October 2011

I don't know about you lovelies, but this week was biz-ay.  Planning and anticipation for ALA mid-winter,  Brooklyn Public's Masquerade party, getting ready for NYLA next week, and of course last minute costume tweaking for Halloween (WHY is it supposed to snow??).  So much happening! You could probably use a break…why don't you take a breather and check out these tweets?

* librarianbyday  PLAYBACK: Libraries as Spaces for Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Comics bit.ly/rQHuhU

* ALALibrary eBook lending: Libraries go digital #cnn cnn.com/2011/10/26/liv…

* LibraryJournal N.Y. Public Library's e-book lending increased 81% in one year – latimes.com ow.ly/79GL0

* LibraryJournal Douglas County Libraries Strikes New Deals With Publishers to Own Ebooks ow.ly/7b3vY

* overbooked Best Books of 2011 shar.es/bZlCM and so it begins…

* PublishersWkly  Libraries meeting evolving needs; thanks to aggressive adoption of technology, the number of users has increased bit.ly/s6dBp4

* SavvyReader 5 bookish links for you to check out! (And some exciting event news too) Blurbs & Bites: ow.ly/7cp36

* TheLiB  Great infographic on how eReaders are being used – j.mp/rGgdO9

Happy Weekend!

– Annie

After I posted our Happy Fall party video, I got a call from my parents inquiring if this was actually how I earned my living.  Happily, I was able to answer yes! I am a lucky lady, no denying.  So Mom & Dad, prepare to be jealous of this week's crock-pot ventures…seriously tasty chocolate fondue!

Look at that spread…bananas, pound cake, pretzels, strawberries and a pot of melty, gooey chocolate.  I used a bag of Baker's chocolate chunks (none of this Hershey stuff), 3/4 cup of soymilk, some vanilla and a splash of rum.  Results = win!

Thank you to those who commented last time with recipe ideas…I hope to incorporate some of those into future crockventures.  Keep the comments coming – maybe we can start dedicating each feast to the person who inspired it.

– Annie

Dust to Dust is an extraordinary memoir about ordinary things: life and death, war and peace, the explorations of childhood and revelations of adulthood. In chapters themed around elemental things—water, metal, bone, blood—Benjamin Busch weaves together a vivid record of his life. Busch—a decorated U.S. Marine officer who served two combat tours in Iraq, acclaimed actor on The Wire, and son of celebrated novelist Frederick Busch – brings us this unforgettable meditation on life, death, and how the child we were remains alive in us all. 

Rachel Bressler, Associate Publisher of Ecco Books, sat down with Benjamin to discuss his memoir; his inspiration, his experiences and his mom, the librarian!

Busch on not being much of a reader:

Busch on why libraries are important:

Busch on why books are important:

Busch on the genesis of his memoir:

 

Want a copy??  First 10 commenters will get one!

– Annie

 

You guys are familiar with our new crock-pot friend.  We heart him, or as Virginia says, we alt + 3 him (she's so tech savvy).  So far we have made mulled cider, mulled wine and beef stew!  Thanks to the culinary skills of Mr. Pat Parker (Academic Marketing Associate), we got to sample this lovely looking meal yesterday.  It made the whole office smell delish, and it tasted just as good.

 

I think for next week we are going to try our hand at some chocolate fondue, which I am personally quite in favor of.  Do you guys have any fave dipping ingredients?  I love me some pretzels.  Any really good crock-pot recipes you can recommend? 

On this Friday, let me leave you with this video of the Happy Fall party we had when we made mulled wine…enjoy your weekends!!

 

– Annie

 

 

Hey Guys…so I love me some Halloween and last night I got my jack-o-lantern carving on.  Meet my Vampiratekin!  

Anyone have any Halloween plans in the works? Do tell!  For now let's usher in the weekend with some tweets.  Happy Friday!

