wildsecretlibrary.org

Somebody has something to tell somebody. Somewhere somebody met someone else. Somebody somewhere is named after their someone’s special someone. Somebody did something for somebody, someone else created more space by changing tables — compromises, yes, but what else can I say?

Oh! W0rlDcAt we esteem you. Oh! The keyboard is 180 degrees away and the monitor is off and we sense your highly regarded characteristics. Oh! Your good works are becoming famous.  Your good works are accelerating.  Excuse us but you’re incredible.  Wow.

Tonight at the reference desk a student asked me to read this section from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden:

Walden By Henry David Thoreau, Clifton Johnson

He asked me what I thought it meant. He wanted to talk through his ideas. I talked to him about the passage, and recommended some resources for critical analysis and research.

Related Resources:

Ogden, M. A., Keller, C., & Thoreau, H. D. (1985). Walden, a concordance. Garland reference library of the humanities, vol. 557. New York: Garland Pub.

• Cady, L. (1961). Thoreau’s quotations from the Confucian books in Walden.  American Literature, 33, (1), pp. 20-32.

Do you believe in magic telephone numbers? I do. I believe together we can dial these magic numbers and contact experienced or new librarians from the future, because I believe in librarians from the future who walk among us, some with alarmingly beautiful mobile devices, some with acutely sharpened pencils. Sometimes they are disguised as angels.

They will pal around with you. They will draw Venn diagrams in the air like hexes that make real the points of contact between people, information, resources, what is known, what is unknown, chthonic animals and ether. Some among you may be asleep. Some among you may be wondering if all librarians are good. No. Some librarians are crying. Some are filled with light and grace. Some are very good at what they do. Some are character assassins. Some stop to say hello. Some pretend to be patrons complaining about library services they don’t like because real patrons are not complaining. Some remember their manners. Some are watching you, waiting to delight in and exaggerate your missteps or distort your words and deeds. Some go out of their way to support the efforts of their colleagues, and serve their various constituencies. Some see opportunity and possibility in their situation. Some point their finger and blame. They all make mistakes yet there is hope for them all. They can all play a role in something wonderful. Today is a new day. Tomorrow is another. Do good work and be a pal. Don’t let others define you.

Further sources of inspiration:
Bivens-Tatum, W. (2007). The Ethos of librarians. In Academic Librarian. Retrieved November 19 2008 from URL (http://blogs.princeton.edu/librarian/2007/12/the_ethos_of_librarians.html).

“Code of Ethics,” American Library Association, July 07, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm (Accessed November 19, 2008)

Futurama Official Site. URL (http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/futurama/index.jhtml).

palling around. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved November 19 2008 from URL (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/palling+around).

Respectfully submitted for your perusal: a librarian. Height: a little over less than it takes. Weight: in the neighborhood of an ice cold day in history. Origin: unknown. Motives? Therein hangs the tale, for in just a moment we’re going to ask you to shake hands, figuratively, with a Melvil Dui from another galaxy and another time. This is the Library Zone:

(Close shot of Chase as seen over Frontier Girl’s shoulder. His eyes narrow.)

Chase: What’s the matter, Frontier Girl? What’s going on?

(Reverse angle looking toward her. Her lips tremble.)

Frontier Girl: I…I finally deciphered their language. All of it. I read their book.

(Close shot a suspended speaker overhead. A Librarian’s metallic voice rings out.)

Librarian’s voice: Please move ahead. You’re holding up our departure. Kindly move ahead.

(Cut to: Two shot Chase and Frontier Girl)

Chase: Well?

Frontier Girl: Mr. Chase…Mr. Chase, the first page is just a collection of English words with their own translation. But the rest of the book…the rest of the book — It’s a cookbook!

Chase: Geschmäcke wie Huhn!

The recollections of one Darren Chase, with appropriate flashbacks and soliloquy. Or more simply stated, the evolution of man, the cycle of going from dust to dessert, the metamorphosis from being the ruler of a make-believe mental state to an ingredient in someone’s soup. It’s tonight’s bill of fare from the Library Zone.

More for your perusal:

Dewey, M. (1883). A classification and subject index for cataloging and arranging books, pamflets, papers, clippings and notes: Adapted equally to the largest public library or the smallest private collection, scrapbook or index rerums.

Knight, D. F. (1976). The best of Damon Knight. New York: N. Doubleday.

Knight, D. F. (1977). Turning points: Essays on the art of science fiction. New York: Harper & Row.

Melville Dewey. OCLC.org (http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/biography/)

Serling, R. (2005). The twilight zone. Season 3. Chatsworth, CA: Distributed by Image Entertainment.

To Serve Man. Internet Movie Database. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734684/)

Twilight Zone. To Serve Man. CBS.com. (http://www.cbs.com/classics/the_twilight_zone/video/video.php?cid=649562032&pid=EhJkGeNGuUqJfc9CCfD81h6TpxCIglq1&play=true&cc=2)

WTF? (http://www.childrenofthecode.org/code-history/dewey.htm)

November 1 is All Saints Day, Day of the Dead, Samhain (Northern Hemisphere), Beltane (Southern Hemisphere) & marks the beginning of bullfighting season in Peru. Tomorrow, November 2, is All Souls’ Day.

On All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day it is the custom of some to clean and decorate the graves of loved ones with candles, flowers, food and drink.

Learn More:

Beltane (http://www.mythinglinks.org/Beltane.html)

Cohen, H., & Coffin, T. P. (1987). The Folklore of American holidays. Detroit, Mich: Gale Research.

Day of the Dead (http://www.dayofthedead.com/index.html)

Douglas, G. W., & Compton, H. D. (1948). The American book of days; A compendium of information about holidays, festivals, notable anniversaries and Christian and Jewish holy days, with notes on other American anniversaries worthy of remembrance. New York: H.W. Wilson.

Grimassi, R. (2001). Beltane: Springtime rituals, lore & celebration. St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn Publications.

Henderson, H. (2005). Holidays, festivals, and celebrations of the world dictionary: Detailing nearly 2,500 observances from all 50 states and more than 100 nations : a compendious reference guide to popular, ethnic, religious, national, and ancient holidays. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics.

Roberts, N., & Hill, D. (2006). Dance of the gods. [Grand Haven, MI]: Brilliance Audio.

Samhain (http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainlore.htm)

Wanek, C. (1999). All Saints’ Day. Poetry. 175 (2), 109.

Yeats, W. B., & Bloomfield, B. C. (1970). Samhain. No. 1-7, Oct. 1901-Nov. 1908. English little magazines, no. 14. London: Frank Cass.

Now all the good people come together in costumes to dispel evil spirits, commingle with the dead on their journey to the otherworld and share candy.

Halloween Fun:

American Folklife Center - The Fantasy & Folklore of All Hallows

American Memory - Today in History: October 31

Anoka - Halloween Capital of the World

Britannica Blog - Ghosts in the Library

Flickr - Vintage Halloween

NASA - Spooky Space Sounds

Project Gutenberg - The Raven (audio)

Project Gutenberg - The Works of Edgar Allen Poe, the Raven Edition

PubMed - the Haunt Project

Pumpkin Carving 101

the US Census Bureau gets in on the act