Pop, Soda or Coke?

I'm still reading Stuff White People Like but in the meantime......What parts of the country say soda, pop and Coke?

How White Am I?

Several months ago, I encouraged you to read the blog Stuff White People Like. Not only does it make me laugh every time that I read it, but it is often spot on. And it is often spot on about me. My hold on the book just came in and there are 150 things that white people like. As I'm reading (and laughing) I started to wonder, how white am I?

So, here we go! One point for each one that applies to me. I'll try to do it as I read the book. Play along, white people! It will be fun. Oh, and I still think you should read the book and blog. Tongue-in-cheek....it's very funny.

#1 Coffee
Um, yes. I love coffee. I do, however, own a Nespresso (owned by Nestle) and often buy from the Starbucks across the street from work. I'm pretty sure both of these things are despised by white people.

#2 Religions Their Parents Don't Belong To
I'm going to say no to this one, but I was lucky enough to be born into a desirable religion.

#3 Film Festivals
No and no. I have a big television at home and I don't like crowds.

#4 Assists
I think this is sports-related, so no.

#5 Farmer's Markets
Yes but the crowd issue often keeps me away. And the fact that all of Omaha's Farmer's Markets are on Saturday and I work. Damn you, Omaha!

#6 Organic Food
Yes.

#7 Diversity
Who doesn't love diversity? From the book, "White people love ethnic diversity, but only as it relates to restaurants." So true!

#8 Barack Obama
Yes. Although I'm sure he will disappoint me so I keep my expectations low.

#9 Making You Feel Bad for Not Going Outside
Yes! If it's beautiful, I always feel guilty for being inside, even if I don't feel like going out. Sorry to say, but I also judge people who don't go outside. I'm a horrible person.

#10 Wes Anderson Movies
Nope. I've only seen the Royal Tenenbaums and I thought it was kind of dumb. I think it tried too hard to be cool and edgy.

#11 Asian Girls
Not in the way they're talking about.

#12 Nonprofit Organizations
Of course. I've worked for them all my life. This is funny, "If a white person can stick around long enough, the nonprofit oganization can eventually become a lucrative position. This is because nonprofits retain their top executives by paying a salary competitive with similar positions in other industries. So you can be working at a nonprofit and still make six figures and you don't have accountability or pressure. White people can't lose!"

#13 Tea
It's ok. I prefer coffee and water. I guess that's a yes.

#14 Having Black Friends
Reminds me of Rent a Negro. I'm going to say no, because I don't really care about this.

#15 Yoga
Duh.

Ok, gotta go. Drama at the library. More later.

Emerging Leaders

I just found out I've been accepted in to the Emerging Leaders program through ALA. The official description is:

"Emerging Leaders began in 2007 as one of ALA Immediate Past President Leslie Burger’s six initiatives. The Emerging Leaders program enables newer librarians from across the country to participate in problem-solving workgroups; network with peers; gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts them on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership."

I'm not exactly sure what it all means but I'm excited! Oh and I'm required to attend mid-winter conference in Denver and annual conference in Chicago.

Library Journal review

I signed up to review documentary DVDs and non-fiction books for Library Journal and my first review has been published! You can read it here in the online version and it should have been printed in the September 15 print edition. It's just a volunteer thing but I feel proud to be helping libraries make good purchasing decisions. It seems important.

Couch Potato

I love television. Just like I love lots of other things and I think that television (like so many other things) is fine in moderation. I've pretty much been taking a summer break from tv but all the Fall shows are starting and last night I discovered my new favorite.

You must watch Whatever, Martha on Fine Living. Torrent it if you have to, but watch. Produced by Martha Stewart, Martha's daughter Alexis and friend watch old episodes of The Martha Stewart Show and mock them. That's it. I laughed harder than I have at a show in a long time. Even Ry laughed out loud and that almost never happens.

It's a bit like Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in fact, that's how Martha thought of the show) but funnier. According to the New York Times article, "Reaching younger people has been a puzzle that Martha Stewart Living has had difficulty solving. In 2006, the company started Blueprint, a glossy magazine aimed at young women. The expensive venture failed within a year."

I'm not sure if I'm still considered a young person, but they have certainly reached me with this show. It's fantastic. And what makes it even better is that it's blessed by Martha so I can watch without guilt.

Anyone else watching? Katie?

i was on vacation and missed this...

...and since my dad was here on vacation with me, i think he probably missed it too. hilarious.

pictures of house

Here's our new house!

While I wish I was McCain's running mate...

....that is not my news.

Sorry I've been absent lately. I am not good at the blog thing. Or the Twitter thing. I don't think I'm interesting enough to read about.

Two pieces of news:

1. Ry and I bought a house in Omaha! I'll try to post pics soon but it's a big beautiful 1907 house with hardwood floors, a huge yard and a fabulous 70s kitchen. I'm busy trying to fill it up with vintage Tupperware and Rubbermaid. There's also a brand new queen size bed in the guest room. (hint, hint) I know it's a big step but I really love Omaha and the mortgage is $100 less/month than renting. I finally found a place where I can afford a big Portland-style house.

2. And the bigger news...we're getting married. Next week. Sorry, no big wedding for you all to come to but neither one of us really wants that anyway. For the first time, Ry has no health insurance so we decided to get married for that. At first it felt like it wasn't very romantic reason but I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't sure (and we have been together for 6 1/2 years). My parents will be here next week, we have a judge and are trying to decide whether to have it in a park or at the house. When we visit Portland in January, we'll have a party at my parent's new house in Milwaukie. They have a hot tub so you have to be there.

I really do miss everyone! With Ry moving here, buying a house and trying to get settled it's been a bit crazy. I do still have thoughts about libraries and I will try to get them out on a more regular basis.

Oh and Michael? I know you don't care about the person stuff (since we've never met), but what should I take my parent's to in Lincoln next week? I've never been and I'm not sure what to do. We're going Friday since I think we'd be crazy to go on Saturday.

hello?

Is anyone out there still reading this?

If you are, say so. Because I have BIG news to share!

Nebraska primary elections

It is only now dawning on many Nebraska democrats that the primaries next week mean nothing. Remember the oh-so-exciting caucus we had a few months ago? There are pictures posted on my blog from before I became lazy about taking pictures.

The democratic caucus was on a very cold Saturday. Yes, it was exciting and yes, it was well attended but many people (myself included) did not realize that this was the day that Nebraska chose it's democratic nominee. The state went for Obama and probably still would but I was so excited to finally vote in a primary that mattered. We vote so late on the west coast that it never matters and the candidates never woo us. I want someone to woo me!

Instead, on Tuesday, my vote won't matter because Nebraska is already going for Obama. There's other stuff to vote for but I'm still ignorant about Nebraska/Omaha politics. A woman called the library yesterday about this issue and was very upset. She's elderly and couldn't get to the caucus and wants to vote to count. I feel her pain. I'm pretty disappointed myself.

