pinkmegd

more books

2010-03-01T21:54:00.003-05:00

because lindsey requested it, i'm gonna try to bring back the blog a little. here are my most recent creations, both with homemade book cloth:

Buttonhole binding with a nice cutout (xmas gift):

longstitch binding (for kara's birthday):

whaddaya think?

latest books

2009-10-04T18:48:00.002-04:00

I actually made these 2 books a while ago, but I am just now getting around to posting them. Both are handmade with the Secret Belgian Binding (the French Link Binding holds the text block together).

I made this one for my friends Stephanie and Brian to use as a baby book for their soon-to-be-born little guy. I wish I had better photos of it, but I forgot to take them until I was at the shower. Oops! The dimensions are approximately 12" x 9". The outside is covered with some beautiful acid-free gift wrap, and they can change out the framed image. I think this is the nicest book I have ever made, and I am so glad to have given it to Stephanie and Brian!

This is a book that I made for my friend Mary's birthday. It is covered with handmade (by me) bookcloth, and the pages are brown craft paper. I think this is such a cute little book that I almost couldn't part with it. It has the Secret Belgian Binding with the French Link on the text block.

Mapping is hard. Life is hard.

2009-06-14T21:57:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted anything here in a while but I have stumbled into some creative difficulties and I don't know where to go from here. I am trying to make some sort of art piece about mapping for my book arts class, but every time I get started with an idea, it unravels and I am left back at the beginning. Now I am facing my last idea, which is one I have purposely been avoiding. I have been thinking of making some sort of book/atlas that maps the distance between Columbus and Boston (where Wes, my significant other will be going to school next year while I stay at my job in Ohio). I am not sure what all this would entail, but I do know that I just looked up the distance on Google Maps from Columbus to Boston and it says 768 miles and that makes me want to cry. Now I can't decide if mapping that distance will be a helpful experience for me, or just make me miserable. If anyone has any helpful insights, please let me know.

In the meantime, I will just look at this map of Loveland (by Ernest Dudley Chase) and pretend Wes and I are moving there together:

A Post From Walter

2009-03-20T16:40:00.006-04:00

"Thanks Gram for the fab paper bag you sent!" says Walter (it originally had Jeni's ice cream in it- thanks for that as well). "This was my new favorite toy... until I shredded it to bits! But that was fun, too!"

"That bag was super fun, but have you seen this awesome pink tissue paper Mom brought home? It's even stuck together so you can play dress up and pretend it's a skirt or dress! This is so cool!"

The Fabulous Lustron

2009-03-14T14:18:00.008-04:00

This morning Wes and I visited a reconstructed Lustron home in Whitehall. What is a Lustron home, you ask? Well, according to Lustron Connection, "The initial Lustron Home, a two-bedroom, one-bath, 1000-square-foot unit, was a critical success with an efficient 31-by-35-foot floor plan and space-saving built-ins in every room. All interior and exterior surfaces were porcelain-enameled metal, from the roof, gutters and down drains to the master bedroom’s built-in vanity." The Lustron company was based in Columbus, and the homes were made of prefabricated components that would arrive in the building site on a truck like this:

The Lustron Erection Manual gave complete instructions for constructing the home, including tons of diagrams. This copy of the manual was on view at the open house we went to:

This image, from Lustron Connection, show a Lustron home in all of it's 1950's glory:

Here is the Lustron we visited. The parts were saved from demolition and reconstructed by the Whitehall Historical Society. They are still working on it, so today's visit was just a preview of the final product.

Lustron kitchen. The reconstruction we went to did not have the appliances it would have, but I can't wait to go back and see it when it's finished. It will eventually have an original to the Lustron home: combo dishwasher/clotheswasher.

The Lustron Bathroom. Bathtub would have been on the far right, sink in the center, and toilet on the left.

Cross-section of the Lustron walls: steel beams and porcelain-coated steel panels inside and outside.

After our visit to the Whitehall Lustron, I really really wish I could buy this beautiful remodeled Lustron in Clintonville. It has an addition, but still has the original inside features. More pictures on http://www.perryryno.com

Storytime Goodbyes :(

2009-03-12T20:25:00.002-04:00

Today was the last Hilltop storytime visit for one of my favorite families. They are moving to Dayton this weekend and I almost cried when they told me. F. and N. are 2 of the cutest kids ever! F. is about 5 and super duper smart. He loves to retell the stories we read/acted out when storytime is over. N. is 2 and follows F. around and does whatever he does. Their mother is wonderful, too! She reads to the kids all the time and lets them borrow tons of books! They were the first storytime family I really got to know when I came to the Hilltop branch, and I am sad that I won't see them anymore.

