Journey Inside My Mind ™

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (40.9MB)

Image by The Shifted Librarian via Flickr

Hey! We’re back after about two whole months with a full episode of the Journey Inside My Mind.  This time around we’ve got some great new music, a New Media Cincinnati update, and an expert interview with Greg Schwartz, Library Systems Manager for the Louisville Free Public Library.  Check out Greg’s personal blog Open Stacks and his interactive online radio show Uncontrolled Vocabulary.

Songs Played:

Nine Inch Nails, “Discipline”
Drew Laplante, “Broken Crown”

Special thanks to these artists for their permission in playing their music on this program.  Also a big thank you to Greg for our chat at Podcamp Ohio back in June.

Mood: nostalgic
Listening to: quiet
Reading: Who Let the Blogs Out?: A Hyperconnected Peek at the World of Weblogs
Eating: nothing – feeling hungry

I’m inside the main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Being here brings back a lot of memories. The library has changed considerably since I was a child, but some of it is still the same.

I used to catch the 17 bus from home to downtown. I would sometimes come down here with my best friend David Mixon, other times accompanied by his younger brother Adam, and still other times by myself. This library was one of the coolest places to hang out. I even had dreams about things happening down here.

• I remember poring over the items in the Films and Recordings department. I recall vividly searching through the card catalog drawers to find some interesting music. Other times, I’d browse the LPs and cassettes – CDs weren’t around that much just yet. I remember testing some LPs on the record player they had set up, to see if I really wanted to check out the record.
• Another time I remember spending a lot of time down here was in my junior year of high school, while working on my English term paper on Miles Davis. I would spend entire days up in the Arts and Literature department on the third floor, poring over materials. I would often listen to music I’d put on cassettes in my Walkman.
• Yet another time I was reminded of just this morning was when I’d graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1994 and was looking for a job. I spent a lot of time at the Government and Business department back then. I remember, after learning of an interview I had with Alcoa Building Products in Sidney, Ohio, looking through scores of newspaper articles and other publications to find out anything I could about the company. Looking through microfiche and other materials, I’d print out and make copies of pages for my company research, back before the internet was really mainstream.
• And then again, after receiving a job offer, I remember coming back to the G&B department to research the kind of car I wanted to get, spending lots of time going over reliability reports and insurance information.

I’m really impressed by all the changes to the downtown library, especially as I look at all the computers and the addition to the building that was done several years ago. Films and Recordings is now on the first floor. The Mezzanine, which used to be a paperback book area, is now a snack area and gift shop. The card catalog has been replaced on the first floor by a bank of computers. The checkout is no longer right at the both exits, but instead in a more central area.

Yet as I walk through this building, I still see younger versions of me doing the things I used to do so long ago.

Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr cincinnati library nostalgia

Checking out the labels on the Journey Inside My Mind Blog, you will discover that we have enjoyed the public library long before we started homeschooling. It was one of my favorite weekend hangout places when I was growing up. Seriously. I remember the first time I ever rode the bus downtown unaccompanied by an adult – just me and my best friend – we went to the public library downtown.

I love how the library systems have progressed with technology. I remember the long checkout lines, where the staff would lay your library card and the card that was stuck in the pouch of the book in front of a camera. I remember when we lived in Middletown, Ohio in the late 1990′s, you could call a phone number and renew items from the automated voice system. Now everything is bar-coded and runs much more smoothly.

We also used to get notices in the mail whenever items were coming due or were overdue. Now these notices get sent through e-mail, which brings me to the purpose of this post.

Since I work in front of a computer, I’m able to check my email many times throughout the day, so I’ve set up notices for Jennie, Keisha, and my library card numbers to be sent to my email address. So I get notices that items are coming due or are overdue, that my library card has expired, and whenever items placed on hold have arrived.

As homeschooler parents, we use the library extensively. In fact, we help their circulation numbers so much that they’ve given us extra bags – the ones that normally cost a quarter. This past week when I was home sick, Jennie and Keisha went to the library. Apparently they put a lot of items on reserve because every day since I’ve been getting email notices that the items are available.

Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr homeschool library

On a very cold Sunday afternoon in Fairfield, Ohio, I sit near the lobby of the Lane Public Library and am enjoying guitarist David Cochran and his fingerpicking style. For the past few minutes, he has played mostly classical music, and it’s been wonderful to watch his technique.

