This week marks Banned Books Week, a time of year when we reflect on the challenges throughout the country on books in libraries and schools and we reconsider the First Amendment and the freedom to read.

What is your favorite banned book?

Looking to read one of these controversial pieces of literature? Stop by Coe Library, the Learning Resources Center or the Albany County Public Library to check out a book from one of their displays of challenged books! And peek below for a Google map detailing the challenges to books from 2007-2009.

View Book Bans and Challenges, 2007-2009 in a larger map

Some fun book-related links from the web this week include…

Poets “reading” their works on youtube, slightly weird, slightly addictive:

Book sculptures and oddities [via librarian.net]:

And, the New York Times discusses books that exist only within other books.

Wyoming mystery author Craig Johnson will read at the Albany County Public Library this week.

Craig Johnson, author of the Sheriff Walt Longmire novels, will be reading from his new book, “The Dark Horse” and signing copies at the Albany County Public Library in Laramie, WY, on July 8 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the browsing area. Chickering is donating a portion of the sales to the Albany County Public Library. Cash and checks only, please. “The Dark Horse” hardcover $26.45; other Craig Johnson paperback books, $8.47.

“The Dark Horse” deals with self-confessed murderer who might not be guilty. As usual, plot turns keep the reader guessing. Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaraka County, his family, friends, and co-workers return in the fifth novel in the series that describes the challenges of law enforcement and life in north-central Wyoming.

Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming. Several of his books have had starred reviews in Kirkus, Publishers’ Weekly, and Booklist. The Independent Booksellers Association he Independent Mystery Booksellers Association have highlighted his novels. Johnson’s awards include the Wyoming Historical Society’s Fiction Book of the Year and the Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Award. He has been a finalist for DILYS Award and the Mountains & Plains Bookseller’s Association’s Book of the Year,

For more information on the book signing or to request accommodation, contact Marjorie Daley, ACPL Outreach Coordinator, at 307-721-2580 ext 5456 or mdaley@will.state.wy.us.

Can you guess which of these is the real subject heading?

• child cartographers – Montana – fiction
• girls – girls who like pop music – fiction
• gifted boys – Montana -fiction

Almost every book is assigned Library of Congress subject headings when published. As the LoC explains “Authority records enable librarians to provide uniform access to materials in library catalogs and to provide clear identification of authors and subject headings. For example, works about ‘movies’,'motion pictures,’ ‘cinema,’ and ‘films’ are all entered under the established subject heading ‘Motion pictures.’”  You can find the Library of Congress subject headings for a book on the back of the title page (the verso) or in the library catalog.

Very few authors add their own subject headings to their books. The image below shows the verso page for new book The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet. Scroll down for the catalog record and “real” subject headings. Who’s to say which makes more sense?  Is it time for the LoC to add “The Oregon Trail video game for the Apple IIGS – fiction” to the authority records?

Friday’s here!  Please enjoy some library and information-related stories from the week:

• We cover this in every class that visits the library, but apparently Wired editor Chris Anderson thinks it is ok to plagiarize, ok to plagiarize wikipedia in fact, and claims that there is no good citation system for web sites. You have to read it to believe it.
• Ray Bradbury to the New York Times: “I don’t believe in colleges and universities, I believe in libraries”. Wow!
• Summer reading list roundup, 2009. I found some promising reads on these lists, especially the NPR selections.
• What interesting stories did you find this week?

After the big Elton John extravaganza in Laramie this weekend, you might find yourself wanting MORE! An author search for John, Elton in the Prospector catalog turns up 205 items all available for delivery to UW Libraries. And searching our local library catalog turns up sheet music, interviews and more from Sir Elton.

If you heard that T.R. Knight made an appearance at the concert and you don’t know who that is, I direct you to the Libraries’ collection of Grey’s Anatomy on DVD.

Teens in Seattle this week gathered at the library to debate which is the better series of books: Harry Potter or Twilight.  Despite the popularity of amber-eyed Edward and his mopey lover, the determined pluck of Hermione, Ron and Harry won out in the end.
UW readers, what series gets your vote for the best read?

Feeling a little unlucky in love this week? The library is a little bit like match.com… as a famous librarian once said “every book its reader, every reader his (or her) book”. Take a turn through the popular reading section on the main level of Coe Library and you might just find “the one”.

Bookworms, what books do you recommend for keeping warm at night? What book is your soul mate?