after-school.

In an effort to curb some of the difficulties at the Kearns Library, members of several Salt Lake County organizations, including Youth Services, Parks and Rec, and folks from the Mayor's office are in the process of planning after-school adventures at Kearns Jr. High School. In an effort to obtain input from our target audience, a few of us conducted a survey at registration on Tuesday morning. Seven-thirty a.m. to be precise. Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person? So, after tallying the results, the collaboration will probably offer three separate activities: a sport element, a kick back element, and homework help, which will be provided by the school. Sounds good doesn't it? Next step? Funding. Keep your fingers crossed.

Being bookish types, you've probably already heard that Starbucks is getting into the book club business. Their foray kicks off with Mitch Albom's soon to be released For One More Day, which will be available at stores on October 3. In-store book signings and discussions will take place in 26 cites on October 26th. So why am I plugging a potential competitor? Because Starbucks will donate a dollar from every copy sold to Jumpstart, a national nonprofit early education organization that focuses on literacy and targets at-risk preschoolers to help them be ready to succeed when they enter kindergarten. Cool huh?

stiiirrrriiiikkkee

So God's been bowling and he's definitely rolling strikes and spares. Thunder, lightning, torrential rains, and yes, my friend, your eyes were not deceiving you, there was a flurry of pea sized hail. The good news is, they weren't golf ball sized, like these that fell in Castle Dale a couple of years ago. Up for a few rounds?

looking for a good read?

Okay, so I have a few suggestions for the elementary school aged crowd. First, if you haven't read Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, you must. I insist. Here's the deal: nine year old Roxie is plagued daily by Helvetia and her gang of hooligans at Public School Number Thirty-Seven because of her unfortunately oversized ears. When the group finds themselves stranded on an island in the midst of a crime ring led by two particularly nasty thieves, Roxie proves her moxie, with a little help from her Uncle Dangerfoot and Lord Thistlebottom. An awesome spunky girl read. And don't miss Drita, My Homegirl, by Jenny Lombard. You'll get to know another set of spunksters in this tale of two ten year old girls working to find their place. Maxie is adjusting to a new life without her mom, while Drita, a refugee from Kosovo, is adjusting to a new life in New York City. And guess what? They both find that a new best friend is a perfect way to smooth the way. And the cover art is awesome.

an honorable profession...

While I was in Denver a few weeks ago I had an opportunity view an amazing traveling exhibition called "Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings" at the Central Branch of the Denver Public Library System. The exhibit, created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, relates haunting messages about the power of free speech and the harrowing consequences of censorship. It also highlights the important role libraries and librarians have taken to defend intellectual freedoms. This example from the exhibit: In April 1942, book publishers and booksellers formed the Council on Books in Wartime “to help win the war through books.” Sponsored also by the American Library Association, the P.E.N. American Center, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the American Association of Adult Education, the council adopted the slogan “Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas.” It published nearly 123 million inexpensive paperback copies of 1,322 titles as Armed Services Editions for American troops, including works by authors whose books had been burned or banned in Nazi Germany. It also supported a host of home-front activities—radio programs, book burning anniversary observances, window displays, exhibitions, editorials, cartoons, articles, book drives and book fairs—all designed to emphasize the importance of books in wartime. So take a look. And be proud of your profession.

night out.

Well, the Kearns Crime Prevention Association's Night Out Against Crime was a success! The classic rock music from local band “Captain Obvious”, was excellent (they played a mean Thin Lizzy cover), and the Polynesian dancers were amazing. We gave out tons of pencils, bookmarks, Dum Dums and tiny shoe shine kits from the County. The latter were a big hit, by the way. We were also able to distribute loads of surveys to help us with future planning. My favorite booth? Bikers Against Child Abuse. They had awesome temporary tatoos.

tick, tick, tick...

