Sum Librarian

Summer Reading or Wedding

2008-05-13T22:05:00.010-05:00

I have wanted to write this blog for ages, but never got around to it. I was asked to blog on a collaborative blog about YS issues and other library stuff. Thinking of topics I settled on Summer Reading Programs, SRP, and weddings and how similar they really are together.

I had just finished a gruelling summer reading program, in which I had held @ least two programs a day starting on first day of summer vaca up to labor day. I also organized a Narnia Day, End of summer carnival and a talent show. That summer was 2006 "Paws, Claws, Scales and Tails". I give most of the credit to the the CSLP programming guide. They give you lots and lots of ideas for crafts, games, activities, book lists, it goes on and on and on! I usually don't do any of them straight out. I give it the Tracy Tweak and off we go!

Anyway, I had a few friends getting married or just had gotten married and thought of all the planning it went in for that one special day. Planning for a wedding and planning for summer reading had more in common than I thought.

Timing

Couples usually start planning for a wedding about a year in advance. The CSLP already has the theme for 2009 and 2010. I usually start creating programming ideas about 6/7 months ahead. Not this year b/c I moved and wasn't sure what DC was doing for SR.

Attendance

For a wedding you have a guest list and sometimes more than just one. I had never heard of a b-list, but some friends who were getting married would say well put that couple on the b-list just in case "X" amount of people can't come. For a SRP you have target goals, like we "X" amount of students in the community and sign up 70% of them. With a wedding, if you invite 120 you're hoping to get 100. It's that 80/20 thing. But for SRP's you want as many as you can get.

Invites

People getting married send out save the date cards. Then a few months later you get a thick envelope in the mail with the real invite, RSVP envelope and info about the reception. Librarians, like me, send out letters to schools to remind them of the upcoming SRP. We make school visits to remind the teachers and students to save the date for the SRP kickoff party!

Performers

Weddings can get freaky with performers. Depending on the $$$ they have a DJ or a band, then maybe a quartet for the ceremony and I've seen magicians. To put less stress on the library staff getting performers is great, but this also depends on the budget. You want cheap, but still great. Mr. Malcolm is the best show for your buck. He's a storyteller and really gets the kids involved. He'll do any story you want from Harry Potter to Narnia, from Dora to Thomas the Tank Engine. Toot toot! If you are in a system, you can go in with other branches for performers to cut the cost . Also the system usually will pay for at least one performer. The cheapest way is to draw off the talent of the co-workers. Put together a puppet show and travel to the other branches with it.

Food

The best part of the wedding, for the guest anyway, is the cocktail hour and reception. Yummo! Some couples can really screw this up, but hey it's free! But if you're involved in the wedding or actually getting married, you get to go to tastings! Now this too can be fucked up. What people serve as food is just not right! Beyond the tastings, it comes to the menu. Do you have guests that are vegan? Do they have any severe allergies? Dietary problems? You can't please everyone, but you need to have options for the people who can't eat cheese! Libraries on the other hand go by the motto feed them and they will come. So depending on your budget and food policy providing refreshments is a key way to get participants, especially the teen ones. It's rare, but it indeed does happen where most of your community only can eat certain foods due to religious beliefs or something like it. I worked in a community that had a high population of Orthodox Jewish people. Either I could serve kosher snacks or make sure I had kosher snacks available or not have food or just say WTF and not worry about kosher foods. I tried the second option mostly.

Favors

Once again depending on the budget and interests of the marrying couple, that is how the favors are chosen. I have gotten big bottles of wine, small bottles of wine, candy, flowers, clapper things, snow globes or nothing. Some people don't really believe in favors. It can be an extra cost for something no one really cares about. For all of you reading this I like wine! That's a great favor! I'd settle for beer or any kind of liquor. Libraries have incentives! And like favors, there is a great variety. When you sign up for SR you get a little something; sticker, temp tattoo, a bug (that's this years SRP: Catch The Reading Bug), a bag and so on you get the picture. Some places have raffles if you read "X" amount of books you can be in a raffle. Some raffles happen weekly or the kids have to wait until the end of the summer. Basically we want the kids to read and if the sometimes crappy favors, there are some real cool incentives out there, work great! I'm not below bribing kids to read at first. If they want a temp tattoo for every book so be it!!!

BUDGET

It all comes down to budget, $$$$$$! If you have the dough you're wedding can be in Ireland at a castle and you can fly all your friends and family there. Your food can be done by Bobby Flay and your favors can be cars in all different colors. But real people don't have that kind of $$ and plan their wedding accordingly. I know some do, but who wants to start off their wedded bliss in a crap load of debt. Libraries on the other hand, on average, don't have any $$$. At my previous place in NJ, we had $1200 for the year. Nearly 1/3 is spent right of the bat for crayons and glue sticks and such. So with the leftover, you need to get at least 4 to 5 performers, decorations, food and favors. You don't want to be broke by September either. The library system provides some of the things mentioned, but it just never seems like enough. I have probably spent well over $1000 in food, prizes, decorations and whatever else in the last two years as a librarian. & I can't see that stopping. As long as it makes the kids and teens happy that's all I care about. My SRP has already started for this year and I have spent about $150- 200 already.

I think I've proven how SRP's and weddings are very similar. When my time comes to plan my own wedding I should be set!

