85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians (via Zen College Life)

(Twitter: @staceygreenwell) I'm not sure who Jonathan is, or which college he's at, but I'm thankful that he's posted 85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians.

Of course, not every reason applies to every library, but some do because they focus on the skills librarians (or information professionals) bring to the table, no matter what the setting. Here are three of my favorites from Jonathan's list:

32. Libraries have much better quality control than the vast majority of websites.
49. Unlike the internet, libraries are careful that the information they contain is checked for usefulness before being included.
85. Regardless of what form a library takes, a librarian will always be ready to guide you to the information you need.

P.S. Thanks, for alerting me, Stacey!

Details on New CD: Latin Roots by Lucie Arnaz

Lucie Arnaz's new CD, Latin Roots, is scheduled for release Feb. 9, 2010, on the LML Music label. From Talkin' Broadway: You can preorder the CD via CD Universe (where you can see the cover art and a track listing) or via Amazon.com.

Please also see my post about Lucie's Jan. 9, 2010, performance and discussion at New York's 92nd Street Y, Babalu: The American Songbook Goes Latin.

An Appreciation for (Musical) Archives ... and a New Lucie Arnaz CD Coming Out!

Lucie Arnaz and her musical director, Ron Abel, spent three days at the Library of Congress, researching material for her upcoming participation in the Lyric and Lyricists series at New York's 92nd Street Y (Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010).

In interviews with the San Francisco Sentinel and the Bay Area Reporter, Lucie talks about the work of Edward Maffei, a San Francisco archivist and discographer who had preserved music from the Desi Arnaz Orchestra on cassette tape, and Lucie and Ron's recent visit to her parents' archive at the Library of Congress, where they reviewed Desi Arnaz's orchestrations.

Also exciting: Lucie is preparing to release a new CD, Latin Roots, on the LML Music label!

P.S. Thanks to the Everything Lucy blog for alerting me to Lucie's interview with the SF Sentinel.

Introducing NJ/NY Librarians to SLA's GLBT Issues Caucus

The posting of presentations from the great Oct. 14 conference, Serving New Jersey's GLBT Community, gives me the excuse to post on the event, albeit a month later. The conference gave me a chance to meet and reconnect with some wonderful New Jersey (and New York) librarians who are keenly interested in serving GLBT people with the best resources available, along with understanding and respect for all. For more details, please see my post on the SLA's GLitter BiTs blog.

Philadelphia Library System Pairs Branches to Remain Open Six Days a Week

The Free Library of Philadelphia didn't in fact have to close up shop. Almost a month ago, on Sept. 17, the Pennsylvania State Senate passed a measure that allowed the library to remain open. The library's "closing page" was changed to a "thank you for your support page."

In fact, the library system was able to keep Monday through Saturday service by pairing nearby libraries, which started Oct. 5.

For Public Libraries, Great News in New York and Horrible in Philadelphia

Some branches of the New York Public Library are expanding hours from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., starting today.

But in Philadelphia, almost the whole system could shut down, at least temporarily, starting Oct. 2. It's interesting that in Philly, patrons will still be able to use the library's Web site and databases. Will the powers that be see electronic access as "good enough"? I doubt it, but it's good that the Free Library is keeping some services available during the possible shutdown anyway. It's interesting that the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 919 Walnut St. will remain open weekdays from 9-5. Here's why.

He Once Lit Up a Kid's Life

Seen on the streets of Somerville: A poor little lamp bear was left out with the trash on the curb, along with some toys! I resisted the urge to adopt him!

Interview Essay Featured on GLitter BiTs blog

Gregory Horvitz was kind enough to feature me as part of the "member interviews" on the SLA's GLBT Issues blog, GLitter BiTs. If you haven't read Mary Ellen Bates' interview already, you might find that even more interesting!

Eric Schwarz Honored as SLA Diversity Leader

I'm pleased to announce that at the Special Libraries Association conference (SLA 2009, to be held June 14-17), I will be recognized as one of five winners of the 2009 Diversity Leadership Development Program Award for "up and coming information professionals."

