SECRETS OF THE LIBRARY: A resource for lifelong learning

Time is a precious resource in today’s fast-paced, hectic world. Yet, we are still interested in developing our minds, solving problems and enjoying the way we spend our time.

The library has several resources that can make classic novels fun for teens, ease the time crunch when writing papers or just make knowledge acquisition a lot more efficient.

Check out these classics in graphic-novel format:
* “Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet: the Manga Edition” by Adam Sexton and Yali Lin
* “Classics Illustrated: Hamlet” by William Shakespeare; adapted by Steven Grant and Tom Mandrake
* “Macbeth: the Graphic Novel: Original Text Version” Published by Classical Comics

Refresh your memory and get to the point quickly with “Masterplots,” a series that sums up the plots, characters and themes of great works of literature in four or five pages. As a part of our reference collection, “Masterplots” does not circulate, but pages can be photocopied:
* “Masterplots II: Drama Series”
* “Masterplots II: Short Story Series”
* “Revised Category Edition, American Fiction Series”
* “Masterplots II: American Fiction Series”
* “Revised Category Edition, British Fiction Series”

Expand your mind in 90 minutes with titles written by Paul Strathern:
* “Socrates in 90 Minutes”
* “Plato in 90 Minutes”
* “Aristotle in 90 Minutes”
* “Machiavelli in 90 Minutes”
* “Hemingway in 90 Minutes”
* “Poe in 90 Minutes”
* “Virginia Woolf in 90 Minutes”
* “D. H. Lawrence in 90 Minutes”
* “James Joyce in 90 Minutes”
* “Tolstoy in 90 Minutes”
* “Dostoevsky in 90 Minutes”

If you’re looking for trusty “Cliffs Notes,” you won’t find them listed in our catalog, but we do keep a few in the Young Adult area next to the paperback classics. CliffsNotes.com offers many free study tools, as does Sparknotes.com.

Elizabeth Hensley is the adult services coordinator at the Culpeper County Library. Her column runs monthly in the Star-Exponent. She can be reached at or 825-8691.