Versatile Much?

ver·sa·tile  adj. \ˈvər-sə-təl, especially British -ˌtī(-ə)l\
Definition of VERSATILE : embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills; also : turning with ease from one thing to another.

 I think the adjective "versatile" is very complimentary! So, thank you Catherine at The Cath in The Hat for passing on The Versatile Blogger Award to The Lemme Library! Catherine has been a faithful supporter of Book Talk Tuesday from the start. She is also a part of my Twitter PLN.These blogger awards are a fun way to get other people out there looking at blogs they might normally miss!  (Kind of like a blog chain letter- pass it on!) My mother always got recipe chain letters when I was a kid- send recipes to 10 people on this list and add your name to the bottom. Bam! You will get 1,000 recipes! I don't think she ever did... at least she never cooked anything new for US!

As with most chain letters, this blog award comes with a few rules!

The award comes with the following rules:

* Thank and link to the blogger who bestowed the award.

* Share seven random facts about yourself.

* Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers--and be sure to let them know.

Here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I like to bake cookies but I don't like to clean up the mess. I also don't really like the cookies- I like the process and I LOVE the cookie dough. I'd rather eat the dough than the cookies.

2. I usually hit the snooze button 4 or 5 times each morning. The alarm is set for 5:45 but I end up getting up closer to 6:15.

3. I am easily addicted to things: Pinterest, Twitter, Angry Birds, reality television... a little is never enough and I have trouble putting the computer or remote down.

4. I could eat pizza for every meal, hot or cold, every day of the week. My favorites are Wig & Pen and Paglia's, but my motto is: Bad pizza is better than no pizza.

5. I think I have a fabulous fake British accent, but I am the only one who believes that. If I had a real British accent, I would never shut up.

6. I love peanut butter and make odd concoctions for my peanut butter loving family: peanut butter pizza, peanut butter quesedillas and peanut butter french toast. Everything is better with peanut butter on it. 

7. I currently owe The Iowa City Public Library $23.60 in overdue fees. Yes, it even happens to librarians. 

Here are five blogs that I think you should check out right now! Shoo! Get goin'!

1. MsOReadsBooks: Fellow librarian, Twitter-er and Pinterest addict.

2. Kidsmomo: I love that this blog has a voice that kids dig. Funny, witty, timely and very sneaky (motivates kids to read without them knowing they are being motivated to read!)

3. ReadAloudDad: I am embarrassed that I don't know Dad's real name, but nonetheless, I worship his blog. He is so meticulous and on point.  If you blog you can count the hours Dad puts into his blog.

4.LibLaura5: Laura is another member of my online PLN. I learn so much from her on Twitter and from her blog. I love that she includes her own children in her blog- it let's you get to know her as more than a librarian!

5. AtoZLibrary: Yes! You guessed it! Blogger, Tweep, librarian and mom! Ditto to all of the things above! I have enjoyed watching Anna expand her own online community like co-hosting the #nerdcott with Liblaura5, building her Goodreads.comhttp://www.goodreads.com/ presence. I enjoy seeing pictures of her actual students each week! 

So, what are you waiting for? I can't believe I am telling you this- but get out of my blog and start check out theirs! Leave a comment on something you love! 

Kelly

Spoiled Librarian

One of the perks of being a school librarian is vacation. For the past 18 days, I have been able to snack, nap and READ at my leisure. It was very difficult for me today when I wanted to read.

All I Want for Christmas...

I know you are all dying to know what is on the holiday wish list of this librarian's wishlist. So, here it is. These are the items I would love for Santa to bring to The Lemme Library this year!

I hand shaped chair. Yes. a hand shaped chair. In pink or yellow please. Only $79 plus shipping and handling.

 

 

This is a little pricier, but way cool! An Eero Aarnio Alpha Shell Egg Chair & Ottoman in Red. Only $710! 

A pink mannequin from Forever 21 (or a silver one or any color, really!) Think of all the fun I could have with a mannequin! I could dress her up as book characters or for each season.  I could move her all around the library! So fun! I wonder if they would donate one? 

 UPDATE: Ah!  Looky what I got!!   

 

This is a thing of beauty. This gumball machine is 5 feet 6 inches tall and holds 6800 1" gumballs (4 cases!) It even lights up when you put your money in! I would be the coolest librarian in the country- may be the world!

This one is so inexpensive, I don't know why I haven't bought it yet! Only $30! President Obama would be right at home in The Lemme Library! (it's really a cardboard standup!) I see myself adding my own speech bubbles...

By now you may be questioning my taste. It's ok. I like things a little kitschy! Now, the next one I saw on iCarly! So cool- the episode where Spencer burned down Carly's room and redid it with the money from his Nana's ring. It is out of Santa's price range I am sure. coming in at $950... an ice cream sandwich bench!

And what goes better with an ice cream sandwich bench than a button candy table? AHHH!!! Sugar overload! These button candies will run me 1200 smackers. But, I've been good all year!

My "Pretty Corner" is begging for this hanging playhome! The girls would love it. I guess I should wish for one in blue too! This runs about $80.

And what library is complete without a flashing neon sign? For $800 you can customize a neon sign. What happens in the library stays in the library. Love. This.

