http://www.librarybeat.com/read columns about libraries http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/390 At some point in the elementary school curriculum, children learn about the five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling. I remember great debates as a child about which would be the most important sense. Of course, the conclusion was that we really need all of our senses, but remarkably, one can learn and compensate for a sense that is lost or impaired. I have some friends who have recently lost their hearing. I've noticed in almost all cases how potentially isolating such a loss can be. Conversation is difficult and even having fun together can be a chore. There are problems with basic communication too, resulting in the necessity for written exchanges rather than relying on speaking and hearing. These life experiences have prompted me to think about what a public library can do to assist those with hearing loss. First and foremost, the library has books, even large print books, that don't require good ears for using. Many libraries have an outreach department that delivers books to those with disabilities. Check with staff at your library to see if this is an option. Libraries often make a special effort to purchase books describing and teaching sign language. In case you didn't know, American Sign Language is a complete, complex language employing signs made with the hands. Since it is the first language of many deaf North Americans, it's one of the most commonly used languages in the U.S. There are many dictionaries, guides and instruction books on ASL, as well as resources on the Internet. All can be especially helpful to a hearing person who wants to communicate with someone with a hearing disability. Most libraries have movies and other film productions on DVDs. Typically, producers include English subtitles, making it easy for a hearing person and a hearing-impaired person to enjoy a DVD together. Some libraries have special equipment of use to the hearing disabled such as a TTY or text telephone. Sometimes it's called a TDD or telecommunications device for the deaf. One types in a message instead of speaking. TTY equipment is also useful to those with speech difficulties. While communicating in this manner requires TTY devices at both ends of the call, many drugstores and pharmacies have the equipment. More recently, other devices have been developed such as the CapTel phone. It is useful for the deaf person with established speech and features a screen and the use of an operator. The conversation is translated onto the phone's screen but no special equipment is needed on the other end of the call. For more information on these devices visit the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation online at itactty.org/pages/deaf.php. Another new helpful development is a personal sound device that can be used in movie theatres and can plug into a home TV, VCR or stereo system. Amplified phone ring signalers, wake and shake alarm clocks, and other useful equipment can be obtained usually without a doctor's prescription through any assistive technology catalog. In the Chicagoland area the Chicago Hearing Society is a useful source of information. Located in the Anixter Center at 2001 N. Clybourn Ave. in Chicago, call (773) 248-9121 or e-mail askchs@anixter.org for more information. If you have a hearing impairment and can think of ways your library might help, contact the library director and make your suggestions. Libraries exist to help everyone both enjoy life and find the information they need. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/390 2009-01-04 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/389 To hear Mike Madden tell it, he's had a lot of jobs, beginning with selling flowers on Maxwell Street in Chicago. He also sold shoes and toys, worked as a waiter and a disability claims adjuster. All these jobs and more before he discovered the library. Mike Madden was a teacher in Chicago when he took a library course in order to get his teaching certification. The teacher encouraged him to consider a library career and to enroll in the Library School at the University of Chicago. He did enroll and also accepted a position in a suburban high school library. After two years, he left to work at the American Library Association's headquarters in Chicago. In l967, Madden went for a job interview in "rural" Schaumburg Township, home to approximately 10,000 people. The trustees of the Schaumburg Township Public Library were looking for their second director. In those days, Schaumburg was so rural, Madden took a wrong turn on the way home from his evening interview and ended up in a farmer's back yard. But the job offer came and Madden accepted the challenge of keeping up with Schaumburg's amazing growth in both residential and commercial development. Today, 41 years later, Schaumburg Township has a population of 134,000 and the library is considered one of the most innovative in the nation. Madden will be leaving the helm at the end of the year with many accomplishments to be proud of. The library is ranked among the top 10 libraries in its class according to Hennen's American Public Library Ratings. Madden himself has been singled out on many occasions for his leadership and initiative. In l998, he was recognized as "Librarian of the Year" by the Illinois Library Association. In 2004, he received the Gale Group/BRASS Business Librarianship Award from the American Library Association. In 2006, he was awarded the North Suburban Library System's Lifetime Achievement Award. And this is only a sampling. Characteristically, Madden is extremely modest about his achievements and can always be relied upon to give the credit to the library's trustees and staff. I have a story about that, too. When I first came to North Suburban, almost 20 years ago, one of the people I most wanted to meet