library chicken

Re:ў

2011-10-21T12:26:00.001-04:00

hullo, http://jourj-evenement.fr/index118tww--.php?witheme=0·j9

switching to WordPress

2008-07-10T10:06:00.001-04:00

FYI: My blog has moved to webchicken.wordpress.com/

The Library Day in the Life business got me inspired to put more energy into my blog. I was bothered that I had the librarychicken address on Blogger, then remembered in 2005 I had begun a WordPress blog with my preferred "webchicken". So this morning I imported all of my past Blogger posts to the WordPress blog - everything seemed to go smoothly.

For the course I teach, I've used Blogger, MySpace, and WordPress. WordPress won out there, so I might as well make the switch here! I've been having a spot of trouble adding widgets as I'd like to my theme, but I think with some expert Wordpress help from the YA librarians today that I should be good to go.

Library Day in the Life

2008-07-09T19:04:00.003-04:00

Friends on FriendFeed tipped me off to a Library Day in the Life blogging project. I'm excited to participate and also to read about the lives and jobs of other libraryland people. The project begins on Monday, July 14, which is my regular day off, so I'll start my librarydayinthelife blogging on Tuesday. See you then!

FriendFeed

2008-07-08T19:30:00.007-04:00

Something Is Afoot with Friend Feed
Originally uploaded by libraryman

FriendFeed is my new friend. Those I follow on twitter were talking about it a lot and then libraryman's photo pushed me to take the plunge. I really like that it allows you to follow people on a variety of social networking sites - flickr, twitter, blogs, delicious, etc.

Follow me! http://friendfeed.com/webchicken

new myspace navigation

2008-06-18T12:35:00.001-04:00

new myspace navigation
Originally uploaded by webchicken

MySpace launched a new top-level navigation bar today. Usability has never been their strong suit - in fact, the site was designed very poorly from the beginning. I use this site often only because I have so many friends on here. (Flickr is still by far my favorite social networking tool, even though I'm a novice photographer.)

I am happy with the recent MySpace updates, saving me several clicks - allowing the user to go directly from any page to basic functions without having to first go Home.

MySpace categories?

2008-06-13T15:06:00.003-04:00

I've been out of town for a week and when I come back, I noticed this new feature in MySpace: categories.
Three of my contacts have created categories in which I am included. This could be very handy. Now if only Flickr would allow more contact categories than friends and family...

changes, shopping serendipity

2008-05-12T15:25:00.003-04:00

Once the "office" upstairs at my house officially becomes the nursery, the computers, books, and files (and gerbils!) will need to find a new home. I plan to give away tons of books (gasp!). [If you are interested in feminism or women's studies, I'll load you up for free!] I also want to get a new, larger filing cabinet that I can keep in the bedroom that won't be too atrocious. My iMac will be moving downstairs, but I really wanted a new computer desk that matches the downstairs decor.

David told me on Saturday he had seen a nice computer desk at Staples for $69. I went on their Web site and found the same desk - with an attached bookcase (extra shelves) - for the same price, including free shipping! I ordered right then and it arrived this morning. When looking for an image on their site today, I see the price is now up $60 from that. Great timing!
Z-Line® Onyx Computer Desk and Bookcase, Clear Glass with Black Frame

Now I just need a black vertical filing cabinet that is higher than 2 drawers. Or maybe I should weed some of my files, too...

trust

2008-05-05T13:46:00.005-04:00

I believe I have gushed before about how much I appreciate my job and my boss, but allow me to do so again. It is an indescribable feeling to know that I am trusted completely to make the right decisions and that I will always be backed up.

I have worked for my library system for 10 years as of yesterday, and all of the positions I've had here have been pretty flexible. I enjoy being able to take on new challenges, test new technologies, and try new things.

There have been some tempting job openings in the last couple of years, but knowing how good I've got it currently makes me want to stay in my current situation as long as possible.

