- The State House Library is a resource library available to state employees, as well as a law and research library for the public. Bills that are introduced in the state legislature are available in hard bound editions, and there is information on most of the Massachusetts communities. Although most of the Waltham resources are the same that we have here, this library is wonderful if one needs resources for multiple communities. This is also a great place to go for genealogists. The library is home to the Zimmer index which compiled a catalog of where to find information on a variety of names. The library also has three print versions of Massachusetts laws (we have one version), as well as a variety of other writings regarding Massachusetts law and politics. There is also a special section for the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as any books related to politics. (I believe I spied a copy of Elizabeth Edwards's new book). While many of the reference books are open stacks, there are several books in the closed stack area. This area reminded me so much of my hometown library when I was a page. I always felt as if I were in a real library when I shelved many moons ago. There is also a large television which broadcasts live sessions of the Massachusetts House and Senate. When the courts are not in session, the television broadcasts images of artifacts from the special collections. And speaking of special collections, that was the last stop of our tour. (well, the last stop was actually when we broke the staff bathroom in the state house, but that's another story) The special collections houses a variety of archival material, including Sanborn Fire maps, and other historic maps. City directories are also included in this collection. There is also a preservation area, in which staff do their own preserving of materials which are damaged due to water, etc. The woman who showed us the special collections actually teaches library preservation classes, which would be really interesting. Some of the materials which are considered extremely valuable are kept in other places, out of reach of the elements destroying them.
- The Kirstein Branch of the Boston Public Library is located on City Hall Avenue, very close to the Financial District. Walking into that library was like taking a step back in time, in a good way. It looked just like a research library out of a movie, complete with tables with patrons looking at strewn out papers, etc. The downstairs area is full of nothing but directories, as well as some financial newsletters, and stock information. They have historical stock information dating back many years which is especially important for our patrons. There are historical stock quotes online, however, if a company has changed names, it is almost impossible to find information. It's good to know that we can at least refer them to the Kirstein Branch to get this information. The library houses directories of pretty much any subject. Want to see a listing of all of the foreign companies that have branches in the United States? That's there. (and quite large, I might add). Want to see a directory regarding baking or snack production? Look at The Baking Snack/Directory and Buyers' Guide. My personal favorite was Who's Who in the Egg and Poultry Industries in the United States and Canada. Upstairs was where patrons could use the Internet, as well as view copies of books on a variety of statistics and studies. There is also a career reference section, and periodicals for pretty much every industry. There were also a variety of books helpful to small business owners, which Jan pointed out would be good for our collection. One of the more interesting studies at the library was a book entitled, American Time Use: Who Spends How Long at What. There is also an extensive list of business databases. You can access many of these at home, by applying for an online BPL card. Or if you're there in person, get an actual BPL card, like Todd and I did. The Kirstein Branch also offers a variety of programs. One that really piqued my interest was "Career Wednesdays" in which counselors from Jewish Vocational Services offer free career counselling, by appointment for a half hour.
Monday, May 18, 2009
State Library and Kirstein Branch of the BPL
On Friday, the reference staff took tours of the State House Library and the Business Branch of the Boston Public Library. It was an extremely informative day, and made us all familiar with more resources that we can offer patrons.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Cat in the Hat
Here is the picture of my colleague, Mary, from the Everett Public Libraries, and me posing with the Cat in the Hat, at the MLA Conference in Springfield (hometown of Dr. Seuss)
Demystifying Manga
I decided to solve the dilemma of what will I choose between Social Networking, 24/7 Reference, and Public Speaking, by not attending any of them but rather to attend a session on the mysteries of manga. (Manga are the Japanese comic books, for those of you who don't know). I buy the collection for the YA room (and adult manga as well for the adult graphic novel collection). I know that the teens love it and I love buying it for them. As a reader, however, I just can't get into it and so I wanted to know more about it. Plus, I was especially intrigued by this panel because a 13 year old was part of it and was going to explain what she liked about manga.
