Libraries Build Communities

Photograph c. 2008, ALA, Libraries Build Communities

Happy librarians wearing dull gray t-shirts with blue grahic elements holding orange traffic cone colored bags smile merrily for the official ALA photographer. A long caption indeed, but not inaccurate. This photo, along with thanks and an evaluation form, arrived via email earlier this week. I believe it is the same picture featured in ALA Cognotes on Saturday, June 28th.

Paperclip technology

Beyond their traditional use, clipping papers together, I have found paperclips to be versatile, malleable, little tools. In a pinch, a paperclip will hold a skirt or slack hem in place. Unbend it and use the straight end to open a jammed CD drive on a computer. Though a golf tee works better, I have stuck large paperclips into the laminator to over-ride the fail safe and load film. Sure I am careful not to "stick it" anywhere inappropriately, but there are always a couple to be found when you need them.

This afternoon, however, is the first time I have used one on a computer monitor. Shortly after lunch, I had a student inform me a monitor was broken. The computer was on, you could see the green button glowing gleefully on the keyboard, but some genius had pushed the power button with gusto and it was jammed into the monitor casing. She kept telling me, "I don't understand, it's not that hard to turn on the screen." Be that as it may, it was well and truly stuck in the off position. Unwilling to place a help ticket for repair, thus condemning the computer workstation to innumerable days with an out-of-order sign, I tried using my keys. Alas, even the smallest was too big for the job. Not to be thwarted, I grabbed a paperclip off of the desk, unbent it, and used it to successfully free the button.

The students working nearby were oddly surprised (smile) and the potential freshman and her family touring the library and resource center at the time were suitably impressed. This is why I went to grad school, eh?

Recreational reads ....

There are three new titles in my recreational reading table this weekend. New releases from favorite authors and one unexpected collaborative project that was worth the purchase. Here they are:

• Silent Thunder, by Iris and Roy Johansen
  
  "It was the assignment of a lifetime. . . . Brilliant marine architect Hannah Bryson has been given the job of a lifetime. A U.S. maritime museum has just acquired the decommissioned Soviet submarine Silent Thunder for public exhibition. It’s Hannah’s job to make sure that every single inch of the legendary nuclear attack sub is safe for the thousands of visitors anticipated. Enlisting the aid of her brother, Connor, they examine the enormous vessel and delve into its long---and lethal---history." - Amazon product description
• Tribute, by Nora Roberts
  "Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is a long way from Hollywood. And that’s exactly how Cilla McGowan wants it. Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother’s farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. Sadly, no one was able to save her grandmother, the legendary Janet Hardy. An actress with a tumultuous life, Janet entertained glamorous guests and engaged in decadent affairs—but died of an overdose in this very house more than thirty years earlier. To this day, Janet haunts Cilla’s dreams. And during waking hours, Cilla is haunted by her melodramatic, five-times-married mother, who carried on in the public spotlight and never gave her a chance at a normal childhood. By coming east, rolling up her sleeves, and rehabbing this wreck of a house, Cilla intends to find some kind of normalcy for herself." - Amazon product description
  
• Death Angel, by Linda Howard
  "In Linda Howard’s gifted hands, second chances, unexpected romance, and unrelenting action combine into a riveting new novel of suspense. In Death Angel, bad girls can wake up and trust their hearts, bad guys can fight for what’s right . . . and dying just might be the only way to change one’s life." Amazon product description
  

I finished Silent Thunder last night, more on that later, and will start Nora Robert's Tribute after Design Star (a disappointment this season). Summer reading is in full swing!

To early in OC

ALA scheduled their annual conference in Anaheim, Orange County, California, a week or so too early; we missed the 30th Annual Mooning of Amtrak festivities by a mere ten days! Seems this started twenty odd years ago when a patron at a nearby saloon said he'd buy a drink for anyone who went out and mooned the train (Mooning Amtrak Trains). What an interesting picture for AL Direct or ALA Cognotes that would have been! The website disclaimer reads ...

"Attending this event may be hazardous due to the large concentration of silly people cars, motorcycles, motorhomes, concrete vehicle wheel-stops, potholes & cracks in the road & parking-lots and dangerous pets. Everyone present is responsible for their own actions. If you trip on something, or hurt yourself, you alone are responsible. There is no one to sue. No one either promotes this nor charges admission. If you do come, act safely! If you're accident prone, please don't come, go somewhere else where you'll be safer. Neither Mugs Away Saloon, The City of Laguna Niguel nor Amtrak, nor Metrolink are responsible for this event, nor for assuring your safety. The City & the railroad would rather you didn't bother coming to this event. No one is carrying public liability insurance for this. Besides, would any insurance underwriter insure an event called, "Mooning Amtrak"?" - Mooning Amtrak Trains, Southern California.

You just can't make this stuff up!

Healthy lunch? Ha!

