I've read three ARCs over the past three weeks. I couldn't put ANY of them down. And I waited about twenty minutes in the Bloomsbury booth at ALA Annual for the women there to notice me so that I could get a copy of Liar. A friend of mine gave me one of those one-sentence synopses for it and I knew I had to read it.
The Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Valerie's boyfriend shoots up the school, and even though she throws herself in front of him to stop the violence, she still gets blamed for what happened, because she helped him write the Hate List, a list of people they wish would disappear off the face of the planet. This was one of those books where you know there's an awesome resolution coming--where the protagonist is finally going to stand up for herself and find closure--and it did not disappoint. I really can't find anything critical to say about it, except that Nick's last name, Levil, was a little heavy-handed. :) But the story was perfect and it was very moving. Of all three books, this was my favorite.
The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
Mary Pearson is one of my favorite authors; I talk up Jenna Fox to everyone. I was hoping that The Miles Between was going to be another slightly spooky story where a mystery lurks in the background, and that's what I got. Yay! I cried my eyes out at the end and thought the buiding romace was great. Destiny is a lovable character who really develops as the story progresses. I did figure out the twist right before the reveal, but I think that was supposed to happen. Pearson is such a fantastic writer and she really sucks in her readers. It may be a hard book to booktalk, but it will definitely appeal to any of your readers who like realistic fiction.
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
I can't give too much away about this story, but it's the kind I love--unreliable narrator, big secrets, and nice twists. I wasn't nuts about the resolution; it seemed a bit too hasty and undone. I wanted a little more reveal. But the build-up was phenomenal and the pacing was breathtaking. I loved Micah's voice, and I thought that the premise was so sad. There were a few plot elements that seemed incongruous, though. However, I'll definitely recommend this to teens when it comes out.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I'm back!
Ack! It's been almost a year since I've posted anything here. A lot has happened in that year: I began my job at the Darien Library, and I welcomed (along with my husband) my daughter into the world. Whew! Those two things alone have taken up most of my time and energy. And now the Darien Library is MOVING! To an amazing new building! As the person responsible for the new teen space, I've been:
* Weeding
* Buying new titles, including loads of awesome non-fiction
* Re-organizing all our teen books into genre categories: romance, mystery, sports, series, etc. I think this will make the collection a lot more browsable and accessible.
* Buying gaming systems and games
* Planning a hefty slate of programs, including gaming tournaments, Gossip Girl viewing parties, and study nights
* Promoting the new teen program on Facebook and in person
I am so excited for us to be in the new building! And once we get there, please watch this space for more frequent posts. And if you want to read some of my recent pieces on the YALSA blog, here they are!
Happy Holidays, everyone!
* Weeding
* Buying new titles, including loads of awesome non-fiction
* Re-organizing all our teen books into genre categories: romance, mystery, sports, series, etc. I think this will make the collection a lot more browsable and accessible.
* Buying gaming systems and games
* Planning a hefty slate of programs, including gaming tournaments, Gossip Girl viewing parties, and study nights
* Promoting the new teen program on Facebook and in person
I am so excited for us to be in the new building! And once we get there, please watch this space for more frequent posts. And if you want to read some of my recent pieces on the YALSA blog, here they are!
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Midwinter
For my reflections on Midwinter, go here.
What I didn't really write about: two amazing dinners, thanks to Darien, here and here; spending the whole afternoon with Louise, Alan, Kate, John (and my mom!) talking about the New Darien Library; eating a lot of potato chips at the Darien blogger reception; meeting Sara Ryan; giggling with Lisa at the YALSA advocacy institute; learning how to use a PC again; coveting an iphone so that I could twitter everything; getting kind of fond of SEPTA; and really, REALLY liking Philly.
What I didn't really write about: two amazing dinners, thanks to Darien, here and here; spending the whole afternoon with Louise, Alan, Kate, John (and my mom!) talking about the New Darien Library; eating a lot of potato chips at the Darien blogger reception; meeting Sara Ryan; giggling with Lisa at the YALSA advocacy institute; learning how to use a PC again; coveting an iphone so that I could twitter everything; getting kind of fond of SEPTA; and really, REALLY liking Philly.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The differences between school and public libraries
I don't mean to pick on the woman who commented on my earlier post about Gossip Girl, but her response did make me think--what are the differences between school and public libraries? Should there be any?
Certainly, when I start building the teen collection for Darien, I won't be collecting 15,000 adult nonfiction titles to support the curriculum--there's no curriculum to support. And I won't be worried about collaboration with teachers (although I will be reaching out to the schools). I won't have a reference section.
