Dendrites

It's been a long time since I've talked about my crafting! Today I share brain cells! I'd found 2 different kinds of brain cell patterns online, one for knitting and one for crocheting.

Being primarily a knitter, I was fascinated to find the Knit a Neuron Project. Based in England, these are brain researchers who are using knitting as a way of sharing information about brain science and also hoping to end up with a 3D knitted representation of an actual human brain. Cool, huh?

I tried knitting a few of these little ditties, and they're easy and quick to knit. It's a good way to use up excess sock yarn, too, although I have other ways to do that, so I'm not worried about it. I also like participating in something international like this. I'll probably send my finished neurons over to the UK before too much longer.

A smidge of catnip inside, and they'd be perfect for my little fur-faced children . . . although Rosie would still probably prefer the little double-pointed wooden needles I use to knit them (she's weird like that).

Aesthetically, though, I didn't find these as striking as the crocheted neurons I'd seen on Etsy. I decided I had to try some of these, and I can't stop! They're free-form, and they're a blast to hook up. I can do one in an hour, and sometimes start the second. Also, they allow me to continue to contemplate the delicious and amazing miracle that is my brain (or anyone's brain, for that matter). As a casual student of brain research via early literacy, I've long been fascinated by how the brain is put together. And besides, aren't they cool?

Speaking of finished projects, I have 2 more to show off! One is the Branching Out scarf that I've been working on as a knit-along project with the weeknight knitting group I'm part of. I think the others finished months ago, but here is mine, finally being blocked. It's hard to see the pattern clearly because the yarn is so ethereal that it doesn't photograph well. Trust me, in real life it's pretty. Just don't look too closely, as there are quite a few . . . umm . . . design features in this beginning lace project. The pattern is less obvious in this variegated mohair, but that means it's a little less obvious when I make those . . . umm . . . alterations. (wink)

My other new FO is the vacation-knitting! I'm wearing the Argosy Wrap that I started for travel knitting, and I finished it up last weekend. - it's made of this wonderful silk/cotton blend with long self-striping colors. Love it!

I wore it to my first real Art Show! The Main library is currently having a juried show of all staff-created art. Submissions were sought a few months ago, and I submitted just one piece - this felted bag. It has pussy willows on it, and it is one of my best bags. If you recall, I started this a few years ago, inspired by the art of my friend Mary Ann.



Here I am with my bag on display in the gallery. They even displayed it so that you can walk around and see both sides. Exciting! The opening reception was Thursday evening, and the show runs through the last full week of August. If you're in or around downtown Columbus, do stop by! It's free, and there are many, many beautiful and interesting works of art by my colleagues at CML.

Library 2.0

Well, I have come to another end, also. This is my last official post for the Learn and Play at CML project we've been doing for a few months. You've seen me posting my 23 things, and I appreciate my non-L readers sticking with me! I also warmly welcome all the new readers who may have joined from CML and might, if they're interested, and might keep reading. Welcome! In order to limit my verbosity, I'm going to do a list (also, just because I love lists).

Top Things about L&P at CML

1. Being able to explore Web2.0. It's given me the incentive to really look into some tools that I'd not used before, and to go deeper into things I've only sampled before.
   
2. Encouraging my team to explore - use their backroom time to do some fun things.
3. Seeing people finding great new tools.
4. Nifty new flash drive I'll get.
5. Thinking about ways we can use this technology to reach and serve our customers.

Final Thoughts:

1. We need to keep moving forward - don't stop here with just 23 things, but keep exploring and stay on the cutting edge. It's not enough to just do this.
   
2. When we think about using these tools, we need to remember they are tools, not the end-all and be-all of service. A really good chef's knife can do a lot, but real chefs have a variety of knives they take care of and use. We need to be the same way - the right tool for the project is important.
3. The cool gadgets aren't the whole answer to the most important question: What do our customers need and want? The first answer always has to be: excellent customer service. The next question, then, needs to be: How can these tools help us give excellent customer service?
4. How can we continue to find ways to help bridge the digital divides in our community? What do the people in poverty need to know of this stuff? How can we help them access what "the haves" have?
5. How can we use this technology to promote early literacy (you know that's always in the forefront of my mind!)?

Thank you all for reading!

New Blog!

I'm part of the Ready to Read Task Force at CML, and as we move into the implementation of this year's phase of the ongoing project, we've been recruiting and training a big team of Ambassadors who will be going into the neighborhoods and meeting families who are not generally visiting the library. They'll be talking about early literacy and sharing the Ready to Read research and information with parents and caregivers to try to improve their children's success in school. Because there will be so many people involved and so much going on, we've started a dedicated blog to share with one another. Feel free to follow along!