was the famous (in library circles) Mike Madden. So I met him and he was polite and congenial, but lightening did not flash nor was I stunned by his remarks to me. Later, I asked a mutual friend, "What's Mike's secret weapon? How can he accomplish so much when he is obviously such a nice, unassuming person?" My friend explained, "Mike chooses good people and he works with them." Through the years I have observed the positive effect of recognizing talent and forging a team poised to take advantage of the next big thing. Schaumburg was one of the first libraries to embrace audiovisual materials. Later it led the way with public access computers and computer instruction. Madden's strong service mission inspires all who work with him. No wonder the Schaumburg Township District Library is a leader by every measure. Come Friday, Dec. 30, Madden will leave his position as the library's full time executive director. He'll be back on a part-time basis until Feb. 2, when Stephanie Sarnoff will arrive. Sarnoff, currently the director of the Scarsdale (NY) Public Library, has been chosen by the Trustees as Madden's successor. And what will Madden do next? Listen to my podcast interview with this amazing man at www.librarybeat.org for all the details. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/389 2008-12-28 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/388 Travel is wonderful. It broadens your horizons and gives you something new to think about. You learn from the experience of seeing new things and meeting new people. Travel gives you a respite from your usual life, or as the English say, "a change of air." But travel can be difficult, too. It takes time to plan and requires some money and effort. There is the discomfiture of leaving the routines of your daily life. New foods may upset your stomach, and you can feel very vulnerable if things go awry. In these difficult economic times, one answer is armchair travel. To avoid the effort, possible pain, and especially expense involved in travel, read about others' adventures. You'll get many of the benefits of travel without ever leaving home! Recently, I ate lunch with my colleague, Bill McCully, Executive Director of the Prospect Heights Public Library. Our talk strayed from business conversation into a discussion of our favorite travel books. I knew Bill was an intrepid traveler, having heard about his ventures in the past. Now I also know that Bill is a devotee of travel books. With his master's degree in library science and a Ph.D. in modern French history, McCully has enjoyed numerous European trips since 1970. It's not surprising that his first book recommendation was "Paris Discovered: Explorations in the City of Light" by Mary McAuliffe. "It's a collection of articles," he said, "focused on the interesting details of Paris neighborhoods via recommended walks in the city. The reader can dip in for a short, easy-to-digest read." Afghan author Tahir Shah has written numerous interesting travel accounts. Bill recommends "The Caliph's House," which tells how Shah attempted to settle his family in a Moroccan house said to be occupied by genies! Moving back in time to ancient Rome, McCully recommends Tony Perrottet's "Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists" (also published under the title "Route 66 A.D."). "Perrottet, an Australian now living in New York, is a great travel writer," McCully said. "This book is a bit like the guides we have to America's Route 66, except it's about traveling from Rome through Southern Italy, Greece, and Egypt in ancient times. This was the favorite journey of the well-to-do Roman in search of culture, diversion, and adventure. Perrottet chronicles the journey with wry wit as well as historical observations." "Another Odyssey book I enjoyed," McCully continued, "was 'The Singular Pilgrim' by Rosemary Mahoney, who visited several of the world's great pilgrimage sites from Ireland to India on her own - camping out, talking to people and walking, walking, walking." Two great series to try are: "The Best Travel Writing" and "The Best American Travel Writing," which both compile outstanding travel articles published during the preceding year. These books offer fascinating glimpses of exotic locales like Antarctica or the Horn of Africa, which may never make it to the top of your travel agenda. McCully's final pick takes us back to France with "On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town" by Susan Herrmann Loomis. "Like Peter Mayle's 'A Year in Provence,' this (is a) book of the author's family rehabbing a very old convent home in Normandy. Their adventures are sure to divert the reader. Since another of the author's goals was to write a French cookbook, her story also includes many excellent recipes." Listen to my podcast interview with Bill McCully atlibrarybeat.org for more exciting travel book suggestions - great for gifts or for your own armchair travel. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/388 2008-12-21 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/387 Everybody loves cookbooks. They're not just guidebooks for preparing foods. Cookbooks are portals to dreams of wonderful tastes, warm or cooling comforts and even longed for ways of life. The best cookbook I've seen this season, and the one I'll be giving as a holiday gift, is "Food, Friends and Libraries Matter: A Compendium of Concoctions from Libraries and Friends." It was put together by staffers at the Alliance Library System in East Peoria. One of the reasons I like this cookbook so much is that it evokes the best of cookbooks of the past. The cover features old recipe cards and clippings of recipes. The pages are vanilla colored and as I turn them I can almost smell something good baking. For ready reference, the inside of the front and back covers have helpful information, such as a listing of standard abbreviations, an equivalents chart