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November 26, 2006

Katiebird Is a B.A.D. Blogger!

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 11:29 am

Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Katie there?

Katiebird has been incredibly busy at work for at least two months. She’s oveseeing the content revision and revamp of a nearly 3000-page WEBSITE that was built in the late 1990s. It’s getting a design, new navigation, and rebuilt with cascading stylesheets. Whoa! Exciting! Whew! Some work!

Oh did I forget to tell you where she works and what her role is? Katie is Librarian and Database Programmer for an urban library in the midwest of the USA. Yep, that’s right a library, and there’s 25 librarians working on the project. If you haven’t been to a library lately . . . keep reading libraries are really cool.

Half of our conversation was Katie bringing me up to speed on what’s going in libraries. Her library website is filled with pages of crafts, and games, and recipes, and booklists, and book reviews. One particular craft she mentioned, a paper flower designed by a library staff member, gets 10,000 hits a month from all over the world. That’s as many hits as the card catalogue, which is doing well, thank you.

Katie and I discussed how libraries often aren’t thought of being on the edge of technology and how that perception conflicts with reality — that libraries and banks have actually pushed programming forward in some ways. She pointed out that if you go to a library you’ll see a sea of people on computers. Katie also told me about the Database at Home service that allows folks to use the library offsite, and how that’s going to grow in new ways as they integrate electronic books into their services. I was thinking, if people only knew . . . There’s so much to be explored and used.

“It’s an exciting time to be in a library. . . . It’s an exciting time to be blogging.” Katiebird said. “Oh yeah,” was the only appropriate response to that!

When topic turned to blogging, Katie wondered with enthusiasm at this medium that combines the advantages of so many others, bringing people together, making brilliant new kinds of connections. We talked about the people who self-select to become bloggers. She said she was surprised to find how meaningful blogging quickly became. We discussed the communities that form, that links are more than they appear, and how we come to make our blogs our own. Yes, we did say the word addictive, but we meant it in the most positive way. . . . I’m guessing that urban library is going to have a blog when that web site is finally done.

When we finished the call I couldn’t help but think This isn’t your father’s library. This isn’t even the one from college.

Then I wondered how Meredith Wilson would have rewritten Marion, the librarian, if he were commissioned to update his 1957 musical play, The Music Man.

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

I didn’t realize when I started a blog, that I was joining such a strong community of people . . . You’re talking to people who are there every day. You get to know them, their thoughts, and they become dearest friends, yet you’ve never really met in person.–Katiebird

Stop by Katiebird’s blog, Eat4Today, and say hi!

Thanks, Katiebird, you B.A.D. Blogger!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar.

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22 Comments to “Katiebird Is a B.A.D. Blogger!”

  1. November 26th, 2006 at 11:35 am
    katiebird said

    (blushing fiercely)

    Hi Liz — it was so fun talking to you. I think this talking to a blogger a day is a great idea.

    Thank you very much for including me.

  2. November 26th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katie!
    You look great in that blush shade of pink. I had such a wonderful time too learning about everything. Of course, I would include you. You’re part of the family. :)

  3. November 26th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
    TechZ said

    Love katie’s Blog, read it so often, I hardly comment, its mostly beyond me! :P

  4. November 26th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
    seanrox said

    Libraries are very cool Liz.

    I love online books but there is something about going into a library and seeing all those books, actually getting to hold them and smell the pages… to some that might sound creepy “the smell of the pages” but to most who frequent a real library know what I’m talking about.

    A lot of people today go to the local Borders book shop to read but I personally love “real” libraries with people like Katie who love the books and what they do.

  5. November 26th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
    ME Strauss said

    HI TechZ
    Katie has a beautiful blog, Doesn’t she? I know what you means about it being so together and intelligent!

  6. November 26th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi SeanRox!
    I know libraries are cool!
    One with Katie in it seems like it might be even cooler than most of them somehow. I always like the one I grew up with. I was in an old mansion and had creak floors that made noise when you reached for a book.

    I love anywhere that has lots of old books that are place in order . . . where I can look and look and look

  7. November 26th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
    katiebird said

    Hi everyone — the one drawback is that wearing contacts to work can be uncomfortable. All that paper make the air really dry and contacts can shrival right up on your eyeballs.

    And, you might be surprised to hear this, but they don’t actually pay us to read all day. That disappoints a lot of new people….

