The Office Decorations of a Director

A while back, before I became a library director, I had a very particular way of decorating my office. It was nerd central, but also it was occasionally vulgar. In fact, I wrote about it back in the (almost) beginning of this blog. Almost six years later, I have definitely changed the way my work space is decorated.

The thing about decorating your office is that it really does send a certain message to the people who visit you. Yes, you want it to reflect your personality, but that's not the only consideration. You want to make sure you are sending the message with your decor that you actually want to send, instead of something you're sending by accident. When I was an instruction coordinator (which was my job at the time I wrote that first post, if not my title), I wanted to be seen as irreverent and yet intelligent. Hard working and yet able to have fun. The truth was, though, that my office was likely a bit off-putting. I'm 99% sure it was Jim DelRosso who told me his office decorations are consciously not as nerdy as he is because he wants to make sure people feel welcome in his office. That comment really stuck with me. I still stand by the prevalence of vulgarities in that office - the word "fuck" is really just a word and I wish people would see it as such - but I haven't used that decorating style again in my current circumstances. As a director, I'm supposed to be setting a tone not just for myself but also for the rest of the department. So now, I have just as much nerdy vibe as before, but it's subtler and, in a way, prettier.

As you can see from the pictures I have below, I am not hiding my nerd in any way. I am still Nerd Supreme - a fact that is evidenced by being the advisor for the nerdy student group on campus. I'm just not as vulgar and my displayed tastes are slightly more diverse.

The love rat is still there. As is Fake Roy. But there's also a Benjamin Franklin quote and my tail from my Halloween costume.

My boy, Usagi Yojimbo. It wouldn't really be my office without Usagi, and this is the signed poster that Ranti Junus got for me years ago.

Yes, that's a stuffy elephant. If you squeeze it, out comes the most obnoxious imitation of an elephant trumpeting. Also, the poster from ACRL 2013 - Henry Rollins is a beautiful man and he had us all eating out of the palm of his hands at that keynote.

Guster is my favorite band, so of course I have a poster of theirs up in my office. Having this up in my office helped me bond with my union president - Guster is his favorite band, too!

Yes, that's my "Detective Comics" #643. And a Chewbacca Pez dispenser. But also the library's mission, vision, and values statements; the 2017-2018 academic calendar; specifics of the standing pizza order I place occasionally for the club I advise; my mini Sarah Donner shrine; and so much more.

Is it obvious that it's the same person? Even if you couldn't see so many of the same items, I think it's obvious. Just a more welcoming version.

How about you? Do you have any rules for how you decorate your office? Please share in the comments!

Everyone Else Is Already Taken

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A while back someone (I'm sorry I don't remember who!) asked me if I'd revisit some old posts. Since it came up last week, I thought now was a good time to jump in my wayback machine and reconsider "Free to Be... You and Me," a post all about letting my nerd flag fly.

A few key points from that original post, for those of you who don't remember it and/or don't have time to read more than one blog post right now:

• I am a nerd of the first water. Played Dungeons & Dragons in the early 80s. Owned a ColecoVision. Doctor Who. Ad infinitum.
• I used to try to hide that fact.
• I stopped hiding that fact, and started being myself.
• Hilarity, and better connections with members of my community, ensued.
• I think everyone should do the same.

Flash forward two jobs and almost exactly 6 years, and I still feel like bringing myself - my whole self - to work is one of the best professional decisions I've ever made. I'm still a big ol' nerd, even though my current nerdy obsessions are "Lost Girl" and the Eric Carter series and hunting through thrift stores to find choice vinyl.

But being myself in my professional life is still working the same magic. You see, I have a Guster poster up in my office. They're my favorite band, after all. And when the union president stopped by my office to discuss the benefits of joining, he remarked on it. Turns out he loves Guster, too. So in between discussing the form and the money parts of joining our union, we gushed about the times we've seen our favorite band perform live. It was an unexpected bonus that made what could have been a stilted conversation go smoothly.

All of this isn't to say that I think everyone should be a nerd, or be like me. I'm just saying you should be your whole self at work if possible. Wear your Peggy Carter inspired jewelry. Listen to Ukrainian folk on your headphones or in your office. Put that picture of your pet ball python up in your work space. Make the dumb joke that gets people to laugh. Being yourself will help other people be real with you, too.