Speaking of staying in a current situation, when I got pregnant I decided to opt of teaching in the fall semester (I'm due in October). However, the more I reflected on it, the online nature of the course I teach makes it ideal and I've decided to continue for a fifth semester. I have tweaked the course each semester, but am pretty happy with the current setup. This semester I began using a wordpress blog to primarily run the course management, using the 'official' course management tool for private discussion board postings and grade keeping. This worked out extraordinarily well and will allow me to set up the entire semester ahead of time.

my first moblog

2008-04-28T20:55:00.001-04:00

emailed from my new phone! It worked!
Originally uploaded by webchicken

My PDA died last week and I received a replacement phone today. My PDA had an onscreen (and slideout) keyboard, so I was used to qwerty typing to enter info and send text messages. This new phone is a "regular" cell with standard features. I now have to thumbspell everything -- I'm surprised at how quickly I'm learning to do it well. This phone also has a camera and I never was able to email properly from my old phone. I've now discovered how to email photos directly from my phone to Flickr. I can't wait to explore the other stuff I can do!

public library bans MySpace, Facebook

2008-03-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

Mishawaka PL Bans Social Sites by mstephens7

No MySpace, Facebook at Mishawaka library: Director blames behavior of teenagers using Web sites

I'm at a loss as to how to even respond to this. As I commented on Michael's screenshot, I use myspace and facebook to communicate with my friends, family, and students. I'm an adult, a taxpayer, a college instructor, and now - a saddened and angered librarian. I'm happy to report that I don't think most librarians in our system would allow this happen on their watch.

right to die

2008-03-17T16:57:00.003-04:00

This weekend we watched Mar adentro (The Sea Inside) with the fabulous Javier Bardem. It's about a quadriplegic man's quest to end his life legally in Spain. He is denied that right, but eventually finds someone to help him die.

I read today that France has denied its citizens the right to die. I don't know the specifics of this woman's case, but to me it comes down to each person's choice. It is their body, it is their life. To me, to end one's own life is a each person's right.

{dignity} by Liz Leighton

If you have ever watched someone (especially someone you love) die a slow, painful death.... Why should people be forced to suffer?

euthanasia: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
~from Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Svalbard!

2008-02-19T14:30:00.004-05:00

I am a big fan of the Golden Compass. Iorek Byrnison was one of my favorites. (You can barely see him in the display above Dean's head - on the right.)

@ Golden Compass
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I was doing some reference work today, using the CIA's World Factbook (my choice for up-to-date country information) and I noticed that Svalbard actually exists! It even includes Bjornoya (Bear Island)!

I always thought it was imaginary. Well, I suppose the bear castle and gateway to other worlds may be imaginary, but I didn't know there is a geographical place in existence called Svalbard. I love my job. Learning cool stuff all the time!

I hate captchas

2008-02-18T18:48:00.004-05:00

Dude. Can I tell you how much I hate captchas? You know, the "type the letters you see into this box so we know you're not a robot" action. When I'm signing up for an account, sure, I can take it. I'll enter your captcha so you know I'm legit.

But when I'm trying to leave a comment on a blog, logged in as a Blogger user? Dude. Please don't make me decipher the damn captcha.

captcha, I hate thee
Originally uploaded by webchicken

If I follow your blog, maybe even leave comments, do me a favor, would ya? Turn off captchas. Do you think it really cuts down on spam comments? I allow anonymous blog comments and have not had a spam problem as of yet. I may love you, and love your blog, but I gotta say - I hate captchas.

(Typing "captcha" repeatedly in this post has reinforced how much I loathe them.)

go green! how high?

2008-02-18T12:28:00.005-05:00

I would say I'm an environmentally minded person. I am mindful of unnecessary water usage, I recycle, and try to not use "things" when I don't need them. When I can, I carry my few groceries in my pockets in lieu of getting a bag. I refuse to buy disposable cleaning wipes when I can use a rag. But flossing got me.

Yes, flossing. I have never been a good flosser, even though my awesome dentist and hygienists tell me it's the best thing I can do to keep my mouth healthy. I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago and am determined to finally be a better flosser. And I've been very good - flossing every night, with the exception of just a couple of times.

Champion
Originally uploaded by mstephens7

But I can't stand regular dental floss. It is much harder for me to use and my fingers always turn all purple from losing circulation. I use the little plastic thingies and have a much better success rate. But I feel terrible about the waste I'm creating. I wonder if they make them biodegradable?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T15:52:00.001-05:00

I love PostSecret. And I love you all, dear readers!

twitter

2008-02-12T19:38:00.000-05:00

I was the person on our committee who suggested we include Twitter in our 2.0 learning curriculum. I think it has great potential for libraries and librarians. I initially liked the idea of the application for librarians at conventions. Being able to send a quick message to all of your friends simultaneously, alerting them to which sessions you'll be attending and where you're having lunch seems like a great time-saver.