No, I have not been on vacation. Today's break in the conference-themed posts will be comprised of meandering musings and serve the purpose of publishing actual blog content.

Returning to work after ALA I was immediately plunged back into the library web page project. While patiently waiting for content to be delivered to me (ha, who am I kidding), I determined it would behoove me to practice using the university template on the resource center web site. As a part of the overall library web presence it will eventually need to conform, so why not do it first? It will provide me with the added benefit of opportunity to learn. Win - win.

I spent a solid week updating the resource center site. Since I am changing web structure, appearance, and content, with exception to the hours and staff pages, most of the content will remain stagnant until the new site is unveiled. Within each author page there are catalog links to books we own; it was necessary to check each of them for new purchases, new article resources, and dead web links. I have compiled over one hundred children's author and illustrator pages on the resource center site. A steady week of updates and the last thing I wanted to do was turn on my computer after work. Hence, the week without posts.

By the way, the new site now has a floating deadline of Thanksgiving break.

Today is my summer student worker's last day; she has been a wonderful resource. I admit to being humbled by her obvious appreciation of the job opportunity. She brought me a big bag of Dove chocolates and a lovely thank-you card this morning. I was able to offer opportunity for hours in the fall as a student worker or possibly GA. Time will tell.

With plenty of chocolate on my menu, I determined a more healthy fare for lunch would be a good decision. Perhaps a salad? That lasted until I saw today's special was taco salad. Goal of a lunch salad? Yes. Healthy fare to offset the chocolate overindulgence? Not so much.

On the way to lunch this afternoon I noticed a significant amount of chalk writing on the sidewalk outside the student center. One large area was dedicated to the following: "Welcome class of 2012!" Classes begin again in approximately six weeks.

Happy July 4th!

Have a hot dog.
Go see the fireworks.
Put your American flag outside.
Spend time with family and friends.
Thank you to those serving now for our freedom.

Enjoy the Independence Day holiday!

Post-conference ruminations

After any ALA Annual Conference there is a lot of chatter throughout the blogosphere as conference goers ruminate over their experiences. I have to admit to surprise regarding the number of people vocally dissatisfied with the conference venue, conference location, the length of a city block, the weather, and lastly the accommodations in Anaheim. Some reports have been rather harsh ranting about Disneyland, tourists, lack of restaurants, and even complaints about available bars in the area.

I will be the first to admit I was not thrilled with my hotel, but it was convenient to the conference center and next door to an ALA hotel on Gale's shuttle bus route. The conference center was spacious and included several shaded outdoor areas, as these photos display, where attendees could gather for gossip (oops, networking) breaks, phone calls, lunch, or even a nap. Only one of the five days in Anaheim had temperatures above the mid-eighties, so the outside venue was welcome.

When I arrived on Thursday afternoon it was necessary to walk to the conference center and register. Yes, it was hot. But it was hotter in Ohio when I left that morning. Yes, it was a bit of a hike from my charming hotel to the conference center. But the walk was welcome after five hours sitting on my behind in an airplane. Yes, I was a bit frustrated that on my return trip to the hotel most of the restaurants did not open until five. But I grabbed a value meal at a local Subway and beverages at the 7-11 across the street. A plethora of restaruants were in the resort area, in fact ALA's Dine Around series chose Thai, Italian, Mexican, California Cuisine, and good old American for participants. Anaheim was not unlike any large city, there were good, bad, and generic chain restaurants for all.

Walking was an option between all but a few of the conference hotels, specifically the Disneyland Hotel. And yes, the size of a city block was astronomical. Those are not things a conference committee can control. I enjoyed the Anaheim venue and was reminded how magical a family vacation could be, especially with the excitement Disney creates in it's smallest fans. Watching the children bounce with glee in the morning as they crossed the street to the park made me smile.

Yesterday's AL Direct noted there were upwards of 22,000 in Anaheim; down from the 26,000 + in Washington, DC last year and up from the 18,000 + in New Orleans. I am not convinced the location is solely responsible for this decline in attendance. There are other factors to consider. Not a contented flyer, I hesitated due to the sheer amount of travel time involved (a statement that will undoubtedly make any west cost librarian shake their head in pity). Then there is the economy, cost of travel was significantly higher (and not only due to location) and many libraries are facing budget cuts making funds less available for professional development. A relative newbie to the large converence experience, I may be a bit naive. But I felt this conference had a bit more to offer in sessions and content than DC last year, and New Orleans the year before; none of it had to do with the location.

Libraries Build Communities 2008

According to ALA Cognotes (Issue 1, June 28, 2008) from Anaheim, more than 100 conference attendees participated in this year's Libraries Build Communities effort on Friday, June 27th.

"Volunteers were dispatched to thirteen project sites in the Anaheim area to illustrate the importance and influence local libraries can have on their communities." -- ALA Cognotes.

