Back from Portland

I have just returned from Portland, Oregon and the 2010 Public Library Association Conference. I went to sessions on strategic planning, developing social software policies, library mash-ups, market segmentation, and how to deal with difficult people (not you, of course). Over the next few weeks I'll be working with staff to implement some of the ideas from the conference--ideas related to safety and decluttering will be the first we'll work on since they don't cost money and pay off for patrons and staff by creating a more comfortable environment. Longer term, we'll be looking at our use of social software, and moving our strategic plan into year 3.

Library conferences always have a large vendor exhibits area, and I came back with pens and pencils, note pads, and lanyards, as well as information about the latest new services and gadgets for libraries. There were even books and authors there, just in case you're worried about technology overtaking the printed word.

I hadn't been in Portland for several years, and I was very impressed by how easy it was to get around using light rail. We used it to get from our hotel to the convention center and back, and to get to a restaurant in the Pearl District--all at no charge. Portland also has great food stores, and we brought back bagels and some fancy chocolates to share with family and staff. And now, back to work.

How I spent my Sunday

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, and I spent it outside pulling weeds and pruning my roses. Until we moved to Washington, I had never lived anywhere where the weeds grow even in winter! Usually I listen to a book when I work outside so I can maximize my "reading" time, but this Sunday it was just me and the weeds--and lots of ideas about what to do differently in my garden this year.

The library has lots of books on gardening and landscaping, of course, but Everett has another great resource for those of us who enjoy gardens--and that's the Evergreen Arboretum. This gem of a garden is somewhat hidden from view, nestled at the edge of the golf course at Legion Park, but is well worth a visit whether you're looking for inspiration or just relaxation. I've been a member for a while, but Friday I am finally volunteering some time to help staff the Arboretum's booth at the Everett Home Show. Stop by the booth on Friday afternoon and learn more about Everett's very own arboretum.

Not again

This is becoming a sad series of posts. This morning I read that poet Lucille Clifton had died. Clifton won a National Book Award in 2000, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, to name just a few of the honors she earned in her lifetime.

She wrote children's books as well as 11 poetry collections, many of which celebrate her African-American heritage and feminism. National Poetry Month isn't until April--but there's always time to read a poem, and the library's extensive poetry collection will surely have something that fits your taste. You'll find American poets at 811, and British poets at 821. Check the catalog or ask at the reference desk for poets from other countries.

And now I think maybe I should stop reading the newspaper, before this becomes the dead authors blog.

And now Dick Francis...

Robert Parker, John Updike, J.D. Salinger, and now Dick Francis--we seem to be losing a lot of authors lately. You may have guessed from my post about Robert Parker that I am a mystery reader, so it seems appropriate to say a few words here about Dick Francis.

I'm not the least bit interested in horses or horse racing, but I always enjoyed reading Francis' fast-paced mysteries, almost all of which are set against the backdrop of professional horse racing. As further evidence that a good story can suck you into a world you might otherwise have little interest in, I'd like to recommend two other books for your reading pleasure. In honor of Dick Francis, both are about horses.

Jane Smiley's Horse Heaven
is frequently told from the point of view of the horses. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that a writer as skillful as Smiley could make this work. Well before the end of the book, I found myself empathizing with the horses and the people who are obsessed with thoroughbred racing. Perhaps I am particularly fond of this book because one of the great characters in the story is a Jack Russell terrier named Eileen!

There have been lots of books written about the legendary horse Seabiscuit, not to mention feature films and a documentary, but the one I would recommend (because it's the only one I've read) is by Laura Hillenbrand. I actually listened to it, and found it to be an amazing story. I'm not the only one--Hillenbrand's story of the horse and the people who loved him was named one of the best books of the year by over 20 publications.

So here's to Dick Francis, and great writers such as Jane Smiley and Laura Hillenbrand who introduce us to worlds we may only know through the pages of their books.

Robert Parker, RIP

Robert Parker is dead, and with his passing readers have lost his most enduring character, the detective without a first name, Spenser. The first Spenser novel, The Godwulf Manuscript, was published in 1974. I can't remember when I first began reading Parker's mysteries, but it's surely been at least twenty-five years ago.

Parker and his characters Spenser, Susan, and Hawk brought me many years of pleasurable reading--and whenever I visit Boston I think of him, and the people and places he wrote about. And if I've grown less attached to this series lately, I still occasionally wish my husband was as good a cook as Spenser, and that I had Susan Silverman's will power.

Books into Film

I tend to think that anytime Hollywood gets its hands on a book I've loved, they ruin it. However, after seeing Up in the Air with George Clooney recently, I started thinking about all the movies based on books that I've really enjoyed. Up in the Air is based on a book, which I haven't read--but the movie was excellent.

It almost goes without saying that any BBC production based on the work of a famous author is worth watching--and they are too numerous to name here. I would recommend both reading and watching any of the following titles: I Capture the Castle, Ghost World, Room with a View, and Remains of the Day.

You probably have your own favorites, and maybe you'll share them here.

This makes me feel old...

I was working the day after Christmas, and came across a reference to the 2009 Beloit Mindset List. This is a list created by Beloit College every year to help their professors better understand their new students. On the list this year is the interesting (at least to me) fact that incoming freshman have never used a card catalog. Card catalogs were very much a part of my life when I first began working in libraries, and now they're not. I sometimes see them in antiques stores, and I even have an interesting old catalog decorating my office--but it took Beloit's list to put it into perspective for me!