A Fan Post --Can You Believe It?

I fully admit to being obsessed with Game of Thrones.  I watch the YouTube videos, particularly those by Talking Thrones and Gray Area.  I read everything I can.  I never once dreamed that I would write a fan post.

Everything about Game of Thrones is spectacular, starting with the imagination and masterful storytelling of George R.R. Martin and extending to the tenacity of David Benioff and D.B.Weiss to the associate producers, the writers, directors, special effects, costumes, ad infinitum. But it is the cast that brings the story into the living rooms across the world.  

Certainly, Game of Thrones is stacked with talented actors. I have great respect for the entire cast, even those on Arya's hit list.  The good and the bad evoke a visceral response in me.  I will continue to watch anything with Aidan Gillen, even though I hated Petyr Baelish.  I will look forward to more work by Lena Headey.  I was fascinated by the Waif, played to perfection by  Faye Marsay. Don't get me started on Gwendoline Christie.

Of all actors that stand out to me, the most notable are those who play the Stark kids.  These men and women were babies when the show started, and unlike so many other young stars, they have handled their fame gracefully. Kit Harington and Maisie Williams probably attracted the most attention, but in my mind, Sophie Turner has done the most phenomenal job with a very challenging plot line. 

In 2011, Turner was 15, and at the right stage in her own life and development to play a love-struck young girl who wants to be a queen.  What 15 year-old couldn't relate?  Sansa had to grow up quickly, but before the true abuse by Joffrey began, Turner played the temperamental  teenager to perfection, fighting with her sister and being smart-mouthed with Septa Mordane.  After Ned's imprisonment and subsequent execution, we saw no more of that teenager.  We saw a survivor.  In Turner we saw an actor who could hold her own with Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and the remarkable Diana Rigg.  

In Seasons Six, Seven, and Eight, we saw Sansa Stark as a woman who was in command of the situations around her.  The last time we saw vulnerability in Sansa was when she and Theon were escaping Winterfell.  Once Sansa embraced Jon at Castle Black, she was a woman in command. She did not rely on Jon, Brienne or Baelish; she utilized their talents.  As the Lady of Winterfell, she kept her priorities on Winterfell itself and the people in the North.  No one, save Danerys and Arya, challenged her authority.  Sansa Stark did not cave.  Sophie Turner executed this role regally, as would befit the future Queen in the North.

Now, in 2019, Turner is 23, a married woman.  She has the courage to speak up against concepts she finds contemptable.  Earlier this year Sansa's image was used in an meme to encourage white people to date and marry only whites.  She has been upfront about her feelings of depression and self-image during the time she worked on Game of Thrones.

I see Sophie Turner as a very positive role model for young women.  I wish her continued success and great happiness in the years to come.  I will be following her career as she continues her personal journey.

Things are Looking Up

The Texas Association of School Librarians has put us firmly on the right track.  Their idea is simply to plan on posting a message via social media as to our jobs on the 17th of each month.  Conveniently, monthly samples have been provided for us.  There is no excuse not to participate in this event.

This awareness campaign has distinct advantages over random efforts.  A significant factor is that we are all sending the same message on the same date.  The result should be a sensory overload difficult for our funders to ignore.

The second aspect of the campaign that I like is that it is focusing on the leadership role of school librarians.  We need help in this respect, as many of us do not think of ourselves as leaders, and even if we do, others may not, despite the fact that our leadership is in their faces on a constant basis:  the preconceived idea of a school librarian that permeates the brain tends to overrule the reality of the situation.

As librarians, oftentimes our leadership is not overt.  Much of what we do is considered "leading from the middle."  We might suggest certain purchases to administrators that leads to product implementation; we test and familiarize ourselves with a myriad of devices and decide their instructional value before we suggest teachers integrate them; we bring people with seemingly diverse goals together in collaborations that would otherwise not have been broached.  None of these activities scream, "Hey! Look at me! I'm a leader."  Unobtrusive leadership is so subtle that often we miss our contributions ourselves.

The monthly themes suggested by TxASL are generally enough to apply to all school librarians.  In keeping with the theme, we should drive home the message with pictures and library-specific evidence.  What we have done, what we do, is what will deliver the message.

I appreciate TxASL's sharing of this campaign.  I trust we will all take advantage of their leadership and make this campaign a permanent feature of our advocacy plans.

What I Did At the West Virginia State Technology Conference.

In all honesty, I work on "school stuff" all summer.  It is ridiculous in some ways, and I am sure my family is more than annoyed when I hibernate in my room and concentrate deeply on some programmatic scheme.  I know they don't understand, although they sometimes grudgingly accept, that I get my energy from learning, sharing and considering new possibilities.

Even so, it is hard for me to give up three days in my last two weeks of summer to any organized professional development activity. It's as if I suddenly realized on July 29 that summer, in every meaningful way, is almost over for me.  I had a hard time following through with my commitment to attend the West Virginia State Technology Conference, even though it was held just four miles from my home.

