ALA Chicago 2009 - Day 1 Wed July 8th

One of my professional commitments is to the Spectrum Scholar Interest Group.

"The Spectrum Scholar Interest Group coordinates many of the activities that keep Spectrum Scholars involved in the American Library Association and the profession.

The Spectrum Scholar Interest Group (SSIG) reports to the Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Diversity (COD).

The group is comprised of at least one representative from each class of Spectrum Scholars elected for a two-year term". -- All the above is stated on the SSIG wiki. How ALA loves acronyms.

What the above all means - is that when you get an ALA Spectrum Scholarship (an ALA ethnic librarian scholarship) to pay for library school, down the road, they will ask you to come help and contribute.

Today was the opening day of the Spectrum Institute - it is a 3 day leadership institute where they receive mentoring and guidance from big names in ALA to get
encouraged to participate in associations and know the need for minority librarians in the field.

I love meeting the knew scholars, they are enthusiastic and are usually in library school and can not believe their luck at being sent to the conference. We had a meet and greet ice breaker with them where they were handed a Bingo card with about 50 squares. One had to go around the room and ask other if they had done any of the items on the card - then they would initial it...the goal was to make conversation and find 50 people who had done unusual things like: met a president; parachuted; liked sushi... i became known as the girl who could fill in the square of touching her tongue to the tip of her nose - a hard square to get signed off.

It was amazing to me that there were 100 scholarship recipients this year. Back in my institute year there were 40 people (2003). Things are looking up for diversity.

At the opening Ceremony there was an impressive lineup:

*Donna Dziedzic: President, Illinois Library Association.
*Jim Rettig: 2008-2009 ALA/APA President and University Librarian.
*Camila Alire: 2009-2010 ALA/APA President
*Keith Michael Fiels: Executive Director, American Library Association
*Miguel A. Figueroa: Director Office for Diversity and Spectrum, ALA

Donna gave some advice to the new soon-to-be librarians about realizing that any place you go - even in you are a nun in a convent, there is going to be politics. To watch carefully for it and be careful.

Camila, Jim and Keith told the scholars not to be shy about introducing themselves to others even on the Gale shuttle buses - that opportunities happen in the oddest ways from meeting just one person.

Camila gave great advice is saying - take opportunities to be involved - however, everything you do will build a positive or negative reputation for you. So when you sign up for a position, make sure that you do what you say you will do. She also said to enjoy yourself, there can be a lot of joy in this profession. Work hard and Play hard.

I left so inspired and felt they all helped me more that I helped them...it was good to see my Spectrum Alum colleagues and catch up with them as we do once a year.

Tomorrow I am up and off to an eight hour pre-conference workshop - bliss to me... They will discuss the cataloging of the new Audio visual materials and changes in cataloging...I'm sure you'll want every eight hour detail.

It's great to be here, i feel very fortunate in that - and will try to impart any other things that I may find helpful.

Ida

HGW XX/7

I just saw "The lives of others" - I am still in awe of this film. In the mid 90's I went to East Berlin and always wondered how life there would feelfor the inhabitants of those grey houses in the decaying city. With this movie I was given the chance.

The slow changing personality of the tough Stassi man HGW XX/7 was what made the movie. Through his spying on an artist couple he was introduced to classical music, literature and love.

In the interview on the DVD bonus scenes with the screenwriter and director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck(who was also philosophy major in Oxford)he discussed the movie's messages.

One Messages: Was a bit of hope in humanity. The one thing that is worth thinking about that in life there is always an axis upon which you have to position yourself, on one extreme of that is principle and at the other end is feeling and you have to decide for yourself whether you are a person of complete principle or a person of feeling. Both extremes are probably wrong. You are confronted with a moral choice, and you say, no i will not do this, no i do not do things like that out of principle or whatever feels right for me at this given moment i do, both positions are wrong probably. The boring middle is where the truth lies. But we have to be aware of that if you are a person of complete principle then you are like Lenin who says i have to fight for communision so i will shut out any feeling that i have for beautiful music or from enriching encounters with people. I think it is always important to keep that window for feeling open and to allow the feeling to come in to some extent and at the same time not to lose track of principles because they are important in guiding us in moments of moral termoil.

The reference to Lenin and music was the starting idea for his film. The quote by Lenin : I don't want to listen to my favorite music Appasionata by Beethoven anymore because it makes me want to stroke peoples' heads and tell them nice things and I have to smash in those heads to accomplish my revolution.

An extreme example of a person shutting out their humanity and going by principle...his concept was what if he could have Lenin be forced to listen to the Beethoven's Appassionata and thereby change the course of history things and this he does through the Stassi character HGW XX/7 in his film.
A link to Beethoven's Appassionata - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNlyxn2Y4_E
The music that could have changed Lenin.

Fave New Years Picture

I looked at NY celebration pictures from around the world and liked this one the best. It was in a set by Getty Images, I think of it of sweeping out '08 and the remainder of the holidays. Yippee-ki-yay!

Under rated movie Tarsem Singh's The Fall from 2008

My husband watches quite a few movies, but I am usually too hyper to sit down for 2 hours and focus on one. When he suggests a must-see movie, I trust his judgment. The Fall by Tarsem Singh (who directed the movie as well as the Cell - another movie I feel was under rated) takes my breath away with this film.

The movie is a visual fairytale with absolutely wonderful art direction, whimsy and cinematography. Every shot seemed well thought out and planned. I watched it just wishing i could expand my television to encompass the whole room and take me into the scenes.

I recommend the movie for its artistry - it was panned by critics for the storyline, but i think the magnificent artistry should override those opinions and it should be experienced by all.

It makes me think of all the beauty out in the world I have yet to see. Also admiration for those who can put an artistic vision into a solid format.

I've inserted a link to a better review than I have given it. http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/fall_tarsem/

Gift giving season - as they say in Japan

In Japan, they don't mess around with the ambiguity of the occasion. In the summer and December it is gift giving season. There was a time in my life when I worked for a Japanese company and had many Japanese friends. There were specific rules about what is given. It is usually an edible item that is beautifully boxed and each item inside is individually wrapped.

In the United States, not only is there ambiguity of whether to gift people, but also one does not know if they will receive a gift from another.

There is also the awkwardness of being an over-gifter to someone who has nothing for you or being surprised by a gift without one ready to give back. Although I do not have a problem with the latter as I can always send a gift later.

A more pleasant visual

Cataloging today, I was looking for the names of the big 3 Fairytale authors: Grimm, Anderson and i always get stuck on the third which is Perrault (Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty) - Thank you Wikipedia.

I was struck by this illustration. I love the antiquarian childrens fairy tales and their illustrations - the artists are so underrated in the spectrum of the art world.

This is a 1913 illustration is of Beauty and the Beast by Warwick Gable. Who was a wonderful Victorian illustrator.