Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

I need to blog about library stuff and life and library stuff. So much to catch up on. Been tilting between busy and exhausted to moody Judy, so probably best I do the Thumper's Mom's thing and not say anything until I can say something nice. Until then, please, be disturbed with me.

Prairie Dawn and I have been hard at work this week, planning Summer Reading 2014. Schedules: We've decided to keep our schedule similar to last year, adding a few more programs, some of which are passive , which will definitely help us out--we're doing over 70 programs in 6 weeks...something we're both proud of and terrified of. Don't panic--it's just a schedule...it's just a schedule and there are throngs of children thrown into the mix!! Speaking of scheduling, I was trying not to freak out earlier when I got vacation requests for folks during two of the craziest weeks of Summer Reading...my philosophy is always, "we'll make it work." And we will...I may just be at the desk A LOT those two weeks.  Prizes: we ordered our prizes on Amazon. From babies to adults, every time a goal is met, or every time a program is attended folks get a ticket; drawings for prizes happen at the end of the SR program and ONLY people who've finished Summ

I feel like I've been running a race lately, so busy, like I'm running away from something...

If you don't understand hangry you should watch this buzzfeed . Nailed it. While I was in Chicago visiting ChicagoBoy this weekend my hanger reared its' ugly head. Sweet ChicagoBoy asked where I wanted to go for dinner. Wherever you want to go is fine with me. Ok, there's _______ (*lists a dozen restaurants) Really, anything is fine with me, just not pub food (met an old friend for lunch and green beers at a pub earlier) There's this really good fish place... That sounds awesome! What about sushi? You like sushi, right? I love sushi! That sounds even better than the fish place!  Hey Tommy (his roomie), where do you think we should go for dinner? (Rattles off list he already told me). P.F. Changs? That might be good.   P.F. Changs it is!! I apologized later, but still felt bad, so I sent ChicagoBoy the link in the hopes that he understands me better. Aside from that lame moment, the weekend was WONDERFUL. We ate Chicago Dogs at Portillos--the BEST place

I'm one of those I may regret it later, but I'd probably regret it more if I didn't try it, kinda girls--that is why I LOVE this. And I love Neil Gaiman.  Today's going to be a busy Friday: meeting with county library directors, hair appointment and dropping off  my car for an oil change on my lunch break, and so much Summer Reading '14 stuff to tackle. Prairie Dawn and I had our first big pow-wow yesterday, so today I'll be finalizing events on our June and July calendars, setting up our Touch-a-Truck and Summer Reading Kick-Off event, and counting down the minutes until I leave for Chicago!! And since every road trip (mini ones included) needs good music, I'll share this slice of awesome--a new take on an old favorite of mine. Happy weekend!

Friday after work I am driving to Chicago to not only see ChicagoBoy, but I'll also be getting together with an old friend from high school who I haven't seen in about 15 years! I am super pumped to be in Chicago for St. Patty's Day weekend madness and to see the river dyed green! Looking forward to all this excitement means the work days will drag by, so every time I feel like I can't make it to 5p.m. Friday, I'm going to listen to this song! Pharrell Williams - Happy Official Video

Went to a conference about Summer Reading '14 on Friday which got the creative juices flowing with all of the ideas for children's and teen programs that were shared! Prairie Dawn and I will be sitting down soon to put the calendars together for our 6 weeks of Summer Reading. This will be easy, as 1. I've already booked all of our entertainment/speakers and 2. we came up with a good template of how the weeks should run last year; each day had an event that happened that same day each of the 6 week, i.e. Make n' Take Mondays, STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) Tuesdays Movie Wednesdays Game day Thursday Fun Fridays: we rotated between doing things like face painting, or parties (Superhero Party, Prince & Princess Party, etc.) We found that doing it this way was easier on us, and also helped the families have a better sense of what was happening on which days, because even though everyone was given the calendars of events, no one seems to read the D

It's always hard to get back into the routine of dress clothes on Monday, after a weekend of jeans and comfy shirts, or, let's be really honest: pjs all day. So, what are you wearing to work today?