Perhaps we'll be important in the general election.

sad

I found out today that a woman I used to be friends with committed suicide over the weekend. I haven't seen or spoken to her in almost three years but I am still feeling a bit shattered about it.

My favorite memory of her is the time we went hiking together outside of Hood River. She showed up, fully made-up and wearing high heels. To go hiking. And this was after she made me stop at a convenience store on the way there so she could buy a twinkie.

This is a picture of her smoking a cigarette next to a fire danger sign.

Rest in peace, Carrie.

Institutional Memory

Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about internal promotion. I believe it is important that employers help their employees succeed, move up and stick around. It is a shame that people change jobs so often because the real work starts once someone has had a chance to really figure out the organization. Unfortunately, there is often too much of a focus on the national reputation of a library and they feel that they can't afford to promote a nobody.

I've recently discovered another argument for internal promotion: institutional memory.

I work with a woman I like to call The Big Brain. She is a Library Specialist (paraprofessional reference) but she's been here so long there's no difference between her and someone with a MLS. She and I work together on the floor that has the Nebraska Reference collection and all of the genealogy resources. These are two very well used collections and they require knowledge of Nebraska, Omaha and Omaha Public Library that this newbie cannot even begin to have. It is not just a matter of relearning how to use a microfilm reader (it's been about 10 years for me), or how the Nebraska Reference room is set up (they still use a card catalog). It really is a deep knowing that only someone who has been here a long time can have. Customers ask about old staff people or the way the building used to look or for a newspaper from a town I've never heard of.

I can figure out the answers...usually with the help of the Big Brain. When she has the day off, I really struggle. It reminds me of the time I (as a paraprofessional) trained a new librarian at my old library. I knew so much because I had been there for nine years and there are many things that are impossible to look up online or in the catalog. Knowledge that may not be considered reference by some but is good customer service.

I realize that it is not always possible or smart to fill every position from within. I wouldn't be here if that were the case. New people can bring new life to a library. But when the only reason a position is filled externally is because of reputation, this can be both damaging to the library and the community.

We need people like the Big Brain. Work horses. People who are committed to the organization and the city. We need these people to train newbies like me. It will be a sad day when the Big Brain retires. And don't even get me started on the Government Documents Librarian. I have nightmares about Gov Docs.

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library

I just finished reading a new book by Don Borchert, "Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library". Really enjoyed it. Now that I'm back working the desk in a downtown urban branch, I'm feeling the pain again. The pain of working with the homeless, the mentally ill and the substance abusers. It's quite draining but can also be very funny. I'm not much of a writer and Borchert manages to describe the inner workings of the library in a way that I never can. If you want to know what I experience on a daily basis, read this book and then double it. He works in a small branch, after all.

Get together with everyone you know

I went to junior and high with a bass player named Kermit (yes, that's his real name). I found out on Facebook that he's putting together an interesting and slightly crazy project. He wants everyone he's ever met to get together in one place on the same day. In 2011.

Here's the thing you need to know about Kermit. He was the incredibly smart, fairly annoying nerd. Did he have real friends? I honestly do not know.

It's an interesting response to online social networking sites. Imagine if you could bring together everyone you've ever met and the only way to reach all of them is to rely on the power of the internet and word of mouth.

Fascinating. Will I go? Probably not. But I am curious to see if he follows through with it.

Recognition can be so random

The week I started working at OPL, someone from the Nebraska Library Commission e-mailed me about my experience with Twitter. I wrote her back and forgot all about it.

I just found out that she quoted me her article! Not only that, but I'm quoted alongside Rivkah. Too cool. To read it, scroll to page nine.

In other (and certainly more important) news, I just found out that the Sex and the City movie will be released on my birthday. I am so there.

The kind of day I'm having

A woman just called and asked for the number for Omaha Public Library.

I asked, "Do you mean the number you just called?"

She said yes so I gave it to her. She hasn't called me back yet but I'm waiting for it.

Oh, and she didn't have a pen ready. And she called and asked me for a phone number.

I don't really like people today.

Am I a Brand?

I haven't written much about my personal experiences here in Omaha because I want to be discreet about things. But yesterday I went to the Omaha Women's Leadership Conference and it really brought together all of the reasons that it was the right decision for me to move here. It wasn't seeing Suze Orman that did it (although she was awesome). It was a session on branding yourself and furthering your career and for the first time I see my path and I see this as a career.

My speech last week rocked. Leadership Omaha is a fabulous program for young leaders in the city and they spend a year learning all about the city and how they can be leaders here. We talked about databases and far too many of them didn't know that we had them at all. In fact, many of them didn't even have a library card.

And I see an opportunity. These are our future leaders, our future supporters and our future independent funders. The library needs to reach out to them. Yesterday, while feeling so inspired, I decided that I want to figure out a way to go to them and teach them how to use our very expensive databases. At our weekly marketing meeting, the assistant director mentioned that several people yesterday talked about outreach to the business community. I felt bad immediately because I had the same idea at the same time and that I wasn't going to have the opportunity to work on something I felt so passionate about.

But then I thought about the self-branding session. The instructor said that we should take every opportunity to be involved in the things that matter most to us and the things that will help us look good to the people who matter. So instead of sulking about a missed opportunity (like I felt like doing), I asked the assistant director if I might be involved. Not only did she say yes but we met after the meeting, I'm now in charge of contacting the Leadership Omaha people to offer our services and I have the opportunity to teach some of the sessions.

All it took was asserting myself and asking. Have I mentioned that I love the Omaha Public Library? This city is on the brink of a library revolution and I'm thrilled to be a part of it!

Is it ok to cheat?

There's an interesting new feature from gmail that allows you to back date an e-mail. In other words, if I forget to e-mail someone on their birthday I can back date a message so it looks like I sent it at the right time.

For some reason, this makes me feel a bit dirty....


Gmail Custom TimeTM

Ever wish you could go back in time and send that crucial email that could have changed everything -- if only it hadn't slipped your mind? Gmail can now help you with those missed deadlines, missed birthdays and missed opportunities.

Pre-date your messages

You tell us what time you would have wanted your email sent, and we'll take care of the rest. Need an email to arrive 6 hours ago? No problem.

Make them count

Use your custom time stamped messages wisely -- each Gmail user gets ten per year.

TMI

Sorry I've been absent. I have a cold and my parents are coming to town today....I've been busy.

I will leave you with this for the week. I had a call from someone yesterday who wanted a list of high fiber foods and an explanation of how eating fiber can help with digestion. He then preceded to tell me all about his eating habits and how certain foods make him constipated and other foods give him diarrhea. I couldn't stop him. Every time I tried to interrupt, he ignored me.

It was painful. And anyone who really knows me knows how much I hate poop talk. Gross.

(I have a big speech to give tomorrow. Think good thoughts for me)

The coolest library ever

No joke.

Do you think a library like this could exist in the United States?

The library card of the future?

I absolutely love this idea. Some airline companies are testing cell phone boarding passes. This means no more paper boarding passes and they scan the bar code directly from your phone. Brilliant. A phone is the one thing (besides a wallet) that most people have on them all the time. And they're using a well-encrypted format so it's expected the TSA will embrace the idea.

