Return of the Foodie Book Group

The Foodie Book Group is back for 2010!


Our first book of the year is I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris. It is crazy fun, and I can't wait to see what people cook from it! There are still some copies at our front desk available for check out! The meeting is Monday January 11th at 6:30. Hope to see you there :)

A Librarian's New Year's Resolutions

I can't believe another year has passed.

It can be depressing, but it can also be a time to renew one's desire to be a better person.

As a new year dawns, instead of the usual resolutions to lose weight (I need to), exercise more (I need to) and quit some noxious habit (I need to), I thought I would reflect on what I should resolve to do next year as a librarian. So here goes...

I resolve to make each and every patron who walks in the door feel welcome - even the guy who alarms patrons by doing back exercises on the floor of the mens' room.

I resolve to give each and every patron who approaches me with a question my undivided attention, even when it is the 50th time I am asked for their library card number.

I resolve to answer each and every question fully and with value added i.e. I will go the extra mile. If a patron comes up to the desk with cookbooks to check out, I might say, "You might be interested in our Foodie Book Group."

I resolve to continue to provide programming our community wants and needs. I can't tell you how proud we are that since we began offering free citizenship classes in October, three students have become U.S. citizens.

I resolve to handle all building issues such as toilet plunging and the like with good humor.

I resolve to read more (and yes, librarians like to read but we don't do it at work).

I resolve to support my staff in the work they do and to encourage innovation and creativity.

I resolve to share the enthusiasm I feel about the nobility of a librarian's work and the important role the library plays in the community.

I resolve to make 2010 the best it can be for myself and for those I serve.

What about you? What are you looking forward to in 2010?

Happy New Year to all of the Mountlake Terrace Library's current and future customers!

Home for the Holidays

Here "they" come again --
for many, The Dreaded Holidays, complete with Aunt Millie's disgusting version of a green bean casserole, Uncle Pete's Elvis impersonation and the inevitable "You never loved me," "Where's that money you owe me?" "I can't stand you people anymore" family argument.

Stressful? Yes.

But it's also a time when you realize Aunt Millie made that casserole with love, Uncle Pete is just trying to cheer everyone up, and despite the family arguments, everyone still really loves each other.

So cheers, everyone.

Here's some love and an eclectic list of resources from your local library.

Just click on any of the links below to find ideas for holiday fun and relaxation.




Celebrate the Winter Holidays

Holiday Fun

Dinah Zike's Big Book of Holiday Activities

Fun and Games for Family Gatherings

Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Aerosmith

Rockabye Baby! Lullabye Renditions of the Beatles

Power of Sleep

Stress Reduction Therapy

Japanese Cultural Festival this weekend

This Saturday the Mountlake Terrace Library is hosting our first Japanese Culture Appreciation Festival!

Small Meeting Room - Anime Marathon
Spirited Away 10-12:15
Howl's Moving Castle 12:30-2:30
Millennium Actress 2:45-4:15

Large Meeting Room - Classes
Learn to Play Go with instructors from the Seattle Go Center – 10-noon
Learn to make veggie sushi – 12:30-1:30
Learn how to dress in the Gothic Lolita style – 2-3
Gothic Lolita tea party – 3-4 (bring a donation for the foodbank, if you can!)

DVD prizes, popcorn and Japanese snacks provided by the Friends of the Mountlake Terrace Library.

Saturday December 5th – 10-4:30pm

Mountlake Terrace Library
23300 - 58th Ave. W
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

What I'm Grateful For

It's Thanksgiving Time again.

One of my family's traditions, which is probably not unique to us, is to go around the table and share what we are thankful for before diving into the feast.

So here it is, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, I am pondering all I am thankful for...

I am thankful to Benjamin Franklin for starting the first "lending library." Without him, I might not have had the opportunity to become a librarian, and perhaps would not have such an interesting and fulfilling job.

I am thankful that my wonderful grown children will at least be here for Thanksgiving, even though they won't be with us for Christmas for the first time in 28 years (they are going to the inlaws) -
So I am thankful I am able to go to Paris instead!

I am thankful that of the 50 pounds I lost, I have kept 30 off
(of course not so thankful that it only took me two years to gain 20 back).

I am thankful I have yet another year in which to make resolutions to lose that 20 pounds, be a better person, etc. etc. etc.

I am thankful (and hopeful) that the economy is on the mend and that perhaps next year, we will be seeing fewer unemployed people coming to us for help, but will be helping people do their newly found jobs better.

I am thankful we have a trained volunteer running our Citizenship Classes. (Thursdays at 7pm)

I am thankful for such a hardworking and creative staff, who are dedicated to excellent customer service, who provide wonderful family programming and make the Mountlake Terrace Library such a great community resource.

I am thankful for a wonderful Friends of the Library group, who through their hard work, provide the funds that support our programming.

And I am thankful for all of the community support the library receives.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

And for you Thanksgiving enthusiasts -
Here's some history for you

Week End Fun

What did you do last weekend?

That's nice. Here's what I did.

I shook hands with Prince Charles.

I was in Victoria B.C. for the weekend and read in the paper that Prince Charles and Camilla were in town for an official visit. I noted that they would be at church the next morning, but since I didn't know where the church was, I put it out of my mind.

Well, wouldn't you know, while out on a walk we ran right into the church - pretty obvious, guys in trench coats with earpieces, crowds lining the walkway. We asked one of those guys when the Prince was expected to come out, and we were told 25 minutes. Piece of cake!

We whiled away the time talking to some locals, and then with the usual pomp, out came some official types, and then Prince Charles and Camilla.



We were standing across the street and feared he wouldn't come over, but come over he did (Camilla didn't bother), shaking hands all the way. He was very Turnbull and Asser and looked just like himself. I stuck my hand out and he shook it. I couldn't help myself. I burst out with "You look wonderful!"

