This Is What a Librarian Looks Like: A Celebration of Libraries, Communities, and Access To Information by Kyle Cassidy (2017, Black Dog & Leventhal; 240 pages) I’ll admit the title of this book caused a knee-jerk groan and a sense of apprehension before opening it. I feared the book would be full of cliché images – not so much of elderly women in cardigans & glasses – but fear of pink spiky hair and Dewey Decimal tattoos aimed to destroy the traditional stereotype. Thankfully, this book has a little of both but much more, and functions as a good reminder to not judge a book by its cover. Cassidy’s book features images and quotes from 200 librarians and aspiring librarians from across the country. The featured individuals are diverse, both as people and profession covering all aspects of librarianship and American culture. Sure, some of the clichés are here but it would be censoring an aspect of librarianship if they weren’t and censorship is very unbecoming for librarians. Although one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the librarian’s choice of how to present themselves for this book is acceptable to judge. Most photos are professional headshots, especially from those in management positions, but plenty of humor is included too, such as the card catalog shirt worn by Jennifer Snoek-Brown of Tacoma Community College that reads, ‘Never Forget.’ Much more interesting than the visual representation of librarianship is the quote with the corresponding photos. The book can be a quick read, but reading 200 single-sentence explanations of what librarianship means is a lot to process. The key takeaways are libraries are more than books and librarians are expected to provide professional service to every member of our society. The other detail that jumps out is the passion and dedication to the work as exemplified by Nicola McDonald of New York Public Library, who says, ‘I like my job because I get to make a positive impact in people’s lives every day!’ Find this title in our catalog: This Is What a Librarian Looks Like Recommended by: Andrew
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Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, & Ella Morton (2016, Workman Publishing Company; 480 pages) According to Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO series Girls and author of Not That Kind of Girl, this book may be the only thing that can still inspire her to leave her apartment. The book can be read as a travel guide, as an encyclopedia of curiosities and marvels, or as one of the most wonderful and stranger books published lately. The reader can choose. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro found haunted hotels and the mouth of hell to travel to. High-wire artist Philippe Petit found that, since life is short and the planet is filled with curiosities, this book is a must-have as a guide. Neil Gaiman, author of Sandman, declared after reading it that this is the kind of book that you want to pack in your workaday life and head out to places you'd never have dreamed of going, to see things you could not even have imagined. What I found after reading it is that it is impossible to absorb all the information if you read it only once. This is a book to read over and over again, one to keep on your nightstand. I also learned information about my country of origin that I wasn't aware of. I learned about Don Justo's Self-Built Cathedral in Mejorada del Campo, Madrid. Don Justo is a former monk with no experience in architecture, construction, or engineering, who has been building a cathedral out of recycled and donated materials since 1961! The goal of the book was to create a catalog of all the places, people, and things that inspire our sense of wonder. It is really a cabinet of curiosities that, for the authors, is meant to inspire wonderlust as much as wanderlust. I think they've succeeded. The reader can explore all the continents, and there are special chapters for Canada and the USA. Alaska has a place too. The reader will learn about spirit houses, the mukluk land, the Lady of the Lake, the Aurora Ice Museum, and the Adak National Forest, among other wonders. I would recommend this book to any curious soul out there, to travelers, and to encyclopedia lovers. A must. Find this title in our catalog: Atlas Obscura Recommended by: Maite I'M JUDGING YOU: THE DO-BETTER MANUAL -- incisive, hilarious commentary on polarizing issues11/21/2017 I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi (2017, Henry Holt and Co.; 272 pages) The hugely popular blogger Luvvie-Ajayi, creator of AwesomelyLuvvie.com, brings us a book to inspire us to good behavior, and she does so in a sharp and funny side-eye style. This is the perfect book for those readers who love to laugh aloud. The reader actually may be unable to stop laughing. The author is very clear about her starting point: humans are flawed beings, and I´m Judging You addresses