Why couldn't a library have cell phone cards? I love that OPL has key chain cards but everyone has key chain cards these days, from libraries to grocery stores. It makes my keys feel very cumbersome. But on my phone? Put OPL in my contacts and I'll have my card on me every time I need it.

It's a great idea...unless they put their pin number in with their barcode. That would be dumb.

Midwest Crazies

I'm not sure what it is about this town. Perhaps it's a symptom of being taught to always put on a happy face.

But we get some crazy phone calls here. I mean, crazier than I've ever seen. Crazy people who call 20-30 times per day and demand the most asinine things.

For example, today I was a pimp. A man called (I later found out he's a regular caller) and wanted a toll-free number for a chat phone line. So he can talk to women. He didn't understand that none of them are truly free because businesses like to make money. When I couldn't find what he wanted he called me prejudiced. My reply was, "You think I'm prejudiced against people who call on the phone?" ha.

The other crazies:

A woman who knows all the staff by name and calls the information desk every morning to find out where people are working that day. Then she calls the staff person of her choice and asks for random things, like the phone number of a doctor in Los Angeles.

A woman who likes to tie up more than one phone line at a time. She'll ask a question but when we put her on hold she has a way to call on a second line and ask a different person the same question. She's very easily angered too.

A retired minister (or so he says) who kept me on the phone for 10 minutes preaching about Jesus and how the rapture is coming. Soon. Like maybe tomorrow.

A copy editor who calls with grammar questions 4-5 times a day. We all agree that she should know more than us. She's a copy editor.

A "writer" who asks opinion-based questions about her writing. Which do you like better, "I handed the cat some food" or "I gave some food to the cat"?

Of course, these are just the phone crazies. But they seem to have embraced the anonymity of the telephone and seem a bit more crazy than the people in the building.

I'm having a hell of a week as a prejudiced pimp.

Another flattering article about Omaha

When Omaha Met Cinema in the New York Times.

Now doesn't that make you all want to visit me?

Librarian fired after reporting porn incident

Every library I've worked in allows patrons to look at pornography, unless someone complains. A staff way around this is that staff complaints count too.

The exception to this is if we see someone viewing child pornography, in which case we are to call the police. It is not illegal to look at regular porn but child porn is illegal. It's a legal issue and not a content one. In a library, this makes all the difference in the world.

This is why I surprised to read that a librarian in California has been fired for calling the police after witnessing a man looking at child pornography. In my opinion, she did the right thing and I feel pretty sure that her job will be reinstated. Poorly handled by the library. Just because we are champions for free expression and access does not mean that our patrons can break the law. And really, is access to child porn the issue any public library wants to fight? Don't think so.

I don't know the title but it has a red cover

Here's how to solve the problem.

Garfield for adults

I'm not sure if my friend Carol reads this blog, but this is for her. She and I know how much kids love Garfield. I've never really understood why...I find the strips redundant and boring.

But this is just sad. Take Garfield out and Jon Arbuckle is a pathetic and lonely man.

Homeless man overdoses in library

Wow. Anyone who works in a downtown urban library knows that lots of bad things here. Severe drug and alcohol problems, bathing in the bathrooms, sex in the buildings, abuse of staff. We all do our best to be kind and consistent and laugh about the worst of it.

But this is the first time I've heard of someone dying in the library. Horrible. The article and the comments have a lot of opinions about how we deal or don't deal with the homeless population but right now I just feel shocked and sad and scared that someday I will find a dead body.

Vote for the World Book spine

One of the my favorite reference sets is the World Book because they have incredibly creative spine images. Vote for the 2009 spine set! I know it's kind of geeky but there you have it.

Wall Street Journal article

There's an article in the WSJ today titled "Borders Tries About-Face on Shelves" and it's about the book store chain reducing it's inventory by 5-10% so books can be displayed face out. There's a picture of the new cook book section, with all the beautiful covers pointing out and I want to pick each one up and look at it.

What a great idea and a long time coming. Yes, there are issues. I would never advocate a library or bookstore reducing it's inventory but book covers are so inviting these days and they really entice people to pick them up. As I used to tell the kids, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" is dead. Book covers are art and enhance the experience of reading the book. It would behoove libraries to adopt this strategy with our displays.

Article text below.

Borders Tries About-Face on Shelves; Counting on Covers to Sell, Bookseller Changes Display While Cutting Titles Stocked
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Mar 12, 2008. pg. B. 1

Borders Group Inc. has decided you can sell a book by its cover.
In a radical move aimed at jump-starting sales, the nation's second- largest book retailer is sharply increasing the number of titles it displays on shelves with the covers face-out. Because that takes up more room than the traditional spine-out style, the new approach will require a typical Borders superstore to shrink its number of titles by 5% to 10%.
That makes the strategy a big gamble for Borders. Reducing inventory goes against the grain of booksellers' efforts over the past 25 years or so. Chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble Inc., the nation's largest book retailer, became household names with superstores that stocked as many as 150,000 titles or more. The rise of Amazon.com Inc., which offers a vast selection online, made it even more important for stores to offer deep inventories.
"We always had face-out titles on the shelves and on tables, but they were used as punctuation and tended to focus on popular titles," says Anne Kubek, senior vice president of Borders U.S. stores. "Today we're showing the front of books even when we only have two or three copies."
The approach is evident at some other retailers, as well. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for instance, displays virtually all of its books face- out, a spokeswoman says.
With the book market facing unmitigated gloom, Borders has little choice but to experiment. Competition from the Internet, videogames and other electronic devices has flattened growth in book sales in recent years. This year is expected to be particularly tough: There won't be a new Harry Potter title to lure people into stores, and the Olympic Games and presidential elections may also damp interest in reading.
Borders, whose sales at stores open at least 12 months rose 1.3% in the nine-month period ended Nov. 3, also faces internal pressures. It is carrying a heavy debt load and its stock price has been pummeled. Shares of Borders closed up 5.4% at $8.42 in 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, near the 52-week low of $8.11 and off significantly from the 52-week high of $24.15. It has begun a major restructuring aimed focusing on its U.S. superstores while cutting costs, including closing nearly half of its Waldenbooks outlets and selling off most international operations.
The new display strategy is the brainchild of CEO George Jones, who says he learned when he was a buyer at Dillard's Inc. early in his career that dresses sell better when the entire garment is shown rather than hung sleeve-out. So he recently decided to test sales of books shown with the cover visible at a newly built prototype store in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the company has its headquarters. Results were so encouraging after the first two weeks -- sales of individual titles were 9% higher than at similar Borders stores -- that all of the retailer's superstores have been told to adopt the new strategy.
"The concept store gave us the opportunity to start from scratch and do it exactly as we wanted to do," Mr. Jones says. As for what books to trim from inventory, he notes that the chain has many titles that sell only one copy per store in a year. "There are a ton of them out there," he says. Borders plans to launch its own Web site by May 3, giving the retailer the ability to offer online orders to shoppers who can't find what they want in a store. "We aren't cutting back on the promise of the superstore," adds Mr. Jones.
The retailer says customers throughout the country should be able to see the difference in displays within six weeks. While books shown face-out will still be in the overall minority, as many as three times the titles as in the past will be shelved with covers showing. Certain categories, such as books about food, cooking, travel, art and photography -- and children's books in particular -- lend themselves to the new approach, Ms. Kubek says.
Fiction book shelves will also feature more face-out titles, but fewer than other sections of the store. At its prototype store, Borders is also testing a special display that highlights covers of classics from Charles Dickens and Jack Kerouac, as well as movie tie- in titles such as Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." "It's a way to offer you something if you don't really know what you want," says Ms. Kubek.
Some think the move is overdue. Unlike modern supermarkets, booksellers haven't done enough to make books look attractive on the shelves, says John Deighton, editor of the Journal of Consumer Research.
"Breakfast cereals are not stocked end-of-box out," he says. "You want to your product to be as enticing as possible. It's a little bizarre that it's taken booksellers this long to realize that the point of self-service is to make the product as tempting as possible."
At the same time, Borders' willingness to reduce the number of titles it stocks reflects a growing view that store customers can be intimidated by too great a selection. "We can be overwhelmed or thrust into indecisiveness by the presence of a large number of temptations," Mr. Deighton adds. "People don't want choice, they want what they want. And what they want is sometimes constructed for them in the store by the attractiveness of what's on offer."
Borders says customers visiting its prototype store said their impression was that more books were available. Even so, its new strategy -- which at a typical superstore will mean a reduction of anywhere from 4,675 to 9,350 titles from the former total of around 93,500 -- could make Borders vulnerable to a marketing campaign from Barnes & Noble that promotes its own vast selection. The average 25,000 square-foot Barnes & Noble superstore stocks approximately 125,000 to 150,000 book titles, and the chain says it has no intention of cutting back.
The Borders push may affect small publishing houses, which can often place a debut novel in Borders because it has such a broad selection. Whether that will be more difficult in the future is unclear, says Alexander Chernev, associate professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill. "If Borders carries fewer titles, then they may prefer larger publishers that have more marketing push," he says.
Mr. Jones says Borders will continue to rely on a large number of publishers. "In the past, the books that were most likely to be shown face-out were the big titles," he says. "Now some of the smaller publishers will have face-out opportunities, which will mean increased exposure for their titles."

