The Importance of Rereading

We got the Newsweek in today at work and as usual, I flipped through it. I was very excited about this week's issue because it's all about books. I turned right to the article about what books to be reading now and got four new titles off the list. Yes, I'm adding to my summer reading list. Sigh. I've got so much to read. Good thing I like reading. :)

Looking through the rest of the magazine I came across an interesting article about rereading books. I'm a huge rereader, but I've never given it any thought as to why. I have to admit that I didn't read the whole article, mostly because the way it was written was a bit much for a Tuesday morning at-work read. But I relished in the fact that there are other people out there who are just as passionate about rereading as I am. Granted, what this author rereads and what I reread are very different, but the concept is the same.

My absolute favorite books to reread are the Harry Potter series. I read all seven at least once a year, sometimes reading them quickly as if they are going to disappear, other times stretching them out in order to enjoy them more. Series seem to be my favorite to reread; I've read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series several times over the past year (when I discovered it wasn't just for obsessed 14 year old girls), along with Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. I also really enjoy rereading romance novels, anything by Nora Robers being a particular favorite, but Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens are good for a quick reread.

Why, you might ask, do I love to reread? I think its like David Gates (the author of the Newsweek article) said, the love of the characters; "I always come back for the people, and often simply for their voices". I feel a connection to the characters the authors have created; sometimes I feel like I know them and they know me. They are where I turn when I'm feeling misunderstood or sad. Their stories, their battles, take me out of my own world and into someplace else where my small worries no longer exist. It's for the escape, really, that I continue to return to these beloved books again and again.

When reading a book for the first time, the reader must be aware and alert because you don't know what is going to happen. You have to read carefully for fear of missing something. With a book that's been read before, you can relax, just like you can with an old friend. You know where the story is going, how it's going to end. But you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Escape for a little while into a comforting world of familiarity and, maybe, if you are lucky, you will find something new. Discover a little gem of information that you missed before. That, to me, is the true joy of rereading.

Summer Reading

As a future librarian and book lover I often get asked for book recommendations. I tend to not be very helpful when it comes to adult books because I've never taken an adult services class and the only bookstore I've every worked in was a children's bookstore (for more on that, look for a future post!). I only know about the kind of books I like, namely romance novels, which not everyone enjoys. So as a summer goal, I've decided to branch out and read other things. The list is rather ambitious for summer reading, but I read fast and have a good bit of free time now that class is over, so I think I may be able to get through a good chunk of it. If you're wondering why I'm just now starting my summer reading it's because I've recently become addicted to the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. If you like time travel, historical fiction, and romance, this 7-book series is for you. The books are incredibly long (700-900 pages each), but rich with detail and tons of great plot lines. I've only been able to read the first three, but I plan to pick them up again soon.

Hopefully, having read all of these books on my list, I will be able to better recommend books when people ask. Some of these are books I have been meaning to read for a long time and others are recent additions.

The Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
My Sister's Keeper - I firmly believe in reading the book before seeing the movie. I probably won't finish this in time to see the movie in theaters but I can always catch it at the $1 theater or on DVD.
The Space Between Us - a recent addition to my list. I found it in Barnes and Noble and read the first few pages and became addicted. Can't wait to actually sit down and read it.
Mere Christianity - something I've been meaning to read for years. I actually own it, just never gotten around to reading it.
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Reader - another "read the book before seeing the movie" addition. The movie looks incredible and I love Kate Winslet, so I'm excited.
Sarah's Key - I seem to be on a World War II kick lately, so this just adds to the list.
Bull's Island
Return to Sullivan's Island - this and Bull's Island are by one of my favorite authors, Dorothea Benton Frank, who writes about the Low Country. Her books are light and humorous, a perfect summer read.
The Sweet Far Thing - the final book in the YA trilogy, the Gemma Doyle series. Set in Victorian England, they revolve around a trio of girls locked in an epic battle involving a magical world known as the realms. If you like fantasy stories set in the real world and don't mind a young adult series, check out the first two, A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels for a great read.
A Separate Peace
The Alchemist
A Lucky Child - another find at Barnes and Noble about a child survivor of Auschwitz. Sounds amazing.
Jesus of Nazareth - something else I've had on my bookshelf for years. Pope Benedict has an excellent reputation as an author and I'm looking forward to this historical and spiritual discover of who our Savior really was.
Eleanore of Aquitaine - a biography by one of my favorite historians, Alison Weir. She's a noted Tutor historian, but has also published work on medieval England including this excellent biography. I'm about 1/4 of the way through it, and while it's slow going, I'm really enjoying it.

Whew! This is a lot! I better get reading!

Other Library Related Blogs

I think that this as good of time as any to mention some of the many, many library-related blogs out there. There are a ton out there; for more take a look at The Top Fifty Librarian Blogs. These, however, are my favorites:

The Inspired Library School Student - a library student (like me!) who blogs about school, libraries, technology, etc.
Annoyed Librarian - not everyone likes this anonymous blogger, who is so popular the blog has been moved to Library Journal. She's sharp and insulting, but has great comments on the current goings-on in the library world.
Closed Stacks - a good mix of information on libraries, books, and technology with just enough personal stuff to keep it interesting.
The Society for Librarians Who Say Motherfucker - a great livejournal site for venting. Members of the livejournal community can post their frustrations with patrons, co-workers, whomever, or just share their library-related problems with the rest of the group. Pretty interesting and humorous...a good way to relieve stress.
A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette - a funny blog with short, almost Twitter-like posts. Most are really fun and lighthearted, offering "advice" to librarians.
Librarian Avengers - a fairly personal blog demonstrating the awesomeness that is a librarian.
Library of Congress Blog - the one and only!
A Library By Any Other Name - run by a public school librarian, a busy blog with lots of good information on school media.
Librarians Matter - another great blog on life as a librarian and libraries in general, run by an Australian academic librarian.
ACRLog - the official blog of the Association of College and Research Libraries. A great place to read about the latest happenings in the academic library world.

