Purple Polka

Nothing to do with libraries...

2010-07-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

Librarians make me giggle.

2010-05-29T21:43:00.004-04:00

While I found this rather enjoyable, I'm glad I graduated from Rutgers without impersonating Lady Gaga whilst lauding the benefits of proper searching.

Link via Boing Boing (found on facebook via Jess T).

Twittle Dee

2010-05-16T21:44:00.006-04:00

A while back Gina from WebYA inquired about a Twitter flyer after viewing the Facebook flyer I made for Teen Tech Week 2010. It took me some time, but I believe I finally got it. Behold:

Background: SG_Refresh paper

T icon: Jankoatwarpspeed.com

Bird: unknown origin :(

Header font: Action of the Time A L

Secondary font: Helvetica

Since beginning my new job I've dropped off the blogospheric planet much to my dismay. Sadly I don't think that is going to change anytime soon, as I tend to take a while to adjust to new situations. I wanted to kick off my hiatus on a high note (e.g., the Twitter flyer) and demonstrate a taste of what you will find when I return. I plan on creating a lot of new graphics and tutorials to join the funky craft sites I discover. Take care until then!

Libraries = Opportunities

2010-05-05T23:28:00.004-04:00

Hey guys! Long time no post. I wish I could tell you that I was off preparing for the rally tomorrow in Trenton to support New Jersey libraries, but alas I haven't been. I'm only doing lame things like getting acclimated at my new job and the like. While I am not awesome enough to be one of the proactive librarians fighting for funding, I did wake up really early one morning to get onto the Today show with fellow bad-ass librarian, Jessica, for 2.2 seconds to advocate for libraries (New Jersey in particular):

For more information on the May 6th rally to protest the grotesque 74% budget cuts proposed by NJ Governor Christie get educated about the situation and visit the facebook page! Good luck tomorrow everyone!

STAC it up: Teen Advisory Councils

2010-03-31T14:10:00.002-04:00

I have touched on my experiences with my former library's TAG group on this blog before but I never realized how much work my predecessor had to put in to create the group in the first place. Upon starting at Suffern, I've found this massive library that has all kinds of programs and groups does not have an advisory council of any sort in place. Well OBVIOUSLY I need to correct that, and thus the Suffern Teen Advisory Council was born (STAC for short).

Recently WebYA posted a fabulous list for someone looking to start a teen advisory group (and by recent, I mean it was March 2010 so recent enough). I've done a lot of research on these groups in the past year (Tuccillo's book Library Teen Advisory Groups, YALSA's TAG resources* and then there's always the TAGAD-L listserv) and I have to say I really like this list a lot! It's succinct and yet every detail is important for someone starting a TAG. It even has ideas that I didn't come across in any of those numerous resources. Check it out if you are starting a TAG or even if you've just celebrated the 4th anniversary of your library's group.

*Which could use work, to be honest with you. Some links are dead and many of the "Still in development" sections were in development when I looked at them last summer

Booktalks

2010-03-24T13:14:00.004-04:00

What book do you find yourself booktalking over and over again? Why that particular book? For me it's The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I just booktalked it for the third time this week and I only got in to work 15 minutes ago.

I'm looking to build up the short list of my go-to books as they're all getting checked out slowly but surely. What will I do when they're all off the shelf? Rely on you, that's what! Leave a message in the comments about which books you think should be included because only one book on the list below is checked in.

The List (thus far, as I remember it):

The Hunger Games -- Suzanne Collins (duh)
Marcello in the Real World -- Francisco X. Stork
Alice, I Think -- Susan Juby
The Mortal Instruments series -- Cassandra Clare
All Alone in the Universe -- Lynne Rae Perkins
Ordinary Ghosts -- Eireann Corrigan
Hold Still -- Nina LaCour

The list also includes books that sell themselves due to popularity amongst teens or their connection to a movie (such as Inkheart).

Teen Tech Week: Facebook fanpage flyer

2010-03-09T23:01:00.005-05:00

Teen Tech Week just so happened to land on my first full week at my new job. I'm torn between wanting to do something for TTW and trying to figure out how to place holds on books with a new system. Something that I've been able to do with spare moments at the refdesk with no problem was to create a facebook fanpage for my new library.

So in honor of Teen Tech Week I have a large format jpeg of the promotional flyer I made up for the fanpage (sans library name, of course!):

Thaw out!

2010-03-01T01:55:00.004-05:00

We're going to do something a bit different today. A little while ago I decided to enter the Blogsplash for a novel entitled Thaw by Fiona Robyn. Essentially, myself and many other bloggers get to publish the first page of the novel on the first of March as a neat form of 2.0 viral marketing. I may not be an Amazong Associate, but I sure like me some 2.0 swag and with all the e-book controversy going on I can't help but appreciate an author putting it out there for free. As today is the first of March, it's ready and raring to go. Below is the email sent to me by the author in it's entirety. Enjoy! -Kristi(e)-

Meet Ruth. She doesn't know if she wants to carry on living or not, and she gives herself three months to decide. Her diary is my novel, Thaw, and you can read it for FREE, beginning today.

Why am I giving a novel away for free? Because I am a writer, and I want to share my characters and their stories with as many people as possible. And maybe, if you enjoy it, you might want to read more of my books.

Become a follower of the blog page now. Follow on Twitter. Join the Facebook page. Forward this email to your novel-reading friends. Thank you.

Over to Ruth.

*

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It's a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we're being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they're stuck to the outside of her hands. They're a colour that's difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I'm giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don't think I'm alone in wondering whether it's all worth it. I've seen the look in people's eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I've heard the weary grief in my dad's voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I'm Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I'm sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat - books you have to take in both hands to lift. I've had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I've still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about - princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad's snoring was.

I've always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I'll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say, 'It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for,' before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It'll all be here. I'm using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I'm striping the paper. I'm near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I'm allowed to make my decision. That's it for today. It's begun.

Continue reading here. Follow on Twitter. Join the Facebook page.

----------------------
Warmest wishes,
Fiona Robyn
--------------
www.fionarobyn.com
www.plantingwords.com

Make Waves: Sea Glass Candy Recipe

2010-02-24T22:58:00.003-05:00

Those of you looking for aquatic themed activities for your library this summer might want to check out Not So Humble Pie's Sea Glass Candy recipe. As far as equipment goes you only need a stove-top (or hot plate), a sauce pan, candy thermometer metal pan and a mallet. If you can muster those items up--not to mention the limited ingredients--you should definitely consider this for your summer reading program because it looks like it is going to be a smash. ... Sorry--I had to. (Thanks Craftzine!)

A personal announcement

2010-02-22T18:55:00.003-05:00

I suppose I didn't have to be so quiet about the reason I've been away, but I'm quite superstitious. I didn't want to let everyone know that I got a new job until after the moment I held the official letter of hire in my hand just in case something happened (what would happen idk, but that's my superstitious nature for you). My employment packet finally came today so I am happy to say that I am now going on to be a teen librarian in the state of New York.

It's my first full-time job ever and I'm quite excited. I'm really nervous, too. I'm leaving a part-time position that I have grown to love and don't quite know what is going to happen with that particular library once I leave. In between putting together resources for my successor and preparing materials for my first project at my new library I have been far too exhausted when I finally had free time to blog. I'm sorry. But the moment I've been waiting for is almost here!! I start March 1st. :D

Hold the flipping phone!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-18T22:23:00.003-05:00

First, let me stop bouncing up and down.

::long pause::

::crickets::

Okay. Glad that's settled. I just found out thanks to my wonderful inbox that vacation deals are now announced for The Wonderful World of Harry Potter with travel dates starting May 28th! While this is not the official start date (it's still the dreaded "Spring 2010"), the park has to be opening Memorial Day Weekend, right?! RIGHT!?!?!

I went on to the Leaky Cauldron for more info, but they know just as much as I do at this point. WHEN WILL MORE INFORMATION COME?!? (In case you couldn't tell, I am quite fond of the notion of going to The Wonderful World of Harry Potter during opening week. In fact, it has rather been my biggest fantasy since they mentioned they were making a theme park).

Aaaand back to our regularly scheduled programming of me being a horrid blogger due to things I can't officially talk about yet (Dear mailman, please get on that. I want to discuss why I'm not discussing stuff).

DIY for you

2010-02-09T23:38:00.002-05:00

Disney has what appears to be a very easy to refurbish cardigan up on Ruffles and Stuff. Does it not just scream awesome librarian cardigan or what?

Ello!

2010-02-05T22:46:00.002-05:00

I've been m.i.a lately, but I'm going to be mysterious and evasive for a few more days (perhaps weeks) before I announce the reason why. Why? Because I'm evil like that, yo. Mwahahahhahahaa

Anyway, I feel bad completely leaving you hanging so check this out. I saw it on Craftzine a while back, but it's still amazing. If you haven't seen it yet get on that. :D

This just in!

2010-01-27T19:30:00.004-05:00

Voldemort scrapbooks.

I'll let that sink in for a bit. ::pause:: Okay, okay he doesn't really because he's "fictional" and as many people have tried to address with me, fictional "beings" can't do anything outside of their books/tv/whatever. BUT... imagine if he did. Wouldn't it look a little something like... this:

Eh? Eh?

Okay. I have to clue you in. I recently went out to dinner with one of my bffs Sara and we spent at least twenty minutes debating what sort of secret, mundane activity the Dark Lord does in his spare time after we reminiced about the depiction of Edward Cullen in Growing Up Cullens* and settled on the moste anciente and noble art of scrapbooking.

Do you think Voldemort scrapbooks (or in this case, Scrapblogs)? No? What do you think he does? How about another kid/ya lit character? What are the secret lives of fictional beings?

*If you've never read Growing Up Cullens, get on that. You think you know Twilight, but you have no idea. That is the diary of their awesome lives.

Poetry Friday

2010-01-15T23:13:00.003-05:00

Since I'm nursing a "I was too proactive with my blog this weekend" hangover resulting in epic blog laziness, I felt it appropriate to use a villanelle I wrote about the subject (since I was also too lazy to write a new poem).

[ ]

Walking is tough, but moving is profane.

Why stir when there’s so much sitting to do?

Hell, I’m too lazy to make a second refrain.

I don’t defend myself much, it’s not worth the pain

Of opening my jaw only to argue:

Talking is tough, but moving is profane.

I plop down more than pigeons spew white rain

For laying down feels better than sex used to.

Hell, I’m too lazy to make a second refrain.

I had a crush once, he had some sexy brains;

But he never called and I was never one to woo:

Stalking is tough, but moving is profane.

I once watched a three hour infomercial for Rogaine

Since a two-cushion-remote-stretch was too much ado.