Stuff I'm Working On

I realized that I haven't posted anything about the things I am working on at my new job. I am busy! I have never had a job where there have been so many opportunities, from trainings to an embracing of my suggestions.

Here's a list of my current projects:

*Tonight I meet with a local science fiction/fantasy group that is putting on a convention this summer. I found the group randomly, wrote a proposal to try and connect (or even co-sponsor the event) and was given the green light without question.

*I'm giving a speech to the group Leadership Omaha about the value of libraries and community.

*I'm working with two other staff people on a a training for non-profits in may. We have two two-hour long sessions about good search strategies.

*I'm going to the ALA convention! in Anaheim! This is especially thrilling to me because i have wanted to go for years and years but I've never had the opportunity.

*I'm heading up a major biography project. I don't think it's a testament to my skills...I just don't think anyone else wanted to take it on. We're moving every biography that is not cataloged as a biography into the biography section. In other words, every book about a musician, sports star, athlete, etc has to be pulled and moved over. We have to go through the entire scope of Dewey. The problem is when we disagree about whether a book is a bio or not. Ask yourself, is Eat, Pray, Love a biography or a travel book? Or, what about Between a Rock and a Hard Place? We're having some fun, spirited discussions.

*I wrote a proposal for a Creativity Festival that is taking place this summer. I proposed that we offer a participatory storytelling session, with the local storytelling group working hard to get people up on stage to tell their personal stories. Unfortunately, I will be at ALA during the festival and have turned it over to some other people.

*I'm working the desk every day and still trying to learn. Omaha Public Library doesn't have desk schedules like I'm used to so this week and last week I've had one morning off desk and the rest of the week is on. It's hard for me to sit that long, especially since I'm used to a schedule where every hour is scheduled.

As you can see, I've been here a month and I am packed full of stuff to do. Most of it I have volunteered for because I cannot handle just working the desk. But I am absolutely thrilled to be working at a library where I feel appreciated and like there are opportunities. It's very exciting and I really feel like I made the right decision.

are librarians like the secret service?

Ok, bear with me on this one.

I just finished reading Without Fail by Lee Child. Part of the Jack Reacher books, I recommend them to people who want to read well-written thrillers (something that's not as easy to find as it should be). No need to go into the whole plot but the story revolves around an attempted assassination of the Vice-President-elect and the Secret Service attempts to keep him safe. Besides being a good and fast-moving thriller, the book made me think about the Secret Service and what is required of them. Imagine having to protect an elected official that you don't agree with. It must be incredibly difficult to imagine sacrificing your life for someone who (for example) wants to pass a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. What motivates a Secret Service agent to take a bullet for a politician they know to be corrupt? I can only imagine that they believe in something greater than that particular person; something along the lines of patriotism and honor and a sense of purpose.

And what motivates a librarian to go to work day after day, especially those of us who work in downtown urban libraries or branches with very tough populations? I think it's a variation on the same theme. I believe very strongly in the right to access information and equality of that information. My role as a public servant is to take the good with the bad, even if the bad manifests itself in fights, abuse, drug use and a generally tough work environment. Striving to treat everyone equally and with respect is not an easy thing. It is much easier to ignore or judge or justify why we should give up on our tough populations.

But we don't give up because Intellectual Freedom is "the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored." This is not achieved in a vacuum. Library staff reinforces and affirms this every day, through their dedication to finding information, how they treat individual patrons and the environment that they create.

We didn't become librarians for the money or status. We became librarians because we strongly believe in Intellectual Freedom. New technology is wonderful and I'm as excited as anyone to try it all out but it's most important that we remember why we do what we do and what motivates us to go into a tough environment every day. A Secret Service agent protects because of a love of country and a commitment to protection of our highest elected officials. A librarian has something to protect, as well: a right to information, no matter who you are, how you smell, your education, how you look or what you believe.

It's a beautiful thing.

Stuff White People Like

The funniest blog I've seen in a long time. Do not read unless you can laugh at yourself. Or at white people.

Stuff White People Like

A fun morning post

How do I deal with working with the public? Bitching, complaining and laughing. It really is the best way to get out the frustration and move on.

That said, here are some of the speech patterns that people use that drive me crazy.

1. Using 'at' at the end of a sentence. Example: "Where you at?"
2. Improper use of the word 'literally'. Example: "My head literally exploded when I heard the news." Um, no it didn't.
3. Throwing up in your own mouth. Where did this one come from? Example: "When I heard the news, I threw up a little in my mouth." It's just gross and I really don't want to hear about your bodily functions.

