Ed Schipul featured my blog, along with other much more interesting ones, in a short presentation to the American Ad Federation of Houston & Houston Interactive Marketing association. The Slideshare that goes with the presentation is listed below.

Can’t see it? Visit it on SlideShare.

Houston teens are invited to come out to the Houston Public Library’s Central Library this Saturday to make it onto MTV’S hit reality show “MADE:”

Casting for MTV’s MADE

MTV’S “MADE” HOLDS CASTING FOR TEENS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008 at 11 a.m.
Central Library

MTV is coming to the Houston Public Library to do a casting call for teens looking to be the one selected for the next season of “MADE,” a teen reality show. Teens in grades 9-12 can try out for “MADE” at the Central Library, 500 McKinney, downtown on November 8, 2008 at 11 a.m. Castings will be happening on the fourth floor. For more details, call the Central Library Teen Room at 832-393-1521.

Applications are available here and at all Houston Public Library locations.

Teens should be prepared to give out the following information:
-First and last name
-Address
-Email address
-Phone number (mobile or other)
-Photo of themselves
-School schedule (work, internship, camps, etc)
-What are their hobbies? What activities are they involved in?
-Why do they want to be made?
-Why do they need MTV’s help?

The American Libraries blog, AL Inside Scoop, ran a post about the activities and services the Houston Public Library provided immediately after Hurricane Ike hit Houston.

Sandra Fernandez, manager of public relations for Houston Public Library, contacted me this morning to give us an update on what the library has done to aid in recovery from Hurricane Ike, which made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast shortly after midnight September 13. After talking last week with Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey and development guru Pat Martin, and after hearing both of them agree that these tough financial times are exactly the right time for us to be trumpeting the value of public libraries, it was gratifying to hear about what a central role HPL is playing in the recovery.

[snip]

Fernandez noted in her e-mail that in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Ike, “HPL stepped up to help respond to the post-Ike needs of fellow citizens and city employees. Library staff acted quickly to reopen its Central Library and to shift the focus from the provision of normal library services to concentrate on how to best use the library’s resources play an active role to help with the city’s recovery efforts.”

[snip]

It’s always nice to have your organization recognized for the good work it does. It’s also nice to get good quotes while you’re at it.

In the last two years I’ve moved three times. That’s three addresses in a little over 24 months. And, somehow, amongst all of that, I let my voter registration lapse.

I didn’t realize that I wasn’t registered until this weekend when, prompted by the looming deadline, I checked online. Lo and behold, I found out that I had only today to get myself registered or I wasn’t voting in this election.

I went, in person, to the offices at 1001 Preston and registered in person today. And I wasn’t the only one.

I’m glad I found out in time. I’m glad I was able to go and register, so I can go and vote. I’m glad I’m going to get a chance to voice my opinion.

If you are registered, please remember to vote. It’s important.

As much as I love living online (social media has made it possible to fake a life by connecting virtually without ever needing to connect offline) I often find myself craving face-to-face communication. What’s my world come to when I have to schedule lunch or coffee with a friend six weeks in advance?

I’m trying to be better about pushing myself out of my office doors for more than media interactions, going to after-work events and weekend activities with my friends. Yes, it’s something I have to work at. I’ve allowed myself to get comfortable with my couch potato existence and am reconnecting with the social butterfly I once was.

As I find myself going to Ladies Who Lunch, networking events, happy hours, and cultural activities, I realize that my creativity is flowing easily. Amazing how one feeds into the other. Balance is, I guess, more than just a buzzword.

Things I never mastered or need to improve or need to figure out:

• saying “no” when I already have too much to do
• explaining why gravity makes things fall, or why something needs to be news to be pitch-worthy
• figuring out what I want to be when I grow up
• finding a zen moment, slowing down on purpose
• refusing a brownie
• making someone understand why there’s no substitute for good writing
• tolerance for the lack of “please” and “thank you”
• overcoming my curiosity
• stillness
• stopping my inner monologue
• doing one thing at a time

Just a small list, part of the long long list of things I need to work on. Don’t know why I thought about it today.

Update from the Houston Public Library:

HPL Express Discovery Green opened today, located in Discovery Green Park (downtown, across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center), 1300 McKinney, R2, 77010, 832-393-2660. It will be open 10 am to 7 pm.

This means wifi will be up and running at this location as well.

Help me get the word out, please:

The Houston Public Library’s Central Library and Julia Ideson Building (JIB) will reopen to the public beginning Tuesday, September 16, 2008. Hours of operation for this week will be 10 AM to 7 PM. Houstonians are invited to stop by either Library location to access all services, including computers and the Internet. The Central Library computer lab will be designated as the Hurricane Ike Assistance Room to file for FEMA aid, insurance claims, and emailing family and friends. Librarians will be on hand to offer assistance in finding and utilizing necessary online resources. The Central Library and JIB are located at 500 McKinney, 77002, 832-393-1313 (phone is currently unavailable, but expected to go back online shortly).

Two One additional locations will open on Wednesday, September 17^th with hours of operation 10 AM to 7 PM. Others will open in the following days depending on availability of power and water, as well as the determination of damages to individual facilities on a case-by-case basis. Locations to open Wednesday, September 17^th

1. Kendall Neighborhood Library, 14330 Memorial Drive, 77079, 832-393-1880
   The meeting room at Kendall Neighborhood Library will be equipped with laptops and serve as a Hurricane Ike Assistance Room to file for FEMA aid, insurance claims, and emailing family and friends. Librarians will be on hand to offer assistance in finding and utilizing necessary online resources.
2. Acres Home Neighborhood Library, 8501 West Montgomery, 77088, 832-393-1700
   The Acres Homes Neighborhood Library will be equipped with laptops to increase the number of computers available to customers. Librarians will be on hand to offer assistance in finding and accessing the Web sites to file for FEMA aid, insurance claims, and emailing family and friends. Update: Acres Homes Neighborhood Library will not open on Wednesday, September 17th due to a sewage line backup in the neighborhood. More neighborhood libraries will open throughout the week, with updates provided daily.

Houston Public Library staff are urged to check in with their supervisors to let them know their personal situations – how they fared during Hurricane Ike and what their resources are now. Library officials are determining which staff are available to deploy in Library facilities as they get up and running for public access.

I had about three second of fame last night on KPRC-TV Channel 2 (the local NBC affiliate station). The story was about the success of the Houston Public Library’s Summer Reading Program. No video posted, but a web-equivalent story is posted on their site:

[snip]

“Last year, we had 20,000 kids and teens register for the program. As of mid-July, we had more than 60,000,” said Sandra Fernandez with the Houston Public Library.

[snip]

“Studies show that children who read during the summer retain more of what they learned in the previous school year and are better prepared to start the next school year,” said Fernandez.

[snip]

The Summer Reading Program continues through Friday, August 1st.

from OCLC’s latest report about public library funding

Originally uploaded by The Shifted Librarian

Via the shifted librarian. Very interesting.