I am very glad I made the decision to attend.  For starters, I have had the privilege to network with some wonderful people that I have known since library school, my colleagues in the Monongalia County School system, and friends I made while participating in the library media TIS cohort in 2008.  I also connected with a couple of our state's new library media specialists.  From this standpoint alone, the conference was a success.

The presentations were equally satisfying.  

"For the night is dark and full of terrors."- George R.R. Martin

The title of this post could easily be "Why It Is Important to be a Librarian, Part II," but I will let you arrive at that conclusion on your own.

A friend of mine was just censored on Facebook.  I don't know what she posted that was found offensive (she is not the least bit vulgar), and that is scary, because the Facebook bar for acceptability is pretty low.  I am assuming her post was political in nature.

Ironically, I decided not to post a Canva I made yesterday for fear of a) inciting a political rant, and b) possibly being surveiled by the Secret Service.  But because of my friend's experience, I will post my Canva here, where I have a better shot at explaining what it means to me.

I am sure there are those who see this as a political shot at both candidates, and I suppose in a way it is.  The primary thing this means to me is that we have way too many problems for one individual to be accountable. We as a country as ridiculously polarized, and no one political candidate can put this country back together.  Congress might have some power, if we could elect people who would vote their consciences and not their pocketbooks, but no matter who is elected president, they cannot reasonably be expected to fix things that have been broken and that have been escalating for years.  It does not help that these two candidates are polarizing themselves.

So my friend and her friends are righteously angry that her Facebook post has been censored.  I suspect we don't know the half of what is being censored and how much we are being watched. I suspect that these activities are going to increase over the next decade as we move closer and closer to a military state.  You think not?

I wish I knew why there is a disconnect in so many places between the black community and law enforcement, but I don't. I am a member of neither subset and have no right to assert my views as a gospel of the disconnect I believe  exists.  Dallas, Baltimore, Ferguson, Tavon Martin.  Black Lives Matter.  So do the lives of the police officers that serve and protect us.  I honestly don't know what to say, what to think, what to believe, but I believe the media, including Facebook, feeds my angst and confusion.  The government cannot allow this slaughter to continue, and the answer to that is military intervention.

Folks walk into movie theaters and schools and open fire with semiautomatic weapons.  People argue that if more people were armed, the gunman wouldn't have got off as many shots.  Others argue that with more stringent gun control this wouldn't have happened.  Perhaps with better mental health care this wouldn't have happened.  Who knows?  Better mental health care takes time.  Military intervention, not so much.

Back to censorship.  I think we should be prepared for more and that we should seriously question everything we read, see and hear.  I would recommend re-reading Animal Farm, because I think like old Boxer, our civil rights are being metaphorically led to the slaughter.  Re-read 1984 and Brave New World while you are at it.  Big Brother is watching all of us.  And we participate in his watching daily.

Back to libraries.   There are two theories as to why public libraries were formed.  The first is the noble idea of the "people's university," where knowledge can be obtained in any doctrine or discipline.  The second theory is that public libraries were established by the elite to give the common folks the appearance of access to knowledge and power, while in fact keeping the most valuable of these among the chosen few.  I believe both of these theories are correct, at different places.

I leave you with the admonishment that more restrictive times are ahead.  Please don't believe everything you hear, see or read, but treat each piece of news you receive as a possibility to be investigated.

Why It is Important to Be a Librarian

I don't mind telling you I am proud to be a librarian.  It is not so much because of the time and money I have invested in my career, and certainly not about the paychecks I bring home as it is the satisfaction of knowing that I could help someone.  Sure, there are lots of ways I could help someone.  At the risk of perpetuating stereotypes, we librarians mostly do our good deeds in quiet.  You don't even know what we do.  But you would definitely know if we were no longer around.

Librarians organize knowledge

With the plethora of choices available to us today, it is the librarians who make sense of it all.  We index, we study and we know what choices are best for you, based on your needs.  We know that you don't want to Google "George Washington" for your kid's fifth grade report, because you will get 10,000-plus hits about everything containing George and Washington, but not necessarily George Washington.  We know how to help you evaluate the information you do find to see if it fits your needs.

We create value-added guides to information and help you find the data you need quickly.  We know where information is stored, because we stored it.

We protect intellectual freedom

No matter how much of an ass we think you are, or how outrageously ridiculously we might think you are, we will defend your right to your opinion to our death.  This does not mean we will put 12 copies of your manifesto in our collection;  it simply means that you have a right to publish, research, read and create whatever you need.  Our job is not to judge but to make it happen.

We keep information free and accessible for all

If you believe information is power, than you must believe that in a democracy information must be available to all.  Could you imagine if only the select few had information about job prospects, health care, housing choices?  

