Tinfoil + Raccoon

Youth Services Coordinator: La Crosse, WI

Join a Raccoon, a Goon and a Hedgehog in the beautiful upper midwest as manager of a lively Youth Services department.  Full information here.  If you'd like more information about the job or the community, give me a jingle.

Can you leap from a lap-sit to a performance management discussion to a polished presentation at Rotary in a single bound? The award-winning La Crosse Public Library, located on Wisconsin’s beautiful “west coast,” seeks an experienced public library professional with a desire to create the best youth services department in the state (or come darn close!).  If you have a compelling strategic vision, strong team-building skills, a talent for effective communications, and a commitment to serving youth here’s YOUR chance to have a major impact on the future of this library’s youth services and programs.  The successful candidate will have an MLS and three years of professional experience in a public library, or the equivalent in education and experience.  You will also have superior customer service skills, a good sense of humor, a familiarity with pre-literacy skills, and a fearless approach to technology. In return, you will get the support of a seasoned team of library professionals, an excellent benefits package, a salary range of $44,000 to $56,000, and the chance to transform traditional library services.

Day in the Life: Liveblogging

Woke up, got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and had a cup.  And looking up (from FriendFeed) I noticed I was late

Really, that's pretty much how it started, minus the Paul McCartney narration. I like the idea of this meme because it will make me more mindful of how I use my time today. 

Today I put on a lady dress, in anticipation of meeting with our city's well-kempt grant writer. All my other looks-credible attire is more for fall and winter, so now I am wearing a nice, above-the-knee linen sheath dress, which will prevent me from sitting yoga-style at the ref desk. But, dang, I look pretty good.

8:30-8:45--Arrived at work, entered my status on digital whiteboard, gathered some notes and legal pad, then left to meet with city grantwriter/development guy to talk about writing an RFP for the library to become a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection. Grant writer is very excited about the prospect of having easy access to the Foundation Center's online database and will happily write a letter of support for the RFP.  It was also good to get out of the office and made me realize that I should be networking in the community a little bit more. 

10:15--Stopped by Co-op to grab some lunch stuff when I realized that I'd left a beautiful pasta salad on the counter at home.

10:30--Back in office. Logged into computer & checked phone messages (2). Sorted through pile on desk to check for unfinished ref questions and for stuff I don't need.  Looked at intranet and Incident Reporting System (IRS). Hooray! No incidents between last night and this morning. Amazing what a quiet place it is when there are no patrons. Responded to a couple emails.

11:00--Talked to boss lady about next year's materials budget (and about bringing spanikopita to her house this weekend).  Reported to her about meeting with grant guy and updated her on where I am in the process.  Started Day in the Life post.

11:2-noon--Responded to back-up call at busy ref desk. Hunted down source of loud audio coming from computer headphone 15 ft away. What I am learning is that most people are not used to having an actual knob for volume on a keyboard and choose to let audio blast rather than ask for help in turning it down. Even the bright orange sticker with + and - and directional arrow on the knobs don't seem to help much. My aural sensitivity does not serve me well in a lively, well-used library.

1-5 pm--Reference desk.

• Trying to pick out fabrics & finishes for new office set.
• Explained what email was to a guy who only wanted to play Spades on Pogo.com. Pogo requires registration to play, I guess.
• Helped woman find phone for her public defender while she told me about living at Salvation Army and losing custody of her daughter to her crazy mother. Sad.
• Tried to convince fellow that 973.03 and 973.3 are really and truly different numbers. Then I told him that libraries are really hard to use and not to feel bad about asking for help. And to please not reshelve the 973.03s into the 973.3s.
• Several phone/address look-ups
• Three Four Six "please turn volume downs"
• Helped autistic boy find book about mermaids, because we didn't have anything age appropriate about Michael Jackson (young patron does not need to know about vitiglio, sleepovers and Jesus Juice). 
• Several computer log-in assists.
• A book pull or two.
• Finally picked finishes and fabrics for desk set. 
• Confirmed sighting of notorious trouble-maker who isn't supposed to be here.
• Helped Crossword Lady: Peer Gynt (dancer)
• Used Reader's Guide Retro to verify and ILL
• Listened to patron's ongoing job search saga. I helped him set up email for his online apps. He's getting the hang of it.
• Let patron use my computer to do a quick print-out
• Was happy to see Miss14 show up at ref desk. We're going to Farmer's Market right after work.
• Ladies and gentlemen, the library is now closed.

