Mona Lisa Unchaperoned

Mona Lisa's guards are striking for more money

See the whole article here.

They already get a minimum of 5 weeks vacation per year.

I will having nothing until I work 6 months.

They need to be quiet and imho be thankful they get to see the Mona Lisa everyday.

LS 500 Why Metadata? Why Me? Why Now?

Schottlaender, B. E. C. (2003). Why Metadata? Why Me? Why Now? Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 36(3/4):19-29.

The main points of Schottlaender’s article are to provide an overview of metadata, examine why metadata issues are central to discussions regarding the evolution of library services especially digital ones and why the cataloging community is and should be front and center in these discussions. Through out the article Schottlaender examines the three questions that he poses in the article’s title. Why Metadata? Why Me? Why Now?

Why Metadata?

Clifford Lynch’s definition is regarded as one of the best by the Task Force on Metadata.

“A cloud of collateral information around a data object.”

Schottlaender compares the word ‘cloud’ with the character from Peanuts that always has the cloud of dirt following him and likes how the word ‘collateral’ makes it very clear that there is a relationship between data and metadata.

The Task Force on Metadata also created their own definition pulling portions from the various definitions they encountered.

“Metadata is structured, encoded data that describe characteristics of information-bearing entities to aid in the identification, discovery, assessment and management of the described entities.”

A word that is heard a lot in the metadata community is “schema”. Murtha Baca’s definition is, “A set of rules for encoding information that supports specific communities of users.”

Schottlaender goes on to talk about the three types of Schemas: Encoding, Metadata and Architectural. He then goes into further detail about four of the Encoding Schema: MARC, SGML, HTML and XML.

Why Me?

Schottlaender states:

“Why should catalogers be in the forefront of metadata development? Metadata is about access. Cataloging is about access. Cataloging describes content and content relationships. Kevin Butterfield talks about cataloging as the invisible process of order-making and goes on to state that the Internet could use some order-making.”

A co-author in the Task Force Report John Attig states that the intersection between cataloging and metadata is or should be the common user tasks they support. In other words FRBR – Find, Select, Identify and Obtain.

Why Now?

Most all content standards are library based. Very few exist outside the library community. There is more and more recognition from the metadata community of the relevance of the work that the library cataloging community has done. The library community is very concerned about the commercial and legal interests in rights management as they require an intense degree of descriptive specificity that is practiced by the cataloging community currently but not by the metadata community.

The Task Force on Metadata and the Cataloging Rules stated:

“Our catalogs have become one tool among many, but those many are not separate or isolated from one another. The catalog is one tool in a network of tools.”

Conclusion

In conclusion Schottlaender responds to the three questions that he posed at the beginning and in the article title by stating:

“Because it is inescapable and seemingly more and evident every day; because it is what we are about; and finally, because not only do we need metadata as another tool in our network of tools to do what we do, but metadata needs us to help fully realize its potential.”

Critical Reflection

First of all I have to say I love the reference and comparison to the comic strip Peanuts and the character of Pigpen and his omnipresent cloud of dirt.

It would make sense for people to come together and establish some sort of order if both parties have the same end objectives. However sometimes one or both parties are stubborn and want their party to be the only one at the dance and have full control over the end product.

We as the librarian community need to realize that metadata is coming. So either embrace it and become part of the change and help to implement it and become a part of history or get out of the way and wait for everyone else to determine what parameters will become the standard for dealing with metadata.

It makes me think of a couple of quotes, “Lead, Follow, or get out of the way” and “Unless you’re the lead dog the scenery never changes.”

Wear Red on Fridays

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home. No, he responded. Heading out I asked? No. I'm escorting a soldier home. Going to pick him up? No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open t he forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American. So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do. Red Fridays. Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent” majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on. The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is "We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!! I know we all have red in our wardrobes.....it's a great idea; pass it on if you like.

WNYC Amy Sedaris Craft Challenge

The challenge: make food come alive with googly eyes!

The results were most of the time sweet and occasionally a little creepy (the potato chip and macaroni death scenes were a bit much for me).

