Category Archives: Uncategorized

What does “program” mean?

Posted on September 23, 2012 by

Between taking the CPLA (Certified Public Library Administrator) Budget & Finance course, attending some ILS (Integrated Library System) demos, and meeting with our awesome architects and contractors, I think I am beginning to lose my grip on the English language. … Continue reading →

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Good manners

Posted on September 14, 2012 by

Please excuse the blatant self-cross-promotion, but they posted an article I wrote for Horn Book (okay, okay, THE Horn Book), and here is the link.  

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Rhythmic Gymnastics, my new role model

Posted on August 13, 2012 by

Up until yesterday, I thought of rhythmic gymnastics as that weird event with the ribbons–basically, the Summer Olympics’ equivalent to curling in the Winter Olympics. But watching yesterday, I was blown away.  They weren’t just flipping ribbons around in a … Continue reading →

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Thirty years of being a children’s librarian

Posted on July 8, 2012 by

Oddly enough, right as I am celebrating the 30th anniversary of graduating from library school (IU Bloomington) and beginning work at the Edgebrook Branch of the Chicago Public Library, I have just begun a new job where my primary role … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Public libraries, Reviewing, Uncategorized, Youth Services | 4 Comments

The wrong cover

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

Fair warning: This contains spoilers for Summer of the Gypsy Moths One of the best things about being a book reviewer a decade ago was that the books came to you with generic covers. The title would be on there, … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's books, Collection Development, Reviewing, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A new study on reading and preschoolers

Posted on May 29, 2012 by

NPR’s All Things Considered aired a provocative piece tonight on the results of a study on preschoolers and the way we read to them. The study focused more on reading aloud in daycare or preschools, but of course we do … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Recipe for a Great Mother

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

I have a great mother, so this is a subject I know about. The recipe may not be one that is easily repeated, but you are free to try. To make my great mother, Barbara, here’s what was needed: *Being … Continue reading →

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The fundamentals of raising babies

Posted on May 5, 2012 by

You can boil down the job of being a parent to just a few fundamentals if you think about it. You have to feed them. You need to give them clothes, especially if there’s snow on the ground. You have … Continue reading →

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The good side of poor customer service

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

There is one, and only one good thing about my trip to my local Jewel/Osco yesterday. I went for three items–my prescription, some masking tape, and something to grab for breakfast. I walked out of the store 0 for 3. … Continue reading →

Posted in Public libraries, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Yay! It’s almost Poetry Month!

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

This Sunday marks a really peculiar combination of holidays. As usual, April 1st is April Fools Day–no surprise there. And this year, it is also Palm Sunday in the western Christian church. Those two together make a sort of whimsical … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments