Serenade at the Library!

"Joel Caithamer... uses his music background to help promote the Kenton County Public Library. With several music CDs to his credit, as well as his regular television appearances, he says he’s promoting it a lot.
'I’ve been Children’s Services Coordinator at the William E. Durr Branch (in Independence) for over six years and I’ve really been enjoying visiting area schools with my guitar as part of our library outreach services,' he says. 'I perform and promote the library for hundreds of kids each month.'"

Singing librarian, huh?  Well, that must be a hoot and a half while you are trying to study.  I kid.  Actually this seems like a great way to promote library services while also getting to do what you love.  The closest I ever came to this was writing a murder mystery party and that was only awesome because I got to kill my old director.

I think more libraries should be like this.  Hell, let's ratchet it up a bit and take a note from our Mexican and Italian brothers.  Who would not want a roaming band of mariachi or violin players walking around the 'brary serenading young couples.  Maybe a girl handing out roses for a dollar.  This could be awesome. 

Librarian makes music for library - Cincinnati.com

Hello Nurse: Libraries as Out Patient Centers

"Daniel Lopez [library nurse] is Pima County's novel answer to a common issue in public libraries across the country - a growing number of patrons living without shelter, health insurance, medical care or computer access. They come to the library looking not only for resources, but also for safety and protection from the elements. The shaky economy and high unemployment have further fueled the need."

Lopez checks on diabetics feet, hands out condoms and other common ailments and services for the public at the library.

This is awesome.  Why has someone not thought of this before.  I am being completely serious.  The library is a place where people should come for help.  Our nation, our libraries have been clutching at different ways to stay relevant, to justify their existence and here you have.  Where did we go?  Coffee shops.  Book sales.  All dumb.

Why not have a free clinic in a library?  Why not provide for the body while you provide for the mind?  Genius, selfless, and pure.  This is a good idea that should continue.  Maybe all those Planned Parenting places that have been closed can have some office space.

Library nurses look after those in need - Arizona Daily Star

Mobile Public Library Budget Cuts Put the Brakes on Bookmobile

"A cut in operational hours and personnel handling the bookmobile are two possibilities from the recent cut in the Mobile Public Library's budget.
The latest cut came from the city's 2013 budget, which slashed its annual appropriation to the library by 1.1 percent from $6.6 million in 2012 to $6.5 million next year."

Somewhere in Alabama, a librarian is looking longingly at her driving gloves.  She thinks about pulling those little pieces of leather on one more time, taking out the bookmobile for one last hoorah before she is put down all together.  She looks out the window and sighs, thinking of all the little country children who would squeal in delight as she honked the horn coming around the corner.  The bookmobile librarian, the outreach of the most out reaching librarian, is no more.  Remember her.

Where do bookmobile librarians go when they are put out to pasture?  Is there a farm? 

Mobile Public Library looks at cutting hours, bookmobile amid budget cuts - al.com (blog)

Kelly Clarkson Haunted By Jane Austen? No, Probably Not.

"Kelly Clarkson has been banned from taking a $243,000 ring once owned by Jane Austen out of Britain after it was deemed a "national treasure"."

If I were her, I would touch my own boobs a lot.  But I am not (I am placing bets she does not have my concern for breast cancer), so I can only conjecture why she would want to take Jane Austen's ring.  My conclusion?

Kelly Clarkson is possessed by the spirit of Jane Austen.  Austen just wants her ring back, and the best way to do that would be through a random celebrity.  Thank goodness the Brits know enough about haunting to know if she gets that ring back, Austen will rise back to full power and stopped her ass cold.  Gettum, England.

It's Halloween, this is the time this kinda stuff happens.  Just watch "From Justin to Kelly," you will see how far this shit goes.

Also, if you click this link for the real article, she's wearing a Def Leopard shirt.  She tough.
Kelly Clarkson Banned From Taking Jane Austen Ring Out Of Britain - Starpulse.com

Los Angeles Public Library Can Now Use a Map Pun

Real estate agent Matthew Greenberg of Los Angeles has found dozens of old maps in a house about to b destroyed and has donated them to the Los Angeles Public Library.

"Stashed everywhere in the 948-square-foot tear-down were maps. Tens of thousands of maps. Fold-out street maps were stuffed in file cabinets, crammed into cardboard boxes, lined up on closet shelves and jammed into old dairy crates. Wall-size roll-up maps once familiar to schoolchildren were stacked in corners. Old globes were lined in rows atop bookshelves also filled with maps and atlases."

I thought the same thing: One Eyed Willy.  Right?  It has got to be in there somewhere.  Quick, somebody give the LA Public Library equivalent of Chunk the map under glass so we do not have to bother opening it.

But seriously, if there's not one treasure hunt waiting in that house, then someone's not doing their job.  Never say die.

Saved from Dumpster: Amazing map collection makes librarians tingle - Los Angeles Times

No Gay Guinea Pigs in Saint Louis County

"The Brentwood Public Library in Saint Louis County pulled a controversial book from the shelves after a local resident, James Vandervoort, complained about the content. The book, "Uncle Bobby's Wedding" by Sarah S. Brannen, is about 2-male guinea pigs who plan to get married and a story about family. The Brentwood Library, Director Vicki Woods, has yet to decide whether to permanently remove the book from the library's circulation."

Have we devolved this much as a people?  So we regulate our own species, sure, we are monsters that will not let two people who find happiness in this craptastical world proclaim that in a way our 'normal' society deams fit.  I get that.  People are people and, dammit, everyone should be in the same shoe box with their other matching shoe or nobody gets to walk around comfortable.

But do we have to put down the guinea pig?  I mean, one finally gets enough courage (and a book deal) to tell his story about his homoguineasexual relationship and rather than being seen as an outright miracle, one parent has to put this down.  Who are you to judge the gay guinea, Mr. Vandervoort?  Look at your name.  What have you done that equals breaking into another species publishing habits to tell your story?  Not live up to the name Vandervoort, I can tell you that.  Let the guinea pigs be happy.  At least some gay couples in this world should be, if we will not let the human ones do it.
Brentwood library pulls book after parent complained it promotes homosexuality - Examiner.com

Confirmed! Random House Allows Libraries to Own eBooks

Random House has confirmed that if a library purchases an Random House eBook, that library owns that ebook. Library Journal sat down with Skip Dye, Random House’s vice president of library and academic marketing and sales, and he confirmed the information:

“This is our business model: we sell copies of our ebooks to an approved list of library wholesalers, and those wholesalers are supposed to resell them to libraries. In our view, this purchase constitutes ownership of the book by the library. It is not a license.”

Well, poop on a duck if that is your thing, am I right? Good news that one book vendor is looking at digital items as actual things and not the scary, troll like creatures that can only come out for limited numbers of times then get locked back in their cages until the toll is paid again. I think I misunderstood how trolls work, but not ebooks, nope, them live under bridges and can only be seen under the light of a computer screen. I digress. Hooray?

Random House Says Libraries Own Their Ebooks | LJ Insider - Library Journal:

Random House Says Libraries Own Their Ebooks | LJ Insider Library Journal “We spend a lot of time discussing this with librarians, at conferences and elsewhere, and it's clear that there is still some confusion out there around whether libraries own their ebooks,” Dye said. “Random House's often repeated, and always ... and more »