80s TEEN NOVEL : "Probably Still Nick Swansen"

Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff

     One of my English teacher friends asked if I wanted about three bins full of old books, and I said yes. There's no library funding, so I'm big on donations. Whatever we can't use for our library I take to a used book store to trade in for store credit, which I use to get things we CAN use.
     As I was going through all the old books, I found this little paperback gem from 1988. The cover illustration struck me as pathetic, along with the tagline, "What's wrong with being Nick Swansen?"
     If you have to ask...
     Then I flipped it over and read the synopsis on the back:

Nick has a problem. No, problems.
Nick is 16. He is still trying to learn how to drive. He's an expert on some things, not so good at others. He's haunted by the memory of his sister who drowned nine years ago. Nick is a "Special Ed" kid.

He's been teased about it. But that doesn't stop him from asking Shana, a former special ed classmate, to the Prom. That, Nick thinks, will be really special.

But things don't always go the way you plan.

Suddenly Nick wishes he was anybody but who he is... anybody but Nick Swansen.

     Oh, dear. Poor Nick Swansen in his awkward tuxedo, waiting for his "special" date. And what's up with that seemingly random brick of tragedy tossed in, about Nick's dead drowned sister? Like Nick's struggles aren't enough "teen issues" for one book without a haunting accidental death from the past? Virginia Euwer Wolff, you are one hard and unflinching writer.
     There's even a nice little insulting "Author's Note" at the beginning of the book, which reads:

This book contains some incorrect grammar and punctuation in order to tell Nick Swansen's story in language that is consistent with his.

     Wow, Virginia Euwer Wolff, I'm not sure who's more insulted by that, poor Nick Swansen, or the reader.

BACK TO SCHOOL LIBRARY BULLETIN BOARDS : part 2

"TIME TO TURN YOUR BRAIN BACK ON"

     Since I'm struggling to get my OWN brain re-focused on school stuff (weh), I figure it must be even harder for the kids. Anyway, this is my slogan, and I think David Sedaris is a great example of a smartie-pants thinking person. Plus I put up some articles on the enduring popularity of print books even in this era of (relatively) affordable ereaders and free ebooks.
     I used the Bone poster because it's not like graphic novels are DUMB, right? Represent.

"TIME TO TURN YOUR BRAIN BACK ON" detail

     I just Googled "brain" and "light switch" images and pasted them into a Word doc, one on top of the other, then printed it on nice brainy pink paper.

"BIG IDEAS MAY COME IN SMALL PACKAGES"

     For both of these boards I also Googled "light bulb" images, and printed them out in varying sizes. Easy and cheap, like yer mom.
     Fuchsia is a cool color, but the spelling of the word is seriously f***ed up.

ALA ZINE PAVILION : Nobody told ME about it.

     Back in June I spent one really frantic yet fun day at the American Library Association Conference in nearby Anaheim. I picked up a copy of ALA Cognotes, and just now finally had a chance to leaf through it while I'm working my Library station during registration for the new school year.

     I came across THIS picture:

The Zine Pavilion on the ALA Annual Conference exhibit floor

     Enraged that I had missed out on this opportunity to promote my OWN zines, "Library Bonnet," and "Disenchanted Moue," I Googled it and discovered that it was this awesome conference-long exhibit with a bunch of events taking place at different times each day, such as raffles, group zine-making, etc. Sounds totally FUN, and I'm really pissed off.

     How did I miss that booth?! And why didn't someone tell me about it AHEAD of time, so I could have participated?! My friend Julie and I did 8 issues of a zine called "Library Bonnet," for f***'s sake, we would have been PERFECT for that. We should have been special featured guest stars of the Zine Pavilion, worn crowns and/or tiaras, and arrived on diamond-studded library carts, drawn by miniature ponies.

     Or not.

     Anyway, I was sitting here gritting my teeth with chagrin to have missed out. That picture is killing me, I wanna know what other awesome zines were there! I'm pouting about it, but there's nobody to see me pout. Except for the students and parents who come in to register for school, but as soon as the door opens I drop the pout because... well, it would be too much to explain, and they probably wouldn't care anyway.

     Now I'm DOUBLE-pouting.

Read more about the Zine Pavilion here:  http://www.alaannual.org/content/zines

BOOK REVIEW : "Psychos: Serial Killers, Depraved Madmen, and the Criminally Insane" by various authors, edited by John Skipp

Get Psychos, edited by John Skipp, from Amazon HERE.