I know there are many, many more but that's all I can think of right now. Please add your own in the comments!

A librarian wedding

I know this is geeky, but I love it. Makes me want to steal it and have my own wedding.

Library themed wedding invitations.

I especially love that the call number used (365.49) is not love but "penal and related institutions." (I can't take credit for noticing this, it's in the comments)

Bad customer service

Hey, I have a good idea. Let's arrest people for having overdue fines at the library.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/15466146/detail.html

And then we'll wonder why everyone buys their books at Barnes & Noble.

In other news, a man just verbally sexually harassed a young woman here. It took four officers to drag his drunk self downstairs and I had to calm her down in the back workroom.

Just another day at a downtown urban library.

Who is Library 2.0 for?

Marketing guru, Seth Godin, posted this on his site:

"Should you make stuff aimed at people who usually buy your product?
or Should you make stuff aimed at people who rarely do?
The DaVinci Code became the bestselling book of the decade because it got bought by people who don't buy books. On the other hand, plenty of successful authors (like Dave Eggers) only write books for people who buy lots of books.
The advantage of mass is that it's big. The advantage of the devoted is that they are paying attention and have a desire to spend.
Most times, it's not obvious which one to pick. But you need to pick."

Although this is about commerce, it made me think about Library 2.0. If a library has rss, tag cloud, blog, vlog and all the rest, who is using all of it? It seems to me that it is the Dave Eggers people and not the DaVinci Code people. Nothing wrong with that but it might help keep things in perspective. Maybe it's ok to market to niche groups and know that the specialized things will not get much use.

Library 2.0

In my transition from one side of the country to the middle, I fell woefully behind on reading library blogs. Most of them (sorry to say) I find to be boring, all about technology and totally lacking in conversation about actually working the reference desk. One of my favorites, though, is Information Wants to Be Free. Meredith Farkas is insightful and articulate and I love her entry about Library 2.0. I've always found Library 2.0 not grounded fully in reality, or at least not taking our patron's desires into account. See my entry about MyLibraryDV from last year.

It's all fine and good to be excited about new technology and even to try it out for yourself, but we have to think very carefully about how we choose to spend our time and money. A library MySpace page may be free but if it's not being updated how does that look? And who cares if no one is looking at it anyway? As I've said for years, I would love to see libraries spend more money marketing our basic services. Our professionals behind the desk, our very expensive databases, etc.

I've never had a patron ask me a question about flicker or MySpace or del.icio.us. And as I sit here looking at all the tough, emotionally challenged patrons sitting in front of me, I'd love some social worker training.

Is OPL cool too?

My bloglines picked up this post about Multnomah County Library.

http://rachelkj.livejournal.com/162360.html

I would love to have someone post about Omaha Public Library this way. I don't think we're as revered by the young, hip folks in town the way they are in Portland. I'm aiming to change all that. MCL does a very good job purchasing music and movies. I'm not a music person but Ry is and I know he usually finds what he wants.

Things That Do Not Suck

Nice to see Wired Magazine thinks libraries don't suck.

Why Things Suck: Things That Don't Suck
By Paul Boutin 01.18.08 6:00 PM

Things that don't suck: TV screens in the back of airplane seats. Twice-baked potatoes. Dryer sheets. DVRs. The set design on Mad Men. Farmers' markets. Tap water. Touchscreens. Scissors. Pocketknives. Thumb drives. Kites. Strike-anywhere matches. Doorstops. Run-flat tires. Netflix. Noise-canceling headphones. Casual carpool. Guitar Hero. Salt-and-vinegar potato chips. Bicycles. Kevlar. Velcro. Carbon composite. Dradis. Flip-flops. The first half hour of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Seat belts. Zippo lighters. Spartan Laser. Heated seats. Public libraries. Remote control. Ice cream.

Overheard at the Omaha Community Theater yesterday

"I don't like having childless adult women in my classes because they are too selfish. Women are wired to be nurturers and they can't achieve that level without having children"

OK, a paraphrase but you get the idea. And I had to sit next to that woman and stew through the entire play. I couldn't believe she said it at all but it's even more surprising that she would say it while sitting next to me. Clearly, I was there by myself. Did she even wonder if I am childless or just selfish for leaving my kid at home.

Oh, and this was said after she said that Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) and Oprah are both selfish and self-indulgent because they don't have children.

Way to be supportive of other women's choices, sweetie.

Paraprofessional of the year!

Library Journal's Paraprofessional of the Year goes to Multnomah County Library employee, Steve Roskoski! Steve is a Library Assistant, which is the job I used to have. To the public, a Library Assistant is the same as a Librarian. I've only ever heard wonderful things about Steve but I've never worked directly with him.

Complete article here: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6533025.html

Word of mouth marketing

Interesting article about a marketing company in London that is paying cab drivers to subtly talk about their product. It feels dirty to me (you think you're having a real conversation but you aren't) but I think all good marketing is a bit dirty.

Imagine if libraries used this form of marketing. You're at a band's show, about to buy a CD. the guy next to you leans over and says, "No reason to buy the CD here. The Omaha Public Library has it to check out for free. Then you can copy it to your computer."

OK, maybe not the last part but you get the idea. How much would we need to pay someone to do this? Not much, I think.

The job

Many of you have asked for a review of my new job and while I keep thinking of things to say, my laziness overpowers me and it's always later...later...later.

Later is now.

How's my new job? It's....good. I'm in week three and my first complete week. The first week I took off two days to drive to Colorado Springs for the funeral. They second week we were closed on Monday for President's Day (and I had the stomach flu). So this is the first week that I've felt like I could dig in and really learn. I spent most of last week on the circulation and info desks, two places I feel pretty comfortable. Info desk is like branch work, with a lot of forwarding questions to the upper floors.

It was last night that I had a little freak out because this week I started learning government documents, genealogy, the Nebraska history room and business. And it's this week that I started feeling like a total idiot. I actually work the desk for the first time today and I am dreading not knowing how to answer people's questions.

Sample questions from yesterday:
--What year did the first Ford Model A roll off the assembly line at the Omaha Ford plant?
--What did United States National bank change it's name to when it was bought out in the 1970s?

Yeah, you can't do a Google search for either of these. The first one requires a microfilm search. Microfilm! I didn't even know that people used microfilm anymore but this library has an entire room full of machines and a separate genealogy room.

In other words, it's a totally new experience for me. But that said, the people are incredibly nice. When I had the flu last week, one of the children's librarians gave me a get well card. And one of my office mates gave me an old Colombia Sportswear jackets because I don't have a warm enough coat. So generous and nice.

The building itself is a bit of a shock for me. I didn't realize how much money Multnomah County Library has. I have a desk but not my own computer. The reference desks were built before computers so the monitors are set way to the right and the keyboards directly in front. It's very bad ergonomically. The chairs are old. I mean, I used to sit on a $800 ergonomic chair! Everything is just not as new and snazzy. It's not a bad thing, but an adjustment.

