American Libraries editor: ‘Community engagement’ is library theme for 2013

Viking fans Brett Gardner and his mother, Tami Gardner, watch  a video
on the TC Rover TV with John Brewer and C.J. Sinner of TwinCities.com.
From Steve Buttry/The Buttry Diary

“If I were predicting a library theme for 2013, it would be community engagement,” American Libraries editor Laurie D. Borman writes in the January/February 2013 edition that arrived in my mailbox today.

2012 in Review: Cat overpopulation in Lake County

Lake County Animal Care and Control, veterinarians and concerned residents worked in 2012 to reduce Lake County's overpopulation of cats.

Original fiction: Monkey's Christmas Tree

The appearance of humans was not unusual as far as Monkey was concerned. Normally he shared his home with one mature human female, but today brought the arrival of one of his human's grown cubs and her mate.

Self-advocates and allies need to combat autism prejudice

Lydia Brown has posted a photo on Facebook of herself displaying a sign that reads: “I’m not afraid to say I’m autistic.” She explains:

“I posted this because of the unfortunately legitimate fears that many members of the Autistic community and parents of autistic children have about being visibly and openly Autistic in the wake of the tragic and baseless conflations of autism with violence. It isn't safe for everyone (particularly those who can pass) to be openly Autistic right now, but I'm doing so anyway because I'd rather not be afraid (even if I have every right to be).”

I think media coverage like that directed toward the shooting in Newtown, Conn. makes it more difficult -- and yet so much more essential -- for self-advocates and their allies to combat misinformation and prejudice.

League bowling: Season high score, women's handicap game

With the completion of bowling last night at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center, the Lake County Chamber of Commerce league will take a two-week break.

Shawn Garrison, Kevin N. Hume, Jonathan Donihue and I bowled for the Lake County Record-Bee. Latest stats, encompassing Dec. 11 bowling, showed me with a season high score, third place for women's handicap game.

My bowling average crept up by one to 79 pins. Last night I bowled 80, 83 and 70. Team scores (with handicaps) were 782, 781 and 749.

Why were unidentified sources permitted to ‘diagnose’ Newtown, Conn. shooter?

Why were unidentified sources permitted to “diagnose” Adam Lanza, identified as the gunman in Friday’s Connecticut school shooting?

Cuesta College LIBT program ‘substantially intact’

A message from Mark Stengel, director of library/learning resources for Cuesta College, indicates that its Library/Information Technology (LIBT) degree and certificate remain “substantially intact.”

School shootings: APA suggests ways to help children cope

The situation at work for me today, while producing my regular pages for the Lake County Record-Bee, is to post links to headlines as they become available about a school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The American Psychological Association shared tips for helping children make sense of shootings.

Link verified as of June 6, 2020

League bowling: Killer Bees vs. Ashley Steam

The Lake County Record-Bee "Killer Bees" bowled against "Ashley Steam" (Ashley Carpet Cleaning) last night at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center.

Jeremy Walsh, Nathan DeHart, Shawn Garrison and I bowled for the Record-Bee. With our respective matching shirts, our opponents and we formed the two best-dressed teams in the Lake County Chamber of Commerce league.

I bowled 95, 69 and 80 last night with my average at 78.

Last week's standings showed "Killer Bees" taking third in handicap game and second in handicap series. I placed third in women's handicap game.

Women with autism: members on two fronts of ‘non-dominant group’

Infographic by Landon Bryce: 1 of 252 girls in U.S. has autism
http://thautcast.com/drupal5/content/new-cdc-autism-numbers-looking-and-thinking

I enrolled last night for HEED 203, “Women’s Health Issues,” for Spring 2013. This course will satisfy general ed requirements to earn me an associate’s degree in Library and Information Technology.

Bully Report: Intervention best way to stop bullying

Community Matters: 11 Ways You Can Help to Stop Bullying

The best thing that other students can do to stop bullying is to intervene, according to 75 percent of teens, as cited in The Bully Report. The Do Something Organization compiled trends in bullying from students’ Facebook interactions.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I was accompanied on my bus commute in late November/early December by The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Ballantine Books, 2012).

The book grabbed my attention with a dramatic opening in which the story’s narrator is on the verge of emancipating from the foster care system. The story alternates between present-day and the narrator’s experience growing up through foster care.

While growing up, Victoria Jones, the narrator, is introduced to the hidden meanings that are assigned to flowers. Her flower selections leave coded messages that are often known only to her.

Upon reaching adulthood, her ability with flowers provides her with the means to earn a livelihood. It also serves as the primary way in which she connects with people.

Online test for autism: ‘You are very likely an Aspie’

Graphed result: Rdos Aspie Quiz, taken Dec. 7

At lifeonthespectrum.net, Leigh Forbes has compiled several online tests for determining the likelihood that a person has Asperger’s syndrome.

