From a KC Librarian

Miss Lili Mills-Her first fourteen hours in her new home

2012-01-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Ruff, Ruff

2012-01-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

Pictures will be coming both to the blog and Facebook, but I did decide to adopt a beautiful border collie named Lili. She's very affectionate.

Hot Wheels Sculpture

2011-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Found a short documentary on this at BoingBoing.net and was totally mesmerized.

Reminds me of some of the marble machines I would see at museums when I was younger.

Changes in Library Administrative Personnel

2010-12-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

All members of the KCKPL Library staff received an email from the Assistant Director of Libraries announcing her resignation. We all have opinions on her resignation, on what it means for the Administrative branch of our system, and on what it means for our library system's future.
2011 should be an interesting and intense year. A term that was soaked into us at library school was "paradigm shift" and it would appear KCKPL is in the midst of a shift of leadership. But, I, for one, believe in the person at the top.
I plan on spending part of my holiday leave reviewing a couple of important documents which were design to define the philosophical direction of KCKPL: our strategic plan and our technology mission statement. And then I will grant myself some time of self reflection of where I have been in KCKPL during my first ten years and how I can continue serving KCKPL in the future.

One more reason why I admire the King's Singers

2010-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

The King's Singers are performing in Atlanta, GA tonight. The Salvation Army is promoting their concert. And the six-member singing group is donating 100% of their concert proceeds to the SA's Red Kettle drive to assist people in the Atlanta, GA community. I don't know how frequently the King's Singers do this, but this gesture amps up my respect for the group even further.

Random thoughts

2010-12-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a long time since I blogged, but here are some random library-related thoughts:

I do believe the mixture of patrons using the computer lab (upon my observations) is one-half recreational (including YouTube, Facebook, and games) and the other half practical (including job searching, resume writing). I helped one gentleman navigate a JobCorp site and I helped a lady save email attachments to her flash drive.
Just received an email from my branch manager speaking to the budgetary difficulties that another library system is having in town, including the reconstructing of their ILL policies.
We are getting a higher number of patrons using our WiFi and the number of patrons asking if we have WiFi printing is increasing.
How soon will it be until we implement smartphone technology into library programing? I've been reading articles from library tech pundits saying we are not too far away in developing apps for library functions such as placing holds or catalog lookup or even paying fines.
Finally, I taught 6 computer classes for November with a total of 80 patrons in attendance.

Emotions stirred by Facebook

2010-04-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

I think I can safely say I have run the gamut of emotions while on Facebook. On one end, there's the exhilaration after finding friends, family, and classmates that I haven't talked to in many a moon. Tonight, though, I just may have experienced the other end of the spectrum. One of my friends is grieving the loss of a close personal friend tonight and I would like to note the outpouring of emotional support as she reflected on her loss.

Facebook is definitely a Social Media. And in this instance, "Social" means a lot of support throughout her hometown and virtual community.

OK Go's announcement

2010-03-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

I've been geeking out lately watching OK Go's creative videos to their song This Too Shall Pass. I'm equally impressed that OK Go made the decision to part ways with the record label EMI. Basically, EMI put the kabash on the band's Youtube videos, taking away the embedding coding so fans could share the videos on blogs, MySpace, and Facebook, to name three social sites. Here's the announcement from the lead singer:

Dinner and Movie with Childhood Friend

2010-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

We haven't seen each other since our teenage years, but I'm scheduled to meet my best friend from grade school for dinner tonight. It's a shame that we couldn't complete high school together, but our respective parents had life event issues that took priority.

Should be an interesting night.

Approaching a twenty year anniversary I'd love to forget

2010-02-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

We all have points in our lives we remember. The situation is so defining and the memory is so vivid, we can never purge that situation from what defines each of us as members of the human race.

My sister and I are approaching a memory point's twenty year anniversary: the day our mom was diagnosed with brain cancer.

I remember working at Godfather's Pizza Sunday night when I received phone call from my Mom's supervisor, who at the time was the Administrative head of Brewster Place, a retirement and full care facility in Topeka. The gentleman told me that mom was involved in a car crash in Junction City, KS. But when my sister, her fiancee, and I arrived at the hospital in JC, we discovered what was truly going on and we discovered what caused Mom's accident.

Because of other circumstances, Mom and I never had the opportunity to grow together in our relationship as mother-son, especially as two adults. I'm at peace with that. Some things in life you have to accept.

But I will remember a couple of things from Mom's final year:

I will never forget Mom's exuberance and radiant smile as my sister walked down the aisle to get married. And, I will always remember how bravely Mom met her terrifying diagnosis, evoking Debbie Reynolds from "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," saying "I ain't down yet!"

I think about you a lot, Mom. Thank you for all you have done.

Standing Orders

2009-11-14T08:21:00.000-08:00

Quick note, we are beginning to see the results of our standing orders dripping in. And, to be honest, the quality of the books we DON'T order...ahem....suck.

Follow-up on previous blog post

2009-10-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

I did not spend the bulk of my day in Madison as I anticipated this morning. Through mere happenstance plus the fact I am on vacation and plans change quickly, I decided to spend a large portion of the day at the House on the Rock near Dodgeville, WI.

The architecture was fantastic and the museum set-up was fantastic. But, the exhibits began to bore me toward the end of the day. After stopping by the gift shop for my mandatory frig magnets, I made a quick trip to Madison and browsed a couple antique shops before making the drive back to Dubuque and dinner at a mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant.

Thursday, I make the drive back home with stops in the Amanas and Des Moines planned.

Antiquing in Madison

2009-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to drive to Madison on Wednesday. The Wisconsin Travel website showed four antique shops to visit and I will see if I can find a collectible or two. I will then work my way back to Dubuque visiting antique shops and other places. And if daylight allows, I will make a quick trip to Galena.

Week of Vacation

2009-10-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to take this first full week of October as vacation. I decided to do a little road trip up to SW Wisconsin and check out some of the sights there: perhaps some antiques shops, novelty shops. I will stay at a hotel in Dubuque, IA and use that as a home base. I should be back late Thursday evening.

Attending my High School's Homecoming

2009-09-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

I accepted a Facebook invitation to attend my High Schools Homecoming football game and participate in the alumni high school band at half-time. Arrangements were made for me to play the sousaphone with the band. Unfortunately, lightening and a down pour of rain delayed the start of the game and Mr. H made the decision to postpone the halftime festivities. I considered this a wise decision, especially considering that the band had to participate in KU's Band Day the following day. MGT and I stayed and watched the first few series of plays and, as it turned out, Highland Park did not put up much of a fight against the mighty Topeka High Trojans.

And so, MGT and I went to a local Topeka bar and got caught up and each other's comings-and-goings. Good conversation.

We found out later that the end to the football game was suspended due to a brawl that broke out half-way through the 4th quarter. We were ahead 50-6 and the refs ended the game and awarded us the victory.

I drove home on the turnpike through torrential rain between Topeka and Lawrence. It was dry east of Lawrence and the rain caught up to my house two hours later and gave my entire yard a good soaking of precip.

