Christmas

Ok, how many of you can read The Polar Express (Van Allsburg) or the Littlest Angel (Tazewell) and not cry?

Christmas is a'comin'

Christmas is a'comin' and that means that this semester is nearly finished. How can that be? Didn't this Practicum just start? How can it be nearly finished?

Yesterday was a busy day full of questions. Um,...I guess that's what it's s'posed to be. Chiltons is such a great resource for those needing car repair information. Francine Rivers books were what one delightful older lady was searching for. Did you know there is a book entitled Hip Knit Hats? Well, I didn't either, until someone wanted to place it on hold, ready?...because her teenage nephew asked her to knit him a hat like the one she had knit for his brother last year!!! A teenage boy asked her for a hat!!! Amazing!!! Amazing!!! Barry White CDs were what another gentleman was looking for. One patron came to ask for one of James Herriott's books. She said she makes a point of reading ALL of them every so often and this is one of those every so oftens. I do enjoy those titles, myself. Stock market information for a beginner was one topic in the morning. The Scarlet Letter -- on dvd, please -- was what would satisfy a teenager. The closest one wasn't close enough. One patron wanted the large print copy of a title. And on and on. At the end of the day I thought it would be interesting to see how many questions we had tallied. It was over 60, closing in on 70. I was sort of surprised as it seemed as though there were only a couple of spurts of activity while the rest of the day was steady, though pleasant allowing sufficient time to find what patrons requested. And, of course there were the phone requests for titles. I guess it didn't seem so daunting because there were at least two of us on the desk all day, while our third had "off desk" time for other projects. One project that I was asked to proofread was for an author visit. Sign-up is required for the book discussion in April, but the book signing itself doesn't require sign up. The ref librarian putting this together wanted to make sure it was clear. It was. The other project she needed "off desk" time for was to put together the Winter Reading Program information and handouts for recording books read. Then my other companion needed some "off desk" time for a weeding project she is working on. Turns out my time spent there is useful...to the other ref librarians as well as to the patrons.

Practicum time is something I look forward to each week. Looking for new things or retrieving old friend books is a pleasant task. I like the peace of knowing exactly where a resource is...and I love the challenge of finding a resource for something I have little experience with. And it gets the patrons what they want. And, that's why we're there. Right? One comment I have appreciated hearing from the Head Ref Librarian on occasion is that she has absolutely no idea about the topic a patron has asked about but she's very interested now in finding out all sorts of information for the patron! I liked that honesty and eagerness.

While I haven't used the available online databases much for patron questions, I have used NoveList for a couple of projects I've helped the ref librarians with. I'm rather surprised that I haven't used them much. They are there, there a good number of them, and they are good ones; they are just not what any of us have used. I actually listened yesterday to the other ref librarians just to make sure my impression was correct that they too seldom used the available databases. I'm wondering what better way there can be to have them available/accessible but not cost based. I think they are useful but may find a better use in being free access for everyone, not simply local library patrons.

I can't wait to see what next week brings. Yes, I'm continuing as a Volunteer in the Ref Dept at this library. I like being trusted with all manner of information from placing -- 37 holds for a patron (They tell me she's an avid reader!!! I guess!!) though I couldn't place holds for the other items she wanted, yet, as they aren't avaliableat the present time -- to creating a Christmas books list, to proofreading a document to searching for books for patrons to finding the needed information, to whatever is needed. It's fun, interesting, constantly changing, and makes it a great day to hear "thank-you for your help."

One resource I did run into that works most of the time is dexknows.com. I was actually trying to find my niece's address to make sure I had it right. According to Dex, I did,...though I've found other information that is not correct. Still, it's an interesting place to start a search for addresses/phone numbers and things of that nature.

I hope over the semester I really have been of help. The ref librarians say I have been a great help. Patrons, too. I do know I have learned a huge amount not necessarily about a lot of NEW resources but how to better use old, trusted friend resources and then how to even more confidently find something new when the situation warranted. And then there has been the High School Yearbook project. That was fun. That was fun because I know some of those people as adults who are in the books as kids.

