The Beginning of Autumn

Fall has officially started and we're getting almost all of our house painted. I'm still applying for library jobs in the Twin Cities and helping Liz, Lauren and Ben as they adjust to being back at school.

Keep attentive, for the sun rises and sets as it always has and yet things may not be as they seem. Eternity and the Present sometimes blur together as we try to understand what is happening in our lives. But the inquiry must be made; we struggle to know some of what is unknowable and in the process, discover what is True. If one cries, we all cry; if one rejoices, we all rejoice; if one dies, we all are lessened.

Okay -- call, write, email or comment so that I can hear from you. Together is how the world will grow; relationships are of utmost importance.
Keep reading...

Honours Convocation - Library Award

Dear friends,
On May 30, the library at Carleton College was one of three (1 university, 1 college & 1 community college) awarded as an outstanding college library of the year! This prize, sponsored by Blackwell's Books and awarded by ACRL (the Association of College and Research Libraries) is one very prestigious award. The Carleton College library was honored for intellectual curiosity and collaboration. This means that the library brings the community together across departmental boundaries. It has a true service ethos. Not just in regard to policies or best practices but as each student and faculty member as an individual connects to provide excellent service. The library is successful in assessing both academic needs and academic aspirations; it teams with departments and disciplines to provide the set of service resources to meet those needs and aspirations.
Intellectual curiosity comes from the deep desire to know and understand. Sometimes it is of a new discipline; sometimes it is of a deeper level of a known. But it is a gift given to all people everywhere if they but open their eyes to see it. Collaboration is working together for the benefit of all -- truly another gift for humanity. As each one helps the other, all receive the help they need.
It is that kind of service to which all libraries aspire. That is how the customer or patron will be helped to the best of one's ability. The one with a true heart can do more than just follow the rules or meet expectations. It really goes beyond mere performance of job duties; it is an inner working which is more important, at the end of the day, than the mere job performance. One would be wise to remember the words of the librarian head who said, "True service comes from the heart."

Closing in on the end??

Dear friends -- the school year is almost over and thus final words begin to be spoken. I understand that MILI as we know it today will not be around next year. I'm certain that it will emerge in a different form, for the work is too important to end. We all must continue to embrace the challenge! Now, having said that, I also want to say that the Athenaeum Bard will continue to post -- albeit around a larger range of topics. So, keep reading and commenting if you'd like; the Association of College and Research Libraries gave its 2008 award to the Library at Carleton College and both my son and daughter were honored at the Spring Honors Convocation last week. Transitions can be hard on students and teachers; mixed feelings abound. My son's Carleton orchestra performed last week as well; Central High School's spring orchestra/band concerts used the same format -- soloists performing concertos as well as whole-ensemble pieces.

"Watch for more blogs, my online friends,
the time for weeping is o'er;
for we won't gently turn the page
but admire this one more."

Until later then...

Wikis -- again

Hello,
I just set up a family wiki to help dispose of Dad's things and house, etc... It was pretty easy to do with pbwiki.com. I won't really know how successful it is until my siblings log on and work at it. So we'll wait and see.
Now that we have less than 2 weeks of school left (and we assistants have only 1.5 days per school left), it seems like it becomes more difficult to stay focused. Much of the day is spent checking books and textbooks in; especially for the senior who need to get all books in so they can pick up their cap and gown for graduation. So teaching by the librarians is mostly finished. there is still the occasional student who needs this or that for a class or for a final, but there are no full class lessons being given. And at Central, of course, the new computer lab construction has begun! All the books are boxed up in the center of the room and huge plastic containment curtains are keeping folk out of the construction zone.
If anyone knows of a library assistant job, please let me know! I need something soon!
There will be at least a couple more posts before MILI closes up shop for this year. So do keep reading, there is more ahead! :-)

Above is the trading card for my dad (photo taken on June 19, 2005); the complete poem reads as follows:

Dear Dad
"Dear Dad, you've been my model of compassion, love and peace --
Of always doing what is right,
You serve as haven, a harbor light;
Your caring does not cease.

Dear Dad, I have admired you; Your faith, your strength, your joy, your wit;
You speak fondly of the friend
of years ago, or the joys days send;
From a loving dad, I benefit.

Dear Dad, my love for you just grows as year adds on to coming year;
A word of wisdom to all you tell,
You are a strong, tall sentinel;
In the praise of God you are sincere.

Dear Dad, I cannot speak the words to say what's in my heart;
I learned love is always strong;
I learned compassion must be long;
Thank you for everything from the start."

...Webb

written for Dell McDonald Colwell
father, husband, grandfather & friend

And so another chapter begins; a new existence, really, because everything is now different from what it was before. A great adventure lies ahead...

A quick sad note

Dear Friends,
Just wanted to let you know that my dad passed away last week and his funeral was Sat. 12 Apr. He was a great man and good role model, a loving dad (+ granddad) and a good friend. So, that's why you haven't read any new posts for a while. I intend on making a trading card for him like I did for my mom; you can look for it soon.
It is hard, but I carry on.

Thanks!

