MENU

July 31, 2010

Card Catalog...


Library Article...

Libraries: Investing In The Kids

Infants & Computers...

Why does a sixteen-month-old child need to be in front of a computer screen? I just had a woman asked to be put on the computer with her infant, so that the child could watch something. What is this world coming too? I really don't believe that children' under the age of two should be watching TV or using a computer. Ugh!

Not A Page...

So, we have this older gentleman who volunteers as a page downstairs in adult reference and the other day I said hello to him and exchanged normal pleasantries. As I was about to go upstairs to my department he asks me if I was a page in the Children's Department. I said no I was a librarian trainee and he looked at me like he was shocked. Yes, I know I don't seem like a librarian but the facial expressions were not needed.

July 29, 2010

Library Vocabulary...


Smushed Pie In A Mug...

Today was a lovely day that lacked drama and bitch faces. My day consisted of light reference desk work, eight lobster claws, king crab leg, reading books to children, frozen hot chocolate, smushed pie in a mug and wonderful company. I had a great day at work -- Which I know aren't the days everyone wants to hear about, but tonight you can suck it.

Wins & Fails...

Wednesday was a day of wins, as well as fails.
  • My iPhone 4 arrived at the store -- Win
  • I had lunch with "Favorite Page #1" -- Win
  • My car of seven years might have kicked the bucket -- Fail
  • The tickets and travel information for Europe came in -- Win
  • My best friend finally took the Bar -- Win
  • The bill for Europe came in-- Fail
I brought my car to my mechanic and he is gonna take a look at it tomorrow and let me know what is going on. After the stress of that I went to Erin's (in my mother's car) to watch Sailor Moon (1995) with her and Charlies. That was a win because it made me happy. But yeah, not a very interesting day.

July 28, 2010

Things That Annoy Me While At Work...

Here is the picture that I drew last week that I said I would scan on Saturday. Sorry I didn't get to it sooner.

Curious Readers...

I was just reading through The Huffington Post and I found this article from the New York Times called; Promoting Literacy the Curious George Way. I am so excited and I just love that the Library of Congress chose Curious George for a reading campaign to encourage parents to read with their children. I personally love "Curious George" by R.A. and Margret Rey (1941).

If anyone is interested or enjoys Curious George and you live in New York, this is the last weekend to see the Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey exhibition at The Jewish Museum in New York City -- It has been running since March 14th and it ends this Sunday August 1st.

July 27, 2010

New Comic A La "Favorite Page #1"...

"Favorite Page #1" just posted another sweet comic on my Facebook wall.

"Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson

Business In The Front...

While I was at the park today I had several people ask me if I had a business card. I do not because I am not currently a "real" librarian, thus my Department Head said I shouldn't have business cards -- Blah blah blah. Because if this I had a "damn the man, save the empire" moment and had me some free business cards printed up for this here blog. And this is what they look like:

STPS: Phone Calls...

Before I left the library to go to the park I was inspired by a stupid patron to start typing out on bookcards the stupid things they say. Because patrons really do say a lot of stupid things. Case in point: One day Lenora has an adult patron ask her for books on "real unicorn horses" as opposed to fake mythical unicorn horses. She tried to explain to him that they weren't real and lets just say that didn't go over well. Said patron came back at another point in time and asked for non-fiction books on "genie lamps" -- I couldn't make this stuff up even if I wanted to.



So, here is the first ever "Stupid Things Patrons Say" card:

The patron was very upset because the book she wanted "How to Eat Fried Worms" by Thomas Rockwell (1953) was not in the library when she came in. So she wanted to know if the next time if came in if someone ran across it if they could give her a call. It was just as if the woman had never heard of interlibrary loaning (ILL) and it was a new concept libraries just came up with when we told her about it. It was horrifically stupid. I am not doing any justice to the stupidity, it really needs to be verbalized.

Rock Lobster...

I had a lovely day at work. I snacked on a lobster claw that was bigger than my hand (Which I received from our awesome security guard -- It was the best lobster claw ever because it made "Julia" jealous to the point where she was passive aggressive and I got to be nasty to her) and I got to hangout at a local park with other community organizations to promote the services they provide for families and children -- It got me out of the building and I got to tan!

I only encountered two brats the whole time at the park -- Which was about two and a half hours. One gave me attitude about the craft I brought with me for the children to do ("Don't you have something else for us to color?!" -- She must have been around six-years-old) and the other one was just running around trying to steal my freebies off the table with her paint filled hands.

