Welcome!

For sometime, I have considered starting a book blog. Anyone who has met me knows how much I love to talk books, particularly kid's books. They also know that for every book, I have a library program idea and about 10,000 other somehow connected program ideas.

Why haven't I started the blog until now? Plainly, I have been hung up on the name of the blog. I didn't want something too goofy, too teacher-y, or too preachy. I wanted something that sounded like me-fun, interesting, and a little off-the-wall. You are my friends, books are my friends. So here we are. Because you are my friend you are still reading. I thank you.

Who am I? Way back in "Once Upon A Time, time" specifically 1993, I was a kid fresh out of college, with a brand new teaching degree, a bunch of student loans, and a night job unloading trucks at Wal-Mart. One day I saw an ad in the local newspaper for a "Storylady" at the Dodge City Public Library. I didn't know what that meant, but it sounded a whole lot better than unloading trucks. I applied and two weeks later I wrote and presented my first storytime! I planned story programs, selected books for the collection, worked the circulation desk, and eventually became the head of the Youth Services department.

In 1998, I tried my hand at something new. I became a school librarian. As the librarian in a sixth grade center, I quickly realized I had a soft spot for the stuck in the middle "tweens" and early teens. I loved the "teaching" part of the job, but missed the variety of public library work. I soon knew that my Library journey was far from over.

The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library in Junction City hired me as an Assistant Director/Children's Librarian in 2002. This required the use of all the skills I had learned in the libraries before, but now it was accompanied by a new level of responsibility and decision making. The best thing about this job, the Bramlage Library is program centered. Now I just didn't have these ideas that weren't going anywhere. I was allowed and encouraged to try out every idea. From a teen book club to a children's cooking class. Some were successful, some not...but I was in my element. I talked books, I marketed the Library, I created programs, and I discovered I even had time for volunteer work! It was a good run.

That bring us to today. Six months ago I took a giant leap of faith. I accepted a position at the Central Kansas Library System. I am currently the assist in the Youth Services section, but will eventually take over as the Youth Services Consultant. This job is very different as YOU are my patrons. For the first time, I will not be working with and trying out my ideas on children first. I hope that some of the ideas I present here will be ones you are willing to try in your library with your patrons. I hope some of the books I suggest you will consider spending a few dollars of your precious budget on or at least borrow from one of the many libraries in our system or state. I would like to learn from you what would be helpful to you as plan programs and meet the needs of your young patrons. My phone lines are open, please call.

That is the professional me. Librarian, book lover, reader's advisor. The "other" me is a a reader, photographer, TV buff, collector, and cat lover. I have the two best cats in the whole world--Katy Kat and Maggie. I collect all things Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. Some people say I am a Laura Ingalls Wilder super-fan, I prefer the word scholar, and I have an endless amount of 70's-80's TV knowledge. I like to wear dumb hats and love to make others laugh. Best of all, I love to tell a great story.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Happy Reading, my friend!