Sunday Knitting

I am knitting something small and red.

That is all.

PLA 2012 Part 2

Here is the belated second half of my summary of the PLA Conference. (Here is Part 1.)

Reader's Advisory Toolkit 

The first speaker was Joyce Saricks, who defines reading as story in every form and says it's the heart of what we do (I agree!) She characterizes reader's advisory as collaborative and symbiotic and encourages fostering a work culture of talking about reading. She says, "The more we talk, the easier it is." She recommends talking about books with coworkers while you're on desk and also to start staff meetings by sharing what book you are reading. (I would LOVE if our staff meetings included enough time for this.) She talked about brainstorming, collecting links, learning how to discuss appeal factors and then compare to similar books, and create effective displays. My favorite idea she mentioned was to create a reader profile of yourself including the kinds of books you love and listing 3 books that you love and 3 that you hate. Then exchange profiles with a coworker and make recommendation lists for each other. 

Neal Wyatt, author of All in for RA, presented 3 levels of Reader's Advisory:

• Basics: know what it is, where resources are in the library or online, know who in your library is a specialist in different areas
• Next Steps: know what's popular and share with other staff, know how to talk to readers about books, and how to answer common RA questions
• Deep cuts: understand appeal and how it works, then share what you do and how you do it 

He also emphasized that ALL staff should take part in Reader's Advisory and that to some extent it should happen everywhere: at the circ desk, in the stacks, even outside of the library. He also encouraged doing RA programming on topics such as great gift books, suggestions for book groups, or books related to the upcoming season.

Georgine Olson spoke on behalf of small and rural libraries, but offered suggestions helpful to anyone. She mentioned some online resources such as the Fiction-L list, freshfiction.com, and overbooked.org. She talked about the importance of creating a personal training plan and scheduling it into your workflow. Finally she introduced a formula for booktalks on the run using the acronym PRES: Point (title), Reason (for recommending, such as mentioning another book they like), Example (something about the recommended book and why they might like it), Summary (ex. "it takes place in a different time period, but both books have this in common."

Maximizing the Impact of Programming

Scott Doser from the Wilkerson Public Library in Telluride CO talked about their many successful programs. Although successful programs are generally measured by attendance he says we should consider programs with small attendance but big impact on attendees to be successful. He also doesn't shy away from controversy, citing a 2-hr program about the Middle East that ended up being 5 hours long. Their library mission is Inspire, Challenge, Engage, Transform. They have awesome programs, but they also have a $20k programming budget. (To put this in perspective my library has NO budget for adult programs.)

Library Tech Consultant Carson Bloc spoke about integrating technology into programming and being mobile- and social-friendly.

Programs that Pack the Place

As with the other sessions, this was a panel, and although there was lots of good ideas, my favorite was Coming Together in Skokie. This is run sort of like a Community Read program in that there is a theme and many programs around that theme. But rather than revolving around a book, it is centered on a particular culture. (They require that it be a culture represented in their community with leaders willing to collaborate.) They pick a book or two, not necessarily by an especially well-known author, but one that represents the culture in some way and they bring the author to speak. They plan 25 or 30 programs over the course of 6 weeks including book discussions, films, cooking, and lectures. They produce an extensive program booklet describing the purpose of the program and a cultural background as well as a schedule of events, a glossary of cultural terms, and recommended further reading.

It sounds like a fantastic program and has been incredibly successful because the cultural community gets very involved and usually the same people will stay involved the following year even though it's a different culture.

We've Got the Beat

I buy music CDs for my library but I don't have a background in music so I was very happy this program was offered.

The speakers talked a little about music advisory and tapping staff for what they listen to, and suggested a number of resources to use for collection development such as allmusic.com, billboard.com, and musiclibraryassoc.org for education and workshops.

They talked about music sources such as freegal and Pandora, as well as legal issues (basically, do due diligence by posting that it is illegal to rip CDs).

The speakers also do Personalized Picks at their library (they do something similar for books). There's an online form that patrons can fill out and they receive a link to a list of suggestions with some information on why they were chosen (Bibliocommons can be used for this.)

In Order to Form a More Perfect Union: Library Access as an Emerging Constitutional Right

The speakers presented some general information about the First Amendment and balancing patron protection with sharing information. They emphasized the importance of posting policies and documenting incidents.

The most interesting part of this session was a representative from the National Coalition of the Homeless. Acknowledging that libraries are popular hangouts from homeless people, some have done programming that is specifically targeted towards this group such as book groups, an exhibit of photography and interviews with local homeless people, and hiring the homeless to monitor bathrooms and keep them clean. The organization has a speakers bureau that will come talk to staff about good service.

