Really, I could just browse and feed my read all day

The amazing amount of material to find on the Internet. Will never become more than I am if I don't break free, and what is that Facebook thing? Pictures and text (almost) messaging. I think I see a greater divide between the generations and education systems - wonder where that change will lead the country and the world.

Getting time to close the library for the year, had 715 circs, yesterday in only three hours, the evening session was closed due to transfer of contraband, or almost escape attempt during the Visiting Movements - I downloaded records for donated CDs while my crew had Picture Card Count with the rest of the prison population. About two hour delay in ferry boats while they re-established their security inside the fence, so I rode a packed ferry with lots of families that had been visiting. The visitors took it all in stride.

The annual wrap up of numbers for the year, the cleaning of 2008 from the computers, the blocking of days in the 2009 calendar for meetings, holidays and just because I can will happen at my last hour in the library on McNeil Island for 2008. I will know what I did, the numbers will reflect my opening and closing the doors and the patrons that visited. About my personal goals for the year, they didn't happen - don't think lists work well - I did shoot better, ride better, and knocking off the medications has made me feel much better the last few months.

King County Jail has decided to save money by using Corrections Officers instead of librarians to provide library services to their prisoners. I know how well that will work - it all depends on the officer and how much care they have about the mission. They sold it on doubling the budget for buying new materials - from $15,000 to $30,000 for books. Sounds like a good deal but the price of paperbacks has gone from 7.99 to 9.99 or 14.00 for large urban fiction so I figure they will get just about the same number of books unless they are visiting Half-price Books more often. In the end it is all about the budget, there isn't that much money around they gave it to the bankers, or some such thing. I was denied access to GuitarWorld on the internet, couldn't get an article requested about Shredding, so I asked the IT folks - the answer - officially, is that if they are going to deny access to that site for the Department of Corrections employees then the inmate patrons can't go there either. Land of the Free, home of the ? It isn't censorship if they are protecting the children is it?

Obviously, I had better get a better attitude and put a smile back in my heart and head - I am about to work in a prison again and need to make that as small a prison as possible, and allow my library to open all the escape hatches in everyone's mind and day. Later!

After a bit: packed out the donated paperbacks - I encourage everyone to donate to the USO, prisons, and places where people wait for better times (homeless and battered women's shelters) those paperbacks you read once or gifts you haven't gotten around to reading yet, re-cycle and load up another person's mind with mush and matter. It really helps when someone needs escape and motivation and company.

I also took the garbage out, since they missed us in the snows, and along my path I found the set of missing house and car keys. Mine, and I feel better about seeing grass and tossed beer cans if I can find good stuff for my piece of mind. Already my lucky day, better check the Lotto tickets!