LibraryThing

href="http://http://www.librarything.com/catalog/coval">http://www.librarything.com/catalog/coval

Above is the link to my new LibraryThing account. What a neat way to have an inventory of one's personal library, plus get recommendations for other books. The speed tip of scanning the barcodes would have been helpful had I had my books with me, but since I did not have my books present, I had to scroll through countless editions to find the one that at least looked like mine. That would be the one drawback when there are close to 1000 editions to choose from! The Suggestor was helpful when I typed in Karen Kingsbury's book Redemption. I learned of a new author, Dee Henderson, who has similar books. I found the UnSuggestor's choices rather strange; it listed at least five books that I have in my library such as A Tale of Two Cities and Hamlet. People's tastes may be too varied or too subtle for the UnSuggestor, but it may work well for conservative or liberal political books.


Redemption is the first in a series of five books about the Baxter family, plus there is a spin off series entitled Firstborn. I highly recommend these books. They deal with life's problems yet with a feeling of hope. I find them encouraging and hard to put down.

Project Play Pikipimp

My daughter Tavia having fun with pumpkin guts!

Flickr

Here is a picture of me and my daughter Rachel at Menasha Public Library's Talk Like a Pirate Day Party. The party was held on Tuesday, September 18, and kids were encouraged to come in costume. We had games such as Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate and Knock Down the Cartons of Grog. Kids could also stop at Scurvy Dog's Tattoo Parlor for a (temporary) tattoo, and they made their own parrot at Captain Sparrow's Parrot Emporium. They also could make a bookmark and check out some cool pirate books at Blackbeard's Book Bungalow, plus a photo op was available in front of the famed pirate ship, The Elisha D, as pictured. It was a fun program!

This photo is on Flickr, and it was a little time-consuming yet fun to explore this site. Flickr offers a great way to post pictures of programs (as long as parents give permission), plus this is a fun way to share photos with family and friends from all over. I like the privacy option, and the public option is great for libraries to spread the word about all the great work we are doing to enhance literacy.

Week Four Project Play: Feedback Thingies

It's pretty amazing how interactive the web has become. Having feedback options is a great way to learn more about what our patrons want from their library. There are times in the past when I would have loved to hear some feedback about a program, sometimes something as simple as "Did you like the program?" Positive feedback gives me the drive to keep going and be even more creative, and negative feedback helps me know it's time to try something new and improved. The one thing I dislike about the feedback options is the rudeness of some posters. I see this especially on news stories where people insult and demean each other's comments. I appreciate the freedom we have to express ourselves, but I wish there was more scholarship, respect, and tact rather than people just shooting off insults. With freedom comes responsibility, and too many people think freedom means just doing or saying whatever they feel like. Overall, though, feedback can help libraries reach even more people and give even better service because we have another avenue to learn what our patrons want and need.

And someday, maybe I'll even have the internet at home...how's that for being non-techie? I am, however, a Trekkie--does that count? Love the Kirk, Spock, and McCoy dynamics! (Now I've just labeled myself a geek! Be sure to comment if you are one, too--in a good sense, right?)

Fun Sea Time Song

Looking for a fun song to jazz up your sea stories? A sure hit is The Goldfish (Track 12) from Laurie Berkner's Victor Vito CD. It has action and humor that serve as a great stretch for between stories. My kids loved it!

What a Time in Project Play

Wow, talk about trying to learn technology on a part-time schedule! For the life of me, I couldn't remember how to get to my blog. I set up my feeds on Bloglines, and then I couldn't remember how I set up my blog. Thank goodness I could still access Week Two! Being here only 17 hours per week and having my work week end on Wednesday, plus substitute teaching, plus having four children--well, my mind can only retain so much! Needless to say, I am glad to have found my blog again.

It was fun setting up my Blogline. I am enjoying my comics and my word feeds plus some animal and news feeds. I am constantly amazed at how convenient this new technology is once I get the hang of it. I am appreciating Project Play and all the new things I am learning. Let's just hope my (early)forty-something brain can improve its retention qualities.