What happened to having a little fun? I thought fun and social relationships make us live longer? Is this why librarians only last ‘til…well, nevermind. It seems that no matter how hard I try, I still continue to feel the gap between old and new; between keeping things the same and inevitable change. It’s so pronounced in every branch I go, that I’m almost starting to think it’s a by product of where we live. People aren’t as friendly in this town and there’s definitely an air of individualism that I tend to not find when I travel outside. So is it the librarians who are stopping me from having a little fun at work or our city’s culture? Maybe I’m thinking too deeply into this or maybe I’m just the symptom of a larger problem. I think it’s great to play games in the library with our patrons or to talk about something that’s happening outside the four walls…but get this…I was told ‘it has to relate to books somehow.’ Cue me falling off my chair.

Anytime I see an article written in mainstream media that promotes and encourages libraries...I love it! So I am sharing this one today:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/home-cents/stretch-your-entertainment-dollars---at-the-library/article1384516/

Hey everyone!

I've officially been added as an editor in OLA Access Magazine and my column will be 'The Last Word' (fitting..I know lol) So all of you who are interested in following my library rants can find me there! Also, I am looking for aspiring authors who would like to contribute to the column, so if you would like to write something to have published, send me an email at alessyaq@gmail.

Now I hate to admit this because for the past couple years I've publicly bashed this company and even had a teleconference argument with its founder, yet now I find myself using it more and more...Google Books. I always felt Google Books was 'stepping on our toes' as a librarian and I knew that in the short term they wouldn't be able to digitize or make public complete copies of many books, either due to remaning copyrights or simply time.

The library industry is so interesting to me. It seems that there is always a tug and war between doing something new and innovative and keeping things the same. And I can see why people say that if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Adult Storytime. An oxymoron to me. Reading books to adults...really?? Maybe I'm biased being a children's librarian because I find it REALLY hard to picture reading with such enthusiasm and spunk as I do to a bunch of 4 year olds, with a bunch of 40 year olds.

Now I want to precede the following entry by saying that I'm not trying to get people angry, but I am trying to start a debate and I hope that my entry will get some juices flowing. I wasn't too pleased with this year's Superconference and hope that future changes can be made. Enjoy my rant! :) I waited all week in anticipation...even going on my one day off…for what is the most talked about conference in the library industry in Ontario and perhaps all of Canada: the OLA Superconference and I walked away completely disappointed.

Hey everyone! I firstly want to say thanks to all those who have been reading my blog and now I am coming to you for help! As a fairly new librarian, I find that my capacity for creativity when it comes to coming up with performers/entertainers for children's programs is limited, and so I wanted to ask all of you out there for suggestions or referrals on entertainers or program ideas that would fit into this year's Summer Reading Club theme of 'Mystery'?? Thanks!!

Interesting thought, eh? I was reading the article, “What’s New in Coburg, Matey” in the OLA Access magazine, when one sentence mentioned the idea of a library card with points. I stopped dead in my tracks and thought, “Well, hey! Isn’t THAT a great idea!” And so this blog entry began."

Now this next topic may seem a bit frivolous, yet can hit a nerve for both employees and patrons alike. My question is, why do people go to the library and subsequently wish to borrow materials, yet do not have their library card with them? I understand that there are situations where a person is walking by and decides to pop in, but this happens more often than not. As an employee, this situation can be frustrating, since asking for a patron’s library card usually leads to an argument about how they have no other identification or a five minute wait as they search through purses and all pockets.

I just finished reading the article, “How Happy Are You” by Eva and McCormack and I just want to say that I think being a librarian is the best job in the world! This question of happiness actually popped into my mind as I was in library school, when deciding which area of librarianship I wanted to pursue. And this is how I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a children’s librarian.