The Whiny Librarian

Knitters

2011-12-08T15:19:00.003-06:00

I can't help but be a bit entertained by some of the books coming out for knitters. And here I thought they were a sweet, quiet bunch! Guess I was wrong! A few personal favorites I've seen lately:

Banned Books Week is almost done...

2011-09-30T16:15:00.001-05:00

As we're nearing the end of Banned Books Week, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on some things I've learned over the past few years...

1. Yellow crime scene tape will always make people look twice at what you're doing.
2. The FBI has the best design format for wanted posters.
3. Inevitably someone will always think we're the ones trying to ban books.
4. When someone declares "I can't believe ...they would try to get rid of [insert title here]" it still brings a smile to my face.
5. Yes, they really did try to ban Harry Potter. Several times. No lie.
6. I'm lucky that our own Hiawatha Police don't even think twice when I ask for crime scene tape, especially considering my questionable background. (Just kidding...)
7. The majority of what are considered literary classics have been challenged or banned. Seriously.
8. Coralville Public Library did the coolest Banned Books Display ever. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150386345222288&set=pu.8412382287&type=1&theater See. Coolest. Ever. Totally jealous.
9. This still remains my favoritest week of the year.
10. Freedom of speech and expression is probably one of the most important freedoms we have. So read irresponsibly. :)

We're turning 50...

2011-08-25T19:43:00.003-05:00

...but we certainly don't look a day over 30! :-)

The Hiawatha Public Library is turning 50 this year! Can you believe it?! In honor of this momentous occasion, we are taking some time to celebrate (read: party hardy) with an open house on Tuesday, September 20th from 4-6pm. Of course there will be cake (did you really think I'd plan a party without food). As well as some fun giveaways (which shall remain a secret until a later undisclosed date). We hope you can make it! And if not, just send us flowers...or balloons...but preferably flowers! :-)

I have to say that it's been fun and a bit humbling to plan this party. For one, it's been amazing to see just how much we've changed in grown in just 50 short years. We started out so very, very small and we've grown (although we're still pretty small) exponentially since then. I've posted questions on our adult Facebook page asking our fans on there to tell us what the Hiawatha Library means to them. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive and heartfelt! We really do love our patrons and it's nice to know that they love us right back! I really do hope to see everyone at our celebration on the 20th!

Well, that was quick!

2011-06-06T15:31:00.003-05:00

Well, it's June 6th and we are officially in full Summer Reading Program swing! I still cannot believe how quickly it came up this year! As it stands we already have 153 adults signed up for this year's program, and we're barely 5 days in. Awesome! Unfortunately, I don't have time to write much more, but I promise I will update again soon!

It's right around the corner...

2011-05-02T16:38:00.006-05:00

Summer reading program, that is...and to honor all of my faithful followers, I'm giving you all a sneak peak at some of the grand prizes we have in store...check it out! I'm super excited, and you should be too!

Bragging Rights

2011-04-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Hello faithful non-followers! I'm going to do some seriously obnoxious bragging (and possibly a small victory dance) for my library today. You see, on Tuesday was National Library Workers Day, and the American Library Association put up a website where people could go and nominate their favorite "library stars." Well, our little library garnered 3 nominations! How cool is that?! Check it out:

Alicia, from a(n) public library in Hiawatha, Iowa, is a Star because She is the most friendly and helpful librarian ever – helped us set up new accounts when we relocated to Iowa from Alabama. Always brightens my day and is always willing to help. Thanks to Amanda for this nomination.

The Entire Staff, from a(n) public library in Cedar Rapids, IA, is a Star because They are so helpful and courteous. They have an awesome reading program and even have special programs such as an actor acting out what Edgar Allen Poe was like and reading his stories. Ever since I came to Iowa I have been going to the Hiawatha Public Library. Nominee is the Entire Staff. Thanks to Mark for this nomination.

The entire staff from a(n) public library in Hiawatha, Iowa, is a Star because The entire staff of the Hiawatha Public Library is stellar. We are a small town with a large service area and we circulate over 280,000 items yearly with only 7.3 FTEs. We are cramped in an 8,500 square foot building and we are always busy. The entire staff does an excellent job of making patrons feel welcome and taken care of. Our patrons continually tell me that my staff is the friendliest and most helpful around. Nominee is the Entire Staff. Thanks to Jeaneal for this nomination.

Something different?

2011-04-01T13:46:00.001-05:00

Since today is April Fool's Day, the staff decided to have a little fun...notice anything different?

My new best friend...

2011-03-04T10:50:00.003-06:00

It's Griff! He's one of our therapy dogs who come to read to children on Thursday nights.

Beginning Beading with Mary Therese

2011-03-02T19:39:00.003-06:00

Please bring the following supplies with you:

*Beads
*Head Pins
*Eye Pins
*Ear Wires
*Small Wire Cutters
*Needlenose Pliers
*Roundnose Pliers

Hope to see you there!

For Adults Only...

2011-02-24T16:14:00.002-06:00

Linn Area Reads 2011

2011-02-23T16:18:00.006-06:00

Hi all! If you haven't yet heard, we have announced our selection for this year's Linn Area Reads. It is Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely.

In addition to this year's selection, we have several corresponding programs that will provide insight and a personal touch:

* Book Discussion: Thursday, March 24th, 7pm at Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

* Iowa Donor Network and Friends: Saturday, April 2nd, 2pm at Marion Public Library.

* Meet the Author: Tuesday, April 19th at Ballantyne Auditorium on the Kirkwood Community College campus.

For more information on the programs being presented visit the Metro Library Network's website at: www.metrolibrarynetwork.org

From his website (http://www.stephenlovely.com/index.html), Mr. Lovely tells more about his book:
"Alex Voormann is an intense, cerebral thirty year-old whose life has been derailed by his wife's sudden death. Alex lives in Athens, Iowa, a university town. Alex's wife, Isabel, was killed in a bicycle accident a year before the novel's action begins. Isabel's heart was transplanted to a vigorous, willful woman named Janet Corcoran who teaches art at a predominantly-Mexican high school in Chicago. Guilt about Isabel's death and concern for Isabel's family have driven her to get in touch with Alex and with Isabel's mother, Bernice, who also lives in Athens. Alex regards Janet as a bizarre outgrowth of his tragedy, and doesn't want anything to do with her. Bernice, long-divorced and estranged from her son, is interested in getting to know Janet and her family. Bernice and Alex have become close companions since Isabel's death, but their divergent responses to Janet's overtures threaten to divide them. They're also disturbed by a local blues musician named Jasper who was driving the truck that killed Isabel, and who has been stalking Alex, attempting to befriend him. Like Janet, Jasper seeks absolution and assurance of Alex's well being. Also, he knows Isabel's heart was transplanted, and wants to find out who got it. He's devastated by the knowledge that he destroyed a life but attracted to the idea that he was partially responsible for saving another.

Irreplaceable is the story of what happens next — not only to Alex but within the concentric circles of family that spiral outward from him and from Janet."

We are loved...

2011-02-14T14:58:00.003-06:00

Normally I hate Valentine's Day. It irritates me to no end. But...I may have to make an exception today. One of our lovely patrons brought us a dozen roses.