July 25, 2010

Halloween In July...

Is it bad that I'm already thinking about what to wear for New York Comic Con/Halloween which are both in October?

Production Rate Of Bile...

Apparently the human liver can produce a liter of bile a day. If this is so then why is Erin still throwing up?! At least Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) is on. I love me some Gilmore Girls.

Happy Birthday Erin...

Miss Erin drank too much at a family function last night thus causing an epic fail of a day. We were supposed to go wine tasting and such, which obviously isn't happening seeing as I'm sitting in her recliner watching her half dead on her couch as she throws up bile in a garbage can. She is a hot mess right now.

I was mad at her because I woke up at 7:00am to clean up Justin's apartment before she and some other people were supposed to come over. I cleaned, did laundry, took a shower, put make up on, woke Justin up at 8:ooam before finding out that Erin had a hangover and we weren't going anywhere. Which obviously didn't fair well with either of us. Got into a fight with Justin and drove to Erin's to yell at her, but then I saw her and I couldn't yell at her because she looked über pathetic. So we're watching Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Read Responsibly...



"Ziggy" by Tom Wilson (September 12th, 2009)

July 24, 2010

Library Workout Tape...

Sadomasochism...

I have these bad ass gladiator sandals and I wore them on Friday. So, during my craft one of the kid's mothers says to me "Are you into S&M? Because those shoe scream S&M..." I did not know what to say to the woman. I could not believe that she asked me that during my craft around children and other parents.

Overdue Archives: You're The Librarian?!?!..

One day during the summer of 2008 while I was off I was driving somewhere with all of my windows blasting music. I stop at a red light and notice that the kids in the car next to me (they were in a convertible and I recognized the kids from my storytime) are waving at me saying something, and their grandfather who was driving was giving me a dirty look, so I lowered my music. The grandfather looks at me and said "Good, you lowered your music!" The light changes I keep driving. Next red light the car is still next to me and the kids are still waving at me. The grandfather looks at me and says "They are saying you're the librarian. Are you really the librarian?!" I nod and say that I am. He makes a face at me and drove away once the light changed.

Beach Day...

Today was glorious. I woke up at 11:30am and then Justin & I drove to Erin's to go to the beach with her and a few other people -- Before we did we stopped off so I could buy a new bathing suit because mine went M.I.A. after our last trip to the beach. We tanned, they drank, we went swimming and we had a wonderful day.

While ate the beach I got stopped by a woman who was like "You're the girl that works in the library!" I confirmed that I indeed am "the girl that works in the library" before running away without being totally rude because I don't need patrons talking to me while I'm in a bathing suit, it's just odd. I mean I get stopped all the time. The other day while I went shopping during my split shift I got stopped by two different sets of people in the store I was in. When I went to the fair with Erin I got stopped or talked about probably four or five times. It happens often, but I'm awkward every time it happens because I just wanna do what I gotta do.

Eight Hours...

Yesterday I worked eight hours (9:00am-6:00pm).

Within those eight hours:
  • I finished this drawing I started the other day -- I'll scan it tomorrow and post it because it is kinda small and scanning it would do it more justice than taking a photo of it
  • Had lunch with Justin -- Yummy yummy pizza because the line at the panini place was almost out of the door
  • Did a craft with the children of the library
  • Talked to one of my Drawing Club kids about what I'd do if zombies were to attack -- We had like a twenty minute conversation about it and together we came up with some awesome ideas
  • Updated one of my coworkers on what they missed by not joining us at work all week -- No I still cannot discuss what happened with all of you, but when and if I can I totally will because it has been an odd week
After work I hung out with Justin and a couple of our friends. We went out for Japanese food -- I enjoyed everything but my actual meal. When we were finished eating we went across the street to this place that makes homemade ice cream -- It was delicious, I had chocolate peanut butter ice cream with bananas and fresh whipped cream. While at the ice cream/diner place the waiter spilled water all over one of our friends, it was hilarious. After ice cream we headed back to one of my friend's houses and watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-Present).

July 22, 2010

Travelers Checks? Why?...

