Elsewhere found poems!!

Hey everybody here is a little post that has found poems from my favorite series. The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West, whom i recently interviewed.
taken out of their rightful homes, these words are burgled and twisted mercilessly  from her amazing stories, combined with a few strange words of my own and the following found poems are the result.
Her words from the series are part of a story of a young girl named Olive her combatting the sinister powers of the mysterious house she now lives in.


heres a link to an interview i recently did with the author of the Elsewhere series Jacqueline West!

http://www.reachandteach.com/content/article.php?story=elsewhere



I made these first poems from pages 8, 18, 28 and 48 respectively.
They are love poems, unrelated to Olive, I dedicate these poems, except the one from page 28 to my wife Kelly Durham.
poems are numbered by the page they are found from in book one of Elsewhere, The Shadows.

first poem:

Maybe at 8

We are in the darkness where even moonlight cannot reach
we all live inside our own paintings,
sometimes we are in such darknesses

maybe not (page 8 part 2)

while walking slowly away, you look back,
eyes over your shoulder,
darkening

18
shadows on that painted forest path to Elsewhere
the house moaned and whispered
with my head on the pillow beside you
while you fell asleep

28
rid yourself of me

Your response, "don't get too anxious
theres nothing you can do about it"
headed towards the window
personally
I love someone new
as you disappeared
in ripples of goosebumps
the house moaned
forever I am replaced by a soft tapping on the door.


58. verify

hesitating,
we rarely give ourselves any careful attention
but if we do we see things others cannot,
 brilliance all around us
alas, we are all too absorbed to notice
i know we are all beautiful
those are dangerous words,
 am I right?

books not violence

Its been a while since I have posted anything in this blog and there are countless reasons for that, but the main reason I am writing now is I am fed up with and sick of the fear, suffering and violence in our society that is mostly race based evil. 

 The majority of the masses of our society are ruled by fear and/or ignorance. While ignorance is just ignorance, the related fear is based on biases that are founded on brutally dishonest portrayals of minorities. The portrayals of minorities in all forms of media, from film to TV to magazines, to books to music, are found in our homes, our schools, our bookstores, and even our libraries all act to pigeonhole, marginalize and alienate entire communities and normalize the fear of “other” people. To act on such ignorance and fear is understandable yet entirely unjustifiable even with the mind-numbing manipulation that media has in our 21^st century lives. All of this simply discrimination and is criminally unjustified and evil and wrong.

A quick note about percentages, statistics lie and are manipulated all the time. The fact remains that white heterosexual men like me are privileged more then ever these days these privileges need to be addressed. I think the first step is to address the reasons for such privileges. As a an avid reader, I think of how we are taught and what we are taught and what is left out of our lessons especially the books we grow up with both at home and at school influence us deeply for the rest of our lives.  

As a man who lives a book centered life, I have to put a lot of the ownership most ignorance and most fear in all its guises on a complete lack of adequate cultural competence, that is based on insufficiently cultural relevant books for kids of all ages from board books to Young adult books.  This lack of cultural relevancy is based on the misrepresentation and a serious underrepresentation of people of color in the lives of our young people.

While the youth of today are becoming increasingly diverse, and with the fact that many experts agree that with in the next 50 years or so the United States of America will become a “minority majority” certainly adequate representation in all media but especially books, the tool we use most often to teach our children and youth about the world around them, across the board there is a lack of sufficient culturally competent material. How do we expect peace to come to our world if our kids are segregating themselves and their peer groups based on inaccurate biases found in the world all around them?

Recent studies have shown the lack of diversity in children’s publishing as well as the lack of sufficient people working in the publishing industry. Such problems are starting to be acknowledged and remedies are being applied through out the industry. Much like the actions being taken to address systematic racial discrimination are continually evolving in our society, books must stay culturally relevant as well. 

Links to studies:

http://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/03/03/required-reading-top-ten-responses-to-the-diversity-baseline-survey/

http://blog.leeandlow.com/2015/03/05/the-diversity-gap-in-childrens-publishing-2015/

http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/01/27/dont-blame-white-guys-book-industry-diversity-problem

Closing remarks

All the violence internal and external that has been sensationalized in the media is simply a reminder of a few things. for me.

1. There is no real difference between human beings. but there is difference in human doings.

2. As they say, Do justice, love, kindness and walk humbly with each other. The golden rule is no joke.

3. If anyone knows what I and what we can do to bring more peace to our world and our neighborhoods let me know.

4. I am so thankful for every chance to be the change i want to see in the world we live in.

5. The question all this violence leave us with is How will you bring peace to your life to your sphere of influence?

Reflections on my SJSU iSchool experience

Reflections on my SJSU iSchool experience

My experience in the MLIS program at SJSU was a long self-exploration just as much as it was an exploration of the library and information science field. My journey through SLIS was also a ‘sneak preview’ of my future path, where I discovered my passions and developed my knowledge and skill base for my chosen vocation, a public librarian.    