Go HERE to see the contest's flickr site (i.e. pictures of all the entries) to read more about the contest and you could also go HERE to the main WNYC contest site to see the winning entries.

If you have any spare time check out the flickr site some of them are hilarious!

Deep Thoughts

I have a large attraction to quotes and am always on the lookout for some good ones. These struck me today as especially poignant. Just fyi they are from Beliefnet's Daily Inbox email that I receive daily and it has a cool website, a couple of quotes and normally a recipe.

The moment will arrive when you are comfortable with who you are, and what you are--bald or old or fat or poor, successful or struggling--when you don't feel the need to apologize for anything or to deny anything. To be comfortable in your own skin is the beginning of strength.

Charles Handy
Management consultant and writer


When a man begins to understand himself, he begins to live. When he begins to live he begins to understand his fellow men.

Norvin G. McGranahan

Save the Electric Slide

NPR story about how the creator of the Electric Slide seeks to preserve it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7492263&sc=emaf

Funny Quote Of The Day

A sleeping bag is a tortilla for a human.
--Mitch Hedberg

Pick Me Up?

Your Pickup Line Is

If this bar is a meat market... you must be the prime rib.

The Magical Pick Up Line Generator

Sunday Funnies

Thanks to Sean who sent these to me!

Barbara Walters of Television's 20/20 did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan, several years before the Afghan conflict. She note that women customarily walked 5 paces behind their husbands.

She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From Ms. Walter's vantage point, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Tali ban regime, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands and are happy to maintain the old custom.

Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why do you now seem happy with the old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?"

The woman looked Ms. Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation, said, "Land Mines."

Oh Britney!

Ms. Spears has apparently shaved her head bald.

This as well as rehab rumors -- makes me fear for her two little boys.

Here's hoping her lack of hair will help her think straighter.

*Health Alert*

This is very serious..................

There is a dangerous virus being passed around electronically, orally,
and by hand. This virus is called Worm-Overload-Recreational-Killer
(WORK).  If you receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss, or
anyone else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your
private life completely.

If you should come into contact with WORK, put your jacket on and take
two good friends to the nearest grocery store. Purchase the antidote
known as Work-Isolating-Neutralizer-Extract (WINE) or
Bothersome-Employer-Elimination-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote
repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5
friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your
life.

Thanks to Patti & Nancy -- who I got this from!  Have a Good Weekend!

LS 500 Humphry Clinker

O'Neill, E.T. (2002). FRBR: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records - Application of the Entity-Relationship Model to Humphry Clinker. Library Resources and Technical Services 46:150-9.

The main points of Edward T. O’Neill’s article regarding the use of FRBR for Humphry Clinker are:

• Identifying expressions was problematic.
• Reliable identification of expressions frequently necessitated the examination of the books themselves.
• In the Humphry Clinker example the enhanced record approach avoids the problem of identifying expressions while providing similar functionality. With the enhanced manifestations record, the three remaining entity-relationship structures: works, manifestations and items – the FRBR model provides a powerful means to improve bibliographic organization and navigation.

O’Neill defines WORK as a product of the intellectual or artistic activity by a person, a group or a corporate body that is identified by a normalized title and/or name.

O’Neill defines EXPRESSION as the realization of a work in the form of alphanumeric, musical or choreographic notation, sound, image, object, movement or any combinations of such forms.

O’Neill’s goal for the Humphry Clinker Study was to go beyond organizing bibliographic records to organizing the bibliographic objects represented by bibliographic records. In total 38 books were examined and close to 600 digital photos were taken. It became evident that except for the translations, the original text of Humphry Clinker had not been significantly changed. Most of the newer works focused on correcting minor errors, repositioning the date, moving the placement of chapter headings and replacing the “f” which was considered the long “s”. The supplemental material varied greatly as well, some works had only a new dedication while one other work in particular had 22 pages of notes. Another large problem was identifying the illustrators. Less than a third of the illustrated editions identified the illustrator.

Between the 1984 and the 1998 Humphry Clinker editions, the bibliography included four new editions. It was difficult to identify the differences because at least two of the editions had identical pagination. O’Neill stated even a side by side comparison of the 1984 and 1998 editions initially failed to recognize that these were different expressions.