“One of the first ways an undiagnosed aspie might try to determine his or her likeliness of having Asperger’s syndrome, is by taking one of the online tests.”

This statement was true for me five years ago when I was new to the possibility that I might have Asperger’s syndrome and was eager to learn more.

Filters on library computers

My studies this week for LIBT 117 concern filters that limit access to the Internet. Our class discussion board asked what policy libraries should follow about minors accessing materials and websites.

Gift bags for sale at Lakeport Library

From Jo Bennett: Friends of Lake County Library will have gift bags for sale at the Lakeport Library, 1425 High St. Selections include mysteries, fiction, historical novels, romance, health and animal nature books.

Gift bags can also be designed to a recipient's specific taste. Friends of Lake County Library will need one week to complete the order.

Each purchase will be gift wrapped in a book bag with clear cellophane and decorated. Each gift bag costs $25. Proceeds support the Lake County Library. For more information, contact the Lakeport Library at 263-8817.

League bowling: No opponent but ourselves

Shawn Garrison, Nathan DeHart, Jonathan Donihue and I bowled Tuesday for the Lake County Record-Bee "Killer Bees." We bowled unopposed but had to come within 40 pins of our average. We met the goal and had an enjoyable time. I beat my average of 78 pins during the first and third games.

T-shirt repurposing: ‘I am a librarian’

“I guard your right to privacy. I protect your freedom to read. I support intellectual freedom. I am a librarian.” To create this garment, I took the logo from a T-shirt, and highlighted it with a “frame” of floral fabric. The layered logo-within-frame was then applied to another shirt. Hand-painted leaves were done by the vendor who sold me the shirt.

DSM-5 absorbs autism mileposts into ‘autism spectrum disorder’

“Autism Awareness” puzzle-piece ribbon magnet on a car

The American Psychiatry Association Board of Trustees voted Dec. 1 to approve the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition (DSM-5).

Study guide available for The New Jim Crow

The Unitarian Universalist Association has released a study guide for its 2012 2013 UUA Common Read selection, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (The New Press, 2012):

“In this remarkable book, civil rights advocate and litigator Michelle Alexander asserts that crime-fighting policies and systems in the U.S., such as the ‘war on drugs’ and the incarceration system disproportionately and intentionally affect Americans of color. She describes multifaceted, lifelong discrimination and disenfranchisement that affect people who are branded ‘felon.’”

The UUA Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. Its previous selections, Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel and The Death of Josseline by Margaret Regan, are both available in our UUCLC Lending Library. As stated by the UUA:

“A Common Read can build community in our congregations and our movement by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep, meaningful conversations.”

The UUA Bookstore offers group discounts on The New Jim Crow. Study guides for UUA Common Read selections can be accessed from http://www.uua.org/re/multigenerational/read/index.shtml.

Cross-posted from the UUCLC Lending Library Wordpress blog

Hands-on exploration with ‘makerspace’

Image source: Lake County Library on Facebook

As reported on American Libraries magazine’s AL Focus, a Brighton, Colo. library is gearing up for its “makerspace” grand opening on Dec. 5:

“Makerspaces are creative community workspaces where patrons have the option to build and experiment with art, craft, and technology projects while sharing tools and ideas with other community members. The makerspace at Anythink Brighton will be geared toward teens, offering a space where they can get free access to state-of-the-art tools and materials for crafts, robotics, textile design, digital photography, and 3D printing. Also included is a ‘computer guts’ area where teens can take apart a computer to learn how its various parts work together.”

With my background of crafting and do-it-yourself, the “makerspace” strongly appeals to me in the field of library service.

‘Con’ privacy argument: the takeaway

My main project during the Thanksgiving weekend was to complete and submit my argument about privacy for LIBT 117, Ethics in the Information Age.

Lake Transit drivers’ strike suspended

According to an email from Mark Wall, general manager for Lake Transit Authority, the proposed Dec. 3 to 5 Teamsters strike of Paratransit Services, the operations contractor for Lake Transit, has been suspended and the parties have agreed to an additional meeting with a federal mediator to help resolve differences.

Wall wrote, “My understanding is that, if there is a strike, it likely would not occur until January. This, of course, is great news for all involved, but particularly for Lake Transit passengers and those workers who contribute everyday to their safe and affordable transportation.”

‘Little Free Libraries’ top 3,000

Source: Little Free Library

At FastHorseInc.com, Diane Fittipaldi makes an interesting analogy: the growth of “Little Free Libraries” around the world is a type of microlending.

League bowling: Broke 100 second time

Bowled 101 in my third game last night for Lake County Record-Bee's "Killer Bees." This is the second time I've broken 100 during my U.S. Bowling Congress career. Bowling with me on Tuesday were Shawn Garrison, Nathan DeHart and Jonathan Donihue. Our opponents were a fun group of ladies known as the Wilde Bs.