What an education. What a great experience. I'm so glad to have been able to enjoy the fruits of this practicum. Some questions were harder than others. There was never a dull moment.

Omigosh...where does time go!

Time flies while you're having fun. The Practicum continues to be a varied diet from helping index high school year books (I had more fun teasing a friend about a 5th grade picture...she considered including me in her will it I'd somehow manage to take the picture out of the year book! :) ) to helping create a notebook of maps to various other relatively local libraries as a reference tool and handout for patrons. And, questions, questions, questions! Exercise dvds, backpacking, blood pressure -- he wanted to have a clear explanation of "the numbers" (systolic and diastolic) so he could explain them to someone else. His young son was far more interested in going to "get some good books." Kids have their way, don't they! In the midst of reorganizing the ready reference information and reassessing the current Disaster Plan information that was found tucked at the back of low shelf so no one could find it, the ice storm going on outside contributed (we're certain!) to the circulation and its constituent parts failing for a couple of hours in the afternoon. That's ok! We did other things and managed quite nicely in other ways. FirstSearch was searchable so we weren't without our wits ( :} ) about us.

I'm struck at how little the actual Reference area is used. I'm also struck by how many reference questions are asked and answerable in the checkout section of the library. I know I've mentioned this before but I think it merits mention again...it makes one wonder if the reference books shouldn't truly be interfiled with the regular non-fiction, as some libraries are doing. Space in this library, as apparently in all libraries, is at a premium, and I'm wondering if using this precious commodity - space - couldn't be accommodated differently.

You never know what's coming next. How fun is that!!

A conversation with another reference librarian reveals that there is a huge need for more staffing -- and of course, as in most libraries, insufficient funding, so the reference librarians find themselves wearing many hats (and being unable to find sufficient time to "do" their jobs). This a a function I meet with pleasure and familiarity, but I can see that it's a challenge to adequately meet all the apparent needs of the Reference department, from computer education to program planning to weeding to...well, you get the idea. While I haven't located any wonderfully earthshakingly useful websites to add to our collection of sites for future reference, what I have noticed again and again is how much a reference librarian needs to know if only how and where to search for the right answer. It's an issue more of how is an item going to be useful to a patron rather than an issue of whether it is the "politically correct" database or collection to own. Whether it's a question about whether there is a Terrell Owens biography on shelf or is there information about a particular medical issue or can the patron get some help with an email issue or an Excel program, the reference librarian quickly changes expertise to meet patrons' needs. I think that is the reference librarians strength: the ability to change gears rapidly and without a blink and find that good information. Ice storm or no ice storm, that patrons want their information. The reference librarian can do that. And does.

P.S. I've lost track of how many hours I've actually spent at this library with the reference practicum. I stopped counting after 50. It's just plain fun - and a real education!

Time flies!

Where did last week go? My goodness...it flew by and became another weekend of fun at the library where I'm enjoying my Practicum. So, well, um,...how could two Saturdays be more different? A week ago, we had question after question and I was able to answer them all from books on the shelves. I guess that's probably the most notable observation I have about this Practicum is that I'm finding the answers patrons need not online, not from Google, not from Yahoo, not from online databases, but from books and other documents in-house. And for the most part, they are from the check-out section rather than the Reference section of the library. The diverse nature of the questions keep everyone working in Ref fresh and on our toes. That makes the day go so nicely. It's fun and the most interesting people ask the most interesting questions.

