary on the inside cover, it is obvious that more intense themes are likely to be included. I would understand if a younger person found the ideas of Beloved to be uncomfortable, but if adults feel so uncomfortable while reading it that they think it is necessary to put a ban upon it, I would find this a little questionable and I would want to hear their reasons behind it. Although racism and slavery are topics that people find uncomfortable, it is not a racist book. If it was degrading towards other people, I could understand a ban, but it certainly is not.

Assignment #1: The History of Libraries

1. The Library of Alexandria was a hugely influential library of ancient times. Much of the world's knowledge was collected there. In fact, it was so important, that the original texts of valuable documents would be kept there and copies would be made to return to the owners. Unfortunately, this library was destroyed at some point before or after 1st century BC and much of the valuable information was lost.

2. Aristotle's Library was the first private library. It was named after the first apparent man to arrange libraries for kings and teach them how to do so.

3. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered throughout the years 1946 to 1956. The scrolls were found inside of caves along the shore of the Dead Sea. Some of the text discovered was even included in the Hebrew Bible. This was of course an amazing historical find, as it included some of the most important religious documents ever to be found.

4. Piso's Library was covered in ash when a volcano erupted in about 79 AD. Approximately 1785 scrolls were found in the mid-eighteenth century. Many of which were very philosophical and ahead of Piso's time. It is not completely certain that Piso, who was Julius Caesar's father-in-law, was the owner of the house and library that was found, but it is very probable.

5. Scriptoriums were rooms, usually located in libraries, that were devoted to writing and copying books during medieval European times. These were important, because without the rooms and the monks who used them to write books, there would not have been any books in the library. Therefore, it would make it even more difficult than it already was in that time for people to get their hands on books and education.

6. Codex is the most important invention and educational advancement in ancient times. Basically, it is a book made up of a number of sheets, very similar to modern day books. The codex replaced the scroll completely, because it was much more efficient.

7. House of Wisdom is the first known university ever to be created. The scholars who studied there both collected much of the world's knowledge and made many of their own discoveries. The House of Wisdom had the largest collection of books by the mid-ninth century, but unfortunately, it was all destroyed in the Siege of Baghdad in 1258.

8. Grand Vizier Abdul Kassem Ismael was so passionate about literature that he would not leave his home without his entire library collection. He traveled with about 117,000 books carried on the backs of 400 camels. The camels carried specific books and were trained to walk in alphabetical order according to which books they had to keep the books organized.

9. Gutenberg's Printing Press to this day is still one of the most important inventions in history. A printing press allowed ink to be pressed onto paper or cloth. It was created by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-thirteenth century, although it must also be noted that a similar invention was created by Bi Sheng over seventy years earlier in China. This invention spread around Europe quickly. It allowed copies of books to be printed more quickly and efficiently.

10. Medici was an influential family during Italy in early times. The Medici pope was responsible for the building of a library. It still stands today as a historical site. The architecture was done by Michelangelo. Plenty of the original books remain in the library to this day. The Medici family build this library, because they wanted to be seen as educated and sophisticated among the upper class.

11. Valican Library, located in Vatican City, is one of the oldest libraries still standing today at over 500 years old. Many of the texts from hundreds of years ago still remain and can be copied for private study upn request.

12. Bodleian Library is another one of the oldest libraries in Europe that still exists to this day. It is one of the main libraries at the University of Oxford. Those who wish to enter the library must first make an oath that they will not cause damage to any of the books.

13. Harvard University Library is the oldest library in the USA, although it is more like thirteen libraries combined. It was established in 1638. Throughout its hundreds of years, many scholars have studied at that library and made important discoveries.

14. Junto's Library is a library that was formed by Benjamin Franklin and a group of members from the Junto.

15. Library Company of Philadelphia was also founded by Benjamin Franklin. This Library was the product of discussion Franklin had with the Junto members.

16. Boston Public Library was founded in 1848 and about 30 years later, it became the first library branch in American, although originally the idea for the library did not receive much support nor interest.