Yard Update

2009-09-28T17:18:00.001-07:00

Well, after a week of watering and a generous dumping of rain, I'm beginning to see results with the grass seed I planted in my yard. The blue grass-fescue combination is sprouting where I planted, even in the bare spots that have existed since I moved in. I plan on throwing down some more fertilizer next month and then November I will throw down winterizer, as per instructions from the local garden place The Grass Pad.

I hope my green thumb luck continues.

Top Soil

2009-09-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of laying top soil in my yard. I've resigned myself to the fact that if grass is going grow in certain areas of my yard, I have to fortify the soil with more top soil. I spent most of the daylight fertilizing my lawn, laying down extra grass seed at the bare areas, and then laying 2,000 lbs of top soil.

I will do even more top soil on Sunday and will probably feel lethargic by day's end.

Aeration of the yard

2009-09-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

I had my first experience with an aerator as I perforated my lawn late Saturday afternoon. The aerator is a bulky, heavy machine and it requires knowledge of throttling. If you throttle too much, the machine will run quickly on you. If you throttle too little, you don't go anywhere. Also, for every pass on your lawn, you have to lift and reset the spikes every time you turn around. I was grateful that MS came up from Shawnee to help me. The machine is heavy weighing about 270 pounds, I believe.

Time to kill the clover

2009-08-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just got done mowing my lawn. I'm taking a break to read some blogs and do a little Facebook time but, eventually, I'm planning to go outside and begin killing the clover that's encroached on my back lawn.
Next week, I'm planning to aerate what's left of my lawn and will plant grass seed soon.

So, in the next couple weeks, I expect my yard to sort of look like a checkerboard grassy squares here and bare-remove-the-clover squares there.

Projects around the home

2009-08-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've been getting into the projects-for-the-home mode lately. This past Saturday, I installed a new mail box at my curb. The old one fell into shambles because of weather-wear and I made the decision to replace it.
Today, I'm having the three big oak trees in my yard trimmed.
And soon, I plan to replace the clover-infested backyard with fresh grass seed--another big project.

Playing around with Jing and Screencast.com

2009-08-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well with the rain showers tonight, I could not go outside and work in the yard. So, I decided to play around with Jing (a computer-screen capture software) and Screencast.com (an open source web page broadcasting host). I did this tutorial in improv fashion, but I trust this is something that most libraries with database services can embrace. Click on the image below:

Greetings from Topeka

2009-08-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I just completed the 2009 NEKLS Tech Day. This year's focus was on Open Source software and why libraries should use them. My favorite part of the day was the lightning presentations by various librarians depicting some sites that may come in handy.

I'm currently sitting at a Topeka Library computer absorbing how they handle their public PC situation as compared to KCKPL.

Two new classes to teach

2009-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Quick note: I have put the finishing touches on two new classes I plan to teach in the computer lab. One is a Publisher class and the other is an Advanced Excel class.

Programming, programming, programming.

Feeling the economic wave at the library in terms of computers

2009-07-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last month our library lost its full-time computer services technician due to layoffs. He will be missed because his knowledge was good and the upkeep of the computers we had at the time punctual. And besides, he made it possible for me to have a second computer, a notebook, at a cheaper price than a new store bought machine.
With the downsizing of the staff, I think Computer Services took a VERY proactive approach and decided to go ahead and install the new patron machines in the computer lab. This way the technician would not have to address a rinky-dink repair as frequently as it occurred with the old machines. Broken mouse here. Broken audio cable here. Bad keyboard.
We'll see what happens in two to three years.

My break from blogging

2009-07-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

You know, it's a real sad situation when a journalist has nothing to write about.

I think the reason why I haven't blogged lately can be attributed to a couple of things:

First, Facebook. I really see the benefit of this social medium. As a matter a fact, I usually average one surprise a week when I log in. For example, tonight I established a friendship with a junior high and high school friend who I haven't seen in (let's take a wild guess here) thirty years. He's now a very successful political science professor, the head of his department.

Second, with the stresses of staff reduction in our library system and not knowing where my future will take me, I didn't want to post something in my blog that I might regret later. In other words, I gave myself a timeout from the blogosphere. Now that the staff reductions is a month behind, I'll try to keep future posts topical and I'll try to avoid putting my foot in my mouth.

Economic troubles for library

2009-06-18T16:35:00.001-07:00

Even KCKPL is not immune to this economic chaos. I won't say anymore.

Domestic discord in a Public Service environment

2009-06-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

While working reference desk this past week, I encountered two situations of domestic un-tranquility. On Tuesday night, I saw a father (or a man being in a position of authority over a minor) intimidate the living daylights out of a kid, even to the point where he forced the kid to wait by the children's entrance to the library. I only know this because I heard the nine-year old cry loudly from that location. I trailed them as they walked out of the building. The father said to the kid in very condescending fashion: "I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Sure you narrow minded dullard, go ahead and jilt this kids life experience where he'll think the library will do him no good in the future.
The second incident happened today as my supervisor and I worked the Saturday shift at reference. A woman came up to my sup and said her boyfriend might come in and try to force her to leave. She didn't want to leave because she had some studying to do. We decided to take the proactive approach and fire up the security camera program on the ref computer because we noticed she was sitting in the magazine area which is covered by one of our surveillance cameras. The boyfriend did come in but behaved in a civil manner as he convinced her, without an physical action, to leave. Still, she seemed quite agitated as if she were anticipating going to a place that was unpleasant.
In both scenarios, we see people bring in their home lives into the library. But to what extent do we, the library staff, have to put up with the domestic squabbling and discord. I asked my sup at what point do we call the police. But, unfortunately our conversation got interrupted by more reference questions.

Roofing refit almost complete

2009-05-27T16:01:00.001-07:00

Just need the downspouts installed

Installation of new roof begins today

2009-05-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

While getting dressed this morning I heard some loud thumping outside. I said to myself "Gee, those garbage men are loud." But as the thumping persisted, it occurred to me as I was tying my shoes: the roofing company is delivering the new roofing materials. Five minutes after I confirmed that assumption, the roofing salesman called saying they were to deliver the new shingles, vents, and turbines. I told him the delivery had already been made.

They'll start work today believing that the rain will abate for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow, Saturday, will be a long, long day

2009-05-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

My weekend rotation fell upon this Memorial Day weekend. In other years I wouldn't mind. But this year my 25th High School reunion is Saturday night. What that means is I will have to work the eight and half hours at reference desk, hop in my car, drive to Topeka, and attend the festivities at a Topeka bar until the cows come home.
I will not be able to attend the picnic on Sunday because of work. I'm planning to sleep and veg all day on Monday.

New Roof's a-coming

2009-05-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

I've already tipped my hand on this from my Facebook posting, but I've decided to go ahead and totally replace the shingles, the vents, and the turbines on my roof. I was relieved that the actual damage to the roof was because of the installation of a second layer of shingles. And the roofers I interviewed estimated repairs below $1,000. But, a double-layered roof does not give me many favors in the event that life events take me elsewhere in this world. So, I thought it may behoove me to redo the shingling of the roof to maintain some value of the house in this decline housing market.

