A librarian’s manifesto 2.0

What we all must strive to work towards….

 

Do you want fries with that Danielle Steel novel?

In Texas, the Houston Public Library is offering a service  which  delivers books, movies, and music to you car– your library curbside to go! Now,  Houston’s citizens who are physically challenged, suffer from agoraphobia,  are in a hectic  rush to get the kids to soccer practice, or who are just plain lazy can now rejoice!  No reports as to librarians being tipped and of how much…..

 

Bibliophile eye candy…..

All at once, it became apparent,  the his  love of literature had become all-consuming……

(Just a neat-o piece of  biblio art work , I found.)

 

Samuel Johnson…Oxford English Dictionary…300 years later making language matter….

This month we celebrate a leader in the English language,  someone on par with the great English writings of William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson.  As  poet, satirist, critic, lexicographer, and dyed-in-the-wool conservative, Johnson’s birth was recorded in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, on September 18, 1709. The tercentenary of Johnson’s birth just us cause to re-evaluate his influence on the modern dictionary as well as his contributions to English lexicography. Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is the “work that defined the English language.” when printed in 1755.

Johnson is perhaps the most highly celebrated lexicographer of English. Conventional wisdom claims that Johnson solely conceived and produced A Dictionary of the English Language. Although he invested a number of years of full-time work to the Dictionary, Johnson wasn’t the first professional lexicographer.  That distinction belongs to John Kersey, author of A New English Dictionary, published in 1702,  53 years prior. Also, it has been recorded the Johnson did not work alone;  with the aid of

half a dozen assistants, and the history of lexicography tells us that assistants influence dictionary-making more than either eighteenth-century social hierarchies or the Great Author theory behind Johnson’s reputation admits.

Nor was Johnson’s the first dictionary to illustrate meaning  and  usage. John Florio’s Italian-English dictionary, A Worlde of Wordes was, in 1598, the first at least partially English dictionary to use quotations. Benjamin Martin had used sense divisions into dictionary entries in Lingua Britannica Reformata, published in 1749.  Johnson proposed to “sort the several senses of each word, and to exhibit first its natural and primitive signification,” followed by “its consequential meaning,” and then “the remoter or metaphorical signification.” Whoever came up with it, no one doubts, in retrospect, that it was a good plan.

Unlike its predecessors, Johnson’s Dictionary was written on a grand scale, attempting to perfect the dictionary as a type of book and to change the terms on which dictionaries were valued by London’s literati. In contrast to earlier lexicography, Johnson’s dictionary entries—little critical essays about lexical form, meaning, and usage—talk in voices big enough to carry across the centuries.

Johnson inserted dictionaries into literary culture: He convinced readers that perfect cultivation of the human mind required a dictionary, preferably his Dictionary, not merely as a work of reference, but as a book worth reading for its own sake. Johnson’s great contribution to the history of English lexicography was to conceive the dictionary, not as a schoolroom prop, but as a type of literary work.

Johnson wrote only one dictionary, but in that one he initiated several dictionary genres. Definitions like those for oats, lexicographer, and excise

(“a hateful tax levied upon commodities and adjudged not by the common judges of property but wretches hired by those to whom excise is paid”) were a form of cultural criticism.  Though Johnson was not the first to employ literary quotations to illustrate usage and meaning, he was the first English lexicographer to conceive entries as necessarily incorporating quotations, the first to concentrate on quotations as an aspect of dictionary structure.

His refined use of quotations proposed yet another genre, “the quotations dictionary.”

The OED was first published (somewhat irregularly) in parts, and those interested in the English language subscribed, as though it were a periodical.

Today, we celebrate this epic tome of the school room,  that which sits on a shelf of reverence in our homes, on a specific;y designed stand in a public place.  Samuel Johnson might not have been the first to compose a list of English language words,  though he is one of the most celebrated lexicographers in our past 300 years.

Johnson’s dictionary is most significant for the way it stimulated lexicography, raised the status and interest of the dictionary as a literary and cultural artifact, and generated new genres of dictionary. The Dictionary may effectively be the synopsis and epitome of Johnson’s genius.

as seen in  HUMANITIES, September/October 2009, Volume 30, Number 5

 

A day in the life, part II….or the name game

To further my position that we must offer friendly, responsive services to our community in order to meet their  needs.  In our quest to be  effectual we must give our patrons  the courtesy of  listening to their  wanted services . To aid in effectively changing  our traditional public perception, we as a profession must  listen to our patron’s requests and  better meet them in a respectful, timely and technologically advanced form.