And, the kids were in full Halloween regalia! There were several -- and amazing! -- witches, a la Wicked. There were the requisite adorable princesses and the occasional Darth Vader (still!). The community had presented (collectively) a Spooktacular that involved purchases from local stores and prize drawings at the library. The whole community participated to a greater or lesser extent. The questions I recall most were those concerning those interested in learning a new language. Fortunately my Spanish was adequate enough to help the delightful lady who is interested in learning more English. She said her daughter was great bilingual and she herself wanted to be able to better communicate in English. We found several good options for her. And the other activity I enjoyed was creating an Adult Reader's Advisory brochure for Thanksgiving books including descriptions. Creating something potentially useful makes one feel, well,..useful. Yesterday was a day spent creating a list of (oddly enough) language tapes, cds and videos to see what was supposed to be on shelf, and then checking to insure they were really there. For the most part they really were there. Part of this activity was to check on the condition of the item on shelf to determine whether to repackage or replace the item. I'm thinking they are used a great deal, because the condition of a number of the language tapes and cds was -- how shall I put it? -- well enjoyed. So some need to be repackaged for a better presentation. There were still some interesting questions but not nearly so many as last week. And, interestingly, the answers I located were on shelf. A computer program question, a question about a travel destination, a biographical question; a question about the history of banana bread; a car repair question. And for some reason, patrons were interested in magazines yesterday. Hm. Again, I'm struck by the broad sweep of questions and more I'm struck by the fact that I'm not using databases nor Google ... nor Reference itself. This is very interesting.

Interesting

It just occurred to me that for almost all of the reference questions I've been answering for/with patrons I've located the answers in books in the check-our section. Almost nothing has actually come from Reference itself. It occurs to me that the patron wants to take something home, in hand, and they really want something more than just to look at it in the library. All the more reason to reduce the size of the Reference collection and place items so they are available for patrons to take home where they are more comfortable.

Another thought, then, is to redesign the library to more emulate a homey environment rather than a sterile steel and structured table location setting so patrons are happy to stay. I know a lot of libraries already do this or are attempting to do so, but perhaps a whole rethinking is necessary. Then there is simply the option of forwarding all information to a patron's home computer so they can access everything from home. That's what databases are all about but even more user casual items might be in order.

I think I will have more thoughts on this.

Bunch of fun

It was back to the Practicum library again today. Goody.

And, as it turned out, it was a day full of interesting and fun questions and some really fun people, including an adorable little girl in all pink and very pleased with herself. First was a patron trying to look for an old book entitled A Pail of Oysters, a disturbing book of war and atrocity that he hasn't been able to locate -- nor forget from the past. Never located it in a library. Did find it on Amazon. Amazin', huh!

Car care -- and though there weren't exactly the books he wanted, he was able to adapt what was available to his needs. What a lovely young man he was!

A gluten-free child's diet book was next and we found the perfect book for her! She was SO pleased.

A delightful lady asked for books on Access and Excel -- and turned out to really want the formulas for Excel. Online there is a great and easily accessible list.

Various holds for titles.

And a fascinating young man came in asking for information on the changes in corn/bean fields in the Plainfield area (a burgeoning area) measuring land use change from just before the 1990 horrendous tornado that ripped through areas of Plainfield, Joliet and Crest Hill to the years after it. He has to turn in a draft on Monday and he has to go to work on Monday, too. Last minute. No surprise. Plat books really helped to show how land usage has changed and changed hands over the years. He started to get excited about his assignment. I think he had been floundering with no direction to go -- and he needs 25 resources! We found a few items he could copy that helped him to synthesize the information he needed.

I also got to practice my Spanish skills with the charming lady who spoke not one word of English. We managed -- surprisingly well as I don't often get to use my language skills (which, alas, are really French, and, ready?, Latin - *sigh* Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est. Need I go on?)

Found out too that their microfilm machine is a bit of a trick -- not to mention the maze of wires and procedural steps to make a copy of the desired resource. Egads. But at least the patron interested in the obituary from the local tiny newspaper from Feb. 10, 1957 was able to have it. A relative. I think we whizzed the microfilm off the roll just twice. The machine had two speeds: slow and HOLY COW - wait a minute!!! Have you ever tried to catch flying microfilm?

Also have a recommendation for a great restaurant (of sorts) in Balltown, Iowa called Breitbach's. Anyone been there? Well, if not, I was advised that that is THE place to go. The patron simply wanted their phone number so he could call ahead to make sure they are open when he and his family arrive in the area. That's planning!