The card said "To the BEST library staff in the world." I think these roses may mean more to me than any my boyfriend could have gotten me! :)

Public Service Matters

2011-01-28T10:39:00.003-06:00

We just received some depressing news this morning. Governor Branstad gave his budget and program presentation to the Iowa General Assembly, and the cuts to libraries are going to run very deep. I understand that times are still tough, and that money is still tight. But I also understand the importance of public service and what Iowa's libraries mean to the communities they serve. Statistics over the last ten years show a large increase in patronage to Iowa's libraries. Library visits increased 40 percent from FY00, with 19,656,938 visits reported in FY10. That’s an average of 53,854 people walking into their local public libraries a day! To continually cut budgets of libraries is detrimental not only to the staff, but also to the patrons they serve. Public service matters. Period. People rely on our expertise, our skills, our materials, and our facilities to provide them services in tough times. The more our budgets are cut, the less we're able to serve.

To see just how deep the cuts are coming, here are the numbers that Mary Wegner, our State Librarian reported:

1. State Library. The proposed funding level of $1,219,799 represents a cut of 6% ($77,859) from the State Library’s mid-FY11 level of $1,297,658. If enacted, the FY12 State Library budget will be 19% below the FY11 legislative appropriation; 22% down from FY10; and 36% down from FY09.

2. Library Service Areas. The proposed funding level of $1,013,905 represents a cut of 10% ($114,717) from the Library Service Area’s mid-FY11 level of $1,128,622. If enacted, the FY12 LSA budget will be 12% below their original FY11 level, 30% down from FY10, and 37% down from FY09.

3. Enrich Iowa program for libraries. The proposed funding level of $1,688,316 represents a cut of 25% ($557,765) from FY11. All Enrich Iowa funding from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) is eliminated; RIIF funding was $450,000 in FY11 and $950,000 in FY10. If enacted, Enrich Iowa funding in FY12 will be down 39% from FY10.

4. Total state funding for libraries. The proposed overall funding level of $3,922,020 represents a cut of 16% from the mid-FY11 level and a cut of 28% from the original FY11 level.

Don't want to see this happen? Contact your local state legislators and the governor and let them know how important your libraries are to you. Your support is needed now more than ever.

February Programs Coming Soon!!

2011-01-20T19:44:00.002-06:00

Alright, you naughty little patrons. I have been slaving away at coming up with lots of new programming for a new year, and what happens?! You don't show up!!! So...here's my threat...either you start showing up to my programs or I'm going to quit doing them! (Okay, not really, but I like to threaten people...it makes me feel empowered!)

So...for your perusal (and required attendance), here are our adult programs for February:

Cold Nights, Hot Reads--Adult Winter Reading Program

Join us for our Adult Winter Reading Program from February 1-February 28!

First In Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen

In honor of Black History Month, join us for a fascinating look at the Tuskegee Airmen! This presentation, on February 12th at 2pm will include historical information and artifacts, as well as a question and answer session.

This program is in conjunction with the African American Museum of Iowa.

Master Gardeners Series

They're back! We are excited to once again be offering a series of gardening classes from the Linn County Master Gardeners. All classes meet on Wednesdays in the Community Room from 6-7pm.

Topics are as follows:

February 9th-Daylilies: The Perfect Perennial This class covers the basic information needed to grow perfect daylilies.LCMG and American Hemerocallis Garden Judge Zora Ronan will talk about selection, planting, and maintenance. This class is for those who are just beginning to take an interest in daylilies.

February 16th-Gardening in Small Yards and Containers Not having an acreage or a large yard is not an excuse for not raising some of your own vegetables and fruits. In fact a small yard and several containers may be the more efficient way to garden for the busy gardener. Join Master Gardener Judy Stevens, and learn techniques and share ideas with other classmates for an informative and fun class. Bring your experiences to share.

February 23rd-Edible Mushroom Orientation Learn about edible mushrooms other than the morel. Marty Augustine is a member of the Prairie States Mushroom Club.

March 2nd-New Perennials for 2011 Garden catalogs are full of amazing perennials. How do we select the right perennials for our garden? Which Perennials are the best for Iowa gardens? Even if you have been growing Perennials for years, Deb Walser will show some of the newest and coolest perennials available in Nurseries near you. Deb will also talk about her favorite plants that grow in her gardens.

Literacy runs deep in my family...

2011-01-11T14:31:00.002-06:00

Evidently I'm not the only one who feels that literacy is important...

my cat also feels that it is important as well...even if it is through osmosis! (Or napping!)

Despicable Me!

2010-12-14T13:26:00.009-06:00

So...my all time favorite movie of this year just came out on DVD today...Despicable Me!!! For those of you who have yet to see this fantastic movie, shame! It's so much fun.

My top three reasons why I love this movie:
1. Someday I will have my own group of minions to do my evil bidding.
2. I love bedtime stories. Especially those read by an evil supervillain.
3. It's so fluffy, I could die.

And Chicken Little said...

2010-12-03T16:08:00.003-06:00

"The sky is falling..."
Well at least it is...sort of...but you'd think we were getting an apocalyptic blizzard with the way the grocery store was this afternoon! It's only 1-3 inches kids. It'll be gone by Sunday. Promise.

Okay...so...

2010-11-23T15:17:00.003-06:00

Yeah...I haven't had a lot to talk about lately and that's why I've been a bit lazy in blogging. (Apparently, there are people who do actually read my blog and I've even had some comment that it's been awhile!) Anyways, not only have I been lazy about blogging, I've been lazy about programming this past fall too. But, I'm in the process of planning some super cool stuff for 2011!

Here's what I can tell you so far:

On Wednesday, January 12th at 6:30pm our Big Read Book Club will be meeting for the third time. "What is the Big Read Book Club," you ask? Well, it is a new book club that I introduced here after receiving free materials from the National Endowment of the Arts. The purpose of the Big Read is to promote literacy and reading within communities. And of course, to pick up a really good book! Here's a link for more info: http://www.neabigread.org/ Our selection for January is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I know there are several copies available in the system for checkout, and I will also have some available (hopefully) by the middle of December. There are also readers guides that give wonderful insight into the book and the authors, that will be available behind the front desk for those interested. I hope to see some new faces!

For those of you with kids in school, on Monday, January 17th at 2pm, Alicia and I will be giving a demonstration on a super new uber cool program we now offer called Brainfuse. Brainfuse connects students with live tutors via the internet to offer them homework help in a number of subjects. There are also practice tests for various school subjects, as well as the SAT and ACT. It's a really neat-o program that I wish I would have had access to when I was in school (eons ago...). So, for those interested, I will have a sign up sheet at the front desk.

On Saturday, January 22nd at 4pm, I will be hosting a cookie swap. That's right, I said it...cookie swap. Because in all honesty, who needs vegetables?! Everyone will need to bring a copy of their favorite cookie recipe as well as a hearty sample to share. I will be making copies of the recipes that evening for everyone to take home! Sign up is required and is limited to those 18 years and older. Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!

Finally, on Thursday, January 27th at 6:30pm, I will be offering a class on JobNow and other excellent job search databases. JobNow is another extension of Brainfuse, but is specifically for job skills. They offer live one-on-one job coaching, resume help, and interviewing skills. I will also be sharing some wonderful information I received from an online class I took this fall about job searching. If you're struggling to find a job, or need some help tweaking that resume, this is the place to be! I will have a sign-up at the front desk! Don't wait!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm in the process of trying to finalize some more programs for February.