This post was such fun! Can you imagine my tacky library if Santa really did bring me all of this stuff?!?! All I really want for Christmas is for you... yes you! To read a great book. That's all! 
Merry, merry!
Mrs. Butcher

I Don't Have a Square to Spare!

Imagine the reaction of a class of 30 fifth and sixth graders as I pass a roll of toilet paper around the room and tell them "Take what you need."

Some of them won't even take the roll, others want to exactly what they are going to use the toilet paper for. I just tell them to take as much as they need. Some take 1, some take 10... I myself took 4. Once everyone has their ration of TP, I hold mine up and tell them that for every square they took, they have to tell the class a book they read this summer or a book they are looking forward to reading this year.  After sighs of relief and giggles, they are ready to talk about books! I shared my reading squares:

1. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, I read this book over the summer.

2. Bigger than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder, I read this book over the summer.

3. I am looking forward to reading Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger

and

4. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

1 of my students read the entire Hunger Games trilogy this summer and she has a bad case of Katniss Fever. To my shock and horror, a third grader shared that she had read Breaking Dawn this summer. Really? You go, girl! Most of the boys were looking forward to Darth Paper, The new Super Diaper Baby and the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

This was a very fun way to get kids talking about books! If you give it a try, stop back and let me know how it went! If you have other great ideas for starting the school year, post a link to them in the comments!

One of my very favorite references to toilet paper in tv history. Can you name the show?

Do Librarians Have Tattoos?

Well this one will after 12:30 today.  It will be on my left foot and it will look like this:

 

It will have 4 birds, one for each member of my family. It will be on my left foot- my husband broke his left foot this summer. The dandelion is for wishing, dreaming and change.  This summer with Greg off his feet, I have been put to many tests. I realized that I am stronger than I ever thought I was. This tattoo will always remind me of this life changing summer.  

UPDATE: And here it is (painful, but so worth it)...

Thanks to Bob at Crossroads Tattoo in Coralville, Iowa

Back to School Clothes Shopping

Check out this cute little number I picked up today... First day of school or picture day? Hmmm...

No Reading Tonight

This librarian won't be reading tonight. Project Runway and my homeboy, Tim Gunn will be keeping me occupied.

Keep Calm and READ On!

Krystel over at the Smithville Library is a rock star librarian, just like me. She is encouraging her students to...

I think it is a grand idea and we should do the same!

Book Blogger Hop

This week over at CRAZY FOR BOOKS, the question of the week is:

 "Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?"

Until recently, I wouldn't be able to answer this question.  For me, blogging was a lonely pastime.  I always wanted to share with other bloggers, but the opportunity never presented itself to me.  But, then I stepped out of the Facebook craze and signed up for a Twitter account.  @LemmeLibrary by the way...  Twitter opened a whole new world to me that has allowed me to be a better blogger.  I have met other bloggers and had a chance to share my work with bloggers, librarians, authors and editors.  So, I am happy to say that I can answer this question- it only took 1 year, but better late than never, right?

 
Nancy Jo over at The Early Childhood School Library Blog have become tweeps.  I started following her on Twitter and when she learned about Boot Talk Tuesday here at my blog, we had an instant connection.  She has posted books every Tuesday.  We share ideas via Twitter and now email.  This week, Nancy asked me to write a guest post for her blog, a first for me!  We seem to have the same philosophy about librarianship and the importance of books in the lives of children.  I would worry what might happen if 2 such bloggers were ever in the same room...  some kind of rift in the universe?  

Librarians Need Love Too!

I am so lucky to be in a profession where I can make a difference in the life of a child.  I get bogged down with the chaos of it all sometimes, the paperwork, the overhead light bulbs and jammed printers...the behind the scenes things get in the way too often.  So, today, I got a love note that snapped me back into reality.  I walked into my office and found this.  It's a good day to be a librarian!  Thank you, Amelia. : )

Librarians need Love 2!

Hi, My Name is Melville Dewey. How you doin'?

This should be me:

 Thank you to Meghan McCarthy for posting this for me to find!

Madam Librarian

I loved this song loooooooong before I ever became a librarian.  This video clip id from "The Music Man", my 3rd favorite musical ever... (behind Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music).

Sharing my Displays With a Cool Blogger in NZ!

I have fallen in love with this blog, Library Displays written by a librarian in New Zealand.  I have found this site to be a great source of inspiration for my library displays.... so I thought it was time for me to send in some of my displays.  They actually got published!  Check it out!

Books on Display... Show & Tell!

Here are some wonderful library displays from the amazingly talented librarians in Iowa City! 

Jenahlee's Wild Things Display!

Jenahlee's Winter Display!

Judith's Winter Display

Salina's Winter Display

Kelly's (My) Snow Display!

Peter from "The Snowy Day"

Kelly's (My) Winter Holiday Display

Kelly's (My) "Red" any Good Books Display! (All red books)

Fall is in the Air

I love fall...  this is a fun display in our library! 

Did I mention?

Did I mention the beautiful library sign that is at the top of my blog?  It was made by the ladies at Things With Wings!  Jill Brown is Will & Sam's mom (they are Lemme Leopards!), and she is 1 of 4 Iowa City artists that work together to make beautiful mixed-media art.  Here is their blog:

Things With Wings

I can't tell you how many compliments I have gotten on our beautiful sign!  They even made one for Mrs. Dickson at Weber School!  

Who wouldn't want one after they see mine! : )