Edith is seen here sharing a little hug with her favorite author, Neil Gaiman.

Edith, contrary to popular belief, does not always have her nose stuck in a comic book.  Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she decided to stay close to her roots, but her adventures take her far across the globe.  She has a passion for dancing and travel, sometimes mixing the two with trips to Asheville, North Carolina for a little lindy hop or London, Ontario, where she might enjoy an English country dance.  She's heading to Qatar in the summer and hopes to learn a traditional wedding dance while she's there.  While Edith reads a lot of Japanese manga and teen fiction, she also enjoys a variety of adult fiction, from the classics to fantasy and romance.  Currently sitting on her nightstand amidst a pile of fluffy fantasy books and a rather serious discussion of the state of school lunches is a Megan Whelan Turner novel in The Queen's Thief series.  She highly recommends this series to older kids, teens and adults, as long as they can handle some rather shocking plot twists.  Edith is an expert book tracker, so if you know a fragment of a plot and the color of a book cover, she'll search out your missing treasure, whether it's a paperback romance or your favorite childhood picture book.

Join Edith on March 24 for a SRSLY Book Blast. Share pizza and your thoughts about Glass by Ellen Hopkins. Click on the image to register.

As a teen librarian, I've watched a lot of trendy themes come and go in teen literature, and prose poetry is one of them.  Stories written a poem at a time can have the power to add suspense and excitement to the tale, and create concise and vivid images of the characters thoughts and actions.  Ellen Hopkins' books did not lead the trend, but they rise to the top of my list of recommended prose poetry books.  Hopkins has a real gift for exploring the darker side of teen lives, possibly because her own daughter's struggle with addiction inspired her to write Crank.  Crank, the story of a girl named Kristina who falls into meth addiction, is a book that stayed on the New York Times Bestseller list for months.

Glass is the sequel to Crank and closely follows the events of the first novel.  Kristina, already addicted to meth, now must contend with that addiction, which threatens her hopes of happiness with her newborn son, Hunter.  This book does not stand alone well, but as a sequel it is a dark turn of events that shock the reader, and remind them that Kristina's addiction is real, and has real consequences.  Readers will immediately want to seek out Hopkins' third book in the series, Fallout.  They will be glad to know that the story is not over, yet.   Hopkins' novels are written at a level that can be enjoyed by readers ages 12 and older.  

The Library is teaming up with SRSLY to bring you free copies of Glass by Ellen Hopkins' best-selling novel-in-verse. Join Edith for pizza and share your thoughts about the book, Thursday, March 24 from 6:00-7:30pm in the McKune Room. This event is recommended for ages 12+.  Register now! 

The Michigan Library Association launches campaign: Protect Michigan Libraries

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder recently introduced his budget proposal for FY 2011-2012, and once again libraries are the subject of massive budget cuts. In the Governor's budget, state aid to libraries is cut by 40 percent; this is in addition to the 40 percent cut faced just two years ago. With these two cuts, Michigan libraries will realize a 76 percent reduction in funding since 2000. The Governor has called for "shared sacrifice" across the state, but libraries have already shared the pain.

While we support Governor Snyder's call for the elimination of tax credits like renaissance zones, state law mandates libraries are reimbursed for these credits but the reimbursement was eliminated in 2010.

What is at stake?
Michigan eLibrary and MeLCat programs are at risk of collapse within two years. Eleven library cooperatives will close and libraries may be forced to restrict services or hours or close branches. Libraries will be unable to assist small business owners, or possible small business owners, with essential market research data through the Michigan eLibrary databases. Community Colleges and Universities will be unable to remain competitive in the research arena with the disappearance of these databases as well. How can libraries remain the vital partner in growing Michigan's knowledge-based economy without this support? Read more...

 What is the MeLibrary (MeL.org)? Learn more about Michigan eLibrary and who uses it.Find out how it is funded and why it is at risk with this useful fact sheet. 

Learn more! Visit the Michigan Libraries of the Future website to learn more about what is at stake and what you can do.

-from www.milibrariesforthefuture.org