Just For Fun: To Boldly Go

Star Trek. Star Trek, Star Trek, Star Trek. How could I have skipped writing about you, my first fandom, for more than 3 years of monthly fun posts? I'll never know. But here's my chance to make it up to you, Star Trek.

The main reason I'm a little ashamed that I've never written about Star Trek? I've been a fan of this show so long that I can't remember a time when Star Trek wasn't a part of my life. As a child... my parents... loved... to watch reruns... of the original series. (My best effort to put Shatnerian acting methods into print representation.) I rejoiced loud and long when The Next Generation was produced. I've watched every episode of DS9 and Voyager and seen all the movies. I have comic books and novels based in the Trek universe. No, I haven't yet watched Enterprise, but other than that I'm a pretty obsessive fan.

There's just something about Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future, even when it's interpreted by others, that captures and enchants me. It's a place I'd like "to boldly go" myself, even if that split infinitive gets on my nerve every time.

In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts about this most important of fandoms:

I don't care how popular it is to make fun of him, I like Neelix. 

I love the bromance between him and Tuvok. I love Neelix's "I've seen some bad shit and decided to let it push me to be even more positive about life and people" attitude. The weird recipes always make me smile. I even love his fashion sense, or lack thereof.

"All ways are Janeways."

Janeway is my captain. It's not just because she's a woman, but that doesn't hurt. She's strong and smart and quick to act and really cares about her crew. She's not afraid to admit her mistakes, but she's also not afraid to try new things. She is the ultimate example of "making the best of a bad situation," and she does it with style and grace. (By the way, thanks again to Anna for giving me one of my favorite catchphrases.)

DS9 

Janeway might be my captain, but DS9 is my show. The Federation might have gotten it all figured out, but not everyone is going to be so enlightened, and this series highlights the conflicts between a civilization that is post-all-the-bad-things and civilizations who are still more concerned with commerce and conquest. There are still plenty of homily-ish episodes in DS9, but I love the realness of this show.

Homilies

Speaking of homilies and life lessons and social commentary, how about that first interracial kiss up there? DS9 had a lesbian kiss. Star Trek did not shy away from important issues, ever.

Just Plain Fun

In between handling important social issues - heck, sometimes even in the middle of those shows - Star Trek always manages to make me laugh. Whether it was Reginald Barclay's caricature of Will Riker on the holodeck, or the way Morn is always portrayed as being a blabbermouth but never actually says a word on screen, or even Neelix's habit of making Tuvok the butt of many jokes... I love it.

And that's what it comes down to. I love Star Trek. How about you?

Just For Fun: All Your Nerdy T-shirts Are Belong to Me

I have never been shy about discussing my nerdy t-shirt addiction on social media. I probably should have, because now I've got quite a few people who enable me by sending links to amazing t-shirts. Regardless, it occurred to me recently that I've never shared the true depth of my addiction. Time for me to fess up.

I did a count recently: I'm up to 31 t-shirts. Yes, you read that correctly. I know people who have more, but I also know the restraint I've shown. What's more, I've gotten rid of t-shirts in the past by giving them away either to friends or charity. If I were to share all of my shirts, that would be a forever long post. Instead, I've narrowed it down to five of my favorites:

For me, this t-shirt, Running Rhino, embodies but makes light of the size acceptance movement. I don't wear it that often since I pick my t-shirts based on whomever I'm going to be around that day. There's the joke about unicorns still being around, but they gained some weight and turned gray. But rhinoceroses are fantastic in their own right. As are we all.

I've had this Bloom County t-shirt since the 1980s. I was/am a huge fan of Berkeley Breathed's work, and when I was still in elementary school I saved up my allowance and sent money with the form in the back of the book (that I had also bought with my own money) to buy this.

I have FOUR Doctor Who t-shirts, and another on the way. I do have a not-small obsession with that show, and have even been accused by a number of friends of actually being a Time Lord in disguise, so when one obsession meets another the results are predictable.

My nerdy t-shirt isn't just about mainstream nerd. I also have a deep love of fairy tales, and Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favorite stories in that genre. This t-shirt reminds me of Roald Dahl's version, which is one of the best.

This is definitely my favorite of my recent acquisitions. With my deep love of both Firefly and Lilo & Stitch, this shirt could have been made just for me.