Similarly, libraries sending alerts about their upcoming programs, etc., to a large group of interested folks - all in one fell swoop - is so handy. You can post your twitter updates on your Web site or blog, so it's constantly updated. And your friends/fans/patrons can also have the option of getting text updates on their cells.

I'm currently following 27 people on twitter. Three I had to drop from text notifications, because they were so prolific that it was becoming annoying. I do learn some handy things from these folks, but I can't take that many texts on my phone.

The one thing that drives me batty about Twitter are the blank texts I get. I finally figured out that when people reply to another person's "tweet", using @username, I get a blank text message. Even if they are replying to me! I just tried to change my @reply settings, but I think they were already set correctly, so we'll see if that helps. But why, oh why, would twitter think you'd want to pay for a blank text message?

I've sent out 338 twitter updates so far, and it looks like most are notifying people that I'm either working (both jobs), hungry, or sick. Fascinating? Not really. But I dig it.

Dad Death Day

2008-02-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

parents
Originally uploaded by webchicken

It's that time again. I can't believe it's been four years since my dad died. I still have moments when I reach to call him. He is certainly missed. I wish he could see me now.

book meme

2008-02-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

As seen on Vampire Librarian:

Book Meme Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pgs.)
2. Open the book to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5. Tag five people

There are still some Staff Picks back here for my display that's on hold. The only one 123+ pages was "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach (2003).

Book Meme
Originally uploaded by webchicken

The researchers concluded that the planes had broken apart at altitude, spilling most of their human contents into the sea. To figure out exactly where the fuselage had broken apart, they looked at whether the passengers had been clothed or naked when pulled from the sea. Sir Harold's theory was that hitting the sea from a height of several miles would knock one's clothes off, but that hitting the sea inside the largely intact tail of the plane would not, and that they could therefore surmise the point of breakup as the dividing line between clothed and naked cadavers.

Woah. You learn something new every day!

I'm not going to tag anyone, but feel free to participate if you like and leave a comment!

musical chicken puppet

2008-02-03T23:39:00.001-05:00

Sylvia at BKR, Summer Reading 2006
Originally uploaded by lightweaver

I ran across this in a new Flickr friend's photo stream. Does it get any cooler than this - a chicken puppet playing a dulcimer at the library?

Vagina Monologues at IPFW

2008-01-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

February 1 & 2, 2008
8 PM
IPFW Walb Student Union Ballroom
Call 260-421-6555 for information and ticket reservations.

flashback

2008-01-17T22:55:00.000-05:00

Heathers was one of my favorite movies in the 90s (it came out in 1989). I was watching "Without a Trace" tonight and I thought one of the guest stars was the same woman who played the "main" Heather - Heather Chandler. I looked it up on imdb, but it wasn't her. In fact, the woman who played Heather Chandler was Kim Walker - and she's dead. Woah!

Check this out:

The Death of Kim Walker from Heathers (Image courtesy findadeath.com)

I also found out from that site the yearbook editor in Heathers (remember him from the lunchroom scenes?) is also dead. Freaky.

album cover meme

2008-01-15T10:11:00.001-05:00

album cover meme
Originally uploaded by webchicken

Create your own!

Here are the steps, as improved by nirak:

The first article title on the Wikipedia Random Articles page is the name of your band.
The last four words of the very last quotation on the Random Quotations page is the title of your album.
Use the random word generator to generate a word.
Use the word to search FlickrStorm (creative commons licensed photos) and the third picture will be your album cover. Or just choose any image. [Note: there was already a word in the search box on FlickrStorm, so I just used that.]
Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together [I used picnik], and post the result.

My album:
Article Title: Middle Taylor Township, Pennsylvania
Random Quotation: I don't have an English accent because this is what English sounds like when spoken properly. -James Carr, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Random word: yellow
Image: vw by sicoactiva [I think mine must be one of the old long CD boxes. Remember those?]

new year, new semester

2008-01-11T15:58:00.001-05:00

The spring semester officially starts on Monday, but they let students into my online class today. The university switched to a new online courseware system, which is very similar to the old one but different enough to make it a little more difficult. Just when I finally had the old one down, too!

In semesters past, I have used blogs to provide additional class info. I would post my all-class emails there, add news articles that have to do with our subject, and give directions for assignments. This semester, I plan to run the whole class from a blog. I also switched from blogger to wordpress.com (ability to create pages was one of the pluses). Each week's introduction and reading list will be posted on the class blog. Students will still use the courseware system to post their weekly assignments and log in for grades. They will also create their own blogs.

I think this set up will work better for me, and for the students. We'll see. I have been offered this teaching gig through the fall semester, and we'll see about that, too.

iPod gives me no love.

2007-12-27T13:45:00.001-05:00

A friend gave me the iPod she never used(!) and I loaded it with lots of music from my Mac. I've been using iTunes on my iMac for years to store my music.

I just installed iTunes on my (Windows) laptop so I could play my iPod through it and add the songs stored on here (Feist, new Joni Mitchell, Beastie Boys, etc.). I thought iPods/iTunes work with both Mac and PC, but apparently it's one or the other. :(

iPod gives me no love.
Originally uploaded by webchicken

Happy Christmas, War Is Over

2007-12-25T12:18:00.000-05:00

shouldn't be funny, but is...

2007-12-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

I laughed so hard I hurt. I usually don't laugh at people getting hurt; it makes me sad. But the sounds she made were just so weird.

New: Flickr stats

2007-12-15T14:43:00.001-05:00

Flickr Pro users (best $25/ yr I've spent!) can now turn on "stats, stats, baby"!

I've activated mine.

They said they'd be ready tomorrow, but they were up in about 5 minutes (and I have 1900+ photos). Rockin'.

I <3 Flickr.

My dad would have been 69 today.

2007-12-11T10:39:00.001-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday. It has been almost 4 years since he died and I miss him terribly. Remembering him and talking about it helps, but losing a parent is the hardest thing that has ever happened to me.

dad trash stache
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I love this picture. The xmas tree was up, and Bunny had baby chub going on. I hope my dad wouldn't mind that I'm calling this his "trash stache"; I don't think he would. He didn't have it very long.

family 1979
Originally uploaded by webchicken

The whole fam! I love this picture because 1. we all look like dorks, and 2. I got to keep and play with the tiny elephant toy I brought to the studio. Liz (Bunny) was trying to take it away but was denied (note sad face). She always got what she wanted, even if it was mine, so I felt like I won something, even though it was already mine.

Google Docs

2007-12-05T16:10:00.001-05:00

I LOVE Google Docs. It is so awesome to have a free, online place to keep track of documents. I have used it a bit for personal use, for teaching, and some for work at the library.

I keep track of our Staff Picks display in the Great Hall at the main library - these books are so popular! I am always accepting new selections from staff and constantly add them to a master list. I used to update the list in Excel and email myself the latest copy. Now I have it saved in a Google spreadsheet and it automatically saves and updates as I work - nice! There are differences to the new format and I'm not as quick in Google as I am in Excel so it is not 100% perfect, but I am not considering going back to Excel.

Staff Picks
Originally uploaded by acpl

It can take several moments for pasted information to appear and at first I didn't think it was working. I'm used to much faster results, but don't usually have to go through the Internet to update. ;)

I really like the ability to share files and co-update them (with several people!) *at the same time*. I have collaborated with others, or proofread others' work this way and you don't have to worry about emailing attachments and having the most recent copy.

Google Docs has been down twice when I needed it, so that was a major bummer, but since the service is officially in beta, I'm sure all of those wrinkles will be ironed out.

UPDATE: In the process of posting this blog and continuing to work in Google Docs, it conked out on me for a couple of minutes. I grabbed a screen shot of the error I got. It's back now, but it's frustrating when this happens.

"trying to reach google"
Originally uploaded by webchicken

Google Image Labeler

2007-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

Google is now allowing tagging of Google images: http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/. I am pretty stoked about this.

Get Human

2007-11-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of calling companies and getting stuck in their phone maze? Well, my friend, you will love gethuman.com. It is a list of companies, government agencies, etc. and the secret to reaching a live person. You can search by category, or press Ctrl + F to Find what you're looking for. Very handy!

email hoaxes

2007-10-31T22:42:00.000-04:00

I was just complaining about mass email fordwarders yesterday. We all know someone (or are someone, I guess!) who forwards every cutesy powerpoint presentation or email virus warning. I have two in my family.

