From the desk of State Librarian Rand Simmons

Graphic from the National Weather Service

It isn’t unusual to have rain, even constant rain, in Western Washington this time of year. But the current predictions are a bit more extreme. We are expecting one to three inches of rain in South Puget Sound area and Mason County may have flooding. So, I pondered this morning as I drove in to work, what I would do if I had the time off on a rainy day. I posed the same question to my staff and here are some of their answers in the order received:

1. Read the entire “F” volume of the World Book Encyclopedia cover to cover. [Me: seriously?]
2. Re-read some historical fiction, such as My Antonia, by Willa Cather or Scott Odell’s Sara Bishop, from my early teen reading classes.
3. Read Birds of Prey by Wilbur Smith. It will get you through any rainy day.
4. Curl up with a good book or someone who has read one!

Did I mention all these people work in a library?

5. Read your favorite books from childhood! Matilda by Roald Dahl and a cup of hot chocolate makes any rainy day cozy.
6. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes. They never get old.
7. I always snuggle up with a Nancy Drew Mystery.
8. One of my rainy day favorites: Ella Fitzgerald and The Inkspots – “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”.

Now we’re groovin’.

9. Light a fire in the fireplace, bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies and have a family read aloud.
10. Heat milk, add Nestlé’s syrup, find your miniature marshmallows; have yourself a cup of hot chocolate while curled up in your most comfy chair reading a favorite quick read and escapist adventure, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Food and reading, always a good choice, but remember to wash your hands before you turn pages.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some other staff ideas. In the meantime, tell me, what would you do on a rainy day?

     Airway Heights Correction Center Library is starting its 6^th Library Reads Program. We started this program one year ago with John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row”. After that we read “Sky Fisherman” by Craig Lesley, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave and “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford.

     This program has been very exciting and I am amazed at the way the guys get into the books, whether they like it or not. Every discussion has been exhilarating for the entire group. No matter how the inmates feel about a given book, the author has accomplished his or her goal. The books have them thinking about what is written and how it is written, not just if they like it or not.

     As we go into 2013 we are changing modes a little and our book in January will be “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. This book is really pumping up the group. I may have to increase the number of discussion groups to accommodate the interest in this program or try to find a different place to hold it. I do not want to limit who can be involved in the discussions because this program is so positive. It is good for the inmates here at Airway Heights, and for me, and good for the communities the inmates will release into.

     This program is so much more than a reading group. The inmates are having a positive experience and learning social behavior skills as well. I love to read and I love sharing my interest in reading. I see inmates discussing books at the tables in the library now and helping each other pick out books to read. “The Hunger Games” is bringing in faces I have not had in the group before and increasing the interest in reading. I am very excited to see so many people reading for the pure joy of reading.

According to a recent Reuters news item, the country of Brazil is offering a novel way for prisoners to shorten their sentences: read a book!

Inmates in 4 federal prisons can read up to 12 works of literature, classics, science, or philosophy, and shorten their incarceration by 4 days per book, up to a maximum of 48 days off their sentences.

The program, which is called “Redemption through Reading,” requires the inmates to read the book within 4 weeks, and to write an essay that meets certain standards. A special panel will decide which prisoners are eligible to participate.

Somehow I doubt that this program will be adopted here in these United States of America anytime in the not-too-distant future! But why not?

Today, August 9, is said to be Book Lovers Day. I can’t find out much about the origins or history of this “holiday,” but it’s all over the web, so it must be true, right?! ☺ Also, I heard it on my local NPR station this morning.

I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by posting this picture I took in the Ft. Vancouver High School Library Media Center a while back. The picture features one of my favorite book quotes, which happens to be from poet Emily Dickinson:

There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.

I love books, and I love reading, so this is definitely MY day. I hope it’s your day, too!

If anyone knows anything more about Book Lovers Day, please feel free to post a comment.

Happy Book Lovers Day, everyone!

Congratulations to Pat Bliquez!

Pat is the teacher-librarian at Roxhill Elementary, a small elementary school in a West Seattle neighborhood of modest means. For her exemplary work promoting books and reading, she just won Seattle public-television station KCTS’ coveted Golden Apple Award for making a difference in children’s lives.

