I recently (about a month ago) became a member of the Friends of the Library group for my local public library. The last newsletter noted that the next meeting would be November 15th (last night). I joined the Friends partly because I wanted to do something good for our public library and show support through the fact of my membership, and partly I joined because I wanted to be more involved. It was probably the best choice I could have made.
My full-time job does restrict my ability to do big things with and for my library. My hours and my commute preclude me from being able to attend virtually all events at the library I would like to--they happen during the day when I am at work. I'm not able to participate in a formal internship at the library for the same reason. It requires too many weekly hours. Until technology allows me to be in two places at once, I have to say no to a lot of events and opportunities I wish I could say yes to.
Which is where the Friends come in. Last night's meeting was really enlightening and encouraging. It's wonderful to see "my" library doing so well (I was definitely feeling a sense of civic pride) and I was so glad to learn about some of the many things the Friends group does for the library. Being a library student, I learn about one side of the picture (the librarian's side), and I don't really get to learn about everything that happens on the community side. The branch manager attended last night's meeting and presented her "wish list" for the library for the next year--and all of it is being factored into the Friends' budget for next year. How incredibly lucky the community is to have the library, and how incredibly lucky the library is to have its Friends group. I feel so privileged to have a library that is doing so well because it really speaks to how much support its community provides.
I know a few library students that also work full-time and not at libraries. For those individuals, I would recommend getting involved with the local library's Friends group. As a member of the Friends, I can get involved and be active with the time I'm able to offer. I've already offered my services for the December booksale, and I intend to help out on both days. I'm only giving four hours of my time the whole weekend, and I get to start directly helping out my library (which I've wanted to do for some time now).
I'm really looking forward to future involvement with my library and its Friends.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Libraries are growing out of the box
We are living in interesting times. Global stability is not a reality but a dream (and perhaps for some a goal). The worldwide economy is currently in upheaval, from our own recession (funny how they won't use the D-word and yet we're seeing some of the worst unemployment rates and economic outlooks since the 1930s) to the financial crisis in Greece. People in other nations are forming their own revolutions against their leaders; Egypt and Libya did it, who's next? Protest seems to be the buzzword of the day, and even here in the US we have no end in sight for dedicated groups of people participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Take a moment and think about this: we're all right now in the middle of history. Each one of these events will be making it into history books and will almost certainly be discussed and theorized about; students will be writing papers about these events. And we're living it.
Libraries, in their own way, are also going through revolutionary changes. Even before some of the more recent economic and political struggles, libraries were evolving. Technology can take some (a lot) of the credit for that. Our libraries have had to change and adapt to match their communities' needs, and so many of the "traditional" ideas about libraries have been turned upside-down. For decades, libraries were seen as a place that houses books, and librarians were the gatekeepers (perhaps "guards" better describes the public attitude). Now, more and more libraries have drawn away from the idea that they are a house of books and now try to promote the idea that they are a haven of information. And that information takes any and all forms: books, DVDs, CDs, websites, classes and workshops, story times, game nights, job seeking support, and on and on. Libraries are growing out of the box they had been in for some time, and the rate of change seems to be increasing, not slowing down. Librarians now wear more hats then ever: researcher, guide, tech savant, entertainer, social worker (often not by choice), decoder, event coordinator, career advisor, detective, and any other position needed to provide their patrons with needed information or services.
The Occupy Wall Street libraries that have cropped up seem to be "breaking the rules" even more drastically. Instead of having a building that patrons must go to in order to access the physical materials, the libraries have gone to the people. At Zuccotti Park, books are stored in bins at the OWS camp's People's Library. They are cataloged--a nod to a traditional part of the life of a book in the library--but its circulation system is one that would likely make many library administrators shudder. There is no formal system policing the taking and returning of books. Anyone can come by and take a book if they want it, and they can keep it as long as they like, returning it only when they're done (or not at all). The catalog, then, is not the accurate listing of materials in the library that its counterpart in brick-and-mortar libraries is. Rather, it's a record of what has passed through the OWS library. To those long used to the "normal" way libraries are run, this kind of library (and it is a library in truth) is drastically different, maybe even alarmingly so. For more information about the People's Library, you can check their blog.
On another note, Scooter and I have continued to try recipes from the slow cooker cookbook I mentioned in my last post. This last Sunday, we made the slow cooker risotto recipe. Now, I love risotto, and I was a little unsure about how good this recipe would taste. I was pleasantly surprised. It was easier than my favorite recipe, and it still delivered a good flavor and texture. Scooter and I, as always, changed some of it, so here's our recipe:
What you'll need:
1/4 c. olive oil
4 shallots, minced
1/2 c. white wine (we used a Riesling)
1 1/4 c. Arborio rice
3 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
salt to taste
What you'll need to do:
1. In a skillet (cast iron preferred), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened. You don't want to brown them, so if they are cooking too fast, turn down the heat a little.
2. Add the wine and cook 1-2 minutes, allowing the liquid to cook down a bit. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Don't brown the rice.
3. Remove from heat and scrape the rice mixture into the slow-cooker. Add the broth and salt, then set to HIGH. Cook for 2 hours until the broth and wine have been absorbed by the rice. The rice should be moist, not dry.
4. Turn off the heat or put on KEEP WARM and add the grated Romano cheese. Stir it in completely and serve.
We fried up some chicken in the skillet and had the risotto with it (yum!). The shallots have a mild flavor, so if you like the flavor of onions, I would recommend substituting the shallots with either yellow or red onion. Also, you want the Arborio rice or another thick-grain rice for this recipe; something like a basmati rice is too thin and won't hold up. The original recipe calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but I like a stronger flavor, so we opted for the Romano. One great thing about risotto is that you can add other ingredients along with the basics. I like mine with mushrooms too. However, since this recipe uses a slow cooker, you may have to experiment a little since not everything can keep its texture and flavor in a slow cooker.
