OK, this is just odd...
http://msdewey.com/
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Shameless Promotion
This is not library related, it's shameless self (and family) promotion.
Let's face facts - I'm beyond poor. In order to pretend to make ends meet, I do all kinds of stuff "on the side" to make a little extra scratch. I cat-sit. I do research and editing. And, I "make stuff." The holidays are coming, so if you'd like to see what "stuff" I've made (or can make), stop by my Etsy shop. I also take custom orders for tags, cards, and cookies.
And, my mom has a blog! It's not a typical blog - nothing at all typical about my mom. She's afraid no one will read it, so stop by and post a comment if you'd like. I really had no idea that my mom is this creepy...
Let's face facts - I'm beyond poor. In order to pretend to make ends meet, I do all kinds of stuff "on the side" to make a little extra scratch. I cat-sit. I do research and editing. And, I "make stuff." The holidays are coming, so if you'd like to see what "stuff" I've made (or can make), stop by my Etsy shop. I also take custom orders for tags, cards, and cookies.
And, my mom has a blog! It's not a typical blog - nothing at all typical about my mom. She's afraid no one will read it, so stop by and post a comment if you'd like. I really had no idea that my mom is this creepy...
Monday, October 23, 2006
Hmmmm, should I feel badly?
My library blocks MySpace. This is not a policy that I personally endorse, but no amount of carping from me to the board is going to make any difference. The reasons for blocking MySpace are the standard ones - compounded by the fact that the 14 year-old daughter of a patron was corresponding with an 18 year-old boy/man - who was using MySpace here at the library. Sigh.
Anyway, the blocking software wasn't catching MySpace for a few days, and apparently word spread - tonight the computers were over-run with teens, every one of them on MySpace, and every one of them rude and obnoxious. I had complaints from adult patrons due to the noise. I was eye-rolled, talked-back-to, and completely ignored (until I got Queen Latifah on them, rolled my neck, and said, "Oh no you didn't!"). These are not teens that EVER come into the library - once MySpace was blocked months ago, they all disappeared. The ones waiting for a computer to open up were disruptive, and not one of them picked up a BOOK - heaven forbid. I tried to talk to them (like I usually do with teen patrons), but they were not interested in anything I had to say.
The block was reinstated while they were here, and when the screens shut them down, they all got up and left - loudly. I doubt I will see them again unless the block fails again.
So, what does this say? Here I've been one to advocate for social software in the library and for education over blocking, but, I gotta say, having to police those kids tonight was a real pain in my ass.
Anyway, the blocking software wasn't catching MySpace for a few days, and apparently word spread - tonight the computers were over-run with teens, every one of them on MySpace, and every one of them rude and obnoxious. I had complaints from adult patrons due to the noise. I was eye-rolled, talked-back-to, and completely ignored (until I got Queen Latifah on them, rolled my neck, and said, "Oh no you didn't!"). These are not teens that EVER come into the library - once MySpace was blocked months ago, they all disappeared. The ones waiting for a computer to open up were disruptive, and not one of them picked up a BOOK - heaven forbid. I tried to talk to them (like I usually do with teen patrons), but they were not interested in anything I had to say.
The block was reinstated while they were here, and when the screens shut them down, they all got up and left - loudly. I doubt I will see them again unless the block fails again.
So, what does this say? Here I've been one to advocate for social software in the library and for education over blocking, but, I gotta say, having to police those kids tonight was a real pain in my ass.
More Spaces
So, has anyone checked out the new Microsoft Live Spaces?
The only reason I had even come across it (though I'm sure I would have, eventually) is that Barenaked Ladies (my favorite band) is using it to blog their new tour. And, because I am a librarian, and feel like it's my "duty" to check out all of these things (who am I kidding - I wanted to enter the BLAM contest), I slapped a page together.
So, first of all, it's pretty much a blatant rip-off of MySpace - I mean, they barely even changed the name. That, and the fact that it says Microsoft, would have kept me away - but, like I said, I'm a librarian in pursuit of knowledge (cough*contest winning*cough).
I am wondering who, exactly, the target audience is for this "space." I doubt that the MySpace-ers will flock over here - why would they? The "pros" of this set-up - easy to choose and arrange modules, "tasteful" templates, clear instructions (most of the time) - would hardly appeal to the teens who have already taken great pains to conquer MySpace and make their page as garrish and unreadable as possible. That, really, is one of the joys of MySpace. I am forced to believe, then, that this "space" is aimed at my generation (one of the choices about your musical taste is "I'm still stuck in the 80s" - most MySpacers have no recollection of the 80s).