The inconsistencies in the bibliographic records are a serious problem to identifying expressions. When it was difficult to determine if the differences between bibliographic records were real differences or simply differences in cataloging practice, an attempt was made to physically examine one or both of the books. In all cases this wasn’t possible due to the poor condition or rarity of the book, in which case O’Neill got as much information as he could via email.

Conclusions that O’Neill came to include:

• Existing bibliographic records do not contain enough information to consistently associate the records with expressions.
• Attempts to create FRBR expressions from existing records were sometimes futile.

The solution that O’Neill decided upon was to replace expressions with manifestation records that include added entries explicitly identifying the roles of the contributors, the problem of identifying expressions is avoided without a loss of functionality. O’Neill further states that the remaining entity-relationship structures: works, manifestations and items provide a powerful means to improve bibliographic organization and navigation.

O’Neill’s final words in the article states:

It is extremely unlikely that the problems encountered with Humphry Clinker are unique. The irony is that the FRBR model provides minimal benefits to the small works that can be reliably FRBRized, but fails on the large and complex works where it is needed most.

Reflection

I appreciate the irony that O’Neill found as that is most often the way life works the thing that you need the most fails when you least expect it to. I don’t believe that simply putting in a new dedication should warrant a new work. That does not change the body of the work significantly enough in my opinion. The only person that would be interested in that piece of work would perhaps be the individual that the dedication is to.

I do believe that more information is needed and necessary if FRBR is going to succeed with two of its primary objectives, the RAPID location of particular book and the provision of information concerning ALL editions, translations etc. of a given work as far as they exist in the library. If the bibliographic information isn’t sufficient enough to figure out whether or not the editions are the same or different, it is imperative that we supplement that information so that the system is usable by patrons and librarians alike. What good is information i.e. bibliographic records if they are not usable?

Beat the Winter Blues

Posted by Dr. Maoshing Ni

on Tue, Feb 13, 2007, 5:24 pm PST

Winter blues got you down? Here are some healthy habits to incorporate in your lifestyle for your health and longevity.

Beat the Winter Blues

The winter season is when nature sleeps, and everything experiences the slowing of natural processes-even our bodies. Chinese medicine links the winter season to the kidneys, the adrenal glands, and the bladder. Innactivity leads to an accumulation of toxins and carbon dioxide; people are inclined to colds, flu, poor circulation, and low vitality.

To avoid the winter blues, take some advice from the Yellow Emperor: go to sleep early and wait to let the sun bathe the house before rising from bed, dress warmly, engage in physical exercise, refrain from eating cold and raw foods, reduce salt to protect the kidneys, and increase bitter flavors, found in foods such as rhubarb and kale. Be happy and avoid experiencing excessive emotions.

Positive Activities for a Positive Mood

The best way to regulate your mood is through eating a proper balanced diet and practicing a good exercise program. These are a few specific measures you can take to maintain a positive outlook all through the winter:

1. Eat smaller meals, more frequently, and drink more liquids.
   
   
2. Avoid dairy, alcohol, coffee, sugar, and fatty foods. Excessive spicy foods are also not recommended, but a certain amount of pungency is beneficial.
   
   
3. Begin your day with a 20-minute brisk walk in the fresh air.
   
   
4. Get at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night. Take a 30-minute walk 1 hour before bed, not for exercise, but to help you sleep more soundly.
   
   
5. Movement is essential for proper metabolism and energy circulation. Consider learning and practicing some form of tai chi or qigong exercises; these exercises in particular are very effective in balancing energy. However, any exercise will be beneficial in keeping your energy up and avoiding stagnation.
   
   
6. Don't try to do too much in one day. Over planning is an energy-depleting activity. Try making only one or two items a priority every day. This way you can build on success instead of failure.

Fire Up Your Vitality with Ginger Tea

Since ancient times, Chinese physicians have regularly consumed ginger tea to keep their vitality fired up. Not only will ginger tea give you a boost with its pungent taste; it also has many significant healing properties. Besides its popular application for digestive distress, ginger has been found to contain geraniol, which may be a potent cancer fighter. It also possesses anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve pain, prevent blood clots, and inhibit the onset of migraine headaches.

