‘Why Phi Kappa Phi’

“Why ΦΚΦ”. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is inviting its members to share the reasons that they accepted membership. What resonated with me was the emphasis being placed upon being a lifelong learner.
https://youtu.be/VdzUOWrplpE

Parkhill elected to Phi Kappa Phi (Press release)

Here is a press release that I distributed to newspaper publishers serving my home town of Calistoga, California. It concerns my recent election to membership into Phi Kappa Phi, a collegiate honor society.

Five-year reflection as a Booktuber

The year 2025 marks five years of posting videos to my YouTube channel. To commemorate, I decided to do a Q&A video using the Booktube Newbie Tag.
https://youtu.be/q5tUPIeOdBw

Lake County Library memories

To commemorate 50 years of service in Lake County, California, Lake County Library has invited people to share their memories of the library system. Here are my memories of volunteering as a shelver at the Lakeport and Middletown libraries.
https://youtu.be/T0T-PB6z8cw

Scholarships for students with a disability

Scholarship applications have opened up for Academic Year 2024-2025, and I’m considering which scholarships I can apply for. This morning I applied for a couple of scholarships for students who have a disability.

Classified Employee of the Month, September 2023

At its regular meeting on Sept. 13, the Santa Rosa School Board honored me as Classified Employee of the Month for September 2023.

UCM, LIS 5400 : Introductions

I am taking graduate courses in Library and Information Science through the online program at University of Central Missouri. For Fall 2023, I am taking LIS 5400, “Children’s and Young Adult Literature.” I created this video to introduce myself to classmates.

UCM, LIS 5100 : Introductions

The purpose of this video is to introduce myself to classmates in LIS 5100, Foundations of Librarianship, University of Central Missouri. I am pursuing a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science.

Classified Employee of the Month

Exciting news: I was honored at a recent board meeting for Santa Rosa City Schools as its Classified Staff Member of the Month for March 2021. Here I am in our school library with the official certificate.

‘Introduce yourself!’ (Library Juice Academy)

Video: I’m taking a course in cataloging from Library Juice Academy. During this first week of class, we were asked to introduce ourselves.

Cultural upbringing, its effect on who I am today

A class discussion this week asked me to consider a way that I was influenced by my cultural upbringing. What came to mind for me were my mother’s efforts to bring me to our local library, and to take me to live performances.

My name: personal stories, and significance

In my first discussion for the Child Development course I am taking at Santa Rosa Junior College, I was asked to introduce myself by sharing the story of my name.

Library Technician at SRCSA

Outside SRCSA Library

I officially started work this week as Library Technician at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. I’m absolutely thrilled to add caretaking of the library to my work with school curriculum.

Scapegoated while working at JOANN’s

In September 2017, I walked away from a part-time job with JOANN Fabric and Craft Store in Santa Rosa, California. I chose to leave after being singled out and scapegoated, for being held responsible and threatened with write-up for long lines at checkout during a heavily-advertised sale.

Online access aided by public library

First weekend in a new apartment in Santa Rosa, Calif., and freelance work as an editor brought me to Sonoma County Library. I often make use of print and digital resources (including books, eBooks, DVDs and audio recordings) but today found me making use of access to the Internet. I’ve long celebrated the role of libraries to bridge the “digital divide” between people who do, and who do not, have reliable access to the Internet, so SCL especially deserves a “shout-out” today as I relied on it in that capacity.

Putting distance between ourselves and fires

Midweek found Jonathan and me, with Starfire, in the Sacramento area. After our evacuation Sunday night from fires in Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino counties, we decided not to remain in the area where we’d resettled once it received an advisory to evacuate.

We knew that an advisory could, too-quickly, become the real thing and increasing our distance made a vital difference — not only for our physical safety, but for psychological peace of mind. Also, by being well away, the air we breathe is much healthier too.

Walking Starfire at Woodland library

As a paralibrarian, I appreciate the uniqueness of a historic Carnegie library, still used for that purpose today -- even if the circumstance behind our visit to Woodland Public Library was to remove ourselves from proximity to fires in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties.

With Starfire on her harness, the two of us explored the Woodland library exterior before continuing our journey with Jonathan. This writing finds us safely installed at a hotel in Sacramento.

Here’s a description of the Woodland library from its Facebook page:

“Woodland Public Library is the oldest working Carnegie library in California. Built in 1905, the Mission Revival building continues to be an ideal place to pursue interests, learn, attend programs, and socialize, as well as borrow reading, viewing, and listening materials.”

Evacuated, but safe

Jonathan and I were evacuated late Sunday night because of fires in the Sonoma and Napa County areas. Know that our precious cat Starfire is with us, and we are safe.

SSU Library, highlight of move back home

Image credit: SSU Library

One of the highlights of our return to the Sonoma County area is the Sonoma State University Library. When I attended classes, the library was housed in the Ruben Salazar building — and it was easily one of the most significant places on the SSU campus for me.

Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts

SRCSA’s ‘Narwhal’ logo

On May 12, 2017, I began work at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Its mission is to provide K-8 students from Santa Rosa, California and beyond with “an innovative, high quality education that focuses on the arts through a challenging, integrated, standards-based academic program.”