Thing 22: NetLibrary

I took a look at the non-fiction titles on NetLibrary, and was very happy to see a healthy use level on them! Many titles were only available to put on my waiting list, so lots were in use. I chose one that I've been meaning to pick up for a while now, Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup.

Now, sit back while I wax poetic and booktalk! Kate's husband was a Maine state trooper with a goal of becoming ordained as a minister but was killed in a car accident. So, Kate became ordained and now chaplains during search and rescue missions for the Maine Warden Service. Imagine being the person who has to figure out what to say to someone who is suffering through the disappearance of a loved one, wondering whether they'll be found and what condition they'll be in if located. That is Kate's work.

I listened to the intro, where Kate talks about learning Greek during her divinity studies. She talks of the religious idea of "in the beginning there is the story," and goes on to contrast her minister's role as "storyteller" and her confessor's role to guard the privacy of all to whom she ministers. Hello, this librarian is hooked! I had to stop the recording, however, when chapter 1 opened with a missing 6-year-old girl. I could already feel some tears welling up, so that will have to wait until I'm not out on the public floor of the library - can't wait to get my MP3! I didn't even check the title back in yet, because I am anxious to continue listening. Kate narrates this title herself, and has an enchanting down-to-earth articulateness about her. (We own it in print, too, in case I've talked anyone else into reading it!)

I found the download to work quite smoothly, after KK righted an ailing PC Plus and got OverDrive access, that is! I only downloaded part 1 of my book (don't know if that's an option for all titles, but for this one it was), but the download went much more quickly than I anticpated, anyway. I had tried this 2 years ago on a staff PC in BKY, and it was like pulling teeth. Looking back, I'm thinking it must have been the downloading of Overdrive that took so long, perhaps combined with a smaller memory on an older PC. This time it was very quick and straightforward, and I am definitely looking forward to using it more with my MP3!

On an added note, I found Kate's juxtaposition of "storytelling" and "storykeeping" (confidentiality) to be particularly appropriate for the Web Challenge. I think this will be a huge issue for libraries as we pursue 2.0. Web 2.0 is all about the open interaction, whereas libraries have always clung to the charge to protect user confidentiality. I see many thought-provoking issues ahead!

Thanks, Kristin, for making my download possible!