It's Time Again for Summer Reading!

Yay!  Hurray!!  WooHOO!!!  I'm so excited!  I'm soooo excited!!  Did I mention I was excited?  And if you're wondering why I'm excited, it's because it's finally time for summer reading!  YES!!!  School's almost out, the weather's getting warmer, and trips to the lake will be happening soon.  It's a great time to kick back and relax with a good book!

Last week was the first week of our summer reading program, and I can happily report that so far we have 140 kids registered, 22 teens, and 28 adults.  That's awesome!  We're hoping to get even more people registered over the next few months, because as they say, it ain't over 'til it's over, and for us that's August 30.

If you can allow me to get up on the soapbox for a moment, I think summer reading is a really great thing.  It's something everyone can do no matter their age (kids too young to read can even be read to by an adult or an older sibling).  You can do it by yourself or with others.  You don't have to worry about reading for school book reports or for college research papers.  You just read whatever you like, whenever you like.  I remember how much I enjoyed the summer when I was growing up because I could read anything I wanted just for the fun of it (I still do, by the way).

And that's what summer reading is all about--reading just for fun.  It's not about what you read or how much you read.  It's just about reading.  That's all.  So come on in to the library, register for the summer reading program, check out some books, and have fun reading! 

Bookishly yours on the perch.

The 100th Post!

Wow!  I can't believe it!  This is it!  The BIG one!  Really!  This is officially the 100th Post of The Librarian's Perch!

To be honest (and modest), I wasn't entirely sure that this humble little library blog would actually make it to 100.  When you start with the first few blog posts, you're just happy to have something out there and hope that some people are reading what you put into cyberspace.  You try to think of interesting things to write about libraries--things about books, things about technologies, and sometimes just interesting things in general.

I hope that you, my loyal fans who have been following this blog, enjoyed reading the various posts.  Maybe some of them have been informative and made you think about different library services and issues.  Maybe some of them have been a little entertaining.  Whatever the case, you were hopefully able to take something away with you.

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to follow this library blog and for being supportive of our library.  As long as there are people like you out there who want to have fun reading, learning, and growing, there will always be a future for libraries.

Here's to the 100th Post and for the next hundred posts to come!

Yours truly celebrating with a happy dance on the perch.

 

Please Support the Base Library

Something's been bothering me for quite some time, but it's something I didn't want to face.  Unfortunately, it's something I can't ignore and I can't pretend that it isn't a big concern.  That something is the very existence of the base library here at Fairchild.

Last week, on two consecutive days, visiting patrons from different Air Force bases in different parts of the country have told me 1) how nice our library is and 2) how nice that Fairchild still has a library because the libraries at their bases were closed down.

I was disturbed by the second comment, but sadly, I wasn't surprised.  We at the library are well aware that times are tough (our budget has been practically nonexistent for the nearly five years I've been here), and the military is looking to make cuts where it can.  And our library is under the threat of closure just like the other remaining base libraries.

I know I'm probably a little biased toward our library at Fairchild because it's where my perch is at and where I get my bird seed, but in my humble opinion (and you know it to be ever so humble) closing base libraries is more harmful than helpful.

Being on the perch almost everyday, I see firsthand what our library does for the Fairchild community.  It serves everyone with access to the base, including active duty and retired military, dependents and civilians, contractors and students (a number of college classes are held on the base).

Military members visiting from other bases and retired military members traveling through the area with family can check out items from our library, something they can't do from the public library without proof of a local home address.  If these people want to check out a book or DVD to enjoy in their downtime, our base library is the only place where they can do so.

Many military families living on base are short on cash and often have just one car, which can make things difficult.  For stay-at-home military spouses, our library is a place that's not only close enough to walk to with their kids, but an outing that's free and fun.  There are books to read and toys to play with.  Sure, there's a public library just 3.5 miles down the road from the base, but that library may as well be on the other side of Spokane if you don't have a car and have three small children.

And people working on the base, whether civilian employees or contractors, often use our library because it's near where they work and is often more convenient to get to than the public library which may be a considerable distance from their homes.

Without our library, the quality of life at Fairchild would definitely decline for the different groups that use our resources and services.  The people at Fairchild do so much for the good of our country, shouldn't some good be done for them?

If you'd like to help keep the library at Fairchild open, take a moment to fill out an ICE (Interactive Customer Evaluation) form online at http://ice.disa.mil and let the Powers-That-Be know just how much our library means to you.  We enjoy serving you, and we hope to be doing so for a long time to come.

Thanking you sincerely from the perch for your support.
 

 

Bother Me--Please!

As many of you, my dear fans, know, I am twittering (or tweeting) happily on the perch, ever-ready for your library-related questions.  Many of you are considerate, which is very nice, but some of you are considerate to the point that you feel like you're bothering or interrupting me in order to ask me a question.  I have one word for you--don't.  Don't feel like you're disturbing me because you need to ask me something.

My number one priority as a perch librarian (a.k.a. reference librarian) is to be available to answer any questions you may have or to provide you with the help you need in finding library materials.  While I'm waiting for you to come to me, I'm taking care of different odds and ends to make use of the time.  I may be answering e-mails, preparing future library programs, doing some library training, processing materials, or writing posts for this blog.  All that, however, is secondary to helping you.

