Award Tour* or, I Made You a Mix Tape

"People give your ears so I be sublime..."**
I can not get A Tribe Called Quest out of my head since I added two more conference presentations to my schedule this year. Posters aside, that puts me at a total of 4 presentations over the next 7 months. I think this is what happens when you throw a whole bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks. My schedule is something like, East Coast/ West Coast/ East Coast/ North Coast. (I call Cleveland, OH -my hometown- the north coast.)

"Going each and every place with the mic in my hand."
I'm doing a couple of presentations on the Cherry Hill Oral History Project -one here in Baltimore next week and the other as a panel member in Cleveland for OHA's (Oral History Association's) annual conference in the fall. I'll also be facilitating a panel on residencies at ALA in Anaheim this June and am teaming up with the members of the working group of my university committee to discuss our diversity award at an international education conference this July in NYC.

Photo via Flickr by NRK P3

"Do that, do that, do do that that that."
How in the world did you have time to do all of that proposing, you ask? Well, I'll be honest. I really didn't have time to put together all of these proposals on my own. Two out of four I am doing the bulk of the work preparing. But, the other two are due to the power of others hard at work that were kind enough to include me in their proposals.

"Buddy, buddy buddy all up in your face!"
I suppose this just speaks to the power of networking. I would never have the time to do all of this on my own so I'm so thankful for the connections and work I've done and talked about -and the work that others have done and talked to me about -that has lead to these collaborations and presentations and plenty of potential future endeavors.


*I always thought they were saying, "We're on a WORLD tour." (I'm sure I'm not the only one.)
**I love you Q-Tip!!

Speaking of hip hop....

It totally trips me out that hip hop, which was kind of sort of considered subversive when I was a kid, (and I'm sure in some super conservative circles, might still be considered so), is actually now a common area of study. My dad would actually storm into my room and pull the plug out of the wall if I had the volume up too loud. (Those devil beats!) So, since the advent and rise of hip hop is becoming an increasingly popular academic subject, I ordered this book earlier this year for our cultural studies department. It's set up like an actual "biblical" text.

The Gospel of Hip Hop by KRS ONE

 The Third Overstanding, "The Divine Performance," chapter 18, verse 16 says:  

"Therefore, let us perform Hip Hop on a higher level. Let us Hiphoppas strive to be better than we were yesterday. Everyday let's seek ways to be responsible toward one another and collectively mature with our handling of Hip Hop. We may start out criminal minded but indeed we shall all end up spiritual minded."

Whether you be a "hiphoppa" or a librarian, or both, the sentiment applies. Go and be responsible toward one another by sharing your awesome ideas and work and I will see you on the conference circuit! (I'm totally going to order a copy for my dad!)

READ Posters Comin' Atcha!

We're doing READ posters at our library. ALA provides templates for libraries to purchase and use at will.  While doing some web searching about the posters, (Bill Cosby did the first in 1985), I came across some great blogs and images. There are some with musicians doing the READ, (I really like Missy Elliott and Yo Yo Ma's picks), a blog regarding why they can be boring, and the online ALA store displaying which celebs are rockin' the READ. And,of course, you can always check out the bazillion uploaded to flickr of librarians doing their own.*  

Towson's Cook Library has done them in the past. Here are a few of the old ones hanging in the library. (I grabbed them with my mediocre camera phone - so sorry!)

But this year the staff, librarians and even university administrators got super creative. The new ones are so, so awesome! They're not done yet with the big letters in the back and all, but just the photos alone, without the photoshopping, are already fantastic.

I've always wanted to do one with my rottweiler and the "Good Dog Carl" books. This year actually turned out to be a super bonus since I could add my new family addition. I think the wee one adds an extra level of cuteness, don't you?

Soon to be READ poster, starring moi! (So excited!!)

*Which, after viewing that last Flickr album, made me think that perhaps all the librarians should get together and sign a pact that posing in a cape and witch hat with the Harry Potter series might be juuuuuust a bit overdone and henceforth a practice to be laid to rest for the next millennium, or so. Seriously. Not original. Trust me, I probably love Harry Potter even more than you, but I will find you and take away your H.P. Fan Club Membership if I see one more of these.

ALA Mid-Winter

Mid-Winter starts tomorrow and I am so looking forward to walking around the Gaslamp district in the sun without the aid of long underwear and alpaca hats that tie below the chin. And, of course, catching up with all of the awesome librarians I've met from around the country. There is a ridiculous tomato story in here that has absolutely nothing to do with books or libraries, just born of the mouth of a conferenced-out librarian with Armageddon  on her mind. (Good times.) 


But, just in case you would like to get some work done, or find out more about residencies from those in the trenches, the Residency Interest Group has a happy hour and a meeting. If you're interested check out the RIG link and I'll see you there!

ALA's Discovering Librarianship Recruitment Program

ALA is searching for volunteers to help develop programs for recruitment of high school and college students into librarianship. I'm not sure if my Residency qualifies me, I truly hope so, but I would love to participate in this program.  I'm an idea lady, and I think it would be really enjoyable to not only come up with methods and programs to reach potential future librarians, but actually engage in the sessions, as well. I also have had this desire since going to library school, to reach out to some smart and outgoing minority students that may have a negative or misguided idea about librarians and open their eyes to all the places and capacities in which librarians work.  I'm keeping my fingers, toes, legs, hair, etc. etc. crossed!

On a side note, I'm not really sure if my Residency qualifies me for the application process. However, I'm going to apply anyway.  I would encourage anyone that is also unsure about whether they meet the requirements, that if you do have a demonstrated interest in minority recruitment and retention in librarianship, that you also apply.  I wasn't a Spectrum Scholar, nor had I even heard of it until I graduated with my MLIS, but I do know that there are a number of great people out there that are trying to make a difference in our field that would love to be given some of the same chances as the Scholars.  I believe that is why ALA is beginning to broaden their recruitment initiative to include some of those outside of the Spectrum base. So apply!