Archive for the ‘thoughts’ Category

So clearly I’m a busy person these days! It’s been months since I’ve blogged, but I am reading much more lately! I had to post today because it’s Teen Read Week! Only the Mecca of all weeks for teen librarians. And to officially make my mark on TRW and give homage to my new job with digital libraries, I am making this post from an iPhone app.

In my bed. Cuddling with a cat. I now have the ability to blog from anywhere!

In other news, what am I reading? I just finished The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, which was phenomenal. All the buzz, well deserved. I loved the epicness of the story, along with the fantasy combined with religion. A truly unique tale.

I hope my few readers out there are celebrating TRW with a good book! Give me some recs!

This post from Abby the Librarian regarding going to library school inspired me to finally take a minute to update my own blog, and you, awesome readers, on my life as a library school student. As you can see, for the past few months this blog has been quite slow. I promised an update earlier this month, and I’ve just been SO busy.

It’s been a couple of weeks into my last semester now, and everything is going so smoothly. My class in museum studies is definitely interesting, and I’m going to be able to visit a few museums during the semester. I’ll try to write about them here. On Saturday, I’m going to visit the COSI museum in Columbus, which is one of my favorites!

I’ve also started my practicum, and I can’t even describe how much I am loving it so far. A little part of me was worried. Having never actually worked in a library, I had this little seed of doubt in my heart, that when I would finally get the chance to work with teens in a library, I wouldn’t actually like it! I should have known better. I’ve known that this is the path for me for quite some time, and every day at my practicum I see that justified. I’m not saying that every day will be perfect, when I’m a librarian. But to enjoy work, and find it satisfying, and know that what you do may affect someone’s life in a positive way–that’s why I’m doing this.

So yes, school is great. My practicum is excellent. I’ve participated in a few programs, and am coming up with ideas right now for a display case in the library, as well as for some program ideas. I have so many ideas! I can’t wait to see them through to implementation.

And as for other things, I’ve finally had some time to read. I’m still catching up on a lot of the great books from last year, but I’m getting there. I also have a few books to review, which I will hopefully take care of in February. I’m feeling a second (third? fourth?) wind coming on with this blog, and I hope to get back to doing some more reviewing soon!

I can’t believe it, but I’m beginning my last semester of library school next week! It’s been an absolutely, fantastic, amazing, experience-filled ride, and the best is yet to come. This semester I’ll be working at a local library for a practicum experience, where I get to work with teens in a library, work on and create projects, and basically learn all I can about being a teen librarian.

I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to begin! I’ll also be taking one class this semester, Museum Studies for Librarians, and two workshops, one on video games in libraries (awesome, right?) and another on young adult literature. STOKED! Can you believe I get to go to school for this kind of thing?

This semester I’m really going to focus on building my professional credentials, skills, and experiences, in the hopes that I can find and obtain a job when I graduate. I’m participating in a lot of cool programs, volunteering, and working my butt off to make this happen. Since I’ll be in a library setting much more often than usual, I’m hoping to really amp up my posts here with insights and anecdotes about my experiences in the library.

Wish me luck, and look forward to reading about my first week of my marathon toward the finish line next week!

After this week, I only have about 3 weeks left for the majority of my classes. Many projects are due in the next few weeks, but considering what I’ve dealt with this whole semester, I’m not concerned. It has certainly been my busiest semester yet. My classes are harder, my life is busier, but happier, I think!

In 2011, I’ll be graduating with my MLIS and looking for a real, full-time job. I’m glad that this won’t be my first experience job seeking, and it won’t be my first experience working full-time, professionally. Sometimes I wish that I had went on to grad school right after undergrad, but I think I needed that experience of being in the “real world” to be who I am and where I am today. So I don’t regret what I’ve done.

I’m extremely thankful to God and many people around me for this year I’ve been given. I’ve been blessed with many great opportunities, many great new people, and just awesome times this year. I know I can say that 2010 has been the best year of my life. But I expect every one after this to get better and better.

I’m not sure why I’m feeling so thoughtful today. Maybe it’s because I was able to spend the day slowly, relaxing, instead of being super busy and going from place to place. This is really going to be a great week for me! I’m so glad I finally have the time to blog again, and READ again!

It’s amazing how smart spam has become these days! I check my spam filter for comments on bibliochic regularly, and it’s always filled with deceptively smart spam comments. Comments that I may be led to believe are by real readers! But sadly, they are not. Every once in awhile (a great while) a real comment gets caught in the spam filter, but for the most part, the spam filter does it’s job.

Why am I writing about spam? Because, sadly, I have nothing better to write about. I haven’t had time to read any  YA books. I haven’t had time to keep up with any YA blogs. I have no clue which new YA books are out and about now. It’s horrific! But I’ll get caught up later this month–I promise!

School has been kicking my butt big time this week, but thankfully, my classes this term are over as of Friday. Starting in mid-April I will be taking a library management course. Check here next week as I’ll give an overview of some of the classes I participated in this semester and some of the interesting projects I had to complete.

Stay faithful, dear readers!

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger this week! Here’s the thing, for me, it’s the end of the “semester” for all of my classes. They aren’t full semester classes, and then end in about 2 weeks, so I’m overloaded with papers and reading and my Pokemon addiction. Plus, I’ve found myself involved in a few new endeavors, including literacy tutoring, volunteering at awesome teen library events, and well, just having a good old time in my life. It’s the weather!

