The passing parade

I was reading my brother's blog today (he is a great, witty writer)and he was ruminating about his time with Ma Bell - Bell Telephone - and rubbing elbows with the creative types at Bell Labs (whose researchers developed radio astronomy, the transistor, the laser, C and C++ programming languages). He wrote about how he knew everything about how telephones work when working there, and kept up with the all changes, while the older researchers kept up only in their slice of work and were quaintly fuzzy about modern phones. He remembers being very judgmental about it, until he retired and now realizes he hasn't a clue about modern telephony, as much as he continues to purchase and tinker with the most modern gadgets and electronics.

And that is the thing of it. It is easy to focus on the details of living each day, and suddenly realize that the parade is passing by - or has passed and is out of sight around the corner - and you realize with a jolt just how out of step you are with things many people take as vital parts of their lifestyles. We see that every day here, people changing jobs and suddenly having to be adept with navigating complex, online application processes and online training modules. We see that with people coming in asking us to help them with their new phone, new tablet, new reader. And we keep up with the times, we make sure we can meet these needs as always. We are glad that people think of us when they need help - it is what we are here for.

But that said, we suddenly woke up to a parade whizzing by and we needed to do some running to get to the front again. What parade? Well, we realized that our public computers are all running Windows XP and not able to support some important upgrades. While we get new computers each year, we have a lot, and the rotation is at least 7 years per computer - a long time in computer years.

So, we just want you to know - we see the parade, and we know what we need to do, and we are starting with our next budget cycle with a new focus on the physical side of the digital world here inside the library. We have been keeping up with the virtual side of the modern library (ebooks, remote access to information, etc) and now we will match that internally.

I will keep you posted with developments. Before the parade passes by Hello Dolly

Side by side

You may have heard about - or hopefully seen - our muskrat. (Try our Facebook page if you haven't) The long winter had apparently encouraged it to come far afield to open grass for much needed feeding. It was interesting to see the various reactions when people saw it ranging from "So cute" to "What's that rodent" to the inevitable few trying to attack it.

We as humans still struggle with finding the right balance of living with other people, sharing our world with other animals and insects, and letting others the space and opportunity to do their own thing. The Live Free or Die motto of New Hampshire always appealed to me in its spirit of live and let live, and in general, I have not been disappointed since moving here. There are some occasions when the differences between us seems too difficult to handle easily, but in general, we here in NH find a way.

That is one of the things I really have always liked about libraries. They are dedicated to offering many points of view, many sides of the story, a variety of options. We in the library field work hard to make sure that all are welcome, to make sure there are no unnecessary barrier. At any given moment at the library, there are people of many ages, varying walks of life, radically different political, religious and social outlooks, diverse ethnic and national backgrounds, finding a place that we all can share.

And if we can share it with the various denizens of the marsh, all the better.

Staying open to new experiences

One of the nicest things about my job is the view from my office. Of course there are some drawbacks, but that is a story for another day, but truly, being able to sit and look out at the marsh is a daily pleasure. I have seen some fascinating things ranging from tiny frogs to herons to rabbits. I now know a great deal about the habits of red-winged blackbirds just due to 6 years of seeing them arrive in the spring to spend the summer in the marsh.

Now honestly, I don't spend hours just gazing out the windows, but I do get an occasional treat of new visitors of the animal kind. This week, it definitely was something new to almost the entire staff, and it turned out to be a muskrat! I will admit my first reaction was thank goodness it wasn't a huge rat, but the next was fascination - a chance to watch something totally new to me as it goes about living. And it has been spending a great deal of time of the very limited open grass digging up and eating roots. We have learned it has what seems to be a tunnel under the snow for quick access to safety. We've learned that it uses a defense mechanism common to a number of animals - it freezes. It is becoming a familiar 'friend' similar to our chipmunk.

So what is my point here? It is the importance to being open to seeing what is around you. To be open to the unexpected opportunities in life. To just be aware. It creates that wondering awe that we all had as a child, and enriches your life immeasurably.