17. "Let There Be Light" is a famous phrase written above the door of a library in Edinburgh. It is a biblical phrase, but it also seems to be used in more of a metaphorical way. For example, when it is posted in libraries or schools, it is used not in a religious sense, but in regards to education and intelligence.

18. Library and Archives Canada's main purpose is to collect Canada heritage, make knowledge accessible to everyone and to store important government documentations. There are millions of books in the collection, as well as other important texts, such as the British North American Act and a book that was published in the late 15th century.

19. "Books For All" is a program created by the Scottish Government that provides alternatives to typical, printed books for people who have disabilities or impairments, such as blindness. This is extremely important, because it makes stories and texts accessible to more people.

20. British Libraries Turning the Pages is an online library that allows people virtual access to books. This, once again, makes knowledge more accessible to people who may be unable to go to a library.

21. Gates Foundation was founded by Bill and Melinda gates. The goal of the large privately owned foundation is to reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life around the world, and to give people more access to education in America. This foundation has raised billions of dollars, much of which goes to modernizing libraries with technology.

22. RFID stands for radio-frequency identification. Many libraries have replaced the barcode that used to be used to identify books with RFID technology, because it can be used as a method of security as well. This can speed up the amount of time it takes to check books in and out, but unfortunately this is too expensive for some libraries.

23. African Digital Library is an online library that provides people with books and other texts in Africa, making knowledge more accessible for those who have internet.

24. National Digital Library is a universal online library with an extensive collection of text, photographs, video and audio.

Journal #5: My First Few Weeks as an iLibrary Student

Throughout these two months as a library science student, I have learned much about how the library functions and how it is organized. When I first made the decision to take this course, I thought that the Dewey Decimal System and how to check books in and out of the library would be about the only things that I would learn about, but I realized that there is much more to it than that. I have gotten to research many other topics that I find interesting for the assignments and journals, such as the censorship assignment. I have also enjoyed the reading assignments as well, because I love to read and analyze books.

When we went to Learning Resources, we were shown how the books are prepped before they are sent to the school libraries. The books must be entered into the system, stamped and secured to prevent them from being stolen or lost. That was an informative experience as well.

One assignment in particular that I look forward to doing is the magazine and newspaper study. I also look forward to some of the other journals. I have read through them quickly and it seems like there are some interesting topics to learn about. There is nothing that I have found very difficult or frustrating. Of course there are days when I feel too tired to think critically about things or to research certain subjects, but overall most of the work is enjoyable and I have never felt frustrated with it that I can recall.

Non-Fiction Reading: Girl, Interrupted

The book I choose is titled, Girl, Interrupted and it is written by Susanna Kaysen. She documented her two year experience as a patient in a mental hospital in the late 1960's after a suicide attempt. She writes about the other girls who were admitted to the hospital, as well as the nurses and doctors who cared for her. The doctor who made the decision that she needed to spend time in the hospital did so throughout the process of only a very short interview and he claimed that she would be going away for two weeks. She ended up spending approximately two years there. Susanna explains what it was like to have all of her freedom taken away from her at a time when she should have had the most freedom in her young life. In her writing, it is obvious that she is a very intelligent and seemingly clearheaded person, which makes you wonder how she ever ended up in such a situation, but anyone can have mental health problems.

This book is definitely important, because some of the ways she describes mental illnesses is quite fascinating. It made me think of things in ways that I previously did not and that is always a good quality to have in a book. Considering that it is a book that documents one's own experiences and feelings, rather than being a historical account, there is definitely some bias.. For example, when she is explaining how quickly the doctor decided that she needed to go to a hospital, she managed to look at things from his point of view as well as her own. However, there will of course be some kind of bias in these types of books. It is unavoidable.