  8. November 26th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
    katiebird said

    TechZ — I know what you mean (I think) I read your blog everyday. But, I can’t keep up with all your great resources. And I don’t want to comment about things I haven’t tried.

    But, it’s not the best solution. Because I really miss our visits.

  9. November 26th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
    katiebird said

    Seanrox — I go to Border’s to read. But maybe it’s more relaxing because I don’t work there. And the treats are better!

  10. November 26th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
    katiebird said

    Oh, and Liz (maybe I should have bundled all these comments into one message?), I probably should have mentioned this:

    But, since last April, I don’t actually work in a library. They’ve moved us support staff into an adjacent building to make more room for the public. So for the first time since 1979, I don’t actually work in a library. It’s very weird.

  11. November 26th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Aw Katie,
    It’s sad to hear that you work for a libary, but that you don’t get share the space with the books and wander through the shelves.

    Still you make such a big difference for everyone who does no one can take that away. :)

  12. November 26th, 2006 at 9:22 pm
    Scorpia said

    Where books are concerned, I’m reactionary. I want real, hold-in-your-hands books. I want a real card catalogue, not some electronic thing.

    Katie, you can always haul a bottle of saline solution with you for when the contacts start to feel dry. I think there are even special lubricants for contacts. Have you tried either of those?

  13. November 27th, 2006 at 1:30 am
    Thilak said

    I’ve been to Katie’s blog, but like TechZ said, I rarely comment… even if I do Akismet gulps me :(

    Liz, you need to talk about Akismet and its side effects with your readers

  14. November 27th, 2006 at 5:50 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Thilak,
    It’s good that you’re letting Katie and the world know that you visit and value her blog. :)

    I’m working getting you and others white listed. As I understand it the Akisment problem is the unstable proxy situation is your part of the world. Do I have that wrong?

  15. November 27th, 2006 at 7:16 am
    katiebird said

    Hi Scorpia — I actually gave up on contacts many years ago. Partly because of that problem but, mostly because I couldn’t see as well with contacts as I can with glasses.

    With glasses I can move them around or even take them off completely to adjust the focus. But, you can’t really do that with contacts. And it was very frustrating. And the doctor kept telling me that my vision was 20/20 with the contacts so it couldn’t be improved. I’ve never really understood that, but oh well….

    A real card catalog. Does your library still have one?

  16. November 27th, 2006 at 7:20 am
    katiebird said

    And Thilak — I hate it that your comments get eaten like that. I go through the list pretty carefully to make sure that I find the real comments (yours aren’t the only ones eaten)

    Liz — is there a way to put people on a white list? What about registered users? If he was a registered user and logged in, would Akismet recognize that?

    Because while registration isn’t required on my blog — it is still open.

  17. November 27th, 2006 at 7:20 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Katie!
    Good morning. I know you’re talking about with the eye doctor — mine tells me that about my glasses and it’s just not so. Oh woe! Darn it anyway.

  18. November 27th, 2006 at 7:20 am
    Thilak said

    My ISP has been blacklisted by Akismet, by now it should have learnt, but something is wrong with it :(

  19. November 27th, 2006 at 7:24 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katie!
    Apparently there is a way to do that, but it has to go through channels and get done at WordPress. Silly system if you ask me. Hopefully they’re going to fix that.

    Anyway, your registration idea could just be genius! I’ll email Thilak and TechZ and tell them to try it. It sure can’t hurt! Why didn’t I think of that. :) YEA for Katiebird!!!

  20. November 27th, 2006 at 9:45 am
    Scorpia said

    Katie, sorry to hear that about the contacts. Maybe you needed a better eye doctor, if he told you you had 20/20 with contacts and you found otherwise. Ah well, a little late now, I guess.

    As for card catalogues, well, I suspect there aren’t many more real ones left. Pity about that. Advanced technology isn’t always a good thing.

  21. November 27th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
    katiebird said

    Scorpia, my relationship with him ended quite tragically. When I called to make my last appointment, I learned that he’d been run-over (while crossing the street) and killed. Leaving his wife (a wonderful woman who was his receptionist) and child. I think they went back east to be close to family. And I never had the heart to get contacts from anyone else.

    I guess card catalogs look better from the other side of the file-drawer than mine. I love the furniture. But don’t care much for all the filing. And note making. It was A LOT of paperwork.

  22. July 7th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
    Calling All B.A.D. Bloggers: A Few Tweaks, Buttons and Thank YOUs!! - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once. said

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