Hell, I’m too lazy to make a second refrain.

I look upon marathons with utmost disdain,

For why run when there’s so much sitting to do?

Walking is tough, but moving is profane.

Hell, I’m too lazy to make a second refrain.

Oh sugar snap!

2010-01-12T23:32:00.003-05:00

This exists. It's moments like these that I wish I had minions so I could demand this hat at once!

National DeLurking Week

2010-01-11T22:05:00.001-05:00

I caught up on my Mother Reader this weekend as part of Bloggiesta and I'm quite glad I did. How else would I have known that this week is National Delurking Week!?! How will I ever find all the time to comment on the blogs I lurk about on? Oh. Right. Mother Reader has been kicking butt all over the place by encouraging people to comment more on others' blogs as part of Comment Challenge 2010. Phewwww.

In honor of National Delurking Week I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I lurk too. Here are some of my favorite blogs to lurk about on. Enjoy!

***

Ruffles and Stuff -- A fantastically crafty stay-at-home mom that posts tons of great jewelry and sewing tutorials. She makes me wish I was her toddler with all the adorable outfits and accessories she makes for her.

Bakerella -- I love mini things. I love beautifully crafted baked goods. Therefore, I love^2 Bakella and you will too!

The Food Librarian -- I just discovered the Food Librarian this weekend but omfg am I in heaven! A vast array of different foods are demonstrated, including various jello molds.

Miss Erin -- A true YA blogging delight.

Craftzine -- There are no words. Just click.

Super Punch -- A lot of my offbeat book-related stuff comes from here and a whole bunch of awesome art. Not to mention all of the super cool things I don't share with you all because it doesn't really fit with my blog, but is nonetheless awesome.

Bloggiesta Finale

2010-01-10T22:22:00.003-05:00

I am a very tired blogger. I'm glad Bloggiesta distracted me from being sick, but I am ready to go to bed now and not look at my blog for a day or two. Glad I made some back up posts today so I can just post them in under a minute. Between Saturday and Sunday I spent a total of 12 hours and 40 minutes blogging in some fashion or another. ::Phew!::

Before looking at the not-entirely-finished goals I set out to accomplish, I wanted to point out a few things I did that were not on my list.

I created an image for my 10 for 2010 posts
Decided I definitely wanted to include recipes in 2010 and found a slew of 11 baking/cooking blogs worth adding to the blog roll.
Organized my Google Reader (which is never under 600 unread posts and yet it is close to 200... go me!)

And to send it off, here's my to-do list in all it's uncompleted glory:

Start a Google Notebook dedicated just to my blog.
Pick through my starred/shared items on my reader to get all those "sort through later" items and put them into some sort of order on my newly made Notebook.
Do the same thing with some of my favorited items from Stumble Upon (realistically the craft and cooking tags). ::please hold while I laugh and look at the ridiculous number of favorites I have on Stumble Upon:: Not happening.
Make another 10 for 2010 post.
Make back-up 10 for 2010 posts for a rainy day.
Email an author for an interview we discussed a month ago.
Set up the reviews templates for five books.
Actually review one of the books I've had sitting next to my computer begging in a creaky voice, "Revieeew me."
Participate in Comments Challenge 2010 over at Mother Reader.
Lastly, make a business card for this little dude for networking.

10 for 2010: Craftiness Explosion!

2010-01-10T16:12:00.004-05:00

Here are some of the best links that were gathering virtual dust in my Google Reader. I've hand picked ones that I believe will work in most public library settings.

This one is practically cheating. The Long Thread collected the Top 100 Craft Tutorials of 2009. Whether you're more interested in mastering your technique before trying out some crafts at your library or looking for the next big purse tutorial sure to win your teens over, this list is surely going to have something for you. (Thanks to Craftzine for the link!)
I don't personally have a knitting club for my teens because I'm quite abysmal really, but I dream of one day having one. If you share this dream or already have one this ThreadBanger video featured on Craftzine detailing how to make a styling and easy crochet headband will be a welcome winter treat!
If your library is anything like mine, you have all your spring plans in place already. Why not start thinking summer thoughts then? This watermelon soap tutorial from Candle Tech's blog is an interesting twist on the handmade soap program. (Thanks to Cut Out + Keep for the link!)
Whitney of Youth Services Corner has just the right solution for the overgrown weeded book pile. Who doesn't need an awesome book clock?
Looking for an easy way to push Lewis Carroll's Alice stories before Tim Burton's movie debuts in March? Why not make up a display of the books with these Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum paper toys as the perfect compliment? Thanks for that, Toy a Day!
FREEZE! Don't forget to check out these t-shirts created by Craftster user fluffypants from freezer paper stencils! Check out this step-by-step tutorial for more information on how to create these excellent customized shirts.
Still Dottie is one of my favorite fashion bloggers. Check out her tutorial on how to embellish plain t-shirts with glitz and glam...
...and without.
These leg warmer spats are easy peasy and if you don't want to try them out with your teens, you might want to try them out for yourself. Just sayin' Oh Craftster, you are the best!
Last one! Since I'm jealous of anyone that has a teen knitting club, I'm going to live vicariously through you guys until I get one of my own. Here's a star crochet pattern found (but of course) on Craftster.

BONUS JONAS: Shrink jewelry is a fun one to make for yourself or with the teens. Since this involves selecting images in advance I'm not sure how well it will work with teens, but this tutorial was too awesome to pass up. Enjoy! (Thanks Threadbanger for the link!)

First things First

2010-01-09T16:56:00.003-05:00

Before even starting on the tasks I assigned myself, I set aside some time to browse through the mini-challenges happening this weekend for Bloggiesta. While many of them seemed like it would add even more work and would make completing my to-do list that much harder, one seemed like it was the best place to start this whole weekend. That's probably the reason why Natasha listed it as the first mini-challenge on her starting gate post for Bloggiesta.

I'm talking about Rebecca of The Book Lady's Blog encouraging participants to set blog goals for 2010. I was planning on just keeping the goals in my notebook so I can visit it periodically throughout the year, but Rebecca's right. There IS "nothing quite like publicly committing to something to motivate you to do it."

Without further ado, the goals of Purple Polka in the year 2010:

Complete at least one 10 for 2010 post a month.
Create graphic headers for regularly featured posts.
Sweep through my starred items in my Google Reader once a month and put together links in my notebook for ease of use.

Only three to start, but I don't want to overwhelm myself and then not do any of them. How about you? What are your blogging goals this year? Check out Rebecca's post for inspiration if you don't have a clue as to where to start. It sure helped me!

Bloggiesta: Digital housekeeping style

2010-01-09T14:16:00.004-05:00

Hola! This is my starting post for this weekend's Bloggiesta. I'm very excited for the timing of this challenge as I'm stuck home sick/bored today and now I have something to keep my mind off that. YAY!

Maw Books Blog is hosting the second annual Bloggiesta in which participants are encouraged to work on all those things they put off in regards to their blog. I've made up a little to-do list and hope to accomplish all of the items during the duration of the event. Which, by the way, runs from yesterday until Sunday, January 10th. This leaves me with only two days, folks (eep!)

To the to-do list, Batman!

Start a Google Notebook dedicated just to my blog.
Pick through my starred/shared items on my reader to get all those "sort through later" items and put them into some sort of order on my newly made Notebook.
Do the same thing with some of my favorited items from Stumble Upon (realistically the craft and cooking tags).
Make another 10 for 2010 post.
Make back-up 10 for 2010 posts for a rainy day.
Email an author for an interview we discussed a month ago.
Set up the reviews templates for five books.
Actually review one of the books I've had sitting next to my computer begging in a creaky voice, "Revieeew me."
Participate in Comments Challenge 2010 over at Mother Reader.
Lastly, make a business card for this little dude for networking.

Thank you Abby (the) Librarian for your posting on both Bloggiesta and Comments Challenge 2010!! You = blog lifesaver frillz.

BONUS JONAS: I have techno/trance on my computer for those moods that occur 0.001% of them time that remind me that I like this type of music. Mostly it gets ignored, but I was furiously typing my to-do list up and didn't want to stop and found that I actually got really into typing and thinking of other ways to challenge myself this weekend as a result.

Long story short: If you find that you don't have blogging motivation, slap some electronic beats on and let the repetitive, driving bass-line will be your guide.

Poetry Friday

2010-01-08T19:16:00.003-05:00

I don't oft participate in Poetry Friday despite my love of poetry (both reading and creating). It's odd, really, considering my blog is actually named after a poem I wrote in college. I couldn't think of a proper blog name and it reminded me of the poem and I opted to use "Purple Polka" until a more fitting title struck me and as the months go by and the posts go up I can still think of no better name.

So, Purple Polka, this one's for you--

that which we call purple
by any other name would not cling to my walls
in such exuberant purplocity if my walls be coated
by the likes of Lilac Bouquet or Touch Of Violet.
‘twould be far too light, but not nearly as odd
as perhaps the dried renditions of Veronica’s Sash
( for i’ve not the faintest knowledge of this Veronica, nor
why one would desire to drape her ribbon ‘bout their study).
and while the word may lurk in Mystic Purple’s moniker,
‘tis far too airy to comprise a Proper Purple.

paint brush i implore you to shroud my halls–
Purple Polka take my walls.

Get ready to "Read for your Life"

2010-01-05T13:13:00.003-05:00

Many have been buzzing about the changing of guards for the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for some time now (Fuse #8, Mother Reader and A Year of Reading among them). While some people leaked the information on the interwebz last night (I'm looking at you NYTimes!), Katherine Patterson was officially named the 2nd National Ambassador for Young People's Literature this morning.

First and foremost, congratulations! Not only to Ms. Patterson, but to everyone who had a hand in selecting her because you did a phenomenal job. I had the pleasure of hearing her speak at the Baker and Taylor CATS Publisher preview this past November and she was delightful and showed that she will do much more than step up to the plate.

Jon Scieszka spent his time as Ambassador promoting the love of reading and motivating reluctant readers to enjoy reading. What will Katherine Patterson do? She has already started her Ambassadorial duties declaring that "Read for your Life" is going to be her driving force. What this entails we will find out in more detail in the coming weeks. If her time prior to receiving this honor is anything to go by, it can only be good for young people's literature. Shelf Talker has written up a fabulous summary of Ms. Patterson's numerous qualifications for the post and links to the aforementioned NYTimes article that is definitely work checking out for a more detailed look at Ms. Patterson's accomplishments.

10 for 2010: Favorite Programs of 2009

2010-01-04T23:17:00.001-05:00

Not one for end of the year lists, I thought I would instead come up with a few for the new year. For the very first list (not to mention my first post of the new year) I thought I would start off with a reflection of my favorite 2009 programs. I know what you're thinking, isn't that just an end of the year list a few days late? Probably, but I like thinking about what worked best last year when developing ideas for the coming year so to me it's a start of the year process.

Below are some of my favorites linking (if available) flyers with more information, and blogs that inspired the program or ones that contain similar information:

Bento Boxes! -- The teens ate this up (literally--yuck yuck yuck). I found Lunch in a Box to be so helpful that I even printed out the page on gap filling for the teens to take home.
Fashion Forward -- One of the ways I battled a depleted budget was to harass convince my friend Christina to talk about her time at Fashion Institute of Technology and her post-graduation job working with Ralph Lauren.
Jam Session -- Recycling records into bowls was a smash hit. Halfway through we started sending off the records by playing a track from the album on YouTube as it melted in the oven.
When Zombies Attack! -- This one was yet another product of harassing convincing my friends to help out the library. I harassed encouraged her to combine her love of zombies with her theater training to create a most excellent interactive presentation.
Gift Workshop * -- This was an epic two parter. At the first workshop we had three projects going on: 1) Everyone turned Delias catalog pages into star-shaped gift bows and then either 2) made duct tape wallets or 3) decoupage magazine pieces onto little boxes.
Gift Workshop (2) -- At the second gift workshop we converted old CD cases into frames.
TAG -- Working directly with my Teen Action Group has been some of the most rewarding time I spent this year. I blogged back in November detailing a fun activity we did.
Writing Festival -- More harassment (oh whatever, we all know it was harassment at this point) on my behalf where I gathered some of my favorite writers to host stations and go over manga, fan fiction and a really awesome haiku game I learned in high school.
Rock Band -- I inherited a fabulous gaming program at my library featuring head-to-head tournament play. It was nice taking a break from that and watching everyone just playing instruments.
Candy Sushi -- This summer my Teen Cafe regulars rolled out some Rice Kristipie treats and Swedish Fish to some delicious results. Definitely revisiting this one in the next few years.

Leave some of your best 2009 programs in the comments!

* Sorry for the head tilt! Towards the end of the year I switched to vertical signage to be able to advertise more programs. It prints lovely, but is a bit annoying when looking at on the screen.

Festivus for the rest of us

2009-12-24T13:03:00.002-05:00

Actually, I lied. It's not Festivus anymore. I was really hoping to do this post yesterday, but work intervened (until about 1 AM). Don't get too mad though. Once you see the amount of awesome I unleashed on the world last night you will be okay with my abandoning you for working from home. See: AWESOME. I finished the header, html and color selection on the proposal for the SCLS Teen Blog last night. We will put it to an official vote once our YA Librarian Committee meets again in January, but I'm confident it will work out.

That said, it's not just yesterday--I've been bad for a few weeks. I needn't tell you how much of a time suck the end of the year can be. It is still not an excuse for missing out on my friend Alicia's Blogiversary over at the LibrariYAn. CONGRATS!!

I saw this ARC in our summer reading prizes earlier this year and ordered the book. I featured it in a display in the month of November. I have yet to read it ::hangs head in shame:: I think that librarian by day has finally pushed me into checking out Hold Still by Nina LaCour when I get back to the library on Saturday.

Youth Services Corner highlights all the books turned movie in the coming months with fabulous imagery to boot.

YALSA blog has been out-doing themselves lately. Their daily December postings of Dollars and Sense are beyond helpful. So helpful there are really no words for how helpful they are. I can't wait until the last one is done and a compilation* is created. I wanted to also share this inspirational story that Erin Daly wrote for YALSA about nerdfighting. It is a holiday, after all. It may be my inner nerdfighter, but this story was quite touching.

*Until such a compilation is created, instead look at their economy tag which is entirely comprised of Dollars and Sense postings now.

And that about does it today, folks! Time to get all clean and shiny to go to my mom's house and eat too much food before going to my grandma's house tomorrow to eat even more food. Happy holidays!

Thank you Internet, my Christmas present from you was fabulous!

2009-12-17T13:09:00.004-05:00

Dear Internet,

It would have been enough for you to just give me this picture:

Little elven Alice? Rudolph Jacob? Taking a Christmas carol and placing it in hilarious context? It was too much to ask for. But the rest of the website upon which I found it? That was simply selfless of you! I can never repay you for such a gem. How ever would I have known that Santa might be a vampire? You're right, it IS kind of awesome.

2009-12-06T23:17:00.000-05:00

No one takes Shakespeare up a notch quite the same way as McSweeneys. Previously, there was Hamlet Facebook Newsfeed. Now they bring you Shakespeare Police Blotters. Hat tip to Bib-Laura-graphy for the link!

I WANT THIS SO BAD!!!! It's no secret I'm an anglophile, but I want nothing more than to use a classic red phone box for a library. Boing Boing, you completed my life with this information. Thank you for your services.

Speaking of things I want... this dictionary + me = rapture:

(via this Super Punch post that also has a nifty steam punk lego curiosity cabinet)

Potential program ideas:

Zipper rosette headbands
Duct Tape no-sew fabric totes (too cute!)

Reviews that made me want to read the book yesterday:

Dark Banquet by Bill Schutt reviewed on The YA YA YAs
Ash by Malinda Lo reviewed on Librarian by Day

BONAS JONAS*: Super Punch has been linking a lot of fabulous art lately that you need to see. Click here. And here. Initial over here.

*I almost thought I was over these johnsons, but then I remembered how brilliant it is that someone living and breathing right now is dubbed Bonas Jonas.

New Blog Alert! 4YA

2009-12-03T20:25:00.005-05:00

Ever since Andrea Graham posted a link to her blog 4YA on the ya-yaac list-serv a week or so ago I have been in love. When I log in to my Google Reader it is the first blog I look at these days. I must admit that a little smile pops up on my face every time I see the bold text indicating that she posted again.

Her tagline, "Inspiration for Youth Advocates" is truly accurate in more ways than one. 4YA inspired me to create Movie Mondays on the SCLS Teen Blog with a single post. Beyond that, the scope is so broad and spot on that it is difficult to put into a simple synopsis. You want craft ideas? Rather have video game suggestions? Well you are in luck because 4YA does this and more. Go. Now. Read it all! Her backlog begins in September so you have plenty to catch up on.

Here are two of her posts that have most definitely inspired happenings at my library in 2010:

Eco Fashion Craft -- Soda Tab Belt
Teen Cafe -- Percy Jackson Nectar Shake

P.s. Her blog design will knock your socks off, too.

Waiting on Wednesday: Two for the price of one!

2009-12-02T17:04:00.009-05:00

Last week was my first WoW post and Marce of Tea with Marce left me a comment, leading me to her posting. This week I'm using the book she selected (Thaw) because now I'm waiting on it, too! It also made me think of this ARC I received at the Baker and Taylor Spring 2010 preview, so I decided to give you that one as well. Breaking the Spine is hosting the round-up.

Both of these books center on people going through difficult depression and their journey as they decide whether or not to commit suicide. As dedicated readers of Purple Polka know, my stepfather committed suicide in the beginning of December last year, so it seemed a timely post for this week's WoW. And on that somber note, the books!

Book One: Thaw (Fiona Robyn)

(description pulled from Fionarobyn.com)

Ruth is thirty two years old and doesn't know if

she wants to be thirty three. Her meticulously-ordered lonely life as a microbiologist is starved of pleasure and devoid of meaning. She decides to give herself three months to decide whether or not to end her life, and we read her daily diary as she struggles to make sense of her past and grapples with the pain of the present. "Thaw" explores what makes any of our lives worth living. Can Red, the

eccentric Russian artist Ruth commissions to paint her portrait, find a way to warm her frozen heart?

The neatest part about this book is that Fiona Robyn is publishing it on a blog in March in addition to hard printing. To help spread the word she's organizing a Blogsplash, where blogs (this one included!) are going to publish the first page of the book and a link to the blog.

She's aiming to get 1000 blogs involved--if you're interested in joining her email her at fiona@fionarobyn.com or find out more information here.

***

Book Two: By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead (Julie Anne Peters)

(found on the back of the book--a plot description was found online, but this compelled me more so I opted to use this instead)

23 Days and counting

Dear

__mother

__father

__other

There was nothing you could do to stop me because:

__I'd already made up my mind

__I have been suffering my whole life

__you were too slow to notice

I offed myself because:

__my life sucks

__the world sucks

__you suck

Goodbye,

Daelyn

Author of two books burning a hole in my To Be Read pile (Rage and Between Mom and Jo, respectively) why shouldn't Julie Anne Peters add yet another title to the stack? I'm most excited for the count-down method, where we slowly find out more about our teenage protagonist and find out if she decides to pull the plug.

I bet your mom would let me

2009-11-28T21:36:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that I'm in love with Super Punch. It's probably my favorite blog ever. But this post has out done itself. Please go ahead and apply the slow clap, the standing o and the hamster dance for old time's sake in honor of alerting me to the brilliance that is Children's Book Cinema.

Waiting on Wednesday

2009-11-25T10:39:00.008-05:00

I saw Abby (the) Librarian's WoW post in my reader and thought this was finally a kidlit blog meme I could get behind. Breaking the Spine hosts the event, so check it out if you want to add even more books to your ever growing To Be Read pile.

Freefall (January 18, 2010)

Ariela Anhalt

(Description pulled from Amazon)

Luke was not eager to accompany his best friend, Hayden, and the cocky new kid, Russell, up to the cliff that night. The plan was to watch Russell jump off the cliff into the lake--his initiation to the Briar Academy fencing team. But instead, after an angry confrontation with Hayden, Russell falls to his death.

Now Hayden is in jail and the pressure is on Luke to report what he saw. But what did he see? An accident--or a murder? Luke has always followed Hayden's lead, but this is one decision he'll be forced to make on his own. And to do it, he must face the truth about his friendship with Hayden and his own painful past.

This suspenseful and scandalous tale of rivalry, peer pressure, and finding the courage to take responsibility will have an impact on readers long after the last page.

---

I'm most excited about the fact that this author is a 19 year old sophomore at Dartmouth College. I love when actual young adults write and publish young adult novels. What an achievement!

I received the ARC just last Friday and it is burning a hole in my bag, begging for me to read it. Anticipate a review sometime before 2009 has its final say.

Amanda Palmer signed your mom's toilet last night

2009-11-15T22:34:00.006-05:00

To: the world
From: Kristi(e)
Date: 11/14/09
Re: Your Jealousy

I'm aware of the fact that not everyone could be lucky enough to have been in attendance of one of the most awesome performances ever that it was as if you (performances, mind you--not simply "one of the best concerts" but the broader act of staging an entertaining presentation of any sort) but there is no need to shout at me and send Batman up and down my street to honk all day. You and your jealousy can simmer down now.

