May--Kentucky's Month of Events

The month of May is approaching very quickly, and three events happen that keep us very busy. If you like horses, food or history, keep reading!

May 1, 2009, 135th Run for the Roses, or the Kentucky Derby, Louisville.

According to Wikipedia, on May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. The first winner was the horse Aristides. As an almost Louisville native, I have never been to the Derby. It is tradition in my family to go to our local American Legion's derby party and watch the races all day. Highlights for me include stories from the in-field and celebrity watching on millionaire's row. But to witness the race is like nothing else. You hold your breath until the horses cross the finish line. It is the most exciting two-minute race in history.

May 9-10 is Owensboro's BBQ Festival.

People from all over come to the BBQ capital to sample amazing mutton, pork, beef, chicken and burgoo. I love the smell of the food, the friendliness of the people, and the view of the river, which this year happens to be under construction. Thinking about watching those church teams cook their bbq for glory makes me hungry!

May 15-17 is the Battle of Sacramento in McLean County, KY.

According to the McLean County Civil War Driving Tour of Sacramento, Confederate forces, under Lt. Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest, were active in the Green River area during the fall and winter of 1861.

They were protecting the Confederate base and capital at Bowling Green and trying to maintain control of the Green River and the surrounding area, a long time source of food for the lower South. Ten thousand Union soldiers under General Thomas Crittenden were stationed in Calhoun protecting Lock and Dam No. 2 and maintaining the security of the Union’s Ohio River supply lines as the campaign for control of the Mississippi was developing.

Control of the Green River was crucial to both Union and Confederate goals during the maneuvering for position in late 1861. This made McLean County a focal point for both sides.On Dec. 27, 1861, Forrest assembled a force of some 300 men in Greenville to scout Union positions in the farming country between there and Calhoun. Union Major Eli Murray, only 18 years old, led a scouting party out of Calhoun to reconnoiter the area around Sacramento.

The two forces collided on December 28, with Forrest emerging the victor, in what came to be known as the Battle of Sacramento. The Union forces reported 11 killed and 40 missing, while Forrest lost only 2 men. Confederate success was fleeting, however, and by February, they had withdrawn from Bowling Green and conceded control of the Green River valley to the Union - losing access to one of the South’s traditional sources of food.

To all mothers, Happy Mother's Day!

A funeral customs museum in the land of Lincoln

When I was doing research on funeral cards (y'all know how I love anything weird), I came across an article that talked about a place called the Museum of Funeral Customs. Located in Springfield, Illinois not far from Lincoln's tomb this museum houses a collection of interesting items dealing with this subject. Items include a replica of Lincoln's casket, a horse-drawn hearse, embalming tools and burial robes. The focus on this article from the New York times talk about how the museum is struggling to stay open. It has reduced it hours to appointments only. It also has a myspace page that has not been recently updated. They do not have a functioning website. Here are the links to the article and the myspace site:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/us/09funeral.html?_r=1

http://www.myspace.com/funeralmuseum

Photograph available at www.everystockphoto.com. "The final journey" by TheLizardQueen.

Myspace and Facebook

I have enjoyed using Myspace and Facebook for quite sometime now. I enjoy messaging my friends, updating my status, uploading pictures and just having fun. Kevin and I started the library's Myspace and Facebook page. I have to agree with him that I do like the Myspace page better because it seems for the library this is the better tool. With Facebook you can create only a fan page for the library, which really limits you to what you can do with is regarding content. Myspace gives you free reign on any page you create. I really enjoy blogging about library events and I try to include some thought prevoking questions. I wish we could get more feedback from our patrons in regards to the blog. I want to know what they are talking about, what they're reading and if I could do something to enhance their library experience. My other favorite feature on the Myspace page is that you can create bibliographies using the myspace tools and show the covert art of books and cds. I like the colors of the page because I think they're complimentary and easy on the eyes. I will try to do a better job blogging about library items.

I Promise it's not Totally Morbid! Listen to me, then Listen to Yourself

(Photo by Tom Curtis www.freedigitalphotos.net)

I was looking through blogger's blogs of note when I came across this one by Lover of Life called Life in the Second Half. http://lifeinthesecondhalf.blogspot.com/. In one of her posts she talks about how a professor asked her to eavesdrop on her own funeral. Lay down on your back in an empty, quiet room. Cross your arms over your chest and pretend you are dead. Then envision yourself at your funeral. What will people say about you?

