Virtual Library Legislative Day!

Today is Virtual Library Day on the Hill! Go to www.capwiz.com/ala to write your Members of Congress about the importance of libraries. All of us at ALA conference in Anaheim have the opportunity to participate and I hope all of you will -- or have and at the break in Council today, I hope ALL Councilors will write their members of Congress.
We need librarians and library supporters from across the country to call attention to the value of today’s libraries, as well as the issues the library community is facing. This is especially important in an election year, as many of our nation’s legislators will be looking to hear from their constituents. This is our chance to make the library voice heard!
Virtual Library Day on the Hill is an amazing opportunity to showcase the value and importance of libraries to Members of Congress and let them know how important federal funding is to our nation’s libraries.

Click on the link above to go to
ALA's Legislative Action Center
See what library legislation is hot
Send a letter or fax to Congress
U.S. Capitol switchboard 202-225-3121

Thank you for your support of ALL libraries -- especially school libraries!

Another Health Update

The last two blood tests have remained the same which is encouraging, but I still have kidneys only functioning at 20-25%. I am on my way to annual conference and know it will be difficult with hotel food, etc., but I will do it! Not only do I have to virtually eliminate all sodium from my diet -- but potassium and phosphors as well. It is just a matter of making my kidneys work overtime to eliminate these minerals from my body. So if I put fewer of those minerals in -- the less they have to work to do their job and the longer they might continue working. Anybody outthere have an extra kidney to spare?

The Devastation Continues

As if the original two position eliminations wasn't bad enough -- or the next eleven wasn't bad enough - I now find that one more key employee is being transferred. Transferred??? Why you ask? There is no answer. That leaves nine employees to do what 23 were doing -- which originally 29 were doing. Through the last five years we have worked smarter and scaled down services and looked at new ways to do things. We had done all we could and staff had taken on as many new responsibilities as they could -- which of course increased their work time and hours but without additional help or compensation. And this is how dedication is rewarded? In addition to the 60% loss of staff we now can talk about the actual budget. The funding for the integrated library system was slightly reduced as was the database budget, but that we will be able to survive. But then when you add all the other budget line items, like equipment repair, new equipment, materials of instruction, professional library resources, professional development, etc., my budget was cut 92% -- no typo here -- 92% or in other words, I have 8% of the budget I had in previous years. Can this be real? Yes, it is! Once again the message is clear -- that libraries and the instructional value they add and their contribution to student achievement is not valued.

When It Rains It POURS!!!!

Feeling very good, I went to work this morning to an office of six departments employing 24 wonderful staff members. This afternoon when I left, it was raining, I felt miserable and so helpless as I left a devastated office where on July 15 there will only be 11 staff members. My county is experiencing the same financial shortfall that is happening all over the country and to balance the budget my office was reduced by more than half. The positions have been eliminated and just a month ago during the first round of cuts I lost two staff members. Total of 13 eliminated with only 11 left. To begin with it seems unfair and lopsided for my department to take a hit of over 15% of the cuts that central office received. Secondly, it sends a message loud and clear -- the library media program is not valued. And that is the very reason I came to this county nine years ago -- because they valued the library program and saw that the program was an integral part of the instructional process and that we made a difference in student achievement. Doesn't seem to be the case any longer!
All operations of Library Media Services were together in my department. My office which housed the instructional component, the Professional Library, Review and Evaluation Center, The Production Center, Acquisitions, and Technology for the Integrated Library system. All operations need to continue, but how one person, a few with a secretary, can continue to fulfill the responsibilities I have not figured out yet. Who will do them if we can't? Will they get done? Efficiently? Effectively? There is no doubt in my mind that those who made the cuts do not know what we do -- or do not understand what we do -- or do not want to understand what we do -- or do not care what we do -- or perhaps all of the above.
I feel the need to head to The Outer Banks to sort things out. The rain only made the gloom worse - I wanted to run an errand, but with the rain and traffic and my mood, I just turn around and headed home. But as I was driving home - I saw a beautiful full rainbow - and the rainbow when I first saw it ended right at my office building. I hope that was an omen that all the staff affected, who in my mind are wonderful valued employees will find that rainbow with a "pot of gold" waiting for them. There is a reason for everything -- I really do believe that -- but in this instance I haven't accepted this devastating blow!
Score: 13 for them - 0 for school libraries and our students!

Health Update

My primary care physician adjusted my medication in the three weeks I was waiting to see the specialist and I reduced my fluid intake and virtually cut out all sodium - down to under 500 mg a day. All that drastic change in my life style resulted in my blood pressure dropping when I stood up after sitting and at times if I stood too long - like grocery shopping. Then with the constant fatigue and dizziness I returned to my PCP. It seems I was dehydrated! Once again adjusting the medication made all the difference in the world -- the next day I felt better than I had in the previous three weeks. After seeing the specialist I was informed that my kidneys are functioning at 35% - not good. A week later another blood test was taken, which shown there had been another decrease, down to 30%. I was put on iron and medication to keep my bones from becoming brittle. And being the librarian that I am -- I got my hands on every piece of information I could -- I have even thought about starting another blog just dealing with CKD, as there seems to be a lot of us out there. Kidney disease caused by diabetes is the commonest cause of kidney failure requiring treatment by dialysis or kidney transplantation. I have been diabetic for 35 years. I will have a biopsy in July to determine/verify the cause. Last Wednesday I was told by the specialist that if the decline continued as it had been, I would need a transplant in three to six months. But to hold off contacting the centers for evaluation as she wanted another blood test, which I will have tomorrow, to see if things leveled off and my body adjusts. So in the meantime I am going to live each day to the fullest doing what I enjoy and what is important in life. As I feel good, the doctor approved my going to Anaheim for conference, which I will do -- so see you there!

