Friday, April 25, 2008

Bruce Hale is coming our way!!

That's right book lovers...be afraid, be very afraid...bwahahahaha...

Okay, actually, not really! Bruce will be the first author to visit the Metro Network as part of the Out Loud! Author Series. He will be here (yes, here!) at the Hiawatha Library on April 29th at 4 pm to speak to ages young and old about his books and illustrations.

A little background on the author: Bruce was raised by wolves just outside of Los Angeles, California (no lie, that's what his website says). Bruce has written and illustrated over 20 books for children. A speaker and avid traveler, Bruce has visited numerous schools, colleges, universities and national conferences. He currently resides in California with his wife Janette and when it's alright with the lizards, will get a dog someday!

Bruce is the author of the Moki the Gecko children's books and also the Chet Gecko Mystery series. (Evidentally, he has a thing with lizards...) A little background information on the two series:

"What do you get when you cross Raymond Chandler with the Marx Brothers? Meet Chet Gecko, a sassy, wisecracking fourth-grade detective from Emerson Hicky Elementary. He’s everyone’s favorite elementary-school detective and lizard of mystery."

Chet Gecko: Case File
Who is Chet Gecko? Our research reveals:

• Favorite foods: Stinkbug pie, Pillbug Crunch bars, wolf-spider lasagna.

• Siblings: Little sister Pinky.

• Dislikes: (See siblings.) Also, math class, broccoli, homework, lima beans, cooties, and crying reptiles.

• Likes: Mysteries, food, best friend Natalie Attired, food, comic books, food, and of course, food.

• Little-known facts: Dodgeball champion, two years running.

• Hobbies: Teasing sister, reading, cartooning, skateboarding, knitting doilies for submarines. (Just kidding about that last one.)
• Business: Danger.


"Moki is a Hawaiian surfing gecko who loves to laugh. Each book follows Moki and his animal friends on a Hawaiian adventure, full of warmth and humor. Whether Moki's hanging ten, saving Santa, or sizing up a Black Bufo, he and his Hawaiian animal pals always offer young readers an exciting adventure with just a little bit more."


We look forward to seeing you (and Bruce) here at Hiawatha Public Library on April 29th at 4 pm to see and visit with Bruce Hale! So be sure not to forget to bring your favorite copies of Chet Gecko or Moki books for Bruce to sign! I know I'll have mine ready!!



P.S. Bruce, if you're reading this...I love lizards too!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

"PL-AAH" The Final Chapter


Okay, okay...I promise this will be my last blog post about PLA! Just a few quick odds and ends to wrap up about my experience at the conference.

I cannot believe that I forgot to include this in my other blog posts! I got to meet Gene and Bill who are the creators of my all time favorite comic strip ever... Unshelved!

You don't even know what these guys mean to me. They are my hereos. I feel like we are connected on some deep librarian spiritual level.

I literally squealed like a little girl when I saw them at the exhibits hall at PLA. No lie. Squealed. And then when I actually got up there to meet them? I gushed and giggled obnoxiously like pre-teen girls do for the latest boy band phenom. It was so terrible. Yet, so right! I actually got them to autograph a t-shirt and a book for me.

Oh god, I'm feeling so flustered and giddy just typing about this. Be still my heart. The only thing I didn't manage to do was get my picture taken with them. That's okay. They're images will forever be imprinted on my heart. *smiles* Could I really be anymore pathetic?!

Actually, yes, I really could be! The exhibits hall at PLA was insanely big. By insanely, I mean you could easily take two days and never make it through all of the vendors that were there. Insane. And the best part? Every one of them wanted to give you free stuff. I love free stuff. But the thing was...it wasn't the cheezy, stupid stuff...it was cool stuff. Like books. Lots and lots of books. I came home with five...count 'em...five big bags *full* of books. It actually got to the point that I had to make trips to the car because of how much stuff I had. Most of the books were advanced copies of books that will be coming out in the next few months. But hey, who cares?! They're free books!!

*sigh* So I think this will wrap up what I will blog about my experience at PLA. There's plenty more I could probably say...then again...you're probably sick of me gushing about it. "Enough" you say...get back to the whining...you're right...enough.

I promise.

I'm done.

Over and out.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Song List for a Moody Day

I've been feeling a little moody lately (surprise, surprise!). I think a lot of it simply stems from the lack of decent weather. I mean really, do we still need snow in April?!

