Friday, December 12, 2008

Good Reads Updates

Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body by Jennifer Ackerman


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book chronicles a "Day in the life" of your body, outlining the specific functions from dawn til night. I particularly enjoyed this because it perfectly combined the art of the human condition with the science and chemsitry behind why-we-do/feel-what-we-do. I particularly enjoyed various quotes from famous writers, thinkers and philosophers from history throughout, which evoke a sense of commonality from hundreds of years ago to present. Recommended for adults.


View all my reviews.

This Is What I Did: This Is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book moves fast- short sentences and quick pace makes it a nice read that can easily be done in a day. I would recommend this to late middle-early high school, people who like trying to "figure out what happened".



The content is a bit icky towards the end, not a particularly "happy" story, so I would recommend this for reluctant readers in 8th-9th grade, people who have read other realistic fiction books that have gritty happenings within them.


View all my reviews.

The London Eye Mystery The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ted's different, his mind works in different ways from the "normal" kids. When he, his sister and his cousins Salim go to visit the London Eye ferris wheel, Salim gets on the ride, and never comes back off. While their parents reel with grief and worry, Kat and Ted create their own theories on how Salim disappeared, and much of the book involves them "testing" their theories to track down their missing cousin. I liked this one, and I think people who enjoyed the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime might also appreciate Ted's personality and logic.




View all my reviews.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

shocking

This afternoon, in the quiet pre-schoolage-kids-infestation at the library, a woman came in with her preschooler and toddler, needing to pay a tiny fine. As I proceeded with the transaction, I noticed the preschooler, head-to-toe in pink everything- stocking cap, coat, dress, tights, boots and shoes, is quivering. Her face is blotchy and eyes are red. She looks literally terrified, as if she's just seen a ghost or had some terrific meltdown that exhausted her. She was literally shaken, and I looked at her and asked (cautiously), "Is there anything I can help you find today?"
Her mother looks at me and then at her terrified daughter. She says, "Well, we've just found out something- something not bad, but certainly shocking while at preschool. Honey, do you want to tell her what happened?"

Silence. The girl has lost the ability to speak, and she is now panting. Her eyes well-up with the thought of the shocking news she just learned.

The mother looks at me and says, "Well she's just found her first loose tooth. We thought maybe we could get the Junie B. Jones book..."

"Oh how exciting! Congratulations! Of course I'll find the book for you..."

and we sent her off with a story to hopefully calm the terror in her eyes.

It is time.

It is time for me to update my electronic "portfolio"- something that I should've done a year ago, but couldn't bring myself to re-write the HTML and move all the files over. It used to be hosted on my LIS grad school server, and I'm coming upon it's demise since I've graduated.

So, if anyone who reads this (I see I have a FEW dots on the map now- hooray!) has an idea of a FREE place to host my portfolio, that'd be super fantastic. I'll take any and all suggestions, as I'm clueless and have only found ones that cost money. I don't really make much of that so I'm looking for cheap and effective.

About half of the webpages I created I made in Notepad, the other half in SeaMonkey, if that makes a difference.

This is the kind of thing I link to for my portfolio.

And this one....(not incredibly proud of this one)

and other things like this.

I also had a portion with a resume, coursework, biographical information, etc.

Ideas anyone?

Sunday, December 7, 2008

exhausted

Is anyone else totally exhausted? I mean, the past three days have just sucked the life out of me. I imagine part of it is the weather- snow snow snow and cold cold cold. Other contributing factors may include: stressful holiday and work obligations, not having much physical activity, absorbing weight-of-the-world that shouldn't necessarily be shouldered by me, etc. I'm just tired.

On days I don't have to work, I wake up thinking about work, I'm dreaming about work. So it really feels like I am working all the time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing- seeing as much (if not all) of the anxiety around work is created and maintained by my own psyche, however- there are days I wake up completely panicked that I'm forgetting something...which might be why my stomach, skin and head are all acty funny and revolting against the stress.

I'm reading this book: Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream, by Jennifer Ackerman. It is neither helping nor hurting my exhaustion. Basically I'm understanding more about the constant flow of cortisol throughout my body and wondering why I don't have a fatter stomach. The book moves through the body as someone wakes up and goes throughout their entire day- lending insight into why you "hit the wall" at 3:00pm and can't keep your eyes open, or why some people get up to the initial ring of the alarm clock while others slap at it 4-5 times before rousing in the morning. It's giving me lots of ideas as to WHY my body reacts the way it does to stress- and it's definitely giving me the feeling that (as I've known all along): I need to exercise more- particularly when it's cold and I'm stressed, because it's cheaper and more effective than antidepressants (not a fan) and caffiene (my BFF). I really like the book, you should read it.

That being said, a couple extra hours of sleeping withOUT dreaming about work would also be a welcome release from some anxiety I'm feeling. That, or perhaps falling onto a mountain of cash.

Although, the book does mention how laughter truly helps human beings in a myriad of ways, so maybe I'll just surf fail blog or some other such funny nonsense on the web to keep my sanity?

I hope you all are not caving under the stress that is wintertime, wherever you are.

Friday, December 5, 2008

It's progress report time!



Here's to proper self-evaluation and performance appraisal!

books teachers books

I'm doing a booktalk in January. For those of you who aren't familiar with the librarian-jargon, a "booktalk" is where you hype up good books really quickly for an audience. Most of the time, in my albeit limited experience, this is done either one-on-one with a patron, or for a group of young adults or children. The upcoming january booktalk's audience is: teachers.

Teachers have always amazed me. From the ones I had as a child- Miss. Horvath & Mrs. Paxson, Mrs. O'Brian and others- their dedication and ways of thoughtfully uplifting a child while concurrently teaching them academically is astounding. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has a teacher that made a profound effect on them in one way or another- and I've been blessed enough to have several of these teachers. Now I'm a grown up, and I deal with teachers again- not as often as I'd like. I wish teachers wanted to partner-up more with public libraries and librarians. I wish they'd remember us as a resource as often as they should. Sadly, many do not- but some do.

I also have the pleasure of working with a former teacher (former as in a 3 years ago or so) who handles our Homework Help Center. Younger than me, she's single-handedly supplied the HHC with the textbooks, rulers, protractors, T82 calculators, building blocks and colorful posters. She helps students ranging in age from 4 years old to high schoolers, on things like Algebra and basic introduction to reading. It is amazing to watch her remember such things, and witness how quickly she can recall algebraic equations and scientific terms. I'm in awe of her dedication. Like me, she's got a Masters degree and she (like any teacher) is not paid nearly what she is worth to these kids, their parents, their teachers at school, or to the library. But she loves her job. And it's really cool to watch her in action.

All of that being said, working so closely with a teacher has made me terrified of this booktalk. I would much prefer to be hyping up books to 13 year olds than to adults who work as hard as teachers do. My main concerns are that the books I will pick will be obvious ones, and the teachers will take nothing away from the conversation. I do not want to waste their time. My other (and probably more rational) fear is that I will freeze up, forget the book entirely, and just stare.

So in the process of readying myself for this talk, I've started frantically reserving a TON of middle-school age books. I brought home seven of them last night. I also brought home an adult nonfiction book and a Teen book that is NOT appropriate for middle grades- but both of these items are much more intriguing to me right now. So what am I doing? Of course: reading them instead.

HEre's to speed-reading over the next month or so, and let's hope that I can find some stuff that is age-appropriate. My own taste apparently doesn't linger around the middle grades much. Le sigh.

I will try to remember to post the books on here, so the two dots from my previous posting's map will have these books as resources. haha!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Who Reads my Blog?

Locations of visitors to this page


Apparently these are the people who read my blog...wait a second, nobody's on here. Hmmmm....a hint perhaps?

time for a quickie

Yesterday at the library I was on desk doing my checking-in, checking-out thing when a regular of ours, a beautiful little 4-5 year old girl comes up to the desk, decked out in her stocking cap and winter clothes. Her mother is handing her books they've checked out (from their last visit) so she can put them in the bookdrop located in the desk, which is conveniently eye-level for this little girl.

I've heard this little girl talk before, and she's a riot. So I began the small talk, asking if she enjoyed her books. She started going ON and ON about each one, as she would put it in the slot:

"And Pete doesn't get any toys from Santa Claus because he'd been a bad boy..."THUNK

"And a monkey TOOK A BANANA WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT, and there are no words in this book, only pictures"....THUNK

"And this *laughing hysterically* is about a Dragon on the Doorstep...it was so funny!"...THUNK...

