Sepia Saturday

Time for another Sepia Saturday post, time to take a look back in history. Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share images and posts of bygone days. This week we’re inspired to find photos based on the photo above.

I accept this challenge and sought out photos of libraries. This prompt is fitting as it in the US we’re finishing National Library Week.

Stitt Library at BUMED, 1902

From the Navy Medicine Flickr Commons collection, this library had a telescope inside. That’s where the stairs must lead to.

National Library of Ireland, circa 1900

Dallas Public Library, circa 1910

From the SMU Library Digital Collection

In Mudgee, Gulgong, Australia, 1878

From State Library of New South Wales – While I admit I love the elegant, stately libraries of city centers, this simple, rustic library tugs at my heartstrings. I love how this man started a library out in the wilderness.

Carnegie Library, Greenville, Texas, 1904

During the late 19th and early 20th century, tycoon Andrew Carnegie built libraries in the US and around the world. If a town applied for the program and promised to maintain a library staff and collection, they could receive funds to build what was then known as a Carnegie Library. Above and below are two examples of the grand libraries.

Carnegie Library, Dallas, 1920

 

 

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Just Awful

I can’t believe that the management of Winnetka-Northfield Library is still treating people so poorly in light of the two news stories in the local papers this week. (Here’s one from the Winnetka Talk.*)

You’d think the managers would shape up, but no.

I just learned that when a colleague, who’s part time, was on vacation learned her mother died. Due to her vacation she had to switch a lot of shifts. Then to attend her mother’s memorial she had to take off a weekend. The management required that she make up her hours and get a replacement. Not one manager expressed any sympathy towards her. So she will go to her mother’s memorial but then she’ll have to work 12 days in a row to get that “favor.”

*Note: in the article it states that 88 people have left. In the last couple weeks 6 more have done so. The total is now 94 out of 43.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve caught a cold and have been mainly staying home, drinking tea, reading a bit and resting.

I did read the selection for this month’s Great Books discussion at the library. We read and discussed Darwin’s Moral Sense of Man, rather a dry read in my opinion. I do accept Darwin’s ideas, which I think are pervasive nowadays, but I’m not all that interested in natural history, which he describes in detail. I did appreciate a woman who clarified the idea of Natural Selection. I mistakenly thought our choices in mates and behavior determined the survival of the fittest, but it’s all about how nature chooses. We’re just little pawns as far as that goes. Our group leader rambled a lot and as has become usual the discussion goes all over the place with tangents like robots and Trump getting mixed in. The Great Books Foundation aims to gather people to discuss an influential text and stick to analyzing it and not roaming all over the place, which is too easy to do.

I ran into a childhood friend’s mother at the library. Her daughter an I were great friends from first to third grade. In fourth grade I changed schools and later I moved so we lost touch. It was nice to hear a little bit about Laura and what she’s doing now. I do hope my old friend drops by one day.

There’s a new opening at my library and Wednesday I’ll interview for this position, which is a step up, but alas still part time. still my fingers are crossed. I haven’t heard from the other library yet about whom they’ve chosen. Skokie’s a well respected library so I know it’s quite competitive.

I’ve been quite disappointed with PBS NewsHour, which I count on as a sound news source, but they were in error twice last week. First they broadcast the Buzzfeed story that Cohen testified that President Trump told him to lie. The Mueller team soon stated that this was not the case. While the story was amended, I’d love to see an apology tonight and a statement that they should have investigated the veracity of Buzzfeed’s report, which was written by a known plagiarizer. Next there’s the mess with the boys from the Catholic school and a stand off involving a Native American man and the Black Hebrews. Originally, the boys were reported to mock the Native American and to be troublemakers. Later a more complete video was shared online and it became clear that the boys weren’t in the wrong. Again, the media, including PBS rushed to boradcast a story before they found out all the facts. It’s disgraceful because these errors impact people’s reputations or understanding of the  government.  With the boys, people have contacted the colleges they applied to and asked that these kids get rejected. They’ve discovered their contact information and have harassed and threatened them and their relatives. A mob mentality has been unleashed and it’s hard to contain it. Again, I hope to see PBS and other channels apologize and vow to adhere to a higher standard.

I got the Moone Boy series DVDs and finally saw the final series. I love this Irish sitcom, about pre-teen Martin Moone and his imaginary friend Sean. It’s not to be missed.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I was delighted that Victoria is back on Masterpiece Theater as of Sunday and that I’m just as delighted that I got the DVDs for the gritty police drama Spiral. I’ll write about both later in the week.

For my weekly classic film, I saw another Japanese one, The Living Magoroku. It wasn’t great, but there are plenty that are better. The pacing was slow and some actors were stiff.

I’d mention that I had a phone interview for another part time library job. This one pays better and should use more of the skills and knowledge I acquired in library school. Tomorrow I have a face to face interview. I’ve done some prep work already. The two jobs’ schedules go together well, except for one overlap.

I was happy to see snow falling on Saturday. We haven’t had any since November and if it’s going to be cold, I’d like to see some snow. It is winter after all. Plus since there’s less people working or going to school on a Saturday, it’s a great time for snow.

