Library Style

I'm so in love with Out of Print's Library Collection:

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A Rant Before Bedtime

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I'm Googling a little obsessively lately and it's occurred to me that information, both correct and incorrect, is just too readily available on the Internet. This isn't the first time I've had this thought, it's just resonating today. We don't have to work for information anymore, we don't have to talk to anyone, we don't have to go anywhere. Just today I managed to find some herbal remedies for a medical condition I've diagnosed myself with, selected a new camera to buy for yearbook, decide on a new recipe for dinner, start a web page program for my students, check if Barnes and Nobles carries a book at the store so I can look at it before I order it on Amazon, and see what my electric bill is so far this month (don't ask). I'm not kidding- all between the hours of five and seven.

It's just too much. There aren't any surprises anymore, the concept of mystery and wondering becomes completely irrelevant at the press of a button. Our experts have turned into faceless beings that claim sufficient knowledge- instead of making the time to create a connection we ask the source that's open and all too ready to help, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all for the low price of an internet connection. 

Once upon a time, back when I was twelve, I was doing a project on the Hetch-Hetchy project in Northern California for science and had to request past newspapers from the circulation desk at the public library.They went downstairs to the archive and brought back bundles of newsprint.

Once upon a time, back when I was ten and wanting to figure out when my favorite used bookstore, Yesterday's Books, opened on a Saturday morning I had to pull out the phone book, look up the number, and call for the information.

Once upon a time, back when I was seven, I had to do a report on astronaut Sally Ride. I went to the library and looked up the information in a card catalog, jotting down the call numbers for the relevant books with tiny pencils on scratch paper thoughtfully cut into small squares by librarians. 

Once upon a time, when I was six, I accidentally said the "N-word" because I was looking up different locations on a globe, learning how to use latitude and longitude. Unfortunately, there was a little African American boy in the group and the whole situation ended up with me crying. Wait to set me up for failure, Niger.

Bottom line- we used to have to work for our information. There was a sense of satisfaction that was gained after a long afternoon in the library with notes scribbled in my Trapper Keeper (what what) and fresh copies made from the machine I pumped dimes into (there is nothing more adult-like to a middle schooler than using a copier without an adult). I don't feel that way after hours spent at my dining room table with my bleary eyes glued to my computer's screen.

Side note: Did you know that card catalogs are now nifty DIY sort of projects that upcyclers love to distress and put in their homes? They use the drawers for their kid's crap or their office supplies. Would I balk at having one in my front room? Hell no (in fact I kind of want one now...), but you can bet one drawer would have some actual cards in it. 

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But, on the other hand, this whole "information at your fingertips" monster is terribly efficient. The things I was able to do this afternoon would have taken me several hours worth of phone calls and appointments if I hadn't had the ability to look them up on the Internet. I'm a busy woman and there are only so many hours in a day. I've got shit to do. Lots and lots of shit. 

But, back to the other hand, the romance is gone. This whole technological revolution is like an old, boring marriage- we've been together awhile and I'm becoming nostalgic for the days prior to we vowed to stick together forever. Technology gives me what I want but doesn't challenge me- we don't fight anymore, we don't try anything new. Every night all we do is Google with the lights off.

I could start making massive parallels to our society, and how this is indicative of a larger epidemic- the laziness that is today's people. But I won't. This diatribe is nothing new, we've heard this song before. And I'll be honest- while I'm sitting here pining away for the days of yesteryear I know very well that I'm not going to change. I'll check Facebook when I'm done typing this, peek at my email, and glance at the weather so I know what to wear tomorrow. I'll continue lusting after the iPhone 5 and and iPad, and will forever use technology as a way to communicate. Despite all this I can still think it's sad. Maybe Siri will know what to do. 

Books on Your Back- Check You Out

Remember the days of check out stamps? Oh, libraries...

November was a good month

Threadless, $9.99

 Now if only that had a small in stock...

Back in the Day

Several months ago, after we bought the house, my mom gleefully dumped 8 boxes of my old belongings in my garage. And there they sat... until today. Parents, do your kids a favor and do not keep every stupid writing assignment, mother's day picture, and stuffed animal your child has ever acquired. They will forget about ninety-percent of it (unless you're my husband, who will forever be bitter about some kind of collectible Voltron toy that went missing in his parent's garage). Anyway, there were some gems packed away, like dance pictures from seventh grade, my old Brownie sash, a clay hippopotamus I made in eighth grade, and my two Cabbage Patch dolls, Wilma and Donna (Wilma has on her original clothes, just to let everyone know). 

