More than three years? That’s a fair amount of podcasts / posts / interview / whatever you want to call these things. Which have been most popular? Well, let’s see what the data shows…
As for the podcasts from 2022, give them a year or two to acquire an audience, particularly one that is not subjected to staying indoors during a pandemic.
Thanks for listening; and to our guests, thanks for opening up to the rest of the writing community. PODCAST
Finally, back to talking to people in person! Betsy Arand, the Managing Librarian at the Freeland Library, was nice enough to be our first interviewee as the restrictions are relaxed. It was a treat for the three of us to sit around for that hour or so – 3-D! While it is easy to make fun of something that seems so simple now, it was proof that there’s more to life than a 2-D screen. Body language conveys things that can’t be part of a podcast, but it changes the conversation. We humans respond differently when we see someone else’s response.
We mostly talked about life as a librarian, particularly during a crisis. As Betsy said (paraphrased); “Managing a library during a pandemic was not part of the library school curriculum.” Adaptability on display, by necessity.
The good news is that almost all of the library services are available again, though with adjustments in the interim. About the only thing not available are the public presentations in the various Sno-Isle Library System meeting rooms, like the well-equipped one at Betsy’s library in Freeland.
That’s where we met. Our live and in-person interviews are conducted in ways so the background ambiance is included. Don’t be surprised if it’s quieter than usual this time. Though there was that one visitor who picked the wrong door as an entrance; but that’s understandable.
Our conversation lasted about an hour, which is too little time to hear the stories and insights she’s accumulated from decades of service. Listen in and enjoy. And, if you have any questions, well, there’s a librarian for that.
Betsy Arand, Managing Librarian at Sno-Isle Libraries (Freeland)
Attached is the information for authors and the top circulating titles, as provided by Betsy Arand
Sno-Isle Resources for Authors
Inter-Library Loan (ILL)
This service was suspended during the pandemic and will start again on August 2
Use to request books published more than a year ago
Also used to request periodical articles not available in a library database
New ILL system should reduce wait times to 2-4 weeks (previous requests took up to 8 weeks)
A new feature: customers can create an account to receive regular notifications about the progress of their ILL request
Local Author collection in Sno-Isle Libraries
Local authors can have their books added to the Sno-Isle Libraries catalog
Eligibility requirements
An author needs to live in Island or Snohomish County <or>
Have ties to area that are evident in their book
Local authors donate one or two copies at a community library in the Sno-Isle Libraries system
Final decision whether an author’s work is appropriate for the Local Author collection is made by librarians in the Collection Services department
If an author’s book is available in eBook format in Kobo or Smashbooks, Sno-Isle Libraries is able to purchase it through our eBook vendor
Databases
Use library databases for research
Available under the Online Resources tab at top of library’s website
Databases are searchable by Age, Format or Subject
Some of the Subject categories: Current Events, History & Culture, Science
Examples of use:
Use the Chicago Tribune Historical database to research the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 for a novel set in that time period or location
Use the Birds of the World database from Cornell University to do research for a novel that includes birdwatching
Top Circulating Books and DVDs at the Freeland Library
What books are Freeland library customers checking out? These are the top three fiction and non-fiction books checked out during the same time period before the pandemic closure, when the library was providing contact-free holds pickup only, and after the main library building was fully re-opened.
Top June 2019 Fiction – before pandemic closure
Overstory by Richard Powers
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Top June 2019 Non-Fiction – before pandemic closure
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Unforgettable Canada by George Fischer
Furious Hours: murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee by Cep Casey
Top June 2020 Fiction – contact-free holds pickup
Olive, again by Elizabeth Strout
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Top June 2020 Non-Fiction – contact-free holds pickup
A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Kimmerer
Top June 2021 Fiction – main library building re-opened
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
Top June 2021 Non-Fiction – main library building re-opened
Facing the Mountain: a True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown
Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Nomadland: Surviving American in the Twenty-first Century by Jessica Bruder
What DVDs are popular with Freeland customers? These are the top five DVDs that checked out most often before the library closed due to the pandemic, when the library was providing contact-free holds pickup only, and after the main library building was fully re-opened.
