Books, Yarn, Ink and Other Pursuits

June Is Crazy-Busy Librarian Month

2013-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

It has been a crazy ride for June already! For me, June is the end of our fiscal year at the library so I am trying to make sure that all our invoices, purchase orders, and such are going to be set and/or cleared at the end of the month. Our Annual Meeting for the Corporators is next week so I am preparing the Annual Report and getting the budget for next year finalized.

Our Friends group is finishing their year with an Annual Meeting and ice cream social later this week. I will be doing a "Hot Summer Reads" booktalk for adults and young adults.

Plus, it is Summer Reading Program time! I have everything just about set for the adult program, and we are finishing set up for the youth program. We will begin in two weeks, just before school lets out. They are running late this year due to the snow days taken by the district.

I am trying to line up all my ducks because I will be gone not only the first day of Summer Reading, but the first two weeks! Why? I will be heading to Chicago for my very first ALA Annual Conference! I am ~~terrified~~ thrilled because not only do I get to attend, but I am actually presenting twice!

Since both of my programs are on the same day, this means that I get to participate (and probably overextend) myself at a number of other amazing programs and events. With the ALA Scheduler up and running, I have been able to pull together a lot that seem interesting, while trying to remember I do not have to attend everything. Because then I will die.

I know that there are a lot of colleagues and friends that I have met, mostly online, that will be attending too. So, I wanted to have a chance to say hi, whether passing at a program or attending an event. I am posting my schedule as it stands below, and I do hope that I will get the opportunity to meet many of the fabulous people I talk with every day, in one place or another. So, drop me a line here or via Twitter (@booksnyarn), and I'll see you in Chicago!

Show Me The Awesome: Strategic Planning

2013-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Artwork by John LeMasney, lemasney.com."

"Show Me The Awesome!" was started by Kelly, Sophie, and Liz to give bloggers a chance to step up and discuss something special or that they want to promote. Today is my opportunity to discuss something that many may not quite think of as awesome, but is important to a lot of libraries: strategic planning.

For those who may not know, a strategic plan is a document that defines the library's vision of itself within its community and outlines how it will achieve that vision through various goals. Those goals will usually have related actions that follow, creating a template for building the library in a specific direction. Usually this document is structured around five years. In Massachusetts, libraries must have a strategic plan, along with a yearly action plan, to qualify for LSTA grants administered by the state.

At the time I left a network position to become the director at my library, I was serving on the Strategic Planning Committee for the network. As a member of that committee, I had a voice in what I believed were the goals of the network and its constituents--member libraries. Switching from my "inside" job to running a member library meant that I had a unique perspective on the process, and I've appreciated the experience I gained when helping to develop the vision and goals for the network's next five years.

Fast forward to this spring: with a full year as a director under my belt, I knew that one of my goals was to implement a new strategic plan. The last plan was woefully out of date--about ten years--and the library had gone through many changes since it was written, including automation. Needless to say, serving on a committee and being the person who is actually responsible for forming that committee are two different things. I believe that the public library should be an anchor in the community; to make sure that happens, we need key community members to help create a strategic plan. This means not only people involved with the library directly, like board members or wonderful patrons who use the library every day, but also people who may not step through our doors, but are in and out of doors throughout the city.

So, I went after the big names: the Mayor, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, the heads of the School Committee, Council on Aging, and the Arts Collaborative. I sent them personal letters letting them know that the library needed their help. We need their perspectives from the community and their knowledge--or lack of knowledge--about the library. I wanted people that could see our past, but who would also have a vision of our future.

I was extremely pleased when many of them responded positively! The Mayor, the head of the Senior Center, and a member of the Arts Collaborative are all on the committee. It also includes the Headmaster of the private secondary school in the city, plus a devoted library patron and a library volunteer. These people, along with board members, are all working with me to define the library's presence in the community and how it can provide support for people, businesses, arts, schools, and city government.

While this can certainly be a long process, our regional office of the Massachusetts Library System has streamlined the process using Sandra Nelson's New Planning for Results, outlining a three-meeting system that is concise yet thorough. We complete a visioning exercise for the library and one for the community, conduct a public survey, and use information from all of these to develop the strategic plan. Once the library board approves the document, it goes to the Mass Board of Library Commissioners for approval. Each year we will also have to submit a revised action plan detailing what we will accomplish in the coming year.

We had our first meeting earlier this month, outlining our process and participating in a SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis to start building the library's goals. It was amazing to hear the perspectives of committee members, and hear what was already great about the library and what we can do better. I have no doubt I have the right committee for this work, and I am pleased that I didn't hold back from asking the people I really wanted to join us.

What's your experience with strategic planning?

Out of the Library: Presenting at the NY Library Association Public Libraries Section

2013-05-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

Last week was very busy, and ended on Friday with a whirlwind trip out to New York to present at the New York Library Association Public Libraries Section Spring Conference. This was held down in Hyde Park at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, which I had never been to before. The weather could not have cooperated more, and I was very pleased to co-present with Anna (@helgagrace) on erotica in libraries.

The group was really great, energetic, and had a lot of questions. The rest of the day I got to hear an interesting keynote from Tim Stevens of Engadget about publishing and the effect of sponsored editorials (advetorials) in relationship to reference queries and vetting sources. Then the afternoon was devoted (for me) to reader's advisory for both children and young adults. It was a fabulous day!

Full Frontal Shelving: Erotica in the Library from Kristi Chadwick

@ The Library: The Space and Time (Programming) Continuum

2013-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love my library, but when it comes to space, it is definitely at a premium. The library was built in the late 1800s, and now serves a community of over 16,000. We currently have two floors (adult & youth), a shared office/staff room, and no meeting rooms. So, when it is time to schedule programs, you can see that shoehorns and spreadsheets come into play.

When I came to the library, programs were held during the open evening hours, which meant shifting the reading tables and chairs, setting up seating or a screen in front of the DVD collection, and small walking areas to get to the circulation desk and the public computers. Attendance ranges from a couple to a couple dozen, for the most part.

I began "After Hours" programming for the library on Thursdays. We close at 6 PM, so that meant we didn't have to worry about the public wandering around during the sessions, and those programs also stayed pretty small, so that was fine.

Then, this happened...