Girl, Interrupted has the potential to appeal to many different types of people, but I think that it is especially interesting to read as a seventeen year old girl. Susanna was just a year older than me when this took place and it is very strange to compare my life to hers. We are in such different places, but at the same time, I can relate to the ways she sometimes feels or the thoughts she has. The people she meets in the hospital are very real characters as well. They way they speak is realistic and she does not censor the things that they say at all. This means that there are some parts of the book that are a little inappropriate, but I think that it contributes to the story and that if she had not added that in, it would not be as realistic.

I enjoyed reading this and I wished that it was a longer book. I wanted to know more about the details of what happened to the other patients in the mental hospital after they recovered, or if they ever recovered, but there are so many things left unsaid. This is likely because what happened to them is unknown even to Susanna.

The best part of this book is that it left me with a lot to think about. As previously mentioned, I was sometimes able to relate to Susanna. That is probably what she intended when she wrote it. She wanted to make people question mental illness, since the definition of it is something that is always changing. An example she mentioned was homosexuality. It was something that a person could once be locked up in a mental hospital for, but that has changed over time and now it is accepted by most people. She also mentions that many disorders are just a matter of opinion, like "compulsive promiscuity", which she points out was more commonly diagnosed in women, and also "social contrariness". It is human nature to have a desire to categorize and put labels on things, but when it comes down to it, who is really to say what is considered usual or insane? How can we accurately define sanity when ideas are constantly changing? It is interesting to think about.

Journal #6: Copyright

Definitions:

• Copyright - The legal right given to a person from the owner to copy their work. This can include literature, music, etc.
• Creator - The owner of a type of intellectual property.
• Author - The one who brought the intellectual property into existence.
• Blanket Permission - Permission given to someone to copy a piece of intellectual property in the form of written consent.
• Public Domain - When something belongs to the public and cannot be held under any copyright laws. This is the case for older pieces of work in which the author or creator has died. For example, the Mona Lisa.
• Intellectual Property - Ideas, thoughts and intellectual creations that belong to someone.
• Plagiarism - To illegally take someone else's intellectual property and claim it as their own.
• Moral Rights - In regards to copyright, there are three moral rights. The right of paternity, the right of integrity and the right of association. The right of paternity is the right for an author to have his or her name on his or her work, or to remain anonymous and use a fake name. The right of integrity means that an author may object to any changes that people may want to make to the piece. Lastly, the right of  association means that the author can refuse to allow others from using their work in association with a cause or a company.
• Fair Dealing - Outlines the few exceptions in the Copyright Act. This allows work to be copied if it is used privately for educational purposes and the person copying the work is not making money off of it. The rules are slightly more strict for libraries and schools.
• Copyright Infringement - Occurs when someone infringes on the copyright law. For example, this can be done by selling or trading something that they are not the owner of.
• Copyleft - Is an agreement in which the owner of the intellectual property may allow others to freely use their work without charging a fee, Changes to the work are allowed to be made, as long as everyone is still able to easily view it.
• Creative Commons - A license similar to copyleft that also allows people to use or alter work, as long as credit is given to the original owner.

At some point throughout my education, I am certain that I have infringed upon copyright. I am always extremely careful not to plagiarize another person's written work, but I have used photographs on posters or PowerPoint projects that I have found on the internet, that did not belong to me. I did not check whether there was a Creative Commons license, nor did I give the original creator any credit. I did not think much of it at the time, because the only other people who would  be viewing the project were my teacher and classmates. As long as too many people did not view it and I did not alter the photograph in any way or financially benefit off of the photo, I did not see a huge problem with using it, especially in the younger grades when I honestly did not think about it very much. I knew the basics of the Copyright laws, but researching for this journal also gave me a better understanding of it and I learned about Creative Commons licenses as well. Now that I am more educated on the subject, it is something I will look out for in the future when I am doing assignments, because it is unfair to disregard the author's wishes.

Assignment #4: Censorship

Censorship is when there is a control on what can and cannot be viewed by the public in the media. This is usually controlled by the government or by large, private corporations. Some countries are more strict than others when it comes to what is allowed to be shown on television, the internet, in newspapers or broadcast on the radio. Canada, for example, only prohibits obscenity and hate propaganda.