What's that? You're also upset that I got not only Amanda Palmer's autograph, but Neil Gaiman's? Tough noogies. The exquisite Ms. Sara of Librarian Boredom was in attendance and received autographs as well so go bother her.

Fine, I will show you a photographic representation of the library catalog card for Blacks in the Military: Essential Documents signed by Mr. Gaiman to prove to you that ridiculous happening happened. Yes I'm sad the catalog card was too small for both Amanda and Neil to sign on the same side, no need to rub it in.

... Are you done yet? Fine I will rub it in YOUR face that I had a fantastic time last night. In fact, I will pontificate upon it in a bulleted list in no particular order (because how else will you knew precisely how much fun was really had?):

Amanda Fucking Palmer told me that I was a good librarian for wearing my glasses to her show. 8)
I have a new favorite song thanks to a random twitter user that may or may not have been at the concert. Amanda may end up telling you that it was not her best performance of the song, but don't listen to her world. I think her charm and humor made her rendition of Pirate Jenny the best I've heard so far (and I've listened to about 4 different versions today [including Bea Arthur's so let's just be real here for a second]). Just shy of 4 minutes of this youtube video you can see the Dresdon Dolls performing Pirate Jenny. DO IT!!!
Amanda read a short story from Who Killed Amanda Palmer and was quite stupendous at storytelling.
Sara's question was read during Ask Amanda! What were the odds?!
Amanda had two artists create fabulous works of art during the duration of the concert that were then auctioned off. There were all kinds of unexpected surprises!
Pretty much every single space in the venue allowed you to have full view of the stage. WIN!
Nervous Cabaret was a fantastic surprise. Most indubitably for how amazing they were, but most notably for the fabulous facial hair.
Amanda Fucking Palmer covered the Ting Tings That's Not My Name and made it a jolly affair. That's right, I said it.
Just when I gave up all hope of hearing Coin Operated Boy everyone on stage rallied for a mind blowing performance to close the show!

I think I've rambled enough now. Long story short, you're silly for not going to an Amanda Palmer show. Fix that yesterday.

Free books!

2009-11-11T23:56:00.002-05:00

...over on Craft. They're giving away Scorpia and Ark Angel to promote a contest over on their technological counterpart, Make. Head on over to the giveaway post and leave a message in the comments as to why you/your kids/teens need these books!

New Blog!

2009-11-10T20:13:00.003-05:00

I am delighted to present you with Curious Pages: Recommended inappropriate books for kids. Not that kind of inappropriate from what I've seen thus far, but a very fun look at random books intended for kids. Whoever knew that John Cage helped pen an awesome book about mud pies? Thanks to this new blogorino by illustrator Lane Smith (and some Bob fellow), I know that. And now you do, too!

Check it out!

Digital Towns

2009-11-09T13:12:00.005-05:00

Move over John Green, Google is getting in on the paper town action! Paper towns are getting 2.0 with their bad selves in the form of Argleton. Google may or may not have created this town so that rival mapmakers cannot steal the fruit of their cartographic labors.

My question is does the terminology change because it's an online map or can we still call it a paper town?

NaNoWriMo is my nemesis

2009-11-07T16:06:00.005-05:00

November is my favorite month, hands down. First of all, if not for this month I would have a birthday in some less fortunate month that is not November. Secondly, excessive amounts of pumpkin are everywhere. Everywhere. Plus there is something to be said about fabulous shopping deals around every corner. Ahhh November.

But there is one aspect of November that fills my stomach with dread and occasionally puts a scowl on my face. If the post title didn't give it away, this is brought about by the fact that November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo mocks me with it's overly productive participants:

"Haaaai Kristi(e), how you doin' gurrl? Me and thousands of mah BFFLs are hangin' out gettin' 2gether writin' up some 50,000 word novels and junk. How's your novel doin'? Oh you got 2 flashcards with character names and whatever written down? That's fine gurl that's fyne. Maybe we can all get some coffee next year or sommen. Take kare of urself!"

I'm aware that if NaNoWriMo were to actually become anthropomorphized it would speak properly, but you must realize that my nemeses always have poor grammar when we get together for tea in my head so that no matter what they say I always speak more eloquently. Duh.

Anyway, I bring all this up because John Green makes a fabulous point in one of his more recent Vlog Brother posts: Anything produced during NaNoWriMo is complete and utter garbage. You hear that NaNoWriMo?! You and your BFFLs are GARBAGE! Even John Green won't be able to come up with some gold in a month. You can stop making me feel bad about the non-existent novel I'm writing, tyvm.

That said, anyone actually participating I wish you the best of luck! Because while the novel you write may end up smelling worse than a city dumpster, it is the foundation for a fabulous novel once you put in all the time and effort revising. Don't take my word for it, either. Try on what Editorial Anonymous has to say about revisions and rejections for size.

Whoopi's Wizarding Foot-in-mouth spell

2009-11-05T15:06:00.003-05:00

Whoops. Apparently reading her index cards with info on the guests she's interviewing on The View is not on Whoopi's agenda before she carelessly tosses them aside. Check out the wizarding faux pax below:

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

(via Best Week Ever)

TAG! You're it.

2009-11-05T10:32:00.005-05:00

My teens are super cool and wanted nothing to do with the traditional "Teen Advisory Board" name and went for the funkier Teen Action Group. It makes me feel like we shouldn't be meeting in the Bicentennial Room of the library, but instead an underground command post with a drop down plasma screen TV the mayor uses for his urgent communications. ... Or not. But still!

Anyway, the only program that regularly gets attendance is TAG. For the life of me, I don't know why. During the summer I got people, but now that it's the school year I only occasionally get people to roll up to Teen Cafe. This absence is despite the fact that the teens show interest in programs like the creative writing group when talking about them in TAG. I spent 4 potential writing programs doing other work.

Well I'm sick of that. I've decided to take action myself. If the teens are only interested in TAG, well they'll only get TAG (actually not true, but whatever). Instead of having a monthly writing program, I am going to have writing exercises at the original Monday night TAG meetings. Instead of a craft program, there will be a craft activity at the new Tuesday night TAG: The Echo meetings. BAM. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

I already tried out the writing exercise this month and it went swimmingly! We ran the meeting for about 45 minutes with little to no tangents and then started an exercise I like to call Judging a Book by its Cover. The teens each got a book they most likely had not read before taken from either the juvenile, YA or adult fiction sections with nondescript or weird covers. Without turning to the back or inside jacket flap they had to create a 4 sentence synopsis. After they were all done we took turns reading first our synopsis and then the official blurb. One girl was mostly spot on and she had the weirdest cover! It was a great time and I look forward to pulling this back out in a few months. :)

Apparently I'm an Inferi

2009-11-04T11:45:00.003-05:00

Man I've come back from the dead on this old Blogorino more times than I can count in just 2009. I'm sorry. At this point I feel like I'm probably apologizing to the air because I haven't posted in so long the one reader I had most likely abandoned me. Oh well, such is life.

Instead of blaming computer issues and moving twice in the same month, I'm going to own up and admit it: I'm a bad blogger. But I want to do better. Instead of waiting for January to start a new year, how about I just kick it off now? I've got me one of them there birthdays in two weeks, why not try living up to an older, more responsible (blogwise, anyway) Kristi(e) now?

It will be hard--not gonna lie. I've taken a very silly path to get to where I am now. Bored of reading the same damn blog every. single. URL I clicked on I decided to share silly things, fandom and other non book reviews. In an attempt to stand out I feel like I've just boxed myself in a corner and made it so that when I come across things I want to post about, I can't. Well that's just dumb. So please bear with me as I figure out exactly what type of blog this is.

Kanye Meme!

2009-09-17T00:36:00.008-04:00

This is a meme I can get behind! I've participated in memes before, but "I'm a let you finish" is by far my favorite thus far. I've provided some of the gems I found below.

First on deck, a requisite Pottertastic "ima let you finish."

Next we have Kanye traveling back in time to give props to something that hasn't even happened yet.

No words.

And bringing it home with my personal favorite.

Bonas Jonas: Internet Hitler hates Kanye West

Weekend Update

2009-09-14T01:27:00.005-04:00

Thanks to my friend Camille, I became obsessed with the NYT article on the bento box phenomenon in America. I have since spent my free moments (when I'm not consumed with assembling new furniture from Ikea, Target and god knows where else) reading up on the blogs mentioned in the article. My favorite is Lunch in a Box because the author concentrates more on speed bento prep, rather than having artistic bentos, like those found on this old 2dayblog post:

Not that I have anything wrong with the artistic bento boxes. They are fabbity fab and I wish I could do them, but my idea of proper amounts of effort for lunch is getting in my car and going to Panera, so making a PS2 controller is clearly not going to encourage me to do this on a regular basis. I made one tonight with leftovers from dinner and other stuff I had in the fridge and I'm quite happy with the results!

In this picture the chicken teriyaki does not look as appetizing as it tastes, but I blame my camera phone. Either way, bento boxes are awesome! I placed two books on hold that should arrive sometime later this week. I will report back on my progress.

Television Update

2009-09-11T14:55:00.002-04:00

For those of you interested in the reasoning behind some of your favorite television shows being classified under Dewey number 791.4572 and others under 791.4575 you are in luck! 025.431: The Dewey blog posted a brief write up earlier this week!

For those of you not interested in the exciting world of Dewey, check out the TV Guide listing of the fall line-up. What shows are you looking forward to? What shows would you absolutely need to DVR if you aren't there to watch? Does anything seem like it's going to be really lame?

Personally I am super pumped for Gossip Girl, Melrose Place and 90210 if I ever finish playing catch up on season 1 (only 7 episodes left to enjoy!). If I am off from work when The Office is on I'll watch it, but I wasn't very impressed by last season so I am also okay with waiting for the box set to come out.

Well this explains about 64% of the strips now...

2009-09-06T23:25:00.002-04:00

ETA: Alternate theory.

Excuse me miss

2009-09-04T23:10:00.001-04:00

...but where did you get your socks? I kinda need to own them yesterday. That is all.

Oh Luna...

2009-09-01T20:17:00.004-04:00

Actress Evanna Lynch, known to most as Luna Lovegood of the fifth and sixth Harry Potter films, is up for an award for Spike TV's SCREAM awards. I have my fingers crossed for her (especially considering she is combatting Ashley Greene of the Twilight dynasty) because seriously, no other character in the Harry Potter series has surpassed the version I imagined when reading better than Miss Lovegood.

Want to support Evanna? Click here to vote!

