Tuesday, August 30, 2016

New books for new school year

Stacks of books on a counter with stamp and ink pad and bundle of library barcode labels on adhesive paper slips
Such a great feeling to find new books awaiting me in Bellview Elementary School library. The new school year began with a summer bounty of Junior Library Guild monthly selections and a shipment of books ordered through Follett Learning.

Processing these books is technically “work” but feels to me like a joy as so many titles pique my own interest. Here’s hoping that each new book finds an appreciative reader, and each student finds the perfect book that will spark a lifelong reading adventure.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

His and her newsboy hats


His and her newsboy hats are assembled from scraps of Guatemalan cotton, interspersed with panels of black cutwork embroidery (repurposed from a skirt) and solid black linen or wool.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Digital archives: Free or subscription-based?

Cynthia M. Parkhill's 'BitStrips' cartoon avatar stands holding an eReader in front of a newspaper coin-vending box on city sidewalk
Digitized newspaper delivery and archiving. Image created with BitStrips
“Google News Archive” provided free digital access to more than a century’s worth of newspapers in the Milwaukee area. At “Urban Milwaukee,” Michail Takach asks why listings for local newspapers suddenly disappeared. The answer concerns privatized digitization through a subscription-model database, and should make compelling reading for anyone interested in how the shift from print to digital publishing impacts historical archiving.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

TIME author equates Asperger’s with trolling

As a survivor of bullying who has personally experienced cowardly attacks on the Internet, I share with TIME magazine author Joel Stein a concern that anonymity is a breeding ground for abuses. That said, I wish to express my concern with Stein’s portrayal of “the web” as “a sociopath with Asperger’s.”

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Hand-crafted ‘Pokémon’ hidden at ‘Pokéstops’

Nestled in grass, a red, black and white knitted ball, decorated to resemble the Pokemon Go 'Pokeball'
Source of image: Nichole’s Nerdy Knots on Facebook
Via the MarySue: “[F]inding digital Pokémon in our surroundings wasn’t enough for Nichole’s Nerdy Knots. The nerdy knitter has been stitching up some Pokémon and hiding them around Pokéstops (and other appropriate areas) in the real world for random people to find.” Libraries are often designated Pokéstops and Gyms in this augmented-reality game. If any crafters would like to tag their local library, Nichole’s patterns are free for download on Ravelry.

Posted to Yarn Bombing at Your Library

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Yarn-bombing project at Beaconsfield Public Library

Close-up view of hands cutting thread on piece of crochet that has been stitched around the handle of a library book-drop. The words 'Yarn Bombing at Your Library' have been superimposed on the image.
As reported Aug. 9 by the Montreal Gazette: In Beaconsfield Public Library, Beaconsfield, Quebec, chief librarian Elizabeth Lemyre has organized a summer yarn-bombing project that welcomes both youngsters and adults. The knitting circle will create squares to cover a "nondescript public bench." On a recent afternoon, three young ballplayers used knitting looms to create pieces.

Posted to Yarn Bombing at Your Library on Facebook

Calistoga schools: Student writing confronts bullying

Close-up of Cynthia M. Parkhill, wearing a yellow-crocheted hat with a 'No Bully' pin, the word 'Bully' in black letters on yellow with a red circle and red-line diagonal strike-through
My ‘No Bully’ mugshot
As a survivor of bullying, I try to monitor campus culture to verify that bullying is being acknowledged and dealt with at my former schools.

Most recently, my research led me to “Taking Action on Bullying,” student writing produced for “The Paw” journalism project at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School.

I want to thank Paw staff for their willingness to address bullying in the Calistoga schools. I was physically attacked, verbally abused and socially ostracized throughout my tenure at Calistoga Elementary and Calistoga Junior/Senior High School.

Monday, August 8, 2016

UUA announces 2016-2017 ‘Common Read’

Book cover, 'The Third Reconstruction.' Image depicts person standing on outdoor stage with microphone in front of a crowd. An American flag is on display and a banner partially reads, 'Protect All N-'
My earliest opportunity in library collection development was as volunteer administrator of a small lending library for a Unitarian Universalist (UU) church.

An important addition to the library’s collection was the Unitarian Universalist Association’s annual Common Read.

I have long appreciated the shared experience of reading a book in common and, since the program’s inception, I’ve closely followed — and publicized — each year’s announcement of the latest Common Read.

The program continues to resonate with me in my professional capacity as Religious Explorations administrative coordinator for a local UU church.

Via congregation blog, post to social media and MailChimp email campaign, I had occasion this week to publicize the 2016-2017 Common Read: The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement, by The Rev. Dr. William Barber II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.

The Common Read selection committee believes this is a moment for UUs to answer a call by Rev. Barber, to build and sustain a movement for justice for all people. A discussion guide for the book will be available by Oct. 1.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Body Support Systems: Debut blog post

My debut blog post for Body Support Systems, Inc. went live on its website today. The post highlights an appearance by owner/founder Tom Owens at the World Massage Festival this coming week.

Body Support Systems produces the bodyCushion™, an orthopedic positioning system that therapeutic practitioners, including massage therapists, use when treating their clients. I have worked part-time with the company for a little more than one year.

Editing and blogging are activities I enjoy, so I appreciate having this outlet as part of my professional responsibilities. I have a few more posts incubating and look forward to posting them soon.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’: Recommendations for reading play

Hardcover bound script of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' placed on green-ripple afghan
The Barnes & Noble blog cites sales figures to project “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” may “be among the most widely read plays of all time.”

But because reading a play is “a little different from reading a novel,” B&N has compiled tips for getting the most out of reading “Cursed Child.”

I love the idea of people assigning parts and reading aloud together; my family and I have read aloud to each other for years.

With a professional repertory theater company only two miles from our home, it’s especially easy to “Add to the experience” by going to see a play. “An evening at the theater will familiarize you with the tropes and rhythms of plays, which will help inform the experience the next time you read a play.”

‘Intrusive’ vs. ‘inbound’ contact

Via my social newsfeed this morning, a declaration by Andy Mort that telephone calls are, quite possibly, the most intrusive form of contact.