I had lunch with my cousin Janice and it was a wonderful time to catch up.

I discovered another YouTube gem in the vein of “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.” It’s Kids Try where kids are given unfamiliar foods and they react to them. The creators picked just the right personalities for this series.

It’s been a rather quiet week, but with work it is harder to find time to write. I did get started on revising my play.

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I can’t believe New Years was last Tuesday. It seems like more time than that has passed.

I made a point of seeing another opulent church before the decorations would come down and went to Holy Trinity Polish Mission. Since I was downtown, I also stopped in the Art Institute of Chicago which has a Neapolitan Crèche. Though they acquired this exhibit with over 200 figures in 2013, I hadn’t seen it. I was blown away.

I’ve been working regularly and particularly enjoy helping in the Makerspace. So many patrons come in with creative ideas and leave with great gifts. They feed off each other. Friday was jam-packed as the regulars start their Christmas gifts now and finish by say March. Now I’ve got several ideas buzzing in my head.

I’m learning all about the history of candy by reading Sweet Tooth, a micro-history on sweets. I’ve learned that candy made from sugar was first developed by Saudi’s who used it as medicine. More on this book later.

So 2019 has started off well. It’s been warm here, well over freezing and I’m enjoying meeting new colleagues and learning new skills. It’s melancholy to put away Christmas decorations because I feel that now I have the time to savor them, whereas leading up to Christmas there’s so much frenzy that I don’t. I think I prefer the post Christmas days to early December.

 

Weekend Coffee Share

Weekend Coffee Share is a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I had a good Christmas. My sister and her two kids came for about a week. After mass at my niece’s high school on Christmas Eve we went downtown for dinner with my dad’s side of the family. Christmas itself started with a special breakfast, opening presents and later finished with a great dinner.

I worked on Wednesday to Friday and am getting a lay of the land. Wednesday I worked at the other branch. It has a completely different vibe. Both are pleasant, but it’s interesting how though they’re so close to each other, there’s a discernible difference. I had more time in the makerspace and I’m finding it quite fun to learn what can be done with the various machines.

A must-see

I lucked out and got to go to The Woman in Black at the Royal George Theater on Saturday. I got to watch a Humphrey Bogart movie, All Through the Night and Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress I recommend all of these.

Also on Sunday I explored a church from a list of the Must-See Chicago churches. St. Hedwig’s was stunning. It’s wonderful to see that the community supports this treasure.

I’m savoring the hygge and slower pace of the post-Christmas season.

Tell Me Something Good

Tell Me Something Good is a simple challenge that prompts bloggers to share a nugget of positive news or wisdom and it’s started by the creator of A Momma’s View.

So for all of you who would like to play along and stick to the rules, here they are:

• I enjoyed the neighborhood Monday cocktail (or wine), appetizers and conversation. I love that the neighbors or a few of them gather regularly in the summer months. Everyone brings their own drink and an appetizer to share.
• I’m getting excited and planning my short trip to New York in a few weeks. I’ll be going to my sister’s wedding on the 26th and will be there till the 30th.
• I’ve been enjoying volunteering at two different libraries. In Northbrook, I get to help out in the maker space and at Skokie I’m helping in Readers’ Service and A/V. In both areas I am learning a lot.
• I savored the elegance of Gilded Age portraits like these at the Drieshaus Museum’s member’s preview of their newly opened exhibit.

It’s easy:

• Mention something that you consider being good in the comments

• Or write a post about it on your blog (please don’t forget the pingback if you do so I don’t miss out and also share the link to it in the comments below). Something good that happened to you recently, or something good you will experience in a little while, or something good you know will happen soon. Something that makes you feel good.

• Share this post and invite your followers as well.

 

Dyslexic Fonts on eBooks

I discovered that eBook services commonly offered by public libraries have fonts you can choose that help people with dyslexia read. These fonts’ letters are heavier on the bottom. Researchers have found that this makes reading easier for those with dyslexia.

I wanted to share how people can get these fonts so I made a short video using Adobe’s Spark and Screencast-o-matic. You can do quite a bit with their free features.

Please share this information so more can use it.

Poem of the Week

In the Library
by Charles Simic

There’s a book called
A Dictionary of Angels.
No one had opened it in fifty years,
I know, because when I did,
The covers creaked, the pages
Crumbled. There I discovered

The angels were once as plentiful
As species of flies.
The sky at dusk
Used to be thick with them.
You had to wave both arms
Just to keep them away.

Now the sun is shining
Through the tall windows.
The library is a quiet place.
Angels and gods huddled
In dark unopened books.
The great secret lies
On some shelf Miss Jones
Passes every day on her rounds.

She’s very tall, so she keeps

Her head tipped as if listening.

The books are whispering.

I hear nothing, but she does.

[categories poetry]

Obsolete Man

A classmate linked to this on her Library UX blog for a final reflection. It’s fascinating television, well written and acted. Yet, I don’t think you could broadcast this today. There’s no violence, edgy-ness or swearing. 😉