I worked a split shift today. I worked 9:00am-12:00pm and then I went shopping. After buying myself a sweet Christian Audigier bag, I went to the bank to get some travelers checks for Europe. I wait on the line for the teller, get to the teller and tell her what I want, "Oh... I don't do that. You have to go speak to someone over there." I go sit down and wait forever for the real banking people, eventually I get someone to help me and I tell her I want a couple of hundred dollars in travelers checks. I get "We don't do that here. Why would you want travelers checks anyway?" I looked at her like she was stupid and told her because I'm traveling outside of the country. I wanted to smack her. So after waiting forever I leave my bank empty handed and annoyed. I went home, took a nap and had to go back to work. Great day, huh?

Libraries Are Like Cupcakes...

Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might Be Libraries

July 21, 2010

Flying Condoms...

I just had three thirteen-year-old boys throw a condom at the girls volunteering to sign children up for the summer reading club. Thankfully it was unused and still in its wrapper, but why the hell would someone do that?!

Mini Mini Rant: Computers In The AM...

Why does a five-year-old child need to go on the computer first thing in the morning? I really don't understand these parents.

This Book Is Overdue...

I must interlibrary loan this book and read it.

A Ton Of Library Articles...

Libraries Face Growing Demand For Books In Spanish
How to Support Your Community Library
Libraries Focus on Convenience with Mall Locations
Chicago Public Library Teams Up With Book Bike
24-Hour Read-In Protests Cuts to Libraries
Library Science
The Top Fifty Librarian Blogs

Librarian Or Ice Cream Girl...

The other day one of my regular kids says to me while we were talking to his mother that if I have good grades that I could go work in his grandparents' ice cream shop. It was pretty cute. His mother had to explain to him that I'm not at the library just to hang out with him & his sister (they come to my fun programs) and that I actually work in the library. After this was explained to him he was like "Well, if you change your mind I'll talk to them..."

The Dewey Decimal Rap...


Still Preoccupied With 1985...



  • The year started on a Tuesday
  • A Gallon of Milk Cost $1.98
  • Ronald Reagan is president of the US
  • Live Aid, a 17 hour rock concert broadcasts worldwide from London and Philadelphia, raising $70 million for starving Africans
  • An 8.1 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico City and results in about 25,000 deaths
  • Vocano "Nevada del Ruiz" erupts near Bogota, Columbia causing mud slides that bury two towns
  • Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
  • New Coke is released on the 99th anniversary of Coca-Cola
  • Kansas City Royals win the World Series
  • San Francisco 49ers win Superbowl XIX
  • Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
  • The computer game Tetris is released
  • Madonna released "Material Girl" in March
  • The Tommy Hilfiger brand is established
  • Back to the Future is the top grossing film
  • DNA is first used in a criminal case
  • "Less Than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis is published
  • David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen to begin a solo career
  • "Careless Whisper" by Wham! spends the most time at the top of the US charts
  • Elmo is introduced on Sesame Street
  • The Golden Girls and Growing Pains premiere
  • Martina Navratilova won Wimbledon
  • Madonna launches her first road show, the Virgin Tour

On my actual birthday the Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test for AIDS, which has since been used to screen all blood donations in the United States.

Cracked Topics: The 1980's

Karma Police...

I actually had a very interesting day today but I can't talk about it because it involves police and an ongoing investigation. When and if I can update about it I surely will.

July 20, 2010

Cute Librarian...


"Garfield" by Jim Davis (May 6th, 2010)

A Beautiful Place...

I totally forgot about this, so on Friday my department head and I went to our local supermarket to pick up a bunch of items for food crafts, etc. I'm walking down one of the aisles and this old man stops me and says to me "Thank you for making the world a more beautiful place." After he says it he just walked away. It was very sweet and flattering.

Who You Gonna Call?...


Mini Rant: Not Your Library Bitch...

I am not your library bitch. I am not working in the library to be your personal librarian. Just because I'm your friend/girlfriend/whatever doesn't mean I want to return your materials, find items and deliver them to you or anything else along those lines for you. So you need to get your ass up and go to the library to do all this crap for yourself.

July 19, 2010

Happy Birthday...

I just wanna wish "Favorite Page #1" a very happy birthday!!!

National Ice Cream Day...

If you didn't already know, today is National Ice Cream Day -- If you don't believe go ask your librarian for a copy of the 2010 edition of Chase's Calendar of Events (which just so happens to be my favorite reference book) and look it up. So to celebrate we had a free ice cream making class -- We made ice cream in plastic bags. It was crazy, I had twenty-five children who signed up and a handful of children who didn't sign up trying to get into the class.

