Recently in just for fun Category
Bloggers David Lee King and Michael Porter (a.k.a. Libraryman) have created a fun music video entitled "Hi-fi Sci-fi Library" which includes "a slew of Libraryland folks from around the world" singing their original song. You can read about the release of the video at David Lee King or view a large version here.
Laura Milligan has posted links to 100 Awesome YouTube Vids for Librarians at Accredited Degrees. Here's the intro to the post:
The list includes inspiring and hillarious examples - do they get you thinking about what your library could do with the 'casting equipment available through OWLS? I hope so!
> contributed by Beth (spotted on LibrarianInBlack.net)
Librarians should no longer be thought of as fuddy duddy types with long dusty cardigans or pince-nez dangling around their necks. These days, public librarians and academic librarians are on the cutting edge, dedicated to bringing their resources and their patrons into the 21st century with technology. Librarians are also bloggers, IT professionals, database managers, technology mavens; and these YouTube videos and tutorials are just for them. Watch these vodcasts and recordings to learn about new library tools, interesting literacy campaigns and outreach programs, and even hysterical videos about library stereotypes that are circulating on the Internet.
The list includes inspiring and hillarious examples - do they get you thinking about what your library could do with the 'casting equipment available through OWLS? I hope so!
> contributed by Beth (spotted on LibrarianInBlack.net)
My husband gave me this quote yesterday (thanks, Matt!), and I thought I'd share it with all of you. It's good for a pick me up when you're wondering why we do what we do.
Here's to wishing you a day free of smiting rascals and thanks for all of the wonderful things you all do!
> contributed by Beth
"It's a sector [nonprofits] in which you are allowed to pursue truth, even if you're going in the wrong direction; to experiment, even if you're bound to fail; to map unknown territory, even if you get lost; a sector in which we are committed to alleviating misery and redressing grievances, to giving rein to the mind's curiosity and the soul's longing, to seeking beauty where we can and defending truth where we must, to honoring the worthy and smiting the rascals (with everyone free to define worth and rascality), to combating the ancient impulse to hate and fear the tribe in the next valley, to finding cures and consoling the incurable, to preparing for tomorrow's crisis and preserving yesterday's wisdom, and to pursuing the questions others won't pursue because they're too busy or lazy or fearful or jaded."
~ John Gardner, educator and social activist, on the nonprofit sector
Here's to wishing you a day free of smiting rascals and thanks for all of the wonderful things you all do!
> contributed by Beth
There was recently a discussion thread on PR-Talk regarding library annual reports, formats used, etc. One reader submitted a link to Omaha Public Library's annual report from 2005/2006. Take a look at this pdf and see what you think (warning - the file is large, so it'll take a minute or two to completely download). It's certainly not your typical annual report, eh? But probably a lot more fun to create! This might be a fun way to promote what your library does, whether for an annual report or a program or other special event.What would your community think of something like this?
> contributed by Beth
NPR has a fantastic collection of books for you and your patrons to explore this summer! Take a look at Summer Books 2008, and you'll be sure to find some titles to keep you busy. Headings for the lists include "Better than Sliced Bread: Summer's Best Nonfiction," "Nine First Books that Make a Lasting Impression," "Three Books with Blood... and Brains," "The 10 Best Cookbooks for Summer," and lots more.What's your favorite read so far for this summer? Add your titles in the comments.
> Found on Sites and Soundbytes, contributed by Beth
April is National Poetry Month! Want to know more about it? Take a look at the Poets.org FAQ for some quick answers. They also have other cool info on their homepage that you might want to take a look at. You can find poetry events by state - here is Wisconsin's page. And there's a service called Poem a Day, which will email you a new poem every day during the month of April. Today's poem is Assault to Abjury by Raymond McDaniel.
Have any poetic events planned at your library? Who is your favorite poet? Post yours in the comments.
> contributed by Beth
Sometimes we really beat ourselves up about the mistakes we make. Occasionally, it's healthy to remind yourself that someone is out there right now, making a much worse mistake...
And finally, an answer to that lifelong question. The question that has plagued librarians through the ages.... What are the best (and worst) foods to eat while reading?
Best
And finally, an answer to that lifelong question. The question that has plagued librarians through the ages.... What are the best (and worst) foods to eat while reading?
Best
- Bite-sized pasta - You eat this primly, with one hand and a fork, leaving the other hand free for the book.
- Soup - Most soups are one-hand affairs.
- Crackers, cookies, and carbs in general - But beware. Not only do they get crumbs in your pages you will also eat too much while reading.
- Hard pretzels - Bite-sized and non-messy.
- Cheese plate - Chris says this seems properly snobby for a nice read fest, good with port and a pair of slippers. Also, easy to eat. Port, Stilton, and pears, all cut beforehand into bite-size pieces, go well with a deep read in the evenings.
- Big burritos- These take concentration and skill to eat without making a mess - forget about turning the pages.
- Most sandwiches - Also two-hand affairs. If you have a book stand, though, these can still be OK.
- Complicated salads - Too much work; you're always having to look down at your plate.
- Soft pretzels - Too greasy.
- Popcorn - Also too greasy, and distractingly noisy.
This weekend brings daylight savings time with it, so don't forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour before you hit the hay on Saturday night! >> contributed by Beth
From our sardonic friends at the Onion, this article made me smile. Notice the “Public Library” sign in the background!
>> contributed by Holly
The Library of Congress recently announced their new Flickr page. Here's a little bit about the project and why they're doing it:
The project is beginning somewhat modestly, but we hope to learn a lot from it. Out of some 14 million prints, photographs and other visual materials at the Library of Congress, more than 3,000 photos from two of our most popular collections are being made available on our new Flickr page, to include only images for which no copyright restrictions are known to exist.The real magic comes when the power of the Flickr community takes over. We want people to tag, comment and make notes on the images, just like any other Flickr photo, which will benefit not only the community but also the collections themselves. For instance, many photos are missing key caption information such as where the photo was taken and who is pictured. If such information is collected via Flickr members, it can potentially enhance the quality of the bibliographic records for the images.
They get it! What a wonderful project and a great example of what we could all do with our local collections. Do any of you have ideas for a similar project your library could try?
>> contributed by Beth