Beyond these, most of my fandoms are represented in my t-shirt collection. Lots of Calvin & Hobbes, Star Trek, Star Wars, Supernatural, video games, 80s cartoons, bands I love, and so on. I've promised myself I'm going to refrain from more t-shirt purchases for a while - I do have an addiction, after all. But the last time I made that promise to myself, it only lasted 6 months. So we'll see how it goes.

If you're of a similar disposition, my favorite places to shop for t-shirts are (in no order other than how I remembered them):

• Threadless. The Little Red Riding Hood shirt came from them. As did Running Rhino.
• RedBubble. More pricey than other places, but sometimes you just gotta have a t-shirt. I've got a "Ravenclaw Quidditch Team Captain" shirt from them that I wear way too often.
• Woot. They have daily shirts for cheap ($12) and most of their past designs are available for a little bit more ($15-ish).
• TeeFury. Another daily shirt place. So dangerous because you can't wait and make your decision in a couple of days, because it will be too late.

I know there are tons of others, but I'm going to stop there. How about you? Do you have a nerdy shirt collection? If I missed your favorite place, feel free to add it in the comments section.

Just For Fun: I'm Literally a Five-Headed Dragon. Who Cares!

Before I get started on why I love Welcome to Night Vale, let me warn you: I have only gotten up to episode 35, "Lazy Day." Those who include any spoilers in the comments will be summarily reported to a Vague Yet Menacing Government Agency, or perhaps just made to investigate the dog park.

Welcome to Night Vale

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For those of you who are uninitiated, imagine H. P. Lovecraft wrote A Prairie Home Companion, or perhaps imagine what the public radio is like in Sunnydale. Everyone is calm and happy, goes about their business, in the midst of deliciously hilarious horrors.

I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't yet been initiated, don't worry: I'm going to try to tread lightly about specifics. That being said, here are some things I adore about this, the only podcast I listen to with any sort of regularity.

• The Weather. This what they call the music part the part of every episode. Music styles as diverse as klezmer and rap, with artists I knew before hearing them on Night Vale and new artists to love. So good.
• The Story. There's love, politics, intrigue, science, monsters... You've got to love anything, and sorry but this is a spoiler, where a five headed dragon is a candidate for mayor.

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• Librarians. The people behind the podcast obviously love librarians, with as much attention as is lavished on the Night Vale Public Library within the story. We have loved them back, you can be sure. And before you jump to the same conclusion I did, I've already got dibs on the director's office:

The head librarian has retired to a ski chalet in Austria. Applications for the vacated position are welcome, experience preferred @olinj
— Night Vale Library (@night_vale) September 26, 2013

For those of you who are already in the fold, what do you love about it? (Please remember, no spoilers!) For those of you who have yet to indulge, why not?

First Thursday's Just For Fun: The Score is Still Q to 12

It seems strange, but for the longest time I thought I was in the minority with my unwavering allegiance to and reading of Calvin and Hobbes. I know now I'm not alone, that there are countless C&H fans out there and more being born every day. Even still, I would put myself up there as a top tier fan. One piece of proof: I quote this strip regularly - sometimes without even realizing it. True story: I had been saying "Careful. We don't want to learn from this," (or derivations thereof) for so long I'd forgotten the origin until Daily C&H Quote tweeted it recently.

Full disclosure: I don't own ALL THE books, but I do own all the strips (found a list somewhere that named the books you needed for this). I've read my C&H books many many times, and they look like it. I don't really have a favorite, but I do lean towards The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book, since Bill Watterson gave us wonderful background information about the characters and his creative process.

The thing is, there's so much to love about Calvin & Hobbes that I had a hard time even starting. So, in no particular order, here are some of my favorite things:

• There's something for every kind of taste:

Erudite:

Verbing Weirds Language

 Goofy:

Bubble Gum is DANGEROUS

 Sentimental:

• The fantastic mashups:

I have this t-shirt:

I bought this shirt, designed by Chris Wahl, from RedBubble, but it's no longer for sale.

I'd been coveting this t-shirt for a while, but missed it. Hoping it gets resurrected soon:

By Karen Hallion. I own other t-shirts with her art.

• The fandom:

I came across this little gem recently and have lost count of how many times I've watched it. (Check the comments to see how awesome these people are. Yes, I know comments are usually BAD. Not this time.)

And then there's this documentary that I simply must see. I'm even considering preordering the DVD now.

So how about you. I must assume that you love C&H, otherwise you wouldn't have made it down to the end of the column. What do you love about the boy and his stuffed (or is he stuffed?) tiger? Have a favorite strip?