But what will stay the same? I'll still want to create research guides. I'll still want to teach teenagers how to use the library and support their homework and research needs. I'll still have databases and web guides and I'll still educate kids on how to safely use the internet.
I'll buy more YA lit, for sure, and more graphic novels--because they don't seem to circulate here, for some reason. But the kind of literature I'll buy will be the same. I'll still buy high-interest fiction, lots of series books, and see what the teens want. I'll still have DVDs for them to borrow, and fun magazines to browse like Teen Vogue and People and Vibe and ESPN. Fortunately, I won't have to let them login with my username in order to circumvent the Facebook and YouTube blocks, and that will be nice.
Another nice thing will be the ability to let kids wear hats inside, use their cell phones, and eat...
Despite these little differences, I think we should approach both areas of librarianship--school and public--with the same philosophy. I know my point of view is unique because I don't work at a public school, but having been in this field for three years now, I think I would have the same attitude about services to teens either way. I want to give them the books they want to read. I know it's harder to fight parents in public schools and that principals are afraid of lawsuits; I know that budgets are smaller (although, mine's not that great compared to some big public school systems) and that librarians have to make more choices about the books they buy. I know that the attitude of the community can very much influence the philosophy of the school.
So, maybe I'm being idealistic. Maybe, if I worked at a school where I didn't feel supported, was constantly being audited by conservative parents (and yes, our parents are pretty conservative), and where I felt like my last $20 would be better spent on a history book than the latest Clique book, I would feel like schools and public libraries are inherently different. But I'm not sure I would work there very long--either I'd get fired for standing by a book or I'd quit because I was sick of it. I took a class on school library management this fall and I have to say, the picture that is often painted of school libraries is pretty grim. I'm not sure why anyone would go into the field after hearing horror stories about filtering, banned books, restricted budgets, angry parents, and fixed schedules. If we want to recruit energetic new librarians into the profession, shouldn't we be looking at why school libraries are the way they are? Today's library school students want to use social networking sites and read Gossip Girl. They're not going to work in schools--they're going to work in public libraries.
I admit that I'm feeling some guilt over leaving a school for a public library. I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect at my job, but I do think that schools need librarians who treat their libraries like teen rooms--places where students can feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. There are tons of people who want to go into teen services and shake things up, but not as many who want to go into schools and show people how librarianship has changed.
Providing teenagers with popular paperbacks isn't being an irresponsible school librarian; it doesn't take away from the fact that you're also supporting them in the classroom. We shouldn't be, as a parent once said to me, "providing them with a choice between broccoli and carrots instead of a choice between broccoli and cake." If we want students to keep coming into the library after their teacher makes them--if we want them to be lifelong library users--we have to give them the cake.
Certainly, when I start building the teen collection for Darien, I won't be collecting 15,000 adult nonfiction titles to support the curriculum--there's no curriculum to support. And I won't be worried about collaboration with teachers (although I will be reaching out to the schools). I won't have a reference section.
But what will stay the same? I'll still want to create research guides. I'll still want to teach teenagers how to use the library and support their homework and research needs. I'll still have databases and web guides and I'll still educate kids on how to safely use the internet.
I'll buy more YA lit, for sure, and more graphic novels--because they don't seem to circulate here, for some reason. But the kind of literature I'll buy will be the same. I'll still buy high-interest fiction, lots of series books, and see what the teens want. I'll still have DVDs for them to borrow, and fun magazines to browse like Teen Vogue and People and Vibe and ESPN. Fortunately, I won't have to let them login with my username in order to circumvent the Facebook and YouTube blocks, and that will be nice.
Another nice thing will be the ability to let kids wear hats inside, use their cell phones, and eat...
Despite these little differences, I think we should approach both areas of librarianship--school and public--with the same philosophy. I know my point of view is unique because I don't work at a public school, but having been in this field for three years now, I think I would have the same attitude about services to teens either way. I want to give them the books they want to read. I know it's harder to fight parents in public schools and that principals are afraid of lawsuits; I know that budgets are smaller (although, mine's not that great compared to some big public school systems) and that librarians have to make more choices about the books they buy. I know that the attitude of the community can very much influence the philosophy of the school.
