On Belonging: a new poem

 On belonging: community and friendship

She wandered here and there all about the town
Looking for her niche and crown
Seeking, asking, wondering,
"Could this be the one to sound?"

To sound the soul's inner resonance
That finds so little in the whole
The whole of common worlds abound
And have no meaning she has found.

But having wandered abundantly
She seeks the matches still faithfully
To know to share to be understood
By those whose souls sound similarly.



Inspired by the Mission Study Task Force presentation, First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Sunday, January 29, 2012.

If all the books disappeared tomorrow...

If all the books disappeared tomorrow, you would still need me. Your librarian, your friendly information professional. Pack them up, seal the cartons and carry them off to basements and recycling bins. Digitize everything. You would still need me. Your kids, yes, even the so-young "digital natives" still need me. My skills and expertise do not lie between the covers of cloth and board, on paper and ink, within pulp, stitching, and glue.  Containers, mere containers. The 21st century library information professional is not bound by containers. (And yes, many of us love those containers, but this is not the post to discuss the aesthetics of our container love).

I am, however, bound by duty. By the real responsibilities of an overwhelmed, overloaded, information society. I have a responsibility to bring my students, my staff, and my world the knowledge of the next great narrative, fictional or true. I have a responsibility to teach them strategies about analysis and synthesis of information. I have a responsibility to teach them to consider the ethical use of information--for it is a powerful weapon--to build up or destroy.

To match seeker and source, reader and read. Fiction, nonfiction, information, fact or opinion, audio or written word, print and digital. Crossing all boundaries, formats, genres, and interests. It is truly my greatest pleasure, passion, and privilege as an information professional to make these connections happen for people of all ages in all settings. But why an information professional to make these connections? Cannot anyone tweet this or that? Click and share instantly to Facebook, Pinterest, and so on? Of course. Are we not all the new "information professional"? Perhaps. But you may have noticed that quite a few clicks shared with you via this source or that, even by this friend or that--are indeed, crap. So, we must find people who will share the best with us and more importantly, teach, share, and lead us to just that right source at the right moment we need it. To teach, to share, to lead. This is my job. I relish the privilege and I declare its necessity.

Last minute! Christmas gifts for reader friends.

If you still need some last minute Christmas gifts for your reading friends, both adults and children--here you go! You're welcome. These titles are hot right now, and more importantly, really, really good. Get them in book form, Kindle, Nook, ipad, whatever, just read!!! I don't have time to review these here. It's Christmas EVE, people, and I have to sing at 8 p.m. service, pack the overnight bags, make a hash brown casserole and finish wrapping presents.  Just GO get them. I promise they're good.

For my fifth grade sweetie pie "niece" Emily: Tom Angleberger's Darth Paper Strikes Back, Linda Urban's Hound Dog True, and Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu.

For my seventh grade, almost-taller-than me "nephew" Ryan: Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Also may give him the Oppel book mentioned below for Maggie. Still haven't wrapped or placed the name tags on these yet, so it's all up for grabs at this point. And he's a mature reader.

For my I can't-believe-she's-in-high-school-now "niece" Maggie: Kenneth Oppel's This Dark Endeavor and Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. And probably Shine by Lauren Myracle.

For their mother, my dear friend Ann: Diana Gabaldon's Scottish Prisoner.

For their father, my dear friend Jeremy: Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind (not a new title, but he'll like this 'cause its fantasy and I know he doesn't have it).

For the wee ones: I loved the following: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen; Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jerry Pinkney; A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead (last year's Caldecott winner); Look! A Book! by Bob Staake; Bailey by Harry Bliss; and many, many more.


Now print this out and get out there and get some last minute shopping done!
And, no, none of the aforementioned folks read my blog, follow me on Twitter or have Facebook accounts, so I can blab about their Christmas presents to the entire virtual world and they'll never know! HA!