When I found out on Tuesday that today would be their last storytime with me, I decided that I wanted to do something special for them. It was really hard to decide, but finally I made them a little canvas tote bag to carry all of their library books in. It has a green 'F.' bird and a purple 'N.' bird on it. The best part was that I got to put a few FOL books in it for them to keep, which was really good since F. didn't understand why he couldn't check any books out today. Here I am modeling the bag (and watching Walter put a toy in Wes' shoe):

the bag close up:

They seemed really excited about the bag and the books, and F. even gave me a card that said "Thank you Teacher Megan." So cute. I love my job.

Book Arts Class

2009-03-10T20:43:00.006-04:00

For the past few months I have been attending a fabulous book arts class at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. I love this class! It is so much fun, and I am so excited each week to make new things. Here are some of the books I've been making (not the best photos, but I did my best with the setup I had):

My first book (for this class)- Buttonhole Binding with paste paper on the inside cover

Books 2 and 3- Raised Cord bindings. These are covered with beautiful reused X-mas wrapping paper! Thanks Wendy!

In process: Long Stitch binding. This paper was handmade by Emily and I screen printed one of her images to the cover. Can't wait to do more printing!

these make me laugh.

2009-03-01T19:29:00.003-05:00

i did my taxes today, and when i do my taxes, i often feel that i need to laugh first. so i will share my favorite commercials all at once so you can laugh like me.

snow day

2009-02-24T18:32:00.005-05:00

Last month we had a snow day and I took a walk through my neighborhood. I couldn't believe how many robins there were in the trees and how many plants still had leaves, flower heads, seedpods, and berries on them. It was so beautiful that I took a bunch of photos:

very hungry caterpillar cameo

2009-02-13T19:03:00.002-05:00

look! even baby gorillas love the very hungry caterpillar! and he's 40 years old! can you believe it??? i can, because the very hungry caterpillar is a very cute little guy.

i love the site this is from: zooborns

kittens inspired by kittens

2009-02-12T20:09:00.001-05:00

Cute Overload always helps me laugh when I feel sad. Case in point:

oh no michael phelps

2009-02-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

i really never watch snl, but thought this was pretty hilarious. i think kelloggs was right to drop phelps, but seth does make a good point, especially where snap, crackle, and pop are concerned.

think i should reply?

2009-01-27T19:53:00.002-05:00

i think it might have been me. hope wes doesn't mind another animal in the house!

oh man

2009-01-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

more animals

So true.

2009-01-15T20:09:00.002-05:00

...in fact, this specifically reminds me of jane d. and me.

From http://xkcd.com/231/

Walter's Week in Review

2009-01-14T22:07:00.006-05:00

Here is a brief sampling of the exciting things that Walter Cronkat has experienced in the past week:

Jumping onto the top of the bathroom door when it is open. Once he gets up there, he doesn't quite know what to do, and I have to go get a chair to get him down.

I got out some new jingle bell toys for the kitties and put them in the bathtub. This can provide hours of entertainment for all involved.

We played in the snow for the first time last night. Walter had so much fun that he didn't want to come in, but Wes did a great job of wrangling him!

Accordion Fun (a.k.a. New Year's Eve)

2009-01-09T10:11:00.004-05:00

More accordion fun will be posted just as soon as I can get the videos together.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

x-mas installment 3.5: the rowan/lite/rogers/duffy xmas/Hanukkah

2009-01-04T12:52:00.003-05:00

joe and grandpa rogers avoiding the sunlight.

there really wasn't much dancing.. just this.

kevin and erin (she's on the phone)

lighting the menorah

x-mas installment 3: the rowan/lite/rogers/duffy xmas/Hanukkah

2008-12-31T14:27:00.003-05:00

stop number 2: Mum's house

my favorite xmas decoration- plastic candy garland (i think it used to be glittery, too!)

menorah on the mantle and stockings below

Christmas tree

Hanukkah tree

Haku

x-mas installment 2: the duffy xmas

2008-12-30T14:13:00.003-05:00

The first stop was x-mas eve at Dad's. I forgot my camera in the car for most of the evening but here's what I've got:

The dogs

Leo

Reindeer corn

The peanuts Grandpa couldn't stop eating.

Esther Price candy. Yum.

x-mas... installment 1.

2008-12-30T13:48:00.003-05:00

I made these stockings last year, except for Walter's, which is new. We really can't put anything in them b/c Walter will attack them and destroy them, but they are still pretty.

Wes

Bunny

Walter

goodbye, larry's...