Eclipse

2007-11-01T08:55:00.008-05:00

Back in November I was listening to Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer. I had started to blog about it, but didn't finish. I saw that the blog title was still in draft, so I'm going to finish itnow. First, for all the fans I am one too. I've read the other 2 books and will read the fourth coming out this summer. The series are written very well. The plot and characters are clearly defined. I don't have a problem with that. My main concern was the part in Eclipse when Jacob forcibly kissed Bella. She hit him in return. Good Girl! Obviously since he is a werewolf it didn't really hurt, but the hit was still there. I didn't like the way, it seemed to me, that everyone else basically laughed it off or made it seem that she overreacted. Everyone knows how much Jacob loves her and that she just needs to deal. Excuse me!!!!! It reminded me off my friends who were in high school, or friends that I met in college, who had been molested, raped and/or in abusive relationships. The guys would always say, but it's because I like you so much. It's your fault. Or their friends and families would treat the situation like the boy is so nice. He likes you so much. Just give him a chance. The way it was treated at that point in the story, I almost stopped reading it. It made me so angry. I ranted to everyone about it. Teen girls are in these relationships and stay in them, even though they are abusive, b/c they feel/ are told they should. It eats way at your esteem and self-respect. & No, I don't think this is what Stephanie Meyer was thinking/writing about in Eclipse. I highly doubt it. & Yes, especially for a YA book, towards the end of the book Bella kisses Jacob again and realizes she does really love him! Oh no! Should she stay w/ wonderful Edward or go to wild Jacob? If you haven't read Eclipse, I won't tell you how it ends. Did she stay with Ed or go to Jake?

To reiterate, it's a great series, Twilight. The new book, Breaking Dawn, is coming out August 2nd. I'm definitely going to read it. And the Twilight the movie is coming out in December 2008. Cedric Diggory from HP Goblet of Fire is playing Edward. Yum! I'm so going to see it. I personally was angry with one part of one book, but it made me so angry that I really needed to get it out. Thanks for reading!

Nude Dude

2007-08-22T20:47:00.002-05:00

So this morning, I was on Yahoo and saw this kitty, Nude Dude! He just looks mad. He is one pissed off cat. Can you just imagine the jokes he gets from the other cats.
Hey wrinkly! Have problems with hairballs don't ya? Have you called fur club for felines? I saw your owner wearing your fur on her head the other day.
He must have really loving owners. I have had many cats in my life so far. They have all had fur and were so cuddly. I can't imagine Nude Dude is very cuddly. It seems that hugging him would be like hugging my Grandma. She was very soft and wrinkly. Man, look at him! It looks like he will scratch your eyes out. Just give him a reason. Maybe I'll try one of these bald kitties next time I'm looking for a new cat.

ALA in DC

2007-08-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

At the end of June I attended the ALA annual conference in DC. Since then I have been working on my report and finally done!! Since my interoffice email is down I'm going to post it! Enjoy!

Day 1

YALSA 101

YALSA 101 was the first program I attended. All of the major ALA sections were having 101 programs for new members or older members who have never attended ALA before. I was expecting YALSA to explain how to pick the right programs to go to, how to figure out the shuttle routes and basically the bare bones of how to have a successful ALA conference. YALSA 101 was not like that at all. There was a panel of speakers, president-elect, leaving president, editor-in-chief of YALS: Young Adult Library Services and the person who is in charge of the YALSA blogsite. They talked about how to get involved with YALSA, how to publish with YALSA and the future of YALSA as they see it. If one wants to get involved with YALSA there is a volunteer form online, http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/joinus/committeevolunteer.htm. You fill it out and basically wait to hear back from a YALSA committee member. There are major committees like Best Books for Young Adults or the Printz Awards, but usually a new member does not get on one of those committees right of the bat. There are virtual committees for members who cannot attend conferences or who do not have a lot of time to dedicate to a committee. To publish in YALS or with YALSA there is also a form online, http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalsapubs/publications.htm. To post or comment on YALSA’s blog you can here http://blogs.ala.org/yalsa.php. This was all good information to have, but not exactly what I needed or expected. YALSA 101 was the only 101 I planned on attended and was a little upset about that.

Hollywood Librarian

I went to the premier showing of the Hollywood Librarian Friday night. While most of the movie was good and interesting, I had some big problems with it. If you don’t know, the Hollywood Librarian is the first full-length documentary film to focus on the work and lives of librarians by combining unique and charming film clips, humor and critical analysis of the popular image of librarians. Well, there was some movie clips that were funny and touching, but not barely enough. There were interviews with professionals from the public, academic and specialized fields of library services. The movie also covered prison libraries, John Steinbeck, library closings and Andrew Carnegie. It mentioned that $250 million federal dollars go to libraries every year, and that is what we spend in Iraq each day. There was a cameo from one of our own staff members, Elsworth Rockefeller! None of these things, while fun, did not have anything to with librarian perceptions in the movies.
Once again my major complaint is that we are preaching to the choir! If this movie is supposed to change peoples minds and open up their eyes to the danger most libraries in with low funding and staff shortages, showing it to librarians is not the way to go. Show it at indie movie film festivals, make copies and have them circulate through the public libraries of America, convince PBS to air it. Let the masses know! During 2007 Banned Book Week Libraries can show this documentary for free (no licensing fee), but must charge audience members to come and see the film. If we are interested in doing this I can sign us up. For more information go to: http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com/index.html.