Those supporting censorship would say that violent imagery can cause people who already have violent tendencies to act out upon their thoughts. It will just give them ideas, these people would claim. Obscenity is often unexpected as well and this can be a problem for the more sensitive person, as well as children. Hateful propaganda is also problematic, because it often promotes untruthful information that can endanger the rights of other people. In Western societies, the majority of people will not endorse any sort of censorship that goes beyond that, but in more government controlled countries, it usually does. In China, any information that is seen as going against the government's politic situation can typically be censored, even though the government claims to give their citizens the freedoms of press and speech. The censorship regulations can vary immensely from place to place.

Arguments against censorship will usually point out that basic censoring against violence or sexual images can lead to more strict restrictions. After all, how can we rightfully decide what is too obscene for the public eye? It would be impossible to have everyone agree. It could also cause some information to not be as readily available. For example, education about sexual health. If that is not easily accessible to everyone it can cause many problems and confusion about what is truthful information.

My personal opinion on the subject is that some things should be censored and others should not. Violent pornography is something that definitely does not need to be watched, because it promotes harm against people. Women, in particular and many of these women involved in pornography are horribly mistreated. Anything that is harmful to other people is not something that needs to be viewed. That being said, I am not someone who agrees that violent video games or movies can necessarily cause violence in people. There is a difference between something that is more graphic or violent and something that is just dehumanizing for the participants. However, I agree that it is difficult to decide where we should draw the line and I do not like the idea of the government choosing what I can and cannot view. Everyone's opinions and morals are different. Surely there are some people who would like to ban the things that I am fond of, such as TV shows like The Walking Dead or American Horror Story.

Perhaps the best thing to do is to give people the freedom to choose what they can view. I personally do not want the government getting so involved in my life that they decide what is appropriate for me to watch. As long as it is not harmful or dehumanizing for the participants and it is nothing nonfictional that is actually criminal, I do not see an issue with it.

Journal #4: The Poverty of Abundance

The internet and its millions of webpages certainly can make it more difficult to research topics. There is so much out there that it can be difficult to distinguish what is truthful and helpful information, and what is not. Sometimes when there is this much information so readily available, it can be overwhelming. However, I am not in full agreement that this can completely get in the way of researching. It is just about knowing which sites are appropriate to use. I have never given up on researching something just because of the number of results that came up. That is not something I will usually pay attention to, unless it is exceptionally challenging to find the information I need.

 I will typically search through the first few results and if it does not seem reliable, I will continue look through the rest of the websites. Wikipedia is one website that I will avoid when doing a research project, because the information given may not be the entire truth and students have always been advised against using Wikipedia. Besides, there are more informative sites out there.


Some may find this confusing, but I think that it is relatively easy to eliminate a good portion of the results right off the bat. This may be due to the extensive training my classmates and I have received about the internet throughout our years of elementary and secondary education. Older adults most likely have more difficulties with this, as they did not learn how to properly research subjects by using the internet when they were in school.

Google's Advanced Search is an excellent tool that I will certainly be using more often in the future. It allows people to search for very specific topics and eliminate many of the results that may come up, that will be irrelevant to what they are looking for. This is because it allows us to search for the exact words that we are looking for and we can also type in any words that we do not want to come up.

Journal #3: The Value of Reading and Libraries

Reading fiction is fantastic escapism from the average, everyday life, as stated by a British author, Neil Gaiman, in the article explaining why our future depends on reading and daydreaming. A good book can take a person away into a more interesting, lively place. It is an enjoyable hobby that can also be a good distraction from all of the troubles in the world. This is one of the many reasons why reading is so important.

Literacy is very important in this age. It is unbelievable that there are so many people still in this country who are unable to read at an adult level, because it is difficult to imagine how they can negate their way through the world. If a person is illiterate, their chances of success greatly diminish. It would be impossible to get a well paying, steady job. Just as Mr. Gaiman also pointed out, illiterate people are more likely to resort to a life of crime to get by. Naturally, this will endanger all of society as well.