I have to mention that I saw an amazing movie at the Cleveland International Film Festival last night called If I Knew What You Said. It’s a great movie starring teens in the Philippines–a girl that doesn’t get along with her parents (what teen does?) and a boy that was abandoned by his parents because he was born deaf. The story takes the girl, Nina, to a summer camp for deaf and hearing teens, and gradually she forms a friendship with Kiko, the boy, and his friends. This movie was emotional and very moving–the deaf kids were beautiful and fantastic in their acting, and I really enjoyed the simple message of the movie: kids with hearing disabilities can do anything that hearing kids can do if given the opportunity.

See this movie if you can–google it if you can’t!

That’s my soapbox for this week. Catch up with you soon, my dear readers. I’ll be getting back here with some great reviews and other features soon!

Recently I’ve been getting some slack from my friends because I play Pokemon. The latest rendition of the Pokemon video game series, for Nintendo DS/DSi was released on Sunday, and I’ve been in full Pokemon mode ever since! (Notice a lack of posts this week–that’s why!) This time around, you can choose from HeartGold or SoulSilver, which I understand to be remakes of a couple older games. I’m into playing Pokemon, but I haven’t been playing for long. I recently started when Diamond and Pearl came out, and then I moved to Platinum. So, you wouldn’t call me a hard core Pokemon fan, but I’m definitely getting up there. (For example, I look up how-to guides online, and I’ve recently been obsessed with breeding–yay for getting my first Ditto!–sorry non-Pokemon fans…)

So here I am, in my mid-20s, playing Pokemon. And I’m not ashamed! I don’t even give the excuse–ooh, I’m going to be a teen librarian, I need to know what they’re playing, um, exactly–no! I’m a proud Pokemon player. Is there any age that’s too old? This type of thinking can be carried across many things, including books, games, activities, etc. How old is too old to read YA? How old is too old to watch Saturday morning cartoons? How old is too old to watch Hannah Montana?

I want everyone that does something they are “too old” for to stand up proud, wave their old-person flag, and say loudly, I LOVE ____! I love Pokemon. I love reading YA. I imagine I’ll be doing both until I’m very old. Old will never be too old for me!

Tonight you can find me guest blogging over at Steph Bowe’s Hey! Teenager of the Year blog. If you don’t follow Steph–do! Her blog is fantastic, current, edgy, and hilarious. She has a book coming out next year and I’ll be one of the first in line. Check out my post at her blog on YA Lit and Teens!

Plus don’t forget to enter to win an ARC of Hourglass by Claudia Gray, contest ends March 19th!

YALSA recently wrote about the Common Sense ratings (for books) that Barnes and Noble have been exhibiting on their website. Here’s a view from the Barnes and Noble web site of the Common Sense rating for Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (referenced in the article):

Readers, what do you think? As YALSA questions, could this be a slippery slope to further censorship? Should books be rated as movies are rated? “The thing is, who does get to own common sense and determine what’s right for a particular teen or a particular family?”

Good question! In my YA services class this week, we are discussing collection development, and as a part of that censorship. From a librarian’s point of view, my responsibility is to build up my collection as best will serve the teens at my library–I’m not the person to decide what they can and cannot read. I should choose age-appropriate titles, but who decides exactly what is age appropriate? The line is very fine, and this issue very sensitive with many parents and communities.

I’m going to keep an eye on the comments of the YALSA post. As someone new to the field, I don’t know the answer, but I think it worthwhile for librarians, parents, and even teens to consider these questions and, especially for librarians, keep these things in mind when considering collection development, as well as a teenager’s right to read and have access to materials that will help them grow.

In celebration of Valentine’s weekend, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite literary couples, from across all genres. Comment and share with me some of your favorites! Even those star-crossed lovers, that never seem to make it together.

1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Of course, this is number 1 on my list. Maybe it’s cliche, but Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, and I’ve read it at least 10 times. I’ll never tire of their story!

2. Jesse and Suze from the Mediator series by Meg Cabot

I’m one of the biggest Meg Cabot fans you’ll ever find. I’m pretty sure I own all of her books. And of her books, Jesse and Suze top my list as a great couple. The Mediator books are filled with an awesome amount of star-crossedness, longing, a little bit of lusting, but also true love.

3. Elspeth and Rushton of The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody.

Oh, these two. For several books in the chronicles you’re screaming, get together already! You love each other! But the complicatedness of this couple is what keeps me reading.

4. Numair and Daine from the Immortals quartet by Tamora Pierce

I’m also the hugest Tamora Pierce fan, and especially fond of Numair and Daine. Despite their age and personality differences, they found a common love in each other–passionate, sometimes angry, but real, solid love.

5. Luciano and Arianna in the Stravaganza books by Mary Hoffman

I love these books, and I adore that they are in Italy–already uber-romantic, eh? Luciano and Arianna are wonderful together, and Arianna is such a strong female character. You love her and know what’s best for her–in Luciano–and eventually she sees it as well. These are excellent books, and I really hope more people are reading them!

6. Aislinn and Seth from the Wicked Lovely books

Will Seth and Aislinn be able to stay together despite her status as faery royalty? What is Seth going to do in Radiant Shadows? Those answers and more coming this year!

And of course, I have many, many more couples I love, but these are a few of my favorites. Share your own in the comments or on your blog! If you write about this on your blog, comment here and let me know so I can check it out.