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.

peas.

Do you hate to Eat Your Peas? Daisy does. And so does Gene. Bet they've never tried Hot Wasabi Peas from hapi. Awesome.

Rethinking our mission...

John Nichols Berry III, Editor-in-chief of Library Journal, delivered the keynote address yesterday morning. Some highlights included his discussion of the role of libraries in informing democracy. Mr. Berry noted that libraries are well positioned to provide the whole story rather than the bits and pieces of information we receive from media and digital sources. As seekers and deliverers of truth, Mr. Berry stated, libraries can play a key role in restoring the public's confidence and faith in government.

ULA

Greetings from beautiful and toasty St. George, Utah... the home of the 2006 Utah Library Association Conference! Our theme: When the Boundaries Blur: Creating Synergy in a Time of Transformation, is reflective of the discussion in Salt Lake County Library System's process of Planning for Results. The questions are the same: where do we go from here? How can we respond most effectively to our increasingly diverse and rapidly growing populations? The possibilities are exciting and daunting.

it's not Mayberry, but...

Things are lookin' up at the library. No fighting, no biting! And hey, even a smile or two. Life is good.

you don't look like a librarian...

Ever been told you don't look like a librarian? Me too! Several times this week in fact. So what does a librarian look like? Well, a quick review of the research shows that our public thinks we're: quiet, stern, unmarried, stuffy and likely to be wearing glasses. Hmmm. Erica Olsen, Librarian Avenger has a quiz to help prospective librarians decide if they are geeky enough to become a librarian. And eeek, I am a geek, because my score was 18. If only I looked like Tori Amos....

a gondola, a wedding cake, and a dump walk into a bar....

So what do gondolas, wedding cakes, and dumps have in common? It turns out they are all cool display fixtures used by libraries and bookstores to market the good stuff. Who knew?

a somewhat grittier urban neighborhood

Library police? Nah, I'm the library sheriff! At tomorrow's librarian meeting we'll be discussing the issue of library manners. The behaviors that stand out at my present locale include swearing and threats, but also very loud conversations, which often occur with a cell phone to the ear. The good news? We're rarely a crying baby branch. So what's changed? Have any funny stories to share? Add a comment here! And should you feel alone in your struggle for civility, Google the term "library manners". You'll be amazed.

my own private Idaho

My car is in the body shop so I'm using a rental. It's a Tucson with Idaho plates that I'm driving in Utah. Cool.

Bees win.

The Bees stung the Rainiers today: their second win in a four game series. The kids from St. Vincent's played the National Anthem, Frank Layden led us in a rousing version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and the crowd demonstrated their usual enthusiasm for YMCA. Bees fans appear to have a special place in their heart for the Village People.

horrorscopes.

This is the thing about horoscopes. I'm feeling really good: the sky is blue, the sun is shining in, my dogs are happy as clams, and then, while working my way through the Tribune this morning, I find out that my day will be a six. Out of ten. Pffft. So, I applied my librarian skills and found another source. And discovered that today will be a four-star Style day! Out of five.

on pins and ...

Did you know that 70 million people bowled last year? How about the term for three consecutive strikes? It's a turkey. Think bowling is a relatively new invention? Nope. In the 1930’s, British Anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie discovered ancient objects believed to be used for a form of the game in a child’s grave in Egypt. The artifacts have been dated back to 3200 BC, which means that bowling is just a bit over 5,000 years old. And speaking of age, Mollie Marler,101, from Kansas City, MO, bowled a 202. My average, and I'm not being modest here, is about a 68. A perfect roll is of course, a 300.

the jury's in...

As you know, the Community Planning Committee has made their recommendations. After careful deliberation, we felt our Library System could have the greatest impact in the following three service areas: 1) Current Topics and Titles, 2) Commons and 3) Lifelong Learning. Now the hard work of implementation begins!

aha!

Members of the Community Planning Committee were energized and enthusiastic about the possibilites offered by the development of collaborative relationships between service agencies. The central obstacle to collaboration? Silos. In an a-ha moment, UEA representative Kaye Chatterton noted that we tend to operate in our own silos, and often lack information about other organizations. The benefits of collaboration? The ability to act as the lead agency in areas of our expertise, and to develop partnerships in others.

white space

Take a look at an interesting article mentioned at today's Community Planning Meeting titled Managing in the Whitespace. Wondering what whitespace is? Mark C. Maletz and Nitin Nohria describe it as "the large but mostly unoccupied territory in every company where rules are vague, authority is fuzzy, budgets are nonexistent, and strategy is unclear — and where, as a consequence, entrepreneurial activity that helps reinvent and renew an organization takes place." For an overview of the article click here, or find the entire article from The Harvard Business Review in our EBSCO database.

All dogs go to heaven.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers