CaptainOrange

  Special Thanks to Anwyn for the prophetic dubbing of our family year as "Winds of Change." Library A grand Quest. I quit my job. It was a frightening prospect. I'm not good a preparing for such things (even though Wendy knew that I should be preparing), so instead I just quit. Let's back up a second... 2007 Casual In 2007, I was done running Diakuw Dayhome and had driven Leora and Anwyn's school bus for a couple of years. I was ready to move on and started working as a casual at The Saskatoon Public Library. I didn't really think it was my dream job, but I wasn't sure what else to do. 2010 Program Associate By 2010, I had moved from working as a 'casual' employee to working part-time on the service desk, to working as a 'program associate' in Pooh Corner and The Children's Department. It was here that I rediscovered my love of performance AND the fact that I wasn't born to do Shakespeare, but rather to fall down for children.  Thi...

Intro Just a peek at my home workspace, some of the challenges I am facing while working from home. This was originally done as one of my handwritten posts, but Blogger is so hostile to that sort of presentation, that I decided to type it all out :( Starting My Day I wake up at 6:30am. No, not because I want to -- because I'm married to an early-bird.  Usually start with 2 shots of espresso over the course of the first 45 minutes. Journal for 15-20 minutes. I find gratitude and reflection really important. Yoga and a walk or run. About 1 hour in total. I am steadfast in My adherence to these morning rituals. I used to be much more "inspirational", but I have learned that I enjoy life more and get more of what I want with a little more structure. I relax a bit on the weekend. Mike's Workspace The most important feature of this space is the sun. Mostly because I am solar powered, but also because l...

Calgary’s new central branch has been open for a week. Since Wendy had a conference in Banff and I was keeping her company, we decided to stop in at the library on the way through. I have some thoughts. Some of them are library insider thoughts, but lots of them are just from the perspective of someone who loves art and learning and books and people. This library was a modern wonder and is beautiful, both inside and out. My phone battery was in critical condition, but lucky for me I had the talented and generous photography skills of Dr. Wendy to fill the gap.  If you have only seen one photo of this library, it is probably similar to the one below. This is the view from one floor above the front entrance. The area to the left of the entrance is dominated by this mural—clearly inspired by the reconciliation movement. The impression I got upon walking through the door was that I was entering into a beautiful art gallery. But not a gallery of precise, unchanging beauty. Instead, it w...

A Brief History Lesson I’ve been working at SPL (Saskatoon Public Library) for a little more than 10 years, now. First as a Page for 3 months, then at Cliff Wright for 6 months and then 9 1/2 years in the Children’s Department at FMCL. There have been ups and downs as I took on too many responsibilities as Chief Shop Steward and then Vice President of our union (CUPE local 2669), but the work of the library has been overwhelmingly positive. If you know me even a little, it is obvious just how well suited I have been to working as a storyteller and entertainer of children. Upheaval Currently the library is undergoing a rather large shift from a traditional model of libraries that has existed for a very long time to the much newer concept of Community Lead. You can read all about the details on the  change info page  of SPL’s website. It is a very complicated process and if you don’t care enough to dive into the nitty gritty, the essence of community lead can be summ...