everything "from the quirks that earn my shallower-than-a-Snapple-cap gripes to the really problematic things people do that leave the world worse than we found it." The book is divided into four parts, and each one focuses on a topic: Life, Culture, Social Media, and Fame. There is also an epilogue with a great title: "Do Something that Matters." From reflections on "Why Must You Suck at Friendship," to "Racism is for Assholes" (my favorite), "The Privilege Principle" (not bad at all), "Nobody Wins at the Feminism Olympics," "Your Facebook is My Favorite Soap Opera," "Dumbed-Down News," "So You´re Kind of a Big Deal on the Internet," to the last one, "The Unreal World," the reader can go from laughter to laughter non-stop. "We are all annoying and do assholish things every single day. Just think of the people who are sitting at the back of the plane, and the moment the flight lands they jump up. Ma'am, you are in seat 35G. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? There are 173 people in front of you, and they also cannot wait to get off. What are you about to do from your window seat in the back row? Will you magically appear in the front of the plane? No. Please have a seat, because your turn to deplane ain´t coming for like ten good minutes. Oh, people. We´re the worst.¨ Everyone knows somebody who would truly enjoy this book. Check it out. Find this title in our catalog: I'm Judging You Recommended by: Maite Wild and Precious Life by Deborah Ziegler (2017, Ebury Press; 352 pages) “She’s taking me on a bucket list trip. I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska.” “Bucket list?” The woman looked confused. “I have a brain tumor and less than six months to live,” Brittany said in a conversational tone of voice. Brittany Maynard’s interaction with a stranger aboard a sightseeing boat tour at Tracy Arm is a testament to her strength when faced with terminal illness. Deborah Ziegler’s Wild and Precious Life is a celebration of her daughter’s life. It is the story of Brittany’s life but also addresses her death and circumstances surrounding it that brought the Ziegler family national attention. Brittany died on November 1, 2014 after ingesting prescribed medicine protected under Oregon’s right to die laws. The award-winning documentary How to Die in Oregon had just been released when Brittany received her prognosis. The Ziegler/Maynard family resided in California but moved to Oregon to die with dignity and was in the national spotlight in the weeks preceding her death. Earlier this year when I was working at Austin Public Library, my branch screened How to Die in Oregon as part of a monthly documentary program. I invited the founder of Texas Death With Dignity, Cindy Merrill, to attend the event and learned my first lesson on this topic in her response to my invitation. I used the term "assisted suicide" and received a quick slap on the wrist, learning how important language is regarding this sensitive topic. Advocates of right to die laws do not view ending terminal illness with dignity and reduced suffering as "assisted suicide," for a number of reasons relating to both words. Under existing right to die laws, there is no assistance. Everyone that chooses to end their suffering is doing so without assistance and with sound mind. Loved ones, and state laws, also do not view such deaths as "suicides" – the cause of death is the terminal illness and the medicine ends the suffering. The term "assisted suicide" is at the root of the controversy of the topic. The term is associated with "Dr Death" Kevorkian and has implications that family and friends may be actively involved with the death of a loved one. Wild and Precious Life is neither dark nor sad. It is the story of Brittany’s full life, which happens to end at a young age and with some control easing the suffering. Death With Dignity is not assisted suicide. After Brittany Maynard passed, her mother moved back to California and advocated for right to die laws, which Governor Jerry Brown signed into law in 2015. In states without right to die laws, hospice patients and other terminally ill patients are often prescribed morphine to be administered by untrained loved ones to reduce pain. Right to die laws place the responsibility, and provide instructions, to the patient. Wild and Precious Life is Brittany’s story and How to Die in Oregon provides more insight to the topic for interested parties. Sitka Public Library has other interesting books in our collection that provide wider perspective on the uncomfortable topic of mortality including All of Us: Americans Talk about the Meaning of Death by Patricia Anderson. All of Us is a collection of interviews and essays from 60 individuals from diverse backgrounds that broadens perspective and inspires the reader to enjoy life. Find this title in our catalog: Wild and Precious Life Recommended by: Andrew |
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