Day 2

Babies & Books Beyond the Library: Developing an Early Literacy Campaign

The Brooklyn Public Library a few years ago came up with an early literacy program called First Five Years, http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/first5years/. The First Five Years at the Brooklyn Public Library is an inventive plan, which incorporates a variety of early literacy programs and services for children birth through age five. It’s available at all the Brooklyn Public Library’s. They have programs for children as well as their caregivers. Some of the programs are Story Play where babies to the children of five years old learn literacy and social skills through play and Toddler Time in which children from 18 months to 3 years old. Brooklyn also has bedtime story programs, parent workshops, DVD’s about the program, author visits and children concerts. Brooklyn Public showed us snippets from the informational DVD. One of the things from the DVD that stuck with me was to keep reading to children while they wonder. Toddlers multitask! If they start of sitting in your lap listening to you read, then get up and walk around the room, keep reading. It may not seem like it, but they are still listening. If you make them sit still and listen, they will disengage from the book. If you allow them to look at other things or do other things they will still have there engagement with the story. I started thinking about the Head Start storytimes I do and how the three year olds can’t sit still and need to get up. The teachers tell them to sit down and pay attention. All the child is now thinking is when they can get up and do something else. They are no longer engaged in the story.
The Brooklyn Public wanted to get the word out for this new great public service. They spent with gifts, partnerships, sponsors, in-kind support and through their own budget $284,420.00 on promotion. They have giveaways (tote bags, sippy cups, bibs, placemats, etc.), postcards, bookmarks and brochures in six different languages, bus shelter posters and ad placements on the radio and television. Brooklyn had networking breakfasts to let the community heads know what they were doing and asking for their support. They had a huge launching party with food, giveaways, authors and illustrators at all of the 60 branches. The program is a success and growing strong. I have the power point presentation, placemat, brochures, info booklet, booklist and a list of professional articles for librarians who are working with children 0-24 months.
There was another speaker at the program, but only had a few moments to talk due to Brooklyn Public talked for the majority of the time.

YALSA Celebrating Excellence in Audiobooks for Children and Young Adults

I love audiobooks and was extremely excited about this program!! I thought the program would be YALSA and ALSC members, but when entered the room there was an all star panel of Authors. There was Bruce Coville, Judy Blume, John Green and Jack Gantos. I cannot do the presentation justice. All the authors were so wonderful talking about how audiobooks have affected their lives and the way they write. The powers that be podcasted the program and to listen just click here: http://plablog.org/2007/06/celebrating-excellence-in-audiobooks-for-children-and-young-adults.html. Basically they talked about the importance of audiobooks and how now that many are downloadable listening can be a group activity. The moderator of the program talked about the new major ALA book award, the Odyssey award. The Odyssey award is
the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the United States. I’m so excited about this award, and wish to be on the committee one day! I have information about this program and new audiobooks coming out within the next year.

Teen Graphic Novels: Maintaining Your Collection for Maximum Impact

After lunch I decided to go to a Graphic Novel program. As a Children/Tween librarian I thought it would be good to know more about graphic novels. I’ve read them, but don’t really like them as a genre, don’t get me started on Manga. After entering the room and sitting down the moderator said that if you wanted to know about Graphic Novels or great Graphic Novels to read or how to start a Graphic Novel collection this is not the program you want to be in. It was only for maintaining a thriving Graphic Novel collection. That is not at all what I wanted so I left and went to explore the exhibits.

Picture Books for Older Readers

Regardless of the speaker, this program was excellent! I have decided that I want/need to do a program, display, class or series of picture books under the title “Picture Books are Not Just for Babies”. There are some moving, emotional picture books like Walter Dean Myers Patrol: an American Soldier in Vietnam. Another great book is The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo by Tom Feelings. I cry every time I read it. These are over looked because they are picture books and must be babyish. There are excellent biographies like Starry Messenger about Galileo and Joan of Arc: The Lily Maid. Hard and controversial topics are addressed, in my opinion, sometimes much better in picture book form, like The House that Crack Built and Rose Blanche. The illustrations are so complicated, beautiful, clever and emotional, that a younger audience would not understand or appreciate these books.
The speaker spoke extremely fast and jumped from topic to topic. Her handouts were 13 pages but the first page was nine and the last was eight. She had top picture books separated by the year they were published, but covered them by topic. I could not keep up with her. I do have the booklist as well as a listing of good books and articles recommended on picture books for older children and teens. She also did comment that people in the know thought that w/ the publication of The Invention of Hugo Cabret was going to be the hands-down best book of 2007 incorporating illustrations and text in a brand new way, but there is book, which came from Australia, titled The Arrival which will rock the way we read books. I have a galley of The Arrival if anyone wants to read it!

Day 3

YALSA YA Author Breakfast

This was very exciting too!!! I thought there were only going to be a few authors there but I was wrong. 22 authors including Walter Dean Myers, Lois Lowry, Chris Crutcher and MT Anderson. The way it worked was you sat at a table and the authors would go from table to table, like speed dating, for about 5 minutes. Each table should have seen about 10-15 authors each, but it didn’t work that way. First Jack Gantos was supposed to start at my table, but was late and confused and went to another table. Instead of the authors moving down a vertical line some went horizontal or in order that only made sense to them. These are teen and children authors after all. After getting skipped a few times people at my table went and stole authors from other tables, flagged them down or waved money in the air to seduce them into coming over to us. The authors that sat with us were Carolyn Mackler (The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things), Jack Gantos (Hole in My Life), Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), Sonya Harnett (Surrender), Garret Frymann-Weyr (My Heartbeat) and Walter Dean Myers (Monster) shook our hands. Here is a podcast of the breakfast http://blogs.ala.org/yalsa.php?cat=171 and photos as well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yalsa/.