Now it's a matter for the roofer-of-choice to find the proverbial window of opportunity as far as the weather goes and pick a time to install the new roof. I hope it's soon.

After talking with the roofer...

2009-05-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm going to think about it for a couple of days.

The damage to the roof was not as extensive as it appeared mostly because the roofer noticed that my house had two layers of shingles and the top layer of shingles were stapled there. This made it easy for the wind to remove the top layer of shingles. The roofer also noticed the lack of hail damage to the roof which is what most insurance adjusters look for before making that decision to issue a check.

I discussed three possible jobs with the contractor:

Performing simple repairs to areas of the roof that were affected by weather.
Replacing the downspout drains from the guttering with drains that are wider in diameter. This gives debris like leaves and sticks a better opportunity to drain through as it rains. The roofer also offered estimates for installing gutter screens (not helmets).
Installing a new roof altogether. I'm seriously considering this idea because I can easily see myself living in this house for another 15 years.

Decisions, decisions. I need a beer.

Waiting for the roofer

2009-05-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at my laptop looking out my office window. I'm waiting for the roofer to pull into my driveway. He'll be taking a look at my roof to assess damages caused by this spring's winds. The roofer is my second choice. I was disappointed with my first choice (who was recommended to me). I called his voicemail twice and he never returned my phone call.

Today's roofer candidate retured my phone call within the hour after I called.

Here's hoping insurance can help defray some of the costs in the repairs to my roof.

Denver Deja Vu

2009-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday (tomorrow) I leave for Denver to deliver my Grandma's china to a cousin. Monday, I will roam about the Rocky Mountains, but I need to return Tuesday to address some domestic needs in KC.

Colorado Day 4: Exploring Denver

2009-04-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

I started the day by rendezvousing with my SLIM colleague. After a pancake breakfast at Perkins on Colfax Avenue, we went eastward on the avenue in search of the Natural History and Science Museum. All we knew was the museum was on Colorado Boulevard. So when we got there, we turned right......and got lost for 90 minutes. We swallowed our pride and decided to ask for directions. I went into a Denver Starbucks and she went into a gas station. We both returned to the car laughing: we both realized we had made the wrong turn off of Colfax and were driving away from the museum. We arrived at the museum about 15 minutes later.

I was interested in going because I saw through the web page that the IMAX theatre was showing a feature about the Grand Canyon and the diminishing water levels at both Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The documentary was narrated by Robert Redford and was quite interesting.

After lunch, we drove to the Brass Armadillo antique store in Wheat Ridge and explored it for the next two hours. My friend was grateful for the opportunity to go "antiquing" and was happy to see things she liked such as sewing tables and old couches. And I tried to educate her about the Royal Doulton toby mugs--which were authentic and which were knock-offs. There were a couple of mugs I wanted to buy but my trip budget kind of put the kibosh on buying anything of great expense.

We capped off Saturday by grabbing Clint Eastwood's movie "Gran Torino." We both enjoyed the movie and thought Eastwood's acting solidified him as the best tough-guy actor ever. I took her back to her home and we said our good-byes being that I had to takeoff for KC the next day. Unbeknown st to me at the time, she left her umbrella in my car. I didn't notice the umbrella until I reached Limon to fuel the car.

Oh well, looks like another trip to Denver is coming to deliver the umbrella. And my delivery service doesn't stop there. In a few days, I will actually be driving back to Colorado to pass my Grandmother's wedding china to my young cousin.

I should add that the drive back to KC was rather adventurous. Along I-70, I had to negotiate thunderstorms between Hays and Shawnee county, Kansas and then the race traffic from the NASCAR speedway. But I'm happy to report that I made it home safe and sound.

Colorado Day 3: The Cog Railway and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2009-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is the second time I rode the cograil. I last rode it in 2005 just before my dad's memorial service. Unfortunately, the trip this time around was curtailed by snow storms atop Pike's Peak earlier in the week. We didn't make it to the top. Instead, we reached an elevation of about 13,000 feet where we encountered workers operating a snow blower jettisoning the snow away. The conductor said they should get the track entirely cleared by tomorrow.

In the afternoon, I went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. It's a quaint little zoo. The highlight of the zoo is the giraffe and meercats exhibits which one encounters as soon as you enter. Patrons can feed the giraffes specially made crackers which the giraffes gobble down easily with their long prehensile tongues. The meercats were also a treat. Both exhibits can be seen from the zoo's web cams.

Afterwards, I drove to my Denver hotel, contending with the rush hour traffic.

Colorado Day 2: The Royal Gorge

2009-04-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

I discovered that I came to the Royal Gorge one week prior to the start of the tourist season. I guess the good and the bad come with this timing. The good news is I didn't have to pay tourist season prices. The bad news is some of the sideshow features, like the Royal Gorge railroad, were not available this week.

Nonethess, after taking advantage of the hotel's continental breakfast, I drove into Canon City. I saw the RG railroad depot instantly and wondered why there was no activity--no tourists, no engineers, no conductors, no ticket takers, etc. It dawn on me that the railroad was not running. And with no one around to answer my questions, I made the decision to skip waiting around until somebody showed up and drive directly to the Gorge.

When I arrived there the parking lot was practically empty. Then it occurred to me: my watch was running on Central daylight time, not Mountain time. Ooops! Somebody was there to accept my money for admission and I spent the next four hours around the bridge and its peripheral attractions.

Admittedly, I was nervous when I first stepped foot on the bridge. I have trouble dealing with heights and the view from the edge of the Gorge was exhilerating. A stream of water and two lines representing railroad tracks run west-to-east at the bottom of the canyon. And the cliffs were sheer rock going down. No wonder the Canon City government outlawed rock climbing.

At first glance, the bridge itself looked like a masterful piece of engineering. And looking out on the bridge, people were strolling back and forth, side-to-side like they didn't have a care in the world. Nothing to worry about, right? Boy, was I wrong.

I decided on my first stroll to walk the bridge in its center. That way I could acclimate myself to the structure. I made it halfway when I heard a rumbling behind me. A three-ton backho piece of machinery was about to cross the bridge. Now vehicles are allow on the bridge. Patrons who want to drive have to pay extra. I had no idea that building equipment were also permitted.

So when I saw this bulldozer, I realized I had to give up my centerline position on the bridge. I walked to the eastern rail and there, oddly, was a sign saying "Joe Schmo bungee jumped here. His feats were recorded for TV to be broadcast on 'That's Incredibe'." When the machinery got closer, I heard the planks of wood groaning and popping in protest. And when the bulldozer passed, I felt like I was experiencing an earthquake. The bulldozer made it to the other side and was used for some digging on the other side.

I composed myself and declared to myself that this wasn't so bad. I still have my wits about me. I proceeded to the other side and put my acrophobia in abeyance and crossed the bridge five more times. I came across two other people who were not as bold.

I should mention that I did take the tram down to the gorge's bottom. And when I looked up at the bridge, all I saw was once strip of constructed something dancing across the sky. Going to the river bottom really put the construction of this bridge into perspective.

