Confession #17...Brain function is essential

This really isn't a confession, rather an experience I had this morning at the library.

A woman walked up with a young man, probably early 20s.

Me: How can I help you?

Patron:  Where is level four?

Me: Level four? This library doesn't have a level four.

Patron: I need books on a level four.

Me: Are you looking for children's books? (There are some adult books on an easier reading level and I wanted to make sure I took her to the right place)

Patron: Yes

Me: Let me show you where they are.

We walk over to the JE (juvenile early reader) section.

Me: Here are the books. They are alphabetized by author, but on the spines of most of the books, it indicates what reading level this is.

Patron: My son needs to read books as part of his therapy. He had a brain injury and his therapist said reading this books will help develop the part of the brain that was injured.

Me (to male patron): Did you have any favorite books as a kid?

Patron: I really liked Dr. Seuss

Me: Well, Dr. Seuss is awesome. He is still one of my favorites. Here are his books. You might want to also look at these non-fiction books. I have found that non fiction is easier to understand because the vocabulary is recognizable and basic.

Patron: Thank you. We will look at these.

Me: Please let me know if you need some further suggestions or if I can help with anything else.

WOW! Love helping people! Isn't this the best job in the world!!!!!!!!!

Confession #16...I REALLY like new books

I have too many books. It's just a fact. One can say that there are never too many books, but since I am moving in the next few months, I began packing them up.  The last time I moved, I had 27 boxes of books. Now, these are not small boxes. These are the large Barnes & Noble boxes that can hold 40 big hardcovers, 100 paperbacks and let's not even get started on how many picture books they can hold! They also are really heavy, because I pack them full.

Why do I have so many books? Have I read them all?

In my previous life as a bookseller, I spent hundreds of dollars a month on books. Most of them, I haven't read, but they were the type of books I wanted on my bookshelves to impress the hoards of people who come to my home. At such a great bargain ($9.99 minus 30% plus tax), I found some gems. Some, after reading were donated or in most cases, put behind other books I liked. (Yes, I have to double stack my bookshelves)

I have read the majority of them. Some I haven't read yet, but plan to. They ARE on my to-read list.

However, in the past few months I have been re-evaluating my purchasing habits. Why do I buy the books I do? Also, for some reason, I have more money in savings than I had in the past. It's not because I am working more, rather, I am not buying as many books. Which can be a good thing and a bad thing.

My friends and family will tell you I rarely give a gift that is not a book. For Christmas, I choose (1) book that I really liked and give it to everyone. Yup, (1) book. It makes remembering who gets what easier. My 8 year old and 10 year old nieces love to get books but my 12 year old niece does not. The boys are ambivalent. So, since I am clearly not cutting down on how many books I give as gifts, it must be that I am not buying myself new books.

And there's the confession...I REALLY like new books, but I don't want to buy them. Before, if it looked mildly interesting, I would buy it, read it and if I didn't like it, donate it or hide it. Now, I have to have fallen in love with the book to buy. It has to be something I want to read again and again and again. I don't even buy as many book sale books for the library as I used to.

I am still reading as much as I did, if not more now.  As of right now, I only have (9) books checked out and (5) e-books. My pile next to my bed is much shorter than I was just a month ago. I have (3) audio books on my phone that I plug into the speaker in my office so I can listen and read.

Want to know the last book I purchased?

I can't wait until the next book comes out in October. I haven't read this yet, but plan to while on vacation this summer. It looks really good on my bookshelf (I haven't packed up that shelf yet).

So, any suggestions on what I should read? I have a long to-read list on goodreads, but I am always looking for good recommendations. Who knows? I may like it enough to go and buy it!

Confession #15...I am addicted...to Good Reads

One of the best and worst things about being a librarian is that you are surrounded by books all day long. It's not a strange environment for me to be in. Let's face it, I worked for a bookstore for almost 15 years and was surrounded by them all day long. I survived just fine.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon this fabulous website...goodreads. Now I could finally get rid of all the pieces of paper I had laying around the house with book suggestions on them. I could put them in one place and shazam! They were all together.

The great thing about it, is that I get suggestions from friends, books they are reading, they have loved, they want to read. My eyes look over them and think "Hey, I want to read that book too!"

As of today, I have 1,063 books on my to-read list! 1,063!!!!! I read 216 books last year. That means, at my present rate of reading, I will get through this list in 5.315 years! Years! 1,940 days! AND that's not in addition to any books I choose to add to the list!