Middletown Public Library to open Feb. 1

Nearly completed: Middletown senior center and public library building

The new Middletown Public Library is scheduled to open the first of February, according to the November newsletter of Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library (FMGL).

Financing district is logical next step for Jackson County libraries

‘Vote for the Library,’ attached by an emissary to
a railing at the Ashland Library

My congratulations to Jackson County Library Services (JCLS) for successfully passing the Ashland Library levy in the November election.

League bowling: Killer Bees vs Marina Grill

Shawn Garrison, Nathan DeHart, Jonathan Donihue and I bowled for Lake County Record-Bee's "Killer Bees" last night in the Lake County Chamber of Commerce bowling league at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center. Last night's bout pitted us against Marina Grill, a highly-ranked team. Good night for bowling in a supportive atmosphere.

If you subscribed to the newspaper, you would already know the answer to your question

I wish I had the newsstand price of a newspaper for every time someone calls the newsroom asking if an item ran. "It's in this morning's newspaper." If you subscribed, you would already know.

Library professions need greater disability representation

Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected

“Diversity Counts,” a comprehensive study of gender, race, age and disability in library professions, indicates a need for greater recruitment and outreach among people with disabilities.

To the Best of Our Knowledge: ‘Privacy’

I continue preparation for my “con” privacy argument for LIBT 117 in the Cuesta College Library/Information Technology Program.

My assignment is to argue that “Individual citizens don’t need the right to privacy in order to discharge their rights as citizens.”

R-word dogs Ann Coulter during Election Day chat

I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) October 23, 2012

An Election-Day live chat with pundit Ann Coulter, hosted by Digital First Media, came to an abrupt end last Tuesday.

Ashland Library levy approved by voters

Vote for the Library,’ attached by an emissary to a railing at the Ashland Library

As of 7:59 a.m. today, unofficial election results compiled by Jackson County, Ore., showed 80.19 percent of voters in favor of renewing a library levy to support library operations.

Election news in Record-Bee

Look at all the election news on the Lake County Record-Bee website and the front page of today’s print edition. Be sure to tell managing editor Mandy Feder and the newsroom reporters how much you appreciate their efforts bringing these election returns to you.

Building a case against privacy on the Internet

My assignment for a Cuesta College course in Internet ethics is to argue that “Individual citizens don’t need the right to privacy in order to discharge their rights as citizens.”

Book donations a boon for libraries

My $5 worth: the recent sale at Middletown library raised more than $500

According to Edward Colimore, an Inquirer staff writer at Philly.com, used-book sales bring in as much as $50,000 annually for libraries.

Reference service in library and newsroom

This library volunteer fielded a reference question while shelving today at Lake County Library’s Middletown branch. A visitor sought books about electricity for a child’s report. I did a subject search in the catalog to get a non-fiction shelving number to help her in her search.

The interesting thing is, many of the calls I field at the Lake County Record-Bee really fall into the category of reference. People need to have something looked up so they call the newsroom. It’s an interesting parallel between journalism and librarianship.

Happy Autistics Speaking Day!

Nov. 1 is Autistics Speaking Day (ASDay). As a woman on the autism spectrum, I welcome opportunities to raise the profile of viewpoints by people who are on the spectrum.

Friends sale at Lakeport Library

Jan Cook at the Lake County Library emailed me an event calendar that included this exciting lead: Friends of the Lake County Library will conduct its fall book sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St. For $15, people can stuff a book bag with books, CDs, videocassettes and DVDs. The photo comes from Dewey Lake's Facebook page.

Arguing con in debate over Internet privacy

Aug. 13, 2009: Toastmasters Club No. 8731, Tenacious Talkers, hosts a debate.

 I face an interesting assignment for LIBT 117 in the Cuesta College Library/Information Technology Program. Not only did our teacher assign each of us a topic, but also whether we would argue pro or con.

Keep your pets safe on Halloween

It is understandable that trick-or-treaters who came to our door a few years ago concluded that we had “a million” cats. The two small kittens in our household at the time easily created enough mayhem between them to attribute to 40 cats.

“The gremlins,” as I called them, had a knack for evading notice while plotting their various heists. The continual openings and closings of the front door on Halloween, combined with the kittens' innate stealthiness, made perfect conditions for a jailbreak.

With the revelers on our doorstep, two silvery flashes abruptly darted outside.

“Kittens!” I shouted, alerting members of my household that the kittens had escaped. The human inhabitants pelted past the trick-or-treaters in pursuit of the feline fugitives.

I later learned of the impression formed by the kittens' antics concerning the quantity of cats in our household. Thankfully, as we approach this latest Halloween, the sole feline member of our household is a mature adult.

