Library Lion - featuring - Mr. McBee Friday, May 18 2007 

Library Lion - by Michelle Knudsen Yesterday I visited my colleagues at the library where I used to work. The occasion was a visit by another former colleague who recently had a baby and none of us had seen our friend for several years. It was a great reunion.

Another friend there collects children’s literature - she especially likes the artwork. Anyway - she showed me a recent acquisition - Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

The story involves a lion going to the local public library. I haven’t read the book yet, so I don’t know why he went to the library. Once there the lion approaches the reference desk staffed by the very dapper Mr. McBee.

I must get multiple copies!! One to display here at work, another for my new great-niece and perhaps a few others to give as gifts!

It does seem that Mr. McBee isn’t very happy to have the lion in the library - but it seems that good patron service wins in the end!

I wonder if they’ll want me for the movie. Well - the Mr. McBee in the book doesn’t look anything like me.

New Articles of interest Monday, May 7 2007 

Among the benefits of my decision to going to the Fitness Center this year is that I have had a bit more reading time. Well -reading time of a particular sort. It is hard to read anything very technical while seated on a stationary bike or pumping an elliptical machine. But Anne Rice novels and magazine articles work pretty well.

Today I took the May issue of Information Outlook. As of this writing the May issue isn’t available online yet but it should be there soon.

There are some really good articles starting off with Rebecca Vargha’s column. The Invisible Info article by Carolyn Sosnowski is informative and the interview with Scott Adams is great fun.

There is a good article giving an overview of Denver. This is my first time in Denver - so I’ve already been mapping out my visit. One of the places I’m taking in for sure is the Molly Brown House & Museum ! But, there’s so much to see and do! And I’m not even a sports fan!

There’s a practical article about taking pictures at the conference - here’s my idea - don’t. But plenty of others will ignore that, so there will be photos on Flickr before the welcoming session is five minutes along. Sigh!

Marshall Brown has a good article on Everyday Leadership including some solid tips. Along with that are articles on Career building at the Conference and another on training new employees. That article starts off with a confession about an alcoholic boss who was toasted most afternoons. Uh - intervention!!! We don’t need to enable that kind of nonsense!

So it is a really good issue - read it!

Tra la - its May Tuesday, May 1 2007 

It is time to gather ’round the May pole and dance.

The Lusty Month of May
from Camelot
Lyrics - Alan Jay Lerner; Music - Frederic Loewe

Tra la! It’s May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev’ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It’s here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear!
It’s May! It’s May!
That gorgeous holiday
When ev’ry maiden prays that her lad
Will be a cad!
It’s mad! It’s gay!
A libelous display!
Those dreary vows that ev’ryone takes,
Ev’ryone breaks.
Ev’ryone makes divine mistakes
The lusty month of May!

Tra la! It’s May!
The lusty month of May!
That darling month when ev’ryone throws
Self-control away.
It’s time to do
A wretched thing or two,
And try to make each precious day
One you’ll always rue!
It’s May! It’s May!
The month of “yes you may,”
The time for ev’ry frivolous whim,
Proper or “im.”
It’s wild! It’s gay!
A blot in ev’ry way.
The birds and bees with all of their vast
Amorous past
Gaze at the human race aghast,
The lusty month of May.

Programme cover design for Merrie England by Paul Stallard