Shoreline Parade on August 19th, 2006.

As many of you are well aware, STAB has a long history of joining in the City of Shoreline annual parade for the Friends of the Library. This year is no exception. This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, August 19th. We are encouraging people to bring their pets and walk them in the parade. I think we’ll also be giving out free T-shirt to participants and I will be doling out volunteer hours of course. Hopefully you can make it. I may be asking you to help make signs to carry during the parade as well! Thanks for your help!

Also, if you haven’t let me know about coming to the STAB meeting next Tuesday, July 25th, please let me know ASAP. Thanks!

STAB now has a presence on MySpace (thanks in part to Nina)! You can find us at http://www.myspace.com/rickobaggins I’ll be posting BLOG entries their as well as using the site to make updates and announcements about STAB and Library programs. (And don't worry, I'll still be using the STABlog to make updates as well http://www.shorstab.blogspot.com/ .) So if you are on MySpace feel free to add me as a "friend" since they don't have an "enemies" or "library board coordinator". I'm also contacting authors as I find them to add them as well. I may also add other teen advisory boards across the country if I feel like it.

Also, don't forget to join the STAB group on MySpace. I'm sure it will be a veritable hoot!

I also want to make clear that if you aren't on MySpace there is no need to join or to ever look at it. I know there has been a lot of news lately about the dangers of MySpace. If you have any concerns about MySpace and want to talk about it, I'll be happy to chat with you. Also, I suppose I should point out that MySpace is currently filtered to to those under the age of 17 in the library, so you will have to find other ways to access the site. Additionally, there are plenty of ads on MySpace, which is a necessary evil, and I doubt I support any of the products they are pitching. Just so you know.

As always, I'm happy to field any questions!

We’ll be having one of our old fashioned STAB meetings next week, Tuesday, July 25th, from 4-6pm. Let me know if you can make it ASAP so I can assign books for your perusal. If you are new to STAB, just let me know if you can come and I’ll explain this all later.

We'll be having a STABBBYA Meeting on Tuesday, June 13th. This will be your second to last chance to tell me about the books you've been reading. See you Tuesday!

Just a reminder that we will be having a STABBBYA Meeting, tomorrow, Tuesday, 4-6pm. Come ready to talk about all the books you love and you love to hate.

Also, a reminder that David Levithan (Boy meets Boy, Are we there yet?, Marley's Ghost, Realm of Possibility) and Rachel Cohn (Gingerbread, Shrimp) will be at 3rd Place Books tomorrow at 7pm to discuss their new book Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. This is not a STAB program but I thought some of you would enjoy seeing them.

Meetings, Letters and Authors:

Many of you have been screaming for a meeting and I aim to please. So, we will have a STABBBYA meeting from 4-6pm on Tuesday June 6th. For those of you new to STAB, all you need to do to prepare for this meeting is read one or more of the books from the "STASH" and talk about it. Let me know if you can make it.

An update on reference letters. Since I was out so long I was unable to write the recommendation letters. I am really sorry about this and hope that none of you were too inconvienced. If there was a problem, let me know and I will see what I can do to rectify the issue. It sounds like many of you found other people to write your letters. Some of you, however, still need a letter. If that is the case, let me know ASAP and I will try and write one up for you. Even if I didn't write you a letter and you need one for college/references let me know and I'll see what we can do about that.

Now for something fun/entertaining. David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, Authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, will be in town. Though it looks unlikely they will visit us here, they will be visiting some local bookstores. I thought you might be interested in seeing them and hearing what they have to say. They will be at the University Bookstore on Monday June 5th at 7pm. They will be at 3rd Place Books on Tuesday Night, June 6th at 7pm. Though this is not an "official" STAB function, I am going to try to go to the 3rd Place Books gathering.

Hope to see you at either the STABBBYA meeting, the book signing or both.

Just an update on our upcoming meeting, the SAT program, a gentle reminder and my schedule.
1. I've planned a STABBBYA Meeting for Tuesday, May 2nd, from 4-6pm. Hopefully I'll be able to come. If I'm not there, my apologizies. I hope you can still get in to check out books from the STASH or the back room.

2. Remeber our SAT Program is tommorrow at 10:30. If you are looking for something fun and exciting to do on your Saturday, I would really recommend considering coming. Sign up at 1-800-KAP-Test or at http://www.kaptest.com/sat

3. A gentle reminder that I really need your reviews ASAP. I'd like to start looking at them and entering them in the BBYA database. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. Look below to get a reminder of how I'd like the reviews structured.