For more, read the Seattle Times story, and visit the West Seattle blog which includes a video tribute presentation honoring Pat, or check out the KCTS9 citation, as well as the Roxhill Elementary Harrison L. Caldwell Library web page.

Pat Bliquez, the Washington State Library salutes you!

Volume 6, August 19, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) JAN’S FINAL WASHINGTON READS

2) APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THE LIBRARY COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON

3) HISTORICAL PORT TOWNSEND PAPER GOES ONLINE

4) BOOKS FOR BABIES MATCHING GRANTS

5) ARE YOU READY? COMES TO SPOKANE

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

7) LSSC OFFERS COURSE SUBSIDIES

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Eastern Washington University was recently awarded $17,025 to support “The Big Read,” a national program that brings communities together to read and discuss books. EWU was the only Washington organization to receive a Big Read grant in this, the fifth year of the program.

Eastern selected The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, for its Big Read program. Events will take place throughout March and April of 2011, as part of the upcoming year’s Get Lit! festival.

In a July 10 announcement, IMLS (the Institute of Museum and Library Services) joined the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) in announcing a total of $1 million in grants to 75 not-for-profit organizations for hosting a Big Read project between September 2010 and June 2011.

What is The Big Read? A 2004 report by the NEA found that not only is literary reading in America declining rapidly among all groups, but that the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young. Big Read grants provide citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. This program is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, for both pleasure, and enlightenment.

The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read has been provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Boeing Company, the Poetry Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company.

Congratulations to Eastern Washington University on applying for and receiving this award!

Ocoee Middle School in Florida put together an amazing video tribute to reading, based on the Black Eyed Peas / Oprah flash mob event in Chicago. Something inspiring for your Friday morning!

eBooks (and eReaders) have been getting a ton of press over the past couple months, and I have a feeling that they will continue to do so throughout the year. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is happening in Vegas right now, and a lot of the buzz coming out is about ebooks and readers. In case you haven’t been paying attention, though, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite articles and thoughts on ebooks to date and for the coming year.

First, and you’ve probably read parts of this, Sherman Alexie was interviewed for Mother Jones, and he has some particular remarks about a particular ebook reader that are quite risqué. I won’t reprint them here, but the entire interview is worthwhile and available at motherjones.com.

Robert Darnton gives his case for books at Publisher’s Weekly, and says the following about ebooks:

“I want to write an electronic book. Here is how my fantasy takes shape. An “e-book,” unlike a printed codex, can contain many layers arranged in the shape of a pyramid. Readers can download the text and skim the topmost layer, which will be written like an ordinary monograph. If it satisfies them, they can print it out, bind it (binding machines can now be attached to computers and printers), and study it at their convenience in the form of a custom-made paperback. If they come upon something that especially interests them, they can click down a layer to a supplementary essay or appendix. They can continue deeper through the book, through bodies of documents, bibliography, historiography, iconography, background music, everything I can provide to give the fullest possible understanding of my subject. In the end, they will make the subject theirs, because they will find their own paths through it, reading horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wherever the electronic links may lead.”

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I’ll avoid any cliches about gifts that keep on giving. Instead, I’ll jump straight in and admit that I, like many librarians, am an NPR nerd. I adore NPR for a number of reasons (though I will say that it was Ira Glass who first got me hooked). I also particularly enjoy their segments with librarian Nancy Pearl on book recommendations.

Nancy Pearl was once-upon-a-time the Director of Library Programming at the Seattle Public Library. These days she reads and recommends books to people, on the radio and through her book series, Book Lust. She’s also the only librarian I know of who has their own action figure (side-note: where are the Ranganathan pull-string toys where he recites the 5 laws of library science?).

Nancy Pearl was on Morning Edition this morning with more great recommendations, and all of them look great. There’s something there for everyone, and I recommend taking a look. Don’t stop there, though. While you’re on the site, check out the Best Books of 2009 section. This section has numerous stories and book recommendations, including the best young adult fiction of 2009, top picks from indie booksellers, best five books to share with your friends, best gift books, and more.

And sure, it’s Christmas, and maybe you’ll buy some of these as gifts. Me, I like to use these lists to fill up my reserves at the local public library – something I recommend everyone try. And hey, maybe instead of giving your reader friends books for the holidays, this year you should give them a library card application instead. Because cliche or no, libraries really are gifts that keep on (and on and on and on) giving.