This morning on the Diane Rehms show, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen the author of Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death (available soon at your local library), related stories of a new take on the process of memorializing loved ones. My favorites? The skydiving rituals (including glitter), green ceremonies, the NASCAR casket, and of course, the lobster casket. Should you be feeling a teensy bit creeped out by my post, you may want to visit the Death Clock site for an estimation of your very own "personal day of death". Mine is October 30, 2039, which, frankly, I'm not too happy about... a bit close to Halloween.

zap.

Did you know that skateboarders in Kearns will be getting $1 million dollar park thanks to Salt Lake County's Zoo, Arts and Parks fund? Yep, it's part of $63.6 million dollars in recreation funds that will help to build new recreation centers, ball parks, and the Jordan River Trail. Cathy Harding, from the Kearns Crime Prevention Association wrote the grant, which will be voted on in November. Cool huh?

an update.

So, you're probably wondering how things are going at the library. As most of you know, we ended the school year with security and a pro-active introduction to our system's library use policy. While there were some disgruntled teens, the larger community of library users have expressed satisfaction with our efforts. The summer has been fairly quiet with just a few bumps here and there, especially in the last week or so, but still, there has been an improvement. With school starting soon, several County Agencies are working to develop some collaborative after-school programming to be held at the Jr. High School, though the details are still being sorted out. Keep your fingers crossed for positive changes for teens in the Kearns Community!

there was an old woman...

There are some days that the universe speaks in ways I'm not particularly fond of, and alas, today was one of those days. So, a few helpful hints that will let you know you're getting older: (1.) Your yearbook photo is in black and white. (2.) You send said photo, along with a current one, as requested, and receive an e-mail that says "I'm confused. I have one picture of you in black and white and another in color.They don't look at all alike. Which one is the real you?". (3.) Your life insurance company sends a letter stating that on your birthday your monthly contribution rate will double. (4.) You find not one, not two, but 300 new white hairs. (5.) You realize that you no longer recognize the people on the cover of People, but the women on the cover of More... well that's another story.

humility.

Small fry: "do you have a book about a dinosaur you probably don't know about that lived in the sea during the Ice Age? Me: "hmmm. I bet we can figure something out. Do you know it's name?" Small fry: "Well, like I said, it lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs (truly... no exaggerating here) and it's a really, really big shark, and they call it a Megalodon". Me: head down, typing furiously. Small fry: "I went to the big library with three floors downtown and they only had one book in the whole place." Me: sinking heart, but then, elation: "we do have a book, let's go find it." Phew.

an excerpt.

From An Unfinished Life, by Mark Spragg: Starla taps the desk beside the pistol. "Anytime you think you'd like to borrow her, all you have to do is ask." She swivels her chair closer to the desk and leans over the pistol. "When I was Susan," she says, "I used to be a librarian." She licks the pad of one of her perfect fingers and wipes a smudge from the pistol's barrel. "Susan had a rich internal life." She winks again. "Starla lives it."(pg. 106).

a western...

I read Mark Spragg's An Unfinished Life last week. I couldn't stand for it to end so I milked the last few chapters over a couple of days. To those of you who told me I should read it and I ignored you, I'm so very sorry, and you were absolutely right. It's a beautiful book. I'm thinking of moving to Wyoming, especially if I could find a place next to Mitch and Einar. Be Griff's local librarian. I'm thinking I could wear my boots each and every day. With shorts even. I've heard they do that up there.

"It's like you've died and gone to Italy"

Speaking of heaven, I had the best meal of my life on Saturday night. Panzano's Head Chef, Elise Wiggins creates Northern Italian Cusine that you just might be willing to die for. I started of with Insalata al Panzano, a beautiful salad layered with arugula, tomatoes, and house made mozzarella, drizzled with 12-year old balsamic reserve and basil oil and topped with pine nuts. Your mouth is watering, as it should be. My main course was a superb salmon dish, and then a serving of Torta al Cioccolate e Formaggio... a chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. Bliss.

In case you think I didn't have an awesome time.

Not to brag, but... I spent, read 'em and weep, four hours in the Tattered Cover Bookstore in LoDo. Yep. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Bought the tee shirt. A few books. Talked to the staff a bit. Heaven my friends, is located in Denver.

can you smell that?