How to make fresh ginger tea:

Cut a 2-inch piece from a fresh ginger root. Thinly slice this piece. Bring 4 cups of water to boiling in a saucepan. Add the ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover for about fifteen minutes. Strain the tea and serve.

I hope you will be able to integrate these strategies into your winter program. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

- Dr. Mao

Word O' The Day

Festschrift

One entry found for Festschrift.

Main Entry: Fest·schrift
Pronunciation: 'fes(t)-"shrift
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural Fest·schrif·ten /-"shrif-t&n /; or Fest·schrifts
Etymology: German, from Fest celebration + Schrift writing
: a volume of writings by different authors presented as a tribute or memorial especially to a scholar

Merriam-Webster

TAR: The All*Star Edition

TARSday is coming! This Sunday February 18, 2007. Here is an article in which the producers discuss the upcoming season 11th All*Star Season.
Whoooweee and my beloved Frats are back.

Yay for CBS and Yay for Phil Keogan. Personally I think Phil alone is worth watching the show for.

Gmail for All!

Google is now releasing the restrictions on their Gmail email services. Before you had to know someone and get an invitation to sign-up for the service.

Now what am I going to do with all those unused invites?

Are you taking them back Google? Are you huh -- what a thing to do to a girl on Valentine's Day -- I no longer feel special to you Google.

Don't be nice to me with chocolate strawberries.

We are through...at least until I have to check my gmail again. :P

2 Things...

A pig's mood is indicated by its tail. It is happy when the tail is tightly coiled and unhappy when it hangs limp.

Astronauts wear nappies during launch and re-entry because they can't stop what they're doing should they need to urinate.

Taken from the BBC's 10 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

The Toasters Are Coming...The Toasters Are Coming

SciFi Channel has announced that Battlestar Galactica will be back for a 4th Season.

So put down the nuke Baltar - you're coming back!

NY Philharmonic RingTones

They will also be on iTunes.

Go here for full story.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bacon Soap

This is just weird.

That's One Big Bunny...

Bugs' Big Brother?

LS 521 Journal Entry for 02/13/07

Read It Forward

While on break from my class yesterday I find a book in the lounge with a Read It Forward marker attached.

The book is Tears Of A Tiger By Sharon M. Draper and the Read It Forward program is affiliated with the Birmingham Public Library Teen Department. The instructions are after you have read the book to go log on to this site and enter a comment about the book and then "leave" it somewhere for someone else to find. Later say a month or so you can then go back and track the book to see who else has read it and where else the book has traveled.

I must say I think this is an awesome program to involve teens. The combination of reading and technology and then tracking the book using your computer is something that I think youth would enjoy. Awesome program - I wonder if they would want me to take the book all the way back to PA with me. Probably not - maybe I should call or email and ask. It never hurts right - the most they could do is say no.

In other cool and awesome news. I recently completed an Illustrator Research Assignment for my Children's Literature Class (for those in cyberland -- that would be the one I am writing this journal entry for) on Floyd Cooper and at first I have to admit I was a bit disappointed because I love Mary Engelbreit and was planning on using her for my project. What I didn't know was that we got assigned Illustrator's for the project. But it ended up great as I learned all about a new Illustrator -- blah, blah, blah. But I have to skip ahead to tell you the best part. My Illustrator had a personal website which I found and then I learn that he now lives in Pennsylvania and so I felt connected. Well on his website there's an email address. So I decide what the heck, I'll write him and tell him how cool I think he is and how beautiful his work is..blah blah. So being the goober that I am occasionally I write him an email extolling how beautiful his work is and how he was assigned to me and that I am also from Pennsylvania. Now I address the letter to him, his wife or whoever happens to be filtering his mail.

GUESS WHAT?

Not even an hour later -- I get a response! How awesome is that. Not only is he a fabulous illustrator but a great guy as well! I cannot wait to share this with my class :D

Betty Glover Library Workout

2000 People Flapping Their Arms & Legs

The people of Syracuse, NY try to break the Snow Angel Record.

