100! 100! 100! (and ready for 100 more!)

Can you believe it?! 

This is our 100th post!

Library blog writers on an adventure! :)

 I remember back in elementary school when we would do activities to celebrate the 100th day of school or when the benefactor of our school turned 100 years old.  I made a necklace with 100 beads and another necklace of 100 plastic caps from those little Sunny Delight juice bottles (yeah...promoting recycling!).  I think my sister collected 100 pennies (woo! a dollar!), while my brother made a paperclip chain with 100 paperclips.  It was just a matter of collecting 100 items to visually conceptualize what 100 looks like.  So how shall we celebrate the 100th post of The Library Adventures*?

* Yes, we had to change the title (in case you haven't noticed) because Madison joined our writing crew...

If I was at school, I'd probably bring in 100 cupcakes or 100 cookies to the library and share it with all our fantastic followers (you know who you are)!  The Library Adventures wouldn't be anything without them, as I have stated so many times in my closing statements over the summer. 

Well, I'm sure Rick and Madison will figure out something to celebrate this momentous moment - 100 posts!

So what direction is the blog going to go in for its next 100 posts?  Only time will tell, but good times for sure...

From our start in February of this year, the Library Adventures has definitely grown from their original concept of just recording our adventures in the UP library.  While Rick and Madison are still living up the adventures at UP, I graduated and moved to NYC, recording my adventures at the public library here.   

Although we are miles apart and 100 posts down, 

the adventures still continue!

We've added segments that focus on different aspects of the library, adding some variety to our adventures.  Some of these segments include: Books in the Library and Library Travels.  

As Rick, Madison and other UP students continue into the core of the fall semester at UP and beyond, the adventures will start to get back to some of the antics as the end of last year, but you know with new faces and some new places in the library, you never know what to expect!

I'm excited to see what will happen in the next 100 posts, and I hope you are too and join us on our upcoming adventures!!

Now a word from Rick about 100! :)
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It's Rick now!! :D

I'm pretty sure Tarra covered what I wanted to say about the momentous event of ours in this here blog. 100 posts ago I definitely wouldn't have thought that the blog would have evolved the way it did. It really did start out merely as just a way to record our adventures. To see where it's come from then amazes me and even makes me chuckle a bit.

Seriously?

- Who would have thought of celebrating birthdays in the library?

- Who would have thought finding different kinds of books in the library would be fun?*
*By the way, keep an eye on that because I have recently found some pretty cool books

- Who would have thought hanging out in the library would have been the cool thing to do?

Most importantly: Who would have thought of making this blog about the library? (haha)

Anyways, I guess I should write something that has a direction as to where this blog is going. As Tarra mentioned, there have been some changes to the blog. One of them has definitely been the addition of Madison to posting.

With Madison posting now, we feel like the blog has a totally different dimension that it never had last year. What I mean by this is Madison might be writing, every now and then, a behind the scenes kind of look at the library. You know? Give us the low down on what's going on in the library that the students, like myself, don't know.

I hope that by adding in this section of the blog it will give the reader's a more in depth look. You know!? bahaha.

As for the posting I'll be doing, it won't change. It'll still stay along the lines of what Tarra and I recorded in the last semester. I should mention that I will really have to work on getting to the library this year and staying there late. Not just for the sake of the blog, but because I really haven't been to the library all that much this year.

Take my word though that I will be a better presence in the library and that blogging will continue and it'll be like old times.

If there's one thing Tarra and I have decided on, it's the fact that we want YOU, yes you the reader, to be involved with our adventures this year. By this we mean that we want you to not just be part of the adventure, but even let people know about your own adventure.

This is your opportunity to add to the blog. Just simply drop me a blog post to my email (baleros13@up.edu) as well as a picture of you taken while in the library and it'll get put up along with other posts. I really hope that you guys take advantage of this because it'll be fun to hear what other people experience in the library!

Again, it'll give a different dimension to the blog. It'll be just more than my perspective and Madison's perspective. Seriously, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS!!

I'm signing out now from the library balcony ;)

Be sure to keep an eye out for future postings. (Postings that hopefully will come more frequently!)

Libraries in Colorado!

It's been a while since I've posted on here, but hey! I'm still here! Well, not at UP here, but I think you catch my drift.  Anyway, I hope summer has been treating everyone well! I know mine has had its ups and downs, but I've enjoyed it for the most part. You can find out more on my blog...

So library adventures in Colorado?
How does that happen, right?  I wasn't even planning on having library adventures as I headed to this Rocky Mountain state in July, but it happened.  

For starters, my hotel had a library in it!  I didn't get a chance to visit it because people were always in it when I passed by, but it was right next to the elevators so I saw it frequently.  It was just a small room filled with books and a few computers. I just didn't know that a library was an amenity at a hotel.  Different, eh?