Greetings from the Rocky Mountains

2009-04-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in Canon City, CO after a ten and half hour drive that started in Topeka. I got a little lost when I arrived here because the hotel signs were not clearly marked but I arrived safely and grabbed dinner at Denny's next door. Thursday, I will visit the Royal Gorge and drive to The Springs during the late afternoon.

It's April 15th and I have to pay.......

2009-04-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

....The plumber that is. The throne in the washroom is falling apart and I have to replace it. There goes part of my Mizzou state refund. And in killing the proverbial two birds with one stone, I've decided to replace the kitchen faucet as well.

Awesome Golf Hole

2009-04-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Although I've posted this to my Facebook, I can't get enough of this golf hole knowing full well about the mechanics of the game and the physics of how a golf ball travels. Enjoy!

Who is Sidd Finch?

2009-04-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

On our trivia board today, Mama Bear asked the question to the effect of who was a rookie pitcher for the NY Mets back in 1985 with a 168 MPH fastball with pinpoint accuracy and wore his cap backwards. The answer is Sidd Finch.

Sidd Finch?

On April 1, 1985, Sports Illustrated magazine pulled a classic April Fool's joke by publishing this story about this man who is totally fictional. The article was written by George Plimpton. Check out this wikipedia article.

A low percentage of our patrons who read this trivia question got it right.

Random Notes

2009-03-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

We experienced high winds yesterday in the Midwest. When I returned home from work last night, I saw five or six roof shingles strewn throughout my front yard. I immediately walked to the back yard where the back of my house has southern exposure. To my dismay, I noticed that shingles on top of my the house were flapping up and down as the wind gust up to 40-42 mph. I immediately put in a phone call to a KC roofer and of this writing I am waiting for his phone call so that I can make estimates for repairs or perhaps the installation of a new roof.
Because of the situation with my roof, I didn't sleep well last night. To worsen my slumber problems, I was awaken out of a light sleep at two o'clock this morning when torrential thunderstorms hit the area. Who knows what the heavy rains did to my roof. I have not had to chance to investigate.
My sister's family was scheduled to return from Florida today where they spent a week in Disney World.
Speaking of vacations, I'm planning a short trip to Colorado in April. I need to get away for a few days. Possible places to visit include a second ride on the Cog Rail up to Pike's Peak, The Denver Natural History museum, and Berthoud Pass in the mountains.
Finally, after winning the national championship last year and losing about 85% of the scoring from last year's team, I'm very satisfied with the progress of this year's Jayhawks. They made the Sweet Sixteen this year and I believe any additional victory in the tournament is simply gravy.

ALA's I Love My Librarian Video summary

2009-03-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a short three minute video of the New York Times/ Carnegie's I Love My Librarian Awards. Carol Levers of the KCKPL appears at the very end.

Getting that song stuck in Mama Bear's head

2009-03-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

One of my petty torments for fellow ref librarian Mama Bear is to start a song from the pop culture on the '60s, '70s, '80s, etc and see whether it will stick with her. Once a song takes hold in her mind, she has a difficult time purging it from her mind for the rest of the work day.

So.....
Through the courtesy of Youtube, here are three songs she might have sung or maybe will sing in the future:

Nick Lowe's Cruel to Be Kind

Nick Gilder's Hot Child in the City

And, The Sylvers' Boogie Fever

These three songs were among many discussed at the ref desk on Monday. Unfortunately, I could not find a video for Terry Jack's Seasons in the Sun.

Curious case of a movie

2009-02-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

I went to see Benjamin Button today and enjoyed it thoroughly. A couple of thoughts:

First, Eric Roth does a good job again with the screenplay. For those of you who don't know Roth translated Winston Groom's Forrest Gump to the big screen back in 1994. Here, Roth does a good job translating the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story although some plot elements don't match between the two mediums.

Second, the Brad Pitt-David Fincher combination makes good again. They teamed up a few years ago with the movie Seven.

And third, the stop-motion capture special effects are convincing, especially in early scenes where we see a young Pitt character (or is it old?) in childlike form.

Incredible, entertaining movie.

The Wrestler

2009-02-08T17:08:00.001-08:00

I give it
one...
two...
Three thumbs up.

Good job by Mickey Rourke in a role that perhaps reflects the course of his own life and career decisions.

Coincidence about a library school friend

2009-02-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

I just learned this past week that a library school friend has taken a position with the library system in Denver. Also, I learned she has moved to an area in Denver that's about four or five blocks away from the church where my Dad preached.

Life's simple coincidences!!!

A Video from what may seem like ancient times

2009-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

This news report was produced in 1981. I was sixteen years old. It's interesting to note that the word "Internet" is not even a glint in anybody's eye here; at least, the Internet we know today.

V, the remake

2009-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons why I don't watch much prime-time TV is the programming mimics or even remakes TV shows from the past (one example would be Battlestar Galactica).

I just read from CNN.com, the ABC Television has on the drawing board plans for the remake of V, the miniseries about alien invasion that originally aired on NBC in 1983.

I enjoyed V even to the point that when my supervisor decided to weed the videotape series from the A-V collection, I decided to take the tapes home instead of having them thrown to waste.

But still, I need to be convinced that prime-time television can bring something original to the plate instead of something that's rehashed.

No More Herm Warfare for the Chiefs

2009-01-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

The next few seasons will be fun and interesting for the Chiefs. Best wishes Mr. Pioli and Mr. Hunt for the future of the Chiefs.

Free Content on the Web boost your sales? Yes, indeed!!!

2009-01-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago, I embedded a video of The Muppets' Beaker and his clones singing Ode to Joy. What I failed to mention was Muppet Inc's (for lack of a better corporate designation) agreement with the folks at YouTube to post various Muppet sketches on the free video sharing site.
Basically, I believe this to be a marketing ploy by the Muppets: tease potential viewers with free content and eventually they will blaze a path to the DVD store and buy season one, two, and three, and so on of the Muppet show. And I think for this to work, you have to be part of an entertainment organization that has already carved their niche in the market.
Another icon to use this ploy is Monty Python. It is documented that they have an agreement with YouTube for their YouTube channel. As a result, MP DVD sales on Amazon are abundant. (Read: Can Free Content Boost Your Sales? Yes, It Can)
I am amazed of what YouTube represents: a KC Librarian can post his web cam speech and still an entertainment giant like The Muppets or Monty Python can use it to promote their interests. If only Python would share their financial gains with me.
Here's an example of what I found on The Monty Python YouTube channel.

Gotta love Dewey's approach

2009-01-16T12:57:00.001-08:00

If only this worked 100% of the time in the computer lab...

Noting an actor's passing

2009-01-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

When I first started work at the KCKPL library, my then-supervisor recommended a cult television show to watch on video tape. The Prisoner starred Patrick McGoohan. It's sort of hard to describe the plot of the show. Let's just say it was based on all sorts of elements ranging from fantasy to the absurd. Years later, McGoohan would play King Edward I in Mel Gibson's Braveheart.

