Things that have annoyed me thus far today...

1. The person I was behind this morning as I merged onto I-380 who thought it was perfectly acceptable to only go 25 mph into morning rush hour traffic. At the bare minimum it should be 50 mph, I prefer 80 mph...I like to feel like I'm a bullet.

2. Sneezing on myself in the car on the way to work with no Kleenex in sight. Gross.

3. The watered down Diet Dr. Pepper I picked up on my way to work this morning. Even more gross.

4. Realizing at 10:05 when 10 kids rushed in the door that there was no school today. Do they ever go to school?!?

5. Being interrupted multiple times when busy helping other patrons. Let's act like adults here, and wait our turn like the big kids do. Interrupting is rude and you know better.

6. Having to repeat myself 20 times with directions.

7. The person who ripped off their checkout receipt without waiting for me to do it. You're not in that big of a hurry and I know you don't do that at retail stores, so knock it off!

8. CD's Plus, where I get all of my discs cleaned and buffed, is closing. Then again, if people would be nice to the discs, I wouldn't have to get them buffed as often, or even at all.

9. Stupid computer problems.

10. Dude who bathed himself in cologne. I can smell you from clear across the library. Seriously.

11. More stupid computer problems

12. Screaming children.

13. More screaming children.

14. Yet again, more screaming children.

15. The child who banged on the computer keyboard at the reservation station while the mother did nothing. It's not a toy...no really, it's not a toy...you break it, you buy it...

16. The 14th person who told me what an absolutely beautiful day it was today and how awful it was that I was missing it. Yeah. Thanks. I know. Rub it in.

17. The annoying sales people who keep calling here "wanting to check in and see how things are going". I don't care. I don't want your stuff. If I do indeed want it, I will contact you.


Have no fear...I'm sure there will be more to come soon...

And to think, we actually make a difference!

I received this over my IowaLib list serv a few weeks ago, but it definitely made my day...

For those of you who do not read The Des Moines Register, the following anonymous sentiment was in yesterday’s paper:

“I’m unemployed and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have a place, like the public library, to come and use free Internet without feeling obligated to buy something.”

Signed: New appreciation for libraries.

Be passionate! You are making a difference.

Oh Viruses!

Ah yes, tis the time of year again when sniffles and sneezes, and everything contagious is in the air. It's flu season! I'm sure we're all well aware of the H1N1 virus (and if you aren't, then you must certainly have been in a barn for the last year...).

Anyways, here's my little bit of unprofessional advice: keep your creeping crud away from me!

If you're sick, there is nothing noble or brave about showing up to work. And if you're too sick to go to work, you're probably too sick to go anywhere else for that matter too, including your local Hiawatha Public Library.

So do everyone a favor, and keep your little flu bug to yourself! :)

Something to offend everyone...

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

And remember:

"A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone" --Jo Godwin


I hope that this year for Banned Books Week you find something that offends you and then are reminded of your freedom to read!

Make it a good one...

My co-workers are hilarious...

Among the many zany and hilarious happenings of my co-workers, Deb said it best today... "Well, you can't judge a book by its author."

Cranky Days

Oh, have I been cranky lately. Nasty cranky, in fact.

Vacation on the brain...

I have officially started my vacation...even though I technically have 35 minutes to go! :)

See you in a week!!

Conversations with my boss...

Just a snippet of a few conversations that I've had recently with my boss:

Jeaneal: Are you making faces at our board president?
Me: Yeah
Jeaneal: -big sigh- (leaves workroom)


Jeaneal: For $.25 you can take a swing at her (points at me)
Diane: -laughter- Oh really?!
Jeaneal: Yeah, kinda like my version of a dunk tank!
Me: Oh yeah, because that's fair!


Jeaneal: All of these new DVDs are on hold!!!!
Me: -smiles- What can I say? I'm just that popular!
Jeaneal: Yeah...you just keep telling your self that!

What it means to be Intellectually Free...

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” In their own Bill of Rights, the American Library Association states that, “libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.”