Prescribed reading can be a little irritating. Sometimes it is hard to become interested in a book that you were unable to pick out for yourself and nobody wants to spend time reading about something that they are uninterested in. However, I think that it is good that in school we are required to read stories we otherwise would not. It can give us a different perspective and even teach us something new. For example, last year my grade eleven English class read Lord of the Flies. It is probably not a book that I would have picked out for myself. In spite of that, I actually did learn a little about life from the book. It had many interesting themes revolving around civilization and society, which I did enjoy. I am also sure that without prescribed reading in English class, there are some people who would not read at all.

Empathy is the ability to understand how another person feels and to relate to them. I believe that I am a moderately empathetic person. Although I find it difficult to relate with other people's more trivial problems, I am also the kind of person who gets sad and angry when I watch the news. I do not know where we learn to be empathetic from. It may be something we are born with, but it is more likely nurture rather than nature.

Imagination is defined as "the action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses". Being imaginative is an important quality that can help people through everyday life. The ability to come up with new ideas is something required for many jobs as well. It is important to read, write or watch movies every once in awhile, because it is something that requires the imagination. It is good escapism and I think that it is healthy to have distractions that can take you out of your own life every one in awhile.

Freedom, in regards to literacy and education, gives people the right to speak, write about and believe in the subjects of their choosing. There cannot be limitations on what is published or said by the citizens of a country, or else they are not truly free. However, of course, there are some exceptions. For example, outright threatening or hateful comments that take away the rights of other people are usually censored for obvious reasons.

The purpose of community spaces, such as libraries, is that it gives people who may not have very much money a place to go and educate themselves. It is especially important that people are given access to internet and printers, because applying online is a requirement for so many different jobs. If we, as a society, do not provide these necessities to people, I think that it is likely that the crime right would definitely go up. We may be living in the age of information, but plenty citizens still have a difficult time getting their hands on information. Community spaces are still as important as ever, because they provide people with a space to get information and spend their time productively.

I do not recall reading fairy tales as a child. In all honesty, I had difficulties with reading for much of my childhood and it was not until the fifth or sixth grade that I really began reading for pleasure. By that time, I was not too interested in reading fairy tales. I enjoyed to funny books about life, such as the ones Judy Blume would write. I also read many non-fiction books about space and dinosaurs, because those were two topics that interested me a lot. When I was about twelve, I was reading all the time. This was around the time I discovered the importance of reading and how it was such a good escape from the everyday, average life. It would take me somewhere more exciting and there is much value in that.

Top 21 Before 21

I have read the following novels from Chapters' list of the top 21 books to read before a person turns 21:

• The Hunger Games
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Twilight

I choose to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The book is told through the first person point of view of a fifteen year old Floridian boy, who goes by the name of Jacob Portman, He was very close to his grandfather as a child. Grandpa Abe is very fascinating to Jacob. He shares many adventurous tales and unusual, vintage photographs with the young boy. He speaks about his time spent living in a home for "peculiar" children, who all possess a strange ability of some sort. However, as the years go on, Jacob stops believing these stories and the family suspects that Grandpa Abe is losing his mind in his later years, as some of the elderly do.

The initial incident that truly begins the story is when Jacob witnessed the gruesome death of his childhood hero, Grandpa Abe. Confusing last words were shared with the fifteen year old and by the time he was sixteen, he was determined to find out the mystery behind them. Upon the discovery of an old letter addressed to his grandfather from a Miss Peregrine, Jacob convinces his father to take him to explore a small Welsh island and he successfully finds Miss Peregrine's old home for children. It is completely abandoned, but within a few more days of exploring, he accidentally ends up in 1940. The house is reverted back to its perfect state and children happily live together in the home. Jacob soon learns about his grandfather's past and about the other peculiar children, who he becomes friends with. He also discovers that they are living the same day again and again. September third 1940 repeats every single day. The children and their headmistress, Miss Peregrine, are aware of the time loop and so it does not affect them. However, the townspeople live the same day over again without any remembrance of yesterday.