"The idea behind this exercise is not to be hard on yourself . It's not a popularity contest. If you don't have many people in your life, then use the people you come in contact with. Be totally honest with what you might be hearing. Were you a kind person? Happy? Sad? Honest? Charitable? Are people saying how much they will miss you? That your generosity of spirit will be missed? Are people saying that it is sad you are gone, but you really weren't a very good person. You were successful, but at the expense of others. Anyway, this is your funeral - you get to pick the conversations.

"The point is to really look at where you are in your life. And maybe where you want to go for the rest of it. The impact that we have on others is very real and far-reaching. It's rippling effect is powerful."

So where are we in our lives? Do we know where we stand? These are the questions that keep some of us up at night. The author of the blog is right--you only get one chance to live this life. Live your life well.

Squire Boone, Old Episcopal Burial Ground, Lexington, KY

I have used Youtube before to watch all the videos I like! I love watching old music videos and I also like to search for library videos. When I was doing my search for this assignment I wanted to find something about Kentucky. So I picked out something about Squire Boone. Hope you enjoy it!

Podcasts, can I hear you???

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

While trying to find podcasts on things that interested me, I did not have a positive experience because I kept running into road blocks. I checked out both directories and on podcastalley I kept finding podcasts that insisted I download the software. I also tried clicking on different tags to see what else would come up, but I felt like I was going in circles. I did Google podcasts for libraries and found several different ones. I probably should've narrowed my search to something like book review or adult services. I know that many of my friends listen to podcasts about computers and other technologies and listen to ones on ITunes. I have had to listen to a podcast for a school assignment and I used ITunes for that as well. I also made a podcast by using the Audacity software. I am going to continue on my podcast journey to find something that suits me.

Technorati and Delicious

From the about us page on Technorati: "Technorati was founded to help bloggers to succeed by collecting, highlighting, and distributing the online global conversation. As the leading blog search engine and most comprehensive source of information on the blogosphere, we index more than 1.5 million new blog posts in real time and introduce millions of readers to blog and social media content."

When I first looked at Technorati I became overwhelmed. There is so much for you to explore and do that you could take hours just on one subject! From a blog directory, to videos, to trying to claim your blog, it's amazing what you could possibly find on here. I did a search for library 2.0 and pugs and saw everything from very technical blogs regarding 2.0 to very cute blogs about dogs or dog products. If one joined this site it would be easy to mark your favorite blogs and read them at your pleasure. I don't know how much Iwill use this, but this could be a very useful tool.

When I explored on the tagging site Delicious, I could see how if you are a member that storing tags to sites you liked would enable you to go back to those sites right away so that you don't have to memorize web addresses. It's also a great way to discover new sites. For example, if you want to know more about a topic, type it in the tag search and see what sites come up as hits. I haven't quite figured out how to see more hits then what I'm is being brought up. I think the site could be lots of fun, but it looks way too time consuming and I think I would get bored with it.

Librarianship and 2.0: Can one help the other?

Michael Stephens brings valid points in his article "Into a New World of Librarianship." I love his first line, that the library is human and because of that the library becomes an emotional and social learning experience. He wants librarians to become the best 2.0 librarians we can be. Librarians need to take the lead in the technology field and understand what trends are, how trends will work in the library world, and how to guide users to using them in their maximum potential. Here are some helpful hints:

1. Librarians 2.0 plans for their users.
We become user focused and base our services and materials for the users needs and wants. We make the user involved as much as possible so that the library can become a transparent entity.

2. Librarians 2.0 embrace Web 2.0 tools.
"This librarian uses Instant Messaging to meet users in their space online, builds Weblogs and wikis as resources to further the mission of the library, and mashes up content via API (Application Program Interface) to build useful Web sites." We go where the user are--Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.

3. Librarian 2.0 controls technolust.
We buy technology with a purpose because the library nurtures a technology plan.

4. Librarian 2.0 makes good and also fast decisions.
The world, along with its library users, change with technology. The librarian uses his/her resources to plan and adapt the technology that is available to them to meet the needs of the users. Librarians have meeting and discussions to understand how this will benefit their customers.