and common cooking substitutions. I love cookbooks put together by real cooks working in kitchens somewhat like mine. Since the book is a loose-leaf binder, it is very easy to use and stays open on your counter top. The book is divided into sections: appetizers and beverages, entrees, side dishes, soups, salads and bread, desserts, cookies, bars and candies. I also like the idea that these recipes have crowd appeal. Every recipe in this book has prompted compliments to the cook and some have been handed down in the family from several generations past. These are tested recipes and represent the best of the best. A unique feature of "Food, Friends and Libraries Matter" is a section of recipes for kids and pets. Here I found five different playdough recipes and a good number of recipes with kid appeal, such as Chocolate Popcorn and Grandma's Dirt Cups. There are also recipes for treats for birds and dogs. Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System, and a member of the Cookbook Committee, told me that assembling the cookbook was a labor of love. "Seven ALS staffers spearheaded the project," she said. "We were so excited and it must have been contagious because as we talked about the project to others, the recipes just flew in. Many were contributed by people connected to libraries in our area, but we had contributors from as far away as Calgary and Abu Dhabi." The cookbook is a fundraising project with a goal of contributing $15,000 to a permanent endowment for the continuing education of librarians in central Illinois. It's the latest in a series of such projects that began in 2005 with ALS's blue "Libraries Matter" bracelets campaign. More than one million bracelets were sold in that effort. To obtain your copy of "Food, Friends and Libraries Matter" send $20 (check or money order payable to Alliance Library System) to: Alliance Library System, 600 High Point Lane, East Peoria, IL, 61611. For information, call (309) 694-9200, ext. 2115, or e-mail kpope@alliancelibrarysystem.com. Listen to my podcast interview with Kitty Pope at librarybeat.org for more fascinating details about the production of this beautiful cookbook. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/387 2008-12-14 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/386 When Ginny was about 6 years old, her parents announced that the family would be moving. This happens in lots of families; only Ginny's family was Chinese and the family was moving to America. Like many Chinese immigrants of the period, the Eng family established a hand laundry. Her father had come to the United States years before, was a veteran of World War II and was living in New York at the time. They heard about a laundry business in Long Island, N.Y., for sale at the high price of $1,500 and borrowed money to open a family laundry business. Life in the hand laundry was hot and filled with hard work and long hours. Growing up, Ginny and her brother Ken played among the piles of dirty clothes, did their homework on ironing boards, and didn't think much of it. Children are often very accepting. Mr. and Mrs. Eng did not speak English. Ginny and her brother picked up the language easily and became interpreters for their parents, not only for life in general, but also in running their business and dealing with customers. That's a lot of responsibility for kids under 12. And it wasn't easy being the only Chinese girl in her second-grade class, living between two very different cultures, learning how to be accepted by the dominant society and returning home every day to the culture of her heritage. For Mr. and Mrs. Eng, there was never any question about the future of their children - they would not be running the laundry. They were destined for college and an easier way of life. Indeed, Ginny grew up, earned a master's degree, became an educator, played a seminal role in the emergence of the Asian Pacific American community, and served in leadership positions on many boards and commissions. She also got married becoming Mrs. Ginny Gong, had children of her own, and became the host of a weekly talk show series, "Ginny's - Where East Meets West." Now it's almost 55 years later. Mr. and Mrs. Eng have retired and a tile store now occupies the site of the old laundry. The hand laundry industry has almost vanished due to modern clothes washing equipment. And, Ginny Gong has written a compelling memoir of her experience growing up. Titled, "From Ironing Board to Corporate Board: My Chinese Laundry Experience in America," the target audience is young adults, and already Montgomery County Public Schools has approved the inclusion of the book in curriculum and instruction and on reading lists for grades 4-12. Gong's story is compelling on several levels. First, it's a slice of American sociological history from the mid-20th century. Secondly, it's a coming of age story. Thirdly, it's an immigrant's story in which the details happen to be Chinese, but resonate with all immigrants. Finally, it's a modern day "Pilgrim's Progress," a story of rising to the pinnacles of American success from humble origins. We need more books like, "From Ironing Board to Corporate Board." Excepting Native Americans, we're all immigrants here. We need to remember the experience whether it happened in our lifetime or to our forebears. What is best about this book is that although it is targeted to young adults, it is sophisticated enough to engage adults and easy enough to read to young children. Recent economic developments underline the global and interconnected nature of our existence. Empathy and understanding are no longer just attributes of a "nice person"; these days they are survival skills. Listen to my podcast interview with Ginny Gong at librarybeat.org for more details. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/386 2008-12-07 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/385 Almost everybody will tell you they love the library. And if you press them, most adults will go on to relate some fond memory of their childhood library. But will these good feelings translate into a willingness to support the library with tax dollars? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave a grant to the Online Computer Library Center to research just this question. Results were released several months ago (www.oclc.org/reports/funding) and the answer turned out to be both complicated and surprising. Here are the six key findings: 1) Most people will claim to support the library, but fewer people are truly committed to doing so. When asked, 74 percent said they would "probably vote yes." But elections are not won on "probabilities." Only 37 percent were "definitely" committed. 2) A lot of people don't know about their public library. They might know about the traditional services, but there was less awareness about the newer, especially electronic, services. Fact is, America's public library is not your father's library, it's not the library you remember as a child. A lot has been happening. 3) The library's most committed supporters are not the heaviest library users. So when libraries seeking to pass ballot measures focus on their heaviest users, that focus might be misplaced. Somehow the library needs to suss out those people who are "definitely" committed. 4) Perceptions of the librarian are an important predictor of library funding support. Yes, Marian needs to get out of the library, work with community groups, and get a reputation for being passionate about the library. 5) Most voters see the public library as a provider of "information." But those who see the library as "transformation" are most likely to increase their taxes in its support. In other words, it's not a passive thing. The library must be seen as not only a place for information, but also a place where people and groups and families who go there are changed for the better. Static information doesn't get it - we've got the Internet for that. 6) Increasing support for libraries may not necessarily mean a trade-off with financial support for other public services. The study surveyed respondents' willingness to support a variety of public services including safety, heath and education. Those willing to support the library are also more likely to fund police, fire and schools. Visit www.oclc.org/reports/funding to view the full report. One of the most interesting chapters is "Elected Officials on Library Funding." The news is mixed, but it includes advice from elected officials on how to get more dollars for the library. Again, it's all about being out in the community building partnerships, being proactive, stressing the library's broad appeal, and very important, showing the library's return on investment (ROI). Visit www.nsls.info/roi/ for a handy calculator to determine how much you saved on your most recent library visit. The bottom line from the study: A critical number of Americans hold the public library in high esteem. That's good news. The surprising news is that just asking library users for their support doesn't get it. Library leaders need to be much more involved in the community and really know who will positively support and vote for the library when the time comes. Tune into my podcast interview (www.librarybeat.org) with Cathy De Rosa and Jenny Johnson, principle contributors to the study, for more insight. What's the outlook for libraries in light of recent election results? Listen to my podcast interviews with Kip Kolkmeier, lobbyist, Illinois Library Association and Emily Sheketoff, associate executive director, American Library Association and head of ALA's Washington Office, at www.librarybeat.org. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/385 2008-12-02 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/384 Hugh Atkinson didn't look like the stereotypical librarian. He was a big, tall man, with red hair and handsome features. He wore a black patch over his right eye as the result of a childhood accident. He often wore black leathers since his usual mode of transportation was a large black Honda motorcycle. Atkinson came to Illinois in l976 to be the director of the library at the University of Illinois. Previously, he had been the director of the Ohio State University Library in Columbus. Remember: it is l976, the early days of computerization of our society. But Atkinson soon hatched a futuristic vision for making the enormous collection of the University of Illinois library available to the whole state, and also mobilizing the collections in many other libraries in Illinois for University of Illinois students. Atkinson strongly believed that library users didn't care where the book came from, as long as they could get it. He was willing to take the leadership role in sharing the university's holdings in return for the same privilege for the university's students and faculty. He told an interviewer, "I don't mind lending 100 books if I can borrow 10 books U of I patrons need. Strict reciprocity is less important to me than satisfying patrons." Atkinson approached the task of building a statewide locating tool for items held in libraries by utilizing a computerized and shortened version of what appeared on the catalog cards common at the time. He employed minimum wage workers for this task and gradually, over time, they accomplished the task of computerizing the over-10-million records representing the holdings of the university library. At the same time, Atkinson used his considerable personal and political skills to motivate leaders of other Illinois libraries to undertake similar efforts. He enlisted the aid of the State Library of Illinois, which in turn utilized federal grant money to fund many of these projects. The result, in a fairly short period of time, was an incredible network of libraries that could deliver anything