So I got an email tonight which included the email headers with batches of email addresses and signature lines 9! previous forwarders. Several of the forwarded messages included notes to the bunch they were emailing: "i hope that this is not a scare tactic", "Better safe than sorry!", and my favorite, "I don't know whether this is for real or not. Many of these warnings aren't."

WHY forward something if you don't even think it's real?!? Because, you know what? It wasn't.

Granted, there is no beginning email etiquette class telling you the things that I wish everyone knew. The first thing I would teach? Check www.snopes.com to see whether these are true. This site lets you know what is real, what is a complete hoax, and what has some truth to it.

Can't remember "snopes.com"? Guess what? If you copy a line from the forwarded message and do a quick Web search, snopes.com will usually be one of the top results.

Do the internet - and your friends - a favor. Do a quick search before you pass along bogus information. Ridding the world of crappy information makes my inner librarian so happy.

crash.

2007-10-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

I was in a car accident today -- on my way to a breakfast meeting and the car behind me got hit from behind and smashed into my back bumper. Everybody was OK, but a terrible way to start any day. :(

The cop gave me the report number on a card for a Web site where you can purchase and download the report (for the low, low price of $12!). You can also pick it up from the police station, but I wonder for how long. Will anyone be surprised when someday it will be available online only?

Lisa mentions in this post how job applications are often online and those without basic computer skills are left behind. Add unemployment benefits, gift registries, basic communication with many companies and government agencies - things are going digital whether anyone likes it or not.

As someone who likes technology, I'm OK with this trend. But I see how many people will be adversely impacted by it. Think of all of the people who come to the library for their only connection to the internet. We see - often painfully clearly - the skills they lack. What can we do to help?

I have been pumped up by offering our 2.0 classes. But many people don't even have basic computer skills - they need 1.0 instruction. How are we helping these people? Won't helping them to help themselves help the community in general?

Fancy Owl, Standy Pants

2007-10-20T15:58:00.001-04:00

I saw this book years ago when I worked in the children's department and the image has stayed with me. Does the middle owl have the best owl pose ever, or what?

Owl by Mary Ling (DK)

librarian hell

2007-10-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

Savage Chickens, one of my favorite cartoons, features chicken drawings on post-it notes. Today's was excellent!

computer frustrations

2007-10-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

We have 2.0 learning open labs three times at week at work: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 1:30 pm. Mondays we have coffee and snacks(!) in the staff training room, Tuesdays and Wednesdays we are in the public training room.

Working on the public computers has been enlightening. We realized there are several components of our learning 2.0 program that aren't possible on our public computers the way they are set up. There are several glitches with Blogger in IE6 - the only browser available.

restrictions
Originally uploaded by webchicken

Right now I am retooling the blog signup information for wordpress.com so we can work around the Blogger problems. I am attempting to take screenshots for the tutorial and realized you can save the files from Paint onto the desktop, but you can't create a desktop folder. It's interesting working on these machines - I'm not used to the restraictions the patrons deal with, so this will help me help them.

testing my first moblog

2007-10-09T18:14:00.001-04:00

let's see if this works!

unsupported browser - danger!

2007-10-09T13:28:00.001-04:00

unsupported browser - danger!
Originally uploaded by webchicken

The Bloglines beta site doesn't support the browser we have on our public computers - Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). I absolutely abhor IE and would MUCH rather use Firefox.

I like the options available in Firefox that you can't do in IE (version 6 anyway - I haven't tried version 7 much).

Right-click to View Image. I use this all the time.
Ability to exponentially increase text size with no limit. (IE6 lets you makes text two sizes larger, but that's it.)
Tabbed browsing! I always have more than one Web page open - usually at least 3+. Firefox makes this neater to do. (I know you can do this in IE7.)

My problem with turning other people on to a new browser is the response: "Browser? What the hell is that?" People are so used to using IE that they don't realize there are options beyond the "big blue e". And, if that works for people, cool. But there are so many cool options that they can't use, and I find that sad.

