Monday, January 24, 2011

Application hiccups!

It just wouldn't feel like you were actually applying to school if there weren't a few hiccups, a few frustrations, a few reasons to make you want to turn around and start running.

So here's my frustration:  I am in process of applying to grad school for my MLIS.  I need to successfully write a personal statement.

The MLIS website tells me the personal statement should focus on

presenting a personal view of the library and information science profession

and

your aspirations and goals for your future in the library and information science professions



But...  then I get to the actual application and it tells me the personal statement is this:



In an information age how do you see yourself working as a librarian?


 I wish I had known this before spending hours and hours and I mean like six hours! working on the former focus!

So now I am going to try to mold my former essay into a response to this new question.  I was hoping to have applied to grad school today and have everything done but in order not to go insane I think I will need to stop for today, revise a little tomorrow, and tomorrow will be the day I apply to grad school.

How humbling to be reminded of what if feels like to be a student again.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Matched (2010) by Ally Condie

Amazon.com
I'm trying to remember how it was I came across this book.  I think I saw it on Amazon.com.  Anyway, after reading a description about it I just had to read it.  Luckily I got it as a gift from my mother-in-law and dove into it right away.  The book is a dystopia.  It is set in the future in a "perfect" society.  The Society knows everything about everyone, including what job is best for individuals, what food is best for individuals, and which life partner will be best for individuals.  In short, the people residing in the Society never have to choose for themselves because everything is chosen perfectly for them.  The story is told from the point of view of seventeen year old Cassia.  She is being "matched" by the Society, meaning they are going to reveal to her who her husband will be.  The problem is that the Society accidentally reveals two boys!  What does this mean?  What will Cassia do?  Who will she choose?  Who is her true match?  You will have to read the book to find out!

It's a quick and easy read.  At first perhaps a little too easy, but a good book to read at night when you're tired and can't handle anything too complex.  The book is for the YA age group and will be much enjoyed I'm sure by any one aged 14-18 but is also enjoyable for adults.  Hey, if you've read Harry Potter and Twilight why not this?  Also, if you've enjoyed books like The Giver you'll like this and you can think of it as a young persons G rated version of 1984.

I didn't feel this way in the beginning but as I read more and more of the story I began to feel I was having a love affair with this book.  It was easy for me to fall in love with the characters and it was easy for me to put myself in the place of the main character and feel what she felt.  It took me back to when I first met my boyfriend, now husband and brought back that rush of first love and the unknown, similar to what Twilight does for readers when they picture themselves as Bella and their lover as Edward.

Overall, I cannot strongly recommend this book.  I was interested and so just had to read it, but it is not one of the best books I have ever read nor is it a must read.  It was good for me, interesting and I enjoyed it.  I do think however, that a young person, the audience the book was intended for, would very much enjoy this book.

Happy Reading ;)

Note:  If you do happen to read this book and enjoy it you'll be happy to know that it is only the first of the matched trilogy:)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

For Librarians by Hans Ostrom


For Librarians
















Imagine you can consider all ideas
And images represented by all words
And numbers in all libraries worldwide.
Open the book of this consideration.
Touch the paper. See the illustration
Of you, reading, when you were ten
In your local library. Turn
Several pages. Now read how you
And that other person ignited romance
In, of all places, the stacks, third floor,
In quite a different library. Snowflakes
Brushed against dark glass as you two
Stood between PQ and PR.

Now go to the index. Find “possibility.”
Look up from the book. The librarian
Who looks away was watching you.
She knows how to phrase the question
You want answered.

Librarians know where wisdom’s stored.
They catalogue the countless forms
Of silence and tell people what they
Didn’t know they wanted to know.
They treat the mentally fractured
As if they’re whole, the dull as if they’re
Sharp, Winter as if it’s Summer.

A band of sunlight angles through high
Windows, brightens shoes of a librarian,
Who knows the patron in the gray enormous
Coat will steal a book about sex or wiccans.
She knows some Christians will steal books
Deemed Satanic, ignoring a commandment
And the homeless person sleeping in a chair.
She knows some atheists treat Library as
Church, so when she moves into shadows,
She does so quietly. She worries for books.

For the librarian knows books are easily burned,
Recycled, or digitized, reduced to oxygen, carbon,
Silicon, and such basic elements as hate and
Budgetary cuts. She wishes presidents of
The United States would consult librarians
Before going to war. It would save so much time,
So many lives. She knows exactly which references
Know how badly any war will go and how soon
Citizens come to loathe their leaders. She knows
How to find stories about all the libraries
Wiped out by war. She knows patrons who’ve
Been harmed by war. Sometimes they set off alarms.
Someone asks her, “Can you help me find out
If I’m related to Napoleon? ” Yes, ” she answers,
“Come with me, please.”