Does Generation X need a "space" to call their own? Maybe. I graduated high school with more than 600 people, and only a handful (less than 50) of them can be found on MySpace, and even fewer have any other web presence (and I've looked, believe me) at all. Why is that? I've been online in various incarnations since 1996 - am I really that unusual?
Anyway, if the aim of Live Spaces is to be a more user-friendly, less fugly, 80s hipster alternative to MySpace, they might be on to something - in theory. In reality, they need to do something different with their advertising campaign, and they need to lose the Microsoft branding - even if it does belong to them. Because, let's face it - nothing screams "not hip" like Microsoft.
And, they need to add music players full of the 80s classics.
So, yeah, I have a page there, and it will probably get even less use than my MySpace page - which is too bad, because I'd love to hear from some of my old classmates.
The only reason I had even come across it (though I'm sure I would have, eventually) is that Barenaked Ladies (my favorite band) is using it to blog their new tour. And, because I am a librarian, and feel like it's my "duty" to check out all of these things (who am I kidding - I wanted to enter the BLAM contest), I slapped a page together.
So, first of all, it's pretty much a blatant rip-off of MySpace - I mean, they barely even changed the name. That, and the fact that it says Microsoft, would have kept me away - but, like I said, I'm a librarian in pursuit of knowledge (cough*contest winning*cough).
I am wondering who, exactly, the target audience is for this "space." I doubt that the MySpace-ers will flock over here - why would they? The "pros" of this set-up - easy to choose and arrange modules, "tasteful" templates, clear instructions (most of the time) - would hardly appeal to the teens who have already taken great pains to conquer MySpace and make their page as garrish and unreadable as possible. That, really, is one of the joys of MySpace. I am forced to believe, then, that this "space" is aimed at my generation (one of the choices about your musical taste is "I'm still stuck in the 80s" - most MySpacers have no recollection of the 80s).
Does Generation X need a "space" to call their own? Maybe. I graduated high school with more than 600 people, and only a handful (less than 50) of them can be found on MySpace, and even fewer have any other web presence (and I've looked, believe me) at all. Why is that? I've been online in various incarnations since 1996 - am I really that unusual?
Anyway, if the aim of Live Spaces is to be a more user-friendly, less fugly, 80s hipster alternative to MySpace, they might be on to something - in theory. In reality, they need to do something different with their advertising campaign, and they need to lose the Microsoft branding - even if it does belong to them. Because, let's face it - nothing screams "not hip" like Microsoft.
And, they need to add music players full of the 80s classics.
So, yeah, I have a page there, and it will probably get even less use than my MySpace page - which is too bad, because I'd love to hear from some of my old classmates.
Librarian Hair Rocks!
Erica at Librarian Avengers had a fabulous idea - no one will ever say we have "librarian brown" hair again! I am so excited that my hair ended up in this rainbow...
Friday, October 13, 2006
Got (extra) Books?
I came across this on Alexandra Sokoloff's Blog. Alexandra has been a champion of the Teen Spot Reviews Program, so I am happy to pass on the good word.
There are plenty of places to doante books, and this seems like a worthy cause. I know that in some states the court system does not encourage prison libraries - I'm glad these folks are making an effort to address the problems of their young offenders, not just lock them up.
Donate books to the LA Juvenile Court System:
ATTENTION: READERS, AUTHORS, PUBLISHERS AND BOOKSELLERS:
Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in
"In collaboration with UCLA Department of Library and Information Science, we are in the process of developing a LIBRARY to provide these juveniles with a range of reading materials to instill hope, increase literacy, and combat the boredom of incarceration.
We are looking for individuals and organizations able to DONATE BOOKS, LIBRARY SUPPLIES and FUNDS. (NOTE: These donations would be tax-deductible.")
Make a difference in the lives of our at-risk youth!
Please send materials to:
Attn: Christina M.
16350
Or call (818) 364-5505 for more information.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Back to Work
Well, I was sidelined for a few days with a little medical emergency, but I'm fine and will back terrorizing the library on Friday. Eh, I didn't need that gall bladder (and, just how the hell old am I, anyway!?). I have been writing about it on my personal blog, which you are welcome to root out, if you wish. BUT, if you would like to maintain any illusion that I am rational, sane, or at all classy, you should probably just take my word for it.