     I got an advanced e-copy of this book through NetGalley. This anthology is edited by John Skipp, and collects a very wide selection of stories involving murderous psychos from various perspectives, some humorous, some chilling. Authors include classics like Poe, Bradbury, Gaiman, Thomas Harris, Lansdale, Bentley Little, Elizabeth Massie, Robert Devereaux, Kathe Koja, and others. 
     To me the absolute chills-down-the-spine standout piece that made the whole anthology worth it was "All Through the House" by Christopher Coake, an author I was unfamiliar with. Skipp gives a brief intro to each story, and in numerous places "warns" the reader how freaky the upcoming story is going to be, but "All Through the House" was one of the only ones that really lived up to that for me. It focuses on a mass murder mainly from the viewpoint of the murderer's best friend, who suffers tremendous survivor's guilt. But the genius of the story is the way it creates a truly haunting (and haunted) sense of history about the location by slipping back in time before the murders, then moving forward to even after the house is burnt down, then backing up to before it was burnt down and a true crime writer was visiting to exploit the event for her own purposes. 
     Another stunningly horrid (in a good way, for a psycho anthology) story was John Gorumba's "Mommy Picks Me Up at Day Care," written very believably from the viewpoint of a little boy. The boy's mother "snaps" and the author is unflinching in the way he shows this young child's mind trying to process and cope with the situation in his limited way. Meanwhile, as the reader you're able to translate the child's perceptions, so you realize what's really happening. Very clever. 
     Included in the appendix is a very thorough and thoughtful afterword about psychos in popular culture by Cody Goodfellow, and then the actual letter sent from cannibal murderer Albert Fish to the mother of one of his victims. It's not for the squeamish. 
     I feel the book as a whole is pretty well done, the second half being more rewarding than the first. The "centerpiece" of the book is a novella by Adam-Troy Castro called "The Shallow End of the Pool," but unfortunately for me it was one of my least favorite in the book. That might just be because it wasn't what I was really hoping for, based on the theme. For other people it might be very worthy precisely because of that, since it's not what you would expect.

BACK TO SCHOOL LIBRARY BULLETIN BOARDS : part 1

Coming Soon in late 2012...

     So, I'm back at work after summer break.
     Things feel a little grim because the district is in such dire financial straits, and they followed through with their threat to eliminate all but ONE of the credentialed Librarians in our district. Which means all of us Library technicians will be running our libraries single-handedly ALL the time, rather than just half the time. It's a sad joke to expect ONE credentialed Librarian to manage 18 libraries.
     As of this writing the district hasn't even told our lone Librarian where she's supposed to report on her first day, whether she'll have an office at the district to work out of, or if she's supposed to just float between all 18 campuses, or what.
     Anyway, at least I still have MY job. For now.
     7th grade orientation is this week, likewise registration for all students, so I realized I needed to get something up on all the bulletin boards and display areas in the Library.

Ray Bradbury memorial wall

      One of the students asked me in mid-June right before school was out if we could do some sort of tribute to Bradbury in the Library, and I felt bad that I didn't have time right then to get something together. Better late than never, right?

Vintage Muppets library-themed poster featuring Kermit and Miss Piggy

      My site Librarian who just retired (since she would have been eliminated anyway), brought in this awesome old Muppets poster, which had a little bit of mold damage on it, but I carefully used some Windex and then laminated it. I love the Muppets and this old poster is great because there's absolutely NO nod to any current obnoxious trends. I'm guessing it's from the late '70s because of Piggy's outfit.

James Patterson article, plus "Maximum Read" poster, and various Patterson book cover images

      The now-retired Librarian was always bringing in book- and reading-related articles from the newspaper (the actual print version!), and I tried to use them around the library when possible. I figure it's a good idea to visually remind kids of various formats, and that it all counts as reading. Know what I mean? Print-rich environment, etc.

New book posters, plus My Little Pony calendar

      Behind the circ desk I did a simple board with some free book posters the Librarian and I grabbed at ALA in Anaheim this summer.
     We have a lot of Asians at this school, and I predict that the Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc. will make some snipey comments about the poster that proclaims, "THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE."
     (I would)

"BEWARE: QUIET READING TIME IS SACRED." "A Library is for Peaceful Reflection..."