ALA Annual Conference Fall 2007 Preview

Random House had a promo-program for all of their elite children and teen titles coming out in the fall of 2007. They make each and everyone sound great, but I can’t tell you about them all so here are a few that I can’t wait to read! Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra, who brought us Wild About Books. BB Wolf is invited to tea at the library and needs to behave. He makes up a song about having fun, but not biting anyone. When Randolph Turned Rotten in this picture book Randolph’s best friend gets invited to a party and he does not. Instead of being happy for his friend Randolph turns nasty. In the end he realizes that you need to be happy and supportive for your friends even when things did not go well for you. The Hound of Rowan is like a Harry Potter meets X-men! Definitely a great read for boys and reluctant readers. Max is living in the suburbs when he discovers a Celtic tapestry and whole other world. This is the first in the trilogy. Taken is the new book by Edward Bloor. In 2035 children are taken on a regular basis and their families have 24 hours to live, but we come in with Charity Meyers only having 12 hours to go. There is a family secret and who really wanted her taken? Before I Die is a story about 16 year old Tessa. She is dying of cancer. She makes a list of things she wants to do before she dies. Of course on the top of a 16 year olds dying list is to have sex. Does she? Is it really what she thought it would be? What else is on the list? Last but not least is Love, Stargirl. Stargirl is one of those people we all had the courage to be. She leaves her first book, narrated by her boyfriend Leo, dancing into the night. In Love, Stargirl it turns out her parents moved to Pennsylvania and the girl herself narrates. I have the new book packet if anyone wants to have a look.

Exhibits

I spent the rest of the day hitting exhibits! There were over 4000 vendors at the convention center to see. I came up with a plan. There were people outside handing coupon books for the exhibits on Friday. Friday night I went through the book and pulled out entry forms and free giveaways for the booths that looked interesting. Also at registration, each person was a YALSA Teen Read Week Passport. You needed to go to all of the booths in the passport book and get a sticker that says “I support Teen Read Week”. Once your passport book is full, you presented it to a YALSA member at their booth and were then entered into a raffle. I did not win anything for OCL, but hopefully they will send us free promo stuff for Teen Read Week 2007. So armed with my coupons and the passport I made my way through most of the vendors. It took me two days to finish. Some of the useful things I did pick-up were guides to using graphic novels in the classroom (or library), Choose Your Own Adventure fall 2007 catalog, booktalk postcards for some new and great books (like Clementine, Rules and Life as We Knew It), first chapter teasers (like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians) and comic books signed by the authors! I did win three books and a nylon backpack from Newmarket Press. They do, along with other things, novels based on screenplays. They sent me the novel Gracie based on the movie that came out June 1st with a backpack to match. The other books are The New Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids and The New Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids. These books are on my desk and will be moved shortly into the book giveaway cabinet. I picked-up flyers, bags, giveaways, galleys and lots lots more. I’m a sucker for free stuff.

Day 4

Best Books for Young Adults 2008

I thought this program was going to be the BBYA committee talking about the best YA books for 2008. The nominations why they are so good, but that was not the case. There was a list of the books and table displays of the books and the committee was going to be discussing these books, but to each other like in a debate, not too the audience. I could have sat there silently and listen to the committee discuss the books or leave. I left with the list.

How to be Popular and Smart! YALSA’s Popular Paperback List

This was the perfect way to end the conference. A panel of present and former Popular Paperbacks discussed their favorite lists. I love the process the committee uses. They will not re-use the same list genre for like seven years or repeat the same title on the list for about the same time period. The list shapes the kinds of books chosen, but then the books shape the title of the list. For example in 2005 two of the lists are “Own Your Freak” and “All Kinds of Creepy”. “Own Your Freak” started out as outcast books, but turned into a list about embracing your individuality and loving them! “All Kinds of Creepy” was supposed to be about horror books, but what is scary to one may not be to another. In 2007 a list humorous paperbacks is titled “What’s So Funny?” for the same reason. I am keen on the “Get Creative” list from 2007. There is mixture of non-fiction hobby books and fictional books that have hobbies as the leading force in them. Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt is a book that I have put on hold and a program I’m dying to do with my Tween clubs. Chicks with Sticks (It’s a Purl Thing) is a book about four unlikely friends who met while taking beginning knitting at a yarn store. I would like to have a series of programs where I teach girls to knit while we discuss the book.

This is the end of my ALA tale. I had tons of fun and hope to incorporate many of the things I learned into OCL programming.

A Little Disturbing

2007-06-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

I realize that I have issues. One of my many issues is that I love dirty, hardcore, bitter songs. Songs that are extremely disturbing usually have a great beat and a catchy lyrics. This song is a great example. It's by Nickelback, which was surprising to me when I found that out. The song is ... Figured You Out! Here ya go! Enjoy!!

Figured You Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty0g-dNSu9g

I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favorite damn disease
And I love the places that we go
And I love the people that you know
And I love the way you can't say No
Too many long lines in a row
I love the powder on your nose
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
(Now I did, you wonder why)
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
(Now I did, you wonder why)
I like the freckles on your chest
And I like the way you like me best
And I like the way you're not impressed
While you put me to the test
I like the white stains on your dress
I love the way you pass the check
And I love the good times that you wreck
And I love your lack of self respect
While you're passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
(Now I did, you wonder why)
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
Now I did, you wonder why
Why not before, you never tried
Gone for good, and this is it
I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favorite damn disease
And I hate the places that we go
And I hate the people that you know
And I hate the way you can't say No
Too many long lines in a row
I hate the powder on your nose
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
(Now I did, you wonder why)
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
Now I did, you wonder why
Why not before, you never tried
Gone for good, and this is it