Anywhoo...
The Newport Daily News did a very nice article on the Homework Drop-In Program - I'd link to it, but they want a dollar to read it. That bugs me. I mean, yeah, I get it, but I hate it just the same. Oh, I don't know, maybe some link to something breaking copyright will show up later....
The story has done wonders to bring people in, and the program seems to be taking off, so, I'm really glad I decided to give this a shot.
In other good news, the author of one of the YA books reviewed on Teen Spot Reviews saw it and linked us up. Props to Holly, who is simply the coolest YA patron, reviewer, and tutor ever.
Anywhoo...
The Newport Daily News did a very nice article on the Homework Drop-In Program - I'd link to it, but they want a dollar to read it. That bugs me. I mean, yeah, I get it, but I hate it just the same. Oh, I don't know, maybe some link to something breaking copyright will show up later....
The story has done wonders to bring people in, and the program seems to be taking off, so, I'm really glad I decided to give this a shot.
In other good news, the author of one of the YA books reviewed on Teen Spot Reviews saw it and linked us up. Props to Holly, who is simply the coolest YA patron, reviewer, and tutor ever.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
libraryland and sharing information
So, are you folks heading over to libraryland at all? I think it's funny that this blog has developed more of a readership than I ever dreamed of, while libraryland seems kind of quiet. While sometimes something useful stuff gets posted here, for the most part it's just me blathering on about my job, and occasionally, pieces of my life. At least at libraryland you might find something that you can use.
To that end, I have renamed the Original Works page - it's now the Info Share page. You can read how that came about here.
Once again, I am going to beg for your wonderful bits of creativity, wisdom, and in some cases, utter BS. I know I am not the only info pro out here with a folder full of pathfinders, webliographies, and bio-bibliographies. So, come on, share!!! An active Info Share page would be the one thing that would make libraryland somewhat unique.
Oh, wait! I just had a thought - would more people play if it was a wiki? Hmmmm.... Really, let me know what you think of the wiki idea - if people are into it, I'd gladly change the format.
Anyway, I hope you can add libraryland to your reading list.
To that end, I have renamed the Original Works page - it's now the Info Share page. You can read how that came about here.
Once again, I am going to beg for your wonderful bits of creativity, wisdom, and in some cases, utter BS. I know I am not the only info pro out here with a folder full of pathfinders, webliographies, and bio-bibliographies. So, come on, share!!! An active Info Share page would be the one thing that would make libraryland somewhat unique.
Oh, wait! I just had a thought - would more people play if it was a wiki? Hmmmm.... Really, let me know what you think of the wiki idea - if people are into it, I'd gladly change the format.
Anyway, I hope you can add libraryland to your reading list.
Homework Program
Well, after much anticipation, the new Homework Drop-In Program is set to begin tomorrow!
I think I mentioned here a while back that I was interested in starting an after-school tutoring program. I had no idea what I was doing, and no idea if it was feasible, but I mentioned it to the director and got the go-ahead. At that point, I don't think he thought it would go anywhere, as two days ago, at the training session for the tutors, he said, "I'm so impressed that you did this."
Anyway, what i "did" was contact the service learning programs at the two area colleges and let them know that we had a volunteer opportunity here at the library. I sent over an outline of the program, my e-mail address, and watched in amazement as the e-mail started to arrive. What was even more interesting was how wrong I was in my initial assumptions concerning the participation levels from the colleges: Roger Williams, my alma mater, came through with two-thirds of the volunteers and even invited me to a Service Fair, while Salve Regina remained a bit more "hands off" (but still provided some very nice volunteers for the program). I also put up flyers in the library hoping to attract a few patrons, but um, no.
This past Thursday I held a "tutor training session" and marveled at my 17 shiny, new volunteers! I am unbelievably thrilled at this turnout, and the "kids" all seemed really enthusiatic. It is very possible that when they left they said, "Wow, she's crazy," but, whatever.
Initially, I contacted the librarian at the high school and figured I'd promote the program there, first. Well, it didn't take long before word reached the middle school, and I've had several e-mails from parents interested in the program. I purposely waited until I had some volunteers signed up before promoting at the schools, but I had parents coming in to inquire before I even had the details ironed out - cool, and kinda scary.
