Edward & Bella Cullen’s wedding was the perfect opportunity to have some fun in the library.
We had a prize drawing with the winner receiving a pair of movie tickets to see part I of Breaking Dawn.  Entry forms were open to Library Club members and surprisingly enough there are still Twilight fans out there.

The afternoon of the 18th we had a wedding reception.  Library Club members could come by and have wedding cake, look at wedding pictures and take home a favor from Edward and Bella’s big day.  The favors were two free form hearts entwined, on black or burgundy satin ribbons.

I had over 30 students come to the reception, it was hard to guess how many people were coming – nobody RSVP’d, so I have a couple dozen cupcakes from the bakery in my freezer.  No harm done, we both have a cupcake in the afternoons when we have tea.

I am the facilitator for my boss tomorrow morning – if you are in town for the convention stop by and say hi!

I found a few new images for banned book week on Google.  If your school is like mine, I am often blocked from going on Google to look for images, so I have to work at home to get my displays finished.  These were three that were acceptable for high school.  Be careful when searching at school – you wouldn’t believe what I found on ‘strict search!’

So I got “artsy crafsty” in WORD and found some clip art of an eye.  Then I “hid” book covers under the red flaps.  I took a while, but kids actually started checking out this interactive board.

Being with-it librarians and library techs I am sure that you all know what ear worms are.
This is my “earworm” of the week….it runs through at odd times, like when I am checking out books.
I don’t even know what the pop singer’s actual words to the song are….”you can use my card catalog….”

The 9/11 memorial bulletin board is staying simple this year.
My family and I went to the fair this year and in the photography building I found this painting.
Yes, I took a photo of it.
I found the painter’s blog and left him a comment.
I am including the link so that you can see his astonishing painting full size.
He entitled his painting – “Break Time’s Over….http://maestrejuanart.blogspot.com/
Visit his blog and read about the painting.

I had to order some library supplies with my own money this year and while looking through the catalog I found these great, whimsical and old fashion styled posters by Susan Widget.  I had to get them.  The representative at DEMCO was very nice and helpful – he had my order on its way to me after a quick phone call.

FedEx won’t leave packages on the porch in my city – so when the driver called to say he was going to deliver my packages that day, I had to arrange to meet him on the road. I’ve never had a rendezvous with a FedEx driver before – LOL.

Thanks to Michael’s Craft store for the .99 cent flags.  The scrapbook paper was on sale that day and I bought “apple” colors to use in the Cricut machine.

These cute apple cutouts are courtesy of my Creative Memories consultant.  CM has a Cruicut cartridges that are exclusive to Creative Memories.

Here’s the bulletin board lettering that I have looked high and low for….I am short on “a’s” and “y’s”  – hence the “z” -
Don’t think the kids will even notice!

Here’s to a very happy school year.

A couple of weeks ago when I thought that I might be losing my job, or at the very least losing a month of pay and losing my librarian, I started cleaning.
I think that “cleaning” is missing from the stages of greiving. In between shared tears we dusted.
My boss had already been cleaning her office for several weeks, although she was determined to not pack up her belongings.
Her hope was to be picked up as a classroom teacher at our same site and at least she would have an office to do her grading in and where she could spend her conference period.  “New teachers” are low on the totem pole and often are called ‘travelling teachers’ sometimes having 3 or 4 different classrooms throughout the course of the day.
Thankfully there was an “11th hour reprieve” and both of our jobs are intact.

So, while I was cleaning I found lots of odd things.  Many made us both ask, “Why was anyone hanging on to that!”
In one file folder clear at the back of a desk drawer, I found a stack of memos.  They date back to 1999 and they are , I think quite funny.  The first one is a note between the head custodian and a library worker…

Gloria: 
We tested the elevator that you left a work order on and the elevator is working just fine. 
Did you have the door open when you tried to use it? 
Also, Henry found the key in the lock – if we lose that key, I’m not sure how long it would take to get a replacement. 
Let’s keep the key hung up by the calendar in the back room so if my men need to move something upstairs they have access to it.  Thanks, Larry. 

Work order:  ASAP
Date requested:  3/2001
Requested by :  Gloria
Location of Job:  New computer lab room
Description of work:  There is a stong odor of vomit in the new computer lab room.  It is permeating the air in the library foyer.  Could we have the custodians investigate the source and perhaps spray some room freshener, or open windows?  Whatever they think appropriate before we have Open House this week.  Thanks.

Now it’s probably just me, but my request would have been more like this:  “Hey guys, some student puked in the new computer room and now the library lobby smells like vomit too.  Could someone please clean the carpet and wipe the surfaces with Lysol?  Open House is next week and we don’t want a parent going to District to complain.  Thanks guys, I’ll leave some cookies for you on the counter Friday.”

Work Order:  ASAP
Date Requested: 4/1999
Requested by:  Mari & others…..
Location of Job:  Ladies bathroom
Description of work:  Problem:  The toliet doesn’t flush long enough.  Consequently, “stuff” is still in the toliet.

I don’t have to tell you how I would have re-phrased this…..

Work order
Date Requested 1/1999
Requested by Mari
Location of Job:  Library
Decription of work:  Take posters down of “WWII.”

I am thankful to say that the custodian who received this work request, lost the paperwork.
Our WWII ‘posters’ are front pages of various national and international newspapers.  A man who’s father died on the beaches at Normandy provided the posters as a tribute to the father he never met.
I have had students stand in the great room of my library and look at the posters for several minutes.
They approach the circulation desk and ask…”Did that really happen?” Sounds like that’s a good enough reason to LEAVE them up.  Proud to say, nearly 13 years later the posters are still up.

“Hey Mari….Take the posters of ‘WWII’ down?  I don’t ******* think so!”