Until my next whine...peace out...

Old School

2010-10-26T18:39:00.003-05:00

Patron: "Do you know if this book has one of those numbers that you can put into easy bib to get the record?"

Me: "I honestly don't know, I always did my own bib records when I was in school."

Patron: "Yeah, that's how we do it these days."

It's official...I am now old school.

I had nothing to do with this...

2010-10-06T14:14:00.003-05:00

For the record: I had nothing to do with sticking Pat in the book drop bin. It was Laure's idea. And yes, that is Pat's hand sticking out of the book drop hole in the desk. And yes, we shoved her under the counter so that she could do that. All in a day's work...

Free to Read, You and Me

2010-09-24T13:38:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

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

Heck yeah, programs!

2010-09-23T13:10:00.005-05:00

First off, can I just say that if you missed our Edgar Allen Poe program on September 17th, shame on you! It was A-MA-ZING! And just to prove to you how amazing it was, here's some pictures that our handy dandy, bearded wonder, Len Struttmann, took that evening:

Duffy Hudson (the actor who portrayed Poe) was an absolute delight as a performer and afterwords as himself. His riveting performances of The Tell-Tale Heart, Annabelle Lee, and The Raven captivated the entire audience. So if you missed it, well, too bad for you! It was awesome!

But have no fear, we still have some other fun programs in store for you. Coming up on Thursday, September 30th at 6:30pm is the newest book club to join our ranks here at Hiawatha. The Big Read Book Club will make its dazzling debut! Our first selection will be none other than To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I chose this one first because it is the 50th anniversary of its publication and also because it seemed a fitting way to celebrate Banned Books Week. Believe it or not, To Kill a Mockingbird was the 4th challenged book in the United States for 2009. 4th! After 50 years, people still find a reason to challenge this book! Most ironically, the number one reason for the challenges is racism. Evidently they haven't read the book...anyways, to get back to the whole point of this, come out and join our new book club! I should mention, that sign up is limited to 8 participants, and each one receives a free copy of the book and a nifty little reader's guide.

On Wednesday's in October from 5:30-7:30pm you can learn to crochet with the lovely Katy. She will be sharing her expertise and mad skills with anyone who wants to learn! And when I say mad skills, I mean the woman can crochet! There is no cost for this program except that you will need to purchase the materials for whatever project you wish to complete. Here's a list of the projects you can choose from:

Fall 2010 - Crochet Classes for Hiawatha Library

Easy Crochet Gifts for the Holidays

#1 - Spa Cloths - Crochet them in several colors, tie together with a ribbon or add to a pretty basket of bath goodies.

Materials:

1 ball cotton worsted sized yarn ie: Sugar’n Cream or Peaches and Cream, etc

5.0 mm [US H-8] crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn needle (Fat eye)

#2 – iPod/MP3 Holder - A handy way to carry around iPods, or cell phones! Add embellishments to personalize for a fun gift.

Materials:

1 ball worsted sized yarn – Varigated yarns work nice for this

5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn Needle (fat eye)

Sewing thread and sewing needle

Embelishments:

Cute buttons, or lace, or ribbon, or small sew on patches, etc.

#3 – Cozy Neckwarmer – Quick to crochet these buttoned mini-scarves make easy gift giving and easy wear for the lucky people who receive one.

Materials:

150 yards Worsted sized yarn – wool, wool blend or acrylic

2 – 3/4 inch buttons – match or contrast button color to yarn

5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn Needle (fat eye)

Sewing thread and sewing needle

#4 - Winter Bucket Hat - Made plain it’s a perfect gift for men or women, add crocheted flowers for extra cuteness.

Materials:

2 balls Bulky or Super Bulky yarn; wool, wool blend or acrylic

9.0 mm (US M/N) crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn needle (fat eye)

For Crocheted Flower:

1 ball contrasting Sport weight yarn: wool, wool blend or acrylic

5 mm [US H/8] crochet hook

Well, that's about all for now. I hope to see you all at one of our programs this fall! Yippee!

Which of these things is not like the other?

2010-09-14T13:41:00.004-05:00

Can you guess what's wrong with these two pictures?

Jean had made the top for our little announcements board several weeks ago. It was only today that Alicia realized that it said "Dancing with Scissors" instead of "Drawing with Scissors" like the one below! Whoops! We think that she may have had other important things on her mind, like who made the cast of the next season of Dancing with the Stars. :-)

Many thanks to Jean for a good laugh, even if it was an accident!

Blue Screen of Uh Oh!

2010-09-13T15:50:00.003-05:00

It's been one of those days where you remember just how terribly frustrating and irritating computers can be. Don't get me wrong, I love technology as much as the next person. But alas, today is not one of those days! For one, our computers have been terribly slooooow. I mean really slooooow. As in, I can't do my job slooooow.

Then I had a patron come up and say that the screen on her computer went blank. And when I went to check on her computer, number eight to be exact...I saw the dreaded blue screen of death. (Hence, the funny cartoon) So all in all, here's hoping that tomorrow is a better day for these obnoxious little machines! And for me too!

Whooty Whoot, Whoot, Whoot...

2010-08-31T19:12:00.007-05:00

I've got some exceptional adult programming coming your way in the next month! I do, I do! :-)

First and foremost, those lovely ladies of yarn are back for another round of classes in September. You know you love them, I know I love them...it's Diane and Suzy! *rounds of applause in background* They will be teaching knitting classes on Wednesdays in September starting on the 8th. The classes will be from 6-8pm in the Glenn Schminke Community Room. Participants (that's you) need to bring a skein of light, plain-colored yarn and a size 9 or 10 knitting needles.

On Friday, September 17th at 7pm, Hiawatha Library After Hours (sounds spooky, doesn't it?) will be presenting what will hopefully be the first in a long line of successful programs. In The Shadow of the Raven begins as Edgar Allan Poe rises from the scene of his mysterious death and continues as he pieces together the events of his life. Broadway and film veteran, Duffy Hudson uses a combination of biographical information and the dramatic interpretation of Poe’s literature, Annabel Lee, The Raven and The Tell Tale Heart, to provide a unique, in-depth theatrical experience of the life and works of one of America’s best-known and enigmatic personalities. Trust this whiner, you don't want to miss this performance! The dude is the awesome-ist! (Yes, I just made up that word, get over it...)

Finally, on Thursday, September 29th from 6:30-7:30 pm, I am hosting my first Big Read Book Club. Our first selection (in honor of the upcoming Banned Books Week and the 50th anniversary of its publication) will be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This little club is limited to 8 participants and all will receive a free copy of the book, as well as a Big Read reader's guide with insightful little tidbits about the book and its history. And if you're really lucky, I just may bring treats! You can't beat that one kids, free book and free food!

Hope to see you at all of these wonderful programs. All of them!!

Holy (insert choice expletive here)!

2010-08-10T17:49:00.005-05:00

Whew! That's all I can say about our Summer Reading Programs here at the library for 2010!

First some numbers:

33,832 is how many items we checked out in the month of June.

