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- Chattanooga just had the most amazing quick spring thunderstorm and now it smells amazing.
- @BWhitmarsh First we must follow each other!
- @BWhitmarsh Hi Maine! I miss you and your amazing people. I'm not sure. I'll DM you a contact!
- "Without the people, we have nothing" @megbackus on public libraries
- Via @djtrischler: Anyone want to teach CSS or HTML to 12-18 year olds this summer at @4thfloorchatt? #devdev #CHA #chattanooga
- @librarian_erinw @megbackus @natenatenate My bro-in-law works for TypeA. DM me your email address and I can try to get you two in touch!
- @BrassyLibrarian Me too. I'm off to bed. I'll report back later!
- @ThornasaurusRex Isn't it spectacular?
- OKCupid Juggalos http://t.co/cjAUZz05I6
- 'Princess Rescue' Homebrew Atari 2600 Version Of Super Mario Bros Released On Physical Cartridge http://t.co/txwEevoDC4
- CNN's Wolf Blitzer to tornado victim: "You gotta thank the lord". Victim: "I'm an atheist" http://t.co/AP7tgoecWi
- @librarian_erinw We've got a Makerbot! I'd ask the amazing @natenatenate or @megbackus which one would be best for you!
- @sophiebiblio @pcsweeney @helenstwin @catagator @uuuggghhhJP Tis very good. You meet great people. You get inspired!
- How is Netflix preparing for the onslaught of people streaming Arrested Development at the same time? http://t.co/lJ7wP8jnK6
- Yeah. So @4thfloorchatt is making a 3D printed engine. And it is awesome: http://t.co/nluO1macszMay 21, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- .@stevekemple is one of my fave librarians out there: Sending out the 400th CD of the Month Club recommendation! http://t.co/2H1faWMTnZ
- RT @dpgreen: RT @mashable: Xbox One Compared With PS4 and Wii U http://t.co/nYuZkikTxl cc @ellenforsyth @justinlibrarianMay 21, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Posts
- May 15, 13
The White Plains Public Library is doing some amazing things with their teens (claymation, LEGO catapults, and more) with Teen Librarian Erik Carlson at the helm. Recently, they finished up a minute long PSA about distracted driving. I’ll turn it over to Erik for more:
This idea came from a film maker last year. He wanted to work with the library & the only money we had was from a grant from the Allstate Foundation. It was a large project where over a dozen teens worked on a PSA that lasted 5 minutes. We took that as a learning experience.
This year we found another local film maker named Mike LaVoie. I contacted the White Plains High School SADD chapter to see if they would like to work on the project. We had a smaller group…I think there were about 7 teens altogether. Mike put togethera no-budget script and explained it to the teens. I (Teen Librarian Erik Carlson) worked on locations, the library parking garage, a co-workers home & a local cemetery. Mike showed them some movie magic to make the car to appear to be moving, using fake smoke, lighting tricks. I came up with the eye drops for tears & one of the teens was able to talk a local medical supply store to loan us a wheelchair for the afternoon (this was a last minute thing).
You can check out the final cut of the PSA here: http://frontboxcreative.com/wplains
-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Apr 02, 13
Me, at the very beginning of my time in Library school.
I decided to be a librarian in late 2006 at the urging of my mother in law Jill. She had been a librarian for many years and spoke of her work very passionately. With a simple poke and a simple “you know, you’d be good at this library thing“, I was off to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania in January 2007.
When I was a kid visited the Northland Public Library in Pittsburgh, PA on a weekly basis. I remembered two things about my time there: they had rabbits in the children’s area and they had the best selection of books on whales in the whole wide world. Oh yeah, and I thought it was a super fun and magical place. To me, that’s what libraries needed to be.
My time in library school was good but I always fell out of place. I wanted to have fun! I wanted the library to be this amazing place full of wonder, joy, exploration, and full of heart! Instead, I found myself writing out cataloging records by hand or presenting papers on teen literature. I got something out of that but…there was another side.
Enter Tame The Web in early 2008.
Instead of talking about what goes in the 250 field in a bib record , Tame The Web was talking about things I could relate to: What Kind of Conversations can you have? My Library is…A Rock Show! I could relate to this. It was full of wonder, joy, and exploration! This was real. This was people connecting with people.
Since those days that’s been my focus with being a teen librarian. In order to succeed and give the community what they want, I realized that connection had to come first. All of those other things: collection development, cataloging records, and all of the other stuff I learned in library school were very important and had their place but first and foremost….IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE. I feel like it has worked out pretty well for me and the communities that I’ve served.