2008-12-28T22:25:00.002-05:00

Kami and I visited Larry's for the last time last night. They are closing for good and we were so sad that we had to say our good-byes and have one last Larry's hurrah.

Read the Columbus Dispatch article about the closing here.

I really can't say how many of those frozen margaritas I've had over the years. Even though I kinda thought they were gross, they were the Friday night special that Meesh, Mandy, and I often got. I am glad I finally realized that I really didn't need to get the special.

I know Kami and I look happy, but really, we are crying on the inside.

I wish I could have had one last Larry's hurrah with all of my OSU girls- Meesh, Mandy and Jane. And Meesh, it just wasn't the same without Bob. I will miss this landmark of my undergraduate career. :(

I'm really web 2.0!

2008-12-28T21:29:00.003-05:00

...says wes. he got me a camera for x-mas that takes video and i've figured out how to put them on vimeo, which is kind of like youtube but prettier and has privacy settings. here is my debut video:

My New Camera from Megan Duffy on Vimeo.

more holiday fun.

2008-12-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

just so no one thinks my cats are the only ones being dressed as reindeer...

i keep forgetting that i'm wearing these and wondering why library customers are looking at me funny. well, 'tis the season to be festive!

in the spirit of xmas...

2008-12-22T21:52:00.004-05:00

This year we couldn't put up a real tree because Walter would probably destroy it and hurt himself in the process, so I made this felt tree that hangs on our wall instead. Walter still tried to destroy it, but it's just high enough up that he can't reach it (especially after we rearranged the furniture so it's all really far from the tree).

This photo is a Christmas classic for us. Bunny wears her Rudolf* outfit proud when she's too asleep to know what's going on.

This year I decided it was Walter's turn to wear the Rudolph* outfit, and the following images depict the process of getting him suited up. In the end, it looked pretty funny for the whole 5 seconds before he ripped it off.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

* How do you spell the name of the red-nosed reindeer who guides Santa's sleigh? Anyone? I couldn't decide between Rudolph and Rudolf.

The Millionaire's Inexperienced Love-Slave

2008-12-19T12:20:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to Brian for bringing this fabulous book title to my attention:

This and many, many more wonderful titles available at your local library.

The Miracle of Birth... Explained in song. How precious!

2008-12-12T22:04:00.002-05:00

I've got to thank my friend John for bringing this fantastic video to my attention. This is amazing.

hand made (by me) presents! yay!

2008-12-11T20:00:00.005-05:00

This is the 'Megan' doll I made for Meesh so she can get hugs from me in Phoenix anytime she needs them. I think she is rather cute and I like her hair cut. She even has sparkly pink cheeks like me! Yay!

This is the pea pod I made for Andy and Chinn's wedding gift. I love these little peas; they are so happy and they can't stop looking at each other! I am also so proud of myself because I learned how to embroider on my sewing machine for this one.

I had so much fun making these gifts for my friends and I can't wait to make more! Yippee!

L&P Bonus: 10 Random Things About Me

2008-11-12T19:51:00.002-05:00

I bet you never wanted to know so many random things about me, but i never back away from a Learn & Play challenge!

1. I am allergic to cats but I have two of them- Bunny and Walter Cronkat. Bunny is sweet and calm, and Walter is spaz-tastic. Pictures of both can be found to the right of my blog. I love them like they are my children and if I ever have human kids someday, I am not sure that I could possibly love them as much as I do my cats. My friends assure me that this will change, but I am skeptical.

2. When I was a kid I used to get in trouble for reading by flashlight under my covers when I was supposed to be asleep.

3. My favorite way to release stress is to sing along really loudly with cassette tapes in my car. My most stress-relieving tapes include Peter, Paul and Mary, The Dixie Chicks, and the Flaming Lips. Random, I know.

4. When I was younger, my plans for adulthood changed pretty much every year or so when I read something new. When I grew up, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder (first grade), Jo March from Little Women (third grade), and finally Nancy Drew (fifth grade). I still kind of wish I could be them at least for a day.

5. I was a Girl Scout for 8 years as a kid, a G.S. resident camp staff member for 3 years, the founder/president of OSU Campus Girl Scouts, and a leader of 1st grade brownies for 1 year. If I could start a new troop for my cats, I totally would (even though Walter is a boy).

6. My favorite color is pink (in case you haven't noticed). In my last year of college I covered the wall of my studio space with pink things I found and then made an installation piece out of them. Somewhere, I also have a paper bag full of pink paint chips that I collected around that time.

7. I once cried at the show 'Deal or No Deal.'

8. A few years ago, I participated in 2 baking competions at the Ohio State Fair and placed in both of them. I made Strawberry Cheesecake for an egg competion and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cheesecake for a chocolate competition. It was fun and yummy, but a lot of work!