Much about Halloween that gives it its appeal: the opportunity to dress in costumes and go door-to-door asking for candy, could frighten a domestic animal. What I view as children's usual “strikes,” their noise and unpredictability, are amplified at Halloween.

There are also a lot more cars on the road to shuttle children to and from neighborhoods.

Owners of black cats may have additional concerns about ritual killings around Halloween.

“It makes no sense to hype up the problem, it doesn't happen very often but there is a danger,” according to writer Larry Chamberlain, who pointed out that real Wiccans would not harm cats as many are cat owners themselves (www.best-cat-art.com/cats-and-halloween.html).

Snopes.com, circa 2005, determined that there was inconclusive evidence whether Satanic rites involving cats were “a real, widespread phenomenon, or largely a self-perpetuating Halloween myth.”

It did note that some people acquire cats to use as “living decorations” around Halloween-time, only to discard or abandon them afterward. Snopes.com cited, in comparison, the acquisition of rabbits and chicks for the Easter holiday.

The conclusion of the writers at Snopes.com was that it was a prudent precaution for shelters to be extra careful with feline adoptions just before Halloween and that “If Halloween policies also help dissuade those who might inflict harm on adopted pets, so much the better.” The complete article can be read at www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/blackcat.asp.

Even without the inconclusive danger of abduction and killing of animals, there is so much activity on Halloween that an animal could easily be frightened.

It would be much better to adopt a tactic similar to addressing the stress of moving house. Confine the animal to a single “safe room” where the coming and going of trick-or-treaters won't give it a chance to escape or, if it is of a timid nature, will not frighten it.

Author’s note: This piece was originally published Oct. 26, 2010 in the Lake County Record-Bee. I am sharing it again out of continued interest in a safe Halloween for animals. The chief difference in my circumstances now and when I originally wrote the piece is that the “sole feline member of our household” is our black cat Starfire.

There seems to be as great a concern, or greater, that these beautiful animals’ black pelts prevent them from ever being adopted than there is that they may be the victims of abuse. At TDIV (This Dish is Vegetarian), contributor John Melia states that “Despite the superstitions that haunt them, black cats can make wonderful household companions.” Melia directs readers to a top-10 list of reasons to adopt a black cat. Compiled by the Marin Humane Society, it is shared online by SFGate.com.

Victim-blaming in journalism?

Dictionary.com definition for ‘alleged’

Steve Buttry makes an interesting argument about the phrase, “alleged victim,” when reporting on a crime: “It’s a blame-the-victim term we should banish forever from the journalism lexicon.”

Journalism Accelerator Q&A on social media strategy

Journalism Accelerator has posted a summary of a recent Q&A about social media strategies. I participated as a blogger and as a social curator for small sites such as Yarn Bombing @ Your Library.

My fellow featured panalist was SocialNewsDesk founder Kimberly Wilson.

‘Your e-Book is reading you’

The rise of digital books has prompted a profound shift in the way that people read, according to a recent article by Alexandra Alter for the Wall Street Journal.

Review: Aspie Girl’s Guide to Being Safe with Men

Debi Brown has written an informative and essential book, The Aspie Girl’s Guide to Being Safe with Men (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013). I consider it must-reading for teens and women on the autism spectrum.

According to Brown, girls and women on the autism spectrum frequently are not part of the close-knit social groups that teach their non-spectrum peers essential “rules” about dating. Brown offers a severe  indictment of this form of knowledge transfer:

“A cultural knowledge system reliant on folks having good social networks is not a fair system and is not going to work for most Aspie girls. This is a selfish system, which puts more weight on appearances and not embarrassing people who would rather not give explicit information than it does upon keeping girls and women safe.”

Seeking work in Ashland, Ore.

I feel very blessed that my husband and I are employed during this depressed economy, when so many people are not. I am, moreover, very grateful to the Lake County Record-Bee in Lake County, Calif., for nurturing me as a writer, editor and, most recently, a social media professional.

‘What’s the difference between a columnist and a blogger?’

Steve Buttry poses an interesting question, blogging at The Buttry Diary: “What’s the difference between a columnist and a blogger?”

New reporter at Lake County Record-Bee

Lake County Record-Bee reporter Berenice Quirino began work Monday. She makes her byline debut in the Wednesday edition with her coverage of a Clearlake City Council candidates’ forum at Yuba College’s Clear Lake Campus. Welcome, Berenice!

Best game of bowling career

I had the best game ever of my U.S. Bowling Congress career on Oct. 16: first “Turkey” (three consecutive strikes), first time I broke 100 and bowled more than 50 pins above my average.

Oct. 20 update: League stats from Oct. 16 were posted tonight at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center. The Killer Bees took third place for handicap series. I took first place in women's handicap game and second for handicap series.