This taught me something else that was somewhat unexpected: there is so much value in connecting with your professional community. Through library blogs, Twitter, and other social networks, I have met a number of people that not only do I now call my friends but also who have given me so much professional advice and aided in my growth as a librarian and as a person.
All because of a blog that was started ten years ago. I don’t know if Michael thought about these kinds of things when he started Tame The Web, but they happened. And I thank him for that. What may have seemed like a ripple at the time has now created a very positive and helpful tidal wave.
- Mar 27, 13
(from TribLive, Pittsburgh, PA: http://goo.gl/Tu7GM)
Monessen residents soon will be able to borrow library books – at the laundromat.
Jill Godlewski, children’s director at the Monessen Public Library, is planning to place several portable libraries scattered around town. Godlewski hopes to situate the wooden dispensaries once the weather clears.
“The idea is to get books to people instead of people having to come to the library to get books,” Godlewski said. “We want to make sure there are no barriers to getting a book.
My favorite part? A partnership with the local school!
Monessen school district Superintendent Linda Marcolini is planning for wood shop students at the high school to build sturdier, weather-proof units for outdoor locations like City Park.
“Mr. (David) Gilpin, our shop teacher and students will be making them,” Marcolini said. “They will get done before the end of the school year… our district would do anything for our community and public library.”
What an awesome take on an already awesome project.
PS: Jill Godlewski is not only a fantastic librarian, but she is also my mother in law.
-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor - Mar 22, 13
I’m sorry I won’t be in Portland,ME to see the unveiling of the most excellent I’m Your Neighbor, Portland, Maine project that was put together by Kirsten Cappy of Curious City and is a partnership between the Portland Public Library, Congressman Jon Hinck, Maine Humanities Council, NAACP, Portland Branch, and Portland Adult Education.
So what’s it all about?
I’m Your Neighbor, Portland is a Portland, Maine community-wide read and series of public events in designed to promote a sense of community among the diverse people who make the port city their home.
I’m Your Neighbor, Portland is sponsored by the Portland Public Library and funded by the Maine Humanities Council.
Over the last three decades, the city of Portland has seen a significant cultural shift through the arrival of immigrants and refugees from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Here in Maine, we’re blessed with a crop of recent titles, from picture books to young adult novels, that offer both particular cultural details about the lives of recent arrivals to our state and themes to which any reader can relate.
The goal of I’m Your Neighbor, Portland is to engage members of the Greater Portland, Maine community, both new arrivals and long-term residents, in reading books about recent immigrants to Maine and sharing in discussion of differences and commonalities, to build understanding between the two groups.
The series will open with a gala launch on May 25, 2013
Read more about this project here and here.
Good luck to all those involved! I will be watching closely from Chattanooga, TN!
-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Jan 03, 13
Thursday nights can be slow at my library. The teens have all gone home for the day, and the only ones that remain are the quiet few who are tearing through their homework or have their eyes focused on their internet browser. Tonight at my library, the scene was the same but before me was a pretty huge question:
My little brother locked me out of my iPod. He’s five years old and he won’t tell me how to unlock it. How can I start again? Do I need to buy a new iPod?
The teen was pretty bummed that he couldn’t access his music. I’ve seen him here in my library before…he’s always got his headphones on and he’s always got a smile on his face. You can tell that this kid loves music. Tonight, I didn’t see that kid. I saw someone who was really bummed out. He presented his iPod to me.
That’s where we were to start. With a quick Google search, I showed him how to find help on Apple’s website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1212. He tells me that he didn’t know that there were such helpful things on the internet.
Our next step was restoring the iPod. I told him that everything was going to be deleted, and he understood. He said that all of his music was on his computer (more on that to come)
After about ten minutes of waiting and watching the iPod slowly restore itself, the teen’s frown turned into a smile. He was the same kid that I remember seeing every other day in the library. When Welcome to Your New iPod flashed on the screen. He threw his hands up in the air. ”YES! FINALLY! THANK YOU!”
Next up, we searched for his music. He had never used iTunes before, so all of his music files were buried in a Real Player folder somewhere on his hard drive. He helped me locate the folder and I showed him how to drag and drop into iTunes. He smiled again when his music library showed up. My final step was telling him about syncing his device. I told him to use iTunes to manage his music and to always keep iTunes synced to his iPod. His music library automatically refilled itself and when it was done, he disconnected his iPod from the computer, plugged in his headphones, gave me a fist bump, and walked away jamming out to his music.
Thursday nights can be slow at my library, but they can also be some of the best times I’ve ever spent in a library.