It's such a great thing to hear a huge thank-you from several patrons in a day. Makes you feel as though it IS worthwhile. And besides, finding all this information might help someone else even better. This is fun. A smiling face and a thank-you are great rewards. And that darned microfilm zinging by....

Less and more

This past Saturday, I was at my home library working and so did not go to the library where I'm doing my Practicum. The first thing I noticed was that there were so few -- or on this day, no -- reference questions asked. I tried to think back to other Saturdays and how many real Reference questions are customarily asked. Couldn't recall too many at all. Granted my home library is primarily a popular fiction (a la Evanovich, Cussler, Patterson) library, but the difference in function was even more pronounced/noticeable because I've become accustomed, now, to having a busy reference-question-filled Saturday. Directional questions, yes. A substantive question? None for the day. (I had one question (a medical concern) on Monday afternoon and one (on the Dred Scott case) last night. I was able to find information in books in-house on the check-out shelves for both questions.) My home library doesn't have a defined Reference Desk; we all answer Reference questions at the present. We log the reference questions at my home library for the annual report but I hadn't really paid that much attention to how few questions are asked until recently. Does library size have anything to do with reference question volume? I was a little concerned that my home library is not apparently perceived as a library for answering reference questions. It was a different kind of Saturday...and I'm kind of thinking I like the busier question-filled version, even if I haven't a clue about the subject, although I do afterwards. Makes me feel as though I'm doing something useful and valuable -- and, after all, isn't that why most of us are in libraryland? To be useful?

Questions, Questions!

This Saturday there wasn't the traffic issue that I ran into last week. No detours. No closed streets. No homecoming. Ahh! So, I was able to get to the practicum location unimpeded... un-redirected or otherwise stopped. How cool is that!? Even had a few minutes to read part of a book while in the parking lot before opening. (I started out early just in case....)

On the other hand, as the day went on there were more questions. School related questions. And other kinds of questions -- starting with Symphony of the Brain. That turned out to be a book title a patron wanted about a brain disorder.

A (beginning to become a bit distraught) mom of a couple of bored early teenagers called to see if there weren't any festivals or Harvests of some sort in the village, today. We found a few possibilities but she dispaired of the girls being interested in any of them. Following the phone call the Head Ref Librarian and I got into a great conversation about a couple of other Harvest Fests in neighboring communities.

A patron wanted to learn to speak Spanish. She preferred tapes, so of course what was mainly on shelf were cds. She relented and took two sets of cds.

As the day went on and there were questions concerning monarchs (kings and queens or butterflies? -- turned out to be kings and queens), hearing loss; Mayan civilization - everything! about it. Yikes! One of the more interesting questions was about the Battle of Marathon. Thermopylae and things like that for her husband. He wanted everything. Greek history, you know. Ok, so that generated some questions to find out what her husband really wanted. Apparently he wanted to have everything about Thermopylae.

A list of bed and breakfasts in Illinois, well, nearby, well, maybe an inn. There's supposed to be this book that lists all the bed and breakfasts, the couple told me. Locating a few books later, they decided that wasn't what they wanted at all but they didn't really know what they did want.

And where is the Sheriff's department in this town. Well, there is a Police Department but the Sheriff is not in this town...Oh, said the patron, there's no Sheriff? No, but I can tell you where the Police Department is. Would that help? I guess so,....

And someone else,...I need information on replacement windows. You know, replacement windows. (Consumer Reports online, here I come!) He was so pleasantly surprised I found what he wanted. And a genealogy/local history question. Well, we couldn't locate that item yet, thoughthe search isn't completed.

In the mean time and in and around all these fun questions one of the other Ref & RA workers had a fun project for me to work on for/with her. She wanted to create and display a brochure on current Horror (but not vampires) authors/titles. Annotated. So, as time permitted, I added authors/titles to the list she is going to work from to create her brochure. What fun! It always surprises me how long it can take to do this. I've created lists like this in the past for all sorts of things. Not annotated, though. Spent a lot of time in NoveList...a favorite site.

Toward the end of the day at around 4:45 (the library closed at 5), the kids were in full pre-paper/assignment-is-due mode...and it's only Saturday!

