I don’t think this was really meant as a meme but I’m stealing it and using it as such. I came across this list on the Happiness Project blog, and I think its highly appropriate that I create my own list since  The Happiness Project would definitely be on it! This was actually a hard list to put together for a couple of reasons, first I have a lot of favorite books that have moved me but I’m not sure they’ve changed how I see the world. Second, any time I share a list like this I’m pretty sure readers will be appalled at my terrible taste in books (same goes for music) But here it goes!

1. The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun I’ve always had a fascination with the human brain and how it works, and its a short leap from there to happiness, what makes us happy, why what we think will make us happy doesn’t when we actually get it. Plus who doesn’t want to be a little happier. I really enjoyed Gretchen Rubin’s approach to this book each month she focus on a different part of her life from family to work to money and friendship. It really changed how I look at my days and my life as a whole.

2. Harry Potter Series - I love these books. I don’t think I’ve ever been so sad to see a series end. These book are about friendship and loyalty, confronting your fears and doing what’s right when things are hard, and make the right decision when it’s not easy.  I laughed, I cried, hoped and feared right along with them, how could that not change the way I see the world?

3. Anything by Mary Roach. I realize this is cheating, but I’m ok with it The first book hers I read was Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex which is a fascinating look at well, the science of sex. Mary’s combination of facts, storytelling and humor is enough to keep you interested even during the uncomfortable parts of any subject. Which she proved with Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, where she makes human cadavers interesting and engaging to the average joe. Both of these changed the way I think about every day things like seat belts and sex. I can’t wait to read Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.

4. Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy I loved this book before it was make into a horrible movie. In 2001 I was leaving Phoenix with nothing but my dogs, what would fit in my car and the pieces of a broken relationship. I bought this book to read at night as I made my way across the country. Frances Mayes story of her time in Italy reminded me that the world was larger than my broken heart and that life and love wouldn’t end at 30 or even 40  :-)

5. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) Loved the other side of the story!

6. Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions I know another book about the mind! But it’s a fascintating look at how we, as human beings, make decisions. Trust me it will change how you see the decisions others make and how you make your own choices.

7. Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays My copy of this book is a hardcover edition with notes in the margins and end paper by the friend who gave it to me. It was the first of Joan Didion’s books I read but hardly the last. I know she’s not for everyone sometimes because of her style, sometimes because of her content.

What seven books have changed the way you see the world?Similar Posts:

• January 2011 – Here’s What I’m Reading, Plus a Few Old Favorites. What Are You Reading?
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Love this list from the Harvard Business Review!

I would add: less outrage and more momentum, less lecturing and more listening, less being busy and more sleep, less guilt and more acceptance, less judgement and more celebration

What would you add?Similar Posts:

• What DO you wish your patrons knew?
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I just love these! Phil Bradley has used the magic of Paintshop Pro and Photoshop to modify World War I and World War II posters to have a save libraries message.

You can see the whole set on Flickr.

A couple of weeks ago he put together some very witty save libraries themed bumper stickers, my favorite being

Libraries; more precious than the Ring.

Libraries; tastier than 2 hobbits breakfasts.

Libraries; more trustworthy than the Fellowship

He’s put some of these over in a Zazzle shop so you can get some awesome library swag, with proceeds going to charity so get yours today! Similar Posts:

• Old Spice, New Spice and Libraries
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An awesome thing happened last week – almost simultaneously I got an email from Gale and saw on Stephen’s Lighthouse about the Librarian Superhero Contest. For those of you who don’t know I’m a comic book fan so I just love this idea. Its fun!  Some of you may even remember the Superhero’s meme kicked off by Jason that made the rounds a few years ago thanks to Hero Machine.

So about the contest! - emphasis added by me

1. How to Enter the Contest:

1.     Are You a Librarian Superhero (“Contest”) will begin on or around 8:00 am EST on Monday, January 31, 2011 and will end on or around 5:00 pm on Monday, February 28, 2011. All Contest times will be measured by the Sponsor’s computer system clock.