So, I am going in on my day off tomorrow to be on hand for the first day. The Director informed me that the newspaper would be by to take pics - not sure if he called them or if they got wind of it some other way (and I hope there are kids there to take pics of - I DO NOT want my photo in the paper!). I didn't even get as far as putting a press release in the paper - seems the middle school has its own listserv (which is neat).
I really think there is a need for this type of program in Middletown. And I also would really like to increase the teen traffic IN the actual library, and ON the library's various teen blogs. But, if just a few kids learn how to use the catalog and maybe - gasp! - one of the databases, I'll be thrilled.
Hmmmm, I wonder if this will lead to more work - in some way, shape, or form, for me. That'd be nice.
I think I mentioned here a while back that I was interested in starting an after-school tutoring program. I had no idea what I was doing, and no idea if it was feasible, but I mentioned it to the director and got the go-ahead. At that point, I don't think he thought it would go anywhere, as two days ago, at the training session for the tutors, he said, "I'm so impressed that you did this."
Anyway, what i "did" was contact the service learning programs at the two area colleges and let them know that we had a volunteer opportunity here at the library. I sent over an outline of the program, my e-mail address, and watched in amazement as the e-mail started to arrive. What was even more interesting was how wrong I was in my initial assumptions concerning the participation levels from the colleges: Roger Williams, my alma mater, came through with two-thirds of the volunteers and even invited me to a Service Fair, while Salve Regina remained a bit more "hands off" (but still provided some very nice volunteers for the program). I also put up flyers in the library hoping to attract a few patrons, but um, no.
This past Thursday I held a "tutor training session" and marveled at my 17 shiny, new volunteers! I am unbelievably thrilled at this turnout, and the "kids" all seemed really enthusiatic. It is very possible that when they left they said, "Wow, she's crazy," but, whatever.
Initially, I contacted the librarian at the high school and figured I'd promote the program there, first. Well, it didn't take long before word reached the middle school, and I've had several e-mails from parents interested in the program. I purposely waited until I had some volunteers signed up before promoting at the schools, but I had parents coming in to inquire before I even had the details ironed out - cool, and kinda scary.
So, I am going in on my day off tomorrow to be on hand for the first day. The Director informed me that the newspaper would be by to take pics - not sure if he called them or if they got wind of it some other way (and I hope there are kids there to take pics of - I DO NOT want my photo in the paper!). I didn't even get as far as putting a press release in the paper - seems the middle school has its own listserv (which is neat).
I really think there is a need for this type of program in Middletown. And I also would really like to increase the teen traffic IN the actual library, and ON the library's various teen blogs. But, if just a few kids learn how to use the catalog and maybe - gasp! - one of the databases, I'll be thrilled.
Hmmmm, I wonder if this will lead to more work - in some way, shape, or form, for me. That'd be nice.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Simmons Skill Share
Saturday, I went to the Simmons GLIS Skill Share, and had a great time. I met up with my friend Jessamyn, and we attended a couple of sessions together and the excellent keynote by the way cool Jenna Freedman and Eric Goldhagen from Radical Reference.
This was the first "skill share" event that I have attended, and I really had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a group of sessions presented by students (and teachers?) at Simmons, which in the case of the sessions I went to turned out to be very informative overviews of courses offered at the college. Now, this may not sound overly useful for someone who is not only not a Simmons GLIS student, but no longer a student at all (and I think Jessamyn is right that we were the only non-students in attendance), but I did come away with some new, and very useful, information.
I attended a session on Literacy and Services to Underserved Populations, which I was very interested in as this was my field before I became a librarian. I came away with some great info on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and Talking Books, and a huge list of great literacy links (which will be posted in a day or two over at libraryland).
The keynote was an absolutely inspiring talk on Free/Open Source Software, and I left feeling like I want to DO SOMETHING to get computers and such software into the hands of people who may not be able to afford full computer set-ups (and everyone else, for that matter). So, yeah, now I need to install Linux (I may start small with Open Office, etc, on the new machine), and figure out how I can parlay my real loves, librarianship and OUTREACH, into a job that supports me. I am so glad that I still get excited by other people's humanistic ideas; it makes me realize that it was not a mistake for me to leave the corporate world (and also makes me realize that I am most likely doomed to be destitute).