She had about 10 books. As I checked them in, I looked and she told the proper synopsis of each picture book she tossed in there.

I looked at her mom and said, "She doesn't miss a beat, does she? She's a riot!"

Her mom just laughed and listened the whole time.

If I ever have kids, I hope I can listen to them and allow them to tell me exactly what they think, just as she did...

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Cop-Out Posting

I haven't written anything on here of substance lately, so I'm doing a survey. It's the easy way out to inform you all of my mindset (whoever reads this.)

1. What's your name?
Mandy, that's it. Not Amanda, just Mandy, like the stupid song.

2. What is your favorite thing to wear?
men's Hanes tank tops and pajama pants

3. Last thing you ate?
brownie from Loralie's brownies. Oh. My. God. Delicious.

4. One place you will NEVER eat at?
Long John Silvers

5. I say Shotgun, you say:
Jerk.

6. Last person you hugged?
Gabe

7. Does anyone you know wanna date you?
hm, doubt it.

8. Would you date anyone you met online?
I've done that before, and had a bad experience. So for myself, No. For others- have at it and good luck.

9. Name something you like physically about yourself:
I have nice hair.

10. The last place you went out to dinner to?
well we got carryout from Champp's last night, but had Sweet Henri's for breakfast in Wadsworth, OH over the weekend. (Sweet Henri's does not have a website- which I probably should've guessed from the outdated decor)

11. Who is your best friend?
if we're not counting gabe, then my siblings, equally share that status.

12. What time of the day is it?
7:35 pm

13. Who/What made you angry today?
Not much really, except I really hate being on desk and having to check in reserves at 9am or 1pm -- I was on desk both times today.

14. Baseball or Football?
football, hands down.

15. Ever gone skinny dipping?
affirmative

16. Favorite type of Food?
i really like greek food.

17. Favorite holiday:
thanksgiving, as it permits unlimited caloric intake

18. Do you download music:
I do, but mostly legally

19. Do you care if your socks are dirty?
absolutely.

20. Opinion of Chinese symbol tattoos?
i think it's a sweet way for people to think they're cultured.

21. Would you date the person who posted this?
well, John Green posted it first. Though I find his work amazing, and have met him in person and think he's a pretty sweel human being, I am currently in love with someone and he is married. Maybe in another time/universe/etc.

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
Yes.

23. Do you love anyone?
I love a lot of people

24. Are colored contact lenses sexy?
no, appreciate your own color.

25. Have you ever bungee jumped?
never, that is stupid.

26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting?
no, but i would like to

27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you
yes, it happens frequently, as I have an old-timey look about me, and old men tend to prefer redheads- contrary to the "gentlemen prefer blondes" belief

28. How many pets do you have?
none. But I have two dog-nephews.

29. Have you met a real redneck?
I fairly certain I have redneck in my DNA

30. How is the weather right now?
bone-numbing cold.

31. What are you listening to right now?
Drop Kick Murphys- Gabe's music is on satellite radio

32. What is your current favorite song?
Winter Song on Hotel Cafe winter cd.

33. What was the last movie you watched?
Fracture

34. Do you wear contacts?
No.

35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
the library. where I work.

36. What are you afraid of?
cancer. legit fear.

37. How many piercings have you had?
ears only, never again.

38. What piercings do you want?
see above

39. What's one thing you've learned this year?
i need to chillax.

40. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
used to be lattes, but now I'm watching my milk intake so now it's a mixture of whateverIneedatthat moment

41. What Magazines are you reading?
I regularly read Publishers Weekly, VOYA, American Libraries and Library Journal. Occasionally I peruse People, India Today, Newsweek, Real Simple, Women's Fitness, etc.

42. Have you ever fired a gun:
No thank you.

43. Are you missing someone?
if you say no to this, you are mentally ill.

44. Favorite TV show?
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

45. Do you have an obession with WoW?
no. it is not my thing.

46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb?
in england people stopped me and told me i "look like that girl from the telly". I had no idea what they were talking about but said thank you.

47. What celeb do you look like?
I don't look like anyone.

48. Who would you like to see right now?
If you could raise the dead I would say Grandma Simon, then probably shakespeare. Maybe Einstein or Lincoln, too. Let's have a party!

49. Favorite movie of all time?
I can't really answer this since I don't really watch movies all that much, and the ones I watch aren't interesting to most people.

50. Do you find yourself loved?
I do, yes.

51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't suppose to?
Good times.

52. Favorite smell?
home, meaning- my parents' house.

53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
a little of each please

54. What's something that really bugs you?
uninformed, narrowminded racist and otherwise ignorant people.

55. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I feel sorry for Michael Jackson.

56. Taco Bell or Burger King?
Taco Bell

57. What's your favorite perfume?
Angel.

58. Favorite baseball team?
I don't care about baseball.

59. Ever call a 1-900 phone number?
only 800 for me.

60. What's the longest time you've gone without sleep?
probably 30+ hours back in college

61. Last time you went bowling?
Too long ago. Bowling is so fun!

62. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
Probably on the floor of a strangers house, again in college.

63. Who was your last phone call?
um, Kim, the sister

64. Last time you were at work?
until 6pm, that glorious hour that comes ohsolateintheday

65. What's the closest orange object to you?
the label on the mod podge I need to use for christmas gifts.

OH- ANOTHER NEAT SURVEY:
* Grab the book closest to you. Now.
* Go to page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Copy these instructions.
* Don't go looking for your favourite book, or the coolest one you have -- just grab the closest one.

Mandy quotes: "And between the screaming kids and the car horns, the whole scene is just crazy." ~Kendra by Coe Booth.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving

Well again it's been too long since my last post. Things have been busy and just ok- dealing with strange things at the library and interesting encounters with patrons, of course. Because it's a holiday week, I'm not going to get into the details but instead I've decided to post my "dewey number" according to a random website that I found on a friend's blog:



Mandy Simon's Dewey Decimal Section:

838 German miscellaneous writings


Class:
800 Literature


Contains:
Literature, criticism, analysis of classic writing and mythology.



What it says about you:
You're a global, worldly person who wants to make a big impact with your actions. You have a lot to tell people and you're good at making unique observations about everyday experiences. You can notice and remember details that other people think aren't important.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

embracing the good parts of a day

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
embracing the good parts of a day
Wow I've been forcing myself to do a lot of this lately. Bad days seem to string together for me in the late-fall and early-winter, mostly because I HATE being cold. I hate it with every inch of my being. My toes go numb, my fingers go numb, I have constant goosebumps and all I can think about every day is coming home, sitting near the heating ducts in my house in my warm fuzzy bathrobe.
Last year's winter didn't seem so bad- mostly I think because I was "falling in love" with the boyfriend, which warmed my heart enough to ignore my freezing appendages. This winter, I'm still in love, but being cold is more evident. I also spent the last few days thinking, "What other differences were there between this year and last?"
I was only working part time at a different library.
I was finishing up grad school.
My best friends still lived here.
I mass-sending-out-resumes for jobs.
I was running- working out like a crazy person, because I was only working part time.

Since then, I've
Bought an entire collection of teen books.
Bought a lot of other books (adult, children's, etc.).
Processed them.
Moved them.
Shelved them.
Made a space look pretty.
Opened a library.
Helped run a library.
Went to my first conference.
Learned more stuff than I thought I would in a job, ever.

So all of those things are good. Definitely forward movement. I need to focus on these things. I'm moving in the right direction, and the above lists only a few things that have happened in the last year or so. So I'm going places.

But on days when we're slammed, and I'm the only one on desk, and I wore the wrong shoes and my back hurts and my feet hurt and I leave work when it's dark out- I need funny moments, I need happy moments, I need moments (usually patron interactions) to get me through the day.

And yesterday I had a few of those moments. And two of my regular teens came in, and one of them read to me some of the things she's been writing. And I just want to force her to sit down with a pen and paper and never stop writing. She's so incredibly talented, and I know that she barely thinks her writing is interesting, but needs reassurance that's it's good.

So I listen to her read things to me in brief moments at the desk. And I tell her to keep going. Keep going! It's so good! I want to know what's going to happen next!

And she looks at me like I'm a crazy person.