IE comes pre-installed on a lot of computers and is ready to go. So another obstacle to turning people on to Firefox is the fact that it requires a download and installation. It is actually pretty quick and easy, but this is too much for some people. (If anyone wants help getting Firefox, I'd be happy to help -- and give you a little tour of its majesty!)

bloglines staff blog feeds

2007-10-07T15:00:00.001-04:00

bloglines staff blog feeds
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I added all of the staff blogs (from our 2.0 learning program) in a folder of my RSS reader. I started using Bloglines a couple of years ago and still haven't found anything I like better. I was expecting Google Reader to win me over, as many of my friends and colleagues prefer it, but I still prefer bloglines.

Bloglines now has a beta of a new version, which makes it easier to manage your feeds, but it doesn't immediately reflect what I've read, and that's just silly!

Wanna see what sites I have on my RSS reader? My public feeds can be found at http://www.bloglines.com/public/webchicken.

always learning

2007-09-26T12:54:00.001-04:00

pocket pc keyboard
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I have a PocketPC phone with all kinds of cool bells and whistles - it's a phone, a camera; I can text, browse the Web, etc. But for years I could not figure out how to set up email on my phone. Lynn said, "I'll show you, it's easy." With that encouragement, I peeked around my phone until I figured it out - and now I can email from my phone! Woo hoo!

the long goodbye

2007-09-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

(From Trogdor to hospice - an odd transition, but such is life....)

The 'Funky Winkerbean' comic strip is currently telling the story of character Lisa's acceptance of her impending loss to the cancer battle. She is now in hospice care at home, with the help of her family and friends. You can read about the strip creator's decision to let her die here.

By Tom Batiuk, courtesy King Features

I can't even explain how painful it is to see these images. My father suffered from bone cancer (multiple myeloma) for about six years. In the end, he was hospitalized for a week (after several hospitalizations in previous months for various illnesses, procedures, etc.), and then we were able to bring him home for hospice care. The support of the hospice workers was incredible. I am forever grateful to the doctor in the hospital who asked if we were interested in hospice. We very much were, but judging when "the time" had come was difficult, if not impossible, for us during the time of chaos of hospitalization.

On the other hand, I'm glad that the issue is out there. Too often dealing with death and dying are avoided. As heart-wrenching as it is to see the images of an emaciated patient, weak and slowly dying; it is comforting to see her being cared for by her loved ones. If I can't go quickly, I hope I can go like that.

Trogdor!

2007-09-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

My favorite Strong Bad email - so glad it's available in handy YouTube format! :)

the feeling of reading

2007-09-17T22:54:00.000-04:00

The newspaper I've subscribed to my entire adult life has changed size. They have been printing the Living section in the new smaller format for a few weeks, but today the entire paper is on noticeably smaller, stiffer paper. It is strange how simply the feel of the paper influences the feeling of reading for me. I wonder what it will be like taking it out to brunch - my absolute favorite indulgence when I'm off work and can sleep in late.

David reading
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I wonder how others read the paper? I read the Ask Amy, Hints from Heloise, and Dr. Gott first because they are my favorite. Then I read the comics (but not Garfield or Peanuts). I peruse the celebrity stuff on the Living front and check for any Emma Downs gems. Then on to the front section - editorials, inside front page, then front (I hate it when they split the front page into two sections and I have to read editorials in one and then the other). Then Metro, Business (I like Resumania and Daneen Skube), obituaries (yes, I know, I'm much too young). Then I re-read over all the sections and check everything, sometimes even looking at Sports if I have lots of time (sorry, Justin). I like the Stockmans wine column on Saturdays. Carolyn Hax and Steve Penhollow are awesome in the Weekender.

new fave song: 1234

2007-09-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

"1234"

One Two Three Four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless long nights
That is what my youth was for

Old teenage hopes are alive at your door
Left you with nothing but they want some more

Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, You know who you are

Sweetheart bitterheart now I can tell you apart
Cosy and cold, put the horse before the cart

Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes
Too scared to own up to one little lie

Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, you know who you are

One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then

Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, you know who you are
Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, you know who you are
Oh, who you are

For the teenage boys
They're breaking your heart
For the teenage boys
They're breaking your heart

I work on the web

2007-09-09T15:57:00.001-04:00

I work on the web
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I jumped in on the "I work on the web" meme on Flickr:

My name is Sara and I work on the web.

I graduated high school in 1995 knowing very little about computers or the Internet. Working as a public library assistant through undergrad exposed me not only to the usefulness of technology, but also to educated women who were not afraid to explore it.

