It's Election Day--Vote!

If you don't know today is Election Day, you've probably been living under a rock for the past 2 years with no access to TV, radio, or the Internet.  Today is the big day when we finally get put out of our misery from seeing all those ads, hearing those jingles, and getting flyers in our snail mail.  I don't know about you, but I'm definitely feeling election fatigue.

Like most elections, there's a lot at stake, including the choice of a new president.  And like every presidential election since 2000, Americans are pretty much divided between the candidates.  Many are heated up over either the Democrats or the Republicans.  I'm not going to tell you which side is better or for whom you should vote, but what I will tell you to do is simply vote.

As people have been coming up to the perch today, I've been asking them whether they've voted.  Thankfully, a number have been telling me that they have while some have told me they haven't.  I realize that a lot of people, including myself, are frustrated with the election process, the politicians, and what's being done (or not) in the country.  I realize that a lot of people think that their votes won't matter much, but that's where people are wrong.  Every vote does count and it's important that your voice be heard.

If you still need help deciding which candidates to choose, stop by the library.  We have newspapers and computers on which you can link to the League of Women Voters and other websites that list the candidates' positions on different issues.  No matter who you decide on, just vote.  It's exercising your right to vote and contributing to the democratic process that makes a difference.

And just for the record, I voted.

Patriotically yours from the perch.

 

Library Hoarders

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid my parents always emphasized at the dinner table that I only took the food I was going to eat because it was a shame to waste food that someone else may want to have.  I could apply the same logic to borrowing items from the library--borrow those items that you think you're actually going to use during the allotted check out time and leave other items on the shelves for other patrons to use.

It's great for the library's circulation numbers when patrons check out numerous items, but there's a difference between someone using a lot of materials and someone who's a "library hoarder."  For instance, it somehow irks me when a patron checks out a dozen DVDs and asks to renew the dozen DVDs she already has out because she didn't have the time to watch them.  I can't help but wonder why she's bothering to check out more DVDs when she still hasn't watched the ones she checked out previously.  It reminds me of the time when my cousin kept shouting from his high chair for more corn when he had a plateful of corn in front of him.

Some patrons come into the library knowing exactly what they want to borrow while others decide what they want by browsing.  I hate to think that some patrons may miss that exciting unexpected find because someone else is hogging items.  Now don't get me wrong, if someone is actually going to watch 28 movies in a week or read 53 books in a month that's perfectly fine, but if that person keeps renewing those items and checks out more, that's plain gluttony.

So if you happen to be a library hoarder, take a moment and think about your fellow patrons.  Is it really fair to others to have library items just lying on your kitchen table when someone else may get some good use out of them?  Remember--sharing is caring, and libraries do both.  Don't forget to care about other patrons and share all around.

Just my 2 cents from the perch.

Not Rowling Along

So many of us kids and kids at heart have loved reading the Harry Potter series of books.  Although the writing style may have been mundane, what really sold these books to readers was a creative world of wizardry as seen through the eyes of its child protagonist.  We explored Hogwarts, the Leaky Cauldron, and Honeydukes Sweetshop together with Harry, and we became interested in the different fascinating people he encountered, good and bad.  The Harry Potter books were page turners because we had to know what was going on with Harry, causing each newly published volume to be more anticipated than the last.

When J. K. Rowling announced that she was going to write another book after concluding the Harry Potter series, her fans were overjoyed to learned that they had not read the last from their beloved author.  When it was announced that the new post-Potter book was targeted at an adult audience, fans were surprised and skeptical, yet mostly open-minded.  They trusted that Rowling would no-doubt have the Midas touch with yet another publication.  Sadly, though, I'm afraid a number of Rowling fans will be disappointed by The Casual Vacancy.

I'm not normally a quitter when it comes to books, but I have to confess that I wasn't able to get very far past the opening of Rowling's latest offering.  The same mundane language of Harry Potter is there, only this time it's laced with gratuitous profanity.  We know this one character is dead and that many people are happy this character died unexpectedly, but we don't really care why he's been so hated.  Unlike with Harry Potter, Rowling can't gain our sympathy or interest.  Even a quaint, charming fictional town nestled among the majestic English hills can't draw us into this ordinary, non-wizarding world.  After being bored and apathetic for the first 25 pages, I just didn't want to confirm my first impressions by trudging through the next 478 pages. 

There are writers, such as James Patterson, who can easily shift between writing for adults and children, but unfortunately not all writers are blessed with such a gift.  Some writers are better off finding a niche they're good at and sticking to it.  If you ask me, I think Rowling should keep writing children's books that captivate children of all ages and leave them hungry for reading more.  Be honest--am I the only one around here who wants to know what happens to Harry Potter's kids and whether there's new dark magic brewing at Hogwarts?

Unmagical me daydreaming magical dreams on the perch.

Join the Club!

Book clubs have been around for some time, but they're more popular now than ever before.  Why the interest in a social activity that's been around as long as the book?  If you ask me for my humble opinion (and it's always ever humble), I think that in an era that keeps us increasingly connected to each other electronically, there's still nothing like sitting face-to-face with someone and having a real conversation that doesn't involve electronic gizmos.

