Literary Mugs That Mom Would Love

This Sunday is Mother's Day. What are you getting your mom for the occasion? A card? A bouquet of flowers? Or a bouquet of fruit? (I heard those are yummy.) Knowing my mom, she'd like a nice mug. She already has a good collection going. And she also loves books. So a literary mug would be right up her alley.

OEDb, which is an online resource on "college rankings and free courses anywhere online," has listed "10 Great Literary Mugs for Librarians." I would say that these mugs would also be great for moms and for anyone who is a book lover. Among the literary mugs spotlighted is this great one featuring a quote from Sherlock Holmes on one side and an image of the fictional detective on the other:

The "Sherlock Holmes Eliminate the Impossible" mug is being sold on Etsy.com, available at the store of missbohemia. (On a side note, this quote was uttered by Holmes in one of my favorite episodes of the BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The episode, "The Hounds of Baskerville," is what sucked me into watching Sherlock to begin with. It aired during season 2 and features some exceptional acting on the part of Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman (as Watson), and Russell Tovey, who played the emotionally and psychologically tortured Henry. But I digress.)

Another great mug is this one featuring the titles of twenty-two banned books, including Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee:
 

This Banned Book Mug can be purchased through the Unemployed Philosophers Guild website. It would be especially great to carry it around with you during Banned Books Week, an annual week-long event (taking place this year September 21 through 27) in which the freedom to read is celebrated and attempts to ban, challenge, or otherwise censor books are drawn attention to, often in creative ways depending on the library or other institution that participates in this event.

Other literary mugs featured in the OEDb article reference The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Henry V by Shakespeare, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Amid all of these mugs is a lone teacup with saucer that, appropriately enough, is a nod to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll:
 

The white teacup with saucer has a hand-drawn/painted "Drink Me" sign on it and can be bought on Etsy from CoralBel. On the web page that shows the teacup and saucer, CoralBel says: "All mugs are right-handed, which means the design is facing outwards away from the drinker. Quote 'Left Handed' in the Note to the Seller box if you would like your mug to be left-handed." Very good to know for you left-handed fans of lovely teacups and Lewis Carroll.

To see all "10 Great Literary Mugs for Librarians" (and moms), go to the OEDb article at THIS LINK. Be sure to place your order today if you want one of these great mugs to arrive in time at mom's for Mother's Day.

PS. As they say, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I have quite a few mugs myself, but my favorite is this one from The Strand bookstore in New York:
 

Free Comic Book Day This Saturday

Are you a fan of comic books? Maybe your kids, significant other, or younger family members are. If so, then you probably already know that tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day. Celebrated on the first Saturday of May, it's the day when comic book stores give away comic books to anyone who walks through the door.
 

A classic issue of Fantastic Four seen in 1997's The Ice Storm.
Image via http://blogs.evtrib.com

Free Comic Book Day is recognized far and wide. The popular event takes place across North America and even around the world. On Free Comic Book Day, fans of this fun genre often line up bright and early outside their favorite comic book shops, eagerly anticipating the free goods they'll soon get. So if you're taking part this year, it's a good idea to arrive at the comic book shops earlier, rather than later, to guarantee that you'll get your free comics.

For a list of comic book stores participating in Free Comic Book Day, go to THIS LINK. Some of these stores are hosting special events in addition to giving away comic books. And a number of stores will have policies in place regarding just how many comic books will be available for free. Call ahead before you go.

Here's hoping that you'll score a bundle of free comic books for your kids, nieces or nephews, or for yourself (hey, why not?) this Free Comic Book Day!

San Fran Public Library Card Is a Handful of Sunshine

Image from @emilyjeanne33 on Twitter

Teen-Services Librarian Also a Punk-Drag Activist

"If you told me at eighteen that I would want to be a librarian, I would have said that you were crazy," Wick Thomas told Library Journal, which in March selected Thomas as one of its Movers & Shakers for the year 2014.
 

Wick Thomas sees a career as an advocate in the stacks.
Photo by Sabrina Staires for The Pitch

Thomas works at the Kansas City Public Library in Kansas City, Missouri, where he handles teen services, which includes organizing teen gaming events and other programs. He also does outreach to area high schools. Among his outreach projects is Unheard Voices, a teen literary and art zine that featured the work of about 30 local teenagers in its first edition. Started with the help of young library users in the summer of 2013, Unheard Voices is now distributed to schools and libraries throughout Kansas City. Speaking to Library Journal, Thomas said, "The zine has been an amazing success."

In addition to his work in teen services at the Kansas City Public Library, Thomas is also a self-proclaimed punk-drag activist. While still in high school in rural Missouri, he founded his school's chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance, which is a student-led organization that provides a safe, accepting, and supportive space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and questioning students at school. In college, he served as the president of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Queer Alliance. 

Today, Thomas is president of Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders (EQUAL), which offers activist and leadership training. However, he is currently "terming out of office for EQUAL," he told The Pitch. An alternative newspaper that is "Kansas City's leading source of sophisticated information," The Pitch recently interviewed Thomas about his life, his activism, and his library work. In the interview, which is in a breezy, easy-to-read questionnaire format, Thomas addresses the following:

Soapbox issues: "We have to support access to public services, protect public education, and move toward universal health care."

Brush with fame: "I was backstage at the True Colors tour and got to dance onstage with Cyndi Lauper during "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," met my idol Joan Jett, made friends with Margaret Cho, sang the finale onstage with Erasure and the B-52's, and then drank with the Blackhearts afterward. That was a good day."