The Daily Prophet

2009-08-25T21:58:00.004-04:00

How ridiculous is this image? I found it here doing a Google Image search for Horcruxes. Fun times.

In other news, I still have all these posts I want to write after finally seeing the latest film, but I want to see it again before I get down to the nitty gritty.

Kids, don't do drugs or you might end up altering the Potterverse. ::points and laughs:: You don't get your big death scene now, Crabbe! (Thanks, Mugglenet!)

You were seen by no less than a million muggles. Oh my flipplin' fuck! This cannot be real!!?! Does this mean that Undetectable Extension Charms are coming soon too? Because goodness knows that this little packrat could do with one of them bad boys (Again, props to Mugglenet with the assist from Leaky Cauldron).

Things to check out on the interwebz

2009-08-24T23:31:00.003-04:00

Do android librarians dream of electronic books? That I can't tell you, not having been an android at any point in my life, but I can assure you that the song with the same name is phenomz. Despite being 3256 years old in internet years, you should listen if you haven't heard it and especially listen to it again if you have because you know you love things smothered in awesome sauce (Laughing Librarian).
Free handwriting fonts = Awesome teen posters (Craft).
Non library related, but RPattz was in my dream last night (it was awkward, don't ask) so I figured I would share BWE's confession that Robert Pattinson is blue.
Super Punch has outdone itself yet again. I fought the temptation (barely) to post the same image they used in a link round up because trust me, the Werewolf Nesting Transformation Dolls are gorgeous and must be viewed by everyone. EVERYONE!! Instead, I took one of the images they chose not to share created by deviantARTist spicysteweddemon and placed it below:

Update!

2009-08-20T10:59:00.003-04:00

It appears that I am going to be taking another hiatus. D'oh. HOWEVER, this hiatus does not leave you hanging. Nosiree, I am going to be blogging for my library system on our teen blog. There was some blasphemous talk about getting rid of it because no one updated it. Pssshht. Forget that! So, along with the help of my friend Liz, I am going to help revive the teen blog.

You can check me out here. I post under the name "Watchung Teen Librarian." I am going to attempt to still post here, but with my current job, blogging over at SCLS Teens and moving everything I own again for the second time IN A MONTH I don't forsee having a whole bunch of time. :( I will miss you all and look forward to posting again as soon as I can.

You can always count on me...

2009-08-13T00:26:00.004-04:00

...and I can count on you. Good times bad times in between your friends will see you through...

Which friends? The BSC of course!! The Library Ladies and I are pretty ridic and spent yesterday determining which officer we would be. I got to be prez by default because my name is Kristie. Anyway, why am I telling you this? Mainly because this led to a whole bunch of adult takes on the infamous permanent 8th graders.

You may have already seen the BSC Headquarters as it has had it's heyday and became defunct while ago, but the archive is worth perusing. It was run by some chick named Tiff that goes through the books and rereads them as an adult and then reviews them with insane amounts of snark. Very enjoyable. Here is a sample.
Trying to defend Mary Anne to my friend Cara yesterday (who was hating on her for being a good two shoes) I summed up #60 Mary Anne's Makeover by stating the following:
Ummm helLO!!? Didn't you ever read Mary Anne's Makeover? When she gets an edgey new haircut and cool clothes and the BSC shuns her for being "too cool for school" and Logan is all like OMG BONERZ!
Lastly, Danielle sent me this link via email today and there is only one word to describe this take on the BSC: McSweeny's.

MIcroblog day

2009-08-11T23:50:00.006-04:00

I've been the worst blogger ever and despite the ambition that graduation + part time job + working computer = blog posts, I forgot to subtract all the time that moving and unpacking ultimately requires from this equation.

HOWEVER

It is Pottertastic Tuesday and I will post dag nabbit. Even if it is just pasting a story tangentially related to the man with the scar from the hilarious website, MyLifeIsAverage.

Today I was sitting on my friends porch. They have automatic porch lights that turn on at 6 o'clock. I waited until 5:59 and shouted "Lumos" at the lights. They turned on. I feel like a wizard. MLIA

ETA: Today, I was asking my teacher a question about Alcatraz. I said Azkaban. MLIA

ETA part deux: Today, my family all got new bathrobes. I got a black one, and my brother got a red one. They are really long, and make a *swoosh* noise when you run. I started pretending to be a death eater, and using forks as wands, my brother and I had a fight with magic. My sister called us immature and went back to pretending to be a princess in her pink one. MLIA

ETA (perhaps I should stop reading this site, since many people appear to like Harry Potter and you are now all aware of the fact that instead of blogging I read stupid websites): At school, I have a class with a kid whose last name is Potter and a kid whose first name is Draco. I might dedicate my entire year to making them hate each other. MLIA

Wait... What?

2009-07-27T17:47:00.004-04:00

Baker and Taylor makes up nice little lists for us to peruse and ponder. It takes most of the guesswork out of ordering new books, really. We can order other books that aren't on the list, but why bother when you can get books like this? Below is the line from the Booklist review of Joaquin Dorfman's The Long Wait for Tomorrow that would have made me spit my drink all over the computer monitor, had I been consuming a liquid at the time:

The next morning, however, Kelly wakes up a new man. He buys Patrick expensive gifts. He kisses Jenna like he means it. He's what they dub the New Kelly McDermott; a pleasant change until Kelly mentions that he is a 40-year-old version of himself who has time-traveled in from a mental institution.

I'm quite alright with timetraveling into future or past versions of yourself and other things of that vein (like 13 Going on 30 or 17 Again) as long as they can explain things properly. But the mental institution? That's a nice touch, Mr. Authordude. Really, you decided that was necessary? H'okay...

Why can't YA just be YA? One of the other books in the list features a protagonist whose parents die in an airplane crash. That's not traumatizing enough, however, because then she also has to face the fact that her Uncle is sexually attracted to her after she goes to live with him. Why oh why do we need to shove so much into these books?

Too much adorable

2009-07-25T12:08:00.004-04:00

The children's librarian at WGL has all these adorable asynchronous craft programs set up in the main area of the library. This week's craft is Make a Book! She set up a basket of markers and blank books she folded from 8.5x11 paper. Just now, a table of children were all gathered 'round coloring their hearts out. The eldest collected everyone's books at the end and with his very studios face mused the following:

Well now we have to get the published. ... How about Scholastic?

I swear to you, I think I saw him delicately run his thumb and index along his chin. It took all the effort I had to not react how I usually do when things are painfully adorable (which is laughing and saying "awww" that sounds like a bleating goat when combined).

A very important date, indeed!

2009-07-22T17:03:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I talked about the horrifying opera of Alice in Wonderland, so it's probably the right moment to bring up the new Tim Burton Alice film slated to come out next year. This. looks. AWESOME! I am super pumped and I'm glad Burton is taking it in the direction he is (i.e., a new storyline and not the same tale rehashed yet again). Countdown until March 5th commences!

ETA: Apparently the trailer is removed until tomorrow. :( Sorry guys.

(!)

2009-07-21T23:06:00.009-04:00

Oh man! Why hasn't anyone taken me to see this Alice in Wonderland Opera? I can't remember the last time I woke up screaming from chronic nightmares. I think it's about time and I'm pretty sure this take on Carroll's classic is just the ticket for is-this-bed-moist-or-am-I-just-happy-to-be-awake level of night terrors. Thanks, SuperPunch!

MINI BOOK ALERT!!! I love mini things. I love books. By their powers combine, we get the Captain of AMAZINGNESS!

This reminds me of Kid Kits. Does anyone else remember Kid Kits? I always wanted one. I pretended I wanted to babysit, when really, I just wanted the Kid Kit. AND IT'S MINI!! I'm about to have an aneurysm from excessive enjoyment with all these teeny tiny how-tos floating around the interwebz. (via Craft)

Why do I not watch Jimmy Fallon's late night show? Seriously. He is trying to get a Saved by the Bell reunion up in this bitch and his show is conducive to this level of comedic genius? Thank you Meg Cabot's twitter! You've outdone yourself and that's sayin' something because you also brought me the trailer for My Little Ponies: Live Action.

Post-Pottertastic

2009-07-21T17:33:00.003-04:00

So I went M.I.A. for a week. I figured once I graduated and settled into my new job that I would dive right back into blogging. Little did I remember that moving all of my stuff from school back into my already full room at home takes up a boatload of time. Oh well.

Last week, however, I was conspiculously absent. How could I, Kristi(e), NOT post on the eve of Half Blood Prince's opening day?! Because everyone else was. That's my cop out answer. I'm waiting until it opens in IMAX to get the good stuff. I want some 3D 12 minute opening scene action. I want to be the same size as Daniel Radcliffe's nostrils. I want stuff to blow up all around me and give me a migraine. So... until then I will be quiet on Tuesdays. Shhhh!

BONAS JONAS: It's been a while since I've done one of these. I've been looking up crafts for future library programs and stumbled across this bad boy. While we can't do it at the library, the Potter love evident in this purse needs to be shared with my fellow Potterphiles.

Melt-o-rama!

2009-07-09T22:22:00.003-04:00

So this week I took a page out of Frank Buffay Jr.'s page and melted a bunch of stuff. The first experiment was only meh because it turns out that the TAG members are not into crafts. A newbie to TAG made a shrink film dog and a ring with her name in Korean, but that's about it. An older teen wrote all over a sheet, but didn't like the Chinese characters and abandoned the idea. Oh well--you win some, you lose some.

Last night fared much, much better. Only two people attended the DIY Record Bowl program, but we all had lots of fun. We gave most of the records a final farewell by playing a track from the record (thanks to YouTube) as we melted them in the oven. A grand time.

I'm glad that I found a job that is so awesome. :D It almost makes the torture of library school worth it. Almost. I'll get back to you one that...

July = Harry Potter Month!

2009-07-08T00:34:00.004-04:00

In honor of July being Harry Potter Month (you know, because making a post title a declarative sentence means I can proclaim this) I have some Zombie Haiku for you from Ryan Mecum's work of the same name. Now, I can hear those gears turning. Quiet them with some brain oil* and think on this:

To quote the great white-bearded guy, Inferi "are corpses. Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a dark lord's bidding." (Dumbledore::Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

Hmmm... that sure sounds like this TOTALLY FACTUAL bit of information I pulled off reference website numero uno, Wikipedia:

Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled as laborers by a powerful sorcerer.

That said, zombies are totally down for some Half-Blood Prince action, no? I think so. Side note, I am down for seeing some zombies in a Harry Potter film. Hopefully the cave scene allows me to wet myself in fright because it has so much potential! Enough fodder, let the zombie rumpus start!