This inspiration led me to earn a master's degree in library science with a specialization in library technology management. I use the Internet every day to track down answers to a variety of questions.

I teach a Women's Studies undergraduate course online and am proud to include online research skills as part of my curriculum. I supplement textbook readings with work on the web - text, audio, and video.

More and more people can use the Web to get around, but I like empowering people with the tools to search and evaluate. I feel most proud when helping someone "get it" and overcome their technophobia, if just for a minute.

I'm sometimes disappointed with the lack of vision in embracing technology (from administrators and educators). Unless we start doing a better job of teaching information literacy, this will only get worse.

PS - I love hand-coding HTML. I'm addicted to Flickr.

WordGirl

2007-09-05T19:11:00.001-04:00

WordGirl
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I just read about a new PBS kids' show: WordGirl.

"Disguised as mild-mannered 5th grader, Becky Botsford, WordGirl arrived on planet Earth when she and her monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, crashed their spaceship. In classic superhero form, WordGirl possesses superhero strength with the added benefit of a colossal vocabulary." ~pbskids.org/wordgirl

A smart girl with a monkey sidekick? I'm hooked already! :)

improvement

2007-08-30T13:31:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am getting better at teaching every semester. I learn ways to tweak the assignments for the results I'm looking for, find material that helps illustrate a point, and how to make the class more organized - both for the students and for me! I've just agreed to possibly teach through fall 08.

I am also really pleased with the development of my "day job" (regular job? real job?) at the library. I have been fortunate over my tenure here to have bosses who support me, and allow me to develop my positions according to what I think needs to be done. Working with patrons and technology has always been interesting to me, and I've been able to utilize my passions for these in each of my positions. My current job is a wonderful fit - great hours (with flexibility), fantastic boss!, varied coworkers, and I get to manage the desk. There are no rules about the department since it's brand new and I enjoy making things work as smoothly as possible.

I just wish I had more time for one-on-one training day-to-day with my co-workers. Though I will get plenty of that starting in September when we roll out our 2.0 curriculum, I'll be staffing an open lab twice a week to work with people and answer questions.

school daze

2007-08-21T15:37:00.000-04:00

School started yesterday. I never realized as a student that instructors get bummed by the end of summer, too! I am teaching two sections of my class (Introduction to Women's Studies, 210 level) this semester for the first time.

I was glad to be off work from my "day" job at the library on the first day of class. I was hoping to get a bunch of grading out of the way, but no such luck. Students are trickling in and posting their first assignments slowly but surely. [My classes are both completely online - no face-to-face meetings required.] I did find some great YouTube videos to supplement textbook and Internet reading assignments, though. I love the 2.0 world!

One topic I like to cover in my class is research. Performing college-level research is taught so rarely it's sad. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give my students some direction to help them do research. Library research is much easier than it was "back when I was child" :), but it's still not very intuitive. I do what I can to help them get started.

"In the nonstop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us with floaties and teach us how to swim."
~Linton Weeks

Dead Dad Club

2007-08-15T12:18:00.001-04:00

Sara and dad 1977
Originally uploaded by webchicken

I found the Dead Dad Club site yesterday. It's funny that I've referred to this "club" since my dad died in 2004 - and there is a blog for it! What a small, 2.0 world we live in.

I really miss my dad.

kitteh?

2007-08-06T18:10:00.000-04:00

David's parents have a teeny, tiny new kitten and we have been talking about bringing her home when she's weaned. At the present time, we already have 3 male gerbils and 3 male cats. I don't know that I need any more fur in my life (or on my pillow - ew!), but it sure is tempting. Right now she is so tiny and had the enticing baby factor, but I realize she will grow up very quickly. I'd like to check out her personality as she gets bigger and can walk more steadily (right now she's at an equivalent crawling stage and still mewing).

kitteh!
Originally uploaded by webchicken

Online events

2007-07-31T15:24:00.000-04:00

We are playing with 2.0 online event calendars. I'd like to track my experiences with them here.

