"Deal or No Deal"

By the way, I discovered that video by reading a post over at Filipino Librarian. I have found it interesting to see what the librarian profession looks like in other parts of the world and I have a particular affinity for the Philippines (having spent time there off and on about twenty years ago).

By the way, a piece of information: In order to be a librarian in the Philippines, you need to pass a national examination. In the most recent examination, they had 868 test-takers. Out of that 868, only 278 passed. That is 32%! Apparently, it is a difficult task to become a librarian in that country. I wonder why that might be. Perhaps it has to do with job availability.

Librarian Deal or No Deal: The Lantern Parade 2007

While it is difficult to tell from the video, this is a group of librarians in a parade in the Philippines doing a take-off on "Deal or No Deal." It is interesting to listen to the speaker who discusses the same issues that we champion in the U.S.

Introduction to Second Life

I know, I really know that I need to begin to understand this whole Second Life thing. The library program at SJSU already uses it in their instruction. This will only continue. I wonder how generational this is (and whether my 46-year-old self can handle it).

Fresno Pacific University goes online!

As most of you know, I am in the library media program at Fresno Pacific University and have been quite pleased with it. Comes new information from the program director, Jo Ellen Misakian, that the entire program will now be available online.

I think it is safe to say that the same quality in the residential program will manifest itself in the online one as well. They will be offering both the credential and the master's degree in that 100% online format.

You can find information on the program here. While it does not mention anything yet about going online, the first cohort will start in May 2008.

If you are looking for an exceptional program, I would encourage you to take a look.

Graphic Novels Poster Contest

One of the things that I brought back from CSLA 2007 was the desire to create a graphic novels poster contest. One of the major reasons was that I have no artistic skills whatsoever, but I wanted to have some unique posters around my new graphic novels section.

I have spent the last two weeks handing out paper for the contest. Students turned them in last Friday and they have been judged. The students were very enthusiastic about participating in the contest. Part of that enthusiasm was certainly due to the lack of access to art in our middle school. Getting big pieces of paper to draw on is, apparently, very cool.

Some good that came out of it:

• I got students into the library that I do not know (because it was announced every day).
• Students go to do art.
• I got wonderful posters with which to decorate my new section.

Response was so good that I may have a second contest in the spring where I have the students create their own graphic novels.

Sebastopol librarian fired revisited

More on the firing of Sebastopol librarian Richie Partington. For me, it offers more questions than answers. The administrator involved appears to give the impression that Partington was fired for a number of things, but gives no examples as to what those might have been.

Bellevue schools book dispute ends in firing


I think ultimately Partington's undoing was his not meeting with the principal. As an employee, he does not have that choice. Given that article, I don't believe we have the entire story yet. Will we? Hard to tell.

Extreme Makeover, Library Edition!

If I thought that the local graffit artists wouldn't destroy it, I would really look into doing something like the libraries below. Wouldn't that be cool? You should definitely take a look.

Cardiff (Wales) Public Library and Kansas City (MO) Public Library

Barbarian Librarians: NWPL, Woodstock VT