Happy 90th Birthday Ray Bradbury

The display at the front of the library celebrates the long life of Ray Bradbury.

The American writer Ray Bradbury was born August 22, 1920. At age 13 his family moved to Los Angeles where he continues to reside. Bradbury began publishing horror and detective stories in pulp magazines during the early 1940s. His first book, Dark Carnival, was published in 1947.

During the 1950s Bradbury wrote the books for which he is most renowned: The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Fahrenheit 451, and Dandelion Wine. Bradbury has also written movie and television scripts, most notably the script for John Huston’s 1956 production of Moby Dick. Among his many television scripts are those for three seasons of Ray Bradbury Presents during the 1980s.

Ray Bradbury’s writing provides memorable and sometimes poetic imagery that has made him a favorite of millions of readers. Though criticized throughout his career for violating the scientific standards of “hard science fiction” Bradbury continues to write in his own way because he is interested in using a fantastic approach to exploring the human condition on our planet and in outer space.

His latest book Now and Forever was published in 2007. It includes a retelling of Moby Dick in which a space captain is obsessed with capturing a great white comet. Ray Bradbury continues to write and publish, and he also makes public appearances at which he enjoys interacting with his fans.

Senate passes the Cobell vs. Salazar

The Senate passed the Cobell vs. Salazar Settlement on 11/19/10 when approving H.R. 4783. On November 19, 2010, the U.S. Senate passed legislation approving the Cobell v. Salazar class action settlement and authorizing $3.4 billion in funds. The bill will be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives, where it must also pass in order to become law.

This step in the settlement of the Cobell vs. Salazar class action suit is the fruit of a twelve-year battle of Native Americans with Individual Money Accounts (IMA)to force the U.S. Government to provide an accurate accounting of the money in their accounts held in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and to make reparations for mishandling.

For access to the key documents in the case go to: http://www.cobellsettlement.com/docs/key_docs.php.

Veterans History Project

In celebration of Veteran's Day, the Library would like to highlight a Library of Congress project collecting the history and stories of servicemen & servicewomen who have served in the armed forces since World War I up to present day conflicts. Sponsored and created by the American Folklife Center in 2000, this project collects, preserves and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may directly hear from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The project is also expanding to include the stories of civilian U.S. citizens who were actively involved in supporting war efforts, such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, and so on.

Novel/Movie Adaptation Display

Come see the Novel/Movie Adaptation display this month at the Al Harris Library! Many novels have been the basis of films, some of which have gone on to become prize-winning movies. In addition to the items on this display, you may check out a variety of other movies and novels, including some recent ones. Here are some of the novels and movies available at the Library: The African Queen, Ben Hur, Clockwork Orange, The Color Purple, The English Patient, Gone with the Wind, Like Water for Chocolate, No Country for Old Men, Sense & Sensibility, Up in the Air, and Wuthering Heights.

Celebrate Diversity: New Spanish Films

Come explore and celebrate the diversity of Spanish language and culture. The Al Harris Library has added twelve new films to its growing collection of world cinema. In stories ranging from the Andes to Brazilian beaches these groundbreaking films highlight the growing body of work in contemporary Latin Cinema.


So come to the library and check out your new films:

Battle In Heaven

Madeinusa

The Headless Woman

Amores Perros

Tony Manero

The Maid

Nine Queens

The Secret in Their Eyes

City of God

Los Bastardos

7 Soles

El Norte

Don't Forget to Vote on Tues., Nov. 2!

There are many candidates/positions to vote upon and 11 state questions.

List of Candidates: http://www.ok.gov/elections/Candidates_&_Elections/Candidates.html

State Questions: http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/sq_gen10.pdf

History of the Super Bowl

Take a look at one of the current Al Harris Library displays featuring the History of the Super Bowl. The 45th annual game will be watched by 100 million Americans on February 6, 2011. It is also the second biggest food day in the United States after Thanksgiving.

One of the reasons the Super Bowl is so popular is that pro football is the only major professional men's team sport with a single-elimination playoff system. Superbowl is do-or-die; that's what makes the game so special.

Some of the books in the display (available to be checked out by anyone) are: Super Bowl An American Cultural Celebration, Super Facts of the Super Bowl, The Ultimate Super Bowl Book, Friday Night Lights, Gridiron Gauntlet, Bloody Sunday, Bootlegger's Boy (Barry Switzer), Football Fortunes, Forty-Seven Straight, No Ordinary Joe, and The Real All Americans.

Other books displayed offer practical football information such as: The Complete Book of Offensive Football Drills, Football for Dummies, and many more.