So, maybe I'm being idealistic. Maybe, if I worked at a school where I didn't feel supported, was constantly being audited by conservative parents (and yes, our parents are pretty conservative), and where I felt like my last $20 would be better spent on a history book than the latest Clique book, I would feel like schools and public libraries are inherently different. But I'm not sure I would work there very long--either I'd get fired for standing by a book or I'd quit because I was sick of it. I took a class on school library management this fall and I have to say, the picture that is often painted of school libraries is pretty grim. I'm not sure why anyone would go into the field after hearing horror stories about filtering, banned books, restricted budgets, angry parents, and fixed schedules. If we want to recruit energetic new librarians into the profession, shouldn't we be looking at why school libraries are the way they are? Today's library school students want to use social networking sites and read Gossip Girl. They're not going to work in schools--they're going to work in public libraries.
I admit that I'm feeling some guilt over leaving a school for a public library. I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect at my job, but I do think that schools need librarians who treat their libraries like teen rooms--places where students can feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. There are tons of people who want to go into teen services and shake things up, but not as many who want to go into schools and show people how librarianship has changed.
Providing teenagers with popular paperbacks isn't being an irresponsible school librarian; it doesn't take away from the fact that you're also supporting them in the classroom. We shouldn't be, as a parent once said to me, "providing them with a choice between broccoli and carrots instead of a choice between broccoli and cake." If we want students to keep coming into the library after their teacher makes them--if we want them to be lifelong library users--we have to give them the cake.
Revised Midwinter Schedule
Thursday
5:00 Arrive at parents', hop on train in Yardley
7:00 Dinner with Darien
Friday
9:00 YALSA institute: Taking Teen Services the Next Level
11:30 YALSA lunch
1:30 Meeting with Darien
5:00 YALSA happy hour (maybe)
7:30 Dinner with Darien
Saturday
Pre-lunch: visit the exhibit halls; stop by the YALSA all-committee meeting, 10 a.m.
1:00 Visit YALSA booth to try to meet Holly Black
1:45 AASL Web Guides committee meeting
5:30 Reception with Darien
Sunday
Head home!
Monday
8:00 watch the webcast of the youth media awards
All the while: blogging for YALSA.
5:00 Arrive at parents', hop on train in Yardley
7:00 Dinner with Darien
Friday
9:00 YALSA institute: Taking Teen Services the Next Level
11:30 YALSA lunch
1:30 Meeting with Darien
5:00 YALSA happy hour (maybe)
7:30 Dinner with Darien
Saturday
Pre-lunch: visit the exhibit halls; stop by the YALSA all-committee meeting, 10 a.m.
1:00 Visit YALSA booth to try to meet Holly Black
1:45 AASL Web Guides committee meeting
5:30 Reception with Darien
Sunday
Head home!
Monday
8:00 watch the webcast of the youth media awards
All the while: blogging for YALSA.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Gossip Girl
I think that reading Gossip Girl was what made me want to be a teen librarian. I just devoured them. I wished that something that engaging and AWESOME had been around when I was a teenager...of course, there wasn't much YA lit when I was in middle and high school, so I pretty much just skipped ahead to the adult books. I think some kids still do this, but there are so many more appealing titles now to entice even mature readers.
Anyway, I haven't read the whole series, because I had to stop at some point to read some other books. But I'm now fully addicted to the tv series on the CW. I love some of the elements of the series that they've put in, but I also love that it's become its own entity. Unfortunately, I hate the characters of Dan and Vanessa, and I loved them both in the books. I adore Blaire and Serena, though--and in the books, I was less attached to them. Meg Cabot wrote in her blog about being annoyed that the TV version had turned the story into a morality play--especially when it comes to Serena, who certainly is nowhere near as reformed in the books as she is on the show--and while I see her point, I think that the show does need one character who is the story's moral compass. In the books, I think it was Dan. In the show, I think it's Serena. Dan comes across as sanctimonious and whiny in the TV version, if you ask me.
I know that the girls at my school are eating up the show--and checking out the books more than usual. I think it hits all the right notes, and it's SO satisfying.
My first book challenge was over Gossip Girl. A 6th grader brought it home, and her mom contacted me about it. The ensuing conversation was really hard for me, because I understood the mother's point of view (her daughter was only 11 at the time), but my own convictions couldn't allow me to agree that the book shouldn't be in the library. Ultimately, the mom dropped the challenge. When I told Robin about it, he secretly emailed Cecily Von Ziegesar to tell her what had happened. I got an email from her that made. my. year. I won't reprint it in its entirety because I feel like that's a violation of her privacy, but the part that got especially got me was this:
It's soooo easy to bash Gossip Girl. Hey, my fellow school librarians do it all the time on LM_NET (which I just shouldn't read...it gives me heartburn). But go ahead and apply those 40 developmental assets and see what you come up with. Sure, on first glance, it might seem like these books--and even the show, to a lesser extent--are about rich teenagers with no morals and no consequences. But that's the lazy way out. Whether girls are reading it because of the breathless drama or the fact that they feel emotionally connected to one or more of the characters, the fact is that they ARE reading about teens who think, feel, and act much the same way that they do--just, maybe, with better shoes.
