Name change

Robin and I were talking about the name of this blog at some point during our loooong trip from the beginning of the cross-Bronx expressway to the end of the GW Bridge.

Since I'll be turning 30 in a few days, I needed to think about what to do with the name of my blog...and we brainstormed some ideas, some of which were not suitable for mixed company, some of which set me up to not live up to the promise of the name, and some of which were just plain dorky.

So when I mentioned to him that the blog used to be called "Futzing around the Blogosphere," he got mad at me for ever changing it from that, because apparantly, "futzing" is just one of those words that doesn't get used quite enough. (And I think the word "blogosphere" is hilarious.)

Long story to explain something really simple...but there you go. Sorry for the back-and-forth; I think I'll be sticking with this name for a while.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

teen pregnancy

I haven't seen Juno, but quick question: why is it okay--and kind of cute, judging by the previews--for the teenage girl in that movie to have a baby, but not okay for Jamie Lynn? People are calling for Nickelodeon to sever ties with her or else risk losing their audience. So it's okay in a movie--which we can walk away from with a good feeling and then forget--but not in real life, which reminds us that yes, 16-year-olds are having sex, and no, they don't necessarily know how to prevent pregnancy. (Or want to, in some cases.)

Holyoke, where I lived for a few years during grad school, has the highest teen parent rate in the state. Teen moms are a reality. Yeah, we've got to educate kids on how not to get pregnant...but we also have to help them once they do. It's not my job to tell a kid what choice to make, only to arm her with information.

Midwinter schedule so far

I have been getting so many flyers in the mail. My midwinter registration must have just kicked in and now I'm on the mailing list.

My plan so far:

Arrive Thursday. Dinner with friends. :) Start blogging for YALSA.
Friday: all-day YALSA advocacy institute
Friday night: YALSA gaming extravanganza, followed by drinks w/ Linda (and hopefully Jack from NYPL)
Saturday: Lunch with friends. :) :) Nothing else planned, so I'll probably cruise around the vendor floor and feel overwhelmed, young, and intimidated. Blog about it.
Sunday: head home.

There might be a committee meeting thrown in there somewhere, but since we're a virtual committee, it would just be a meet and greet. I'm following with interest the many conversations going on right now about how ALA should start allowing for virtual meetings. Too bad I'm really bad at tinkering with my avatar and I'm currently sporting a crop top and a bald spot in SL....

online predators vs. cyberbullies

We hear a lot about online predators and how they're a growing menace. While there have been a few sensational (and very sad) cyberbullying cases in the news lately, the topic just doesn't get as much press.

According to what I found out in my research for LIS406, publicized statistics show that 1 in 5 children are approached online by a sexual predator. This is the number that gets thrown around constantly by those who want to scare parents about social networking sites. Where does this number come from, and what does it mean?

Thanks to Benjamin Radford, I found that this stat originated in 2001 (red flag--6 years ago), when the Department of Justice conducted a report surveying teens about sexual solicitation online. The results were as follows:

• Almost one in five (19 percent) of the young Internet users surveyed received an unwanted sexual solicitation in the past year. Okay, that's bad, but break down that number a little further and you discover that...
  
• Five percent of the surveyed youth received a distressing sexual solicitation (i.e., the solicitation made them feel very or extremely upset or afraid).
• Three percent of the youth received an aggressive solicitation involving offline contact or attempts or requests for offline contact.
• None of the solicitations led to an actual sexual contact or assault.
• Adults (age 18 and older) made 24 percent of all solicitations and 34 percent of aggressive solicitations.
• Juveniles made 48 percent of all solicitations and 48 percent of aggressive solicitations.

While these numbers are still troubling, the fact is that a very small percentage of online youh received distressing or aggressive sexual solicitation, and nearly half of any kind of sexual interaction was initiated by another teen (this doesn't make it okay, but it does make it a different story than a child being solicited by an adult, in my book).