All libraries may now gather inside invisible
Electrons. After closing time, books in Sweden
Send emails to maps in Chile. A librarian in Topeka
Posts a reply to one in Tokyo, adding to a blue thread
Wrapped around the globe.

As sincerely as librarians worry for books, for shelves,
For catalogues, buildings, and best practices,
So should we worry for librarians, for images and ideas.

At a table in a library, a circle of light
Lies on a book. The hand not writing turns
The page, and something important happens.

Hans Ostrom

good dick (2008)

Interesting indie film.  I was bedridden today.  Didn't feel good and so I went on Netflix watch instantly, saw this, and figured why not?  So, I've seen a lot of strange and vulgar movies in my time, this one was not the most strange nor the most vulgar, but definitely a little weird.  It will be especially weird to those who haven't seen many indie or foreign films.  It's an unconventional love story and actually kind of cute and endearing.  The hero in the story is played by Jason Ritter who looks familiar to me.  He works at a movie store as a clerk and grows interested in this woman (played by Marianna Palka who is also the screenwriter and director) who continues to rent porn movies.  As the movie goes on you get to experience their odd relationship.  She has clear emotional issues and he... well you'll have to see the film.  I found John Ritter's character to be a superhero of sorts though.  Also interesting is that his character, the man, was Polish.  So you got the chance to hear a few Polish phrases which were adorable.  Anyway, like most good indie films I've seen, the movie is a snap of life with all its realities and problems and awe.  I would recommend the film not because I think it's so great it should win an Oscar but because it was an interesting look into the development of a relationship with someone who was emotionally wounded.


PS:  You'll probably recognize Martin Starr in this film as he's been in a lot of good comedies such as Knocked Up.

PSS:  Don't let the title fool you.  You will not be seeing any ;)

Brown Proposes Eliminating All State Funding for California Public Libraries

Brown Proposes Eliminating All State Funding for California Public Libraries

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Butterfly Mosque (2010) by G. Willow Wilson

amazon

I have an interest in religion and especially since it's been in the news and since one of my friends has converted to Islam and married a Muslim I have a special interest in Islam and the life of Muslims.  This book was a perfect pick to fill that interest.  It is a story about a young American woman, a college girl, who was raised atheist but has an intense interest in Islam.  After graduating college she takes up on an opportunity to go to Egypt which is where her journey in discovering more about herself, Islam, and the beauty of Egypt and Arab culture begins.  It is also a story of love, but I feel the real focus is on Muslim society in Egypt and how she, Willow the author, relates to it.  If you have had any reservations about Islam before this book will allow you to see the true and pure beauty of the religion.  However, the author doesn't sugar coat anything.  She shows you the ugly with the beautiful which I think most can agree can be found in all cultures and religions.  If you are not familiar with Islam or what it means to be Muslim this book will not answer all your questions but give you a jumping point from which to go further in discovery.

Overall it was a good memoir, not truly exciting, but a simple look into another way of life which was calming to the spirit.  I am glad to have read it and I would recommend it to people with an interest in Islam, Muslims, or Egypt as well as for people who view Islam negatively (this book just may show some that the world is not as black and white as it seems).

Happy Reading!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Beginning of a Journey

The true beginning occurred when I consciously decided that I was meant to be something else, not a teacher.  I have to say I did not mind the students.  They were fun and interesting people.  I didn't mind my coworkers or the administration.  I did not mind getting up at quarter to six every morning to go to work.  I enjoyed being on a work schedule and making money.  But I just didn't love the core of what I was doing everyday, teaching English.  And it's not fair to the students and it was not fair to myself to be in a job that I didn't passionately love.  So I decided to quit at the end of the year.  About a month before the end of the year I was laid-off.

It's hard to lose your job even when you don't like it, even when you were planning on quitting anyway.  I felt lost for a while.  I gave myself time to just be, to think, to reflect, to enjoy life again, to reconnect with people I hadn't had time for, to reconnect with myself and my inner child, to spend more time with family.  For a while I couldn't even stand the idea of going back to work, any job, not even a library.  I just needed time to heal.  I understand not everyone has a choice, but doing something you don't like for years takes a toll on you and should be avoided like Superman avoids kryptonite.

Finally I became stronger again and the vision of what I wanted became sharp.  It was time to become a librarian.  And that's where I'm at now.  At the beginning of a journey.  I have asked for recommendations from people I admire and am in the process of applying to Library School.  Current mission:  Write a Personal Statement.

