New RA & VA resources for the new year!

Here are a couple of good Reader's & Viewer's online resources that might help you a bit, or at least give you something to look at during those seconds of free time during the work day.

Early Word: earlyword.com
A blog founded by past editor of Library Journal and Publishers Weekly & publisher of Library Journal, School Library journal & Publishers Weekly.

From their About Us page - "This is a Blog and Web site on a mission — to give libraries the earliest information possible on the books their customers will be looking for, so they can stay ahead of demand. By giving readers what they want, when they want it, we believe libraries can increase their circulation and their support."

In addition to the early info, the site is filled with tons of RA resources including links to 67 "Best of 2008" lists and a well indexed list of categories and pages.

Clerk Dogs: clerkdogs.com

A new website that was founded by a past video store owner and the founder of the movie site reel.com. It lets you enter a movie title and gives you a list of recommended titles. The twist is that unlike most websites that are driven by a complicated proprietary search algorithm, clerk dogs' database is compiled using the experience of dozens of former video store clerks who have worked together to build these "if you like..." style lists that will hopefully be more accurate than computer based models.

The site is new and in beta (test) mode, so there will be likely be changes along the way. Right now they say the site works best with crime and suspense movies.
There are other bells & whistles like a "Mash It - movie DNA" gadget that lets you modify a recommendation by adjusting variables like "violence" "action" and/or "pace" to suit your mood.

So if you are looking to help your video patrons find a film (or looking for one yourself), clerk dogs might be a good recommendation!

Happy New Year!

RAVALA IG Meeting Recap & Best of 2008

Thanks to all who attended the RAVALA Interest Group meeting last Thursday and a special thanks to Cheryl & Alice for their interesting talks about non-fiction RA and trends in fiction. We also talked a little about the idea of a "Genre Study" and we'll discuss that more in January. For those who weren't able to make the meeting, we're sorry that we didn't get to see your smiling faces, but we'll hopefully catch you at the next meeting - likely sometime in March.

There won't be a blog posting next week, but will pick things up again for January.

We opened the meeting last week by sharing our "best of 2008" picks in Fiction, Non-fiction, Audio, Music, Movies & DVD's and as we discussed during the meeting we'd like to have the RAVALA members share those picks on the blog.

The rules are simple - We just want to know what you liked best in 2008 in any of the formats listed above. If possible the title should have been released/published in 2008 (noting that some 2007 movies are released on DVD in 2008) - but if you have a favorite you want to add that wasn't from this year we won't mind at all.

So what was your favorite(s) from this year? You can list a bunch or share only one, we don't care. We just want to hear about the best of what you've been reading/viewing/listening to.

Happy Holidays to all - and wishing you lots of great reads, views and listens in the new year!

Peace!

Andrew

Dec 11 meeting info and "Best of 2008"

The quarterly RAVALA meeting takes place Thursday, December 11 from 8-9:30 am in the Support Services downstairs meeting room. Good stuff is planned - we'll be talking about non-fiction, fiction trends, audio books, music, genre studies... whew! I'm tired already!

We want to hear from you as well, so since it is the end of the year, we'd love to hear about your "Best of 2008" - what was the best book, movie, DVD, and/or music that you encountered this year? (Please, don't respond via blog comments, save it for the meeting)

We'll start the meeting by sharing our "Best of" picks and don't worry, you don't have to share a favorite in each category unless you want to! We don't have much time due to our full schedule, so we can't ask for much more than a title, author/artist/actor and a very very very brief review - but it's a great chance for you to (quickly) share those 2008 gems!

Need a reminder on what was released in 2008? Luckily our friends at Wikipedia have compiled a series of lists of books, movies, DVDs & music for the year which you can access via the links below:

2008 Books
2008 Film
2008 DVDs
2008 Music

Susan & I hope to see you at the meeting! Email us if you have any questions!

See you on the 11th! Long live RAVALA!

A Fantastic Site for Mystery Lovers - Stop! You're Killing Me!!

Dear RAVALA group:


To perk up your Monday, there's a fantastic website for those of you who are mystery lovers (and it's extremely helpful for those who are not!). Please take a look at http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ . This site is self described as : "A resource for lovers of mystery, crime, thriller, spy, and suspense books. We list over 2,600 authors, with chronological lists of their books (over 30,000 titles), both series (3,000+) and non-series. Use the alphabetical author and character links above or the special indexes in the left column. And it’s perfectly fine with us if you print our pages for your private use, especially for a trip to your local library or bookstore".