I found a local science fiction/fantasy group that is throwing a convention in summer. I'm writing a "Live Long and Prosper" proposal for the library to connect with the community. That's the thing about this job. Besides working the reference desks, I don't have a lot of direction. I will be leading a project to integrate biographies that are not cataloged as biographies (sports, music, etc) and switch them to the B Dewey number. Other than that, I feel like I need to find my own projects. We'll see how that goes.

Ok, now stop asking me how my new job is! :-)

why i haven't been around

Ry's mom died last week. Some of you know that she had been very sick since she was 16 years old and had a double lung transplant, blood dialysis and many other things. It was one of those things that is hard to know how to feel about. She was in so much pain the last few years and it's comforting to know that she won't be in pain anymore. But Ry is very close to his mom and it was still a shock.

Gail was a pretty amazing woman. I don't think I could have handled that amount of pain for such a long time and she managed to endure with humor and an amazing amount of tenacity.

I drove out to Colorado Springs (about 9 hours) last Thursday, drove back with Ry today and he's flying back to Portland early tomorrow morning. It's been good to see him but an emotional rollercoaster of a weekend. I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow so I could run weekend errands but I recognize that they were wonderful to give me the time off in the first place--in my first week. Thank you, Omaha Public Library.

The Nebraska caucus

It was pretty great. There were about 1400 people just at my location and about 1000 of them were for Obama. I sat in the undecided section (about 40 of us) and faced the Obama people. This is what I saw:


I don't know if it was because he was in Omaha two days before or what, but the Obama fans were out in force. Their enthusiasm was incredible and they tried very hard to convince us undecided people to joint them. A rep from the Obama and Clinton campaigns made a speech, answered questions and then we had to choose a side or our vote didn't count. There was no way to vote for someone other than the big two because it was all about percentages. This was too bad because I did a bunch of research the night before and I really like Mike Gravel, a former senator from Alaska. His tax ideas seem a bit nutty but I align with him philosophically better than Obama or Clinton. Check out some of his youtube videos...he will make any video that a supporter puts together. Power to the People and Give Peace a Chance, Corruption , Young Men and Women and Two Mikes are some of my favorites. This is his official youtube channel.

I worry about Obama's lack of experience. I worry about the Clinton dynasty. I worry about both of their ties to corporate America. Mike Gravel, because he's not going to win, can say what he wants to say and I like what I hear. Silly me, in a year that offers a black man and a white woman to choose from, I'm leaning towards the old white man.

At the caucus, I voted for Clinton. Partly because I like her slightly better than Obama and partly to give her one more vote in the room. And a lot because of this:


How cute is that?

Recycle!

After my recycling trauma, it cracked me up to watch this video---made by someone in Omaha!

(they must own their house and have that glorious green tub to recycle with)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Ky4B9FCJI

I'm a Librarian!

Today was my first day of work...I am finally a real Librarian. I'm sure you all want details but I am exhausted. I haven't worked a job in two months. My life is really hard.

Pictures from the caucus soon.

Caucus

Tomorrow, I am participating in the Nebraska Democratic caucus. I only found out about this two days ago and since I thought I had until May for the primary, I am still undecided. So, reply in the comments and let me know: If you had to caucus tomorrow, would you stand in Clinton's corner or Obama's corner?

sicky mcsick

I am on day four of being sick and I am sick of being sick. I've managed to do some kind of exercise every day but that's about it. It's frustrating because I had plans for the week. I was going to go to the art museum, clothes shopping, lots of working out, haircut, mani/pedi and more Omaha exploration. None of it has gotten done. And now I find out that Barack Obama is in town tomorrow for a free rally and I want to go! Hopefully, tomorrow will be the day that I wake up and feel better.

You know what sucks? Being all alone in a new city and sick.

The Splendid Table in Portland!

Someone has to go to this because I am so sad that I can't go.

The Splendid Table's Willamette Valley Wine Tour, 2008

Lynne Rossetto Kasper and crew are hatching a plan for a tour of Oregon's wine country August 5-10, 2008.

Tentative plans include stays in Portland, (one of America's great food towns), and winery visits to some of the area's finest vintners guided by a nationally recognized wine authority. The potential tour may include an opening night reception and tasting with Lynne Rossetto Kasper, as well as the opportunity to accompany her to the extraordinary Portland Farmer's Market.

If you're interested in future updates about this trip, we'll e-mail you with specific information as the plan develops!

Sign up for info here.

Goals for the next few days

Today's goals. Sit by the window, watch the snow fall and nurse my first Omaha cold.

Tomorrow. Workout and catch up on Bloglines. I'm sure things have been happening in the library world in the past 3 weeks. I figure I should know about that before I start my new job.

The rest of the week. Go clothes shopping. I need some new, professional clothes.

Off to watch the snow fall....

I'm a Nebraskan

Yes indeed, I now have Nebraska plates and a license. I am officially a Nebraskan.

For my touristy jaunt this week, I went to the zoo. I didn't think I'd go because I have mixed feelings about zoos. My mom worked at the LA Zoo when I was a kid, we always visited every zoo in every city when we traveled and there are some things about zoos that make my heart hurt. The crowds really seem to bother some of the animals and while some enclosures are wonderful and spacious, others are cramped. I hate seeing an animal pace, knowing that they are slowly going crazy.

I've heard wonderful things about the Henry Doorly Zoo and decided to give it a shot. Plus, I figured I was the only one crazy enough to go to a zoo in 10 degree weather. Here's proof.


Don't believe me? This is an outdoor frozen waterfall.


It was cold. Really cold. But I'm finding that I kind of like the cold and find it refreshing and exhilarating. I also loved that no one was around, the animals were curious about me and as natural as you can find in a zoo.

The zoo had some really nice exhibits, like this enormous desert dome.



It was huge and most of the animals ran free. I also loved the orangutan area (my favorite zoo animal) because I have never been so close to a giant ape. The gorillas were the same way and I didn't realize how huge a silverback gorilla is. It was a bit intimidating.



Of course, it wasn't perfect and it had enclosures with sad and pacing animals. The big cats made me very sad. When the tigers saw me, both of them made sad cat noises at me and rolled over on their backs like they were starved for affection. I'm trying not to humanize them too much, but it is clear to me when an animal is in distress.

And by popular request, here is a picture of my apartment. I don't have much furniture but that's leaving me a lot of room to workout.

I'm a recycler! And the next stumbling block.

I finally found the drop-off recycling center. Perhaps you, with you handy dandy tub that the city picks up every week do not understand what an accomplishment this was for me. But after trying three separate times to find a place to drop the crap, it feels great to know that I can recycle and not turn into someone who throws away bottles and plastic tubs. Makes me shudder just to think about it. Of course, the lucky homeowners who get the tub don't have to sort but the drop-off people do. I *will* be writing a nasty letter to the city.

In other news, I had a very productive day today. In an effort to get out of bed at a reasonable hour, I set myself an agenda. Today I was required to: practice morning yoga, get a Nebraska driver's license and new plates, find the *!$%* drop-off recycling center, open a new bank account and wash the dog.