I hope those kids know how much their arrival at 4:00pm makes my day.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

on communication

So let's see, to share with you what I've been up to in the library-world:
The last few days have been rainy and cold, kids have been off of school so it's usually deathly quiet until around 2, which is when people finally get the nerve to go out into the cold and come to the library. It's been fun, with the exception of harrassing tweens and teens to pick up their wrappers from the candy they bought at the Dollar Store, it's been okay. It gives me time to work on things in the morning, and then slowly work myself into the rush that comes in the afternoon.

And in the Archives:
The building in which the archives is located is currently being remodeled...and leaving me in a bit of a quandry. I ordered 30 file boxes which arrived much sooner than I thought they would...so the "project" of expanding and reorganizing the file boxes could start as soon as, well, NOW...but with moving things around and redecorating everything, I hardly want to begin this massive project and then have to re-re-organize it in order to move boxes around the painters/decorators, etc. So right now, the archives looks a little like a failed garage sale back in my "corner" of the place- I'm hoping I can get started on it maybe in February!? I don't know. But that job is going well too- just crazy how much backlog ends up happening. I'm still getting used to what's already there, and people keep "donating things" which makes it even harder to handle. I really like it though. A lot.

Recently in the news it was mentioned that Barack Obama will have to surrender his blackberry and email address. I understand why- I get it. It doesn't exactly make sense that our president's blackberry go off during a meeting with some important world figure or during a press conference. In order to get a hold of the President, people should have to get through the security sheath around him so it seems only fair that he doesn't get to use them anymore...fair to the american people in that it makes him less susceptible to hackers and whatnot, and if normal citizens don't get to tell him something we think is important via text, than I think no one should be able to either- but that's mainly me being selfish.

I started thinking about it further. A friend of mine recently went to work for the federal government, and during the interview process they mentioned knowing she had a facebook page (DUH- a simple search can reveal all of that ) and then the same people who were interviewing and mentioning this made a comment about "facebook, isn't that mostly for people to get together and find other people to have sex with?" Um....DUDE. No. My Aunt Pam is on there. My mom has a facebook page. My school, my work, everyone has a facebook page. I don't even like facebook and I have a facebook page. It's almost a necessity to connect with people I'd lost touch with- and is the ONLY kind of contact I have with many people. Same thing with Myspace and email. Said friend ended up deleting her account after that, which I understand, because if my employer was so clueless and thought I was soliciting sex online, I would certainly oblige and take down the page in order to get a job that pays 3x as much as the one I previously had. I suppose that's the price one has to pay.

I miss my friend not being on Facebook. I have no idea what her new place looks like in another state, and she doesn't know what's going on back home. That's not to say that she's particularly interested in my daily "status updates" but still- cutting off even one form of communication makes people feel further apart.

Then I started thinking about how many people I only (or mostly) contact via text message. I think my boyfriend and I have talked on the phone a total of 12 times in a year, because we text message. Even my boss text messages me. And email- I mean, email is how everyone (my age) does everything! How else am I going to get my resume, notes to myself from different email addresses, forwards about kitties and babies, etc?! I mean- this is important stuff!

As a public service librarian, when I think about how forward-thinking the library is, in that it realizes that part of BEING a library is becoming a community center for people, being accessible to all people, the more I wonder when or if the government will ever understand or have a handle on that. THe library has a facebook page, a myspace page, a flickr page, a youtube page, a blog, etc. Regarding the government, well --I know that Obama having a blackberry is probably not a possibility, but at some point the government will need to understand the nature of the social web, and how much of the generations coming up rely on them SOLELY as a means for communication. It doesn't surprise me that George W. Bush's email address was an aol account (oh that did make me chuckle though), and he didn't really see it as much of a problem to not use it anymore. But I wonder for the future leaders of the free world- will they survive without electronic means of communication? Particularly if that's the only way they are accustomed to communicating?

All I know is if you made me delete mine, I would be in a world of hurt- and I wouldn't talk to anyone. Ever. That means old college chums, family members, boyfriends, friends, employers, networking associates, anyone.

At the same time, the archvisit part of me is constantly wondering how to archive all of this "digital living and connecting" I'm doing. For the first 17 years of my life i wrote in books and on paper, which I have stored accordingly. But with the digital stuff, it's so massive and how do we keep that for archival purposes? This is the stuff that really got me thinking and pondering in school- and I'm not in school now, but I DID just have my Trip to England blog printed into book format, because that one I want to be SURE to remember. My myspace (aka therapeutic rambling) blog is more than likely gone-for-good when that technology becomes obsolete. I've emailed "Tom" and "Customer Service" more than once to find out about the blog archives and how they're stored (if at all) and if I'd be able to upload that (ever) into a format that's printable-- and that Tom character never emailed me back. Jerk.

Just think of all the communication that occurs digitally that will eventually be GONE- POOF! In an age where laptops are getting smaller and smaller, and programs become increasingly high-tech, better, worse, unable to work with other hardware, etc....it's alarming! I mean, I got an iPod (my SECOND iPod) just over a year ago and already when I walk into the Apple Store for advice on things they look at me like I am carrying a VCR around or a toaster oven- like, "Oh look at that old lady with her old piece of equipment she'd like to have serviced"

Things change people- and they change FAST!

There's a huge disconnect here between what's being archived, and what's not- between generations of people and how they communicate-- and I'm wondering what the next few decades will hold and if anyone has given this a thought. WE'll see I suppose.

Okay I'm off to check all my pages and see what people are up to today.

Friday, November 14, 2008

things are slightly better

In that, I'm not feeling impending doom. I spoke with some people that made me feel better- even if it was just stuff to placate my immediate concerns like "You don't have anything to worry about" or "It's all going to be okay". Sometimes, that's all a person needs to hear.

In other news,

I read a lot of other people's blogs- real ones, not myspace ones really. Mostly I read librarians' blogs- to find out things, keep current, catch up on book reviews, etc. But I came across this posting recently, by the Interactivereader, and I was really struck by the following quote:

"When I boil down freedom, the basis of our government, to its core, its very essence, I believe that a person can do whatever they want to do as long as it does not impinge on another's rights. And here's where some of you and I are bound to disagree: I do not believe that same-sex marriage is harmful to anyone. You can send me as many articles and biased studies as you want, I will never agree with you. Be personally offended all you want about the "homosexual lifestyle", but I will never believe that a gay couple's right to be legally recognized as MARRIED will negatively affect your life. You'll go on living the exact same way you did before. Your 50% chance of marital success will be the same."

And to the Interactivereader, I say: That's exactly right. Precisely. I concur.


I may be personally offended by your body odor, your political views, your ignorance, or a million other things that I may find incredibly apalling and disgusting about you as a human being-- but that doesn't mean the government should do anything about it. Unless you're hurting me, and violating my rights as an Amurhican, do whateverthehellyouwant.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The sky is falling....

for some.

Ok, everyday I wake up and get my coffee- and I get in the shower. I wash my hair. And for the past few weeks, as I'm scrubbing my Loreal-like (CVS) brand shampoo into my skull, I have the following inner dialogue:
"You are NOT going to be a Negative Nancy today. You are going to suck it up, leave it at work, walk out the door and appreciate all the things you have."
You know, the Pollyanna talk. I try to do this to deter myself from heading down into the winter abyss of Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder that typically shows up around October- when at any given moment, (when the temperature is under 60 degrees) one to four of my fingers on either hand will become completely numb. It's too cold, my body's decided- and my circulation is bad enough to make my fingers numb. It's weird. I hate it. I've been wanting to move to the carolinas since, oh, 1998 and every October it gets worse.

The past year or so in my new profession of librarianship (I love that word) I've sucked it up (the SAD) and it's been ok. The past month or so has not. Things are getting icky everywhere. People are crabby at work- patrons and staff. Most of the people I work with are working second part time jobs on top of their full time jobs. And we have Masters' Degrees....which is part of the reason we need the part time jobs...to pay off the Masters' degree.

I feel like someone sold me something that broke or the warranty ran out or something. There are so many things I love about what I chose to do-- after moving from advertising/marketing to this field....I absolutely love what I'm doing in comparison.

But I'm starting to get jaded. And I think it's a combination of weather, being perpetually broke, and not really seeing any light at the end of the tunnel.

The worst part is knowing that negativity is insidious, and I don't want to be that person, spreading evil thoughts into the minds and morales of others. But it's hard when you get one day off a week. And you don't have money for shoes to replace the ones you have holes in.