I learn of Mr. McGoohan's passing this week while surfing through Unshelved's website. Included in their site was this comic strip sendoff paying tribute to both the television series and Mr. McGoohan. To the uninitiated, this strip will make no sense. It will make perfect sense to fans of The Prisoner.

Prayer for all snared in our economic crisis

2009-01-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

This request is not only for me, but for all caught in our economic troubles and wondering whether a job will be there next day, next month, next year......

I won't describe my situation but will sum up. Our library system will be going through some hardship for the next couple of years.

Please pray not only for me, but for all public librarians across the nation who have or will have to go through this crisis.

Thanks,
The KC Librarian

An operetta that may make Gilbert & Sullivan envious

2009-01-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend I'm watching a DVD that my uncle sent me for Christmas. No it's not a popular movie or even a musical. Well....
It is a musical but not one designed for Broadway. Well, er, maybe a Broadway producer may get wind of it and pay high dollar for the script and music.
It's an operetta (done in the same styling of a Gilbert & Sullivan show) called "Leave It All to Me." And the reason why it has such appeal to me is PL, a family member from Oklahoma, and a close colleague of his wrote this operetta back in the 1940's. My uncle decided to put on this operetta in November 2008 as part of a church fundraising activity in Richland, WA. Members of his church comprise the cast of this show. My uncle had the forethought to tape this show on his camcorder and he burned a copy of the show and sent it to me as part of a Christmas gift.

Judging by the applause at the end, it looks like the show was well-received. After the show, my uncle introduced PL (who is approaching his ninetieth birthday) to the audience.

The Shrinking Metro North Mall

2009-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just got back from shopping for birthday cards. I went to the card shop at Metro North Mall which is about a mile east of my house. Metro is fast losing its retailers. While walking through the mall it seemed that only 25% of the shops were occupied with a couple of the shops having store closing sales--all inventory must go.
This comes as no surprise as I was told a few months back that both Metro North Mall as well as Metcalf South Mall in OPKS are shutting down and to be replaced by residential development in the form of houses or apartment complexes. I have no clear timetable as to when these changes will be complete.

KC's view on the economy and libraries

2008-12-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks Katie for your thoughts

Watch CBS Videos Online

Making fun of the Digital Media Age

2008-12-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

I appreciate Brian Williams' sense of humor as he delivers these remarks.

Even when I try to describe digital media to uninformed library patrons, their reactions mirror William's statements.

One more day of work, then five days away from work

2008-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have to go in late for work today....and I'm not looking forward to the drive. The Kansas City area is supposed to get a wintry mix of weather this afternoon. And when we usually get this wintry mix, driving becomes adventurous.

Wishful thought for me: I hope they allow us to close early tonight. (which won't happen)

Wishful thought for all who humor me and read this blog: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

All in the name of silliness...and the Muppets, too

2008-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Poor Beaker. He cannot be afforded the simple pleasures in life in singing "Ode to Joy" by Ludwig Van. In recognition of my appreciation of the Muppets, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and the movie "Clockwork Orange," where "Ode" is heard, here's Beaker making a valiant attempt. Enjoy!

New GM on the way for the Chiefs

2008-12-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

Every sports fan has an opinion. Here's mine: The Jack of all Trades and Master of None was finally forced to be honest.....with himself. Good luck Mr. Hunt in finding a new administrative staff for the Chiefs.

In recognition of another KC LIbrarian

2008-12-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Carol Levers who was recognized as a "I Love My Librarian" award winner by the Carnegie Corporation and The New York Times. As of this writing, she is in New York's Times Square with the other winners.
I first met Carol at a graduate assistant pizza party and was thrilled to discover at the start of my library job that she was working at the same library. He story is incredible.
Click here for the announcement of winners and even the nomination letter by our retired branch manager.

Way to go Carol!!!

Video that tickled my funnybone

2008-11-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

I got into a conversation with a friend over Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" song. In light of that talk, I did a quick 2 minute search on the net and found this funny Sherman, Dean Martin, and Vic Damone video (probably taken from the Dean Martin show). I couldn't stop laughing. I guess I appreciate this silly humor. Enjoy!

Increased dependency on public libraries during time of cuts

2008-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

For those librarians who haven't heard, ALA has asked the Fed for an economic stimulus infusion for the organization of $100 million (Library Journal article, 11/15/2008).

I guess ALA is arguing that in this time of fiscal crisis, more people across the nation are using public libraries to participate in programs that will increase skills and marketability in this changing job market and adapt to the changing American fiscal landscape. Library programs include resume writing workshops and financial and housing counseling.

Of course, as a librarian I agree with ALA's request. My example comes from the fact that I have seen more people come to the computer lab to print off fresh copies of resumes because he or she has been layed off. Also, more people are coming in to use the job search sites like monster.com.

Random Notes

2008-11-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

I was sadden to hear of the closing of a Pontiac, IL prison this year. This was the last place of employment for my dad before he opted for early retirement many years ago. The closing of the prison, needless to say, is very contreversial, sparking arguments among Union workers, the mayor of Pontiac and the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Public libraries are not even immune to the ripple effects of our economic crisis. I have read in many library blog and journals of public library systems across the nation having to cut back on budgets and even lay off library workers. My library system has taken steps in response to economic concerns. And since we receive funding through the school district, who knows what else might happen especially if the State of Kansas considers budgetary cutbacks for schools across the state.
I will be headed over to Lawrence for a quiet Thanksgiving with my sister's family. Quiet? Wait a minute! My niece and nephew are two energetic kids. Thanksgiving in their house is anyting but quiet.
I met M and P's new neighbors during pizza Friday night. Their old neighbors moved to Omaha because of a requirement in accepting a job promotion. The new neighbors are a husband and wife with two teenage kids and have returned to the Kansas City area after living in Ohio for awhile.
I'm glad to have my treadmill back in full operating capacity.

History lesson of my neighborhood

2008-11-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

While performing maintenance on my treadmill, the technician regaled me with stories about this neighborhood. I guess he grew up in this area twenty some-odd years ago. I typically responded to his stories with a "I did not know that" or "You don't say." One interesting story: he and his buddies rode their BMX bikes on the land where my house sits.

My Internet Typology Group

2008-11-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Out of curiosity, I went to the Pew Internet site and took their Internet Typology Test. This poll canvassed my feelings about technology and the way I feel about information in our society. I was calculated to be a member of the "Connected but Hassled" demographic. Perhaps if I take it again the results would be different.

My vote is in

2008-11-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

I decided to get up at 5:30 this morning and vote. Unfortunately, about 400 other people decided to do the same thing. As I approached the church where I vote, there was a line of cars waiting to turn into the church's parking lot. The parking lot was full but many voters decided to park in the gas station's parking lot next door or park their car on the church's lawn. I parked on the lawn putting my Vue at risk as I parked under a tree that was shedding its hedge apples. After a 35 minute wait in line, I cast my ballot.

Afterwards, I went to Starbuck's where the line was equally as long. Starbuck's has a marketing special today where you tell them you voted in this election and you get a tall coffee free. It looked like 20-30 took advantage of this offer at this particular store.