     Since the Librarian is now officially retired, not to be replaced, her old office was just sitting there, and even though it felt a little weird... Well, it's MINE now.
     To put some of my stink on it, I took an old Sweeney Todd movie poster, printed out my own slogans, and glued them over the original wording. Now it's a threatening library poster complete with a straight razor!
     I love working with the kids, and create a welcoming environment and stuff, but seriously- when it comes to my breaks, I want my book, a cup of coffee, and SILENCE.

OFF-TABLES : I knew it.

     One of the first things I do every morning when I first come in and open the library is patrol the very back shelves, looking for out-of-place books the students might have stashed back there at the end of the previous day. They're always easy to spot.
     Then I go through the rest of the room and grab any books left lying on tables, or otherwise out of place. I then scan them in "statistics mode," so our circ system will know that they've been used, even if not officially checked out. I also do this after any period of heavy library traffic, once things calm down. This is important to show the REAL usage some of your library's books are getting, since when it's time to evaluate books with weeding (discarding) in mind, one of the factors you look at is how many times they've been checked out. If you did NOT scan the "off-tables," a book such as "The Period Book," about girls' reproductive systems, might appear to have never been used. But if you have done off-tables, then you might see that "The Period Book" had actually been used about 3,000 times in one year. But no one's been brave enough to actually check it out.
     Anyway, a while ago we received a batch of free books from Disney Press, which included the super cheesy and disposable, "Wizards of Waverly Place: the movie: the junior novel." It's a horrid 123 pages of dreck and movie photos.

     But I decided to go ahead and put it into our collection. Here's why:
     Our school is a college-prep academy with an entrance exam and extremely high standards. BUT... our students are still kids. They may argue philosophy and do quantum mathematics in their sleep, but they also watch cartoons and play video games. I was dying to see if any of them would be bold enough to check out the stupid Wizards of Waverly Place book, in between the David Sedaris and Sartre.
     No one has officially checked it out. But FINALLY, this morning after the before-school rush of kids, when I went around and collected off-tables, THERE IT WAS. The lame-ass Wizards of Waverly Place book. And it was lying on a table near the circ desk, and there had NOT been raucous laughter coming from that table. That table was quiet. Which means whoever had been looking at it or reading it had NOT done so in a mocking fashion.
     I KNEW it. Everybody needs their deep dark guilty pleasures, even young geniuses.
     This does not mean I would ever want to PAY for something so stupid, but if it's free and gives a hard-working kid a few moments of freedom from serious thought, then why not?

BOOK REVIEW : "Existence" by David Brin

Click HERE to see/buy the book on Amazon.

     This book is a treasure-trove of ideas! It's set hundreds of years in the future, when humanity experiences "first contact." But of course it's not what anyone is expecting, and there are revelations and hoaxes and twists galore. 
     The scope of the book is so huge and complex it's hard to summarize it, but one of the major themes is trying to figure out and avoid the many possible fatal pitfalls of advanced civilization. One idea I found VERY interesting is that many people (politicians and extremists on both sides of the spectrum) become addicted to self-righteous indignation, which keeps them from rational discourse. And our society tends to just feed into that and make it worse, rather than realizing an addiction for what it is: the enemy of a mature and rational society.
     This is the kind of book you sort of wish everyone HAD to read because there are a lot of clever and "important" concerns and ideas. I love the idea that diversity is vital to the survival of a species, that it brings "hybrid vigor." 
     I swear this book is very entertaining, too! Not just concepts and causes. There's a lot of great artificial intelligence stuff, genetically-engineered smart dolphins, extreme future sports, virtual reality Matrix-type mind trips, etc. Lots of adventure! Hopefully humankind won't self-destruct in any of the creative and plausible ways detailed in this book, but instead survive and thrive. 
     The ultimate message of the book is very hopeful and enlightening.


NOTE: Existence is slated for a June 19th, 2012 release. I was lucky to get an advance e-copy for review through NetGalley.

