Everyone has one. An inner critic. And mine's a negative one, not a constructive one! At least, most of the time it's not constructive.
Mine is working on me today.
Heeyyyy, now that the library is closed for a week, you should be able to write about anything you want to...not all that library stuff.
Sounds lovely. Like what?
Why don't you write about that movie you saw last Saturday?
Yeah, that's a good idea.
I went to see "Julie & Julia," the movie about Julia Child. It was hilarious, but it didn't make me want to cook French food from the Julia Child cookbook. Nevertheless, it did appeal to me, because of the young gal writing a blog about her cooking Julia Child's recipes, and the old gal (sorry, Julia) going through all the pains of trying to get her cookbook published in the USA. And it did send me to our stack of cookbooks to see how many Julia Child cookbooks we have here at the library.
Stop that now! You're not supposed to write about library stuff!
Okay. Let's see. Well, my coworker is on vacation in the state of Washington where she's visiting her daughter. When I go on vacation, I want to go to the beach. But the closest I've been able to get is to read Dorothea Benton Frank's books: Sullivans Island, Pawley's Island, The Isle of Palms, books like that. Our library has lots of beach reads.
There you go again...talking about books! And the library! Don't you have anything else going on in your life?
I did go to Thomasville the other day for a little shopping. Managed to find some fall leaves for an October display. Oh, and I got a lime green, fringed throw for the dragon display that I'm going to put up the first of September. And I found a dark green tablecloth for our hiking display...
Stop! Stop! Stop! Girl, I don't know what I'm going to do with you! You've got no life! All you think about is what you have going on here at this library.
No I don't! I DO have a life! I have friends and my cats and my books and my writing. I go places and do things that I like to do. But there are some things I DON'T want in my life.
And what's that?
YOU! I don't need an inner critic fussing at me about my library and my job! I like things just like they are! So, there! Stuff youself back in that bottle you blew out of and leave me alone! Tomorrow's another day. Just wait to see what I write about then!
Bet it'll be about this library! Girl, what am I going to do with you!!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Taking Stock
Those are funny words - taking stock. Sounds like something to do with soup, but I know it has to do with inventory time here at our library.
The library is closed to the public for five days this week, and it's much quieter today than it normally is. It's a good time to take stock.
That led me to sit in the quiet of this office and think about what the libary means to me. So, in a small way, I'm taking stock of my thoughts.
It didn't matter what town I moved to all my life as long as it had a library. And I've lived in a lot of towns. Most of them had a library.
One little town in Illinois had a Carnegie library, round dome and all. It was a small library, but I managed to find a way to get a job there. I dusted a lot of shelves and straightened a lot of books. And one time, when the cleaning lady was sick, I even cleaned the entire library, both floors full of stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed doing whatever I was given to do.
So, when I moved here, I looked for a job at this library.
I also made sure that no matter what town I moved to, my children knew that the best place in town was the library. And it's the same here. When they first came to see me, I took them to the library so they could see where I work and what a great place we have.
We have a fantastic children's library. It's a magical place that makes me want to be a kid again. The reading garden and the bright primary colors make kids feel right at home. And when the special programs are held, you can hear their laughter ripple down the
hallway.
Today I took the opportunity to sit on the cushy sofa in the reading area and look around. I feel proud we have such a comfortable and pleasant place for our patrons to enjoy, where they can read the daily newspapers and up-to-date magazines, look over a book before they check it out, or study at one of the tables. And I have to admit, once in a while, on a day off, I do just that.
I feel proud that we have twenty Dell computers where our patrons can search for a job, study for a test, research a specific topic or answer email, and where out-of-towners can bring their laptops and catch up on their lives while away from home or work.
I feel proud that we have one of the most highly regarded genealogical libraries in the United States, maybe even the whole wide world. That it's a place where people from all over the world visit to research their family trees and clan histories, where they can sit together as friends and family and learn more about Grandma Clara or Uncle Wilbur, where they can use the computers to pull up genealogical databases, and know that they are sitting in a "gem" of a library.