32,331 is how many items we checked out in the month of July.

66,163 is the grand total of items we checked out throughout the 2010 Summer Reading Program.

6,616 is roughly how many items each staff member checked out during the months of June and July.

806 is the new record to beat for the amount of people through our doors in a single day.
426 is the number of people we had sign up for the Adult Summer Reading Program.

3 is the number of times I jammed the paper shredder while trying to shred all of the drawing slips from the Adult Summer Reading Program.

2 is the number of times my boss gave me a hard time about jamming the paper shredder.

1,443 is the number of reading logs that Alicia handed out for the Children's Adult Summer Reading Program.

57 is roughly the number of times we screamed when we opened the book drop and saw what was inside.

So what does all this equate to? One ridiculously busy and mad summer for us! But, we are truly fortunate to have so many people who love us enough to come visit for free stuff! You know who you are!

For the record...

2010-07-16T12:03:00.002-05:00

Our copier machine does not do it all. Really. It does not sort laundry, or make espresso. It is simply just a copy machine.

That is all.

The Joy of Sprinkles

2010-07-13T17:45:00.001-05:00

I don't care what anyone says...a donut covered in sprinkles always makes everything better!

Awkward...

2010-07-12T12:56:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had one of those conversations that was just plain awkward? I had one this morning with a patron...

Patron: Do you have a neck injury?

Me: No, why?

Patron: Just wondering why you're wearing a scarf. Are you cold?

Me: Um...nope. I just think scarves are pretty.

Patron: Oh...huh...

Whew!

2010-07-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

It's 5:30pm and we've already had 688 people through the door!

Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now...oy...

Crankiness...

2010-06-22T18:05:00.002-05:00

I am terribly cranky today. For one, I have a massive migraine that even my prescription medication is barely touching. (And who says medication solves everything...) Two, the second person I helped today was less than desirable to deal with. I really cannot stand people who believe that their time is much more valuable than everyone else's, let alone that they are entitled to certain treatment that others are not, regardless of policies. (We have policies for a reason, deal with it.) Three, my car is making that obnoxious farting sound that cars get when something is going on the exhaust system. (Did I mention I just replaced the muffler and half the exhaust piping less than 2 months ago?! Yay, more money to spend! Pfft!) Finally, I'm just plain tired. My cat seems to think that 4am is an exceptional time to use me as her own personal jungle gym/pouncing practice pad. (She'll make a fine fur coat someday...just kidding...I think...)

Tomorrow's a new day...I hope.

Whoa! It's Summer Reading Programs!

2010-06-14T16:40:00.005-05:00

It's heeeere! That crazy, chaotic, wicked, nutty time of year!

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS!! Whoot!

We are off to a good start for our Adult Summer Reading Program, with 295 participants signed up so far! I have to say that I have been pleased with the enthusiasm and excitement that our little program has been generating. Don't forget, you still have plenty of time to get signed up! And, I must brag, the prizes are pretty darn cool this year!

We have also started our first program of the summer: Knitting with Diane. Now, although we don't allow any fun in this library whatsoever (yeah right...), these ladies seem to think that they are an exception to the rule! Just see for yourself:
I think there's punishment in store! :-)

We have our second program coming up tomorrow. Join us for Watercolor Basics with Joyce at 2:30pm. She will be discuss her creative process, special techniques and will teach a few basics of using watercolor paints. Should be a good one, hope to see you there!

Um. Gross.

2010-06-02T19:42:00.002-05:00

Okay, to the jerk who decided it would be funny to throw two pieces of half-eaten, crusty bread into the drop.
It wasn't. You're a big jerk and that's just plain gross.

You Know You've Been to Wisconsin if...

2010-05-18T16:57:00.005-05:00

...you've heard Michael Perry speak! We were fortunate to have Mr. Perry at Theatre Cedar Rapids this past Saturday. Let me tell you, if you missed this man speak, you should be ashamed of yourself! He was hilarious, endearing and humble with his stories which ranged from kids to kidney stones. For those of you who still are unfamiliar with this man, his book, Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time was our 2010 Linn Area Reads selection. I highly recommend it, along with his other books as well.

3 Reasons Why I Heart Lisa Scottoline

2010-05-03T10:08:00.005-05:00

Reason #1: Everyone who meets her feels like they just met their best friend.

I have never met an author who made her entire audience feel like they were a part of the family or an old friend. I think she hugged every person who got their book signed at the event on Saturday night! She told hilarious and often personal stories about her life, but also about her work. It was literally like sharing a glass of wine with your best friend!

Reason #2: She reminded me of why I love what I do.

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day stress of this job. It really is. What most people don't realize is that it is my job to deal with the public. And when I say public, I mean all of the public. The nice ones, the mean ones, the crazy ones, the sane ones...you get the picture. I had a particularly rough week before Lisa's visit. I found myself questioning if being a public librarian was really what I wanted for a career. At the beginning of her talk, Lisa talked about the importance of libraries. More specifically, she talked about how they changed her life and how they influenced her decision to become a writer. It is people like Lisa Scottoline that remind me that I do indeed impact lives in this profession. Sometimes in the most subtle ways. So again, to Lisa, if you're reading this, my heartfelt thanks.

Reason #3: She supports libraries.

Okay, so I briefly touched on this in reason #2, but in all seriousness, this chic does some awesome work on behalf of libraries. The most obvious example was to those who came on Saturday night. the first 100 people who walked in that door received a hardcover copy of her latest book. And where did we get those hardcover books? They were donated by none other than Ms. Scottoline herself! She also speaks at library fundraisers all around the country and even during the course of her talk on Saturday, mentioned numerous times the importance of libraries. How can you not love her?

Boundaries

2010-04-27T19:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, I just have one simple request:

DO NOT walk behind the desk and into our work room when you need help. The desk is there for a reason. Seriously.

Cool Things

2010-04-27T18:02:00.002-05:00

Oh, so much to tell! Where to start?

Cool Thing #1: We are fortunate to be welcoming our next OutLoud! Author to Theatre Cedar Rapids, this Saturday, May 1st at 7pm. And who is this mystery author? Well, it's the wonderful and talented Lisa Scottoline, of course! Ms. Scottoline will read from her latest book Think Twice, take audience questions, and sign books. Now, here's a really cool deal. If you hurry and stop into the Hiawatha library by tomorrow, you could enter your name into a drawing to win a copy of her latest book! And the coolest part? You could take it with you and have her sign it on Saturday! It doesn't get much better than this kids! Hope to see you all there!

Cool Thing #2: We have partnered with the Cedar Rapids Public Library to bring all you lovely patrons an amazing program called "The Relativity of Albert Einstein." Watch as Broadway and film veteran Duffy Hudson brings Albert Einstein to life! Watch as Albert Einstein explains the Theory of Relativity in a fun and exciting way! Also, learn about his life, the speed of light, time travel, gravity and just exactly what E=MC^2 is. This show is certain to excite children and adults alike to look at the workings of the universe with new eyes!

Cool Thing #3: Wait until you get a chance to see the really, really, really cool prizes that I've managed to grovel and beg to get for Adult Summer Reading Program! I hate to brag (actually I don't...), but they are super awesome this year, and if all goes according to plan, I should have even more on the way! Don't forget, Summer Reading Programs start on June 1st!