In addition to a "Read-Alikes" section, there is a "Job Index" so you can find main mystery protaganists by their occupations, a "Location Index" of a character's home country, and a "Historical Period of Characters Index". There are other great features as well, so please explore this one and let us know what you think! And - if you know of other truly helpful sites for mystery readers out there, please share with the RAVALA gang of many. We love to hear your ideas and comments - - please keep them coming!


Susan C.

Books into Movies!

Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! Only 3 days, 11 hours and a handful of minutes until Twilight hits theaters! Are you going to be in line to watch the first show at midnight on November 21? You are? Well you won't see me there but I hope you enjoy the show. (Need an update on how long before it opens in theaters? check here for a countdown clock)

In case you are unfamiliar with this "Twilight" to which I refer, then you haven't talked with many tween/teenage girls lately or haven't placed one of the 200+ holds on the book (or its sequels). Stephanie Meyer's 2005 young adult vampire romance novel is a NY Times best seller and has three sequels to date. The movie version is almost here and many just can't wait! For a fan's entertaining (although a bit long) reaction to her initial viewing of the trailer watch this youtube video.

Unfortunately many book fans are often disappointed by the film version of their favorite book, but once in a while a decent version of a book does hit the big screen. So, how about you RAVALA folks? Do you have any book to movie that you thought was done well? Or are there any movie versions you just hated?

If you need a reminder on those titles that have gone from book to movie, be sure to visit the Mid-Continent Public Library "Based on the Book" list. You can also find it on the ALD website's Movies & Music page.

Library Journal's "Redefining RA" series - Genres

The November 1 issue of Library Journal continues the "Redefining RA" series. This month's topic is "Keeping up with Genres" and discusses Genre Studies - forming groups that read a variety of books in specific genre, then meet to discuss the genre and share likes (and dislikes). That's a bit difficult to do in a group the size of our RAVALA interest group (not to mention that we are spread out over multiple locations), but it might be something that an interested group at a branch might want to try to gain some depth in a particular genre.

From the article: "There can be little better way to build RA skills and create both functional teams and a public service tone in the library than sinking into a genre for a while and working together to discover its appeal."

You can find the LJ article here

Is a genre study worth trying? Could a group as large and spread out as our interest group pull it off, or is it best left to smaller branch groups? Have you ever tried "sinking into a genre" (especially one that's outside your typical reading habits?)

Put a Little Love in Our Lives!!

Romance, Romance -

Ladies and Gentlemen (or Scarletts and Rhetts) - Romance is in the air and it isn't even February! So - please tune into your romance radar and tell us (name and describe) your favorite hunk or vamp in a book, movie, or tune that sets the mood. For example, an outstanding vamp in music is "Lola" from "Damn Yankees" ("Whatever Lola Wants") and a hunk favorite of mine is strong, silent Joe Pike from the Elvis Cole mystery series written by Robert Crais. Joe is tough and no nonsense, but is beginning to grow a soft heart (sigh).

A couple of romance author sites to investigate are: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/home and http://www.coloradoromancewriters.org/

For movies, take a look at : http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/04/moviefones-top-25-romance-films-of-all-time/

How about some input from you creative RAVALA types for romance sites - -and don't forget to tell us about your favorite hunks and vamps!!

Susan C.

ALD November Events Promoting Authors & Readers

Happy Monday!! Here's a reminder for all you RAVALA participants: The first half of November is a huge ALD promotion for “Inside the Book”, a district wide celebration of authors and books and readers. What will be happening is as follows and you're encouraged to let all your patrons know about these great events (and plan to attend a few yourself!)

· Sat., Nov. 1 from 6-8 p.m.: Colorado author Margaret Coel’s reception & talk at Smoky Hill. Margaret Coel will sign and sell her books. There also will be Native American dancers and a Native American flute player.

· Sat., Nov. 1 from 9 a.m.-9 p.m: There will be an ALD Bookfair at the Barnes & Noble store at Southlands. Any purchases (other than gift cards) made that day will go toward ALD. Patrons need to say it’s for the library district.

· Sun., Nov. 9, from 2-4 Koelbel Authors Open House: Eighteen great Colorado authors of all genres will have tables throughout the main level and Barnes and Noble will be there to sell books. (Great for holiday giving.) There also will be a Book Lovers Reception in the meeting rooms with finger food and drinks for all!