Well, he did.

For a Prince, he had rather rough hands, but as one of my colleagues pointed out, he is a gardener, so that makes sense.

Memorable moment. In my mind, how many Americans get the opportunity to shake Prince Charles' hand?

I am a major Anglophile - never got over Diana's death - watch British TV shows - pretentiously use words like "chuffed" and "gobsmacked" - that kind of thing. So I must say, I was quite a bit thrilled.

Here is more about the event. I am mentioned in the final paragraph - as "the crowds."

Charles and Camilla in Victoria the day I saw them

And here's my point - I do have one.

We are all a little strapped for cash these days. Yes, we spent money to go to Victoria (actually it was a deal), but the high point for me was shaking hands with a Prince, and that was absolutely free. Just took a little effort on my part.

So here are some ideas for some Free Fun and And More Free Fun courtesy of your friendly local library.

You might not meet a Prince, but spending time with your family and loved ones doing fun things that don't cost much are memorable moments in the making.

Librarian: The Reality Series-Episode 2

7:00 am Arrive at work.
Yawn. I am NOT a morning person. I need to be here this early because...? Oh, right, another computer class. I don't really mind. I get a great deal of satisfaction teaching basic computer skills to people, especially seniors and newcomers whose first language is not English. I was so touched when one of my students, who took a class on setting up a free email account, contacted me by email to tell me she had sent her first email to her son in Korea, who she hadn't seen for two years. That makes it all worth it.

7:15 am Hear a noise.
It is creepy in the library when I am here all alone, especially this time of year, when it is still dark in the morning. I am not going to go out into the lobby to turn off the alarm until another staff member gets here. I don't like to go out there in the dark ever since I was startled by a man lurking in the shadows. I jumped 20 feet, which is pretty difficult when you have on Manolo Blahniks. OK, I exaggerate. It wasn't 20 feet, and of course, my shoes were not Manolo Blahniks - I'm a librarian.

7:30 am I jump.
Furnace just kicked in. The first time I was here alone, and it came on, I thought we were having an earthquake. Coming from California I have lots of baggage.

8:00 am Reserve computers for the class and log them all in.
Have completed all the opening procedures. Now just have to wait for my students. Oh, good, a staff member has arrived to help me with the class. Now I can venture out into the lobby.

8:15 am Six students arrive.
Four are seniors and two Spanish speakers. Today I am teaching the basic computer class which demonstrates the use of the mouse, scrolling, how to use check boxes, radio buttons and text boxes.

9:30 am Class complete.
I am always amazed. Of the 165 students I have taught so far, not once has there been a student who was too advanced for these classes. Everyone is very grateful for the class. I am glad people can look to the library for this kind of help.

9:35 am Back to my office to do email and prepare to be on the reference desk.

10:00 am Library open for business.
ESL tutor arrives. We are lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer who is helping people with their English. He is faithfully here every Tuesday and Friday morning and has at least 5 at every class.

The morning regulars amble in. The man who was doing his back exercises in the men's restroom has returned and is now doing what looks like tai chi in the lobby. Better go talk to him.

10:05 am It wasn't tai chi.
He said he was practicing his ice skating moves. Ooookay. Whatever. I told him that ice skating might be more appropriate in the parking lot.

10:10 am "I am writing a paper on the expression and localization of the calmodulin-binding protein neurogranin in the adult mouse olfactory bulb." Can you help me? (It could be a long day)

11:00 am Fix the headphones on the pre-school computer.
Little girl's knitted brow smooth again.

11:05 am Book the meeting room.
Our meeting rooms are heavily used by the community. Not many free spaces are available for people to meet, so it is great that we can be a community gathering place.

11:15 am Phone call.
Another regular. She asks the same questions every day. Many of them. Help her once again, but have to politely limit her to 5 questions or I would be on the phone all morning.

Is it lunch time yet?

11:35 am "Can I have my library card number?" (school must not be in session today)

11:37 am "I am looking for a book I had a couple of years ago. It has a blue cover and a picture of a dog on it. Do you remember that book?"

11:40 am "Can I get my library card number?"

11:42 am "I need help. My landlord won't give me my security deposit back. What should I do?"

11:50 am "Are you the librarian? I have a complaint. The water in the drinking fountain doesn't come up far enough. Can you do something?"

11:52 am "I need my library card number." (school is definitely not in sesssion today).

11:55 am "Help! I'm running out of time on my computer and I need to print something. It's a very very important letter that took me two hours to write! What do I do?"

12:00 am (Another few minutes and I can go to lunch). "Excuse me, M'am, I need the names of every judge in the United States...."

12:30 pm Finally get to take my lunch.

1 pm Spend some time reflecting on our programming.
We have "Family Night at the Library" on Wednesday nights, "Saturdays at the Library," ESL classes twice per week, citizenship classes (with a trained volunteer) every Thursday night, computer classes at least twice per month, teen programs every Wednesday afternoon and at least one Saturday per month, baby and family story times every week and Russian Family Story Times twice per month. All are getting very good attendance.

What other programs should we offer to meet the needs of Mountlake Terrace residents?

2pm Work on my presentation for the Reader's Advisory Workshop on December 8 - work on new computer class - Changing Careers - work on scheduling.

4pm Wow, can't believe the day went so quickly.
I can't say being a librarian is boring, that's for sure. In fact, it is very gratifying.

It's been a good day.

I am going to reward myself and head for H & M. My inner Carrie Bradshaw calls. I may not be able to afford Manolo Blahnicks, but I hear that Jimmy Choo is designing a line for H & M that a librarian CAN afford. I'm there!