Besides, it is rather funny video ……

 

A day in the life of a librarian…..

What is it that we do?  As public perception portrays us as middle aged spinsters with  glasses and cardigan sweaters,  many of  us within the profession challenge this  image in daily list serve postings, conference  discussion groups and in professional periodicals.  It would seem as of late that there has been a flurry of LM-Net postings regarding  ’what is your title’ and ‘what are your duties’.   While I contend that public perception might need to change, just as our duties  and use of technology has evolved,  I question how would be the best way to do this?

Perhaps by giving the best service we can.

While customer service  might echo  the trade talk of a corporation of a for profit organization,  we can treat our patrons/users in a manner which highlights  effectiveness and use of technology.  We can certainly  ’be more out there’ with our use of social media  tools to better model our profile.

Perhaps we should focus less on  defending our new image and focus more so on giving good customer service  to better promote our image.

Or that is just my opinion……

 

1000 origami cranes….or what I did on my summer vacation…

Could it be a tribute to Sadako and world peace, or  is it an excellent example of  a student Falcon’s dedication to seeing a project through to the end?

Both, definitely. I am immensely proud of  all of my students, particularly those who show initiative and are self  motivated. Charlie is one of those  children.

In April 2009, our grade three class  read Sadako and the thousand paper cranes by E. Coerr as a compliment to their  social studies  program. As part of learning about Japanese culture as well as empathy towards the main character and her quest to fold  1000 origami cranes in order to  wish for good health,  as a class we attempt to fold a few paper cranes.  Origami is an art of  folding paper in precise  forms.  Valley folds,  angles need to match and such.

After our origami class workshop, I noticed Charlie was showing a particular interest in  the project.  I challenged him to  try to fold 1000 cranes over the summer vacation.   Admittedly, I did not think to much about it since that moment. On The first day of school,   Mum delivered two boxes  filled with chains of  ornate paper cranes.  Charlie has done me proud  by demonstrating  his self motivation, by providing something beautiful for others to look at.  Above all, he has given  school library visitors  a chance to pause and think about Sadako and her plight for world peace.

Bravo Charlie. I am so very proud of you and your accomplishment.

 

Added security at our school…..

As the new year begins at Saint Stephen’s , many parents have noticed our new security system, new gates and a restricted  flow of people on and off our campus.  While this might seem a nuisance, it is in the name of keeping our children safe.

As with many changes, we must learn to approach them with an open mind and sometimes a bit of humor.  I felt this video   drives home that point.  Gates to aid in our safety,  if not anyone, or anything,  could get into our school, and into our library….such as a ferocious dinosaur   (this is where the humor comes in…)

Yes, new fencing is a good thing…….

 

Socialnomics…revolutionising our mode of communication

Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?   Welcome to the World of Socialnomics…..rethinking the way we as humans  communicate…..

 

Being green and sustainable at Saint Stephen’s

Go Green ….and Gold!

During the 2009/2010 school year, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School will celebrate our  yearly theme in many forms throughout all divisions.  Be Green ….and Gold! will encourage both faculty and students to look at our earth’s fragile eco system. In our commitment to preserve our  resources and the beauty of our landscape, our new Middle School, the Sunlight Building, will be opening in January 2009.  As a LEED certified building, Falcons will be learning in this new building, as well as gain a new understanding  in our living laboratory.

Students who wish to delve deeper into this notion are encouraged to consult their school library for information about  the ecology, our environment and our place within it.

We also offer two on line databases (accessable from home as well as on cmapus) to aid  in ecological research:  Access Science,  Brain Pop and United Streaming are all valuable resources. In addtion, the Campus Center Library offers a number of ecological themed  fiction novels ( many with an accompanying AR test) for LS and IS children to enjoy.

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School

Picture Books

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

The many different animals that live in a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rain forest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.

Ben’s Dream By Chris Van Allsburg

On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world, half submerged in flood water.

Curious George Plants a Tree by M. Rey

The mischievous monkey learns about protecting the environment by planting trees and recycling paper. Includes tips on conserving energy and resources.

The lorax By Dr. Seuss

The Once-ler describes the results of the local pollution problem.

The Earth and I by Frank Asch

A child explains how he and the Earth dance and sing together and take turns listening to each other.