· Smoky Hill Open House, Sat., Nov. 15 from 2-4: Teen authors will do a panel discussion from 2-2:45 in the meeting room, and then go to their tables in the courtyard. Children’s authors will be set up in the children’s room and storytime room. B&N will be selling books and this is also an opportunity to buy gift books signed by the author.

We really want to promote "Inside the Book", so please take every opportunity to remind and entice your patrons to attend any or all of these fun and supportive events!!

Thanks for reading! And - if you want to investigate Colorado Authors have a look at these webpages for information: http://www.rmfw.org/ (Rocky Mountain Fiction writers); http://www.coloradoauthors.org/ (Colorado Authors League); and http://www.coloradoromancewriters.org/ (self explanatory). These are just a few of what's out there for Colorado writers!

Susan C.

With apologies to Raymond Chandler...

I was sitting in the dark office, wondering how I was going to pay for another cheap bottle of whiskey, no less the rent on the dump, when I heard her heels clicking down the hall and saw her silhouette in the frosty glass of the door. She knocked and I said "Come in, the door's never locked." Through the smoke from my cigarette, she looked like an angel in the clouds... a classy blonde angel. She sat in the ragged leather chair by my desk, making the old chair look better than it had in years, and said "I need some help..." "That’s what I'm here for, doll" I replied, wishing I had a little of that cheap whiskey. "I need some help finding information on classic films" she breathed through glossy red lips, lips that should be sipping champagne but didn't belong in a dump like this. "Hmmm, what kind of information are you looking for?" I said, taking the last drag of my last cigarette. "You know... information about films from the Forties & Fifties, about gangsters and dames, about... I think they call it Film Noir." Her voice was like silk, well suited for those lips. "The library..." I stuttered, "I think you'll find what you need there. I'm a detective, not a librarian. If someone was missing, if you needed someone tailed, if someone needed some "convincing", I might be able to help you, sweetheart... but you need a librarian." She quickly stood and threw a couple crumpled dollars on my desk, her eyes glowing in the darkness, eyes that could stop a herd of wild horses. "Thanks for your help" she said as she spun and headed toward the door. "Need my card?" I asked hopefully. "No thanks, the only card I need is my library card" she replied as she glanced over her shoulder. "Maybe I could check out the library with you... after we get a drink" I said, but it was too late - her heels clicked out the door, down the hall and out of my life.

Yeah, that was the life changing incident that made me become a Librarian. If a classy dame comes in looking for information on Film Noir, I now know how to help her. ALD's Donna Keslin has started leading a film series on classic films, and is compiling information about classic films (including recommended films and books) that is located on the ALD website on the "Movies and Music" page under "Classic Film Series." Her series through December is devoted to American Film Noir and the list of resources will grow as Donna covers more movie genres in the program. Check it out!

If you have a classic film that’s your favorite (it can be any genre), we’d love to hear about it. If you've got a favorite hard-boiled detective novel, we'd love to hear about that too!

Bloggin' about blogs!

There is no shortage of blogs out there. A recent report from Technorati states that 26.4 million people in the U.S. have started a blog and 60.3 Americans are reading them (that's 77% of active internet users according to this report). Everyone's got an opinion, information to share, or a story to tell whether we want to hear it or not.

There are lots of good blogs out there, and a number of them relate to libraries and library advisory services. So this week's discussion topic is What blogs do you read on a regular basis that help with reader's/viewer's/listener's advisory? And if you are a regular blog reader, how do you keep track of new posts on your favorite blogs?

If you are looking for more library-related blogs (and I'm sure we all are) - there is a list of them on LSI Wiki at
http://liswiki.org/wiki/Weblogs. Give yourself some time, because it's a pretty big list. Wow, lots of librarians with opinions - who'd a thunk it?

Anyone Into Political Thrillers?

Hello to all out in RAVALA-land!

Since we are in the midst of an interesting and hotly-contested political campaign, I thought it would be fun to focus on the topic of politics - particularly "political thrillers". Wikipedia offers a pretty accurate definition of this subgenre: "A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of political power struggle. These usually involve various plots, rarely legal, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him from getting it. They can involve national or international political scenarios. World War II is a favorite scenario, as are US presidential elections."