-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Nov 09, 12
I’m very honored to be part of this years President’s Program Planning Task Force for YALSA. As part of this program, we’re announcing this years Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults program which you can find out about below. If you’re a teen program who’s doing awesome things, I highly suggest you think about being part of this program. There’s a lot of great teen programs out there right now being put on by hard working librarians and this is your chance to share them with everyone!
From ALA.org:
YALSA will select up to twenty-five innovative teen programs from all types of libraries to feature at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference and to include in a sixth edition of Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults. Successful applications will focus on programs that address new teen needs or interests, or that address ongoing teen needs or interests in an innovative or unique way. The top five programs will receive cash awards of $1000 each. Up to twenty “best of the rest” programs will receive cash awards of $250. Each award will be presented to the applicant’s institution for use with future teen programs and/or for the applicant’s travel to the 2013 conference to participate in the YALSA President’s Program.Eligibility
The program described in the application must be a library-sponsored event, inside or outside the library, which appeals to a group rather than an individual. A program can be informational, recreational, educational, or all three.- The program described must have taken place in 2012 or be ongoing.
- The program must be targeted at teens within the 12 – 18 age range.
- All personal members of YALSA whose membership is current as of 12/17/12 are eligible to submit an application.
- Only one application per YALSA member may be submitted.
Criteria
Each application will be judged on the basis of the:- Degree to which the program meets the needs of the teens in the community. (20 points)
- Originality of the program (creative, innovative, unique). (30 points)
- Degree to which the program reflects the ideals identified in YALSA’s national guidelines and competencies (at www.ala.org/yalsa/guidelines). (20 points)
- Overall quality of the program (well planned, promoted, organized, implemented, and evaluated). (20 points)
- Clarity of the application (10 points)
Instructions
1. The application must include a statement of support from the director of the public library, school principal, or the building-level administrator which is emailed to lsmith@ala.org.2. Entries must be models of clarity and completeness.
3. The application must be submitted electronically via the online form at http://ow.ly/eKh40.
4. All online forms and statements of support must be received no later than midnight (eastern) Dec. 17, 2012.
5. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Announcement
The libraries selected with exemplary programs will be announced via press release the week of Feb. 4, 2013.All of the selected programs will be invited to participate in YALSA’s President’s Program: Innovations in Teen Programming at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference. Prize money may be used to support travel and conference expenses.
All of the selected exemplary programs/services will be included in YALSA’s Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, 6th edition, to be published in the fall of 2013.
Libraries receiving the cash awards will be recognized via press release and on the YALSA web site. A list of winning applicants will be included in the forthcoming book.
For questions contact: Letitia Smith, YALSA Membership Marketing Specialist, at lsmith@ala.org or 1.800.545.2433 x4390
- Sep 19, 12
Have you ever found yourself inside the library echo chamber? I think we all have. You’ve got something great to share or say about libraries and you put it out there…and it’s only talked about by librarians and libraries. Some great presentations and pieces have been written about the echo chamber (some of my faves are from Ned Potter, Sally Pewhairangi, and Steven V. Kaszynski). These have got me thinking…how can we avoid the echo chamber? My thought is this…expand the conversation and try, try, try your best to include those outside of the library world. But how can we do this? Here’s one way that I’ve found to be quite effective over the past few weeks.
I’ve fallen in love with a new service called Branch. What is Branch? It’s a new site that allows you to take ideas, tweets, and more and expand on them with anyone. Wanna talk beyond the 140 characters of Twitter or not get involved in a messy comment thread? Take it to Branch and have a conversation.
That’s exactly what I did when I started reading a series of posts on Read Write Web by Richard Macmanus titled Social Books. I saw that the posts had an audience. The article that caught my eye was this piece on GoodReads. Specifically, I noticed that 183 people have shared/liked it on Facebook and a whopping 583 shares on Twitter. I also noticed a lack of librarians in on the conversation. I wanted to see if I could expand the conversation and get some library perspective into the mix. So I took it to Branch:
As of the time of the writing of this post, the Branch conversation has led to some cool things that have expanded the conversation. Richard Macmanus, the author of the Social Book series Read Write Web joined the discussion on Branch and shortly thereafter wrote a post entitled The Social Library: How Public Libraries are Using Social Media which explores such topics as libraries using social media to connect with community, social catalog enhancements from LibraryThing, Candide 2.0. I know that numbers are not everything, but there’s been a lot of sharing of the piece going on. Look at the sharing stats below:
What strikes me most are the number Facebook and Twitter shares. To me, that’s a lot of people who have checked out the article…and then shared it. Who knows how many people have actually read the article, but it’s likely that there’s even more.