This would be about half of the 55 people that came to a birding program last week. It happened on a Wednesday because the group booked it almost a year ahead of time and I did not think the response would be quite this large. The circulation desk (on the far right) was almost completely blocked, and there wasn't enough seating so there are people behind where this picture was taken who are standing in the stacks.

It was wonderful and kind of awful at the same time.

I want this kind of response for programming, for sure. This one was sponsored by a local group, so I know much of the attendance was driven by them. I would welcome them back next year - during a closed time at the library. I am working harder at publicity, but it is still grinding my wheels a little bit. Plus space set-up and then patrons who come during after hours wanting circulation staff available. It seems that there is no perfect solution.

What do other libraries do with space and time issues?

Spreading the Library Love

2013-04-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today I thought I would spread the love for some current projects that I personally support and hope that you will too!

ARC Survey

To everyone who has responded to the survey post I put up last week -- or found it through Stacked or A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy -- THANK YOU! We have gotten over 400 responses so far, which will go a long way toward helping us identify trends in the acquisition and use of ARCs for our presentation at ALA Annual in June.

If you haven't had a chance to respond, please do so! And if you have, feel free to share it with other bloggers, librarians, and teachers who use ARCs.

Circulating Ideas

The Circulating Ideas podcast has been one of my staples for quite a while. Steve always finds a great way to hook into topics with other librarians, and one thing is for sure, there is always something new to learn! Last week Steve announced a Kickstarter campaign to help him update some of the software he has been using, and hopefully make it portable so that he can conduct on-site interviews at ALA Annual, including one with Nancy Pearl!

This campaign DID reach its initial goal (in less than 48 hours!) but Steve also put in a few "stretch goals" to increase what he can do with the podcast. Go take a look and help support a fellow librarian!

ALA Programming Librarian Interest Group

If you do any kind of programming for your library, there is an ALA petition to create a Programming Librarian Interest Group. This petition needs 100 signatures before the Committee on Organization will look at it for consideration. I found out about this petition on the ALA Think Tank Facebook Group.

If you are an ALA member, follow the link and please sign!

Are there any projects you are supporting right now?

@ The Library: Learning the Collection Through Displays

2013-04-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I have been here a year, I am starting to work on filling the holes in my knowledge about the collection. Over the last year I did accomplish some massive weeding projects throughout nonfiction, VHS, and books on cassette. We had some heavy-duty shelf sitters and overcrowded subject areas. The previous director loved nonfiction, but I have always been a fiction buyer and that was where I focused my efforts when I began working with the collection. Mysteries are the most popular genre here, but they still need to be weeded from time to time. I also broke out science fiction and fantasy into its own area.

One thing I have enjoyed bringing to the library is more displays. We are a small library, but I have a bay in the New Titles area and a cart in front of the circulation desk where I present new displays one or two times a month. I have mostly done "Celebrate X Month" displays, although I do try to highlight authors that have recently passed on, and this month I have a gardening display up because oh-my-goodness I am ready for spring!

It was really when putting together this month's displays -- gardening, Jazz Appreciation, and National Poetry Month -- that I realized I was seeing, if not necessarily shelf-sitters, but titles that were not being picked up as much as I had anticipated. Usually, when these displays go up, I have to fill in spaces several times throughout the month. With these, not so much. I think I have only replaced four books so far.

This could be interpreted in my patrons' lack of interest in the subject areas, but as you can see, they are not the latest titles. I think I had just one gardening book that was published in the last couple of years. We have no recent poetry anthologies, and jazz is not a topic that we have a lot of requests for.

So I sent my selector off in search of some more recent titles in gardening and poetry, with the help of our recent issues of Library Journal (which highlighted both subjects in recent print articles and reviews) and looking at the topics online at both Barnes & Noble and Amazon. I figure if people are buying them there, they will borrow them here!

This has really made me wonder about how best to take a look at smaller areas of the collection, as opposed to the "weeding the 600s" mentality that can sometimes exist in libraries. My library is all part-time staff except for me, and while they do a great job at weeding and making recommendations, we certainly do not focus on these tasks every week. By using displays, we will actually be able to analyze the collection more and make decisions based on patron interest and usage. I am hoping to see this grow into a scheduled review of specific sections each month when the displays change out.

Do you ever find yourself making collection development decisions based on displays?

ARC Use Survey for ALA Annual

2013-04-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

We need your help!

If you are a follower of Stacked, or SLJ's A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy, you will have already seen this call for help, but for those that haven't...

I am going to be presenting at ALA Annual this summer along with Kelly Jensen and Liz Burns on Advance Reading Copies. We did a quick little survey a few weeks ago about how authors see their books change from ARC or galley to final print/ebook, and now we want to know how librarians, teachers, bloggers and others acquire and use them.

Please take a few minutes to respond to our survey and pass the link (http://goo.gl/vY3Vr) on to others that use them. All of your information will only make our presentation better.

If you are heading to Chicago in June for ALA, we will be presenting "All About ARCs" on Saturday, June 30 at 10:30 AM.

Thank you!

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Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing

2013-04-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ever since the announcement of a couple weeks ago that Goodreads was purchased by Amazon, the internets have been abuzz on what this means for changes in GR, how Amazon's foothold into the book business will exponentially grow, and where the proverbial rats that are deserting the GR ship can land, namely on the deck of LibraryThing.

When I first decided to start adding my books online, of course I went to LibraryThing. Word of mouth, a northeast locale, and availability made it the place to be. I started loading my books, adding tags, participating as an Early Reviewer and in SantaThing, and enjoyed it immensely. Plus, during my time at the C/W MARS network we used LibraryThing for Libraries to add tags and suggestions to our catalog.

Then Goodreads came along, with much of the same functionality. However, it was prettier, hands down. People could connect easier to other readers, publishers, and the giveaways abounded. I saw a lot of my colleagues and friends using Goodreads more and more, so eventually I went over there. I liked that it had an app for my devices, that I could see what my connections were reading and writing about those reads, and it definitely worked for Reader's Advisory. I never stopped holding my LibraryThing account, but it did grow dusty on its internet shelf.

Then...Amazon. *sigh*

I cannot say I am part of the pitchfork group against Amazon (maybe a really large fork?). I do use them as a consumer: I am a Prime member, I have the Kindle app on my devices and own an older Kindle which I use for library ebook trainings. Their publishing imprints have produced some books I enjoy recommending (if you enjoy science fiction pick up Containment by Christian Cantrell, excellent stuff), and they have definitely placed themselves squarely within the book market as a force.

