Weeding Reference

During the past two years I have been taught that I need to teach students how to do effective online research.  I need to teach them how to distinguish between a reliable website and an unreliable one.  I've been taught that Google is the devil and a Database is your best friend.

But, never once have I been told to teach students that using reference BOOKS is still a reliable, useful skill.

Amy and I started weeding the reference section in the library yesterday, and it pains us both.  There are so many worthy, useful, RELIABLE books in Uni's reference section.  For a high school, this reference section is quite wealthy and rich.  I've been looking through old reference books, trying to figure out if they should stay or go, and I lean toward the stay option almost every time.  However, we can't keep all of them...or even half of them.  After weeding a book, I have to cross-check the ONLINE reference books/resources the University of Illinois is subscribed to, for if we can get it online, we should get rid of the book version.

What we've weeded so far.  I'm sure there will be at least two-three full carts before we're done.

I was talking with one student today, who asked what I was doing.  After a bit of intro as to what I was doing, I told him, "When you think about it, it's actually faster to go to one of these books."

"Yeah, maybe, " he said, "but I would have to come here, open the book, look up the information...With my phone everything is at my fingertips."

I countered with, "You're right.  You do have information at your fingertips.  But, if you need some quick info on just one person or topic, you can look them up in the correct book that we find for you, and go right there.  It takes just as much time to scan through articles making sure if you have reliable info or just some fan page."

He thought my point was valid, but I know what he'll do the next time he has a research paper.

Use the UIUC Online Reference Collection, scroll through databases, trying to find the right one, 

then searching for your topic

VS.

Opening up one or two books, finding the correct person/term, and reading a brief summary of that topic

As librarians, we spend so much time teaching students how important it is to have reliable sources.  Reference books might be THE most reliable source.  You know they've been researched, documented, and cross-checked...they can't be published WITHOUT these things happening.  I know the world is going digital, but sometimes it's still worth your time to take a few minutes to slow down, walk to the library, and open up a book.  The research you need is waiting right here.

Uni's rich reference section takes over almost the entire north wall of the library's front room.

I know I won't change students' minds to solely rely on books.  However, I want them to know that to be a well-rounded, educated, thoughtful student researcher, they need to look at online resources AND books.  Print is still not dead, and I want to teach my future students that.

Print is Not Dead

I go through phases with my Kindle.  Sometimes it's all I want to have: clicking from page to page, having free range to dip and dive into several different books, and having so many tomes at my fingertips can be exhilarating.   More often than not, though, I just want to hold a book.

I want to hold a book.  I want to smell it.  I want to be able to turn its pages, write in it, flip through it and hear the pages rustling. 

I do fear, though, that many are not of my opinion.  I fear that many growing up today would rather have an eReader than a book.  But then the internet gives me something like this:

Readers on the NY Subway

Reiner Gerritsen spent over three years collecting these images of readers reading on the NYC Subway.  This was beautiful, marvelous, everything I needed.  I would have loved to be the artist clicking photos of others reading.  I love looking at these photos, and studying the intensity on the readers' faces: the joy, wonder, bewilderment.  I love trying to imagine why they need that book at that very moment.  I'm not trying to be weird or nosy, but I will think about the book I see you holding...just a warning...and this will be the look I get when someone catches me wondering:

WHAT CHU LOOKIN AT, WILLIS???

An eReader might give you and your book choices some privacy, but I also love to shout out to the world what I'm reading.  I like it when a stranger will strike up a conversation with me about the book I'm reading.  That's always lovely, because one of the things I enjoy most is talking about what I'm reading.  (Just ask the students here at Uni: I GUSH about books...I think I overwhelm the students sometimes.  I know cause they look at me funny when I stop for a breath.)

My Kindle is fun, no doubt.  It's good for travel, since I can take a lot of books with me without being weighed down, but it will never win.  Stephen Fry agrees with me, too:

Jealous

It's the end of the semester, and there are some major projects going on here at Uni.  While working in the library I see groups of students sitting around and discussing/studying Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Earlier in the semester I saw students toiling over (and gagging over) Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.  Students are also working on Banned Books Projects, reading texts of their own choosing.  I've seen Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird among others.

 All I can think is, how lucky they are.

