It's Weekly Reader Day!

Okay so my good friend Mandie yesterday posted a link to some old weekly readers and the scholastic inserts we used to purchase books in elementary school. Over the years I have thought about those weekly readers and wondered if they were still around. FYI, they are but of course, they look so much more jazzed up then when I was a kid. Beside from the thrill of getting my own little newspaper in class, I got the opportunity to purchase books! Yes, I looked forward to that day in class, dreamed about it even. What books I would buy, which books I would circle for "next time" because Mom and Dad couldn't and wouldn't buy me every book I wanted. The circling frenzy rivaled that of the Sears Catalog at Christmas time! "I want this!" "Oh, and yes, this!!" "Can't l-i-v-e without this!!" It was awesome until one day, I bought the wrong book.

When say it was wrong, I mean in that it was not a book for me. I read the snippet and thought it sounded like my kind of read, a series of mysterious!! People who had vanished without a trace. Sounded intriguing! So I circled it and then filled out the little order form. I waited. Then the shipment arrived and my teacher handed me my stack of new books!! Sweet. And then...I read the back of the book of "mysteries" and discovered to my horror that it was not about that at all. It was about alien abductions. NOOOOO!

I must confess that I have been terrified of aliens ever since I was little kid. Hell, I was scared to even watch "V: The Final Battle" on television. I vividly remember getting scared out of my mind when one of the female characters on the show gave birth to an alien baby. (Now I have since watched this scene on YouTube and it is ridiculous. Seriously, I am no longer scared.) And now here I was with this book on alien abduction. I took it home and sat with it in my room debating on my next course of action. Keep it? Read it? Hide it? I had no idea how to tackle this new problem. And it was a problem. I realized that if I started reading the book I would no doubt have nightmares. And I slept in the basement of our home, in my own room while the rest of my family slept upstairs on the opposite end of the house. Yes people, I would be alone with this book. And easy access for the aliens to find me.

Well, I thought I would try reading it. I was hoping that by diving into the material I would somehow be less afraid. Wrong. These were "true accounts" of people who had been abducted or knew someone who had been. OMG. Seriously? I panicked. I mean, how often does this happen? Where does this happen? Could it be that someone I know right now was getting abducted by aliens? Would I be next? Crap. And then the truth finally occurred to me. This very book that I held in my hands was a beacon. The aliens now knew I knew about them and worse, they could now find me! For my young brain, this was like having a gps handed to you from outerspace. I was screwed and I knew it. For days I feared bedtime. I tried hiding the book in my closet, burying it under other odds and ends but I still knew it was there. Hell, the aliens still knew it was there. I imagined in the dark that the book pulsated and radiated strange lights, conveying the coordinates of my whereabouts. I had to act and act fast if I wanted to stay on earth.

It was over the weekend because my father was home. He normally worked late nights during the week so I hardly ever saw him. It was cold outside because our wood burning stove was on. I came up to him crying, begging him to do something with this book. I sounded irrational, I was irrational. I was also 10 years old so whatever. I don't think he exactly knew what to do about this situation but he signed on to do his very best to protect me from alien lifeforms. We settled on throwing the book into the wood burning stove. Somehow he convinced me that the fire would squash out any trace of me and once the book was resorted to ashes, the aliens would no longer be able to find me...ever. It sounded logical so that is what we did. I watched it burn. I felt better when it no longer resembled a book or my nightmares. All was good with the world again. Proof you say? I am still here. The aliens never found me.

However, that fear still remains in some mild form. Now, I don't go burning books anymore (and I admit, I am ashamed that I actually burned it) but I won't watch any movies about alien abductions. What about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" you ask? Haven't seen it. I'm serious about this. However, "E.T." is an entirely different bag of hammers. To try to right my wrong, over the years I have passively looked for the book that I burned. All I remember was that the title had the word "vanished" or some form of that word and the cover was grey. Not a lot to go on. I took it as a sign that I couldn't find it, like I wasn't meant to see that book again.

Until yesterday. Mandie's site referral and there it was in the February 1985 scholastic. It was called "Vanished!" and it was written by Wayne R. Coffey. Well, I immediately went out to Amazon.com and found the book for $1.29. I bought it. Yes, I did.

Now the adult in me is very excited to see this book again, to finally read it. To finally conquer that damn book. But the ten year old that still lives inside is scared all over again. What if, just WHAT IF it really was a beacon and I merely escaped the clutches of alien hands last time? I might not be so lucky again, to tempt fate like this. I suppose if you never hear from me again, you know why.

I'll try to keep you posted....

Second quarter down

So I just finished my second quarter of teaching and you know what? It was better this time around! Not perfect but better. I felt more comfortable in front of the students and I genuinely felt we learned something together. And I discovered, the students do not hate me. I suppose it is ridiculous to fear that they will loathe me but I do want to do a good job. One of my students said she liked my style of teaching and I replied, "well, if I have to stand up here for two hours every week, it better not suck." I mean, I have to be there too and I know I don't want to be bored to tears. So I try to make it as painless as possible.