Switch to Standard Time

2008-11-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

I want to pat myself on the back because I did manage to switch the clocks in my house back to Standard Time. The Sunday shift at the library was a different story.

All lab PCs system-wide (not just WW) shut down an hour early. Apparently, the server which governs our access management software did not make the adjustment back to Standard Time this morning and 20 computer sessions in my library PC lab were abruptly ended at 3:55 PM. Some patrons were upset by this as they were typing papers, resumes, etc and did not get an opportunity to save their work. Other users were merely playing online games, checking email, or surfing the net. My counterpart from the Main library called saying their lab was experiencing the same problems, which confirmed my suspicion this was happening at all open library branches.

Unshelved strip

2008-10-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Internet, Cell Phones, and Families

2008-10-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

I first read of this in this morning's Kansas City Star. But it seems that Internet and cell phone technology, statistically speaking, tightens the bonds of family. Here's the link to the Washington Post article: Internet, Cellphones May Strengthen Family Unit, Study Finds

Click here for the Pew Internet Group's report on family connectivity.

New England Trip, Day Four: Attending Crew Competition

2008-10-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 12th

I did not have the luxury of sleeping in this day. My cousin was needing to disembark to Middletown, CT at daybreak and, if I wanted to join him, I had to get up early. So after a quick shower and getting quickly dressed, I joined my cousin at the truck which was hauling three skulls for the regatta. We stopped at Mim's, Northfield, Mass' version of a convenience store. After getting coffee (the nearest Starbucks was forty miles away) and danishes, we took the road out of town, hooked up on I-91 Southbound, and headed for Connecticut.

Along the way, my cousin and I talked about family related matters, including sharing memories of our trips up to Alaska and the Grand Canyon. I won't go into detail but I really enjoyed the discussion I had with my cousin.

About forty-five minutes later we arrived in Middletown. After establishing our parking spot with the truck and long, long boat trailer, my cousin and I walked down to the regatta officials trailer so that my cousin could make sure that all registrations were done properly for his three individual teams that were competing. The sun was just rising above the Connecticut River and the fog was just clearing making for awesome opportunities to take some pictures.

Thirty minutes later, my cousin's crew team arrived. They were traveling separately and I believed they were chaperoned by an assistant coach. After placing their gym bags on the bed of the truck, the crew members proceeded to rig the skulls for competition. There were three entries from my cousin's school: the varsity four-man (quad) skull, the junior varsity quad skull, and the ladies 8-member skull.

After a while, my cousin gathered his team for the coach's pep talk. He relayed information about the race and also talked about his recent experiences of cave exploring with his daughter as a way to inspire the newer crew members to enjoy this experience (I believe). It was intriguing to see that all team members were paying stern attention to my cousin as he delivered his pep talk.

With the coach's speech over, it was now time to compete. With the separate coxswains delivering orders for their respective boats, each team lifted their skulls into the air and proceeded to the Connecticut. I was amazed by the highly coordinated effort between the coxswain and the rowers.

The competition lasted for two hours. All levels of competition participated in the regatta, IE: high-school, college, etc. Unlike what I saw on the Beijing Olympics, each individual team was rowing against the clock as opposed to competing in heats. Each team rowed upriver about three miles where I guessed they rendezvoused with the official starter. Meanwhile, my cousin fulfilled the ambassador part of his coaching duties as he engaged in conversations with parents, former students, etc. When his rowing teams approached the finished line, all conversations were interrupted with cacophonies of cheering and whistling for the crew members.

Afterwards, my cousin went down to the boat ramp to help the crew members prepare to take their boats back to the truck. Once again, each coxswain would deliver orders to their respective boats and the crew members would hoist their boat in unison and walk back to the truck and trailer. You could see the fatigue on each rower's face after they completed their duties of competing, de-rigging the boats and putting the boat back on the trailer.

After talking with each team member to see how they felt about their efforts, my cousin and I walked down to the official's trailer to get the official results. The boy's varsity crew finished third in their class. The JV crew finished fifth. And the girl's eight-team crew finished sixth in their class. Afterwards, we walked back down to the river where parents were serving barbecue-fare for team members, their family, the coaches, and a visiting KC Librarian.

With lunch completed, a few team members left Middletown with family. Other team members remained in town because they were planning a prospective visit to Connecticut Wesleyan college. The remaining team members got on the bus and went back to Northfield. After making sure each person was accounted for, and after making sure everything was secured on the trailer, my cousin and I started the drive back to Northfield. My cousin elected to take some back roads so that I could see more of the brilliant foliage.

That night we surprised my uncle (his Dad) with a phone call, just to let him know that I came to New England. I went to bed relatively early that night as I had to fly home the next day.

New England Trip, Day Three: Hall of Fame and Pumpkins

2008-10-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 11, 2008

I'm really grateful my cousin could spend any time with me considering that his job requires a lot of his time and dedication. Case in point: He had to spend this particular Saturday morning participating in his school's open house. He is the head of the school's science department. He supervises fifteen to sixteen teachers. And, of course, part of his duties at this boarding school is to perform the PR work and market the school to potential students and parents.

So, while he was extolling the finer points of the school to perspective student candidates, his son and I explored a garden nursery that featured a pumpkin display of caricatures with pumpkin heads. Some displays included Dorothy and friends from The Wizard of Oz, the three little pigs, Cinderella and her carriage, and, my favorite, Batman.

BTW, it should be noted that during several drives on this trip, I spotted several pumpkin farms along the highways. The color of the pumpkins combined with the color of the fall leaves made for some stunning scenery.

After our visit to the pumpkin exhibit, the son and I met my cousin and had lunch at the school's dining hall. We then proceeded down I-91 to Springfield, Massachusetts and The Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame is structured on three levels. After paying your admission, they place you on an elevator, lift you to the third floor where the Enshrinees are displayed. In an awkward coincidence, they were playing a video of Roy Williams during his acceptance speech. I spent a good forty minutes on this level looking for anything related to Kansas/Big 8/Big 12 history. I do need to note that when I found the display for Dean Smith, the display said he was born in "Bemporia" Kansas, not Emporia, KS. Ooops!

A walk down to the second level reveals the museum and interactive exhibits. On a blue-screen device, you can play one-on-one against a basketball Hall of Famer. There is a display that discusses diagrams of some of the more famous offensive plays in basketball including the Princeton backdoor play, the Kansas/Carolina secondary break, or Phil Jackson/Tex Winter's famous triangle offense. There was also an exhibit featuring the history of the Harlem Globetrotters and one display featuring a Globetrotter's dunk on a twelve-foot goal.

A walk down another flight of stairs takes you to the Hall of Fame basketball court where you can attempt to shoot three-pointers and free-throws and also shoot basketballs at peach baskets and every type of basketball goal that has come with the game's evolution. Fun stuff.

After a quick visit to the HOF gift shop, we drove to Northampton, MA where we had dinner at a local brewery where my cousin's son quizzed me about my knowledge of college team nicknames.