Enjoy!
Libraries, in their own way, are also going through revolutionary changes. Even before some of the more recent economic and political struggles, libraries were evolving. Technology can take some (a lot) of the credit for that. Our libraries have had to change and adapt to match their communities' needs, and so many of the "traditional" ideas about libraries have been turned upside-down. For decades, libraries were seen as a place that houses books, and librarians were the gatekeepers (perhaps "guards" better describes the public attitude). Now, more and more libraries have drawn away from the idea that they are a house of books and now try to promote the idea that they are a haven of information. And that information takes any and all forms: books, DVDs, CDs, websites, classes and workshops, story times, game nights, job seeking support, and on and on. Libraries are growing out of the box they had been in for some time, and the rate of change seems to be increasing, not slowing down. Librarians now wear more hats then ever: researcher, guide, tech savant, entertainer, social worker (often not by choice), decoder, event coordinator, career advisor, detective, and any other position needed to provide their patrons with needed information or services.
The Occupy Wall Street libraries that have cropped up seem to be "breaking the rules" even more drastically. Instead of having a building that patrons must go to in order to access the physical materials, the libraries have gone to the people. At Zuccotti Park, books are stored in bins at the OWS camp's People's Library. They are cataloged--a nod to a traditional part of the life of a book in the library--but its circulation system is one that would likely make many library administrators shudder. There is no formal system policing the taking and returning of books. Anyone can come by and take a book if they want it, and they can keep it as long as they like, returning it only when they're done (or not at all). The catalog, then, is not the accurate listing of materials in the library that its counterpart in brick-and-mortar libraries is. Rather, it's a record of what has passed through the OWS library. To those long used to the "normal" way libraries are run, this kind of library (and it is a library in truth) is drastically different, maybe even alarmingly so. For more information about the People's Library, you can check their blog.
On another note, Scooter and I have continued to try recipes from the slow cooker cookbook I mentioned in my last post. This last Sunday, we made the slow cooker risotto recipe. Now, I love risotto, and I was a little unsure about how good this recipe would taste. I was pleasantly surprised. It was easier than my favorite recipe, and it still delivered a good flavor and texture. Scooter and I, as always, changed some of it, so here's our recipe:
What you'll need:
1/4 c. olive oil
4 shallots, minced
1/2 c. white wine (we used a Riesling)
1 1/4 c. Arborio rice
3 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
salt to taste
What you'll need to do:
1. In a skillet (cast iron preferred), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened. You don't want to brown them, so if they are cooking too fast, turn down the heat a little.
2. Add the wine and cook 1-2 minutes, allowing the liquid to cook down a bit. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Don't brown the rice.
3. Remove from heat and scrape the rice mixture into the slow-cooker. Add the broth and salt, then set to HIGH. Cook for 2 hours until the broth and wine have been absorbed by the rice. The rice should be moist, not dry.
4. Turn off the heat or put on KEEP WARM and add the grated Romano cheese. Stir it in completely and serve.
We fried up some chicken in the skillet and had the risotto with it (yum!). The shallots have a mild flavor, so if you like the flavor of onions, I would recommend substituting the shallots with either yellow or red onion. Also, you want the Arborio rice or another thick-grain rice for this recipe; something like a basmati rice is too thin and won't hold up. The original recipe calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but I like a stronger flavor, so we opted for the Romano. One great thing about risotto is that you can add other ingredients along with the basics. I like mine with mushrooms too. However, since this recipe uses a slow cooker, you may have to experiment a little since not everything can keep its texture and flavor in a slow cooker.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Finally...another recipe!
I've also acquired another cookbook recently. My aunt and uncle got Scooter and me a slow cooker cookbook to help us save time since we're now both working full-time. We've already tried two recipes (both a success), and I'll be putting another one to the test tomorrow. If you want to check out the book for yourself, it can be found here on Amazon. We made the Chicken with Golden Raisins recipe this last weekend, and of course changed it up a bit. Here's our version (and it was soooooooo good!).
What you'll need:
1 lb. thick-cut bacon
3/4 c. flour
8 bone-in chicken thighs, with the skin
1 c. dry red wine (we used the Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. golden raisins
salt and pepper to taste
4-qt. slow cooker
What you'll need to do:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry up the bacon. I suggest a cast-iron skillet if you have it, as it will cook the chicken evenly and crisp the skin nicely. You can cook the bacon in batches, pouring the excess bacon fat into a coffee mug. Bacon should be cooked until slightly soft. Set the bacon aside for later.
2. Keeping the skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of retained bacon grease to the bottom of the pan. Put the flour into a flat dish or pie pan. Take each piece of chicken one at a time and dredge in the flour, then add it to the skillet skin-side down (don't crowd the chicken--you may need to cook it in batches). Cook the chicken until it is brown on each side and the skin is crispy, about 5-8 minutes per side.
3. Move the chicken to your slow-cooker. Once all the chicken is cooked, add the wine to the skillet a little at a time. Be very careful!! Adding the wine to the hot grease all at once could cause the hot liquid to splash or the wine to ignite if you're using a gas stove! After adding the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the drippings. Once the wine has cooked down--after about 2-3 minutes--add the liquid from the skillet to the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Note that the bacon will be adding salt to the recipe, so you may want to hold back a bit with the salt.
4. Cover and set the slow cooker setting to LOW and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
5. Stir in the cream, raisins, and bacon. Cover and set the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 1 hour. Serve hot over rice or noodles.
The wine you use to cook with is a nice accompanyment to the dish itself, especially if you get one you like to drink. Enjoy!
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