9. I love it when I see people walking or jogging down the street alone and smiling or laughing.

10. Lost gloves and mittens in the snow make me feel really sad. I just want to reunite them with their little warm friends!

just so you aren't so sad about L&P ending...

2008-11-11T13:24:00.002-05:00

...here's a weird commercial featuring musical cats and some sort of unidentifiable beverage. hopefully, it will lift your spirits.

Thing #23 (sob)

2008-11-10T15:20:00.010-05:00

I am so sad that this is the last of the 'Things,' so if you are reading this and you need help with any of yours, please ask! I have decided that I don't want to miss responding to any of the questions so here goes.

Q. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

A. I love Flickr and Twitter, but I really think Google Docs is my favorite of the 23 things. It makes my life sooo much easier when I can access my documents from any internet computer!

Q. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

A. This program has made me realize just how much I am learning every day. I have often felt that certain technology is beyond my understanding, but L&P challenged me to really focus. As it turns out, I can figure most things out with patience, concentration, and a little help from people around me. Don't worry, I did say MOST things... I won't be trying brain surgery or rocket science anytime soon. Also, one of my life-long learning goals has always been to model learning behaviors and help other people grow in their knowledge. L&P has provided me with tons of opportunities to teach others (coworkers, friends, family, customers, etc.) what I have been learning and make them aware of new technologies that could be useful in their lives.

Q. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

A. I really enjoyed discovering new things about my co-workers by reading their blogs. I started working at a new location just as Learn & Play started, and it really helped me make quicker connections with coworkers since I was able to read their blogs and follow them on Twitter.

Q. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

A. I liked the amount of time offered and I thought the program was great.

Q. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

A. Yes yes yes yes yes!!! Learn & Play was so fun and worthwhile! And I get a prize for doing it. Yay!

Thing #22- MOLDI

2008-11-04T13:39:00.002-05:00

I really want to like MOLDI, but thus far, I do not like it. E-books just don't do it for me. I do not like reading off of a computer screen, and I like to be able to take a book with me everywhere I go. Additionally, I was disappointed with the book selections. There were less than 20 teen books, and most of them were by a single author (Meg Cabot). When I searched for my favorite book, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, it wasn't listed. I was really surprised and now I am curious to know why/how MOLDI grants access to the titles that it does. I know eventually I will be able to use the e-books and things at MOLDI with my ipod, but even then I don't think I would be into it. I am, however, really looking forward to MOLDI's audio books that can be downloaded for use with ipods (yay Nov. 10!). I love listening to audio books and adding 17 CDs of Harry Potter to my ipod just takes forever! I was so disappointed when I looked into MOLDI several months ago and it wasn't ipod compatible. Ask me again in 7 days and I bet I will tell you how much I love MOLDI's audio books. We'll see.

The Batty Bat

2008-10-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

In honor of Halloween and of my former camp name (Batty), here is a wonderful YouTube video I searched, hoping for some inspiration for next week's Halloween storytime. I swear, if I wasn't so into my job I would try to get an in with the Sesame Street people. It would be so much fun! Without further ado, here is the Count (who you may recall presided over the wedding of my late dog, Riley, and her husband Seamus) doing the Batty Bat. Yayy!!! I love those little bats!

Thing #21- Podcasts

2008-10-22T10:34:00.002-04:00

I don't know how I feel about Podcasts. At home, my iTunes automatically downloads several NPR podcasts and a video podcast from the band 'They Might Be Giants' (featuring kids videos for their newest album, here come the 123's). When I went to the directory sites that were listed, I got so overwhelmed! I could not find these podcasts in any of the directories that were linked, but they were really easy to find when I searched them in Google. I subscribed to one on my bloglines, just to see how easy it was, and it was really easy. I never use my Bloglines account because it makes me feel overwhelmed, but if I didn't have iTunes at home, I might want to use it for these podcasts. I have noticed, however, that the podcasts I get now and put on my iPod rarely get listened to... I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that I don't really like to be hooked up to a computer or a pair of headphones all the time. I can see how they would be useful and I did find some that had book reviews, but I think I would rather read the reviews than stare at a scren while I listen. If podcasts could play in my car, then I would be sold. ...but my car's kinda old and it only has a cassette player, so I don't think that's going to happen.

Thing # 20- YouTube

2008-10-21T15:44:00.002-04:00

I love YouTube! If you follow my blog at all, you have probably seen YouTube postings on here before, but just for this excercise I decided to search YouTube for Reading Rainbow, one of my favorite PBS shows from my childhood. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my favorite episode where Lavar Burton roller skates around Central Park with a bunch of skaters. I did, however, find the theme song and have posted it below for your enjoyment.