In other positive news, I found the following news item via Scott McLeod's blog:

Children less likely to encounter online predators

In contrast, 32% of teenagers who use the internet say that they have been the target of cyberbullying—"a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities, such as receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online" (Social Networking Websites and Teens: An Overview. Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007).

To me, this is the scarier issue. The web makes it easier to bully because it's easier to be anonymous. Bullying is an issue IRL, for sure, but parents and educators most likely have no idea when cyberbullying is happening. Are we teaching kids how to handle this? Are we talking to parents about it in the same way that we scare the crap out of them with all this sexual predator talk? Ultimately, the topic is brought up as a reason to block kids' internet access or take away their ability to use social networking sites. Which does nothing--they just use a proxy and hop right back on there, unarmed with any knowledge of what to do if they DO get solicited or bullied.

filtering

Why do I always find myself embroiled in yucky debates on LM_NET? I find that listserv to be particularly conservative, but where else are the school librarians supposed to go for quick feedback to questions?

Recently, another school librarian posted about how her students are accessing MySpace through bypass proxies. So, inevitably, librarians are spending a lot of time figuring out what these proxy sites are and passing that along to IT so that they, too, can be blocked.

And when I responded, asking if it wouldn't just be easier to let the students use MySpace, I got lots of responses:

If there wasn't porn on it I wouldn't care.

...trying to keep kids on educational tasks when they want to be continuously checking MySpace is a waste of my time. They can check MySpace somewhere else.

Of course there were some posts from people who agreed with me, too...but I know this is a fight I won't win; by which i mean I won't be able to ever convince the dissenters that social networks AREN'T porn and that they DO belong in the library.

I'm doing a project on filtering for my class; I'm presenting on it this Saturday, so I'll post my findings next week. I think that filtering is one of the biggest obstacles facing librarians today--especially those who serve youth.

facebook and myspace vs. a database

I just had a great conversation (totally unprompted by me) about the changes that myspace has implemented to make it look more like facebook. What struck me is how good this student was about noticing very small changes and features on myspace, and how attuned she was to the fact that myspace is mimicking facebook.

Of course, the whole time I was thinking, man, if I asked you anything about our new history database right now, you wouldn't even be able to call to mind what it looks like, or what it is, let alone knowing where the different buttons are for particular features.

It just goes to show you that teens pay attention to what matters in their lives and to what affects them in a personal way. And what I got out of this wasn't that she was oblivious about the history database (which is somehow supposed to matter more), but that she's actually very savvy and smart. I love that kids are aware of this stuff.

oops, i forgot to blog

There are SO MANY COOL THINGS going on right now, NONE of which I can write about. Oh, poo.

Fun things I can talk about: I started twittering, for real this time. I guess what I am discovering about myself is that I get really excited about a new piece of tech and then lose interest or forget that it's there. This may be because I don't really have a way to get online unless I'm at my desk or at my apartment, but it also may mean that I am very busy keeping up with things like...book orders. Oh, how DULL!

(Not really--I know it's not chic to still care about books as much as I do, but I can't help it.)

R. and I are flying to St. Augustine tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with his parents. It's going to be 70 degrees there. 70. I'm hoping for a manatee sighting.

Oh, one more thing: I am going to Midwinter. Yay! I'm going to the YALSA gaming extravaganza....hopefully I'll get to try a Wii.

Not so fun: the stupid writer's strike. For an addict like me, this is not good. Maybe I should start watching Quarterlife?

Okay, have to go pack my shorts. Happy Thanksgiving!

Been a little while...

So, I got married. It was awesome, and I'm really happy.

I've been thinking about this blog a little and I think I need to start writing about only the things that really interest me. Those things, namely, are:

1. Young adult lit. Any kind, really. I tend not to read books marketed to boys (especially realistic boy fiction), but my tastes here are fairly broad.

2. TV. Yep, I am fully addicted to TV. This summer has been pretty slow, television-wise, so I've been devouring about a book a day. I know this is good for me, but I'm also super-psyched for the fall season to start up.