Children of the Earth: Remember by Schim Schimmel

Out of love and concern for their planet, the animals and people of Mother Earth work together to protect the natural world.

Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schim Schimmel

Wartville wizard by Don Madden

An old man fights a town of litterbugs by magically sending each piece of trash back to the person who dropped it.

Farewell to shady glade by Bill Peet

When building machinery moves into their woodland home, the animal inhabitants of Shady Glade must search for a new place to live.

Where once there was a wood by Denise Fleming

Examines the many forms of wildlife that can be displaced if their environment is destroyed by development and discusses how communities and schools can provide spaces for them to live.

The dumpster dive by Janet Wong

Once a month–every week in the summer–Steve the electrician dons special gear and, with the help of youngsters who live in his building, dives into a dumpster seeking useful objects that they can transform into imaginative new ones.

Uno’s garden by Graeme Base

Uno builds a home and garden in the magnificent forest among the playful puddlebuts and feathered frinklepods, but as the place becomes more and more popular, it is overtaken by tourists and buildings until the forest and animals seem to disappear altogether.

The water hole by Graeme Base

As ever growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.

Meadowview street by Henry Cole

Upon moving to a new house, young Caroline and her parents encourage wildflowers to grow and birds and animals to stay in their yard, which soon has the whole suburban street living up to its name.

Trouble with dragons by Debi Gliori

When dragons cut down too many trees, blow out too much hot air, and do other environmental damage, the future looks grim, but other animals advise them on how to mend their ways and save the planet.

Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting

A young girl, her parents, and their neighbors try to save an old oak tree that has been poisoned by pollution.

Winston of Churchill : one bear’s battle against global warming by J.D. Okimoto

Winston, a great white bear who hunts from the ice of Hudson Bay near the town of Churchill, Manitoba, rallies his fellow polar bears to protest the human activities that are causing the planet to warm and melting the ice of the bears’ traditional hunting grounds.

Fiction Novels

Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery by David Adler

On Green Day, Cam and her classmates discuss ways to protect the environment, but when money collected for the school’s new skylights disappears, Cam uses her photographic memory to solve the mystery.

Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold

Two worms who are best friends have fun together as they tunnel their way through a garden. Includes facts on how worms help plants grow.

Green Boy by Susan Cooper

Twelve-year-old Trey and his seven-year-old brother Lou, who does not speak, cross the barrier between two worlds, that of their island in the Bahamas, and a land called Pangaia, and play a mysterious role in restoring the natural environment in both places.

The Prince of Butterflies by Bruce Colville

When surrounded by thousands of butterflies, eleven-year-old John becomes transformed into one of them and finds his entire life altered because of this experience.

Books of Ember (series) by Jeanne DuPrau

City of Ember/People of Sparks/Prophet of Yonwood / Diamond of Darkhold

The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

Two New Zealand teenagers receive a desperate SOS from their future selves and set out on a quest to stop an impending ecological disaster that could mean the end of humanity.

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and, in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.

Vampire Island by Adele Griffin

The Livingstone kids are fruit bat hybrids who have left Old World dangers and immortality behind for a “normal” life in New York City, but normal doesn’t necessarily mean easy, especially with lingering vampire traits complicating things.

Skullduggery by Pete Hautman

During a field trip in the local woods, Roni and Brian find the local archaeology professor, Andrew Dart, knocked unconscious in a cave, which leads them to investigate a land development scheme.

Kailey by Amy Goldman Koss

Ten-year-old Kailey launches an art protest to keep a developer from spoiling the cove and its tide pools that are special to her and her family and friends.

Tin Can Man by Marcia Leonard

A phonics-based story for readers in pre-kindergarten through grade one in which a girl and her father build a figure out of tin cans that wins a blue ribbon.

Judy Moody Saves the World! by Megan McDonald

When Judy Moody gets serious about protecting the environment, her little brother Stink thinks she is overdoing it, but she manages to inspire her third grade class to undertake an award-winning, environment-saving project.

Messy Bessey’s Garden by Patricia McKissack

Messy Bessey discovers that with proper care her garden will flourish.

Recycled by Jilian Powell

Miss Drew’s efforts to teach her class about recycling are very successful.

The Beasties by William Sleator

When fifteen-year-old Doug and his younger sister Colette move with their parents to a forested wilderness area, they encounter some weird creatures whose lives are endangered.

Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen

While on her first hiking and camping trip, thirteen-year-old Sammy tries to solve a mystery involving endangered condors while avoiding scorpions, ticks, and embarrassment.