Little old ladies
speed away in their wheelchairs,
frightened meals on wheels.

They are so lucky
that I cannot remember
how to use doorknobs.

Always be careful
when you're biting teeth with teeth.
Dead teeth tend to lose.

Brains, BRAINS, BRains,brains, BRAINS.
BRaiNS, brains, Brains, BRAINS, BRains, brains, BRAINS.
Brains, BRains, brains, BRAINS, brains.

*As we are discussing zombies, it's best to use metaphorical oil and not something like Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They might be tempted to eat brains, beginning with yours.

Update

2009-07-02T13:31:00.002-04:00

I never state when I send my computer back in to get serviced, do I? Oh well. It's getting looked at over in Louisville or some other random place that's not in the state I'm from. Good move, Best Buy! Anyway, this is pretty much the last time I'm going to give it back. If they can't fix the problem with my video card, I'll just have to deal. Not having a computer nearly ALL YEAR has been super annoying because

A) I'm addicted to the interwebz

B) I can't blog

C) Did I mention I'm addicted to the interwebz?

::fingers crossed:: I get my computer back next week.

I wrote this thing that one time that sorta seemed like Harry Potter...

2009-06-16T17:27:00.003-04:00

People are crazy.

JK Rowling is being sued for plagiarism... again. At least the 2008 lawsuit launched by director John Carl Buechler was slightly legitimate. Harry Potter is a central character's name in his 1986 movie, Troll. It's a fantastical story and one could imagine it possible there is overlap, presuming of course, that Rowling has seen the movie.

Now, however, people are just after their slice of the pie. A lawsuit launched by the estate of author Adrian Jacobs claims that the 1987 novel was blatantly ripped off throughout the Harry Potter series. Mugglenet has a pretty good recap you should check out over herr. At this point I feel like too many people are looking at their own works with Pottergoggles, connecting dots where they see fit to either publicize their own works or gain money from the immense success Lady Rowling has earned. Seriously guys? We're still doing this? ::eye roll::

Someone's been working out

2009-06-15T15:03:00.006-04:00

Reasons why I love being a YA librarian:

In searching Google for things I need for summer reading, I stumbled upon a two page layout featuring Rob Pattinson's topless bod. Holler!

Seriously though, I always tell myself that I don't have a crush on this man and then he just does something gorgeous or says something side-splittingly hysterical and it comes back. There are worse crushes to have...
ETA: Just in case you think this lone picture is enough and you can do without checking out the layout, please note that it uses the highly hilarious abbreviation, "OME." We all know that anything featuring that label is ... special. If you live under a rock and don't know what OME means, I sadly cannot help you out as Urban Dictionary is made of fail right now. Hopefully it works for you when/if you need to travel there.

Express Yourself

2009-06-11T23:48:00.002-04:00

Rutgers steals money for various things I never use and then calls it tuition. Usually I just shrug my shoulders and ignore it. What was that? $11 for a grammatically incorrect paper I never read because it makes my eyeballs bleed? Sure, why not. However much you want to take from my lazy non-gym using ass? Please! My wallet is yours.

Well not this time! I am going to use the entirety of my printing budget this year if it's the last thing I do! I made the booklist you see below last night in Fireworks and plan on printing them out with the remainder of the unused printing fund. Mwahahaha I = evil genius. Or a dork. Either way, check out my new booklist!!!!!!!exclaim!!!

FML! Nickelodeon Magazine is Donesville!

2009-06-09T18:33:00.002-04:00

I just got an email from the periodicals department at work saying that Nickelodeon Magazine is no longer in print. WhAt?!?! This magazine is my childhood! What is wrong with kids these days? How do they not realize that this magazine is perfect for cutting up silly pictures and collaging or reading comics or a great excuse to be silly for the sole purpose of BEING SILLY!?!

Here's your article verifying this by The Comics Reporter because I am too sad to go on.

::tears of infinite sadness::

New job -- Holla!

2009-06-05T15:41:00.002-04:00

Okay. There's no getting around a blog post now. I got my computer back (woohoo!!) and I have today off. Those two items yield bloggyhood, duhz.

To start, everyone seems super nice. Sure, mostly everyone is nice to people they just meet, but it seemed like more than that. The overall atmosphere of the library is very laid back and relaxed. I felt slightly dressed up my first day in and outfit that would have been casual at NBFPL. So far, so good. I'll probably still wear my fancy skirts and dresses A) because I own them and B) because that's the type of librarian I am.

Two YA librarians before me kept EVERYTHING. I don't think you get it, she. kept. everything. I recycled at least 7 New York Times Children's Bestseller lists from 2007 and old carts lists and a bunch of other stuff that made my eyebrows scrunch together when I saw it because... wtf? Why was it saved? No clue. The YA filing cabinet (which I'm guessing my most recent predecessor never used) was reduced to half the size when I was done. I was a one woman recylcing circus this past week.

In addition to all that, I found out that there is greater support in this library system than I had previously seen in my old consortium. I spent the first two hours of my shift on Wednesday at another branch learning the ropes of our system from the YA librarian perspective and was amazed at how much these individual branches seem to make up one family. Since this branch is 5 minutes (if that) down the road from mine, we decided to do cross promotion for summer reading. I have to figure out when I'm planning my programs for the summer next week, but I'm going to attempt to arrange it so that there will be a program at one of our branches nearly every day. :)

All in all, a good first week!!

Oh you crazy kids

2009-06-02T22:54:00.003-04:00

My new colleague Jessica summed it up best,"Homeless man should focus on getting a house, not reading sex books."

Note: Thoughts on the new job will come later this week. :D

Dear Carleton Place Public Library,

2009-05-30T15:29:00.003-04:00

Are you taking resumes? I know I just got a new job and all, but I love you guys. Seriously. Time after time, I read your blog and get jealous that I don't work there.

Everyone else: Please check this ADOOOORABLE program idea out!

Greener Pastures?

2009-05-30T11:05:00.002-04:00

Today is my last day officially working for NBFPL. Sad times, sad times. Even though I feel as if I've outgrown working here (which makes sense as I'm officially a librarian working as a librarian trainee), I still love the people I work with. I enjoy the stacks, the way the trees are painted on the walls and posts and just everything. Even the awkward people/situations most people don't appreciate. I've grown so much working here and now it all ends. :(

I'm also a little nervous. I start my new job on Monday and get tons more responsibility. Eek! I know I can handle it, but it's the unknown that's getting to me now.... it's sort of like being afraid of dementors I guess (and yes, Mr. Spellcheck, dementors is a word). What should I expect? Will I be able to do this? Am I grown up enough?

Only time will tell. ::fingers crossed for Monday::

... but aren't we still waiting for the 6th movie?

2009-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

Dear goodness this weekend was rough (see also: I thought it was Monday all day). Fortunately, I found some Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie info over on Mugglenet and can get that Pottertastic Tuesday to you in a less than timely fashion, but in a fashion of sorts after all.

Dear Mother Reader,

2009-05-22T15:15:00.003-04:00

I love you. I do. You prove it time and time again and this time, no different. Everyone that isn't Mother Reader, do yourself favor and read her thoughts on how American Idol is like the Newberry Award. Word.

Yours truly,
Kristi(e)

Apparently this is program idea week?

2009-05-22T11:46:00.003-04:00

Booo to censorship! Yay to staying on top of these silly shenanigans and trying to prevent them from happening again!! Thanks, YALSA.

Also from YALSA: Let's hear it for distraction! (i.e, the story of my sad, procrastinating life) and the YA Bookshelf Project. Check them out!

Where the Wild Things are papercraft via Toy-A-Day.

Super Punch, as per usual, produced some gemtastic gems for potential programs. First up is found item sculpture. While the teens may or may not generate such stunning works as those featured on Super Punch, it would be a great way to get rid of junk. Next week I'll provide you with the second link, mainly because I had plans to post something similar but I'm not quite there yet. So instead I will tease you and let you know that it exists and it will soon be yours to view, but not quite yet. Mwahahaha!

Quick! The library is about to close!

2009-05-20T20:45:00.003-04:00

And then I will be home without interwebs. So I must post some possible program ideas quickly that you may or may not have use for.

First on deck is a mini little jobber for use in a Twilight program. I know what you're saying, the books are all done and the movie licensing cost is through the roof, what sort of program can I do? Just because you can't show the movie doesn't mean you aren't allowed to hype up the new one with a little program johnson. Anyway, forks into vampire teeth are pretty ridiculous and a fun sidebar.

Second: You say trash, I say art! Who knew that those hard multi-colored playdoh bits could be of use? Not me, that's who.... until NOW!

Also on The Object Project is this nifty little purse that seems vair vair simple to make.

Lastly, this wouldn't fly with my current patronage, but perhaps you could make use of this link, either for yourself or for a library event. Hands free book pillow?! Clearly this is a necessity. Thanks Craft blog!

BONAS JONAS: I want this shirt like woah. It came up in the same slew of links but didn't have a place to call home so bonas jonas time it is!

Gradumacation

2009-05-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

In honor of graduation today and Pottertastic Tuesdays (with a little help from my recent fondness for fancy cakes) I present to you what I wish was waiting for me after the ceremony:

Update: My faux-brarian days are over

2009-05-18T16:00:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, I graduate! In honor of being a full fledged librarian, I updated the layout of my page. Plus, some people were complaining about the bright ass fuchsia coloring so why not keep the people happy and change the background? It's still me, so it obviously needs to have some level of obnoxious tones in order to be legit. Hopefully I am successful in the bright color department. :)

New (to me) Blogs

2009-05-17T17:56:00.005-04:00

I wish I had Lisa Falzon's level of dedication to flash fiction. Perhaps now that I'm graduating....

::blinks:: What?

My inner lexicographer is flailing in delight. Thanks, My First Dictionary! You are delightfully snarky entertainment.

Mispelled Project begs to be turned into an alphabet book!

Amazing Things, indeed. The pictures on pencils is my favorite, thus far.

Apparently it IS possible for Yoshi to be even more adorable than he already is. You crazy kids at Yoshi 365...

This artist's work is very haunting, especially the blue pieces. I say haunting reluctantly, however, as there is a hopeful quality about it. My favorite is below:

Memorandum

2009-05-17T17:42:00.003-04:00

To: the universe
From: Kristi(e)
Date: 5/17/09
Re: Amazingness

If you could go ahead and find some way of producing a cake like this for me, that would be greaaaat.

ETA: Dear goodness, this gold medallion would be PERFECT for book pimping!!

* Please Note

2009-05-15T11:18:00.005-04:00

Now that graduation is upon us (and by us, I mean me) and only a handful of days away, I would like to tell you that I am not going to be a librarian. Despite spending 2 annoying years in library school, I have decided that I just don't see myself as a librarian. Instead, I am going to take my newly minted MLIS and my fancy new jobs and become a book pimp.

