When I was a kid, I would hop on my bike on a muggy summer day and ride the three miles to my local public library where I would devour books. But it wasn’t until I started working at ALA that I heard of readers’ advisory. If I had known about it (or to be fair, if readers’ advisory was as developed then as it is today), I would have marched up to a librarian and asked unapologetically, “Could you recommend a good book for me to read?”

Librarians active in readers’ advisory now have another resource to turn to. Becky Spratford, author of one of ALA’s reader’s advisory books, The Horror Readers’ Advisory, has created a blog called “RA for All.” It states, “Looking for your next good read? RA for All is a blog to showcase how the Readers’ Advisors at your local public library can help.” Absolutely perfect. Becky, a teacher at Dominican, will also be showcasing her students’ work on the blog.

At Midwinter in Seattle, no fewer than three people sought me out, one even stopping me on the street, to tell me that “Michael Porter’s got an idea” for a book. Never one to be too slow on the uptake, I made sure to talk with him at a reception we were both attending. Several conversations and one contract later, I’m thrilled to say that Michael (aka Libraryman) will be writing for us.

Just what is this big idea, you say? Michael will be interviewing and gathering stories from individuals and institutions that have become leaders in successful electronic community engagement. He will use these stories as the basis for real-world lessons that libraries can use to more effectively engage the communities they serve. The work will be many things: part historical snapshot of this transition period in library service, part motivational storytelling, part benchmarking, and part practical handbook.

Michael himself is thoroughly immersed in this world of electronic community engagement, and I’m really looking forward to his tour.

An Editions-related gathering at Etrusco last night brought together LJ Mover and Shaker alums Rob Cullin, Kim Bolan, and Chrystie Hill. Rob and Kim are the authors of Technology Made Simple, and Kim is starting work on a new edition of her popular Teen Spaces. Chrystie is working with Steven Cohen on the final manuscript stage of Inside, Outside, and Online, a book about libraries and community building. But last night was all in fun—no shop talk allowed! Let’s just say that the “rocker table” took that directive to heart.

I had the pleasure of working with Gail Bush on her book The School Buddy System: The Practice of Collaboration. I admire Gail’s organization and focus. I remember meeting with her in my office while her manuscript was in process and being so impressed when she pulled a binder for the project from her brief case. Yeah, I’m a sucker for a binder.

I notice that Gail is working with the same focus on advancing the cause of social justice. On Wednesday, along with colleagues at the National-Louis University Center for Teaching with Children’s Books, she will convene the symposium INDIVISIBLE: Teaching for Social Justice through Children’s Literature (K-12). A year ago, Gail wrote for Knowledge Quest an article (PDF) positing a tenth information literacy standard that would address social justice. She writes:

School Librarians work for a better tomorrow every day. We ply our trade with future young leaders as if the world depended on it, and for good reason.

“Like clergy and members of religious orders, librarians hold a sacred profession, albeit one performed in a secular setting.”

Intrigued?

After being mistaken for a nun (one too many times) and being introduced as “ministering” in the library, Jewish librarian and author Nancy Maxwell began to take note of the underlying similarities between the Library and religion. Her book, Sacred Stacks, explores how being in a library can be a spiritual experience. For a brief overview, check out her interview with Jenny Saxton:
Nancy Maxwell Interview on Sacred Stacks (6:49)

I really enjoyed reading ALA Editions author John Blyberg’s post Pragmatism vs. Idealism, which is a continuation of a thread (with links for latecomers) discussing collection development practice. He brings in the idea of ensuring the availability of long tail books as he suggests an intermediate position for libraries. Best bit (IMHO):

“Without provisioning for the popular stuff, you get a lifeless, disembodied tail. Without the tail, you get a Borders.”

John is currently writing The 24-Hour Branch: Library Websites That Connect with Customers, available in the coming year from Editions.

Art Plotnik, who hired me at ALA and was my first guide to libraryland, writes me occasionally. His recent e-mail complemented our catalog, commenting on the editorial mugs. Having seen my post on LibraryThing, he asked if I had catalogued his book Spunk & Bite, now in paperback. Yes, I have! The harcover edition. Although it wasn’t in my first handful when I set up the account, I did demo LibraryThing for my wife, who had asked about it, and Spunk & Bite is what I pulled from my shelf.

Corresponding with Art, an author of books on writing, I sometimes feel self-conscious about my flat responses to his elevated expression. So I was heartened to see that he is not above the cheap pun. He writes in Spunk & Bite:

Perceived correctness can be comforting to the reader, like a tidy house. But what distinguishes a piece of writing is the ambiance—the environmental mood—that language can create. That’s why locution, locution, locution is so important to us realtors of the words.

Plotnik defines locution as the use of a word or turning of a phrase in a stylistic manner. As he does throughout the book, he provides examples. “If a thing can be done, why do it?” from Gertrude Stein. The British, queenly locution, “We are not amused,” as an understated way of expressing displeasure. And a curious locution that he claims New Yorkers will recognize: “That terrific woman, which you should have married her!” In the bell-ringer category, he quotes the “jailhouse locution” from Tom Wolfe’s novel A Man in Full.

Look bruvva . . . I ain’t tryin’ a disrespectchoo . . . I ain’t tryin’ a sweatchoo, an’ I ain’t tryin’ a play you. So whatchoo doggin’ me for?

Plotnik admits to doggin’ E.B. White, co-author with William Strunk, Jr., of Elements of Style, but only because “few American locutionists stand taller than White,” yet his advice to writers “concerned itself more with boundaries than White-like flights above rooftops.”

What’s number one in LibraryThing’s Spunk & Bite recommendation machine? Elements of Style, of course. Writers, read them both.