Busy day - what a surprise

Make a mental note: do NOT try to drive into a town with limited road access when there is a Homecoming Parade planned. You can't get there from here! So since the town where I'm doing the practicum basically closed town for the parade, it was a bit of a hike to put in hours today once I finally located a place to stash my car -- I did ask the homeowner if it was ok if I parked in front of his house. Fortuitously he said yes. My 15 minute drive took about 1 1/2 hours. (*sigh*; ommmmmm!)

The morning was quiet and uneventful in the library. Only a few requests for holds. Everyone was at the parade and not at the library...and they couldn't have gotten to the library if they'd wanted to except on foot, anyway.

The afternoon was delightfully busy with reference questions: about science fair kinds of presentations about weather and fruit and how it reacts to different kinds of packaging; a delightful lady whose physician told her to get a dvd on Pilates so she can straighten out her back (after 40 years of nursing - yikes!). A gentleman was in from Texas doing genealogical research on a local cemetary so the staff genealogy/local history expert was able to supply all sorts of information for him. He said thank-you, and left. Then he came back again. This scenario repeated itself several times. Toward the end of the day, we all just smiled at each other as he returned -- again. Oh, and he left happy with the information. A lady was interested in information about the Plainfield, IL tornado in 1990 but was not satisfied with the info/pictures online. This library had what she wanted but the age of the papers (original from 1990) also did not provide adequate pictures. Another lady was interested in restaurant tipping etiquette. Diverse questions.

A project to help the local history area of the library was the main thrust of my day. The high school yearbooks are being indexed and so an Access program was created that allows there to be lists of each person's name along with the year of the annual they appear in and the page number. I lost track after about 550 entries today. It was fun. I actually know some of the people in the 50+ year old yearbooks.... scary, huh! Isn't it amazing how ridiculous we looked between the ages of 8 and 18 at that time?!? Especially 50 years ago...except most of you don't remember that time frame. I do.

Although I didn't locate any earthshatteringly interesting web sites today, it was a fun day. And beyond that, the library was celebrating Banned Books Week, always one of my favorite weeks of the year!!!! I read banned books! I hope you do, too.

A day of sights ...

This past Saturday's practicum time brought searches for interesting ways to play around with digital photographs. Mazaika.com (a web page), ImageMagick (a way to create, edit and compose photos), Andreamosaics (software), Flickr Hacks (about sharing photos online), and Gimp 2 for Photographers, an open source tool for image editing all presented intriguing possibilities. Web-based Pictobrowser.com allows sharing of photos on websites and blogs.



Prowling about brought other interesting thoughts:

Other interesting links for fall gardening came from http://www.infototoday.com/

www.bhg.com/bhg/gardening

http://www.gardendesigner.com/

http://www.backyardgardener.com/

www.doityourself.com/scat/planningagarden
There are several other links.


Patron requests brought the usual kinds of requests such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn -- on tape, and Consumer Reports recommendations for cars. It's surprising how many Reference questions sneak by without seeming like Reference questions. A tally of Reference questions is maintained at this library, and I noticed we were all adding tally hash-marks to the record.

Oh, and the printer was working correctly. :}

Small but...

Small but impressive describes a library located in the country that I visited over the weekend. My first impressions are that it is bright and airy, items and sections are well located, inviting and neat/tidy and their books are attractive and enjoy a newness about them that invites a patron to pull them off shelf to take a look. It is easy to read clear spine labels and identify reading levels and locate various item types. Most impressive are the new books collection just inside the front door. It's a huge collection and includes titles from all areas. The display cases just inside the front door are full of interesting titles and intriguing ideas for reading choices. Football choices and Elvis were among displayed titles that day.

There is also an impressive and substantial Reference section that I wouldn't have expected in a library this size; and standing beside Reference is a generous Genealogy/Local History section that includes title sources of particular local interest. The Vertical File inclusions (Libraries still have vertical files??? Yes, they do!) are a significant representation of local interests and needs. I haven't seen a Vertical File collection that large or interestingly populated for a long time, and apparently it is a frequently used portion of the library.