The economy is completely screwed, and I'm better off than a lot of people (see, look at this pollyanna-ing!) but I still find myself wondering when things will change- or if they will continue to change for the worst..

A library in Ohio has just laid off 8 people and announced how they're limiting services, hours, and additional staff in mid-December. A friend of mine works there and I can't imagine what that has to be like. I don't want to imagine it because it scares the crap out of me.

Additionally I'm bombarded with emails from American Libraries and Library Journal telling me about more closings, layoffs, etc. and it's downright depressing.

Sandwich all of those thoughts around 8 hours of printing instructions and directional questions ("The bathroom is by the yellow wall, sir"). Add in a few hours at an archives where no one has touched anything in 4 years. And by the end of the day I am completely. utterly. fried.

So the moral of the story? I'm alright- I'm getting through with my Pollyanna-ing and attempting to look ahead at the future and hope for all sorts of change (seriously though- even some spare quarters would be cool)...but right now I have a really. Really. REALLY bad feeling.

London video shared by fellow librarian

This video is SO COOL!


London (harder, better, faster, stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Finding treasures in the archives

So, being the archives, anything that people are reluctant to throw away--- well they just box it up and put it in the archives. They figure, "Oh the archives will want to keep this binder of instructions from 1999".....um.....maybe.

At any rate this week has been a doozy as the office I work in begins moving things around for a renovation (might I add that we just finished renovations in my other job...I thought I was done with the constant moving things around!). People have been instructed to clean things out- and in the process they've been putting all the stuff they can't imagine wanting to "pitch" in the archives.

Boxes of- mostly three ring binders of repetetive information, training manuals, etc. Also fliers, booklets of poems, a box of pictures from the 1970s that are all unmarked or not labeled...imagine getting a box of WELL over 600 photos from 1970 to 2007 that are unmarked! It's insane! I don't know these people!

Also I've come across some interesting things- a box of jewlery and a box of type-setting tools- half of a door-knocker and some lace? Promotional pins and canvas bags from conventions clear through the 1940s...

I've started maniacal quest for organization within the archives closet- which may be a futile effort but at least I'm trying. Among the many many photographs and letters dated from the late 1800s to early 1900s, I found a piece of a calendar from September and October of 1899. It's a promotional piece that was sent out to doctors about a medicine called Antikamnia. It's a strange addition to what is mostly a girl-feminine-centric collection of dance cards and lace. But so far, it's my favorite thing I've found.

Monday, November 3, 2008

NO KIDDING?!

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27506234/:

Study: Sex on TV linked to teen pregnancies
Exposure to high levels of sexual content can affect adolescents over time
In the world of television programming, sex sells — perhaps a little too well with young viewers, a new study suggests.
The RAND Corp. study is the first of its kind to identify a link between teenagers' exposure to sexual content on TV and teen pregnancies. The study, released Monday and published in the November edition of the journal Pediatrics, found that teens exposed to high levels of sexual content on television were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy in the following three years as teens with limited exposure.
The study's authors are quick to point out that the factors leading to teen pregnancies are varied and complex — but they say it's important for parents, teachers and pediatricians to understand that TV can be one of them.

"We were surprised to find this link," said Anita Chandra, the study's lead author and a behavioral scientist at RAND, a non-partisan, non-profit research organization. "But teens spend a good amount of their time watching television — an average of three hours a day — and we don't know a lot about its impact on their health decisions …

"We don't think that (TV) is necessarily more significant than some of the family and neighborhood factors that can lead to teen pregnancies. But even when we removed all the other factors, we still saw a compelling link between a high exposure to sexual content on television and teen pregnancies."

*********************

I quit watching primetime television about a year ago or so. It's astonishing how much less I can participate in conversations that go on at work, with my family and even with some of my friends. Everyone watches Dancing with the Stars or some other such show that doesn't appeal to me whatsoever. Sometimes I feel a pang of "Oh, I can't participate in this conversation, because I have no idea what you're talking about" and sometimes I breathe a sigh of relief because my head isn't filled up with stupid crap that media feeds the masses.

I'm most appreciative of my decision to quit watching tv on a regular basis when I catch a glimpse of the political propaganda...but there are times when I feel like I"m missing out on something. Because I work with teens, who like to watch tv-- and they're talking about popular culture, which is something I feel like I should know about in order to chat with them as we're doing DIY projects at the library or even when they stop in to say hello....sometimes I feel like I'm obligated to swallow some of the crap that is on television, if for no other reason than to be able to feel connected to them in some way and have something to chat about.

Ever since I stopped watching- the feeling of "I'm so glad I don't know that" has occurred much more often than feeling "left out". There are other things I find myself doing in place of watching television. I get on hulu and watch shows I like when I want to watch something. I go to the library and get movies and television series on DVD to watch on my computer before bed if I need to sit and stare at a screen. I particularly enjoy the nonfiction bits by the BBC and other random shows that only nerds watch. I also do crafts, surf the internet, and read books. Yes, I realize this is nerdy....but I think it's a better way to utilize my time. I'm also a firm believer in the fact that doing things other than sitting on my ass watching television burns calories. Whether I'm thinking about something, researching nonsense for my own benefit on the internet, or just can't get comfortable wherever I'm sitting to read a book- those are all calories burned instead of ass-widening tv watching.

(Much of my disdain for television is from living with a person who was highly addicted to television for two years. It disgusted me.)

ANyways, the thought has also occurred to me that television shows that appeal to teenagers and younger people are sexually charged-- and I am conflicted about this bit of info. As I was growing up, I didn't sit and watch television a whole lot- some of the reason stem from tv being monitored by my parents, but mostly I think it was because I was so busy with either sports, or theatre or piano lessons or being boy crazy and pining in my room over some guy who I was crushing on-- I don't know. I also believe that the age I became "sexually active" was young- but not directly a result of anything my parents did wrong, or any television I watched- though I was a big fan of 90210 when it was on. I have just always felt strongly that my decision as an adolescent to start making out with boys was something that wasn't really influence by a whole lot other than friends who were doing it- and talking about it- and pure curiosity.

So I've been thinking- if I have kids someday- how would I convince them that there is so much more out there to pay attention to- to watch, to experience, etc besides television shows that I honestly believe make people dumber? How would I ever convince a kid to pick up a book instead of watch the Hills or the OC or whatever else is super-cool thse days?

I get a lot of parents in the library looking for "good books" for their pre-teens and teens to read. This is when it gets sketchy. The parents obviously want to monitor content, and much of the Teen Pop Lit teeters on the edge of what's deemed "appropriate" by the conservative masses. A good portion of the patron population leans towards the conservative right, requesting Kinsbury and Janet Oke and other such "Inspirational" fiction that should more aptly be called "Christian". Thankfully I can guide thse parents towards the "Inspirational" teen formulaic fiction -- I have a few series to choose from....but even these exchanges have led me to think the following:

If I have kids- and they eventually grow up to be teens- I will do what I can to keep them busy and interested enough in other things besides television. And I will let them read whatever they want to read, book-wise. Whatever. They. Want. At least they're reading. They can imagine all the soft-porn they want while reading sexually charged teen novels littered with cussing. That can be their pop culture. But the television- that's a whole other story. Watching adolescent soft porn on primetime television borders on pedophilia and it makes me sick. If my kids are that interested in sex they can check out Judith Krantz novels at the library, where at least their reading comprehension skills and imagination will benefit.

Oh, and I'll give them birth control.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Archivist position


So, about a month ago (I can't believe it's that long ago) I was offered a position as an Archivist with a Fraternity whose national headquarters is in Columbus. It's a sorority really (in that it's an organization that women join in college) however because it started in 1873, it began in the early days when all Greek organizations were called Fraternities, and there was no such thing as sororities.

What would an archivist do for a fraternity/sorority you might ask? Particularly an archivist who was not "affiliated" with any greek organization unless you're talking about Apollo's the great gyro shop on High Street? Well help to manage their collection of artifacts, of course!