There are a lot of political thrillers out there, both in book and movie format. Do you have a favorite? If so, give us a brief synopsis. For example, one of my favorites is an oldie, "Absolute Power", by David Baldacci. The gist is a bad guy who becomes the prey of even badder guys after he stumbles on a murder that points directly to the involvement of the U.S. president. An action-packed page turner!


If you're interested, more titles in the political thriller subgenre can be found at http://sachem.suffolk.lib.ny.us/advisor/politcalthrillers.htm



Susan C

Music to your ears!

Not wanting to overwhelm you with too much information and too many blog posts, Susan & I have decided to combine our two weekly posts into a single Monday post. The Monday post will give the group opportunity to discuss a Readers, Viewers or Listeners Advisory topic, and will also provide a meaningful web resource that will hopefully add to the discussion topic. It's two, two, two posts in one! Refreshing!

So, here's this week's entry:

We've tried to touch on the RA, VA and the audio book part of LA, but haven't really talked much about music as part of the "advisory service" that we provide to our patrons. Music is a tough advisory, since it is such a personal choice as to what we like and don't like (For me, I like almost anything except country - I think it's the need for country artists to wear cowboy hats and sing with a twang - I realize that's being judgmental & superficial but we all have our shortcomings).

I don't think I've ever had anyone ask for a "music" advisory (as in "what should I listen to?") but I have had questions helping patrons find types of music (French, Hawaiian, Salsa, Polka, Blues, Rap) in our collection, or from patrons who were looking for a particular song, but weren't sure of the artist or album. Searches for genres has been made easier due to the recent changes to & ongoing re-cataloging of music genres by creating Rap, R&B, Blues, Celtic, World, Latin, & New Age categories, and moving away from the confusing ANSCR letter classifications (oh, of course... P means Folk music, and B means Opera). As for finding specific songs, as long as the song titles are listed in the catalog record (and they normally are), a keyword search in the catalog helps usually will identify CD's that contain a specific song.

So this weeks discussion topic is what are the music advisory issues that you are facing? Perhaps we can answer those nagging questions!


Monday Morning Website: allmusic.com
It's a huge website with information about artists in all genres, lists of artists with similar styles, reviews of CD releases, definitions of genres and styles, new release information, music samples, music videos, and a music blog (if you need another blog to read). Well designed, easy to access and navigate, and a good music resource.

Monday, Monday (once again) RAVALA Time

Hope all the RAVALA members have had a great weekend.

The topic for this week is - “ Have you read/listened to/watched anything out of your usual favorite genre recently? Something that either challenged you or gave you pause or you really loved or hated? If so, what was it and what did you think about it?” For example: I just rewatched "The Departed" and got a lot more from it the second time - the storyline was clearer and the acting amazing - but since neither the violence nor the constant flow of profanity is my cup of tea, it was a struggle to stay with it.

So - hop on the bandwagon and let us hear about your new/different viewing or reading experiences!

Susan C.

TT: Readers Advisory websites

While trying to find something interesting for this week's Thirsty Thursday link, I came across two sites that I wanted to share with you:

readersadvisory.org states that it is... "A place to test and share ideas, projects, notes, etc. For librarians who provide RA services" - A deceivingly simple home page is merely a facade for the amounts of information lurking within. Click on the "Web 2.0" link and you'll find blogs, wikis and social sites regarding readers advisory. The "RA Links" and "RA Professional Development" lead to dozens of websites; some for the general public, the other written for the librarian. Mucho RA stuffo!

overbooked.org is the other site and it also is filled with Readers Advisory information, but mostly in the form of book lists. The site says it is a "resource for readers - providing timely information about fiction (all genres) and readable nonfiction." I'm not sure what "unreadable nonfiction" is exactly, but they have the readable kind. I'm sure some of you have experienced "unreadable fiction" but that's another post! Anyway, lots of good book lists there and some RA resources too!

Alla Salute!

Andrew R.

Something "New" to Talk About?

The stimulating question of the week for all you RAVALA folks (and many of you should feel comfortable commenting) is:


What is the best “debut novel” you’ve read this year? And- - what comments do you have about it? For example, my favorite was “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan. It is a truly compelling story of the dynamics within and between two very different Southern families after the end of WWII. The character development is fantastic as is the strong sense of place.


It's always great to hear about and share a work by a never before published author so share away!!

Susan C.

Thirsty Thursday - science fiction and fantasy!

