Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

When I decided to move back out to the Farm I spent a lot of time thinking about how that would affect me professionally and what steps I wanted to take to continue being a Librarian. I decided that for now I would like to at least sub or volunteer and then at my 6 month mark back at the Farm I would reevaluate what comes next. So: Dropped my resume at Ideal Library (my favorite little town library around here) to be reviewed by the Board of Trustees to see if I am okay to start subbing. May also begin doing a Saturday story time with the kids this summer (per a conversation I had with the Director). The library in town here just posted a position for a substitute Librarian, which I will be submitting a resume for this week--guess we'll see on that. Otherwise, the Farm has shaken off any evidence of winter and has become Spring in what seems overnight. I fall asleep at night to the lullabye of peepers and an occasional coyote howl, and I wake every day to the wonder that is singing...

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter (or Passover, or whatever else people may have celebrated.) Growing up a Catholic I have always hated Lent--the 40 day period leading up to Easter--for many reasons: we always gave something up for the 40 days as a personal sacrifice; besides church on Sunday there are many other non-Sunday days that require church attendance (i.e. Ash Wednesday, Penance services); no meat on Fridays. So this Lenten season I tried to be more mindful of the fact that I really struggle with Lent, and decided to focus instead on the world around me (by world I mean my small community). I decided to be very aware of the changing of nature into spring: the green blades of grass, forcing their way up and like a wildfire slowly sweeping across a yard until it became a vision in green; the thickening of trees and bushes as they yawn and strech off their winter sleepiness and prepare to be clothed in leaves and berries; listened to the rushing of the brook that wends its way th...

Almost two weekends ago we celebrated the 99th birthday of a Farm tradition. The eldest member of our community, R turned 99, and that is cause for much celebration. R came to the Farm when she was around 18 years old--which means she has lived here for over 80 years of her life!!--at a time when the Farm worked under a very different system. Today the Farm's major focus in therapy is the mental health aspect (meaning healing through therapy, paired with work), but when the Farm was created it used more of a therapy through work approach. And unlike today, the lines between jobs and roles was skewed, meaning everyone helped out with everything to make sure it got done. Anyway, R occasionally will talk about the old days here at the Farm and share some of her memories, so in honor of R, I would like to share some things I learned about/from her: 1. A lot of the daffodils around the Farm (and particularily my house) were planted by her. She would walk around and plant at will. 2. The...

Just found out that a fellow graduate of Wayne State LIS program had an article--about working in the Libraries during this time of economic hardship--published in Newsweek. Congrats Eva!! "Reading Into the Future," Eva Gronowska "Libraries are my world. I've been a patron all my life, and for the past nine years I've worked at multiple libraries and archives in and around Detroit . The library as an institution has many roles, but as our country struggles through an economic crisis , I have watched the library where I work evolve into a career and business center , a community gathering place and a bastion for hope." For the full article, click here !

There is no way to explain the farm, but I think I gave an explanation of it, on this blog . I have been here for almost a month and have already fallen back into the luxury of the the area. There are so many things that I missed about the Farm when I left, and some things that made me crazy 3 years ago (when I left), that still make me crazy. This is definitely no Utopia, but it is close enough to perfect for me (right now)...and that is all I can ask for in this lifetime. I took a Staff position as a Kitchen Assistant, which means I help put out 4 meals each day. Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Snack ( a 96 year old tradition!) and Dinner. But, in putting out the meals every day, we staff lead a team of "guests," which is a term referring to our "patients" here at the Farm. The guests suffer from a wide array of mental illness; ranging from schizophrenic disorders to bi-polar disorder or depression, etc. The purpose of guests coming to the Farm is not only to seek out trea...

My sister, A1 sent the following article. That in itself made me wonder if she is hinting at something? We have that kind of ambiguous, passive aggressive relationship (sometimes). I guess I should stop licking all my old children's books before I go to bed at night... "JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Could a vintage, dog-eared copy of "The Cat in the Hat" or "Where the Wild Things Are" be hazardous to your children? The Consumer Product Safety Commission has raised that possibility in urging the nation's libraries to take children's books printed before 1986 off their shelves while the federal agency investigates whether the ink contains unsafe levels of lead. Few, if any, libraries are complying, and many librarians are ridiculing the recommendation as alarmist. Even the nation's premier medical sleuths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, say any danger from lead in children's books is slight." For the rest of the article click her...

I am doing exactly what I said I wouldn't do...getting TOO busy to write about the wonderful life I have here in Massachusetts, at home again at the Farm. This is just a short check in to promise a longer, explanatory blog either tomorrow or Saturday. Things are great, busy busy and staying that way for a while. Now doing research for places to visit in Rhode Island (Newport). Going to visit my brother A2 next weekend for a day, then he may come back for a day to be spent at the Farm. Would be cool, as he has never been here, and also, I just love to show people the place that I love so much!! Speaking of A2, wanted to send a huge HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY wish to my niece, Monster Niece G in California. Wish I could be there celebrating with my little monster! I am sending nothing but love and happiness to you, Monster Niece G!! Aunt Monster loves you so much! And, since I am not leaving my beloved readers with much, let me at least share a beautiful poem that best friend Mummy Dearest s...