LIBRARY PRODUCT OF THE DAY : Demco Clear Book Pockets

The picture from Demco's online catalog

     Discovering these clear book pockets was like a revelation. Typically, the book pocket goes on the front inside cover of a book, but what if there's a MAP there, or some other really cool thing that you don't want to cover up?! How do you deal? Even if it's just a list of the rest of the books by that author, someone might want to KNOW that. It might be IMPORTANT.
     Normally I put the pocket on the back of the following page, but then there's always the worry that some other well-meaning library worker will come along and think there is no pocket, and possibly apply a new one OVER whatever the cool visual thing on the endpapers is. This is not acceptable. It would ruin EVERYTHING. You don't want to ruin everything, do you?
     The solution I had come up with before the life-changing discovery of clear book pockets was to place a label on the front inside page noting that the pocket was on the FOLLOWING page. This is not ideal, but at least it's better than covering up awesome endpapers, such as you find inside Scott Westerfeld's "Leviathan" series.

(Ugly white label reads: "NOTE: card pocket on next page")

     But now that I have the clear pockets, I can breathe easy, knowing that on a book like Sy Montgomery's biography of Temple Grandin, the book pocket can be exactly where it needs to be AND not obscure Temple's totally rad map.

Where's the card pocket? I assure you, it is there...

See? I told you.

     In case you are interested, here's the link to the product page on Demco's website: http://www.demco.com/goto?BLK94694

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : Bottom Shelf and Superheroes

     One of our library regulars happens to be an Eagle Scout, and told us he wanted to do something for the library as his Eagle Scout Project. I guess this is something they have to do by their 18th birthday, and needs to be some type of public service/work. We suggested that he could make a slat-wall enclosure for the horribly ugly electrical tower that looms dangerously between the flag and the storage room.

Touch me! I am full of live electricity! I'm an accident waiting to happen!

     This room was originally built as a shop room, not a library, so it has high ceilings and some ungainly things that we've had to be creative in order to camouflage.
     Here's the lovely new facade/enclosure the student made for the ugly tower:

"Books From the Bottom Shelf"

     Isn't that nice? We're very happy with it. Not only does it completely camouflage the electrical tower (the side walls are white) but it gives us extra space for book displays because of the slats.
     Right now we're using it to highlight some of the books that get lost and forgotten on the lowest shelves.

"READ: What's On Your Most Wanted List?"

     We felt rather uninspired in the dull days after Spring Break, especially since we're losing all our credentialed Teacher Librarians for next school year. But we finally had to suck it up and ditch the Easter eggs, baby chicks, and "March is Women's History Month."
     We found some new posters we'd forgotten about in the back room, one of them with Batman and other superheroes. So I put together a display with novels that are about or related to superheroes and comic books (or have some cool sequential art tie-in). Here are a few of the titles:

Hero by Perry Moore
Will Eisner: a Dreamer's Life In Comics by Michael Schumacher
It's Superman! a novel by Tom de Haven
Mary Jane: a novel by Judith O'Brien
How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson
Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo
Interworld by Neil Gaiman

LIBRARY PEEPS

Week 1: The Silver Peep

     For the three weeks leading up to our Library Book Fair next week, we've had a Peeps Hunt Contest. Each Monday we've hidden a marshmallow Peep somewhere in the library, and the first student to find it wins a $10 gift certificate to the book fair.

     I anticipated the admin's objection to sugary candy lying around in the library and possibly drawing ants by painting each Peep with a layer of Elmer's glue to seal it. I also anticipated the way kids are sneaky and occasionally dishonest by spray-painting each Peep a different, secret color. (So a kid wouldn't be tempted to buy a package of Peeps, sneak one into the library, and say, "Look, I found it!")

Week 2: The Blue Peep

     The first Peep was found in about 5 minutes.
     The penultimate Peep was discovered after about 7 minutes.
     The final Peep, though, I inadvertently hid VERY well, apparently. It was sitting on a very bottom shelf in the corner, atop a book on Egypt. This was the black Peep, so it was harder to spot in its shadowed location.

Week 3: The Black Peep

     By the third week there were plenty of kids who were aware of the contest, and determined to get the last gift certificate. I counted at least 30 students who filled the library as soon as lunch started (that's when I said the hunt would begin) and immediately spread out and began frenziedly searching.

     After 10 minutes no one had found it, and they were all clamoring for hints. One of the girls eyed the two eraser hamsters that sit on my monitor and said, "I bet THEY know where it's hidden."

     I said, "Maybe I didn't tell them."

     She smirked, "I think they see EVERYTHING that goes on in here."

     After 15 minutes the Peep was still undiscovered. I started thinking I might have to let it stay there until after school, when they could search for it some more. But in the meantime they were racing up and down the aisles, peering under tables and chairs, knocking into each other, the panic building...

