Thing 16 -- MnLINK

What a great resource for finding the materials one needs! When I was doing my Library internship through MCTC (at SPPL - Sun Ray branch), I used MnLINK to order books for customers when St. Paul didn't own them. It was an easy procedure and one that they could have done for themselves. But, of course, the public library is around to help people find the resources they want. So it is only right that if a customer/patron doesn't think they have time to find something, we find it for them. Why, it wasn't that long ago when all the "stacks" in the library were closed and one had to request a particular book or material before a librarian would go and get it.

I was a little curious about which libraries were hooked into the MnLINK system, though. I saw Gustavus Adolphus and the U of M and state colleges... But I didn't see Carleton or St. Olaf. I wonder why they aren't involved. I may email Gould Library at Carleton and ask; I figure that since both my children are students there...

Every year we run a little Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt for them comnplete with rhyming clues. This year I scouted out places at the Carelton library; it was the best treasure hunt ever, according to my daughter. It is really fun to do. :-)

New things on old things

"and its been going on for 10,000 years..." or at least since Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy because his motives were askew. I'm speaking of the shooting in Illinois of college students in a science classroom. It seems to me that as we confidently teach content to students, we also need to teach confidence and caring. I can hold my head up proudly if you can also do the same. We are all part of the same species and need to understand our interconnectedness. How we accomplish this formidable task is beyond any one idea or group. I only wish that all could understand that if one succeeds, we all succeed.

As I read all your blogs, I am impressed with the commitment and creative energy you all seem to possess. I could hope to have half of it and feel successful as a result. Keep up the good work! :-)

A thought on hectic lives

Sometimes it seems that we never learn,
we're off to here and there to look;
If if rhymes or it doesn't, the pages still turn
every day that we pick up the book.
And what does it mean? And where do we go?
Do we take the lessons along?
It seems like we race; we never go slow...
Do they listen? ...and hear my song?
...Webb

Thing 14: Reliable Online Resources

I tried DMOZ and was very impressed with what came up. I searched "music" and then narrowed the search by adding "composition." There were lots of really interesting sites. Then I looked up "poetry" and "poetry contests" and was also impressed. the funny thing was that most of the sites listed on were contests from the UK, Australia or New Zealand! I thought that the US would have had some, anyway. hmm

If I have time -- (I'm applying to Hennepin County for some part time library positions) -- I would love to do more browsing here. :-) It is almost like reading through an encyclopedia (hey, that can be fun, you know)

Facebook & MySpace 1/27-2/3

I know that both my daughter and son have a page on Facebook. I have warned them (more than once, I'm afraid) about the dangers of what could be posted on their sites. They tell me that they have to approve of who can post messages on their site. I know this is true because neither my wife nor I have been "approved" to post. :-) Too much parental involvement, perhaps? They are both Central HS graduates (2005 & 2007) and students at Carleton college. It used to be that Facebook was only available for college students; I guess that is not true anymore, though. It takes prayer and trust, I suppose, for parents to "let go." [But I don't know of any parental education that helps with that, especially coming from the school district. Sometimes I wish there was!] It is true that careers and reputations have been damaged as a result of people thinking of these networks as "private" when the reality is just the opposite. So we have a large task at hand to continually educate folk to be wise and thoughtful.