Pottermore

This is completely not library-related, other than the fact that it's about a book and a fandom, but I got into the early Pottermore registration, and I am freaking out about it.

This may become the downfall to my GPA. I can see it now: "Blaine, why isn't your paper finished?" "Um, I was up until 3 a.m. on Pottermore, trying to solve Snape's potion challenge..."

Yeah, I can definitely see that happening...

"Tell Me About a Book That You Liked."

My title quotes the super librarian that is Nancy Pearl. (If you don't know who that is, the librarian action figure with "super shushing action and OPAC accessories" was inspired by her.) (also, if you want to get me a present, this is a great idea. *hint*hint*)



Anyway, this is one of the many things I learned during my YA Materials course this summer.

"Tell me about a book you liked" is a way to get a patron talking about a book that they actually enjoyed, and allows you as the listener to discover what types of stories this person will most likely enjoy the most. Do they focus on character? Plot? Language? Setting? These are what Ms. Pearl calls the "doorways" into literature. And asking this question (well, more like, speaking this phrase) is one of the best ways to aid a patron while doing readers advisory. It is a way to best connect a reader to a new book, and to help a reader discover a book that they will enjoy because by asking this question, you ask the reader to describe the characteristics of the book that they liked, not just the plot.

We don't want to read the same story over and over, which will happen if we do book recommendations on plot summary alone. We need to get down to the meat of the book, how the book is written and uses words, what the characters are like, where the stories take place, any many other factors other than basic storyline. If we discover what aspect of the book the reader enjoyed, we are more capable of connecting them with a book that has similar characteristics, and will be a book that the reader will enjoy because of those characteristics.

I know that readers advisory is going to be one of the portions of my job that I will really enjoy. I love the puzzle of connecting the patron with that perfect book. I love the looks on patrons' faces when they come in and say, "I'm looking for this book... I don't remember what it's called or who wrote it, but I know the cover had a ______ and was [insert color here]... and is about _____..." and I actually know what book they are talking about. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I love the look of astonishment.

By connecting readers with books through this simple phrase, we are able to open doorways to literature for them that they may not have found otherwise, and we may even open doorways for ourselves in the process.

I'm always looking for new reading suggestions. So, can you tell me about a book that you liked?

The End of an Era

"Don’t you ever wonder what
Will happen when it ends
How can we let go of the
Ones who we call friends
And I know, it’s only a story, but
For so many it’s more than that
It’s a world, all on its own where we
Want to put on the sorting hat

I will miss the train ride in
And the pranks pulled by the twins
And though it’s no where I have been
I’ll keep on smiling from the times I had with them

Could there ever be again
Another one like this
One that’s brought us together and
Started its own music movement

Soon we will see it closed
The final chapter exposed
It’s an end of an era
And I’m seeing clearer
That nothing will ever be the same"
- End of an Era by Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls

This song, if you haven't heard it, find it on YouTube. It sums up how I've been feeling over the past couple of weeks, culminating in my going to see the last Harry Potter film with my sisters.

Harry Potter has been such a big part of my life. I remember how I was first introduced to the series. I was in 5th grade, and I was home sick from school. In my house we don't just use medicine to get better, we also use books, so my Mom came home with a big bag of books for me. One of them was a book with a boy on a broomstick on the front. I had never heard of it. My mom had heard about it on NPR, so she bought it for me. I was hesitant at first, but once I started I couldn't put it down. I was a Harry Potter enthusiast from that moment on. I dressed up as Harry for Halloween that year and all of the people handing out candy thought I was a witch with a big scar.

Harry Potter is so much more than just great books, though great books they most certainly are. They have created a fandom, a community of enthusiasts. I can now listen to songs about the characters I love (Wizard Rock, you should find some if you haven't heard any yet, such as the band from the song above, or Ministry of Magic, to name a few), as well as watch the movies and listen to the beautiful soundtracks (though, the books will always win in my heart.)

This series has meant so much to me. It's something that I started with my mom, and read to my youngest sister. Now that my mom is gone, having the series come to an end has become really difficult. I cried so much during that last film, especially when Harry is in the forest and he gets to see the ones he loves before he goes on to face his death. Even thinking about it makes me tear up. It's been such a big part of my life for so long, that I'm going to miss it now that it's over.

I also love that the characters are so identifiable. I immediately felt a connection to Hermione, and to this day I still have people tell me that I remind them of her, which always makes me smile. Rowling made it ok for girls to be more than supermodels. Having brains and not being afraid to use them is a quality she gave Hermione, and I will remain eternally grateful that she has created such a great female character for girls to look up to.