How lucky they are to be discovering these great works for the first time!  I remember the first time I read each of those novels, and they changed by life.  Before those, I had read Christopher Pike, Paul Zindel, and Roald Dahl...lots AND lots of all three.  They kind of WERE my reading life.  And, there is nothing wrong with these three great YA authors and others like them.  They are fantastic, entertaining, and made me that covert reader with the books in my lap during class.  But, Hawthorne, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Shelley, Dickens, Bronte, Wharton...they are the ones that sent my literary heart through the roof, and kept it in the clouds of epic words, devastating romances, and gritty realism, and may my heart never find its way back down to the dark doldrums of life without great classics.

*sigh*  I think I need to discover a new classic over break.  You know what?  I've never...read...Jane Eyre.  I know.  I can't believe it either.  I think I know my new assignment for this holiday.  Maybe if a classics kindred spirit sees me reading that for the first time while having a coffee break in the 'Bucks, they'll be jealous of me.

P.S.  Want the tee-shirts I've "advertised"?  Check out Litographs:Books on T-Shirts.  You won't be sorry.  Well, your bank account probably will be, but not you! 

Holiday Wishes

Even though this is a library blog, I can still talk about some holiday wishes.  Actually, I should make that holiday WISH. 

My holiday wish is to have time to read.

I know that sounds silly.  I'm a graduate assistant in a LIBRARY.  I am getting my master's in LIBRARY science.  I talk about, write about, think about books all day.  But, I don't really get a chance to read them that much.  I am busy at work, in class, taking care of three awesome babies, and writing papers.  When I'm not doing those things, I would really like to spend time with my wonderful husband.  Finding the time to read shouldn't be a struggle, but it is.  

I have a stack of books next to my bed that is almost impenetrable.  It's also close to toppling over.  Everyday I work here I find more books I want to read.  Every time I go on Good Reads I find more wonderful books recommended by my friends, and then I get sucked into their Listopia section, and I'm just toast.

I've never really thought about my own mortality until recently.  As the list of books I want to read gets longer and longer AND longer, I'm more aware of my lack of time on this plain.  I'll never get to read all of the books I want to read.  That is probably the most singularly depressing thought I've ever had.  I don't like that fact.  In fact, I HATE that fact.

Oh, my.  This was supposed to be upbeat, right?  I mean, I'm supposed to be writing about my holiday wish.  Let me see if I can turn this around.

OK...My holiday wish, or GOAL, is to read three books of my own choosing with absolute joy and abandon.  I will choose whatever I want: horror, graphic novels, contemporary literature, young adult...the sky's the limit.  Knowing me, my choices will probably come from this Good Reads list, "Food on the Cover."  I am so into books that center around food these days!  I don't know...it's a recent obsession.  Memoir, YA, picture books, adult fiction...if it has to do with food, I'M IN.

These books have a really good chance of making my holiday read list:

I hope to report back in January and tell you that I've accomplished my goal! 

NEW BOOKS!!!!!

Oh, Mama Mia!  Look at all of those new books we got this week!  It's always exciting to get new books, but when we get this many at one time, my head reels.  Not because it's a lot of work to process them, wrap them, put them on our blog, etc.  Oh, no, not because of that.  Because I want to read them all!!!  (Mo' Librarian Problems, yo.)

Whenever we get new fiction in for our collection, I enter the title, author, call number, and publisher synopsis into Uni's What Should I Read Next? blog.  It's good fun, but it usually ends up in at least ten new books added to my Want to Read List.  Here are the top two on my list after this acquisition haul:

There's also a new book that shares a name with an awesome song from the 80s, and if you don't know the song, you shouldn't be my friend or be reading this.  The book, however, has NOTHING to do with high school, John Hughes, or breakfast.  It's about a town where every four years a child is released from jail and kills people.  So...yeah.

I also get to enter new graphic novels into our online collection that we keep on LibraryThing.  I am constantly trying to become more knowledgeable about GN's, and I still have no clue about Manga (what's good, what's isn't, etc).  I am making strides in the GN arena, though, and a lot of it is thanks to this task I have.  