In library school, and in general, I have always been intrigued with old books. Old, rare, antique books- I love them. I love the way they smell, the way you can guess how much the owner read them, the way you can see how the publishing industry has advanced in terms of creating books, everything. I've collected a few of my own, and I treasure them. As such, I took a few courses in LIS school about handling rare books and historical children's literature. The Preservation course I took covered everything from microfiche, to film, from museum like artifacts, to planning Disaster Plans. It was a great broad overview of literature and discussion that made me appreciate the hard work that goes into preserving historical and cultural insitutions. Photographs, old film wheels, paper (oh the many kinds of paper) and everything else. The archives hold a little bit of everything -- sketchbooks and handsewn lace from the late 1800s early 1900s; furniture; a typewriter; a quilt; tax forms from 1901; and perhaps the most intriguing (to me) is the 20 foot long closet full of clothing dating back to the 1800s. Everytime I walk into the Archives I find something new. It's very personal. It's a very quiet and personal job, quite the opposite of working in a Public Library, and I have to say that I really really enjoy it.

That being said, the organization hasn't had an archivist for about 4 years. There is definitely a backlog of stuff. Also- they have no database or document outlining their holdings. It's complicated to know what is what- unless you've worked there forever and have been told by an older member or employee. So it's fun and interesting, and challenging. I haven't had a WHOLE lot of time to work there, in that I've been busy with things at my full time librarian job. BUt I have gotten to write a Mission Statement, edit a collection development policy, create a loan agreement, and contemplate the Deed of Gift form. I've also been trying to get demos of Electronic Managment Software, and I may even get my own practicum student once we determine which software to go with and how to move along with creating better access to the archives and archival stuff.

So it's good. I like it. I wish I didn't have to work two jobs, but due to bills, I do. And if I had to pick ANY second job, this would be it. For sure. So I like it.

I'll try to post some pictures of things as I get them...Here's a taste.

Friday, October 24, 2008

too many things and not enough time

I'm sure you're tired of hearing it- on my blog, on every blog, but I don't seem to have time for anything these days! In addition to the fast-paced life in public service, I've taken on a second job as a Part Time Archivist, which is something I've always wanted to do and I LOVE IT! I will definitely be posting more about this later. But the reason for this post is:

We've added on some new staffers at my library, and they seem cool. I like them. But the new girl, Ashley- I've decided that she rocks. To find out why, click here.

Friday, September 12, 2008

100 Book Meme

So a friend posted this and I'm embarrassed to post here, but I have a very short attention span. I've started so many more books than I've ever finished. But I'm a firm believer in giving almost anything a shot- but I won't waste time on something that doesn't interest me thoroughly. I would much rather be in love with a book than force myself through it only to hate it....so here we go. I'm probably not the best librarian out there when it comes to classics....And I also gather (after filling this out) that I don't take kindly to being assigned reading...haha!

Bold--I've read it.
Italics-- I tried to read it.

Highlighted--I want to.
Nuttin'--I don't care.
I don't believe in burning books.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (I own 4, will read them to my kids, couldn't get through the second book)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible (never made it all the way through front to back.)
7. Wuthering Heights --Emily Bronte (loved this book)
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Phillip Pullman (Way before the hoopla this was an assigned reading for a class. I was bored to tears. I hate fantasy books)
10. Great Expectations -Charles Dickens (Started, but I just don't have a taste for Dickens)
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (I thought Amy and Beth were too whiny)
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (Started as well.)
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare (I certainly haven't read all of them but I would say at least 1/2.)
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (loved as a teen, re-read and hated it as an adult)
19. The Time Traveller's Wife – (tsk tsk I know)
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (loved it)
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (high school, barely remember it.)
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (read parts of Through the Looking Glass and was surprised at how well I liked it, but didn't finish.)
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (school assignment)
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
37. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
38. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (I've owned this book forever and never finished.)
39. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (Another school assignment.)40. Animal Farm - George Orwell (loved it)
41. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (Read it in one day. Good if you like poorly written mysteries/puzzle stories)
42. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
43. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
44. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
45. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery (currently listening in my car.)
46. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
47. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
48. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
49. Atonement - Ian McEwan
50. Life of Pi - Yann Martel (REALLY need to read this I hear.)
51. Dune - Frank Herbert
52. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
53. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
54. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
55. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
56. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (school assignment)
57. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
58. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon (didn't understand the hype)
59. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
60. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (high school)
61. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
62. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
63. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (excellent excellent book)
64. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
65. On The Road - Jack Kerouac (too wordy)
66. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
67. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding (I can read my own diaries)
68. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
69. Moby Dick - Herman Melville (UGH!)
70. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
71. Dracula - Bram Stoker
72. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (I wrote the author as a little girl and was devastated when I found out she had died years prior and never received my letter)
73. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
74. Ulysses - James Joyce
75. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath (I own 2 copies and have only read half)
76. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
77. Germinal - Emile Zola
78. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
79. Possession - AS Byatt
80. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (school assignment)
81. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
82. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
83. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
84. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
85. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
86. Charlotte's Web - EB White (sigh. Is there any such perfection as Wilbur and Charlotte?)
87. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
88. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (school)
89. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
90. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad (Creepy- school)
91. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
92. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
93. Watership Down - Richard Adams
94. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
95. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
96. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
97. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
98. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
99. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
100.The Outsiders -S. E. Hinton

Another thing I noticed after filling this out, is often I select other books by the same authors listed here- though I've never been a fan of Jane Austen. Something must be wrong with me, right?

Adopting patrons

So I've had the pleasure of getting-to-know many of my teen patrons who frequent the library more often than most. In the area where my library is situated, we're surrounded by condos and apartment complexes, most of them are filled with single parents and several children...some of them teenagers. We're also surrounded by a lot of homes- some with loving parents and some with less-than ideal situations. But regardless, for whatever reason, teens flock to the library each evening after school, whether it's to update their Facebook or Myspace pages, laugh at videos on Youtube, do homework, pick out a great book, or converse with friends, they're there- and I'm glad. I want the teens there- even when they're ruffling my feathers and pushing my buttons.

For several teens the Library is a Home Away from Home, or just more of a home environment in general, where adults look over them or at least pay some attention to what they're needs are- whether it's a book for a book report, help with homework, a snack before dinner, or small talk about what's going on.

With some of these teens, I've learned more about their home lives. I've heard some stories that make me sick to my stomach- adoptive parents telling kids they can't go to college, not buying them proper shoes that fit on their ever-growing feet, and even locking them out of the house each morning so they "don't get into trouble".

After talking at length with one of my teens last night I had to resist the urge to bring them (a brother sister pair) home with me. I mean, of course I know I couldn't ever do this. But when I used to work in Daycare, and when I worked as a student teacher, it became painfully obvious how many negligent parents there are out there. I'm certain that most of them do it because they don't know of another way- but it hurts my heart to know that hopes and dreams can be dashed so quickly of these bright teenagers who are so full of personality and intellect that they could certainly make huge differences in the world when they grow up. I can't believe that parents- particularly adoptive parents, would choose to treat their adopted kids/teens with such disregard and disrespect. I doubt they realize how insidious that kind of abuse is, and how it will effect the generations that their own kids end up creating.

Why adopt a child or children or teenagers if you don't plan on loving them? If you don't plan on providing for them the things that their biological parents can't provide?! I'm under the assumption that many adoptions and foster families go along with this system for the monetary aspect of the responsibility. They agree to adopt/foster, in order for the government handout that comes along with the kid, and that's it.

I've said it before- I'm pretty much broke. But when I talk to these kids and realize that their parents won't buy them shoes that fit, won't allow them to participate in sports, won't provide them with a nutritious dinner or breakfast before school, I realize that I could do that. I could certainly send a teenager to school with a granola bar and an apple- a sandwich and $3 for lunch. I could certainly splurge on a $40 pair of shoes every so often and I know that I could afford the room in my heart to listen to these kids- that's mostly what they want, is to be acknowledged and listened to.

It makes me hate the "system" that ignores bad parenting in situations where the system IS responsible for placing children in loving homes. We can't avoid placing biological kids in crappy home lives, but when people are fostering and adopting kids and teens, who have already had many many crosses to bear, I think it's absurd that the system can't more adequately provide these kids with what they need.

So last night, as I sat on my break, thinking over the stories that I heard from a young patron who explained to me only SOME of her home situation, it became painfully obvious to me that by choosing this field (as opposed to choosing education) I did not escape the feeling of wanting to "Save the children" from their crappy home situations. I was hoping I'd never have to have that heartaching feeling again (after my years of daycare and education experiences).