What exactly is a book pimp?

A book pimp can be described as a person that pimps out books. Oftentimes one can find these creatures exclaiming things like, "OMG YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!!" with such enthusiasm that it frightens puppies. They create book displays of utter beautiousity that it could bestill even the Twits' hearts. In their spare time, the produce booklists that are so nifty, even the most reluctant reader can't just walk past it.

True, there is still the whole shebang associated with collecting money. Any good book pimp knows to delegate this task to circulation. Lest we forget about the hoe slapdown of 87, it will serve no one to have a book pimp slap hoes unless it is in the most dire situations either.

Applications for Pimp My Bookcase are now being collected.

ETA: There is also the requisite nametag worn on a gold medallion of the nametag owner wearing a gold medallion. No book pimp is complete without this regalia.

8 is the natural number following 7

2009-05-14T14:01:00.005-04:00

I find it funny that every time I drop off the face of the earth for a few weeks, I'll eventually get around to posting a letter saying something along the lines of, "yo guys, I'm gonna be unplottable for a bit so just hold tight" and then BAM! I start posting the very next day. It's how I roll, apparently.

As it were, I was tagged a bit ago by Sara at Librarian Boredom to complete a survey. Surveys are my friends. I like surveys. ::strokes the survey's furry head::

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Graduating from library school!!!
2. Being a certified book pimp*
3. Creating programs and other book pimpy things
4. Having time to work on my novel(s)
5. Crashing at my friend's house all summer, as she lives directly on the shoreline. :D
6. Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool...
7. Reading non-school stuff (not like I read school stuff to begin with, but yeah...)
8. Blogging more!

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Pimped books
2. Ingested nutrients
3. Began reading Jellicoe Road
4. Wrote up stuff to finish colloquium
5. Decided to reclassify my job title
6. Told a kid that for him, not being weird was like not breathing oxygen
7. Was then told by my boss that I am too informal with the patrons... meh
8. Celebrated my friend's A on an exam she was nervous about failing

8 Things I wish I could do:
1. Remember Chinese
2. Find time to exercise
3. Know what the heck I should expect for summer reading at my new job
4. Paint realistically, instead of just abstractly
5. Learn to sew
6. Not live with my parents after my housing runs up
7. Go on vacation with friends
8. Get a pug!

8 Shows I watch:
1. Charmed
2. Good Eats
3. Skins
4. Law and Order (with Sam Waterston and SVU)
5. 90210
6. Gossip Girl
7. Degrassi
8. Weeds

Blargh

2009-05-12T23:03:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog,

As you may have noticed, I dropped off the face of the earth. I had juuuust enough time to complete all my finals, graduate and call it a day. I had to leave you be for a while, I'm sure you understand. Now, however, I am still doing school work since my computer died. Again. Brand new computer. Dead. WTF.

In order to graduate next Tuesday I have to redo work I've already done. I have to remain studious even though my brain is all yeah...eff that. It is still up in the air as to whether or not I'm actually going to finish Learning Theory because forget about being a school librarian now, if not ever. I'm slightly dejected by all of this, graduating and becoming a grown up in addition to breaking up with my boyfriend of three and a half years all in the span of two weeks. Life is life and boy does life stink.

On the plus side, bloggerino, I got a job. False. I somehow procured two jobs at two different libraries. Starting June 1st I will be an official young adult librarian and sometime in September I will be doing the job of three different librarians in the span of two days a week. I am exhausted just thinking about it! I'm really excited for the experience, however, as I will get to do storytimes, teach people how to use computers and come up with some fun teen programs. All in all, not a bad place to be the week before graduation.

So, life is taking over and my dwindling digital budget is making it unlikely I will regularly post again for at least a week, probably two. Sorry bud. LOVES!

Technically it's Tuesday somewhere...

2009-04-22T02:21:00.001-04:00

I have to say, of all the fan art I've ever seen, Harry Potter fans take the cake!

See also:

The verdict is in!

2009-04-16T00:22:00.006-04:00

Twilight is out. Confessions are in.

Observe the evidence.

Ex. a,

The Midnight Sun leak is old hat.

Ex. b,

The final confessions of Georgia Nicolson has yet to be published!

(Will it come out in June? October?)

Ex. c,

Robbie, Dave, Laugh and Masimo pwned twilight in this recent Wordle rendering of my twilight tag. It's like Wordle knew that The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson are superior works of fast food YA.

BONAS JONAS:

:twilight:Confessions of Georgia Nicolson::McDonalds:Island Burger:

I don't know how I feel about this...

2009-04-14T15:35:00.002-04:00

An animated Hog's Head to be placed in front of the bar of the same name. Mugglenet seems to support this, but I keep having nightmarish flashbacks to the dog (thing?) from The Never Ending Story and I whimper slightly. +++ to the Monster Book of Monsters idea, however.

Keep up the good work on making my spiffy, new hometown, the Wonderful World of Harry Potter. Thanx guyz!

~Sparkle~ like Edward!

2009-04-11T22:58:00.002-04:00

or so the blog post boasts...

Forget Team Edward

2009-04-11T09:38:00.003-04:00

Hello Team Robbie! Edward and Jacob are yesterday's beef. Bella finally chose and left her scraps for her daughter (creepy) so what's left to benefit from a Team anything Twilight discussion? Nothing, you are exactly right noble reader!

Georgia Nicolson, on the other hand, needs your help getting off the rack of romance and into a red-bottom free existence. Should she end up with Robbie, the sensitive musician that wants a better world? Dave the laugh who is... er... a laugh? Or lastly, Masimo, her adorable Italian stallion?

Team Masimo

He has a vair vair sexy accent from Pizza-a-gogo land.
(Not that we have any tangible proof of this, but) he is ridiculously gorgeous. Enough so that Georgia now gets the evil eye anytime he talks to her at a Stiff Dylans gig.
When he understands what she is on about, he seems like a good mix of having a laugh and being sentimental and sweet (though the language barrier often prevents her hilarity to be fully appreciated).

Team Dave the Laugh

They have more in common, what with them both being nonstop laugh riots.
She doesn't notice when she isn't wearing makeup or pajamas and other things that means she's comfortable enough around him.
All of his girlfriends, even Ellen, have made her insanely uncomfortable. Jealousy much?
He is her top snog.

Team Robbie

He bought a scooter and stayed in England! Adorable and sad at the same time!
Single tear drop, my friends... single tear! His feelings were more hurt than Dave's when she rejected him.
His serious side needs to be toned down by her madnosity, just the same as her insane antics would calm down a tad if she dated someone serious.

I know, I know, Robbie had his chance and he broke her ickle heart (what with moving off to snog marsupials and whatnot) but hear me out. Dave the Laugh is a good option... for now. She isn't grown up enough to handle a realtionship with either Masimo or Robbie. However, her relationship with Dave the Laugh could potentially be one of those "it's better when we're not together and snogging when we shouldn't be" sorts of things. They happen often in high school and could very easily be the case here. Then Robbie can swoop in and comfort her by being her "mate" and she will lose all the rules and regulations she used to follow when dating him previously. Because, seriously, who wants to be the girlfriend of a Sex God if you have to remember to not spread your smile too wide and flare your nostrils and ... ugh too much!

On the other hand, I want Dave the Laugh to be happy too. Gah! Book 10, you and your silly finality!! If there were more books she could be with Dave the Laugh and realize he's too immature or whatever. Since there's not, I'm not seeing it happening. This makes me sad, because while I like the idea of Dave and Georgia.... Robbie! Oh Robbie...

Oh Lilo

2009-04-09T16:24:00.002-04:00

In honor of Miss Lohan's recent dumping, here is a poem. Seemed a good time, what with it being National Poetry Month and all.

::Twinkle Twinkle Little Starlets::

Twinkle, twinkle little starlets
More and more resembling harlots
Up above the world so high--
Celebrity's fame's the reason why.

::Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for our Fragile Times:: Barbara Whyn Klunder::

Thanks to Sara (of Librarian Boredom) to putting this random, random book in my hands!

Online program idea!

2009-04-09T00:13:00.006-04:00

I created a animated gif of a YA book cover! ... sorta. I definitely appreciate the outcome and the possibilities this creates. A Myspace page could gain activity with a contest for the best book cover avatar. Or maybe characters from a book could be sent to an email address?
ETA: Audrey, Wait! eLouai

Nobody's perfect!

2009-04-08T16:23:00.002-04:00

I gotta work it again and again til I get things right!

Case in point, I am a 23 year old woman that enjoys Hannah Montana, proving once again that no one is indeed perfect (because, you know, without that itty bitty factor of liking Miss Cyrus I'd be totes perfect and all...). That said, check out these Hannah Montana crafts if your library is looking to draw in crowds for some fun times and awesome tunes! The movie is only moments away so this would be a great time to capitalize on the great crafts, like the guitar pick bracelet (seen below).

If your Hannah Montana books haven't been circing as well as you'd like considering the large amount of them published, you can definitely decorate the room with them and I can guarantee you that at least one will be checked out, if not all of them, by the end of the program.

Anti-Twilight sentiments

2009-04-05T02:25:00.003-04:00

Yet another list detailing why Twilight is horribly written/boring/blahblahblah. It's fine, you don't have to repeat what countless others (along with your repetitive self*) have said about this fast food saga of young adult literature. We know.

Why mention the list at all, you ask? Oh, because the author managed to add one new thought that needs to be assessed:

92. Martin Luther would not have not have approved if the book was written during his lifetime.

* Dear people on the internet,

If you are making a list, please ensure that you do not reword previous thoughts and try to pass it off as another point. This wastes my time. I could spend that time wisely finding more Twilight snark, thank you very much...

Oh dear god!

2009-04-04T14:31:00.002-04:00

This crosses a line even for me. Some photoshop extraordinaire bludgeoned these childhood classics with dirty titles. Though, I do have to give a nod to this one. I almost feel like that should be the title to go with the coverart.
View the rest here.

Oh hot daymn, this is my jaym

2009-04-03T11:40:00.005-04:00

Thi is what my blog looks like, according to Wordle. Click that ish to actually be able to read it...

Got the hint

2009-04-01T23:06:00.002-04:00

I got the memo.

Memorandum

To: Kristi(e)
From: the universe
Date: 4/1/09
Re: Breathe my Name

It has come to the attention of the universe that you failed to read this book after finding it compelling in Camille's book display and toting it home. Even after walking past it day after day after day after day going to and from your bedroom and the rest of your bubble. The attention of the universe was captured when you brought it with you to your parents' house this past weekend. The universe was impressed.