I hope you have as much fun checking out these blogs as I had finding them. Enjoy!!

Training Module

I created this video tutorial using Camtasia software. It's very simple to use and a 30 day free trial can be downloaded here. Play around with it; its really fun! There are tons of things that can be done with it, and it's a great tool for the library. Think of all the great ways you can incorporate tutorials in your library to better serve your patrons. Teach how to search the catalog, set up a free email account, use InterLibrary Loan, the possibilities are enormous! One tip, when attempting to upload a video, make sure you upload it as a MP4 file, not as a web file. I made this mistake so many times and couldn't figure out what was wrong! Once I got it in the right form, uploading was a breeze!

I also added this video using Google Sites. So the video can also be viewed, in a larger format, here. Enjoy!!

Social Networking Continued

I have to admit, I've been thinking a lot about social networking over the past few days. Two news events have continued this interest and my thoughts on the consequences of social networking, Jon and Kate Gosslin's divorce announcement and the continuing election crisis in Iran. For those of you who don't watch TLC (or the news) Jon and Kate Gosslin are the parents of 8 children, a set of twin girls and a set of sextuplets. They have their own show, Jon and Kate Plus 8, on TLC. Over the past few months they have been making headlines because of their marriage problems and on Monday, the announced they are divorcing. This doesn't have a whole lot to do with social networking, but has to do with what social networking causes, an excess of information and the need to share excessively. The paparazzi have been clamoring for news concerning the Gosslins, and as it always is, the more pictures, the more stories, the more speculation grows. I'm not saying this couple is divorcing because of the press and society's zest to know their intimate private details. A good marriage could survive something like this and it should only bring their family closer. However, a marriage that was already struggling (and it appears theirs was) could easily be broken when faced with this oppressive demand for information. So what can be learned from Jon and Kate? Stay out of other people's business; why should it be news that yet another couple is divorcing? Over 50% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, so this marriage-in-crisis should not be news. Leave this family alone to heal.

The other story that has peaked my interest has a little bit more to do with social networking rather than the excessive need for private information. Every since Iran held its elections and launched a world-wide protest against the oppressive regime, social networking has been away for Iranian citizens to communicate with the world. They've had to, with journalists being barred from the country, social networking sites like Twitter and YouTube have been the only way for people to get the news of what was really happening out there. Without social networking, there is a really good chance that we would know nothing about what was going on. We wouldn't have the dramatic pictures of silent protests and people being beaten in the streets. These are powerful images and have prompted global leaders to speak out in defense of justice. Without social networking, this never could have happened.

So where does this leave us? Social networking has taken society by storm and has launched some excellent tools, but it has also conditioned us to not respect people's privacy in our thirst for information. Lessons can be learned from all of this. Use social networking; connect with friends and family, keep up with the news, etc. But also know when enough is enough.

Is Social Networking All That We Think It Is?

Today, while driving to work, I was listening to Ryan Seacrest's radio show. Usually, I change the channel if no music is playing, but what he was talking about caught my attention. He mentioned that Perez Hilton (a celebrity blogger for all of you who live under a rock) is claiming that will.i.am of the Black Eye Peas assaulted him outside of a club. He claimed this is a Twitter post. Will.i.am, who had already shared his version on his social networking site DipDive, issued another video post responding to Hilton's allegations. (For more info on this story check out Rolling Stone's article).

I rarely pay very much attention to the goings on of celebrities and their drama-filled lives, because, frankly, there are a whole host of things I'd rather be doing. But I found this very interesting, not for the subject matter, but because of the way it was communicated through social networking. We love to talk about how great social networking is, how it lets us connect with people we rarely see and share our lives with the world. Some of it is really great. I love staying in touch with old friends and my family who don't live close by via Facebook. I use Twitter for myself, not because I want a lot of followers and become pseudo-famous. I blog for class, but also because it's a good outlet. Again, I really don't care how many people read this; this is something I do for me, sort of like journaling, but not so personal.

But social networking is getting out of control. So much information is being shared 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and most of it is superfluous. I could really care less about what you had for dinner or whose birthday party you got drunk at and then posted a bunch of pictures. I also don't need to know that you had some sort of altercation at a club with another person. For centuries, we have survived without knowing all these insignificant details about how other people live. Now suddenly, the world has access to everything. Nothing is private anymore, and what's worse is people seem to enjoy sharing personal details with the world. So I'm giving you something to ponder. Knowing that we can survive just fine without the knowledge that two minor celebrities had an argument, is it really necessary to share this sort of information with the world? How necessary is social networking, really? What kind of consequences will this excessive need to know and share have on society?

Job Hunting

Unfortunately, you can't stay in school forever. (Not that I'm not trying my hardest!) Luckily, even in today's tough job market, library jobs are still relatively plentiful. But librarianship is also a blossoming field, so you have to be incredibly prepared in order to beat out the competition and land that perfect job. I have complied a list of great web resources for getting a job in a library. If you are about to head out into the job market, good luck! And if not, it's never to early to start thinking about your resume and the type of library you would like to work in.

100 Commonly Asked Interview Questions are mostly used in academic libraries, but they are excellent questions regardless.

LIS Career is a great overall resource for all job hunters. My favorite section is the Job Hunting section that has really great articles on finding a job.

ALA Joblist has a great selection of helpful hints and tricks for job seekers. The Career Assessments section is particular helpful.

This article is particularly interesting in addressing the cover letter. I came across it through a listserve I belong to and felt that I should share it because I found it very helpful.