Oregon Blue Book in Bellview library

New in Reference, for use in Bellview library, the Oregon Blue Book almanac and fact book is a great official source for looking up information about Oregon economy and government.

The Oregon Blue Book has been published regularly for more than 100 years, according to an introduction by Kate Brown, secretary of state at the time of publication (sworn in as Oregon’s governor after the Blue Book went to press).

The 2015-2016 edition was donated to Bellview library compliments of the Oregon Secretary of State. Its web version can be visited at http://bluebook.state.or.us/​.

The librarian’s ‘customer service’ hat

What would my ‘customer service’ hat look like?

Among library blogs, 500 Hats by Barbara Braxton is a personal favorite; it expands the perceptions of people who think of librarians only as “keeper of the books.”

Each entry focuses on one of many “hats” worn by the library professional.

Hats are a big part of my image and so in that vein, I offer thoughts on my “customer service” hat. Customer service is a big part of my daily activities in Bellview Elementary School library.

‘Deserving’

The Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where I work part-time, is participating this year in a study and small-group discussion program called “Soul Matters Sharing Circles.” Each month, people work with materials organized around a theme. This month, the theme is “Grace,” a blessing that is unexpected and perhaps even undeserved.

‘Peeple’ app, now ‘100-percent opt-in’

Cartoon image created with Bitstrips

As a survivor of bullying, I reacted with concern when I learned about the “Peeple” app, particularly that people could be added without their consent and subjected to negative ratings.

Blog posts classified with Dewey numbering

This week I’ve been researching Dewey Decimal classifications for the subject tags in my blog. It seemed thematically appropriate, with my emphasis on librarianship, and is a natural progression from organizing my own books in numerical order by subject.