There's lots to be thankful for on this day of taking stock. To me, this is the best place in Moultrie to have a job. Not many people can say they get paid to do what they enjoy, but I can. And I have to admit, my coworkers are a swell bunch of people.
I'm sure there's lots more I could have covered, but there's only so much time and space. And our inventory time lasts only five days. But this was a start.
The library is closed to the public for five days this week, and it's much quieter today than it normally is. It's a good time to take stock.
That led me to sit in the quiet of this office and think about what the libary means to me. So, in a small way, I'm taking stock of my thoughts.
It didn't matter what town I moved to all my life as long as it had a library. And I've lived in a lot of towns. Most of them had a library.
One little town in Illinois had a Carnegie library, round dome and all. It was a small library, but I managed to find a way to get a job there. I dusted a lot of shelves and straightened a lot of books. And one time, when the cleaning lady was sick, I even cleaned the entire library, both floors full of stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed doing whatever I was given to do.
So, when I moved here, I looked for a job at this library.
I also made sure that no matter what town I moved to, my children knew that the best place in town was the library. And it's the same here. When they first came to see me, I took them to the library so they could see where I work and what a great place we have.
We have a fantastic children's library. It's a magical place that makes me want to be a kid again. The reading garden and the bright primary colors make kids feel right at home. And when the special programs are held, you can hear their laughter ripple down the
hallway.
Today I took the opportunity to sit on the cushy sofa in the reading area and look around. I feel proud we have such a comfortable and pleasant place for our patrons to enjoy, where they can read the daily newspapers and up-to-date magazines, look over a book before they check it out, or study at one of the tables. And I have to admit, once in a while, on a day off, I do just that.
I feel proud that we have twenty Dell computers where our patrons can search for a job, study for a test, research a specific topic or answer email, and where out-of-towners can bring their laptops and catch up on their lives while away from home or work.
I feel proud that we have one of the most highly regarded genealogical libraries in the United States, maybe even the whole wide world. That it's a place where people from all over the world visit to research their family trees and clan histories, where they can sit together as friends and family and learn more about Grandma Clara or Uncle Wilbur, where they can use the computers to pull up genealogical databases, and know that they are sitting in a "gem" of a library.
There's lots to be thankful for on this day of taking stock. To me, this is the best place in Moultrie to have a job. Not many people can say they get paid to do what they enjoy, but I can. And I have to admit, my coworkers are a swell bunch of people.
I'm sure there's lots more I could have covered, but there's only so much time and space. And our inventory time lasts only five days. But this was a start.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Here We Go Again! Inventory Time!
Yep! It's inventory time again!
We've had our signs posted all around the library for the past couple of weeks about being closed next week. This happens every year at the same time.
So, don't look for our doors to be open Monday, August 10th, through Friday, August 14th, because we'll be in the process of waxing floors, cleaning shelves and ceiling fans, straightening books, and dusting all over the place, as well as the many other inventory processes that will be going on. This gives us time to look into every nook and cranny to find that lost book or misplaced file.
It also gives us time to be together as a library family.
In fact, the first morning of inventory always brings the staff together early (and I mean early for some of us) to share breakfast. In the past, we've met at various restaurants, but this year we're breakfasting here at the library.
Our director plans to serve breakfast casseroles, someone will bring fruit, someone will prepare the coffee, another will fix toast, and another will bring the jams and jellies. We'll all thank the Lord for our jobs and friendships and food, and then we'll sit down together to a feast.
After that, the serious business of inventory will begin and last for a whole five days.
By the time our doors open again on Saturday, August 15th, at 8:30 a.m., the place will be spick and span, clean from top to bottom, and ready for you to join us.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. See you on the 15th.
We've had our signs posted all around the library for the past couple of weeks about being closed next week. This happens every year at the same time.
So, don't look for our doors to be open Monday, August 10th, through Friday, August 14th, because we'll be in the process of waxing floors, cleaning shelves and ceiling fans, straightening books, and dusting all over the place, as well as the many other inventory processes that will be going on. This gives us time to look into every nook and cranny to find that lost book or misplaced file.
It also gives us time to be together as a library family.