We usually get a few good GN's with every new haul, and this time I wasn't disappointed.  I can't wait to check out the new DC offering, Black Canary and Zatanna (love it when the females are let out to play), and Mimi Pond's Over Easy, (about the 70s, greasy spoons, and drugs), looks right up my bleak alley preferences.  

When all of the books are entered, blogged, posted, etc (you know, all that work that makes me feel like I'm a real librarian already), they get to fill the New Book Rack.  This rack, which Amy longs to get rid of, looks pretty nice when it's all filled to the brim with new acquisitions!   

Teen Read Week!

It's Teen Read Week!  

I promised I'd let you know about the shenanigans I'm trying to get our students to participate in, so here we go:

1.  FLASH US YOUR BOOKS!  I'm collaborating with friend Kristi Danger Murray Costello at Arkansas State University Writing Center for this one, everybody.  Her group had the great idea that everyone should flash their favorite books.

They are meeting at their campus' fountain, by the student union, on October 22 at noon.  Everyone will read aloud the first line of their favorite book.  Sounds awesome, right?  Well, we might not have a fountain to gather round here, but I am hoping students AND staff will come take a picture holding up their favorite book, so I can create an iMovie/slideshow.  So far we don't have any takers, but it would be a great way to participate with A-State's Writing Center, and I'd upload the iMovie to our YouTube channel at noon on 10/22, as the A-State students are reading.

2.  RECORD A BOOK TRAILER!  Supervisor Amy and I are hoping that this week's recorded book trailers are just a jumping off point for a year-long trailer drive.  We want to post these on our YouTube channel.  We ask, however, that the students have a small index card to consult during their reading/recommendation recording, so it's not just a bunch of rambling.  We'd like them to have a bit of structure and to have their book with them.  We want to continue to record these throughout the year.

3.  TEEN READ OUT!  We want to end the week with a read out.  During our Uni Period on Friday, we want students to come in and read their favorite poem, short story, or the first chapter of their favorite book.  We will have snacks to try to lure those teens in....MUHWAHAHAHA!

Didn't like my ideas?  Well, for Teen Read Week Inspiration, visit the official website.  There are programming ideas, products for purchase, and other information for this awesome week of reading.

I'm super excited about all of these activities, and I hope there's a high level of participation.  I'd love to have at least ten students present for the Teen Read Out on Friday.  We'll just have to wait and see!  Read on, Teens!  Read on, EVERYBODY!!!

NO TIME!

I think the biggest problem I have as a [future] librarian is TIME.  There's not enough of it.  It's bad enough fighting against time with my kids, who are growing up way too fast.  Now I'm constantly reminded...EVERYDAY...of how many great books are out there and how I'll never get to read all of them. 

How do you choose the perfect book to read?  How do you choose one that will be a good use of your time and one you won't regret reading when you're done?  Adult mystery-crime author, Tana French, put it perfectly on her official website:

There's one thing that no one I know, including me, ever has enough of: time. Everyone has at least three things they should be doing with every minute, and everyone could do with about six more hours in the day. So I'm very aware that when you take a chance on one of my books, it's not just your money that you're putting on the line; it's your time, which is probably even more precious. I want to thank you, so much, for taking that chance; for your wonderful support, which never stops taking my breath away. Here's to all of you. I'll do my absolute best not to waste your time.  (www.tanafrench.com/about.html).

Today I started compiling book lists to be on display at the library.  I took a cue from local uber librarian, Kim Anderson, for this project.  She has folders in her middle school media center of different genre lists, what to read next lists, subject lists, etc.  I want to try to incorporate those here at Uni High's Library.  My first list to tackle is Asian-American YA, and let me tell you, I've already come across at least 10 new books I want to read.  Here are just two:

Keeping Corner, by Kashmira Sheth

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind, by Shogo Oketani & Leza Lowitz (translator)

LIBRARIAN PROBLEMS!!!  I don't want to do my course work!  I want to sit in the corner and read some of these books!  Right now imagine me throwing a tantrum and stomping my feet with huge tears rolling down my frustrated, red-cheeked face.  Or, imagine...GRR ARGH.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Here's a lesson for student advisory groups: If you ask for something or make a suggestion, there's a good chance that your librarian will in fact listen!