I'm Home

2008-10-13T18:15:00.001-07:00

It was warmer in Massachusetts and Connecticut this morning than what we have now in KC. The flying home was not the best of experiences, but I'm back. I'll write more extensively about the last two full days in New England, but for now, here are a couple pics to tease.

KC Librarian shoots and.....

2008-10-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing but air. :( But it was still fun shooting on the Basketball Hall of Fame's basketball court, though. More details about this Saturday in Springfield to come.

Friday in Vermont

2008-10-11T06:47:00.001-07:00

Because my cousin's family was still operating on their own individual schedules yesterday, I decided to do a driving tour of Southern Vermont and return to my cousin's house through New Hampshire (just so I can say I was in New Hampshire).
I started the day going to Brattleboro, VT which was a short thirty minute drive. Brattleboro is a small town with a downtown, touristy area that overlooks the Connecticut River. After figuring out how to park in the downtown area and getting quarters so that I could park, I browsed the shops in the area. My cousin's wife recommended a bakery for breakfast and after I found it, I had chocolate cake for breakfast.
After taking the three or four obligatory pictures of the area, I began driving toward Bennington, VT. To my pleasure and surprise, I discovered Route 9 to be a very beautiful scenic drive. The fall colors did not disappoint. When I reached the pass at Hogback Mountain, I saw cars upon cars parked next to the gift shop, tourists taking pictures of the fall colors in the valley. I did manage to find a parking spot and took five minutes myself to snap some shots.
I got back to my and proceeded to Bennington. I must admit that the driving along this road was a lot like driving the mountain roads in Colorado, complete with runaway truck ramps for the downhill driving experience.
I arrived at Bennington at midday. The day turned out to be gorgeous and I had to shed my sweatshirt before I walked the downtown area. I had lunch at a place called Alldays and Onions. What did I have-a Reuben sandwich and two glasses of chocolate milk. After lunch I browsed a couple of the local book stores, bought souvenirs, and then began the drive eastward toward Keene, NH. I made another stop at Hogback Mountain, took a couple more pics, and roamed through the gift store. I made Keene, NH in the late afternoon. The fall colors here were not as brilliant but still scenic driving nonetheless. I took a back highway to get back to my cousin's house.
Last night, while his wife took the kids to a Friday night play date with friends, my cousin and I went to dinner at a new restaurant in Gill, MA and then went to a local pub to watch Game One of the Red Sox-Rays. Needless to say, the pub will filled with fervent Red Sox fans.
Today, my cousin, his son and I head to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Fall Foliage sample

2008-10-11T06:39:00.001-07:00

I tried to take as many pictures as possible and I must admit that my camera does not do the fall colors justice; but anyway, here's a sample picture of the fall colors, as seen in Southern Vermont.

Brief summary of my Friday in N.E.

2008-10-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Brilliant fall colors in Vermont and New Hampshire, eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and watching the Red Sox-Rays playoff game in a Massachusetts pub. It doesn't get any better than this.

Further details of this fantastic Friday to come...

Traveling to Stockbridge, Mass

2008-10-09T16:39:00.003-07:00

After having breakfast with my cousin's family and walking with my cousin as he took his kids to school, I drove to western Massachusetts to see some of the sights. I first headed south on I-91 to Deerfield to a gift shop that compares in area to KC's Nebraska Furniture Mart. I spent an hour looking at gifts and Halloween and Christmas decor and then hit the highway. I hit the Mass Turnpike and headed west for Stockbridge and the Rockwell Museum. After spending two hours there and buying my gift store magnets, I hit the highway and headed north to Pittsfield.

The driving was absolutely beautiful, brilliant fall colors abound. I worked my way back to I-91 stopping off to browse at three or four small town general stores and treating myself to some Friendly's (an eastern chain) ice cream. I got back to Northfield in time for dinner with my cousin and his family.

Friday, I'm considering drives to either New Hampshire or Vermont. Saturday and Sunday are scheduled activities with my cousin.

Hello from Massachusetts

2008-10-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

I made the Hartford airport at mid-afternoon and managed to rent my car without much trouble. The drive from the Hartford airport to my cousin's house was beautiful and brilliant in color. Tomorrow, I head for Stockbridge, MA and the Norman Rockwell museum. I'll start taking pictures as soon as I can dig my camera out from my luggage.

Ready for the trip and suspending my worries for a week

2008-10-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I'll have to get up early Wednesday morning in order to make my flight. I'll stop by Starbucks and get a double-shot caramel machiato.

When I get back, I'll have some obligations waiting for me: car maintenance, yard maintenance, etc.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing the Norman Rockwell Museum, The Basketball Hall of Fame, and, of course, the autumn colors of New England.

Three things taken away from this football weekend

2008-10-05T15:10:00.001-07:00

After watching their performance against Nebraska, I'm convinced that Missouri is a legit contender for the national championship.
After watching their performance against Iowa State, I believe KU is yo-yo-ing between being a good team and a mediocre team. No BCS bowl bid this year.
After watching the Chiefs performance against __________ (fill in the blank), I am totally convinced that this team is so bad that it will take the firing of Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards and his coaches to start righting the ship. Their performance against Carolina was ugly and uninspired. These are professional football players for goodness sake and all they are doing is standing on the field and collecting their ridiculous salary.

We're the Best (at least in KC for 2008)!!!

2008-10-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

The Pitch magazine, our local weekly arts and entertainment publication, released its Best of Kansas City 2008 issue today. And, lo and behold, The West Wyandotte Public Library, the library where I work, was named Best Library for this year.

Click here for their paragraph review.

I feel the article hits our high points. Kicker is they have not seen our refurbished reference area yet.

Reference Desk Demolition--Four Pics

2008-09-25T18:26:00.001-07:00

I imagine there will more pics posted to our library's media blog, but here are four pics showing the before, the during, and the after of our reference desk destruction. A couple of the pictures are courtesy of Mama Bear.

Random Thoughts

2008-09-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

The new ref desk has been installed with computer networking and phones now available. We are waiting for the word processing/online database computers to be installed and wired. Our reaction to the new desk has been not exactly a warm fuzzy feeling. However, I think everyone is arriving at the feeling that we'll make do with what we have. But somewhere down the pike, we would like to see some changes to accommodate our working needs.
I called my cousin in Massachusetts tonight to start mapping out plans for my trip to New England. Because of his and his family's schedule, some of my excursions will be on my own. But I think things are mapping out nicely.
Finally, I think it's ironic that even though I signed up for the "No call" list that the organizations that constantly call for support are law enforcement agencies. I am grateful for their service and dedication. But pulllease!!! Let me eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich bachelor dinner in peace, for once.

Reference Desk Refit Update

2008-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

I make the occasional mistake of assuming things. So when I go into work today, I am going to assume that the workers have finished assembling our new ref desk area as well as the word processing lab.

Friday, the old ref desk was torn down. Mama Bear and I had digital cameras to document the event. Monday, Mama Bear sent a CD of our photos to our digital production specialist to perhaps post a couple of pics in the media blog.

