Hello all!

I am a librarian trainee in the public library system of a very large city. My boss is in the process of sitting down and planning out the programming for the upcoming months, and she has told me that she wants me to come up with a list of programs I would like to do in our branch. I'm excited but a little blocked. I (of course) want to come up with the best programs w/in the parameters I have to work with.

As a bit of background, I work in an urban library system but my branch is possibly the smallest in the system. It is left over from an earlier time and was originally just supposed to be a children's library instead of a neighborhood branch. Think "Little Red Schoolhouse" only urban and library. As a result I'm going to be cramped for space and it can't get too noisy or else I'll be disturbing the other library patrons. We also don't have a particularly large budget for the branch.

My boss and I would like to focus our programming mostly on YA and children, since they are the majority of our users and her background is in YA/childrens. Does anyone have suggestions for kid's programming that works in a really small setting?? Any good programs that pull in YA

In a few days, my grandfather will turn 85. I will make a cake with many berries and cream. There will be vodka and sandwiches with smoked fish and ham and coffee and the braided cinnamon bread known as 'kringel'. There will be many guests and much singing. And then i will get up very early or perhaps not sleep at all and drive with my cousin to the airport for my 7 am flight and that will be the end of this lazy little month long idyll.

Some protestan work ethic in me that i try hard to resist demands that i have something to show for it: finished copyediting projects, gradschool materials, etc. etc.

And i do, a bit.

But mostly, i have laid about, staring at clouds.

I've tried to adopt a tranquil attitude about when I'm going to finish. I'm aware this could lead to not finishing, but I find that I both enjoy the writing more now and think I'm doing it somewhat better than when I was furiously pounding out the words.^* I don't have the pressures of writing full time, of course, so I don't know if I would be able to stay at this pace if I were relying on it for my beer & pretzels.

Trying to write something longer than a short story is interesting, and I'm trying to adapt to the pace. It's also really hard. The satisfaction of completing something is still a long way off, even in rough draft. Right now I spend a lot of time thinking about how events are going to fit into the larger arc of the story, and whether they are consistent or not with what's happened previously...

For better or worse, I'm currently writing two novels.^** One is the post-apocalyptic novel I've mentioned. It's about 30,000 words done and I've paused because I'm going to be making the first part into a (hopefully marketable...) novella. I've also paused because it's gotten to the point where I realize I need my act to be a little bit more together research-wise. I'm realizing that research is more central to some novels than others, and this one needs some clarity before I go further. Both the research and the rewrite should, I hope, get me more of a grip on where I'm going.

The second novel is... well, shit, I don't know if it's a good idea or not. For better or worse, it's a dark fantasy novel that does not require as much research. Trying to describe it at this point might be folly, but it's sort of like if you put Memento, D.O.A., Gladiator, and The Running Man together in a blender, filled up the blank spots with blood, and then hit "puree." Sort of like that. The big advantage of it, aside from my enjoyment of the story, is that it gives me a novel to write that I don't have to put aside for four months while I straighten my confused ass out. I'll let you know how that goes.


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* I seem to be writing something like 3-600 words a day right now, but it's a bit hard to calculate when I'm constantly revising what I wrote the day before.

**I don't know about you, but I have novel idea times and short story idea times. Right now I've essentially got five novels kicking around inside my head, including the two I'm writing. The others will have to ferment, because I can't do more right now. One is another fantasy novel that wouldn't require too much research (some of you read an excerpt of that recently). Another is a David Lynch-type thing. Another is really exciting to me personally, a historical fantasy a la Elizabeth Hand's Mortal Love, but it would require substantial research, and probably travel. That one's going to have to wait a little while.

How about a little Hardcore action?

Perhaps not. What if I were to offer you an exploding toilet?

Too early? Yes? Let me just say this, then:

You are beautiful.

Sharing a room off-campus, I couldn't fit a bed and a desk in my limited space. The solution? A loft bed!

I purchased this twin-sized loft bed from Ikea three years ago (it was $200 new). It is made entirely of pine wood. It looks a lot like this: http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/23860_PE108576_S3.jpg   I will gladly email you pictures of my bed.

I am moving out of Davis and can't bring it, so I am selling it for only $50. Let me know if you are interested!

P.S. You need your own mattress, but I will throw in a desk for free if you like.

In this mining town in Papua the electricity
Has a habit of giving up at night, and this

Is a miracle of modern stasis, a secular Shabbat,
Reminding us of what is expendable, of how so few

Of us ever truly experience the dark. We are amazed,
My wife and I, with the heavy darkness

Of the no moon jungle, insect sounds lacerating
All illusions of silent places. “It’s so absolute,”

My wife says, and I like to think she means
More than the darkness; the naked places

Of ourselves we dress in sunlight, lamps,
And recorded music like antithetical

Blanche DeBois’s fearing a different sort
Of scrutiny. “We could pretend it’s 1940,”

I say, “put a Jack Benny tape on the short wave
And drink coffee, light candles.” She suggests

A walk outside instead, where there are dozens
Of others already out on paths bounded by jungle,

Stepping small and laughing loudly through various
Uncertainties; flashlights as eyes, ears like animals’.