Everything got done except for washing the dog. I've had an extremely difficult time finding somewhere to wash her. In Portland, there's a do-it-yourself dog wash on (it seems like) every corner. About once a month, I pay $20 to wash her myself at Beauty for the Beast on Sandy. Here, the only self-service dog wash I can find is at Petco. The groomers are all far away and very expensive.

Petco was an awful experience. The two groomers up front both seemed irritated with the dogs and I thought one of them was mean. Both dogs seemed very stressed and the groomers were doing nothing to make them feel better. No kind words, no petting, nothing. I was, however, willing to overlook this because I would be washing Jesse myself. But the self-service area is just a back room converted. We had to walk past dogs in cages waiting to be groomed or picked up. There were dogs chained to the wall, waiting for who knows what. As soon as we entered the room with the tub, Jesse started to shake. She never likes to take a bath but I've never seen her so afraid. So we left. I'm not going to subject my dog to such a terrible situation and I'm surprised that anyone would allow their dog into such an environment.

So now I have a dirty and stinky dog on my hands. I suppose I'll have to go to a groomer and just suck up the cost. It's worth paying for, though. That place was horrible. I was stressed just looking at the poor dogs.

a day in the life of....

I've had a busy and frustrating couple of days.

Yesterday, I tried to get a new license, plates, etc. I drove all the way across town to the DMV, only to have the guy tell me that I have to get my car inspected before I switch everything over to Nebraska---another DMV back across town. He says I can do everything at once in the new building. I get my car inspected and find that the DMV in the same building is closed. So now I have to wait until Monday.

I also tried finding the recycling drop-off. You may remember from my last post that I cannot recycle at home and have to take everything to a drop-off location. I couldn't find it. I drove around the same block for 20 minutes and I swear it isn't there. I now have a car full of recyclables and I'm acquiring more every minute. I guess I never noticed how much I recycle. I've thrown away a few recyclable things for lack of space and I feel guilty every time. I want to keep it up but I'm not sure it's feasible.

An oil change was next, where I found out that I have a spark plug out. Now I have to find a mechanic. This is very stressful to me because I don't like being in situations where I'm anxious that I'm being taken advantage of. I know nothing about cars, don't really care to learn and just want the damn car to run. A whole boat load of wishful thinking.

This morning I went to synagogue. The closest one to my house is Temple Israel, a reform congregation. It was fine, very much like every other temple I've been to. The rabbi was pretty charismatic, so I'll give it another shot. Then I worked out at the Jewish Community Center (it was a Jew-filled day), a beautiful facility that is probably way out of my price range. Thank goodness for a free week pass.

Sushi for dinner, at a place that had fresh guacamole and sweet potato fries on the menu. No joke. This is a strange town.

Tomorrow I'm going to watch my new boss and her husband put on a puppet show. Also not a joke. I'll try to take some pictures.

By the way, it was 40 degrees and sunny here. I hear it's freezing in Portland. Hmmmm...can I say HA!

Recycling in Omaha

Yes, they recycle but they won't pick up from a residence that has more than 4 apartments. There are 5 apartments in my building. This means that I have to take my recycling to a drop-off location. My guess is that no one around here does that. Garbage was picked up on Tuesday and all three bins are full already.

Nice work, Omaha. Way to motivate people to recycle.

A snowy day

Snow really is lovely. For my first day alone, I shopped at Whole Foods and unpacked. I can't even express how nice it was to go to a store that has my kind of food. I feel like I haven't eaten anything green in a week and it was wonderful to be able to buy whatever I needed. Tofu in Nebraska. Who knew?

Jesse the dog and I took a short walk in the snow today. I could have walked for longer than we did but I'm not sure how long her paws can handle the snow. Anyone know?

Here's a picture of my apartment building. My place is on the bottom right.



This is the park that is two blocks from my house. I think it will be wonderful when it gets a little warmer or when I figure out how much time Jesse can be outside. Don't you just want to slide down that hill?

This is my neighborhood. It's full of old houses that have been converted to apartments and many of the occupants are students at University of Nebraska at Omaha or Creighton University. My place is quiet, big, cheap and I have a garage. Never underestimate the beauty of your own garage in 5 degree weather.

And just for contrast, here is the view I had from my hotel in Cancun two summers ago.

Tomorrow I have my wireless internet set up and my gas installed (which I think just involves lighting the pilot). I decided to get my own internet connection not for ethical reasons (because I still haven't made up my mind) but for practical ones. Since I don't have a television I am torrenting tv shows and slowing down the connection. Seems only fair that I don't do that to someone else.

I really am here

We made it! And, an ethical dilemma.

Greetings from Omaha, Nebraska! Two humans, one dog and one cat made it after traveling for 3 days straight. The drive was fine because Ry and I travel very well together. We only had two issues; Sammy the cat, while quiet all day in the car, decided to meow all night long. We slept about 3-4 hours each night and drove 9-12 hours each day. Needless to say, by the time we made it to Omaha I felt less than human. The other issue was the bad weather in Wyoming. I-80 was closed at Laramie because of blowing snow and low visibility. We had to hole up for the night and wait out the storm. Don't worry, we had a hotel room. Luckily.

We got in about noon yesterday, unloaded the trailer, bought a futon and started shopping for stuff. I forgot how expensive it is to start over. I don't have sugar, flour, herbs or other essentials. We've been to Target, Petco, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela's (Heard of that one? Me either. It's a serious sporting good store, complete with taxidermy animal displays.)

Today we went to the Old Market, which is a revitalized section of downtown. It's a few blocks wide and full of art galleries, restaurants and specialty stores. We bought some really good chocolate. I really hope I'll be working at the downtown library because it's close to the Old Market and it seems like a great place to walk to at lunch. It also seems to be the place to take tourists, so expect to go there if you visit me. We also tried to go to the library, but it was closed. I guess next year I will have MLK eve and MLK day off from work.

So far, everything is going well. I like my apartment, it's very well situated (I'm right off the street that divides the city...the Burnside of Omaha), spacious and cute. There are a couple things that I'm having to learn, like how to use a radiator, gas stove and who shovels the steps. And speaking of snow, we've had some of it and it makes the city so magical and pretty. Yes, it's cold (8 degrees yesterday) but it's bearable. Maybe I'm a cold weather person but I don't think it's that bad. Most people here don't ever wear a hat. It's the summer that I'm dreading because I hate the heat and I really hate the humidity.

All in all, Omaha is doing right by me. I have Ry until Tuesday evening and that really helps. I'm nervous about him leaving because I'll be all alone and I haven't lived alone in years. But I feel optimistic and happy to be here. And very happy to have the moving part of the move over with.

Finally, my ethical dilemma. I really want to know what you all think. I have an appointment with Qwest this week to have wireless internet installed. I'm not going to have a television or cable but I want internet. How am I on right now? My computer found an open wireless network in the area. I don't know who it belongs to or where the person lives. I'm using the network now because I can but is it ethical to continue to use it? Ry says that most people know how to encrypt their network and that means the person might leave it open so other people can use it. Sounds crazy, but we leave ours open in Portland for that reason. So do I cancel Qwest, use this network and save myself $50/month? It's very tempting but it feels wrong.

