Ideas

Confession: I miss library school.

I miss the open sharing of ideas with enthusiasm and excitement. While I am certainly learning in the field, it just isn't the same.

People seem guarded...even cynical. They don't have time. They already know it all. They are too shy. Perhaps they've had their ideas/thoughts/opinions mocked by others and are subsequently insecure about sharing. Blah blah blah blah. A plethora of reasons.

Within the last few months, I had someone say to me (paraphrase), "You have interesting ideas, but they aren't always applicable."

Ideas are seeds -- they need to be cultivated. Don't kill the creativity and flow just because it doesn't seem readily applicable to your X and Y variables.

Shape it. Cultivate it. Encourage it.

Conclusion: I miss the openness and freedom of expression that library school encouraged.

Hotel California

In about two weeks, I'll be boarding Amtrak's Southwest Chief and heading to California!
The route:

I was completely geeked when I found out the Amtrak serves Hebrew National! (Nom nom nom.)
 
Once in California, I have plans to officially tour Oceanside Public Library and at least one USMC library on either Miramar or Pendleton (or both)! Unofficially, I'd like to visit two northern branches of the San Diego Public Library -- Encinitas and Del Mar.

Stay tuned for updates and photos from my trip...

Snow Day

Due to the bad road conditions, I stayed home from the library today and made a book loving snowman! 

Note: No books were harmed...

Surreal

As far as library school goes, I am down to a mere three weeks of class left. It's surreal... In some ways, it feels like just yesterday that I started graduate school...yet, when I look at my personal and professional growth, it feels like a decade has passed rather than 2.5 years.

I remember how nerved up I was first visiting campus in December of 2009, as a prospective student, gathering information and vacillating about applying for admission into the program. And now, in just a couple of months, I'll be applying for graduation. I might have mentioned this before, but I've never "walked" for any of my degrees, including high school, and would like to participate in the big Spring graduation with my LIS friends and colleagues. Totally geeked!

Speaking of my LIS friends and colleagues as well as professors, I am ever grateful for them and the experiences in which we've shared together throughout the course of my tenure as a MLIS candidate.

So what have I been up to this semester?

• Trustee: Earlier this week, I was notified by the Sanilac County Board of Canvassers that I received a sufficient number of votes and have been elected to the position of Watertown Township trustee. My term began on Tuesday, November 20 at 12:00p and will run through 2016. 
• I'll be officially sworn in at the next township board meeting on Tuesday, December 4. Look for an update with photos from that experience.
• Practicum (LIS 7640): I've been spending time at Caro Area District Library working on projects for the Tuscola County Law Library which entailed reviewing/weeding the 340s, surveying patrons and the legal profession as to their various information needs, exploring/comparing databases of court forms, and building a comprehensive legal resources pathfinder for the community. (For viewing and/or download: cadl.legalresources.pathfinder)
• In addition to the law library content, I custom tailored two YA bibliographies for CADL in which I developed for LIS 6530 (YA Lit) and LIS 7250 (Programming for Children and YA) -- Hunger Games Read-Alikes and Exploring Books Across Genres: A Guide to Teen Lit for Girls. (For viewing and/or download: cadl.hungergames and cadl.exploring)
• Yesterday, the library director, who has supervised my experience, sent me a copy of the student evaluation she turned into the practicum coordinator -- a glowing review -- which made me quite misty-eyed when I read her comments and the body of the email.
• LIS 7996: I've been working my way through the readings, assignments, and lectures. Last week, I submitted the outline for my research proposal and am currently awaiting feedback. 
• My topic: Since Class 1 - 3-sized libraries make up 60% of Michigan's public libraries, my proposed study aims to explore the presence (or lack thereof) collection development policies and training pertaining to censorship/intellectual freedom in Class 1 – 3 public libraries in Michigan which will help to paint a picture showing the importance of increasing training and the availability of workshops on the issue.
• Earlier this month, I made a post about studying for the midterm. Here's how I did -- cut/paste from an email: "Well done on your LIS 7996 midterm exam. You got a perfect score! The midterm was worth 25 points." Rock on!
• Reading: I haven't had much time for pleasure reading this semester; however, I have managed to squeeze in the Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James, The Kill Order by James Dashner (the newly released prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy), and Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick (sequel to Ashes). Currently, I am reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Next in my queue: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (Book 2 in 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series).