Of course, deciphering all this means actually READING the books...which I doubt many of the dissenters have done.
Regardless, I will always love Gossip Girl, and I will always have the utmost respect for the series' creator...and it's pretty cool to have her email in my address book!
Anyway, I haven't read the whole series, because I had to stop at some point to read some other books. But I'm now fully addicted to the tv series on the CW. I love some of the elements of the series that they've put in, but I also love that it's become its own entity. Unfortunately, I hate the characters of Dan and Vanessa, and I loved them both in the books. I adore Blaire and Serena, though--and in the books, I was less attached to them. Meg Cabot wrote in her blog about being annoyed that the TV version had turned the story into a morality play--especially when it comes to Serena, who certainly is nowhere near as reformed in the books as she is on the show--and while I see her point, I think that the show does need one character who is the story's moral compass. In the books, I think it was Dan. In the show, I think it's Serena. Dan comes across as sanctimonious and whiny in the TV version, if you ask me.
I know that the girls at my school are eating up the show--and checking out the books more than usual. I think it hits all the right notes, and it's SO satisfying.
My first book challenge was over Gossip Girl. A 6th grader brought it home, and her mom contacted me about it. The ensuing conversation was really hard for me, because I understood the mother's point of view (her daughter was only 11 at the time), but my own convictions couldn't allow me to agree that the book shouldn't be in the library. Ultimately, the mom dropped the challenge. When I told Robin about it, he secretly emailed Cecily Von Ziegesar to tell her what had happened. I got an email from her that made. my. year. I won't reprint it in its entirety because I feel like that's a violation of her privacy, but the part that got especially got me was this:
I'm eternally grateful for your bravery and commitment. You have my full support, and without question the support of the entire library community--librarians love Gossip Girl!
It's soooo easy to bash Gossip Girl. Hey, my fellow school librarians do it all the time on LM_NET (which I just shouldn't read...it gives me heartburn). But go ahead and apply those 40 developmental assets and see what you come up with. Sure, on first glance, it might seem like these books--and even the show, to a lesser extent--are about rich teenagers with no morals and no consequences. But that's the lazy way out. Whether girls are reading it because of the breathless drama or the fact that they feel emotionally connected to one or more of the characters, the fact is that they ARE reading about teens who think, feel, and act much the same way that they do--just, maybe, with better shoes.
Of course, deciphering all this means actually READING the books...which I doubt many of the dissenters have done.
Regardless, I will always love Gossip Girl, and I will always have the utmost respect for the series' creator...and it's pretty cool to have her email in my address book!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Starting the new year in the best way possible
On New Year's Eve, Robin and I celebrated by watching TV and folding laundry. We did get invited to a party, but after all the chaos of the holidays--driving to and from Pennsylvania and then getting right back on the road to go to Horseneck Beach for the day--we were festivity-ed out. The pets certainly appreciated our decision.
But despite this lackluster ringing in of the new year, the truth is that the start of 2008 is worth celebrating. 2008 is the year I'm starting, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, my dream job. When I started grad school at Simmons, I thought that I would be an academic librarian. I took reference and cataloging classes and went along my merry way. Then I took Linda Braun's young adult literature and services class (a course that has now been split in two), and absolutely fell in love with teen services. It started with the literature, which I devoured, and moved into the services, which I discovered were fun, challenging, entertaining, and beyond anything I'd imagined library work to be. I took some more coursework on the subject, including Linda's awesome emerging technologies class, and then I was ready to go--I planned to apply for jobs all over the country in the hopes of getting my foot in the teen services door.
What ended up happening, though, was a little different than what I'd imagined. A fellow student was leaving her position as a private school library director and asked if I was interested in applying for her job. She told me all about it, explaining that while she had worked hard to establish a solid academic program, it would be my chance to integrate everything I'd learned at Simmons into the library--increasing teen literature and programming, mostly. I interviewed for the job and was offered it on the spot. And three years later, I feel as though I've accomplished everything that I set out to do in those first few weeks of thinking about the job. I did increase the YA collection--and with it, circulation. The library got a massive makeover this summer, focused mostly around creating a large area for reading books, magazines, and graphic novels, playing games, or just hanging out. The Nook, as it's called, is now an incredibly popular hangout that's been one of my proudest achievements! And the library has become a new center for activity, with everything from game nights to Family Guy marathons to crafting to hosting cool speakers like an ESPN reporter or a CSI officer from the Springfield Police Department, who dusted for prints and let us tour his mobile crime lab.