Truthfully, at first, I missed my "old" students but I must admit, I loved my new students just as much. I hope I continue to get some really awesome people in my sections. I think one of the best parts of teaching is getting to know so many different types of people.

The spring quarter begins next week....yeah...so much for a break....so I get to do this all over again. With some tweaks. I have been paying attention to what works and what doesn't and I am fairly confident that I can fix the problem areas. I am going to try out a few different things this time around, hopefully getting better outcomes. I'll keep you posted on that.

Outside the library world, Matt is trying out for a spot on the second season of SciFi's "Face Off". (Yes I know I didn't spell it the way SciFi would like you to but you know what? I hate the new spelling, so there.) Since he can't make it to the live auditions in California (duh), he will submit his entry via online. He's been crazy busy making his creation. The stipulation is that you have to put the makeup on yourself. I really hope he gets a shot at this. I mean, everyone deserves a chance to live out their dream and this has been his dream ever since he was a little kid! Plus, how cool would it be if I was married to a very successful FX Makeup Artist! I mean, I am already married to a kickass tattoo artist! Score.

For me, I'm still trucking along hoping, wishing, and keeping my eyes open for a professional librarian position. Yes, I know, they are hard to come by these days but a girl has to dream. I wish, oh I wish....

Well, that's it for now.

Stay tuned...

Long time no see...or write...or call....

Yeah, okay, I realize that my last blog post was in 2009. Right now I have the option of totally lying to you and saying that I have been in Hollywood since that last blog entry, working on the film version of my best-selling novel. All the things I had to blog about were sworn to secrecy because of a nasty little beast called "a contract." But alas, this is pure fabrication, fiction, which by the way is what I have been writing in my spare time so at least a small nibbly-bit is true.

So you want the truth? I freaking forgot. There you go. I just didn't give enough of a crap to come here and write something down for you to read. Shameful, I know but hey, I like to believe I have something that resembles a life which requires some of my attention.

So what have I been doing since July of 2009? Rocking it out. Yes, that's what I said. I've had many laughs, watched some cool movies, met Corey Haim [before he died :( ], had a cameo as a zombie in a horror movie, finished the rough draft of my novel, and cuddled with my husband. Not bad. Not bad at all. Oh, and I also started teaching. Don't faint. I'm speaking true here. Me, of all people, who hates to speak in front of groups, took on the challenge of teaching a night course in Information Literacy. Say what? Exactly. Information Literacy is one of those vague terms that not even librarians and people who love libraries actually understand what it means. Nonetheless I threw this term out there to my unsuspecting students, led them down a potholed road (first time teaching, first time this course was ever offered), and minus a few casualties (a few students dropped), we survived! And I am fairly certain most of us, including me, learned a thing or two in the process.

One of the main things I learned is that I don't suck at teaching. This kind of surprised me. I mean, other than ordering my husband to do this or that my way (the right way) I have never really taught anyone anything...ever. I honestly feared that I would just babble on for two hours once a week about random whatnots. Turns out, I can actually do this whole instruction thing. I also learned that I must constantly ask myself, "Did I know this before I went to library school?" I often can't remember what I knew as an undergraduate student when it comes to research and library usage. I used my husband as my test subject, asking "Baby, do you know what a primary source document is?" 9 out of 10 times I take for granted what I "think" people know. Turns out, most of them don't know.

So what's all this mean? Who the hell knows. I signed up for another quarter of teaching and am currently invested in that, with a whole new crop of students. I think I am much better this time around since I am familiar with the way things work. Plus, I am no longer terrified that my students will chase me with pitchforks if I bore them to death. Yes, I do sometimes fear this type of thing.

I'm also going to try and remember that this blog exists and that I should every once in awhile come here and say something mildly interesting.

I hope I did that today.

ALA convention Rundown

I attended my first ALA convention this past weekend in Chicago. I had read all the literature beforehand about what to expect, how overwhelming it will be, how to not stress over things...blah..blah. Nothing could prepare me for the chaos that ensued. Honestly, it was insane. Mostly contained insanity within the exhibit halls. Imagine a sea of people all trying to claw their way to the stack of free merchandise. One imagine that comes to mind is what the stock market floor looks like after it closes. Imagine that and you get a small glimpse of what it was like when the exhibit hall opened at 9am. The security guard even said, half serious and half joking, "Please don't run me over!" And then...the librarians were turned loose unto the vendors...thus the screaming began.

