What I've Read This Week

This week was the week of graphic novels and cook books. I picked up a few books with lots of words, but just didn't get into them.

Read

• The Kite Runner in graphic novel format
  I'm glad I read this is graphic nobel format because I knew I was never going to read the novel format. I had tried reading the Bookseller of Kabul
• Aya
• Bayou vol 1 and 2
• Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family will Enjoy

What I Picked Up

Well, apparently I didn't pick anything up, or else I forgot to list it. I'll check my GoodReads account.

What I've Read This Week

I think I'm going to take a page from Nick Hornby's title and just start putting down what I picked up and what I read and what I may intend to read.

Read

• Blue Heaven by C. J. Box- I picked this up on the recommendation of a patron who is a fan and who thought we were crazy not to have purchased any new titles by that author. (As it turns out, we purchase everything by this author, they're just all checked out b/c my patron is not the only fan.) After I helped my patron by placing some hold requests for the newest Box we have in the collection, I walked over and pulled this one off the shelf. I fully intending to read it RA style, but after reading the random middle chapter, being with even more new characters and discovering the writing was really decent, even good, I decided to just read the whole book.
  
  Pretty straight plot with good cops, bad cops, kids witnessing murders and a little bit of redemption. There's no real character development, but they're all human and fairly realistic nonetheless. If you're looking for something to while away the plane ride or wait in the doctor's office or if you're visiting family and would rather read than talk to them, well you can't go too wrong with this book which won't hurt your brain and give a fairly satisfying showdown ending.


• Mush!: Sled Dogs with Issues by Glenn Eichler and Joe Infurnari. Hilarious! If you like graphic novels, enjoyed the movie Office Space or just like dogs, this is a good, easy, fast read to have some laughs before or after the daily grind.


• Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown is going to be a classic must read for any Gen Xer who grew up quoting the original Star Wars and now has kids. I laughed my way through it, giving myself a great ab workout. The pictures are excellent and I can just hear Vader's voice as he says to 4yr old Luke, "I find your lack of patience disturbing."

Tell Me Something I Don't Know - Meaningful Community Engagement

I'm developing myself professionally about all kinds of stuff and today it's community engagement in order to plan for services and programming. I didn't attend the Tell Me Something I Don't Know - Meaningful Community Engagement Webinar by InfoPeople, but those great folks made a speech to text transcript. So below I'm going to insert some quotes and then muse in pixels about those insights.

"It is absolutely mandatory to start off a conversation with a member of your service are who represents the constituency in your service area with something they can answer easily. Something down-to-earth and practical. Not theoretical or imaginative. Something not about the library. Their first interaction with you should be something they know about. They need to feel smart and you don't need or want to set up a situation where they look to you to give them a hint about the right answer. If they start saying stuff like "I know this is probably stupid" that is a good sign that you are not asking the right question. Ask about what they know. Don't ask them about the library."

Okay, this makes sense. People don't sit around thinking about the library like library professionals sit around thinking about the library. So why ask them about the library? Below is an example provided about asking people about the library and examples of the right question to ask:

We had an experience where we were listening to a young librarian report on the successful project that she did for our summertime mad science program. This was a great public library program. They had scientist come in talking to people. They blew things up in the parking lot. It was fun and had good media coverage and attendance. She gave her report and it was upbeat. At the very end she said, this just proves the public doesn't know what they want because I asked what kind of programs people wanted. On my survey I did not get a response. I did not hear anything about mad science programs.

The speakers say asking the public what kinds of programs they want is not the right question. For example, questions for parents should be "what do you want for your kids? what kinds of outcomes/ results?" Parent's responses may include things like:

• to retain their intelligence over summer break.
• have stuff to do that gets them out of the house.
• to do stuff that doesn't cost me $100 but is fun for the whole family

Parents are not going to come up with library tasks and programming for the librarians. It is for the librarian to take the outcomes and figure out a program that meets the outcomes. So in terms of programming for seniors, instead of asking, "who would you like to see here?" ask, "what does SSH do for you, or what would you like it to do for you?" For instance, a co-worker mentioned that SSH provided some entertainment for the seniors. The speakers of the webinar caution against asking about behavior, such as, "where do you hang out on the weekend?" but to instead restate the question as "what makes a weekend activity or destination attractive to you?"