Why I Dressed Up for Halloween

I dressed up as Modern Medusa this year. I'll admit it's a recycled costume, but it was cheap (rubber snakes, a bit of fake hair, and snake earrings), easy to put together, and it's subtle enough that I get the most delightful double-takes when I wear it.

The problem is that, great as it looked, and as much as I enjoyed it, I almost didn't dress up this year. You see, even though Halloween is my most favoritest holiday, I wasn't sure about doing this at my still sort of new job. Being the director plus being among new people plus a budget strategy meeting on Thursday afternoon made me reconsider my normal approach to the day.

The pep talk I gave myself included a reminder of something a reader wrote me - about how I always advocate for people to be themselves. And it's true. In office decor, in how I teach, and so on, I try to bring my genuine self to the mix since I've always gotten better results that way. Heck, I've even had guest posts with similar advice.

Even still, it took me a bit to convince myself. I'm so glad I did, since it gave me not only the joy of the double-takes, but also the opportunity to make dumb jokes by giving the individual snakes names and saying things like "Oh, never mind Jasmine, she's a little hissy today." "Fred's trying to get away because he saw a tasty looking rubber rat."

I share this to remind you and me both to be yourself as much as you can, but also to let you know that it's still not always easy even for those of us who have been in the field for a while. It's true that dressing up might not fit with every community (which could be a municipality, a law firm, an institution of higher education, etc.), but trusting yourself and being yourself is always a good fit.

First Thursday's Just For Fun: A Mighty Princess

About a month ago, I read an op-ed piece that made the rounds on social media, "My Life as a Warrior Princess." I was a huge fan of Xena back in the day, and that op-ed piece reminded me not only of my love of the show, but also of all the reasons why. After reading that NYT piece, I felt inspired to start rewatching it. The fact that Netflix has the entire series available on streaming made it all a reality. And, being me, I've also been live-tweeting my viewing:

The bad guy bird warrior things have costumes that look worthy of classic Who. #xena #whenfandomscollide
— Jessica Olin (@olinj) September 18, 2013

"These things are never easy." Gabrielle just explained every plot ever on #Xena.
— Jessica Olin (@olinj) September 12, 2013

Don't trust that wooden horse! Didn't you see the large wooden rabbit bit in Holy Grail?! #maybealargewoodenbadger #Xena
— Jessica Olin (@olinj) September 28, 2013

Beyond how snark-able and MST3K-able the show is (always done with a love of the show in mind), here are some of the other things I love about this show:

• Delicious anachronisms;
• Over the top acting;
• Strong feminist story lines. 

I even changed my Twitter profile to reflect part of the intro: "She was Jessica, a mighty librarian forged in the heat of battle."

How about you? What's your favorite thing about Xena? (And if you don't like Xena, why not?)

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Vinyl is Fine By Me

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a bit obsessed with vinyl lately. My mother gave me her collection a while ago, and then I finally got a record player shortly after moving to Delaware for this job. Since then, I’ve been slowly working my way through the items I got from her, the handful of discs I owned prior to that largess, along with the couple of albums I’ve picked up at flea markets recently. Fantastic stuff, really. Well, for the most part. We won't discuss the couple of items that were so cringe-worthy that I haven't yet been able to bring myself to listen to them *cough* "Hava Naglia" *cough*. 

Anyway, I thought I’d share some of my favorites from my collection with you.

There is so much to love about this album. Between the R. Crumb cover art and the fantastic music, it kind of blows my mind to realize I own it. With amazing songs like "Summertime" and "Piece of My Heart," what's not to love?

Even though we don't have identical music tastes, I suspect I inherited the "eclectic" gene from my mother, because this wasn't one I owned; it's from the albums my mother gave me. Listening to Color by Numbers was a bit of a journey in time, flashing back to junior high dances and such. With songs like "Karma Chameleon" and "Miss Me Blind," it wasn't a problem for me.

This is one of the discs I owned prior to getting my mother's substantial collection. The soundtrack for the movie Jonathan Livingston Seagull... I know it's kind of corny, but don't you dare make fun of me for owning this. It was a gift I received as a teenager, and it meant a lot to me at that time and still does. I am not ashamed to admit I love both the book on which it was based and Neil Diamond's music. I saw ND in concert last summer and loved every single moment of it. 

