Hello fair readers,

You see that?

"Chicago Dibs", Chicago - 1/11/09 taken from Flickr

It’s snow. Comes every year round these parts. I honestly wish Chicago had a little more of the white stuff and a little less of the negative degree temps…but I’m tough. A Northern gal, through and through.

So I wanted to share a few resources that might come in handy this time of the year, due to my winter enthusiasm. A pathfinder of sorts.

Gift Guides

Some of my favorite blogs have some excellent gift guides for those of us completely at a loss for what to buy loved ones during the holidays. Here are a few:

Design Sponge

This rockin’ design blog is something you should probably be reading anyways if you are even remotely interested in design. I highly recommend it. But they also do annual gift guides which are always hip (sometimes too much so) and unique. My favs:  Under $25, Under $50, and my personal favorite is when the creator of the blog’s husband AC writes the For Him gift guide…they are always hilarious AC’s Guide for Guys

Gizmodo

This techy gawker blog has some really great ones,  you can search by the tag “Gift Guide” for all their guides, but here are some of my personal favs: Combo gifts for people whose birthdays are near the holidays, Geek gifts for weird relatives you have to buy gifts for but don’t want to, and Toys and games to buy smart kids whose parents you actually like

Giver’s Log

This website is just one giant gift guide. You can select by category or occasion and the gifts are always unique and interesting.  I personally love: A small gift for a grown up’s birthday, Gifts from your kitchen, Handmade gifts for grown ups

Music

I find that winter music falls into two categories. Songs that complement the cold and songs that complement the holidays. Using the sweetest mixtape website to ever manage to stay online for more than two seconds, 8tracks I created two mixes that fall into these categories.

Wintery Mix

This mix falls into the first category. Songs that complement the cold. Contains Boards of Canada, Volcano Choir, Cat Power and others. Check it out: http://8tracks.com/leahthelibrarian/wintery-mix

Winter Solstice 2009

It is actually a tradition in my family to throw a big party on the Solistice and then my Father makes everyone a mix cd with holiday tunes. So here is my version, since I’m never able to make it back for Solstice anymore. In case you need to be warned, this contains Christmas songs. If you hate them, then do not click here: http://8tracks.com/leahthelibrarian/winter-solstice-2009

Food

What would winter be without warm crockpot recipes and amazingly dark beers to keep us all fat and happy. Here are some of my favorite drinks/recipes for winter.

Hot Mulled Wine

Moroccan Lentil Stew

My old standby: Guinness

A vegetarian version of this potato soup (tip: sub chipolte peppers and/or smoked onions for bacon)

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Now you have all the tools you need to survive this winter! Well…for the most part. Have a lovely wintery week fair readers! And stay warm!

Hello fair readers,

According to Wikipedia, a Public Service Announcement (also known as the PSA in certain circles) is typically made on radio or television and meant to inform the people and raise awareness about specific issues.

PSA!! PSA!!

I feel like the concept applies to our situation.

I thought I would ask you take time for your busy holiday schedules to take a peak at the lastest post on the Young Librarian Series, announcing the creation of a Young Librarian’s Book Club for chicagoland library workers!

Click here: http://blogs.tametheweb.com/younglibrarian/2009/12/07/young-librarians-book-club/

And think about participating! Not only will this provide us with some great networking opportunities but more importantly, it’s fun! The author of the post Carrie Straka has come up with some great guidelines and a really neat idea. So I had to share it with the community, a la PSA

oh noes!

So have a lovely, wintery day fair readers! And I took forward to seeing some of you at the book club!

Fair readers,

This is amazing.

Thank you so much Illinois Synergy participants.  This rocks.

Just read this:

http://jaslarue.blogspot.com/2008/07/uncle-bobbys-wedding.html

Over and out fair readers.

Hello fair readers!

If you are looking for Halloween plans tonight, might I suggest headed over to the Viaduct Theater for Freak Gala?

Here are the details, straight from their Facebook Event page:

MUSIC-HORROR-COCKTAIL-SPECTACLE
come and get freaky-deaky with us at the Viaduct!

$2 PBR ALL NIGHT
Other bar specials TBA
17+
Doors @ 10:30
Music @ 11:00
$6 if you gotta costume
$10 if you don’t

Performance Art:
Go-Go Dancing by the Janes!
Mae the Belly Dancer
Dead Celebrity Ouija
Zombie Songs!
and…… the Chicago Tin Man!

Films:
Horror Montage by Christopher Mondo
Video Installation by Samantha Westerling
Many, many, films being shown!

Live Musical Entertainment:
Donoma
(http://www.myspace.com/donomatribe)

Earth Program
(http://www.myspace.com/theearthprogram)

Blue Ribbon Glee Club
(http://www.myspace.com/theblueribbongleeclub)

Musical Stylings by:
Masturbeats
(http://www.myspace.com/masturbeats)

So check it out fair readers and have a spooky (but safe) Halloween!!

Oh…did you think I was referring to Christmas? No no no my fair readers, no! Halloween is upon us.  And its time for all the scary movie, candy eating, pumpkin carving and costumey glory that it entails!

Now a list! A list of my favorite Halloween-centric movies you can rent and/or borrow from your local public library (or course) because nothing says Happy Halloween more than screaming and giggling while watching some horror-y goodness.

1. Evil Dead II

It’s hard to pick just one Raimi horror flick but if I had to, Evil Dead 2 is the one I would go with.  It’s classic.  It’s hilarious but you still jump every now and again.  It’s disgusting and just wrong.  But you cannot help but enjoy yourself.  This is my favorite kind of horror.  Good old fashioned possession and gore.  None of this ridiculous torture porn which has become so fashionable these days. (lame!)

2. The Descent

The ultimate in girl power horror.  It’s ridiculously scary and definitely one of my favorite scary movies to come out in the past 5 years. Basic plot: group of girls go spelunking into an undiscovered cave and encounter man-eating, underground dwelling monsters. Girls try to escape, while also kicking some monster butt. Sweetness.

3. Ghostbusters

Okay okay…not scary.  But this movie is fabulous and definitely timely for the season. Plus, umm, LIBRARY SCENE! It’s the tops.  And I want to marry Bill Murray.

So have a lovely Halloween my fair readers! Eat candy. Dress up! Have a safe (but scary) blast. And…

boo!

Hello fair readers,

This is kinda late-ish to be posting but now that we are officially in the throws of a most glorious Autumn

Image from pntphoto's flickr page

there is more time to cozy up inside, grab a cup of coffee and keep my blogs up to date.  Am I right?

Anyways the happy thing that I would like to thank the Chicago Tribune for posting a great article about libraries and guess who was in it?

Changing Face of Library Science

Yay!  The is the first time I have managed to get my picture in the paper since my theater days circa 1995 and also that was the tiny Kalamazoo Gazette…not the Tribune…so needless to say I’m super excited.  The interview was fun.  It didn’t feel like a “death of the book” type piece, which has become so common these days.  And I’m so excited that I actually didn’t get cut from the article! Woo hoo!

The link to the article is here but because its a supplement, its a little strange and pdf-ish. Just to warn you.

So hurray for newspapers and long live print! (that’s right I said it)  Have a lovely Autumn day fair readers!

Hello fair readers,

As I’m sure you have noticed, my blog has been fairly slow recently.  I can blame a couple of projects but really it boils down to an issue I have been battling. And while not a giant issue, its something I need to put out there and make a decision on.

Every time I have an interesting or good idea, I feel like I should be turning it into an article and trying to get it published.

Does anyone else have this issue?  And then, on top of this, I have come to the realization that I am not capable of churning out scholarly works.  Capable probably isn’t the right word.  I am very capable.  But would I be happy?  As I mentioned in a post before (yes the rant about ALA) that just isn’t my style.  Blogging, I suppose, is more of my style.  But is that lazy writing?  And really, am I reaching the same amount of people I could reach with a published work?

I’m having a bit of a librarian identity crisis.  The idea of being tenured literally scares the bejeezes out of me.  Which is sad because I’m sure librarians who have tenure are very blessed and pleased to have this status.  But I guess this goes back to my style of writing and the reason that I like to write.  I write because I enjoy it.  And I do things like the Young Librarian Series because I think there is a need for it.  And it just feels right.  So this makes me wonder about what my path as a librarian will become.  And what direction I am headed in.  And where I am going next.

Ahhhh.

Sigh.

While I do not know the answers to these questions, I know this.  The lack of postings on La de da is pretty much unacceptable at this point.  So I promise to make an effort and I’ll stop obsessing about whether to publish or blog.

Scouts honor.

Have a lovely week fair readers! And keep your eyes pealed for the next post on the Young Librarian Series!

Fair readers,

Have you checked out The Young Librarian Series yet?  Here is a little taste:

Head on over, tell your friends and tell the people who aren’t actually your friends but who you just talk to at work.  Tell the world!  You know what they say about word of mouth right?

Yeah. Me neither.

Have a lovely week!

Hello fair readers!

The past week was one made in bizarro land.

It mainly revolves around me putting lots of stuff on my plate.  NU Law is transitioning into the Fall schedule, which basically has made my past two weekends just non-existent.  This week starts orientation week, so lots of explaining policies and what not to newbies.  Then on top of this, I officially launched the Young Librarian Series!

Check. It. Out. (http://blogs.tametheweb.com/younglibrarian/)

This stuff alone is enough to make me freak out…because as people know me know, I’m a bit type 1.

yep. pretty much.

So when I had a wheel stolen off my car Thursday morning, there was great potential for a freak out.

[head explode]

Seriously. My car was propped up on a cement block.  Wheel + tire = completely freaking gone.

Amazingly I was at the point where this just made me laugh.  There really was nothing else to do.  I called the police, called AAA, and took my car to a really rad shop that I recommend called Speedline on Damen.  Highly highly recommend. And laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

I think this means I’m getting older?  The fact that I was actually able to still make it into work and not completely lose my shite over this.  Who knows.

Check out The Young Librarian Series!  It’s where I’m spending most of my time these days.  Might as well be for you too, right?

http://blogs.tametheweb.com/younglibrarian/