* goodreads The Eclectic Reading List at Occupy Wall Street http://ow.ly/6SvVX

* alscblog Great tool for librarians looking to build a #graphicnovel collection for kids. ow.ly/6SZfS #kidlit

* LibraryJournal Four Librarians, Four Ereaders, One Month ow.ly/6TTms Librarians give their takes on ereaders patrons are using right now

* nypl Need info on a publisher? Look to Gale's Directory of Publishers for sales, contacts, and other relevant info. ow.ly/6U2P2 #enypl

* bibrarian Public libraries need a presence in the digital world. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. #ebksmt

* librarianbyday FCC’s New Digital Literacy & Broadband Initiative Recognizes the Role Libraries Play Now & in the Future! bit.ly/oyTQ7e

* RobNesb Echo @surlyspice about holds reports – love to meet eBook demand. Focus $$ on known customer demand. #ebksmt

* bookbench Even libraries have to destroy books sometimes. NPR takes a closer look at how and why they do it. n.pr/ogaCKQ

* robinsbooks Go the F*** to the Library!: bit.ly/ojZMQO

* ALA_Booklist Ten not-to-be-missed debuts: j.mp/oM47tK

 

– Annie  

 

I know it seems like we diligently work all the time here in Library Land, but we have been known to cut loose and have fun.  Example: Fall ushered in the start of Friday afternoon drinks, and when Virginia had the genius idea to buy a crock-pot, well…Crock-tails were born!  

Here you can see me and Kayleigh very seriously brewing some hot mulled cider and rocking our Library Love Fest aprons.  We have also made some delicious mulled wine and have plans for some kind of witch's brew for Halloween.  

Do you guys have a favorite Fall drink? Any recipes you think we should try out?  Any holiday crock-TALES (i.e. spooky stories) that you recommend?

– Annie

In our Fall e-newsletter (in addition to this awesome photo), we offered a sampling of seasonal titles to the person who sent in the best/worst Autumnal pun, and we have a winner. Drum roll, please…

Reading is autumn-atic fun!

Thank you to all who participated, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you should signup tout de suite for our quarterly newsletter, so you too can have the chance to win fun prizes!            

– Annie

 

Happy Weekend, all!

* ALALibrary  New, renovated SF libraries are thriving http://ow.ly/6LUze

* librarianbyday American Libraries launches E-Content blog bit.ly/mOIU4e

* HuisceBeatha Know ebk burnout is big, but info is power. Tune in to my panel on building starter collecs in face of obstacles http://ow.ly/6ObfB #ebksmt

* ALALibrary  Happy 135th, ALA! | American Libraries Magazine http://ow.ly/6ODOS

* kgs The book is dead. That must explain why our circ activity tripled from 9/2010 and 9/2011.

* SimmonsCollege @SimmonsLibrary @SimmonsGSLIS Beautiful libraries from around the world bit.ly/nNOUMb

* WmMorrowBks Marisa de los Santos speaks eloquently about FALLING TOGETHER, friendship, love, & the Philippines bit.ly/r3gTbq

* bookpage Old fans may grumble, but REAMDE by @nealstephenson "a mostly riveting read, guaranteed" to gather new fans: http://ow.ly/6NqAB

* PublishersWkly  Big news in library land: Brian Kenney, ed. dir. of LJ, SLJ, Horn Book, is new director of White Plains Public Library bit.ly

* librarianbyday Digital Underclass: What Happens When the Libraries Die? zd.net/qMYgGR

 - Annie 

***UPDATE: This giveaway has now concluded. Thank you for your comments.

Any children's librarians out there?  Here's a new one in the Dinosaur vs. series by Bob Shea, and it's quite relevant (3 guesses why). Ok, I'll tell you – cause it's Dinosaur vs. The Library!  I think I've officially gone loopy…anyway, who wants a copy??  I have 5 to give away, and would like them to go to a loving library.  Comment below (include the name of your library) if you are interested.

– Annie