In fact, the first morning of inventory always brings the staff together early (and I mean early for some of us) to share breakfast. In the past, we've met at various restaurants, but this year we're breakfasting here at the library.
Our director plans to serve breakfast casseroles, someone will bring fruit, someone will prepare the coffee, another will fix toast, and another will bring the jams and jellies. We'll all thank the Lord for our jobs and friendships and food, and then we'll sit down together to a feast.
After that, the serious business of inventory will begin and last for a whole five days.
By the time our doors open again on Saturday, August 15th, at 8:30 a.m., the place will be spick and span, clean from top to bottom, and ready for you to join us.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. See you on the 15th.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
What Are WE Reading, You Ask
Good question!
Today I decided to take a little tour around the library and see what other staff members are reading. There were a couple, of course, who are not reading at this time. One was busy doing other things and the other is in between books.
But here's what I found out...
Norma is reading a Fannie Flagg book, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! Most everyone knows who Fannie Flagg is. If I said Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, you'd know who I mean. Yep, she wrote that book also and they made it into a movie in 1991. If you haven't watched the movie or read the book, you should. The story is a little mystery. But seriously, anything Fannie Flagg writes is funny, funny, funny. Always a good read.
Ann is reading a funny book also. She's reading Augusta Trobaugh's The Tea Olive Bird-watching Society. Trobaugh is famous for her book Sophie and the Rising Sun, but she's more famous to us here in Georgia because she lives in Athens, Georgia. Another book she wrote (which some people speculated was similar to Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees) is Swan Place, about a little girl named Dove. Trobaugh didn't write many books, but they are all good
reads.
Now, Cray is reading a book by a mastermind author, Danielle Steel, titled Matters of the Heart. Did you know that by the time 2010 gets here, Steel will have written 81 fictions (beginning in 1973), three nonfictions, one picture book, and 14 children's books? By the way, we have some of Steel's books on our sale book shelves for only $1.00. Your choice and several to choose from.
Jinx is reading another Dorothea Benton Frank book, Full of Grace. She said she's working her way through all of Frank's books (10 or 12 at the present time) and has recently read Shem Creek, Isle of Palms, and Pawley's Island. Frank was born and raised on Sullivan's Island (the name of another one of her books), South Carolina, so she should certainly know all about that area.
Melody is not only reading, but listening to an audio book by J. A. Jance. The book she's reading is an old book originally published in 1940. Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn is an inspiration to read. Dunn was a businessman, who decided to take up the "hobby" of helping others and wrote this classic book of servce, attention and the joy of giving yourself away.
When I talked to Irene, she had her book open on her desk. She said most of her reading is work-related. Right now she's reading Marriage and Death Notices from the Southern Presbyterian, Vol. 1. That's definitely work-related, since she works in Genealogy.
So, you can see, even though we work around books all day long, we don't leave them at work. We check them out and take them home and read, read, read. It's one of the best hobbies I can think of having.
How about you? What are you reading now?
Today I decided to take a little tour around the library and see what other staff members are reading. There were a couple, of course, who are not reading at this time. One was busy doing other things and the other is in between books.
But here's what I found out...
Norma is reading a Fannie Flagg book, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! Most everyone knows who Fannie Flagg is. If I said Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, you'd know who I mean. Yep, she wrote that book also and they made it into a movie in 1991. If you haven't watched the movie or read the book, you should. The story is a little mystery. But seriously, anything Fannie Flagg writes is funny, funny, funny. Always a good read.
Ann is reading a funny book also. She's reading Augusta Trobaugh's The Tea Olive Bird-watching Society. Trobaugh is famous for her book Sophie and the Rising Sun, but she's more famous to us here in Georgia because she lives in Athens, Georgia. Another book she wrote (which some people speculated was similar to Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees) is Swan Place, about a little girl named Dove. Trobaugh didn't write many books, but they are all good
reads.
Now, Cray is reading a book by a mastermind author, Danielle Steel, titled Matters of the Heart. Did you know that by the time 2010 gets here, Steel will have written 81 fictions (beginning in 1973), three nonfictions, one picture book, and 14 children's books? By the way, we have some of Steel's books on our sale book shelves for only $1.00. Your choice and several to choose from.