Thing #19- CML Power Tools

2008-10-20T13:11:00.002-04:00

I never realized this page existed. Where have I been? I have noticed the CML toolbar on all of the computers at work, but for some reason I never really use it. I think I am going to try to take advantage of it, now that it has been pointed out that it is right in front of my face. I think it will make some of my reference transactions go quicker, especially the ones where the customer remembers the cover of the book, but not the exact title. Now I won't have to wait for CML's website to load before typing my search words. I also liked the links to some of the other Web 2.0 tools on the page, like Make (which I knew about but forgot), Stumble Upon, and BoingBoing.

Thing #18- Web 2.0 Tools

2008-10-20T10:24:00.002-04:00

I was a little disappointed with this Thing. I was so excited to find some new really cool things and what I found was a big list of a bunch of stuff I'm already using- Facebook, Youtube, Craigslist, Etsy, Twitter, etc. Granted, a few of them I am using thanks to Learn and Play, but still, I was hoping for something brand new that would change the way I look at my computer. That may have been a little too optimistic. While I did find a few interesting things, there was nothing that I think I will use all the time. My favorite tools on the list related to reviews and also to philanthropy.

I think sites like MySpace and Facebook are great ways to get teens interested in the library. You can put photos and music and book reviews and all kinds of things on those pages to get info out to teens who might not otherwise show interest in the library.

I will keep playing with the list; maybe there will be something more that I haven't discovered yet that will change my life. I'll let you know.

Just in case you don't check Cute Overload...

2008-10-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

You really shouldn't miss this:

Oh no! I love to smile!!!! :(

2008-10-16T17:00:00.002-04:00

This article is from The Onion.

"Smiling Now Primarily Used To Communicate Anger
August 29, 2008 Issue 44•35

NEW YORK—The smile, a facial expression traditionally used to convey joy, pleasure, or amusement, is now mainly used to suppress rage, according to a five-year study released Monday by the Countenance Institute. "More than 85 percent of smiles are involuntary responses to mounting anger," the study read in part. "In addition, the length and intensity of these smiles directly correspond to the amount of anger the smile is concealing. A smile that lasts less than two seconds represents just a passing annoyance, while a smile of four to eight seconds indicates a genuine hatred for its target." The study noted that individuals smiling for more than one minute while nodding and baring their teeth are most likely preparing to kill the person they are smiling at."

I wonder if the kids at sorytime think I am going to hurt them when I smile, nodd, and say things like "Good clapping!" Yikes.

Thing #17- Google Docs

2008-10-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

Learn & Play has done it again... I've fallen in love with yet another of the 'Things.' This time, it's Google Docs. I am so excited about this! On my home computer, I do not have any windows apps because I have a Mac and Microsoft Office is so expensive. Some time ago, my boyfriend put an open source word processor on my computer which was great, except that I've always had trouble with it. The formatting is confusing and I can never open the documents on any other computer. Now I willbe using Google Apps. This would have been awesome, too, when I was a Girl Scout Leader to work on meeting agendas. Also, i think the OSU Painting and Drawing Club that I was president of in undergrad could have used this to design our show flyers collaboratively. The only thing that's a little scary is... what if the Google site goes down right when I am supposed to be giving my presentation? Uh-oh! I guess I better save it somewhere else, too, just in case!

To check out the collaborative document my coworkers and I have been working on, click on the link below. Yay!!!
http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dc4pfnj6_6dmbk42z6

My favorite commercial of all time.

2008-10-14T21:40:00.001-04:00

For me, this never gets old. Thanks, Youtube, for making this post possible.

Thing #16- Learn and Play Wiki

2008-10-08T17:39:00.005-04:00

This was fun! It was so much easier to update the wiki than I thought it would be, and I loved seeing what everyone's favorites are! I can see now how a wiki could be a great library tool for posting book reviews and other information and allowing customers to get involved. What I haven't figured out, though, is whether or not images can be posted in a wiki. If so, I would be totally into making one with my friends and family where we could all post our recent art or craft projects. I am still a bit intimidated by wikis, but I am learning to be friends with them, too. Just as soon as they start looking a little prettier (like blogs do!), I just know that we'll be best friends. It's not what's on the outside that counts, I know... but it sure helps if things are aesthetically pleasing and easy to use!

Thing #15- Wikis

2008-10-07T13:27:00.002-04:00

I have fallen behind a little in Learn & Play and I admit that it is because I am intimidated by wikis. I have, however, forged ahead into the world of the wiki, and I am trying to determine how I really feel about them.