When asking about the future, instead of asking what things they want, such as features, ask them to imagine how they want to be able to use the website or the library space. What would make them want to come back. Ask, "what do you imagine your community will be like in five years?" (I imagine bike lanes everywhere and healthy, happy people riding their bikes.)

Don't ask patrons to commit to future programs. No, "if we did x, will you do y?" Market research says consumers are poor predictors of their own behaviors. "The single biggest reason [a person will] ...go somewhere or... try something is because my friends do."

Techniques:

• community meetings should present problems for people to solve with certain boundaries that govern how they go about solving it.
• run a microphone to people instead of having them line up
• note every comment, and thank participants for their contribution, but only address those comments that are on task.
• use social media to talk to people, and not just on library channels- delve into conversations.
• When interviewing ask these:
• "What keeps you (or your constituents) awake at night?
• What do you wish you knew more about?
• Who else should we talk to?
• If they mention a fear, something that they don't want to fail at (job search was an example), ask, 'what would indicate a turn around, that we (you) are heading in the right direction?'"
• if got the $$, do a focus group. Invite only important constituents. 8-12 participants. Ask no more than 6 questions and start them broad and then get narrower. Neutral moderator. Library rep to record answers (on audio is preferable) but not to give answers.
• Look for common threads, things that link people, rather than what is different b/t people.
• Finally, ask non-library people to talk about results. Let library staff then design the library response that brings those results. win-win.

I liked this. There was lots of information on how to craft a question. I liked having people design by what they want to achieve instead of the tools they think they might want to use.

Info Miracle 00000001... Revealing the Magic Trick

So a patron walks up to the Library Genius Bar and says,

"I read this book from the new section last year. I don't remember the title, but it was about an Arabian adventure or quest and I think it was written by Smith. I want to know if you'll be getting the second one."

 I smiled at the patron.

And then I opened NoveList, a database that indexes books on subjects and keywords, authors and series names. I selected the advanced search and filled in the following:

"arabian" in the [left blank] Select a Field
AND "adventure OR quest" in the [left blank] Select a Field

I selected Boolean Phrase

And I limited the Published Date fields to
Jan 2010 to August 2011

I got back a list of 14 titles with pictures (yea, NoveList!) and I turned the computer monitor to the patron and scrolled down til the patron exclaimed,

"The Desert of Souls! That's it! Oh, haha, it's by Jones."

As NoveList didn't have a second book listed, I went over to Amazon.com and found that book two is titled The Bones of the Old Ones and is not due out til December. I informed the patron and made sure to tell my selector that there will be an interest in part two.

Happy patron in less than 3 minutes. And now you know how.

Steve Blow for Senior Social Hour at the NMLS

first, I just want to say, "Wow!"

Backstory
This is my first week at work at the new job. I had a "touching base" chat with my supervisor who shared with me the needs of the Central branch in anticipation of the possibility of me being permanently assigned here. One of those needs was the adult programmer whose duties include programming for senior social hour. I'll admit, I was a little scared at the prospect, but then I was requested to shadow the upcoming program with speaker Steve Blow of the Dallas Morning News. My supervisor even suggested I stay for the duration, which to me is an incredible investment in a new person to allow them to observe a program instead of returning to the reference desk for more reference desk training.

And I am so glad I did stay. One of my fears about returning to my hometown is I didn't know if I'd fit in because I thought I'd changed so much. But as I'm meeting people, finding new places (like the Generator Coffee House) and seeing places I grew up in changed (I think for the better), I'm starting to think I may fit in here after all.

And that brings me to our speaker...
After his talk, Mr. Blow hung around to chat with the audience and I got to swap a few words with him. He mentioned being glad that he could connect with the audience based on the shared experience of his stories and asked if I got anything out of it. I told him he totally brought me back with his reference to the two key pieces of literature in his household- the King James Bible ("because we wanted to read Jesus' words in his original old English") and the Reader's Digest.

I was delighted to be reminded about this aspect of Texas culture (which was so mundane as to be literally forgettable), and especially to learn that it wasn't just my household. But Mr. Blow used that connection of everybody reading the RD to segue to his talk and to capture his audience with his little "digests" of characters he'd met along his career path.

