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Hiking the Appalachian Trail

It’s perfect hiking weather now.  The air is fresh and crisp, and the leaves of our deciduous trees are in full color in the valleys, when looking from the higher elevations of the leafless Appalachian Mountains, slightly dusted with snow.   If you want to really get motivated to hike the Appalachian Trail, or merely hike in one of our many national and state parks, try reading Bill Bryson’s book  entitled, “A Walk in the Woods: rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.”   Not only will the book make you laugh, but it may encourage you to dust off your hiking boots and head out for Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park.   Once there, you should be able to find the trail at Skyland or Big Meadows, clearly marked with aluminum markers on stone posts.  Bryson found this area to be the most beautiful and the most hiking friendly of the whole trail, when he tried to hike all of the 2, 181 miles.  The following map may make Virginia’s portion look small, when compared to the whole trail.  For full appreciation,  find Virginia and the Shenandoah  here.

If the author’s effort doesn’t inspire you, maybe you will be inspired by Bryson’s shopping experience.  He had never really hiked before he decided to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, so he was a novice.  This is the source of much of the beginning humor.  We follow him to a sporting goods store and experience his purchase of every type of equipment and tool.  Soon it all becomes too much to carry, so his side-kick, Katz, throws much away.  But I don’t want to reveal too much. 

Published in 1998, the book is full of facts and concern for the future of this magnificent trail.  You’ll learn about the endangered plants and trees and ones lost forever.   But Bryson doesn’t dwell too long on the negative. He praises the outdoors and the wildlife found there. Bill and his sidekick, Katz, are not experienced hikers in the beginning, so their adventures are sure to make you laugh.  However, you will also respect their effort and the dangers they encountered.

Personally, I want to plant some of the original plants in Virginia, like the Camillia, in my own yard.  I want to search for my wild dogwoods, to see if they are still healthy.  Dogwoods have been dying along the trail, plagued by an invasive species called, “Dogwood Anthracnose.” 

To discover more information search “Environment Complete” for journal articles about acid rain, or our own library catalog, VCCSlinc, for numerous books about walking and hiking.    Facts on File’s Science Today may also be helpful in gathering data.  Of course, government sites like the National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation have a wealth of information.    

Happy Trails and Happy Researching!     

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Helping Us to Help You

The library would like thank Anthony Clark, GCC student, and everyone else who participated in the GCC Library survey on 10/17/2011. The survey will be conducted until October 20th at both the LGC and DTC libraries. Each day one participant will be selected at random to recieve a token of our appreciation as a thank you for helping us improve the library!

Austen Manuscript Never Published

  Photograph courtesy of www.famemagezine.co.uk

Earliest Austen manuscript fetches $1.6 million     

Excerpts from an article by Clare Kane, LONDON | Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:54am EDT

LONDON (Reuters, Thomas Reuters 2011) – The earliest surviving Jane Austen manuscript, a handwritten draft for a book that was never published, sold for 993,250 pounds ($1.6 million) at Sotheby’s on Thursday [7/14/11].

The manuscript for “The Watsons” was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder for more than three times the top estimate.

Also in the London sale focusing on rare books, the earliest codified rules of soccer, part of the archive of the oldest football club in the world, Sheffield FC, fetched 881,250 pounds.

…

“The sale of The Watsons [“probably written in 1804”’] has afforded an extremely broad audience an insight into the author’s writing process and reworkings, which this manuscript uniquely displays,” he said.

…

“The Watsons is quintessential Jane Austen in style and the influence of this novel on her later works can clearly be seen,” Heaton said.

It was Austen’s only literary work during the period between finishing “Northanger Abbey” in 1799 and starting “Mansfield Park” in 1811.

It is not known why Austen abandoned the manuscript, though it was possibly related to her father’s death in 1805. Austen had told her sister Cassandra that the father in the novel, Mr Watson, would die in the course of the story.

…    (Editing by Steve Addison)

FAC Library’s New Post-Quake Location!

The library at the Fredericksburg campus has a new temporary location after the earthquake last week.

We will be located in the main hallway adjacent to the lobby and directly across from the Sealy Auditorium (Room 134.)

As you can see, we are back in business! There will be a few changes, and there will be limited resources. Check back with us soon for more information!

Welcome Students! Library Card Sign-Up Month

image from www.alastore.ala.org

 

The library would like to welcome all students, those of you who are returning to us, and those of you who are brand new.  We encourage you to stop by the library early and often!

 

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month and Germanna is celebrating early. Be one of the first students to sign up for a library card this month and recieve a free bracelet or bookmark while supplies last!

Get A Student I.D.: Ride Free on the Fred Bus!

Starting this semester, any student with a Germanna I.D. can ride the FRED bus for free! So don’t forget to get your picture taken this semester. Find the dates and times below:

FAC:  (FAC1, room 121)

 Wednesday, Aug. 24th, 2-5pm

 Thursday, Aug. 25th, 5-7:30pm

 Monday, Aug 29th, 10am-12pm

 Make up date: September 6th, 4-6pm

 

LGC: (Room 202 or 506, depending on session)

 Tuesday, August 23rd, 6-8pm  ROOM 202

 Thursday, August 25th, 1-3:30pm  ROOM 506

 Make up date: Thursday, September 8th, 4-6pm ROOM 202

 

DTC: (Second floor lounge)

 Tuesday, August 30th, 3-5:30pm

 

SCC: (Lobby)

 Monday, August 29th, 3:30-5:30pm

And the geeks shall inherit the Earth…

A young Bill Gates, embracing his inner-geek.

 

Yesterday, July 13th, was “embrace your inner-geekiness” day! At the book swap, we asked library patrons to tell us some of their favorite geeky things, and some of the the things that make them geeky! Here is what they had to say.

Construction Gallery

We can weather the change. Our new library is growing every day! See the our construction gallery here!

Summer Book Swap: July 13th!

The library will be hosting a Summer Book Swap event on Wednesday, July 13th from 11AM to 2PM in the lobby of FAC-I at the Fredericksburg campus.

Bring all of your mysteries, horror, drama, historical fiction, biographies, fantasy, science fiction, sports, comedy, non-fiction, romances, and more! Any leisure reading books you have laying around at home that you no longer want are welcome. At the event, you’ll be able to swap your old favorites with your fellow Germanna citizens and share a cool summer treat at the same time!

Please see below for the full details:

(Sorry, no textbooks.)

Hope to see all of you there!