They...are...outta here!!

2010-04-13T18:00:00.001-05:00

The VHS collection at the Hiawatha Public Library is no more! I have officially weeded 303 VHS tapes as of tonight and any others that come through will be gone! If you are interested in purchasing them, we will have them for sale at our Friends of the Hiawatha Library booksale this weekend.

Ahhh...spring cleaning at the library! :)

Down and Out...

2010-04-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

Most days I love my job.

I really do.

But there truly are days that I question my capability to handle this job. Right now I am trying desperately to get everything ready for the 2010 season of Adult Summer Reading Program. And although this is my third year doing it, I still find myself worrying incessantly that it won't be good enough or successful enough.

I think some of this fear stems from some recent failures I've had with programs. I had a series of programs in March as part of a "Spring Cleaning Series" and almost quite literally no one showed up! It was such an embarrassment to me as a program coordinator to look at the speaker and say "well, I'm really sorry, but it doesn't look like anyone is going to show." Thankfully, all of the speakers were kind enough to not be offended by it, but it still made me feel awful.

And so, I find myself at a crossroads. Where do I go from here? Do I need to readjust my expectations as to what makes a successful program? I know I can't throw in the towel. But I know that what happened in March is simply unacceptable to me. What's a girl to do?

One more thing...

2010-04-06T17:13:00.002-05:00

For those of you who have already read OutLoud! Author, Allan Guranus' book Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, jump in and join the online discussion with others at: http://outloudauthorseries.blogspot.com/

Holy programs, Batman!

2010-04-06T16:36:00.005-05:00

Oh, so much to tell you all about! First off, we were fortunate enough to have our wonderful Hiawatha Firefighters out to our library last Saturday to give a fire safety demonstration. I have to give my sincerest thanks to Fire Chief Mike Nesslage for helping me to arrange and present this program. He and the guys did a fantastic job of presenting very important information to all (both kids and adults) who attended this program.

This program was part of a larger series of programs connected to our Linn Area Reads selection called Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry. The book chronicles the life of a volunteer firefighter/EMS service in a small town called New Auburn in Wisconsin. Perry also mixes his tales of heroic rescues with stories of small-town life. I can personally promise you that it is a read that you will definitely enjoy!

Our own Fire Chief, Mike Nesslage will again be participating in another Linn Area Reads event on April 28th at 7pm. This event will be an EMT/Firefighter panel at the Marion Public Library and will offer those attending the chance to hear about our local EMTs and firefighters and the jobs they do. They will also share their reflections on the book and how it relates to their everyday lives.

Finally, we will be having the author of Population 485, Michael Perry, visiting on May 15th at 2pm. This event will be held at Theatre Cedar Rapids and will be a chance to hear the author read from his work, as well as a book signing. Don't miss your chance to hear this wonderful author and humorist in person!

The OutLoud! Author Series is back! Hooray! This year brings a wide variety of authors with an even wider array of genres! Our first author this year is Allan Gurganus. He will be reading from his novel-in-progress The Erotic History of a Southern Baptist Church which is a companion to his classic Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, which spent eight months atop the New York Times Bestseller List. Mr. Gurganus is also a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop and is a visiting faculty member of the program for the 2010 spring semester. He will be presenting his work on Saturday, April 17th at 2pm at Theatre Cedar Rapids. This program is open to the public and there will be a book signing following his presentation. Again, don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to meet a fantastic author!

Did I Ever Mention?

2010-03-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

How much I detest spring break week? Because I do. I really do.

Thankfully we're halfway through...

"Time keeps on slippin...

2010-02-16T12:51:00.004-06:00

slippin...slippin...into the future..." And has it ever! Boy, have I been a neglectful little blogger/whiner these last few months! Well, for those of you who actually care enough to read my rants, have no fear, I'm baaack! Although normally I would have a whole list of excuses for why I haven't been around, I will spare you the details simply say this, life has been a bit of a challenge. Once again, have no fear my unfaithful followers, this whiner is back and better than ever!

Things that have annoyed me thus far today...

2009-11-06T12:18:00.002-06:00

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!

2009-11-05T17:46:00.003-06:00

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!

2009-10-21T16:45:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-09-28T10:27:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-09-23T12:56:00.001-05:00

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

2009-09-17T16:17:00.002-05:00

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

Vacation on the brain...

2009-08-25T19:22:00.001-05:00

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

See you in a week!!

Conversations with my boss...

2009-08-19T17:33:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-07-29T17:35:00.001-05:00

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...

2009-07-28T18:52:00.001-05:00

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

Numbers

2009-07-08T12:02:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-07-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

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

Get your read on kids, time is running out!

I'm plotting...

2009-06-17T18:40:00.000-05:00

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!!!!!!!!

2009-06-02T17:57:00.007-05:00

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...

2009-05-19T18:46:00.002-05:00

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:

2009-05-07T18:37:00.000-05:00

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

Favorite Book Titles

2009-03-04T18:00:00.003-06:00

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...

2009-03-02T11:41:00.001-06:00

...bleep bleep bleepin computers!!

I'm feeling mildly frustrated with them today!

Oh, it's on...

2009-02-27T10:39:00.004-06:00

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

2009-02-18T15:53:00.000-06:00

Enough said.

We're really not the bad guys...

2009-01-28T16:09:00.002-06:00

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...

2009-01-26T10:26:00.004-06:00

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?!

2009-01-21T16:14:00.002-06:00

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..."

2009-01-19T11:36:00.005-06:00

"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

2009-01-15T16:00:00.003-06:00

Ahhhh...intermission...*smiles*

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

Librarians of the Year!!

2009-01-14T16:30:00.003-06:00

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&

Auld Lang Syne? Bah!

2008-12-30T16:10:00.005-06:00

I have a confession to make. I really hate New Years celebrations. Really, really hate them. I've never been a big fan of the thought of New Years to begin with. This whole "out with the old, in with the new"...phooey! I'm also a little leery of the whole thought of resolutions. I usually start thinking about my goals for the next year around this time, and I suppose some people consider those resolutions...but I guess I've always thought of New Years resolutions as these "big changes" we all intend to make for the new year. Like, I'm going to lose that 50 pounds I put on at Christmas or I'm going to have that nosejob so I can go out in public and feel normal again. *sigh* I guess it's always good to start new. But as for this New Years celebration, I'll be buried under the covers in bed!

Burr, burr, burr!

2008-12-15T14:54:00.003-06:00

I don't know about you...but I'm freezing!

Winter certainly arrived in rare form this weekend, didn't it? A 50 degree drop in one day...because, hey, why not? This is Iowa, right? Yeesh!

Ah well, welcome to winter!

World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T10:50:00.006-06:00

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day. Started in 1988, its purpose is to increase awareness, highlight the importance, and show unity around the common cause of this disease.

The numbers are staggering and frightening when speaking in terms of this disease. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide. That is more than the total populations of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago combined. Two-thirds of those people reside in sub-Sahara Africa. And within some of those countries nearly one in five adults are infected with HIV. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with HIV increased 150% between 2001 and 2007.

Once thought of as a predominately homosexual disease, today the vast majority of HIV infections are transmitted via heterosexual sex. Nearly half of all adults living with HIV are female. In America alone, heterosexual sex accounts for one third of new diagnoses.