From looking at the library wikis that were posted on Learn & Play, I really have mixed feelings. A lot of the ones I looked at didn't get me very excited, and I know that my lack of interest has a lot to do with aesthetics. Some of the wikis were just so plain looking and full of lists that I felt overwhelmed. The SJCPL wiki, for example, made me feel like I didn't even know where to begin and while it did contain a lot of really great information once I dug in, I don't think I would have spent much time with it if it wasn't a part of the learn and play challenge. There was nothing about it that made me want to explore all of the areas. I felt the same way for Library Success. I know that this one is geared toward librarians, but it was still overwhelming to me. It seemed like the listings of all the changes made were intermingled with the other information, making it difficult to pull out the information or links I was looking for in a glance. I did like the idea of a best practice guide being available from the wiki, though I am not entirely sure why this was so appealing to me when I can access CML's best practices on CMLsi.

On the otther hand, I really liked the way The Princeton Library used the wiki for customers to post reviews, although the site said the reviews had to be emailed to someone who would then post them.... I thought wikis were supposed to be changable by anyone? Using it for customer reviews seems like a great idea, but having a staff member take time to post them almost seems to defeat the purpose of having a wiki. I guess maybe I really don't understand the advantage of a wiki over a regular website.

I will keep Learning and Playing and maybe I will grow to love wikis. I will say that I really liked the Grand rapids Public Library's wiki- it had great readers advisory tags and I can see myself going back to it. Maybe that is the kind of wiki I am destined to fall in love with.

have i mentioned that i love cute things?

2008-10-03T17:08:00.003-04:00

Aren't these little critters adorable? Yes, yes they are.

If you love cute things as much as I do, and also need an occasional distraction from real life, I highly recommend you build yourself a little town on Nintendo DS Animal Crossing:Wild World. The object of Animal Crossing is to pick fruit, net bugs, catch fish, dig up fossils, make friends with your neighbors, make new outfits, and decorate your home. I have a cute Animal Crossing town named Darling where I have several pink outfits and currently I have a pink ponytail. ...And if you have friends who are playing Animal Crossing, you can visit each other's towns! So fun!!! Normally I do not like video games too much, but Animal Crossing is addictive... especially when you are trying to waste time. Now that you know how much of a nerd I am, I will go back to my game. :)

fall for books display

2008-10-01T17:16:00.001-04:00

fall for books display, originally uploaded by pinkmegd.

I promised some of my friends at Northern Lights that I would post photos of the new displays I have been working on for the children's room at my library. I have been collaborating with Michael, a CSS, to make some really fun displays. You can see more images at my flickr page (click on my name above for the link). There will be more to come as we really get the halloween stuff going. We have some great plans and I can't wait to get it all up!

Thing #14 - Library 2.0

2008-09-26T17:03:00.006-04:00

I delved into this Thing with the fervor of a school assingment... and I take school really seriously. It's almost scary. I say this because I read the Library 2.0article very carefully, with a hilighter and pencil in hand to make comments in the margins. Other than watching Michael Stephens' presentation 'The Hyperlinked Library' at the CML Learn & Play kickoff, I had no clue what Library 2.0 was really all about. Throughout the process of Learning and Playing I have been trying really hard to keep an open mind about how these new tools and experiences can make library services better. I found myself questioning the value of the Library 2.0 environment, however, especially in the "Away from the 'Icebergs'" portion of the article.

In his section of the article, Rick Anderson suggests that libraries rethink their print collections in favor of electronic resources including "digital collections of journals, books, blogs, podcasts, etc." Reading this, I could not help but think of some of my library's more traditional users who are sometimes alienated (or so they have told me on multiple occasions)by our insistance that they utilize technological services to do things like check out or search for books. To me, there is great importance in personal interactions and the connections that are made in any customer transaction, including checkouts. I have noticed many customers (especially Baby Boomers and older) who prefer a longer and more personal interaction with a staff member to a quick, in-and-out transaction with a machine. That is not to say that either transaction is good or bad, I simply believe that libraries should offer the option of personal customer service or automated services. If we take away our 'just in case' collection, as Anderson calls it in the article, we are taking away resources that can be used when the web is down, when customers do not have the skills to access things on the computer, or when all of the computers are in use (and I believe that even if my branch had an infinite number of computers, there would always still be at least one person waiting to use one at certain times of day).

