Library Log 8/21/08

Robin’s Observations from the front desk:

There have been many changes around the library as of late. One thing that has changed is the look of the front desk. You may notice when you first walk in it’s hard to see us behind the desk, and yes we are there (most of the time). This new addition does have a practical purpose even though it looks more like a way for us to hide. We are using this to store our ever growing media collection of DVD’s, CD’s, and Video Games. Another new addition to the library is new signs. These signs will help you find the section of books you are looking for. I think they are quite spiffy and if we do any rearranging (which is inevitable) they can easily be rearranged, also. The newest thing we have at the library is our newly upgraded ILS (integrated library system) Koha 3.0! I must say though, with any upgrade there are always a few new bugs to work out, but over all this transition is going a lot smoother. At least I think so, our IT guru, Jesse, might just disagree with that observation. In all we are constantly adding new things to make both our job as librarians easier and more productive and most importantly, trying to make your experience more enjoyable! Come in and check out all these new things and all of the old!

Notes from the back room:

An old friend of mine was visiting this week. She is from Belgium. We met on the Walk Across America for Mother Earth in 1992. We talked of old times and the lives and deaths of common friends. We also talked of the way things are in Belgium comparative to here. And, well, because I can’t help myself, we also talked about libraries…(you knew that subject was coming right?!) There are some things that are the same everywhere and libraries have similar practices and procedures even in Belgium. Books, movies, music all for check out, along with a reference librarian who answers bizarre and mundane questions with the same aplomb. As straight forward as it looks there are subtleties. It was about this time last year when the Dutch librarians visited our little John C. Fremont Library. (You probably remember me going on and on about it… so I will spare you the repetitive details) They made a movie and a book (coming to our library very soon) about ‘best practices’ and libraries that break out of the mold so to speak. Yeah, we’re in it. As strange as it sounds, our little library has managed to pull off a bunch of really cool ‘cutting edge’ stuff. I know ‘cutting edge’ in a library is probably pretty tame to normal people, but for us library types its practically like speaking loudly in the reference area! So mid-month this September I will be speaking in Durango to a group of librarians. I will be talking about the ‘best practices’ of our library. I have it pretty easy because this library practically speaks for its self! And I get to hang with a whole gang of librarians! It’s funny, the stereotype of librarians over in Belgium is similar to the one here. You know the stereotype I mean…frumpy lady with her hair in a bun and glasses…very serious… probably saying shhh, oh and don’t forget the ‘practical shoes’. The funny thing is how few librarians I have met that fit the stereotype (Ok, there is that one…)

Library Log 8/14/08

Notes from the back room:

I am sitting here in the famed back room listening to Willson & McKee play beautiful music out in the library. Man oh man can she rock on the hammered dulcimer! I wish you all were here! I really appreciate the programs held here at the library, and not just because I work here. Honestly I believe our programming is one of the better things we have going on here (other than my charming sense of style and taste in the back room of course). I read an interesting article the other morning about the difference between books and TV. Usually, books are presented as an antidote to a TV-controlled populace. But now a new neuroscience study has revealed that books control people’s emotions in exactly the same way television does. A group of researchers in the U.S. and the Netherlands peered into people’s brains using fMRI machines while those people were doing a series of three tasks: reading about something disgusting, watching images of something disgusting, and actually tasting something disgusting. All three modalities of disgust share a common neural substrate. Effective connectivity of this shared region makes observing, imagining and experiencing an emotion feel so different. So, basically the emotional connection you made to a book, occupies the same brain space as the emotional connection you made to your favorite character in As the World Turns. They feel different, but appear the same to the fMRI (whatever that is). I hear a resounding, ‘Who cares?’ Yeah, well other than the neuroscientist, probably not many people…oh except I think it is kinda cool. I mean I really do get attached to characters in books. It is one of the reasons I like reading series. The same characters comes back. I read 27 Alexander Kent novels because it comforted me that Captain Bolitho would be there again, saving the day and hurrying home to his wife. But since I am not much of a TV watcher I never did understand why folks would watch the same movie over and over again. Now I sort of get it. It fills the same place in their heads. Either way the library is the place to be. Rather than owning and finding shelf space for all of the exploits of Captain Bolitho, I just get them from the public library. And if you want to see Star Wars IV for the 568th time, well, we have it here for you. So come by the library and get what you need to fill your substrate. And while you are here, check in with Gypsy about becoming a volunteer or a lowly paid, semi-professional, substitute librarian. Oh and pop in the back room!

