2014 Rocks (So Far)

Hooray for the first day of the year! I did something I've been meaning to do since I moved in: I went to meet the neighbors. Now, we have, of course, talked before - mainly along the lines of "Hey, could you move your car a bit?" and "We're going out of town for the week - could you watch for packages?" This time, though, I did it right: baked baklava and went to say Happy New Year! And it only took me, what, five months? Since it was by now sort of awkward, I didn't actually ask them for their names, which means I still don't know my neighbors' names; I shall have to resort to raiding their mailboxes, I suppose.

Yesterday, Michael and I cleaned the house, top to bottom. Ish. I mean, it's as clean as it's going to get as long as I'm in charge. There are no clothes on the floor, is what I'm saying. 

Today, we also celebrated Swicky and Coconut's birthdays. I swore I would a) never have kids born near Christmas, b) never have kids born on any holiday, and c) never have kids born with birthdays too close together. So, of course, Swicky was born on New Year's Eve and, two years later, Coconut was born on New Year's Day. Usually, I bake a cake. You might assume I baked a cake today, since I was baking anyway, but you'd be wrong. That's what you get for assuming. No, we bought cupcakes - Hello Kitty cupcakes for Swicky, Jake and the Never Land Pirates for Coconut. 

And Anthony moved in! It's been a busy year, so far.

Most importantly, it's New Sherlock Day. And the world (of Cumberbunnies) rejoiced. 

Links for the Day!

• Censorship, Tea Leaves, and Social Media: I didn't like this article, and I'll tell you why. (Did you expect anything else?) The author, Su Epstein, makes a serious mistake in confusing collection development with censorship. She states that "...as librarians we engage in censoring decisions daily. When we make choices about what materials to purchase, what to recommend, what site to refer to, etc. we also are engaging in censorship to a degree. It is, in effect, the suppression of material, even if our motives are justified and our intentions pure." No. Collection development is not "suppression of material" - at least, not if done correctly. Of course, librarians must decide what is purchased, recommended, etc. Libraries have budgets, limited space, and other considerations that make it impractical to own and/or offer everything out there. Libraries also have communities, with specific information needs and entertainment trends, and that's what ought to drive those decisions. That does not mean, however, that anything is being suppressed. If an item or piece of information is wanted or needed and the library does not have it readily available, librarians will help you get what you're looking for. We can work through interlibrary loan, bringing what you need from another library. We might decide to go ahead and purchase the item - after all, a community member is asking for it! If we can't get exactly what you want, we can recommend other sources that might have the necessary information. Moreover, I'm not sure what her central argument was. Of course, social media and library use thereof is important. It's a great way to gather community input as well as an avenue for marketing and branding. But I'm not sure what that has to do with the price of tea - or political forecasting - in China.
• Reading a novel triggers lasting changes in the brain: Neat! 
• Into the Woods: I am so excited! Into the Woods is my favorite musical (sorry, Les Mis), and this looks like it will be a beautiful version. Although, let's be honest, no one can replace Bernadette Peters as the Witch.