But what does this all mean? More specifically, what does this mean for libraries? The people and librarians of West Bend, Wisconsin are getting a crash course (literally) in First Amendment rights and intellectual freedom. In recent months this community, just north of Milwaukee has exploded in a battle over what is appropriate material for public libraries. The issue started when Jim and Ginny Maziarka complained about several materials in the young adult section of the library that pertained to homosexuality, bisexual and transgender issues. It has since snowballed into a much larger scope and has resulted in four library board members not having their positions renewed and even a lawsuit from the Christian Civil Liberties Union.

The key problems with the Maziarka’s complaints are that they violate every aspect of the First Amendment and the fundamentals of intellectual freedom. Our country was based upon the democratic freedoms of expression, speech, and religion. Public libraries in our most fundamental sense, find ourselves responsible for the protection of these freedoms. We understand and appreciate the differing views in our society and do our best offer them to our respective communities. We also understand that everyone in our communities does not share the same moral beliefs and values, and for this reason we seek to protect both sides of every picture. We as public libraries walk a fine line with intellectual freedom. There are many reasons to say, “yes, that book is inappropriate for whatever reason…” but, in doing so are we undermining the literary, artistic, and social value of it? This is the question that public librarians all over the country ask themselves every day. It is a tough decision to make, but in the end we find ourselves erring on the side of intellectual freedom.

Personally, I find it to be one of the most important issues in libraries today. Are there things that I find offensive in our own library here in Hiawatha? Absolutely! But would I ever suggest or even demand that we get rid of any of those items? Never! Regardless of how I feel, it is more important to me that there is access to these items for those who want them.

It will be interesting to see how this situation in West Bend pans out. It is my sincerest hope that the Maziarka’s do not win with their cause, because the results could be devastating or even worse, the fictional world of Fahrenheit 451 could become real. And that is something that no citizen of a democratic country should support.

It does not take a village...

...to raise a child...it takes damn good parents. I am not a parent. Enough said.

Numbers

Here are some numbers to take in:

Last month our circulation at the Hiawatha Public Library was 30,000 items. Last year during the same time period (even with the flood shutting us down for almost a week) our circulation was 22,000 items.

We have 10 people on staff here at the library. Last summer we generally had at least 2 if not 3 extra staff from Cedar Rapids working with us.

We had 11,918 people through our doors in the month of June. That's an average of almost 400 people per day!

So what exactly do these numbers all equate to???

Some very worn out staff!!

Heck yeah!

We are officially half way through summer reading program here at Hiawatha!

Get your read on kids, time is running out!

I'm plotting...

and scheming about what new adult programs to bring to Hiawatha Public Library. Beware...it could be the best free fun you'll ever have! Bwahahaha!

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS!!!!

We have reading programs for everyone this summer at Hiawatha Public Library! We have a number of exciting prizes, programs to participate in and of course the joy that reading brings! Read on further to learn a little more about each program and how to sign up!

The theme for this year's Children's Summer Reading Program is "Get Creative @ Your Library". This program is designated for children entering preschool through 5th grade. Children are rewarded for every level they complete. There are five levels in total and to complete each level, children are encouraged to read for roughly an hour to fill in each space. There will even be a grand prize drawing for a bike!

The theme for this year's Teen Summer Reading Program is called "Express Yourself @ Your Library." This program is for students entering sixth grade through twelfth grade. Similar to the children's program, for each level completed teens bring in their reading packets and recieve prizes. There will also be a grand prize drawing for some wicked cool gift certificates at the end of the summer!
And finally, we have our Adult Summer Reading Program called "Master the Art of Reading". Adults 18 and over are able to participate in the program. For every book read this summer, participants will fill out a drawing slip and drop it in our handy dandy trash bin. We will do weekly drawings for wonderful prizes that include tickets to local theatre productions and restaurants.

So there you have it kids, all the fun you can pack into 8 weeks of summer!

Yes, yes, it's been awhile...

HELLLOOOO!!! Ah yes, it has been awhile, hasn't it?? Well, first things first, I do have to share with you a link to a segment that aired on the ABC Nightly News last night. It is about a banker who helped a mama duck get her little ducklings down from a ledge and out to the nearby pond. This story absolutely warmed my heart, and I hope that it does yours too!