Participants gathered early Friday morning in the convention center garden to receive project locations. Prior to the conference I somewhat blindly, i.e. I did not know what task would be assigned, selected an elementary school library. When assignments were handed out, I learned we would be - gasp - cataloging! It has literally been years since I copy cataloged at a public library. I immediately volunteered to do technical services book processing by adding spine labels, bar codes, and reading levels to each book.

We worked efficiently for most of the day, stopping only for lunch (Dominoes pizza with ALA supplied coupons) and scrumptious treats (chocolate and items of a healthier fare) provided by our librarian hostess . At the end of the afternoon, an entire table of freshly cataloged juvenile books were added to the school's library collection. An added bonus? I got to browse through the purchased titles while processing - and - was able to gossip with librarians from academic, school, and public libraries. Not the profoundly necessary work done at ALA in New Orleans, on it's own scale it was both needed and appreciated by our host librarian.

Wondering about the man on the balcony pictured above? I took a picture of the official photographer taking our picture before leaving. Corny, but I could not (didn't even try to) resist.

Books, backpacks & autographs

I promised myself this would be the year I would refrain from gleefully and greedily grabbing every free book offered by publishers in the exhibit hall. I did not want to drag them to sessions, back to my hotel room, or through the airport and on to the plane. Eager to stick to this missive I did not even take my bright orange day-glo ALA Anaheim Conference tote (it really is department of transportation orange barrel orange) to "The Stacks." Satisfied with my personal declaration, I shared it with various friends along the way.

I lasted until happening upon the Scholastic Publishing booth. Though they were selling more than giving away, I did snag a 39 Clues book bag and thought ... "I will only take as many books as will fit comfortably into this book bag" and NOT make me wander through the remainder of the day as a hunch back. A bit less smug than anticipated, here they are:

Juvenile/YA fiction ARC's:

• Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, by Alison Goodman
• The Servants, by Michael Marshall Smith
• Burn, by Suzanne Phillips

Regular fiction and non-fiction ARC's:

• Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men by Michael Kimmel
• Epilogue: A Memoir, by Anne Roiphe

Not ARC's, these books are already in technical services destined for the library collection. All three are probably more suited for a public library, and point of fact are located in several nearby public collections, but the two juvenile biographies will work in my collection as well.

• Sterling Biographies, Marian Anderson: A Voice Uplifted
• Sterling Biographies, Abraham Lincoln: From Pioneer to President
• The Case of the Missing Books, by Ian Sansom

The autograph? I was dragging my bookbag toward the exhibits exit when a nice man from Harper Collins publishing handed me a paperback copy of Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I politely declined with thanks, stating I owned the hardback edition. His reply? She's currently autographing these paperback copies, take another! I was thrilled. The long line moved quickly; Ms. Phillips very gracious and, if I may say so, snazzily garbed in a trendy animal print dress. I now have an autographed book in my paperback collection and know that her next novel, What I Did for Love, has a February 2009 release date.

Flying the friendly skies

Thursday morning's wake-up was an unfathomable 5:00 am. My bags were packed and ready to roll; I was on the road at 5:30 am, in the dark, traveling at reasonable speeds, with only trucks for company. An 8:05 am departure meant providing myself enough time for traffic (almost non-existent at that hour), possible delays (construction at the airport parking lots), parking (wonderfully bereft of issue), airline check-in (frightfully friendly for the hour of the day), and security (quick and without smiles). The puddle jump flight from Columbus to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was quick, free of turbulence, and on-time.

Chicago was bustling even at 7:30 am, but soon they were herding countless laughing librarians like cattle, loading the charming Boeing 757 destined for John Wayne International Airport, Orange County, California. All buckled into our seats we backed slowly away from the gate when the captain announced the "tow bar" had broken off from the gate and we needed to wait for maintenance to bring a new bar and check the nose for any damage. My first thought? How important is the tow bar? Second thought? Yes, please make sure the nose is fine before we take off for a three hour and fifty-minute flight!

All was well as we cruised over the mid-west. From the airplane window, even though I dislike flying I oddly enough enjoy the window seat, it is always disconcerting to look out and see clouds below. Even more so being high enough in the air to see the curvature of the earth! We landed in Orange County over the Pacific Ocean, so I was able to at least see it from my window seat in the sky. Things went smoothly upon landing. I gathered my belongings, deplaned, located a restroom, gathered my suitcase, took a quick photo of the John Wayne statue, and was quickly directed to an airport shuttle to my hotel (more on the hotel later). Less than an hour after landing I was checking in to my hotel and destined for the convention center to register.