In case you get the chance to hear him speak, I won't ruin Mr. Blow's talk about chasing happiness, forgiveness being a gift to yourself or how kindness brings its rewards by detailing his sketches. But I do want to reflect on the "institutional knowledge" the Senior group has by virtue of their years. Mr. Blow woke them  (and me) up to it when he said, "I'm sure 100% of you know this ad jingle, 'Winston tastes good...'"

and the Seniors responded in a snap, "like a cigarette should."

Just being reminded of Texas culture through the speaker, being brought back to the kindness, the civility and respect Texans have, and being shown the jewel the Senior group is and how the library serves them through the monthly Social Hour... well, it was really fantastic.

For more information on what's going on at Garland's library, see the Events and Programming Page.

RA log: the Book of Madness and Cures by O'Melveny

I found this title on the new book shelf of one of the Colorado libraries I visited. It looked good to me based on a cover using a portrait from the 1400s and the jacket plot synopsis. 56 pages in and the text flows with soft imagery built by an excellent use of language. It reminds me of what I loved about Jane Austen, though I am very aware this is a modern author structuring her language to echo (what we think we know of?) the Renaissance without overburdening her readers with difficult forms.

Quotes illustrating the author's language:

"And what life is worth living if it shuns those who provide love and consolation?" p43
"My dear, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could resuscitate my daughter's reason." p24 

And a whole passage:

How I treasure the dark nights when my candle is the only one lit, perhaps, in the entire city. It may be that when no one else is about, I find greater entrance to my soul. It is not a simple matter of uninterrupted time. No, it is the darkened theater just after the play, the street after the festival, the emptiness that holds the semblances. there is something hallowed about the late hours that suspend one's life. To be apart, to be silent, to pace or lay down the heart's agitation. To find in words the plangent* bell that calls one home. And if by chance I should move tot he window and see another window, far down the street, lit for a scholar or a corpse vigil or even a midnight birth, we are instantly bound by the intimacy of our solitude. p57

 *(of a sound) loud, reverberating, and often melancholy; early 19th Century; 

And now for the exercise:

What does the cover say about the book?

Cover of a woman, with small circles of dots and images of the context- Vienna, medicine, cures. Aimed at over 25 crowd. Male or Female; Uses a painting from the 1400s, but the design is modern.; Genre- not suspense, not thriller, not horror, not obvious romance; a debut novel, author is a poet
Title in larger font size than author name; Title in gold- for a book about "Madness and Cures," gold reminds us it is the ultimate cure or purity.

 

Jacket Blurbs

Plot- father goes missing; daughter follows his trail to find him, in a setting where women were not permitted such indulgent freedoms. There is a brief bio- author is a poet- thus the sound rich language. Recommendation, "marvelous, inventive story," by Kathleen Kent of The Traitor's Wife & The Heretic's Daughter; who, from the title of her books is an author of other books about women challenging their roles. 

Typeface
Easy typeface, plenty of white space so the book will be easily read by anyone in teens and over.
First three words of a chapter are in bold, just to reaffirm the new chapter. Just one typeface used and there are no illustrations.

Physical Characteristics of the Book
Heft: At 320 pages, not heavy- a good weight
No problems carrying it around in my bag- I barely notice its presence.
Hardcover
Easily opened, lays almost flat.

Sample Passages (see above quotes)
The story starts with action- immediately we are aware that father is gone, the main character's livelihood as a physician is removed and she decides to go after her father. We learn the back story through thoughts and memories. In the middle it begins slowing down. The pieces of her father she picks up along the way don't really reveal anything about him, but we learn plenty about the main character and how she begins to regret the journey. In the end, she finds her dad, he dies, her Scotsman lover catches up with her in time to find out, surprise! she's prego. Life ends happily ever after.