So, last night, while feeling rather moody and sipping on a lovely glass of riesling, I came up with a top ten list of good moody songs. For some of them, it's moody lyrics and for others it's a moody beat. If you're feeling moody lately, like me, then check out my list. (Preferably with a good glass of wine!)


Molly's Top Ten Moody Music List

1. "Shelter" by Ray LaMontagne
2. "Hit the Ground" by Lizz Wright
3. "Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" by James Morrison
4. "What Is It This Time?" by Jamie Liddell
5. "Prison" by Melissa Etheridge
6. "Feelin Love" by Paula Cole
7. "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix
8. "Autumn" by Paolo Nutini
9. "Missing Your Love" by Jonny Lang
10. "I Know" by Jude

Thursday, April 10, 2008

What would be your top ten list?

I've been reading several "bookish-like" magazines lately that offer up reviews and lists of books to read. Several also interviewed celebrities and authors as to what their favorite or most influential books might be.

These magazines and articles have got me thinking about what my top ten list of favorite books would be. It's surprisingly tough to narrow down! Every time I think I may have my list complete, I remember another really good book that I would add to it.

So here's my question to you lovely blog-reading folk: What is your top ten list of books? Feel free to respond on this blog or shoot me an e-mail!

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

"PL-AAH" (Part Deux)

I told you I'd be back with more!!

So...It's been a couple of days since I got back from PLA (The Public Library Association's National Conference in Minneapolis for those of you who don't follow along very well!). We're pretty much all moved back into the library after the big carpet re-do (even if we still can't find anything). Now, I *finally* have some time to reflect!

To say that the whole PLA experience was amazing would be doing it a great injustice. I honestly cannot put into words just what an incredible experience this conference was for me. For one thing, it made me realize that many of the problems that we face as libraries here in the state of Iowa are actually faced by libraries all of the country. And as odd as it sounds, it's really quite a comforting thought. It's nice to be able to come together from all over the country and say "what can we do to change this?" or "what has worked for you?" Or sometimes it's just a simple, "oh, you had that problem too!" I loved being able to converse with other librarians about our similarities and our differences. In doing so, I realized how so very lucky I am to be a public librarian in Iowa. Our little state is quite progressive when it comes to recognizing the importance that our public libraries play in our communities. So you all should feel very fortunate that you're here with us too!

I attended many wonderful sessions while at the conference. One of my favorites was on safety and security at libraries. I know that many would think its ridiculous for libraries to need a session on safety and security. But what many don't realize is that we deal with *all* of the public. Key word: *all*. Almost every librarian I know has some sort of "war story" of a patron interaction gone bad. The guy who did this session was fantastic! He had been a security guard at a public library in North Carolina. He was blunt and to the point with his presentation, but downright hilarious too! One of my favorite lines from his session was actually something that his grandmother had told him as a little boy. She said, "Son, some people are just mean as hell...just like your granddaddy over there...just look at 'em!". What a hoot! He was actually discussing the different people that we meet throughout our days working at the library and in that case he was referring to those people that seem to always have a perpetual chip on their shoulder.

I also had the opportunity to see Nancy Pearl speak at a luncheon. For those of you unfamiliar with Nancy, she is the other of "Book Lust" and "Book Lust 2" as well as her newest addition to that family "Book Crush." She also happens to be the model for the Librarian Action Figure (complete with actual "shushing" motion!!). It truly was an honor to be able to see her speak. She was delightfully funny and also inspiring! For more info on Nancy check out her website at: http://www.nancypearl.com/

I did happen to get some down time away from the conference and was able to do some shopping (Helllooooo IKEA!), eat at some great restaurants, visit the Walker Contemporary Art Museum (meh...not a fan of modern art...but I went at the urging of friends), and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The picture to the left is Christina (Circulation Manager for CRPL) and I in front of the world famous "Spoon Bridge and Cherry." And yes, that is my leg around her...and no, there was no alcohol involved at this point in the evening! (I plead the fifth as to what happened later that evening! Ha!)

So, apart from getting lost in downtown Minneapolis multiple times (by multiple I mean at least twice, if not more everyday I was up there)...the entire experience of PLA was an amazing one. Amazing enough that I'm already firing up the whining, begging and groveling in hopes of being able to attend PLA in Portland, Oregon in 2010. Wish me luck!