More Thing 19

I visited "imagechef" and found that it could be lots of fun, ...I guess. My point is that the time one spends at sites like this -- where one just "goofs around" -- could be spent on other things. I envision people playing cards, or walking around the lake, or going on a bike ride to Dairy Queen, or writing a letter to one's mom and dad or grandparents, or visiting friends, or playing music together, or ... well, you get the point. Taking time to "goof around" on the computer to me seems like a sad waste of time. Life is meant to be physical, to be metaphysical, to be connected in real time and place with others. I just couldn't see the point of creating an email message or picture on "imagechef" because there is so much else that one could be doing!

Music on Easter Sunday (and on the Saturday before) went well, thank you. And today, via UPS, came another fun surprise. For my birthday this month I ordered a tenor recorder. It sounds one whole octave below a soprano recorder (the one you probably think of when you think of a recorder). It is built for those of us with small fingers. :-) I am a very happy camper now!
<---Soprano Recorder
<----Tenor Recorder [it really is much bigger, just ask :-) ]

Thing 19: Internet trading cards

I wanted to post something tonight since I have to plan music for Sunday's church service. (Did I tell you I am leading worship at a Native American church in Minneapolis?) I created this trading card about my mom, God rest her soul. [She passed 3 years ago last February and ...]

She loved giraffes (there are two on the refrigerator) and all her family! And we still miss her!

More later

Librarians: prep for meeting...

Hey, Librarians: Does anyone have any important sources for information on (1)copy cataloging, or (2) acquisitions? I think I could do the copy cataloging in my sleep [In fact I spent today doing some copy cataloging for Leslie @ Central.]... (though I need to brush up on the LOC classifications), but acquisitions are another matter. That will take some study; not that I couldn't do it. Does anyone have any quick sources on jargon, procedures or requirements? ...just asking. :-)

March, finally!

Say, I understand that using iMovie and iPhoto, one can have students record a narration (or original music) over original pictures. It would be a great way to do a presentation; but since I don't actually have a class, I can't really use it that way. Does anyone know (1)what I'm talking about and (2) how to get it set up and running? I'd like to try a promotion for the library and/or for an upcoming event. But I need some help with how it all works. I don't have iPhoto on this computer at home, so I can't even experiment much. ...any ideas?...

March is finally here! In my family of origin it was the month of birthdays. My older sister's is on the first; my younger sister's is the same as my Grandmother's was (the 20th) and mine is in the middle. My Godson's is this month as is my wife's and a couple of good friends. wow. We bought the entire 6-season run of Northern Exposure as a Valentine's Day/Birthday gift to ourselves. I resonate with Chris on KBHR (K-bear) radio from downtown Sicily, Alaska. I sometimes think that we all need to ponder things anew from time to time.

New adventures and new opportunities are almost always within our reach, even if we're not looking for them. We only need to keep our antenna up and operating. As Paul Stookey wrote: "Remember what they say about coincidence; life is always more that what it seems." (from the album "Real to Reel"). Carry on...

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.

Orchestra Hall and Greatness

I read the blog of "Information Literacy Ramblings" and visited the WCCO link. Very interesting what appears as news online. I'm sure somebody thinks "bit on X or Y or Z" is news but...

I really wanted to put in a plug, actually for the MN Orchestra's stretch of concerts of film music. I went to hear the Orchestra play Chaplin's City Lights on Friday night. It was superb. But even better, in my mind, was the pre-concert given by Central High School's orchestra and chorus. I always knew that Mr. Oyen and Ms. Graber do fabulous jobs in the education of Central's music students. But in Orchestra Hall, one could hear every mistake and all of the harmonies that very likely are missed in the auditorium at school. Mistakes, let me tell you, were very rare on Friday night and the harmonies were glorious! I truly love listening to a great high school ensemble and to play at Orchestra Hall must have been a real treat for both the students and Mr.Oyen/Ms. Graber. I also had fun seeing former students of mine performing that night. (I used to teach elementary music at Jackson School.) All of you teachers/librarians should attend your schools concerts as much as possible. It will bring you new connections you can make with your students, even if you don't know that much about music!

Wikis -- thing 32

Wow! I was thinking about our meeting yesterday and what kinds of uses for wikis I could find. Not being a teacher with a class means that I need to look at other groups of which I am a part. I think any committee work could be done via a wiki which could cut down on meetings (hooray! but, we all love meetings, don't we??). My family decided over XPmas to plan a mini-reunion sometime this summer. Again, this could be planned on a private wiki set up for just our family to use. So that is something in which I will try to involve them. I think it would be an interesting experiment; especially since few of them have actively embraced use of computers or the internet (beyond email, I mean). I also belong to an intentional Christian community and we could find uses for this too, I think. So wish me luck in this endeavor.

It was a great meeting! The talk about copyright (and copyleft) is pertinent to me as a creative music composer and poet; I liked the discussion of a continuum with respect to copyright and the innovations/realignments taking place. Though the tension between individual rights and community's "common good" is always present in my understandings. I'm not sure about the "gold standard of individualism" which has hurt our society in many ways while driving discoveries and creative endeavors forward at the same time. hmm...