I am lucky to have access to an old family cottage on a busy working harbor. By sitting on the porch at random times during the day, I have seen a deer swimming down the harbor, a bald eagle flying past just six feet away, loons and eider ducks in their winter and summer coloring. I have heard seals surfacing right out front in the dark at high tide, I've watched herring fished, lobster traps tended, moorings laid and moved. And I make a point of looking for the unexpected anywhere. I used to live a stone's throw from a coke mill - where coal was baked into coke:

Yes, I lived right there in one of those houses for many years. My parents were horrified on their occasional visits, seeing only the ugliness. Yes there was ugliness everywhere, but I was daily caught up in the stark reality of heavy industry, the unexpected beauty of the smoke pouring from the smokestacks, the weird equipment used, the process required for producing this valuable fuel for steel making.

It is just part of a life-long determination to try and notice what is around me, to sample fresh experiences. And libraries are a great way to remain open to new ideas and experiences. You can try new authors, try out music or films that aren't your usual taste - all with no risk or cost to you. The programs we offer can open the door to new interests, new hobbies, new ideas - again without risk or cost, other than being present and open to the opportunity. You never know what you might stumble across.

Everything that is, is a beginning

I watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, saw the photos of the disappointed Colts, and walked into my office on Monday and was struck once again at the meaningfulness of the large fabric hanging on my wall. If you haven't seen it (feel free to stop by my office any time - my door is always open), it is quite large, made of rather strongly colored felt pieces, not particularly attractive nor in good shape. But to me it suggests a sunrise and has the words: Everything that is, is a beginning. I didn't make it, didn't buy it, it wasn't given to me (my college roommate got it from her ex-boyfriend's family after the break-up), but it has been with me for a long, long time.

It has never failed to be a reminder of better times to come when faced with a disappointment, a crisis, an unexpected and unwanted change. It has never failed as a reminder that I have gotten over that disappointment, crisis, change and am still standing, still have friends, still have family and still have the ability to move forward from that new beginning. I hope that it has been inspiring for others that have seen it while visiting my office.

I hope that Peyton Manning has something equally encouraging in his life - we all should. We need that reminder that we can make survive, take charge of our lives once more, and find our new path. Being a librarian, I think books as well, and there are so many that can be of help. The Book of Awakening: having the life you want by being present to the life you have, by Mark Nepo, Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert, Finding Beauty in a Broken World, by Terry Tempest Williams are just a few to consider.

I would love to hear what books you have found helpful in tough times. Share the titles so that we all can benefit. Oh, and remember to drop by and check out that wall hanging.

Where do they hide it all

I discovered a new television show over the weekend - Celebrity House Hunting. I love House Hunters, and the celebrity version is awesome since it combines the guilty pleasure of seeing how the 'stars' live, and the enjoyment of seeing potential houses and guessing which will be picked (they never pick the right one). The show starts with a tour of the current home and of course the places are gorgeous. But once again, just like in MTV Cribs (yes I watched that religiously too)I noticed that there was no sign of anyone really living in the house. These houses always see more of a showcase than a home.

What I mean is where are the piles of books (or even one) sitting next to the chair/couch/bed ready to be picked up? How about a stack of magazines? Pile of newspapers? So they don't read - how about the remotes? Knitting bag? Some sign of a hobby somewhere?? I look around my house and see a number of bookcases crammed with books, books leaning against the sides of them, books nearby begging for space. I have no less than 3 knitting bags each with a project I am part-way through. My husband has his tablets, etc. piled right within easy reach of where he sits. His n-scale trains are set up in the back room, where all the jigsaw puzzles are stacked. But in all these shows, it looks like people don't do anything in their homes. I guess they get it all cleaned up just for the show - but where did they put it all? We have several large closets in our place, and they are filled with our hobbies. Canning jars, sewing supplies, fabric, rug hooking projects and supplies - the list goes on. So there is no where to stash the extra. Do they have a storage unit? Well, so do we and that is full with Christmas decorations, tools - the list could go on there too. Is it all out in the yard? But we get a tour of there as well, and the garage.