Robin Brenner, the YA librarian from Brookline who is a graphic novel guru, first gave the history of manga, including a brief history of Chinese and Korean comics. There are also different genres of manga for males and females (specifically shonen are for boys and seinen are for men, while shojo are for girls and josei are for women). Next her teen colleague, Leah, shared some insights and gave some suggestions. (For instance, James Patterson's YA series, Maximum Ride, is now a manga series). We also asked Leah what she looked for and for some title suggestions. I wanted to know if she read other types of comics or graphic novels, and she said no, that she generally preferred manga.
Robin Brenner, the YA librarian from Brookline who is a graphic novel guru, first gave the history of manga, including a brief history of Chinese and Korean comics. There are also different genres of manga for males and females (specifically shonen are for boys and seinen are for men, while shojo are for girls and josei are for women). Next her teen colleague, Leah, shared some insights and gave some suggestions. (For instance, James Patterson's YA series, Maximum Ride, is now a manga series). We also asked Leah what she looked for and for some title suggestions. I wanted to know if she read other types of comics or graphic novels, and she said no, that she generally preferred manga.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Getting Rid of the Reference Desk
Wow, scoring 12 runs in one inning without recording an out. Sorry I missed that.
Anyway, I went to an interesting program entitled Getting Rid of the Reference Desk which was interesting and not as radical as it may sound by the title. There were no suggestions about getting rid of reference librarians (thank goodness) or even reducing reference service. Rather it's a way to enhance reference service, by pretty much establishing one stop shopping and going to where the patrons are.
(I just saw our Ingram rep., Cathy, walking down the hall. I always enjoy talking with her. )
The first two speakers were from an academic libary, Northwest Missouri State University, and they noticed that lot of their patrons were not using reference in the traditional ways. While the foot traffic decreased, the web traffic increased. After conducting several surveys and focus groups with the students, the reference department decided to completely revamp how they do reference service. The library now, has, a one stop desk. A patron goes up to the desk and states their need, and if it requires another librarian, the appropriate person is summoned on a walkie talkie. (Librarians are on call and carry the walkie talkies, rather than being on desk. Students staff the desk). The walkie talkies work very well and are also good when a librarian is working somewhere that may not be near a phone. This also works well because the librarian on call is never seen doing work at the desk so the patron (or student in this case) does not feel as if he or she is interupting. The library also employs something called an open door system. There are buzzers by each of the office doors. If the door is open, that means the librarian is available for work with the public. If the librarian needs to have a meeting or take a conference call, he or she simply closes the door. There are forms at the desk so that students can request time with individual librarians or if they have specific needs. Students can also talk with librarians virtually and request one on one appointments with a librarian. The library does not use Instant Messaging, mainly because the hours that it would be used are in the middle of the night, not the most convenient times for librarians!
The Darien Library in Connecticut also uses a roaming reference approach. They used a renovation to try a new form of reference. Instead of a large desk, they only use a very small table, and the librarians use wireless phones and small laptops to do work. They do use Instant Messaging (more diverse clientale than an undergraduate student body), and they also organized the Non-Fiction collection so that it more resembles a bookstore. (Books are put into a Self Help section, for example).
The libraries have the following blogs and websites:
www.nwmissouri.edu/library
owenslib.blogspot.com
darienlibrary.org
Anyway, I went to an interesting program entitled Getting Rid of the Reference Desk which was interesting and not as radical as it may sound by the title. There were no suggestions about getting rid of reference librarians (thank goodness) or even reducing reference service. Rather it's a way to enhance reference service, by pretty much establishing one stop shopping and going to where the patrons are.
