Unshelved's Pimp My Bookcart 2009

Click to enlarge strip

Are you familiar with Unshelved, the comic strip about libraries? It is done by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum and for the last four years running, they have sponsored a Pimp My Bookcart contest. Contestants find a crummy old cart, pick a theme and pretty it up.

Here are a few of my favorites, but don't forget to go to Unshelved and find your own!








Where are the Wild Things? by Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library


Horton Hears a Who by Monroe County Public Library (Bloomington, IN): Collection Services



Wild About Reading by Mount Laurel Library

Bollywood at the library

Last week we had a Hooray for Bollywood party for teens at the library. It was a blast! Katie (pictured above) and I went shopping beforehand and decked ourselves out, which was a joy for me. I loved being able to be so fancy.

Katie's friend Cathy brought extra sari's, so we we able to wrap up the girls and women who came (we had no guys show up, although Cathy was prepared with men's clothes, too). We had Bindi making, Indian snacks and a big display of Bollywood films and other movies about India.

It was great fun.

Mama Mallard's Family Hatches

Hatching babies

Fuzzy ducklings

Mama tucks them under

At our library, this pretty Mallard duck made a nest right outside our front doors, in the garden between some plants. She sat for more than three weeks, and we staff worried about her and protected her from people who wanted to pick up her eggs.

Yesterday, we were all thrilled when her little ones hatched! She has since taken them away, hopefully to the pond behind the library.

Pictures courtesy of Floating Lush.

Daisy Mae from Feline Rescue

Kitty photo from the Snuggle website

Last Thursday, eight library teens , my lovely and talented co-worker Suzie and I spent an hour learning to knit or crochet a Snuggle blanket for local homeless cats. Suzie is super at both needle crafts and got the teens into it. I can muddle by with crochet, and showed them the rose and pink Snuggle I had produced over about three Desperate Housewives episodes the night before. We intend to donate our handiwork to a no-kill cat shelter in Saint Paul called Feline Rescue. Another library friend, Amy, is a shelter volunteer and tells me about the lovely kitties who live there, such as Daisy Mae (above).
The patterns for Snuggle making can be simple and don't require much yarn (mine took 1 skein) and cats and dogs aren't critical of your stitches. In spite of my imperfect handiwork, my cat Thelma at home was crazy to try out the Snuggle as it emerged.

For more information, visit the Snuggles Project.

Sparkle Plenty

Judy Blume's tiara

Bid on a fabulous tiara and help raise money for the New York Public Library! Mona, you will love this. :)

Bid on a Tiara

Judy's Tiara:

"I call this tiara "Princess of the Sea" because Meg and I both live in Key West where the color of the water is green-blue and the sky is azure. I wanted it to sparkle, like Meg, who is my friend.

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places, doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. She is the author of 28 books for readers of all ages.

Visit Judy on her website www.judyblume.com where you can read her blog about creating this tiara."

Super Cute Animal Rescue Program!

Tri is ready to meet fans!

Blossom the Beagle is ready for adoption!

Today at my library, Miss "Carol Has Her Nose in a Book" hosted a wonderful animal rescue program. Our guests were Homeward Bound http://www.homewardboundrescue.com/, the Humane Society http://www.mnhumane.org/and the K9 unit http://www.ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B327EFD67-EC59-4B64-A75B-1105C0329D3A%7D with the West Saint Paul police. They brought lovely animals: Blossom, the Beagle, Phineas, the American Pittbull puppy, Tri, the kitty, and Mike, the German Shepherd police dog.

Here is Blossom's profile:

Name: Blossom (I'm on HB's Top 5 List for "Best Mellowest Dogs")

Breed: Beagle

Age: Mature Adult

Gender: Female

Description: Looking for a gentle, lady to share your home with? Perhaps one that comes trained, with a steady, patient personality, and a lot of love to share? If so, look no further! Blossom is a lady-like name for a lady-like Beagle girl who sure wants out of rescue life fast! She has spent the first 6 years of her life being a well-loved, well-trained family dog but was reluctantly surrendered when her family had to move. She doesn't know why they left her here and needless to say, she is finding rescue life to be overwhelming, chaotic, and just downright scary. The quiet life she knew has been turned upside down, yet she handles it all with incredible dignity and a loving, steady temperament. She has impeccable manners, is housetrained, and is trusted loose for the workday because she has proven so good. She gets along with other dogs and kids absolutely wonderfully. Blossom knows a few basic commands, likes to go for walks but isn't at all hyper, and would love nothing more than to lie on the couch next to you and relax for hours on end. It isn't much of a stretch to say this girl is pretty close to the perfect dog. If a well-trained, steady personality dog is what you are looking for, you won't find one much more grateful to be rescued than Blossom! You can email Sherri at sweeperjunkies@comcast.net for more information. She can also send you a pre-adoption questionnaire. For obvious reasons, all animals adopted from Homeward Bound MUST live indoors only. This dog has been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and tested for heartworm and lyme disease.

I'm crazy about animals. so this was really exciting for me! More pictures to come.