Recent triumph: "I am on the March cover of Library Journal for the work I am doing in the library world. I get to help decide which book will receive the Stonewall Book Award this year and have some really exciting partnerships coming up with local schools and governments. Outside of that, I am terming out of office for EQUAL, a youth empowerment nonprofit that I helped found, and am incredibly proud of the work being done by the young people I've mentored."

For more of The Pitch interview with Wick Thomas, go to THIS LINK. He is truly a Mover & Shaker, as recognized by Library Journal, and is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Things to Do Before Graduating from Library School

Last night, as I was lying in bed, I had a minor freakout thinking about my life post-graduate school. One month from now, I will have my master's degree in library science. On one hand, I'm both excited and relieved that a three-year-long journey is coming to an end. But on the other hand, I'm thinking: What now?

There's a short list of things you should do 
before graduating from library school.
Image via Tumblr

Library school offered me so much more than enrichment gained from in-class learning. It also led to many new friendships, and it opened up opportunities, both social and professional, that would not have been available to me (and that I never would have known about) otherwise. Library school has been a big part of my life for a nice slice of my life that once it's over... But I suppose I'm thinking about it all wrong. In fact, in having my little freakout, I totally disregarded the 6th item on Briana Marshall's list of six "Things to Do Before You Graduate from Library School."

In a post for the website Hack Library School, Marshall said:

Try not to freak out too much about the future. Graduation brings with it lots of uncertainty, whether you have a job yet or not. There are so many variables; there is always a tradeoff. In my case, my partner of seven years and I will be living in separate cities for the first time ever. Even though I am confident it's the right choice for us and we are both excited for each other, it will be a hard transition. There aren't easy answers. It would be so easy to move from a state of panic over what job I will get into a state of panic about how (if!) we will end up together eventually, but instead I am just going with the flow. I'm choosing happiness.

In other good advice, Marshall recommends that you renew your memberships to professional organizations while you can still use your student discount:

Renew/begin professional memberships. You'll be oh so happy later on that you did this at the student rate, which is fractions cheaper than the institutional rate. This is the last time you'll be able to take advantage of your student status - go for it! I had diverse interests as a student because I didn't know where I would end up in library technology. Now that I know the specific areas I will be working in, it's easier for me to decide what organizations are most relevant to me.

I'm currently a member of more than a few professional organizations, and I will say that as a student member, I enjoy a significantly lower cost of renewing my membership to these organizations. In one case, I was able to join two organizations for the price of one, and I was able to join at least one organization for free - all because I'm enrolled in library school. There are a couple more professional organizations that I'm looking into, both focusing on audio archiving, and at least one international organization. All offer discounts to students (with proof of enrollment/matriculation, of course). Marshall's suggestion reminds me that I should sign up for these organizations while I can still save.

Another bit of wisdom that Marshall offers, and that I will take to heart, is:

See the sights. I'm taking a southern road trip to celebrate graduation and have some fun before my impending move back to the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin. I am also planning lots of day trips and weekend trips to see nearby cities that I just didn't get to over the past few years.

I'm intending to do just that, almost immediately after my graduation from library school. I'm looking at a weekend getaway to a bucolic town just north of the city, and throughout the summer I'm planning to take day trips to cities that I've long wanted to explore and are quick to get to by train. Now that I will have more time on my hands, I want to see more of the country while I can and make the most of this "in-between period" in my professional life.

For more good suggestions on "Things to Do Before You Graduate from Library School," see Briana Marshall's post for Hack Library School at THIS LINK.

Neil Gaiman on National Library Week

Image via Shelf Awareness on Facebook

Why Librarians (and MLS Students) Should Use Twitter

I'm a new convert to Twitter. Although I signed up for the free microblogging service last year, it's only within the past few months that I've come to truly understand its value. And at this point, there is no turning back.
 

I've enthusiastically embraced Twitter.
Image via Mashable.com

I've found Twitter to be extremely useful for keeping up with library-related news both in my country and abroad. I follow a number of state and national library associations, which tweet about events and activities of interest to their members and anyone else in, or interested in, the field of librarianship. These same associations also inform their Twitter followers about library jobs, as do companies and organizations that tweet specifically about library job openings, which is invaluable to me as a soon-to-be-graduating library school student.

Twitter is also great for keeping up with the goings-on at library conferences and other professional gatherings. As my commitment to the field has grown, I've noticed that there are always conferences, panel discussions, workshops, and other industry events happening, often at the same time. I had recently registered in advance for one library conference, only to find out later that another conference I wanted to attend was taking place on the same day. Thanks to Twitter, I was able to keep up with the developments at the other conference because attendees were actively live-tweeting it.

There's been a lot of talk lately about "branding" yourself and "managing your online brand." I've realized that Twitter is a great way to cultivate the image of yourself that you wish to present to prospective employers, professional contacts, or like-minded people in your areas of interest. How you come across online can either help or hinder you, and it's better to use your online presence to your best advantage. Tweeting about career interests and academic pursuits in a way that's personal and reflects your personality, but is also professional-sounding but still interesting, can go a long way in helping you cultivate your "online brand."

In her article for INALJ.com, "Top 3 Reasons to Use Twitter," Alexandra Janvey echoes my points on keeping up with the profession and following conferences. She also says that Twitter has helped her find a sense of community within the library profession. To see how you can better use Twitter as a librarian or library school student, check out Janvey's article at THIS LINK.