Kudos to the organizers! I hope to see more events like this in the future.
This was the first "skill share" event that I have attended, and I really had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a group of sessions presented by students (and teachers?) at Simmons, which in the case of the sessions I went to turned out to be very informative overviews of courses offered at the college. Now, this may not sound overly useful for someone who is not only not a Simmons GLIS student, but no longer a student at all (and I think Jessamyn is right that we were the only non-students in attendance), but I did come away with some new, and very useful, information.
I attended a session on Literacy and Services to Underserved Populations, which I was very interested in as this was my field before I became a librarian. I came away with some great info on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and Talking Books, and a huge list of great literacy links (which will be posted in a day or two over at libraryland).
The keynote was an absolutely inspiring talk on Free/Open Source Software, and I left feeling like I want to DO SOMETHING to get computers and such software into the hands of people who may not be able to afford full computer set-ups (and everyone else, for that matter). So, yeah, now I need to install Linux (I may start small with Open Office, etc, on the new machine), and figure out how I can parlay my real loves, librarianship and OUTREACH, into a job that supports me. I am so glad that I still get excited by other people's humanistic ideas; it makes me realize that it was not a mistake for me to leave the corporate world (and also makes me realize that I am most likely doomed to be destitute).
Kudos to the organizers! I hope to see more events like this in the future.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Banned Books Week
Hmmm, is Miss Zoot a closet librarian?
I, however, have had so much going on, that I dropped the ball on Banned Books Week, and I never ordered a poster for it, or anything else for that matter. Since we do not yet have the teen foot traffic that I would like to see, I am not overly concerned that I do not have the ALA "goodies" to pass out, and I will put together a display anyway. But, if anyone has a spare Banned Books poster (adult version) that they would like to donate to the cause, please let me know.
I, however, have had so much going on, that I dropped the ball on Banned Books Week, and I never ordered a poster for it, or anything else for that matter. Since we do not yet have the teen foot traffic that I would like to see, I am not overly concerned that I do not have the ALA "goodies" to pass out, and I will put together a display anyway. But, if anyone has a spare Banned Books poster (adult version) that they would like to donate to the cause, please let me know.
Friday, September 08, 2006
"Hacking" Blogger -Tagging
Because I know that several of you use Blogger for your blog(s), I figured I'd post this here as well as libraryland.
I love the ease of Blogger, and use it for all but one of my blogs (libraryland is done in WordPress). But, the one thing I have always wished that Blogger supported is tagging or "catagories" for posts. Well, the good news is that Blogger has added this functionality in its Beta version; the bad news is that Beta is not yet available to everyone (you can sign-up for a Beta Blogger blog if you have a gmail account - I have a few invites left, email if you'd like one).
However, if you'd like to add tags to your Blogger posts before the Beta becomes public, I have found two relatively easy ways to do that.
The first method is using the easy Zoom Clouds app (thanks, Geeky Artist Librarian!), which you can check out in my sidebar. In a few minutes you can have a nifty "tag cloud" added to the sidebar of any blog you own. It updates itself, and you can customize the look of the cloud, which is cool. However, the "tags" are chosen by the application, and are based on frequently occuring keywords in your posts. This is fine with me, but some of you may want more control of your tag words.
If so, welcome to Qumana, method number two. Qumana is a blog editing tool that you download and use in place of your Blogger (or other) editor. Qumana lets you add tags to your posts, and they show up after the post title. Nifty. This program is also useful if you host several blogs using several blogging tools - just sign into Qumana and edit all of your blogs from one place. Oh, yeah - if you are so inclined, you can use both Zoom Cloud and Qumana in tandem, and create tag clouds using the tags you specify in Qumana. Way cool.
This may all be a moot point once Blooger Beta becomes public, but both of these apps work with other blog editors as well. Tag away!
I love the ease of Blogger, and use it for all but one of my blogs (libraryland is done in WordPress). But, the one thing I have always wished that Blogger supported is tagging or "catagories" for posts. Well, the good news is that Blogger has added this functionality in its Beta version; the bad news is that Beta is not yet available to everyone (you can sign-up for a Beta Blogger blog if you have a gmail account - I have a few invites left, email if you'd like one).
However, if you'd like to add tags to your Blogger posts before the Beta becomes public, I have found two relatively easy ways to do that.