Life Happens!

I have been complaining about periods of shortness of breath, swollen ankles with occasionally back pains for close to ten years now. I never seemed to get any satisfaction from my doctors -so last July after a really difficult episode, I changed doctors. She has been running me through every test known to man. And even though my last blood work was in May -- just two months before I saw her -- and I was told everything was fine, when she did the blood work, I ended up on medication for high blood pressure, high Cholesterol, and low thyroid function. Also a calcium supplement and continued with my daily vitamin and fluid pill. Last fall during a routine visit she mentioned that my kidney function was low and did a sonogram for blockage. As there was none, she recommended I see a specialist. Well, since last October, my time and energy went into the ALA Presidential Campaign leaving me little time to think of much else. I had a regular check-up appointment in April. While in Nags Head -- recovering from the campaign, (see a previous blog entry) I had a very difficult four days with very swollen ankles and a lot of difficulty breathing and even walking for a short distance. I had the follow-up appointment the Monday I returned and my blood work showed that my kidneys were functioning at 50% or less -- I was to go to a nephrologist (a kidney specialist). The specialist diagnosed me with Stage IV of Chronic Kidney Disease. Stage V is dialysis or transplant. I have been undergoing a lot of tests and will see what the future holds in mid-June. The CKD means reduced production of red blood cells -- and that with the heavy fluid retention accounts for the shortness of breath and anemia is a result of fewer red blood cells so I am exhausted most of the time -- fatigued is the better word -- which is not at all like me. I am sure this is more than anyone wants to know about my health -- but it has helped me by writing this. I plan to do as the doctor says and hope I can keep the disease in Stage IV for a very long time! But there are no answers at the moment. I also plan to be in Anaheim, but will certainly obey the doctors. I think I could be excused for missing one annual in thirty years!

The Christmas Shop

The "sparkle" is back on the Outer Banks! The Christmas Shop in Manteo, NC opened again after being closed for 2 and a half years! For those that might not know, the Christmas Shop and Art Gallery is a landmark on the Outer Banks and a "must go to" attraction. On Saturday, May 10, 2008 Edward Greene cut the ribbon to open his shop again. There is still much to be done but the look is the same and it felt so very familiar -- like it had never closed. There are still the theme trees and the Art Gallery, and lots of antiques, but there are also various shops within the shop and new features like a glass blower - a tee shirt shop - fudge and coffee by the Outer Banks Fudge Company - and the History shop featuring books about North Carolina run by Bruce and Cheryl Roberts who use to own the Lighthouse Gallery and Gifts in Nags Head. I can't wait to see the Christmas Shop in November when it will certainly be all decked out for the holiday that is its' namesake.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina

The Outer Banks are magical -- at least that is what I have always felt for the thirty-eight years I have been coming here. Through the years it has been the place I would go to sort out life's challenges and disappointments. A place to put things in perspective and figure out what to do or how to handle a particular situation. That is why, for now, I moved the saying at the end of my blog to the top right under the title. And through the years, even though I have seen unbelievable changes in the area, the ability to help me deal with life has not changed. Sitting on the beach looking out to the ocean can do wonders to clear my mind and prioritize what is important! That's why I am here this week and it didn't fail me this time, but provided me once again with a safe haven to get emotions out of the way so I could see things clearly and deal with the situation and move forward. Not winning the ALA Presidential election was a real disappointment but I am more disappointed for school libraries and youth services than I am for myself. But as the week has passed, I know I will not stop fighting for school libraries and having school and youth services librarians be an integral part of ALA. I have even been able to think through the debt I incurred and how I will pay it off in under two years! Might not be traveling much or buying anything other than necessities, but I can make it work. And when all is said and done, I enjoyed the experience, learned a lot, met many wonderful people that I hope will remain friends and had a lot of fun. Once again thank you for the opportunity and your kind words.

WWJBD?

Facing emotions that have taken over every waking moment, created restless nights, and left me unable to speak to anyone without tearing up - I have tried to put some levity into the situation and asked myself - "What Would Jimmy Buffett Do?" And to quote one of his songs - "I hope you understand, I just gotta go back to the Island. . .and watch the sun go down . . . and the sea roll in . . . I'll be thinking . . .what might have been. . ." So I'm headed to my islands -- Hatteras Island and Roanoke Island.

Thank You!

I have been away from my blog for longer than I realized -- too busy writing articles, speeches and flying around the country, campaigning. It was all worth it, I met a lot of great people I wouldn't have otherwise, I had a lot of fun, and I also learned a lot! But you probably know the results by now -- I was not elected as the American Library Association President-elect. I only received 44.2% of the votes. There is no doubt about it -- I am disappointed -- very disappointed -- and for many reasons. But I want to thank all of you who showed your confidence in me through your votes. I really appreciate all your support! Thank you for everything you did!