(I just saw our Ingram rep., Cathy, walking down the hall. I always enjoy talking with her. )
The first two speakers were from an academic libary, Northwest Missouri State University, and they noticed that lot of their patrons were not using reference in the traditional ways. While the foot traffic decreased, the web traffic increased. After conducting several surveys and focus groups with the students, the reference department decided to completely revamp how they do reference service. The library now, has, a one stop desk. A patron goes up to the desk and states their need, and if it requires another librarian, the appropriate person is summoned on a walkie talkie. (Librarians are on call and carry the walkie talkies, rather than being on desk. Students staff the desk). The walkie talkies work very well and are also good when a librarian is working somewhere that may not be near a phone. This also works well because the librarian on call is never seen doing work at the desk so the patron (or student in this case) does not feel as if he or she is interupting. The library also employs something called an open door system. There are buzzers by each of the office doors. If the door is open, that means the librarian is available for work with the public. If the librarian needs to have a meeting or take a conference call, he or she simply closes the door. There are forms at the desk so that students can request time with individual librarians or if they have specific needs. Students can also talk with librarians virtually and request one on one appointments with a librarian. The library does not use Instant Messaging, mainly because the hours that it would be used are in the middle of the night, not the most convenient times for librarians!
The Darien Library in Connecticut also uses a roaming reference approach. They used a renovation to try a new form of reference. Instead of a large desk, they only use a very small table, and the librarians use wireless phones and small laptops to do work. They do use Instant Messaging (more diverse clientale than an undergraduate student body), and they also organized the Non-Fiction collection so that it more resembles a bookstore. (Books are put into a Self Help section, for example).
The libraries have the following blogs and websites:
www.nwmissouri.edu/library
owenslib.blogspot.com
darienlibrary.org
Audio Books -- Beyond the Book
Although I select the audiobooks for the YA's at our library, I'm afraid I don't know too much about them beyond what I read in professional reviews. I was never much of a listener. I did always appreciate the importance of them, though, and don't understand why some consider listening to audio books cheating. Why is listening to someone read the entire book for several hours different than reading it for several hours? It's not as if someone is watching the movie instead or reading the Cliffs Notes. If someone read a chapter from a book aloud to her child every night, no one would consider that cheating.
Anyway, enough of my rant. This presentation featured Mary Burkey, a school librarian from Columbus, Ohio, who was the chair of Notable Audios for the Association of Library Services for Children (ALA division), as well as Johnny Heller, a narrator from Recorded Books. Mary called herself an evangelist for audiobooks. I had always heard the merits of audiobooks when asking a child who was learning English or having trouble reading to read along with an audio. However, there are many other ways in which audiobooks can improve literacy. For example, listening to an audiobook can improve listening skills. It also can improve vocabulary skills. When reading a word that we may not remember, we may read over it quickly, not to mention not knowing the actual pronunciation. She also made an interesting point later in the discussion regarding boys and audiobooks. There has been a lot of talk lately regarding boys as reluctant readers, and Mary theorized that perhaps this is because the voices who read aloud to them were mostly women (mothers, teachers, librarians). A male audio book narrator can make a difference.
Mary also pointed out ways to market audio books. For example, have a display at any crafts program you may do (such as the children's room Tuesday night crafts, or our recent knitting and watercolor class). Often times, patrons like to listen while doing something else. She also suggested putting displays in large print areas for those who are more visually impaired, or doing displays at the senior center. She even suggested a local health club which I thought was interesting.
Johnny Heller was a lot of fun. He read aloud from several of his audio books, including children's, YA, and adult books. He also explained the process, saying that he records about 2 hours at a time, and that he always reads the book the whole way through before recording. I loved listening to him narrate. I'll have to check out some of his performances.