The only thing I can think to comfort myself is that one day I will get to share these books that have meant so much to me with my children. I am a proud member of the Harry Potter generation, and it makes me a little sad to know that my children will not get to experience these books as I did, because I think having to wait made reading them so much more rewarding. And I got to grow up with the series. I started reading in 5th grade, but the series didn't come to its end until I was in college. I remember thinking as a 5th grader that I would be "old" when the last book came out, and I knew I would still be just as excited.

And I was. And I still am. I read at least one of them every year. And reading the entire series annually may become a tradition.

And Abundance of Booktalks?

My first ever Voki booktalk. The audio is a little scratchy, and you can definitely tell I was nervous, and I was limited to a minute of audio recording and my actual script is longer, but hey, one down, hopefully lots and lots to go!

Bibliomania

Lately, I feel as though I could compare what I do to dealing drugs.

Now, I know what you're thinking (WHAT?!? is what immediately comes to mind for me, at least), but stay with me here for a minute while I attempt to explain myself.

When I've read (or listened to) a really good book, I tend to tell everyone about it. When I finished listening to Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book on audio several weeks ago, I recommended it to everyone, to the point where I'm pretty sure people got tired of me talking about it and couldn't wait for me to move on to something else.

Or my unabashed promotion of Harry Potter because the encyclopedia of HP knowledge that resides inside my brain is looking for a friend.

Or giving The Hunger Games to a friend as a recommendation, and being so excited, because now that she's read the whole series and loved them as much as I do, she's passing along the books to her other work friends. She keeps me updated on how many people she has passed the book along to.

So, I amend my previous statement. I think I'm both a pyramid scheme member and a drug dealer. I spread my love of literature with other people, in hopes that they too will become members of my pyramid scheme, otherwise know as bibliomania, and keep adding more and more people to the bottom layer of the pyramid who can work their way farther and farther up by continuing to recommend books to others.

I am a dealer of knowledge and information. I peddle my wares to all that will listen, from children who I tell about Elephant and Piggy, Percy Jackson, and Junie B. Jones, to teens who have to know about John Green, to students who need to know what database is best for a project they're currently working on, to Adults, who I have less knowledge about their materials, but am more than willing to do research or talk about what books they have loved in order to be able to pass on good recommendations to others in the future.

I deal knowledge and information, and I am proud to do it.

What kind of information are you looking for today?

Social Media

I have come to the realization lately, one I should have probably figured out long ago, that I am not one who easily shares with others. Not physical things, but emotional things. I am not good at sharing what's on my mind with other people. I can easily share here, when I have my computer and the internet as a wall between myself and the rest of the world, but most of the time when people ask me about how I'm doing or what's going on in my life, I rarely share what's really going on.

Maybe I've come to this realization because of the huge impact that social media has made in today's society. Everyone seems to feel completely OK with sharing their entire life's story or whatever pops into their head via Facebook status update or tweet. I am not one who can do that. I want a private life that remains private. I censor myself when posting on Facebook or Twitter, because anyone and everyone can read it, and there are just some things in life that I want to keep to myself.

Possible employers check Facebook when they are going through the hiring process. All of the tweets are being archived by the Library of Congress. Personally, I'd rather people find out about me by actually talking to me, and not via some sort of social media newsfeed or livestream update.

I actually spent some time the other night going through my list of Facebook friends and getting rid of people, because I don't really think that the person I went to school with for one year in the second grade really cares about what's going on in my life and I don't feel the need to share it. There are some that I got rid of, because we weren't really more than acquaintances, and I didn't feel right knowing every personal detail of their lives via my newsfeed. I think after I was done I had deleted a solid 50 people.

In the past couple of days I have seriously debated getting rid of Facebook altogether, but there are several good friends with whom I never have time to catch up with, and Facebook is how we keep in touch. I spend far too much time surfing around and "creeping" on people when I have many other more important things that I could be doing, like homework or sleep.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think social media can be incredibly useful. Look at what Google has done to help locate people in Japan, using their people finder service. I have been attempting to follow what has been going on in Japan and Libya and Egypt via an NPR correspondent on Twitter, and by doing so I have learned a lot. Twitter #hashtags allow for quick access to information. Texting services allows people to give directly to charity just by sending a text to a number that adds the donation to their phone bill.

Technology is amazing, I just think that sometimes we don't use it to its full potential. And trust me, I am one of those people who fritters time away on Facebook when I could be doing something far more important, like educating myself on what's going on in the world or, you know, doing less important things like cleaning my unkempt apartment and doing laundry. These things won't change the world, but at least they'll keep me from living in squalor. If only there was an App for that...

Things I need to remember as a new librarian.

http://blog.libraryjournal.com/tennantdigitallibraries/2011/02/18/an-open-letter-to-new-librarians/