Raven Cafe

Here's a small collection of photos from one of my favorites places -- Raven Cafe: "a cultural, musical and culinary Mecca in the heart of Port Huron."

Amanda and I

"Great spirits have always encountered violence
opposition from mediocre minds" --Albert Einstein

A Fair Assessment

From the epigraph in chapter 4 of Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science (Wildemuth, 2009): 

"To describe is to draw a picture of what happened, or of how things are proceeding, or of what a situation or a person or an event is like. Description is concerned with making complicated things understandable." --Keith Punch (1998)

This afternoon, I start my practicum at Caro Area District Library under the supervision of Library Director Marcia Dievendorf. To say that I am excited is an understatement and to mention that I am nervous is a fair assessment. For my practicum class, I am required to keep a blog (embedded within Blackboard) to record my candid thoughts, observations, and reflections. I plan on doing a watered-down version here that will just capture my experiences without reporting any sensitive or confidential information.

In other bookish news, yesterday afternoon, I picked up materials from Sandusky District Library for the upcoming book discussion groups that I am leading for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I've been squeezing in a chapter here and there in between my readings for LIS 7996 so that the story will be fresh in my mind. I should probably record my thoughts and a few of my favorite passages here...

FLITE

Earlier this month, I took a road trip to my Alma Mater, Ferris State University and visited FLITE (Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education). Here are some photos from my visit:

View from my perch...

Display case...

Fairy Tale Art Exhibit

Taking three graduate classes, keeping up with the coursework, plus ending up in the emergency room with four kidney stones has left me behind in blogging about this adventure. On Sunday, September 11, 2011, I visited the Fairy Tale Art: Illustrations from Children's Books at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The exhibit was housed in the handsome Ford Cottage which added to the overall storybook and magical feeling.

The Mad Hatter by Barry Moser (1982)

Illustrators featured included: Kinuko Y. Craft, Demi (Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt), Jane Dyer, Marilee Heyer,
 Trina Schart Hyman, Jim LaMarche, Barry Moser, and Susan Paradis. 

While I enjoyed all of the works, I was particularly taken with The Rainbabies (1992) by Laura Krauss Melmed which was illustrated by Jim LaMarche (featured in my slideshow). Being a huge fan of woodcuts, I practically drooled when I saw The Mad Hatter by Barry Moser (1982) which was featured in Lewis Carroll's Alice: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1982).

My Slideshow!

The Little Wanderer

Meet Ms. Jane Eyre.

  She got lost and stumbled upon House of the Yellow Finches early yesterday morning.

 She barked in the windows and banged on the screen doors.

Because she was up all night romping through the soybeans and corn, then trying to get my attention, Jane was a very tired girl.

While Jane recuperated from her adventures, I spoiled her rotten.

 In addition to ample playtime, Jane was rocked to sleep via my rocking chair on the front porch. Later in the afternoon, she was reunited with her family.

Best wishes, Jane.

Freighter Watch

On Sunday, I spent the better part of the afternoon cruising around Harsen's Island (Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River) on jet skis with The Most. As always, it was a fabulous day.

I saw two freighters up close and personal via the shipping channel...

Quebecois

Excerpt from BoatNerd.com:
The vessel is equipped with a bow thruster and is powered by a Canadian General Electric Type MD70 steam turbine engine rated at 9,896 horsepower at 103 r.p.m. The traditionally styled Seaway straight-decker has 20 hatches feeding into 5 holds. She can carry 25,600 tons at maximum Seaway draft of 26 feet and is capable of carrying 27,800 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 27 feet 8 inches.

On April 15, 2011, Algoma announced that the Quebecois will be renamed Algoma Quebecois.

 Algosoo

Excerpt from BoatNerd.com:

The Algosoo is powered by two Crossley Pielstick 10PC2V single acting, four stroke cycle V-10 cylinder 4,500 b.h.p. (3,310 KW) diesel engines built by Crossley Premier Engines, Manchester, England; these engines  burning intermediate grade 40 fuel.  The engines are mounted side-by-side facing forward with the drive shafts feeding into a gear reduction box.  From the gear reduction box, the single propeller shaft passes back between the two engines to the stern to a four blade KaMeWa 17-foot (5.18m) diameter controllable pitch propeller in a Kort nozzle.  The Algosoo's rated service speed is 15 m.p.h.. She is fitted with a 1,000 h.p. (736 KW) KaMeWa electric drive bow thruster. 