The community in which this library resides is not large, and a number of the "downtown" stores are regrettably no longer in use and instead are sadly boarded up. In some ways it would seem that this town is forlorn and in peril of losing its way. The library, however, demonstrates that this is likely not so. There apparently is a vibrant interest in books, ideas and learning. As the library is located not too far from a high school, students would easily find their way to the library. Although no one said so, it wouldn't be surprising if after school hours find kids heading to the library. The Saturday middle of the morning I was there, there were kids already on the computers in the library. And an adult.

Staff members, clearly pleased with their library, were ready to be of help and share what they have. Oh, and the numerous skylights brought the streaming morning sun in and made the library a particular cheery and inviting place to be -- including for the mom and her two kids who came in to select books from an excellent, attractive young readers collection. And the staff knew their names.

Though small, this library had the feel of a much grander-sized library. Apparently the beneficiary of those with a strong interest in libraries and the written word, this library is a powerful small-town presence and a place that reflects a keen interest in education and providing for its community members. I've been there before and I'll happily go there again.

Interesting to read

Here are a couple of websites that are interesting reads.

http://answerboards.wetpaint.com/page/Slam+the+Boards%21

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/lettertoreaders.html

Just thought I'd pass 'em along. They weren't a part of the Practicum. Just interesting items I found.

Library Practicum Day 1

Seeing and participating in how other libraries perform daily reference duties is fun, interesting and usually full of diversity and change -- all things I'm accustomed to as I work in a smaller public library. Good, new ideas are easy to come by in a new setting as activities are seen through fresh and unhabituated eyes. Troubleshooting an obstreperous printer that had only just a couple of days before undergone an upgrade as a part of the system upgrade; learning a new web page location to contribute to a "good reads" book review list; helping a patron new to the rigors of creating an Excel spreadsheet to build confidence and skills; locating a legal form in a copyable format for a patron; placing patron holds on SILK; discussing the content of a skit concerning appropriate patron service: these were among the experiences today. Although contained within the same department, it's possible to wear many hats and change them rapidly in a larger (than what I'm accustomed to) setting.

While becoming familiar with some of the ready reference kinds of handy materials, I found that there are Home Schooling Resources available and close at hand. And, the customary sorts of items were there too, including Standard & Poor's Outlook, Morningstar and ValueLine, Consumer Reports, and some unanticipated sources like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie information.

Several patrons came to the Reference Desk asking for particular titles, or they hoped they had the correct title/author information. Sometimes they did; sometimes not. One young man asked for information about Physics. Upon further questioning and shelf searching, it turned out that he really needed weights and measures information which was readily available and handy for use. A conversation began about Kevin Trudeau initiated from a patron query. Regular staff members attended to teaching a beginning Excel class, creating a listing of appropriate benchmarks for determining whether jobs have been appropriately completed for job evaluation...and other needed issues

It was a busy day and a day of diversity. It was a good way to start this practicum.

Today

At the moment I'm reading several articles about management and am finding them interesting because while attributes may belong in the venue of those who manage, they seem to fall equally in the realm of all library worker-bees. They may actually be in the realm of management but they are the realm of all involved in the future of libraries. A common goal seems desirable: patrons and their information access.

I'm also reading articles on reference and, as the saying goes, "quo vadis?" Hard to tell some days. The library element is changing so fast. A jack of all trades and a Master as well seems to define how librarians need to be thinking and focusing energies.

The raised question of where will we be in 10 years allows for great leaps of ideas but the truth of the matter is we will probably be in approximately the same situation but with more miniaturized and instantaneous gratification kinds of electronic devices. I'd like to think patrons will become weary of rapidly changing technology and want to move forward to personal contact and the human touch. A survey conducted last year suggested that equestrians will seek out people for information rather than books. Who best to provide great information than a librarian who will likely have more fluid information access. It'll be fascinating to watch.

First day of this blog.

Welcome to my blog. I hope to post interesting and useful additions and I hope to add often. So, let's have a great time.