Self-published books aren't easy things to find in libraries - particularly academic libraries, so this week's Reading Challenge was extra challenging.
The shortage of self-published material is partly because there's still an idea that self-published books weren't "good enough" to get a publisher (although the sales figures on Amazon may suggest this is now far from the case, and many would argue that publishers are simply too restrictive in their ideas about what will sell), but it's also because self-published books aren't sold through the "normal" channels, so most libraries have to find out about them through word of mouth.
In an academic library, we tend to avoid self-published non-fiction purely because a reputable publisher is one of the safe-guards we have to prove that the authors have "authority" to write about their topic. And yet, we actually have an entire section of the library dedicated to *ahem* "limited run" self-published books: theses.
And while we don't have much self-published fiction, we do have some. Our North Queensland collection holds works by some local authors ("local" meaning within our catchment area), as Rachael found out.
Sharon Bryan read Artist and Model: Shaping the Creative Process, by Elizabeth Jane Hawkins.
This is one of the "old" theses (1999, to be precise) that is only available in "old" formats at present: One hardcover copy, and one microfiche copy. I was lead to this thesis by an "old" friend - Prometheus.
If you've visited the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library over the past couple of decades, you may have seen the statue of Prometheus "chained" to one wall or another (he's actually held there by art). Hawkins is the artist behind the sculpture, and her MA thesis is all about the creation of our Prometheus (and his brothers from a 1997 exhibition: Eros, Hermes and Icarus), and it tells us how the four sculptures were created.
This thesis talks about the role of nudes in art - specifically male nudes, which have been less accepted by the general public than female nudes. In the first part of the thesis, Hawkins discusses the fact that people are more likely to think "naked" than "nude" when looking at a male figure. She looks at depictions of nudes from different eras this discussion.
The next part of the thesis goes into her process for creating the sculptures, including photos of the entire thing, from posing the models to constructing the moulds to showing the finished bronze casts. Then she discusses the reactions of the public to her work. It's all quite fascinating. It also contains a discussion of a previous series of nude self-portrait sculptures that she had completed before the mythology boys - and we now have one of those sculptures in our library as well.
Just to give fair warning, this thesis contains nudity. A lot of it, actually. More nudity than Hannah Gadsby's Nakedy Nudes. In fact, I think Gadsby should have read this thesis before making her show, but - to be fair - she probably doesn't know it exists. It is Master of Arts thesis that lives in a library in Townsville, after all.
Rachael McGarvey read The Friday Night Debrief, by Kylie Asmus.
The shortage of self-published material is partly because there's still an idea that self-published books weren't "good enough" to get a publisher (although the sales figures on Amazon may suggest this is now far from the case, and many would argue that publishers are simply too restrictive in their ideas about what will sell), but it's also because self-published books aren't sold through the "normal" channels, so most libraries have to find out about them through word of mouth.
In an academic library, we tend to avoid self-published non-fiction purely because a reputable publisher is one of the safe-guards we have to prove that the authors have "authority" to write about their topic. And yet, we actually have an entire section of the library dedicated to *ahem* "limited run" self-published books: theses.
And while we don't have much self-published fiction, we do have some. Our North Queensland collection holds works by some local authors ("local" meaning within our catchment area), as Rachael found out.
Brenda Carter read Measure, Monitor, and Reduce
Sitting Time in the Workplace by Teneale McGuckin.
 |
| JCU's very own Teneale McGuckin |
For this
week’s Challenge, I decided to search recently published theses in JCU’s
Research Online. Given that I and many
others at the university spend much of our time sitting while working,
McGuckin’s research proved to be a timely and interesting read.
McGuckin
explores office workers' perceptions of sedentary behaviour, identifies ways to
reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace, and pinpoints potential obstacles
to behaviour change. Not surprisingly, the study found that sedentary behaviour
had a negative effect on workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. A six-week
intervention which involved incorporating more walking into their routines – at
lunchtime, visiting colleagues, filling water bottles or emptying rubbish -
resulted in significant improvements. The ongoing success of the trial depended
largely on how committed individuals were to making permanent changes to their
working habits.
It was good to go beyond popular rhetoric and read an
evidence-based study on this topic. Research Online is a great place to go to
for current, self-published research.
Sharon Bryan read Artist and Model: Shaping the Creative Process, by Elizabeth Jane Hawkins.
 |
| Recognition (detail) (1990), by Jane Hawkins (1958-). Photograph: Michael Marzik. |
If you've visited the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library over the past couple of decades, you may have seen the statue of Prometheus "chained" to one wall or another (he's actually held there by art). Hawkins is the artist behind the sculpture, and her MA thesis is all about the creation of our Prometheus (and his brothers from a 1997 exhibition: Eros, Hermes and Icarus), and it tells us how the four sculptures were created.
This thesis talks about the role of nudes in art - specifically male nudes, which have been less accepted by the general public than female nudes. In the first part of the thesis, Hawkins discusses the fact that people are more likely to think "naked" than "nude" when looking at a male figure. She looks at depictions of nudes from different eras this discussion.
The next part of the thesis goes into her process for creating the sculptures, including photos of the entire thing, from posing the models to constructing the moulds to showing the finished bronze casts. Then she discusses the reactions of the public to her work. It's all quite fascinating. It also contains a discussion of a previous series of nude self-portrait sculptures that she had completed before the mythology boys - and we now have one of those sculptures in our library as well.
Just to give fair warning, this thesis contains nudity. A lot of it, actually. More nudity than Hannah Gadsby's Nakedy Nudes. In fact, I think Gadsby should have read this thesis before making her show, but - to be fair - she probably doesn't know it exists. It is Master of Arts thesis that lives in a library in Townsville, after all.
Rachael McGarvey read The Friday Night Debrief, by Kylie Asmus.
The Friday Night Debrief (820A ASM 1C FRI) was written by my very good friend
Kylie Asmus who has created a character named Kylie McManus (she’s a very big
Rove fan).
The story is based on Kylie’s move from Mt Isa to Townsville
and the get together she has with her new friends she has made from joining
outrigging.
The Friday Night Debrief (or FND) becomes a weekly ritual of
drinks and stories of what everyone has been up to during the week, the good
the bad and the ugly of life and the support they all get from each other to get
over a crisis, to laugh with when they have done something totally embarrassing, and a breakdown of the hilarious situations the group and Kylie manage to get
in.
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