Stigma and prejudice are key components in the spread of this disease. In many communities, people with HIV and AIDS are shunned and abused. Because of the social stigmas attached to this disease, many people don't seek treatment for fear of being ostracised. Political and cultural attitudes also play a significant role in the spread of HIV and AIDS. Oftentimes, accurate and reliable information is stifled, while inaccurate information is allowed to flow freely. There are often fears of promoting adequate sex education information to youth.

This disease knows no bounds. Millions upon millions are affected around the world every day by this disease. Millions upon millions more will die from it. There has been speculation that entire generations could be wiped out in Africa because of AIDS. It is frightening to think that we would allow a disease to do just that.

I hope you will make it a point today to educate yourself on HIV and AIDS. That you will consider your own health and well-being, as well as that of others. And that you will take a moment to recognize the millions already lost from this disease.

It's a broken record kinda day

2008-11-26T18:30:00.003-06:00

I have had 11 calls so far today asking what time we close.

10 of those consecutively.

1 of them happened to be from the Assistant Director of the Marion Public Library!

The call that broke the streak? From our Youth Services Librarian, Alicia. (And I won't even begin to discuss that conversation!)

For the record: We close at 8 pm this evening.

Thank you.

Police Evidence?!

2008-11-25T17:06:00.007-06:00

So here I was, this afternoon, at my Linn Area Reads meeting at the Marion Public Library, immersed in a very serious discussion of humorous staff antics when a Marion staffer came in to interrupt.

Evidently, Marion had been having some theft issues and discovered the patron who was involved in the acts of thievery. He was arrested and charged with said thefts.

However, when the police searched his home, they discovered more than just Marion items that had been stolen. The picture above is one of two items of ours that had been stolen.

Now, first, might I point out that I find it totally hilarious that it was still in the evidence bag when I got it back this afternoon. Second, if you look at the picture you'll notice a line that says location. Read what follows and try to stifle the laughter! Bedroom wall?! I don't know if that means it was attached to the bedroom wall, or it was inside of it. But the fact that the item location was bedroom wall makes this whole situation that much more humorous in my eyes! And you thought our jobs were so quiet and peaceful?!

I am at a loss...

2008-11-21T12:22:00.002-06:00

...for words, that is...I just can't seem to come up with anything to blog about lately.

I suppose that some of the problem could be that I have had the stomach flu for the last couple of days (Which by the way, so conveniently showed up when I was on a date...talk about first impressions...yeesh!).

Or perhaps its just a simple case of writers block. I've been trying to participate in NaNoWriMo this month. For those of you unfamiliar...NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 175 page novel (50,000 words) by midnight November 30th. According to the website, "Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly." Although I have a pretty good idea as to what I want to write about, it's been a bit of a struggle to get it all out.

Or quite possibly, it's just that I'm really that boring!

A Random Thought...

2008-11-10T11:49:00.002-06:00

DVD and CD discs do not do well as chew toys for children.

Seriously.

Fly Guts

2008-11-06T17:17:00.001-06:00

Pat killed a fly on my computer and now there's fly guts on my screen...just thought you all should know.

Evidence of Love

2008-11-05T18:31:00.002-06:00

It is written in the colors
Of a thousand autumn twilights
Painted in the eyes of a child
Spoken as forgiveness
By an honest open hand
It’s the friend who will walk the extra mile
It’s the giving,
When there is not enough
There is everywhere
The evidence of love

Our dear friend and colleague Linda Nash, passed away on Monday, November 3rd.

The loss that our staff is feeling right now is immeasurable.

Linda's spirit was indomitable. She was truly a force to be reckoned with. Her strength and integrity through physical disability, cancer, and various other illnesses was inspirational. Her humor and laughter were second to none. But more than anything, it was her love. Her love and her passion. The evidence of her love abounds. From her wonderful family, to her dedication here at Hiawatha Public Library, and her presence in the community, the evidence of Linda's love is everywhere. Yes, there is truly everywhere the evidence of her love. And as I sit here, with tears running down my face, it is the one thing that I will miss so much about her.

But her love will remain...always...

I love you and miss you Linda.

It’s living in the rich earth
Waving in the wind
It’s music that moves us to believe
And dying in a small town
Knowing where true life begins
It’s hope beyond what we can see
It’s the mercy, when tears are not enough
There is everywhere
The evidence of love

*Lyrics by First Call*

Oh yeah, vote this!

2008-11-03T11:35:00.003-06:00

As I'm sure you're all well aware of by now, tomorrow is election day. (And if you aren't aware, then I have to ask where the heck you've been!)

I am not going to endorse any candidate in my blog. (For one, I'm not allowed to...) Or tell you what issues are important. But I am going to encourage all of you to get out and vote.

"Why vote?" "Who cares?" "I don't like either of the candidates"...I have heard these statements so much over the last few months. These statements not only annoy me, they actually kind of infuriate me. You should care. And you should vote. Period. We have a system in this country that allows us the opportunity to elect our officials. We have a system that allows us to choose. These are extraordinary rights we have in this country. Ones that are guaranteed. There are hundreds, if not thousands of places in the world where people actually die attempting to do something that we are guaranteed.

Further more, it is important to remember all of the people in this country, whom years ago, fought so that we could all have the right to vote. In 1870, African Americans got the right to vote, in 1920 it was women who got the vote, in 1940 it was Native Americans, and in 1971 it was all of us 18 and older. These groups made sacrifices to allow us this right. It's important not to forget that.

Again, as I stated before, I will not tell you who to vote for, or what issues to care about. I have my positions on both of them, but will keep them to myself. But I will tell you to get out and vote, it's one of the most important duties as citizens we have.

I've cast my vote already...now it's your turn!

Just another manic Monday...

2008-10-20T14:27:00.003-05:00

We are experiencing some technical difficulties today. They moved our server back to Cedar Rapids from Marion yesterday and now it doesn't want to work again... *grrr face* Our poor tech guys are probably ready to explode!

So...this means that we will not be able to access our database. We cannot access your account, we cannot check anything in, we cannot pay off your fines. Basically...we can't do squat. I'm totally convinced that once we actually do have the system up and running we're not going to know what to do. Seriously!!

In the meantime, sorry for the inconvenience and hopefully we'll be back up and running very soon!

Happy Birthday Paddington Bear!

2008-10-13T13:30:00.002-05:00

Paddington Bear is 50 years old!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-08T15:54:00.002-05:00

As I'm sure you're all aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This is a very important issue to me, and one that is very dear to my heart. For one, my mother and my aunt are both breast cancer survivors. Two, I am a firm believer in affordable and accessible health care for women. This is a disease that knows no boundaries when it comes to women. But it is one that is slowly becoming more and more treatable with advancing technologies.

This weekend thousands of women will be hitting the streets of Cedar Rapids for the 18th Annual Especially For You Women's Race Against Breast Cancer. The proceeds from this race have gone to help 4,308 uninsured or underinsured women receive more than $1 million in breast-care services. The best part about this race? All the money stays local. It all goes to help women in the area.

This weekend I'll be one of the thousands of women hitting the streets of Cedar Rapids in support of affordable local breast-care services...will you?