If possible, my return trip was even less eventful. The super shuttle arrived on time, our driver was a comedian trying to convince us we were headed to LAX, check-in lines were at a minimum, security checks went smoothly (even for the girl with a cat), and I had ample opportunity to call home before boarding for Chicago. Tow-bar intact the pilot informed us take-off from Orange County airports were different due to the noise ordinance; we would be departing at a relatively steep incline and he would be throttling back the engines to reduce noise. O-kay. No worries, I got an even better photo of the Pacific Ocean and we were on our way with free soft drinks and opportunity to purchase three dollar cookies and six dollar sandwiches in our near future.


Do you ever wonder why pilots feel the need to tell you what state you are currently flying over? It's not like we can see someone on the ground holding a flag that says "welcome to Missouri." But, I digress.

I did the airport dash at O'Hare Monday evening since the big 757 landed at one end and the tiny little American Eagle Express bound for Columbus took off at the other end of the concourse. I made the boarding time with three minutes - and a bathroom trip - to spare. There was a beautiful sunset outside the airplane window, yes a window seat again, that I could not resist. I have another shot without the airplane wing, however I liked this one better. Flying the friendly skies, the portion of my journey filled with the most angst, was not only painless, but on time with accompanying luggage.

ALA conference bound

I have been to the store and purchased travel sizes of kleenex, tylenol, pepto, and toothpaste, as well as fresh batteries for my camera and MP3 player. I set up cell phone alerts with American Airline in case my flight departure time is changed tomorrow morning, as well as the departure time for my flight out of California on Monday afternoon.

While creating my flight notifications I was pleased to notice that since I had made my reservations prior to June 15th, the lovely new $15 surcharge for checked baggage may not apply.

According to the ALA conference site, the temperature in Anaheim this very afternoon is posted as a balmy 75 degrees. It is hovering above 80 degrees here with a threat of storms in the air.

Now I must pack my MP3 player, my purse, and my suitcase.

Not an oxymoron

I am out of state visiting family, going to movies (Kung Fu Panda and Ironman), watching decent Pittsburgh Pirate baseball (the lack of oxymoron in question), helping with yardwork, getting work done on my car (just a muffler, I hope), and against all my vacation rules I am checking my work email for updates concerning ALA Annual (recieved my Libraries Build Communities instructions today).

Next up, hoping my flight departure time for Thursday morning has not changed ... again.

Guyaholic

In Guyaholic, by Carolyn Mackler, High school senior Vivienne Vail Valentine, better known as "V," has a well-earned reputation; she specializes in short term relationships. She does not have boyfriends, she "hooks up" and "hangs out," generally over a two-week period of time, and then moves on. With fitting irony, V, having worked hard to not follow her mother's destructive pattern, has essentially emulated her tactics without using the word "boyfriend." Things change during V's senior when she is sent to Brockport to live with her grandparents. V meets Sam Almond at a hockey game and as graduation nears they have been together for three months. Refusing to label their relationship, V notes "We exist in this blurry zone that's more than friends with benefits and less than going out." Things change when V's mother misses graduation and V, in turn, lashes out by cheating on Sam - and getting caught. Hurt, miserable, guilty, and self-absorbed, V undertakes a cross country journey to find her mother and along the way finds pieces of someone more important, herself.

Mackler's portrayal of wild V is sharp and to the point; she makes no excuses, and takes no prisoners. With a great cast of supporting characters, she also keeps V from becoming a stereotypical bad-girl. This is a fast paced novel that will definitely appeal to teenage girls. A follow-up to Vegan Virgin Valentine, it stands on its own merit.

It's a sign

In the mail yesterday was my copy of Plum News (Volume 12, Number 1) highlighting the newest Janet Evanovich novel, Fearless Fourteen on sale June 17th. It's a sign; I take an Evanovich novel with me each year on the plane to ALA annual. When ALA Annual was in New Orleans, my first annual conference, I made fast friends with a few Evanovich fans waiting for a connecting flight reading Twelve Sharp in a North Carolina airport and there were plenty copies of Lean Mean Thirteen to be found in DC last year. My only concern is this, the flight to California is a long one and I can not possibly imagine one book lasting the entire trip. I am a fast reader. Of course, if I can't find another treasure to take along, I can always read this one twice.

I am off to the outlets in search of a few summer shirts (I have coupon), a pair of sandals (not likely), a second pair of sneakers, and am open to something else striking my fancy. In the meantime, here's the book description of Fearless Fourteen from Amazon.com:

"Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet."

The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars
Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin: Joe Morelli
Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family.

The Complications: Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux
Less than a week after Dom’s release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He’s getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

The Catastrophe: Moonman
Morelli hires Walter “Mooner” Dunphy, stoner and “inventor” turned crime fighter, to protect his house. Morelli can’t afford a lot on a cop’s salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum
Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She’s a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she’s involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis: A favor for Ranger
Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie’s evening activities.

The Conclusion: Only the fearless should read Fourteen.
Thrills, chills, and incontinence may result."

-- Product description, Amazon.com