I am not going to figure out the hours because math was never my strong subject. But over 5 years!!!!!

In my defense, I recently purged this list. It used to have almost 1,500 books on it. I even deleted all of the duplicates I had on the list (there were only 30 so it wasn't as dramatic as I am making it sound). I just realized there were lots of books I wasn't interested in reading anymore. I discovered there were about 100 I had in fact read and forgot to update.

I recently broke off my "professional" reading from my personal reading. I found I had a hard time keeping track, so, I simply created an alter ego, who is very stingy with her stars and doesn't write actual reviews. I only add books I can give 3 stars to. I started doing this thanks to a friend of mine. She didn't add any books that she couldn't give at least 4 stars to. Her reasoning was this...she is a writer and someday she may end up sitting next to another author and she doesn't want them to think that she didn't like their book. I guess it could be rather awkward.

Anywhoo, to make a long story short. I am addicted to goodreads. Plain and simple.

If you want to check out my profile, I am listed as Angie the Librarian.

Confession #14...I cheat...

Today at the library I had a patron come in looking for a specific article in a magazine from 6 years ago.

I tried to use the library's resources and found myself getting frustrated that I couldn't find what I was looking for. I looked for about 5 minutes with no luck.

What to do? Oh what to do?

So, I cheated.

I logged onto Emporia and accessed the William Allen White library on campus.

I found the magazine he was looking for and with just a few keystrokes, found the exact article he was looking for.

I printed it out and sent him on his merry way.

Best use of library resources? Probably not, but the patron was happy and that's all that really matters to me.

Confession #13...What is Yu-Gi-Oh and why are grown men playing it...

I love to read kids books. I can talk mysteries, humor, adventure and especially fantasy. I like most books I have read and love quite a few. There are some I haven't liked quite as much, which usually means I was distracted while trying to read it and couldn't get into the story/experience/etc.

However, there is an enigma that continues to elude me...what is Yu-Gi-Oh? This whole phenomenon is something I don't understand. I've googled it so I have a basic idea, something like an offshoot of Pokemon, which believe me, is a whole different concept I don't understand, but I digress...

So, the Donkey Kong of this generation? I thought that was Mario Kart. (Sidenote: my 6 year old nephew smokes me at Mario Kart on a regular basis...so much so, I have quit playing with him)

Anyway, back to Yu-Gi-Oh. I still don't get it. Anime? Cartoon? What's the draw of this?

The library where I am working today is having a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament. To be honest, I thought there would be a few kids, swapping cards (at least I think they are cards, they have big, huge, binders with clear plastic sheets that look to be the size of baseball card holders). I walked in the room, because the lights were being weird, and I was slightly taken aback by what I observed.

This tournament was not just kids, but teenagers and adults. I assume these men are parents, although some of them looked like they had just crawled out of their mother's basements...not really, but you know what I am talking about...AND their leader looked to be about 22 years old. What is a 22 year old doing in a library on a Saturday afternoon playing cards with kids and grown men?

So, if anyone knows what this mystical thing is, please feel free to share your vast knowledge and understanding with me.

Please.

And on that note, how is Ninjago pronounced? Nin-jah-go? Nen-yahhhh-goooo? I give up.

Confession #12...I will uphold copyright laws...

Today I had this question from a patron...

Patron: How do I burn a cd?

Me: You need to have a cd burner. The library computers don't have them.

Patron: Can you burn cd's on the library computers?

Me: Um, no.

Patron: Huh. Why not (as he glances at the 10 cd's he has sitting next to him)

Me: Well, sir, it is against copyright to "burn" cd's and the library computers don't have CD burners.

Pause.

Me: Anything else I can help you with?

Patron: No.

Addition to confession #11...

A librarian friend just sent this to me...

I give credit to librarianproblems.com for this content...

Some One Asks, do you have to have a degree to be a librarian?

Confesssion #11...Librarians do NOT get to spend the day reading...

I used to get this question all the time when I worked at the bookstore...

"So, since you are surrounded by books all day, do you just get to sit and read?"

Nope. Doesn't happen at the bookstore and definately doesn't happen at the library. If it did, how would I be able to help you when you need helping finding that book club book, or how to print a document, or where the closest post office is.

In all actuality, since I have begun working at the library, I HAVE read more books, although, not the kind I used to read. I have found myself on several different committee's, reading for upcoming reader's choice, beehive awards etc. Some of these have been a pleasure to read, some, not so much.