Book sale raises more than $500 for Middletown library

My $5 worth of books from Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library book sale

I got an update this weekend from Fran Rand, secretary with Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library. Saturday’s book sale raised more than $500 for new materials for the new Middletown library. Being able to fill a bag full of books for a cost of $5 was a deal that couldn’t be beat. Way to go, everybody!

Middletown library move planned for January

Book title plaques for
library patron wall

During today’s book sale I picked up informative handouts about the new Middletown library.

Latest estimate for its completion time is late November or into December, according to the message from director Gehlen Palmer in the August 2012 Library News, a publication of the Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library.

According to Palmer, library staff and county workers are planning the move in January.

“We have what we feel is a unique idea for getting materials from one building to the other,” Palmer states. “We will be asking our library users to come in to the Gibson Library, check out their maximum number of books on their card and then take them home to read or simply walk them across the street and return them at the new library. We are asking for the aid of our community to help us accomplish our move, and we very much appreciate their help and support.”

Middletown craftsman Phil Cianfarini has constructed a patron wall “bookshelf” that will hold 102 “books.” People and organizations can purchase engraved nameplates that will go on the spines of the “books.” Some of the “books” and nameplates can be viewed at the Middletown library.

The cost of a plaque for a person or family is $100 and the cost of a plaque for an organization or business is $200. The newsletter notes that all money raised will buy learning materials for the new library.

For more information or to reserve a space on the patron wall, contact Palmer during library hours at 987-3674. Payment can be sent to Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library, PO Box 578, Middletown, CA 95461.

‘Deserving’

Does it bother anyone else when charities make reference to “deserving” recipients? Does this imply that some people are not “deserving”?

Originally posted to Facebook

Cunningham: Accessibility covers four groups

At 21Times.org, author Katie Cunningham addresses a belief held by business owners and website administrators concerning accessibility: that there are so few people with disabilities in the world that, statistically, it is highly probable that none of these are using the product or site. She states:

“The idea of the disabled being a small number usually begins with the misconception that web accessibility is all about the blind. Though many of the efforts towards an accessible web aim at the visually impaired, there’s actually more to it than that.”

Last sale at old Middletown library

Image added Oct. 13: ‘Friends’ book sale, Middletown library

The Middletown Library is holding its semi-annual booksale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Saturday. According to Fran Rand, secretary of Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library (FMGL), this will be the last book sale at the old library.

‘We Are United for Libraries’

At the ALA Membership blog, contributor Sally Gardner Reed asks, “when libraries cost so little and deliver so much,” why aren’t all politicians running on pro-library platforms?

United for Libraries

According to Reed, for more than 100 years, libraries have ensured that “all people in the community have access to the resources they need and want to be self actualized and self governing people.”

This has certainly been the case for me.

Whether it was ensuring my early access to Internet technology or pursuing information I needed, I consistently turned to the library.

Learning to weave? I went to the library. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome? Again, I went to the library.

The problem, as identified by Reed, is that community leaders simply do not understand the core roles played by libraries. “The all too prevalent belief that libraries have been obviated by the internet lends testimony to their ignorance.”

Reed emphasizes the importance of constituents making the case for libraries. “That’s where friends of the library groups, trustees, foundation members and active library patrons come in.”

Reed is executive director of United for Libraries, formerly known as the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations. She invites library supporters to make use of toolkits, webinars, practical guides and networking opportunities.

TV anchor chastises bully

Television anchor Jennifer Livingston of WKBT-TV stands up to bullying in a video shared by Todd Wasserman on Mashable.com.

Happy Banned Books Week

Slide image for Banned Books Week

Happy Banned Books Week, everybody. What is your library doing to celebrate? Banned Books Week takes place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.

ALA president addresses publishers

Tweeting live from AAP HQ in NYC where new ALA president Maureen Sullivan is about to address the assembled publishers #DBW

— Digital Book World (@DigiBookWorld) September 27, 2012

From the New York headquarters of the American Association of Publishers, Digital Book World live-Tweeted a Sept. 27 address by American Library Association president Maureen Sullivan.

I curated the live coverage with Storify because, after all, if you’re going to say that tweets were flying, as an American Libraries writer did, why not show it happening?

e-Publishers discriminate against library users

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression:
Slide image for Banned Books Week

In time for Banned Books Week, American Library Association president Maureen Sullivan spoke out on a systemic barrier: three of the world’s largest publishers — Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Penguin — refuse to provide access to their e-books in U.S. libraries.

Measure A working for Mendocino County libraries

‘Measure Yay.’ Yarnbombing tag at Ukiah library

In a Sept. 24 editorial, the Ukiah Daily Journal states that Measure A is working for Mendocino County libraries.

Student loan debt has grown 275 percent

According to Face The Facts USA, student loan debt grew 275 percent during the last decade. This is why I “hack” library school in the community college system.

For 100 days, Face The Facts USA is partnering with Lake County Publishing to present voters with one new fact each day until the election. View past facts at http://ht.ly/cFw52.

‘A tweet without an @mention is a missed opportunity’

Alexis Grant

Ninety percent of your tweets should include an @mention according to Alexis Grant, guest-blogging on Steve Buttry’s The Buttry Diary.

“Whenever you include someone else’s @handle in your tweet, that tweet shows up in their @mentions feed. Which means they’ll read your tweet. Which means they might click on your @handle to find out more about you. Which means they might follow you back.”

Grant, an entrepreneurial writer and digital strategist, is managing editor of Brazen Life, a blog for ambitious young professionals.

Read Grant’s guest post for The Buttry Diary at http://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/twutorial-guest-post-from-alexis-grant-a-simple-twitter-strategy-that-will-dramatically-grow-your-network/.

Copy quality affects swift publication of news release

One of the best professional investments I ever made was a $1 or $2 purchase: an Associated Press (AP) Stylebook that I found at a Santa Rosa yard sale. The book served me well during a two-year tenure as vice president of public relations for my local Toastmasters club, Tenacious Talkers, No. 8731.

Q&A on using Overdrive

Lakeport Library will host a Q&A on using the library’s eBook program, 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at 1425 N. High St. As explained in a press release by Jan Cook, library technician Christopher Veach will explain how to navigate in Overdrive, check out books and request books.

Lake County Library’s eBook loan program went live on Sept. 6 and, according to Cook, patrons began using it immediately. Cook stated that patrons are invited to bring their e-reader devices to the library and talk with Veach about the eBook program.

How not to write about libraries

Writing at librarian.net, library technologist Jessamyn West offers suggestions about how journalists should not write about libraries.

Grassroots library advocacy with ALA Editions webinar

Introducing Grassroots Library Advocacy from ALATechSource

ALA Editions has the link to an informative free webinar, Introducing Grassroots Library Advocacy, archived at its blog. The webinar was presented on Aug. 2 and I listened to it last night and today.

Changes to library cataloging standard

An email this week from ALA Editions alerted me to the pending implementation of a new cataloging standard, Resource Description and Access (RDA).

Raising Cubby: the ‘other side’ of autism parenting

With its release date set for March 12, Raising Cubby by John Elder Robison (Crown, 2013) seems a natural for my list of recommended books about autism.

Here is an update by Robison on Facebook that was posted this morning:

“The horror of autism! The anguish! Too many books have demonized young people like my son and I, and sensationalized our difficulties, in the name of memoir writing.

“The fact is, there are fun times in every family. How could it be otherwise? If kids weren’t fun, parents would simply eat them when the cupboards got bare.”

Trust Robison to provide a much-needed alternative to “my child is autistic and life is horrible” sensationalism.

Accepting the latter view means accepting that my existence made my mother’s life and my family’s life horrible and that, I refuse to do.

Raising Cubby, according to Robison, is “a celebration of the ‘other side’ of autism parenting, with the added twist of autistic parents.”

Published Sept. 18, 2012 in the Lake County Record-Bee

‘Social Thinking at Work’ provides detailed explanation

Social Thinking at Work: A Guidebook for Understanding and Navigating the Social Complexities of the Workplace by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke is a worthy addition to my list of books for people on the autism spectrum.

UUA selects The New Jim Crow as 2012-13 Common Read

The Unitarian Universalist Association announced Friday that the 2012-2013 UUA Common Read is The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (The New Press, 2012):

“In this remarkable book, civil rights advocate and litigator Michelle Alexander asserts that crime-fighting policies and systems in the U.S., such as the ‘war on drugs’ and the incarceration system disproportionately and intentionally affect Americans of color. She describes multifaceted, lifelong discrimination and disenfranchisement that affect people who are branded ‘felon.’”

The UUA Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. Its previous selections, Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel and The Death of Josseline by Margaret Regan, are both available in our UUCLC Lending Library. As stated by the UUA:

“A Common Read can build community in our congregations and our movement by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep, meaningful conversations. A discussion guide to The New Jim Crow will be available online in October, 2012, to help Unitarian Universalist (UU) groups reflect on the book and consider together what steps they are called to take, as people of faith, in response to Alexander's call for awareness and action.”

Study guides for the previous Common Read selections can be accessed from http://www.uua.org/re/multigenerational/read/index.shtml.

Cross-posted from the UUCLC Lending Library’s WordPress blog

Great cataloging aid: OCLC Classify

OCLC Classify is a great cataloging aid; I searched for a book in its database this morning.

The site displays the classification numbers that are most frequently assigned to that book in both Dewey and Library of Congress classification systems.

My thanks to Lorcan Dempsey on Twitter for informing me about this resource.