This is another one of the highlights of my collection, and I've listened to it more times than anything else I own with the exception of one of my Beatles' albums. Time Out is a case where the difference in sound quality between vinyl and a CD is obvious, even to me. Trust me when I say if you don't own this on vinyl, you should be jealous of me getting to listen to "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five" in a manner that is the next best thing to traveling in time and hearing it performed live.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not someone who is a vinyl purist. There are some that sound better this way to my ears, but for the most part I’m happy listening to music in whatever medium is at hand. However, with all these albums sitting here, why not?

On Authenticity, by Andrew Colgoni

Here’s the thing: inauthenticity stinks. I mean that quite literally. People can smell it when you act like someone other than yourself (excepting the best sociopaths, of course). There was a reason that your mom always told you to “just be yourself”. It wasn’t because acting is hard, it’s because everybody has a finely tuned radar for fakers (fadar?). In fact, I’ll bet that when you are inauthentic, you can smell it on yourself, too. It’s like that time you stepped in dog poop, and then were sitting at the park bench wondering “what’s that smell?” Happily, you could wipe your shoes furiously on the grass before you had to walk on carpet.

Ok, so why am I spending so much metaphorical language on inauthenticity? I want to relate this to teaching. Some of the finest tuned fadar there is exists in students. Those clever kids just know when you are trying to be hip with the youth. Remember back in the 90’s when everyone tried to blend hip-hop with anything else to give it a veneer of cool, but it just seemed off? That’s how you look when you go up in front of a class and try to be something other than yourself. Now, I’m not advocating that you shouldn’t be a little more enthusiastic than normal, that’s ok. But you shouldn’t be so over-enthusiastic that it makes people question your sanity, especially if you’re normally subdued.

The same goes for using youth ‘props’. We seem to think that we need to connect with the youth by ‘speaking in their language’ (a topic I could rant about at length). So, we think, “Great! I’ll look up what the youth are into, and co-opt that!” We show up to class with a bag of internet memes and rage comics and use that to illustrate our points. But here’s the thing: if you don’t usually make memes, it shows. The students know it, you know it, and everyone’s a little weirded out.

The lesson here isn’t simply don’t use memes, or don’t get rowdy. Rather, if you are actually into memes or are naturally freaky, then go for it**. If you like horrible puns (the man who fell into an upholstery machine is now fully recovered*) roll with that. Big into sci-fi? Then reference that, fellow browncoat. What happens when you do this (what we call “being yourself”) is that your actual excitement and passion will show through, and you will bring your students along with you. And, hey, isn’t bringing students along with you what teaching is all about?

So, before you go into that classroom, wipe your shoes furiously on the grass.

Andrew Colgoni is the Science Fluencies Librarian at Thode Library at McMaster University. He tweets @colgoni.

*Borrowed shamelessly from @omgthatspunny.

**One exception: if you are really into clip art, and I’ve seen lots of librarians that are, don’t go for it. Try a different passion.

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Obviously, You're Not A Golfer

Oh, The Big Lebowski, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Actually, it's hard to count the ways I love this movie, since it is - in my opinion - one of the most perfectly scripted, acted, and filmed movies of all time. And I've watched a lot of movies.

I'm sure I'm going to forget something that I love about this movie, so please feel free to add to the Lebowski Love Fest in the comments, but here are three things I do love (in no particular order):


First, Steve Buscemi is perfection as Donny. Watch his expression and try not to laugh. I dare you.

Second, the soundtrack is so good that it's pretty much another character.

Third, it's just so dang quotable, and there are quotes for every situation. Someone's bothering you while you're on the phone? Tell them, "Don't say peep while I'm doing business here, man." Someone's getting pushy with you? Respond with, "I do mind. The Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man." Some politician trying to tell you what you can and can't do with your lady parts? Fire this one back at them:

Pattern by PurpleHippoStitches on Etsy

So how about you? Are you a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever? If so, why?

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Monty Python, Or, "Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti."

While I was in high school, Monty Python was like a religion for me and my friends. I was only a minor adherent, mind you, but a couple of my friends were practically high priests. A few of them could and would, at the slightest suggestion, preach the litany of Python.

My tastes have changed a lot since the late 1980s, but I've never lost the Monty Python faith. In fact, I'd match my ability to recite scenes from heart against the best of my high school friends. Further, I had a minor Monty Python marathon over the winter break. A couple of movies and then many MANY episodes of "Flying Circus." Of course, not every skit or every bit within the movies is worth revisiting, but there is so much comedy gold that I decided to make it the focus of my "Just For Fun" post for January.