My supervisor has a student advisory group, and so far we are doing our best to implement what they desire.  Their requests are reasonable, well thought out, and will make their library a better place.  The first thing they wanted was a book to movie display.  I have started working on this, but with limited display areas in our library I haven't quite found a "home" for it.  My vision is for it to be a rotating display, constantly updated as the movies are released throughout the year.  More on this if I actually get it up and displaying.

The second thing they want is to know about the new books.  We try to do this with our New Books display, which is constantly updated, but the shelving unit we have is well...kind of horrible.

It's really hard to see the books through the black bars, so I decided to do another new book bulletin board.  (This is another Pinterest idea.  I've simplified it a bit, but I still think it looks good.)

The display has pictures of all of the library's newest acquistions since the school year started.  I will have to do this "new book" bulletin board throughout the year but with different themes.  I like this one: it's bold, eye-catching, has a fun border, and includes a text message and rhetorical question that will hopefully gets students' attention.

Finally, they asked for games (games, games, games, GAMES!).  No, not these games:

These games:

We tested this out for the first time today during Uni Period, and though it might not look like a lot of students attended, I thought it was great for a first go.  I love this programming idea from our student advisory board.  I want to keep the games coming.  Maybe once a month?  First Friday Game Day?  I'll work with the title.  Maybe by the end of the year we could even have this game to play:

Oh, a librarian girl from the late 80s/early 90s can dream, eh? 

Oh, Canada!

Happy October, everybody!  It's been a great start to the school year here in the Uni High Library, and today I got to put up another awesome display to try to keep our readers reading.

You might not know this, but the second Monday in October is Canada's Thanksgiving.  What better way to celebrate the awesome Canadians that have shaped pop and literary landscapes than to devote a book display to them???

To say I had fun doing this is, well, an understatement.  Here's the method to my madness...

I searched various online sites for Canadian authors.  Goodreads' Listopia is always a good place to start, and I also did a basic Google search.  I also found a great site which listed a lot of famous Canadians, aptly entitled Famous Canadians.  From there I started to make scratch notes in my Thinkin' Notebook.  (Yes, that's what it's called.)

Now the real fun started.  I created a powerpoint to be my visuals for the display.  The powerpoint is all about the things we wouldn't have without Canadians.  My favorite is, "Without Canadians We Wouldn't Have...Hey, Girl! Memes."  Oh, Ryan Gosling.  Thank you for being Canadian.

The display is made of books we have in our collection, and this time I got to integrate a non-fiction source (even though I know no one will check it out, it makes the display well-rounded) and a few graphic novels.  (I had no idea the guy that wrote Scott Pilgrim or the guy that wrote Shoeless Joe is Canadian.  Thanks, Google search!)  I was sad we didn't have any Michael Ondaatje in our collection, because The English Patient is one of my favorite books, but I did learn about some new authors (the aforementioned Bryan Lee O'Malley and the crew behind Kill Shakespeare), so that makes this display very satisfying and worthwhile. 

One last observation: Canadian authors like to use their initials--L.M. Montgomery, E.K. Johnston, W.P. Kinsella.  Just a Canadian thing I guess.

Books About BOOKS

Thanks to a quirky little website called Holiday Insights, I found out that there are a couple of interesting book-related "holidays" coming up: Read a Book Day (September 6) and International Literacy Day (September 8).  So, I had to make a display...of course.

I used the space of our smaller display area (the top of our new magazine shelf) to house this display.  It will only be up for a week and a half (before we go full-on Banned Books mode), but I still thought it would be fun to pay short tribute to these holidays I just became aware of.

Here is the short and sloppy METHOD to my display madness:
Since our fiction collection is rather small, I pulled the books that I could find.  (NOTE: Markus Zusak's The Book Thief was checked out [yay!], so it's not on the shelf...yet.  I'm nabbing it once it comes in.)  I wanted to include fiction and non-fiction, but I could only find two non-fiction titles about book/reading in our collection.  I did find a graphic novel by Audrey Niffeneger (The Time Traveler's Wife) that I wasn't aware of, called The Night Bookmobile.  Good times!  Besides walking through our collection, I also sourced books from Goodreads' Popular Books About Books Shelf.  There were SO MANY quality titles on there, that I wish we had access to more in our library!

If you know of any other great books about books, send me an email!