4. My schedule, at this point, for this week and next looks like:

Friday: 10-6 (Please come if you can to help set up the rooms for the SAT Class
Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: 12-8
Monday: Out
Tuesday: 10-6 (STABBBYA Meeting from 4-6pm)
Wednesday: 12-9
Thursday OUt
Friday: 2-6

See you next week!

I've got a few things to update you on.

1. I'd like to plan a STABBBYA meeting for next Tuesday, May 2nd 4-6pm. Popcorn and Soda is on me. So I'll probably wear a bib. (Get it? On me? Like it spilled? Ok. Moving on.)

2. On Friday I could use a few people to set up for the SAT program. I've got a few regulars (You know who you are.) But I just wanted to make sure that a couple people were coming in. It doesn’t take too long, but anything will help.

3. Then on Saturday afternoon, I could use a few of you to put the room back together. The program is set to end at 2:30 so if a group of you show up at 3pm that would be outstanding.

4. As some of you know, my wife and I are expecting. A baby. At this point the baby could come at any second, which means I could be running out the door at the ring of a phone. I’ll be taking 2 weeks off once the baby is born. However, if I plan something with STAB, I will try to continue with the plan unless I’m in the middle of “something”. This also means that volunteering opportunities while I’m on vacation may be a little slim. If you come in and would like to volunteer, you can ask for Alene, Sam or Aarene. I’ve left them some instructions for you if you want to help out. However, I can’t guarantee that I’ll have anything ready for you.

Just a quick reminder of that you are all invited to come to the Friends of the Shoreline Library on March 15th at 7:30 pm. Not only that, but so are your parents or Friends who might be interested in joining and seeing one of the odd things we’ve done. I especially want to invite the STAB Antonians parents to the meeting since they were so involved. Thanks!



Ps. Just a quick reminder that we are having our STAB meeting tonight from 4-6pm. Thanks again!

STAB Meeting, March 14th from 4-6pm.

I am trying to put together a STAB meeting for March 14th, from 4-6pm. Please let me know if you can make so I can get your review lists set up for you. We’ll have pizza and soda and maybe a couple of books you can check out from the STASH. I’m getting more everyday, but still not too many yet. We’ll also talk about when we will have our next STABBBYA meeting. Let me know if you can make it as soon as possible. Thanks!

Last change and first chance!

This is your last chance to take your pick of books from the STASH. I’ve got about a cart of books that are priced to move. The price, you ask? FREE! I need them gone. Come and get ‘em. After next Friday, I can’t be held responsible for what happens to them.

This is your first chance to take a peak at the new titles I picked up at ALA in January. Remember, these are proofs and Advanced Reader Copies of books that will probably not be published until later this year. I’ve only got about one shelf right now, but that will soon change. Come in and get reading!

The Future of STABBBYA and beyond!

First off, I want to say how happy I am with all of the work you guys have done this year to make STABBBYA so successful. I am so glad that you have participated by coming to meetings and helping organize all the books we've received this year. Thanks! To see what you helped create take a look at the final list of 91 titles at: www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya

Secondly, now that the final list for 2006 is finished we are moving on to build the 2007 list. That means that we are looking at books that are published between September 2006 and the end of 2007. As far as STABBBYA goes, books outside of this time frame do not exist. Sorry. I've got some books from ALA that are eligible, but I haven't had time to organize them yet. Hopefully, by the end of this week I can do so.

Thirdly, in January of 2007 ALA will be in Seattle. That means that you can do what Michelle, Nina, Jackie and Molly did in San Antonio. (You can read about their craziness below.) Except you don't get to spend the night in some swanky hotel. Sorry. But that does mean that you will be able to go and collect a hundred pounds of books, get all sorts of free stuff and get a chance to talk in front of a group of 200 librarians, publishers and literary agents. This last part might sound intimidating, but you have a year to prepare for it. This is something that everyone involved in STAB can and should do. So, if you know anyone who is would be interested in doing this, let them know about it.

I think that is about it for now. Let me know if you have any questions.