Jinx is reading another Dorothea Benton Frank book, Full of Grace. She said she's working her way through all of Frank's books (10 or 12 at the present time) and has recently read Shem Creek, Isle of Palms, and Pawley's Island. Frank was born and raised on Sullivan's Island (the name of another one of her books), South Carolina, so she should certainly know all about that area.
Melody is not only reading, but listening to an audio book by J. A. Jance. The book she's reading is an old book originally published in 1940. Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn is an inspiration to read. Dunn was a businessman, who decided to take up the "hobby" of helping others and wrote this classic book of servce, attention and the joy of giving yourself away.
When I talked to Irene, she had her book open on her desk. She said most of her reading is work-related. Right now she's reading Marriage and Death Notices from the Southern Presbyterian, Vol. 1. That's definitely work-related, since she works in Genealogy.
So, you can see, even though we work around books all day long, we don't leave them at work. We check them out and take them home and read, read, read. It's one of the best hobbies I can think of having.
How about you? What are you reading now?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Georgia Is Loaded With Authors!
I am just amazed, astounded, at how many authors Georgia
has!
We put up a little display called "Read Georgia Authors." While I was researching this project, I could not believe how many authors we have. I used several resources: the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, Georgia Center for the Book, Southern Literary Review, and a few others. No matter how many lists I looked at, they were never all the same, of course, But, boy! Did I find a bunch of Georgia authors, living and otherwise.
You've probably heard of these: Julian Bond, Erskine Caldwell, Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn, Pearl Cleage, Max Cleland, Pat Conroy, James Dickey, Lewis Grizzard, Terry Kay, Martin Luther King, Carson McCullers, Zell Miller, Margaret Mitchell, Flannery O'Connor, Eugenia Price, Janisse Ray, Ann Rivers Siddons, Alice Walker, Bailey White, Frank Yerby, and Andrew Jackson Young. And there are many more I didn't name.
But then I found some I didn't know. Do you? Bill Arp, Turner Cassity, Rosemary Daniell, Francis Fontaine, Mary Hood, Grace Lumpkin, Byron Herbert Reece, Bettie Sellers, Francis Orray Ticknor, and Don West. And many more.
If you go to the Georgia Center for the Book website, you can see a list of Georgia authors sorted by last name. And you can also locate them on a map of Georgia by county!
I also found the 2008 list of Georgia Top 25 Books by Living Georgia Writers that all Georgians should read. This list is made up of books set in Georgia or written by a resident or former resident of the state. The list, aimed at enhancing public appreciation of Georgia's rich literary tradition, was chosen by the public and members of the Center's advisory council. The purpose of the Top 25 is to promote reading and discussion and to enhance appreciation of Georgia's rich literary traditions.
We really don't have an excuse for not reading Georgia authors. There are so many of them and so many books they've written that it would take us a lifetime to read them all.
Why not start today and check out a Georgia author's book. It's wonderful stuff to read!
(Source: Georgia Center for the Book, http://www.georgiacenterforthebook.org/)
has!
We put up a little display called "Read Georgia Authors." While I was researching this project, I could not believe how many authors we have. I used several resources: the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, Georgia Center for the Book, Southern Literary Review, and a few others. No matter how many lists I looked at, they were never all the same, of course, But, boy! Did I find a bunch of Georgia authors, living and otherwise.
You've probably heard of these: Julian Bond, Erskine Caldwell, Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn, Pearl Cleage, Max Cleland, Pat Conroy, James Dickey, Lewis Grizzard, Terry Kay, Martin Luther King, Carson McCullers, Zell Miller, Margaret Mitchell, Flannery O'Connor, Eugenia Price, Janisse Ray, Ann Rivers Siddons, Alice Walker, Bailey White, Frank Yerby, and Andrew Jackson Young. And there are many more I didn't name.
But then I found some I didn't know. Do you? Bill Arp, Turner Cassity, Rosemary Daniell, Francis Fontaine, Mary Hood, Grace Lumpkin, Byron Herbert Reece, Bettie Sellers, Francis Orray Ticknor, and Don West. And many more.