Yet I see the concerns, and do concur with them. As stated by Greg Bensinger in the NPR story:

"...there is a concern that Amazon will know too much about its users. They don't want Amazon to know what books they're reading. As it stands today, Amazon knows is the books you bought but it doesn't always know the books you read. Say a neighbor gives you a book and you read it. On Goodreads, you're inclined to talk about that. And now Amazon will know even the books you don't buy and how you feel about them."

The split is there between librarians, too. In Molly McCardle's article for Library Journal, "Will Librarians Still Use Goodreads?", four librarians run the gamut from getting away from Goodreads to giving it a chance. The bailout from Goodreads to LibraryThing has definitely been happening. Yes, Amazon does have a small foothold in LibraryThing, due to its purchase of AbeBooks, but it is not sole or majority ownership. It doesn't have control over data (at least, not that I know of).

I am still waiting to see what happens next. I have seen the experience of Amazon's creep into library lending with Kindle ebook availability. The convenience of getting the format balanced by the understanding that Amazon knows your library history - at least your digital one. The courtesy reminders that your ebook is coming due accompanied by the ability to "buy it to continue reading." Above all, Amazon is a business, and they do it quite successfully, if not without questions and concerns. I fully expect to see this same creep into Goodreads. One of these days one of the Amazon emails will state: "You listed X in your Goodreads profile; would you like to read Y?" That may be my tipping point.

Until then, I am using the Goodreads export feature to update my LibraryThing account. So, come find me in both places, for now. Is all of this affecting how you are handling your Goodreads, LibraryThing or other online book account?

@ The Library: Library Tea & First Anniversary

2013-04-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I actually played a Saturday Librarian! (If you don't know why that may be important, take a look at the hashtag #saturdaylibrarian on Twitter.) My library has been closed for a few years now on the weekends, and when I was hired one of the items mentioned was being able to reopen on Saturdays. We haven't quite gotten there yet, but with a couple of things happening in our future, I am hopeful we will see Saturday hours before the end of the year.

I work for an incorporated (privately-held, not a City-owned) library, and each year the Association holds a tea for the public to come in, enjoy food, meet members of the Corporation, library staff and stakeholders, and enjoy the library for a couple of hours. We had our Library Tea on Saturday. It was a lovely day, so we were able to open the front doors and invite the public in. Our Friends group had a display up too!

All in all it was a great time!

I realized that Monday is my anniversary at the library too! I have been a library director for one year - a long and short time, I have to say. It has really flown by, and I feel that I have made accomplishments I am happy with: running my first Adult Summer Reading Program, getting a second circulation computer put in, building contacts with the local businesses and arts community, creating more adult programming, including our weekly ebook drop in class. Yet I see so much on the horizon, especially this year as we do strategic planning and start work on the goals of our technology plan.

Plus, I guess since the first anniversary is paper, I am certainly celebrating that in style...

@ The Library: April Displays & Programming

2013-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

As usual, trying to plan ahead meant looking up what April celebrated. I already had a gardening display in mind, because I have been waiting anxiously to be able to work the ground (and new indoor plants) and finally the weather seems to be making that final transition from winter to spring.

I wanted to try something a bit different for the signage, so I created a Wordle. I saw another library posting that used one also so I was inspired (if only I could remember which library/blog, I would totally give credit).

I like how you can not only play with font, but with arrangement and color. After creating a custom palette of colors, I kept clicking the palette until I got colors that were strong enough for the display.

April is National Poetry Month, and while we do not have a large collection, I wanted to highlight those titles. Then I discovered that it is also Jazz Appreciation Month. I am not a huge jazz fan, but I do appreciate it! It is also a topic that I thought would mix well with poetry, so I created a combined display.

Originally I was going to create two small displays, but the shelving I have (next to our New Titles area) is limited so I knew that I couldn't get away with two signs. Instead I mixed the jazz and poetry titles together, looked for an appropriate quote and created a sign for the compound display.

The quote is a not-quite-complete one by Abraham Maslow (American psychologist best known for his theory of the hierarchy of needs), stating "A musician must make music...a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself."

It seemed fitting.

This month is also fast-tracking summer programming for the adult Summer Reading Program. Yes, I am only starting now, but my Youth Department already has everything scheduled and I try to work around their events, because many of my adult participants have children in the Youth SRP.

We are trying to keep with this year's overall theme, "Groundbreaking Reads/Dig Into Reading". We have a big gardening base here so I am definitely looking that way for both events and craft programs. I don't think the adults here had any hands-on crafts during SRP before, but we had good turnouts for the two I did last year, so I hope to keep that going!

Is anyone else doing summer reading for adults?

@ The Library: Well-Behaved Women & Strategic Planning

2013-03-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

March better go out like a lamb, that is all that I am saying. After another week that had my library closing because of snowfall -- on the last day of Winter, even, good call -- I am going to make sure that April displays are full of sunshine, plants, and brightness.

Plus my open-toe shoes are calling...

On to the rest of this month's displays! After St. Patrick's Day ended I wanted to make sure to commemorate Women's History Month, but did not want to do straight history, or completely non-fiction. There are definitely strong women in fiction also, of all ages.

I used to have the Laurel Thatcher Ulrich quote, "Well behaved women seldom make history," as a bumper sticker on my car. Sadly that has gone the way of "car gets rear ended and bumper gets replaced," so my car is rather blank right now. However, that quote was perfect for this display, and with the ubiquitous image of Rosie the Riveter, I brought together a display of books featuring women who displayed their strength, sometimes in ways that definitely were not "well behaved."

Then of course this past week we lost Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. I have been lax on reading his books, however Things Fall Apart is a title that has been in my head for a very long time. It is probably time to get acquainted.

I have been at my library for almost a year now, and one of the priorities listed when I took the job was updating our strategic plan. Needless to say, it is woefully out of date. This will be my first time participating in one at the library level, although I just recently was on the strategic planning committee for my network. However, there are definitely big differences: first off, we will not have a consultant all the way through. Most of the leg work (and hand work, AKA writing) will be done by me, but we have some very good consultants at the Massachusetts Library System to help guide and facilitate one meeting. So, my first goal was to review Sandra Nelson's Strategic Planning for Results, which has been amazingly helpful. I attended a roundtable on strategic planning through the MLS also, so I am starting off with some good background information.