Additionally, I felt that Anderson was somewhat optimistic in his discussion of user education. He says, "We need to focus our efforts not on teaching research skils but on eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need, so they can spend as little time as possible wrestling with lousy search interfaces and as much time as possible actually reading and learning." I wholeheartedly agree that library websites should be as easy to use as possible, but I also believe that the library will always need to teach computer and research skills on some level. Even if library websites are streamlined and have one-button commands as Anderson suggests they should, that doesn't help the customer build a skill set that will help them when they get past the library's website and begin searching for forms like job applications, police reports or marriage records, to name a few popular searches. Instead of relying on our customers to be educated on these issues, we should be offering our customers solid strategies to recognize legitimate sources so that the information they uncover is reliable and of value. Regardless of how simplified a website is, without the basics like how to use a mouse, how to access the internet, and how to tell is a source is legit, some of our customers will be left behind by the library.

Other than these two points of the article, I really feel like I have a better understanding of and appreciation for Library 2.0. I could go on and on about why I thought some of the other points were fabulous, but since I have spent over a week writing this, I am going to stop here. If you want to go over the article paragraph by paragraph with me, let me know and we can discuss it over coffee or something. Otherwise, who's going to read all of this anyhow?

Halloween is just around the corner...

2008-09-23T15:43:00.001-04:00

DIY Noggin Halloween Decorations, originally uploaded by B Kitty.

I have been searching Flickr for some ideas for our Halloween display in the children's area. I love the style of the creatures in this picture and I think I might try to replicate it. Thank you, 'B Kitty,' for the inspiration!

Thing #13- Delicious

2008-09-22T11:57:00.002-04:00

I love delicious! It is so much better than the rss feeds because those make me feel so overwhelmed. On delicious, I can check my pages the way I like to- where i see all of the formatting and the pretty backgrounds and everything. I love the way HFAR is using it to serve reader's advisory needs. I can't wait to explore it even more! Yay!

Fun with Twitter

2008-09-12T17:29:00.003-04:00

I have decided that I like Twitter. I can definitely live without it, but I do kind of like to see what all my friends are up to during the day. Now i just need to get more friends doing it... Oh, and did I mention that "tweets" is a really cute term for Twitter messages? It is and I love cute things! Oh, by the way, my twitter name is Pinkmegd. Follow me and I will follow you!

Library Thing Is My New Best Friend.

2008-09-09T14:31:00.003-04:00

I am in love with Library Thing!!!!! It is so easy and so fun! I can keep track of all the books I am reading and see what my friends are reading. I can even find strangers who like the same books as me and read their reviews! Like I said, my new best friend. You can find my Library Thing link to the right of my blog.

Image Generators

2008-09-08T22:32:00.002-04:00

I played with these for a long time, and I have pretty much decided that they are a great way to waste time. I don't think I would ever really use them for anything important or worth while, but I suppose if I was trying to procrastinate they could be helpful. I found one I really liked, the Bob Dylan message generator, but I could not get the one I made to work in my blog. :( So, in lieu of my fantastic Bob Dylan CML advertisement is this card catalog entry. It's kinda lame.

Thing #9- Finding Feeds

2008-09-08T09:40:00.003-04:00

So I was all excited to find RSS feeds to add to my Bloglines thingy. I tried a few of the different services, and the only one I liked was Technorati because I could search for blogs about stuff I am interested in- sewing, knitting, crafts, etc. I added a few such feeds to my Bloglines list, but then when I went to check my feeds, I felt so overwhelmed. See, I am used to checking only a few pages each day: MySpace, Facebook, email, and Cute Overload. Now I have a list of like 20 feeds and they all say they have like 10 that I haven't read and I think that is a bit to much information to look at each day. Especially since I just added some of them to get the hang of Bloglines. I think I will have to go through and delete the ones that don't just show pictures of cute things people have made. The craft blogs that I did find I love, but it was hard to locate exactly what I was looking for, perhaps because I do not know specific enough words to describe the subjects I want- not just crafts, but DIY Japanese stuffed dolls? Good luck with that. Oh and one last complaint-- on Technorati, I really hate those flashing ads. They make me feel crazy.

CML's Premium Resources really live up to the name!

2008-09-04T17:04:00.003-04:00

So I know I am a total nerd, but I have been having a lot of fun brushing up on my reference skills. My supervisor suggested that I get to know CML's Premium Resources a little better, and I have been having a blast doing fake searches. Did you know that you can look up car repairs? And ancestry? I got to see census records from 1861 Ireland with my ancestors' names on them. So cool!!! I am thrilled to continue my reference education, and I'll let you know what else I find. Oh, by the way - Dictionary.com defines premium as "of exceptional quality or greater value than others of its kind; superior." Hence the name of this post.