"And now for something [not so] completely different," a smattering of my favorite bits, skits, and moments from the movies and series:

"Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti."




"The llama is a quadruped."

"Toad the Wet Sprocket"

"Cardinal Fang, fetch... THE COMFY CHAIR!"

There are so many others that I love, but if I were to share them all it would take all day. I'd rather leave it at these four and ask about your favorites. So, share away in the comments!

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Bloggeration, Part Deux

Earlier this year, I devoted a "Just For Fun" post to chatter about the non-librarian blogs I love. It's been a while, and I have some to add to the list, so I thought I'd share my new non-libr* blog loves. Here goes:

io9's tagline is "We come from the future," and trust me when I tell you that it's appropriate. This website's raison d'être is "science, science fiction, and the future," and it's immensely cool. 

Recent favorite posts include: "A Book That Will Make You Question Everything You Knew About Dinosaurs," "5 Amazing Real Life Facts About Superman," and "The Hawkeye Initiative redraws absurd superheroine poses with Hawkeye."

Not only is The Fluffington Post a real thing, and it's also really cute. Obviously, it's a parody of a similarly named website, but I'm willing to admit that I like FluffPo better. Slightly snarky captions + cute animal pictures = full of win.

Recent favorites include: "Cat Hired to Guard Shoe Collection," "Tiger Cubs Chip In For New Bubble Machine," and "Criminal Cat Nabbed for Carjacking."

As you can see from the logo, Colossal is a blog devoted to sharing/highlighting "art & visual ingenuity." Beyond that general umbrella, anything is possible and everything posted by Christopher Jobson (the man behind the blog) is beautiful.

Recent favorites include: "The Surreal, Infrared Photography of David Keochkerian," "Spectacular Entries to the 2012 National Geographic Photography Contest," and "Birds on Twitter."


How about you? Do you have any non-libr* blogs that you love?

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Crazy for Cross-Stitch

Because I am not enough of a walking/talking librarian stereotype, I have recently picked up a new hobby: crafting. More specifically, counted cross-stitch. I actually learned how to do cross-stitch when I was a teenager, but hadn't done more with the skill until fairly recently. But now? Now I've become obsessed. Here are my favorites of the projects I've completed:

This hummingbird was my gateway drug to an addiction that is only soothed with a trip to a craft store to purchase Aida cloth and embroidery thread:

Pretty, right?

I worked really hard to make the background of the next one look like a partly cloudy sky, so I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out.

This quote is from the sixth of the volumes that collected Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" comics.

And this is the project I just finished. I don't remember where I first encountered this line from Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel Handler), but it tickled me so much that it quickly became a favorite. When I started this down the road to xstitch addiction, I knew I had to do something with this quote.

Sounds advice, especially considering the expression the Persian in the middle is wearing.

I just finished that last one, but I'm already planning my next project. It's more along the lines of what I did with the Neil Gaiman quote, but this time it's inspired by and features a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.

So what about you? Are you a crafter? If so, what's your poison?

Making My Office My Own

Warning: there are some pictures and words that qualify as "Not Safe For Work" in this post (blue language). Well, not safe for some work places. They are obviously safe for mine, since this week I'm writing about how I have my office decorated.

You see, when I got my first professional position, I played it super safe with decorating my office. No toys to speak of, posters that anyone anywhere would post, and nothing of consequence (other than my name plate) on my door. My current office couldn't be more different. I can always tell when someone hasn't been in my work abode before, even if I don't remember. Eyes get big. Sometimes mouths drop open. It's so much fun to watch people who have never been in here before. As you can see from the pictures below, there's a lot to look at in my office. Truth is, there's plenty more that I haven't shown you, but I figured this would be enough to give you an idea.

You see, my office really does reflect me and my personality. As I've said before, and as I'll probably say again, letting my personality show (read: letting my nerd flag fly) enhances my relationship with my community.

Here's the sight that greets people as they approach my office:

Yes, you do see multiple representations of Chewbacca. And of Barbara Gordon.

I also have a couple of bulletin boards that are worth sharing:

Read a Fucking Book

Honk If You're a Believer

I've also got toys...

Love Rat FTW!

And comic books...

Pride of place (middle slot) goes to my favorite comic publisher.