My Board and I developed a list of people we wanted to invite to be on the committee, and some have happily responded. We will probably look for a couple more to be on the committee, and now I am putting together a snapshot of the library for the last five years.

Has anyone else participated with their library's strategic plan? Do you have any pointers or advice?

@ The Library: Displays, Business & More

2013-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Blind Date with a Book has gone very well this past month. While of course not everyone brought their Rate Your Date sheets back, I have had to fill the two displays up at least twice each, and we still have a couple days to go in February. I moved all the titles to the one display area and changed the rolling cart display to books dealing with Ireland, both fiction and non-fiction.

I am planning on changing out Blind Dates for a Women's History Month display next week. Although I have also been informed that it is also National Craft Month, so we may have some swapping out mid-month.

I am still doing Ebook Tech Talks every week. I just sit myself down at one of the tables on the main floor with my laptop and various devices and people drop in for tutorials and Q & A. It has been a really great experience not only for the training but for being able to deal with patrons one on one and finding out what they are looking for at the library.

I am still fleshing a program idea for this month based on cozy mysteries. And food. Food and books. Two of my favorite things.

Beyond that, my business is mostly at my desk. I am already reviewing budget figures, looking at the expenditures and projecting for the rest of the year and planning on my first budget draft being ready at the end of the month. This year we are also creating a new strategic plan, for which I already drafted and had approved a technology plan for the library. Some things are future-thinking, some may be closer at hand. I love seeing the changes that are making a positive effect on my library, and hope to keep an open mind on ones that might not be so successful.

Outside of the library I have been keeping busy writing. I still review e-original romance for Library Journal, but also just started reviewing cookbooks. I had been wanting to be able to do some non-fiction, and for me this is a great fit, especially as what I have received so far deals with preserving, which I love to do at home. Lots of great new ideas!

I was fortunate to substitute for the regular mystery reviewer this month and wrote my first mystery review column for the February 1st issue. I was also one of the fortunate librarians who spoke to Katie Dunneback for her feature article on erotica in the library. I will have more in the pipeline soon!

What I am most excited about is coming up a bit later this year: I have been fortunate enough to work with some wonderful librarians, and have teamed up with them to do a couple of presentations, both for the New York Library Association Public Libraries Section and for ALA Annual!

In May, I will be at the NYLA PLS Conference in Hyde Park, NY for a presentation on erotica collection development in the library, called "Full Frontal Shelving". My co-presenter is the wonderful Anna M., @helgagrace on Twitter. We will be talking about what erotica and erotic romance may already be sitting on library shelves, and how to do collection development and RA for both print and digital books.

In June, I will be heading to Chicago for my first ALA Annual Conference, at which I will be presenting with Carolyn and Julie (@papersquared and @himissjulie respectively) on library programming and staff involvement called "Do What You Love: Make Your Talents and Passions Work for You".

I am sure that I will be a complete fangirl at times dealing with all of you who will be attending too! So, don't be shy, if you are at either conference coming up, please stop and say hello!

@ The Library: Blind Date with a Book

2013-02-04T10:41:00.001-05:00

I love doing displays, and since I came into my library last year (it seems pretty amazing to be able to say that. Yes, I know it is only February.) I have been making sure that we have one or two up a month on the main floor, besides our Staff Picks. From the amount of times I have to fill in holes, I think they have been doing well.

So, I wanted something tied into the idea of February and the overall theme of love, but still make it fun. Thanks to many libraries and librarians that are promoting their own displays, I discovered "Blind Date with a Book".

The premise is simple: wrap up a bunch of titles (I decided to go with adult and YA, which are on the main floor, backlist or new titles that haven't seem to have been checked out yet) and put a little blurb on the front to entice the patron to give it a try. I kept it pretty simple with genre/theme, and decided not to use the barcodes that are already on the books. Instead we will circulate them "pre-cataloged" so the title is still a surprise to the patron until they unwrap it.

I would like to say this was my plan all along, however it came about because I wrapped a dozen titles without writing down the barcode beforehand. I am a librarian, I can adapt.

Of course, we want to know what patrons think of their "dates", so we have a "Rate Your Date" form available for them to fill out if they want. My design was totally inspired by the Atlantic County Library System's rating card, so I gave them credit at the bottom.

I decided to not only put them at our regular main desk display cart, but in our New Titles section, as both areas are pretty high traffic.

Has your library done Blind Date with a Book? What other displays do you find are a hit with your patrons?

More Ebooks: Yea or Nay?

2013-01-26T14:23:00.000-05:00

This week the official announcement came out that Macmillan will join the library ebook lending field, with a pilot program as follows (from Library Journal):

Macmillan will distribute the books under the agency model and work with multiple distributors, including OverDrive, Axis 360, and the 3M Cloud Library. Michael Lovett, Public Relations & Social Media Specialist at OverDrive, told LJ the titles will be $25 each. (For comparison purposes, consumer Kindle and Nook versions of some of the bestselling titles in the program go for $7.99-$11.99.) Once purchased by a library, each will be available for two years or 52 circulations, whichever comes first.

In addition, the pilot is limited to 1,200 backlist titles from the Macmillan imprint Minotaur, which publishes mystery and crime fiction.

So, the overall picture is that the books will be cheaper than Random House, more expensive than consumer retail (not that anyone should be shocked here), but with a circulation cap like HarperCollins and Penguin, although a longer time period (HC caps at 26 circs per copy, Penguin at one year).

What exactly does this mean for libraries?

More Title Availability
In terms of the mystery backlist, I believe this will be good for libraries and patrons alike. From my personal experience, our patrons who are avid mystery readers use the backlist extensively to catch up with series and reread old favorites. I do hope that the Minotaur titles that are in series will be complete sets. There's nothing worse than having patrons looking for a series and only finding number 1, 2, 4, and 6. The logic behind releasing ebook licenses in that manner is unclear.

More Money Spent
Of course, this is not so good. When you have to shift $25 per copy to an ebook version of a title that would perhaps have been sitting on your shelf for a few years, that is one less hardcover for the library collection, on average. It may not be a 1:1 trade for all libraries, especially those that work with system-wide digital collections, yet it still chips away at the already strained materials budgets so many libraries have.