Last but not least, Molly:

A) Michelle I have your shoes!! Nina I have your book! Jackie I love your Peach-Os! Alene I miss you! Rick, to me, you'll always be *doot doot* Library Lad!!!!
B) Never ever go on a trip with some other friends the weekend after finals AND Stab Antonio. You'll receive strange looks after you succumb to laughter when someone uses "poignant" in a sentence, or orders an iced coffee. They just won't understand.
C) As Nina said, people WILL look at you weird if you say "I was in TEXAS!" if they inquire upon where you were last Monday.
D) Beware of such problems on the last Math final of the semester: If a plane leaves somewheres at 9:30, and is going at such and such a speed, and it's delayed in Dallas Fort Worth, and you're starving after the banana and coffee you had before attending the Academy Awards of Librarians, and you've got ten dollars left, should you order a smoothie, a cup of noodles, or a tuna sandwich? ANSWER: Trick Question! You shouldn't order any of them, and go mooch a Peach-O from Jackie. Or Molly. She'll have Clif Bars. She always has Clif Bars.
E) Warning: The above question could cause you to forget to finish your math final.
And finally
F) Molly's Ultimate Rule for Going to STAB Antonio: Go with Michelle, Jackie, Nina, Alene, and Rick! You'll have more fun than anything, PLUS it's impossible to be the nerdiest one there. (Or will you?)

Thanks for everything, mates!! Rickettes forever, yo! Fo Schiz!

Jackie's take on STAB Antonio:

Ok so one could say just by looking at the pix we had a blast...........too true, but one could also say that we were being lazy, skiping out on our STAB duties, *rases hands in defence* I was not lazy.....I-I-I I was trying to keep myself awake. Do you know how hard that is to do after being sent to San Antonio on a RED EYE. *Glare at Rick* You might say that we were having a vacation, oh how we desrved that. Though we did have fun. Seeing the Alamo, The River Walk, the ALA Convention *that was the highlight of our twilight(Note the use of a BBYA book title)* Sorry I just love doing that. Oh that reminds me, we * Nina, Molly, Alene, Michelle* were walking back to our hotel when we decided to see who could use the most titles from the BBYA list well I didnot win. Come to think of it, I dont think any one did. Oh well being there was GREAT!!! I would like to thank Rick for taking us with him, Alene for coming with us and keeping an eye on us, The Friends of the Shoreline Library for making this posible. Thank you The Jackie out.

An update from Michelle:

AIEEEE.

I'm ready to blog now. I had to survive finals first. They are over. I am giddy now.

So, Nina already blogged. Nina, you are PRO. And you are funny. Like, ACTUALLY, you are.

Okay. I'd never, ever thought I'd go to Texas. But I did. W00t! Or, fo' schiz! Let's get the
cheese out of the way: Thank you Rick. You are hip and cool and a smart, brilliant, super-duper librarian. Thank you Alene. Chaperoning is hard work. (I can only imagine). You have so much spirit and cheer and humor, you made San Antonio that much more fun for us. Thank you Friends of the Shoreline Library for the opportunity. It was absolutely amazing. I mean, just thinking about the fact that only us four and a few Cali kids (I choose not to count the local Texans) participated in the teen forum portion of BBYA is mind-boggling. And we are lucky x 100000000 for being able to see and CONTRIBUTE to something like this. It really opened my eyes to the full scope of the library/book/literary world and it showed me how much there was to it. And Thank you Angie (for talking up the publishers and taking us around town). I can see why you are so popular ;).

YUP. So, San Antonio was fun. The tourist spots weren't particularly exciting (i.e. the Alamo). But it was refreshing to be in a city that was NOT Seattle. The landscaping was very different.*gasp* No towering, lush, evergreen trees? There was also a larger Latino & African American population. But getting to stay at a hotel, going to the conference (wearing the spiffy ALA badge, which we dubbed "library bling"), getting loads and loads and loads of SWAG, getting to know fellow STABies, taking "pretty" pictures, hearing about Rick's life story, dressing up for the fancy reception, talking about books, so on and so forth..THAT was FUN.

I have about 40+ books sitting by my bed, waiting to be read. Like Nina, I also have no shelf space. This is a problem. I might have to buy another bookshelf. The posters were also useful. I gave the baby Einstein poster to my chem teacher and the Presidents of the US poster to my former APUSH teacher. Bwahahaha. xD

And I have been using my Got Books/Got Libraries bag every day since I've back. I *heart* this bag. Ahh, the rewards of reading. I'm going to be on my school newspaper, the Kolus, starting next semester. I ought to write an editorial advocating teen reading. Something like: "EVERYONE SHOULD READ! You might find yourself attending a STAB/STABBYA meeting. Then, you might find yourself reading a load of books and reviewing them. THEN, you might even land yourself a fully-paid trip to a national conference where you get to meet cool people and get free stuff and learn a whole bunch. Doesn't that sound good? Start reading!"

Anyway. Books are swell. Yes, they are.