It was messy, but it was really fun to do. If you don't know how to make ice cream in a bag here is how you do it.

Mini Rant: I Didn't Make The Rules...

Okay, lets get something straight, I didn't make the rules. I just enforce them. So please refrain from being nasty to me because it makes me wants to not help you and ruin your day.

My Life In Bullets...

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever even though I posted crap on Saturday. So here are the past couple of days (non-work relatedness) in bullets...
  • Was taken to two malls in one day by Justin
  • Went to Ikea® & bought tables for my card catalog cabinet
  • Went to Old Navy® twice in a three day span
  • Ate Red Mango®
  • Looked at fishies in the fish store
  • Bought Justin's grandfather a birthday present
  • Watched baseball games on TV
  • Forced Justin to buy a suit for his friend's wedding that we are attending in like two weeks in Philadelphia, PA
  • Bought stuff for Europe (i.e. - handheld fan & a wall adapter)
  • Ate at a new Mexican restaurant
  • Reserved an iPhone® 4 that Justin is buying me
  • Watched The Invention of Lying (2009) with Erin & Charles
  • Watched True Blood (2008-Present) at Erin's
  • Shopped at Marshalls®, Nordstrom Rack® and H&M®

July 17, 2010

Conan The Librarian...



Four Month Book Challenge...

I found this while I was looking at some blogs and thought that it was something I should do. So, lets see how this goes.

Month One

  • Read a chick lit book
  • Read a name with a proper name in the title
  • Read a historical fiction book
  • Read a book with a one word title
  • Read a book made into a movie

Month Two

  • Read a book with a Civil War theme (any country)
  • Read a Biblical fiction book
  • Read a hardcover book
  • Read a book about a king or queen
  • Read a book set in France

Month Three

  • Read a book by an author you’ve never read before
  • Read a biography or autobiography
  • Read a book with a number in the title
  • Read any book and then post a review
  • Read any book but read it outside

Month Four

  • Read a book in a series AND the one after it
  • Read a book that was a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
  • Read a book considered Christian fiction
  • Read a book from The Modern Library Top 100
  • Read a book by an author born in July, August, September or October

One Down Twenty-Four To Go...

Remember my "Twenty-Five Things To Do By March 3rd 2011" list? Well I've actually done one of the things on my list. It was a small one, but I did it.
Twenty-Five Things To Do By March 3rd 2011:
  1. Get Thrown Out of a Nightclub (#6)
  2. People Watch in Paris (#52)
  3. Drink Only Water for a Month
  4. Take Up a Hobby – Just for You, Just for Fun (#86)
  5. Do Something that Scares You (#69)
  6. Take a Dance Class
  7. Explore Religious Teachings for a Tradition You Weren’t Raised In (#16)
  8. Buy a Princess Dress (#35)
  9. Love Your Body (#25)
  10. Mail a Postcard to Post Secret
  11. Learn a Foreign Language (#80)
  12. Go to a Shooting Range
  13. Finish Unfinished Business (#14)
  14. Go Inside the Statue of Liberty
  15. Eat Too Much in Italy (#60)
  16. Learn to Walk in Three Inch Stilettos (#30)
  17. Go Wine Tasting
  18. Say Yes to a Night Out with Locals (#53)
  19. Swim With Sharks (#47)
  20. Learn to Drive Stick Shift
  21. Indulge in a Great Work of Literature (#88)
  22. Get a Tattoo
  23. Go Ghost Hunting in England (#59)
  24. Create a Cookbook of My Recipes
  25. Learn to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (#99)

July 16, 2010

The Comic From My Desk...

You may have noticed (or not) when I take pictures of randomness over my desk that there is a little cut out of a cartoon under my blotter. It is a cartoon that my mother saw in a newspaper and she cut it out to give to me. It is from the comic strip "Close to Home" by John McPherson (May 7th 2010).

Mini Rant: "Is This The Children's Room?!"

Whenever I answer the phone at the library I say " __________ Public Library Youth Services Department. How may I help you?" I don't know about you, but I think that is a very clear statement. So why is it that 7 out of 10 people always as me after I say it "Is this the children's room?" I know I didn't stutter when I answered the phone. So what is it that people don't get about "Youth Services Department" ???? It really makes me angry. Ugh!