While I don't get to spend the day at the library with books and a cup of tea, I have had the great opportunity to read some great books, recommended by patrons, friends and librarians.

Here are a few such books:

Confession #10...To Shhhh or not to Shhhh

The other day, I shhhhhh'd my first library patron. I had a bun in my hair, was wearing my glasses and had on a long skirt and cardigan. I seemed to be the epitome of a old school librarian.

This is not necessarily how I looked, rather how I felt

Some kids were being a little unruly, as children are and I shhhhh'd them. It felt great! I had been waiting for this day since I started library school...the day I could shhhhhh and feel good about it.

What I find humorous is this...a few days after the day of shhhhhhhing, a library patron walked up to me and said "You know, librarians are louder than patrons. Librarians talk at the top of their voices then make those around them be quiet.".

Needless to say, this made me pause. I wondered if in fact, I had been speaking too loudly for the library and I was in the wrong for shhhhhing these kids.

Then sanity took over. Nope, I was just fine.

Confession #9...Kids make me laugh

This past week while subbing at a local library, I had a little girl come up and ask me about the book flies in diarreah. It was hard not to laugh, but inside the whole time, I was thinking "I can't think of a single book about flies and diarreah. Flies and dead bodies, yes, but not flies and diarreah."

I looked and looked and didn't find anything. She said she had read it at school and I couldn't come up with anything. She went away and came back and said, "I know the author is Doreen Cronin". At this point, I figured out what she meant...Diary of a Fly...

I went and found it for her, then suggested the following books:

I love seeing kids with books and I what I love even more than that is their funny questions. So kids, keep them coming. They make my day!

Confession #8...I have finally figured the showers out!

When I first started working at the library, I was faced with an interesting conundrum. Why did all the libraries have showers in the restrooms?

I have worked for over 6 months with this question. Finally, this past week I asked.

It's because the library can be considered a community center and gathering point when a disaster happens. The laws regulating said centers indicate that there must be a shower available.

Huh.

So, it's not just for use by employees who haven't paid their water bill?

Or when you go running on your lunch break, come back and take a quick shower.

Or can be used for storage.

Or just to look pretty.

I am not exactly sure how each library uses their shower, but, it's a facinating topic. That's not to say that every library has a shower. But, wouldn't it be interesting to see if all library showers are the same or are some designer like this one:

 or are some just like this one:

However the shower looks at your local library, one thing is hopefully sure, they will be place you can go in the event of a disaster.

Just be sure to bring your own towel and soap!

Confession #7...

I have my dream job. I am finally enjoying my work life. But, it's a lot of hard work.

One of the most difficult things about being a librarian, is not knowing what kind of question you will get next.

Case in point...tonight I am working (of course I am) and I have had 19 different patrons ask me 10 different questions. While most of them have been, "How do I print?", there have been a few that are more difficult to answer.

Answering reference questions is difficult. You have to ask a series of questions in order to get to the root of what a patron is asking. Very rarely will they come out and tell you exactly what they are looking for.

Except the patron I just helped. :)

So, it's always interesting when a patron walks up. What are the looking for? Can I help them? I do my best, but sometimes there are those questions that I just can't answer.

When in doubt, I ask another librarian. I have found I learn more when I ask questions. So if you are a librarian, be forewarned. I may be coming to you for help!

Confession #6...I HEART Reader's Advisory...

 Today I helped a 5th grader, who is already a ravenous reader, find some other series that might interest him. I recommended:







There were lots of others that I recommended, but this is just a partial list.

What I find so intriguing about reader's advisory, is the variety of books I recommend. Wednesday night, I had a patron ask for good historical fiction. Another asked for clean mysteries. Another asked for biographies.

The good thing about this, is that since I read a wide variety of genres, I feel comfortable recommending almost anything. The only exception would be sci-fi/fantasy. Since I don't read much of that, I have to rely on what my dad and brother read.

When asked what my favorite book is, I tell them it depends on the day. I have so many favorite books and authors.

Just to prove my point, here's what I am currently reading:

A little of this, a little of that. No much sci-fi/fantasy. But that's okay. Maybe in a few months I will be on a sci-fi/fant kick. The great thing about reading, is that no matter where you are, a book can take you somewhere else.

Confession # 5..I thought it would be busier...