This topic was a popular one during our initial meeting, so here's a site dedicated to the subject.

"The SF Site: The Best in Science Fiction and Fantasy" www.sfsite.com appears to be a very comprehensive site on the genre. There are current reviews, award winners, "best of" lists, podcasts, interviews, and much more.

I found an interesting article on the site - "Science Fiction & Fantasy: A Genre With Many Faces" gives a nice description of sub-genre's that fall within the SciFi/Fantasy umbrella.

May the force be with you, live long and prosper, etc.

good flix!

Let's talk viewer's advisory!

Back in the day when I worked at Koelbel as the media librarian, I used to keep a list of what I called "good flix" - movies that I could recommend to patrons who were looking for something different. These films weren't blockbusters, they were often those indie films that come and go rather quickly from the theaters, but they were great recommendations because most patrons hadn't seen them. They could be R-Rated, but I liked to pick films that were probably not going to offend the viewer, and I'd be sure to explain (to the best of my memory) why a recommended film was rated R, so the patron could make up their mind based on their tastes.

Last weekend I was watching the DVD "Son of Rambow" - a British movie set in the '80's about two boys (one wealthy, but without any parental guidance, the other from a strict religious sect that forbids watching TV) who decide to make their own movie version of Rambo. It's a fun film that certainly would make my "good flix" list.

A couple of other titles that were on my list were The Station Agent and Secondhand Lions.

So let's share. What are some films you might recommend as a Good Flix?

Let's keep it to two or three titles per person, so that everyone has a chance - if you want to include a brief description of the film(s), go right ahead.

When we're done, I'll compile the list so you can use it and be a super Viewer's Advisor!

Andrew R.

Thirsty Thursday - Parental Advisory!

An important area of the advisory process is helping parents make good decisions with (and for) their children.

ALD places the responsibility of parental supervision on the parent, stating "It is not the library's policy to decide what ideas your child should be exposed to; therefore, we hope you will continue to participate in the learning process by helping your child select materials and by sharing them at home." This means that all our patrons have access to any book, movie or music in our collection and we ask that the parent is involved to make sure the material is appropriate for their child.

Which brings me to this weeks Thirsty Thursday resource: Common Sense Media - www.commonsensemedia.org - providing what I'd call "Parental Advisory".

It's a site dedicated helping parents make good decisions regarding media. The CSM staff reviews movies (in theaters & on DVD), TV shows, music, video games, websites and books. They give a review of the title and provide parents some discussion points when talking with their kids. They "rate" the Content (Sex, Violence & Language) as well as the social message that is given. The ratings aren't good or bad, just if they are appropriate for the recommended minimum age for the item.

The site also provides the opportunity for both adults & kids to rate the "age appropriateness" so you aren't limited to the opinions of the staff reviewer. They do want you to register (it's free) via a pop-up, but you can decline the invitation if you want to avoid the weekly email. I'd suggest clicking on the "More Rating Info"
in the left column to get more info on how the thing works.

There are other parental advisory sites out there, but this one (once you figure out how it works) is probably the most comprehensive.

So the next time someone wants to know why a movie is rated what it's rated, or whether that PG13 movie is appropriate for their 6 year old ("they are really advanced for their age"), or are just looking for good advice on making good media decisions with their kids, you've got a site to recommend.

Cheers! (seemed like the thing to say on a Thirsty Thursday)

Instant Recall? What Are Your Favorite Tips/Tricks

Hello dear RAVALA membership! Question of the week: What tricks or tips do you use to remember what you've read/watched/listened to? I used to carry around a small steno notebook in which I had jotted down titles, authors, and a descriptive word or two if necessary that would trigger a memory. Now that we no longer take materials to the desk, I keep a reading log on my remote desktop. I just have to remember to add to it when I finish something. Is there a more organized or productive way to do this? I know there are some readers' websites out there that allow you to record or tag to your reading history. Does anyone have a terrific one they use? It will be great to hear your ideas!

Susan the RAVALA nag

Dip Into This Website - It's Thirsty Thursday!

This one is from Susan C. (who has been idly paging through life but who also is a big fan of audio books):

A site to take a look at - even if you're not an audio book fan: "AudioFile" magazine's website where you can some pretty cool stuff - http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/. Although you need to be a subscriber to access all of it, there is much available for free. Take a look at the "Golden Voices" tab to learn about your favorite narrator and look around further to see what audios are newly released, and lots more!

