Rosalie Paul is a big fan of English mysteries who shared this greeting with library staff.

Happy Thanksgiving from Rosalie and WDFPL.

The electronic greeting is so Rosalie. 

She is a terrific cook who visits the library often imparting culinary knowledge.  She has a knack for customizing recipes she finds in the stacks and online. 

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20190897_1,00.html 

Let’s hear a cheer for product placement . 

Some may disagree with use of the term product placement, as no fee is involved. 

How about this?  We appreciate the advocacy efforts.

It has been a few weeks since the Presidential election.  You may want to vote again.  

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/news/topstories/videocontest.cfm 

I am so proud of librarians who step up their game.

A few days ago I was viewing a gen-we video sitting at my desk under the South
Jersey Environmental Information Center banner when Alex sauntered up to my desk. 

He was about 22 years old and did the foot to foot weight shifting thing many young guys do these days.

Alex had many questions regarding township recycling. 
Can I bring batteries here?  If not, where should I take them?  You used to collect them, why don’t you do it anymore?  Where do the newspapers go? What type of string should they be tied with? Why would newspapers be put in brown paper bags? Does the brown bag mix into the newspapers when recycled? What about computers?  Do you put your monitors out at the curb?  Where are the public trash cans?  What about light bulbs?  Where to do we dispose of the new light bulbs?  Did you know they have mercury in them? 

He - It would be easy to do more things.  Why don’t we do more things?
Me - Do you live in WD?
He – Well, I do right now.
Me – Where else were you?
He - I was in Philadelphia, but that wasn’t really good either. 
He - Philadelphia went kinda backwards with this stuff.
Me – Where do you call home then?
He – I was in Canada, They are more progressive in Canada.
He - They have a public trash can on every corner in Canada.
Me – We used to have public trash receptacles around.  I don’t know where they went.
He – I’ve never seen them.
Me – I saw them a long time ago.  Maybe it was a budget issue.
He – I’ve never seen them.
Me – I mean a long, long time ago.
He – How long?
I shared with him exactly how long ago.
He – No way, I wasn’t around then.
Me – I was.
He – Back then?
Me – Yes

I shared the Generation We video with him (turning my computer monitor) and mentioned that our interaction may find its way to my blog.

He – That’s ok.
Me – A long time ago Americans cared about some of the same things you do.  I can’t easily describe what happened.  Honestly, I can recall standing in the back of a pickup truck smashing up sorted glass as a girl scout.
He – I didn’t know about that. (smile)
Me – If you want to leave your name and cell number I will find out how we should dispose of those light bulbs.
He – That would be great.
Me – Sure.
He – Hey, it was really great talking to you.

The battery box is back beside my desk and Alex has the phone number for the West Deptford Public Works Dispatcher. 
FYI - Home Depot also recycles Cfl bulbs.

Minor adjustment as embedding on the original video is now disabled.

 
I do miss the video camera footage - check it out on YouTube.

 Country music is changing.  It may be time to update your library’s music collection.

Lady Antebellum gets my vote for new artist at this year’s CMAs.

Now I understand why we had such a large crowd register for country line dancing at WDFPL!

A patron calls the library this morning at 10:05 a.m.

“Hello this is the West Deptford Free Public Library how can I help you?�

“I am looking for a book.  I thought you could pull it up on your system.�

“Can you share the title or author of the book?�

“I don’t know the title or the author.�

“You don’t know the author or title of the book?�

“No, I thought you could use your intuitive powers to locate it.�

Silence on my end of the phone.  I guess it was too early for the joke to register.

“I’m only kidding, I’m looking for the book titled The Kings Gold by Arturo Perez-Keverte; translated from Spanish.� 

We both laughed as I placed the book on hold from another Login library.

Maybe patrons are expecting Super Librarian.

I am searching for trivia contest questions about Stephenie Meyer’s series.  Surprisingly, many fans of the series are much older than teens. 

I am also curious to learn how other libraries are preparing to capitalize on this cross-platform marketing opportunity. 

Are you ready for this?

In 2005, David Foster Wallace addressed the graduating class of Kenyon College with the following: 

“Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think…being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to…how you construct meaning from experience.  Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.�

Wallace graduated from Amherst College and Arizona State University, and he received a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, also known as a “genius grant.� In 1998 and 1999, he received the Outstanding University Researcher Award for his work as a professor at Illinois State University. Wallace also taught creative writing at Pomona College in California.

Wallace passed away in September 2008.  He was a huge literary talent, gone too soon.

Video clips of Consider the Lobster commentary are posted to YouTube.  You can find them by searching the author or Consider the Lobster.

I think learning how to think is an ongoing process.  Any thoughts?

The times they are a changin.

Fear of the Unknown    
by Ann Dow

A soft and cuddly little mouse
went out to call one Friday;
she stopped outside a lovely house
located near a highway. 
 

She knocked upon a wooden door,
and waiting for a greeting,
she heard a clock strike half past four
a proper time for meeting. 
 

From inside came a bustling noise,
the sound of people walking.
The mouse began to lose her poise
as she listened to the talking.

    
“What is that creature doing here?”
A man was heard to shout.
A woman’s voice was filled with fear
as it came drifting out.

“What brings her to this neighborhood?
Is she intent on staying?
Her being here can mean no good,”
The nervous voice was saying. 
 

The mouse could feel the salty tears      
well up inside her eyes.
The incident confirmed her fears
that hatred never dies. 
 

“I only want to make a home,”
the tiny creature stated.
“But I am doomed to ever roam
and ever to be hated.
 

Why can’t we learn to co-exist?
The world seems very spacious.
A handshake could replace a fist;
we need not be pugnacious.
 

“Folks need not set a trap for me;
I don’t intend to frighten;
I want to live in harmony
and let a little light in.”

Much thanks to Ann for this thought provoking email surprise.