Anyway, enough of my rant. This presentation featured Mary Burkey, a school librarian from Columbus, Ohio, who was the chair of Notable Audios for the Association of Library Services for Children (ALA division), as well as Johnny Heller, a narrator from Recorded Books. Mary called herself an evangelist for audiobooks. I had always heard the merits of audiobooks when asking a child who was learning English or having trouble reading to read along with an audio. However, there are many other ways in which audiobooks can improve literacy. For example, listening to an audiobook can improve listening skills. It also can improve vocabulary skills. When reading a word that we may not remember, we may read over it quickly, not to mention not knowing the actual pronunciation. She also made an interesting point later in the discussion regarding boys and audiobooks. There has been a lot of talk lately regarding boys as reluctant readers, and Mary theorized that perhaps this is because the voices who read aloud to them were mostly women (mothers, teachers, librarians). A male audio book narrator can make a difference.
Mary also pointed out ways to market audio books. For example, have a display at any crafts program you may do (such as the children's room Tuesday night crafts, or our recent knitting and watercolor class). Often times, patrons like to listen while doing something else. She also suggested putting displays in large print areas for those who are more visually impaired, or doing displays at the senior center. She even suggested a local health club which I thought was interesting.
Johnny Heller was a lot of fun. He read aloud from several of his audio books, including children's, YA, and adult books. He also explained the process, saying that he records about 2 hours at a time, and that he always reads the book the whole way through before recording. I loved listening to him narrate. I'll have to check out some of his performances.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Odds and Ends on the Second Day
- Just had dinner with a friend of mine and a school librarian from Ohio who is doing a presentation on audio books tomorrow morning. We had an interesting discussion on requirements for media specialists in our two states, as well as the state of libraries. I always enjoy talking with librarians in different states, for that reason. She is also a reviewer for Booklist and The Horn Book, which was also interesting to hear about.
- As of now, tomorrow I am planning on attending a session on audio books and a session called "Getting Rid of the Reference Desk" (it's not what you think). I'm debating between attending a session called "Social Software and Intellectual Freedom", Public Speaking on behalf of libraries, or 24/7 Reference because they are all at the same time.
- It's been nice running into some former colleagues, Simmons classmates, and co-workers.
- If you ever get lost in downtown Springfield, the workers at the autobody shop on Main Street with the big Cadillac sign are very nice about giving directions, especially if you're looking for the train station. (long story)
- I've really enjoyed all of the sessions I have attended so far.
- My colleague attended a session entitled "Help! I'm so STRESSED" regarding stress at work (not that any of us are) and was kind enough to bring me the handout. The speaker emphasized the effects of stress, including physical tension and anger. She emphasized the importance of identifying what causes our stress (finances, changing schedules, etc.) as well as "barriers to managing stress" (poor diet, too little sleep, etc.). She advised to set up a support system, whether it be friends, family, or co-workers as well as coping skills, and some relaxation techniques (e.g. breathing, stretching, progressive relaxation, visualization, and meditation)
- I think Tim Wakefield should win the Cy Young Award and that Alex Rodriguez needs to send Manny Ramirez a bouquet or candy gram for taking some of the attention away.
Thursday Afternoon
This afternoon, I attended a lecture from children's picture book author, Mo Willems. I was debating between this and attending a program on dealing with difficult patron situations, but since we saw that excellent presentation by Sarah, last week, I figured I would channel the former children's librarian in me and see the author of the very adorable Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. He was a lot of fun and I'm glad that I decided to attend this. I also got some books autographed for some friends' children.
I also attended the Book Cart Drill Team Competition. (The Conference Committee wisely did not schedule this against anything else). This is pretty amusing, for those of you who've never seen this. Basically employees of a library dress up, and choreograph a routine incorporating book carts. Demco, which sponsors the event, awards money to the top three winners. (Since only three libraries participated this year, well, then all three were lucky). Entries were from Memorial Hall Library in Andover, the Nevins Memorial Library in Methuen, and the Plymouth Public Library. Andover's routine featured characters from Batman, Methuen's a dance routine from A Chorus Line, and Plymouth's a cowgirl routine done to a Shania Twain song. (They were the big winners, by the way.) I really don't know how to describe this, for those of you who have never seen it, so check it this video of this year's winner (Plymouth) at last year's MLA Conference
I also attended the Book Cart Drill Team Competition. (The Conference Committee wisely did not schedule this against anything else). This is pretty amusing, for those of you who've never seen this. Basically employees of a library dress up, and choreograph a routine incorporating book carts. Demco, which sponsors the event, awards money to the top three winners. (Since only three libraries participated this year, well, then all three were lucky). Entries were from Memorial Hall Library in Andover, the Nevins Memorial Library in Methuen, and the Plymouth Public Library. Andover's routine featured characters from Batman, Methuen's a dance routine from A Chorus Line, and Plymouth's a cowgirl routine done to a Shania Twain song. (They were the big winners, by the way.) I really don't know how to describe this, for those of you who have never seen it, so check it this video of this year's winner (Plymouth) at last year's MLA Conference
The World is Not Flat -- Information Literacy in 3D
This workshop was taught by Elizabeth Thomsen from NOBLE (consortium from North of Boston). I was also glad to be able to run into Dina, a former co-worker of mine from Westford. It's always nice to meet up with former colleagues.
Elizabeth basically went over some online 3D programs that are used to teach young people Information Literacy. I was already familiar with one of the products, Google Earth, but it was good to see it used in different ways. It's a great tool for teaching where we are in relation to other parts of the world. Unfortunately, Google Earth requires a fairly robust Internet speed , so I'm not sure it would work well on all of our patron computers.
She also pointed out a product called Google SketchUp, in which one can design 3D drawings. (It's really quite amazing). If a librarian wants to do a model of the library, for instance, or a model of a proposed library renovation, this is a very handy tool. Elizabeth also suggested using it to do a YA program. (I actually asked Elizabeth after the workshop how software like that could be used in relation with libraries). Even if it's not something I would use, immediatly for the library, I do feel it's important to be familiar with what software is out there, so that I can be in the know when patrons ask about it.
Elizabeth also mentioned 3D Replicators which are basically printers for 3D objects. They're very amazing, but the fact the technology exists is amazing to me. For now, one can send in a Sketchup to a company called Shapeways and receive his or her object in the mail.
You can read more about Elizabeth's thoughts on this subject from a post on her blog.
Elizabeth basically went over some online 3D programs that are used to teach young people Information Literacy. I was already familiar with one of the products, Google Earth, but it was good to see it used in different ways. It's a great tool for teaching where we are in relation to other parts of the world. Unfortunately, Google Earth requires a fairly robust Internet speed , so I'm not sure it would work well on all of our patron computers.
She also pointed out a product called Google SketchUp, in which one can design 3D drawings. (It's really quite amazing). If a librarian wants to do a model of the library, for instance, or a model of a proposed library renovation, this is a very handy tool. Elizabeth also suggested using it to do a YA program. (I actually asked Elizabeth after the workshop how software like that could be used in relation with libraries). Even if it's not something I would use, immediatly for the library, I do feel it's important to be familiar with what software is out there, so that I can be in the know when patrons ask about it.
Elizabeth also mentioned 3D Replicators which are basically printers for 3D objects. They're very amazing, but the fact the technology exists is amazing to me. For now, one can send in a Sketchup to a company called Shapeways and receive his or her object in the mail.
You can read more about Elizabeth's thoughts on this subject from a post on her blog.
Information Literacy Showcase
This was my favorite workshop so far, this conference. Information Literacy according to the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science, means, "Skill in finding the information one needs, including an understanding of how libraries are organized, familiarity with the resources they provide (including information formats and automated search tools), and knowledge of commonly used research techniques. The concept also includes the skills required to critically evaluate information content and employ it effectively, as well as an understanding of the technological infrastructure on which information transmission is based, including its social, political, and cultural context and impact."
For years, information literacy has been associated with academic libraries, only, but in reality it's something that all librarians should be prepared to teach. This panel consisted of a public reference librarian, a YA librarian, an elementary school librarian, and an academic librarian.