So even if I look busy working on something, please, PLEASE bother me with your questions!  I'm here first and foremost for you, my dear patrons.  That's why I get paid my bird seed.  To be here for you and to help you make the most of your library and your library experience.  After all, what good is the library and its information if not to serve the patrons?

My very humble opinion from the perch.

 

Reader's Block (Conclusion)

The last time you heard from me, dear readers, I was suffering with a bad case of reader's block.  I didn't know what I felt like reading or what kind of literary mood I was in.  Well, you'll be happy to know that I got over my reader's block quicker than I expected.

Sometimes, as I discovered, finding a new book is like finding a new outfit to wear.  You touch it, take a good look at the outside, and then take a look at the inside.  If it's appealing, you try it on to get a feel for it and decide whether it's you or not.  That's what I ended up doing in order to find my new book.  I looked at a few books that seemed good, then read the first few paragraphs to get a sense of the story and the writing style.  Quite a few books didn't feel right for me at the moment, but then I found one that was just what I needed.

If you're wondering which book broke my case of reader's block, it was Jamie Ford's Songs of Willow Frost.  Ford, who also authored the highly regarded Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet which I absolutely loved, writes about a 12-year old Chinese-American boy in a Seattle orphanage during the 1930s who believes the movie star Willow Frost is his mother.  As with his previous novel, Ford does a wonderful job of storytelling and brings his characters to life in a way that makes you care and connect with them.  And his writing style is clean and down-to-earth--no mires to trudge through.

Should you have a case of reader's block, I wholeheartedly recommend Songs of Willow Frost.  It may be the book to get you going again, and if not, try on different books to find the book that's just right for you.

My usual 2 cents from the perch.

Reader's Block

I'm going to admit something to you, my dear fans, that you won't hear from many perch librarians.  I have no idea what I want to read next.  Yes.  I've said it.  I officially have reader's block.  Sure, I have lists of what I want to read on my Pinterest page and in my mind, but the problem is I don't know what I feel like reading.

I don't know about the rest of you, but besides choosing a book by its setting and time period (something I wrote about ages ago), I also have to be in a mood for a certain book.  Usually I know what kind of a mood I'm in.  Modern or historical.  Light or deep.  Domestic or foreign.  At the moment, though, I really don't know where I want to go with my reading.  Yikes!

I've been playing perch librarian to myself, conducting my own reference interview:

Q:  So, PL, what do you want to read?
A:  I don't know, PL, but I want to read something that's light and gets my interest.
Q:  Have you considered trying a romance novel?
A:  I have, but I often can't get past the first page.  I like love stories, but I need something with substance.
Q:  You've read Fifty Shades of Grey...
A:  I have and thought about reading the second book, but I remembered how I felt after reading the first book and I vowed not to touch the series again unless I'm desperate.  And I'm NOT that desperate...yet.
Q:  I see.  So you're looking for something light and interesting...
A:  And something that's not too long.  I normally have no commitment problems with my books, but this is one of those rare times when I'm up for a quickie, nothing long term.
Q:  Have you tried Richard Paul Evans' The Walk?  Most of the chapters average 3 pages.
A:  Funny you mention that book.  I just finished it, but I'm not ready to read the next book in the series.  Have any other ideas?  PL...?
Q:  I'm thinking...

Now you get a sense of my anguish.  So with that, I turn to you, my dear fans.  Have you read a book that you absolutely loved and couldn't put down?  I'm sure you have.  If not recently, then probably some time in the past.  Please help me out of my misery and share your favorite reads--I'd love to hear from you!

Your ever humble perch librarian with good reading thoughts the perch.

Weeding--It's Not Just for Gardens

Spring is finally beginning to make an appearance in the Inland Northwest, and those of you who are into gardening are probably starting to prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and do some weeding.  It may surprise you to know that your very own perch librarian also does some weeding...in the library.  Weeding in the library?  You might be wondering whether we have a lot of plants around here, and although we do, I'm not talking about weeding that's of the horticultural kind.

From time to time, we in the library need to take a look at the shelves and decide what needs to get taken out of the collection or "weeded."  I think I just heard a collective gasp from you, my dear fans.  How dare we get rid of our precious books?!  Those books that are so dear and benefit so many.  I can assure you, there is no greater advocate for our bibliofriends than yours truly, but some friendships occasionally need to be re-evaluated, die of natural causes, or move elsewhere.

Sometimes, books get a little dated and may do more harm than good.  A health or medical book printed in 1984 may have been useful in its day, but a lot of things in medicine have changed and gotten better in 30 years.  Similarly, how much would you gain from a book that discusses how life will be different once Man gets to the moon?

Other times, books get sick.  Their spines get broken, their pages get torn, their covers get chewed on, or much worse.  When books get sick, they go to the book hospital and get operated on, but every so often there's only so much book-care professionals can do.  Sometimes, even books need to go to that big library in the sky.

Of course, there are those books that aren't old or sick.  There are some books that simply go unloved for so long that it would be heartless to keep them in our collection.  When books haven't been checked out in 10 or 15 years, they are unloved books.  Even though we at the library may love them dearly, we know when it's time for them to move to our free cart, where they can be adopted by someone who will take them to a good home and love them as they deserve. 

The space that's created on the shelves from books weeded out of the collection allow us to bring new bibliofriends to you, our wonderful patrons.  And as you gardeners out there know, to grow the garden and keep it healthy and strong, weeding is a necessary activity.  So goes it with the library as well.

With best spring wishes from your library gardener on the perch.