Sunday, August 24, 2008

New Blog

I've decided I'm going to try to read only books with lusciously beautiful covers for my school work. To keep my blog database looking sumptuous. :)

Here's the start of my YA database:
http://jlaredoyamaterials.blogspot.com/

Try to have good Mondays, all.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

100 books. 16 weeks.

You know how sometimes I like a challenge? How sometimes it can be more fun (for me) to do something just almost un-doable, than it is to do something a bit more doable? Heh. I'm so set.

I get to read 100 books in the next 16 weeks. That's right. 50 for my YA class + 50 for my Tweens class = 100 books. Plus whatever reading from textbooks I get to do. Plus, if I'm feeling inclined to, you know read an adult book or two.

That's 6.5 books per week, which is, if you're quick on the math, almost a book a day.

Sounds AWESOME.

Well, okay, in truth, there are some caveats that will make this slightly less impossible, but I'm not focused on those because it is the sheer enormousness of this task that appeals to me. But they don't all have to be "books." I'm supposed to explore various forms of media, so that'd include graphic novels, audiobooks, websites, magazines, movies and TV shows. Still, there'll be a fair number of books. Even though I might, at some point in the next 16 weeks, view (are you sitting down?) an episode of Hannah Montana or something.

I'm so freaking STOKED!!

I'm going to start two blogs (one for each class) to track my books. More on that soon.

Monday, August 18, 2008

A Dash of Nerdiness for y'all

So, here at the library, we have a magic shelf called "The White Shelf." You put things on "The White Shelf" when they've been processed downstairs, and they are ready to head upstairs to the Circulation Desk to check in. It could be called "The Lazy Shelf" because you stick stuff there to avoid running up the stairs to drop stuff off. And, in truth, most of the shelves around here are white.

I was just showing a new employee where "The White Shelf" was, and explaining how lately, there seem to be two "White Shelves." I explained my system was to use whichever shelf already had books on it. My desk neighbor Carol overheard my explanation and giggled. I asked her which shelf she thought really was the True White Shelf. She said that was something we should probably decide. I agreed, and said that when we decided, we could stick a sign on the non-true White Shelf that said "This is not the white shelf."

"It would be like a Magritte painting," I said. "Ceci n'est pas the White Shelf." Carol looked at me for a moment, and then we both realized, "Nope. If we're going to be Magritte about it, we have to put the Ceci n'est pas the White Shelf sign on the shelf that actually *IS* the True White Shelf." Ah. Nothing wraps up the work day like a little dorkdom.

Friday, August 8, 2008

A Great Lunch Hour

This is a week old now, but still exciting. Last Saturday I went to work. On my lunch hour, I went to a big chain bookstore. I'd reserved a copy of Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series. After wrapping my book in my sweater (so I didn't get finger prints on the cover) I went up the street to the frozen yogurt store. Got myself some lunch, and then sat outside on their patio. And cracked open a book I'd been waiting eight months to read. Could there possibly be a better lunch hour?

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Done with Summer School!

So, next summer, when I say I'm thinking of taking two classes, will you all remind me how insane that is? I mean, you know I like to, sometimes, make the same mistake repeatedly, just to see if I get different results. But I'll write it down here, just so that you have some evidence. Two classes + ten weeks + 40 hour work week = too much work. It's not worth it. Not even with the "it's only ten weeks" mentality. Why drive yourself crazy? I ask you. And I ask myself, of about a year from now, when I contemplate doing that all over again.

It was a kinda cool quarter though, now that I've got my hindsight glasses on. I've been fairly lucky so far, with library school. Some wise folks I know, who've gone to library school, have found the place to be riddled with jokesters, and really, really lame assignments. So far (fingers crossed and wood knocked) my group mates have been a mix of tolerable folks and an occasional Potential Race That Knows Joseph-er. And the work has been downright (here it comes, Dad) interesting. Even, fairly often, relevant. My main complaint has been time related, not having enough time to get stuff done without stressing.

But I learned some cool stuff this summer. In fact, I've complied a list! Bring on the bullet points!
  • I wrote a marketing plan for a Tween and Teen Summer reading program
  • I created an e-portfolio
  • I learned about Facebook, and discovered many of you hang out there too
  • I learned a whole lot about internet filtering
  • I did a lot of research on services, collections and programming for Tweens
  • and a whole bunch of other stuff that was pretty okay, but not worthy of it's own bullet point.
So while on my "I only have to go to work! vacation" I'm going to recommit to blogging. My poor blog is sad I'm not hanging out here more. And I miss "talking" to you blog folks. And you know what they say about things going around and coming around. Reading about what other folks were doing kept me motivated over the summer, and I want y'all to keep blogging. Or to start (ahem.)