If I worked in a public library and/or as a children's librarian, I would have made out like a bandit. Seriously, there were enough free posters and bookmarks to wallpaper my entire living room. And the books...I could have collected enough free books to have a monthly give-a-way for the next two years (or more). This is awesome in my opinion. Why? Because with these free materials, librarians will be able to use them in their libraries. The posters and such can be used for programming and the books...well, given to patrons or used for projects. Who knows, the options are endless. For me, who works in an academic library, who does NOT want kids, and only has one niece who hates to read, I simply can't justify loading up with free books just because they are free. If I don't think they will be read, I let them be. This is far better than picking them up on impulse and then getting home and saying, "Why the hell did I grab this?"

But I do wonder, could there be a way to be a bit more friendly about snagging those free goodies without knocking over your fellow librarian with your monsterous tote? I thought at one point I had a mild concussion. Good thing I had a full day planned so there was no time to accidently fall asleep. Later in day I started to wonder if I had turned invisible because it seemed like everyone was beelining straight for me, as if I wasn't even there. I just tried to step back and stay out of the way.

And what is up with the food prices? For a piece of lettuce with a sliver of carrot on it was $12.00. Now if this was a convention of millionaires, then sure, pile on the expensive food but we are talking about libraries here. Librarians and library workers. A twelve dollar piece of lettuce just isn't economically feasible. Good thing I packed a banana in my bag or else I would have gnawed my own arm off by late afternoon.

And while I appear to be slightly ranting, I want to also point out that most of my programs were situated in rooms where eskimos could have built igloos. I understand the need to keep the room at a moderate temperature especially when it is jam packed. But seeing several snowflakes fall from the ceiling does not equal pleasurable room temperature, I assure you. Next time I go to the convention, I am bringing the thickest sweater I own just so I can have feeling and movement in my upper body. Which does come in handy when one wishes to take notes.

Overall, I think having the ALA convention experience was necessary for me. I attended four programs, three of them really good, one of them that kinda sucked. The one that sucked, I left twenty minutes into the program. I think the three I did stay for actually conveyed information and ideas that I can use and apply in my future career. So that was worth the $95 to attend the conference. Meeting up with a dear friend of mine and former professor was also a highlight of the convention.

And the very best part??? It wasn't the "swag" or the potential to network or find a cool free tote, it was meeting Sherman Alexie again on Sunday. I had met him at Purdue two years ago when he was the speaker at the English Department's annual literary awards. I heard him speak twice that night, one for the awards ceremony and another for the public. Both were exceptional. What I discovered about Alexie is that he is naturally funny. Not only that, but he talks with a mixture of seriousness and humor which is delightful. So getting the chance to say "hello" to him again was awesome. And because he was at ALA with librarians, he was more talkative. He even allowed photographs which was fabulous!

So, all in all, I am glad I went. I am bummed that this will be the only convention I attend under the student rate. If I don't get a sweet salary increase by next year, I don't know if I will be able to attend. Once you toss in airfare and a hotel room, well...I need a bit more money than I have now. I'll just have to wait and see how this whole crazy thing we call life plays out. In the meantime, I will be on the lookout for some padded shirts and protective head gear. I want to be prepared next time for that moment I try to approach a vendor's table and get clotheslined by a tote on the run. The protective pads and head gear should soften the fall. Here's to hoping...

I'll see you in the movies!

I never realized how easy it is to make a simple movie. I mean, all these years I could have been producing "high-quality" video journal entries of my life as opposed to simply writing them down. Yesterday, two co-workers and I embarked on a mission to create a movie for a presentation we have to give on April 15th. The movie showcases our major move from three separate service points to one. I got the idea after reading the article on digital storytelling and thought how much more effective a movie would be as opposed to some boring poster with pictures and text. I mean, come on, who would not rather watch a movie?? It turns out that one of my co-workers is very familiar with Movie Maker and we were able to get most of the movie done in two hours. All that is left is the narration which my voice will lend itself to later this week. All in all, I was amazed at how fairly simple and straightforward the process was and was thrilled to learn that Movie Maker is installed on all of our computers in my library's Digital Learning Collaboratory.

I think back to when I was a kid and wrote numerous plays during the summer. I would spend days writing scripts for my friends and sister. We would practice our lines and work on the set designs (which I came up with as well) in order to put on a killer play for my parents and grandparents. Usually we put on one play a week for the duration of the summer. Some of them I simply modified from old literature books but some of them I actually created on my own. I loved the process of writing the dialogue and setting the "stage" for backdrops and costumes. Even if the plays were not award-winning, we had a lot of fun and I am sure my parents were entertained. I mean, my sister was only 6 years old when she performed in these plays. The major obstacle was helping her remember her lines because she could not read yet. Talk about an actor's challenge! The director!! I also hand wrote and created the playbills as well. I mean, I wanted us to get credit for our performances. All these years later, I still have a few of those playbills along with various handwritten scripts and photographs of our performances. This was before my parents could afford a video camera!