Welcome To The Library...


Article About Libraries...

Google Can Go Forward With Digitizing Dutch Library Books

Old Spice Guy Defends Libraries...

While I was reading the Huffington Post earlier I found "Old Spice Guy Defends Libraries" and I thought that I should post it.


Library Vocabulary...


Card Catalog Cabinet...

Okay, if you didn't already think that I was a dork you're really gonna think I am now. I just bought the old card catalog cabinet that was hidden away in my library's program office and I am super excited about it. I've been trying to get my director to sell it me for about a year & a half now and I'm just super happy.

July 15, 2010

Post Post Post...

So, I've posted in the past few days but I don't really feel like I've posted if that makes any sense...

Tuesday: Before I threw up in my garbage can we had a union meeting to vote on the proposed new union contact -- We've been without a contract for over a year now. I spent the entire meeting drawing pictures about how the meeting blew and I took a picture of them for everyone to see!

Wednesday: I went to work feeling sick and blah solely because my Director told me I had thirty minutes of sick leave to my name. As soon as I get in I get a phone call from the coworker I constantly bitch about -- I think I shall call her "Julia" from now on. Surprise surprise, she was calling in sick, but she said she might come in at 12:00pm if she was feeling better. Two hours later she called back and asks me who is working, I rattle off the names of everyone working and then she say "Oh, I'm still feeling sick so I won't be coming in." She said it like I didn't notice that she was calling to cover her ass if we just so happened to be short staffed. Eventually the payroll/book keeping lady came downstairs to tell me that "Julia" wasn't coming in. Obviously I started to bitch about being the one that threw up in their garbage can the day before and only having thirty minutes of sick leave. She said that I had more than thirty minutes and went upstairs to check. Five minutes later she comes down and tells me I have almost forty HOURS of sick leave. Pissed off, I waited for my Department Head to get in. As soon as I saw her I told her what happened and I said I was going home sick and I left.

I slept for a couple of hours and then I went dress shopping because I needed a dress for Justin's college friend's wedding that is happening in like three weeks. After picking out a dress with Erin and my sister, we stopped by Justin's to show him and then we went to the movies to see Despicable Me (2010). The movie was cute and I really enjoyed it.

Thursday: The day was slow yet I was busy. I did an ice cream craft demo to check to see if my ice cream in a bag recipe worked well and see how long it would take -- It took forever and I'm surprise I didn't lose a finger to frostbite. I also did a book discussion group with one kid, but he, his sister and his mother gave me a little bag of chocolate from the candy store in town because they love me. And then eventually I did pajama storytime with like six children under the age of five. After all of that I had an hour and a half left of work.

So, that has been that past couple of days.

July 14, 2010

Le Sigh...

"Favorite Page #1" texted me a little while ago to tell me that a grown man asked her how the Dewey Decimal System worked. Ugh! I know they teach people what it is and how to use it in elementary school.

Overdue Archives: Squirrel In The Stacks...

The article I posted below about the raccoon in the library reminded me of the time a squirrel somehow got into the stacks when I was a page.

Summer 2005: I was paging in adult fiction when out of nowhere a squirrel appears in the stacks -- It was just chilling in the stacks wandering around. We were told by the librarians to keep shelving and to stay away from the squirrel. Apparently our security guard at the time did not get the memo (because he was obviously stoned) and he decided to chase the squirrel around the stacks, thus causing us to lose track of where it really was. We never did find out what happened to it...
"Squirrels always eat nuts with two hands, always two hands, "arararar", and occasionally, they stop & go, oh, uh, ah, as if they're going, "Did I leave the gas on? No! No, I'm a fucking squirrel!" And occasionally they go, "Fucking nuts! Fed up with them always... I long for a grapefruit." Yeah. So, that's very much like the army." - Eddie Izzard

Raccoon's Love Librarians...

Animals just love wandering around libraries -- Raccoon Goes in Search of a Good Book at Brooklyn Library.

July 13, 2010

Library Vocabulary...


Sick Sad Little World...

I threw up in my garbage can at work today and now I'm home in bed feeling crappy. Blah! I blame my sister. She came home after vomiting at work yesterday.

July 12, 2010

First Attempt...

Here is my first real attempt with the drawing tablet my awesome boyfriend bought me. I think it came out well. Thoughts?