Looks like I'm going to the Internet Librarian Conference this year. It will be my first time to go. I've wanted to go before, but felt like it would be an exercise in frustration. Now we have new administration and some institutional changes, and I'm looking forward to learning some things I'll actually be able to implement. Amazing!
This spring I attended a quick & dirty reference conference at Tulane. My reference tech guru and I were the only public librarians there. What's with that? It wasn't expensive and we drove down both days. Whatever... We both learned a lot and found out about a couple of techie things we were itching to implement when we got home. Within a week of the conference, I had chat reference going (Bless LibraryH3lp!!), LibX installed on all the staff computers (that was a new one for us), and a trial of Reference Universe in the wings. I call that a useful conference!
Speaking of LibraryH3lp... If you're having problems with your IT folks implementing chat reference, this happy app will definitely improve your chances. It's hosted externally so you don't need a new server, and you can limit access to chat. We do it only through our website, so the IT people aren't so paranoid about network compromise. We get a lot of play just through the website. Pump up the ref stats, y'all!
Having had such a great experience at Tulane, I'm really jumpin' to get to the Internet Librarian. One of my goals for the coming year is to gather all our digital library stuff into one spot -- a digital branch full of ebooks, databases, libguides, music, archives, and, of course, the catalog. It's not like you can't get to all our online content through the website, but how much cooler would it be to have it all in one area? So I have high hopes that attending ILC will get me going and give me the tools I need to get started. I love starting new things!! So exciting!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Review: The Faded Sun Trilogy by CJ Cherryh
I just re-read this book and loved it just as much as the first time I read it. But this time I realized that this is the "original" version of Cherryh's wonderful Foreigner series. Well, it's not really the original, but it reads like the "origin."
A lone human is forced to adapt to a confusingly different, yet familiar, alien mindset (mri) -- and to act as a go-between and cultural translator for humans and mri.
Cherryh's writing style is less confusing in this book than it is in Heavy Time (one of her most confusing); however, she does like to just set you down in her world without any preamble, leaving you to navigate the new environment much as the human character, Duncan, has to. But this book has the hallmarks of a great Cherryh story -- wonderfully realized aliens, the mri and the Regul; politics, politics, politics; military intrigue; culture clash; and a little religious fervor thrown in for good measure.
It's a good adventure too.
If you've already read the Foreigner series, then you should really backtrack and read this one. If you haven't read Foreigner (and you really, really should), then read Faded Sun and then move on up. It's a good first taste and a satisfying read.
A lone human is forced to adapt to a confusingly different, yet familiar, alien mindset (mri) -- and to act as a go-between and cultural translator for humans and mri.
Cherryh's writing style is less confusing in this book than it is in Heavy Time (one of her most confusing); however, she does like to just set you down in her world without any preamble, leaving you to navigate the new environment much as the human character, Duncan, has to. But this book has the hallmarks of a great Cherryh story -- wonderfully realized aliens, the mri and the Regul; politics, politics, politics; military intrigue; culture clash; and a little religious fervor thrown in for good measure.
It's a good adventure too.
If you've already read the Foreigner series, then you should really backtrack and read this one. If you haven't read Foreigner (and you really, really should), then read Faded Sun and then move on up. It's a good first taste and a satisfying read.
A Review of Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer (audio version)
What FUN!!! This audiobook is a great adventure story with an engaging heroine. And the reader, Katherine Kellgren, is magnificent!!!
Mary "Jacky" Faber, street urchin of London, becomes a ship's boy on a British Naval vessel in 1800. She manages to maintain her disguise and has some great adventures just trying to keep everyone on board fooled. In typical English naval adventure fashion, Jacky has to contend with bad men, cannonballs, marooning, and pirates. She learns to be a sailor, seamstress, singer, and penny-whistle-artist extraordinaire. She even learns to be a girl -- but she's not very good at it.
The pace is fast and you root for Jacky from start to finish. In fact, she's so engaging that I went right out and got the 2nd book. It was like Harry Potter all over again!
Although Bloody Jack is a teen title, adults who enjoy fast-paced adventure stories, historical novels, or even Brit naval stories will find it a fun read. My 76 year old mother has read the whole series.
I'm listening to the 3rd book right now and am looking forward to books 4 and 5. It's a great listen or read.
Mary "Jacky" Faber, street urchin of London, becomes a ship's boy on a British Naval vessel in 1800. She manages to maintain her disguise and has some great adventures just trying to keep everyone on board fooled. In typical English naval adventure fashion, Jacky has to contend with bad men, cannonballs, marooning, and pirates. She learns to be a sailor, seamstress, singer, and penny-whistle-artist extraordinaire. She even learns to be a girl -- but she's not very good at it.
The pace is fast and you root for Jacky from start to finish. In fact, she's so engaging that I went right out and got the 2nd book. It was like Harry Potter all over again!
Although Bloody Jack is a teen title, adults who enjoy fast-paced adventure stories, historical novels, or even Brit naval stories will find it a fun read. My 76 year old mother has read the whole series.
I'm listening to the 3rd book right now and am looking forward to books 4 and 5. It's a great listen or read.
The need for a blog
Despite the title, I don't need to blog. I just need a blog. It's a career thing. I'm a public librarian. I don't publish -- my job doesn't hinge on publishing. I DO write. A lot.
I write myriad emails to everyone on earth. I write copy for web pages and brochures. I write letters of recommendation; letters to irate patrons; letters to vendors... I tweet and post on Facebook. I spend most of my days and nights writing. And yet. When it comes to "showing off" my writing in a professional capacity, I have nothing to show! Not one published article. My tweets are about food or music gigs. My posts are my tweets -- or they're comments on things my friends have posted about.
So here's my dilemma. I'm going to run for an "office" in a major professional association. As I was filling out the form, there it is. List Publications (limit to only 3 publications!). Put on the BIG BRAKES! I have no publications. I have the aforementioned emails, copy and letters. Tweets and posts. What to do? I want to be taken seriously as a candidate. Academic librarians are voting! They publish! I can't pull publications out of my...
book bag!
Then it came to me. I can blog. Librarians take blogging seriously. I will be a serious Librarian Blogger. I will be profound and insightful. For about 3 posts.
I write myriad emails to everyone on earth. I write copy for web pages and brochures. I write letters of recommendation; letters to irate patrons; letters to vendors... I tweet and post on Facebook. I spend most of my days and nights writing. And yet. When it comes to "showing off" my writing in a professional capacity, I have nothing to show! Not one published article. My tweets are about food or music gigs. My posts are my tweets -- or they're comments on things my friends have posted about.
So here's my dilemma. I'm going to run for an "office" in a major professional association. As I was filling out the form, there it is. List Publications (limit to only 3 publications!). Put on the BIG BRAKES! I have no publications. I have the aforementioned emails, copy and letters. Tweets and posts. What to do? I want to be taken seriously as a candidate. Academic librarians are voting! They publish! I can't pull publications out of my...
book bag!
Then it came to me. I can blog. Librarians take blogging seriously. I will be a serious Librarian Blogger. I will be profound and insightful. For about 3 posts.
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