     One of the boys kept saying, "Found it!" even though he hadn't, just to screw with the other kids' heads. They kept yelling at him to stop saying that. I couldn't help snickering.

     More and more kids were coming up to me, eyes wild, begging for hints.

     "Is it in the locked cabinet?" (No, of course not.)

     "Is it up higher than where we can see?" (Duh, NO.)

     "What color is it this week?" (Not telling.)

     I had to tell them that it was definitely not anywhere behind my desk, so they didn't converge in my work space.

     I could see the artificial ficus trees at the back of the library thrashing and shaking like there was a hurricane blowing through the room.

     "Hey!" I yelled, "I did not hide it anywhere that requires DESTROYING anything!"

     I realized the library would never survive more hunting after school, so I had to start giving hints.

     "Okay, first hint: Neither of the eraser hamsters can see the Peep from where they're sitting."

Eraser hamsters

     One of the kids said, "The brown one is missing his left eye, is that important?!"

     "No," I sighed. "Just pretend he has both eyes."

     The kids began assessing the hamsters' lines of sight, which was pretty funny. But the clock was ticking away and still they weren't finding that stupid Peep. Meanwhile, there were a bunch of other kids working on the computers, printing stuff, and checking books out. I was ready for lunch to end.

     One of the Peep-hunters ran up to the desk and asked earnestly in a rush, "Do you have a ladder?"

     "Okay everybody!" I yelled, "Second hint: the Peep is LOW."

     All 30-some Peep-hunters dropped to all fours throughout the library, and it sort of looked like a covert military maneuver. One of the high schoolers hanging out by my desk shook his head in amusement. Most of the hunters were junior high kids.

     I thought for SURE they would find it after that hint, but a few more minutes passed.

     One of the kids asked, "What if somebody ATE it?"

     I said they'd be very sick because it's covered in a layer of glue and spray paint.

     The cleanup bell rang. 

     "Third hint: EGYPT!" I yelled.

     In the resulting chaos, one of the kids yelled, "What? Regis? Did he say Regis?"

     "Not Regis, EGYPT!" I clarified, wondering if that was a Regis Philbin reference. Do teenagers even know who Regis Philbin is?

     There was a chorus of exclamations and squeals, thundering of feet, etc. Finally the sounds of triumph and disappointment as an 8th grade girl claimed the prize.

     Whew! 

     The cool thing is that because of the nature of this particular school (college-prep academy with high standards) the girl who found the Peep went through the Egypt section and straightened it up for me of her own volition, because she had noticed what a mess it was after the frenzy of the hunt.

     Incidentally, I ate a few stale Peeps last night. They really do taste like shit.

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : Easter and Spring

"Read, Know, Grow," plus a sneak peek at the upcoming book fair

     Okay, after processing a bunch of new books we were able to order with profits from our Amazon Associates Account, I finally added wording to the Library Pinwheel Bunnies board. The Librarian suggested the old stand-by, "Read, Know, Grow..." Simple and springy.
     I just printed the letters out using the "Curlz" font on green paper.
     I also printed out some sneak preview pages from the Mrs. Nelson's Book Fair website. We're hosting one of their fairs the last week this month, right before we all go on spring break.
     By the way, the background on this bulletin board is striped because I didn't have enough of any one of these colors. Time to hit the school supply store, again.
     After spring break the only things I'll have to change right away are the Easter Eggs and book fair preview pages. That'll buy me some time.
     Our district is planning to lay off all the credentialed Teacher Librarians again this year. They threatened that last year, but this year the general consensus is that it will really happen. By law the district has to keep ONE Teacher Librarian, but how effective is that going to be, for 18 school sites? Please. Anyway, this will mean all of us Library technicians will have almost no support at all, and have to establish new parameters as far as what we're willing to do, and what we're NOT. Some services will have to go by the wayside. One person can only do so much.
     Anyway, that's one of the reasons I'm thinking bulletin board decorations may be low on the priorities list when we get back. There's already lots of angst and drama and resentments brewing. Easter Bunny better bring me some f*cking Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs.

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : Library Pinwheel Bunnies!

Yes I made these myself, out of discarded library book pages and construction paper.

Library Pinwheel Bunnies!

     Library Pinwheel Bunnies!

          Library Pinwheel Bunnies!

     Are you trying to figure out how to decorate your library for spring? Not sure what to do? Library Pinwheel Bunnies!