Appeal Factors

1. I find the pacing to be even- Things are happening, but not so fast I cannot catch my breath. There is more description than dialogue, but the description is from a 1st person ptv, so it comes off as internal dialogue. Plot is revealed quickly- within a few chapters we- both the Gabriella and the reader learn of her father's madness, which may be what is driving his disappearance.  This is a pretty linear plot and it begins to get tedious by about 3/4 of the way in. Stuff happens, the most heart breaking is that my favorite character dies. Gabriella also falls in love with someone, but is too afraid to stick around to make something of it and she leaves, but no surprise, she's pregnant, which really should be not a surprise to her b/c she's a doctor and doesn't she know how to prevent these things?
2. Frame: We know where Gabriella is by the water and when by the letters and language- I suppose it helps to have the location and date marked at the beginning of the first passage like a news column. The background is minimal- it is not another character and only surfaces when someone is reflecting upon it. No previous knowledge is essential.
3. The story emphasizes people with an exploration of the interior- what is going on in the mind. It is contemplative, with just enough humor to keep the reader from sinking into melancholy with Gabriella's father.
4. While I am on Gabriella's journey, my favorite character by far is the husband of her maid servant, Lorenzo. The servants may be typecast, it remains to be seen if Gabriella grows as a character as she traces her father's steps. The father's character grows a little by revelation- we meet him through Gabriella's eyes, but there's not enough and in the end, finding him was a disappointment to me.
5. The appeal is a character who is a misfit for her time- she is of it in dress and manner, but she continually challenges the roles placed before her- first by her mother to become a "simple" girl, secondly by her profession- medicine- to cease her practice, thirdly by her associates to cease her quest for her father.

Other Factors

1. A Renaissance doctor, barred from practice due to her sex, seeks her errant father so she may reunite her family and resume her practice under his patronage.
2. Genre: I think this is "regular fiction." I wouldn't even categorize it as historical romance... perhaps historical fiction.
3. Not a part of a series.
4. First novel of a poet author, so language is lovely, but the pacing slows down dramatically, even though I know this to be a character book, toward the end I was hoping it would... you know end.

Connecting to Other Books and Readers
I would connect this book to other ones exploring the female in society. The physical journey corresponds to the mental journey of the main character, though I felt like she was taking a long time to "get it." Other books- like Ann Patchet's State of Wonder. And Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar, by Suzanne Joinson or Kate Pullinger's Mistress of Nothing. I think a youngish (20 something) adult reader might enjoy this. Most likely women.

Moyer, J.E., & Stover, K. M., eds. (2010). The Reader's Advisory Handbook. American Library Association: Chicago, IL.

TexShare: Expanding Access to Materials

So, yea! I'm a librarian in my hometown library. I haven't gotten my card yet, because I haven't gotten my Texas Driver's License yet, because I haven't finalized the purchase of my home yet. But that's neither here nor there, or so I thought when I learned that my system does not carry music cds.

WHOA.

Hey, no worries. The budget is only so big and there are certain priorities, one if which included hiring me (have I said, "yea!" already?). So, follow up to that was to find out if we participate in any sort of consortium.

We do. It's called TexShare. It's a bit different from what I'm used to. Here, we issue the TexShare card and the patron may visit the library of their choice and check out materials according to the lending libraries own rules, which may change from system to system (public, academic, city to city). Nicholson does offer free InterLibrary Loan services (for books, no media), which defaults to members of TexShare as primary sources for materials. So it all depends on the effort you want to expend- drive out there yourself and get it now, or wait the necessary time for the item to arrive via ILL.

 The only difference I miss is being able to search a combined catalog for the materials. With California's Link+ Consortium, there was one catalog... though, I suppose I could search WorldCat. (Need to set up an account that limits my search to a geographic area or even to the specific libraries in the TexShare.)

Here's my List of TexShare libraries in a 20 mile radius on which to focus in a WorldCat search for materials I may desire.Then there's nothing to it, but to get in the car and drive!

• Amberton University
• Dallas County Community College District
• Mesquite Public Library  
• Rowlett Public Library
• Sunnyvale Public Library
• Dallas Public Library  
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
• Sachse Public Library
• Balch Springs Library-Learning Center
• Southern Methodist University
• Texas A&M - Baylor Health Science Library
• Criswell College
• Richardson Public Library
• Rockwall County Library
• Highland Park Library
• University Park Public Library
• University of Texas at Dallas
• Dallas Theological Seminary
• Plano Public Library System
•  Seagoville Public Library
• Parker University
• Hutchins-Atwell Public Library
• Paul Quinn College
• Southwestern Christian College
• Farmers Branch Manske Public Library
• Carrollton Public Library
• Allen Public Library
• Gilliam Memorial Public Library
• Crandall-Combine Community Library
• Dallas Baptist University