We help those who cannot read 

Whether a young child or a struggling adult, we help interpret information for those with a need.  We provide programs to help those who are struggling become more proficient.

We provide access to arts and culture outside our particular area

We provide concerts, author signings, poetry readings and other events that take us beyond our cultural mindsets.  We reach out and branch out to bring the world and its experiences to our community.

We are the People's University

You can learn anything and everything at your public library.  Knowledge has no bounds.  What we don't have, we can find.  We are here to help you reach self-actualization. All you have to do is ask.  We will help.

And you probably are thinking, "I know all of that!"

I am glad you do.  Please know how proud I am to be part of a profession that makes this happen.  And when you hear any inkling of proposals to cut library funding anywhere, speak up.  We are your voice for information and access, but you are our voice for survival.

A Little Individuality is Nice

Recently I prepared a series on Job Exploration for Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library.  The workshop was to take place over the course of three consecutive Saturdays and was to focus on three topics:

1. Writing a Resume
2. Interview Skills
3. Dressing Appropriately

I found many wonderful resources and put together what I feel is a decent subject guide on the library website. Yet what I found, despite how wonderful it was, left a bad taste in my mouth on a number of levels.  Here are my reflections.

The books on resumes did a nice job of addressing all levels in the workforce, including kids looking for their first jobs, entry level white collar and college graduates, moms going back to work after raising a family.  What was really hard to find was job information for felons, but after switching search engines from the one that came with my browser back to the one I love, I found several good sites offering help for that service group.

Almost all colleges and universities have wonderful job search sites that were easily accessible by both search engines. Therein lies the problem.  These sites tend to clog the pipe of information for those looking for blue collar and unskilled employment advice.  Assuming that those unskilled workers would have more difficulty generating key words, this could be a real handicap.  (Of course, that statement may not be accurate; my basis is that those with less formal education might have fewer searching skills.  This may be horribly incorrect.)

At any rate, my big pet peeve came from the part about professional dress.  Seriously?  I watched one expert assemble five matching pieces for business travel.  They matched so well I couldn't tell them apart.  All professional dress advice talked about the three piece - black or navy, the long sleeve shirt and the conservative tie.

This led me to two conclusions:

First, I would never make it in the "business" world, and second, I would be bored to death if I did.  Don't get me wrong:  I think you should put an effort into your appearance. (Okay, some days I don't.) I just think we should show some personality as well. 

(FYI: the suggestion of personalizing your appearance with your fraternity pin elicited a major eye roll.)

Back to Roots in More Ways Than One

The last few years have presented me with innumerable challenges, many of my own making and many over which I have had no control.  While there have been some daily ups and downs in my professional life, most of my challenges have been personal, causing me to outwardly express more emotion than I felt I would ever divulge.

Time has a funny way of surprising you. Time has revealed to me that I am most likely coming into my final years as a school library media specialist.  It is not that I don't love the job and the people, because I truly do, but I have realized that I need to pursue other interests that have been tabled for years.

Interestingly and amazingly, things have come full circle for me in many ways.  I am working part-time as the Adult Services Librarian at Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library, where I began my library career in 1982.  In that capacity, I am working on a series of organic gardening classes, which has reawakened my original passion -horticulture.

I believe it was the summers of my seventh, eighth and ninth grade years that I spent a week at VFW Youth Camp.  I believe the  goal of the camp was to embed a deep sense of patriotism that I never truly bought.  What I did give me is memories of lifelong friends - Bob Boyles, Tim Ware and Brian Lantz - and exposure to a myriad of professional possibilities.  My favorite activities at camp were target practice and the educational experiences brought to us by the WVU Extension Service.  Horticulture was a class I will never forget, as I was told I had a knack for landscape design.  I was totally empowered until I returned home and realized I was allergic to everything that came along with my plan.  So I settled for suitable female professions - nurse, teacher or hairdresser.

My parents never had the financial or information resources to help me realize my dreams, but neither that nor my allergies deterred me from messing around in dirt.  I cherished our flowers, annuals and periennials, at our house on Hall Street, and ever since I was little I loved helping Daddy in the garden or sitting with Grandma as she stringed beans.  When I moved into my own homes, planting bulbs and designing our landscape was my favorite passion.  While I detested weeding, I loved mowing grass, trimming bushes, planting and transplanting, and I loved our vegetable garden.  Over the years as I have become busy with other endeavors, I have let this pastime behind. Now that I have been researching organic methods, I am even more inspired to expand my visions in home landscaping.

And, of course, also coming full circle in a family sense is that my husband and I now own my great-grandmother's farm, which was my dad's biggest comfort and treasure.  I am thinking that perhaps in November 2019 I will hang up my school library clothes and move there, where I will have virtually unlimited vistas to design.  I am looking forward to digging in and becoming more in touch with God and nature. Hopefully I will keep my part-time gig to fund all the work I hope to do.
 

Closure will be complete.