Twitter: Well, he don't beat me

I'm sorry to say, but this is the best thing that can be said about Twitter right now. Twitter is not beating us, not holding us hostage and not physically harming us.  But our collective relationship to Twitter right now is sort of like being married to an alcoholic. It's unpredictable, unreliable and opaque, but expects that we'll always be there, full of unconditional love.  We're supposed to live off the good times and be grateful that Twitter has given us a place to hang our Tweets.  You know what? 15 years ago, I left a marriage with two kids under the age of 3. My mom asked, "Sis, he don't hit you, does he?"  Nope, he didn't hit me, but I was deeply and unhealthily unhappy and knew that it would never get any better, solely based on what I needed.  He was and is a nice guy, a good dad, but I had to get out. 

If I could leave a relationship with two little kids, no job, and no permanent place to stay, I sure as heck can walk away from Twitter. It seems melodramatic, but I think that Twitter is banking on the fact that it has had tremendous loyalty from the start.  Up until yesterday, I was ready to stand by my API, but after watching how Twitter let my Twits down during ALA, I decided it was time for a trial separation. The "perpetual beta" excuse just doesn't cut it for me any more. I love Twitter enough that I would pay at least a few bucks a month for stable, reliable access, but don't see that happening any time soon. I'm encouraging all you other Twits to stage an intervention and join Steven Cohen, Josh Neff and others over at FriendFeed. You can find me under tinfoilraccoon or rochellehartman. I'll keep my access open for now. 

Dear Twitter: Please get your ass into rehab.  It breaks our hearts to see you like this, but we can't continue to enable you. You come in and out at all hours, don't tell us where you're going and you've let us down when we've most needed you.  It breaks my heart even more to tell you that I'm leaving, effective immediately. I'll be keeping track of your recovery efforts. We love you and wish you the best. xo --rh

Dear Horizon 3.0.8 OPAC: You're on notice, too.

Iowa Flooding 2008: A Father's Heartbreak

Cedar Rapids, IA 6.12.08
Originally uploaded by American Red Cross

While I was looking for information about how libraries have fared during the recent flooding in the Upper Midwest, I came across this photo that is part of a Red Cross set on Flickr. No caption necessary.

Nellie Wilson: Wisconsin's Own Rosie the Riveter

On May 3, Juniorina finished her second year of National History Day participation, reaching the state level both years. Each year, students work on projects in support of an annual theme. They can present historical research in papers, performances, websites, exhibits and documentaries. This year, La Crosse Public Library hosted over 500 middle school students who came to the library for research visits in support of their projects. We were pleased to see that eight students from our region were state finalists, some of who will advance to the national event. 

Juniorina, an 8th grader, wrote a heck of a paper, and missed nationals by one spot, placing with a 1st Honorable Mention.  I'm going to publish her work here, not (just) because she's my kid, but because she wrote about a woman, largely unknown outside of Milwaukee, who had a signficant impact on her community. Mrs. Wilson also passed away shortly after Juniorina started her research. I'm pleased to shine a light on Mrs. Wilson's life and work. 

Wisconsin's Own Rosie the Riveter: Nellie Wilson and Her Fight for Equality in the Workplace

by Claudia Elvidge, School of Technology and the Arts II, Grade 8

“Nellie Wilson had a dream, too.  Wilson attended the 1963 March on Washington.  She had a dream that she could support her two young girls. When Wilson finally landed a job worth working at, she hoped that joining the union would make a difference. Then she found herself making a difference in the union - and in the lives of countless other workers.”¹  

      That was a quote from the obituary of Nellie Wilson who passed away January 23, 2008, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of 91, after a lifetime of fighting for the rights of women and people of color in the workplace.  Nellie Wilson was one of the millions of women who went to work in factories during World War II at a time when, in the public eye, women were supposed to stay home or work in less demanding jobs.  Even more remarkable was that she was an African American woman.

Nice Catch, Dr. Google!