And this is where I get most excited about this piece: think about how there are people out there today who are not involved in libraries reading about libraries, what libraries do, and how libraries improve community. That’s the cool part about expanding the conversation.
- Aug 29, 12
On a recent break from work at my library, I walked down to the local cafe to get my daily summer iced tea and lemonade. On my walk back to the library, I noticed a couple looking at a large map of Portland, ME. They looked like they were trying to find something but couldn’t figure out where to go. I stepped in and said, “Is there something I can help you find? I live downtown and I’m also a librarian. It’s part of my job to help people find what they need.”
In the end, I helped the couple find what they were looking for and we went our separate ways. It got me thinking about roving reference and how well it could possibly work OUTSIDE of the library. Imagine a few librarians roaming around downtown, helping people find what they were looking for, recommending great local businesses and restaurants, and handing out informational pamphlets that helped folks discover new things around the city? An idea like this may work best in a smaller town or one that had a tourist population, but theoretically it could work anywhere as well. Perhaps a great partnership opportunity for libraries and downtown districts could (such as this one: http://www.portlandmaine.com/) make the project even better. It would allow two organizations to share resources and people and give a new and exciting spin to librarians connecting people to the community.
Care to chime in on the discussion at Branch? Visit here: http://on.branch.com/UbwweJ
For more information on embedded librarians, check out these two great posts from Michael that give some history on the topic:
Two Librarians Attempt to Knock Down Walls
The Transparent Library: Dear Library Directors-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Aug 03, 12
Early in my career, I made the mistake of mentioning in one of my one of my presentations that I was one of those librarians that didn’t read a lot but somehow got into libraries. Since then, I don’t think I’ve been able to live that down. To some, I’ve become “ that teen librarian who doesn’t read” and to some extent I think that’s hurt me. I was wrong in saying that I don’t read. In fact, I read quite a bit:
- I read the most on my phone (news, gaming, music, sports, RSS feeds)
- I play video games, all of which either require at least some reading
- I read two stories to my son every night
- I currently have one book I am reading on my Kindle
My statement that “I don’t read” was said to grab audience attention. Maybe it did that at the time, but as I look back at the ramifications of my statement and I wish I hadn’t said that at all. People now ask me “how can you be an effective teen librarian if you don’t read?”. The statement that “I don’t read” has also been questioned when it comes to my advocacy for video gaming as literacy. Saying that “I don’t read” has diluted my message that gaming can be an effective form of literacy. Why would someone want to listen to someone talk about how much reading is in video games when that someone is also saying “I don’t read” in the same sentence?
This has got me thinking about librarian identity and how we always have to be mindful of what we say and how we present ourselves. It doesn’t matter if you’ve focused on creating an identity for yourself over a few years because, like the “I don’t read” example above, those little moments can really shape your identity. Taking the road which shocks someone may get someone’s attention, but is that the kind of attention that you want to remain focused on you?
Recommended reading:
Professionalism Matters in Job Search by Michael Stephens
Piling On on the web by Stephen AbramPost by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Jun 18, 12
- Jun 12, 12
I had the honor of helping unveil the German-American Gaming League while I was in Hamburg last month for the Bibliothekartag Library Conference. If you’re interested in the league, please visit this link for more information (please note: the page is in German, so have Google Translate handy!)
What is the German-American gaming league?
In the gaming league take people from Germany and the United States in an open competition against each other. Here are several computer games such as Wii bowling and playing Mario Kart.
Why did the German-American gaming league?
We believe that gaming will have a major impact on the culture and knowledge in the future. With this and many other projects we want to prepare cultural and educational institutions at that future. We would also like to develop an international network on the topic of gaming. Our colleagues in the United States are already implementing for many years a gaming league. There is even a National Gaming Day.We now want to expand this league to Germany, thus ensuring a sustainable and interdisciplinary networking.
Furthermore, we want to network with this project, the institutions with gamers.
Where are the competitions?
The competitions are held in participating libraries, museums and archives.
What is the cost to attend the gaming league?
Participation in the gaming league is for both the players and for the institutions in which the competitions take place absolutely free.
Who can play?
The gaming league is open to every person who has the desire to join in playing video games. There is no age restriction.
What games are played?
There are only played games with no age restriction. We begin in the first season with Wii bowling and Mario Kart. More games will follow.
When will the gaming league, and how long a season?
The Gaming League was officially launched in the Library Conference 2012 in Hamburg. This means that from now on, they can enter institutions. The gaming events in Germany are said to have taken place up to 30.11.2012, ie on 01.12.2012, we want to present the German champion, then travel to the finals in the United States. The next round will begin in June 2013.