Cover of Rojankovsky's Mother Goose So, I collect books. Yes, I know, person of limited interests, right? I go to old book stores, library used book sales, garage sales, Salvation Army book bins; anywhere there are books I root about like a pig. I've found first editions by some of my favorites, found old ratty tatty books which I read in childhood and have long since lost my copies of; I pick up oddities. I am very particular about what I buy. I'm nostalgic and a book snob rolled into one. I recently purchased a Feodor Rojankovsky illustrated Mother Goose --the artwork so reminiscent of some of the books of my childhood I couldn't pass it up!--and though intended as a gift, couldn't give it away. Upon flipping through the whole book one afternoon, I came upon this version of Humpty Dumpty, obviously poking fun at Adolf Hitler: Curiosity peaked, I decided to do some research into the books' illustrator, Feodor Rojankovsky. Rojankovsky bio: Feo

I think I've posted this on my blog every year since I started blogging, but I will continue to share this every year, as it's such a lovely reflection. TSO has been sending this to me every Ash Wednesday for 10 years, and yet, I still look forward to re-reading it every year. "...It was Mr. Gold who counted time and eventually spoke first. 'Jacob, where do you find the strength to carry on in life?' 'Life is often heavy only because we attempt to carry it,' said Jacob. 'But, I do find a strength in the ashes .' 'In the ashes ?' asked Mr. Gold. 'Yes,' said Jacob, with a confirmation that seemed to have traveled a great distance. 'You see, Mr. Gold, each of us is alone.  Each of us is in the great darkness of our ignorance.  And each of us is on a journey. 'In the process of our journey, we must bend to build a fire for light, and warmth, and food. 'But when our fingers tear at the ground, hoping to find the coals

I remember how hard I searched for jobs when I was coming out of grad school, so that's why I've been periodically sharing what passes through my inbox. Young Minds Program Leader job opening at The Columbus Metropolitan Library THE POSITION: The Young Minds Program Leader has the opportunity to help address community needs identified in the library’s Young Minds strategy, our top priority. Building a foundation for a successful life is the outcome we strive to attain for the children we serve, and the work we do every day reflects this aspiration. This position is responsible for key areas in our Youth Services program that support our goals of preparing children, their parents and caregivers for kindergarten (Ready for Kindergarten); increasing school-age literacy and reading proficiency (Third Grade Reading – Ohio’s state mandated initiative; Summer Reading Club) and supporting high school graduation success (Homework Help). Columbus Metropolit

This is my FAVORITE! If Dr. Seuss were still alive today he would have turned 110 years old on Sunday, and been able to see his works all over the world, all over the internet, and still loved by children EVERYWHERE! So, for our 2nd year in a row we decided to celebrate Dr. Seuss with a party complete with Seussically silly snacks, crafts, and lots of laughter. If you're looking for some craft or food ideas, these were a hit (also we try and cleverly keep both our food and crafts for parties relatively inexpensive, and these were both!): IF I RAN THE CIRCUS peanuts (aka circus peanuts) HOP on POPcorn (aka cheesy popcorn) IF I RAN THE ZOO animals (aka animal crackers) FISH in the POT crackers (aka goldfish crackers) BIPPOLO SEEDS (aka nerds( Craft 1: Die cut door knob hangers which we turned Seussically silly with messages and Seuss characters (didn't have much time to finish this sample, so beg your pardon for it's sloppiness) Ou

I have absolutely no idea where February, the longest-shortest month went, and I'm not complaining. Prairie Dawn and I have been keeping ourselves VERY busy with a regimen of about 30+ programs a month and school storytimes to boot! There are some things which I will go into more detail about later, but until then, I wanted to share some pictures of fun things we did at some recent parties! February around here was about having fun, and partying, and forgetting that winter was still happening. So, first we had our Berenstain Bears Party (we forgot a camera that day. :(  ), followed by our all ages Dr. Who Party , which was fun, bringing in 19 folks ranging from kids as young as 10 years old, to adults in their 40s. If you ever do one, these snacks were a hit: Oreo Daleks Apparently Dr. Who says that you should always take a banana to a party. Galaxy cupcakes Bow ties are cool bow tie pasta salad Adipose (These were a make your own, whereas Prairie Da

This posting came to us from the State Library of Ohio, thought I would shareL "The State Library of Ohio is seeking an outgoing & enthusiastic Government Information Library Consultant.  This successful applicant will be a member of the team-oriented Library Development Department.  This position will coordinate and maintain all aspects of the Government Documents program at the State Library, Ohio’s only full regional federal depository, as well as assist Ohio libraries and librarians to understand and effectively leverage government information and data.  Deadline to apply is March 7 , 2014.  Learn More or Apply at http://bit.ly/1fU5HnP (Shorter URL) The State of Ohio is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, religion, age, disability or military status in employment or the provision of services."