Some people are really affected by the weather. I know several people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and it is a very real, very serious disorder. For all of those living in the northern hemisphere, there seems to be some level of SAD in our lives. However, I think each season, not just winter, brings with it certain feelings and moods. Autumn is here, which is my favorite season. The crisp air and cooler temperatures allow me to break out my fall clothes, but they also inspire me to spend more time on crafts, cooking, and reading "serious" books. I lamented awhile back that I couldn't concentrate on non-fiction; that has mostly gone away now that temps are in the 50s.
Libraries have a huge opportunity with these seasonal shifts in mood and tone. Why not tailor programming to them? Most libraries have dedicated summer programs but leave the other three seasons to be a grab bag of programs, activities, and book clubs. Our library has been trying to keep a theme going and discussed the idea of seasonal programs that mimic (on a much smaller scale) the summer reading programs. So far, I think it is going well. It is nice to have a focus. "Limits" or guidelines can force people to get creative!
Our fall program is centering around health and wellness. Our big test is this weekend, with our one big event-the health and wellness fair! A lot of local health professionals (alternative and mainstream) and other "wellness' type people are going to be setting up tables, giving talks, providing information, and even providing flu & pneumonia shots!
This health fair actually arose from a chat I had with a nurse while getting my venomous spider bite taken care of this summer. It has been exciting to see the program come to life. After the carefree feeling of summer, fall seems like a good time to step back and assess the ways we're taking care of ourselves, our family, and our friends. Are we really doing everything we can to lead a happy, full, healthy and fulfilling life?
I know there are lots of things that I wish I did differently. Maybe fall and the more reflective mood will help me, and lots of other library patrons, accomplish them!
October 19, 2010
October 10, 2010
Not Casual
Hello from Boston!
I've been in Boston for the past few days, visiting George and seeing the sights. I've never been to Boston before, so this was an exciting trip. I got to see a lot of historic stuff. Today we went to Harvard Square for Oktoberfest and to see Harvard by day (we ate dinner in Harvard Square a few nights ago. Very delish.) While we were there I saw the Widener Library! You had to have a Harvard ID to get in, so I wasn't able to stop in and see Matthew Battles (hey LIS 450!). It was pretty cool. History is everywhere in Boston, as well as lots of literary goodness. My guide book says that Boston is America's most literary town. I'm going to say, after three days, that is 100% accurate.
I will post a pic later, but yay libraries! Yay traveling and seeing other libraries!
I've been in Boston for the past few days, visiting George and seeing the sights. I've never been to Boston before, so this was an exciting trip. I got to see a lot of historic stuff. Today we went to Harvard Square for Oktoberfest and to see Harvard by day (we ate dinner in Harvard Square a few nights ago. Very delish.) While we were there I saw the Widener Library! You had to have a Harvard ID to get in, so I wasn't able to stop in and see Matthew Battles (hey LIS 450!). It was pretty cool. History is everywhere in Boston, as well as lots of literary goodness. My guide book says that Boston is America's most literary town. I'm going to say, after three days, that is 100% accurate.
I will post a pic later, but yay libraries! Yay traveling and seeing other libraries!
October 4, 2010
Hope
Lately there have been lots of new stories about gay children and young adults killing themselves after years of bullying due to their sexual orientation. I have lots to say about this issue, but it boils down to this:
1) This is not new. The media just decided to start talking about it.
2) I will never understand people who hate others because of who they love.
3) This whole situation is frustrating and I feel like there is nothing I can do.
You've probably seen this, but I figured the more exposure it gets, the better. Dan Savage, of Savage Love fame, started a Youtube channel called It Gets Better. It is supposed to show young LGBTQ people that life gets better after you grow up, get out of high school, and have the opportunity to move away from the people who hurt you.
Please check it out. Send it to people. Send it to teenagers you know, gay or straight. You never know who it will help.
It Gets Better.
1) This is not new. The media just decided to start talking about it.
2) I will never understand people who hate others because of who they love.
3) This whole situation is frustrating and I feel like there is nothing I can do.
You've probably seen this, but I figured the more exposure it gets, the better. Dan Savage, of Savage Love fame, started a Youtube channel called It Gets Better. It is supposed to show young LGBTQ people that life gets better after you grow up, get out of high school, and have the opportunity to move away from the people who hurt you.
Please check it out. Send it to people. Send it to teenagers you know, gay or straight. You never know who it will help.
It Gets Better.
September 30, 2010
Neglect
Oh I've neglected it again! In July I was all, "I won't abandon you again, my dear blog!" and then look what happens. Two months later and I'm MIA. Sorry blog. I still care for you.
Themes of neglect in our online lives seems to have become a recurring theme in my life. Here in my personal online life, I've neglected the blog. In my professional life, I decided to make an official Twitter account for the library, only to find that someone else on staff had done so--and then posted twice, on the same day, in May. Never posted again.
So, I tracked down the creator, found the password, and now our little zombie Twitter is up and eating brains with the best of them. (Don't you love Halloween and all the monster jokes that come with it?!)
Technologies like Facebook, Twitter, or many other social media tools are so easy to use that many people sign up and promptly forget about them. That, or they sign up and then they can't figure out how to effectively use it and abandon it. There are lots of reasons for this, but one seems to be the age old problem: peer pressure. Group think.
Everyone else is doing it.
At WiLSWorld, every single presenter made the same point, in one way or another: don't adopt a technology that doesn't serve your patrons. Don't adopt something because it is "cool." Don't do something because some other library that you admire does it.
DO adopt tools that will effectively serve various parts of your population. Our Facebook and Twitter presence means nothing to those patrons who come in every single day. They don't need a reminder about the booksale. But it does serve our patrons who come in once a month, and then only to pick up their holds.