Today as with most Fridays, I am working at one of the many branches in the SL system. This week I have worked at the same library (that's just where I picked up the most shifts) and I have today, I thought the library would be a lot busier. Maybe it's the rain. Maybe it's UEA weekend.

Not that I am complaining.

Monday night, it was a little busy. This library does most of their programs on Monday nights. Makes sense, knowing the community demographics.

Tuesday, not busy at all.

Wednesday, even quieter, except for the large scout tour that came in.

Friday, well, today it's been pretty quiet. I know it will get busier later in the afternoon as people are getting home from work and wanting DVDs for the weekend. Let's face it, getting to rent a DVD from the library for a week without having to pay $1.50 a night is nice.

So, about 4 pm, I expect it to pick up.

Until then, I'll smile and ask patrons if they need some help. I'll look at the latest best-seller lists and add books to my already crazy long list of books to read, and maybe read a library magazine or two.

Confession #4...the reason I am a librarian!

Tonight has been an eventful night. I am working at a library that I have worked at many, many times. I just love this library. It's the library I went to when we moved back to Utah from Idaho. The patrons here are just great.

Case in point...tonight a family came in and let's just say...they are the reason I became a librarian.

The father came up with his library card and said he wasn't sure it was still good. I looked it up and verified all the information and told him it was still active. He said he was excited because his family has not been coming to the library for a long time but they have decided that they need to. He wanted to sign up this three children and get a library card for his wife.

I helped them fill out the form and then showed them where to get their library cards. After they had all received their cards, they came back to the reference desk and asked me for help finding books. After asking a few questions, I figured out that the oldest boy, who was in junior high had to read classics as part of his English class this year. He asked me my opinion on a book and I told him it was okay, but that there were others on the list that were easier to read and more interesting. I showed him a few other books, then his dad asked me if I would highlight some books on his list for future assignments.

It was immensly gratifying to recommend books that I love (as I have read most of the books on his list) and talking to him about some of my favorites.

About 10 minutes later, the middle boy came up and asked me for a good book for him. I asked him what type of things he wanted to read about and we found him three books that he was really excited about.

5 minutes later, the youngest came up and asked me for a good book. I showed him Bark George by Jules Feiffer and he loved it.

After everything was done, this family had been at the library for over an hour and were excited to come back. I hope to see them the next time I work at this library. Helping people find what they need brings me so much joy. To see the "light" come into their eyes when they find something they like is even better.

I love my job and I am so grateful I took the leap of faith that I did to make a change in my life. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made and I don't think I will ever regret it.

Confession #3...it's quiet here...

In general, the library is quieter than most places I have worked. The exception to this would be during storytime, right after school and pretty much anytime there are kids who are respectful.

Having said that, the library is quiet. The first week I started working at the library, I could hear the sound of clicking (people typing at the computers), soft whispers and the air conditioning/heater running. Since it has been four months since I  began, I can say, it hasn't changed much.

Some libraries are louder than others. But long gone are the images I had of what a librarian looked like and behaved...

FYI, this is NOT the type of librarian I am...

Gone are the days of card catalogs, stamping books and shushing patrons. Now they are librarians who in my opinion are real people. When I was young, I wondered if librarians were aliens because they never smiled. Now I do my best to smile at every patron I see.

I think it is important to note that a library doesn't always have to be quiet. At the library I worked at last night, it is quite the opposite. My first day there, I was taken back by the underlying "buzz" of the library. There always seemed to be something going on. Even at 10 am when the library opened, there were a plethora of people. There is a real community vibe to this library and I think it is all the better for it. At other libraries, I can work a 4 hour shift and if I see 10 people, it's busy.

Even though I have discovered that a library isn't necessarily the romanticized version of what I thought it was when I was a kid, I have grown to love the library and love the job I have. While I may miss music playing occasionally, I don't miss hearing the same CD's over and over and over again in the same day (all I have to say about that is GOTYE! AH!!!!!)

Simply put, I love working at the library. Even if it is quieter.

Confession #2...it was fun being the BIG CHEESE

Last night at a small library, I was the only librarian in the building. This essential meant, I was in charge. I was the BIG CHEESE. I could tell people to leave. I could kick people out. I was in charge!

One of the staff members thought I was bored, which was not the case. It was just really quiet. I did have to tell a few hooligans to hold it down and did the whole "I am watching you" thing, but for the most part, it was a great night.