Shouldn't be a problem with my faithful sidekicks BookEnd and BookMark:
BookEnd
BookMark

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Easy A (2010) Gets an A+

AWESOME FILM!!!!!  Fun and lighthearted!  I loved the cast:  Stanley Tucci (my fav), Thomas Haden Church (also seen in Sideways 2004), Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow, Amanda Bynes, and Emma Stone!  The cinematic techniques used in the film were also interesting to the eye.  I loved how when rumors were being spread the camera would move swiftly through the student body and then pause on a group of students receiving a rumor via cell phone.  Emma Stone rocked as Olive.  Her sharp, witty humor was incredibly amusing.  I found my self laughing out loud at many scenes.  The colors of the film were also visually striking.  There were scenes of bright oranges hanging off trees in California vineyards.  The school colors were a wonderful combination of bright blue and yellow.  This movie made me want to go back to California and *gasp* maybe even high school!

If you suffered through or maybe even enjoyed reading The Scarlet Letter you will be interested to know that this movie was adapted from the book (maybe you guessed from the title).  But don't worry if you haven't read the book, there's no need in order to enjoy this movie.  However the movie may prompt some interest in reading it.  It's a difficult text but after getting through it myself I found it to be a great story.  Sex, Adultery, Shipwrecks, Indians, Baby's out of Wedlock, Priests!

Also - must note on the music!  Great!  How can you not like Pocketful of Sunshine, Don't Cha, and Don't You (Forget About Me)!

One Last Thing:  I had the honor of teaching The Scarlet Letter to my high school students (back when I was a teacher).  It was painful for them getting through this book so I hope they get to go out and reward themselves by watching this awesome film!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Vampires Suck (2010) and so does this movie

If only I had gone to RottenTomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vampires_suck/) and seen that this movie was rated 4% then maybe I would have been saved from this dreadful two hour film.  Of course I knew it wasn't going to be the best film of the year, but I thought being as I'm a Twilight fan and that I like comedies that I might get a giggle or two out of this movie.  That's exactly what I got... two laughs.  The rest of the movie was like "oh, ha ha, how clever."

Oh well.  The least I can do after viewing this film is to warn others of two things:

1) This film sucks
2) If you haven't seen or read the Twilight Saga do so before watching this movie

I will admit thought that the soundtrack, believe it or not, was interesting.  I particularly liked the song My Panties by Magicwandos.

Go figure though.  Even though this was my experience with the film my husband enjoyed it and thought it was the best spoof he's ever seen :)

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Developement of a SuperHeroine

All superheros start somewhere.  I don't remember exactly when it started for me, but what I do know is that a couple of years ago I became obsessed with becoming a librarian.  But instead I became a high school English teacher.  I was on track to be a teacher, I was expected to be a teacher, and I didn't ever come to the conclusion that I didn't have to be one.  Even as I was interviewing for teaching jobs I constantly spoke of being a librarian.  But I got a teaching job and so I became a teacher.  I give teachers that stick around a lot of credit even the average ones.  Teaching may be one of the most stressful and demanding but unrewarding job.  Teachers put in hours on the clock and when they get home from work generally keep putting hours on the clock until they go to bed.  Their work is never finished.  Their weekends are consumed with lesson planning and grading.  Two months of summer was not even worth all the work that was put in during the school year.  So for me, who truly wasn't meant to be a teacher, you can imagine how tough teaching was on me.  As a young twenty-something I was noticing fine lines under my eyes and gray hair!

One night I was watching Twilight with my husband.  It seems like in the Twilight world some humans have gifts, such as seeing visions of the future.  When these humans with gifts become vampires their gifts enhance, for example always seeing the future and seeing it clearly.  This got me to wondering what my gift or power might be.  And for a while I was truly stumped.  What am I unusually good at?  What am I good at at all?  After much thought I realized that I enjoy and am able to find information really well.  But that isn't a power, is it?  I mean come on, there's Google!  It was at least a skill I could claim.

Once I recognized I had a skill I was more aware of the people around me that didn't.  Many older adults were unable to find information as quickly as I was.  Okay, so maybe that was because of their discomfort with technology.  People my own age were unable to find information as quickly as me.  I often found myself telling people how to more quickly find things on the internet using different search words.  This seemed so simple to me.  Often I would just take over the computer and find the information for them myself.  So maybe some people in my generation just aren't as computer savvy.  The last straw was when my students - sixteen and seventeen year olds - the generation of ipod users, texters, kids born using the Internet! could not find information using the internet, let alone books!  Doing a research paper was hard for them, and I'm talking about just collecting the information which should have been easy in an age where everything is super accessible.  And I thought, "Oh my God, I can find things, quickly and efficiently.  I can find anything in a short amount of time and if I can't find it most likely no one can."  I can find information.  Not everyone has the ability or can as easily find information as I can.  I am FindItGirl!