I must go on record to say that I, along with other staff members, had some misgivings about our new ref area. I still have some concerns, but now that I see how the new area is forming, I see possibilities.

One note about the camera: It was my first time handling it. I first had to figure out how to format the memory stick and then I had to figure out how to use it. This unfamiliarity along with my low visual acuity meant some very fuzzy picture taking.

Wii seniors like to bowl, too

2008-09-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

Here's a video taken from many seen in Youtube which illustrates the fact that seniors like the Wii gaming system too. It also makes me think I could host a senior's Wii gaming night at the library.

Random Notes

2008-09-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

We took a few more steps toward our reference refit today. We were informed that some workers may be here when we arrive at work on Thursday to begin demolition of the old reference area. I helped Mama Bear clear out some displays and move some bookclub sign-up notebooks to a temporary location. For the next couple of days, our reference desk will be a couple of laptops and a table pulled from the auditorium.
Mus Muris and Princess Anaconda gave a thorough presentation about their conferences they recently attended. Mus offered a summary of a virtual reference conference that was held in Denver at the start of August. Meanwhile, PA delivered a well-thought out presentation on Flickr and Creative Commons which were two topics discussed this year at NEKLS Tech Day in early August. I was unable to attend Tech Day this year because of my vacation/family reunion up to Washington.
A WestWy colleague and I are participating in a grant-funded project that puts a Wii gaming system in each one of our library branches. The colleague (LB) and I discussed potential programs we could hold at the library. She has pretty much developed gaming programs for the young adult crowd. I am contemplating a Wii gaming night for seniors. I have read that a lot of senior folk have taken a liking to Wii, especially with its core programs of golf, bowling, and tennis.
In an effort to curb costs, I am sending out my computer class reminders on post cards instead of business letters. This is a 25 cent difference in postage for each mailing.

Reference Desk Redesign

2008-09-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely, my library is remodeling our reference desk area. New furniture has been delivered, new carpet will be installed, fellow staffers and I have been reluctantly weeding the ref collection, and desktop computers have been replaced by wireless laptops. All of us have different feelings about this change.

A brief visit to the Northeast

2008-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's only for four days but I've booked my flight to Massachusetts (actually Hartford, CT). I'll be visiting my cousin and his family as well as see the autumn New England colors, visit the Guthrie Center near Housatonic, MA, watch my cousin's crew team compete in Connecticut, and perhaps visit the Basketball Hall of Fame is Springfield.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Through sheer numerological destiny, Labor Day and the celebration of my birthday fall on the same weekend. I just turned 43. And like most Labor Day/birthday weekends, I ate thinking that I still have a teenager's metabolism: pizza Friday night, Abuelos Mexican food Saturday night, and barbecue last night featuring brats, pulled pork, and ribs.

Pass the Pepto please.

Ray Bradbury's Prunes Commercial

2008-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this on BoingBoing and it tickled my funny bone.

Pics from the Mariners-Rays Game

2008-08-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

The seats behind home plate in the upper deck were perfect. And the garlic fries weren't bad either.

Scenes from Washington

2008-08-11T12:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some images from Fort Worden.

A coincidence at Mt. Walker

2008-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

One of the things I did while on the Olympic Peninsula was go on a hike at Mt. Walker, which is located near Quilcene, WA twenty-five miles south of Port Townsend and Fort Worden. At the trailhead, we bumped into a gentleman I sailed with at the San Juan Islands. He was climbing down from the top of the mountain whereas we were just starting. According to my uncle, this man is trying to keep in shape for a long hike with his daughter along the mountains that are the West Coast equivalent of the Appalachian trail.

KC Librarian comes home

2008-08-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

With the exception of an hour delay at the Denver airport because of thunderstorms, the trip from Seattle to KC went well. I got home late tonight and had to scavenge for my dinner. Monday, I'll grocery shop and organize my pictures from the trip.

Greetings from the Seattle Public Library 2008

2008-08-09T10:41:00.001-07:00

It has been since October 2006 since I've been here and it is still exhilarating to visit this library. As I did last time, I walked the twenty blocks from the hotel to the library. And as I did last time, I arrived an hour prior to the library's opening. So to kill time, I went to Starbucks a block away, ordered a grande caramel machiatto, and read the newspaper and made a few phone calls.
The trip up here in the Great Northwest is going well. I'm not going to deliver a chronology of events as I did with my audio posts in 2006. Instead, here are some highlights.

Fort Worden, WA is a marvelous facility to host a family reunion. Our family was about 65 people strong and we were housed in the former military housing that runs along south of the compound. Fort Worden is close to the Admiralty Inlet which leads to the Puget Sound area (I think). The bay is on the east side of the compound and if you get up early enough you get a spectacular view of the sunrise. To the north lies The Strait of Juan de Fuca which is about a 15 minute hike away. The view from the lookout point to the north gives you the southern part of the San Juan Islands.
The family reunion itself went well. Organized in a different fashion, we stayed here for five days and four nights which meant more time to visit, go hiking, visit tourist destinations, etc. Past family reunions were held during the weekend with three days and two nights. So this year's reunion obviously gave us more ample time.
After the family reunion, I drove back to Seattle with my cousin and his wife where we were treated to dinner and a Mariners-Tampa Rays game last night. I enjoyed the game at Safeco Field although the Mariners lost. I regaled my two cousins with the tale of when I last attended a Mariners game in Seattle's Kingdome in 1990. At that game a brawl broke out.
Today, I'm wandering about Seattle and trying to do everything that is free. I guess this includes stopping here at the library and visiting Pike Place. I may try to stop by the Seattle Aquarium if time allows. My uncle may be in town later tonight and may want to treat me and his sons to dinner. We'll have to wait and see.

Anyhow, that's my story here and I'm sticking to it. I did take some pictures with my digital camera and some of the pics may make their way to this blog.

I resume work next Tuesday in Kansas City.

Here in Seattle

2008-08-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I just finished the family reunion and made the drive into Seattle. I am going to grab the Mariners game tonight and I'll do a more extensive post from the Seattle Public Library on Saturday.

Hope everyone at home is doing fine.

KC Librarian

A Quick Check of the Weather

2008-08-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

According to weather.com, the weather for Sunday, August 3rd:

Kansas City: Sunny, 97 degrees.

Seattle: Mostly sunny, 67 degrees.

Ebert and Roeper move on.....

2008-07-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to read Roger Ebert's journal today where he expressed his thoughts and feelings about the ending of his and Roeper's relationship with Buena Vista Television. In his entry, he talks about the history of "At the Movies" and how he and Siskel had to adjust over the years. I thought it was a nice touch where he added video out-takes of he and Gene Siskel trying to tape promos for their television show and, of course, their clash of personalities become evident.
This clash of personalities, though, gave movie goers a barometer of what's good and what's crap as far as movies go. Here's an example showing this clash of egos:

I don't think movie reviews on TV will ever be the same. Of course, part of this is due to the popularity of Rotten Tomatoes and all forms of media in all cities employing their own film critic. But I will always appreciate the guys in the balcony for their intelligent, insightful reviews even though they were't totally compatible.