Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Feeling truly blessed today. Nobody wants to work on their birthday, but today has been a blast, and yes, I have gotten very little done. My staff surprised me with a cake My dear friend Liz sent me a stunning bouquet of flowers Mom, Prairie Dawn, and I went to one of my fav restaurants in Sticks for lunch Two of my favorite kiddos surprised me a homemade card and chocolate chip cookies And I get to be dressed in costume (one of my favorite things to do!) because Sticks Trick o' Treat Night is tonight and our FRIENDS group throws a huge party for kids passing through Feeling so grateful, grateful, grateful today; thankful for a job I love, folks who care about me, and health and happiness to appreciate every day of this grand life! Part of the card the kids made for me Part of the card the kids made for me

"October" O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know. Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees, one far away. Retard the sun with gentle mist; Enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow! For the grapes’ sake, if they were all, Whose leaves already are burnt with frost, Whose clustered fruit must else be lost— For the grapes’ sake along the wall. --Robert Frost I know I've shared this poem here before, but it's one of my favorite poems and I love to reread it every year, multiple time a year....

"Among the Rocks" Oh, good gigantic smile o’ the brown old earth,       This autumn morning! How he sets his bones To bask i’ the sun, and thrusts out knees and feet For the ripple to run over in its mirth;       Listening the while, where on the heap of stones The white breast of the sea-lark twitters sweet. That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true;       Such is life’s trial, as old earth smiles and knows. If you loved only what were worth your love, Love were clear gain, and wholly well for you:       Make the low nature better by your throes! Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!  --Robert Browning Another lovely poem for another lovely autumn morning.    Heading out soon for a gathering of Adult Librarians at the Upper Sandusky Community Library, where we will discuss creative program...

Fall is happening all around us and I feel so grateful that I've seen so much of it's glory this year; the colors over our campsite when the leaves were first bursting, and then last weekend as cover and forest bedding for us as we hiked lovely Hocking Hills! Last weekend I went home and to the town of Fenton, MI, where I grew up and was greeted by downtown Fenton in full autumn regalia. Beautiful beautiful! With fall on the brain I've been seeking out more poems that celebrate this favorite season of mine! Here's a gem:   "Autumn Fires" In the other gardens And all up the vale, From the autumn bonfires See the smoke trail! Pleasant summer over And all the summer flowers, The red fire blazes, The grey smoke towers. Sing a song of seasons! Something bright in all! Flowers in the summer, Fires in the fall! --Robert Louis Stevenson

Ben, Beth, Everett Ben carrying my niece through one of the small caves. My niece had a huge crush on Ben, asking him to carry her through the park. She has good taste--Ben's a gem. My brother A3's family: Alex (8mos), Dayna, A3, Savannah Our weekend away was lovely. I took a half day on Friday and after 3 hours of fall colors alongside the roads meandering south and east, I wound up at the house we were renting. Right around the time I finished unloading my car and stowing all the food in the fridge, A3 and company were pulling up, followed 5 minutes later by Beth, Ben, and Everett, who'd traveled from the Farm in Massachusetts.  The weekend was typical Midwest fall: colorful, blustery, rainy at times, perfect for being snuggly tucked away in a lovely house with friends and family. We were able to find a pocket of time when it wasn't raining and headed to Hocking Hills for a couple hours of camping. The kids were EXCELLENT the whol...

By the time you're reading this I will be on the open road, heading northeast for a weekend I've been looking forward to for about 6 months! My brother A3, sister-in-law Dayna, and niece and nephew, and friends Beth & Beth and their baby Everett and I have rented a house for the weekend near Hocking Hills State Park . So excited to see my dear friends and meet their new baby! So excited for lots of laughs, shared meals, time with people I love, hiking, and fall colors! What are you doing this weekend?

I joined the Association for Rural & Small Libraries last year and have really appreciated the listserv, where professional peers reach out to one another with questions, and in search of support. I thought it might be cool to occasionally share these issues/questions, in case anyone out there is in the same boat and doesn't know where to look. Today's question: We have a regional catalog in which librarians can see the records of patrons at other libraries. Do you have policies restricting the issuing of new library cards to patrons with bad records in other libraries? How do you handle this ethical issue? I don't always respond, but I did share some thoughts today, which are: We are in a consortium and are strongly encouraged to not give new cards to persons with accounts past due at any other libraries within our consortium; this is a rule we adhere to. That said, we still were getting occasionally burned by folks who'd get a card and then leave ...