I Wear the Pants

2007-06-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

I have been listening to the new Avril CD lately and really love it! My one and only problem with the CD is that most of the songs are extremely similar! My friend says it's like that 80's cheerleader rock. They have great beats and fun lyrics, but sound the same. Don't get me wrong I like the songs & here are my favorites after "Girlfriend":

Best Damn Thing

( I Love this one)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=6407230

Let me hear you say hey hey hey

Alright Now let me hear you say hey hey ho

I hate it when a guy doesn't get the door

even though I told him yesterday and the day before

I hate it when a guy doesn't get the tab

And I have to pull my money out and that looks bad

Where are the hopes, where are the dreams

My Cinderella story scene

When do you think they'll finally see

[Chorus:]That you're not not not gonna get any better

You won't won't won't you won't get rid of me never

Like it or not, even though she's a lot like me

We're not the same

And yeah yeah yeah I'm a lot to handle

You don't know trouble, I'm a hell of a scandal

Me, I'm a scene, I'm a drama queen

I'm the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen

Alright, alright

Yeah I hate it when a guy doesn't understand

Why a certain time of month I don't wanna hold his hand

I hate it when they go out, and we stay in

And they come home smelling like their ex girlfriends

I found my hopes, I found my dreams

My Cinderella story scene

Now everybody's gonna see

[Chorus]

Give me an A (always give me what I want)

Give me a V (be very very good to me)

R (are you gonna treat me right)

I (I can put up a fight)

Give me an L (let me hear you scream loud)

One, two, three, four

Where are the hopes, where are the dreams

My Cinderella story scene

When do you think they'll finally see

[Chorus]

Let me hear you say hey hey hey

Alright

Now let me hear you say hey hey ho

Hey hey hey

I'm the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen

Now here is the 2nd song!! The intro is the best!Here are the lyrics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz9q1v6aH_E&mode=related&search=

I Don't Have To Try

I'm the one, I'm the one who knows the dance

I'm the one, I'm the one who's got the prance

I'm the one, I'm the one who wears the pants

I wear the pants

I'm the one who tells you what to do

You're the one, you're the one if I let you

I'm the one, I'm the one who wears the pants

I wear the pants

Hey you, follow me I'll take the lead

Can't you see

Don't you question me

You just do what I say

I don't care what you're saying

I don't care what you're thinking

I don't care about anything

Get ready, get ready cause I'm happening

I don't care what you're saying

I don't care what you're thinking

I don't care about anything

Get ready, get ready cause I'm on the scene

[Chorus]

I don't have to try

To make you realize

Anything I wanna do, anything I'm gonna do

Anything I wanna do I do

And I don't have to try

Don't you disagree

Cause you know it's all about me

Be at my beck and call

I'm a know-it-all

And it's all your fault

I don't care what you're saying

I don't care what you're thinking

I don't care about anything

Get ready, get ready cause I'm happening

I don't care what you're saying

I don't care what you're thinking

I don't care about anything

Get ready, get ready cause I'm on the scene

[Chorus X2]

Don't have to try

Library 2.0: Great or Evil?

2007-05-12T09:14:00.001-05:00

Library 2.0 overall is a going to be a wonderful thing. It will bring libraries into the 21st century! To give a little back story, Library 2.0 evolved from Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is all about open source, social software and virtual networking. You maybe familiar with Blogs, Wikis, MySpace and Podcasting, these all fall under Web 2.0. Libraries are taking these ideas and bringing it to the customers. I really liked the definition of Library 2.0 found on the blog 11 reasons why Library 2.0 exists and matters, which was a re-quote taken from Sarah Houghton's blog, basically saying Library 2.0 makes your virtual library’s space interactive, collaborative and catering more to your community needs.

There are wonderful things I'm going to love about Library 2.0. One is the interactive aspect. Library customers will be able to leave their own reviews on the latest book, CD or movie they just read, listened to or saw. Any person with Internet access can go on Amazon to read reviews from some stranger, but I think it carries more weight when they see a review from someone in their own community. Teens can blog with each other about the latest video game or CD on the libraries site from their home or any other computer with Internet access. Presently teens who want to blog need to go to the library and have the teen librarian give them access. Tweens can write up their own "If you liked this read this..." or "What to read next..." lists. Children maybe more willing to read if they hear about these from children instead of crazy librarians. It is all about the word of mouth. It can only boost circulation! We all know what Oprah's books did.

Integrating OPACs will also be amazing. ILL can be a laborious task, but if the customer in NJ sees that the book they want is in PA they can request it immediately. I never thought about this until I read about it in one of Blyberg's blogs, but uniting libraries we can compete against monsters like Google and Amazon.

Challenges that libraries will cross are more internal and primarily only hellish to the IT departments. Granting customers access to make changes, comments and reviews on the library's site can be problematic. Viruses and security can become more of an issue. I do not think the changes will be extremely expensive, but there will be expenses nonetheless. Libraries pride themselves with being better than other libraries, better services, programs more borrowing materials. They will be reluctant to share and combine forces.

I say that for those against Library 2.0 or thinks that Library 2.0 is a passing phase better wake-up! It will happen! It is happening! And those dragging their feet will be left behind with the card catalog.

Oh the woes of blogging!

2007-05-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

I know you can all empathize with me when I tell you my blogging woes.
I just spent an hour and half writing about my thought on Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. As I was double checking my spellcheck I hit something and the blogged disappeared. I then spent 15 minutes trying to find it, but alas it is gone to the virtual graveyard. Even if this has never happened to you on a blog, but it has happened to you when writing a paper or sending an email. What have I learned from this sad situation? You can do either one of two things:
1) Write it and save it in Word. Then copy and paste it!
2) Write it in blogger, but save as draft often!
Do you want to know about my views on Library 2.0? Well, you must wait till tomorrow, I'm going to bed!