Important: The registration period ends on July 20, 2012 , and we start with 20 institutions – first come, first play, first
Who makes the gaming league?
The Gaming League is a cooperative project of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, the association Zukunftswerkstatt culture and knowledge eV and libraries and gaming lovers from Germany and the United States.
Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- May 17, 12
At the request of the students, our class embarked on a geography themed expedition this year to study the beauty and mystery of this huge country. All the students in our class are new to the US. After researching they have became experts on one of the US Census regions. In addition, they developed a practical understanding of how the world is categorized into the 5 themes of geography. -Catherine Paul
I wanted to share this awesome project some of the teens who use my library just did at their school. They came into the library today and were really excited to show me. Great job by Abdi, Ahmed, Anas, Hafs, Musa, Nasteh, Princie, and Roukia!
UPDATE: Click here for even more videos about what the teens are learning at King Middle School!
Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- May 10, 12
The Portland Regional Chamber held its annual business expo on Wednesday, and booths included the usual: credit unions, hotels, sign shops, telecom companies, the Portland Public Library.
Attendance was light in the early afternoon, but began to pick up as …. — “Wait!” I know you’re all saying, astonished: “The Portland Public Library???!!”
Sonya Durney, who is the Business and Government Librarian at my library just recently did something super awesome. She took her show on the road the Portland Business Expo and talked to local small businesses about the benefits of using their local library.
Durney explained: “If we can help local businesses, it’s helping the community. It’s a very symbiotic relationship – the community thrives, the library thrives. Everybody’s happy.”
Click here for the full article and for the WONDERFUL photos our Business and Government Team took at the expo, click here.
-Post by Justin Hoenke, Tame the Web Contributor
- Apr 23, 12
What a great partnership. I’ve been playing Kid Icarus: Uprising on my 3DS for the past few weeks and have been enjoying the experience quite a bit. The 3DS is a neat little system and from what I see here in this video it makes the Louvre experience even cooler.
-Post by Justin Hoenke,Tame the Web Contributor
- Apr 19, 12
The Young Writers and Leaders film is part of a Telling Room program, Sonya Tomlinson, David Meiklejohn, and 15 Portland, Maine area teens (all of whom use my teen library everyday!). Simply stated, the film tells the stories of the teens and their involvement in the Telling Room program and their lives in Portland, ME.
Their goal is to take their film and the fifteen teen participants on a trip to Boston and spend the day in the city visiting a sister writing center, pairing up with Boston-area young writers, and holding a screening of the film in a film house that holds 250 people followed by a Q&A with the Young Writers and Leaders students.
Over the past two years, I’ve come to know a lot of these teens one on one from my time with them in the library. As I sit and write this, I see Ali sitting in a study room in front of me listening to music and working on something even though it’s spring break this week. Just this morning, I met up with Chrispo and gave him a drum set that I had sitting around collecting dust in my storage unit. He’s been wanting to play drums for years now and used to use garbage cans at the open mic events we held in the teen library in 2010. I remember having many talks with Edna at the teen service desk just one year ago about her librarian-ish obsession to categorize, archive, and color code all of her homework in a specific brand of Office Depot three ring binders. These teens have come a long way in the two years that I’ve known them and now they’re getting a chance to tell their story and take it on the road to another community.
Please consider supporting this project by visiting their Kickstarter page here.
-Post by Justin Hoenke,Tame the Web Contributor
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- May 22, 13
There’s some kind of strange magic* in the air at the Chattanooga Public Library. On floors one through four at the library I feel a buzz that I just can’t put my finger on. Let me tell you, it is awesome to be around.
Most of my life at the Chattanooga Public Library happens on the 2nd Floor. Right now half of our space is full of empty shelves waiting to be taken away. The other half is our makeshift tween/teen library. It hasn’t reached its full potential yet but like I said above, there’s some kind of strange magic in the air. It will happen in due time. Everyone is excited for it to happen.
I’ve always felt a strong connection to the teens I’ve worked with in every library I’ve been part of, but these days I feel like I’m reconnecting with something from my past. I stumbled upon this photo from my time at the Cape May County Library and in it saw a version of Justin that I hadn’t seen in awhile. I looked at the mirror a few days ago and you know what? I saw that Justin coming back to the surface. It’s all because of the teens….hanging out, geeking out, messing around…all happening in the library. It’s not a quiet kind of magic…it’s loud, smelly, a bit scary, and a lot of fun. It’s constant ideas immediately put into action. There’s no time to sit around and think about the best way to go about working with these teens. It’s all in the moment, being refined as we move along…and it is FUN. The day in/day out here with these teens is a magical.