We have begun timing our visits to this library so that we can make it to these Sunday Sounds series events:

One big key to playing well, as I’m watching him, is being able to move up and down the fretboard with ease, without the aid of a capo to transform the key in which the guitar is tuned. He makes it look so easy, but I know that such grace is anything but.

I see two other acoustic guitars on stands next to him; perhaps these are tuned differently for different styles, and we’ll be sure to hear something from them soon.

Oh how cool is that? He just launched into a beautiful rendition of “Here, There, and Everywhere” by The Beatles! Having finished that song, he just said that he’s got a few more for us.

Others in the audience ask him about his style in between songs, and it’s very cool to hear the interaction. I’m definitely impressed with the use of barre chords and variety of fingerstyles.

Now comes “Michelle” by The Beatles. The acoustic guitar is such a beautiful instrument.

The library’s Sound Series occurs on the first Sunday of every month, and free coffee is provided. Just be careful not to spill it on the carpeting like I just did!

Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr david+cochran lane+public+library acoustic+guitar

Fortunately for us we came to the Lane Public Library on the first Sunday of the month. It turns out that they have someone playing music from 2-3PM, and they provide some coffee as well. Not just someone, but a great guitar player named Bill Littleford. When we walked in, I thought the library was playing a jazz guitar CD. Then I saw Bill playing over in a corner. It was really nice to watch his technique of playing the different positions along the fretboard, as well as his style of picking and plucking the strings.

I also got to meet some other musicians in the audience, including DuWayne Cunningham’s brother.

We’ll be sure to come back next month.

Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr coffee library

crossposted to Journey Inside My Mind Podcast on MySpace

End-of-year library circulation drives and news on the job search:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6zOUBmJGPM]
Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm dan+johnson jimmpodcast video library job+search

A lot of time to day organizing my networks into a really cool website, which will help me manage those relationships:

Related tags:

journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm dan+johnson networking jibberjobber cincinnati+public+library

Mood: sleepy
Listening to: fan in the window, crickets outside
Eating: Subway Italian BMT on wheat

How cool is it that Keisha and I are interested in the same sci-fi/fantasy stories? We both are really into Harry Potter, and tonight, we watched Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

Several months ago, I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1) to Keisha. After we finished that book, we saw the movie. Then we’d move on to the next book, and we’d watch the movie for that book afterward. Right now we’re reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5), and it looks like we’ll probably finish the book before the movie comes out next year. We may opt to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) beforehand anyway.

A month or so ago, I checked out some of the Star Wars movies from the library, and tonight we finished with the last movie in the saga (chronological). We probably could still watch Star Wars – Episode I, The Phantom Menace, since we hadn’t watched it yet. It’s interesting to have seen the original trilogy after just having seen the most recent trilogy.

Well, I’m pretty tired and need to go to bed.

Mood: excited
Listening to: The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack (from Keisha’s bedroom)
Reading: still reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) (someone help Arthur Weasley! He’s just been bitten terribly by a snake!)
Eating: not yet, but it will be from Chez Johnson this morn
Watching: 2 nights ago we saw Taxi (Widescreen Edition), with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon – very funny movie!

Today Keisha officially begins 3rd grade here at home. The plan is to do bible study, math, language arts, a trip to the library (not necessarily part of homeschool – but needed sometime today bcuz we’ve got items due), a field trip (to the Freedom Center?), a preliminary grocery list (for Jennie and me to do or Keisha? need to dbl chk), and daily chores.

And I’m on “vacation”. Whatever that’s supposed to mean. Seriously. Not used to having time off. I’m sure I’ll find something to do.

Mood: alert, but with tired eyes
Listening to: cars driving on wet pavement outside the window
Reading: see below
Eating: spaghetti with sauce, mushrooms, and chicken steak, and steamed broccoli, with some Miller Lite to wash it down

I went to the library on my way home from work. Going to a different branch than I normally go to from time to time is nice. Different surroundings and different selections.

I’d called the branch when I was still in the Dayton area to see if they had a DVD of Mr. Holland’s Opus, one of our family’s all-time favorite movies.