More for the Future
Availability versus cost is always a fulcrum for libraries and ebooks. We want to provide for our patrons. They want ebooks, and I want them to have them through my library, so they know that even as formats change, they can still find the titles they want here. Yet I do want to see more discussion between libraries and publishers on agreement. Let's agree that both sides have relevant positions and arguments and ideas to bring to the table. Let's agree to disagree, but not step all over each other to find a balance. Publishers want to make sure that ebook lending will not hurt their bottom line, and libraries want to make sure of the same thing.

So, more ebooks are on their way, but is it enough? Can each step forward from a publisher be met with support from libraries, without sweeping the need for more access under the rug?

Yea or nay?

What Public Libraries Could Do: Besides Everything That They Are Already Doing

2013-01-16T15:16:00.000-05:00

I always love a headline that presumes to inform an entire profession about what else it could be doing. Because librarians aren't doing much of anything out there--no programs, no reader's advisory, no stretching dollars, no research or reference requests, no accommodations of the public and community... This may get a little more ranty than I usually am on this blog, but reading the second part of this post from David Vinjamuri at Forbes ("Why Public Libraries Matter: And How They Can Do More") got my hackles up in so many ways.

The two-part article is a discussion of public libraries versus publishers, as that "conflict" is what the complicated dynamic of ebooks, digital publishing, and access has been boiled down to. Libraries cannot provide enough ebooks for their patrons or scrounge up the money for enough copies of Gone Girl to go around, and publishers are nickel-and-diming libraries and suggesting that if they do provide us with ebook access, our patrons will either pirate the copies or never buy another book again and the whole industry will go down in a blaze of un-glory.

I think I have that about right, right?

Yes, publishers and libraries do have problems, but we are working on solutions, even if it's not always visible. What I take issue with in Vinjamuri's article, however, are some of the "solutions" he suggests and overreaching assumptions that he has made about public libraries.

You Know What They Say About Assumptions

"[P]ublic libraries cost just $42 per citizen each year to maintain." As my colleague Katie Dunneback stated on Twitter, "I know libraries that would kill to have that much money." It's not clear how he arrived at this statistic. Plus, what does "maintain" mean? Does that cover the rising costs of staff, technology, costs for programs, building maintenance and upgrades and the very books that Vinjamuri states are so very important?

"Public libraries for their part have been slow to react to the dramatic changes in publishing and reading that threaten their ability to fulfill their core mission of promoting reading. By focusing too heavily on giving patrons access to bestsellers and popular movies, libraries risk missing the significant opportunity afforded by the explosion in the number of new books published each year."

Wait, what? We are "slow to react"? I think it is pretty clear that libraries, to the extent that they can be, are filled with innovators who provide information and entertainment to their communities and beyond. We have had format changes, technology booms, and a mashup of the two--think ereader lending programs--indicating that libraries are more than willing to adapt and stay current.

I won't deny that a shift toward focusing mostly on "give the patron what they want" has happened in some libraries--but not all libraries. However, all libraries have space and budgetary limits on what they can provide within their walls, and it would be irresponsible to use that limited budget on items that patrons aren't requesting. Librarians augment their collections by doing outreach in-person and online.

New Book Discovery--Piece of Cake!

"Public libraries risk missing the opportunities of an important trend: the explosion of published books . . . The problem is that by focusing on books that patrons already wanted, libraries de-emphasized their important role in the discovery of new books."

I won't claim that this is completely untrue, however with reference to "give them what they want," every library needs a way to hook a patron. I think that always begins with this edict: if they aren't there to find what they want, we do not have a starting point to discover what else they need. This is the job of reference and reader's advisory. This is what libraries use as the building blocks for marketing, programming, and outreach.

"Current eBook providers are customer driven and if 3M and Overdrive begin hearing from multiple libraries that they want access to a broader selection of indie press and self-published titles they will most likely get it."

Right . . . yet in the preceding and next paragraph the author indicates that having access to these same titles is a problem because we have no way to find reviews about them. But wait! He has the answer to that too!

The Librarian Reviewing Machine

"If each library were to review just one unique book a month, as a group they would cover 192,000 titles in a year. That’s 58% of the total books published for 2010. Many of these books could be reviewed quickly: they are poorly written, unedited and lacking any redeeming virtues. Perhaps one in ten would be worthy of a detailed review. Yet if each library discovered just one interesting book a year – and shared that result with other libraries who could review and rate those interesting books there would be 16,000 interesting books for libraries to review. If we assume that just one in one hundred of those reviewed books are “great” libraries would still have discovered 160 great new books to recommend to library patrons each year."

See, most of these books aren't "great" anyway and not worth anyone's time, except someone should read them and tell everyone that.

"None of this requires more work than libraries do today."

No? Why is that?

"Librarians routinely read books just for the purpose of deciding whether to recommend them to patrons."

This smacks a little bit of the "librarians just read all day" stereotype, even if there may be a glaze of truth.

"...coordination would not be difficult to arrange, nor would it require a mandate or any significant funding. It would just require a website with a list of new titles and links accessible only to real people working in real libraries."

Since we spend all of our time reading anyway, we should just take each book we real librarians read and write a review about it, then put it up on this giant website that is accessible to all libraries and their staff, and that is just no problem at all!

What Can Be Done?

I understand that a lot of my reaction is just that, a reaction. I am not throwing out statistics from the latest Pew research stating what parts of Vinjamuri's article are correct and what parts are not. I am not even claiming that I am right.

However, being confronted with a lot of ill-informed ideas on "how libraries should do it" is enough to frustrate anyone. There are definitely good points in the article about ebooks, publishers, and the role of libraries in literacy and their communities. Libraries are more than book warehouses, they are community hubs. Patrons expect to find what they need, or they will not come back. Whether it is critical information or a leisurely respite, libraries have become places that can provide aid in many different ways. It's true that there's always something more that "could" be done. I doubt that any library is doing 110% all day every day to make sure the needs of their patrons are being met, but honestly, with budgets and bureaucracy and public opinion, which one really can?

Thankfulness

2012-11-22T08:05:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for a roof over my head, oil in the tank and food in the fridge and cupboards. The last three weeks we have collected food for fines at the library, and I know that these are things that not everyone has.