There’s a strange magic happening between the community and the library. With every event happening on The 4th Floor (like this, this, or THIS!) comes even more community and library connection. When the community steps into the building, the connection is made: this is the place where lifelong learning and connection happens in Chattanooga. Like the work we’re doing with 0-18 year olds on the 2nd Floor, it’s loud, smelly, a bit scary, and a lot of fun. It’s real.
I love it here. I love the team here. I love the community. I love the strange magic going on.
*Yes, that’s supposed to be an Electric Light Orchestra reference
** Read this article, be inspired
*** This will be awesome very shortly
Filed under: Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Technology, Teens, TN - May 16, 13
I have to something to admit: I had very little interest in 3D printing one month ago. Then, I tried it shortly after I arrived at the Chattanooga Public Library.
Now it’s all I can think about.
I made these Pac Man cookie cutters on the 3D printer and gave them to my wife Haley for Mother’s Day. Earlier today, she used them to make cookies with our sons Finn and Aero.
Libraries can do some awesome stuff.
You can find the 3D files for the Pac Man cookie cutters here
Here’s a link to stuff I like on Thingaverse
Filed under: Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Technology, Teens - May 16, 13
I wanted to share this set of photos I just stumbled across from Kirsten Cappy of The Curious City. I think they best sum up how awesome and fun the Ukulele Lending Library Project is for the Portland, ME community. I just love these photos.
Click here to check out the full set
Filed under: Libraries, Life in Portland, Life in Portland Maine, Music, Teens, Ukulele Lending Library - May 13, 13
I have had a great deal of time to think these past few days: I’ve been holed away in my bedroom, doped up on benedryl and steroids to help with a nasty allergic reaction I had to some plant. I look sort of like this:
My wife Haley and I began talking about the process of experimentation and how beautiful it can be. This was in reference to the garden/small urban farm she’s building. I asked her if it bothered her that some things wouldn’t pan out as she planned it and planted her vegetables. She simply said, “no. It’s fun to try new things. It’s like we’re always in beta mode, which is always neat.”
I really liked this idea of being in perpetual beta. Testing out new things and tinkering is FUN and INSPIRING. What good is life if you’re not having fun? Work is just work when it’s not fun!
I look at the things going on at my new library and I see perpetual beta. We are trying new stuff out, seeing how the process works, and refining it as we go to make the experience better for the public. Whether it be the 4th Floor trying out new things like hi-res scanning or just emptying out a room on the 2nd Floor for teens to meet, hang out, and define by what they need at that moment, we are constantly tinkering, playing, having fun, and meeting our community wherever they are.
The future of libraries lies in our ability to connect with our communities through this tinkering and fun. Have an idea? An impulse? Give it a shot. Nothing bad can happen. If it doesn’t work out perfectly, keep on tinkering.
PS: Thank you to the team at Chattanooga Public Library for being brave and bold and for encouraging me to get back to that way of thinking.
Filed under: Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Technology, Teens - May 09, 13
You’ll have to forgive my lack of posts in the last three weeks. I’ve been settling in at my new job at the Chattanooga Public Library, taking everything in, having programs, meeting some amazing people, and thinking a lot about the future. Life is good and I can’t wait to really get into the nitty gritty awesome work that Team Chattanooga Library is aiming to do. It’s gonna be amazing.
THING #1: THIS PLACE IS AWESOME AND IT IS JUST GONNA KEEP GETTING BETTER.
It’s only been three weeks but one can tell a lot in that short amount of time. There’s a buzz in the air about the library and the city as a whole and it is a good feeling. Things are changing all around and people are just generally excited about the change. Every once in awhile I spend a bit of time on The 4th Floor at the Library. It’s a huge wide open room that does so much. Python Classes. 3D Printing. Community Happenings. It’s all there and it is inspiring.
So much of what the 4th Floor is about is what we’re aiming for with our transformation of the 2nd Floor. It’s the floor for ages 0-18…kids, tweens, teens…whatever you want to call them. It’s a giant open space, a blank canvas, that we get to transform. Right now there are some adult books still hanging around, some tables strewn about the floor, and some older bookshelves with teen stuff on them. Pretty soon, everything will be moved around and transformed into something like this world has never seen before. It’s going to be a wonderful place for the kids/tweens/teens of Chattanooga to spend their time.
THING #2: THE PEOPLE HERE ARE SUPER AWESOME
Everyone I’ve met in Chattanooga, both at the library and out in the community, have been some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. They say hello, listen to you carefully, and take their time with you. For someone who’s never been to the South before, this place is a bit of a culture shock for me. Luckily, everyone has been kind and patient and helpful. It’s been wonderful.