Tech Challenge Update

2007-05-10T13:34:00.000-05:00

I have been lapsed on reporting my tech challenge journey. Sorry! Let me tell you how much I love Bloglines. For those who do not know, Bloglines allows you to keep track of all your favorite Blogs, Podcasts, news and RSS feeds! I use Bloglines to save lots of time. When I log-on Bloglines tells me which of my blogs have new feeds. Bloglines is extremely helpful because now instead of spending a half an hour going from blog to blog, CNN and TV Without Pity and other feed sites, I just go to Bloglines and it's all there. Bloglines helps me keep track with the professional blogs as well, like ALA and YALSA.

RSS feeds basically is a syndicated format for news and blogs sites. That is where it started, but RSS feeds can be found on many different sites now, like library sites. Libraries use and can use RSS to promote upcoming programs, performers, book sales and author visits. They can also be used to tell library customers about changes in policies, fine dues and other happenings at the library. Camden County Library System in South NJ has a RSS feed on their site. I have subscribed to it on my Bloglines.

Last but not least is Del.icio.us! I chose Del.icio.us because it's delicious, but I'm so glad I chose it. Del.icio.us is your travelling Bookmark/Favorites/Bloglines all in one and you can share it. Del.icio.us has been a lifesaver! At work I use at least 4 different computers. I can access Del.icio.us at any of them plus my own laptop without losing any information. Say you are planning a big program like Harry Potter's Birthday with your co-workers. You can tag the site and have the other members of your group access it from their home and/or work computers. They can add to it, make comments or delete the sites that wouldn't be useful. It would also be great if are writing an article on say Library 2.0 with another person who lives in Texas. You can mark the articles you find or sites that would aid in the research. For me I'm planning a Star Wars 30th Birthday Celebration for the children at the library. I just tagged sites that would be helpful. Instead of emailing them, which took time and eats up mailbox space. I can also travel with my favorite sites so I don't spend time looking for them at each computer I use. A few of the Student Assistants saw I was using it and were wowed. I told them about it and they said they were going to get an account.

Dumplings Are Delicious!

2007-04-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I held a children's program called Dumplings Are Delicious based on a book with the same title written by Deb Capone and Stan Jaskiel. The story is about an adopted Chinese girl who makes traditional Chinese dumplings with her adopted American Mother. The girl brings her dumplings to school and sees her friend also eating dumplings, but since they are Russian dumplings they look different. It goes on to empanadas and raviolis, but bottom line they are all dumplings! They may look different, but they are all the same just like people! Since I'm part Russian and grew up eating the dumplings from the book, pirozhki's, I made them from scratch for the program. I got empanadas, pierogies and pot stickers. Well, I'm from the school of make it work. So there I am 20 minutes to go before the program with throw away cookie sheets, an omelet pan and a small Tupperware container to cook all of the dumplings. I realized I needed oil to fry the empanadas, so a nice co-worker went across the street to get me some. I start getting everything ready. He comes back and I start frying. Now for those who have worked in a library know that there is little to none cooking utensils in these kitchens. I couldn't find anything to flip the empanadas. They start to burn. I found plastic coffee stirrers so they must do. I do get them to flip, but then the stirrers start to melt from the heat and the oil. At that point another co-worker comes to take some publicity photos for another program. He starts taking pictures of me "cooking". I realize the stirrers are not going to cut it and find plastic spoons. They work much better, but they melt as well. I was not sure if the empandas were cooking long enough so I poke them. This is all on film! I finally get all the dumplings cooked. I must thank the mighty force because all of the dumplings got cooked by way of the oven, microwave and the lovely tiny pan! The kids loved it and the story. Overall it was a success, even though it was a little sketchy at some points! Hee Hee!!

Flickr Account

2007-04-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

I have been working on my tech challenge and just finished creating my Flickr account. It took me longer than expected. You can only upload six pictures at a time. Even though it takes some time, it was fun and neat. I made captions and tags for all of my photos. Most were from my Mexican vacation I took in March with my sister Tia. I also added pictures from my friend's wedding last August. You can make your pictures private only your selected friends or family can see them, or public which means anyone can see them. Family private is more exclusive than friends. The way one can do this is bygiving Flickr the email addresses of who you consider either one and then Flickr emails them inviting you to view the account. What is really cool is that the exclusive pictures are only seen by the people meant to see them. The public who see my pictures never know that there are other pictures.There is not a gray box that says exclusive pictures here. I think that is a really cool element. You can also change the way the pictures are displayed on the page. Want to see my account? Here it is http://www.flickr.com/photos/7959099@N04/ !!

Blogging in 2007

2007-04-19T12:55:00.000-05:00

I recently joined up for the Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative,CJRLC, Tech Challenge. I have to set up a Blog and Flickr accounts, subscribe to bloglines, set-up a RSS feeds, learn about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0, find out how to use LibraryThing, Google Maps, Delicious or Squidoo and finally teach someone else how to use one of those. I'm psyched and nervous. It seems like a lot, but in reality most of these sites seem to be connectedin one way or another. I don't think it will be as hard once I get started and hopefully lots of fun.