A couple weeks ago, I went in for my not-quite annual wellness exam. I told my doc I was feeling pretty good, aside from the usual intermittent stuff--migraines, fatigue, etc. I went in to the appointment with a list of things to talk about, and we finally got to the last item: my thumbnails.  I'm not sure when I first noticed it, but both of my thumbnails have been bumpy for awhile. I told her that it wasn't anything I was particularly worried about, but wondered what was happening in my body to make both thumbnails bumpy.  She noted that I pick at my cuticles and said that that can lead to infection and irregular nail growth. I said that I'd been picking at my cuticles for several decades and had never seen bilateral weirdness with my nails.

At that point she turned to her computer and said, "As a patient, I don't know how you feel about Google, but let's see if we can find anything."  I laughed and said, "Well, as a librarian, it's my starting point for a lot of research, so let's give it a go."  I think her initial search was something like ridges thumbnails which pretty quickly brought up the term "washboard thumbnails," also known as "transverse ridging of the thumbnails."  I gave her some search tips, like taking away quotations marks, and pretty soon, we kept seeing results that had the words thyroid and hypothyroid in them.  Ah ha! I have a diagnosis of chronic fatigue/fibrymyalgia, so wouldn't ever think to overly complain about brain fog, fatigue, headache, etc, since it's stuff that comes and goes. But, there's a huge amount of overlap between hypothroidism, chronic fatigue and perimenopause (another thing we've assumed was going on).  Given the addition of the bumpy thumbnails, the doc decided to test my thyroid levels.

Last week, while sitting in the hotel lobby at Computers in Libraries, wondering why I was feeling so absolutely crappy when I hadn't been up til 3 am doing karaoke, I got a call from my doctor's nurse. She was telling me all the stuff that came back okay, and I kept thinking, "something didn't come back okay or she wouldn't have called me to say that stuff was okay." Finally, she said that my thyroid test had indicated that I have clinical hypothryoidism and that the doctor wanted to start me on Synthroid.

Jeeze, that sucks, I thought. But after a few minutes, I was pretty happy about it because it explained so much. Admittedly, I am older than most of my CiL peers, and past my partying prime.  Excited as I was to be at CiL and as much as I was enjoying it, I felt really out of sorts. I really pushed myself to participate, socially, as much as I did, and was wiped out for much of the conference. It seemed out of proportion the other factors--age, amount of sleep, etc. I was also getting bummed out by my lack of motivation to be more professionally active, compared to my peer group.  Intellecually, I want to be in the game. I want to be writing, presenting, creating.  My friend Matt always asks me "what are you working on," when we haven't talked for awhile. For the past several months my response has been, "uh....nothing."  Inevitably, we talk about projects we could work on together, but  the conversations have never gone past that.   

Everything makes sense now, or at least I hope it does, as I'm feeling pretty relieved to know that there's a reason behind my lack of energy and engagement. There was a prescription for levoxothyrine waiting for me when I got home, and I fired up Doctors. Google and Ebscohost to learn what I could.  The downside is that it could take several months for me to start feeling better, depending on how long it takes for the medicine to get my thyroid levels back to normal. The upside is that I can stop beating up on myself for not doing more more more. I'm going to cut myself some slack, say "no" without feeling guilty, and give myself time to heal and feel better. And, yes, I already have a follow-up appt scheduled with my doctor, the real one, to supplement what I've learned about online. I'm most grateful for Dr. Google, though, as I'm not sure I would even know that I had a problem if it weren't for such immediate availability of information. 

CiL Day 1

Oh, where to start?  Last night I slunk up to my room early, tired, socially overwhelmed, and wanting to go home.  Today, I'm back in the groove and very much appreciating the Computers in Libraries experience.   Attended two sessions that gave me lots to chew on and one that had me cracking up the whole time. The chewy ones were: a) how the New York Observer overhauled its website from straight-up news reporting to become more of an online community, using open source and social networking tools; and b) a quick, but dense overview of how mobile search and searchers are different, with a quick overview of bunches of search mobile-specific search apps.  I will wait till I can get my hands on full-sized keyboard before I tackle those notes.