But now it's time to move on--which is where the dream job comes in. On July 1, I'll start as the first Head of Teen Services at the Darien Library in Darien, CT. (!!!) There are a million reasons why I'm excited to work at Darien, and one of the coolest is that I'm being allowed the opportunity to build a teen department from the ground up. The new Darien Library will open in January 2009, and with it, the new teen space. The library has been serving teens all along, of course, but this is our opportunity to increase the number of teens who know about and use the library. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head about how to do this, and the best part is that the people of the Darien Library want to hear those ideas and help make them happen. I know that my mission is to create something really special and that's a mission I'm prepared (overjoyed, truth be told) to accept.
I've already been welcomed into the Darien Library family, and I've gotten to meet a lot of really kind, motivated people who surprise and inspire me all the time. I've found a friend in Kate Sheehan, a fellow newbie who has already invited me to visit her when we're house hunting. And I've found endless support, openness, and encouragement in Louise Berry, Alan Gray, and John Blyberg. I really could not be happier or feeling more blessed at this point. Librarians tend to live their jobs--I certainly do. And a change like this, it's a quality of life issue. I can't wait to get started.
I wish you all a very, very happy and healthy 2008! And if anyone knows a good apartment broker in New Haven, let me know. :)
But despite this lackluster ringing in of the new year, the truth is that the start of 2008 is worth celebrating. 2008 is the year I'm starting, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, my dream job. When I started grad school at Simmons, I thought that I would be an academic librarian. I took reference and cataloging classes and went along my merry way. Then I took Linda Braun's young adult literature and services class (a course that has now been split in two), and absolutely fell in love with teen services. It started with the literature, which I devoured, and moved into the services, which I discovered were fun, challenging, entertaining, and beyond anything I'd imagined library work to be. I took some more coursework on the subject, including Linda's awesome emerging technologies class, and then I was ready to go--I planned to apply for jobs all over the country in the hopes of getting my foot in the teen services door.
What ended up happening, though, was a little different than what I'd imagined. A fellow student was leaving her position as a private school library director and asked if I was interested in applying for her job. She told me all about it, explaining that while she had worked hard to establish a solid academic program, it would be my chance to integrate everything I'd learned at Simmons into the library--increasing teen literature and programming, mostly. I interviewed for the job and was offered it on the spot. And three years later, I feel as though I've accomplished everything that I set out to do in those first few weeks of thinking about the job. I did increase the YA collection--and with it, circulation. The library got a massive makeover this summer, focused mostly around creating a large area for reading books, magazines, and graphic novels, playing games, or just hanging out. The Nook, as it's called, is now an incredibly popular hangout that's been one of my proudest achievements! And the library has become a new center for activity, with everything from game nights to Family Guy marathons to crafting to hosting cool speakers like an ESPN reporter or a CSI officer from the Springfield Police Department, who dusted for prints and let us tour his mobile crime lab.
But now it's time to move on--which is where the dream job comes in. On July 1, I'll start as the first Head of Teen Services at the Darien Library in Darien, CT. (!!!) There are a million reasons why I'm excited to work at Darien, and one of the coolest is that I'm being allowed the opportunity to build a teen department from the ground up. The new Darien Library will open in January 2009, and with it, the new teen space. The library has been serving teens all along, of course, but this is our opportunity to increase the number of teens who know about and use the library. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head about how to do this, and the best part is that the people of the Darien Library want to hear those ideas and help make them happen. I know that my mission is to create something really special and that's a mission I'm prepared (overjoyed, truth be told) to accept.
I've already been welcomed into the Darien Library family, and I've gotten to meet a lot of really kind, motivated people who surprise and inspire me all the time. I've found a friend in Kate Sheehan, a fellow newbie who has already invited me to visit her when we're house hunting. And I've found endless support, openness, and encouragement in Louise Berry, Alan Gray, and John Blyberg. I really could not be happier or feeling more blessed at this point. Librarians tend to live their jobs--I certainly do. And a change like this, it's a quality of life issue. I can't wait to get started.
I wish you all a very, very happy and healthy 2008! And if anyone knows a good apartment broker in New Haven, let me know. :)
Saturday, December 22, 2007
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!!!!
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!!!!
Friday, December 21, 2007
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.
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.
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