In addition to my professional work, I've been fortunate to participate in two wonderful groups within SLA: the New Jersey Chapter (NJSLA) and the GLBT Issues Caucus.

In particular, I'm grateful to Barbara Burton, NJSLA immediate past president, for sponsoring my nomination for the award and for asking me to serve as chapter president. I'm sure the leadership skills I've learned serving members of both the chapter and the caucus were a key factor in my selection for the award.

I also extend my congratulations to my fellow awardees: Regina Beard, Julia Leggett, Nora Martin and Nedelina Tchangalova. I'm honored to be considered with these women who have accomplished so much in their careers.

A press release on this program soon will be posted on the SLA site.

Photos from Rutgers ReUnion 2009

Photos from Rutgers ReUnion events from Saturday, May 16, are posted in the Picasa album below.

The photos are from three events: the All-Alumni Parade and Block Party on College Avenue and Voorhees Mall; the Rutgers Gardens tour; and the Livingston Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Awards at the Douglass Campus Center.

Additional photos are in an online gallery and on the Rutgers University Alumni Association Facebook page.

Seth and Eric's Hot Ag Field Day

Seth and I enjoyed Rutgers and the Garden State's agricultural bounty on Saturday, April 25, at the annual Ag Field Day on the Cook/Douglass campus. It was a beautiful but very hot day, with a long walk over from the Bristol-Myers Squibb parking lot on Route 1. The campus was full of adults, college kids, young kids, and lots of dogs. We sampled the homemade ice cream (chocolate for me; and a rainbow of fruit flavors for Seth). The ice cream was served outdoors in foam cups, so we didn't get to see the students merrily churning.

The photos in the slideshow below are from the Scarlet Chef demonstration, with the chef showing us how to prepare healthful foods (a salad and a chutney) with Jersey Fresh ingredients. We picked up the recipe cards and free RU Express bags but mostly hung out by the ice sculptures. We skipped the samples because we had "all we cared to eat" for $6 apiece at Neilson Dining Hall.

We also walked over to Woodlawn for the New Jersey Folk Festival, but we didn't get a chance to see any of the performances. Seth got to ride for the first time on a Rutgers bus, a non-air-conditioned one at that, as we rode across Route 1 to the Rutgers Gardens. There were lots of young smiling faces in the official Rutgers Day shirts guiding people on College Farm Road, but not over at the Gardens. A Farmers Market over at the Gardens turned out to be a market of breads, pickles, sandwiches and kielbasa -- nary a vegetable in sight. We learned from the nice ladies over there that the season really kicks off with the Spring Flower Fair, Mothers Day Weekend (May 8-10). The Gardens will have a real Farmers Market on Friday afternoons, starting May 1.

At the end of the day, Seth got some bargain plants, including some catnip that Nero went over the moon for, and now Seth is hiding in the basement, and a hanging plant that's not safe for kitties, so he may do a neighborly plant exchange.

Rutgers Day seemed to be a great showcase for the university, which added events on College Avenue and Busch campuses to the traditional events on Cook/Douglass. Many of the events were for prospective students on college tours; they couldn't go very far without seeing a "Did you know?" sign with a Rutgers factoid. Hopefully, they'll join Mr. Magoo, me and hundreds of thousands of others as students and then alumni at New Jersey's State U.

Honoring Rutgers' Loyal Sons and Daughters

The Rutgers Alumni Association honored 11 Loyal Sons and Daughters of Rutgers, at the 51st Annual Awards Dinner Saturday night, April 4, 2009. Livingston Alumni Association Executive Council members came together to honor Marty Siederer (LC '77), the LAA President, and the other 10 honorees. Since 1958, more than 500 men and women have been honored for their volunteer service to the university, by prior recipients, at the annual awards event. (To see and download the photos from the slideshow, click the Picasa logo in the lower right corner, then the album name.)