Um....that's about it. There are other things I care about, like vegetarian recipes, dorky point-and-click games, girly movies, knitting, celebrity gossip (although I am really trying to wean myself off of this), animals wearing outfits, abortion rights (how did that slip in there?!)...but I think it will be easiest/most fun for me to write about YA and TV.

Yay!

Okay, I want to mention three things before I head off to bed.

1. Veronica Mars. I admitted to my husband this afternoon that I have not yet watched the final two episodes because I don't want the series is over. He told me that this is unhealthy behavior. I guess I am still in denial. I heard the other day that Kristen Bell (who is probably one of my top-three favorite actresses, in part because she's an animal-rights activist) might be guest-starring on Lost this year. Now, I stopped watching Lost sometime last year because I got so sick of the stupid run-around the writers/producers were putting the viewers through. I'm still curious to see what happens, but I'm not interested in watching the journey there, since the pace is so excrutiating. However...smart move, Lost! I think there are plenty of broken-hearted V Mars fans out there who are going to tune in just to see KB on the small screen again. I might have to! What am I going to do without the sass this year? We'll see how it goes--I'll watch the first ep with her in it (if she ends up doing it) and decide then, I guess.

2. 24. The franchise lost me last year. I'm going to rent the entire first season of Heroes and then start watching that instead.

3. Stephenie Meyers books. Meg Cabot had a great post in her blog (scroll down to the August 9 entry) about how, as a feminist, she rejects the idea that a girl should have to change her entire being--her species, for god's sake--for a boy. Tooootally agree about the gross message that these books are sending teenage girls. (Full disclosure: I've only read Twilight, but I've read reviews/synopses of the other two.) But I hate Edward Cullen. I find him mean, bullying, violent, and abusive. Yeah, he's good-looking and mysterious. But does that mean that a girl--conveniently, a clumsy, incompetent one--should follow him around and let him treat her like she's helpless and take his crap just because he's hot, moody, and secretive? No! I've been in that real-life relationship and it is baaaaaad news. I know that there are a lot of romance books out there that follow this theme, but the Meyer books are super popular at my library, not to mention nationwide, and I find that troubling. Yeah, I'm going to put them on the shelf becaused it's my job to give the kids what they want, but I'm not going to like it.

That's it for now. School starts up in a couple of weeks. Yikes!

Good night.

Kids and social activism -- a booklist

This is a list of middle-school books I put together for a former colleague of mine. His original request:

We are planning a curriculum for next year that will involve urban sprawl, city planning, and social action (all of the expeditions focus on some sort of social action). Do you know of any young adult novels that would contain the theme of social activism or kids working with the city government on community issues?

Annotations are taken from NoveList

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.

Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip
While serving as co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover fraud and corruption in their school and in the city's government.

The Heart of the City by Ron Koertge
After she and her parents move to an ethnically mixed inner city neighborhood, ten-year-old Joy and her new friend Neesha decide to do something to keep drug dealers off their block.

All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall
Five urban middle school students, their teacher, and other community members relate how a school project to build the world's largest tetrahedron affects the lives of everyone involved.

Soccer Chick Rules by Dawn Fitzgerald
While trying to focus on a winning soccer season, thirteen-year-old Tess becomes involved in local politics when she learns that all sports programs at her school will be stopped unless a tax levy is passed.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

The Young Landlords by Walter Dean Myers
Five devoted friends become landlords and try to make their Harlem neighborhood a better place to live.

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.

The mission of the school library

This discussion going on in LM_NET has gotten me thinking about what a school library's job is. Call me crazy, but I think it's okay if a kid walks out of here without knowing Dewey. I think all they need to know is this:

1. The library is a great place to find information.

2. Librarians are really nice and they'll work really hard to get you what you need.

3. The library is arranged in a certain way, and there is a way of finding the stuff in the library.

All libraries are different. I don't think uniformity is necessarily the number one quality of a library. And the new generation of library users is very adaptable. They don't need everything to look the same in order to be able to use it; they learn by doing.