I bring this all up because I wonder what I could have created if I had had access to Movie Maker back then. Instead of handwriting plays, I could have actually made a movie! I could have not only starred in the film but wrote it and directed it. All with a simple program. I am envious of children growing up with this kind of technology because it seems such an awesome thing to have at your disposal. All that technology that just lends itself over to creativity!

Now that I know how to manipulate Movie Maker, I think I might play around with some digital storytelling this summer. Maybe create a few movie journal entries, something newsworthy from my past and see how it translates into that form. I think using digital storytelling as a way to create content is useful not only in my personal life but in my professional life as well. Who knows what can be accomplished by applying this technology to the academic library landscape.

I think there is an opportunity here for some great collaboration between various departments and organizations if someone is just willing to take a chance on it. I mean, if my six year old sister could sign up for a play she could not even read, we could at the very least be willing to try something new.

I'll see you in the movies!

Travelin' Ways

Last Sunday my husband and I flew down to Florida. His parents are retired and have a condo in Ft. Lauderdale so we figured a week of relaxation was desperately needed. I told myself that I would NOT check my email every single day. I was on vacation after all. I am one of those people that even if an email pertains to work and I am NOT a work, I will answer it anyway. I do this especially on Fridays when I am in class instead of being at work. I just cannot stand the idea of something going on at work and I am not there to take care of it. I also hate the idea of putting my work off on a co-worker especially if I can handle it myself via email. It's a problem, I know.

So, on vacation, I thought "I will fight the urge to get online." I succeeded in my plan until Tuesday evening. I was unaware that my husband had Internet access on his phone and was intrigued with the prospect of checking my email via phone. I have never had that experience before and thought it could be fun. Wrong. The website I needed to access did not fit in his phone's browser so it was a giant pain to even look at my messages. Then to actually try to scroll down, well, forget it. The buttons were too small, my fingertips too big, and the font was falling off the screen. It was a freaking nightmare. It reminded me of the dial-up I used to have and how frustrated I would be sitting around waiting for a website to load. Sometimes I just gave up and walked away. My time is precious you know.

I think it's wonderful that our phones have the ability to access the Internet but I would rather check my email on "the big screen." I dislike having to go blind in order to read tiny words. If that is what convenience has turned into, I'll pass on that for now.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is the GPS system. I LOVE the idea of owning one. In fact, I plan to purchase one before our big summer road trip to New England. While in the supermarket, my husband points to a 2009 road atlas and says "We will need to buy one of them soon before our trip." My response? "What the hell for?" I plan on having the GPS which I personally call "Carmen Sandiego." I plan on having her tell me which roads I need to take and what turns to fall into. I do not plan on deciphering some map. He responds to my enthusiasm with "Dawn, people have been getting around with maps way before GPS was invented." Yeah, well, not me. I cannot read a map to save my life. It is not a skill I acquired and judging by the many different types of GPS systems out there, I would say reading maps is a skill headed into the realm of nonexistence. At least I won't be its only resident.

So what exactly am I trying to say here? I like some technology, like how my DVR taped all my shows while I was in Florida, how the GPS finds my way, and I like being able to download my digital photographs right away to see what they look like. These things are awesome. These things I cannot imagine ever living without. I can, however, live without the nightmarish headache and eye strain that comes with tiny phone screens, miniscule fonts, and run-off email messages. If that's what it takes to keep me away from my email on my off-days, well, I could be changed woman.

May I Help You??

It seems more and more that actual books are not being ordered in my academic library. Instead, we are purchasing more resources online. From databases to serial access, physical materials are becoming obsolete. While this may very well be the wave of the future, I cannot help but feel sad for the book, newspaper, serial itself. I suppose this concept calls into question, "Exactly what IS a library if the library does not actually have physical materials?" Imagine a library that only hosts computers and other technological necessities such as various software and programs. A place where there are no shelves because the materials are available online through the computer. While this might be a stretch that there would be NO books at all, it still is the truth that buying monographs have drastically decreased over the years. Serials is no surprise at all. Same with newspaper. But books????

This situation is greatly impacted by our current economic condition where libraries (academic and public) are trying desperately to make budgets work with cuts and slashes all over the place. If you don't want to lose staff, something else must go. Materials budgets are shrinking like Shrinky Dinks. No kidding. And staff are left wondering what kind of impact this will have on tomorrow's patrons. Will they even notice? Will we ever get the money back to buy more books if the time arises? Who knows.

This whole scenerio reminds me of this clip I found on Youtube where a monk is having a heck of time understanding how to open a book. I find it humorous but also quite true. How many patrons, especially students never think to "go to the books" because the Internet has it all? How many books sit on the shelves without ever being cracked open? Any weeding project will showcase a few of those books that never saw the light of day before being removed from the collection.