These thoughts come to mind each year as I make my resolutions about organizing better. For a long time, it was a New Year's tradition for my family to clean the basement on New Year's Day and I still tackle some problem area now that we don't have a basement anymore. It is also a New Year's tradition that I put out a "Beat the Clutter" display at whatever library I am working at. It is always the single most popular display of the year. Clearly there are lots of people just like me that have lots of interests, lots of collections, not quite the space to store them all and are looking for some ideas on how to manage them a bit better. (Did I mention how much I miss the show Clean Sweep?) If this sounds like you, revel in the fact that you are not alone, and stop by an check out some great books on how to manage it all so that you can enjoy it more.

Traditions

I watched the Macy’s Parade on Thanksgiving. It is a long-standing tradition going back as far as I can remember. For me, the tradition includes getting the pumpkin pie into the oven just as the Rockettes do their number (ushering in the start of the Parade) and sitting with family kibitzing about who the singers are, how well they lip-sync, what balloon is losing air, will Bob McGrath still be on the Sesame Street Float this year (sadly, no), how cold the marching band members from some warm state are (I have noticed the band from Hawaii never returned). While I keep this tradition going, it isn’t quite the same anymore, now that my family is far-flung and isn’t ‘home for the holidays’. This year, I ended up kibitzing via text to my daughter who was at work and only responded during her break.

Shop Local Saturday is our newest tradition, which finds us visiting a number of local businesses. One in particular we look forward to since it is a great little shop filled with just the right gifts for family and friends. So we set out with enthusiasm, only to discover it had moved to a larger site and is now much expanded (very nice location). We wandered around like lost souls, this year walking out with nothing, missing the intimacy and selection of the prior location.
Finishing off the weekend was a holiday film about giving up old traditions and moving on to new experiences. It seemed like I was being told something at this point!

I was surprised to be reminded how important traditions are to me, considering how I love and embrace change (have you been to the library recently?). But traditions do give you a sense of stability and surety in a world that seems to be radically different almost every day. It binds people together with a shared experience that everyone knows and fits back into comfortably and comfortingly. The risk arises when tradition prevents positive progress, when the tradition continues to lumber on having long outlasted its function and prevents the development of new traditions.

Libraries are often tagged with the traditional label – too often in a negative sense. But in reality, libraries just do the shift to new traditions well, building on what works and easing away what no longer is the best solution today. Sure, there are always changes that seem jarring – and these are the ones that strike closest to your comfort zone – but that passes as well. Libraries are thought of as being traditional places, but if you sit and consider the library of your childhood and today’s library, you will be startled be the differences that have eased in while keeping the sense of comforting traditions.

Movie: Fiddler on the Roof
Book: The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Everyday, by Cox, Meg.

Consumer or creator

           So, I was reading after lunch over the weekend, and my husband turned on one of his go-to TV shows "Love it or List it". Suddenly I thought: that narrator is the same one that reads Janet Evanovich's Plum series. I recognized it because her reading is the reason I stopped listening to the series (I have talked about audiobook readers previously), having liked the original reader much better. The newer reader's voice was too patterned, in a way that made me think about the reader's voice instead of visualizing the rich milieu of Stephanie Plum's life. And that is terrible - I prefer to get lost in the book, imagining the lives and locations being detailed on the pages. And I get lost - I was rereading the Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder one summer night. If you haven't read it, it is all about a long, extremely snowy winter. So my desperate dog finally got my attention and I got up to let her outside. I was so completely lost in the book that I was totally shocked there was no snow and it was warm outside.
           I had also just been following a discussion online about whether reading is a consuming process or a creating process. A director in a big midwest city library had been quoted identifying readers as consuming - and certainly one could argue that a reader is taking in what is written, not creating it. But some participants in the discussion believed that reading creates something in your mind. After all, two people can read the same book, the same descriptions of people and places and have radically different ideas of what it looks like. Why else would there be any argument when a book is filmed as to the choices of actors. One poster's comments are particularly evocative: "I know that as I recently reread C. S. Lewis's Narnia books, I discovered that much of the rich world I remember from reading those books as a child is actually not detailed in the books. Lewis's writing and my own imagination interacted to create the world I remembered. An individual's ability to imagine something that doesn't exist is the basis for innovation". Consider that and then think of the Narnia movies, where you are watching, or consuming, someone else's vision created when they read the book.
           So I guess my opinion is clear - what do you think? Hmm, so opinions are created by reading as well . . .