V-Blogging: Portland Arrival
The Kidlitopshere Conference has begun! Video #1: In which our hero arrives and then immediately seeks out the family. The Central Library of Portland is featured in this puppy. Here’s the catch, though. I didn’t want to wake up my housemates last night so you’ll find my voice a little quietish. Aplogies. Mea culpa. My favorite part is the opening anyway.
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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Fantastic video! I so wish I was in Portland for the KidLitosphere Conference. I want to go touch that statue and view everything you saw. I do admit to gasping when you handled the rare book without gloves. Since I exaggerate my cleanliness with a few rare title favorites of mine, I expected to see you don elbow-length theatrical gloves to touch the Beatrix Potter work. Thanks for the tour. I’ll be checking for more.
Well, they weren’t my hands I’m afraid. Rather masculine when you look at them. But I understand what you mean. Then again, there’s a reason I became a children’s libraian and not an archivist.
I gasped at the bare hands, too. Whose hands are they? I’ve never been in a rare book room that wasn’t guarded!
Your voice sounds very flight attendant opening remarks-y. Second career?
My first thought as well. I remember donning gloves at the NYPL Rare Book Room (between the Lions) and that was back in the ’60s!
But great show, Betsy. Thanks.
Betsy, Fabulous video. You inspire me to get started with video. I must take a field trip to the library soon. It is amazing what is there, an orginal Potter book? Who knew?
Great vlog! Great conference!
Oh, the rare book room IS mostly definitely “guarded” as you say. I just happened to con my way in. More videos to come.
Oh, if only my son’s birthday wasn’t this weekend as well — I would have been SO THERE. What a spiffing library — it makes me homesick for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, which is very similar in style and feel. (I recently relocated to Salt Lake City, which has a very fine library, but isn’t quite the same as CLP. Le Sigh.)
Dude, are you rockin’ the John Barry music again?!
You bet I am! The first time wasn’t John Barry (even though it sounded like it) though. It was Simpsons-by-way-of-John-Barry. Good catch, though. Thank God I bought that Full Monty soundtrack all those years ago.