     There is no situation that can't be improved by Library Pinwheel Bunnies!!!

This photo is blurry because I was shaking slightly from being SO EXCITED about the BUNNIES!!!

     Never mind that I can't come up with a reading or library-related slogan, yet. I'm still thinking.

LIBRARY PINWHEEL BUNNIES!!!

MONEY, BOYS, OR TWIX

It's a blurry cell phone pic, but you get the idea.

     There's a class that meets in the library 4 days a week. In early December, their teacher was organizing a Secret Santa gift exchange, and asked them each to write down 2 or 3 things they would like, to give their Secret Santas some ideas for gifts.
     After the class left that day, I found the above slip of paper lying on the floor. I stashed it in my desk because I thought it was funny, and forgot all about it until I recently re-discovered it.

PEEPS MARSHMALLOW BUNNY HUNT

Book Fair Peeps Bunny Contest!

     We're having a book fair in the school library. To create excitement for it, I thought it would be cool to do a contest and give out three $10 gift certificates to the book fair. We could give one out each week for the three weeks leading up to the fair.
     Seasonally speaking, we have Easter to work with, which is pretty fun. So... Peeps, right?
     Instead of an egg hunt, we're doing a Peeps Marshmallow Bunny hunt. Each week a special Peeps Bunny will be hidden somewhere in the library, and the student who finds it first wins that week's gift certificate, to be redeemed at the Book Fair at the end of the month.

Secret Silver Peep

     When I first emailed the Principal to get her approval for our contest, I forgot to mention that I'd be coating and spray-painting the Peep. So this was her first response:

Would you be willing to hide plastic colored eggs with a specially marked message inserted rather than the marshmallow bunny?  We definitely support the promotional idea!


To which I responded:


Is the marshmallow bunny a problem because it’s food and might attract bugs or something? Because I had a plan for that. I was going to paint them with sealant and then spraypaint them a different secret color each week. Does it help that they would be inedible and coated with sealant?

     It’s not that I wouldn’t be willing to do plastic colored eggs instead, but Peeps bunnies sure would be more INTERESTING, in my humble opinion.

     Plus, I wanted to use the slogan, “HOP on over to the Library Book Fair and take a PEEP at what’s new!”

     But whatever you say goes, boss. ;)


So she wrote back:
Yes, the issue was that it was a sugary food item, but sounds like you in your great wisdom thought through all of the administration's possible objections. So , Peeps it will be since you are making them inedible and using a sealant.

     I'm assuming that was the most inane conversation of her day.
     Oh- and another good reason to paint the Peep a secret color is to keep sneaky kids from trying to claim the prize with just any old Peep from the store.
     The only promotion I had a chance to do last week was to put up a bulletin board (at the beginning of this post) with a message about the contest, and to put the contest info on the "date due" slips we put in all the books that check out. But even with that minimal amount of PR, we had a bunch of kids asking about it first thing this morning. I let them all know that the secret Peep would be hidden by lunchtime, and the hunt would start then.

Where is it?

There it is! Do you see it?

     A group of very determined girls came flying into the library at lunch and hunted for about 15 minutes. We watched them pass right by the hidden Peep several times. Then finally, shortly before lunch was over, one of them spotted it, and won the first gift certificate.
     Now the other kids are jealous, but I've been assuring them that we have 2 more Peep hunts before the Book Fair.

CROSSBLOG

Pssssst!
     I just did this post about e-book formatting on my other blog, and it's book-related so I thought I'd mention it here.

LIBRARY CONFESSION : download on the down-low

Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
          I'm not even Catholic, but my guilt has driven me to confess. Please help me find forgiveness in the eyes of (insert Higher Power of choice).