Reluctant Wiki-er, Thing #16

Well, I am sure you could tell a few posts ago that I wasn't too thrilled about the whole wiki thing. I mean, we have discussion boards and we have other collaborative web things, and I just figured that a wiki would be more of the same: clunky to use, challenging to keep up, short-lived novelty, etc.

I'm starting to think maybe I was wrong! I know, I know, it seems impossible (hmm, I guess you're all thinking that what is impossible is that I'll actually admit I'm wrong - me being wrong is fairly normal?) I finally had time to watch the little vid clips that the L&P team provide on their blog, and I think they might be right - Wikis are cool!

What I'm thinking about wikis:

• Someone on my branch staff had suggested a month ago that we should start a local history blog for the Linden Community. I'm thinking, now, that a wiki would be more functional and use-able. It would be great to get local folks contributing as well as library staff. I'd love to make/post some video footage of interviews with community elders!
  
• A Wiki would make it much easier to handle things like the Ready to Read Ambassador organization. We just need to figure out how to make/use a calendar in it.
• Sharepoint kind of sucks (I've always found it clunky), and a wiki would be easier to keep up with.
• I'm still convinced that a wiki is only as valuable and as strong as the people involved in it's writing.

Who Are We?

I love thinking about the future. Partly, this is because I love not having to think about how far behind I am in what I should have done today . . . but partly I love it because it allows for that higher-level thinking. I love dreaming, basically. The Current Professional Terminology (CPT) for this is being a Visionary. Whether you call it visionary thinking, daydreaming, dreaming for real or just plain imagination, I love it!

So, when I was given (thanks, E!) tickets to Thomas Friedman lecture at OSU, I jumped at the chance. (Ok, no actual jumping was involved, but in my mind I was jumping) Talk about a visionary! Friedman wrote The World is Flat, which I've read and enjoyed and which really has some excellent point in it about the Global Economy and what the US or any country should be thinking about in terms of staying a legitimate "player" in the market.

What does this have to do with Library 2.0? Well, I'll tell you my version! I'd love it if you read his book and have some comments and shared them. Anyway, his new book is Hot, Flat and Crowded, and it's about how we need to consider Green Technologies (GT), alternate fuel sources, etc, and bring back a culture of innovation in the US if we're going to be able to keep up . . .again, with the Global Economy thing! (see here for a discussion on his website)

One point that really resonated with me and with what we've been talking about is the idea that 20 years from now the whole world will be completely different from what we know today. Now, don't be thinking Wall-E, but also don't discount the truths that are underneath that animated movie. We need to get our head around the concepts of GT and be innovative in finding ways to live w/o leaving such a gosh darn big carbon footprint!

So - hold on here - I'm almost to my point . . .

Government regulation is something that Friedman says will help with this problem, because, he says, we should be charging people a Carbon Tax - something to compensate the world (and whose bank accounts?) for the cost of producing, say, the lovely AC that is currently making my office 68 degrees. He also says that our governmental system (all hail the glorious Democracy!) is NOT good at dealing with long-term, multigenerational changes (this I totally agree with!).

Who is good at handling mulitgenerational change? Well, I would propose that Libraries sometimes are . . . and maybe should always be. Think about the longevity of our institution. Think about CML and how long some of us have been working here. You know, sometimes change is hard to deal with at CML because some of us have been here so long, our experience and our natural human tendancy to think "but we've always done it this way" is slowing down our ability to be maneuverable in the market. On the other hand, we could choose to embrace that longevity and harness it to perhaps create multigenerational change in our world.

This, my friends, is where my brain is today. I am thinking about how we can make a huge difference 20 years from now because of what we're doing today. We can live with a smaller carbon footprint, build our new buildings to be more efficient, AND (those of you who know me should have seen this coming) get all of our local parents to accept responsibility as their children's first teachers . . . and 20 years from now the Columbus School System will be thriving, our children will be out of poverty, the crime rate will be down, etc.

Ahh, it's getting me dizzy, up here on my soapbox.

As for Library 2.0 and the future of libraries I'm ready to jump on the Vision train. I see our library as being a catalyst for effecting real change in our community, through the Ready to Read program, through continuing to be a valuable center for lifelong learning and research, through being a promoter of innovation and through providing people of all socio-economic levels the same great service and opportunities to learn and to access information.

another word cloud

This one is from some of our website content regarding Ready to Read. Click on the thumbnail picture to view it bigger.