2.     Gale/Cengage Learning (“Cengage Learning,”  “Gale/Cengage Learning” or the “Sponsor”) is not responsible for miss-delivered, undelivered, illegible, incomplete or late entries, network outages, lack/loss of signal, untagged messages, or any other technological difficulties that may prevent submission.

3.     To participate:

• Visit the Are You a Librarian Superhero Facebook Web page www.gale.com/superhero
• Post your nomination for an outstanding librarian (each a “Nominee”) on our wall, including:
• the Nominee’s name; where they work; and what makes them exceptional.
• Include how this person makes a difference for the community and patrons, and how the library is improved because of their process or presence (each posting, an “Entry” and each participant posting a Nominee, an “Entrant”).

4.     Multiple Entries will not increase the odds of winning.

5.     Entries received after official end of the contest on the final day will not be accepted.

3. Selection of Winners

1.     You need not be present at ALA’s Annual Meeting to win.

2.     All Entries will be reviewed by a panel of Cengage Learning employees. Selection of 10 semi-finalists will be made, and presented to a panel consisting of Cengage Learning employees and several, independent librarians. (The actual identity of the semi-finalists will be withheld from the judges to maintain impartiality.)

3.     Entrants who nominate a semi-finalist will be contacted via Facebook for complete contact information and a photo of the Nominee.  Entrants and their Nominees who do not provide complete contact information and Nominees for whom a photo is not provided will be eliminated from the Contest and the Sponsor may replace such Nominees as semi-finalists, in its sole discretion.

4.     Judging Criteria (the following is an approximation and while the judges will seek to apply the following criteria as closely as practicable, winners are chosen in the judges’ sole discretion based on their judgment):

1.     20% – Showing leadership skills to forward the cause of the library, its patrons and the community.

2.     20% – Embracing new technologies to keep the library accessible and relevant to users.

3.     20% – Creating an environment that supports learning and fun, exploration and personal expansion.

4.     20% – Exhibiting determination, enthusiasm and the quest for sharing knowledge beyond the reach of their peers.

5.     20% – Insisting on play, engagement and pushing the boundaries.

5.     Four Nominee librarian winners will be selected, with their likeness being used to inspire a cartoon superhero, personifying the traits included in their nomination.

6.     Winners will be notified via phone the week of March 21, 2011.

4. Prizes:

1.     Winners will have a cartoon created in their likeness and printed on materials by Gale/Cengage Learning, including (but not limited to) a metal lunchbox (with an approximate value of US$20), trading cards (with approximate value of US$300 and signage (of deminimus value).

I strongly urge to go read the whole thing because it includes additional info on prices and other stuff like eligibility, conditions etc. I just posted the fun.exciting stuff.Similar Posts:

• How I Became a Librarian
• Show Your Library Card
• Library Finds Group on Flickr

AtYourLibrary, the campaign for America’s Libraries is encouraging library users to take a photo with their library card and post it to the flickr pool* Right now they have 107 entries. We can do better than that! Take your photo upload it to flickr and add it to the pool!

Shy? Don’t worry, you don’t have to show your face, this one is one of my favorites.

Don’t have a flickr account? email your photo to me at bobbi.newman@gmail.com with your name and why you love your library card and I’ll upload it for you.

From the site:

September is Library Card Sign-up Month! We want to see all library lovers posing with the smartest card in their wallet – their library card! Post a photo with you and your card, and let us know why you love your library card.

*Photos will be included in a slideshow on our website, www.atyourlibrary.org.

Thanks to Brian for bringing this to my attentionSimilar Posts:

• Have you submitted your photo or video for Library 101 yet?
• Library Finds Group on Flickr
• Search Flickr by Color

Check out this awesome library parody of the Old Spice Commercials from The Harold B. Lee Library Multimedia Unit. I’m seriously impressed with the idea behind and the implementation of this video.

And this video from Old Spice in response to my friend Andy Woodworth and others on Twitter.