True story my friends. I'd been dashing around Denver in 95 degree heat, then hustled to the airport in a cab that sounded like the air conditioning was on, but I couldn't tell for sure from my spot in the back seat. Stood in the world's longest security check point, raced to the gate, only to discover my plane was delayed. Boarding time eventually arrived and of course I had a C pass, which meant that almost every seat in the plane was taken. Found a seat near the back of the plane, I slid gracefully past aisle guy's knees and dropped into the cozy middle seat. Sigh of relief. Cracked open my autographed edition of Ivan Doig's newest, only to detect a particularly pungent odor coming from down low and to the left. From my seatmate to the left. That's right, you guessed it.... he had taken off his shoes to get comfortable for the flight home. Ar-r-r-r-gh!

a flick of the thumb....

Here's the deal. In May I discovered I'd won a coin toss (due to a tie in the voting) and I'm now the new state representative to the Mountain Plains Library Association. It's a regional library association representing 12 states including Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The consortium offers opportunities for professional development for librarians, para-professionals, and libraries. Heard of the Ghost Ranch Leadership Institute? Yep, it's a creation of MPLA. I'm excited to be part of the group, and not just because I was able to spend last weekend in Denver at the Executive Board Meeting.

the story lady.

I ran into some friends today while out shopping with my daughter. As I walked around an aisle I saw two little ones stop in their tracks and begin whispering behind cupped hands. Double take on my part. Then a great conversation about Dinosaur Storytime and our upcoming Cat Storytime. And on to dress-up birthday parties and flip-flops with flowers on them. Some awesome hugs. Sigh. I love my job.

clark kent does it.

Heard about cell phone booths? Me neither, until today. A good friend mentioned that we are in the midst of a revival of the booth. After applying my cutting edge research abilities to the topic, I discovered that several restaurants in the Big Apple provide them for their customers, and the University of Maryland's Thurgood Marshall Law Library already has one. Rumors abounded that Boston Public Library would be installing a few in their new addition, but alas, the idea was dashed in the end. As I'm sure you can imagine, librarians have weighed in on the pros and cons of the issue of cell phone usage in the library, with some suggesting it is yet another indication of the decline of Western Civilization. Shudder.

it's punk to me....

I've been thinking about how the meanings of words change over time, including the term punk. You know those things that look kinda like incense and are included with fireworks? They're called punks. Webster's defines them as decayed wood used as tinder. I love them because they protect delicate fingertips from being singed. An older useage of the term punk described a young hoodlum, but the word was soon co-opted by a deliberately offensive group of loud, fast playing, very cool rockers. The music? Punk Rock of course. And don't forget, it's now possible to be punk'd, by Ashton Kutcher and his merry tribe of pranksters. Yet another reason to be glad you're not famous.

fireworks

Okay, I know, I know, fireworks have been going off for days, interrupting your sleep, making the dogs crazy, and creating chaos for the local fire department. I bet you can't wait until tomorrow. But I gotta say, there is something so entertaining in watching my sons (grown, though this may be somewhat difficult to discern) plot and scheme to create the annual 4th of July fireworks show. Which requires a finely tuned balance of smokey things, spinny things, squealy things, exploding things, and fly up into the sky things. And has somehow become no girls allowed. No matches, no punks for us. Pffft. I attribute this poor behavior to something on, or perhaps missing from, the Y chromosome. By the way, does anyone know where the hose is?

west winds

I'm reading Gail Caldwell's coming of age memoir "A Strong West Wind", which reflects on the question "how do we become who we are?". The answer in part, Caldwell believes, is tied to literature. Me too. I have a hankering for spunky female characters, you know, the ones you think about on a long drive, like Taylor Greer, Reta Winters, Lucille Odom, Stargirl Caraway, or my latest favorite, Roxie Warbler. My all time best reading experience? Finishing up Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose on top of a houseboat in Lake Powell. And any book read under the covers.

frenzy

I've been on a cleaning frenzy for the past few days.... one of my favorite people, Miss Becca, came by the library to help me sort through the storytime closet. Thanks kid. I've been working furiously at home too. Swiffered the ceiling fan, vacuumed the window tracks, the air return vents, and the blinds. Perhaps I'm becoming a Stepford Wife.

erosion

Remember that flu bug I told you about? Wasn't the flu. Turns out it was this little guy right here called H Pylori, a common bacteria that can lead to ulcers, or in my case, esophegeal erosions. Gross huh? But with a few meds I'll be back to instigating before you know it.

the instigator...

