Let it Snow, Let it Snow

The temps have gone up to 0 degrees today! Even though it has snowed several times during the past week, curling up in front of a blazing fire with a good book and some mulled Green Tea will be sheer bliss. More snow is on the way, but I don't have to stress about getting an early start for work in the morning because I am off until the New Year. I have Maya Angelou's Letter To My Daughter on the top of my book stack and will soon hunker down and "savor her words of wisdom and inspiration." Her eloquence never cease to lift my spirit and feed that inner chamber of my soul.

Thanksgiving

I will not be with my extended family this year, but I am so very thankful that God is so faithful and He has provided for all of my needs. I will celebrate so many memories of past holidays when we would gather at Mom's with all of our children and feast the afternoon away. Mom went home to be with the Lord in 1999, yet her legacy lives on. I firmly believe that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday of the year. When I was preparing my turkey this afternoon, I warmly remember how a "frozen turkey" was not an option for Mom and she would always order a fresh turkey several weeks in advance. When I would arrived at her home on Thanksgiving Day, I would be greeted at the door with a myriad of warm aromas. She was so organized and would always have everything ready, except for the Oysters (I may be the only expatriot Marylander that does not eat them) which she prepared right before we sat down to the table. Mom was in her world when she was surrounded by her children and grandbabies. Now that I have grandchildren of my own, I am reflecting on that unconditional love that Mom passed on to me. The tears may run down my cheeks tomorrow and I may be sad and longing for family, but I will always remember Mom saying, "Rose, you just give that to the Good Lord." To all of my family and friends, may you have a Blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Election Day 2008

Barack Obama Our 2008 President- Elect

May God Bless our new President-Elect, First Lady Michelle and first children, Malia and Sasha!

We witnessed history in the making. As I watched the sea of humanity that cheered, wept, and hugged in Grant Park in Chicago on Election night, I saw America! Just reflecting on how far this great nation has come just warms my heart. I think of my Mum, Dad, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts and all of those who allowed me to stand on their shoulders as they endured a multitude of adversity in their quest in search for equality for my generation, my children and grandchildren, I know that they are smiling in heaven. It is truly a new beginning and my prayer is that we continue to stand together in support of this new generation of hope. Yes We can! The American people have spoken.

Web 2.0

TravBuddy Maybe you just want to share advice about a local restaurant you enjoy, or perhaps you discovered an amazing new place to watch the sunset, right in your hometown. This site has some pretty cool features. If you are looking for a place to to create a travel blog, meet with other travelers, locate free, fun travel games to upload to your Facebook or MySpace account, or check out hotel prices and deals, this is the place. You do need to register to access certain pages of the site but there is a lot there to peruse. I am planning a " Sisterhood" getaway to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2009 for my siblings and some close friends, so this sight will be quite useful during my planning process.

To quote Michael Stephens, "...Web 2.0 is open, participatory and social.." Though I was somewhat hyper about delving into a realm where I was seriously inept, the past month has been a time of discovery, enrichment, enlightment and fun as I have embraced the Web 2.0 paradigm. What I learned during the process was that I had been using some of the technology all along. After I created my first ever, blog, I was hooked. Why did I wait so long to be a little creative. I have shared my blog with family and friends that live in various parts of the country, but I can use Library Thing for my teen reader's advisory, or create a group for discussion on Facebook if our TAB members are online. I can also use this technology to keep my co-workers informed about teen programs, school assignment alerts, or other work related projects. Finally, I would like to thank our stellar Library 2.0 team at MPPL for all of their help and support as they made time to answer all of my questions. You Rock!

Podcasts/Videocasts/Downloads

I often read Longshots in the Daily Herald. Sarah Long is an innovator and continues to use the latest technologies to communicate with library users.. Her interview with Judy Hoffman on voter registeration is so timely since we are just weeks from electing a new president.

I enjoy audio books so the first time that I downloaded a book to my MP3 Player I thought I did something wrong because I could not find it. It was a little trial and error; however, I discovered that on my device, Creative Zen , I needed to click over to music to listen to my book.

Now, I will finish listening to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga.

What happens when a 15-year-old comic book geek meets the girl of his nightmares? The brainy outcast known as Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own nightmare.

National Book Award

2008 National Book Award Winner
Young People's Literature

The National Book Award Finalists - Young People's Division

Laurie Halse Anderson Chains (Simon & Schuster)

Kathi Appelt The Underneath (Atheneum)

Judy Blundell What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic)
E. Lockhart The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hyperion)
Tim Tharp The Spectacular Now (Alfred A. Knopf)

Video Sharing

What a Creative Teen Reading Program

Video sharing rocks! After a little trial and error, I discovered that I was copying and pasting the incorrect link when I tried to upload my video. To quote Maya Angelou, ...when you know better, you will do better. Now that you know better, you will do so much better." Searching for videos for future program ideas for teens is going to be such fun.

