Shopping in My Closet

I've never really done this before. I've weeded through my closet and gotten rid of all the things I don't absolutely love. I'm not even sure I've used the old trick of creating new outfits from combining clothing in new ways. Instead, I skipped that step and went straight to re-purposing old clothing.

I was trying (and failing) to put together a cute, dressy (but not too dressy) outfit for going out to dinner with my husband, his friend, and his friend's new girlfriend tonight. I wanted to wear a dress, but most of my dresses are pretty summery and didn't look right with my tights. It's finally getting a bit warmer, but there was no way I was going to go out there with bare legs! Then I came across an old skirt that I don't really wear anymore because it hits right around the mid-calf area, which is kind of an awkward length for me, and, I imagine, for most people. I bought it mostly because I thought the pattern was gorgeous.

Tonight, inspiration struck and my awkward old skirt was reborn as an adorable new dress!

"I'm Sorry"

Man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard those words from a library patron!

I don't know how much of this need to apologize results from a perception of librarians as strict, cranky old women with buns and how much of it comes from a lack of understanding of why librarians are there in the first place (namely, to help people find things!), but for some reason a lot of patrons seem to think they are imposing on us if they ask us for help finding something. Personally, I see it as job security! (There's also that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you find exactly what the patron is looking for and they're all impressed and grateful.)

Recently, there was an article in the American Libraries Digital Supplement called "The Bunheads Are Dead." The title is fairly self-explanatory, it's about how the stereotypical librarian is becoming a thing of the past. I think it's wonderful that people who pursue an MLIS have a huge variety of opportunities available to them, even if the title doesn't include the word "librarian." I love knowing that getting a degree in library science doesn't mean I've pigeonholed myself career-wise. But I still love being a "traditional" librarian in a public library.

No offense to any paraprofessionals out there, but I am concerned by the trend of filling school and public librarian positions with paraprofessionals, which was mentioned in the article. Being a good librarian is one heck of a lot more than knowing how to check out books and where to put them when they come back. It's about knowing have to navigate, evaluate and organize information in all its forms, and that does require some degree of training in order to do it well. (Although I suppose the argument could be made that most public librarians often find themselves playing the role of psychologist/social worker, and it's probably a safe bet that most of us don't have an MSW.)

I guess the point is, respect your librarians, because there's a lot more to the job than most people realize. But don't be afraid to ask us for help either. That's what we're here for, I promise!

On a completely unrelated note, my husband made my Valentine's Day by giving me a signed copy of "The Pigeon Wants a Puppy" by Mo Willems. I absolutely LOVE the Pigeon books, even if they are intended for preschoolers.

Seriously, how adorable is the Pigeon??

A Bit of Library Advocacy

If you are reading this, live in NJ, and support public libraries, please go here and contact your Assemblyman!

Earlier this week a bill was introduced to cut the funding for New Jersey's public libraries in half. Assemblyman Prieto's justification is that "many municipalities are collecting monies in excess of the needs of their public library systems."

I'm not saying there aren't any libraries in the entire state that receive more funding than they need, but more often than not one hears about libraries having to cut hours, programming, and/or staff because they can't afford to maintain the status quo. I work in a library in a relatively low-income area, and while I am not aware of all the details of the situation, I know that we are having enough funding issues as it is.

However, we also have a lot of very appreciative patrons who depend on us as their only source of internet access (and instruction in the use thereof), for help finding information for a job search or a school project, or even just for the entertainment of reading a novel or watching movie that they can't afford to buy or rent. They rely on us even more when the economy is awful, as it is now.

I know the government needs to cut costs, but public libraries provide people with the means to overcome economic hardship. While this may reduce the amount of money municipalities are required to invest in the community, it will also eliminate the returns their would have received on that investment.

In the Library

Today I found out that there's a library-scented perfume! Who'd have thought?

According to the website, it smells like "Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish."

Awesome :-)