Elizabeth Wein's sequel to Code Name Verity is a Winner

Rose Under Fire Many of you may have read the highly acclaimed Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. If not, I commend it to you as a first rate historical thriller set during World War II. It shines a light on the RAF's Air Transport Auxiliary, a group of woman pilots who would ferry planes and people about England--and sometimes elsewhere. Two unlikely friends, Maddie and Beryl, experience the war in ways that reveal the author's incredible imagination and literary skill. You must read Code Name Verity before Rose Under Fire. But I digress...Maddie's friend and fellow pilot Rose Justice is an American from small-town Pennsylvania who joined the ATA right out of high school. She's been flying since she was 12, so she is skilled and knowledgeable, not to mention courageous. When she's asked to transport her uncle to an Allied base camp in France, she is thrilled since women aren't permitted to flyer to France. She delivers her uncle and is heading back to England when she spots a buzz bomb--an unpiloted German bomber--and she decides to tip it and cause it to crash before it can reach its destination and wreak havoc. Tipping a buzz bomb takes considerable manouevering and precision, or else it will take Rose down with it. Rose is so focused on this action that she fails to notice two German fighter planes. She is trapped between them and forced to follow them deep into Germany. Thus begins Rose's ordeal. She has disappeared and assumed to have crashed. No one knows that she is a prisoner at Ravenbruck, a notorious Nazi prison camp for political prisoners. Wein chronicles Rose's harrowing experience in Block 32. Her detailed descriptions and characterizations immerse readers in the camp. Wein seamlessly weaves her historical research into the story, creating a gripping account of prison life and death, of friendships forged, of desperation and bravery. Rose Under Fire is a terrific story and a worthy sequel to Code Name Verity. Three cheers for Elizabeth Wein. A must read.

How cool are librarians?!

Check out this little video...can you say c-c-c-cataog?! I LOVE IT!

Brave New World

I have gushed about 23 Things Kansas periodically throughout the course, and the temptation to do so again is great. Instead, I’d like to look at the journey from point A to point B.

Before I began the course, I paid lip service to many of the online tools therein. Facebook? Twitter? Fine—for someone else. I claimed to see the value, but I wasn’t on board. 23 Things challenged me to “get on the bus.” Knowledge may be a good thing, but it becomes a great thing when coupled with experience.

23 Things was my unlimited travel ticket to online opportunities. Each of the stops gave me something: a tool, appreciation, knowledge, and yes, occasionally, a bit of frustration. I am now better equipped for the 21st century and its digital natives. Now I know what I didn’t know about online tools. Now I know that I don’t know nearly enough but I am much closer!

What did I like least? Twitter. It is not my chosen communication style. It is, however, a great tool for pushing breaking information, and I can see using it in a professional context.

What else? Not crazy about RSS and feed readers—but I so want to be!! I think my experience with Google Reader reveals more about me than about the product. I was like a kid in a candy shop: oh I want to this…and this…and this…and…suddenly, information avalanche! The lesson: be selective in what one follows.

What surprised me? That I actually like Facebook. I love the ability to connect with other people on various levels. I’m getting to know better people that I thought I already knew. It’s another great tool for libraries to maintain contact with interested users and the post information about their programs.

What else? De.li.ci.ous!!! I honestly heard people talk about it, wax poetic about how much they love/use/rely on it. I didn’t know what it was, but the instant that I started using it, I could see its value. What a great organizational tool! I’m looking forward to weeding my hundreds of bookmarks and creating my own, organized web reference lists. Social bookmarking also has the added benefit of being a viable research tool—searching by subject to find websites in a more refined universe than Google.

If I had to choose one favorite, it would be the online conferencing module. I had only a modest view of what was out there—I’d attended some online meetings and a couple of Sirsi/Dynix seminars, but I hadn’t connected the dots per se. Attending conferences virtually in real time or afterward through archived sessions is an idea whose time has come. The volume of online educational opportunities is extraordinary and often free. I want to avail myself of continuing education opportunities, and being able to do so on my own schedule is a godsend.

