The Loopy Librarian

I have uploaded 189 of my books so far. I just type in the ISBN and it does the rest. The first 200 books are free. Now I can catalog my home library. Yes, I’m liking this. http://www.librarything.com/ 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ZHPJT2Kp4

My daughter stepped on a little snake in the driveway tonight, and it bit her on the foot. My husband got a good look at it and figured out it wasn’t poisonous, and my daughter was really cool about it. She said, “Well, I don’t blame it for biting me. I’d bite too if I was stepped on.” Then, she proceeded to call her friends and tell them all about it. As for me, my first reaction was a mother’s concern. But, when the danger had passed, my next reaction was as a librarian. I went through my mental book catalog to see if I could recall one about snakes. Turns out, I have a great many books in my home library about bugs (thanks to my daughter’s obsession in her younger days), but none about snakes. So, I used Google. The culprit was a juvenile black racer. Mystery solved. Crisis averted. And my daughter has a cool story to tell….as does the snake.

My son asked me the other day what I would want to be if not a librarian. I was most certainly perplexed. Librarians are unique creatures who fit into the world like the proverbial square pegs in round holes. I am no exception. As such, I cannot imagine what else I would do. Maybe be a Ninja? or perhaps a Pirate? I already have a parrot, so I’m halfway there. I’d be interested to hear how other librarians would answer this question. Feel free to chime in.

http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html

I have a new job in Administration. I thought it would be a dry and humorless job filled with endless paperwork, and, to be honest it sometimes is.  I write and review policies, apply for grants, deal with personnel issues and patron complaints. When I first learned of my new job responsibilities, I kept listening for the fun part. It didn’t come. No more silly hats, knock-knock jokes, or playtime cleverly disguised as work. But I wasn’t long settled into my new office when Continue Reading »

“County library? Reference desk, please. Hello? Yes, I need a word definition. Well, that’s the problem. I don’t know how to spell it and I’m not allowed to say it. Could you just rattle off all the swear words you know and I’ll stop you when…Hello?”

If you are like most people, you think of librarians as shy and quiet folks who talk in hushed tones and say “Sshh” alot. I have yet to meet that librarian. Maybe she does exist somewhere, but the librarians I know are vibrant, animated people with definite opinions and interesting lives. If you don’t believe me, check out the ALA Fifth Annual Bookcart Drill Team.  Librarians Rock!

My thirteen-year-old son is devouring The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, and my seventeen-year-old daughter just finished the entire Continue Reading »

Recently, I was asked to review a children’s book that had been challenged at one of our branch libraries.  The book, Devil in the Drain by Daniel Pinkwater, is old and no longer appears to be in print. But, the author is popular and award-winning. As soon as I saw the title, I could guess at the complaint, and I was instantly angered that a patron was asking this book to be removed from the collection. I think it’s short-sighted of people to want books removed from libraries whenever they find them offensive. Do they really want a public library that only represents their beliefs? Continue Reading »