Here's the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7622622

Let's see...I had the wonderful opportunity to have dinner with Lan Samantha Chang who is the director of the famous (or infamous, whichever way you choose to look at it!) Iowa Writer's Workshop. She spoke at the Theatre Cedar Rapids-Lindale as a part of our Out Loud Author Series. She was an engaging speaker and a delightful dinner guest! Be sure to mark your calanders: mystery writer extraordinaire Lawrence Block is our next author to visit for the series. He will be here on Thursday, May 21st at 7pm.

On a personal note...I am moving *again*. This time it will be into a house with one of my close friends and her lovely German Shepherd. So if I'm complaining of back pain or that I can't move, it's because of that.

That's all I've got for now!

For the record:

I don't get paid to babysit. Enough said.

Favorite Book Titles

Obviously I see a lot of books in the thirty hours that I spend at the library every week. But every week I also see some hilarious book titles...here are a few of my favorites:

"Enlightenment for Idiots"

"Elephants on Acid: and Other Bizarre Experiments"

"Food, Sex, and Salmonella"

"A Leaky Tent is a Piece of Paradise"

"Getting Stoned With Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu"

"The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific"

"Sand in My Bra: and Other Misadventures"

Bleepity bleep bleep...

...bleep bleep bleepin computers!!

I'm feeling mildly frustrated with them today!

Oh, it's on...

Read this link, then see below:

http://gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090227/NEWS/702279942/1002/NEWS

I am appalled and disgusted by this story. I am even more appalled and disgusted by such poor journalism. I cannot believe that this story is being reported as "vindication" for a woman who was charged (per Iowa Code) with 5th degree theft for failure to return a library book. Are you freakin kidding me?! Vindication?! This woman was completely and totally irresponsible!

According the article, Gruwell said "the book is about changing lives for the better." Here's a thought, if you're going to change your life for the better, how about starting with being accountable for your actions. This woman is not the victim she is being portrayed to be. This is a person who needs to be held liable for their misdeeds.

The Jesup Public Library was well within their legal rights to pursue a theft charge. Not once has Ms. Koontz apologized for not returning the book. Not once has she taken responsiblity for her lack of action to the notices sent by the library. Not once.

Instead, she says she's a "hard-working, proud woman" who works "the third-shift." Your point Ms. Koontz? You are no different than hundreds of thousands of other women around this country who do the same thing everyday. But this also does not give you an exemption from your responsiblities as a library card holder. You signed for the card, you take responsiblity for the materials checked out on that card. You don't return the material, you suffer the consequences. It's pretty cut and dry.

Yes, the gloves are off for this fight, I'm done being nice and politically correct. I am furious that we as public libraries are taking the bad rap for one woman's irresponsible behavior. Furthermore, I am angry at the journalists who have inaccurately portrayed this story and who continue to view this woman as a martyr. There is no martyr here. But yes, there are victims who need to be vindicated. And those victims are the employees of the Jesup Public Library who were simply doing their jobs.

Winter sucks

Enough said.

We're really not the bad guys...

In light of all the media attention about the woman from Jesup who failed to return her library book and was arrested and charged with 5th degree theft, I would like to take the opportunity to clarify a few points left out by the Gazette.

First of all, the Gazette failed to mention that it is actually Iowa Law that libraries can pursue charges if a library material has not been returned after 2 months and all other attempts to contact the patron have failed. For small libraries like Jesup, this oftentimes is one of the few cost-effective ways of retrieving lost materials. Larger libraries, like our own Metro Library System, can afford to render the services of a collection agency to retrieve lost materials, thus, eliminating the need for law enforcement agencies to do so.

Second, the Gazette also failed to mention that through Iowa's Open Access, she could have returned the material to the Independence Public Library and in turn they would have sent it on to Jesup. Ms. Koontz moved during the time that the material was overdue to Independence.