So, why am I sharing this with you? Other than showing off my rad collection, I mean. I'm sharing it to once again exhort you to be yourself. I work in a place where I'm not only allowed to be myself, I'm valued for who I am. You don't have to be as extreme in your decoration. After all, I have posted six instances the f-bomb, or derivations thereof: three on this picture, one on this, one in this comic, and then the lovely bumper sticker that was a gift of a member of our communication department.

And that's what I wish for you. Even if you don't have it now, I hope you eventually get to work in a place that doesn't just value your librarian skills, that values you as a whole person.

For those of you who have an office (or cubicle), what kinds of stuff do you have in there? Toys? Posters from a fantastic concert? Pictures of your pet ferret?

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Firefly & Serenity

I've been spending time, recently, introducing someone to Firefly. I've been obsessed with this show for such a long time that watching it through his eyes - seeing him encounter all the wonders of that "crap hill 'verse" for the first time - has reminded me of why I fell for this show in the first place. I suggest IMDB for details about the series, since I'd rather spend my time writing about the top 5 reasons why I love Firefly (and the subsequent movie, Serenity):

• Firefly is eminently quotable. From "we are just too pretty for God to let us die," spoken by Mal in the first minutes of the first episode, to the captain's final exchange with River Tam in the last minutes of the movie - River: "Storm's getting worse." Mal: "We'll pass through it soon enough." - there are so many quotable moments that it's hard to keep track.

Picture Source

• Joss Whedon's storytelling reaches a new high. I've adored Joss Whedon for a while. I've watched every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and of Angel multiple times. Which series did I buy, though? Only Firefly.
• It's a story about a group, not about the individuals in the group. Sure, Malcolm Reynolds is the glue that holds the rest of the group together, but the story itself is no more about Mal than it is about Zoe or River. When my Firefly neophyte asked me, in response to me laughing long and hard over something that Wash says, if Wash is my favorite character, I had to think about it. For sure, I identify most closely with Wash, but I couldn't really pick a favorite. I love Kaylee's eternal optimism; Mal's pragmatism; Jayne's self-assurance; etc. But I can't imagine the series without every single character, since they're each crucial to the whole.
• The cast was amazing. I had seen most of the cast in other roles before I found Firefly, but it took me a long while to realize it with most of them. In fact, it wasn't until I watched Death at a Funeral shortly after one of my periodic rewatchings of Firefly that I realized I'd been loving Alan Tudyk in both without making the connection that it was the same actor.
• Despite everything else that happens in the post-war, post-post-apocalyptic 'verse, the crew of the Serenity never gives up. That's what I want from dystopian literature/movies/television series: a sense of hope. Even in the midst of the worst moments, they keep on keeping on. Actually, I suspect it's that underlying optimism that has made such rabid followers of all of us Browncoats. In the words of the theme song, "you can't take the sky from me."

How about you? I'm assuming you're a fellow Browncoat if you read this far, so tell me why you love Firefly  and Serenity so much.

And let me leave you with this video of some of the best quotes:

First Thursday's Just For Fun: Doctor Who

When I tell you that I love Doctor Who, trust me when I say that statement might be the understatement of the year. One friend insists that I manage to bring the Doctor up at least once every time I see her (and we work at the same college, so that's a lot). Now, I know there are Whovians out there who will insist that I don't qualify for the club since I only got the bug last year, and since I started with the Ninth Doctor. I'm trying to rectify that situation and have recently been working my way through the First Doctor's series - the ones that are available anyway. After that, I'll move onto the Second and Third and so on, until I've watched them all.

In the meantime, I've been putting a lot of effort into figuring out why I'm so obsessed with this show. This isn't an all encompassing list, but here's what I've come up with so far:

The Show is Memetic

"Doctor Mew" by Jenny Parks

A meme is "a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another" (source). All you have to do to judge the memetic quality of Doctor Who is look at how broadly the concepts have spread, and think about all the different forms the concepts have taken.

It Makes Me Laugh
Case in point: Captain Jack Harkness.



Doctor Who Loves Me, Too
Well, maybe not me, but he does love libraries. Take this quote from the episode, "Tooth and Claw": " You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have - arm yourselves!"