It sucks to feel so helpless and know what these great kids are going through. It sucks to feel like I can only give them animal crackers and homework help, instead of new shoes, a ride to school that's 4 miles away, or a bed that they could call their own.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Tough Week

Well, it's been a tough week here at my branch. Our Manager went on a much-deserved vacation. Normally things would run smoothly without her, however this week was also a week in which we were short 3 people-- roughly a quarter of our staff. What did this mean? Mostly that we were busier than usual (that's just the Universe or Karma or something) and patience gets harder to come by, and people work more/longer hours, get stressed more easily, etc.

And of course I get sick. The crud. The Creeping Crud that every child under age 5 has right now has somehow wormed its way into my chest and head, which has made me achy and tired and miserable for three days. It's pretty bad.

BUT the John Green visit was MADE OF AWESOME, as promised. That guy is so easy to work with it makes me want to invite a million authors to come visit. He didn't ask for strange requests like vegan sandwiches cut into quarters or bottles of a certain brand of water. Instead, he was flexible and great, and it was incredibly surreal to be sitting and having a conversation with him IRL, when typically I'm used to just listening to him on my home computer. I'm a NerdFighter (and somewhat of a lurker) on his blog and Ning site, and watched most of Brotherhood 2.0 in a week or two to catch up with them when they were halfway through the year of vlogging. Of course I felt I said and did embarrassing things (which I always do around people who I'm intimidated/impressed by..) but oh well- if I hadn't then I suppose it wouldn't be "me"....right?

So tomorrow is my OFF day, which means I work saturday. I'm so excited to have a day off, you have no idea. I'm planning a multitude of things, but if they don't get done, they don't get done. The only major plan is to make a cake for the boyfriend, whose birthday is on Sunday.

I finished a YA book! Hooray!

BlackBox by Julie Schumacher
Elana and her sister Dora have a typically atypical friendship -- meaning, that they share a secret code language, understand each other's fears and are inextricably linked as siblings and best friends, despite their differences in personality. However, Dora starts to slip away from Elana, as she falls deeper and deeper into depression, and is even hospitalized for it. As Elana tries to learn more about what-Dora's-feeling, she befriends a boy at school whose mother is a psychiatrist. The boy is mysteriously kind (yet still odd) and their friendship grows as Elana deciphers Dora's strange actions when she returns home from the hospital. At the same time, Elana is forced (by her parents) to open-up to a therapist herself, and for Elana this is difficult, as her emotions have always been well-hid from others, sometimes even from herself.
I really liked this book, which had short chapters and was a fairly quick read. The suspense increases as Elana learns more and more about Dora's condition, and it pulls the story along at a nice pace. I would recommend this to teens who know someone dealing with depression, as it speaks to how a clinically depressed person actions affect the people surrounding them, particularly how it affects family and close friends.

I'm also listening to Anne of Green Gables on audio in my car. I had never read the book before (tsk tsk tsk I know), though I used to watch the Disney version of the movie over-and-over again as a little girl and teen. It's like soul-food for me. Listening to the audio is so much better than I expected it to be. Though I'm impressed by how closely the text matches the movie, there are so many more things to "imagine" while listening to the actual book instead of the screenplay. I'm starting to think that I'll have to read/listen to the entire series. Getting into my car is something I look forward to now with this book. If only it could also make going to the gas station as fulfilling....

Monday, September 8, 2008

Read Paper Towns by John Green, it is made of awesome




As is the man himself. But we all knew that, right?
But alas it has been an incredibly long day, and I must rest myself before going into work tomorrow. Will blog more about this great experience hopefully tomorrow.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Annual Tornado Nightmare

So every once in a while, typically when I'm in the midst of some sort of emotional crisis, I have a nightmare about either the End of the World (think- Armageddon type visual effects) or Tornadoes. I'm terrifed of tornadoes, always have been.

Anyways, since I've been in the midst of a pretty severe internal emotional crisis-- covering everything from money, career, baby-making/husband-wanting? futures, losing best friends, other best friends moving out of state....well it's been a bad past couple of days. My brain is flitting from one feeling to another, and I find myself not being able to concentrate because I'm in "flight mode" (from Fight-or-Flight psychology). I have images of just staying on 315 south, hitting 71 south and keep driving until I reach Georgia. Yea, it's THAT time of year for me.

At any rate, I had this crazy dream last night, that I was loading up a bus full of teens (that work at the library) and library co-workers. We were going to a fancy hotel in some (unknown to me) city with huge beautiful buildings. We were having some sort of celebration, because in the hotel restaurant, everyone from the library was getting ready for the event. And all of them were wearing red Library of the Year t-shirts, only these t-shirts had long sleeves and ON the long sleeves there was an image of my high school mascot, Quaker Sam. (I know- weird. Our mascot was a Quaker, peace-loving pious people, but we were calling the Fighting Quakers-- supreme oxymoron, but I digress.)

All of the sudden, while the LOTY t-shirt wearing clan is readying the restaurant for our "celebration," enormous boulders start piercing the building causing huge gaps in the walls of the structure. I mean, these boulders (or meteors?) were the size of HOUSES. No one would listen to me when I told them to get out of the building. Everyone was just going about their business before the celebration, folding napkins while I was screaming at them to get out of the building.

THEN I find myself looking out of one of the gaping holes in the hotel and see numerous tornadoes in the distance. Again, I'm trying to corral everyone into a basement, or at least FIND a basement in the hotel, which I am attempting to do while scaling the walls of the elevator shaft.

I woke up extra early because I couldn't take anymore of this dream. It was awful.

My interpretation?

My subconscious is overwhelmed with work....and mainly I feel a complete and utter loss of control over everything (tornadoes...) and I feel like no one's listening to me.

Great, huh.

More later.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

aw naw she didn't....

From the NYT:

"Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. “They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,” Ms. Kilkenny said.
The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article. In 1996, Ms. Palin suggested to the local paper, The Frontiersman, that the conversations about banning books were “rhetorical.”

I hate book banning, book bann-ers (if that's a word) and I really didn't need another reason to dislike this woman....but now I have one more. I have a feeling it won't be the last reason...

And I'm not turning this into a political blog. I reserve political rantings to myspace, where I can be obnoxious and say what I really feel. But since this had to do with libraries, I thought I'd post it here. Sigh. Censorship Sucks.

UPDATE: I have scoured the interwebs for Wasilla's City Council Meeting Minutes as well as Library Board Meeting Minutes in search of the list of challenged books by Mrs. Palin. Nothing before August of 2008 is available without a Public Records Request (which takes weeks) and it appears as if this information USED TO be more widely available. There's even a section for media and other people seeking information on Palin...too many bridges to cross and lines of red tape to get through to find the appropriate list of books. Several lists have been made public, but none of them are well-sourced. Once I find the list, rest assured I will be posting it on here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I've done more research and this is what I've gathered regarding Palin's Book Banning Stance:
  • Palin becomes Mayor.
  • Palin approaches Librarian and asks, "Would you let me ban some books?"
  • Librarian staunchly replies, "Absolutely not, our collection development policy is based on National Selection criteria and we have policies and procedures in place to handle Book Challenges."
  • Palin backs down.
  • Palin approaches City Council and suggests Librarian resigns.
  • Community and City Council love their Librarian and stand up for her.
  • Librarian stays employed by the City, no books are challenged.
  • There is no record with the Office of Intellectual Freedom (a segment of ALA) reporting that Wasilla had any book challenges.
  • There is not a list of books anywhere that Palin was going to ban, except for maybe in Palin's mis-shapen beehived head somewhere.

So it's not as bad as I thought, but still not good. Oh well. To each their own I suppose....

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

on Doing Everything

Well not technically everything, but more than what is included in your job description.

I'm a big proponent for understanding every aspect of library service. Yes, yes, most librarians want to know how circulation works, but they don't want to carry out the duties. Of course, I whine and moan over checking in reserves. I hate being on the receiving end of a Fine Dispute. But I think it's essential for libraries to continue on adapting and changing to the needs of patrons.

Patrons don't know that shelvers are shelvers. They don't know that people standing at the desk are circulation associates and not "librarians." When I walk into an organization or company where I am doing business, I expect whomever I'm talking to, to be able to not point me in the direction of another line or another window, but I expect them to help me because that's why they're there. To help customers/patrons, whatever. I don't care what your job title is, I just need your help.

