Three Dudes and You're Out

What I have learned at the Monroe Police Department's Citizen Academy:

Cops have a sense of humor and a knack for finding gross and funny movies on YouTube. Have you ever seen a wood spider under the influence of caffeine? TCP? Crack?

Cops have a depth of knowledge that astounds me. Did you know that a police Drug Recognition Expert crams the equivalent of a first-year medical school physiology course into one month?

Traffic stops are the most dangerous work that cops perform. Did you know that Timothy McVeigh was arrested because of a routine traffic stop?

Cops are passionate about keeping us safe.

Did you know that the Monroe Police Department's Community Service Officer has had extensive training in how to choose a child restraint system that fits your child and vehicle and that she will schedule individual appointments with parents, grandparents or others who transport children in their vehicles to advise on that fit?

A detective told our class "DUI is one crime I can interdict. Every DUI is one less death."

Did you know that there are more DUI-related deaths annually than the total number of combat deaths in the Vietnam War?


Want to be a cop?

The library has books and electronic resources to prepare you for a career in law enforcement.

Police Officer Exam

Just don't say DUDE! more than three times in the presence of an officer.

Librarian Field Trip

I had the honor of attending the Children's Literature Conference in Bellingham last weekend. This served as sort of a librarian field trip, and brought back grade school memories especially since I got to ride on a (shuttle) bus, eat a box lunch, and listen to professionals (in this case authors for children and teens) talk about what they do.

Librarians tend to treat writers like rock stars and in this case we got to see a Hall of Fame lineup of Newbery-, Caldecott- and Printz-award winning authors Linda Sue Park, Gerald McDermott, and John Green. Each author talked about their work and how they connected with their readers in a variety of different ways. Park used baseball as an analogy, McDermott showed a student film he had made as a young author, and Green used Internet memes such as Kanye's "Imma let you finish" and video blogs.

In fact Green's entire presentation was based on humor, but quite profound as he explained the Internet is not just a place to find silly jokes and videos, but a tool for establishing connections between authors and readers, teachers and students, and even (if I can extrapolate a bit) librarians and patrons. His example was a video blog that he records to communicate with his brother (but one that is followed by thousands of teens... and more than a few librarians) on Youtube in which he talks entirely about The Catcher in the Rye, was watched by 90,000 people. My example (viewed by far fewer people... but more than a few librarians) would be these blogs that staff put out there to tell our patrons about books, reading, the library system, or a librarian's day. They may seem kind of dull or pedantic (really, who gets THAT excited about databases?) but they offer a way for libraries to connect with their users and show them the variety of ways libraries are working to matter in their lives.

So Long Booklist....

Like many, I keep a long list of books I would like to read in the future. Over the past few weeks, I have been working my way through the list at an increased pace because of some great news I received in December. At the end of last year I was very fortunate to learn that I have been appointed to the 2011 Robert F. Sibert Award committee, a committee that selects the most distinguished children's nonfiction book published the previous year. Aside from being a great honor and an opportunity to take a part in advocating for children's informational books, it also means I will be reading A LOT of children's nonfiction. In fact, the first box of books arrived yesterday. After bringing the box in the house, I made a point of finishing Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places, crossed it off my list, filed the list under “open January 2011” and embarked on what is sure to be an informative and busy ten months.

For more information about the award and to view previous winners click on Sibert Award

Do You Prefer Cats or Dogs?

When it comes to cats and dogs, I am definitely a dog person. I have a Jack Russell/cocker spaniel mix and a beagle/cocker spaniel mix. For the most part, the Jack Russell is obedient and calm, except when he hears the doorbell or spots another dog while we're on a walk (and then he become ferocious)! He absolutely loves watching tv, and jumps up and barks at the screen any time he sees an animal.

The beagle is affectionate, playful and very disobedient. There is almost nothing she won't eat, including diamond earrings, library books, anything out of the garbage, and my favorite shoes. She has made me late to appoinments by escaping out the front door and running around the neighborhood. She loves diving into the pond and mud by my house, attempting to get the ducks. She ruined my in-laws' perfect backyard by digging numerous holes. She howls and gets frantic when we go somewhere in the car. She follows me around so much that I trip over her. Despite all that, I can't imagine life without my dogs.

If you're a dog lover like me, check out some of these library books. I even added a few for all you cat lovers out there.

Inside of a Dog

100 Ways to Understand Your Dog

Do You Look Like Your Dog?

Dog Joy

Woof

I am the Cat, Don't Forget That: Feline Expressions

Do Cats Hear With Their Feet?

Happy Cat, Happy You: Quick Tips for Building a Bond with Your Feline Friend

Planet Cat: A Cat-alog

Which pet do you prefer? Do you have any stories to share?

Do You Know Who You Are?

Find Out With Sno-Isle Libraries Online Genealogy Databases Have you heard of the new TV show about celebrities researching their family trees? Well guess what, Genealogy Databases are available at the library for free. Ancestry Library Edition is available from library pcs and there are several other databases including HeritageQuest Online that are available from home too, all you need is a library card. And don't miss the recommended Web Sites.
Personally, I haven’t found a famous connection on my family tree, but I have found research posted by relatives who have traced one family name back to the 1600s. I also have found that my Grandmother's family traces back to a crossing from Germany to the Colonies in 1730. During the crossing a child was born to that family and the child’s name was Mary. My Grandma’s name is Mary, my Aunt’s name is Mary and my middle name - you guessed it - Mary. My Grandma always said that Mary was a “family name,” but now it has a bit more meaning for me. (photo of my Grandma Mary W. College Spring Break 1920 Montana)
There's a family rumor that President Zachary Taylor is a distant relation, but I haven’t found that “leaf” yet on the family tree.
Have you had any interesting finds or surprises while researching your family tree?