I am thankful for my family: parents that have supported me no matter the twists and turns my life has taken, a sister who inspires me, relatives who have made a difference through the years.

I am thankful for my friends: near and far, present and past. I am blessed by those who have given me a piece of their minds, hearts and souls.

I am thankful for the men who shared my Path for me, for blessing me with my two niblets, for breaking down the box I have lived in.

I am thankful for the women who have shared my Path with me, for showing me the truth of my soul, for turning me in the direction I originally feared to face.

I am thankful for my beautiful daughter, who pushes her boundaries every day, testing mine, and showing me the excitement she will show the world one day.

I am thankful for my loving son, for his humor, his sensitivity, his drive to connect with those around him.

I am thankful for my girlfriend, who brings me laughter and love very day.

I am thankful for my kittens, for their energy and their reminder of simplicity in life.

Plus, I am thankful for this space, for those who I have met online through a form of communication I would never have believed in. It is as real as you are.

Thank you.

Somewhat Shameless Self-Promotion

2012-09-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am not usually one who likes to toot my own horn, however I did want to share a couple of things that I am really excited about:

I have been a reviewer for Library Journal this last year for e-originals - books that are published in ebook format only. This year I was presented the opportunity to actually write full articles for the publication, and being the genre junkie that I am I definitely jumped at the opportunity.

My genre spotlight for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror was the cover story for the August issue. You can read it online here. (I also wrote the Mystery Preview in April.)

I finally fell down the Tumblr rabbit hole. You can find quick snippets about the books, yarn, and other exploits in my life at Tales of a Genre Junkie.

In My Hands

2012-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

I spent the last week on vacation. My niblets were off to their grandparents' home, and I was off once again to Saco, Maine and the In The Company of Women conference at Ferry Beach.

I began attending three years ago to find myself, and my Self. I was struggling in my marriage, knew that I was interested in women but not sure what to do about it, and all in all not in the best place I could be. It was at Ferry Beach that I found a mental respite, a spiritual home. Not necessarily in the UU (Unitarian Universalist) sense, but wrapped in the guise of understanding women all on different paths than I, but still in the same place. It was here I could hit the boundaries I knew existed in my soul and mind, and decide whether I was ready to challenge them or accept them. I could also play, and remember how to have fun.

Last year I was the coordinator of my morning track, and found myself starting another journey, which has led to being the co-coordinator of the ITCW Conference this summer. After three years, I am still a relative "newbie" and could not have accepted stepping into this place without the support of a lot of women that I had met the last couple of years. I am grateful that I had time to play once again, in ways I had not tried before.

This week found me surrounded by the opportunity to make art in many different medias. While I have enjoyed crafts at various times these last decades, I cannot remember the last time I could "create art". On a chance, I decided to drop into the Spirit Doll session offered on Monday. It was there I faced holding a ball of sculpy in my hands, and allowing myself to create, to reach into my soul and manifest something without any reference except what was contained inside me.

My Autumn Lady in spirit doll form

That was hard. To reference: I loved art when I was young. I would spend hours creating stories in my head and illustrating them on scrap paper, reams of paper. Drawing and painting in school, sketches and clay. Art was part of my life the way that reading and eating were. Then I grew older, and when you are a teen, you do not always see yourself through a clear window. My art was still there, but there were challenges. My strengths were in the literal - I was great at copying line drawings, adapting sketches of superheroes and changing their clothing. Those who surrounded me - in my mind - created. I could not do what they did, and in that, I found myself lacking.

I had lost faith: in my art and in my self. The fire that I could easily feed through my childhood was gone, doused by doubts and low self-worth.

This week I found that fire again. I found the mediums in my hands, clay and sculpy, fabric, felt and wool, all finding the visions I created in the moment. Where it really manifested itself was in needle felting.

I had heard of this project before, but seeing all the three-dimensional sculptures that seemed to be the result, I never really found myself drawn to it. This lesson ended up being "drawing with felt". At least, it felt (see what I did there?) that way. I determined that I was going to make a tree. I love trees, but as my needles pushed the wool into the fabric square, I realized it was not looking like a tree anymore. As I pulled more colors of fiber from the various balls and bags, it became something else entirely.

And like a phoenix, my faith in my artistic ability burned alive once again. Of course, the discovery of a new medium can do that to anyone, and with my obvious love of fiber crafts, this seemed likely. However, it was more than that. The images that came across the felt were more than just ideas from my head. Here, I did not set down with any real idea of what was going to end up on my wool canvas, I just knew I wanted to paint it...in fiber.

I did make a tree (or two) eventually.

No tie-dye this year, but the spray batik was just as fun.

I even did some knitting!

Another summer of discovery at Ferry Beach for me. It feeds my soul in ways I never expected - the ocean, the sand, the art, the spiritual, the acquaintances and friends I have made there - and I cannot imagine my life without it now.

@ The Library: Shifting Collections

2012-08-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

One of the things I first noted when I interviewed for my current job is that the library is a small space. We have about 1000 sq. feet of usable space in the library on the main floor, another 1100 sq. feet down in the Youth Department. Obviously, when you have stacks, computers, sitting area, circulation desk...thing get tight pretty quickly.

The library itself is quite old and sits in a historic district. Of course, age has its charm AND its issues, but I am sure most librarian will agree that you want to make the best of what you have. For me, that meant making the collection more browseable for patrons, have books go together cohesively, and create some more display space.

While I have been using the rolling cart as temporary display area, of course I wanted something more permanent. We have been doing a massive weeding project on the main floor, starting with non-fiction.

I have been ruthless, I admit it. However the statistics on the books showed that more took up shelf space than circulated, so out they go. There are definite holes in the collection that will need to be filled, and sections like computers and travel need to be updated. Quickbooks 99, anyone?

With this weeding we ended up opening up a couple bays in non-fiction, which got me thinking. Originally, our biography section was clear on the other side of the library, and faced the young adult collection, which filled up shelving facing the main sitting area. I decided to move biography back to the end of non-fiction, and shift young adult around to give that collection its own space.

The previous shelving for part of YA. Now the back section is all YA,
and biographies have been moved to non-fiction.

We moved the tilting bookcase behind the circulation desk, to replace a small-yet-awkwardly-placed table that we kept whacking our hips on. Then it was time to shift the New Titles.