Working at ALA, I’m always in awe that I can have a conversation with an award-winning author about royalty checks or address confirmations. At times, it is easy to forget that I am rubbing elbows with people at the forefront of the LIS field, until hearing, say something like, Dr. Eliza T. Dresang winning the 2007 Scholastic Library Publishing Award. A co-author of Dynamic Youth Services through Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation, she has received this honor for her extraordinary contributions in promoting access to books and encouraging a love of reading for lifelong learning. Her Radical Change: Books for Youth in a Digital Age has become a staple of children’s literature curricula; it has directly influenced librarians, teachers, and the children they serve. The award, which consists of a citation and $1,000 prize, will be presented at this year’s Annual, on Tuesday, June 26. Congratulations!

Becky Spratford, author of The Horror’s Readers’ Advisory, is featured in a column in suburban Chicago’s Daily Herald. Sarah Long, director of the North Suburban Library System, posts the column to her Web site, along with a podcast. While you’re getting to know Becky and her emergence as a horror maven, note how Sarah Long is using the Web to get the word out to patrons on library services they may not know about.

Our author, Rob Reid, holds a special place in my heart. The very first book I signed as an acquisitions editor at ALA Editions was Cool Story Programs for the School-Age Crowd (now, as I’m ending my career at ALA, I have had the pleasure of signing him to two more books: More Family Storytimes and Great Read-alouds, based on his Book Links column). Back then, he already had a couple of other popular ALA Editions books under his belt: Something Funny Happened at the Library, Family Storytimes, Children’s Jukebox.

When he told me last year he wanted to do a revision of Children’s Jukebox and an accompanying book on bringing music into storytimes, Something Musical Happened at the Library, I quickly learned what a labor of love writing about children’s music was for him. He mentioned that the second edition of Children’s Jukebox would be “more comprehensive”…he wasn’t kidding. It’s more than double the size of the original. I wouldn’t have thought it was humanly possible to listen to as many children’s tunes as this man has, but I was wrong. If there is an authority on children’s music, he’s got to be it. Below is an excerpt of an interview I had with him. Both books are currently in production. Children’s Jukebox, 2nd Edition will be out this spring and Something Musical Happened at the Library this summer.

Me: You say in your introduction to Children’s Jukebox that you truly believe that you’ve listened to more children’s music than anyone in the history of humankind. From the comprehensiveness of your book, I see that that’s very likely. You said that you listened to over 650 children’s recordings in 2006. How on earth did you manage to fit in so many songs?

Him: Last year, I was on the Newbery Award Committee and I read all of the time- between teaching classes, during meals…I had no social life and my wife can attest to that. This year, I listened to children’s music between teaching classes, during meals…my wife’s patience was remarkable, but wearing thin. She was great and knew I’d come back to Earth eventually. I think I’m back, but I’ve been prone to belting out a children’s song at odd times more than I used to.

Me: How were you able to keep track of what you listened to…to keep them all in mind so that you could write about them in the book? Was there anything in particular you were listening for when you included them?

Him: I kept a separate sheet for each recording with each track listed and then whatever subject headings I assigned to it. Many songs had more than one subject heading. I also kept track of which songs would be good for non-musicians to try, which songs featured sound effects, etc. I also kept a running track of my favorite songs and they are listed in Children’s Jukebox.

There were some songs that I couldn’t come up with any viable subject heading for it and those songs didn’t make it into the book. When I first started the project, I tried to fit in every single song. Eventually, I made a deal with myself that the project would be better if I was more picky in which songs I included. That, plus the fact that I would have wound up with a 2,000 page book that no one would have purchased if I went ahead and included every sing song.

Me: You’ve probably had more of a bird’s eye view of children’s recordings than anyone around. What are your thoughts on the state of children’s music today? Did you find any common threads in the music?

Him: I was pleasantly surprised at how strong the state of the music industry is today. After working on the first edition of Children’s Jukebox in the early 1990s, I continued to review children’s music for School Library Journal and Booklist, but then stopped doing that to work on my other books. I didn’t pay attention to the children’s music scene for about 5 years and when I did, I found it full of creative new artists like Ralph’s World, Dan Zanes, and Laurie Berkner, and that many of the “older” artists, like Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Bill Harley, and Tom Chapin were still cranking out great tunes.

One big change over the years is the Internet. Almost all of the artists now have their own websites and many sites have sample music clips, lyrics, and other good stuff. A lot of them even have a Kids activity page and lessons for teachers and librarians based on their music. The artists seem to have a closer connection to their audience now.

There seems to be the same subject threads that have always been out there. Familiar themes such as school, concepts, family, etc. For the last 30 years, there have been strong children’s songs about the ecology, brotherhood/sisterhood, resolving conflicts, and other serious issues. The artists continue to write new songs on all of these topics. I see a lot more songs about libraries and reading nowadays, music to my delight. There are several songs featuring literary characters. There are also covers of popular songs from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that appeal directly to young kids today, like Cab Calloway’s “Everybody Eats When They Come to My House.”

Me: What about using music in library programs for children. You indicate that it hasn’t caught on as much as you would like. Why is that and what would you say to librarians who are doing children’s programming about mixing it up with a little music?

Him: There are a lot of librarians who are self-conscious because they don’t sing in public or play an instrument. They are more comfortable reading picture books, doing fingerplays, and making crafts. More power to them. Kids need that. I personally think music adds a little more spice to a program and there are plenty of songs out there that someone with virtually no musical experience can share with kids and there are more complex songs that librarians and teachers with plenty of musical experience can share. My workshops showcase all levels of songs that have been a hit with my audiences.