And I don't think information literacy goes away as soon as you change the way a library is organized. Just because you don't have to look up and find a call number doesn't mean you're not learning how to find the best source possible.

...who knows. I'm excited to see what happens with the Arizona library. I think I just get a kick out of seeing things shaken up a bit.

Farewell to Dewey?

The internet is buzzing today about one library's decision to do away with Dewey. [There is some debate about whether or not this statement is really true.]

Most people aren't too happy about it, judging by the reaction on LM_NET and in the library blogs.

I've always wanted to create subject-specific mini-collections that are highly browsable, like in a bookstore. Lump all the sports books together and then arrange by sport and then author's last name. I know this is really similar to Dewey, but not quite--it's not as specific. So books about baseball, books about specific baseball players, and books about the Black Sox scandal will all be in the same place, and intermingled. No need for highly-specific Dewey numbers.

And tagging will allow users to identify books using their language, not ours.

This is still a fairly nebulous and potentially problematic idea, but I definitely subscribe to the bookstore model. Like Linda Braun says, people go to bookstores to a reason--and by the same token, don't go to libraries for the same reason.

Hmmmm....

Right now I am planning a major library reorg to take place this summer. It's a bit overwhelming, but in the end I think it will do good things for the library. One of the most difficult things is actually showing people that change is a good thing. I love change. This might mean something about me, you know, psychologically. I was the kind of kid who was always rearranging her bedroom. In the middle of the night. I don't think we should change public spaces for the sake of changing them, necessarily, but if shaking things up a bit will mean you've got a better library on your hands, don't stress about "how it's always been."

I know this takes diplomacy, though, and that's hard. I'm still learning how to argue my case with empathy, understanding, and an open mind.

On another note, I was THRILLED to see the recent post in the YALSA blog about hip hop. The list of artists that they put together is fantastic, with a lot of my favorites on there. Take a peek, and stock your shelves with this stuff!

Not using the library is still a cool thing to do

At the end of the year, all the students have to come in and have me sign a sheet of paper proving that they don't owe the library any books. This way they can get their diploma.

And for the past two years, I have noticed this phenomenon where the students come in, hand me their sheet, and tell me that they haven't checked out a book the entire year--and sometimes, seniors tell me they've never checked out a book, EVER, in their four years at the school. I'm not sure how to react to this; I usually nod and say something noncommital, like "oh." I don't want to get pissed at them; it's not my business whether or not they use the library. I also don't want to give them the reaction they may be looking for--shock and dismay. To be honest, I don't care if they've checked out a book within the last year or not, but it IS troubling that this is a cool thing to say. Why is that? Is it simple teenage rebellion? Is it a larger social issue--kids still don't want to be perceived as nerds?

I think that, more than answering those questions, it's important to figure out how I can provide better services to these kids. Outreach, outreach, outreach.

I subscribe to a couple of marketing feeds. This is a good idea, I think, because it has nothing to do with books. I need to know what teens are watching on TV and in the movie theatres. What music are they listening to? How are other industries and organizations reaching out?

In a 2006 entry on one of these blogs, Thinking Outside the Book, Jill Stover lists the following tactics for getting non-users into the library:

Bring a friend: I'm a fan of the idea that our current patrons could be terrific partners in reaching out to new patrons, particularly since there is so much distrust of traditional forms of promotion. One way to do this would be to sponsor a "Bring a Friend" event, where current patrons bring friends and family who have never been to the library, have them sign them up for a library card, and enter a raffle. You could even feature your more enthusiastic borrowers by asking them talk to the newcomers about what the library means to them.

Win over key leaders: Every community has key leaders and influential people who may prove to be effective in getting non-users inside your doors. Are there any civic, business or social groups in your community that could benefit from what your library can offer? Contact the leaders of these organizations for a brief meeting or presentation in which you outline specifically how the library can be an asset to members. Perhaps offer to lead an on-site workshop on a topic of interest to members. To be convincing, you may have to change/redesign/repackage your services to fit the needs of these targeted groups. For example, last month the Associated Press reported that libraries in New York and Pennsylvania are reaching out to small business owners through customized online resource aimed at helping them to write business plans and do market research. Tailoring your services leads to the next tip...

