Posted by fabricpile
Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:40:00 GMT
Every year the Otterbein Public Library purchases new “Christmas” novels because there are a large number of older patrons who really like to read them to get into the holiday spirit. Last year I was truly surprised at how popular they were.
So today while Cindy was combing Amazon for this year’s new titles, she happened upon this one:
Of course I’m going to buy it, put it out on the Christmas display and see how the little old ladies react to it. It’s all I ever wanted!
Posted by fabricpile
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:24:00 GMT
Today at Otterbein Library’s storytime, the kids got to decorate these t-shirts.
Miss Cindy likes to let the kids do crafts with stuff that mom might not allow at home. There’s nothing like a bunch of toddlers set loose with glue and glitter! I’m glad I hired her back to do programming for me. She’s great with the kids. The t-shirts reflect her professional motto.
So when Kira and Mark saw the t-shirts that Emma and Henry had decorated, they laughed hysterically and immediately wanted one.
But not for cute, sentimental kiddie reasons. Noooooo . . . my twisted little basement-dwelling geeks’ brains went directly to this:
This is one of those days when I realize that my kids aren’t really children anymore. And I’m cool with that! They are all so much fun to have around.
Posted by fabricpile
Sat, 04 Aug 2007 23:34:00 GMT
Last weekend, The West Lafayette Public Library held its first annual Family Fun Day event. The MadCap Puppets of Cincinnati gave a fun, interactive performance.
We rode for the first time on the Boilermaker Special which took us all over the Purdue Campus. There is no reason to rent a limo in West Lafayette. The Boilermaker Special is definitely the way to go!
Today was Otterbein Library’s “Fun Day”—part of the Otterbein Town Festival. Last year’s was a disappointment to me, so my library board and I decided to make sure there were plenty of fun kids’ activities this year.
We rented a moonwalk castle which was enormously popular.
The Army Reserve brought their climbing wall and spent the entire day supervising as the kids in town climbed, got back in line, and climbed some more.
Henry did his best, but the wall was designed for adults, so his young legs found it pretty difficult. He was proud of how far he did make it, though!
Emma got better and stronger each time she climbed. At one point, one of the soldiers climbed along beside her to give her some tips. I didn’t see them do that with any other kid. I think they saw how serious and determined she was, and they really wanted her to succeed.
She never quite made it to the top to ring the bell, but she got close!
We also sponsored the Columbian Park Zoo’s outreach program, which brought all sorts of creatures into the library. We also had water balloon games, a ring toss, and pick-a-duck.
I had residents who had never set foot in the library shocked at the materials which are available to them. We got a few new library cards and hopefully some new library users.
Emma came home and immediately crashed. We couldn’t even wake her to eat dinner. That’s certainly the mark of a great day spent at the library.
Posted by fabricpile
Sat, 20 Jan 2007 20:00:00 GMT
My favorite part of being the director of a small library is acquisitions. I get to buy books, DVDs and other materials. It’s actually a very time-consuming part of my job. But, dang, it’s fun!
As do most libraries, I order a lot of books from Baker & Taylor. I also take advantage of Amazon.com for older books, some DVDs and great prices on used materials from secondary sellers. Reading reviews and browsing through the lists are part of the fun. And I don’t have to worry about establishing tax-exempt status with them because they don’t charge sales tax.
This past week, the library received an Amazon box which contained, among other things, the first two seasons of the TV show Lost:
Disney can charge whatever they want for their stuff, but they are clearly torpedoing their market around here, because nobody can afford $49.95 for each 26 minute episode. Of course, you can save by purchasing the entire 100 episode set for a measly $3,249.
Bill Nye is great stuff. I’d love to be able to purchase this series for the Otterbein Library. Presumably Disney is selling to the portion of the education market overflowing with Federal pork.
Posted by fabricpile
Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:58:00 GMT
One of the things I love best about being a librarian is always having the opportunity to learn new things by helping others. Not only can I find information for a school report on ancient Babylon (935), I can also help patrons learn how to tile their kitchen floor (698) or train an incorrigible pooch (636.7).
And when I’m the patron as well as the librarian, I know just where to look for the books and information. Knitting socks as an exercise in librarianship? 746.432!
Currently, I’m studying the books around 641.6—give or take a few decimal places. There’s some very tasty stuff in the library!
Posted by fabricpile
Mon, 09 Oct 2006 15:13:00 GMT
Residents in rural Indiana communities treasure and take pride in their libraries, supporting them even in difficult times.
This is definitely a difficult time for Williamsport, Indiana. Last night fire destroyed their library.
Apparently someone set the dumpster on fire, and the blaze quickly spread through the four-year-old building.
The scene is appalling.
I cannot comprehend the depravity that motivates such destructiveness.
Chris Brown, the library’s director, is the most creative, dynamic librarian I know. I condemn anyone who would cause so much suffering for Chris, his staff, and the community they love.
The spirit of Williamsport and its library will prevail.