The number of people in a book club can vary from an intimate gathering of several people to a large classroom-sized group.  The materials chosen from the group can be very general or more genre-specific, focusing on science-fiction, fantasy, chick-lit, or whatever else.  Book club discussions can be organized informally among friends or more formally by bookstores and libraries.

I'm happy to say that I'm the organizer of our library's book club, and it's one of the roles I really love.  I cherish choosing books, thinking what the attendees and I might find interesting.  And I love it when others have suggestions for future book club reads.  I never read the books in advance, so I'm enjoying the books along with the other members, relishing books are well-written and contain issues that promise a good discussion.

Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail are all very well and convenient, but there's a special current in a room that has real people sharing their thoughts and feelings about something they've read.  Book clubs are more than just about reading a book.  They're about making simple human connections and old-fashioned socializing, things that all too often get left at the wayside of information highways these days.  Sometimes we just need something a bit more personal than a tweet or an e-mail.

If you're looking for a more personal, human connection, check out your local library, bookstore, or community center for book clubs.  Or even make a book club of your own and invite your friends.  You won't regret it!

Ever yours checking out book club reads on the perch.

Being Graphic In the Library

In my last post, I had no fear in addressing the sensitive matter of ad-supported toilet paper used by libraries to save on operating costs.  Well, this time I'm getting graphic.  In the library.  No joke--I'm gonna get downright nitty-gritty, ready to expose everything and I mean EVERYTHING!

Let's talk graphic novels, people.  We're not talking about anything illegal or questionable, just books that are similar to comic books in that they have a storyboard format that conveys the action through illustrations and dialogue.  Some graphic novels are original like Smile, and some like Twilight: The Graphic Novel and Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography, have been adapted from popular books.

Graphic novels are great for kids and teens who are looking for something different to read or who don't necessarily enjoy reading.  The illustrations help draw in reluctant readers, allowing them to gain an interest in books and improve their reading abilities.  Kids who once had no desire to go to the library now can't get enough of going.

But just in case you're thinking that graphic novels are intended solely for kids and teens, think again.  A number of graphic novels are created for adults and include everything from superheroes to literary classics.  If you weren't a fan of The Iliad or The Three Musketeers in high school, perhaps you'd like to give their illustrated versions a chance?  You'd be surprised to see how many adult patrons check out all types of graphic novels from the perch.  So, come on in to the library and check out the latest graphic novels for your pleasure and enrichment.

Now honestly, what did you think this post was going to be about when you first started reading it?

Innocently yours from the perch.

A Tissue Issue

It's come to yours truly's attention that the Portchester-Rye Brook, NY Public Library will be touching its patrons in a personal way, and I mean very personal.  The library plans to use ad-supported toilet paper in its bathrooms.  In plain English, that means advertisements for various products and services will be printed on the paper you use to wipe your backside.

Has the library funding crisis really come down to this?  According to the library director, the library would save around $1,000 a year on purchasing toilet paper, because institutions that choose to use ad-supported toilet paper get it for free.  It's completely understandable that libraries, which are strapped for cash these days, are looking for breaks wherever they can, but I think it's sad that they have to resort to such advertising in place of community financial support.

And even though the ink used on the toilet paper is soy-based and therefore natural, what happens when you have a library patron who's allergic to soy products?  Will libraries risk lawsuits or will patrons have to tote around their own rolls of toilet paper for their personal use?

If anything, the issue of ad-supported toilet paper should be a wake-up call for communities to do more to support their libraries.  Vote for levies, donate some books, attend library programs, make your voices heard.  I bet if everyone made a $1 donation to their local library, it would make a difference.

Yours from a currently ad-free perch.

Keeping the Library Clean

You expect some workplaces to be a little messy, like hospitals, construction sites, and crime scenes.  I bet, however, that you'd never expect a library to be one of those workplaces that's rather unkempt.  After all, how can a bunch of books in themselves be messy?  They're all neatly ordered on the shelves, right?

Well, the books may be organized in their proper places on the bookcases, but it's what patrons do with the books that make them messy.  You'd be surprised by the condition in which some books get returned to us.  Coffee stains, scribbles, water damage, food, unknown sticky stuff, and sometimes brown stuff that we hope isn't what we think it is.

Besides books, we find other things that are messy in the library.  The tables occasionally have drops of coffee, soda, and whatnot on them.  The pillows in the kids' room sometimes have dribble.  The computer keyboards are full of germs from kids and adults who don't use tissues when they sneeze or cough.  And don't get me started on the computer passes.  It's just a few yards between the desk and the computer lab, yet I'm amazed what people do with the passes during that short journey: putting them in their mouths and getting whatever else on them that we don't want to know about.

I and my library colleagues do our best to keep the library, its materials, and its equipment clean.  We're armed with Clorox Wipes and Swiffer Dusters, and we're not afraid to use them.  It's a HUGE help, though, when our patrons do their their part to take care of the library.  When you check out materials, treat them as if they're your materials because they are that: YOUR materials.  Be careful not to share your delicious lunch with them--books don't like to eat, and they don't like taking baths just because you do.  And please use tissues and sanitizer to help keep equipment clean and prevent others from catching your cold.

If we all take care of the library and do our best to keep it clean, we can all enjoy it and its great materials for a long time to come.

Hard at work sanitizing the perch.