Edinburgh and the Olympic Torch Relay

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Capital Collections,  is not just the online home of for all our archival material, it also has some great contemporary images – the archival material of the future. We’re committed to documenting the changing face of the city and when possible, even record momentous events for posterity. This summer, our photographer has so far captured the Dalai Lama’s visit to Edinburgh and the Queen’s Jubilee visit to St Giles’ Cathedral for her grandson, Prince William’s Order of the Thistle ceremony.

Our photographer was also on hand to capture the journey of the Olympic Torch from it’s arrival in the city centre and then followed it as it set off the following day to Duddingston and Musselburgh as it travelled south.

Follow the Edinburgh leg of the Olympic Torch Relay with our latest online exhibition on Capital Collections.

‘The Art of Swimming’ by Monsieur Thévenot

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Disregarding its title, Thévenot’s swimming handbook seems to have been designed less as a means of perfecting one’s style in the water, and more as a tool for survival in late 17th century France. He lists a number of advantages to learning how to become adept in the water in the introduction to his book:

In case of Shipwreck, if one is not very far from Shore, the Art of Swimming may set one safe there, and to save from being drowned.

In case of being pursued by an Enemy, and meeting a River in one’s way, you have the advantage of escaping two sorts of Death, by gaining the Shore on the other side, and so escaping from your Enemy, and from being drowned in the attempt of doing it.

This printed treasure from our Special Collections is our latest exhibition on Capital Collections. Enjoy the full volume of wonderful illustrations as well as some of the more intriguing techniques such as ‘The Agility of the Dolphin’ or ‘The Leap of the Goat’.  There’s even advice on how ‘To cut the nails of the toes in the water’. The reader is assured this is an easier task to perform in water than out – though best not try this one down the local swimming baths!

Grid Club now available from home!

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We’re delighted to announce that our fantastic online children’s resource is now available from home! Grid Club has over 500 games and activities which are sure to keep kids occupied throughout the long summer holidays. Fun and educational, it’s a winning resource for children and their parents and teachers. Not to mention the perfect antidote to a wet Scottish summer when play is forced to come indoors.

More red hot summer reads

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Our companion resource to Who Next…? is called Who else writes like? and it’s aimed at teenagers and older readers. It does exactly what it says – find out who writes like your current favourite authors and be inspired to try new authors.

It can also help with a bit of armchair travel. Who else writes like? allows you to search by country which means you can explore the world without leaving the comfort of your own home. Travel across America with Jack Kerouac, experience France with Muriel Barbery or marvel at the high Swedish crime rate for yourself with a large number of excellent Swedish authors. When you find an author you like then visit the site to find someone who writes in a similar style to your old favourites, to find someone who writes those soppy holiday romance books that you know you love, or just to get ideas for something new.

It’s not three weeks in Barbados, but Who else writes like….? can help you discover new places, cultures and authors to keep you informed and entertained whilst waiting for the Scottish summer to actually start.

Scorching hot summer reads for children and teens

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Who Next…? is a fantastic online guide to children’s authors, available free to library members. You’ll find suggestions for books to read by similar author, by genre and by age group. If you know someone but who’s still hungry for more after reading Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy, or potty about Harry,  get them to try one of the suggested authors who writes a bit like their favourite writer. It’s the perfect answer when someone in your class has read the complete series of Beast Quest or every single Daisy Meadows fairy story… at least twice.

And if you know someone taking the Summer Reading Challenge and looking for some sporty reading material, just search Who Next…? by the ‘Sport’ theme for suggestions.  To kick off, what about Judy Brown’s ‘Super Soccer Boy and the Exploding Football’s’ or ‘The Penalty’ by Mal Peet – just a couple of the many children’s titles available in print or ebook format. Take a hop, skip and a jump over to Library2go and browse our virtual bookshelves for more ebooks and eaudiobooks inspiration – perfect entertainment for rainy days or those long car journeys….

Summer’s here! And the reading challenge is back…

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The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Story Lab. It celebrates not only the power of stories and the imagination but also the spirit of the Olympics in this special year. As ever there are fantastic books to read, and stickers, a bookmark and a door hanger to collect along the way.

All children who complete the 6 book reading challenge over the summer holidays will be awarded a special Olympic style medal, a certificate and a red, white and blue wristband. For the first time this year, children can count e-books towards their 6 book total. Visit Library2go to see the brilliant selection of children’s and teen titles including brilliant Story Lab books such as ‘Letters from an alien schoolboy’ and ‘Danny Danger and the Cosmic Remote’.

Join in the fun at all Edinburgh Libraries from Monday 25 June – and it’s absolutely free to take part! Tell your students to look out for special Story Lab children’s and family activities happening throughout the summer holidays.

Language e-learning, for everyone

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This month we’re focusing on our fantastic e-resources which can help you learn a new language, refresh your vocabulary or simply help you get by in the supermarche or bahnhof when on holiday.

You can learn a language from home with Tell me more and use the handy speech recognition software to get your pronunciation just right. Choose from English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or Dutch. There are levels to suit everyone from the complete beginner to advanced student. With sections designed to improve your reading, writing, speaking, listening and cultural skills, you can choose from a variety of activities to tailor your learning to suit you.

Transparent Language Online offers a range 80 languages and provides a diverse array of resources,  such as access to social media in the languate you’re studying and games to help practice your new found knowledge. There’s even an iPhone and adroid app (under its previous name of Byki) for learning on the go!

An Olympic summer of fun

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With the Olympic torch in town this week, it’s time to gear up for a summer of sport and games. Here at the library we’ve put together a page on our Your Library site dedicated to how you can get into the Olympic spirit online. Download a great sporty read from Library2go, and enjoy it on the move. Or there’s craft ideas and colour-ins for when the weather might not tempt you onto the sports field.  Don’t miss London 2012’s very own webpages of interactive quizzes, games and challenges for ages 3 to 19! Or head back to Ancient Greece and find out where it all began over 2,700 years ago with the BBC’s excellent Olympic Games and Fun Facts such as:

The famous wrestler Milo was said to train by carrying a calf every day. As the calf grew heavier, his muscles got stronger.

The Kids Zone on Your Library

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We’ve brought together all our fantastic e-resources for children and young people in a new Kids Zone. There’s really useful Homework Help pages and trusted learning resources such as Britannica Junior and Britannica Student, which are invaluble for project work and researching assignments. Everyone’s sure to find the answer they’re looking for!

We’ve got holiday entertainment covered too. Try Who Next..? for sure-fired suggestions for holiday reading favourites. Then click over to Library2go where you can download ebooks or eaudiobooks for reading or listening on the go. And if your students are at a loose end during the holidays, remind them that GridClub, a brilliant online resource of hundreds of fun (and educational!) activities, is available in their local library.

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