5. Librarian 2.0 is a trendspotter.
The librarian watches for new trends and programs that will take the library to the next level in technology but also follow a technology plan that suits the library's mission. Librarians should look outside of the profession to see how technology impacts other businesses.

6. Librarian 2.0 gets content.
Users are going to help define the direction the library will head because they create the content. Librarians are going to help them find the content they are looking for.

Web 2.0 and Libraries--Icebergs

In reading the OCLC newsletter, the article "Away from Icebergs" by Rick Anderson shows us how to get away from "iceberg's that will hinder a library's progress into the 21st century. He says that we need to steer away from builing what he calls a "just in case collection." Now that information is digitally available and before where it was only available in print format, we don't have to build a print collection that anticipates every users needs. This idea can help libraries spend their budget efficiently on digital collections that will provide access to the information people are looking for. If your spending your collection budget on items that don't circulate and are not in demand, but your database usage is very high, wouldn't it make more sense to buy more databases or ebooks? This principal also comes into play when we weed the collection. If the item doesn't circulate and you can get it on interlibrary loan, then weed the item. (Photograph by Hordur Vilhjalmsson)

Anderson also comments about "eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need." This is exactly why I believe learning these web 2.0 applications are so important. Librarians don't need to stick their heads in the sand. We need to learn what's available on the subjects we're trained in, learn to navigate those sites, and show people the easiest way to find what they are looking for. I would not be much help to patrons in the KR if I didn't know how to find information on Ancestry.com. That's also why I'm very excited about application tools such as Google Docs. If a patron can save it in their Google Docs account then saving it to the desk top and not having access to their item later, then make sure they know that having Google Docs is an option. As someone once told me, try to find a way to say yes and make it work before you say no.

Last but not least, Anderson says that libraries need to stay relevant with the times and to do that we need to bring our services to the patrons. Libraries "no longer have the monopoly power they had the days before the Internet. At a minimum, this means placing library services and content in the user’s preferred environment (i.e., the Web); even better, it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play." That is why the library has made an effort to have a Myspace and Facebook page. We have to go where the people are, and they are in chatrooms, profile pages, and other virtual realities.

The library must adapt to enviromental change to stay afloat in the world of the Internet. If the library doesn't change then it will become useless to its patrons.

Your Book Club Can Save Money! Use Book Kits

If your library or local group wants to start a book discussion club but doesn't want to spend the money on buy copies of the selected title, then I suggest looking to your local library to see if you can check out book kits. Book kits include at least 15 copies of the book, an audio book and discussion questions. If your library does not have kits, see if your interlibrary loan librarian can borrow these from other libraries.

When the DCPL started the 20/20 Book Club we did not have money in our budget for buying extra copies of books. With borrowing book kits from other libraries, this has helped us decide on titles to select and provided us with the necessary amount of copies for our members. Thanks to Kentucky Department of Library and Archives, Kenton County Public Library, Campbell County Public Library and Boone County Public Library for helping us provide quality book kits to our customers.

http://www.kdla.ky.gov/collections/books/rbrequest.html

http://www.cc-pl.org/

http://www.kenton.lib.ky.us/

http://www.bcpl.org/

Happy Fools Day!

Did anyone read my column in this week's paper?(It comes out on Tuesdays.) It explains why you shouldn't take today too seriously.

According to Wikipedia, "The origin of April Fools' Day is obscure. One likely theory is that the modern holiday was first celebrated soon after the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar. The term referred to someone still adhering to the Julian Calendar, which it replaced. In many pre-Christian cultures May Day(May 1) was celebrated as the first day of summer, and signalled the start of the spring planting season. An April Fool was someone who did this prematurely. "

Another origin is that April 1 was counted the first day of the year in France. When King Charles IX changed that to January 1, some people stayed with April 1. Those who did were called "April Fools" and were taunted by their neighbors. In the eighteenth century the festival was often posited as going back to the times of Noah. An English newspaper article published on April 13th, 1789 said that the day had its origins when he sent the raven off too early, before the waters had receded. He did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April. A possible reference to April Fools' Day can be seen in the Canterbury Tales (ca 1400) in the Nun's Priest's tale, a tale of two fools: Chanticleer and the fox, which took place on March 32nd.

On a personal note, today is my sister-in-law's birthday, and she claims she was born a fool. Happy birthday, Leigh Ann! I love you!