Oops - Glass Ceiling Broken!

The - You Go Girl Moment Of The Day!
Harvard Names First Woman President







Drew Gilpin Faust

~Welcome Sawyer John~

Feb 8 5:49 pm

8lb 3 oz 19 1/2 inches

Congrats to Ryan, Kristen & Big Brother Logan!

Got A Secret?

Want to Read other People's Secrets?
Visit PostSecret.

The deal is people from all over send in postcards anonymously and they get scanned and posted on this blog.

Currently they are highlighting Valentine Themed Secrets.
I think it gets updated twice per week.

*Caution* Some Secrets use Adult Language.

This One Was My Favorite :)

March of the Librarians

Which Ben & Jerry's Flavor Are You?

You Are Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Truthfully, you're too spazzy to be chunky - you cheeky monkey!

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Which Muppet Are You?

You Are Fozzie Bear

"Wocka! Wocka!" You're the life of the party, and you love making people crack up. If only your routine didn't always bomb! You may find more groans than laughs, but always keep the jokes coming.

The Muppet Personality Test

Fortune Cookie

Your Fortune Is

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Blast from the Past

Remember Pinball with Sesame Street?

Well guess who sings that?

The Pointer Sisters

LS 521 Journal Entry for 02/06/07

Flat Stanley

Above is a picture of Stanley with a member of Blue Man Group!

Here is an excerpt from a letter sent by teachers about the Flat Stanley Project:

Currently there are over 1000 classes around the world participating in Flat Stanley projects. In the original book by Jeff Brown, Stanley Lambchop is squashed flat by a falling bulletin board. One of the advantages to being flat is that his parents can put him in a large envelope and mail him for a visit to his friends in California.

In our school project, students make paper Flat Stanleys and mail them to other schools or prominent people. We hope that the recipient will treat Stanley like a guest, complete the daily journal, then mail him back after a few weeks.
For many young students, these letters that they write to other students or to politicians and celebrities are the first meaningful opportunities they have had to use writing as a communication tool. It therefore motivates them to produce their best work and they eagerly look forward to responses. Photographs or souvenirs accompanying returning Stanleys add to the experience for these young people.
You were chosen as a recipient because of the interest and admiration that a student has for you. We hope you will consider participating in the Flat Stanley Project by making a few entries in the enclosed journal and returning it to the sender at the school’s address.

I am not sure of when I first heard of Flat Stanley. But he has come into my life a couple of times recently.

This past Thanksgiving my brother began telling me about a school project he had to do (He is a College Senior in Elementary Ed/Special Ed) involving Flat Stanley. Well the version of Stanley that he created became a student at Baldwin Wallace and had a schedule and attended classes etc.. So he took pictures of Stanley in front of all the various buildings and places all over campus that he would be. My brother then went on to use Flat Stanley for certain subjects while in the classroom.

We then get home and who arrives in the mail but - FLAT STANLEY. This time from the other side of my family my Mom's niece who is in the 3rd grade. Well we took Stanley right out and showed him our town. We took him to the Library, to see the Chief Cornplanter statue by the river. We then traveled by car to Titusville, PA and visited Drake Well the world's first Oil Well and the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad.

I can't tell you what a fantastic idea I think Stanley is. It encourages kids to read as well as write and communicate with others via regular mail or e-mail and teaches them about faraway places different from their own home towns.

More recently when I went to the Tuscaloosa Public Library I saw a Frog version of Stanley. Think a frog on a stick with directions on the back to post pictures of where Stick's sticky tongue gets him stuck.

This is STICK ~ He is a creation of Steve Breen.

To download him for you or a friend go HERE and scroll down to the bottom right of the page.

According to the Penguin Group website the book about STICK is coming out soon!

Bye for now & Happy Reading :)

Calling All Movie Buffs

Holy Popcorn Batman! Pow - Zap - Bam

See all FIVE OSCAR Best Picture Nominees

FREE Large Popcorn

FREE Large Drink

FREE Refills All Day

30 Bucks - Babel - The Queen - The Departed - Letters From Iwo Jima - Little Miss Sunshine

AMC I applaud you - unfortunately none of the theatres are near me as far as I can tell from your site. But kudos to you for a fabulous idea!! If my mom is available she would so be into this!

