More librarian movies

The only thing this one has in common with the last one is that both are in black-and-white. Be sure to stick around for the final shot that leads into the credits. Kind of reminds me of the Pressed Fairy books, illustrated by Brian Froud and written by Terry Jones.

Thanks to LISNews for the tip.

My Life Work

More than one movie goes by the catchy title of The Librarian. Apparently Vocational Guidance Films, Inc. did a series called Your Life Work in the 1940s. If you've got a spare 10 minutes and 8 seconds, this version of The Librarian is well worth watching. It's found its way to YouTube, Google Video, and the Internet Archive. As a school librarian, I learned that I am supposed to direct young reader's interests into "approved and worthwhile channels." Hmm, wonder what the producers would have thought about our subscription to the Advocate. Or -- horrors -- Mad. Don't get me started on the graphic novel collection...

The book is definitely not dead

At least not judging by the books our students are requesting from campus and I-Share libraries. Nor by the books campus and I-Share users have been requesting from our small-but-mighty collection. Here's a sense of things from today's incoming and outgoing.

Incoming:
Bayesian Epistemology
Two books about the KGB
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Crockery and Glass Journal, vols. 138-139, 1946 (for a staff member)
And for a senior girl who requests books on topics ranging from Shakespeare to the history of shorthand, Experimental Metaphysics and Simple Quantum Physics (which wins the prize for most oxymoron-ish title)

Outgoing:
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America
Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America
Ekiben: The Art of the Japanese Box Lunch
Beatles: The Biography
Preface to Plato

From browsing the Crockery and Glass Journal, I have learned what the typical stemware ratio is if I plan to order a gross of the stuff. Not sure why the salad plates are in there, except maybe to provide a sense of scale. I guess there's more to the dining experience than drinking all those cordials and cocktails.

Earbuds are for buddies

As Rachel and Laura are demonstrating.



I've been wanting to put together a gallery of photos like this one. Any volunteers?

So this morning the sirens went off. With all the discussion around school about an upcoming Code Red alert, we were primed. We locked the door, turned off the lights, and herded everyone into the "safe corner." And burned to a crisp. It was a fire drill, not a code red alert. Please don't tell anyone. It's way too embarrassing.

Heavy-handed legislation

Last Sunday, The Shifted Librarian posted an e-mail she received from the Orland Park Public Library about the latest attempt to pass legislation intended to protect not only children, but also adults from unsavory Internet content. House Bill 1727 would mandate that all Internet computers in public libraries and public schools be filtered. The passage of this bill would affect us too, since it is not restricted to libraries that receive e-rate funding for Internet access. But life would change even in libraries that already have filters installed. For example, librarians could be subject to lawsuits filed by users who differ in their definition of offensiveness. At least the latest amendment removes the bit about librarians being required to sign annual perjury oaths. The momentum is building, with the bill now on the Calendar for short debate. The Illinois Library Association is all over this, providing information about the bill, talking points to help folks understand why the bill is such a bad idea, and contact information for legislators.

If this bill passes, I cannot begin to fathom the costs -- in both dollars and person-hours -- required for implementation at Uni. Even worse to contemplate is the way life would be post H.B. 1727. I think I'd have to quit and go get a job at the post office instead.

Armchair critics

I can hardly bear to read (or listen to or watch) the news about the tragedy that took place yesterday at Virginia Tech. The story itself is horrific, beyond comprehension. But I also hate all the second-guessing that goes on, the questions (and implied accusations) about what the campus, the police, the Persons In Charge should have or could have done. These acts are so random. How can any of us, no matter how well-trained, know how we would respond?

Sometime this spring we are going to have our Code Red alert practice. An alarm will go off, teachers will scoop up students who are in the halls and lock their doors, and we'll all hunker down away from windows. But while I believe the exercise is worthwhile, I'm aware (as is everyone here) of its limitations. Our school is a very open place, being on a University campus. The library, a unit of the University Library, is a big part of the reason we have our doors open to the world. We must be as accessible as any of the other departmental libraries on campus. I keep my fingers crossed that we can keep it this way.

Still waiting

It's the principle of the thing, you know.

So who's fault is this?

ABC and anchor Katie Couric have come under fire for a plagiarized blog entry. Apparently, even though the blog is called "Katie Couric's Notebook," she doesn't actually write all of (or maybe even some of) the entries. But what a disconnect for the listener when Couric starts out with "I still remember when I got my first library card." Turns out this wasn't a story about when she got her first library card, but when Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow got his first library card -- and then subsequently wrote about it in his March 20th column. It's a lovely piece and I applaud CBS for wanting to showcase the wonders of libraries, but surely Couric has some memories of her very own on this subject?

ABC has published an editor's note of apology and fired the still-unnamed producer who "wrote" the blog entry for Couric. You can read a line-by-line comparison of the two pieces at The Raw Story.

Hmm, I'm thinking I need to get me one of those producers.

Library sighting, 8th period

Guess what play is this weekend?



Every single cast, crew, and pit orchestra member's name is printed on the back of this lovely t-shirt. I'll be in the crowd Friday http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifnight.

Role models to die for

Rex Libris -- first a comic book, soon to be a Major Motion Picture.



Rex is part of a secret sect of librarians who battle the forces of darkness. He "must protect the world's knowledge and most dangerous secrets from falling into the wrong hands, such as when a squad of goons storm the library and tamper with the Dewey Decimal System by removing a certain card from the catalog. The library's walls collapse and a secret stack of books is revealed." This one has got to be better than The Librarian series from the folks at "We Know Drama" TNT, cute as Noah Wyle may be.

But wait - what about Fiona, the Flying Librarian? Fiona is an elementary school librarian and can also fly a plane higher and faster and straighter than anyone in the universe. When someone is in trouble, she puts on her pink jumpsuit and her Flying Librarian cap and off she goes to the rescue.

Time for me to unleash the inner superhero.

Another reading "environment"

My friend Lisa pointed me to a posting on Popgadget ("Personal tech and innovative lifestyle for women") about the CAVE, a bookcase that provides a private reading space within its form.



The CAVE is manufactured in Italy and costs a mere 8,000 euros (plus 1,000 euros for shipping). Don't get excited yet, though. They are only shipping to locations in Europe at this time, maybe because it comes assembled. I love the disclaimer on the website: "The price does not include books in the product." Darn.

All in a day's work

Mostly the usual stuff -- class visits, unclass visits (those that weren't scheduled), books recommended, paper trays refilled, etc. During 8th period, a couple of the computers sported a cheery look:



One major departure from the norm. Peter Rolland, class of 1962, now known as Peter "Doc" Rolland and previous National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest champion, came to visit the string players in the orchestra. I even got to pretend to play Old Joe Clark with him.

Nice idea, not so nice execution?

Looking to improve your Reading Experience? Through a tip on LISnews, I learned about the Bibliochaise, an "armchairlibrary."



If you go to the company site, you can test how it looks with different paint colors and wood finishes. But I don't know. Where do you put your feet? Your drink? Your head?

In other example of the What-Doesn't-Work-Quite-Right world, here's a video showing how many clicks it can take to find Time Magazine at the Penn State University Library. Note to library profession self: gotta fix that.

FREE in-home wireless broadband service

Yes, from our friends at Google. "Home installation is a simple matter of GFlushingTM the fiber-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router." Too much technical talk? For an easy-to-understand explanation, be sure to click on the How TiSP Works link. Once your confidence is up, read the Press Release and the FAQs. Dang, the Mac version is still under development.

If you are still in a muddle, ask for the professional installation service.

Good ideas can always be improved upon. Aaron's thought was that Google could also host potcasts through this new service.