I once reflected that, “even when I’m having a horrible day, I find myself in service.” I am passionate about serving people and I have been my entire young adult life.  

I did not have much experience working in libraries except a little volunteering at my old elementary school library during my first year in the program.  Throughout my years in MLIS and especially in certain classes or during two internships while in the program, I gained invaluable experience and skills to help my future goals.  I have also been working simultaneously for over three years at Linden Tree Books, a children’s bookstore in Los Altos.  For two of those years I have worked as a bookseller and one as a manager, and this is why I see great potential in building working relations between public libraries and local independent bookstores.

My enthusiasm, my ability to learn and adapt quickly, and my imagination are all key parts of who I am and are my most clear strengths.  

My professional growth plan

I aim to work diligently on my professional goals:

(1) To provide excellent service for all the publics around me, including careful and curated assistance to all identities and demographics. I will make presentations and create programs to serve everyone I can in the library.  I especially like to organize periodic displays of recent good books in the collection with particular appeal to user subgroups, by age, gender, and ethnicity.

(2) To stay current with developments in technology and best practices through my own research as well as alert membership in public library associations. I plan to take occasional on-line classes, or night classes at local colleges, in order to keep up my skills in this regard.

(3) To evaluate the programs and service at the library where I work using OBPE and SWOT, perhaps every 3 or 4 years.  I’ll discuss the results with my library colleagues, and then work to implement the changes and improvements that are called for.

(4) To explore the great potential in relationships between public libraries and local independent bookstores.  As mentioned in Competency O, I see this relationship as improving community engagement and increasing circulation at both the library and sales at the local bookstore, through such means as special events, summer reading programs, and other shared objectives. I will connect with local bookstores and other pertinent community organizations to improve the library and provide the best service possible.

(5)  I will also document my work towards these goals in a blog, a video blog or, if there is more general value in what I find, perhaps in a few podcasts.

Closing remarks

One chapter of my life is ending, but it is a happy occasion!  That just means that another chapter is still being written.  A chapter that will introduce new characters, possibly a new setting, a new plot, inevitably new conflicts and a number of potential plot twists. My life is an open book and by completing the program at SJSU I have opened up so many new pages. I’d like to thank all contributing authors to my life as a book project.  You know who you are. You have made the chapter rich and fulfilling, and I have deeply enjoyed how the plot has developed to this point.  I love and thank you all so much!!

my new librarian philosophy

"Real learning is bold and intoxicating and nonlinear. It should be slightly subversive with a tad of radical. I see it as a ongoing transformation that occurs as a series of personal epiphanies." Brian Mathews (pg. 7 of Booth)

Drew Durham’s future Librarian Slogan “Use all my authentic heart to work with all on their innovative parts.”

 My Future librarian philosophy:
As a librarian guide, I do and will continue to believe that every interaction can be an opportunity to be influential with patrons while keeping in mind how they can benefit from our sharing.  My aim is to work with and empower patrons (any students of life) on imagination, creativity and to co-create meaning in lessons and interactions and lessons with all patrons.

Method: I will try to do this by sharing part of myself with every interaction, and empower myself with confidence as well as the passion I have for imagination and creativity literacy.  I will hope to keep a guide voice, not an authoritative “expert” voice, as I am not the best or highest authority on any specific thing as of yet. I will bring in humor whenever I can. I will keep the what’s in it for me principle (WIIFM) first and for most into my lessons and interactions. I will also make other peoples materials my own to make materials more personal. I will also practice being aware of intention for every lesson, and bringing my mindfulness practice into every interaction in my future career.

I don’t have a good PLE, personal learning environment as of yet as I spend my time reading tween and teen literature for work and for myself instead of working on myself with library books, blogs or tools. Any help I n creating a more professional and personally empowering PLE please let me know!!

With one possible exception Unshelved ( http://www.unshelved.com/) a great librarian web comic.

With the further exception of the Durham Lab DBT app. (http://durhamdbt.com/)  and ( http://www.diarycard.net/) very helpful in keeping me grounded daily and mindful through out each day.

Culture and Metaphor in coding? {code me IN}

The ideas of cultural tolerance, cultural sensitivity, and cultural literacy are just three of the many emerging and exciting cultural ideas that people need to understand and use more seriously especially from now on, I believe. This is clearly evident in the movement for culturally adaptable websites. 