I set up this blog account back in 2005. I had only blogged on this sight three times until yesterday. I didn't even think it still existed. So yesterday I logged in and had to go through three separate log ins. I set up a Google account to get in and then claimed my very old blog. My old blog just looked sad. It had the cute dots, but that was it. I went to the Template tag to see how I could spruce up the blog and was overwhelmed. There are so many options. I added a picture of myself, a list of my favorite books, added the daily news and a link to Potter Puppet Video from You Tube! I am going to keep adding elements, that is what they are called "page elements".

You may ask why now? Why if you have had a blog for so long, why haven't you blogged before? I email plain and simple. Some of my friends get mad at me because I send long and verbose emails at least once a week. These could be blogs, but I figured that I just wanted a chosen few to see them. I did not care about the world seeing them, but now I do! I want the world to read my rants and raves. I hope you like them!

One for Girls and One for Boys

2007-04-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

I was just in Dallas and heard this song about a guy who had cheated on his girlfriend. The song is from her perspective. She goes crazy on his car. Gotta tell you that I was a little crazy when I was younger and this song would have given me tons of ideas. That is the song for the girls. The song for the boys is a by Bowling for Soup. It's about guy who's girlfriend broke-up w/ him. He takes it pretty hard and hard out on her car. The first song is Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood (yes she was an AI winner, please don't hold it against the song). Tia where is that old Louisville Slugger we used to have.The second song of the day is Two-Seater by Bowling for Soup. ENJOY!!!
~Trace

Before He Cheats

Right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleached-blond tramp,
and she's probably getting frisky...
right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink cause she can't shoot whiskey...
Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool-stick, showing her how to shoot a combo...
And he don't know...
That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seat...
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,slashed a hole in all 4 tires...
And maybe next time he'll think before he cheats.
Right now, she's probably up singing somewhite-trash version of Shania karoke..
Right now, she's probably saying "I'm drunk"and he's a thinking that he's gonna get lucky,
Right now, he's probably dabbing on 3 dollars worth of that bathroom cologne...
And he don't know...
That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seat,
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,
slashed a hole in all 4 tires...
And maybe next time he'll think before he cheats.
I might saved a little trouble for the next girl,
Cause the next time that he cheats...
Oh, you know it won't be on me!
Ohh... not on me...
Cause I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seat...
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,slashed a hole in all 4 tires...
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats.
Ohh.. Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats...Ohh... before he cheats...

Two-Seater
I wanna wake up in your arms
I wanna set off your alarm
I wanna break into your car and I wanna take out the back seat
The one where you told me everything
I thought I always wanted to hear
The one where you told me that it's over
And everytime you look in your rearview mirror
I hope you see me...
And all the stuff we did when we were back there together..Uh Huh
I hope you like your Two Seater,
No Radio
Keymarks parallel to the Pinstripes
Windows broken
your T Tops stolen
Now it's one of a kind,
Thanks for the Ride
I gotta get the hell out of dodge
I just spent the whole night avoiding the cops
And I just don't think, I'll go to the clink
Just cause I took out the back seat
Remember you told me everythingI thought I always wanted to hear
And that's where you told me that it's over
And everytime you look in your rearview mirrorI hope you see me...
And all the stuff we did when we were back there together...Uh Huh
I hope you like your Two Seater,
No Radio
Keymarks parallel to the Pinstripes
Windows broken,
your T Tops stolen
Now it's one of a kind,
Thanks for the Ride
Can you hear your radio?
I bet you can't hear your radio
So you'll never know I wrote this song for you
Sorry that your tires are flat
I know you really weren't expecting that
I guess I got a little carried away
So when you look in your rearview mirror
I hope you see me there
I hope you like your Two Seater,
No Radio
Keymarks parallel to the Pinstripes
Windows broken, your T Tops stolen
Now it's one of a kind,
Thanks for the Ride(No Radio)
Two Seater(No Radio)
Thanks for the Ride(No Radio)
(No Radio)Two Seater (No Radio)
(No Radio)Thanks for the Ride(No Radio)
(No Radio)Your Two Seater
Thanks for the Ride

Clean Books

2006-10-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

The library community where I work is primarily a devout religious one. In turn I'm frequently asked for "clean" or "safe" books by the parents and children. Working in the children's department one would think finding a clean and/or safe book is easy. Let me tell you it is not, there are levels of clean. The first level of cleanliness is the purest, straight and wholesome goodness of Dick and Jane and the Bobbsey Twins. Then there are just the plain dirty books, but dirty books are not usually in the children's department. What constitutes if a book is on a certain level of purity are the elements the book contains. There are two major elements that makes a book clean and safe or dirty and dangerous. These elements are boy-girl interaction and magic.To make a book clean and safe there should be little to no boy-girl interaction. This is the basic element for all clean and safe books. According to the community boys and girls can be friends or siblings, but if there is any love interest what so ever it is no longer a clean book. One might think children's books usually do not have girl-boy romances in them, but they do. Early chapter books and easy readers always have a valentine story. I know it is seemingly innocent, but the community asking for these books do not feel that way. Once I started looking in the collection, recollecting the books I have read and asking around, there seemed to be lots of first crushes, kisses and boyfriend/girlfriend subplots in juvenile books. Back in April I booktalked There's a Girl in my Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli. I thought it was a great book about girls fighting against stereotypes and sibling rivalry. What I had forgotten about one of the subplots with main character having a huge crush on a boy, they go on a date and he kisses her. I felt wretched. The girl I had booktalked is part of the community that should only read clean and safe books. The girl in fact loved the book and wants to read all of Spinelli's other books. I have learned that if there are any hugs or kisses in the book to tell them right off. It goes against the my librarian belief to give away the ending, but sometimes it's the only way.The other major element that causes a book to be unsafe is magic. Fantasy books are wonderful! I love fantasy and a little sci-fi as well. Ask me about my Harry Potter collection. Fantasy books, especially the ones on the juvenile and easy reader levels, rarely have boy-girl interaction, but they have magic of one kind or another that can harbor satanic and wican beliefs that are definitely unsafe to a young person. These are the books I read most often following closely by chickette lit, which sometimes mixes the boy-girl interaction and fantasy.Drugs, alcohol and death are the typical elements that cause books to challenged and/or banned. They also contribute immensely to the sanctity of a book. If the book makes the reader question their own belief system or introduces an idea into their head that is against the communities ideals it is unsafe.I try to recommend the safest and cleanest books I can without asking the customer in front of me to describe their level of cleanliness or devoutness. And yes, as a librarian, we should only booktalk the books we have read and loved, but really there are lots of books out there and I cannot read them all. I read lots of J and YA books, but most of them do not qualify as clean or safe. To end my first blog I wanted to mention that even though there is a tremendous stress on clean and safe books in this community, but no one complained about my Banned Book display and have had any challenges of the collection since I have been working here.