Our patrons love browsing the New Titles, so we can combine it with displays throughout the year, satisfying everyone.

There are more collection changes to come in the library as we finish weeding and shifting some other areas. I hope that our patrons will find it easier to browse!

ARC Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

2012-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Book:

It has been five years since the Great War ended, but its tragic victims remain. For those marked by fey curses, the only way to protect others from harm is by encasing the damage in iron. For Jane Eliot, that means wearing an iron mask and having to get by on the remnants of her skills. When she applies for a governess job that alludes to a fey-cursed child, Jane is sure that she can help. What she cannot seem to help is the growing feelings she has for her young charge's father, or her concern about what is happening inside his studio...

The Yarn:

Alternate reality fantasy is a fun read for me, as it can be a terrific look at history through a different lens. In Ironskin, a Great War between humans and fey has dealt damage to England; the country still struggles in its aftermath of lost technology, and war victims try to live their lives with the damage that the fey bombs inflicted. Jane Eliot has dealt with the fey curse that mars her cheek by doning an iron mask, protecting others from its twisted power. Taking a job as governess to one that is also afflicted, Jane works to help both young Dorie control her powers, as she has worked to control the rage that can course through her -- and others -- without her iron shield. Dorie also works to stifle the feelings she has for Dorie's father, Edward Rochart. It isn't difficult at first, as both Jane's shame at her scars, and concern about Rochart's work, make it difficult to trust him. Rochart's studio is closed to most, but as ugly women walk in, beautiful women walk out. Women as beautiful as fey. Questions abound, not just about Dorie's power or Rochart's studio, but in the truth of how far Jane will go to find true love - and true beauty - again.

Ironskin has been touted as a "Jane Eyre retelling", and I will have to presume that comparison as favorable as I have never actually read Jane Eyre myself - bad librarian! Even without that, I felt drawn into this Victorian fantasy where fey and human used to work together and where technology existed before the Great War and humans must rely (once again) on coal and steam to power things. Jane's character developed through the entire book, and while sometimes she was frustrating (as heroines in love are wont to be) there was a thread of strength and caring, not only in her relationship with Dorie, but with her sister Helen as well. I will say that the story took turns I was not expecting, and I am intrigued to discover what will happen in the next book.

The Ink:

Title: Ironskin
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor
Date: October 2, 2012
Read: Print Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Publisher

Review: Black Blade Blues by J. A. Pitts

2012-08-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

The Book:

Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith, but since that kind of work doesn't really make ends meet, she also works nights as a props manager for her friend's low-budget fantasy film. When the lead breaks her favorite sword on set, Sarah agrees to reforge it so the shoot won't stretch on longer. One of the dwarf extras offers his help, but it seems he has a lot of incredible news for her, like the fact he is an actual dwarf. And her blade is magic. And she is supposed to kill a dragon. Before Sarah can say shape-shifter, things really start to get weird, and fantasy becomes fact as Sarah must go from behind the scenes to playing a very real role of heroine charged with saving the world.

The Yarn:

I was impressed with Black Blade Blues on a couple different levels. Pitts brings Norse elements into the storyline very cohesively. Sarah is a very fleshed-out character from the beginning, strong and sure in her work, but a bit hot-headed and struggling with her feelings. Being told that the fate of the world is in your hands would be difficult for anyone to handle. As a young woman who is a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) member and who creates weapons for sale at fairs and cons, it would seem logical for Sarah to be a believer off the bat. But she doesn't buy in -- and that resistance mirrors the other thread of her story that goes through the book.

Sarah is a not-out-of-the-closet lesbian in a relationship with Katie, who is quite comfortable with her orientation. Sarah's outward life -- her work, her relationship -- is diametrically opposed to the her childhood belief system. Obviously this creates tension and clashes between Katie and Sarah. So, not only do we get to see Sarah work to believe in her role in the world's salvation, to believe that dwarves and dragons exist, but we also see her struggle with caring for another woman and the feelings she has to process to believe in her relationship with Katie.

Ultimately this is a story about being the heroine who is charged with "slaying the dragon." Sarah has more than just the live one threatening her world to deal with, however, she also has the one created from her fears. Pitts does a good job balancing this urban fantasy with Sarah's struggle to find her sexual identity, and neither storyline overshadows the other's importance. The book is the first of a series, and I have the sequel, Honeyed Words, sitting on my TBR Pile. Probably not for long.

The Ink:

Title: Black Blade Blues
Author: J. A. Pitts
Publisher: Tor
Date: April 2011
Read: Library Mass Market Paperback

@ The Library - Summer Reading Crafts for Adults

2012-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's been another busy couple weeks at the library! Summer Reading is underway, with both an Adult and Youth Program available. I have never overseen summer reading before, and taking on the adult program was challenging and fun at the same time.

I definitely believe in not "recreating the wheel". There has been an Adult Summer Reading Program at my library for a few years, and I did not want to change it entirely - but I did want to make some changes to the events, which was introducing crafts.
I admit it - I like to make things. I am a knitter, always loved art projects when I was younger, and I completely support the notion of "Why should kids have all the fun?" Of course, I didn't want to overlap with the Youth Department, so I went to the internet for inspiration, mainly Pinterest.

If you haven't used Pinterest for inspiration in any part of your life, go take a look. I have my own set of boards, but know that libraries are starting to use them for collection highlights. Our library system, MLS, has a set of pin for the MA 2012 Summer Library Program, which is where I found my idea for Glow Jars. The Collaborative Summer Reading Program, which MA is part of, had resources for adult programs and I was inspired to try out lavender sachets.

We had the Glow Jar craft a couple weeks ago. Supplies were simple: clean glass jars of different sizes (having a dishwasher at home, along with Goo Gone, made this easy), glow in the dark paint (from the local big box store) and paint brushes.

The jars were a combination of ones already being saved down in the Youth Department and ones I had collected at home.

My sign - with a couple of samples I made. One I splattered the paint inside with the paintbrush, the other I painted in patches.

We had about a dozen patrons drop-in for this event, which being the first adult craft, I count as a success! This afternoon is the lavender sachet craft, so I will let you know about that next week.