However, the universe is severely let down by you, Kristi(e). Breathe my Name was left to rot, drifting about the front passenger space. Well the universe will no longer take this lying down. You are to read this book and you will like it, is that understood missy? It better be.

The universe has taken the following actions against you to remind you that you are to read Breathe my Name in the next week or else. Or else...
This review of the book by librarina will be the first thing you open on Bloglines after your extended hiatus from the feed reader.
The review is good.
Damn good. You will feel compelled to push Breathe my Name further up your queue and cannot do anything to stop this urge.
Thank you for your attention in this matter and enjoy the book.

Another one bites the dust

2009-04-01T20:47:00.003-04:00

::long sigh::

I think Bib-Laura-ography has finally got me to check out twitter. I Facebook (far too much to be considered healthy, frankly), blog, ning on occasion, and god knows what other 2.0 shenanigans I get up to, but previous to today, I did. not. twitter. I was very proud of this. Then Laura had to go ahead and introduce me to this list of YA authors twittering compiled by Mitali Perkins.

Thanks for ruining the slim amount of free time I had allotted to reading new books.

If you build it, they will come

2009-03-31T23:03:00.002-04:00

My esteemed colleague has decided to enter the blogging world! Please go to her blog, have a poke around and then barrel down the digital divide with pitchforks and electronic torches to encourage her to post frequently.

...

or just say "Whaddup gangsta?!"

Pottertastic Parasite

2009-03-31T23:01:00.004-04:00

Movie theater fail:

I really appreciate that Harry must use a special wand of a plastic hanger in order to achieve the infetus abortionono. Wait. Shouldn't it be a wire hanger? Photoshop fail.

Stop right there!

2009-03-29T23:38:00.003-04:00

Super Punch is hosting a video detailing how to make a stop animation puppet from clay, wire, foam and a ping pong ball, amongst other items. So flippin' cool. When I traced it back to Glueandglitter.com I saw these bad boys:
I am very hungry just looking at them, despite being full 2.2 seconds previous.

March Madness at the close of the month

2009-03-28T10:13:00.002-04:00

This would be such an awesome on-going library activity! Best Week Ever has a March Madness style bracket war over 90s movies. Doing something with pop culture would be a great way to incorporate the tagline of Pop Goes the Library: using pop culture to make libraries better. If the items in the bracket were more current, say best songs of the year, teenagers would vote and hopefully come to the results program where the final votes would be cast. :)

The program clearly won't last more than five minutes if it is just the final tally, so other fun things should be happening. Perhaps music videos going on in the background? Craft tables featuring awesome crafts, like these recycled cereal boxes turned bookmark? (Thanks Craft)

Book meme time!

2009-03-27T13:57:00.004-04:00

I've hit an impasse with a project for work, so I am hoping that upon completing this meme all the answers will be revealed to me. That or the people I want to discuss said project with are on some sort of messenger program then. Either or. ^-^

Stolen from Jill's facebook (again, how does one cite Facebook notes?) but you can view the LibrariYAn's results over here.
100 Teen Books Meme

From Karen Brooks-Reese

The following list of books teens love, books teens should read, and books adults who serve teens should know about was compiled IN ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC MANNER and should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

Instructions:
Put an "X" next to the books you've read
Put a "+" next to the books you LOVE
Put a "*" next to the books you plan on reading
Tally your "X"s at the bottom
Share with your friends!

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams *
2. Kit's Wilderness / David Almond
3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / Sherman Alexie *
4. Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson +
5. Feed / M.T. Anderson X
6. Flowers in the Attic / V.C. Andrews
7. Thirteen Reasons Why / Jay Asher +
8. Am I Blue? / Marion Dane Bauer (editor)
9. Audrey Wait! / Robin Benway *
10. Weetzie Bat / Francesca Lia Block
11. Tangerine / Edward Bloor
12. Forever / Judy Blume X
13. What I Saw and How I Lied / Judy Blundell
14. Tyrell / Coe Booth
15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Ann Brashares
16. A Great and Terrible Beauty / Libba Bray
17. The Princess Diaries / Meg Cabot +
18. The Stranger / Albert Camus
19. Ender's Game / Orson Scott Card *
20. Postcards from No Man's Land / Aidan Chambers
21. Perks of Being a Wallflower / Stephen Chbosky X
22. And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie
23. Gingerbread / Rachel Cohn *
24. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist / Rachel Cohn and David Levithan *
25. Artemis Fowl (series) / Eoin Colfer +
26. The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins *
27. The Midwife's Apprentice / Karen Cushman
28. The Truth About Forever / Sarah Dessen
29. Little Brother / Cory Doctorow
30. A Northern Light / Jennifer Donnelly
31. Tears of a Tiger / Sharon Draper
32. The House of the Scorpion / Nancy Farmer *
33. Breathing Underwater / Alex Flinn
34. Stardust / Neil Gaiman
35. Annie on My Mind / Nancy Garden +
36. What Happened to Cass McBride / Gail Giles *
37. Fat Kid Rules the World / K.L. Going *
38. Lord of the Flies / William Golding *
39. Looking for Alaska / John Green X
40. Bronx Masquerade / Nikki Grimes *
41. Out of the Dust / Karen Hesse
42. Hoot / Carl Hiaasen X
43. The Outsiders / S.E. Hinton X
44. Crank / Ellen Hopkins
45 The First Part Last / Angela Johnson
46. Blood and Chocolate / Annette Curtis Klause
47. Arrow's Flight / Mercedes Lackey
48. Hattie Big Sky / Kirby Larson
49. To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee X
50. Boy Meets Boy / David Levithan X
51. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks / E. Lockhart *
52. The Giver / Lois Lowry +
53. Number the Stars / Lois Lowry X
54. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / David Lubar
55. Inexcusable / Chris Lynch
56. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things / Carolyn Mackler *
57. Dragonsong / Anne McCaffrey X
58. White Darkness / Geraldine McCaughrean
59. Sold / Patricia McCormick
60. Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta *
61. Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr
62. Twilight / Stephenie Meyer X
63. Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
64. Fallen Angels / Walter Dean Myers *
65. Monster / Walter Dean Myers
66. Step From Heaven / An Na
67. Mama Day / Gloria Naylor
68. The Keys to the Kingdom (series) / Garth Nix
69. Sabriel / Garth Nix
70. Airborn / Kenneth Oppel
71. Eragon / Christopher Paolini
72. Hatchet / Gary Paulsen +
73. Life As We Knew It / Susan Beth Pfeffer *
74. The Golden Compass / Phillip Pullman +
75. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging / Louise Rennison X
76. The Lightning Thief / Rick Riordan X
77. Always Running: La Vida Loca / Luis Rodriguez
78. how i live now / Meg Rosoff
79. Harry Potter (series) / J.K. Rowling +
80. Holes / Louis Sachar X
81. Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger X
82. Push / Sapphire
83. Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi
84. Unwind / Neil Shusterman
85. Coldest Winter Ever / Sister Souljah
86. Stargirl / Jerry Spinelli
87. Chanda's Secrets / Allan Stratton
88. Tale of One Bad Rat / Brian Talbot
89. Rats Saw God / Rob Thomas *
90. Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien
91. Stuck in Neutral / Terry Trueman
92. Gossip Girl / Cecily Von Ziegesar X
93. Uglies / Scott Westerfeld +
94. Every Time a Rainbow Dies / Rita Williams-Garcia
95. Pedro and Me / Judd Winick
96. Hard Love / Ellen Wittlinger
97. American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang
98. Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin
99. I am the Messenger / Markus Zusak
100. The Book Thief / Markus Zusak

Youch. I've only read 26 of the 100! Eeep! I better get crack-alackin' if I want to be a good YA librarian, huh?

This is me

2009-03-27T10:47:00.004-04:00

This is me:This is what I will be doing in the next few weeks because the job I am applying for was previously held by someone with extreme manga and anime knowledge: not existing because I'm becoming conversant with this link

This will be me in a month:
ETA: Having tabbed browsers is wonderful until you find yourself bogged down by tabs and no clue how they relate to one another, resulting in awesome links and no one to thank. :( If not for my Materials for YA livejournal community I would be this emo when it came to catching up on my anime/manga vernacular:

If this is how 12 year olds look these days I give up

2009-03-26T13:16:00.006-04:00

The female lead for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief has been announced and I have to say... did they not get the memo that this chick is playing a 12 year old? No seriously, who is believing Alexandra Daddario to be prepubescent? Not me, that's who.
Seriously though, did they decide to change the age of the characters for a broader appeal? That's lame. I guess they had to because Alexandra is 23 and Logan Lerman is 17. At least Lerman is under 20. In fact, I slightly hope they are making the characters older if just because a 23 playing a 12 year old makes me feel worse about the fact that I get mistaken for a high schooler all the time. If I could be mistaken for a 12 year old too... well... let's just not go there.

What made these books so awesome was the amount of daring adventure and intellectual problem solving these characters had to do at the ages of 12 and 13! To make these characters in their late teens is cliched and doesn't give the kids on the early end of their teen years the sense of empowerment the Percy Jackson book series provides. While I doubt there are 11 year olds out there going, "Hey, that 13 year old boy just opened a can of whoop ass on a Greek god," they identify with the age better than if it was a 17 year old opening the same can.

Does anyone have confirmed information on this?

Yet more reasons to want to be a librarian

2009-03-25T19:20:00.001-04:00

Why wouldn't you want to be an advocate for these guys? Children's authors=my heroes. Thanks Fuse 8 for the link!

Pottertastic Tuesday

2009-03-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

That's right, folks! The weekly installments are back and better than ever. What was I thinking removing such a handy feature from the weekly rotation?! Clearly there is much to post about, as there are whispers from the theme park within a theme park, the movie is coming out in mere months (MONTHS!) and it's Harry freakin' Potter so there is something out there I can show you, I'm sure! This week? Tales from an Open Book gave me this gem two months ago and I'm just showing you now. I know, I know, high treason. My apologies. But, you are viewing it now, no?

The poster gives me chills!! The rain effect is slightly overdone but the poster redeems some major points with the eerie reflection of Dumbledore in Potter's spectacles.

Twilight DVD Madness

2009-03-22T00:56:00.002-04:00

I hope that my experience picking up the DVD is something along these lines. Thanks cleolinda, for never ceasing to report upon how absurd this whole Twilight nonsense is. And by nonsense I mean entertaining trainwreck. Because train wrecks are entertaining now. Either way, if there isn't a shifty-eyed guy I will be pissed. Man, I should have just hit delete on this post but... wait for it... PUBLISH POST it is!