Libraries have their own PAC

EveryLibrary, the first and only national political action committee (PAC) for libraries, launched this week. Its objective: ballot initiatives and measures for local libraries.

eBooks available through Lake County Library

Jonathan and I spent some time last evening exploring the catalog of eBooks available for download through the Lake County Library.

Vineyard Run for Literacy set for Oct. 14

Jonathan and I walk during a previous Vineyard Run for Literacy

 I'm looking forward to walking again this year in the Vineyard Run for Literacy, scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at Steele Wines, located off Highway 29 at Thomas Drive in Finley.

Invite self-advocates to explain what ‘they’ want

Image credit: A Diary of a Mom

“Jess,” the author of A Diary of a Mom, recounts a conversation with Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks, in her Aug. 21 blog.

Specifically, Jess shares her thoughts about a question that she felt uncomfortable answering:

“I was explaining why a particular term was problematic and I said that I’d heard self-advocates condemn its use. She asked what they would prefer that we use. She really wanted to know how to better frame it. In context, the question came out, ‘So what do they want?’

“It took me four days to answer the question. I finally wrote the following.

‘The other day, you asked me what they (self-advocates) want. I don’t know if you caught it – but I was somewhat stymied by the question. And it’s bothered me ever since. I wondered if I couldn’t answer it because perhaps I just didn’t have the handle on this that I thought I did.

‘But then I had a revelation.

‘I can’t answer the question because I’m not the one of whom it should be asked. They are.

‘What they want is representation. What they want is to be included in the decision-making process. What they want is for us to stop asking *each other* what they want.

‘What they want is to not be the “they” in this conversation but the US.

‘That’s the answer to your question.’”

Jess expresses gratitude that Feld has begun reaching out to self-advocates.

I appreciate Jess deferring this question to “us” and I second her hope that through these conversations, “the gap can be bridged, changes will be made and that when Autism Speaks it will be autistic voices that we hear.”

Fragments of an SCA history

One of the best arguments for back-dating my writings and migrating them onto my blog is the reasonable assurance that they will continue to exist for as long as I allow them to.

I went looking today for a history of my involvement in the Society for Creative Anachronism. I wrote it more than 15 years ago and submitted it to the website of the Shire of Ravenshore in Lake and Mendocino counties.

From consumers to creators of media

Viking fans Brett Gardner and his mother, Tami Gardner, watch  a video on the
TC Rover TV with John Brewer and C.J. Sinner of TwinCities.com.
From Steve Buttry/The Buttry Diary

In the September/October edition of American Libraries, author Greg Landgraf highlights eight libraries and four museums awarded $100,000 grants to create digital learning labs and mentor teens to become creators and not merely consumers of media.

CSU tuition-gouging is unconscionable

The column by managing editor Mandy Feder in today’s Record-Bee illustrates precisely why I “hack” library school in the California Community College system.

Vladimir’s Mustache by Stephan Eirik Clark

Vladimir’s Mustache is published
by Russian Life Books

Vladimir’s Mustache by Stephan Eirik Clark (Russian Life Books, 2012) has accompanied me on my daily Lake Transit commute this week.

Lake County readers may remember the author, who reported under the byline Stephan Clark for the Lake County Record-Bee.

Vladimir’s Mustache is a collection of short stories set against various eras of Russian History. Jacket copy sets the timeline “from the time of Peter the Great to the years of the post-soviet collapse.”

I am not familar with Russian history, but I don’t think a reader has to be, to find these stories accessible. First and foremost, Clark’s stories are about people who live and strive against the larger backdrop of history.

One story that particularly resonated with me for the familiar society it depicts, was “The Secret Meeting of the Secret Police.” The characters discuss a coming innovation called “the Internet” that will put surrveilance workers out of a job:

“And people will use it?” the narrator asks President Gorbachev.

The president answers, “People will use it, and they will even pay as much as fifteen-hundred rubles per month for the privilege. ... The state will be able to police its citizens for kopeks on the ruble what it costs today.”

I thought the description of our web-accelerated society to be very apt, phrased in a way that people do not often think about. The situation was plausible and I thought about Twitter updates in which the user proclaimed he had ousted someone else as “mayor” of a physical location.

Each check-in or geolocated post is a form of opt-in surveillance.

Other stories in the collection introduce the reader to men and women in diverse places in life. In each story, Clark offers an intimate glimpse at the lives and feelings of his characters.

Clark’s collection was an enjoyable read that I would recommend. I will offer my copy as an addition to the stacks of our Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma County libraries.

Disclosure of material connection: I received a review copy of this book.

‘Hattitude’: Brown tea-time hat

The best hats are the ones that I make myself. Here is a new hat, repurposed from a shirt. Brown tea-table pattern, lined with black.