owned by any participating library to any library user. Called ILLINET, this approach to resource sharing between libraries revolutionized library practices around the world. All of this happened between l976 and l986. Sadly, Atkinson died suddenly of cancer at age 53 in l986. Library colleagues at the state and national level were not only stunned and saddened for the loss of a friend, but also for the loss of the creative and energetic spirit that was Hugh Atkinson. In Illinois, a special award was created to be given annually for "sustained activity and contribution having a lasting impact on librarianship." It was my distinct honor to be given the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial DEMCO Award last month at the annual meeting of the Illinois Library Association. Not only was I honored and humbled to be considered "somewhat Hugh-like," but also, it is a privilege to be considered a member of the "Hugh club" consisting of winners from all the other years. Listen to my podcast with Bridget Lamont, former director of the Illinois State Library and colleague of Hugh Atkinson, as she remembers the terrific force of his personality as well as his many accomplishments. Visit librarybeat.org for access. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/384 2008-11-23 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/383 Wednesday, June 11, 2008. Heavy rain is still falling in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library, located across the street from the Cedar River, staff is told that floodwaters are expected to crest 24 feet above flood stage. In 1993, floodwaters crested at 20 feet and the library was safe. Library staff and volunteers mobilize and work feverishly on the first floor to move the valuable Zerzanek collection of 850 original children's book illustrations to the second floor. They also move all the books on the lower shelves of the adult collection to the top shelves. Computer equipment with information on the library's holdings, as well as the holdings of the Marion and Hiawatha Libraries are also moved. Thursday, June 12, 2008. It's still raining. At 3 p.m., Interim Library Director Tamara Glise, other library staffers and volunteers are ordered to leave the library building. "I've got my fingers crossed," Glise said. "We did everything we could to prepare for this. We took anything that could not be replaced to the second floor. On the first floor we moved all the books and other items from the lower shelves to the top shelves. We only had a few inches at the top but we crammed in everything we could. I'm optimistic that we'll be OK." Later that day, floodwaters crested at 31.12 feet, more than 19 feet above flood stage and 11 feet above the previous record. River water containing raw sewage and other pollutants rose 5 to 7 feet on the first floor of the library, destroying the entire adult and young adult collections, as well as reference materials, a state-of-the-art check out and security system, public access computers and a computer laboratory. Only the Children's department, located on the second floor was spared. It is believed to be the largest public library disaster in U.S. history. More specifically, the loss included approximately 160,000 items-fiction and nonfiction books, CDs, reference materials, magazines, DVDs, journals, display racks, electronic equipment, microfilm, tables, charts, chairs, copiers, change machines, display racks, newspapers and myriad other items found in the typical busy public library. Approximately a month later, the library's first floor was stripped down to the concrete. Dehumidifiers were employed to dry out the library and items on the second floor were stabilized. A team of engineers and planners has been assessing the library and a report on the cost of restoring the building is expected shortly. But many questions remain. How much money will be available and from what sources? Will the city's new flood protection plan allow the library to exist so close to the river? While everyone agrees there will be a replacement library, the issue is very complex and not enough information is now available to determine where and in what fashion the new library will be realized. Meanwhile the nearby libraries in Hiawatha and Marion have been very busy, with double digit increases in checkouts at both locations. Consider helping out the Cedar Rapids Public Library with a donation of cash or a clever book donation program. Visit crlibrary.org/flood/index.html and see how you can pick from the library's Amazon wish list. When the new library is ready, your book will be ordered and processed and delivered to the library ready to go. Tune in to my podcast interview with Interim Library Director Tamara Glise for more details on the flood and inspiring plans to reconstruct the Cedar Rapids Public Library at librarybeat.org. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/383 2008-11-16 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/382 During the Vietnam War, 1959-1975, U.S. soldiers were put in an untenable position. On the one hand, they were risking their lives for our nation's war effort. On the other hand, they were vilified and taunted by anti-war protesters on their return home. Once again our nation is involved in an unpopular war. But this time, it's different. No one is blaming our 186,000 service men and women serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. In fact, there are many efforts to support these individuals personally. Earlier this year, Terri Meyer, adult programming coordinator at Ela Area Public Library District, was approached by a library user to set up a support-our-troops initiative under the auspices of "Operation Support our Troops - Illinois." "It was very successful," Meyer said. "OSOTIL made it easy. They provided lists of the top 10 items needed and our patrons brought them in. The list is mostly