I dropped off

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3),
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2-Disc Full Screen Edition) (Harry Potter 3), and
some other children’s book Keisha had checked out

I then browsed the non-fiction section for a book on personal finance for dummies, idiot’s guide to personal finance, or K.I.S.S. guide to personal finance, but didn’t find anything like that.

Instead I wound up checking out

Mr. Holland’s Opus,
Cats for Dummies,
Time Management for Dummies, Second Edition,
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Magic Tricks, and
KISS: Behind the Mask – Official Authorized Biography

The movie, as I mentioned earlier, was one I had the librarian pull for me. The books I found while browsing the shelves. Here’s why I picked each book:

Cats for Dummies – we know our cat Zoe talks to us and communicates to us with meows and purrs and other actions, but we’re not exactly sure if we understand what she’s saying

Time Management for Dummies – in the past I’ve gotten really into this kind of thing, but I got it this time more for browsing, not sure if I’d make the time to really read it. Who knows?

Idiot’s Guide to Magic Tricks – one of my recurring hobbies, maybe I’ll find something simple to do to thrill Keisha or one of her friends

KISS: Behind the Mask – when I was 7-9 years old, I was a KISS fanatic. I remember tracing the album cover of “Rock And Roll Over” on some notebook paper. My friends and I would pretend we were members of the band whenever we’d play together and listen to the music together. I remember Jamie was Gene Simmons, Rob was Ace, Gary was Paul, and I was Peter Criss. We were so good. I think David, who actually DID play the drums, doubled for me as Peter Criss sometimes.

At one time I owned a lot of their albums, including a blood-red Dressed to Kill LP. I wound up destroying them all once I had become convinced by other adults that KISS stood for Knights In Satan’s Service. I regret having done that now, but I’m over it. I’m thinking of buying some tracks from iTunes. But for now, I have the book.

Greetings from the Groesbeck Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County!

Jennie, Keisha, and I are here on the computers. It’s been over 16 years since I’ve been inside here, and so much has changed. I can hardly recognize the place!

We’ve obtained library card applications, and we need to bring in our apartment lease to show proof that we are residents before they can issue us library cards. I guess it used to be that you simply needed to bring in a utility bill, but they’ve made their rules more stringent.

I haven’t yet blogged about the move. Maybe I still have time. (checks the clock) I have 9 minutes left.

Update: I found out from the librarian that the old building was completely demolished and this one was built on top of it.

Greetings from the Northtown-Shiloh branch of the Dayton Metro Library!

As we walked in this afternoon, we spotted a notice about a lost dog. Keisha asked the librarian about it, and the librarian said that a dog recently wandered up to the library. Since they don’t know who the owner is, they prepared the notice.

Keisha was deeply moved by this. “Poor doggie,” she said. “I love dogs.”

“Do YOU have a dog?” the librarian asked.

“Yes,” Keisha replied, as she shared a little bit about our dog Jake.

I guess I didn’t realize how much it affected her until later. I’m sitting at a computer on the other side of the library, and I hear Keisha talking with another librarian about not being able to print something out.

The librarian discovered that Keisha’s printouts had actually been printing to the main printer several times! (oops)

Keisha just handed me one of the papers. It reads:

I AM KEISHA I AM FROM OHIO AND IF I GET LOTS PESE FIND ME. JOHNSHONS.

(signed)Keisha Renee Johnson

I told her that I have a card with her picture and information about her in my wallet. Mommy has one, too.

It’s something she got done at school when she had her pictures taken in November. The card has her name, school, issue date, grade, and picture. It also has the following information:

What to do if your child is missing

1. Immediately call local law enforcement
2. Show this image to authorities
3. Call the National Center for Mising and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST

Learn how you can help your child stay safer at: www.missingkids.com

Mood: Pleasant, deliberate

Listening to: Sounds of books, etc., being checked out/in

Reading: Joke book (cannot remember the title)

Eating: Corn flakes, toast w/ strawberry jelly, milk, coffee

Watching: saw Patriot Games last night

I have an opportunity to be considered for a federal grant to get some training that would help me get a better job. I’m at the library doing some research on it. I find that getting out of the home helps me to not be distracted as much.

Greetings from the Northtown-Shiloh Branch of the Dayton Metro Library! I just got off work and rode the bike over here to pick up some materials I’d reserved.