The first method is using the easy Zoom Clouds app (thanks, Geeky Artist Librarian!), which you can check out in my sidebar. In a few minutes you can have a nifty "tag cloud" added to the sidebar of any blog you own. It updates itself, and you can customize the look of the cloud, which is cool. However, the "tags" are chosen by the application, and are based on frequently occuring keywords in your posts. This is fine with me, but some of you may want more control of your tag words.
If so, welcome to Qumana, method number two. Qumana is a blog editing tool that you download and use in place of your Blogger (or other) editor. Qumana lets you add tags to your posts, and they show up after the post title. Nifty. This program is also useful if you host several blogs using several blogging tools - just sign into Qumana and edit all of your blogs from one place. Oh, yeah - if you are so inclined, you can use both Zoom Cloud and Qumana in tandem, and create tag clouds using the tags you specify in Qumana. Way cool.
This may all be a moot point once Blooger Beta becomes public, but both of these apps work with other blog editors as well. Tag away!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Subscribe via E-mail
For those of you who prefer to get your blog updates via e-mail, I have added a Feedblitz link to the subscribe section - about time, huh?
That's Nice
So, just now, one of my co-workers came over to the desk and said that an out-of-town patron who has been visiting the area this summer, and using our library frequently, asked if she could have copies of my posters/flyers about the Teen Spot Reviews program, the Homework Drop-In program, and the What Do You Want books lists. The patron said she thought they were "wonderful," and that she would like to see her local library work harder to promote teens using their library.
Wow, that makes me feel great! And slowly but surely, the kids are signing up for the programs, which makes me feel even better. Comments like this make leaving the area for another job pretty tough - I love it here, and perhaps I am doing some good.
Now If I could just figure out why funding a fully-functional YA program here is not on the Town's, or Board of Directors', list of things to do.
Wow, that makes me feel great! And slowly but surely, the kids are signing up for the programs, which makes me feel even better. Comments like this make leaving the area for another job pretty tough - I love it here, and perhaps I am doing some good.
Now If I could just figure out why funding a fully-functional YA program here is not on the Town's, or Board of Directors', list of things to do.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Bye, Bye, RI?
Well, the second "made for me" job has been posted - in CT. The jobs are great, the pay is great, and I think I would have an excellent shot at getting either job. But, they're in CT - nowhere near water. I know that people don't understand, believe me, I've been told many times that it's a STUPID reason not to move (especially for a job), but, I grew up on the ocean, and have never lived more than a quarter mile from WATER. Never. I chose my college based on this (my dorm was 200 feet from the water). My apartment now is ON A PIER. Seriously. I don't know if I could take it.
What about Cape Cod, huh!? Why are there no jobs in RI or SE MAss!?
Sigh.
What about Cape Cod, huh!? Why are there no jobs in RI or SE MAss!?
Sigh.
Providence Public Library Branches
When I started library school, I was offered a Prism Fellowship - I am probably the only person to ever turn it down. My main reason for doing so, at the time, was that it would have forced me to take only 2 classes per semester, and I didn't want it to take me 3+ years to finish my degree. Also, at the time, I wasn't overly sure that I wanted to work for Providence Public. Don't ask me why - that should have been my dream job. But some weirded out feeling told me to stay away from there.
That was the first, and only, time in history that my intuition would serve me well.
If you are not in/from Rhode Island, you may not be aware of the problems Providence Public has had in the past 2-3 years; in a nutshell, jobs have been drastically cut, branches closed, and leadership questioned. The "media coverage" link on this site will help you fill in the blanks...
Today I received a link to a great site that talks about the condition and perhaps fate of the Branch Libraries of PPL - Not About The Buildings. Take a look - there's some moving, and important, stuff here.
That was the first, and only, time in history that my intuition would serve me well.
If you are not in/from Rhode Island, you may not be aware of the problems Providence Public has had in the past 2-3 years; in a nutshell, jobs have been drastically cut, branches closed, and leadership questioned. The "media coverage" link on this site will help you fill in the blanks...
Today I received a link to a great site that talks about the condition and perhaps fate of the Branch Libraries of PPL - Not About The Buildings. Take a look - there's some moving, and important, stuff here.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Library "Talk"
I think I am going to pull the Library Talk forum. In spite of my best efforts, no one uses it - ever. Oh, yeah, except spammers.