Random Fact of the Day

In China, James Bond is known as
Lingling Qi - 007

Dancing with Apolo?

Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno may be trading in those speed skates for dancing shoes...

ABC however refuses to comment on casting rumors.

Here's hoping this rumor's true!

Fun With You Tube

I love Donny Osmond. More of what didn't make the Weird Al "White & Nerdy" Video. Just Al sing err rapping and Donny dancing like a fool behind him.

The Simpsons -vs- Star Trek -- Courtesy of Southern Gentleman

Same Guy as above -- with his Anthem to You Tube

Kick the Tube Habit April 23-29

This is for Patti!

I don't know if I could it - I guess since I've been in grad school I kinda have been although it wasn't by choice. Last night I did see LOST, but that's the first thing I've seen since last Thursday or Friday besides the weather channel.

Allison Topper, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) invites PA libraries to celebrate National Turn off the TV Week (April 23-29) with communities across the Commonwealth.

PANA is a coalition of various public and private partners working to promote healthy eating and active living across the Commonwealth. This year, PANA is coordinating statewide activities for Turn off the TV Week in schools and communities. The week is designed to provide youth, families, and community members with events and activities that are alternatives to watching TV.

Community organizations, businesses and civic and volunteer groups are encouraged to get involved by promoting existing community events throughout the week. Turning off the television gives us a chance to read, create, think, and connect with our families and engage in our communities.

Here is how you can get involved:

1. Promote existing library events during this week as an alternative to watching TV. To enter events into the state-wide database that will serve as a "calendar of events" by county for the week, please visit: http://www.panaonline.org/programs/khz/enterthezone/turnoffthetv/tot_eventform.php

2. Serve as a local distribution location for event posters. Local community organizations hosting an event would be directed to your library to pick up their promotional posters. If you are willing to serve as a central distribution location for your community, please complete the online from at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2265DEWXB6F, and posters will be mailed to you in early March.

If you have any questions about Turn off the TV Week, please contact Robyn Ricketts, PANA's Active Communities Coordinator, at rricketts@psu.edu or 717-540-2633.

Quote from Allison Topper: "We look forward to working together to put the week's message in to practice by turning off TV and turning on life!"

R.I.P. Anna Nicole

All I can say is - Her poor little girl.

Anna Nicole dead at age 39.

LS 500 Hidden Wisdom & Unseen Treasure

Russell, B.M. (1998). Hidden Wisdom and Unseen Treasure: Revisiting Cataloging in Medieval Libraries. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 26(3):21-30.

In this article Beth M. Russell talks about how catalogers in medieval times dealt with the same challenges and problems that current day catalogers face.

The issues Russell examines are:

• How to organize information
• How to serve local needs
• How to provide access to individual works within larger bibliographic formats

Russell states:
“Library Cataloging reveals how those entrusted with the care of books thought about the books and just as interesting, how they thought about the knowledge contained in the books.”

Russell then goes on to say:
“Modern authors see the study of library catalogs as a source of literary and intellectual history, and it seems clear that library catalogs serve first and foremost as a source of the history of the book itself.”

It is interesting to note that Russell herself is a cataloger. The bottom front page of the article lists, Beth M. Russell, MA MLIS, is Original Cataloging Librarian, Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A&M University. So an article about catalogers by a cataloger; it makes sense to me as I’ve always heard, Write what you know.

In medieval times there was no standard from which all catalogers were able to start from. They each started from scratch when cataloging every collection. By contrast in today’s times there are standards and guidelines that catalogers follow. An example of this would be what IS and what IS NOT a Library of Congress Subject Heading. The foundation that that catalogers both in medieval times and catalogers of today built upon revolved around what the catalog was needed for, who would be using the catalog and what terms would they be searching the collection by.

Russell gives a working definition of catalogs as:
“Guides to the content and location of the books available for use.”

I do agree with most of what Russell states in the article. Catalogers in medieval times and catalogers of today definitely face some of the same problems. Most of those problems are able to be solved by out-of-the-box thinking in both eras. It just takes as Russell stated in her article someone that cares about the books and the knowledge inside of them. Librarians and Catalogers in particular are those people. We are the guardians of information and responsible for disseminating it quickly and efficiently to those that require or want access to the information.

P*R*O*C*R*A*S*T*I*N*A*T*I*O*N

Don’t wait: Stop procrastinating!

If you put off things or are always late, you could be messing up your life

By Dr. Gail Saltz

TODAY contributor

Procrastination goes well beyond simple laziness. Serious consequences can ensue when you constantly put off until tomorrow what you should have done yesterday.

Fees can accrue if you don’t pay bills on time. Friends can seethe if you always arrive late. Careers can suffer if you force others to pick up the slack. It’s no surprise that chronic procrastinators are stressed and anxious.

If procrastination can cause so many problems, why do people procrastinate? Well, here are some reasons:

Fear of failure. Procrastinators are often perfectionists who would rather not try than risk failure. Being average isn’t good enough. They worry others will appreciate them only if they perform well.

Fear of success. Yes, this is fear-of-failure’s evil twin. The worry here is that success might make others envious. Besides, procrastinators might never live up to their own ever-higher standards. Again, it is easier not to try.

Need for control. Some procrastinators enjoy being rebellious and defiant. They are secretly glad their delays cause problems for others.

Thrill seeking. Conflict and drama are more exciting than peace and quiet. Procrastinators like the crises they create by waiting until the last minute.

If you really are serious about overcoming procrastination, I suggest you start by figuring out what fear, or need, your behavior is filling. Notice what situations trigger procrastination: When you must make a choice? Meet a deadline? Complete an unpleasant task? Interact with people you dislike? Choose between fun and work?

Once you understand your trigger factors, you can work on practical and concrete solutions:

Prioritize. Make a list of tasks. Eliminate unnecessary ones, and spent your energy on important ones. Don’t let unimportant time-wasters crowd out significant things. You don’t need to check your e-mail nonstop, for example. It can wait 10 minutes.

Keep track of things with a clock or calendar. Block off times to work and play. In fact, you can use play as a reward. Work steadily for an hour and reward yourself with a Sudoku puzzle. Make a dreaded phone call and reward yourself with a call to a friend.

Test your beliefs. So you claim you must perform a task perfectly? Try doing it imperfectly and see what happens. The sky won’t fall in.

Stop saying yes. Don’t mislead people into thinking you will do something you won’t. It’s better to tell a friend you cannot drive her to the airport than to be late and make her miss her flight.

Create interim deadlines. There’s a reason you always hear you should break a task down into manageable parts. It works. And you get a solid sense of achievement from actually finishing something, no matter how small. Keep up the momentum.

Dr. Gail’s Bottom Line: Procrastination isn’t inevitable. The more you demonstrate that to yourself, the easier it is to continue the positive changes

Dr. Gail Saltz is a psychiatrist with New York Presbyterian Hospital and a regular contributor to “Today.” Her latest book is “Anatomy of a Secret Life: The Psychology of Living a Lie,” by Dr. Gail Saltz. She is also the author of "Amazing You! Getting Smart About Your Private Parts," which helps parents deal with preschoolers' questions about sex and reproduction. Her first book, “Becoming Real: Overcoming the Stories We Tell Ourselves That Hold Us Back,” was published in 2004 by Riverhead Books. It is now available in a paperback version. For more information, you can visit her Web site, www.drgailsaltz.com.

© 2007 MSNBC Interactive

Da Bears

DA Superfans to the extreme.

Make sure you scroll down to see their profile stats.

I think their heroes are Mike Ditka and Magnum P.I.

I didn't read the whole site..but what I perused was funny..really funny

Bust Out the Bailing Buckets

Notre Dame Library partially flooded.

1,500 Books got damaged.

Word O' The Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 06, 2007 is:

metadata • \met-uh-DAY-tuh\ • noun
: data that provides information about other data

Example Sentence: The word processing program also tracks and saves metadata such as the author of the document and how many copies have been printed.