Review: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson

2012-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Book:

Griffin Shaw was a P.I. back in the day -- fifty years ago. Now, he's an angel who has been helping souls cross over to the Everlast. Griffin is forced back into a mortal body to bring the soul of one Katherine Craig over, due to his interference with her friend Nic Rockwell. Yet Griffin has skirted the rules long enough to know that the gorgeous journalist may just be able to figure out the one case he never solved: who killed him and his wife? Protecting Kit may be more than this gumshoe can handle, especially with his growing attraction to her and the forces working to stop them.

The Yarn:

Those who are thinking "oh, another fallen angel story" should think again: this book has all the elements of a hard-boiled mystery, layered with urban fantasy. The Taken introduces Griffin Shaw, a "Centurion" angel who assists souls that died violent deaths into the Everlast -- or wherever else they may be going. Fifty years ago Shaw met his own untimely demise in Las Vegas and has been trying to figure out who killed him, along with his wife, Evie, while safely - if not always kindly - guiding souls to their own everafter.

This time his actions with journalist Nicole Rockwell change Fate, which earns him a ride back into mortality and back to Sin City, along with the task of bringing Katherine Craig's soul over before he can have his wings back. Kit is a rockabilly gal working at her family newspaper and never expected that her best friend would be killed while investigating a prostitution ring. With her sleuthing sights set on finding her friend's killer, Kit and Griffin team up, discover a conspiracy far larger than they expected, and find themselves targeted by souls both mortal and not.

There is just something about this book: its genre-bending premise should please both mystery and fantasy enthusiasts. The added details of Kit's rockabilly lifestyle bring an interesting twist to the developing personalities, especially because Griffin was actually alive and in his prime during that time. Both characters are smart, and a little damaged, and all the more believable with their stubborn focus on the cases at hand. While some of the angel-born vs. bred trope is a little over the top, Pettersson envisions a Heaven that seems as complicated as life on Earth. I was drawn into the plots, both the immediate one and those hinted to come.

As I noted in my last Pettersson review, I was not as pleased with the ending of her last series as I could have been; those who wanted a smoothly wrapped-up ending didn't get it with Joanna and her story. It was raw and real and made me shake my head and wonder "Is this it?" Pettersson is just the kind of writer that will leave strings dangling, but that tendency will certainly keep me waiting for the next in this series.

The Ink:

Title: The Taken (Celestial Blues, #1)
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Date: July 2012
Read: Library Trade Paperback

Everything's Coming Up Veggies

2012-07-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sadly, part of moving back to western Massachusetts meant giving up my garden beds I had created and used the last couple of years. I am still renting, but now in a duplex and I have not been able to address any sort of planting over the last months, except to place my various houseplants out on the shared porch.

However, I am very lucky to have a girlfriend who owns her own place, and graciously gave up side yard space to veggies! I admit I had been eyeing the space as it gets great sun through the day. We both agreed that raised beds would be best, and since we weren't sure where we wanted to start, we would start small.

Really. This time I meant it.

Look, it takes a lot of dirt, people. Yards and yards of it. I swear. This is not even all of it.

We decided to cut out the sod, which was moved to other areas in yard that were grass-deficient. We also stacked two kits together, to give us a raised bed that was 4 ft. x 4 ft. by about 14 inches deep.

These kits were easy to put together, and stacked like Lincoln Logs.

All complete with soil, manure and compost that was already accessible.

Then it was time to decide what we would actually use to plant this season. We finally decided on tomatoes, basil, and jalapenos. We like to make salsa and use basil and tomatoes on a regular basis, so it was a pretty easy decision.

In they went! We went with standard Genovese Basil, jalapenos and four kinds of tomatoes. We did San Marazano Paste and Brandywine for full-size and Supersweet 100s and Black Cherry tomatoes.

Needless to say, with the sun and heat they have been thriving! I am so, so happy. While the initial cost for the soil was a large investment, the rate of growth has been worth it. We have had to do little for pest control, only one application of neem oil about two weeks after they went in. The surface leaves are still a bit chewed, but no major outbreaks.

This is how they look as of yesterday. I have not had plants that have done so well in my previous years of gardening. We are already making plans for next year, like knowing the tomatoes will need their own bed. There is only four of them, but we still crowded them a bit.

The San Marazanos are adorable with their shape. These are supposed to be great paste tomatoes, and will add them to our canning endeavors the next few weeks.

The cherry tomatoes are coming along well too! I am not as much of a tomato snacker, but we definitely have kids that are.

Jalapenos ahoy! These actually mature to red, but we are thinking of pulling some now to try out. Guacamole anyone?

@ The Library

2012-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

So, I have now been in my new town and new job for almost three months. When I decided to take the job as a library director, I knew that I could be setting myself up for a lot of things I was not expecting. I have a diverse enough background - my librarian path has covered cataloging, acquisitions, reference, circ desk, technology, digitization, ereaders and ebooks, my other experience in finance, bookkeeping, municipal work, and book retail helps for sure.

There has been a lot of administration - budget, meetings, scheduling, mail, invoices, vendors - tasks I have not had to deal with a lot before, but are now mine on a daily basis. Some days I feel like I do not get up from my desk, but I have been able to work the desks (upstairs on the main adult level and downstairs in the Youth Department) and start seeing some of the regular faces that come in. However, there have been some interesting and unique things I have worked on also.

So, let's take a look at some of the things I have done since I started...

While I admit I am a wannabe beekeeper, this is not the route I was planning on going with it.

The library has had carpenter bees up in the eaves for the last few years, so when my custodian said he would spray before the library opened, I came to help. Of course, I had to suit up to protect myself!

I also replaced the flush valve on the running staff toilet my first week in. No, I didn't take pictures of that.

My library has very limited display space, but I really wanted to find a place to highlight titles each month, beyond the New Titles Bookshelf. So, I moved a printer cartridge recycling bin, found a rolling cart that wasn't being used, and bingo - instant (and portable) display space. We highlighted gardening titles to start, but also had a display for Ray Bradbury, and now it holds titles for the Adult Summer Reading Program.

I have ideas - big picture, pie-in-the-sky ideas - but I have tried to spend the last weeks getting to know my staff, the patrons, and make sure we all feel we are on stable ground before moving forward. These people have been here longer than me, and they know the library inside and out. I need to learn from them as much as they will look to me for support and guidance.

And they will get it for a whole next year, as I signed my new contract last night! :)