Library Log 8/7/08

Robin’s Observations from the front desk:

I’ve been over hearing lots of patrons talk about the great services we provide to our community. So, I’ve decided to talk about a few of these services we provide here at the library. One of the ones many of our patrons take advantage of is the ILL (Inter-Library Loan) system. We use the ILL system to request books that we don’t have in our collection, from other libraries from all over Colorado. It is a great resource and it usually only takes a week for the items requested to get to our library. Another one of the services I’m involved in is the Homebound Program, which is a program for those in the community who for whatever reason are unable to make it out of their homes to come in to the library. So, instead of them coming to us we (meaning me) go to them. I love being involved with this program cause it gets me out from behind the circulation desk and it lets us provide service to those in our community who love to read, but would otherwise be unable to make it to the library. If you or someone you know, might be interested in this program let me know. This program runs year round, rain or shine and its easy to sign up for. You can give me (Robin) a call at 784-4649 ext. 1 or feel free to stop in. We also offer many other services from copies, lamination, free classes, great presentations, and lots of other wonderful services. Please stop in and take advantage of all our services.

Notes from the back room :

Some great new books have been rolling in the door this month. It is so so hard watching all the neat new titles go by my desk and not having the time to read them all. My tastes tend to run towards science fiction, but every so often I need a good laugh. David Sedaris’ new book “When you are engulfed in Flames” had me laughing so hard I almost fell off my chair. “Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyer is another in the teen vampire Twilight Saga that just came out. There were so many folks in line for it we decided to buy two copies. Which reminds me, I was going to mention how the whole getting in line for a book thing works. (In the library business we call it ‘being on hold’ for a book.) If you see an item in our catalog that you want, you hit the big button that says, “I want this”. Pretty straight forward, ain’t it. You do need to have a library card from our library in order to put a book on hold. Picky picky picky aren’t we. Anyway, it is fairly easy, no bloodletting involved. The other way to get something you really want is to just keep coming by in hopes it will be there when you are…and if that is your strategy, you best stop by the back room and say howdy. I also wanted to mention a slight change in the look and feel of our website. When we unchain her from the front desk, Robin is also our web guru. She wanted to make it easier for you all to see the upcoming programs that Gypsy is putting on. Check it out!

Library Log 07/31/08

Notes from the back room:

Fairly soon now, the kids will be headed back to school. For some of the younger ones it will be for the first time. If the little one in your life hasn’t gotten to know the joys of library membership, now is your chance. Sign ‘em up for a library card. Cid, our children’s librarian, has ordered in some fantastic books. (I like the ones that rhyme the best). Reading a story to a child is a first step in creating a literate, life-long learner. You know, I really believe that libraries are about content, people and communities. Any place can be a warehouse of books, but it takes a bit more to be a library. Being vibrant and active in the community is essential. Heck, books, DVDs, music and art are just a beginning! Our library has taken that to heart and really gone forward in providing services, programs and potential. The other day I had the pleasure of meeting Bev Allen. The Board of Trustees has hired Bev as the new director of the John C. Fremont Library. She will be starting in September. There will be a ‘Meet and Greet the Director’ reception mid-September (I’ll keep you posted on the time and date) If you want to be a part of what we do here, feel free to volunteer – just talk with Gypsy! Stop by and say hey to me if you get the chance….I’m the one they have locked in the back room.