If you go to the Georgia Center for the Book website, you can see a list of Georgia authors sorted by last name. And you can also locate them on a map of Georgia by county!
I also found the 2008 list of Georgia Top 25 Books by Living Georgia Writers that all Georgians should read. This list is made up of books set in Georgia or written by a resident or former resident of the state. The list, aimed at enhancing public appreciation of Georgia's rich literary tradition, was chosen by the public and members of the Center's advisory council. The purpose of the Top 25 is to promote reading and discussion and to enhance appreciation of Georgia's rich literary traditions.
We really don't have an excuse for not reading Georgia authors. There are so many of them and so many books they've written that it would take us a lifetime to read them all.
Why not start today and check out a Georgia author's book. It's wonderful stuff to read!
(Source: Georgia Center for the Book, http://www.georgiacenterforthebook.org/)
Monday, August 3, 2009
GALILEO - Our Buzz Word
That's right! GALILEO. That's our buzz word.
GALILEO stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online. It's an initiative of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
It's a World Wide Web-based virtual library, which provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed products.
Participating institutions (that's us) may access over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Over 2,000 journal titles are provided in full-text.
Other resources include encyclopedias, business directories, and government publications.
To use GALILEO, all you have to do is go to the website http://www.galileo.usg.edu/ and look at all the information at your fingertips.
Library card holders may get a password from their local library. It changes quarterly. But a password is not required if you use GALILEO in the library.
There are even databases for job seekers. For instance, there's the Georgia Career Information System. It provides current and accurate occupational and education information to schools and agencies throughout Georgia in order to help young people and adults make informed career choices. (This site requires a password which is found by clicking a link under the database title.)
And there's GAcollege411. Both recent college graduates and returning adult learners will find the website useful. The site provides all of the necessary information to apply properly for admission at any of the State's 35 public colleges and universities.
There's also the Career Resources Education Network (The Fun Works). This website is about careers. Not just the interesting ones other people have, but the ones you can have. You may not exactly know what you want to do, but this site will help you discover who you are, what you like to do, and what you do the best.
And there's a GALILEO for kids, too. http://kids.galileo.usg.edu/ is a kid-friendly interface that includes not only a few selected subscription databases, but also Internet resources appropriate for elementary and middle school-aged children. It is available from home. Passwords are available from public schools and Georgia's public libraries.
So, now it's time for you to check out GALILEO. I bet it'll become your buzz word, too.
GALILEO stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online. It's an initiative of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
It's a World Wide Web-based virtual library, which provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed products.
Participating institutions (that's us) may access over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Over 2,000 journal titles are provided in full-text.
Other resources include encyclopedias, business directories, and government publications.
To use GALILEO, all you have to do is go to the website http://www.galileo.usg.edu/ and look at all the information at your fingertips.
Library card holders may get a password from their local library. It changes quarterly. But a password is not required if you use GALILEO in the library.
There are even databases for job seekers. For instance, there's the Georgia Career Information System. It provides current and accurate occupational and education information to schools and agencies throughout Georgia in order to help young people and adults make informed career choices. (This site requires a password which is found by clicking a link under the database title.)
And there's GAcollege411. Both recent college graduates and returning adult learners will find the website useful. The site provides all of the necessary information to apply properly for admission at any of the State's 35 public colleges and universities.
There's also the Career Resources Education Network (The Fun Works). This website is about careers. Not just the interesting ones other people have, but the ones you can have. You may not exactly know what you want to do, but this site will help you discover who you are, what you like to do, and what you do the best.
And there's a GALILEO for kids, too. http://kids.galileo.usg.edu/ is a kid-friendly interface that includes not only a few selected subscription databases, but also Internet resources appropriate for elementary and middle school-aged children. It is available from home. Passwords are available from public schools and Georgia's public libraries.
So, now it's time for you to check out GALILEO. I bet it'll become your buzz word, too.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
"They" Tell Us Books Are On The Decline
I just read this statement the other day: "Statistics for 2008 tell us that books are on the decline." Where have we heard that before? The article continued with the following information.