Today I did receive some not so great news...it looks like I am going to have to wait a lot longer than I anticipated for a job with SL County as a childrens/young adult librarian. Apparently there are so many people on the list that have 5-10 years experience, it looks like I may be subbing for a while.

Don't get me wrong. I like subbing. I would just really like to have a children's librarian job. This is not to take away from my friends who have just recently gotten jobs or those who have already been hired. I am happy for them, but a little sad for me.

The right job. The right library. The right time. It's coming...I just have to be patient.

Confession #1

It's been quite a while since I blogged here. So, I have a confession.

I am no longer a would-be librarian. I am actually a librarian!

I work for Salt Lake County Library services and work as a sub, which means I get to go to all the libraries in SL County and work.


Worst things about being a sub:

• You sometimes have to take what you can get. There are not an overabundance of hours some weeks, so if you are fast, you get the jobs. If not, well, be grateful you worked a lot the week before.
• Travelling to the different libraries can be a pain. 
• Each library is different. While they are all the same on a basic level, each one does things just different enough that it gets confusing after a while. Believe me, remembering which libraries do punch cards for Reader's Choice can be difficult.

Best things about being a sub:

• You get to choose your own schedule and choose which libraries you work at.
• You get to serve a variety or patrons.
• No responsibility. You show up, you work, you go home.
• Paychecks...I love being paid 150% of my previous life salary.
• The patrons--I love them! I have made friends at several libraries that I wouldn't normally frequent and I love it!
• Being able to use my degree! I finally feel like the past two years of hard work are paying off. Yes, I am considered a "temporary" employee, but I like it.
• The opportunity to work at so many places and network. This is the best! However, it can be like being constantly job interviewing.

Well, that's it for today's confession. I plan on blogging about my experiences subbing around the county and the things I encounter.

P.S. What's the world coming to? Teen Paranormal Romance? I thought this was a passing fancy by evidently not...

Electronic Book Talk

One of my favorite series for young adults is the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. I discovered this series a few years ago and I cannot stop talking about how much I love it!

I was raised reading Tolkien. My father, a HUGE science fiction/fantasy geek read the LOTR series to us over and over again as children. These images are burned into my mind and play a huge part in how I remember my childhood. Fast forward to 2 years ago. I was working in the children's department of the store and I had a customer come in and say that her son loved LOTR and could not find anything that was comparable. We started looking over the shelves and we came upon The Ruins of Gorlan. I told her I had not read it, but it was popular. We read the back of the book and he young man (who was about 12 years old) sat down and read the first chapter. After a few minutes, he came up and said "This is it! This is exactly like Lord of the Rings!".

Nevertheless, I was intrigued. I bought the book that night and read the second book the next day. Then, I started waiting. The books were published in Australia, but the American publisher was taking it's own sweet time getting them here. I waited for books 3-10 over the last 2 years and I have devoured and loved every minute of these books.

My favorite: The Kings of Clonmel but until that time it had been the Battle for Skandia. I am engrossed by these characters and love them almost as much as I love my own family.

So, here's my electronic book talk on the wonderful series by John Flanagan. I have tried not to reveal too much of the plot lines, rather give you a taste of them in hopes you too will pick them up and read them.

All the book cover images are courtesy of www.rangersapprentice.com (They are actually wallpaper's that can be downloaded). The photograph of John Flanagan is courtesy of Creative Commons and the image of the bronze and silver oak leaves are courtesy of google images, labeled for commercial reuse.

Enjoy!

Confession #1: I have never worked in a library

Today was my first day working in a library. I am doing and internership with Bingham Creek Library this summer and part of Fall semester. Since my area of interest is Childrens/Teen Serices, it makes sense that I am working with both the children's and teen librarians at Bingham Creek.

So, what did I do today? I arrived and after a little miscommunicaton as to what I was supposed to be working on, the teen librarian suggested that I work the children's desk. Talk about trial by fire. It's not like I have never done a reference interview, but the library shelves everything differently than the bookstore does. I don't know the Dewey Decimal System very well, so after a little trial and error, it worked. I was able to help parents and children find books, make suggestions, and offer to place item so hold for others.

I was able to run the Monday Night Movie in the meeting room and also get some research done for the upcoming Summer Reading Program.

It was fun and I did have a few deer in the headlights moments, but I worked through them and think it will be good.

Stay tuned for tomrorrow's confession...

Thanks for Reading!

A