The library’s home page contains the following links for Getting Started on the Internet:

• Yahoo! Search Engine
• Google Search Engine
• Yahooligans! Search Engine for Kids
• KidsClick! Web Search for Kids by Librarians
• Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Good Site for Ohio Information

News from the Home Office

There is a lot to report on, so, without further ado, here we go!

Reading is Fun!

I’ve updated my reading list via AllConsuming.net. You can check out what I’m currently reading at Dan’s Domain. There is one book I’m reading that is not in the AllConsuming.net database as of yet. That book is entitled Crime in the City, and it is edited by Martin Edwards. It features short stories with the theme of big-city crime. This collection was sponsored by the British Crime Writer’s Association.

He Loves to Play Guitar!

One of my goals in learning the acoustic guitar is to be able to sing along with it. Since I first started in December of last year, I have longed to be able to put something together that has some meaning. Folk songs, children’s songs, church songs, even the blues. That’s why I was so encouraged to find the tabulature (that’s guitar-speak for the fret-string positions) for a great blues riff. It’s almost as good as having B.B. King here to teach me!

She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Daughter!

Last Saturday morning, Keisha, Jake (our dog), and I went to the field near where we live for a walk and some outdoor play time. I had the idea that Keisha and I could race between two markers. I went first. When it came time for Keisha to go, she resisted. I offered to hold her hand and run with her.

We took off, but Keisha soon decided that it was too much for her. She tried to let go, but I clung to her coatsleeve, and then she fell to the ground. Eager to develop the fighter spirit in her (i.e., the resolve not to give up so easily), I bent down to pick her back up.

Immediately, I felt something “pull” in my lower back, and I knew I’d made a big mistake. I rounded up Keisha and Jake, and we headed home. I applied some topical ointment (not Ben-Gay, but something similar) and sat on a heating pad. Both of these seemed to help.

Which reminds me that I need to tell you about…

It’s not really a McJob

I had my first night of training at my new part-time job Saturday night. I manned the bun warmer. This task, of course lent itself to several double entendre type remarks: “Here’s your buns! They’re nice and toasty!” “Hot, steamy buns! Yours for the picking!”

During my break I caught a few minutes of Forrest Gump, which aired on ABC. As a result, I broke into my Forrest Gump routine, talking in my best Gump-ish voice. That seemed to entertain my coworkers. There was that remark about whether my being around the grill had affected me, though…

Nevertheless, I helped the crew to close the place, and I made the 20-minute jaunt home. Which reminds me that I need to tell you about…

Sleepin’ In On A Sunday Mornin’

Jennie and I forgot to set our alarm clock, so we wound up waking up when it was too late to get to church. I guess it happens from time to time to everyone.

I really wasn’t in any condition to go anywhere, though. My back was feeling the pain in a major way. I wound up calling in sick to work, letting the shift manager know that I’d be going to the doctor on Monday.

Which reminds me…

Papa called the Doctor, and the Doctor Said…

Jennie needed Mom’s car on Monday, so I planned to catch the bus to my doctor’s appointment. I headed downtown and bought a monthly bus pass. Then I grabbed several bus schedules and headed toward the bus stop.

I had never been on that particular bus before, so I was naturally confused when the driver took us way past where the doctor’s office was. After conferring with the driver, I realized that I could have gotten off a half an hour earlier and walked the rest of the way to the doctor’s office.

Since he was heading back in that direction, that’s exactly what I did. I arrived about 45 minutes early for my appointment, and there I stayed, caught between a rock and a hard place — deciding whether to let the Musak put me to sleep or to continue reading the book I brought with me. The latter won out, albeit not without a fight.

Soon the nurse grabbed me, and I weighed in at a hefty 217 pounds. She led me to the examining room. Not too long a young gentleman, a student doctor, appeared. He mentioned that he’d be helping my doctor today.

I told the chap what was wrong, and he was able to manipulate the upper part of my back. I felt a little bit of relief. After he left, my doctor entered. He twisted me up like a pretzel (well, not quite) and was able to get the rest of my back realigned.

I’m still taking the pain medicine (8-hour Tylenol) for a little while, but the prognosis is good: No more picking up Keisha without proper back posture!