The self-unloader's 5 holds are serviced by 23 hatches. The vessel is capable of carrying 32,100 tons (32,614 mt) at a mid-summer draft of 29' 00 5/8" (8.855 m) and approximately 28,381 tons (28,837 mt) at the new Seaway draft of 26' 06" (8.08 m) implemented in 2004. The Algosoo's cubic capacity allows her to carry 28,400 net tons of coal.

FiveFingers

I am intrigued and think I might get a pair...
 

Deathly Hallows: Wardrobe

Tomorrow evening, I will be lining up with my Delta Alpha sisters to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two. Because I am a geek, here are my wardrobe choices for tomorrow (plus Converse and a wand):

My friends have voted. I will be wearing my Severus Snape shirt.

Carnegie Grandeur

Earlier today, with a fellow MLIS candidate, I visited:

 

...which is now known as:

We checked out the former Carnegie-grandeur...

...and imagined what the library once looked like:

The library's stacks used to be where the support poles now reside. (Supporting the glass-floor mezzanine).

Support poles now replace where the stacks resided. You are looking at the underside of a glass-floor mezzanine!

Finally, we visited the feature exhibit: 

Geek the Library: Geek Gala

Back in April, I wrote a post about OCLC's Geek the Library awareness campaign in which I shared a strategic marketing plan that I drafted for a project in LIS 7040: Library Administration and Management. When I was doing my research for that particular project, I noticed that Sandusky District Library had signed up as a participating agency and, sure enough, the library director, Gail Nartker, confirmed the exciting news. Hooray!

Background: A former SDL staff member, who relocated out-of-state, discovered her local library was holding an adult spelling bee... On Saturday night, I attended SDL's first annual Geek Gala and Adult Spelling Bee...and it was an absolute blast! I believe there were six or seven teams made up of three spellers. To name a few teams: Stellar Spellers (my favorite), Bee's Knees, Alpha-Betty's, Good Spellers, and Educated Spellers.

I had so much fun cheering on my favorite team, the Stellar Spellers. They ended up winning the contest...and I even won a silent auction item! Next year cannot come soon enough! Hopefully, I will be able to pull together a team or two for the Spelling Bee...or even be a judge.

Old School

Since it is not related to academic or literary-endeavors, I will spare you the details of yesterday's adventure. A brief ditty: 87 antique tractors cruising 34 miles in Sanilac and Tuscola counties. I drove my 1946 Farmall H and sported a LIS-themed shirt, "Old School."

Carnegie Libraries

Yesterday morning, via Facebook, my nerdy status of the day consisted of, "JC has aspirations of touring and photographing Carnegie libraries."

If you knew anything about me, prior to visiting this blog, one fact that should come to mind: I geek history. With that said, even prior to my tenure as a student in library school began, I was intrigued by the architecture and the history of Carnegie libraries; however, now that I am immersed in the library world, I am even more inquisitive!

Indeed. Compliments of Wikipedia, I found a list of Carnegie libraries located in Michigan. While I understand that many of the buildings might not be currently inhabited by libraries, or might in fact, be demolished; however, with a bit of research I should be able to wheedle the list down -- although, even if the library has relocated, I would still like to visit the building, if possible. My newest adventure!

Last spring/summer term, for an assignment, I was required to conduct library visits and one of the three agencies I visited was, indeed, a Carnegie library: the Marguerite deAngeli branch of the Lapeer District Library. The library's website offers a brief history of the branch:

Founded in 1859, the Lapeer Ladies Library Association gathered the community's first collection of books for lending. The popularity of the collection led the Carnegie Foundation to offer $10,000 to build a public Library in 1916. In part through the efforts of Congressman Louis Crampton, a larger Carnegie grant was secured in 1921. The citizens of Lapeer provided the remainder of the funds needed to construct this Georgian Revival building. Designed by the prominent Detroit firm of Smith, Hinchman, and Grylls, the library opened in 1923. In 1981 it was renamed to honor Newbery Award winning children's author and illustrator Marguerite deAngeli who was born in Lapeer in 1889.