It's heeeere!

2008-09-29T17:18:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK!!

And just remember:

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

So many reasons to celebrate...and whine...

2008-09-17T18:05:00.003-05:00

So here we go...

We are currently celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month here at the library. Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15th, which is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico declared its independence on September 16th, with Chile following on September 18th. The celebration continues through October 15th. I have put a display up in the library to celebrate, come on in and check it out!

And of course there's Banned Books Week coming up! (Like I'd let you forget...) As you already know, we have the censorship exhibit up from the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship. It really is an interesting exhibit, so please do come in and check it out. We will also be having an adult reading program that will be coinciding with this week called, "Elect to Read Banned Books." (Get it? We're trying to tie it all together with this year's election. Kinda the whole two birds with one stone thing...yeah, we're just that good.) This time around we will be having you read banned books and then filling out your slips for the drawing. And can I just say, the prizes are pretty darn cool...because I picked them out!

On another note, we are still having issues with the notification system. We are having to manually call and e-mail people who have items on hold. At this point, we are not sending out any overdue notices either. So watch those checkout slips, kids! Please continue to hang in there with us as we get this whole thing figured out. (And if we call you 17 times about holds, don't turn us in for harassment!)

Also, we have begun to charge fines again as of September 15th. So allow me to reiterate my first point...watch the checkout slips...or log into your account online to keep track of your due dates.

And finally, my allergies are killing me right now. So if I sneeze on you, my sincerest apologies!

Censorship in Schools and Libraries

2008-09-03T16:11:00.004-05:00

We have an exhibit up in our library called "Censorship in Schools and Libraries". The exhibit is sponsored by the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship, which is an association of educational and community organizations that have joined together to oppose censorship and to defend the rights of free speech and free press as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The purpose of the exhibit is to bring awareness to the various types of censorship and all the challenges it has produced in schools and libraries. The exhibit features 34 illustrations and explanations on censorship.

We have put up this exhibit to coincide with Banned Books Week at the end of this month. Banned Books Week, celebrated every year by libraries around the country is meant to bring attention to books that have been challenged (their removal from school or library shelves was requested). According to the Office of Intellectual Freedom (a subdivision of the American Library Association) there were 420 reported challenges in 2007. It is often estimated that many more go undocumented every year.

As I have said before, this is probably one of my favorite weeks of the year. I love the whole idea behind Banned Books Week. But more importantly, I love the chance to educate the patrons I serve about an issue that I feel very strongly about. It continually amazes me that there are challenges to materials in libraries. It amazes me even more that sometimes those items get removed. Most often than not, the reason for the challenge is that someone is offended by the content or language used in a book. If I could make a list of everything in our library that offended me, it would be very long. No lie. It would. But I also know that if those books that I can't stand weren't here, I wouldn't have a job. That's the beauty in libraries...we support all ideas. No matter how controversial, unconventional, or ridiculous the idea might seem to some, we at libraries will do our best to protect it and provide access to it.

I would highly encourage all of you to come out and see the exhibit. It is very interesting and at times even a bit humorous and shocking. But it is an important lesson that needs to be taught, and I hope that you all will be willing to learn.

Floodfest 2008

2008-08-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

DON'T FORGET!
SATURDAY, SEPTMEMBER 6TH
GUTHERIDGE PARK
12PM-12AM

BE THERE, OR BE SQUARE!

It's coming!!!

2008-08-27T19:46:00.003-05:00

Autumn, that is!
It's about this time of year that I start to get really antsy because I know it's just right around the corner.
The one thing I love the most? When you start to feel (and smell) the first tinges of it in the air. I caught the first of it just the other day and now that's about all I can think about every time I step outside!

There is something truly magical about this season. Truly. I can't decide if it's the richness in the colors or maybe it's the crispness in the air. Whatever it is, it will forever remain my favorite season and the one thing that I will always look forward to!

Eee-yah!

2008-08-18T10:47:00.003-05:00

Greetings! I have lots of new news to pass along (and whine about)!

First, the City of Hiawatha is hosting an event on September 6th from 12pm to 12am called "Fill the Sandbags
For Students" Floodfest. The goal of this event is to raise roughly $25,000 (hopefully more) to assist students displaced by the floods in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. The event will be held at Gutheridge Park and will include local bands, food vendors, children's activities, and a live charity auction. All net proceeds from this event will go to the Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation for assistance in helping students affected by the floods. This is a great way to get out help those in need and raise money for a very good cause. Oh, and I should mention that I'm on the committee that is planning this and I can say that we have some super cool things to auction off! So be there!

Second, Pat and I are planning to do a display in September that will coincide with Banned Books Week. For those of you who still don't know (because everyone should by now...) Banned Books Week is like, totally my favorite week of the year. Totally. Banned Books Week and intellectual freedom rights are the main two reasons why I love being a public librarian. For real. Anyways, more on this to come later!

Finally, I am addressing this last issue because I am so tired of answering this question 30 times a day. We still don't know when the online catalog is going to be back up. Sorry, we just don't. The biggest reason, is that we don't have an accurate counting of what we lost in the flood. All three libraries lost materials due to it and although we are getting a better picture of what was lost, we are stil lnot completely and totally sure. So, all I ask is for your patience and understanding (so that I don't flip out the next time someone asks me that question!).

Moving Stinks

2008-07-28T13:21:00.002-05:00

So I moved this weekend...
To a new apartment in Marion.
And...now...
my everything hurts...

ow-wee....

Rules of the Library Card

2008-07-24T15:28:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen the movie Fight Club with Brad Pitt?

In the movie, Brad's character rattles off a list of rules about the Fight Club. I decided that it was a pretty good set of rules and mirrored my rules of the Library Card after it...

Enjoy! (And obey!)

#1 the first rule of the Library Card is, you always bring your card

#2 the second rule of the Library Card is, you ALWAYS BRING your card
#3 if someone says I forgot, I can't remember, do I have to have it, the transaction is over

#4 one card to a patron

#5 one card at a time

#6 no shirt, no shoes, no card

#7 library cards will last as long as 4 years

#8 if this is your first time at the library, you have to use your card

Those hazy, crazy, days of summer!

2008-07-17T16:12:00.003-05:00

Did summer finally come in with a bang, or what? I'm not sure about the rest of you...but I'm not a big fan of the summer heat and humidity that we get here in Iowa. It's just so...sticky. Ick.

Ah yes, but with summer comes the onslot of summer reading programs here at the library. We have done quite well here for participants this summer, all things considered. We have certainly seen an increase in circulation and in patron visits since the flooding. I'm not entirely sure if that's translated to more people participating in our summer reading programs or not. But hey, we're just excited to be helping out our fellow libraries in any way we can.

Speaking of fellow libraries, we have been fortunate enough to have the company of several staff members from the downtown library out here working. We have also become like a second home to our LSA office associates and librarians as well. So needless to say, we've been a bit crowded here. It's a little difficult with our regular staff not to be stepping all over each other in our closet...er...I mean, workroom. So add a few more to the mix...and well...we just might be going out on the road with a routine!

But the reality of it is that we could not have possibly been able to make it through the last month without them here. They have been a wonderful addition to our staff and have been a joy to work with. So a big thanks to all the staff from CRPL who have been out here helping us...we really appreciate it!

