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Having friends over for dinner: Circulating Ideas podcast

It was a crazy busy summer for me and I didn’t notice this wonderful new podcast by Steve Thomas until last week. Circulating Ideas is a monthly interview with librarians from all walks of our profession.

From Steve:

This show is my meager attempt to get the word out on what we’re doing as a profession to remain relevant and to push the boundaries of learning and collating information, getting our ideas out there in the world, circulating them like we circulate our collections.  I hope it will also be enlightening to my fellow librarians to learn more about what other librarians are doing to push the profession forward.  I’ll be interviewing librarians and other people relevant to the profession and getting their points of view out to you, the listeners, and I hope that they spark discussions, whether you agree with the interview subject’s views or not. (from Epsiode Zero)

Not at all “meager” Steve! Those interviewed so far include: Buffy Hamilton, Kate Sheehan, Lori Reed, Paul Signorelli and the guys from Unshelved. There’s also a fun and informative show on how Steve creates the podcast, a “Library Day in the Life 7″ special episode. Coming up on Oct 11, Justin Hoenke.

Listening to podcasts & cooking go together for me. So when I get hooked on a great podcast, I tend to find excuses to spend more time in the kitchen cooking dinner. Thanks for bringing so many wonderful people into my kitchen! And thanks for all the great dinners. :)

Keep me cooking! What are your favorite podcasts?

 

New York’s Flood Damaged Libraries & Donation Form

Flood Damaged Libraries & Donation Form

Michael Borges of the New York Library Association sent a  NYLINE email this morning with more information about libraries that suffered damage in the Hurricane Irene floods. And with continued flooding  from the remains of  Hurricane Lee, this list could, unfortunately, grow.

Below is list of libraries damaged by Hurricane Irene and subsequent flooding.  Donations are desperately needed.  Visit the  NYLA Donation Form to make a donation to NYLA’s Disaster Relief Fund, the proceeds will be distributed to affected libraries. The more donations we receive the more we can distribute to impacted libraries.

  • Moffat Library
  • Windham Public Library
  • Desmond-Fish Library
  • Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library
  • Starr Memorial Library
  • Phoenicia Library
  • Rye Free Reading Room
  • Schoharie Free Association Library
  • Middleburgh Public Library
  • Wells Memorial Library
  • Goshen Public Library
  • Wallkill Public Library

In addition, our online fundraising partner, CauseVox has agreed to create for free a fundraising website for one of the damaged libraries, it would look like this http://empirestatebook.causevox.com/ .  So please contact me if you are one of the libraries on this list.

Plus every library should consider establishing an online fundraising presence and CauseVox is easy to use at very minimal cost.  For more info , visit http://www.nyla.org/page/nyla-offers-online-fundraising-tool-for-libraries-487.html

Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association

“Child of the Library” Library Closures Protest Song

“A sea of story waits for you behind the library door,
Don’t say we can’t afford it anymore”

Piers Cawley sings his “Child of the Library” song at OSCON in July 2011.  I’d love this song simply for the music and his wonderful voice, but add the lyrics and it’s a powerful library protest anthem. Thank you to OSCON for recording this and to Piers for the song.

Lyrics

A Child of the Library

Chorus:
I’m a Child of the Lib’ry, it made me who I am,
It taught me about freedom and the fellowship of Man
A sea of story waits for you behind the lib’ry door,
Don’t say we can’t afford them any more.

…  Lyrics continued on Piers Cawley’s site.

Recovery in Schoharie & Middleburgh NY

Recovery in Schoharie & Middleburgh NY

The main road in Schoharie

The main road in Schoharie (copyright: Jay Harsevoort)


More information and how you can help:

Updated Sept 6, 2011

  • NEW – “NYLA created a Disaster Relief fund several years ago (the last time there was major flooding) to collect donations from the library community and beyond to assist libraries damaged by floods and other natural disasters.  NYLA can serve as collection point for donations and then distribute proceeds to affected libraries.”  To make a donation visit  NYLA’s Disaster Relief Fund  (via: NYLINE email)

 

Schoharie Free Libary – Irene Damage

Photos of damage to the Schoharie Free Library

 

Ways we can help!

Libraries in Need after Hurricane Irene

Yeah, it's closed

Updated Sept. 3, 2011

Last weekend, Hurricane Irene ripped out the hearts of so many communities in the NorthEast and elsewhere. I have friends who have lost their belongings, friends who are without power and water,  and family who have been isolated by floods ripping out their roads.  While we just had some downed branches, a bit of damp in the basement and for some unknown reason, our power stayed on. I feel so fortunate.

Though I can’t do much in the way of digging mud out of homes, I thought I could at least help by finding out which libraries in my area are in need of help. Why libraries? Libraries should be a haven in any storm, whether economic or weather related, and are so often the heart of their communities. Let’s help them be that again.

Three libraries (that I know of) in my region were hit very hard by the storm. After days without power and phone service, some reports have trickled in to the Mohawk Valley Library System  & Mid-Hudson Library System. Word is that they’ve all been flooded and lost portions of their collections.

There are relief efforts in all of these areas. But if you’d like to help out the libraries directly, I imagine a check sent to the library wouldn’t go amiss when it comes time to restore the buildings and rebuild collections.

Other Regional Relief Efforts

And Yet More Libraries in Need – updated Spet 3, 2011

Unfortunately, these aren’t the only libraries that have been damaged.

(flickr photo by Chad Fust)