Enjoy - and support your friendly RAVALA blog!

the plan for the blog

Susan & I have been brainstorming the best way to get information to the group by using the blog. As we said in the meeting, we can only meet every three months, so we are going to have to use the blog to share information.

We know that many of you may be blogged-out, and we don't want to throw too much info at you, so we thought we'd set a limit at two blog entries a week.

The Monday blog post will be designed to stimulate conversation. It might be as simple as a question, or might be some sort of instruction, where you can comment (if you like), add your input, or ask a question. We're looking for guest bloggers that might be willing to share their expertise in some form of Readers, Viewers or Listeners Advisory. If you'd like to share with the group via a blog post, please let Susan or me know by email (or in person if you see us).

On Wednesday or Thursday we'll try post a website or an article that might help on our quest to become better advisors. Again, we're looking for articles or websites that you might come across during your week. I'd like to compile that information, and offer it on the blog. So if you have interesting articles that you'd like to share on the blog or a website that you think would be of value please email the information to me.

This interest group is what we make it, so as you stumble upon something valuable in the world of Readers, Viewers, & Listeners Advisory, share it with the group!

Long live RAVALA!

Andrew R

Thirsty Thursday Resource!

It's Thirsty Thursday! We're gonna quench your thirst for RAVALA knowledge!

Don't know how many of you get to see Library Journal - I just got to see the June 15 issue (I must be kind of low on the distribution list) which has an interesting article on Readers Advisory titled "The RA Tool Kit."

It's an article that's chock full of Readers Advisory resources and websites. In fact, it's so comprehensive that I think we should just go there and end this interest group (just kidding, folks).

Lucky for us in this electronic world we can use the Internets and Googles to find this article online, so here's the link for those who didn't get to see it: The RA Tool Kit

Take a look and share your thoughts with us so we may drink of your knowledge on this Thirsty Thursday.

Andrew R.

Ideas for meeting & blog topics

Hi group,

Nice seeing everyone last week.

For those that could not make the meeting (or those who attended buy can't remember what we talked about), we worked as small groups to come up with ideas that we could discuss in future meetings or that could be used as blog topics.

I've finally compiled the list of topics that were brainstormed during the meeting - you'll see them listed below. Some of them seem to lend themselves to the blog, others would make good meeting presentations.

If you had any ideas that hit you after we met, here's a great opportunity to add them or clarify anything on any of the items listed. For those that didn't make the meeting, we'd love to hear any ideas you might have as to what would be good discussion points for future meetings and blogs.

Here's the list:

Audio Books & readers
Sci-fi books, authors & resources (3 groups recommended this one)
Understanding Movie & Music Genres – recommendations for genres
Using the BiblioTravel website – have staff recommend at “travel title” book or movie
Author information – bios, interesting facts
Top recommendations for all genres
Improving interviewing skills
Tips & tricks for remembering what you’ve read & watched
Readers Advisory websites – trends in publishing
Non-fiction that reads like fiction
Tips of finding titles with little information (movies, music groups)
New Mystery Authors
Plugs for RAVALA events in the area
Questions regarding downloading audio books
Quick links to genre info for teens
Book Clubs – how to make them more interesting
Historical Fiction
Adding a tab for Sci-fi on the website

Any comments/additions/corrections?

Keep on readin', viewin', listenin' & advisin'

Andrew R.

five-word book talks (or movie talks)

Thanks for sharing your five-word book talks (or movie talks) at the first RAVALA interest group meeting.

Please share them again as a comment so we can make all of those other interest groups envious as to what a fun group we have!

Enjoy!

Greetings!

Greetings, Readers and Viewers (and Listeners) Advisory Interest Group Members! (whew)
You are part of the interest group that has both the largest group & the longest name!
We're number 1!!!

Speaking for Susan C & myself, we are glad that you are part of this group and look forward to your participation both in the quarterly meetings and on this blog.

I'm hoping you are here because you received my email and are ready to do a little practice commenting. There is no requirement for you to comment but we'd like to hear from you and make sure that you feel comfortable commenting. Feel free to write as much as you like, and comment more than once if you want the practice.

We'll kick this off with something simple to let you get the hang of commenting (if you need the practice).

Today's topic:
So, you are a member of the Readers, Viewers and Listeners Advisory Interest Group - what do you like to read, view and/or listen to?