          I had been noticing that one of our library regulars here in the school library kept telling me she had this or that book on her Kindle already. Recent releases, and LOTS of them. Finally I made some comment about how much money she or her parents must be spending on all of these eBooks.
          She gave a sidelong look and muttered, "Yeah... not really..."
          To cut to the chase, kids know how to get digital files for free, illegally. They are EXPERTS at it. They do it constantly, like breathing. Apparently without compunction.
          I knew this, but hadn't applied this knowledge to eBooks, yet. There's so much digital literary content that's free LEGALLY, and I'm very aware of DRM issues (digital rights management) since I work in a public school library, and am a writer myself. Obviously I have a high regard/respect for creators' rights.
          When this student first told me about "torrents," and illegally downloading bestselling eBook files, I was horrified and disappointed. I made it clear that such a thing is WRONG, and not fair at all to the writers or publishers. After that, whenever she would mention already having a certain book on her Kindle, I would snark, "Yeah, ILLEGALLY."
          Meanwhile, I'm pretty poor at the moment, and almost all of the legally free content for Kindle is free because it's OLD, and the copyright has long since expired. I continually troll Amazon, Project Gutenberg, Inkmesh, and even Bartleby for free digital books I would actually want to read.
          Slim pickin's, my friend. Desperate times.
          Finally the pressure became too much. One day last week when that particular student was near the circ desk, I blurted out, "What website did you say you go to, to get these illegal free eBooks which I do NOT approve of?"
          She wrote it down, along with a few notes about what to do and which files to download. It was a dirty transaction, and I felt like I was involved in a drug sale.
          "Well, that is one website I will most certainly NOT be going to!" I insisted indignantly.
          Later, alone in the library, I discovered that the school district's firewall blocks sites with illegal "torrents" or whatever you call them. And it's a good thing! I was just checking, to make SURE the firewall knew to block that site.
          That night, at home, I found the website confusing and scary, and quickly backed out of it, looking over my shoulder.
          Then yesterday that same student was telling me about a new YA novel that she's currently reading on her Kindle. She LOVES it, she was raving about how awesome it is, and describing the characters and the plot to me. I immediately made sure it was at the top of our school library's Amazon wishlist. For whenever we might actually have a little bit of a book budget.
          The more the student raved about the book, the more it sounded like the kind of thing I myself would very much enjoy reading.
          The student glanced around, then quietly said, "I have the file on my flashdrive right now. I could email it to you."
          I gaped, slack-jawed, the blood draining from my face. I REALLY want to read that book... But it's WRONG! I should absolutely NOT be encouraging digital piracy, especially of BOOKS. I know better than that, don't I? I have high moral standards, and it's important to me to set the right example for our students. Besides, I'm a goody-two-shoes at heart and doing stuff you're not supposed to do SCARES me.
          The seconds passed, my jaw working but no clear words coming out.
          "This is a terrible decision for you..." the student observed.
          The Devil appeared in a flash of red smoke and sealed the deal. I watched as if from behind a screen, helpless in the face of such bibliophilic temptation. I failed.
          Luckily, before I had time to do anything with the file, one of my fellow library technicians from another school reminded me in an email (purely by chance) of Netgalley, which is yet another way to LEGALLY obtain free eBooks, even NEW ones. Mainly if you have some connection to libraries, book stores, or book reviews. You have to request titles, and get approved for each one before they are downloadable. Basically, Netgalley is looking for beta readers, people who will read and review new and upcoming titles. I quickly requested a handful, and started getting approved for downloads.
          Hopefully Netgalley will keep me out of jail.
       

DISTRACTING AUTHOR PHOTO : R.L. Stine and his dark little friend

Duuude... Seriously?

          We just received the new issue of Writer's Digest, and on the back there's an ad for "ThrillerFest VII" in New York. The ad features headshots of some of the special guest authors, including Jack Higgins, Catherine Coulter, John Sandford, and... R.L. Stine. There are other authors pictured, but my eye was caught and assaulted cruelly by the little photo of Mr. Stine.
          Every time I run across a photo of him, I gasp and recoil, my horrified heart skipping a beat. Much the same way his books are supposed to affect his young readers, but I find it hard to believe they do, given the goofy joke-driven nature of his writing. If only he could capture in his writing the chilling terror of his looks.
          I know it's mean to call attention to his looks, but come on. He has made, and still continues to make, more money than I'll ever see in my life, and I KNOW he is aware of that thing on his forehead. He can well afford to have it REMOVED. Why does he suffer it to exist?! That goofy smirk and those bushy untamed brows would be disheartening enough, but to over-accessorize with that damned MOLE is just... Well, it's just poor taste, that's what it is. And I will not keep quiet about it.
          Titles like, "Say Cheese and Die" make my blood boil with rage, but that mole-topped bushy-browed smirk turns the boiling blood to LAVA in my veins. Mr. Stine, you go TOO FAR.

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : February's got it all goin' on.

          Well, February is just packed with things to make mention of in the Library. Presidents' Day, Valentine's Day, Black History Month, even Groundhog Day. I am ignoring Groundhog Day. Not because I don't think they're cute and winsome, but because I've run out of bulletin boards and display areas.