Remembering to use technology effectively,and to keep it current can be hard. I love technology, I love social media, I love the interwebs, but even I find it hard. Like anything else, it takes discipline! I've started spending the first 20-30 minutes of my workday scheduling Tweets and checking up on followers, @ responses, etc. What about you? How do you keep on top of the social media world?
Themes of neglect in our online lives seems to have become a recurring theme in my life. Here in my personal online life, I've neglected the blog. In my professional life, I decided to make an official Twitter account for the library, only to find that someone else on staff had done so--and then posted twice, on the same day, in May. Never posted again.
So, I tracked down the creator, found the password, and now our little zombie Twitter is up and eating brains with the best of them. (Don't you love Halloween and all the monster jokes that come with it?!)
Technologies like Facebook, Twitter, or many other social media tools are so easy to use that many people sign up and promptly forget about them. That, or they sign up and then they can't figure out how to effectively use it and abandon it. There are lots of reasons for this, but one seems to be the age old problem: peer pressure. Group think.
Everyone else is doing it.
At WiLSWorld, every single presenter made the same point, in one way or another: don't adopt a technology that doesn't serve your patrons. Don't adopt something because it is "cool." Don't do something because some other library that you admire does it.
DO adopt tools that will effectively serve various parts of your population. Our Facebook and Twitter presence means nothing to those patrons who come in every single day. They don't need a reminder about the booksale. But it does serve our patrons who come in once a month, and then only to pick up their holds.
Remembering to use technology effectively,and to keep it current can be hard. I love technology, I love social media, I love the interwebs, but even I find it hard. Like anything else, it takes discipline! I've started spending the first 20-30 minutes of my workday scheduling Tweets and checking up on followers, @ responses, etc. What about you? How do you keep on top of the social media world?
September 8, 2010
School Design & Social Change
Felt & Wire is seriously hitting it out of the park this week. Check out this amazing project that pairs students with college and professional design mentors and helps them use design to change their school and address social issues.
My high school experience was pretty great. I wasn't cool, but I had such amazing friends that I thought we were cool. It didn't matter if we were popular, because we were so clearly the most awesome group of people around. (I am sure many people felt this way, but for real, Tosa East class of '04, my friends were the best.) What made us feel that way was that there was always room for a new friend, always room for us to be whoever we wanted to be, and always room for us to screw up or have emotional breakdowns or date the wrong person or totally humiliate ourselves. That kind of breathing room is rare in high school. Do I think design can change that? Eh. Do I think empowering teens to change their environment, with any given toolset, can? Yes. Yes. Yes.
My high school experience was pretty great. I wasn't cool, but I had such amazing friends that I thought we were cool. It didn't matter if we were popular, because we were so clearly the most awesome group of people around. (I am sure many people felt this way, but for real, Tosa East class of '04, my friends were the best.) What made us feel that way was that there was always room for a new friend, always room for us to be whoever we wanted to be, and always room for us to screw up or have emotional breakdowns or date the wrong person or totally humiliate ourselves. That kind of breathing room is rare in high school. Do I think design can change that? Eh. Do I think empowering teens to change their environment, with any given toolset, can? Yes. Yes. Yes.
September 7, 2010
Frankenstein Letterpress
It isn't Halloween yet (but I'm already dreaming of it!) but a recent post on Felt & Wire made me think of everyone's favorite monster, Frankenstein. It's in reference to this awesome Print is Alive poster created by Martin Venezky and ThirdBay Letterpress. You should definitely check out the interviews about both the text and the art. Their description of the printing process makes you realize that print (as in old fashioned printing, on actual presses, not digital printers) is truly a living process. Small variations occur, the process works to make something new, and the end result is a poster ready to hang on a wall in your home.
photo source
August 29, 2010
The Memories of Items
Five years ago today, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, devastating the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. We all watched on television as people crawled onto rooftops, paddled through sewage and flood water, and stood dying on highways. It was terrible. Six months later, I had the privilege to lead a group of DePaul students to New Orleans to help in the recovery effort. We worked with Catholic Charities to gut homes. It was hard physical labor, but the real toll the work took was on our hearts. Seeing homes pulled off their foundations, cars on rooftops, and homes on top of homes was shocking. No words can describe what the people in New Orleans endured, and no words can express my amazement at their resilience.
The third home we worked on was actually in the process of being rebuilt. After gutting two homes, it was good to see something positive, although mixed with uncertainty. Outside this home, we found a birds nest with two eggs in it. The homeowner said and our team agreed they were a lovely symbol of the fragile hope that pulsed through some of those in the city.
We met some amazing people, but I learned most from one of my own. The fourth home had not been touched since the storm. We had the monumental task of going through all of the items inside and decide what to save and what to destroy. Mold had eaten through most of the belongings. As we had all week, we worked with a team from Ohio State University. They were troopers. Together we sorted through the items, at one point throwing away a bundle of black ribbon. One of our DePaul teammates became quite upset. She explained to our group that in some African-American families, these ribbons are an important part of a mourning ritual dating back to slavery and are a vital tie to lost loved ones. She explained why we needed to save these items, why we couldn't throw them away despite water damage. Her words, her passion, and her sincere commitment to a woman and a family she had never met were touching. These items were a tie to more than just one person; they were a tie to an entire culture. I can never thank my teammate enough for the lesson she taught me that day.
As we remember the people of New Orleans and the disaster they continue to recover from, we should also remember that they are resilient, strong, and truly unique. With that, here's a photo of a group of New Orleans musicians doing their thing and bringing joy to all those who saw them:
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