So, does anyone out there have a Library 2.0 alternative to a bulletin board, and especially to listservs? Because, I'm sorry, no offense librarian pals, but listservs are so NOT 2.0. They are more like .5...
I really wanted to create a slightly more social place to have a "conversation" with other librarians about the professional and the not-so-professional stuff we are interested in. My board was a bust. And while listservs are useful for question and answer stuff, I find the conversational element of them completely lacking.
Am I missing something? Anyone have a better idea? I have bandwidth to burn, so if you would like to see something else, please let me know.
So, does anyone out there have a Library 2.0 alternative to a bulletin board, and especially to listservs? Because, I'm sorry, no offense librarian pals, but listservs are so NOT 2.0. They are more like .5...
I really wanted to create a slightly more social place to have a "conversation" with other librarians about the professional and the not-so-professional stuff we are interested in. My board was a bust. And while listservs are useful for question and answer stuff, I find the conversational element of them completely lacking.
Am I missing something? Anyone have a better idea? I have bandwidth to burn, so if you would like to see something else, please let me know.
YAY!
Less than a week ago I did a little weeding in the YA section. I have a decent book budget, and I am not a librarian who can't stand to pull things from the collection, so I regularly go through and pull old/outdated books, and books (especiall paperbacks) that look just plain crappy. If it's a popular or classic title, I buy a new one. If not, out it goes - I want the section to have the latest and "best" (way a matter of opinion!) titles, AND I want it to LOOK inviting.
Anyway, I decided that rather than throw the books out, I'd make a FREE BOOKS box and put it in the "teen sitting area." A side note about this area: we don't have a teen room, so we put three chairs near the YA shelves and used a large, long table to create a little "nook." The table also serves as additional YA display space. I named it the "Teen Spot." Um, I have no money, so it only has some pretty LAME posters and a bulletin board. And, what I've noticed is that all the older folks like to sit there - I have taken to calling it the Age Spot (but not out loud). Sigh.
So, I was psyched to come in yesterday and find several girls sitting on the floor, FREE BOOKS box between them, digging around in it and excitedly choosing something to take. Wheee! Then I had a family come in from out of state. The girl (about 13) was looking at the shelves longingly. I asked her what she liked to read, and she said, "Oh, we're on the road, so I can't take anything out. But I've read all the books I brought with me." I pointed to the FREE BOOKS box and she said, "Really, I can just take one? Cool!" A little while later her mom came over to me and asked if the Teen Reviewers program was just for local kids. "Hella no!" I said (OK, again not out loud). I explained that it was all done via e-mail, so anyone could join. Her daughter signed up and said we were "cool."
And a good day was had by all.
Anyway, I decided that rather than throw the books out, I'd make a FREE BOOKS box and put it in the "teen sitting area." A side note about this area: we don't have a teen room, so we put three chairs near the YA shelves and used a large, long table to create a little "nook." The table also serves as additional YA display space. I named it the "Teen Spot." Um, I have no money, so it only has some pretty LAME posters and a bulletin board. And, what I've noticed is that all the older folks like to sit there - I have taken to calling it the Age Spot (but not out loud). Sigh.
So, I was psyched to come in yesterday and find several girls sitting on the floor, FREE BOOKS box between them, digging around in it and excitedly choosing something to take. Wheee! Then I had a family come in from out of state. The girl (about 13) was looking at the shelves longingly. I asked her what she liked to read, and she said, "Oh, we're on the road, so I can't take anything out. But I've read all the books I brought with me." I pointed to the FREE BOOKS box and she said, "Really, I can just take one? Cool!" A little while later her mom came over to me and asked if the Teen Reviewers program was just for local kids. "Hella no!" I said (OK, again not out loud). I explained that it was all done via e-mail, so anyone could join. Her daughter signed up and said we were "cool."
And a good day was had by all.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Back to School
Well, I am gearing up for Back to School - let's see if I get any more cooperation from the high school this year (I somehow doubt it).
I am in the throes of putting together my homework drop-in program. Both Salve and Roger Williams (my alma mater) are encouraging their students to participate, and I am psyched. I also have one high school honor student who's interested, and I have decided to open the volunteering up to high school kids who want to help middle schoolers. There's a target date of the first week of October for the program's start, so the coming weeks will be spent recruiting and training tutors and setting up some sort of schedule. Then, we'll see if anyone comes in for help... I am really excited about this.
