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Written on: April 27th, 2009 by: in Learning Journeys
Honoré here: Many of you who have attended our DLLJ programs may recall that I generally start my day reading and journaling. This has been a habit of mine for several dozen years and this MSQT – morning solitude and quiet time – is, hands down, my favorite part of any day, every day. Very seldom do I venture from that routine.
Several weeks ago I connected my MAC mini computer to my wide flat-screened HD TV and now I have this gigantic monitor: a perfect venue for reading blogs. And reading blogs I have. Since I connected the TV monitor screen to the MAC, April 11, I've been in blog-heaven. I naturally began exploring some of my interest areas: quilting; scrapbooking; journaling – reacquainting myself with some old favorites and making some new "friends" and discoveries. Several discoveries I want to share with you are:
1 – Tallgrass Prarie Studio ~ a place to explore modern quilting and share snippets of life on the prairie.This is a great site not only for quilting ideas, inspiration but also some everyday wisdom, and encouragement. I especially like the blogger's sharing her process and thinking as she experiments and makes quilts.
2 – I have become a huge fan of Deborah's Journal. Deborah is a fiber artist and creates delightful art quilts and journal quilts. I discovered by reading her April 20 post that I have the book she features ~ so, I immediately pulled it off the shelf and re-read it, cover-to-cover. I found several little quilts I think I'll try, including the one featured on the blog (I like landscape quilts – they're fun).
3 – I am in the process of trying to get a handle on the proverbial "paper piles." (Quiet as it's kept I've been in this mode for more years than I care to disclose). One thing I noted as I plowed through piles: I tend to make notes, especially when I'm at the computer, on assorted pieces of paper. Umm, I thought-perhaps I'd serve myself better if I stuck to one style/type of data collector that was readily available, portable, flexible, efficient, mobile, ubiquitous. I am an avid user of Levenger's Circa notebook system so this morning I revisited the site to see what's new, to get some ideas…Right there on the right side of the screen is a little box captioned "Learn More – How To" and I decided I'd explore…Bingo! Enter: Steve Leveen, Founder and CEO of Levenger ~ serious tools for serious readers ~ and his blog: Well-Read Life (TM). His April 20 post: "Dancing with Darwin: The vanishing index card is a useful species still" is a gold-mine, chock-full of history, tidbits and nuggets of ideas for capturing our reading/learning journeys on the ubiquitous 3 x 5 index card. Read this post and the comments, too; they will warm your heart regardless if you are a librarian or old-school user of the long-gone but never-forgotten card catalog.
As I continue to enrich my MSQT via my blog travels I shall share my journey and the stops along the way, so stay tuned.
Cheers~
Written on: April 25th, 2009 by: in Reviews
A bunch of good stuff in this Sunday’s NYT Book Review and Philadelphia Inquirer. Here’s a sample.
You can check availability and place holds by clicking on the links below for the titles:
Written on: April 23rd, 2009 by: in News
Written on: April 22nd, 2009 by: in Learning Journeys
Kathy here…Pikeville, Kentucky is my ancestral home. For my husband, Jim, Pocahontas, Virginia is "the homeplace." As natives of Maryland, imagine our surprise to discover that these family centers lie just "over the mountain" from one another, a mere 120 miles apart. Both rest in the lush green world of the Appalachian Mountain chain. The chain is one of the oldest on earth with an estimated age of over a billion years. And, while the Appalachians technically run from Quebec to Alabama, it is that pocket of civilization defined by southeastern West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, northeastern Tennessee and northwestern North Carolina that defines these mountains for me and my husband.
There, Appalachia is a lifestyle, a culture, a heritage.
Why this topic at this time? Who knows what triggers spark our interests? It does seem that each Spring I begin a renewed sprint-learning cycle with the subject. Perhaps because when I was a youngster, we regularly "went south" over Easter break. Regardless, every single time I walk this path, my learning expands. This year, my path has even been across media. Talk about totally immersing oneself…wow! Here is a snapshot of this particular trip among the "mountain people."