There was also a lot of old artifacts that show how I became the book enthusiast I am today. For example, I wrote all the time in elementary school- my teachers gladly gave me supplies and whenever I finished my work early I read or wrote. My favorite were The Sophisticated Snobs from fourth grade (40+ typed pages, thankyouverymuch), The Panda Escape from third grade (complete with collage art), and Snow White's Party (I was "inspired" by a book I had already read that used real envelopes). I wrote rough drafts, edited and then made them into little books. If only I could channel some of that creativity now...

Nothing was better, though, than the time someone donated blank books to our class and I got to write my own book, which I promptly titled My Best Friend is an Alien (excuse the second grade misspelling, please). From then on, every time we went to a store I had to check to see if they carried those blank books so I could make more. 

This comment from my fourth grade teacher on a book that won a silly little prize hit home:

Then, of course was my library card (this is the second one), that I used all the time. I think kids today are really missing out on the whole "library experience." My parents, especially my dad, took us basically whenever we wanted. We could check out as many as we could physically carry on our own, and we were responsible for paying the fines if we forgot them at home the next library trip, or forgot to remind our parents of the due dates. It was educational and responsibility building. My kids will absolutely have their own little libraries at home, but we will for sure be rocking story hour and the check out system. 

And, last but not least, there were a few very random books tucked here and there in the boxes. A few Bibles, a book on Portland I think my dad "accidentally" took from a hotel room, a Shakespeare collection I requested in maybe sixth grade, remnants of my Chicken Soup for the Softy's Soul phase, and some other things that my siblings apparently didn't steal (where the fuck are my Little House on the Prairie books, dammit?). 

Now off to find a closet for the crap I did keep...

Watch and Love

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The Oscars last night were pretty boring, in my opinion- Billy Crystal is old, the presenters sound like idiots with crappy dialogue, and Oprah of all people was recognized (oh, the humanity!). There were a few bright spots, though, like the horrible after show ABC did (I believe they set a record for most amount of reporter brush offs in an hour) and the Bridesmaids (wiener talk and a drinking game).

And then there was this, the absolute highlight of the show: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, the film that won Best Animated Short (I guess it's also an iPad ap and a book to be released this summer). The story (no talking... apparently that was the theme this year) is about a man that works as a sort of guardian of a book collection for his whole life, learning to care for them, and them for he. It's whimsical, sweet, and glorifies books in their original form- page and covers. Just watch it (about 14 minutes and free):

My favorite scene is when the book is brought to life. Tear. The animation is really awesome- visit their website for more information.

An additional Oscar related thought- if you win a book (ahem, Hugo winners), thank the effing author that wrote it! I did hear some the winners for The Descendents (George Clooney and Stacey Keibler should make babies for sure, but the way) mention Kaui Hart Hemmings, but it should be the majority, not the minority.

Today's Lesson: Take care of your books and they will take care of you.

Mystery in Edinburgh

As the internet is abuzz with this fantastic story, I'm sure most of you have heard about it by now. I was so captivated by it I thought I'd quickly share, just in case (The List does a much better job).

During the past year or so a mysterious Scottish sculptor has been leaving intricate paper constructions made of books in various "artsy" locations throughout Edinburgh along with little literary notes (plus one extra for one of the authors involved, Ian Rankin). No one seems to know the creator (except a few people who are respecting the artist's privacy), nor does anyone want to- the mystery behind the surprise gifts is romantic in an age where libraries are being shut down. Seriously, read the article. My summarizing skills are seriously impaired tonight due to some sort of raging cold. I think someone needs to write a kids book about this whole thing. I'd buy it.

A few pictures:

[Source: Chris Scott]

Books on Your Back- Librarian

Sometimes I wish I would have gotten my master's in Library Science. I could have worked at a university around people whose research was actually important to the world (not that there's anything wrong with finding a book published in 1968 about George Washington). Surrounded by books all day in a quiet environment? Sign me the eff up.

[Shop Olympia, Sarah Utter, $14.95]

Librarians- Friends or Financial Foes?

The New York Times ran a "Room for Debate" feature today about school librarians and whether or not they are truly needed anymore. The six contributing panelists ranged from actual librarians to administrators to other "experts" in the field, each sharing their own opinion. As someone whose own school district originally sent lay off notices to nearly hundred teachers this year (it's a small district, compared to LA Unified, which sent notices to 5,000 of their 30,000+ teachers), I've seen the position called in to question. Are librarians, specifically school ones, necessary anymore?

There is a camp that says they are not. They claim that with so much available online, and with students becoming so technologically savvy, the position is not as critical as it once was when students needed to learn about card catalogs and the Dewey Decimal System (I loved card catalogs, for the record). They also point out that teachers could teach about technology and new ways of research in the classroom, and that funding a teacher's salary, rather than a librarian's, is money better spent. They also compare librarians to other professionals on campus, and claim that perhaps a guidance counselor or a school psychologist is more important.

