2010 Support Your Library Challenge

I almost always get my books from the library as opposed to purchasing them. It used to be monitoring your library account was a little tricky so I sympathized with people who said they didn't use the library because it was hard to keep track of the books. Now with reminders that books are almost due and the advent of online account access, it is easy. In this economy it is also a smart choice to use the library.

For that reason I thought I would let you all know about the 2010 Support Your Library Challenge hosted by the Home Girl's Book Blog. I've already read 52 library books this year. How many have you read?

The Rules are simple:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.

--Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.

--Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.

--Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.

(Aim high. As long as you read 25 by the end of 2010, you are a winner.)

3. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader – any book as long as it is checked out from the library count. Checked out like with a library card, not purchased at a library sale.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

6. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

7. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

Monday 7/14/2008

• Got up and got ready for work.
• Checked work, Twitter and personal email accounts on my Trio.
• Marked email that needed attention.
• 15 minute drive to work.
• Got the deposit ready to go to the bank.
• Worked on the list of customer holds that needed to be pulled.
• Opened the branch.
• Answered a customer email.
• Sent out a message to staff about the importance of collecting accurate statistics.
• Sent out self-evaluation questions to staff person to complete for upcoming evaluation.
• Investigated an online book club management system and created an account, inviting a few of the current book club participants to join.
• Worked on a staff evaluation.
  
• Called downtown to get clarification on new statistics gathering system.
• Worked the customer service desk for about an hour where I got to answer a Reader's Advisory question (yippy!) I also checked in and out books, answered a couple of basic reference questions.
• Dealt with a customer disturbance issue and filed an incident report.
• Worked on Notable Award list.
• Ate a rather boring but nutritious lunch…hummus, carrots, peach…awhile skimming KC blogs, library and book blogs for interesting tidbits..
• Worked on finding a second leader for the newly expanded Jewish Literature program, found and invited second book discussion leader.
  
• Talked with staff about the proper way to structure an incident report.
  
• Talked to an upset customer about overdue fines.
• Had a staff "birthday cupcake" and a little social time.
• Cleaned up a portion of the “Missing Book” printout.
  
• Worked the customer service desk.
• Wrote a blog post about the Jewish American Literature program.
• Talked with Public Affairs about various promotional details for the program.
• Dealt with three bike theft issues and wrote another incident report
  
• Stopped at the grocery store, ran home and then headed downtown for a library program.
• Listened to my smart librarian friend do a presentation and cheered wildly.
  
• Got home at 9'ish, read a bit of a notable read and then went to bed.
  

I took these notes last Monday as part of The Day in the Life project first seen on the Librarian By Day blog.

Free Books: Part 235 and a Plea for Help

Free digital books for you SF fans.

By the way, I am planning the teen programming for this summer at the library and the hot trend in libraries is gaming nights. Since the only game I have played that I actually liked was Rock Band I need help. I do have a Playstation and can borrow a Wii (I think). Any relevant suggestions are welcome. In fact, you can consider this begging....

Saying No

I am working at my part-time university reference librarian job tonight and am finding it very depressing everytime an international student comes up to the desk. Every one of them asks me the same question "Do you have _____(fill in the blank) textbook."

In India and China (from what I have been told), academic libraries carry enough copies of textbooks so the entire class can check them out to use for the semester, unlike the U.S., where we make everyone buy copies of textbooks that cost hundreds of dollars and then can't be sold back at the end of the semester because a newer version is coming out.

So every time someone comes up to the information desk my heart sinks because I get to say to each of them, "No, the library doesn't usually carry textbooks." Oh, I do a search to make sure that one lone copy hasn't been donated by the professor but usually I have to say no. Believe it or not, I didn't become a librarian so that I could NOT help people find the information/book they need.

I hate this time of year:(

The tagline for the Sony Reader is that it's "sexier than a librarian". Hmmmm.....

Just for fun....

Discover Your Inner Librarian



Do some good...