Differentiate yourself: It's likely that one reason your non-users haven't made the leap to users is that they probably don't understand why your library's services are different or more useful than other sources of information they regularly use. When you reach out to these community members through e-mail or print mailings, events, etc., be sure to let them know what it is you can do for them that no one else can. Marketers call this your Unique Selling Proposition, and if you have one, flaunt it whenever possible. However, positive selling points will vary between target markets, so it's useful to fit your USP to each segment.

Let people talk back: Perhaps your non-users have all kinds of good reasons for not visiting your library, but how will you know what they are (and how to address them) on an ongoing basis unless you give people opportunities to share their thoughts with you? As you go out into the community, make it a point to ask people what you could do differently or better, or for any "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" ideas they may have. Include suggestion cards with mailings or when doing outreach events, and make sure that your Web site clearly shows how patrons can contact staff with questions or concerns.

These ideas are not school- or even youth-oriented, but they can still be applied to high school library services:

Bring a friend.
This is a great idea for school library programming (and one I hadn't thought of before), but I think there needs to be an incentive. Maybe for a movie night, everyone who brings a friend gets their name entered in a raffle for a pair of movie tickets.

Win over key leaders.
This boils down to forming some kind of teen/student advisory group. These kids can help you plan events that they know their friends and peers would like. They can help you spread information--and that information is far more effective coming from a peer than it is from a librarian. I am blessed with a teen group full of dynamic and highly-visible students.

Differentiate yourself.
I've only been here for two years, and while I feel that there have been some changes in the students' perception of the library, it's impossible to cause a sea change in such a short time. And I think this kind of action often takes place one-on-one, which takes a while. Differentiating yourself can be as simple as having a pizza party or telling middle schoolers that you'll buy any book they ask for--if they're not used to this kind of treatment, they might sit up and take notice. What are some other good PR moves?

Let people talk back.
I get feedback in a couple of ways. One is through the library suggestion box. Obviously, this doesn't reach kids who aren't in the library. I have distributed surveys through English teachers for two years now. These are good for both gathering data and letting kids know what is available in the library. And I have web-based polls, which ask anything from "what's your favorite TV show?" to "do we have enough of the books you like to read?" I think focus groups would be a great idea for this community, too--I have no experience planning them, but I'd like to learn.

Last year, I asked one student who told me he hadn't checked out a book in his four years here why he hadn't--and he said that the library was confusing. He couldn't figure out what books were where. That resulted in me purchasing larger and clearer signage, as well as proposing (and getting approval for) a more major library reorg that should help students find books more easily. So I guess these kids proclaiming that they're too cool for the library is a good thing--because it can bring about positive change. You just need to figure out how it all fits together.

Books I Need to Read

I have a long list of books that I need to read this summer. I need to keep track!

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Twisted
A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl
Tyrell
Skin
What my Girlfriend Doesn't Know
Private
HP7
The 4th Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book
Tangerine
Pretty Little Liars
A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith
Hattie Big Sky
Shug
You are SO Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah
Surrender
The Case of the Missing Marquess
Pants on Fire
Prom Dates from Hell
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Boy Proof
Sloppy Firsts
Second Helpings
Monster Blood Tattoo
Shock Point
The Higher Power of Lucky
Beige
Born to Rock
Firegirl
Clay
Secrets of my Hollywood Life
The Loud Silence of Francine Green
In Search of Mockingbird
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation
The Christopher Killer
Hello, Groin
Bad Kitty
Kiki Strike
Prom Anonymous
Life as We Knew It
The Unresolved
Flora Segunda

....I'll keep adding to this as I go

Library management

I love a noisy library. Unfortunately, not all of my colleagues feel the same. Nothing gets my blood boiling more than a teacher trying to manage my library. But I know that I am not like most school librarians in this regard, and so it's not really fair of me to get frustrated with my colleagues. I also worry that some teachers might think I am not doing my job when they walk into a library full of loud, boisterous students.