Did you know? It's easy to find data on the source of "metadata": the word was formed by combining "data" with "meta-," which means "transcending" and is often used to describe a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one. "Meta-" was first used in that way in "metaphysics" and has been extended to a number of other disciplines, giving us such words as "metapsychology" and "metamathematics." "Metadata" takes the "transcending" aspect a step further, applying it to the concept of pure information instead of a discipline. "Metadata" is a fairly new word (it first appeared in print in 1983), whereas "data" can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century.

What Do You Get...

When You Cross A Slinky With A Chair?

Click Here to Find Out

This would solve my storage and my chair needs!

~ Leaping Lizards ~

Audra McDonald and Patti Lupone
Together in a show beginning soon in L.A.!

The show is called Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.

Wow - just wow! For those of you that know me - I love Audra McDonald as I was fortunate enough to see her in Ragtime and Patti Lupone well she was the original Fantine in my beloved Les Miz, the lead role in Evita and most recently Mrs. Lovett in the revival of Sweeney Todd.

This is like a dream ticket come true. So now who do I know in L.A.?

Maybe they will do VH1's Divas next -- does VH1 even still do that -- I'm not sure.

Ed - Thanks to Nancy who sent me the link about this!

Bookworm?

Ever wonder what a bookworm actually looks like?

Well wonder no more.
The people at Troll & Toad have decided that it would make a fabulous plush toy.

Ummmm No! I don't want a stuffed toy of anything that I find creepy and little things with multiple legs -- Uber Creepy!

Ick.

G.I. Jesus

This came from my Uncle Mike and I feel that it warrants sharing:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said:

"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... And how many want out." Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. If you want to pass this on I think it would be appropriate, as many seem to forget BOTH of them.

Fun with Les Miz

How the cast of How I Met Your Mother has fun.

Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segal perform a bit from the Confrontation.

Welcome Back Potter!

The last J.K. Rowling book is being released July 21, 2007 - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows.

The book will cost a hefty $34.99 in the US or 7 galleons, 4 sickles and 11 knuts in Hogwart's currency.

For the first time ever the audio version of the book will be released at the same time as the novel. If you haven't heard any of them - you really should check them out as Stephen Fry is awesome. He's won awards for the previous books and I believe he holds the Guiness Record for the most voices in one book.

I got the last book at 12am from SmileyMart and read it straight through!

I imagine the book parties will be plentiful as this will be the last installment.

In other Daniel Radcliffe news, he will soon be starring in the very adult production of Equus on London's West End.

If you're a minded to you can follow the Equus link to see the pictures that are making the rounds of the internet and all the fangirls go ga-ga for the soon to be 18 yo Daniel.

*Follow at your own risk*
Some of them may make your eyes pop out of your head.

Here is the tamest one of the bunch.

Who knew Harry had such abs?

I actually did read the play in High School or College and can attest he's definitely expanding the roles he'll get with this one. It is certainly not a play for everyone, and on that controversial note - I'm off to do some reading for my classes!

TTFN!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Blogger was down for a while - so hence the delay in an updates.


I have had a fun filled fortunate couple of days.

I had a very lovely gift bestowed upon me. A tv and dvd player for which I now must find a stand so that I can put it to use.

I have another job interview next week - whooohooo! So cross your fingers on Tuesday around 10:45 am CST and say a prayer that I say all the right things. This one is for a full-time position.

I met a very lovely southern gentleman and if you want more details you will need to pick up and the phone and call me. We're gonna keep the blog details to a minimum about this one. ;)

Friday Evening all the students in my program go out for an evening of fun. An evening of fun was indeed had by all. There was dancing, billiards, adult beverages, juke-box music and of course someone had a digital camera to capture all the events for posterity.

After that revelry part of the group went to IHOP and would you believe there is such a thing as all you can eat pancakes? One of our group ordered it, but didn't make it past the first plate of three flapjacks.

Speaking of IHOP did you know that the acronym for Little House on the Prairie is LHOP? Apparently there is an LHOP marathon on Sunday Feb 4th on the Hallmark Channel.

I simply loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in my youth. I believe I even went as Laura for Halloween a time or two. Wonder if there are pictures of that somewhere?