Olympic events that didn't run the course!

Tug of war - this event took place between 1900 and 1920.

Duelling pistols - firing at 'dummies', this event was a one-off in Stockholm in 1912.

Rope climb - originally part of the gymnastics competition, its last appearance was in 1932.

Standing triple jump - pre 1912 all the jumping events were from a standing start.

Solo synchronised swimming - lasted for only three games (1984, 1988 and 1992).

Roque - A US version of croquet that was only played in the US. In 1904 only US athletes competed in this event. It was dropped soon after.

Distance plunging - Another one-off event (1904) that only had American competitors.

Swimming obstacle race - A 200m race incorporating climbing a pole and clambering over and under boats. First and last appearance - 1900.

Jeu de Paume - basically consisted of tennis without any racquets. It was first played as an event in 1908, and withdrawn by 1920.

Live pigeon shooting - Contested only once in 1900 in Paris. In excess of 300 pigeons were killed.

The Mail on Saturday, Saturday, May 2, 2009

JRR Tolkein

Tolkein's Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is published for the first time today (May5, 2009).

The Hobbit was first published 72 years ago, with an initial print run of 1,500 copies. It has now sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and has been translated into nearly 50 different languages.

In 2008 a 1937 copy of The Hobbit sold for £60,000.

Worldwide, The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films has taken almost £3 billion.

The Mail on Saturday, Saturday, May 2, 2009

Good reads

Here's a little video highlighting a few of my favourites...

Wikipedia

Ever thought that Wikipedia had the answers for all your homework? Think again!

Twilight guys

Hope you find these movie spoofs on Twilight amusing
Part 1

Part 2

New reads in USIC

A quick video taster of new buys.

Goodbye

Well, I have enjoyed my time at George Abbot, all the wonderful staff and students have made it a great place to be. Enjoy your lives and don't forget to read, it really is the best thing ever!

Careers etc screencast

How to access valuable careers information specific to you - a video guide.

Favourite books of all time

Waterstone's have recently started to feature a table of author's favourite and most influential reads which is a great way of exposing lesser known books to the reading public.

What are your favourite three books? Lets unearth some more classics!

1. Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels (and her new novel The Winter Vault is fantastic too). For her wonderful writing and imagination.
2. Gilead - Marilynne Robinson- Beautiful writing. Heartbreaking story.
3. Either Side of Winter - Benjamin Markovits. New York over four seasons and a cast of characters whose lives cross in ways they hadn't imagined..

I'm sure there's plenty more...

Here's some facts for you all - according to last weeks Mail on Saturday:

• The annual budget for running public libraries in Britain is £730 million ,
• There are 3,196 public libraries in England,
• 10 million people visit libraries at least once a fortnight in Britain,
• Women make up 55% of library users,
• 307,571,000 books were issued in 2008 in Britain
• Four authors had more than 1 million loans in 2008: James Patterson, Jacqueline Wilson, Daisy Meadows (Rainbow Magic Fairy Series) and Nora Roberts.

Top tips for research projects

Course work is an important part of your studies in many subjects, and will often involve independent research by you on a particular topic. To get the best marks you'll need to show not only that you have found out about the topic, but also that you have focussed on the relevant information, understood and analysed it. Your teachers will give you specific advice relating to the subject, but here are some general steps to take:
Remind yourself what you know already, from lessons, reading and general knowledge. Jot down keywords and ideas in a mindmap or set yourself the alphabet challenge: can you think of a relevant word beginning with each letter of the alphabet?
Read a general text (textbook chapter, Wikipedia) about your focus area and try to fill in some gaps in your existing knowledge. At the same time think about the questions that you are asking yourself as you read: what interests you, what don't you understand?
Focus on the particular question which will be the title of your course work or essay. Your teacher may have have given you this or you may have to choose from a shortlist or formulate your own question relating to an aspect of your subject. Your choice should reflect the general reading you have done, and the questions which arose from it.
Source information directly relevant to the question. Read critically.
Note only the points that add to your knowledge and understanding of the subject and enable you to answer the question. Use whatever note-taking strategy suits you: concept maps, diagrams, annotation, colour-coding.
Record the sources used; a Word document, a notebook page or Google Notebook are all useful for this.
Review your notes: are you still focussed on your question? is some information irrelevant? are there still gaps to filled or more questions arising? Do you need input from your teacher?
Plan the finished product: what form will it be in? what audience is it for? how long should it be?
Edit your draft. Make sure it is in your own words and that you have shown that you understand the points you are making.
Remember to list references and bibliography.

Congratulations. You have completed a top-quality piece of work!

If you're looking for a good read....

A haunting and thought-provoking book following a man and his young son as they try to survive in a shattered America. We're not told the exact nature of the catastrophe which has taken place, but its effect is to end life as we know it. Small groups of survivors have adopted their own ways of carrying on, adapting and even abandoning conventional morality. It is a cruel examination of the shallowness of civilised behaviour when self-preservation becomes a more urgent need and it will make you think: what would I do to save myself?

Welcome to the blog for USIC. Here you can share recommendations for good reads, pick up tips for your research and find out all the ways in which the library team can support your learning.

"More than a building that houses books and data, the library has always been a window to a larger world" - Barack Obama.