The presentation that had much of the room in stitches was the Library Society of the World panel discussion and demo.  All I'm going to say about it right now is that it was a powerful, if silly, example of community-building via social networking applications (with bonus Rick Astley soundtrack). Outside of making me laugh, I was particularly pleased at being given an opportunity to do some outreach before the session. I was headed into the room when the door monitor stopped me and asked, "are you one of the bloggers?" As I proceeded to give her an entirely too-complete answer, she politely stopped me, dropped her voice and confessed that even though she had a blog, she didn't understand RSS. I gave her as brief a jargon-free tutorial as I could. After a couple minutes, her eyes lit up and she finally understood what RSS was. She had more questions, all of them very basic stuff, so I gave her my email address and said I'd be happy to help her along. It was a great interaction and an excellent reminder of how the patrons I provide service to daily aren't necessarily looking for the newest and hottest stuff. It's good to be mindful of this as I run around the CiL candy store this week.

On My Way to CiL

My open-ended ALA sabbatical really started when I witnessed  the birth of my accidental family, the ragtag, attention-deficited kids of The Library Society of the World about a year ago.  But today, I am officially off the teat and climbing out from under the saggy, smothering bosom of my library association mama and looking to see if I can get my minimum daily professional development requirements elsewhere.  After years of longingly following the adventures of Computers in Libraries  (CiL) and Internet Librarian attendees from afar, I am just hours away from my very first CiL.  I'm not sure what my expectations are, in terms of professional development.  My last several years of ALA attendance was almost wholly spent in governance activities.  It's been a long time since I went to a conference as a n00b and as a learner/consumer.   

I'm also going so that I can get the lay of the presentation land.  It's time for me to think about sharing my expertise from out behind the keyboard, so I'll be studying presentations and presenters as much as I will be their content.  Mostly, though, I am excited about meeting my new Library Society of the World and Twitter pals, and seeing old friends again.  All the snazziest PowerPoints in the world are nothing compared what I expect to get from the intensive, fun, F2F with some of the funniest and smartest people I've had the pleasure to meet.

Don't cry, Mama ALA!  I'm not running away or disowning you.  I just want to get out of the yard and run down to the playground to see what the other kids are doing.

Is Your Library in the (Adult Entertainment) Zone?

A couple weeks ago, I was grumping to a non-library friend about a surge in the number of porn trolls at the library.  I'm not talking booty-shaking videos, I'm not talking scantily clad women or pictures from naturist sites. I'm not talking breast cancer research. I'm talking hardcore, purely prurient, obscene, boom-chika-wah-wah stuff.  At my previous library we had filters, courtesy CIPA, that we were legally obligated to turn off when requested by an adult patron.  We were advised by city legal that we, as librarians, could not determine what was obscene, and should not be policing content at all.  So, we steered the trolls to recessed monitors and tried not to get too much of an eyeful when asked to turn off the blocking software.

We don't block or filter at my current library, which I'm fine with, since it's been my practical experience that it would just create a different set of problems. Owing to a snazzy new incident reporting system, though, we're much better able to track habitual problem patrons of all stripes, porn trolls included. At this point, anyone who is viewing obscene material gets one warning and told that they will lose internet or library privileges if it happens again.   

It doesn't happen ALL the time, every day, but when there are several IRs in a week, many of them for viewing obscene material, it wears me down, personally and professionally It's got nothing to do with being a prude (don't even go there with me)--it's just a generally stressful situation for a lot of librarians and occassionally, patrons when it happens.     

So, back to my friend. After I finished whining she quipped, "You guys aren't zoned for that, are you?"  It was a funny, throw-away line, but the more I started thinking about it, the more sense it made, so I decided to see what our municipal code had to say about Adult-Oriented Entertainment. Some municipalities have specific zones set aside for adult entertainment businesses.  Ours does not, but does have specific guidelines for Adult-Oriented Establishments, per Chapter 7.01(T)*.  There are two critera that we do not meet, making us ineligible as a venue for viewing adult-oriented entertainment. Briefly, the partitions between viewing booths computer workstations are not tall enough (need to be 6') and our flooring material is (ewwww!) not non-absorbent.  Sorry Porn Dude, you are in the wrong zone. Buh-bye.

******

* I really appreciate our municipal code for giving us such precise language to work with. See 7.01 (T)(1)(g&h)

Happy 17th to Juniorette

Olivia is 17--Mar 5, 2008
Originally uploaded by rochelle, et. al.

Juniorette (aka "Olivia") woke up to her 17th year and cheesecake for breakfast. My instinct is to be a bit sad with each increasing year, thinking about her flying the coop soon. But, she continues to assure me that she's going to live with me forever. Check back in 10 years to see where we are with that model.

Happy Birthday, Girlie!