Vacation Wish

I have always been fascinated by the land and cultures of Australia. After I read A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, The Dreaming by Barbara Wood and Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington, I was hooked. Maybe after I retire, Steve and I will take a month long vacation. I have a cyber YA Librarian friend in Brisbane so we often compare notes about all things YA. We were chatting one day when I happened to mention that it was 90 degrees. She informed me that she had done a story telling YA program the night before in the library courtyard and everyone was huddled around the brazier trying to keep warm.

I found this photo when I was poking around Flickr.

Deliciously Tagging

My Continuing Web 2.0 Journey
Learning the dynamics of Tagging has been challenging, enlightening and fun. When I signed in to begin my exercise, I thought I had done something wrong. When I did not see the MPPLSID Bookmarks, I began to hyperventilate. After signing out, then logging in several times, without getting the results that I wanted, I thought I would ask for a little help. Thank you Learning 2.0 Team for your willingness to listen to my whines. I have been using Shelfari to manage my booklist, so Tagging is very useful for organizing my YA genres.

Illinois Library Association IREAD 2010 Poster Contest

2010 Scare Up a Good Book YA Poster Contest Winner Announced
The IREAD Committee is pleased to announce that the winner of our 2010 Scare Up a Good Book YA Poster Contest, as well as $1,000.00 is artist Michaela from the Morrison Talbot Public Library (Lewis & Clark Library System). You can view the winning poster at http://www.ila.org/pub/iread_posters-winner.htm/ .
"IREAD thanks all who participated in our contest especially the artists and the Librarians that promoted the initiative. " Congratulations Michaela!

WIAW (What is a Wiki)

Wiki --
Is this the name of a new , fun drink or is a "Hawaiian word that means quick?"
I am learning how to create and use a Wiki. If I can learn, anyone can! Thanks to our stellar Staff Institute Technology Team, I am moving along at a pace that I never thought was possible. I have embarked on a journey to learn some best practices for creating a Wiki that will maximize and simplify how I communicate with my co-workers. If I am going to embrace the Web 2.0 paradigm, I need to get with it! More to come.

Conferences

Illinois Library Association Annual Conference September 24 - 26, 2008 at Navy Pier, Chicago.

ILA Conference Reflections

The breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline as it reflected off of Lake Michigan, and the synergy of hundreds of Illinois Librarians, offered a welcoming respite from my daily routine. One of my goals at each conference that I attend is to meet and chat with someone that I do not know, so I enjoyed every opportunity to network . The location, the timely keynote address, The New Inquisition, presented by Jamie LaRue, the awards ceremony, the author's Luncheon featuring Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum, creators of Unshelved, the library comic strip, plus a plethora of additional programs, embodied the essence of this year's theme, Libraries=Access: Provide, Promote, Protect. What an opportunity to become recharged and rejuvenated by participating in such innovative educational opportunities. One of highlights of the conference was Style From the Stacks: Project Runway featuring fashions designed and modeled by members of the Illinois library community. One of our own Youth Services Librarian's, Storytime on the Go, fashion statement was totally awesome! Congratulations. Until next year in Peoria, Illinois, a special thank you to the staff of our Illinois Library Association office for all of the countless hours of hard work to make this year's conference happen.

American Library Association, Midwinter J anuary 23 - 28, 2009

Denver, Colorado

American Library Association, Annual July 9 - 12, 2009

Chicago, Illinois

Neighborhood Book Club

Our first Neighborhood Book Club of the season met at my house. We discussed The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson. I thought that it was an average story, but it did not grab me because I thought the character development was a little shallow. We have a core group of members that love reading and discussing, so we take turns facilitating the discussion. It was a chilly rainy evening so we snacked on hot tea and my special homemade Biscotti. We meet September through May on the second Monday of the Month. Forthcoming book discussions include:

• Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
• Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

In the Beginning

I am a novice so kindlly bear with me. I have always been so quick to yell, HELP, but since our awesome Staff Institute Day last Friday, I am anxious to embrace Web 2.0 and try to set up my first ever Blog. I know I have made some quirky mistakes , but I will get better. Just learning about the myriads of free tools out there to assist me with this exciting task has allowed me to take a deep breath and believe that yes, I can do this. More to come.

My Garden

Summer 2008

My Passions

The Relay For Life

I walk in memory of my sisters, Lil and Weesie. The pain of their passing is often unrelenting, but I know that for every mile that I walk, the funds that others so graciously give will fund research to find a cure. I also walk for all of the survivors and for the caregivers of those that are fighting this dreadful disease.

My Family