The whole purpose for the trip to Colorado was to attend my cousin's wedding.  Best wishes to the bride and groom! While we were outside of the church to see the newlyweds drive off in a limo, I noticed the library across the street! haha I wasn't the only one that noticed either; my cousin's girlfriend asked if it was open. Classic!

Could you imagine having a wedding IN A LIBRARY?  The Today show was talking about unconventional ways to have a wedding, and people were getting married at stores, amusement parks, underwater, and dressed up as their favorite comic book or movie.  Crazy! Just makes me wonder if a library has ever been a place to hold a wedding ceremony...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Before the close of our trip, we visited Manitou Springs, which is around the Colorado Springs area.  Checked out a couple points of interests, like Pike's Peak, Cliff Dwellings, and Cave of the Winds.  Driving through town, I found the public library of Manitou Springs.  Yes, again, I did not go inside.  We were sitting in traffic when I took this picture.

Looks so tranquil, hidden beneath green trees in the summer sunshine! Ah...! I wish I could have gone inside the libraries I saw on this trip.

It's cool that Rick and I are checking out or at least seeing different libraries around the country.  I definitely think this segment should continue.  It would be awesome if we even visited libraries around the world!

Madison and I were discussing how libraries are such a central place for knowledge with all the books.  It's truly fascinating, and I think that's what I really enjoy about libraries.  You can get lost in a book and uncovering a multitude of facts from cover to cover.  It's one of the best feelings to gain new interesting information. :)

Library Travels.

On July 10, 2010 a good friend of mine from 6th Grade, Kathryn Fisken, and I traveled down to Seattle. To be specific the University of Washington Campus. Like many of my friends who knew I went down to the UW Campus, I bet you're wondering why we went down there. Well you see, we went because of the following reasons:

1. I really wanted to visit the library that looks like the Great Hall from Harry Potter. (I'll elaborate on that more in the post)
2. I wanted to hang out with Kathryn because she honestly is one of the few friends I have left from that long ago. Also, we just wanted to hang out at UW seeing as she goes there for school.

Seeing as one of the reasons as to why I wanted to visit UW was because of their libraries, I found this an opportunity to add to the libraries I've visited. Seeing as Tarra wrote a blog on the different libraries she visited, I thought I'd add to it :). Maybe this could become like a little segment Tarra and I do throughout the year(s).

Anyways, there was one library in particular that I wanted to visit, and that was the Harry Potter library. It's pretty much the library that looks like the Great Hall from Harry Potter. Unfortunately, the timing Kathryn and I had wasn't the greatest because the library wasn't even open, but here's a picture for you to see what the library looks like, haha.



If you look carefully, you can see that there was a wedding going on at the time. In fact, there were three different weddings going on that day at the campus. For those that don't to UW, the Harry Potter library is actually named Suzzallo. Here's a different shot of the library from a different angle :)

Seeing as Kathryn and I couldn't get into that library, we had to settle for the other library that was open on the weekend during summer session. This library was named Odegaard. Right away I could see many differences from their library compared to ours at the University of Portland. Before any of you start to make comments, I'm aware that their library will be different from ours seeing as they have so many more students than us. I know we can't compare a campus that is about 45,000 students to our 3,000 students. But the differences made it really cool.

If there was something similar between their library and our library, it was that on the main floor there was a place to sit, and look at computers. [Unfortunately, I don't have any photos from our UP library. You'll just have to use your imagination to try picture something up!] This area though is kind of their lobby area, or in our case at UP it's the area that would be near the offices.

One of the other things that caught my attention was the stairs in this library. Obviously, since we have a small library we don't have that many staircases. In fact, we have maybe like one main staircase that takes us between all the three floors in our library. Thinking about it though, the staircase that does take us between all floors isn't placed in the best place within the library, ha. It's a good thing though that the library will be getting a serious makeover!




It was just really cool to see how intricate the stairs were also. I felt like I was in Hogwarts looking at the way the stairs were built, haha. (Me and my Harry Potter love!)

The one last thing I would like to touch base on about UW's library compared to ours was the computer lab. Again, we have a small campus, so there's no need to have more computers. Well, in my opinion I think our library could use some more computers in the computer areas. Yeah, people bring their laptops, but sometimes we need to print things. I might be counting wrong, but  the thing is, we have like 8 circular tables in the main part of the library that house 4 computers each. If you look at the photo [click to enlarge it] you can see that there are 8 circular tables with 4 computers each. What's around those tables is obviously more computers. The other thing you guys can't see is that this is only half the computers that they have on this floor. Yes, there's more computers on this floor and the floor above and below this one. CRAZY!!


Right away I kind of got jealous at UW's library, but you know what they need a library like this seeing as they are a larger school. It's a good thing to know though that the library at the University of Portland is getting remodeled. Unfortunately, it won't be during my time. (That just means that I'll have to maybe come visit the library once it's finished and running)

That's it for my library travels, I hope to have more this upcoming school year!