In January 2003, the Lapeer County Library System underwent a restructuring transition and changed its name to Lapeer District Library.

On August 22, 2010, the Marguerite deAngeli Branch was named a Literary Landmark by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of the American Library Association.

To view an album of photos from my Marguerite deAngeli Branch visit last summer, please click on the photo/link:

Cloud Nine

I feel like I have been neglecting this blog...but after all, I have been busy with Hermionish activities.

For the first time since 1999, I visited the Detroit Zoo last Sunday. Other than it being packed and hot as Hades, I enjoyed the visit and felt like I appreciated the exhibits more so now that I am (a) an adult, (b) formally studying librarianship, and (c) dabbling in curatorship on the side. As a result of my failed ninja moves, back in January, my ankle was giving meproblems; therefore, I didn't get to read all of the information at each exhibit, but enjoyed the "ready reference" content. My favorite exhibits: the arboretum and butterfly collection, the giraffes, the peacocks, the otters, and, of course, the penguins. Besides the obvious smell, I think I could have easily spent hours in the penguinarium.

On Monday, Memorial Day, I visited the Holocaust Memorial Center, in Farmington Hills, for the second time (a post about my first visit). Upon admission, I visited with a staff member about the museum's library and expressed my interest in conducting research there for my topic: censorship and intellectual freedom during the Third Reich. I got giddy when I found out that the librarian worked for the Library of Congress.

There is so much information offered that multiple visits are necessary. I went through every exhibit except for the art collection, which I'll save for another time, with Melanie, when my ankle is likely to be more cooperative. The museum was deeply moving and it was not uncommon for me to hobble to the next exhibit with tears in my eyes.

Beyond the obvious, studying the content, I was also surveying the construction of the various exhibits. Why? As many of you know, I have every intention of taking LIS 7990, directed study, which requires a deliverable -- usually a publication-ready research paper. In addition to the paper, I am interested in possibly, (thanks to the accessions chairwoman, Jackie), constructing an exhibit for the Sanilac County Historical Society's military room on censorship, libricide, and intellectual freedom issues which will focus on WWII / the Third Reich.
With that said, next time I visit, I certainly need to bring a notebook and, if policy permits, my digital recorder to document my thoughts and experiences.

With the holiday, and the workshop (which I will talk about in a moment), I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked working at the museum this past week. I am hoping to put in two days this coming week.

My "children"...books on censorship.

Friday, my friend Janet, who I met at SLIS orientation last spring, and I traveled to Lansing and attended a curatorial workshop hosted by the Historical Society of Michigan. Very interesting! Note: I am thoroughly enjoying the Michigan History magazine.

Afterwards, we explored the Library of Michigan and, of course, visited the Martha W. Griffiths Michigan Rare Book Room, where we met the conservator and cataloger, Kevin Driedger, who is an alum of the SLIS program at Wayne. He gave us a brief presentation on the subjects collected and policies/practices of the rare book reading room. (It is my sincerest hope that Carol Fink, the rare book preservation librarian, will grant my secret wish and give us a behind the scenes tour one of these days. I should probably start the process by inquiring. Hahaha.) In addition to drooling over the rare book reading room, Janet and I got lost in the Z-class for awhile. It was truly a day devoted to Hermionish activities and I was on cloud nine.

Two exhibits additional exhibits that I hope to visit:
The Lives They Left Behind -- Port Huron Museum
Description:

When Willard Psychiatric Center in New York's Finger Lakes closed in 1995, workers discovered hundreds of suitcases in the attic of an abandoned building.  Many of them appeared untouched since their owners packed them decades earlier before entering the institution.

The suitcases and their contents bear witness to the rich, complex lives their owners lived prior to being committed to Willard.  They speak about aspirations, accomplishments, community connections, but also about loss and isolation. From the clothing and personal objects left behind, we can gain some understanding of who these people were before they disappeared behind hospital walls.  We can picture their jobs and careers, see them driving cars, playing sports, studying, writing, and traveling the world.  We can imagine their families and friends.  But we can also see their lives coming apart due to unemployment, the death of a loved one, loneliness, poverty, or some other catastrophic event.