In Your Face

2006-10-19T13:52:00.000-05:00

I was on my way to work today & thouht let's hear some music. So to prevent me from getting into an accident, I grabbed the CDs next to me and chosed from there. What did pick you say, it was 311!!! Now most of you know that I have a long standing love with 311. There songs have been choosen best songs of the day since I have started best songs of the day. Today I'm taking to another side of 311. These songs are popular in the fan populus of 311 but many outside have never heard these songs. Let me tell ya there f***in' awesome! So the songs that I had to share with you today are Beatiful Disaster and Feels so Good!!! Now you really need to read the lyrics for Feels So Good, but I'm warning you it's dirty! All I got to say is IN YOUR FACE!
~Trace
ps: You're lucky it could have been an owe to the BeeGee's day!

Beautiful Disaster
Today seems like a good day to burn a bridge or twoThe one with old wood creaking that would burn away right on cueI try to be not like that but some people really suckSome people need to get the axing chalk it up to bad luckI know a drugstore cowgirl so afraid of getting boredShe's always running from something so many things ignoredI might do that stuff if it didn't make me feel like shitI'm on some old reality tip so many trips in itBeautiful disasterFlyin' down the street againI tried to keep upYou wore me out and left me ate upNow I wish you all the luckYou're a butterfly in the wind without a careA pretty train crash to me and I can't careI do I don't whateverI know a drugstore cowgirl so afraid of getting boredShe's always running from something so many things ignoredI try to be not like this but I thought it'd make a good songThere's nothing to see shows over people just move alongBeautiful disasterFlyin' down the street againI tried to keep upYou wore me out and left me ate upNow I wish you all the luckYou're a butterfly in the wind without a careA pretty train crash to me and I can't careI do I don't whatever

Feels So Good
Well everybodys got an opinion thats loud and unbendingI spend my time healing and mending, togetherIts a question of whether live positive well i giveP-Nut joins our back, must be arthriticTim is from the '70's and so we live itSA has the wisdom of a nobel laureateI'm down for our days of gloryIt's easy to do when you're up with SextonA rhythmatic genius, turnin' up the next oneWould you know, you're a bro, I flow in that circumstanceYou'll get your chanceBecuase payback is a motherf***in' missionTo the sharp-ass rocks slippin' on us but we rockIt comes to writing on us derisionSend in you a voice now we're sending you a visionAnd those who fought me they say they taught me everything I knowI go aww, when I hear that, that chit and that caht, bullshit!So sick of me knowing everything, saying!In your faceThat's rightAnd it feels so goodIn your faceYeahIt feels so goodTake it to 'em bro, throw down, now saySettin' forth a course I'm really wiggin' outIn my dome I roam, no time to doubtF***ed up you right there while I was rhymin'Now you're sulking in the corner, a baby cryingHittin' up now we feelin' to rock MarsF***in' up the shit, now their heads bobWe ain't new to jack swing, the groove and thatWe got crazy factiffs and we all thatI don't often rock and I'm a laureateI don't pull the punch you know I'm throwin' itFreestyles my style on the mic and flexYou're stalkin' the mind of a punk that's nextI get retarted now that I started you knowA condition which I keep close togetherLike the kind buds you know my sceneMy team thinks I sing supreme, but you, the weasel,Try to bring us down but in reality it make you look like a clownToo bad cause we'll be sittin' in the sun and choose a rocky ass fast ballIn your faceThat's rightAnd it feels so goodChoose a lock y'allIn your faceYeahIt feels so goodYo P-Nut, beat that thingWon't you warm the mic NicholasCan't get with this my stream of conscieceness is a seaMuch like Bukowski with a rageSpeakin' to pageBeasts in the cageJumpin' off the stageDivin'Thrivin'Strivin' for a better day or say(Strive for a better day SA?)Beat back by fleshShatterd doors braggin' fists to the sky we're feelin' highHas to live and dieJust take a moment to have a fit once in a whileYou know, you knowI do it daily and like it but that's my style, yeah, here I goIn your faceAnd dow your throatAnd it feels so good'fraid soF*** it up y'allIn you faceAnd down your throatIt feels so goodThat's all

Hello All

2005-05-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

I got a blog!!!!! Yeah Yeah Yeah!!! I will post my songs of the day here!!!!! I'm so psyched! Talk to you soon!!!!
~Trace