I found an article by Shen, Wooley and Prior, talked about how the main goal of user interface is supposed to be to assist users who play “multiple roles according to their contextual environment and purposes of use.” (p. 822, Shen et all, 2006) Though few websites are ideal in everyway, there is a push for more culturally sensitive World Wide Web (WWW). May different times of “-isations” or ways of viewing the cultural world are described from globalization to localization the combination known as glocalisation, and iconisaztion and cultualizaiton are described in the article and much of a sociological history and discussion of the importance of cultural literacy is described before turning toward user interface and the WWW. The development of a user interface or a whole new type of WWW product one that is a local cultural construct as opposed to a globalized produce adapted for target cultures especially those based on geography is becoming clearly necessary. Culturally Centered Design (CCD) is needed and will be a new method of web usability and a whole new aspect of website accessibility. 

For some there is a need for appropriate and workable interface metaphors for the to bridge the cultural gaps. Interface metaphors are ways to use aspects of a website to help users to understand abstract content, create a sense of familiarity, trigger emotions, draw attention and motivate action. Examples of website metaphors are icons, buttons, images, as well as
text and styles as long as they increase understanding of information, I'm all for it.

The CCD filer is composed of the designers socio-cultural filter, where the website designer needs to figure out and learn and present relevant cultural data and check the technical specifications such as usability and evaluation tools. Then the designer should create culturally relevant content for their target culture including jargon, dialect, thought patterns, behaviors and be sensitive with social taboo issues. The designer must be well aware of cultural differences, outsider biases and opposing viewpoints. The designer must do his or her best to think, and use the web design from the perspective culture they are preparing CCD WWW material for. 

I think the world need more metaphors and more people to understand each other. Thus, I am intrigued by the idea of a interface metaphor, especially as it pertains to creating a bridge across cultural and personal gaps. Anything that coding can do to spread peace, love and understanding to new and underrepresented cultures then both cultures and the World Wide Web win in ever bigger ways. 

Shen, S. T., Woolley, M., & Prior, S. (2006). Towards culture-centered design. Interacting with computers, 18(4), 820-852. Retrieved on 4/8/2015 from http://cecs.wright.edu/~yan.liu/IHE733/Articles/Culture/TowardsCultureCe...

future of tween libraries

Promoting e-books and digital resources is essential for the future of libraries. Reader’s advisories that include demographically proportioned diverse backgrounds and that include all subgenres are more important methods for staying relevant and accessible to all populations.  Collection management must also stay up to date in libraries of all kinds especially e-books, and research search engines.

Librarian created book-trailers are great tools to make books more relevant for tweens. Making digital advertisements of books makes books more accessible to today’s and future tweens. I would also add that diversifying and increasing numbers of books in library collections of free e-books will keep libraries popular. There are also tons of digital audiobooks, and ever increasing numbers of streaming websites being used at public and school libraries.   If an e-book is available and free it just might be as popular then a book you have to pay for.  The current problem to me is the lack of supply of e-books, having only one copy available for thousands of potential e-book readers and having waiting lists of dozens and dozens of people will make fewer and fewer people try free e-books at libraries.   

intelectual freedom and parents advisory in the library

At least a few times a week at the Linden Tree bookstore where I work I will see a child with a book intended for an elder age bracket. As it is our role to promote all the books we can, I simply allow it to happen given the parents approve and that the parents know basics of the book. The same works for all media materials especially in a public library. I look forward to my first experience on the service end of a public library in my internship next semester. But based on everyones comments I can see how we have an overwhelming consensus on that it is the parent's responsibility to be the gatekeepers to what their children are allowed to experience/learn. For one clear reason, parents are legally responsible for their child till the child turns 18 and librarians are not. As strong believers in intellectual freedom, I believe it it is any public librarians duty to open all peoples minds (help all people learn) and grow everyones imaginations. This means everyone also has the freedom to check out anything, but kids are legally "guarded" by their parents, and parents are responsible for their kids. 

I think the main reason parents complain about content of books is that the parents themselves are unaware of the material's content until it is to late to keep the child from "exposure" to undesirable content. I think it is as many (all) of us do that parents need to be fully aware of the content or at least subject matter of the books they are letting their kids read. Parents need to always play a proactive role in defining appropriateness of the materials their kids are experiencing, lest their kids grow up "too fast" or any other criteria (as defined by each individual parent).     

In terms of dealing with the parent who takes issue with the librarians lack of legal responsibility (liability) for their child,  I would simply remind them it is not a librarian's job to impede on the freedoms of anyone.