And then there is the other side of the debate. Research has evolved and there are many teachers that have advanced with the times and are not equipped to teach students how to successfully obtain accurate information from the internet. Teachers don't necessarily have time to teach technological standards on top of the normal curriculum, or may not have the resources within their classrooms. Many view librarians as true lovers of literature, figures students desperately need in this day and age, where people read less.

I of course have mixed feelings, and think there should be a compromise. Funding is tight- I think librarians shouldn't be exempt from lay offs, although I think each school does need at least a part time one (this of course depends on the site's needs; a larger high school whose library also handles text books, like mine, needs a full time position, while a small elementary may get by with one that only works mornings). Perhaps, when needed, librarians could start running intervention or tutoring in the library as well (yes, I know, time is an issue). Personally, I think the main thing is that school libraries evolve while still holding on to some traditional aspects.... like books. School libraries needs computers and software, but they also need enthusiastic librarians that will help kids learn to love reading. I think I'd rather see a library's budget get cut in the form of materials, not staff.

Thoughts? Teachers or librarians? What should librarians focus on?

I bet this is a high quality movie that does the field of library science justice. Although, if Noah Wyle was my librarian in high school I'd be checking out a thing or two, if you know what I'm saying (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Too Lazy

I'm allowing myself some temporary laziness- it's summer, right? Luckily, laziness for me generally fades within a few days of starting a vacation, so I'm not too concerned.

In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor:

Flavorwire's Top 10 Notorious Literary Spats- Let's face it, writers can have some massive egos. My favorite is either Jennifer Weiner vs. Jennifer Egan (quantity vs. quality) or Stephen King vs. James Patterson ("No I want to write the most books this month!" "No I want to write the most books this month!").

Robert Dawson Photography's American Public Library Project- In a way this makes me hate ebooks even more- libraries are have such history and cultural relevance. Let them evolve, but don't replace the physicality of the printed word. Dawson's photographs are amazing- check out the rest of his site as well.

The Moby Awards- There's an award for everything, why not book trailers? The site seems to be evolving, but it's still interesting. As a Gary Shteyngart groupie I'm obligated to say that both he and James Franco, who is in his trailer, picked up a few.

a LEGO a day: I could BS my way around and find some contrived way to relate this to books, but I don't feel like it. This guy takes a LEGO picture a day (often Star Wars related) and posts them. I simply love LEGOS- the possibilities are effing endless. I wonder if I could get him to build a book for me (booyah, a literary connection right there)...

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May the force be with you. And by force I mean the power of the novel. If Yoda had written a book I'm fairly confident this world would be a better place.

On Libraries

Some people have attitudes about libraries.

"They smell funny."

"There are homeless people there."

"The books are all messed up."

"They never have what I want."

Fine, fine, they're not always the classiest joints, but the concept that holds together all libraries is more important than typical bourgeois complaints. Libraries are places where anyone, no matter how rich or poor, young or old, smart or dumb, can have free access to books. And in honor of National Library Week, I'm here to sing their praises.

I obviously buy my books now, as I want to build my own library, but I didn't for a very long time. Growing up my family visited the Modesto branch of the Stanislaus County Library a few times a month (sometimes even once a week during the summer). My parents never put any constraints on how many books I checked out, as long as I could carry them myself (picture a really dorky little girl with huge glasses carrying a tower of books). When we were very small we went to story hour, and then when we were older we enjoyed roaming the library, using the card catalog and then eventually the computers (for all you youngins, a card catalog was when the names of all the books were actually typed out on cards and organized in drawers.... and next week I'll define cassettes).

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After graduating from high school I went south to UCLA, which boasts twelve libraries. My favorite was definitely Powell, which had huge reading rooms with comfy couches for napping/studying. When you went you knew you were surrounded by people who cared about learning just as you did. During finals Powell was open twenty-four hours a day, with people brushing their teeth in the bathroom and setting their cell phone alarms to make it out on time. There was a sense of exhausted, stressed camaraderie.

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These days the only library I frequent on a regular basis is the one at the high school where I teach, a place that is inviting to all students and staff members (what our librarians lack in budget they make up for in crazy antics). Periodically I also attend the LA Library's ALOUD events, which bring in different authors for readings. While I know I'll most likely buy my kids gobs of books, I will also make sure they are well-acquainted with the library- for me it's a rite of passage.

And to be quite honest, if I'm ever homeless you can bet your ass I'd spend my days at a library (and the gym).