The staff at the Chattanooga Public Library have embraced change with open arms. Whether it be the 1st floor staff who works nonstop at moving all of their stuff from the 2nd floor so the kids/tweens/teens can have their space, the Friends of the Library who moved out of their space just so I could have an office (thank you!), the administration who have trusted and believed in me from the start, and the Youth Services staff who have basically embraced me with a big giant bear hug of support, I have to say that overall we have quite the amazing team here at the Chattanooga Public Library. It’s a team that works together as one giant unit towards one goal: doing amazing stuff for the community.
THING #3: I AM FOCUSED
I have an awesome family that I love to hang out with. We live in an awesome house that we can make our own little world. I have an awesome job where I work with an awesome team and we get to do the most awesome and fun things ever. This is all that I have ever wanted. I am focused on the goal.
Time to get to work. See you around.
Filed under: Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, TN - May 06, 13
We’re a little late to the game on this one, but who cares…it was fun!
We made this on Free Comic Book Day while we were watching Iron Man 2 on The 4th Floor. One of our Teen Advisory Board members randomly said “hey, let’s make a Harlem Shake video!” and everyone agreed. 15 minutes later, this existed. We used a Make Your Own Harlem Shake app for the iPod touch (I can’t remember which one but there are a ton of them so have fun!)
Enjoy!
Filed under: Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Social Media, Technology, TN - Apr 29, 13
I got to meet Lindsey Wesson of the Nashville Public Library this past Thursday and she showed me her latest tattoo…this time, library related! I love this tattoo of Little Bear from Maurice Sendak. It has such great detail and just looks rad. I bet the kids in her library will dig it.
Thanks for sharing Lindsey!
Filed under: Libraries, TN - Apr 11, 13
Today is my last day at the Portland Public Library.
Three years ago we came to Maine as a trio and now we leave as a quartet. We’re heading to the South, somewhere just three years we thought we’d never call home, but now we’re proud to be moving to such a forward thinking city full of awesome people doing great things. Here we go.
I have learned a lot here in Maine and will always look back at my time and the people I surrounded myself with very fondly. I had some major ups and major downs, but I wouldn’t change a thing. From these moments and situations, I’ve grown as a person and I feel better equipped to handle life and everything that comes my way.
Thank you Portland, ME, specifically the teens, members of the community, and the folks that I worked with at the Portland Public Library. I have nothing but love and respect for each and every one of you. I know I use the word community a lot on this blog but I don’t think I really understood the true power of community until I lived in this town. The way that I’ve seen this town come together has shown me that no matter what, if we work together towards a common goal, we will get there. My heart goes out to so many people that I’ll forget to mention a few but I’ll try: Tim Spalding and his family, Jan Kendrick, The West End Neighborhood Association, The Rowe Family, The Schuitt Family, Leza Gough, Kirsten Cappy and Mark Mattos, Michael Whittaker and Michelle Zichella, Justin Busque, Abraham Schechter, Michelle Souliere and so many others…you know who you are.
Filed under: Family, Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Life in Portland Maine, TN, Travel - Apr 09, 13
This is beautiful. I was merely the dude that said “YES, PLEASE DO THIS AND YOU HAVE MY LOVE AND SUPPORT” to Kirsten Cappy and Michael Whittaker, two Portland, Maine colleagues and chums that I’ve worked with in the past.
Any time your library can get 4 ukuleles donated to circulate in your library you’ve won. Top that off with a ukulele jamboree right in front of the library jamboree with the community and teens and you have something magical.
All of my love, support, and thanks to Kirsten Cappy and Michael Whittaker. These people are the future of libraries.
Got Uke? No? No worries, your library does.