Where Have the Unicorns Gone? by Jane Yolen

The unicorns flee from the noise, violence, and destruction of civilization and find refuge in the sea.

Abel’s Island By William Steig

Castaway on an uninhabited island, Abel, a very civilized mouse, finds his resourcefulness and endurance tested to the limit as he struggles to survive and return to his home.

Hoot By Carl Hiaasen

Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy’s attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Nick and Marta are both suspicious when their biology teacher, the feared Mrs. Bunny Starch, disappears, and try to uncover the truth despite the police and headmaster’s insistence that nothing is wrong.

Flush by Carl Hiassen

With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.

National Parks Mysteries series by Gloria Skurzynski

Exciting mystery-adventure stories take place in the U.S. National Parks, and introduce readers to a particular park’s history as well as its ecology.

Maxium Ride #4: Max by James Patterson

When millions of fish start dying off the coast of Hawaii and something is destroying hundreds of ships, the government enlists the Flock–a band of genetically modified children who can fly–to help get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.

There’s an owl in the shower by George, Jean Craighead

Laws protecting the spotted owls in the old growth forest of northern California cost Borden’s father his logging job. Angry, Borden vows to kill any spotted owl he sees, but has a change of heart when he and his father find themselves taking care of a young owlet.

My side of the mountain George, Jean Craighead

young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Frightful’s Mountain. George, Jean Craighead

As she grows through the first years of her life in the Catskill Mountains of New York, a peregrine falcon called Frightful interacts with various humans, including the boy who raised her, a falconer who rescues her, and several unscrupulous poachers, as well as with many animals that are part of the area’s ecological balance.

Non-fiction Books

A cool drink of water by Kerley

Depicts people around the world collecting, chilling, and drinking water.

I love our earth by Bill Martin

Presents a introduction to nature, in simple text with photographs, celebrating the Earth’s seasons, climates, and colors.

Gone Wild By David McLimans

Presents the alphabet in capital letters designed to look like endangered animals, and lists facts on each species, covering their habitats, geographic ranges, threats to survival, and statuses.

The Dirt on Dirt by Paulette Bourgeois with Kathy Vanderlinden

Text describe where dirt comes from and its importance to nature; and includes instructions for creating a fossil footprint and growing a garden playhouse.

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle by Chief Seattle

A Suquamish Indian chief describes his people’s respect and love for the Earth, and concern over its destruction.

M is for majestic: a National Parks alphabet by David Domenicon

Examines the history and lore of America’s national parks from Acadia National Park to Zion National Park.

Let’s get ready for Earth Day by Llyod Douglas

A boy describes how his class prepares for Earth Day, by learning about the holiday from their teacher, preparing and hanging posters, and planting a tree.

Endangered Planet by David Burnie

Shows how natural habitats and cycles are threatened by human behavior and explores possible solutions.

Earth’s Water Crisis by Rob Bowden

Examines the potential for a serious global water crisis, the effects of global warming on water supplies, and ways to keep nations from going to war over water.

Earth’s Garbage Crisis by Christian Dorion

Examines the careless use of the Earth’s natural resources, efforts to encourage recycling of garbage, and ways to safely dispose of industrial waste.

Down to earth guide to global warming by Laurie David

A collection of facts and information about global warming and its consequences, with suggestions on maintaining a healthy environment in the home, at school, and in the community.

Recycle by Gail Gibbons

Explains the process of recycling from start to finish and discusses what happens to paper, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic when they are recycled into new products.

Oil Spill by Melvin Berger

Explains why oil spills occur and how they are cleaned up and suggests strategies for preventing them in the future.

Why should I recycle by Jen Green

Mr. Jones takes his students on a visit to a recycling center, and teaches them some of the many ways in which they can recycle and reuse.

The future of the earth: an introduction to sustainable development for young readers

by Philippe J. Dubois

Discusses the diversity, richness, and complexity of sustainable development issues around the world.

Biographies

Rachel Carson: pioneer of ecology by Kathleen Kudlindki

A biography of the ecologist and writer most noted for her book “Silent Spring” concerning the dangers of pesticides and their uses.

Rachel: The story of Rachel Carson by Amy Ehrlich

A biography of Rachel Carson, author of “Silent spring,” which sparked the beginnings of the modern environmental movement.

Poetry Books

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love and generosity of a tree which gives to him without thought of return.