August 18, 2008
New Beginnings
Today we welcome a new librarian, MaryAnn Tweedy, to the Reference Department. As I consider what kinds of things to write, I admit that I'm also thinking of my husband who will be starting a new job next week. So, I give you both my best advice. What kinds of things might you keep in mind when beginning a new job?
1. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn the ropes.
2. Listen and observe -- although you're good at what you do, everyone does things a little differently.
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
4. Engage your sense of humor -- a good laugh goes a long way in many situations.
5. Get to know your coworkers -- after all, you'll be spending lots of time together!
6. Remember the power of chocolate (and/or a large iced coffee!) -- it's a great pick me up in the afternoon and does wonders to improve your mood!
7. Use commuting time to relax -- listen to a good book or good music.
8. And, as I heard many times over my first few weeks at my job, "Rome wasn't built in a day."
Dawn Rosenberg McKay's About.com article on Starting a New Job ends with, "Keep a positive attitude and an open mind. Your life has changed and it will take getting used to."
Good luck to you both! And, welcome to MaryAnn!
Posted by Michele at 9:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
August 11, 2008
Summer Olympics
I am not a sports fan. I'll repeat, I am not a sports fan. But, I am a technology fan and I am continually impressed with the new uses of technology. Take for example, the Olympics... There is the official website for the Olympics. Then, there's the NBC Olympics site. Want even more information? Go to Beijing's Olympic site. You can see LIVE video, plus email and text message alerts, athlete profiles, in addition to the expected schedules, scores and results!
Does all of this Olympics talk make you yearn to know about the Ancient Olympics? You know what the prize used to be for winning an event? An olive leaf crown! But, ancient Olympians also received the same kind of attention and fame that our current athletes do. Except that now, it's broadcasted all over the world and they're famous instantaneously!
One of the coolest things that I've seen is from the East Meadow Library. They have a blog written by Michael Bernard Schanzer, who is actually in Beijing!
Aside from the technology, I admit to being captivated by the athletes themselves. I was drawn to Michael Phelp's enthusiastic whoops and hollers and saddened by Alicia Sacramone's falls. It's an awful lot of pressure on those athletes, and they show amazing poise through it all. The largest pressure on my children right now is finishing their summer reading books -- and that, it turns out, is a tremendous struggle!
Posted by Michele at 8:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 23, 2008
Listening to Books
I have never been able to read in the car. Those who have traveled with me know that I can't even read a map in the car! But, I had to take a long car trip by myself recently and decided to take a book on cd. Believe it or not, I've never listened to one! I love to read, and to me, it's a tactile activity. I prefer to hold the book in my hand, turn the pages and absorb the story.
I went to the shelf and perused our large (and growing) collection of books on cd. Being not so courageous, I chose the book that I was currently reading anyway, My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates. I popped it in and had very little trouble finding my place. This was a good start!
Admittedly, I found myself very absorbed and I returned the book today and will finish the book on cd. So, all in all, it was a good experience. However, there were some sticking points. First of all, the reader, Mike Chamberlin mispronounced some of the words, which was irritating. Secondly, I don't normally spend that much time in the car. So, a book that would have taken me maybe 3 days to read has now taken me over a week! And, I hate to admit it, but I like having the option of skimming over less interesting paragraphs, which you can't really do on a cd because you don't know what will be important. Also, this particular book had a lot of footnotes that made for some awkward reading and listening. But, it has made me look forward to getting into the car and I already have another title lined up!
Posted by Michele at 5:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 14, 2008
Outdoor Book Sale
It's begun again... our annual outdoor Book Sale! We are fortunate to have our bookstore open all year long, staffed by Friends of Bryant Library, across the street in the Valentine House. But, come summertime, as we're doggedly weeding our collection to make room for new purchases, residents in the area flock to the library for our book sale!
Come often as the selection is constantly changing -- there are children's books, young adult titles, adult fiction, biography, reference books as well as oversized coffee table books. There's definitely something for everyone!
Posted by Michele at 2:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 9, 2008
Helen Glannon Room Reopening
Regular programming resumed yesterday with the reopening of the Helen Glannon Room. It has been closed for the past few weeks for repairs. It was amazing to see the room as they opened up the wall. For those of you who are not familiar with the Bryant Library, the meeting room is in the center of the library. But, it was also the original building which ended with that wall. I didn't realize that the original windows were still buried in the walls and that once the wall was gone, we had a perfect view of the beautiful blue sky!
All is back to normal now and the room looks beautiful!
Posted by Michele at 12:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 30, 2008
Gossip Girls Bottleneck
It's 10:00... do you know where you child/teen/tween is? We do. They're in town, watching the filming of The Gossip Girls! That's right -- they're back in Roslyn today. Don't they know how much chaos this causes in our small town? The Reference Desk has been fielding all kinds of questions from "what's going on?" and "how long will they be there?" to "what stars are actually on the set?" Our answers (which are from an anonymous source connected with the filming) are:
1) They're filming The Gossip Girls.
2) They will be there all of today and again next Monday.
3) Stars is a relative term -- Paul Newman is a "star." The cast of Gossip Girls? Not so much.
So, good luck getting around Roslyn today. Walking might be your best bet.
Posted by Michele at 9:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 26, 2008
Duckling Disaster
While it's true that we are located in what many people call "the duck pond," we're not really in the duck business. But, in spite of this fact, we continue to get called for duck and geese emergencies. Twice in the last couple of weeks, the library has had to call a wildlife expert to rescue young ducklings that had been abandoned in the park. While it may have seemed like a good idea to leave the ducks in the "duck pond," in reality it's a death sentence to the young animals. These poor adorable creatures are unable to feed and care for themselves. In fact, when the ducklings were found last week, one of them was already dead.
Please pass the word -- our beautiful park is home to geese and to the library, but it's not a refuge for ducklings.
Posted by Michele at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)