          Normally I hate decorating for Presidents' Day because it's hard to do much with images of Lincoln and/or Washington. But I ordered Last Gasp's FREE full-color catalog of arty books and stuff, and there was this awesome two-page spread of one of Mark Ryden's paintings from the Snow Yak Show, with Lincoln's giant spectral head appearing in an icy cave before a young girl. Perfect! With a few minor alterations, it became my Presidents' Day poster on the circ desk. 

"Thank you for Presidents' Day, Mr. Lincoln!" "You are welcome, young lady!"

          Last year I made some Valentine's hearts that reflect diversity. Boy + Boy; Girl + Girl; and Girl + Boy. Love is universal, y'all. I made a display interspersing images from various teen books that show examples of each configuration.

"Boy + Boy; Girl + Boy; Girl + Girl"

          At the back of the room I revived an old "Take time to REFLECT on what you read" display I put together one of the first years I worked at this school. It became quickly apparent to me that these are smart kids who DEVOUR books, but sometimes I wonder if they're so eager to increase their number of books read that perhaps they race through things without taking time to savor good writing. I'm not impressed by how quickly they read, or how many books they check out. I'm impressed by how much they contemplate and internalize. And enjoy! This is leisure reading, not English novel assignments.
          Anyway, I made the "REFLECT" letters out of reflective prismatic paper. ;)

"Take time to REFLECT on what you read"

          The best, most exciting thing we have going on this month is a visit by published author Stephanie Jefferson, whose historical fiction novel, Princess Kandake, is now available through CreateSpace and Amazon.
          She'll be speaking to 7th and 9th graders about her writing process, and signing copies of her book. I'm totally looking forward to it. (And not just because she happens to be a personal friend of mine!)

Meet the author: Stephanie Jefferson

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : "Read the Movie"

"READ THE MOVIE but don't judge the book by the film"

          After I tore down all the Christmas crap in the library, things were bare for a while before I could wrap my head around what to put up next. Then we received a copy of the ALA catalog and I saw the new "READ" poster featuring the cast of the Hunger Games movie, so I thought it would be a good time to revive the "Read the Movie" theme. We've ordered the Hunger Games poster, and I'll add it when it arrives. In the meantime I cut out the image of the poster from the catalog and taped it to the front of the circulation desk, and kids are totally noticing it and squealing and dragging their friends over to look at it. I feel like saying, "Okay, take it DOWN a notch so I don't end up HATING the Hunger Games!"

Left to right: Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), and Gale (Liam Hemsworth)

ALA ordering info for Hunger Games poster: http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=3650

 

Detail of 3-D foam film reels and filmstrip ribbon

          For my b-board I used a construction paper marquee I made a few years ago, with the library symbol. The film reels are cut out of foam sheets, and spray-painted silver. I used black construction paper circles glued between to make it look like rolls of film. The filmstrip ribbon is something you can get at party supply stores that have "movie theme" stuff. I used more foam to create spacers between the halves of the film reels. It wasn't that hard, really.

          I went through all of our posters and used the best from books that were made into films. I purposely did NOT use the Twilight poster because some girls saw it out and said they'd be very disappointed in me if I put that one up. I happily obliged them by exiling it. They reminded me that when it was up before, during the heyday of Twilight, I ended up sticking goggly eyes on Kristen Stewart. They liked that.

          I also weeded out the Diary of a Wimpy Kid poster just because... well, it's lame. The books are lame, the movie looks lame, the poster is lame. The "READ" poster actually has an illustration of the Wimpy Kid on the TOILET. I am not putting that up.

          Oh- and I cut out stars and printed this slogan across several of them: "...but don't judge the book by the film."

         

BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : "Squirrel Appreciation Day"

          Did you know that January 21st is official "Squirrel Appreciation Day?" Well, it is. And you should do something about it. Last year my mom special-ordered a tie with a squirrel on it for me, to represent. I wore it proudly and received many nice compliments. This year, however, the calendar is cruel and has placed Squirrel Appreciation Day on a SATURDAY, when I will not be at work and not have a good reason to wear a tie.
          One of the students I work with suggested I wear it on Monday instead, so I guess I'll do that. But it won't be the SAME.
          I love seeing the perplexed yet delighted reactions of the students when they see the Squirrel Day board.