The job I have now has one desk. One desk where everything takes place. We call it the "Magic Desk". Circulation aides, Circulation Associates, Librarians, Library Associates and even the Manager staff this desk each hour. There's a good chance that if you have a reference question, the person you're asking may not be a Librarian. In fact, they're probably not. Do the patrons care? I doubt it. They just want an answer.

Granted, I went to library school. I have the debt and smarts to prove it. (hehe) I get a little jealous when a patron comes up with a reference question and asks the Circulation Associate for their help in finding an answer. But having one point-of-service has permitted me to learn more than I ever could have learned at an Information Desk. I don't know it all, I'm open to anyone's suggestions and guidance on things I don't understand or even just can't-seem-to-remember. And I feel like the team I work with feels the same way.

I always felt like librarianship (maybe particularly public librarianship) relies almost entirely on a collaborative spirit. There is no "That's not my Job" attitude. At least, there shouldn't be. But I believe (as I read more and more about libraries, how they operate and staff's attitudes within their departments) that libraries should be less about segmentation and different departments, and more about learning, adapting and providing service. That's not to say that someone shouldn't be open to passing along a question for additional feedback from a colleague...but I do think that people need to be more collaborative in their work.

I know, because I'm a librarian, that there is an overall feeling of segregation between librarians and "para-professional" staff. On one hand, I feel like I deserve the tough reference questions. I don't want to do the lifting work or the shelving work. And it's something I have to tell myself to "get over" almost daily. Because putting myself on a pedestal or- picking and choosing what kinds of services I'm going to provide as a librarian is just NOT part of the deal. I am not "above" doing the work of anyone else. I'm not that special. I joined this field with the expectation that library service will change, and in order for that to happen, I have to change.

Don't get me wrong....I have bad days too- when I don't want to do this or that, or when I just want to get something done that I've been working on for 6 weeks but can't seem to finish because I'm collaborating with other staff on the daily necessary tasks of checking people out and checking things in. I miss the research. I miss using our electronic resources. I miss talking with other librarians about things that are new and upcoming. But I feel that this job, the one I have now, has given me experience that not many other librarians get to have- and that's working with everyone on the same level. Seeing an even plane- and even playing field, where you won't be judged or pushed aside for not-knowing-the-answer. You just all learn together, and I think that's priceless.

I just hope that I'll be able to continue this kind of work and I really hope that other organizations and departments will start looking at Library service and recognize that departmental segregation just creates another obstacle for the patron. It's time for everyone to be sponges and learn as much as possible from other departments, other branches, etc.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

on Getting Asked-Out, at the library

A 50 something (perhaps I'm being generous here- he could've been 60) year old man asked me out at the library the other day. The conversation went something like this:

(Man at PC looking like he's waving me down)

Me: Can I help you with something?
Him: Hi. My name's ______. You're Mandy.
Me: Hi.
Him: I have found something. I love libraries. And I've found that I come here quite often. And I've discovered that often I find myself filled with anticipation of seeing you when I come here. In fact, Breathless anticipation. And I was wondering if you would ever be willing to have dinner, lunch or heck, even a glass of iced tea with me sometime.
Me: Thank you, I'm flattered, but I have a boyfriend.
Him: Of course you do, I should have figured as much. Well it's an open invitation should you ever change your mind.
Me: Okay Thank you.

(Then I proceed to get black/blue ink all over my hands.)

I feel that an exchange like this is creepy. It does not matter if you use flowery language gentlemen, it doesn't matter if you're just checking online because your internet connection is down at home for the day. It is insulting to be hit-upon like this at work. It is insulting and uncomfortable because I can't leave my post. I am then forced to be friendly and kind even though I may want to run in the other direction so you get the hint. It is not fair to be hit-on at work, to be asked-out. Yes, in one way it's flattering, and no I don't want you waiting until I'm off work. I don't know what the solution is here other than to advise that you don't offer such an exchange while someone is working. Then I have to stare and wonder when the heck you're going to leave so I can breathe for a moment and feel like I can walk around and do my job without someone staring at the back of me. Yuck.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Teen Development

I'm putting together a "handout" of sorts that is turning out to be more of a research paper. I decided to delve into the complicated study of understanding Adolescent physical and psychological development. When I get started looking for this information, aticles, poring over them- I can honestly say that learning about their development is helping me understand this strange portion of the patron population. It's also reminding me how awkward and confusing adolescence was for me.

The idea was to have this information set-to-go and hand out to other library staff by Fall. That only gives me a few more weeks really. I suppose I could wrap it up- but I'm learning so much and finding out new things all the time, so I'm curious to see how far I could take some of the information. Most of it is stuff I'd known, but not why. For example: Teens are sleep deprived. I've always known that. However, I didn't understand WHY. Now I know (after reading articles) that it's due to a lot of different reasons- particularly that adolescents require about 2 hours more sleep per night than adults- and they don't get it. One of the reasons researchers believe contribute to their lack of sleep is that teens may be more sensitive to light during adolesence, which messes up their circadian rhythms. So they're not tired when adults are, and they are tired when adults are awake. Hence: there's likely to be problems communicating with someone who's only half-awake when you're trying to talk to them.

I am a person who knows what it's like to be perpetually sleep deprived. Someone once told me that if you fall asleep within 5 minutes of hitting the pillow, that means you're sleep-deprived. I'm the type of person who falls asleep while horizontal. Every. Time. It's as if I recline and BAM- out like a light.

And with the days getting shorter this August, I can't help but how this effects teens going back to school. I'm exhausted in the mornings! There are people out their who have research to back up the claim that teens are so sleep deprived, that the school-day start-time should be later in the morning. They say that having a later start-time would decrease behavior problems, attention capacity and more for teens. I have to say that after reading the research, I tend to agree.

So we'll see how much further I take the teen development research. Maybe it will be something I end up submitting somewhere...but I am a bit nervous that what I'm putting together has already been done. So we'll see.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Books I gave up on...

So I'm probably the worst librarian in the world when it comes to reading books that aren't my "cup of tea". I typically read one full book for every 25 that I check out and read 1/4 to 3/4's of..because of numerous reasons really. It just depends. Here I will begin to list the books I'm returning to the library today, because they've been in the back of my car and for whatever reason- I couldn't bring myself to finish them.

I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz
A "teen book"- nonfiction. Written in verse, Samantha chronicles her experience with Anxiety disorder as a teen and young adult at college. I really liked it to start with, but for some reason stopped just about halfway through. Pretty good, but not good enough.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Teen Fiction. I really wanted to finish this one because I want to read the sequel that came out recently. But for some reason I couldn't get all the way through it either. It was well written, convincing, and scary. I may try it again sometime, I don't know.

Maxed Out by James D. Scurlock
Adult Nonfiction. The book the coincides with the documentary about Credit Card Debt and Predatory Lending in America. I didn't get far into this one before just renting the documentary. the documentary was really good- depressing yet made me feel like I wasn't alone, or nearly as bad-off as many of the poor victims of predatory lending. Brought up a lot of good talking points with my roommate and boyfriend, who watched the movie with me.

Spark by John J. Ratey
On second thought, I'm going to try to keep going with this one, which speaks to the findings that correlate better brain functionality and intelligence to fitness and exercise. I like this one. Might buy it for myself.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Recommended by an artist neighbor. Liturgical format. Adult/Teen fiction. Story about a fictional town where they begin outlawing different letters from sentences and general everyday use. Didn't get far in this one, but liked the idea behind the story.

Confessions of a Carb Queen by Susan Blech
Adult Memoir. Written by a woman who lost over 200 pounds. Too much talk about food and her feelings, though I'm sure that's the point. Made me think that I need to get more organized and start focusing my efforts on getting-things-done rather than sitting around and waiting for things to magically happen for me. Interesting read, but couldn't finish.

Inside Out: Portrait of an Eating Disorder by Nadia Shivack
Teen/Adult Memoir in Pictures/art. Incredibly disturbing. A woman chronicles her life through pictures she drew of her personified Eating Disorder (ED) and how it affects her life. I read most of this one, but I'm not sure if it counts since it's mostly pictures. Very Very good. Teen girls should read this.

And now for the book that I'm thinking about before bed, as my eyes are burning with the desire to sleep but my brain wants the story to keep going:

The English American by Alison Larkin
Adult Fiction. Story of a 28 year old American-born and British-raised woman who seeks out her biological mother, who's located in Georgia. I. can't. stop. thinking. about. relaxing. with. this. book. What is my obsession with England?! London!? I particularly like this so far because the main character has red hair and is (obviously) adopted. I think I secretly wish I was adopted by my parents and somewhere in London my birth parents are waiting for me to contact them for tea.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Web 6.0

?