Matthew, the reference librarian from the Springfield Public Library, mentioned that there is a larger need to be proactive in teaching information literacy. While librarians used to teach information literacy 1:1 on an informal level. The librarians at his library now teach several computer type courses from basic computer classes to classes for high end databases. The name of the program is Hi!Tech @ the Library. Classes that the librarians teach include Computer Basics, Learn to Type, Internet 101, Introduction to Word Processing and Microsoft Word, Manage your Files, Great Websites You Haven't Seen Yet, Local News (using the Internet), Vote Savvy with the Internet, Excel with Spreadsheets, Database Design with Microsoft Access, and Next Reads (which teaches Readers' Advisory tools online including some subscription databases). I was especially intrigued by classes such as Local News and Vote Savvy with the Internet, which not only teaches patrons how to better search online but to be better information consumers. It also gives me something to think about if an when our lovely volunteers can't teach here anymore. Not only does this help patrons improve their information literacy skills, it also helps the librarians. Furthermore, as Matthew pointed out, it's great PR for the library.
The next speaker was Dan, a YA Librarian from Shrewsbury. He mentioned how certain YA programs can be entertaining as well as teach information literacy skills in a subtle manner. (They're also great tools for brining YA's into the library). For example, the library runs a scavenger hunt which requires the YA's to use online databases to find some of the answers. There is also a cooking contest which requires the YA's to find cookbooks in the library which, in turn, teaches OPAC skills. The library also holds a YA writing competion which is held in the same manner as American Idol. In order to vote, the YA's are required to use the library blog and website. The teen advisory board also has a branch who orders Manga and are required to use the OPAC in order to do it.
Julie, the elementary school librarian, emphasized that information literacy begins in kindergarten. She discussed great ways in order to emphasize the difference between fiction and non-fiction. (using songs, word plays, etc.). She also said that pictures are ways for early readers to learn information literacy. Older children are taught to use the catalog when doing projects for school.
Sarah Marks from Fitchburg State discussed Information Literacy at her library. She learned where her students were (on Facebook, youtube, Google, and Wikipedia. They are not on Twitter or Blogs). She emphasized the benefits of wikis, saying that it's the way of the future, and also talked about the virtues of Wikipedia. (personally I feel when used correctly, that it represents everything that is right about the Internet). She mentioned something called libguides which according to their website, offer, "General subject guides, Course guides to support faculty instruction, 'How to' guides related to various library services, Teaching library instruction and information literacy, Collaboration with faculty on research and teaching. Library Website, Staff collaboration/communication" Here is an example of Fitchburg State's History Libguide.
For years, information literacy has been associated with academic libraries, only, but in reality it's something that all librarians should be prepared to teach. This panel consisted of a public reference librarian, a YA librarian, an elementary school librarian, and an academic librarian.
Matthew, the reference librarian from the Springfield Public Library, mentioned that there is a larger need to be proactive in teaching information literacy. While librarians used to teach information literacy 1:1 on an informal level. The librarians at his library now teach several computer type courses from basic computer classes to classes for high end databases. The name of the program is Hi!Tech @ the Library. Classes that the librarians teach include Computer Basics, Learn to Type, Internet 101, Introduction to Word Processing and Microsoft Word, Manage your Files, Great Websites You Haven't Seen Yet, Local News (using the Internet), Vote Savvy with the Internet, Excel with Spreadsheets, Database Design with Microsoft Access, and Next Reads (which teaches Readers' Advisory tools online including some subscription databases). I was especially intrigued by classes such as Local News and Vote Savvy with the Internet, which not only teaches patrons how to better search online but to be better information consumers. It also gives me something to think about if an when our lovely volunteers can't teach here anymore. Not only does this help patrons improve their information literacy skills, it also helps the librarians. Furthermore, as Matthew pointed out, it's great PR for the library.
