While a happy man takes a walk

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” — Frederich Nietzsche.  (Discovered via Lifehacker, originally at the Happiness Project.)

Not at all forgotten

Lately I’ve seen a handful posts on non-library blogs about how useful and relevant libraries can be.  Here are three worth mentioning:

• DVDs for free at the Library (by Beth at Wise Bread) : “Supporting my local library system is very important to me, and I view these simple movie rentals as a win-win situation for the community.”

• 8.5 Free Things to do on a Rainy Day (by Justin, also at Wise Bread) :  Topping the list is “Read a library book. People seem to have forgotten that nearly every community has a repository of free books, available for anyone to go peruse. Check out an old classic, the latest sizzler, or something totally out of character.”

• Taming Book Clutter (by Brian at Unclutterer) : “The most important tool… is a library card. Once you get over the compulsive need to own every book you’ve read, it’s quite liberating to have only those books that you’re currently reading.”

It’s good to know that the non-biblioblogosphere hasn’t forgotten us.

As a sidenote, I wonder what comes after the Information Age — the Post-Information Age?

Working for the Weekend?

Here’s a dynamite list of career-related articles compiled by Meredith Farkas — a nice range of topics, including innovation, the culture of perfect, and how to cope with your boss.

Tradition! Tradition!

Sorry, it’s hard to resist a good “Fiddler on the Roof” reference when the timing’s just right.

Here’s a great post by Rory of Library Juice on library traditionalism. From the post,

If groups begin planning services on zero-based premises in a way that excludes people who don’t share their views, the essential thing that I would ask them to keep constantly in mind is the connection between the “how” and the “why” of what we do. There is a set of values that defines librarianship, and some of our methods can be seen partially to follow from it. The concept of a library can begin to dissolve when every aspect of it is subject to redefinition.

Of course, I recommend reading the whole post for context. I just really like that particular excerpt.

Which book are you?

Discovered via Life as I know It.

You’re Ulysses!

by James Joyce

Most people are convinced that you don’t make any sense, but compared to what else you could say, what you’re saying now makes tons of sense. What people do understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

What gets me through the day…

It’s been raining on and off for the past couple days, so my world has been pretty gray lately, and the act of “getting through the day” hasn’t exactly been easy. Both Elizabeth of the Disorganized Librarian and Jennifer of Life as I Know It have shared lists of things that help them get by. To say the least, it’s refreshing to find something so positive in my Google Reader — life has been tumultuous at best, and apparently some of my coworkers are actually commenting that I seem different lately.

With that said, here’s my list of things help me make it through the day:

My coworkers : I consider myself immensely blessed to have a number of coworkers with whom I can have wonderful personal friendships, on top of our working relationships.

My books : There’s nothing quite like revisiting an old friend, even if it’s just a poetry fix after a long day.

My music : I always crank up my car radio when I hear a song that I really need to hear — anything by the Shins or Silversun Pickups.

My blog : I don’t post here nearly enough, but whenever I do, I feel an immense sense of satisfaction, even I’ve just written a brief post.

My walks : I managed to walk about four miles this evening, and I happened across one cardinal, one squirrel, and four bunnies. I pushed myself pretty hard, but it all felt very wonderful along the way.

My beer : Not in an alcoholic sense or anything like that. I’ve actually really grown to appreciate the “proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

My faith : I don’t talk about it much, but my Catholicism really plays a big role in my moral compass. I joke (?) every now and then about running off to be a monk.

On a similar note, Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread has a wonderful post about things that don’t cost a thing.

Edit: Here’s a bonus — check out this (sort of) animated interpretation of Colin Hay’s “Beautiful World” — if you don’t smile at some point, something is seriously wrong with you.

Mirrors of Ourselves : Part Two

I’ve been playing catch-up around the new apartment, so now I get to play digital catch-up with the blog. Expect three or so posts one post and a couple unpublished drafts throughout the course of today.

The hip librarians article made the rounds of the biblioblogosphere last week. At first glance, I thought it was a refreshing change from how librarians are normally portrayed — and it’s true that today’s librarians aren’t exactly the habitual shushers of yesteryear.

But my biggest concern is this : what’s so great about being hip?

I started thinking about what most people consider hip, and for some reason, my mind went to Justin Timberlake (even though I couldn’t care less what he’s bring sexy back from). But then my mind went a little further, and suddenly I was thinking of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan — the people who dominate the tabloid headlines today, but who will eventually fall out of the spotlight five or six years from now (assuming the spotlight even lasts that long). Sure, LiLo and Paris know the best clubs and wear the hottest clothes — but their lives are social trainwrecks, and whatever fleeting impression they leave now will be lost pretty quickly. So in the big picture, the word “hip” doesn’t mean, well, anything.

Maybe I’m thinking about this too much, or maybe I’m being too reactionary. When I was in high school, I was never a cool kid. But I still did what I could to make myself relevant : I volunteered with Beta Club, I helped take our debate team to a state championship, I organized study groups with other AP calculus students. And I was never hip, but people knew my name. And that felt pretty good.

It’s nice to know that Library Land is attracting young, vibrant talent. But libraries and librarians should fight to be relevant — not necessarily cool. Who cares about your tattoos? Who cares about your trendy drink?

The fight for relevance (rather than hipness) is the one that best serves our customers and our communities — and, if you ask me, it’s really the only fight worth fighting.

Mirrors of Ourselves : Part One

Everybody seems to be sending around that New York Times article about (some) librarians being hip.  I’ve decided to post it here, along with some supplemental material.  I could comment on each of them, but I’m curious to see what everyone else has to say first.  Read and comment — and expect a post with further commentary.

Go.

“A Hipper Crowd of Shushers” from the New York Times (discovered via Michael).

“Cultural Images of Librarians” by John Hubbard (discovered via the Library Link of the Day)

“Advantages to Dating Librarians” from the webcomic xkcd.

“Portrait of a Librarian” from Library Nation.

“xkcd and the shhing librarian” from Diary of a Subversive Librarian.

Thanks, Eidos

The Eiodos Institute added my post about library-customer relationships to their del.icio.us (with the tag “community“).

Assuming that it was posted because someone liked it, is it OK that I’m a little proud of this?

Strawberry Frappucinos

Brian Matthews asks the question, “Are we addressing real needs or just offering strawberry frappuccinos?”

Many libraries claim to be user-centered, but when I talk with librarians or read their blog posts or see their flyers and advertising they still seem to be very library-centered, even very reference-centered. We can’t seem to move beyond “the term paper” mentality.

The post continues,

I’m starting to think that all I have to offer are strawberry frappuccinos… and missing out on what my patrons really need.

Read the rest of the post for the frappucino context — Brian (as usual) has some great thoughts about providing our customers with what they really need.

And not to link back to my own posts, Brian, but this is a big part of the reason why I shop at Publix.