Betty White

The closing conference speaker was Golden Girl Betty White. She was just as hilarious and adorable in person as she is on tv. She spoke about her books, her work with animals and zoos, and her long career. It is clear that she understands how lucky she is, and she seems to appreciate every single good thing that has happened to her. What a classy lady!

A month and a half later I have barely begun to use anything I've learned - I'm glad I've waited until now to post because it's a great reminder to pull out my conference materials and start using all the great ideas I came back with!

The Snow Child

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (2012)

In 1920s Alaska, Jack and Mabel hope to forge a new life for themselves. After the heartbreak of a stillborn baby they have reached middle age childless. In Alaska, they want to start a farm, keep to themselves, and led a quiet life alone. But it is more difficult than they thought, and the distance growing between them only makes their troubles worse. One night in winter when they have almost given up hope, they build a child out of snow and dress it in woolens. In the morning it is gone, but later they see a girl running through the woods in the scarf and mittens from the snow child. Where did the girl come from? How can she possibly survive alone in this harsh climate? Jack and Mabel each have their own ideas as they tentatively reach out to this mysterious girl. 

Though the couple went to Alaska to be alone, they reluctantly become friends of their nearest neighbors, a raucous and friendly family who are lively and generous. They need the companions, because it is clear that just having each other isn't enough. When Mabel is upset, Jack will just turn away rather than comfort her. It's not that he doesn't care, just that he doesn't know how to support her. She needs a friend who understands and finds it in the unusual Esther. Jack, too, needs help as he struggles to build a farm from scratch by himself, and the neighbors' son Garrett becomes invaluable.

Based on reviews that described the book as a retelling of the Russian tale of Snegurochka, I didn't think I'd like it. I expected the writing to be dreamy and ethereal, fairy-tale like. But when I picked up a copy from the library shelf and read the first page I was instantly smitten. It couldn't be more grounded. It begins with Mabel alone, the silence broken by the scrape of the broom across the wooden floor, the rasp of her boots on the ice. Everything is so tangible I can almost feel the cold Alaska air myself. This is some of the nicest writing I've had the pleasure to read. Several times I came across a sentence which I read over and over just to enjoy the sounds of it. 

The story was well crafted too. There isn't a need to suspend your disbelief here, because there is nothing obviously magical or paranormal that happens. When there are surprising events, the characters are surprised as well and explain it in some reasonable way. I like that fine line between our world and another; something slightly odd may have happened, but surely it's not what we think. 

For someone who hates the cold, I've always been strangely drawn to books set in harsh freezing climates. But even if that weren't the case, there is still a great deal to enjoy about The Snow Child. 

Did Not Finish

In place of my regular knitting post (which I currently have no fodder for) here's a way-overdue round-up of some books I couldn't finish.

The Marriage Plot

In the newest novel from Jeffrey Eugenides (author of The Virgin Suicides and, my favorite, Middlesex) we meet Madeleine, Leonard, and Mitchell, a bunch of pretentious intellectuals finishing up college and philosophizing about semiotics. Sounds a blast, doesn't it? I guess the book goes on to chronicle their love triangle throughout the 1980s but I couldn't be bothered with it. The characters were flat and lifeless, though distinctively snobby and academic, and completely void of personality. They were self-absorbded in the worst way, but I can't imagine why since they were all so utterly uninteresting. I still don't understand what semiotics is, but every time there was a lengthy quote from Derrida's "Of Grammatology" or Barthes' "A Lover's Discourse, my eyes glazed over. I made through about 80 pages before deciding to stop torturing myself.

I cannot for the life of me understand why this book has been so popular. The critical reviews are glowing, but this is the dullest most pretentious piece of crap I've had the misfortune to come across in a really long time. It's especially disappointing given how much I loved Eugenides' last book, Middlesex. If you read this and liked it, please tell me why - I really want to understand the appeal.

Guns, Germs, and Steel

This book by Jared Diamond has been on my radar for a long time now, and I keep hearing how fantastic it is. The subject matter is indeed interesting, but it was way too detailed. If the book was half the length, I probably would have finished it. The main question the author explores is why certain civilizations developed technology and sophisticated weapons and why others didn't. One of his answers has to do with adopting food production, rather than hunting and gathering, and so a large part of the book is the entire history of agriculture in the world. I appreciate that he is trying to be thorough in his analysis, but it was just more than I was ready for.

Master and Commander

I have long been curious about this series of seafaring novels from Patrick O'Brian but they never sounded appealing enough to try until I read this review from Shelf Love which emphasizes the personalities of the main characters and acknowledges that it's ok not to understand the nautical terminology. This made me feel better about trying it, and I did actually enjoy what I read of it. It's a slow-moving novel though, and after 80 pages I believe the ship was just leaving port. In other circumstances I probably would have kept going, but I simply got distracted by other books. It's ok though - I'm glad I got a taste of O'Brian's writing.

Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012)

August Pullman has always been different, has always endured the stares and gasps of people meeting him for the first time. He was born with severe craniofacial abnormalities and though he has endured surgery after surgery, he still doesn't look like a regular kid. Home-schooled through the fourth-grade level, Auggie is about to encounter the biggest, most frightening, challenge of his life: middle school.

No matter how much his parents and school administrators try to easy the transition, it doesn't change the fact that kids can be incredibly cruel. Thanks to his family and his few friends, Auggie has the self-confidence to make it (even if barely) through the really tough times, and his courage and resilience inspire kindness in others. 

The novel was extremely touching, as you would expect, but also laced with humor. Auggie's self-deprecating style is charming. When his friend Jack asks whether Auggie will be always look that way, or be able to have plastic surgery, Auggie points at his face and says "Hello? This is after plastic surgery!" Jack laughs hysterically, retorting, "Dude, you should sue your doctor!" Both boys then erupt in laughter before being chastised by their teacher.

Wonder is usually shelved in the children's department in libraries, but the appeal is ageless. We could all do well to follow a precept from one of Auggie's teachers and be kinder than necessary. If Auggie can manage to do it, as mean as people can be to him, then surely the rest of us can too.

Escape From Camp 14

Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden (2012)

In 2005, a young man named Shin Dong-hyuk escaped from a political prison in North Korea, in which he had been born and lived his entire life. He is the only person ever to have escaped from such a camp. Washington Post journalist Blaine Harden spent a couple of years interviewing Shin about his experiences in order to write this book.

Shin has told a horrific story about the treatment of people inside the camps, where he was given only corn porridge and cabbage soup to eat and any infraction of the strict rules could result in being shot. The environment in which he was raised was so controlled Shin wasn't even exposed to government propaganda. He didn't even know about the existence of countries around him, televisions, or money.

After his amazing escape, he traveled aimlessly around China for months before finally starting to pull his life together. His biggest challenge in the outside world has been simply adapting to life among people who aren't prisoners, who aren't trained to snitch on each other, who aren't competitors for food.

In addition to Shin's personal story, Harden has included a lot of general information about North Korea which, for the most part, I found pretty helpful. There was gradually more of this contextual information later in the book, which broke up Shin's story a bit too much for me, but it didn't affect how eye-opening I found the book. 

As much as I struggle with non-fiction, I think I read this book in about 2 days. It's short - under 200 pages - but also incredibly compelling. I want everyone to read this book and talk about it. I really had no idea this was going on and now I'm very curious about North Korea and about why the rest of the world isn't intervening in these horrible abuses. Escape From Camp 14 is accessible enough for teenagers or those who struggle with dense non-fiction and I think it would be a great choice for a Community Read. I let a lot of interesting-sounding non-fiction pass by, but I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. So should you!

A Land More Kind Than Home

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash (2012)

In a small North Carolina town, a church has slowly grown under the leadership of a pastor from out of town who sees himself as something of a prophet. He uses snakes and poison in his services, so convinced is he of his religion's power to overcome danger. But when a young boy dies during a service, the rest of the town is no longer content to look the other way. 

The story is told from the point of view of three narrators: young Jess Hall, Sunday school teacher Adelaide Lyle, and Sheriff Clem Barefield. Their distinct voices are folksy yet genuine, and each told a different part of the story to create an intense, powerful whole.

My main impression upon finishing the book is to feel terrible for poor little Jess. Not only did he lose his brother with whom he was very close, but he wasn't allowed to go to the funeral or stay with his parents afterward. They sent him off to stay with his grandpa who he had never met, and who was of dubious character. His mother seemed fairly nice early on, though gullible for being involved in such a crazy church, but later on....oh, it became clear just what sort of person she was. Essentially, this is a story about a young boy with terrible parents.

But it's also about a small town dealing with evil in its midst, and I really appreciated how Cash developed the history of alliances and hostilities among the inhabitants, weaving in stories of the past with events of the present. Although Jess was closest to the current tragedy, Clem and Adelaide complemented his narration with their own, not unrelated, past tragedies.

I'm afraid one of the reasons this book was so satisfying to me is because of how much I dislike organized religion and I really enjoy when the super-religious go off the deep end and show just how wrong their ideas are. However, this isn't an anti-religion book at all, in fact I'd say that most of the characters are church-going folks. But it shows the deep divide between those who follow Jesus and those who think they ARE Jesus.

Not only do I think this would make a good choice for book groups, I think it could be an awesome movie, like a slightly friendlier Winter's Bone. Of course they will change the title to something stupid.

I picked up my Advanced Reader's Copy at the PLA Conference, but it hits shelves this week and I highly recommend seeking it out.