Finishing What I Start

This librarian blog will be mostly about running for the next three months. Where possible, I will combine libraries and running. I'm training for the NYC Marathon and accepting donations for ING's Run For Something Better.

ING Run For Something Better funds free school-based youth running programs for kids in our race markets and nationally to teach kids the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and help them avoid childhood obesity.

Also, completely unrelated, I seem to have inadvertently deleted all the images from this blog. I am choosing to blame Google Plus.

48 Hour Book Challenge: 17 Hours, 37 Minutes

Just a quick update to post my stats for the Sixth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge:

Reading: 17 Hours, 37 Minutes
Books Started: Four
Books Finished: Three (one audiobook, one eBook, one print book)
Libraries Hugged: One (CNN covered it! Article: Supporters give 'hug' to budget-pinched NYC libraries)
Muffins Baked: 12 (post-Challenge, recipe from Smitten Kitchen: Rhubarb Streusel Muffins)

Hugs, Cupcakes, and the 48Hour Book Challenge

It's gearing up to be a hectic month: two major NYC library advocacy events (Hug the Library, 24 Hour We Will Not Be Shushed Read In), preparing for Alex Awards committee meetings at ALA Annual, pulling off a program (Pecha Kucha: Teens and Technology) at the same library conference, and planning for our first big month of technology and job readiness programs at the library in July.

A weekend spent reading is just what I need. No, really, I mean that. I'm throwing my stack of books into the ring for the 48 Hour Book Challenge.

I'll be darting off to high-five Patience and Fortitude at the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in the middle of my reading fest. The three library systems in New York City are facing massive budget cuts, and (fingers crossed) a hundreds-strong group of us is going to form a human chain around the building, so that we can what the event name implies: Hug the Library. (Are you in NYC or the surrounding area? You should come. You can even read while you wait for the hug to take place promptly at 2pm.)

Other than my cozy up with the library and some baking aspirations, my weekend is mostly clear. My plan is to read from 8pm Friday-8pm Sunday. I'm aiming for 20/48 hours, but maybe I can manage to stay up this time around. Here are my books:

a new job for a new season

In keeping with my tradition of changing my job (or position) every two years, I'm now working as an outreach librarian in Long Island City. I'm still with Queens Library, and these are my new digs:

Pretty cool, eh? My focus is providing technology and job assistance to traditionally underserved populations. The program, an enhancement of what libraries already provide, is just starting and once again I find myself in a multiple-exclamation-point state.

(One of) The Lucky Few

The article I wrote for Library Journal appeared online October 15, but I just got the print copy! Here's a pic:

That's me in the lower right corner. From top-left: Leah L. White, Justin Hoenke, and Molly Kelly. The reaction has been nice, and many people at Queens Library have said kind things. I hope to do more writing, getting back to my roots, in the future.

Deadline!

Deadline, deadline, my dear old friend. I'm working on an 800 word article about my experiences as a librarian since I graduated in early '07. This of course means two things: I woke up feeling horrible and I've done everything else on my t0-do list except write the last 400 words. Trekking to Target to treat my allergies with some legal crack -- Claritin-D -- I first popped into the Party Store to check out stick-like things for my upcoming food-on-a-stick party. Behold:


Much food will be stuck. I also managed to whip up an entire week's worth of lunches, snacks, and dinners and place them all in serving size containers. I spent last night reading through old livejournal entries, giggling into the wee hours of the morning. Now I'm going to take a stroll through this blog, which has more of a professional bent than the lj. It's weird to think how much has happened in the last 3 1/2 years.

DC Bound: ALA 2010 Schedule

Friday

11:30am: Train to DC

3pm-5pm: Emerging Leaders Poster Session (WCC, Room 201). Snacks! Fun, smart people to chat up. Snacks!

5pm-7pm: YALSA Happy Hour, Old Dominion Brew House (1219 9th Street NW). Alternative: LITA Happy Hour, Renaissance Downtown Hotel Lobby Bar (999 Ninth Street NW).

7pm-10pm Grab some dinner, and finish reading for Alex Awards committee meeting.

10pm – 4am ALA Dance Party at the APEX (1415 22nd Street NW) $10.

Saturday

10:30am-12noon YALSA All-Committee (WCC Room 207A/B). Coffee and snacks.

12pm-1:30pm LUNCH!

1:30pm-5:30pm Alex Award committee meeting, closed session.

5:30pm Dinner with Alex folks. Thai!

7:30pm-9:30pm Tweet Up, The Passenger (1021 7th Street NW).

Quiet evening in hotel, recovering from previous day's fun. Alternative: ALA Annual 2010 Facebook/Twitter After-Hours Social, RFD (810 7th Street NW).

Sunday

7:30am Alexander Street Breakfast, Washington Marriott at Metro Center (Grand Ballroom, 775 12th Street NW). Yum!

9am-10am YA Coffee Klatch (WCC Room 207A/B)

10:30am-12pm Alex Award program with David Small (WCC, Room 150B). David Small!

12pm-1:30pm LUNCH!

1:30pm-5:30pm Alex Award committee meeting, closed session.

7:30pm-9pm NMRT Awards Reception, where former and fellow ELer, Library Scenester will be honored. Woo! Go, Erin.

Monday

8am-10am Alex Award committee meeting, closed session.

10am-1:30pm Exhibits; Lunch; Check out of hotel. (Staying with a local friend Monday night.)

1:30pm-3:30pm Committee on Library Advocacy (GRAND, Room Independence E)

5:30pm Battledecks (WCC, Room 103A). Alternative: Hang out with my DC friends.

Tuesday

11am: Library Advocacy Day!

Possible meetings with aides of NY elected officials in afternoon.

Return to NYC at some point.