Third, that material was paid for by public tax dollars. Everyone seems so upset by the fact that the library used law enforcement to recover a $13 library book, but no one seems to recognize that the $13 book is also a part of their tax dollars! She essentially stole $13 from the tax payers of Jesup and the surrounding county! The amount of materials that are never returned to libraries is astonishing. The cost of replacing those materials is just as much so. $13 may seem futile to many, but to those of us who are forced everyday to find creative ways of replacing that $13 because of the constant cuts to our budgets will tell you otherwise!

Finally, where's the accountability? I understand that Ms. Koontz is a very busy woman, as am I. However, I also know to take accountability for my actions when I screw up. She was notified multiple times that the material was overdue. She was sent a certified letter. She was visited by a law enforcement official. What would it have taken for her to have simply picked up the phone, called the library and said, "Hey, I'm really sorry about this late material, what can I do to make this right?" Like Mr. Dorman, the Gazette editor who called for libraries to use compassion, I am a big proponent of compassion. But, I am also a firm believer in accountability and this is one instance where my preference for accountability is certainly more desired. She most likely signed a contract when she signed up for a library card. This contract holds her legally responsible for the materials she checks out. It also holds her accountable when she doesn't return them. Her actions by withholding the book were irresponsible, and by not taking accountability, she was given the penalties within the ground of Iowa Law.

Libraries are not out to get anybody. We're not out to be the bad guys. We're not out to "make an example" as some people have said. We're here to serve our communities to the best of our ability, with the resources we have. But when people take advantage of our services, or are neglectful in their obligation to us, we have to take action.

*sigh* That's my two cents worth. Take it or leave it.

Go Rain on Someone Else's Parade...

I have to say that I'm a tad peeved right now.

I had blogged earlier about the Cedar Rapids Public Library management team winning the Librarian of the Year award from Library Journal. A very well deserved honor for that team. And yet, there are those few who say that they were not deserving because they did not do enough to prevent the damage from the flooding.

Yes, it's so easy to point fingers, isn't it? So easy to say, "well, they could have done more" or "I would've done it this way." Yes, it's so easy to lay blame. But the fact of the matter is that no one could have predicted the damage this flood was going to bring. The staff at Cedar Rapids were told to prepare for a 24 foot crest. They prepared for one closer to 26, just to be safe. The Cedar River crested at almost 32 feet. That's almost 6 feet higher. 6 feet. It infuriates me that people think that this staff did nothing to save and protect their collection.

My advice to those who do not believe that the management team at Cedar Rapids deserved the honor bestowed upon them: go rain on someone else's parade, because this one has been rained on enough!

Missing something?!

Evidently someone lost an article of clothing in our women's bathroom.

A small article of clothing.

Like orange panties.

If you are the person missing them, I regret to inform you that they have been discarded.

"I have a dream..."

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up... live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

For a link of the video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1732754907698549493

Intermission

Ahhhh...intermission...*smiles*

Now...just don't look out the window...

Librarians of the Year!!

I am blogging today, not to whine and rant, but to celebrate!

The management staff of the Cedar Rapids Public Library are the proud recipients of the 2009 Librarian of the Year award from Library Journal. This award is given to a librarian for "outstanding achievement and accomplishments reflecting the loftiest service goals of the library profession." This is the first year that Library Journal has awarded this to a team of librarians.

I am so proud of the management staff at CRPL! This is a nationally recognized award and a much deserved one at that. As I've mentioned multiple times over in this blog, I worked for Cedar Rapids for 3 years before landing over here at Hiawatha. Many of the people in this photo were supervisors and mentors to me.

One in particular, Tamara Glise, who is currently serving as interim director was the one who saw enough zest and talent in a then 21-year-old, and gave me a shot at proving myself in a larger library. She has truly been a mentor to me in this profession and a wonderful friend as well! Not to mention a compassionate and dedicate leader to her staff.

The staff at Cedar Rapids Public Library has a long road ahead of them in terms of rebuilding. But they have proven themselves time and time again over the last 6 months with the challenges that they have already overcome.

So here's my toast to the management team (and staff) of the Cedar Rapids Public Library...congratulations on a job well done!

For a link to the Library Journal article: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6625169.html&