RSS feeds

2008-09-02T17:06:00.002-04:00

I have finished thing #8 and set up my Bloglines account. I can't wait to do thing #9 and find some feeds. So far, I feel a little creepy, having added a few random blogs by coworkers and some newsy stuff. It makes me feel a little like a stalker, especially because I added someone from CML's craft blog, even though I don't know her. She does have a really cool blog and I like seeing what she made, but I do feel a little creepy like maybe next time I see her i will feel like I know way too much about her craft life. Then again, maybe i will just be able to say, "Hey, i read your craft blog and it is really awesome. Have you ever seen such-and-such-super-crafty-book-I-love?" Here's the link to my RSS list (i really haven't had a chance to get the lingo down yet).
http://www.bloglines.com/public/pinkmegd

All Megs must dance funny.

2008-08-30T18:14:00.002-04:00

So I found this video on Cute Overload, and it is just so bizarre that I wanted everyone I know to see it. First of all, it appears to be featuring someone named Meg, and secondly, this Meg has a very similar style of interpretive dance as I do. Also, it involves cats dancing. Do I make my cats dance? Well of course! (At least I try- It works with Walter but Bunny's a biter.) At any rate, even if you don't want to watch it all, at least just make it skip to the part with the cats. That's what I did. Enjoy!

MEG - Precious @ Yahoo! Video

Thing #7- I have discovered Flickr favorites...

2008-08-29T14:49:00.001-04:00

kawaii amigurumi *___*, originally uploaded by ::sämyii:: on vacation upon a cloud....

...and this is the first image I saved there.

I am supposed to blog about any technology related thing for #7. I have had a great time playing with Flickr this week, but I do get really irritated with it because sometimes I will find a super random image that I really like, but then I can never find it again. I realize now that I need to log in before I start searching so I can save things to my favorites, but I would someday like to find that lovely photo of Chinese Lantern plants again.

Thing #6

2008-08-29T14:28:00.001-04:00

My creation, originally uploaded by pinkmegd.

I am starting to feel like I am in the extra-slow learn and play class, because it took me forever to figure out how to link my fantasic trading card to my blog. Here it is, though, in all of it's glory. I am loving all of the awesome crafts people have posted on their Flickr pages, and it makes me really want to learn how to crochet!

Chinese Lantern Festival

2008-08-27T19:19:00.001-04:00

Chinese Lantern Festival @ Ontario Place, originally uploaded by neuroticjose.

It took me a really long time to figure out how to connect Flickr with my blog, but I finally did it! Yay! And now, thanks to Flickr, I have seen the most amazing lanterns ever! I wish mini versions of these adorable pand-terns could replace the street lights in my neighborhood. By the way, have I mentioned that I got to explore Flickr at work? I love my job!

I am sooo happy!

2008-08-23T11:14:00.002-04:00

So I have been experimenting with the bloggy stuff and adding pictures and a video and changing the layout... it's all so much easier than i thought it would be. That makes me happy.

But I'm really happy because Walter, my 6-month-old kitten, is back home. He escaped from my house last Sunday and was gone for 5 days. I had finally resigned myself to the idea that I would never see him again when I got a phone call from a fabulous lady who found him. Yay!!!! Now Walter is back home and snuggly as ever. I am so so happy to have him back, but I am not looking forward to giving him his first bath tonight. He got really dirty on his adventure, and I don't think he is going to like getting clean. Hopefully I will have hilarious pictures to post next time!

I love the Today Show's Olympic coverage.

2008-08-22T18:14:00.001-04:00

This is by far my favorite part of the Beijing Olympics.

Lifelong Learning

2008-08-19T10:31:00.002-04:00

I started this blog as part of my job's Learn and Play at CML initiative. So far, I have had no idea what to write, but I just read about the 7 1/2 habits of Lifelong Learners and I'm ready to respond to it. Here goes:

The easiest of the habits for me is viewing problems as challenges. I generally try to think of every bump in the road as a way to learn and get better. It isn't always easy, but I find that I am a lot happier when I think of problems and hardships as hurdles I have to overcome rather than crises.

The hardest of the habits for me is having confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. I often find myself second-guessing my responses to things or my abilities to learn new skills. I will tell myself and others that I don't like something or I am scared of something if I am afraid I won't understand it. Once I get started, though, I am usually able to succeed in gaining at least a very simple understanding of things. I have to tell myself: I have a college degree that I earned with honors. I am capable of learning and understanding, even if it takes a long time or a billion different explanations. The more I learn and overcome this fear of failure, the more I want to learn. That is what I want to work on as part of the Learn and Play initiative.

...And it turns out that it was a lot easier to write a post for my blog than I expected. So far i love this Learn and Play stuff! Yay!!!