Met with some folks to discuss the "teen issue" at the library earlier in the week. During the course of the meeting, I was referred to as "the instigator". Ouch. A definition: someone who deliberately foments trouble; "she was the instigator of their quarrel" or, a person who initiates a course of action. A few synonyms: advocate, agent, anarchist, champion, demagogue, disrupter, dissident, dogmatist, fighter, firebrand, fireman, fomenter, hatchet man, heretic, incendiary, inciter, instigator, leftist, malcontent, mover, needle man, partisan, propagandist, provocateur, pusher, rabble-rouser, radical, reaction, rebel, reformer, revisionist, revolutionary, ringleader, sparkplug, trouble-maker, zealot. I think I prefer sparkplug.

tattoo you.

So the Kearns Library is just around the corner from a tattoo shop, which means we do our fair share of image searching. The questions are always fun and often really challenging. Side views of angels and Chinese alphabet characters can be tricky. The most wanted image of late? You guessed it, Spidey. And "they" say reference is dead. Pffft.

decisions, decisions.

Our library just had new media shelving installed and yesterday I was lucky enough to work on the cd's. It was tough, I'll admit it. The questions just kept coming. I started off with Classical and moved onto Jazz, but then what? New Age and Folk I decided. Around the globe with World Music, Humor (you would not believe how many cds Weird Al has!), and Sound Effects. Couldn't bring myself to separate Humor and Sound Effects. Just didn't seem right. By the way, Martha Stewart has contributed to this collection. On to Popular Instrumental, Popular Vocal, Country (made sure the Dixie Chicks and Toby Keith weren't even in the same bin), Rock, and then I brought things home with Rap. All seven cd's.

irresponsible.

I know, I know, it's been ten days since I've blogged. I've been a slacker, no doubt about it. I take full responsibility for the error of my ways, and I assure you, I have loads of excuses but I won't bore you with them here. Anyway. I'm back.

homework....

I am particularly interested in one of the eight new goals our Library System has adopted: Children and Teens in Salt Lake County will have access to resources that assist them with their homework assignments and help them to succeed in school. I'm toying with the idea of creating a pull out "Homework Help" collection in the kid's area. I know, I know, you're probably thinking something like: "the entire non-fiction collection is homework help, but I'm thinking a bit more narrowly, with a focus on elementary school students. It might include science fair project info, kid reference materials, writing and language stuff and math instruction. Hmmm. Tell me what you think.

bitten.

I've spent the last few days under the weather: sadly I was bitten by a particularly nasty flu bug. There's nothing like a touch of poor health to advance humility. The good news? My beloved gummi bears didn't let me down.

Butterfield Canyon

We hiked in Butterfield Canyon today... the first time I've been in that neck of the woods for a few years. Jim Schulte, a member of the Community Planning Committee, is Vice President of Long Range Planning at Kennecott Land. I asked about the reclamation project, which includes the canyon, and he suggested I take a look. It's impressive. And dog friendly.

Goals!