food, such as microwave popcorn and beef jerky, but there are personal items, too, such as foot powder and shower bag items. We collected for about two weeks and got over a half ton of donations." "Our effort was so successful," Meyer continued, "That we wanted to focus on letters to the troops in November. We're starting on Nov. 9, since it is close to Veterans Day, and will be collecting letters until Nov. 16. OSOTIL has guidelines for the effort. For example, all letters should begin, 'Dear Military Person.' OSOTIL says to enclose your name and address if you want a response. OSOTIL wants 20 copies of each letter so they'll have enough letters to include one in each box sent to a service person." Operation Support our Troops - Illinois was established in 2003 by Deb Rickert, mother of a West Point cadet, as a branch of a national organization whose mission was to support the troops deployed overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rickert began collecting donations of snacks and toiletries using her dining room table as a base of operations. Soon Rickert was joined in her effort by another military mom, Joanne Bradna. Together, and with the help of other volunteers, the organization grew. Now OSOTIL has the 501(C)(3) tax designation allowing all contributions to be tax deductible. To date, OSOTIL has sent over 17,000 packages, an average of 120 per week. Individuals or organizations can help by visiting the OSOTIL Web site at www.osotil.org and either collecting items on the Top Ten wish list or by contributing money. It costs about $25 in postage to mail each box. OSOTIL is also looking for volunteers and for names of military persons who would like to receive boxes from home. OSOTIL is based in Naperville, Illinois. At the Ela Area Public Library, Veterans Day activities will include an exhibit titled, "Veterans of War" presented by the Ela Historical Society. The exhibit will focus on 11-inch-by-20-inch photographs of local veterans of all wars along with their stories of where they were and what they did during their time in military service. The exhibit will be displayed from Nov. 9 through 16 on the first floor of the library near the Popular Materials area. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/382 2008-11-09 http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/381 Racial tensions were never higher than in l968, with riots at the Democratic National Convention and the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. That was the year NBC premiered "Julia," a half-hour comedy show about Julia Baker, a widowed black nurse and her young son, Corey. Julia was played by singer-actress Diahann Carroll. Her elegance and dignity helped many in the white community empathize with Julia and her situation. But many in the black community felt the series was false and did not resonate with the reality or the traditions of black America. While "Julia" soared to the top of television's Nielsen ratings and received an Emmy nomination in its first year, Carroll herself took a lot of criticism from the black community. The series ended at Carroll's behest after the third season. Diahann Carroll has written a book, "The Legs are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way." It's a fascinating read and when you're finished, you'll know why Carroll was tapped for the groundbreaking role as "Julia," and why Carroll accepted it. Not to spoil the book, but Carroll never met a stereotype that intimidated her. It was my distinct pleasure to interview Carroll, live and onstage at the American Library Association annual conference last summer. To prepare myself, I read everything I could find about her. In the process, I became a Diahann Carroll fan. Carol Diahann Johnson was born and grew up in New York City. As a young girl her musical talent and stage presence were obvious. She received a Metropolitan Opera scholarship to attend the High School of Music & Art. On a whim, she sent a picture of herself to Ebony magazine. Six months later Ebony called for an interview resulting in a modeling assignment. As a teenager, Carroll was modeling, singing in night clubs, and appearing on TV and in the movies. In l964 Carroll received a Tony Award for her role in the Broadway production of "No Strings." Since then, this talented performer has gone on to demonstrate not only her versatility in almost any medium but her ability to adapt and keep her career fresh. Typically, a Hollywood actress's career is over at about age 40. Carroll's ability to reinvent herself has kept her career going and she is still working at 73. I think part of her secret is her singing. Carroll has an incredible voice. She was first noticed as a youngster in the church choir and if you look at her career, she returns to singing when the doors of Hollywood or Broadway or TV shut. In this way, she survives to fight another day. Similarly Carroll has persevered through incredible personal challenges. Like most of us, she has dealt with the opinions, demands and responsibilities of aging parents, and she's had guilt about her absences in the rearing of her only child. Unlike most of us, Carroll has been married four times and has had serious, public relationships with at least two other men. "The Legs Are the Last to Go" is Carroll's gift of sharing her hard earned wisdom about this thing we call life. She worries about her weight and health, especially as a breast cancer survivor. She doesn't like getting old, but she is dealing with it, admitting to the odd nip and tuck. For the most part, she has come to terms with the fear of being alone. She has found peace with her daughter and enjoys her grandchild. Listen to my podcast interview with Diahann Carroll here at librarybeat.org by clicking on 'Longshots Podcast', or by clicking the Diahann Carroll podcast link at the bottom of the main page. http://www.librarybeat.com/read/show/381 2008-10-29