Egypt, a nation with a major internet economy, has pulled the plug on the World Wide Web in an apparent attempt to silence dissent. The Associated Press reported that at a half-hour past midnight in Egypt, January 28, the internet went dead. “Almost simultaneously, the handful of companies that pipe the internet into and out of Egypt went dark as protesters were gearing up for a fresh round of demonstrations calling for the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule,” experts told AP.

The report goes on to say that “it’s unlikely that what’s happened in Egypt could happen in the United States because the U.S. has numerous internet providers and ways of connecting to the internet. Coordinating a simultaneous shutdown would be a massive undertaking. “It can’t happen here,” said Jim Cowie, the chief technology officer and a co-founder of Renesys, a network security firm in Manchester, New Hampshire, that studies internet disruptions. “How many people would you have to call to shut down the U.S. internet? Hundreds, thousands maybe? We have enough internet here that we can have our own internet. If you cut it off, that leads to a philosophical question: Who got cut off from the internet, us or the rest of the world?”

College student, aspiring librarian and “nerd extraordinaire” (or so she says!), Stephanie Territo loves books.  So much so, in fact, that she launched a blog (http://stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/)  to showcase her clear skill for reviewing them. Since Stephanie’s favorite genres are “Contemporary fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction, suspense, chick-lit, memoir, YA, and horror,” there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy in her delightful blog.

We spotted her post “I Love Library”, a movie reference – not a typo! -  and knew we’d found a perfect match for our I Love Libraries readers and fans.  Stephanie graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us; about her life-long love of books and libraries, and her future as a librarian. Now, without any further ado, please enjoy getting to know Stephanie here – but don’t forget to check out her blog!

The Great Recession has taken its toll on almost every aspect of American life. Libraries appear to have been particularly hard hit, with cities around the country closing library branches, laying off staff and cutting budgets to meet revenue shortfalls.

But Hanover's Howe Library (http://www.thehowe.org) is bucking that trend. Library officials announced this week that the Howe would increase its hours by staying open on summer Sundays, starting next year. Thanks to a gift from the late Leonard Morrissey and his family, the library will be open seven days a week, year 'round

If information is power, then there's no hero mightier than a librarian. Librarians are superheroes, adventurers, explorers and invaluable guides to other heroes. Here are 20 amazing librarians who save the world every day!

As Spider Robinson writes in The Callahan Touch, "Mary Kay is one of the hidden masters of the world — a librarian. They control information. Don't ever make one angry." So here are 20 librarians who you shouldn't ever enrage— but who might be a lot of help if you're in a tight corner.

What is your blog about and how did it get started?

As my blog subtitle says, it contains “book reviews and a celebration of all things book- and library-related.” I read and review books for children, young adults, and adults in a variety of genres and formats. I also post news about authors and anything library-related. I also write about my experiences with library school and work. Occasionally I’ll host book giveaways, too.

I had been reading book blogs for awhile, and wanted to join the community. I love being able to interact with other readers and share our love of books. I also thought that blogging would challenge me to read books outside of my comfort zone and learn more about new and upcoming titles. This has definitely come in handy while working the reference desk!