Goodbye Portland!

I miss you already. Update when I get to my new home.

(My landlord told me it's too cold to be icy. I didn't know it was possible to be too cold. Brrr.)

bored and more podcasts

I hate to admit this because I know you all work very hard and have busy lives but I have officially traveled to the Land of Boredom. I'm packed. I have new all-season tires, snow chains and an oil change. I have a route, a Uhaul and a new AAA membership. Emergency supplies for the dog, cat and humans are ready. Gas, electricity and Internet are set up at my new apartment. I've changed my address at all the appropriate places.

I'm ready to go five days early. Sometimes it's nice to be a planner but it doesn't mesh with not being able to sit still. I'm a bit stir-crazy and it doesn't help that Ry is super busy and there's nothing I can do to help him feel less stressed. Just counting down the days and sittin' on the couch.

Pop Culture Podcasts

I'm not ashamed to admit that I love pop culture. I adore reality tv and I think we're experiencing a television drama renaissance (at least, before the strike). I'm not a movie person but I think it's important to stay knowledgeable about anything that a patron may ask me about. As I always say, I try to minimize the amount of time I appear stupid while on the reference desk.

These are the pop culture podcasts I enjoy.

Hollywood Party Girl. Complete and total guilty pleasure. Hear about all the star-studded parties and ridiculous Hollywood gossip.

Make It So: A Star Trek. I have fond memories of watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my mom. I am not a true Star Trek fan but I find it fun listening to these two British fanatics.

Movies You Should See. A podcast by the same people who produce Make It So. They pick a movie and spend an hour or so talking about it. In-depth and wonderfully British.

NPR: Pop Culture. The high-brow side of pop culture.

Reality TV Podcast. You know I'm committed to being honest about my listening habits when I admit to this one. A warning: these young men can say some offensive things and they watch some really bad tv.

Totally Rad Show. This will also show up when I talk about my favorite tech podcasts. Three guys who live in Los Angeles and work in entertainment talk about movies, tv and video games. It is a video podcast with the best visuals I've ever seen in a podcast. I cannot emphasize how much I love this show. This podcast should be watched by all reference librarians. (can be watched on their website)

TV Guide Talk. This is a well-produced, professional podcast that helps me keep up with television shows that I do not watch.

Have I mentioned I love podcasts?

Review of Proof Positive by Philip Margolin

I read Proof Positive to fulfill a mystery book requirement. It's been a very long time since I've read a mystery; the last one was very likely a Sherlock Holmes story. I chose Philip Margolin because he lives in Portland and I know my mom (and avid mystery reader) likes his books.

The story takes place in Portland and centers around a series of murders. Amanda Jaffe, a character used before by Margolin, is a defense attorney who is hired by a local rabbi to defend his mentally ill and homeless son who has been arrested for murder.

I didn't hate the book but I didn't love it either. The concept of a corrupt forensic scientist is creative, although the character went from good to unbelievably horrible a little too quickly. It drove me crazy that Margolin spends half a chapter developing a character only to kill him/her. I read a lot of books and it's hard enough to remember the main character's name, let alone a minor one who dies 10 pages after being introduced. I also thought it was pretty poorly written and that surprised me. But what surprised me the most is that it was very similar to some of the thrillers I have read. I lean towards political thrillers but I have read a few cop thrillers and this wasn't that different. It has made me start thinking about the difference between a mystery and a thriller. To me, a thriller can have elements of a mystery but must have a fast-moving plot with many twists and turns. I also find that there is clear evil and clear good, with little gray. A mystery can be less plot driven, move more slowly and be more descriptive. Proof Positive is a whirlwind of a read, with little character development and tons of action. The library catalogs Proof Positive as general fiction. This makes me think that I made a mistake and the book falls into the thriller category and not mystery. What do you all think?

A well-designed web site and food podcasts

I love when I encounter a well-designed website in an unexpected place. I have to have a drug test done for my new job and the City of Omaha picked the place here in Portland for me to go to. QuestDiagnostics walked me through picking a day and time for my appointment and the final confirmation page had a Google map and a button to save it to my Google Calendar. I don't know anything about this company but I appreciate a customer-friendly site that makes it easy to go about my day.

In other news, I have finished packing! Now all I have to do is get new all-weather tires, have my car checked out for weather readiness and an oil change. Tonight I'm saying goodbye to the library ladies, a wonderful group of women who I've grown close to over the past year. Isn't it always that way....just as I've started to make new quality friends it's time to leave?

Food Podcasts!

Thanks to anonymous for reminding me about Studio 360 with Kurt Anderson. I don't like it for some reason, but I think it's very good for the This American Life crowd. I'd also recommend Weekend America, which isn't exactly the same as the others but just as entertaining.

Today, though, I want to talk about food podcasts. Most people know about the fabulous The Splendid Table but Good Food is great too. It's produced by KCRW, a public radio station in Los Angeles. That means that they talk a bit about Southern California, but not enough to alienate a listener who doesn't live there. I recently subscribed to VeganFreak Radio because I loved their book. I'm also trying out Vegetarian Food for Thought, ReMARKable Palate and Delicious TV Vegetarian. I can't say anything about these new ones but I'm happy to share once I get a few episodes under my belt.

I'd encourage you to check out other KCRW podcasts, as they are producing some really good shows. And I'm not saying that because I grew up listening to the station. They are worlds beyond Oregon Public Broadcasting, the station I used to listen to before podcasts. They lost me as a listener and a contributor because they have nothing to offer me anymore. I now give to individual public radio stations.

Obama!

Barack Obama wins in Iowa! I'm still not sure who I will voting for in the primaries but I am surprised that Obama won. Shaping up to be an exciting election.

Guess I should figure out when the Nebraska primary is. And register to vote.

The latest news is that I have gas, electricity, Internet and a change of address. I packed most of the kitchen yesterday. Today I'm hoping to go to the pet store. It doesn't feel like a normal move...it feels more like I'm getting my first apartment. Because Ry is staying here for a few months, we need double of many things. So today I'll be getting a second litter box, litter, liners, dishes, etc. Expensive.

I'm not thinking about libraries too much right now. I know a big study just came out about how teens use the library but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I will, though. I like to read the original study because I think it's important to know the details of a study before putting too much stock in it.

I have been listening to a lot of podcasts and I thought I'd start highlighting my favorite ones for those of you who may be looking for new stuff to listen to. All of these will be available on iTunes because I don't ever feel like messing with anything else.

For those of you who love This American Life, you should try out To the Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio. It's very similar to TAL , with a general theme and vignettes around the theme. It's not quite as gut-wrenching or funny as TAL but it's interesting and very well done. Back in the audible.com days before free podcasts, To the Best of Our Knowledge was the show I subscribed to every month.