Jacob has been granted with the same gift as his grandfather- to see the monsters that are trying to hunt down the peculiar children. He is forced to make the decision about whether he should stay with the peculiar children or return to his home with his father. With some convincing by Emma Bloom, a girl with an ability to create fire out of thin air and who has a very big crush on him, he decides to stay and help fight against the monsters with his friends.

I enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and in fact, I finished it within two days. I am planning to start reading the sequel soon as well. It was entertaining and an interesting read. There was always something happening, so it did not once get boring. Most of it was heavily based on magic and supernatural elements. This is something that I usually do not like very much, but in this story, it was overall well done.

This book was included on the Top 21 Before 21 list, because it an easy, good read and it has everything that any young adult story must have: Adventure, mystery and romance. The vintage photographs were a nice touch. It is just one of those little added things that make the story more interesting. I would definitely recommend it to someone of my own age. An older adult may enjoy this book as well, as long as that person enjoys adventure and fantasy books.

The story reminded me a lot of the Percy Jackson series. That series is not on the Top 21 Before 21 list and I do not know if they continue to be popular, but when I was about thirteen, it was quite a popular series. The protagonists are both teenage boys with similar personalities. They are both ordinary and unpopular, until they find out a secret about themselves and go on an dangerous adventure with their friends. The main female character happens to be a teenage girl, who is both feisty and clever, and eventually ends up with the protagonist in each book. However, this happens much sooner in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Aside from Percy Jackson, I am not reminded of any other books when I read this one. It is not very similar to the few other books I read that are on the Top 21 Before 21 list. However, as previously mentioned, it does have the same basic themes that all young adult books seem to have.

Journal #2: S. R. Ranganathan and the Five Laws of Library Science

S. R. Ranganathan lived through the years 1892 to 1972. He was a mathematics teacher from India and soon he also became a librarian. After he spent sometime traveling, he realized that libraries and books were not very accessible to the poorer citizens of his country. This was something that did not seem fair to him, because everyone had the right to knowledge. In an attempt to change this, he developed several library legislation's, including the Five Laws of Library Science. The laws included the following:

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his (or her) book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism.

These laws are fundamental to a working library system, because they all focus on the importance of the reader's ability to comfortably and easily use their local library, without feeling restricted or unable to find the resources that one may need. For example, the books were once chained to the walls of a library to prevent theft. Although it is important to be cautious of stolen books, this made it more difficult for people to actually use and enjoy the books. Ranganathan believed that books being used was more important than books being preserved for longer periods of time, because a library will quickly lose its purpose if it is not being used.

Although today we have more access to knowledge than those living in Ranganathan's time would have, these basic rules of library science still make perfect sense today in this new world of technology and information. The fourth rule is probably one of the most significant today, because everybody always wants to save time and get things done quickly. However, in my opinion, all of the laws are equally as important.

Journal #1: A famous quote about libraries, books, reading, writing or authors.

"With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one – but no one at all – can tell you what to read and when and how."

Doris Lessing, a famous writer who won a Nobel Prize in Literature, said this quote. I found it both thought provoking and truthful. In my opinion, she meant that no matter what sort of politics the media is showing and the government is preaching, a person can educate themselves on many different matters just by going to the library and reading. You are completely free to learn about almost anything you like.

This would have been especially important to Mrs. Lessing, because she lived through the years 1919 to 2013. She would have seen the world change so much during that time. She lived to see some of the biggest social movements ever and of course, she also was alive during the second world war. Being a woman in the early 20th century, she would have faced many restricts on her everyday life as well. However, if she went to read at a library, she could have the freedom to read and study whatever she chose.

This quote is still relevant today. We learn most of what we know from school, the people we surround ourselves around and the news, but reading a book can give a person a fresh perspective and perhaps even open the mind a little. It makes us less judgemental and more understanding regarding certain issues.