The next speaker was Dan, a YA Librarian from Shrewsbury. He mentioned how certain YA programs can be entertaining as well as teach information literacy skills in a subtle manner. (They're also great tools for brining YA's into the library). For example, the library runs a scavenger hunt which requires the YA's to use online databases to find some of the answers. There is also a cooking contest which requires the YA's to find cookbooks in the library which, in turn, teaches OPAC skills. The library also holds a YA writing competion which is held in the same manner as American Idol. In order to vote, the YA's are required to use the library blog and website. The teen advisory board also has a branch who orders Manga and are required to use the OPAC in order to do it.
Julie, the elementary school librarian, emphasized that information literacy begins in kindergarten. She discussed great ways in order to emphasize the difference between fiction and non-fiction. (using songs, word plays, etc.). She also said that pictures are ways for early readers to learn information literacy. Older children are taught to use the catalog when doing projects for school.
Sarah Marks from Fitchburg State discussed Information Literacy at her library. She learned where her students were (on Facebook, youtube, Google, and Wikipedia. They are not on Twitter or Blogs). She emphasized the benefits of wikis, saying that it's the way of the future, and also talked about the virtues of Wikipedia. (personally I feel when used correctly, that it represents everything that is right about the Internet). She mentioned something called libguides which according to their website, offer, "General subject guides, Course guides to support faculty instruction, 'How to' guides related to various library services, Teaching library instruction and information literacy, Collaboration with faculty on research and teaching. Library Website, Staff collaboration/communication" Here is an example of Fitchburg State's History Libguide.
Author Visits part Two
Writing this while still getting over the news regarding Manny and waiting for the one children's program I decided to attend. (channeling my old days as a children's librarian to see a picture book author).
I saw two more authors at separate programs, yesterday.
I saw two more authors at separate programs, yesterday.
- Sarah Beth Durst is YA fantasy writer, and a native of Massachusetts. Her books Into the Wild and Out of the Wild imagine what it would be like if Northborough had characters from fairy tales living in it. She discussed different elements of fantasy, including other worlds, magical beings in this world (what she called Fairies in the Coffee Pot), and people from this world going to other world (through the Wardrobe, she called it). She also mentioned why one would want to read fantasy, including escapism, empowerment, understanding, and experimentation. Sarah mentioned a lot of authors who were examples of all genres, which I appreciated. She also talked about how to start writing prompts when conducting writing groups in the library. One prompt could be to change one aspect of the real world, another would be to choose a well known story and decide what happens next. As a librarian who doesn't read a lot of fantasy, I really appreciated hearing about examples of authors to recommend to fantasy crazy readers. Sarah also made me realize that I read some more fantasy than I thought when she mentioned some authors whose works I've read and enjoyed.
- Michael Cunningham was the speaker, last night. Cunningham is the author of The Hours (think Nicole Kidman with the big nose), as well as The Home at the End of the World. He had a discussion with Barbara Hoffert of Library Journal which, admitedly would have been a little hard to follow if you hadn't read any of his books. However, he was very engaging and had a great personality. It was also interesting hearing him talk about the making of the movie for The Hours. Barbara also asked very detailed questions and seemed to know the books very well. She definitely did her homework. I was very excited to have Mr. Cunningham autograph a copy of one of his books for my mother.
Author Visits part One
Yesterday was the day of writers and I loved it. I always enjoy listening to writers, regardless if I've read their works. They all have different methods of writing and it's interesting to hear what works for each individual. I also enjoy when authors talk on panels, especially if they have good chemistry with one another.
