*This entry is part of a "Blogathon" to benefit the flood damaged Louisville, KY Free Public Library. See the link below to donate to this effort.The main title of this piece was chosen by the organizer of the blogathon. The subtitle is mine--all mine. You'll forgive me if I don't wax poetic on the mandated title and theme. The idea that libraries "rock" or are "awesome" or even (another variant suggested by said organizer) "kick a**" reminds me of the lame, costly, and inevitably unsuccessful marketing campaigns that public library P.R. departments love to launch in a vain attempt to...
Bookworms and Boxers Battle Back!
"You've been tagged in a note on Facebook."Everyone on that social networking site--and at this point who isn't?--has read this message with a mixture of flattery ("My online friends want to know more about me!") and dread. ("Who the heck has time for this stuff?").A popular note is entitled "The ABC's of Me," a straightforward trip through the alphabet, each successive letter revealing, theoretically, a fascinating fact about the friend. I must confess I never completed this work-out, throwing in the towel at the end of Round 2 with the letter "B."For any librarian, of course, "B" is for for...
Librarians To Ben & Jerry’s: “We Scream For Ice Cream!”
The population of librarians on Facebook has organized as People For a Library-Themed Ben & Jerry’s Flavor and is petitioning Ben & Jerry’s, the Vermont-based ice creamery famous for its multi-flavor mash-ups, for a taste sensation they can call their very own.Here are some of the current suggestions for a Ben & Jerry’s library-themed flavor:• Gooey Decimal System: Dark fudge alphabet letters with caramel swirls in hazelnut ice cream.• Sh-sh-sh-Sherbet!: Key Lime or a Chocolate/Vanilla combination.• Cookie Bookie: A combination of cookie bits!• Dusty Stacks: Layered ice cream with speckles of cocoa in every layer.• Li-Berry Pie: Lime sherbet mixed...