954,044 as of this morning. We have a similar number of ebooks, but most of those do not live here, coming only when called upon by you from the vast and mysterious Cloud.
How many books are in O’Neill?
To be or not to be?
Being is definitely better than not being. Please recall that this quote, in Act III, Scene 1 of Hamlet, was asked by a young man who suspected that his mother and stepfather had arranged the murder of his father. He was thinking that not-being would “end/ The heartache and the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to.” If you’re suffering heartache that makes you think about not being, please get help immediately: call the counseling office at 617-552-3310 (8:45-4:45 M-F) and ask to speak to the Psychological Emergency Clinician (PEC), or visit the office in person in Gasson 001. (If you’re just quoting Shakespeare’s Hamlet to show your appreciation for a fine play, here’s a 3-minute version you might find entertaining: bit.ly/3-minute-hamlet. Click “show more” for the lyrics, so you can understand the thick Glasgow accent.)
What is the best book you’ve read/ would recommend in O’Neill library?
How could I possibly pick just one? Hadrian’s Wall: A Life (O’Neill Library DA146 .H56 2012), by Richard Hingley was one of my recent favorites. A classic, of course, is Peter Wyden’s Wall: The Inside Story of a Divided Berlin (O’Neill Library DD881 .W93 1989). The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC – AD 2000 (O’Neill Library DS 793 .G67 L584 2006) by Julia Lovell covers an epic span of history. But I’m not a complete monomaniac! I also like art. The artist Andy Goldsworthy is well known for his works in stone and wood, and I’m especially fond of his art book Wall at Storm King (Bapst Library NB198 .G64 2000).
New graphic novels on the first floor. Any recommendations?
There are so many great options, it is hard to choose just one! If you’re a science fiction fan, check out Y, The Last Man (PN6728 .Y2 V38 2003). They recently announced that it is being turned into a TV show, so you can be ahead of the curve. Plus, it is a great read! If superheroes are more your speed, check out Planet Hulk (PN6728.I47 P35 2008) to check back in with the Hulk before the upcoming Avengers movie. Or, if you like a good memoir, how about Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (TX715 .K6985 2013)? It is a great read (though warning, it may make you hungry!). If you want us to get any other comics for the collection, just let us know!
What book in the library is least likely to be opened?
Pick any of our ebooks. They are much easier to download than to open.
How do we request books for the library to buy? (Not interloan)
Email the relevant subject librarian with your recommendation (libguides.bc.edu/ask-a-librarian/contact). If you need it quickly, do place an interlibrary loan request (illiad.bc.edu/illiad/bxm/logon.html) and check “yes” for “Should BC purchase this item”.
Woman in the Window was the best book ever. You should carry it!
We do! There’s a copy available in the Popular Collection (just to my left) and an online version available through OverDrive (bit.ly/bc-overdrive). Both appear to be in use right now–it looks like others agree with you!
Hiya wall! What are your top books that you’d recommended? I’m up for anything! -Student that likes books
You are definitely in the right place for books. It is hard to recommend without knowing anything more about you, so browsing may be the best way to proceed. The Popular Collection (just to my left) and the books on OverDrive (bit.ly/bc-overdrive) can be good places to find a book. You might also be inspired by looking through the shelves of New Books and Comics and Graphic Novels, both on the first floor of the library.
But here are a few suggestions: For a golden oldie: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman (PS3562 .I45397 E38 1993) is a short read that can get you thinking of all kinds of possibilities. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (PL856.U673 N6713 2000 or OverDrive) is another golden oldie, with the narrator looking back on his college days. Two more recent books are Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (PS3558.A42169 E95 2017a or OverDrive or Popular Collection) and Pachinko by Min Jee Lee (PS3612.E346 P33 2017 or OverDrive). Happy reading!
Could you recommend a good book of personal essays (an author you like)?
I don’t know your interests, so I’ll recommend several. For humorous & honest essays about writing, it’s hard to beat Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (O’Neill PN147 .L315 1994). For intriguing & dreamlike essays about personal growth, art, and the loss of a difficult mother: The Faraway Nearby, by Rebecca Solnit. (O’Neill PS3569.O585 Z46 2013) For powerful essays about race, either the well-known Between the World & Me, by Ta Nehisi Coates (BC Libraries, check catalog for many listings) or the lesser-known but equally powerful How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, by Kiese Laymon (O’Neill PS3612.A959 Z46 2013), both of which owe a major debt to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time (O’Neill & TML E185.61 .B195 1993). If any are unavailable, any other books by these authors are worth pursuing. Happy reading!