Lots of people assume that if you're a librarian, or work in a library you must love to read. It's a stereotype and in my case a true one. :)  I like to read and recommend stories, books, poems, plays and all sorts of things to others.This post is the first in what I hope will be a series on good reads. Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) was an American novelist, essayist, poet and short-story writer. She first became well-known for her Wizard of Earthsea fantasy series, aimed at the young, but enjoyed  by people of all ages.   Her main genre was science fiction, but she also  wrote fantasy, poetry, essays, and fiction set in the "real world" .   One of the things I like about her books is how they explore human relations and societies in what to the reader are very unusual situations.   To get a start with her work, let me recommend two nice ones that are short and easy entries into her writing. The Lathe of Heaven ( PS3562.E42 L3 2003).  This short novel, first published in 1971 is set in a future Portland Oregon, beset by the problems of global warming and over-population. The main character, George Orr, has a problem: his dreams change reality in the waking world.   If I tell you more, I'll be guilty of "spoiling". But I can say that the situation is fascinating and the writing is simple, yet poetic.

Now that you see the new Study Pods you might ask what happened to the microforms collection which used to be there? Simple - we moved it down to LG4! This took a long time and a lot of work. The carriages on LG4 had to be modified to handle the microform cabinets with their deep drawers, and then the existing compact shelving portion had to be dismantled and the floor fixed up for the pods. One exciting moment was when the movers dropped a whole drawer of microfiche and it went everywhere! It took a few days, but Library staff eventually got it all cleaned up and reordered back in the drawer. Edward Spodick Associate Director of Library Services lbspodic@ust.hk