I don't know- I feel like the buzzword for the social web, "Web 2.0" or "Libraries 2.0" has already expired. Since I first heard the term, I've had to update my iTunes software 5 times. Java's installed a buttload of updates. There's been the release of the iPhone, then the newer cheaper iPhone. My mom's gotten a Myspace page and also a Sony Reader. I'm so proud of her tech-pertise that I don't even get annoyed when she asks me for Quicken tech support even though I've never used the software.

This summer we pushed comments on our Teen Blog as a way to get points in the Summer Reading Program, and as a result generated hundreds of comments from real teens (go figure) who were reading our posts. I've received numerous Pieces of Flair on Facebook and I've finally caved and signed up for a LinkedIn account. I haven't been good about posting my pictures to Flickr (because I refuse to spend money to get more-pictures-per-month) but I religiously post them to my social networking pages and Snapfish, so I know they're out on the web should my computer decide to kick the bucket. I've watched all of the bloggers I subscribe to complain about the ALA conference in Anaheim and make READ posters. I've Tumbld, Tamed, SimplyHired, and finally started contributing to the Columbus Underground forum. I regularly consult web comics for some brief relief from the reference desk and circ work that needs done.

I've found my house in Google Streetview. I've signed up for an online exercise social network that I inevitably couldn't keep up with. When I need some background noise I just open Musicovery.

And most recently, I attended a presentation with Michael Stephens where he encouraged the people at Columbus Metropolitan Library to Learn and Play. His presentation and enthusiasm is definitely contagious. One of my favorite bloggers- to see him in real life (IRL?) was pretty cool and it was neat to watch everyone around me somewhat awestruck by his iPhone and Twitter facts (I still haven't signed up for Twitter- only out of self-preservation because I realize the kind of addictive personality I have and I don't know that I couldn't set limits with the tweeting.) Even I was awestruck by the gorgeous pictures and motivating sentiments towards how people use the web, how we (libraries) should be altering our services to include user-generated content...and more and more and more.

But there has to be a new name for it all. Period. End of story. Saying Web 2.0 to encompass all things social about the internet is just silly at this point. My iTunes software is at 7.7. My Adobe update is at 7.0. Even Internet Explorer is up around 7 these days. Microsoft Office 2007 is completely different from 1993-200whatever the last update was. Web 2.0 sounds like Netscape to me at this point. It needs a new name. Something newer, shinier and something that reflects the changing aspect of the social web. It's changing. We can't call it the same thing. Or at least, we shouldn't be calling it the same number.

What's the point?

Technology is advancing far beyond where we can keep up. (Think-- not unlike American Public School System?) I think libraries are FINALLY getting the picture that in order to be relevant in this day and age, you must understand how to reach people. Our insatiable need for immediate gratification is causing our users to satisfice information from a random Google search or Wikipedia entry and cite it in their undergraduate papers. Nobody knows what Electronic Resources at the Library are. I haven't had ONE PERSON ever tell me- "Oh Yea, Gale Databases? I access those at home through your website all the time...."

We need to call Web 2.0 something else. It's time. It should definitely be Web 4.5 or something by now. And YES we should be changing to fit the technological needs and desires of our users. OF COURSE we shouldn't be caught up in administrative red-tape. Duh!

And I'm a little disappointed that people are just now starting to learn about and appreciate the tools that I've been using for a long time- years in fact. I'm not that special. I just was told in Library School that I have to know how to use these things. I was told that understanding these new tech tools would not only help in the field of librarianship, but if I DIDN'T learn these tools, well my chances of finding or keeping a job would be slim to none. I thought this was something I was required to do.

I want to learn new things. I'm constantly hitting refresh on my feed reader so I can hopefully find a Grad Links post from someone in an MLS program who can show me something new, something different. It seems like this technology (that , as I mentioned, has been around for a while) is just now getting the recognition of being useful.

In order to be relevant and useful I think we need to not only learn about what's out there now, but FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT. I want to know what's next. I want it to be something I can afford. Hell, maybe something FREE. I want to talk to colleagues about quirks in Gchat and Google Reader and have them know what I'm complaining about. I want someone else to show ME what's new. I'm tired of being the "tech guru"-- I'm not a tech guru! I just know how to use Office 2007 and I keep current using tools that have been available since 2005 or prior! So someone, anyone, show me something new. Tell me about the next big thing. I'll give you $5 if it's not run by Google. (haha.)

Alright enough of my ranting. I should start trolling on the internet to FIND the next big thing.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

just stopping by to drop a note...

So now that the library I work in has been open for a few months, we have our "regulars" that see me every so often outside of the library in the area surrounding the library (i.e. the shopping/strip mall). They call me Library Lady. I don't mind it.

Things here have been pretty good- SRP winding down, I'm getting handed some cool projects and opportunities that I'm excited about. This week was not only productive, but made me feel good for numerous reasons. I've felt like I've honestly helped people, and my friendly interpersonal skills have helped to temporarily sedate an otherwise grumpy old man. My teens are RSVPing to the Volunteen thank you party next week. I'm grateful that they're looking forward to it. And earlier this week one of our Network Administrators called me a "whiz" (aka genius) because I responded properly to a PC that was Out of Order. See?! Lots of pickmeup things happened this week.

It doesn't hurt that tomorrow's my birthday and I'm going to go on a date tonight with the boyfriend, who I'm falling madly in love with in that gooey sickening way that makes your stomach flutter. I'm sure that has something to do with the positive attitude this week. But I'll take it.

More to come......

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Summertime ...and I'm ready for a vacation

Again, I'm terrible at this blog. I have another one that I post on more frequently. But it's time to update this one.

Recent Reads:

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
I really liked this, and started reading it right before a trip to Anaheim for a conference. Since Steve (we're on a first name basis) grew up in Anaheim, it was neat to read about his first job at Disneyland and then about his younger years as a struggling magician and comedian. I really liked it. His voice and writing always is very calming to me. Good stuff.


Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
I think I started this one after watching the fireworks at Disneyland during my trip, since (in typical Disney Fashion) Julie Andrews narrated the firework/music extravaganza that we watched while there. I particularly liked this because she talks so much about London, living in England, and what it was like to grow up in a far-from-perfect family situation back in the 40s and 50s. She goes into detail about the Blitz, which I found fascinating, and her experiences on the London stage. I really liked this book.

Currently Reading:

I Don't Want to be Crazy by Samantha Schultz
A memoir written in verse by a young adult about her experience with Anxiety Disorder as a teen.

When you are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Just all around fun.

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Only a few pages in, but already like it alot.

The Summer Reading Program is almost over, and summer is starting to wind-down a bit which is great if you ask me. It means things will quiet down at work, football season is around the corner, and I just scheduled a vacation! Going to visit my boyfriend's sister and kids, which will be a blast, and we're hoping to get to the beach at some point since they live in South Carolina, my favorite state.

Things in the library world have been good- I still really like my job and particularly the people I work with. I'm so lucky and I think that all the time, though sometimes I have to remind myself when I'm looking at the OSU football home games and see how many of those saturdays I'll be working.

It's just frustrating right now because all of my loans (from grad school) are just running my life. I am constantly stressed about money, the cost of gasoline, and wondering how other people do it- when they have to make even less money than me. Sometimes I feel like I'm just running around in a hamster wheel of bills, and I wonder if I'm ever going to own anything besides my car (which will officially be mine in 9 months).

Oh, and this is a nice reminder of where I was just a year ago today.

I think that exercising will make all these things better-- well I KNOW it will. I just have to find the motivation to get started again. I used to have a team of people I played volleyball with and they all gave it up for softball (losers). I miss my volleyball nights during the week and my tennis in the mornings....that kind of thing. Though even sports costs a little bit of money. Okay now this is just getting depressing.

In other news I'm very excited because my parents bought an old speedboat and I want to go home soon and "go boating" with my sibs. I'm also turning 30 on August 3rd and I'm excited to celebrate that with the boyfriend and my parents.

Today there's a festival in Grandview called the Lazy Daze of Summer and I love festivals-- particularly ones within walking distance of my house. So that's my plan for this afternoon. :o) Again, I'll TRY to post more often...we'll see how that goes!