Summer Reading

Summer Reading is over, the balloons left with the children and the posters are all down. (Granted there are no pictures of children here, but when you have to entertain 60+ kids a week, you have no time to grab the camera.)
I miss the kids. I miss the silly games and picking books to recommend each week. This week I did penny relay races with the older kids. The under 7 group just practiced balancing pennies on various body parts while walking across the room. 100 pennies, 30 minutes of entertainment and laughter. The best dollar, I've spent this week.
I won't have survived without my two Summer Hires. These girls were great and very willing to jump in and help with the crafts and craziness.

Snow Day

With the huge storm this weekend... that is still gently falling and the wind, keeping the roads plowed is a distant hope in Columbus, Indiana. All the schools and the library is closed today.

Things on my list today:
1. finish Christmas shopping online
2. label scrapbook pages that I have been avoiding
3. iron & cut fabric strips for my quilt
4. clean out files and organize my "get to later" pile
5. hot chocolate & good book

Go Libraries!

This was passed along by some of my library colleagues from Maryland.



The library should look familiar to a lot of you.

Life In Indiana

People are amazing. Some will amaze you with how much they do or how good they are. Others amaze you from the other direction. Life in Indiana has been eye opening at times. After talking to patrons at the library, I find myself amazed... I thought that attitude or attribute was only a stereotype... or something that only happened in history books.

For example: I hosted a Charles Darwin taste testing event at the library today. Food, science and a movie tie in... perfect. My small town was shocked. I had a lady come to the library to tell me that she was disappointed that the "library was celebrating this anti-Christian theory." She wanted permission to come to the event and protest it. She was disappointed that the library was leading children away from God and thought that there were lots of other good people that we could honor. She felt that it was her duty to speak out. My internal reply was "What is so dangerous about potatoes, apples and oreos?" Followed by "The public library is not the place to defend Christianity, or any religious perspective exclusively." Externally, I thanked her for her opinion and told her that she couldn't protest in the program.

In every science class that I've had, when the teacher talks about evolution we spend some time mentioning all those who oppose this theory. But they are discounted and proved to be ridiculous. In my mind it has always been abstract. Those silly people who didn't take the time to study the theory, who have such a narrow view of their religion. Evolution to me has never been an issue of belief. I believe that God, as master of the universe, follows the physical laws that he has set forth. Evolution is a lot like gravity. The proof is all around us and isn't something that I need to protest about. I really don't care how He created the earth, I'm more interested in the why.

I had a great program, and this stereotype lady handed out flyers in front of the library instead of inside. More power to her. Today's high was 27 degrees. She had every right to protest and no right to ask us to not host the event.

Gangster Names

National Library Week is coming up in April. (12th-18th) We are going to have displays of the staffs' favorite books, movies and music. My director wants to hold a shameless popularity contest, where our patrons will vote for their favorite librarians. We are going to take pictures, like a Wanted Poster, and ham it up.

My problem is that I have to come up with a nickname. Something dangerous, and if possible library related. Any ideas? The best that I have right now is "Maria, the know it all" and "the dead seeker." Historic gangster nicknames include "Itchy Fingers," "Big Tuna," "Mike 'No Jokes' Hunt," and "the Executioner." HELP!

Employment

I have a job! I accepted the Adult Services Librarian at the Jennings County Public Library in North Vernon, Indiana. I will be in charge of the Local History and Genealogy Room and all Adult Programs at the library. This job is a combination of Enrichment counselor and Family History teacher. I love it!

North Vernon is very small, 6,000-8,000 people. The library is great and my co-workers appreciate sarcasm and practical jokes. I am looking for apartments in Columbus which is about 25 minutes away. I will post more later as I learn more...