With input from staff, the Community Planning Committee, the Library Board, and administration, our library system will now begin to work on the following eight goals:

• Preschool children in Salt Lake County will develop a lifelong love of books, reading, and learning and will enter school ready to succeed.
• Children in Salt Lake County will have library materials, programs, and services that stimulate their imaginations, satisfy their curiosity, and provide a wide variety of activities and experiences.
• Teens in Salt Lake County will have library materials, programs and services that focus on their current interests and provide satisfying activities and experiences.
• Adults in Salt Lake County will have the high-demand, high-interest materials, in the formats and languages they want, where and when they want them.
• Salt Lake County residents will have attractive, safe, and welcoming places to meet and interact with others.
• Adults in Salt Lake County will have library materials and services that support their lifelong learning interests.
• Salt Lake County residents will effectively use technology to connect to the world of electronic information and communicate with others.
• Children and Teens in Salt Lake County will have access to resources that assist them with their homework assignments and help them to succeed in school.

does anyone really know what time it is...

Day two: crash course on Managing for Results. Okay, so listen to this. While Sandra was explaining the various processes for gathering data on the amount of time needed by staff to do specific activities, she shared this statistic: most tasks take two and a half times as long as we think they do. Pretty scary don't you think? Of course I'm not getting to all the things I think I should.... I need a twenty-hour work day to get through my to do list.

relevancy

Today I attended the first of a two day crash course on "Managing for Results" led by Sandra Nelson and June Garcia. You're probably thinking "that's weird, she's not a manager", which is absolutely true. I attended as the staff representative to the Community Planning Committee. But also because I've become Sandra and June's biggest fan. It's easy to see why their Planning for Results process has become the benchmark in library land: they are savvy, knowledgeable, entertaining, and thought provoking. This morning I was particularly intrigued by Sandra's comments about "irrelevant excellence". You know what she means right? The effort we expend on tasks that have tremendous meaning to us, but are not important to our customers. An example that comes immediately to my mind? The storytime handouts I make and then find littering the floor of the library. Clearly, parents and careproviders don't find them to be relevant. And I'm pretty sure the kids don't care. But just so you know, the handouts are excellent. I promise.

summertime

It's the hap-happiest season of all... that's right, it's time for Summer Reading Club at the library. I signed up dozens of summer readers today, including an impressive number of grown ups. Haven't signed up yet? It's okay, you have until July 15th. So come on, join the fun and let the reading ruckus begin!

library phone.

At Kearns Library, the courtesy phone is located on a post right in front of the information desk. Which means I hear some conversations that I'd really rather not. Including the end of romantic entanglements, tons of after-school plans, and even more please, please, please come pick me ups because it's too cold/hot/rainy/windy to walk. So listen up. I'm here to tell you that cell phones are not necessarily a bad thing. After all, you can always gently guide folks to the foyer right?

chapter two.

As we head into the the dog days of summer, I'll be implementing the next step in my teen strategy at Kearns. I'm thinking of it as a campaign of divide and conquer. Now that the hordes are gone, I'm hoping to create relationships on a teen to teen basis. The draw? Yep, you guessed it.... the computers. Wish me luck.

last meeting

The final meeting of the Community Planning Committee is next week, on Thursday, June 8 at the Columbus Center. We'll be hearing the results of our efforts over breakfast. I'm sad, because the group is amazing, but excited to get started on the next phase: implementation!

Mad Hot Ballroom

Okay, be sure to see the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. Fifth graders from three New York City Public Schools spend ten weeks learning to merengue, foxtrot, swing, rumba, and tango with the help of experts from the American Ballroom Theatre. Along the way they learn to negotiate boy-girl relationships, develop creatively, and see their hard work pay off . You'll be inspired, and hey, you may just break out your dancing shoes.

schools out...

Yesterday was the last day at Kearns Jr. High. A few water fights, some shaving cream, and loads of happy teens. No more pencils, no more books... School's out for summer!

blaug, blaug, blaug.

Ever visited Global Voices Online? It's a non-profit global citizens’ media project, sponsored by and launched from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School. The site uses weblogs, wikis, and aggregators to bring individual perspectives to a global audience, in an effort to increase understanding between countries and cultures. Readers have the option of viewing the randomly selected posts on the home page, or choosing a general subject area, region or country. My latest obsession? Heels on Fire. Blog on dudes.

Please don't pick the daisies...