I think this is one of the challenges I face as a school librarian trained in grad school as a public YA librarian. I wonder if this happens often in private schools, since many of us are uncertified MLSes. (How do you make MLS plural? Bahama Mama, thoughts?)

Hello

I read a lot of blogs. I have 80+ in my Bloglines blogroll. How many more times can I write the word "blog"? Blog blog blog. Anyway, I decided I should start blogging. I mean, I used to have a personal livejournal, and I have a blog for our school library, but I need a space where I can write about library-related issues that aren't specifically about my library, and where I can be a regular person instead of a school person.

Here are a few things you should know about me:

1. I am almost 30. In a month, I'm marrying someone who's a few years younger than me. This makes me feel a little dirty, and very old. But I'm excited to marry him, nonetheless.

2. I am a middle and high school librarian. I love being a librarian and I love working with this age group. I also love being around little kids, and I wish that happened more often.

3. I work at a boarding school, and I live on campus, so I am also a dorm parent. This means I act more like a teenage girl than I maybe should. Sometimes I try to act like a mom, but no one can take me seriously.

4. Did I mention I look like I'm 18? I am frequently mistaken for a new senior, especially by potential parents on their campus tour. This gives me a great deal of authority. I am super intimidating. See no. 3.

5. Everyone thinks I am VERY boring. This may be because I watch a lot of TV. And I don't like, oh, going out. And I am a librarian. And I blush a lot. However, I am not boring. I am fascinating.

6. I live in a tiny zoo. My apartment is itsy-bitsy, and I share it with two cats and a dog. Here are some things you should know about my pets:

Mamie
My favorite, and she knows it. Mamie is a crazy calico who will do just about anything for attention, including flopping out to her full extended length (at least four feet) right in front of you as you're carrying a pot of ravioli to the sink to drain it. Loves cardboard. Loves paper. Will lick your entire arm from wrist to shoulder. Sticks her butt in your face when you're trying to read. Speaks, according to my finacee, with a French accent. Gets an awesome, blank look on her face when she's using the litterbox (ask me to imitate it sometime). My first pet as an adult. Named for Mamie Eisenhower....for no good reason.

Bodie
Mamie's loving and terrified companion. A big gray neutered male. Scared of everything: people walking, people talking, sudden movements of any kind, thunder, weird shadows, the air conditioner, the sound of me folding laundry/fluffing pillows, etc. HATES the dog. LOVES me. According to my fiancee, walks around thinking: "Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah." Would probably prefer to live in a small, dark room with only me. Would keep me as his slave. He and Mamie clean each other; watching this, once, I teared up. Named after a character on Dawson's Creek, not Jenna Elfman's weird husband.

Matilda
Funny little dog. According to the place where I adopted her, she's a Golden Retriever/Basset Hound mix. Everyone thinks she's a corgi. She is fat and untrained. She tried to eat a really old dead mouse the other night. She wheezes a little. My fiancee [I need to come up with a code name for him; I know it will be something related to Joyce or Faulkner if he has his way, but if I have mine it will be something slightly emasculating] calls her his Goose. Why? No one knows. Her life's dream is to capture and devour a squirrel. She weighs 45 pounds, but is a lap dog all the same.

7. One of my favorite things to do is help a kid who has sneered at me or the library before, and see their opinion change, if only a tiny bit and not around their friends.

8. I live for new Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, and Maureen Johnson books. As well as cancelled shows on the WB/UPN/CW (BASTARDS) and super dorky point-and-click flash games.

9. I often write in all capital letters for EMPHASIS.

Okay. That's it for today. I plan on using this blog for little mini book reviews, commentary on stuff that's happening in library land, etc. etc. Maybe no one will read this....we'll see! Bye!