Reppler enhances brand consistency

Screen capture: Reppler network analytics

A lead from Joshua Waldman, social media strategist and author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies, introduced me to Reppler, a social media scanning tool that “monitors pictures and wall posts for tone, appropriateness and any telltale signs of someone hacking your account.”

Blame stupidity for Twitter users’ stupid posts

During #DFMChat, the weekly best-practices dialogue on Twitter among Digital First Media journalists, I went to retrieve a link to Steve Buttry’s latest entry in his #twutorial series for effective Twitter use.

Adult volunteers needed for Challenge Day at Clear Lake High School

‘Got your back.’ Challenge Day’s Notice Choose Act Network 

Exciting news for this adult survivor of childhood peer abuse: Clear Lake High School (CLHS) is preparing for its third annual Challenge Day, taking place Sept. 12 and 13.

‘Cat ears hat’ for Friday cat blogging with Starfire

A ‘cat ears hat,’ just in time for Friday cat blogging

 It was the best crowdsource ever! I finished a crocheted “cat ears hat” on Aug. 23, just in time for Friday cat blogging with another picture of my beautiful cat Starfire.

I obtained the pattern through an inquiry on Twitter during #crochetchat. Find a link to the pattern, a simple cat ear hat by Kelley Freeman, at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-cat-ear-hat.

Yarn Bombing @ Your Library: ‘388.4’

With grit from the Wye Fire in the air, here I am installing "388.4"
at Lake Transit's "Library Stop" near Lake County Library in Lakeport.

‘Libraries and public service’

Hack Library School contributor Paul Lai discusses libraries and public service in an Aug. 8 post. He states, the idea of librarianship’s overlap with social work surfaced briefly during his studies.

What broadband access can do for a community

Economist.com posted an interesting article about what broadband access can do for a community. The author stated that Google chose Kansas City, Mo. as the recipient of a fiber-optic broadband network.

Black Cat Appreciation Day homage to my beautiful black cat Starfire

Our beautiful black cat Starfire

I was already inclined to join the “Friday Cat-Blogging” trend, after the latest episode in which Starfire demonstrated her incredible intelligence -- but a post on Twitter from The Third Glance revealed to me that today is Black Cat Appreciation Day.

Signs missing from student exhibit at EcoArts sculpture walk

Unbelievable! Robin Shrive reports Stolen art from the EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk at Middletown County Trailside Park.

In a letter published Aug. 15 on the Lake County Record-Bee website, Shrive explains that her AP English class students “spent countless hours of their own time creating an exhibit celebrating reading.” Unfortunately, the recreations of two street signs, Lake Avenue and Read Street, are gone.

Shrive asks that people who see the signs or are in possession of them to return them to Exhibit 2 or contact EcoArts of Lake County at 928-0323.

Interesting post about girls with ASD

Kate Reynolds writes an interesting post about girls and women on the autism spectrum at Special Education & IEP Advisor. In it, she discusses reasons why women and girls are under-diagnosed: for instance, special interests that are perceived as “girlie” and an ability to better mask their lack of social skills. I think this essay is worthwhile reading for its emphasis upon a need for more education on what to look for in girls.

Perhaps libraries need ‘customer champions’

On the “Social Media for Libraries, Library Friends, and Library Foundations” LinkedIn discussion group, Michael Henry Starks shared a link to Marketing Is Dead by Bill Lee in Harvard Business Review.

YA book blog: Keys to the Kingdom

I’ve checked out the first three books in Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom from the Middletown library: Mister Monday (Scholastic, 2003), Grim Tuesday (2004) and Drowned Wednesday (2005).

Time to stop trying to save libraries?

The Aug. 8 American Libraries Direct prints the opening excerpts/summary of a blog by R. David Lankes with the provocative title, “It’s time to stop trying to save libraries.”

Heron’s Path is compelling young adult fantasy

Heron’s Path by Alethea Eason (Spectacle Publishing Media Group, 2012) has accompanied me during my bus commute this week.

Five ‘Cs’ of librarianship

There are five areas, the “five Cs” in which librarians can empower learners with valuable 21st-century skills, according to teacher-librarian Joyce Valenza and technology integration specialist and librarian Shannon McClintock Miller.

Batgirl was a librarian

Yvonne Craig is Batgirl, the superhero librarian

The current Batman film franchise is too dark and violent for my liking. But I have fond memories of the campy television show with Adam West and Burt Ward.

From Random House: Libs on Film, came this timely reminder that Batgirl was a superhero librarian! What better role model for this would-be librarian to aspire to?

More of us are ‘Married without children’

I am part of a growing percentage of women in the United States who have never had children. Another of those women, Deborah Petersen, shares her experience of being “Married without children” at MercuryNews.com.

Book advocates greater investment in public transit

For the past three weeks, my daily commute on Lake Transit has offered me an occasion to read Straphanger by Taras Grescoe (Times Books, 2012).