Yeah, I’m feeling better. Which reminds me that I need to tell you about…

Doctor EverythingWillBeAlright

Okay, so I’m being a bit sarcastic or otherwise loopy in this post. I went to see the psychiatrist today. Apparently there was an incident between a patient and him this morning that involved the police, so all subsequent appointments were delayed.

I decided to wait in the unbearable heat caused by the faulty HVAC system. I was afraid that the female workers were going to comment about my chest and bellybutton hair, though! (just kidding)

The wait was about 45 minutes, and I used the time to catch up with my planner. It was almost like meeting an old friend; I hadn’t really used it since last Friday.

I eventually saw the doctor, and we talked about stuff that patients and psychiatrists talk about. He was interested in whether the scab-picking had subsided; I told him that it hadn’t. The scabs are just hidden by my long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and baseball cap.

I also mentioned some depression episodes I’d had over the last few months. There were some really intense times, as I may have mentioned here, that I’d just wanted to die. The doc calls them “passive” rather than active feelings of suicide – i.e., not real, concrete plans to do away with myself.

We talked about how the past few years has been for me, how I felt I’d changed over that time. It was really uplifting for me to see how much I have grown, how my perspective on life has changed.

I think I’m gonna be alright. And speaking of things that are going to be alright…

Bookish voters approve library levy

That’s the headline from today’s Dayton Daily News. As a regular to the county’s library system, I am quite grateful that others in the community share my desire to keep the library great. I’d even love to have a part-time job at the library. We’ll have to see if they end the hiring freeze anytime soon.

Which reminds me of this other money-related story…

Dayton market sells $20M Mega Millions ticket

The Dayton Daily News also reports: “Ohio Lottery officials said Wednesday that someone bought a winning ticket for Tuesday’s Mega Millions $20 million jackpot at the Food City store at 1829 Germantown St.” Maybe this person is or will soon be one of my (new) friends…

Dayton Metro Library Needs Your Help

January 21, 2004

Dear Dayton Metro Library Patron,

I am writing to ask for your help. Since 2001 your library has been forced to cut back on many of the services you have come to expect. Fewer dollars from the State of Ohio and no increases in local funding during the past ten years have required deep cuts in library service. Shorter hours, fewer new books, reduced staff, and delays in building updates and repairs have tarnished one of our community’s most cherished resources. Without additional local support, further cuts are inevitable.

The Library has placed Issue 20 on the March 2, 2004 ballot. This issue requests a five-year renewal of the library’s current 0.26 mill levy and an increase of 0.99 mills. Passage will allow the Library to:

• return to our previous hours of service
• buy more books, music, videos, magazines and other materials
• update our computers, buildings and furnishings
• restore bookmobile service to children
• expand outreach to seniors
• respond to new demands for services you have asked from us.

Love your library? Share this message! Sharing this message with others is one way to show your support. The Citizens for Good Libraries web site provides additional information about the levy and how you can help make a difference. Please visit to learn more about the Library’s levy proposal.

If you have questions, please ask them. I am confident that if you know the facts you will support Issue 20.

Sincerely,

Tim Kambitsch,

Director

Greetings from the Dayton Metro Library’s Main branch, located near the heart of downtown Dayton, Ohio USA!

I’ve always found it ironic that, situated diagonally from the library are two establishments with what I would think are diametrically opposing missions. One place is called Today’s Adult Entertainment Center, and next door to it is Dayton Church Supply. I want to take a picture and post it to my photolog so that you can understand the juxtaposition.

Why all the wordiness today, Dan? you ask. I don’t really know where it’s coming from. I just had two awesome pints of Guinness draft from the Dublin Irish Pub. They were not consumed on an empty stomach, however. I ate a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Medium Fries, and Medium Coca Cola (light ice) from McDonald’s beforehand. By the way, that would be a Double Royale with Cheese for my European readers (I’m reminded of the movie Pulp Fiction for some reason.).

Greetings from the Fairborn branch of the Greene County Public Library!

Yep, I’m here in beautiful downtown Fairborn, Ohio USA. This library has changed so much since I last lived here six years ago. I’ll be here for a little while until I head to work.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — A rare 17th-century book in Latin has been returned to a Penn State library 57 years after it was last checked out. The good news is there won’t be any late fees.

This might be me. I am notorious for having overdue items from the library.