Portland, Maine library card holders can now check out ukuleles and equally hip young adult books from the Teen Room of the Portland Public Library.Based on a madcap idea by Portland Public Library teen staff member, Michael Whittaker, local businesses Curious City and Moose County Music and Surf teamed up to create a Ukulele Lending Library. Four ukuleles were donated by Moose County and named by Curious City after teen books in the Portland Public Library collection.“This is crazy awesome,” says teen librarian Justin Hoenke, “this is a cool example of the community thinking differently about libraries.”Patrons can check out a bag containing a ukulele, an instructional DVD, a uke chord book, and the novel or non-fiction book the ukulele was named after.“Ukuleles came into the culture from the Hawaii just like surfing did. They became the symbol of the cross between music and beach,” says Dana Trumann owner of Old Orchard Beach’s Moose County Music and Surf, “Ukes have had a hipster resurgence and we thought why not bring the instrument from the beach to the library. It is just one more migration for the funny little instrument.”Available are the ukuleles entitled “Reunited” (in tune with the novel by Hilary Weisman Graham), “So Punk Rock” (in tune with the graphic novel by Micol and David Ostow), “Seraphina” (in tune with the award-winning fantasy novel by Rachel Hartman), and “So You Wanna Be a Superstar?” (an audition guide for teens striving for success on any stage). Each book has music as a central theme.“Ukuleles are the entry drug to music and performance,” said Portland Public Library staffer Michael Whittaker, ” this program will allow patrons to experiment free of charge.”Curious City, a Portland-based company that builds programs that allow readers to discover and engage with the books in unique quirky ways, saw the Ukulele Lending Library as a new way for teens to encounter a book.“Books have a hard road to being found by readers,” said Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, “I want someone to check out a uke on a lark and discover the graphic novel So Punk Rock (about a group of Jewish prep school boys who unwittingly find fame after a ska cover of “Hava Nagilah” at a Bar Mitzvah) kicking around in the bottom of the uke bag. That, to me, is what literacy should look like.”The program was launched on April’s First Friday with a 30-member ukulele flash mob of members of PIUKE, the Peaks Island Ukulele Group and the Falmouth Flukes. Passersby stopped, gaped, and say along to The Beatles’ “Let it Be.” Teens and adults picked up and plucked the library ukes on display and declared the program, “amazing,” “so cool,” and “only in Portland.”Curious City hopes the program will not stay “only in Portland” and plans to share the “Got Uke?” plans with libraries nationwidePHOTOS! Look at how glorious this event was:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiouscity/sets/72157633180543798/
Filed under: Libraries, Life in Portland Maine, Music, Teens - Apr 09, 13
When you move onto the next chapter of your life, you can’t help but look back to see what you’ve learned and how you can continue to grow. The past two weeks have been full of that and a flood of other emotions for me. It’s cool. I embrace this. However, keeping this all locked up in my head and in my heart doesn’t do any good so here goes: a soul baring blog post about the things I learned. Warts and all.
ONE
When I came into town three years ago I was a bit naive. I thought that no matter what the situation was that I could use my positive approach and all of the love in my heart to change things. While I still believe in the power of positivity and a good heart, I now understand that there’s more to consider. Some people can’t be changed. Some mountains can’t be moved. And that’s ok.Out of this came Three Punk Rock Lessons for Surviving 21st-Century Library Hell. If the system doesn’t respond to the way you approach things, you circumnavigate the system. You find something that works that is a blend of your style while pleasing the mountains that cannot be moved. You get things done, you’re happy because you’ve served your community, and no one bugs you.
TWO
I would love to say that what I got most out of working in Portland, Maine came from my community and the teens I worked with but this was not the case. That’s what I got from my previous job at the Cape May County Library. But that’s not to say that I didn’t get anything from these two powerful groups: what they did was REINFORCE everything I learned at the Cape May County Library. If it wasn’t in my head and my heart enough in 2010, it is now embedded there forever and has no chance of slipping away. Folks: if you don’t have your community in the front of your thoughts, your library is not winning.I learned a lot from managing a small staff of people in the teen library. What I did learn the most during my time is that freedom, respect, and support for your staff is the most critical thing to have when you are working with others. If you have a staff that doesn’t trust or respect you, forget about it. INSPIRE them. Say YES. Let them run wild in the library. Your library is stronger with everyone’s ideas working together. It will form an institution that is not only dynamic but full of personality.
One of my favorite moments in Portland was when I noticed that one of my staff members was an amazing artist. What did I have him do? I had him draw amazing things while he watched over the teen service desk. Call it a bit of performance art and a little bit of library decoration: the teens and other patrons got to see the creation of art in progress and the end result still proudly hangs in the library so that patrons can go OMG WOW when they see it. It’s a beautiful thing. The best part? Having my employee not be bored while watching over the teen desk and seeing them look forward to working in my part of the library.
THREE
And finally: Your happiness in your job has a lot to do with your happiness in the world. Remember, your job is not your life but it does have some impact on it. Are you unhappy? Frustrated? Tired? Grumpy? Have you tried to change things and you keep hitting a brick wall? Have you REALLY tried to change things and STILL keep hitting that brick wall?It is time for you to find another job.
This is difficult to say and even more difficult to comprehend, but PLEASE do yourself a favor and go down that path. Your heart will smile in the long run. Don’t get caught up on the what/who/when/where/why/how of it all. Just do it.
Filed under: Libraries, Life in Portland Maine, Teens