In closing, we are coming upon the end of our summer reading programs...but we still have some great programs planned. Also, don't forget that John Sanford will be here on Tuesday, July 22nd at 7pm at Washington High School!

I want my...

2008-06-26T19:20:00.003-05:00

baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back...RIBS!! YUMMY!!

That's right kids, this weekend is the 21st Annual Barbeque Round-up, and yours truly here is planning on stuffing herself silly! I looove myself some ribs!

If you have never been to the Barbeque Round-up, I highly suggest you attend! There are vendors from all around the country that come here to lil' ol' Iowa to compete for our tastebuds! That's right, they're here to compete. As you go around tasting (and tasting some more...and some more...) you need to keep tabs on which vendor you liked the best. Because you will be asked to fill out a ballot at the end for your favorite.

Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret here...the best way to really enjoy BBQ Round-up is to split up. Get a big group together and everyone goes to a different booth and orders a sample. They give you roughly 3-4 ribs and sauce with each sample. You then meet back up and split those puppies up! This way, you get the best of all worlds! Take it from a seasoned BBQ-Roundup veteran, this is the way to go!

Hope to see ya'll there! I'll be the one stuffing my face...er...wait...that'll be most of us...nevermind!

Floods--2008

2008-06-14T14:58:00.003-05:00

I cannot begin to put into words the awe and absolute devastation that I am witnessing in this city of ours. Never in a million years did I ever believe that I would see something so catastrophic.

Natural disasters like this don't happen here. They happen somewhere other than here and I watch them on the national news in disbelief, but also in relief that it's not happening here.

But then it did.

It happened here.

In a catastrophic way.

I have yet to run into one person in this area who hasn't either seen the footage on television or actually witnessed it for themselves. Most have that glazed over look in their eye. The kind of look that recognizes they've seen something terrible and yet, cannot even begin to process it. It is just totally mind-blowing to see downtown Cedar Rapids right now. It looks surreal. Like something out of a bad movie. But it's not. It's real. Very real. It is so devastating to see buildings swallowed entirely by water. Buildings, that we here are all so familiar with.

One building in particular, that I and my fellow colleagues at HPL are all too familiar with is the Cedar Rapids Public Library. I cried when I saw the building in an ariel shot on the news. It literally took my breath away to see how high the water was around that building. And then to think about how high the water must be inside the building made me sick to my stomach.

For those of you who don't know, I am a former employee of CRPL. I spent three years of my life in that building, oftentimes on a daily basis. I know the books and the building intimately. I know the employees just as intimately. It breaks my heart to think of what is possibly lost in that library. Not only in damage to materials and structure, but to the staff who works so hard to make the library what it truly is. I have always loved libraries. They very often feel much like a second home to me, because of my familiarity with them. So to see one in such a condition is like seeing my own home...just devastating.

Obviously, there is more than just the library that is affected by this tragedy. Thousands are misplaced from their homes. Businesses in the downtown area are destroyed or at the very least water damaged. Our city, as well as hundreds of others around the state of Iowa have months of hard recovery ahead of us.

As I stated in the beginning, it is just so hard to put into words what I have seen over the last few days.

But I, like hundreds of others will be there when the waters recede to help with clean up. We will rebuild. But we most certainly will never forget.

Please keep all Cedar Rapids citizens and others in your thoughts.

Drowned Rat?

2008-06-09T11:40:00.002-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you...but I'm starting to feel a little tired of the rain!

Random Whines...

2008-05-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile, hasn't it?

Ahh yes, but have no fear!! Your fearless whiner is here with a whole new list of random and scathing whines! Let the whining begin...

Well...let's see...I made the decision that two jobs wasn't enough torture and have decided to add yet another to my already pretty busy schedule. I recently started as a front desk supervisor for the Rockwell Recreation Center. It basically amounts to me swiping membership cards and folding lots and lots of towels. And as I have already discovered, I will never be able to be totally anonymous again. Evidentally, there are a number of you HPL patrons out there who also happen to work out there. So, if that's you, you'll be seeing me there...I'll be the one eating peanut butter bon-bons and drinking a big mug of coffee behind the front desk. That's right, I am the total antithesis of what this place sets out to be. Heh. Who knows? Maybe it will bring about a whole new change in me...riiiight.

I've been in the process for the last week or so, of weeding the VHS collection again. I swear...that thing is one giant, growing, living organism...that breeds. No matter how many of those things I get rid of, there's ten more that reappear in its place!! Oy! But this time I've done a very heavy weeding of that area. By heavy, I mean that I've managed to reduce the collection to just one set of shelving. I know that some people find it difficult to imagine us getting rid of materials in our collection, but we have to. Not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to make room! Those shelves get a little snug sometimes! Anyways, to make the point short and sweet: I chucked a bunch of VHS videos out of the collection and they are now for sale in the Friends booksale room for $1 a piece.

Finally, I have decided that I will totally unfit to be a mother someday. Hear me out on this one. I have been dog-sitting for my boy for about the last week and a half while he has been taking care of a sick loved one in his family. At first, my initial thinking was "Meh, no problem...I can totally handle this!" My thinking now? "What in the h*** was I thinking!?" I can't tell you how many times in the last week I have almost forgotten to feed her. (For the record, she has been fed the entire time, no need to call animal control yet...) If hasn't been forgetting to feed her, then it's been trying not to beat her into oblivion for waking me up at 5 am barking at god knows what outside the window. I am not a morning person, and there is nothing that can piss me off quicker than getting woken up even before my stinkin alarm clock goes off in the morning. But then to make the matter worse, there is nothing out there!!!! Nothing!!!

*sigh*

I really do love the dog.

I do.

Really.

Just not when she wakes me up at 5 am. So, if I'm whinier or crankier than usual this week, it's because I'm sleep-deprived and covered in itchy German Shepherd hair.

That's about it for now...hopefully I'll be back a little sooner next time...until then...peace out!

Marriage proposals and such...

2008-05-02T15:02:00.002-05:00

I am writing today to share an experience that happened to me yesterday.

I was proposed to.

A marriage proposal.

At a stoplight.

No lie.

I was sitting at the stoplight at the intersection of Williams Blvd and Wiley when a car pulls up to my passenger's side window (which happened to be down) and I hear a "Hey."

I turn and look to see a man leaning out of his driver's side window.

"Will you marry me?" he says.

My jaw drops...look of utter shock and confusion comes across my face.

"Please" he says, "marry me."

By now, I'm wondering if I'm on candid camera.

"No?" he says and begins to pout.

"I don't think so" I tell him.

He drives off.

That's a first for me...a marriage proposal at a stoplight...and here, I always thought it would be so much more romantic! Ha! However, I did tell my real sweetheart to get on the ball and propose already. I mean, I may just have to take up the next person who proposes to me at a stoplight! *smiles*

Hope ya'll have a wonderful weekend!

Bruce Hale is coming our way!!

2008-04-25T12:14:00.006-05:00

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!

"PL-AAH" The Final Chapter

2008-04-16T14:29:00.005-05:00

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.

Song List for a Moody Day

2008-04-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

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

What would be your top ten list?

2008-04-10T16:58:00.003-05:00

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!