There's also been a little more interest in the Teen Spot Reviews program, so I think I will push that right from the start this school year. I've been told that my biggest "tactical error" with the program was that I started too late in the school year last year, and the kids were already too swamped with school work. I need to get out there and do some begging for prizes - as much as it bums me out that kids need to be bribed to participate in things, I'm am certainly not above it. Hey, whatever it takes!
Speaking of bribery, I have decided to exploit MySapce - not for the kids, but for the hordes of YA authors that have coming-a-courtin' my profile. So far I have been able to wheedle some advanced reader's copies and even a few free published books out of the authors and publishers in exchange for a teen review. I have been hording them and plan to use them as bait (Free book for you to keep! Be the FIRST one to read this book!) to attract some new reviewers.
I am also preparing for my school visit again. This year, I am going to combine the parent's night visit and the "hang out in the hallway" visit in one day. Last year, I went to parent's night one day and hung out in the hallway a few weeks later - it's a lot of crap to schlep. The school librarian really wanted me to hang out in the school library all day, but I felt that I wanted to be more visible than that - the only kids that would have seen me were kids whose class was having a library period that day. So, instead, I set up in the hall, and bribed the kids to come over to me with FREE bracelets. It's a lot like taming a feral cat. This year, I begged for an additional 50 bucks for the trip and I have braclets AND carabiner highliters AND pencils! wOOt!
These activities make me strangely happy - I never in a million years pictured myself doing this stuff. I'm also frustrated - and not just because it's so hard to get the kids to get involved. I've kinda screwed myself here; 15 hours is not nearly enough time to do the YA stuff and the other things I am supposed to be doing (like weeding and shifting books). But, since I just pretty much "created" this YA "position," (meaning that the position doesn't actually exist and weeding and shifting should take priority), I just need to be quiet and do what I can. Ha.
I am in the throes of putting together my homework drop-in program. Both Salve and Roger Williams (my alma mater) are encouraging their students to participate, and I am psyched. I also have one high school honor student who's interested, and I have decided to open the volunteering up to high school kids who want to help middle schoolers. There's a target date of the first week of October for the program's start, so the coming weeks will be spent recruiting and training tutors and setting up some sort of schedule. Then, we'll see if anyone comes in for help... I am really excited about this.
There's also been a little more interest in the Teen Spot Reviews program, so I think I will push that right from the start this school year. I've been told that my biggest "tactical error" with the program was that I started too late in the school year last year, and the kids were already too swamped with school work. I need to get out there and do some begging for prizes - as much as it bums me out that kids need to be bribed to participate in things, I'm am certainly not above it. Hey, whatever it takes!
Speaking of bribery, I have decided to exploit MySapce - not for the kids, but for the hordes of YA authors that have coming-a-courtin' my profile. So far I have been able to wheedle some advanced reader's copies and even a few free published books out of the authors and publishers in exchange for a teen review. I have been hording them and plan to use them as bait (Free book for you to keep! Be the FIRST one to read this book!) to attract some new reviewers.
I am also preparing for my school visit again. This year, I am going to combine the parent's night visit and the "hang out in the hallway" visit in one day. Last year, I went to parent's night one day and hung out in the hallway a few weeks later - it's a lot of crap to schlep. The school librarian really wanted me to hang out in the school library all day, but I felt that I wanted to be more visible than that - the only kids that would have seen me were kids whose class was having a library period that day. So, instead, I set up in the hall, and bribed the kids to come over to me with FREE bracelets. It's a lot like taming a feral cat. This year, I begged for an additional 50 bucks for the trip and I have braclets AND carabiner highliters AND pencils! wOOt!
These activities make me strangely happy - I never in a million years pictured myself doing this stuff. I'm also frustrated - and not just because it's so hard to get the kids to get involved. I've kinda screwed myself here; 15 hours is not nearly enough time to do the YA stuff and the other things I am supposed to be doing (like weeding and shifting books). But, since I just pretty much "created" this YA "position," (meaning that the position doesn't actually exist and weeding and shifting should take priority), I just need to be quiet and do what I can. Ha.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Heh...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/51562If you'd like to read the reviews, which are pretty funny themselves, click on that fabulous hunk of manhood (oh, I am so kidding...).
Thanks, Melanie, for the heads up.
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