Soon we are trying only to remember not to disappear
Altogether; everything is so absolutely, so darkly possible.

- Erik Campbell

7 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You During A Bad Economy

Reader MG is a fan of the site and a public librarian and has written a list of 7 ways that your library can help you during a bad economy. Libraries are an excellent resource and they're pretty easy to use. Don't worry if you're not a big reader, there's lots more stuff to do at the library besides just checking out books.( Read more... )

( In here. )

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Hi everyone,

So the last post reminded me of a question I'd been meaning to ask here...

I recently moved back to the Bay (Oakland, to be exact) after graduating from grad school in NYC, and I'm looking for a good bar. As I'm straight edge (read: do not partake in the consumption of alcohol), a good bar for me means having a bunch of games (or being a total dive with interesting characters). So does anyone know any spots (in the East Bay would be great, but I'm willing to travel) that have games like skeeball, Guitar Hero/Rock Band, Megatouch machines, bean bags, or my personal favorite - Big Buck Hunter? I'm dying to shoot some pixelated deer.

Thanks. And if anyone wants to be friends with a 22 year old punk/indie girl with a love of tattoos, zombies, photography and plaid...holler. Or whatever the kids are saying these days.

We all know Soundgarden, Nirvana and even Candlebox sold millions of CDs in the 90's, but what local band was your favorite underdog? Which band deserved to make it big and maybe still gets some lovin' on your iPod over 10 years later?Poll #1228725 Favorite B-List Seattle Band
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Favorite B-List 90's Seattle/Pacific Northwest Band

i'm going through a change in life. i need to meet more people and get out more. the only thing for me is that i'm not much of a drinker. if i go to a bar i'll order one drink for the whole night and nurse it until 2 hours before i want to leave and then have water the rest of the night so i can drive home. so my question for the masses here is...

where do you meet people? do you go to bars or clubs? where do *you* find is the best place to meet someone?

This is a really neat. Ive seen something similar to this done before but never this well thought out or presented in such an appealing way. I think that while the central purpose and theme of a Library shouldn't change making them more user friendly is not a bad thing. Also look at all the pretty colors.

http://www.mysterywesterntheory.com/valeriemadill/index.php?/project/looking-at-libraries/

Most of us were dragging our sorry asses after Tommy's workout kicked them on Monday, so tonight was pretty subdued. I strained my left calf so no traveling drills for me; right now even walking up and down stairs is painful. Ugh.

Roughly a zillion fiddly bits to take care of in the next month. Whee! Curiously, I haven't started freaking out yet.

Tonight, I am:
- doing laundry
- working on some writing projects
- adding to the wedding to-do list

Tomorrow, I am:
- working
- going to an InfoCamp meeting, presumably

Friday, I am:
- working a half day
- meeting with the catering manager
- taking off for the wilds of Olympia with 1_wolfsong and photopagan

When I get back on Sunday, Mr. Darcy and I are:
- going shopping. Heh heh heh.

Meanwhile, the cat is:
- perplexed

This is from an email from my union:

Late today (Wednesday), Gov. Schwarzenegger made public the draft of an executive order that could temporarily reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour.

The proposed executive order – which was leaked to the Sacramento Bee – would seek to stave off a potential cash shortage for the state by not paying state workers their full salaries until the state budget is signed into law. The money would be paid back in full when a budget is in place.

The Governor acknowledges in the memo that he does not have “direct executive authority” over the CSU to apply a similar pay cut to CSU faculty and other employees. However, the memo urges the CSU administration and other public offices to “implement similar mitigation measures” until a budget is adopted.

Good thing I'm not the type to worry! Otherwise, I might worry about something like this. Especially since my union recently told me that we can afford to pay ourselves in the CSU because our students are paying their fees right about now. So we do have cold, hard, "cash" coming in (to pay us with). But, poor California, how long before the state has to declare bankruptcy? 

Oh, and federal minimum wage is $6.55?!? Wow, and I thought Congress was a bunch of bastards to the rest of us. Who knew they treat their own so incredibly bad?

Okay, so lately I've been kinda Martha Stewarty because I'm getting old and stuff.  I have recently found a few laundry tips that are very budget and college friendly, so I decided to share them with you.  They are also earth friendly.

Did you know that you can use baking soda for laundry detergent?  I like to mix 1/2 a cup of baking soda with Woolite for All Colors and my clothes come out smelling really good.  

You can also mix equal parts baking soda and lemon juice to pre treat stains and wash on light colored fabrics (the lemon juice might fade darker colors).

You can use white vinegar for fabric softener/refresher and it doesn't leave any smell after it has dried.  

Meat tenderizer can remove stains too.

Anyhoo, thought that might help when it's the end of fall quarter and you just spent your last $$$ on train tickets home and a cheap secret santa gift for your roommate and you need clean undies.