Book: Appalachians: America's First & Last Frontier by Mari-Lynn Evans
Age Before Beauty by Virginia Smith
CD: Songs from the Mountain with John Herrmann, Dirk Powell & Tim O'Brien
DVD: History Channel: Hillbilly – The Real Story and Songcatcher
What subjects draw you in again and again? How has this particular learning path evolved for you? Have you crossed medias in your search?
By the way, the "quoted" phrases above are for your instructional benefit. They are the words of "my people." And, last, my newest factoid: Pocahontas, Virginia was the first ever coal boom town!
Written on: April 21st, 2009 by: in Reviews
The 2009 Pulitzer Awards were announced yesterday with a number of very popular books given the honor:
Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
The Hemingses of Monticello, Annette Gordon-Read
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Jon Meacham
Shadow of Sirius, by W.S. Merwin
Slavery by Another Name, Douglas Blackmon
Written on: April 20th, 2009 by: in Learning, News
Thompson-Gale is a purveyor of fine subscription databases to academic and public libraries- you may be most aware of them through their Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC) which is accessible through the Delaware Library Catalog and the New Castle County Library Catalog. In honor of National Library Week (and beyond, in fact until May 15th), Gale is offering free access to a number of other databases, including its new Global Issues in Context site, Collectibles Database, Small Business Resource Center, and others. You can access these resources through a “Widget” on the DLC E-resources page.
Written on: April 20th, 2009 by: in News, Reviews
The Library of Congress recently announced the reappointment of Kay Ryan as U.S. Poet Laureate. You canRead the full announcement here…
Great news for Kay Ryan and for poetry in America- Ryan’s work is accessible, uncomplicated but still beautifully evocative.
Collections of Ryan’s poetry available from the Delaware Library Catalog include Niagara River: Poems and Say Uncle.
Delaware, of course, has its own Poet Laureate, JoAnn Balingit, and award-winning writer who works to popularize poetry throughout the First State. You can read her Pushcart Award- nominated poem here.
Work from many of the preceding U.S. Poet Laureates is also available through the Delaware Library Catalog:
Written on: April 16th, 2009 by: in News
The wait is almost over! The South Coastal Library is re-opening Monday, April 20 at 10:00am.
Be sure to check out the library and some books!
Written on: April 13th, 2009 by: in Learning Journeys
Kathy here…did you hear that duh-dum…duh-dum musical entry from Jaws when you read the post title? Well, there is context for it. I was all set to talk to you today about my reading/learning turn onto a verdant path meandering between weathered split rail fences when I was blindsided.
A co-worker stuck his library copy of Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin into my mail box this morning. The juvenile book chronicles the thoughts, questions and bedevilments of 12-year-old Jason, a boy with autism. In it , he shares his life where "stuff happens…that's it," among the "neurotypicals." Jason doesn't talk in "their" language. He flaps his hands, rocks back and forth and crawls under desks in an effort to stay on the ground, to keep the pieces that are him from flying off in a hundred directions. I read the entire book at lunch. While this is fiction, I have read similar accounts in biographies of others with autism. Fascinating.
I have been researching and reading about autism for 18 years…since February 10th, 1991 when my youngest boy was diagnosed. Jason describes my Jon perfectly. How often I have imagined the very words that Ms. Baskin recorded as swirling around in his head. The Jaws reference? It refers to how, after all these years, I still get caught short when I run across words/works such as these; the pain still shoots straight to my heart and brings tears to my eyes. Clearly, this particular learning journey will never end for me or mine.
What search has been thrust upon you? Laura spoke of her exploration of Alzheimer's a few weeks back. How did you begin to reach out to learn/find the tools that helped you cope and move forward?
Next week, back to that verdant path…I've been kickin' up some dust through total immersion in Appalachian stories, history, music and video…stay tuned!
Written on: April 9th, 2009 by: in News
The most recent issues of the business magazine Inc. featured a list of the 30 “must read” books for entrepreneurs and business owners.
For your first savvy business decision, check these books out from your local library- instead of buying them:
All of the other titles on the list are available through the Delaware Library Catalog.
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