Sunday June 15th, 2008 Who's Who in the Library Windows

When the current Brodie library first opened it's doors to the public on April 29^th 1912, the exterior was adorned with stained glass fanlights depicting popular authors of the day. With your indulgence this week, the library detective is interested in preempting the traditional book related questions and concerns in search of some biographical tidbits; Specifically who's who in the Library windows. From the front of the Brodie building to the lane behind city hall, here's an historical and literary who's who.

Thomas Moore (1779-1852)

Born in Dublin Ireland and the son of a Grocer, Thomas Moore rose to prominence as a singer, songwriter and poet. Considered to be the National Bard of Ireland, the works of Thomas Moore include the song Believe Me if all of those Endearing Young Charms, and The Last Rose of Summer. On a foray into Canada in 1803, Moore penned “A Canadian Boat Song” the full text of which can be found in the ebook, Poems of Thomas Moore.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Not only does he adorn the building, but Dickens work is well represented in the library collection not only in print, but with screen adaptations like Nicholas Nickleby and Bleak House. Synonymous with classic English literature, Dickens' Great Expectations, David Copperfield and Oliver Twist are common works for highschool English assignments and we have plenty on our shelves for summer reading.

Robert Burns (1759-1976)

Another Poet and Lyricist, Robbie Burns is regarded as the national bard of Scotland and a pioneer of the romantic literary movement. The inaugural ballad of the new year, Auld Lang Syne, is his poem and has unofficially served unofficially as the national anthem of Scotland for years. The anniversary of his birth, January 25 is celebrated in Scotland, England and Newfoundland as Robbie Burns day or Burns night.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730?-1774)

If you have ever called someone a goody two shoes, you are borrowing the phrase from a children's tale penned by Oliver Goldsmith entitled The History of Little Goody Two Shoes. Known primarily as a dramatist and poet, Goldsmith's only novel, The Vicar of Wakefield was one of the most widely read of all 18^th century novels and remained popular for nearly 100 years after its initial publication in 1776. Curious readers will find a digitized copy of the History of Little Goody Two Shoes is available through the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org).

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

So you may feel like you are already familiar with the Bard of England, but here is an interesting tidbit of TBPL Trivia that in some small way reinforces the significance of his literary contributions. There are nearly 1000 items in TBPL's collection that were written by or about William Shakespeare.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

One of the most wide read American poets of all time, Longfellow's nostalgic and inspirational verse was popular both in his native country and in Europe. According to his journal, his popular poem Song of Hiawatha, was inspired after he entertained an Ojibwa Chief to tea. According to the Wikipedia, Longfellow was the first American poet to have an honorary statue installed in the poets corner at Westminster Abbey.

Tolstoy 1828-1910

Some refer to War and Peace as one of the greatest novels of all time, but Russian born Leo Tolstoy was not only an important figure for his literary work, but for his writings on various aspects of morality; including religion, vegetarianism and civil disobedience. Under the philosophical umbrella of Tolstoyism, his cultural influence extended far beyond Russia and is known to have influenced great minds like those of George Bernard Shaw and Mohandas Ghandi.

Walter Scott 1771-1832

Poet and writer Walter Scott is the author of the quotable quote; O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive; lines taken from his poem, The Marmion. Scott was a prolific writer of historical novels set in Scotland but published under the pseudonym the Author of Waverley. Later, finding inspiration in English history, he produced Ivanhoe, a popular historical romance set during the period of the crusades in England.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832)

Encyclopaedia Britannica describes this poet, playwright, novelist, scientist and amateur artist as the greatest literary German figure of the modern era. Initially a student of law, Goethe took an interest in the literatures of England France, Italy and Classical Greece and is the originator of the concept of World Literature. The best known of Goethe's works is The Writing of Faust, a project it took him 57 years to complete.

Information on these and other inspiring thinkers and literary giants can be obtained in the Biography Resource Center or the Literary Resource Center through our online virtual collections. Almost one hundred years after the Brodie library was built, I am wondering how our contemporary authors and thinkers will stand the test of time.

Who would you consider a literary giant in 2008? How might you honour their contribution to intellectual thought and modern culture? We would be happy to hear your thoughts as part of our adult summer reading game. Kindly contribute to our discussion through the read 'em and eat discussion blog at http://readem2008.blogspot.com.

Classics in the library are not exclusively related to books and the stained glass gems at the Brodie branch really are best viewed from the inside, so do pay us a visit to admire them in our main floor reading room.