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• What is Library Day in the Life and You Should Participate #libday6
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The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

Get Focused
1. Stop hiding who you are
2. Start being insanely selfish>

Be Creative
3. Stop following the rules
4. Start scaring yourself

Use Your Wisdom
5. Stop taking it all so damn seriously
6. Start getting rid of the crap

Take Action
7. Stop being busy
8. Start something

An oldie but a goodie found via The Heart of InnovationSimilar Posts:

• The Seven Deadly Sins of Innovators
• 60 Things We Need Less and More Of, What Would You Add?
• Want Innovation? Get Out of the Way

cc image used courtesy of herzogbr on flickr

Anyone who’s worked in a library in any capacity knows patrons leave behind all sorts of things, some strange, some amusing and some that just make you scratch your head and wonder.  Brian Herzog of Swiss Army Librarian has created a Flickr group where we can share these little treasures with each other. Similar to Found Magazine, but just for libraries. Go take a look, join up and share the things you’ve found in your library.

Brian says:

I’m not uploading anything that seemed personally-identifiable: peoples’ first and last names, phone numbers, email addresses, account login and passwords – and there were a frighteningly large number of these.

That’s good advice any contributor should follow.  Now go take a picture of that cheesecake pan someone left in the stacks & upload it! Have fun!Similar Posts:

• Show Your Library Card
• Do You Have Enough Fun in Your Diet?
• 7 Books that Changed the Way I See the World

The fabulous host of T is for Training, Maurice, has ordered challenged the group to answer these 27 questions with one sentence each. Who am I to ignore an order challenge?

1. Your One Sentence Bio

• I’m not that kind of librarian.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?

• It’s a reference to Barbara Gordon and the all the non-traditional roles librarians fill these days.

3. What is your professional background?

• I’ve worked in libraries since I was 16.  Before I got my MLS I worked with engineers, and my first job after graduating was working with engineers, for some of you this may explain a lot.

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?

• staff, patron, other libraries that ask me to, A wide range of subjects – reference in the digital age, social media, web 2.0, gaming, time management, tech tools etc

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now

• We need to step up staff training, every staff member should feel comfortable offering basic assistance with any service or technology the library offers.

6. Where do you get your training?

• Anywhere I can! conferences, webinars, colleagues

7. How do you keep up?

• my feed reader, Twitter and Facebook

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?

• shifting our foundations so change is easier and faster

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?

• short of staff, time, money and in some cases the unwillingness of trainees

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?

• We have a gadget garage that the FIT (Future Innovation & Technology) Committee is working with to help staff become familiar with new tools, investigate potential new services and circulation to patrons.

11. What do you wish were you doing?

• more training for everyone

12. What would you do with a badger?

• feed it chocolate cake

13. What’s your favorite food?

• Italian

14. If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

• another person

15. Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?

• uh?

16. Post it notes or the back of your hand?

• used to be back of the hand, but was told it was unprofessional, now I carry a notebook or use my smartphone

17. Windows or Mac?

• windows by default not by thought out choice

18. Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?

19. What’s your take on handshakes?

• firm is a must

20) Global warming: yes or no

• yes

21. How did you get into this line of work?

• by luck & love

22. Why is the best part of your job?

• making a difference, see “it” click whatever “it” is

23. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?

• I’m going to have to agree with Pete on this one – blaze your own trail

24. Sushi or hamburger?

• depends

25. LSW or ALA?

• both

26. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

• Barack Obama I heard him speak when he was campaigning and it was amazing, I’d just like to have a conversation with him

27. What cell phone do you have and why?

• Palm Pre – Sprint gave it to me. I hate it, I’m on my 3rd one.  Don’t buy one.

Read responses from the rest of the crew:

• “C is for Challenge” at “T is for Training” - Laura
• Me. Coffee. Morning. - Jill T is for Training Meme – Beth
• Pete Bromberg’s 23 things (minus 3): A getting to know ya post
• A Get to Know Me Meme from TIFT – Stephanie
• 27 Questions - Marianne
  

Similar Posts:

• Library Finds Group on Flickr
• How I Became a Librarian
• Phil Bradley’s Save Libraries Posters & Bumper Stickers

cuz its Friday and its funny.
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