Finally, my hat is off to Claudia in Atchison. Her creative streak shines through her 23 Things projects. Her virtual library tour was terrific! Her poem about 23Things was hilarious yet true. Her Animoto slide shows were well planned. I must say that the runners-up were those who made videos of their children and cats.

Where do we go from here? To the public! My excitement about what I was learning throughout 23 Things was infectious. I found myself telling people about it as though I were proselytizing—with a woman in my water aerobics class, with friends at church, with my sister long distance, through my screencast of measuring the family cradle. I had little idea of the myriad tools available, and I suspect that is true for many people. We can introduce them to these tools, and teach them to use them.

What did I love about 23 Things? I loved the community aspect of the class: being able to interact with colleagues as we learned together mentored by generous colleagues. I truly enjoyed seeing what others did with each of the tools. I didn’t always have as much time I would have liked each of the tools, but I could marvel at what others did and gather new ideas in the process. I feel like a cyber-powered Felix the Cat, with a bigger, better bag of tricks! That’s me at point B. Thank you for empowering us.

Wikis--so many uses

 My first wiki experience came with our module activity. I posted to our 23ThingsKS participants' wiki:
Rave Review of 23ThingsKS

I had some difficulty thinking of what I might edit in a wiki. I tried to edit a subject guide on our library's website, but I wasn't permitted to create an account. So I turned to the wiki of all wikis, Wikipedia. I decide to read the entry of Benedict of Nursia, whose Rule is still practiced today by both monastics and non-monastics, including yours truly. I read through the entry and discovered a grammatical error in the section on the Rule involving the use of the verb comprise (parts comprise the whole; the whole is composed of parts). I changed that. It took very little time and was not difficult. You can see that change midway down the page here.

23ThingsKS--uploading that video the web

As I reviewed my blog posts to be sure I'd covered all of the class modules, I discovered that I hadn't posted her about my video experience. What you'll find after this post is the text (complete with links) of my comments posted to the 23thingsKS module blog . I discovered that making a video can be straightforward and fun, despite the somewhat somber tone of my first attempt. During the process I wished for a new camera with which to film, longing for the Flip camera I'd seen reviewed in School Library Journal, complete with a microphone and tripod! I was thwarted and thus frustrated in my attempt to combine the two pieces of video that I shot. As you'll see below, we worked with a film crew on our SRP promotion video. They used full-sized equipment but did their editing digitally. I can seem several uses for video beyond the library tour and the summer reading program promotion, and it is great to know that we don't need to hire professionals when we can do it ourselves!

After watching the terrific video made by the folks at Atchison Public Library, I offer my fledgling effort. I filmed this using our branch library’s v-e-r-y O-L-D digital camera. I was surprised to discover that it came with old fashioned movie camera background sound! I filmed it in two parts, hoping to edit it in Windows Movie Maker, but WMM won’t accept the files for editing. So…here, uncut are the two video clips. At least you may get a few grins out of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhFLOrw4iU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDxFI_4beo

Please don't diss Comic Books!

When I was a kid (back in the 60s), my brother and I read comic books as well as novels. They were only $.25 each, and they certainly lasted longer than the penny candy we could get at the dime store. We both became avid readers of just about everything. I remain convinced that the Classic Comics, which gave heavily abridged visual versions of classic works of literature, piqued my interest in great literature at any early age. Below, from the great comic strip Unshelved, is a link to a mini-analysis of comics. If you don't already subscribe to Unshelved, it's not to missed! They'll email it to you--how easy is that?! Just visit http://www.unshelved.com/ and sign up.

Unshelved (on comics)

Our 2010 Summer Reading Program promotion

The Olathe School District has 34 elementary schools and 2 early childhood development centers. There are also several private schools. We don't have enough staff to visit every school and do a good job of it. Here's our solution: a promotional video that classroom teachers and librarians can use when it fits their schedule (which, at the end of the school year, is always tricky). We partnered with the e-communications department at Olathe Northwest High School. This video is a student creation.
http://www.olathelibrary.org/kids/summerreading/video.cfm 
Would it make you want to come to the library this summer?