I stayed up way too late last night reading Kathy Harrison's "one small boat: the story of a little girl, lost then found". The book shares the Harrison family's experiences providing foster care to several troubled children, including a quirky five year old named Daisy. As Daisy's story unfolds, the horrors she has faced reveal tremendous strength of character and a miraculous resilience. Kathy's writing offers an engaging glimpse into the day to day struggles and small triumphs of an extraordinary foster family. Don't miss it.

I can't stand the rain...

Rainy days and Sundays are made for good music and seem fitting for this Memorial weekend, as I remember the folks I've loved and lost. I started off with "Black Cadillac, Roseanne Cash's lovely and heartbreaking tribute to her parents.The song "God is in the Roses" is breathtakingly beautiful. I've also been listening to the new Dixie Chicks release, called "Take the Long Way", which addresses the firestorm of controversy the trio faced after lead singer Natalie Maines expressed anti-war sentiments in 2003. The title song is really good, but then I love the Chicks. I brought things on home with Ben Harper. His new c.d., "Both Sides of the Gun", especially the song "Serve Your Soul" will get you off the couch. So listen up. And have a barbeque tomorrow because rumor has it that the sun's coming back.

we are family.

Just saw Junebug, a film about eccentric Southern folks and family dynamics that sometimes cause a cringe. If you haven't seen it, here's a quick synopsis from Sony Pictures: "Six months after her impulsive marriage, Chicago-based art dealer Madeleine has yet to meet her husband's family. A dual-purpose visit to their North Carolina town--Madeleine hopes to sign a contract with an artist living nearby--leads to an uneasy stay with her new in-laws, whose small-town manners are worlds apart from Madeleine's more sophisticated lifestyle." Amy Adams received a best supporting actress nomination for her role, but the entire cast is great. I really loved it.... don't forget a box of tissues.

Talkin' about the car wash, girl

I washed away the last of the evidence of our ULA adventures this evening. Sigh. The price to return my car to it's previous pristine state after our adventures in St. George? $9.75. The number of bugs sacrificed to the windshield? Alas, too many to count. The memories made on our desert trek? Priceless. Don't forget, "What happens in storytime stays in storytime".

kid music.

So my very most favorite session at ULA was about kids and music. Weber County Library System has incorporated a bit of the philosophy from Music Together into their Storytimes with great success. It's easy to see why! Vern, musician, librarian, and storyteller extraordinaire, shared his favorites, including Ghost Chickens in the Sky. Sung to the tune of Ghost Riders in the Sky: just add these scary lyrics: "Their feet were black and shiny, their eyes were burning red. They had no meat or feathers, these chickens all were dead. They carried off the farmer and he died by the claw. They cooked him extra crispy and ate him with cole slaw." Eeek. Sent shivers down my spine.

the digital divide...

The good news is, though he's not out of the woods yet, Barbaro appears to be doing well. The bad news? He's receiving tons of e-mail, but his care provider, Dr. Dean Richardson noted that "We don't have a keyboard in his stall yet." Hmmm.

and speaking of freedom...

Chris Crowe, author of the award winning MississipiTrial, 1955, discussed ALA's Freedom to Read statement in the context of library services for teens. Real issues, like sexuality, racism, abuse, violence, and drugs, are creeping or perhaps stomping their way into edgy teen books. As a result, some parents are frustrated and unhappy. How can we best respond? Chris made these suggestions:

• Seek to understand parents perspectives
• Provide preemptive education
• View parents as people, not problems
• Be willing to talk
• Avoid personalizing
• Compromise by offering alternatives
• Follow professional guidelines
• Rely on professional procedures

free speech 101

Joe Vogel, the former Utah Valley State College student body Vice President, was one of my favorite speakers at ULA. He spoke about the firestorm of controversy created by Michael Moore's speech in the fall of 2004, and the repercussions, which include a more cautious environment on campus, and additional oversight of student body leaders. At this point, it appears that the influence of culture, money, and fear, may supersede the principles of intellectual freedom. Interested in finding out more? Joe's book, Free Speech 101, will be published this summer.