The suitcases and the life stories of the people who owned them raise questions that are difficult to confront.  Why were these people committed to this institution, and why did so many stay for so long?  How were they treated?  What was it like to spend years in a mental institution, shut away from a society that wanted to distance itself from people it considered insane?  Why did most of these suitcase owners live out their days at Willard?  What about their friends and families?  Are the circumstances today any better than they were for psychiatric patients during the first half of the 20th century?

And, Petticoat Patriots: How Michigan Women Won the Vote -- Michigan Women's Historical Center & Hall of Fame
Desciption:

In celebration of the 90th anniversary of women's suffrage, the Michigan Women's Historical Center is proud to present a new history exhibit that explores how the women's suffrage movement unfolded in Michigan and features the stories of over 20 Michigan women that became leading suffragists. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging stories, images and artifacts. The exhibit also features many interactive elements, such as a voting booth and places for visitors to share their own ideas.

Buddha On My Mind

Fairly recently, I woke from a dream in which I was praying in, what looked to be, a Buddhist temple. I was wearing a maroon-colored dress and wearing beads. Lots of beads. Whether or not it is practiced in reality, in my dream, I was kneeling on a beautiful red prayer rug. When I raised my head from prayer, I found a friend kneeling beside me and a statuette of Buddha on my rug.

Upon awakening, I thought of Robert Jordan's creation, Tel'aran'rhiod. Wikipedia defines Tel'aran'rhiod as, "...the World of Dreams is a fictional reality where the reality is mutable, mentioned in the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The word itself is from the in-universe language known as the Old Tongue, and literally means 'the unseen world'. Tel'aran'rhiod was created by Robert Jordan based largely on real lucid dreams in which dreamers are self-aware, and environments are malleable, depending on the awareness of the dreamers. Additionally, the perception of time in Tel'aran'rhiod is different from the awaking world."

Fun fact: The last time I wore a dress was on my wedding day (9/24/2005).

Perfect

Observation: off-topic posts tend to get more views.

Back on-topic... (sorry)

I had the most perfectly geeky morning and I loved every minute of it. I traveled to the Michigan Historical Society, in Lansing, to attend an archival workshop taught by Kristen Lynn Chinery of the Walter Reuther Library (Wayne State University). I learned quite a bit and am yearning to learn more...so I signed up for more workshops! If you are interested in history or learning more about archiving and preservation work, please visit the Michigan Historical Society and consider becoming a member. (We can go to workshops together!)

Off-topic: I do not think tomorrow will be the Apocalypse. As the British WWII poster states: Keep Calm and Carry On. (Did you know that I have a "keep calm" t-shirt?)

Path

Photo by Stacy Langley (2006)

Due to the number of views my previous post, Crummy, has received in the few hours it has been published, I feel the need to offer some clarification.

This is not my, "why I became a librarian" story. Nor the, "why I applied to graduate school" story. I chose to pursue the study of Library and Information Science in 2008 and applied for admission into the program in 2009. I began my academic tenure in Spring of 2010. This is a true story about a path and a choice...

Last spring/summer and fall semesters served as my "test." Could I handle working beyond full-time, which entailed non-traditional hours plus carrying on-call responsibilities...not to mention the emotionally-draining line of work the field entails?

And, the second test, which was really two additional questions. Did I want to keep burning the candle at both ends? Did I want to continue to work in a field in which I was subjected to seeing good people, including children, get hurt? Domestic violence: physical and emotional abuse, suicide, homicide, stalking, rape, incest, child abuse and neglect, animal abuse, substance abuse...the list goes on and on. Just imagine hearing and seeing detailed accounts of these atrocities for five years. It goes beyond any episode of Law and Order: SVU. 

Law Day 2009: Liberty Bell Award
Photo by Stacy Langley

The question of whether or not I could handle it was answered by my grades for both semesters: 4.0. That left the second question to be answered: do I want to continue? My family and friends expressed their wishes and opinions. And you obviously know my answer...

I helped people. I made a difference. I learned a great deal and met some amazing people along the way. My efforts were recognized in 2009 when I was notified that I would be receiving the Liberty Bell Award from the Huron County Bar Association. I am thankful for the experience, but I am even more thankful knowing that particular path is not meant for me.

I leave you with this quote, originally posted back in December: "So you set out to travel to Rome... and end up in Istanbul. You set off for Japan... and you end up on a train across Siberia. The journey, not the destination, becomes a source of wonder."
--Loreena McKennitt