The Characters Are Real People
I'm not saying that I think Time Lords and Daleks and Weeping Angels are real. (Dear lord, I hope Weeping Angels aren't real.) I am saying that the people, even minor characters, are multi-layered. The Doctor cries, I've seen it happen multiple times, and is still seen as a hero. Captain Jack Harkness is omnisexual, but his sexuality is not just there as a plot device and is instead one part of his character. And like the Doctor, Jack is still seen as a hero despite (because of?) this. The fact that Martha Jones is black comes up in discussions, but like Jack's sexuality her race isn't really a plot device. It's just one part of the whole. Oh, and Martha saves the day a time or two as well. More than anything else this, the way that the writers let the defining characteristics of the people come from within instead of without, is the reason I love Doctor Who.

What about you? If you're a Whovian, what do you love about the Doctor?

Crazy Librarian Lady, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Being a Nerd

Whether you've been one of us for decades or you're in the process of joining our ranks (just got your first job in a library, just started a library science graduate program, etc.), we are all aware of the librarian stereotype held by the rest of the world. There she is - gray hair in a bun, glasses pushed down to the edge of her nose, a stack of books beside, a card catalog behind, and a prim expression on her face. So not me it's not funny.

However, that's not the stereotype I want to address today. Instead, I want to talk about a stereotype that I do fit: the librarian nerd. I didn't realize how much of a stereotype I am until Joe Hardenbrook came up with his fabulously funny Librarian Twitter Bingo. If you restrict the game to Twitter, you can fill out 17 of the 25 blocks. Heck, you could get bingo based on my tweets from the last week alone. If you go further and expand the game to include what I talk about in real life, you can fill in every single box on the game board.

Once I realized how stereotypical I am of members of my online community, I had a mixed reaction. I'm still not 100% sure whether I should bothered by it or proud that I am such an exemplary member of my tribe. I've mostly settled on pride since this is just another instance of me letting my nerd flag fly.

What I'm trying to say here is also another instance of one of my lietmotifs: in everything you do, whether it's a professional or personal activity, you should be yourself. So if you're obsessed with this guy:

Source

Or this gal:

Source

Or even this kind of music:

...it's all cool. Be you. You never know when being yourself will come in handy. It certainly helped me find my place in this profession.

What about you? Do you fit any librarian stereotypes? If so, share details.

EDIT: If you don't fit these stereotypes, don't feel like you have to leave libraries. Those of us who do fit the Librarian Nerd mold have gravitated towards each other on social networks. It's the allure of having someone with whom to fangirl/fanboy squee over the teaser trailer for the new season of Doctor Who.

However, the point I'm trying to make is that you should be yourself. I posted the Frankie Yankovic song precisely because I have a colleague who loves polka. My point is the same as Marlo Thomas', librarians should be "free to be... you and me."

Speak Out With Your Geek Out: Library Style

Readers of this blog know that I fly my nerd flag high. I'm a comic-book-reading, video-game-playing, Chewbacca-obsession-having kind of gal. So, when I learned about "Speak Out With Your Geek Out," I knew I had to get in on the action.

Here's my contribution to this event, a list of 10 things I love about being both a nerd and a librarian:

I love it because...

1. I'm in good company. A lot of librarians I know, both in person and online, are big nerds just like me. For instance, a colleague of mine has a Games Workshop poster up in his office.
2. Being a nerd gives me another way to connect with members of my community. Just this week, Cthulu (specifically John Kovalic's My Little Cthulu) and James Hance's "Wookie the Chew" helped me win over a senior communication major.
3. It's part of my job to manage a graphic novel collection.
4. Being in charge of a graphic novel collection has gotten me some fabulous swag from comics and manga publishers.
5. Further, I got to vote in the Eisner Awards since I'm a librarian who manages a graphic novel collection.
6. I regularly run programs at my library that are nerd-centric. Video game tournament? Done it. Humans vs. Zombies? Done it before and planning to do it again.
7. While planning for Humans vs. Zombies, I get to say things like, "Don't forget to bring your freeze grenade," in meetings and nobody laughs at me.
8. I'm in the process of writing a paper about one of my nerd-centric programs. I'll be presenting at a conference later this year.
9. The dungeon master for one of the regular games on campus comes to me for advice on designing his campaigns. (I showed him The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and his eyes almost popped out of his head.)
10. Finally, the best thing about being both a nerd and an academic librarian: owning my nerd publicly on campus sets an example for the students with whom I work. I am who I am, and I'm obviously happy being who I am. I know  it helps some students let their nerd (or whatever other qualities might embarrass them) show.