- The first two authors I saw were Lynda Barry and Thirty Umrigar. Lynda is a cartoonist who has written graphic novels, such as One! Hundred! Demons! and her latest book, What it Is. Thirty, on the other hand, is a former journalist, turned novelist and professor of creative writing. Her newest novel, is The Weight of Heaven, which tells the story of an American couple of moves to India after their seven year old child dies. The conversation was moderated by Barbara Hoffert, editor of Library Journal. (what a cool job she has!) Lynda was, in short, a nut. I mean that in a good way. She was very funny and clearly seems to love what she does. She made some interesting points about the term "graphic novel", stating that most cartoonists don't like the name. However, she said whatever gets a librarian or educator to justify purchasing them, then it works for her. She did make a funny comment regarding a colleague who said that he thought "graphic novels" referred to books such as Lady Chatterly's Lover. She mentioned that her comic influences were Dr. Seuss and Robert Crumb, although she joked that sometimes Crumb could get a little disturbing. She was very pleased to hear at the book signing, that Dr. Seuss was from Springfield. "Oh that explains the Cat in the Hat picture in my hotel room. I just thought the hotel was really funky." She was also asked about the rise of females in graphic novels. (oh my god, I just took a break and went on Boston.com to catch up on news from the last two days and saw that Manny Ramirez was suspended for performance enhancing drugs. Sorry, back to our regularly scheduled programming). Thirty discussed her life as a journalist and making the transition from journalism to novel writing. She mentioned how journalism is sometimes treated as "the poor cousin of literature" (I loved that line). She also discussed writing her memoir, saying that memoir writing is a subjective retelling of the truth. I asked Thirty what she thought about the future of newspapers, which started a lively discussion. (Lynda also used to write a comic strip which was published in several papers, and which has been dropped). As a wannabe journalist, I'm always interested to hear opinions from those in the field.
The two women had such great chemistry with one another, and seemed to really enjoy what the other was saying, despite (or I think because) of their different styles. They played off each other well. One of my colleagues told them that they should teach a writing class together. I would enjoy something like that. - I'll be back with part two in a few minutes. I've just been asked to take another trip to the exhibit hall to thank the various sponsors.
Greetings from Springfield
Hello there and greetings from the MLA Conference in Springfield. I arrived here yesterday with some colleagues from the Everett and Malden libraries, and after some difficulties involving finding parking (hotel parking lot was full), and getting to the highway, we made it in one piece. Yesterday, was the day of authors and I enjoyed seeing them so much (more in the next post on the specifics). Seeing author programs always reminds me why it was I started working in libraries when I was 14 years old. Speaking of that, I ran into a woman who was a reference librarian at my hometown library back when I was a page, and whose kids went to high school with me. I think she was a little weirded out by the fact that I am pushing 34 and worked with her 20 years ago. No worries. She looks exactly the same as she did 20 years ago.
Springfield, incidently is the hometown of Dr. Seuss. There is a beautiful sculpture garden in the quadrangle which includes the Springfield Library and The Springfield Museum of Fine Arts. There is also a picture of the Cat in the Hat in my hotel room. And yours truly posed with a little Cat in the Hat for the Springfield library who will be using it on their Facebook page. They agreed that we can use it for our Facebook page and Flickr accounts.
In other news, I ran into some of our sales reps, including Nancy from Recorded Books, Lou who represents several of our reference publishers, and Paul who does the same. I was very excited because Lou gave me a reference set for free that I was planning on purchasing, anyway. (The bad news is that I had to schlep a four volume reference set throughout the conference hall. The good news, I now am much stronger than I originally thought.
Springfield, incidently is the hometown of Dr. Seuss. There is a beautiful sculpture garden in the quadrangle which includes the Springfield Library and The Springfield Museum of Fine Arts. There is also a picture of the Cat in the Hat in my hotel room. And yours truly posed with a little Cat in the Hat for the Springfield library who will be using it on their Facebook page. They agreed that we can use it for our Facebook page and Flickr accounts.
In other news, I ran into some of our sales reps, including Nancy from Recorded Books, Lou who represents several of our reference publishers, and Paul who does the same. I was very excited because Lou gave me a reference set for free that I was planning on purchasing, anyway. (The bad news is that I had to schlep a four volume reference set throughout the conference hall. The good news, I now am much stronger than I originally thought.
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