"...The biggest declines for traditional publishers came in travel (down by 15% with only 4,817 new titles), fiction (down 11% with 47,541 new titles), and religion (down 14% at 16,847 new titles).
"...The top five categories for U.S. book production in 2008, according to Bowker, a bibliographic data provider, were: fiction, juveniles, sociology/economics, religion, and science.
"...Independent bookstore members of the American Booksellers Association declined again in the past twelve months, totaling 1,401 as of April as compared to 1,524 stores in the same month a year ago."
The more I read, the more interested I became. One question asked was: "Where do consumers buy books?" According to a statement released from PubTrack(tm) Consumer, a service of R. R. Bowker, LLC:
23% purchased books through online purchase/e-commerce,
22% from large chains (Barnes & Noble, etc.),
10% through book clubs,
7% from independents,
6% through mass merchandisers (Walmart, etc.),
4% from warehouse clubs (SAMS, etc.),
2% from supermarkets/grocery stores,
1% from discount stores, drugstores, religious bookstores and book fairs, and
22% were from a variety of other outlets.
We've found here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library and the Doerun Municipal Library that books are not on the decline. In fact, our patrons are checking out more books now than ever before. Maybe "books on the decline" means not as many books are being written (which I doubt) or published (maybe) or sold
(probably).
In a time when our economy has us pinching our pennies, there are just not enough coins to constantly buy a new book. And although we continue to read the reviews about the latest published books, we are still looking for ways to find that good read without having to give up an arm and a leg (well, maybe just a leg).
Those people who do surveys about books declining should visit most any library in the country. Sure, maybe sales of books are declining, but library card holders have increased, as have patrons of Inter-Library Loans and the sale of discontinued/discounted books many libraries sell.
What do you think? Are you reading less books or buying less books? Well, come on down to the library where you don't have to give up reading because you can't buy a new book. We've got plenty to share. Just bring your library card or sign up for a free one. We have plenty of those also.
(Source: Southern Review Books at http://www.anvilpub.net/, July 09)
"...The biggest declines for traditional publishers came in travel (down by 15% with only 4,817 new titles), fiction (down 11% with 47,541 new titles), and religion (down 14% at 16,847 new titles).
"...The top five categories for U.S. book production in 2008, according to Bowker, a bibliographic data provider, were: fiction, juveniles, sociology/economics, religion, and science.
"...Independent bookstore members of the American Booksellers Association declined again in the past twelve months, totaling 1,401 as of April as compared to 1,524 stores in the same month a year ago."
The more I read, the more interested I became. One question asked was: "Where do consumers buy books?" According to a statement released from PubTrack(tm) Consumer, a service of R. R. Bowker, LLC:
23% purchased books through online purchase/e-commerce,
22% from large chains (Barnes & Noble, etc.),
10% through book clubs,
7% from independents,
6% through mass merchandisers (Walmart, etc.),
4% from warehouse clubs (SAMS, etc.),
2% from supermarkets/grocery stores,
1% from discount stores, drugstores, religious bookstores and book fairs, and
22% were from a variety of other outlets.
We've found here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library and the Doerun Municipal Library that books are not on the decline. In fact, our patrons are checking out more books now than ever before. Maybe "books on the decline" means not as many books are being written (which I doubt) or published (maybe) or sold
(probably).
In a time when our economy has us pinching our pennies, there are just not enough coins to constantly buy a new book. And although we continue to read the reviews about the latest published books, we are still looking for ways to find that good read without having to give up an arm and a leg (well, maybe just a leg).
Those people who do surveys about books declining should visit most any library in the country. Sure, maybe sales of books are declining, but library card holders have increased, as have patrons of Inter-Library Loans and the sale of discontinued/discounted books many libraries sell.
What do you think? Are you reading less books or buying less books? Well, come on down to the library where you don't have to give up reading because you can't buy a new book. We've got plenty to share. Just bring your library card or sign up for a free one. We have plenty of those also.
(Source: Southern Review Books at http://www.anvilpub.net/, July 09)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)