FreeRice

A Hipper Crowd of Shushers

A customer just brought this in for me because he said it sounded like me (without the tattoo's). Not sure I am the demographic they are really talking about but it was sweet anyway.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08librarian.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Being A Librarian

The library profession is such an interesting field to get into. In the past week I have gone to a hip/hop gathering, a neighborhood business association meeting, a rotary club meeting and a young friends of the library (20 - 40) book discussion group. I have talked about graffiti and hip/hop artists, literary fiction, local politics and international service projects. Where else can you get that variety of experience and such a wealth of potential new friends?

Interesting articles

I was going to post my newly updated list today but didn't quite get to it. Instead I thought I would link you to some interesting (at least to me) library related articles. #1 and #2 shows how much the Brits love their libraries:) You may notice that article #4 and #5 pulled one of the graphic novels that is on my "notable reading list".

"Thousands Blog for British Library." American Library Association. 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2006abc/october2006a/britishblog.htm (Accessed 23 Oct, 2006)

"A Naked Display of Emotion over Library Closings." American Library Association. 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2006abc/october2006a/kingsteignton.htm (Accessed 23 Oct, 2006)

"EPA Allegedly Plans to Reduce Access to Online Publications." American Library Association. 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2006abc/october2006a/epasubs.htm (Accessed 23 Oct, 2006)

"Missouri Trustees Pull Graphic Novels, for Now." American Library Association. 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2006abc/october2006a/marshallmo.htm (Accessed 23 Oct, 2006)

"Graphic Novels Draw Challenge in Missouri." American Library Association. 2006.http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2006abc/october2006a/graphicnovels.htm (Accessed 23 Oct, 2006)

A question (Duplicated on MySpace)

Librarians (and former librarians): Please contact me directly instead of posting comments. I am more interested in library customer’s opinions right now. Thank you.

At work I am taking a look at new technologies, formats, etc...that promote or provide alternative access to books. What does everyone think about book trailers? Would this "commercial" entice you to pick up a book (assuming that the genre was something that interested you)?

How would you feel about having them playing (most of them have very little or no sound) in a library or posted on a library webpage.

Here are some examples:
http://www.myspace.com/cosbooktrailers
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61479466

Library conference: Day 2

Today I did several conference related sessions such as dealing with mental health issues and outreach on a budget. I also went to a fun one with one of my favorite authors, Jim Butcher. He writes a paranormal detective series. The main character is a wizard and he solves magical crimes. He started life as a SF geek but turned into a highly entertaining presenter.

Tonight I went to the awards dinner and the speaker for the evening is a writer/editor for Mad magazine talking about censorship. Very provocative and entertaining. I also won a mp3 player and got to see some people that I don't get to see very often. Best of all, my conference work is all done except for the extremely early morning meeting tomorrow.

Life is good.

Library Conference report

I went to a very interesting opening session today. The presenter was talking about the new structure of information and how the "younger" generation is accessing and using information (by the way, did you know that IQ's have been getting higher every year since the the beginning of the 1990's, they have to keep making the tests harder to make sure that "average" stays the same).

He showed some shots of brain activity of different age people as they were looking at websites, printed text, etc... I love that kind of stuff. Brains are amazing pieces of equipment. Anyway, he talked a lot about online use, social communities and online information competition. He also talked about how libraries need to reposition themselves in the coming years so that they are not perceived as obsolete.

Interesting statistic:
1.1 billion uses of libraries in the U.S. per year
.2 billion tickets are sold to all sporting events per year
(I don't know where he got this statistic but will find and put up a reference when I locate it.)

Books and Something to ponder

I am off to our state library conference tomorrow and will hopefully have some time to read between sessions, etc... If I don't start reading faster pretty soon I am going to have to take a week off to catch up. Right now I am reading Field Notes To A Disaster and Sufficient Grace. Field Notes is another book about the damage we are doing to the environment.

Have I mentioned lately that we are bad, bad people who are killing the planet.

Have a great day:)

To Ponder:
A case of access to books helping to maintain sanity?
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2485063