Eventful.com

Easy to create events
Easy to repeat most events (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly); however, if they don't follow a specific pattern, there is no way to repeat
"900 Library Plaza" is not recognized by any of the map services (I've attempted to put a stop gap in place and add new map links to 900 Webster Street.)
Lists "Who No performers specified", but doesn't give any place to indicate who the performers are!
Allows lots of HTML, hyperlinks (to our site, catalog, etc.), and pictures!
Allows unlimited tags - we can use these to apply specific searches for "acpl dupont adults" or "acpl book club" and link to the latest X events.
No way to see my (previously used) tags, though - that would rock
Can create "stickers" to use on blogs/Web pages.
Can save as calendar (each agency could create/print their own, if desired).
Response time is a little slow sometimes
I have twice had an error that would not correct even after several attempts. Once the wrong location was showing, the other issue was a misspelled word. I repeatedly fixed the mistake, saved, and... still there.
When editing an event that repeats it switches to the first repeat option (each X day), even if previously it had been set up as on the (first Sunday). So any time you correct something in any part of the event, you must reset how the event repeats. Lame.

organizing the library

2007-07-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

You know, we get the strangest suggestions from patrons on how to organize our collections. One woman years ago was incensed -incensed! - that we did not have picture books featuring African American characters in a separate section. Another person wants all of the Sylvia Browne books together so she could easily browse them. There is no one way to satisfy each person.

Many librarians are debating the usefulness of the Dewey Decimal System. I don't think we'll ever find a perfect system; but I do think having friendly, efficient, fast staff on hand to help is a huge part of the solution. I'm not sure if we can ever really get away from The Desk, but having roving staff would be so helpful to our users.

waiting

2007-07-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

While I have some books on hold for my fall class, I still want to get some pleasure reading in before I have to start grading! :) I have Children of Men by P.D. James (book on tape) on hold at the library but the person who has it checked out must not have returned it on time. I am seriously jonesing to listen to this book; I wish they would hurry up and return it!

spoilers (thoughts on, not actual spoilers!)

2007-07-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

I (purposefully) read a Harry Potter spoiler that came out a few weeks ago. They named the two characters who die in book 7. Tonight I checked out a spoiler site that was completely different from what I'd read previously. The second site included digital images of a few of the pages, so I think this one is legit. But I am still looking forward to reading the book when it comes out. Spoilers don't spoil the experience for me.

BTW, have you seen the "Sploit" T-shirt on threadless that blows the endings of several famous movies?

reading for pleasure

2007-07-17T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just heard about All Consuming from the Librarian in Black. I gotta admit, I like it. It's easy sign up, pretty simple to use, and will hopefully help keep me on my reading jag.

I was a voracious reader as a child. Our house was full of books and we often visited the library. I always knew I wanted to be a librarian. But through all of the required readings in undergrad and graduate school, I either forgot about, or simply didn't have time for, reading for pleasure. But not only do I always listen to an audiobook on my (blessedly short) work commute, I've also read several books in the past month.

It's been a beautiful homecoming! Reading, oh, how I missed thee!

Now my only problem is that reading in bed is not very comfortable. I bought a lovely recliner last year and it has sat empty ever since. (Well, one of the cats does enjoy it....) I hope to gather the energy to haul that thing up the stairs so I have somewhere comfortable in my room to read. Next up: adjustable floor lamp.

Sicko

2007-07-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

I saw Sicko last night when our plans to see Harry Potter fell through. What an incredible film. I want everyone I know to see this. Unfortunately, because Moore's political views, I don't believe this will get the resounding attention it deserves. The very fact that our "health care" system in this country is for profit is wrong.

Roger Ebert wrote a great review for the Sun Times:

"It's a different Michael Moore in "Sicko." He still wears the baseball cap, but he's onscreen less, not so cocky, not going for so many laughs. He simply tells one story after another about Americans who are sick, dying or dead because we have an undemocratic, profit-gouging health care system. Moore's films usually make conservatives angry. This one is likely to strike home with anyone, left or right, who has had serious illness in the family. Conservative governments in Canada, England and France all support universal health care; the United States is the only developed nation without it."

new blog!

2007-07-13T16:46:00.000-04:00

I've started and abandoned several blogs over the years, but increasingly I've been aching for one, true place to post my personal and professional thoughts. Truth be told, the thing holding me back is fear. Not fear of the technology, I've taught others how to use a variety of blogging software and even installed WordPress on my own domain. I worry about having my words come back to haunt me. That years from now, something seemingly inconsequential I wrote will be discovered and taken out of context, or will cost me a friend, a job, or that elusive political office! But I'm biting the bullet, so here we go!