PS. This post is about a month overdue [library joke, haha]. Sorry about that though :)

Sno-Isle Public Library.

Since my days, as of right now, of being at University of Portland have taken a pause. I get the pleasure of going to my public library. As I said in my closing statement of the spring semester's blogs, it's definitely not the same. I knew right away walking in that I was, for the most part, the only student here who was going to a university rather than a community college, but hey, college is college.

So right now though, I'm sitting within the stacks only because almost every flippin seat seems to be taken. Also, it feels really weird being one of the few people with a laptop ...

As for my reasons coming to my library though, it's not just because I have this void in my heart that says "RICK GET TO THE LIBRARY!" I'm here because 1) I lost my library card from my junior year of high school, so obviously I had to get a new one. They look different, but 2) Like my friend Tarra, reading used to be something I enjoyed, but then I got to high school and then college rolled around. I don't think I've found the time to truly just sit down on my couch at home and read a good book for the hell of just reading it. Maybe even connecting with the characters. Finding all of those underlying messages that the author is trying to get the reader to understand. So I'm here to check out some books to read this summer.

Well, I'm off to go check out some of those books, especially Crime and Punishment!

To our followers: Are you guys reading anything this summer that isn't a text book? I'm not going to lie, I would love to know what you guys are reading, if you're reading anything at all. I'm pretty sure Tarra would enjoy knowing too :)

PS. As for the atmosphere here, people need to SHUT UP because they are talking so flippin loud. It definitely is weird being in a library with high school and even middle school students. eh.

Introducing...

MADISON BLAKE!

She's not a stranger to this blog since she has been included in several adventures over the past semester.  She works at the library, giving us the inside scoop of life as a library worker.  Because of this, she's the newest author to this blog dedicated to adventures at the UP library.  Seeing that Rick and I will be absent from the library for the duration of the summer, Madison will not because she was able to secure a position for the summer months.  She'll be remarking on any interest activity going on during the summer months. 

So please, continue to check out the blog over the summer because Madison will add a couple posts now and then! :D

What if...

there was a flash mob in the library?! hahaha Complete with music and dancing! Ah...it would be pretty funny and awesome!! :D

Inspired by Glee:



Even if that doesn't happen, there is a flash mob happening in Portland on July 29th.  Contact Andrew Hansen if you're interested. :)

One more thing...I was also watching "Silent Library," but that Japanese-based game show wouldn't work at the UP library. It's already so loud, unless you're in the basement. Bahahaha...it could happen. Maybe...

Encyclopedia of Christmas ...

*This post will be short, I'll write more later though when I have the chance :)

I hope most of you guys enjoyed Tarra's last words, but it's time that this blog gets going again.

In light of summer vacation, there is barely anyone here in the library. So I thought I'd do like a segment of "Books you didn't know were in the library"

Note to readers: I honestly don't know what kind of books we have in the library, so it'll be a scavenger hunt for me to be able to do this.

Anyways, today while I was working on my BibTrad paper I decided to take a break and walk around the library and see what was on the shelves...

Did you guys know that the library has an encyclopedia of Christmas? I didn't know that, obviously, but I wish I had the chance to look through it. That darn BibTrad paper that I put off all weekend kept me from looking at it.

I promise though that I will take a look and let you guys know exactly what's in it!

Waiting...

Yeah I know you've been waiting for my last post - my personal closing statement to the excellent adventures of Rick and Tarra.

Well, I've been at home - unpacking, cleaning, organizing, shopping, running, applying for jobs/internships, traveling, sleeping, watching TV, etc. It's been a busy time since I've returned to the Golden State. I haven't really had a chance to hit up the public library to finish off the blog.

However, I will try my best to get to the library this weekend! I just remembered the fambam and I are watching Iron Man 2 tomorrow, so the blog might need to be put off for another day. Sorry folks!

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick update because I've heard a bunch of you are waiting, including my buddy Rick!

Don't worry! The blog is coming! ;)

P.S. The picture is from my room. Nothing like having a bunch of high school yearbooks and Harry Potter (7th book is missing though)!

Waiting for these?

The video was really long to begin with, so I had to split up the videos into three 10 minute videos :)

Stay tuned for our personal statements!

Library Vlog #1


Library Vlog #2


Library Vlog #3


Thanks guys for following!

Reminiscing on the beginning of it all.

I'm sitting up here on the balcony - where it all started. I'm just taking a break from a paper before I finish it up and start the other. The joys ...

But as I sat up here, I started to reminisce on this past semester and on the adventures that the library has brought Tarra and me.

I sit up here and see people I know walk through the doors and take a seat at the computers down below. Occasionally some of them will look in my direction and wave. Others will send a text message saying something along the lines of, "Hey I see you up there. Get to work"

It's funny how this all started. It's funny to see where this has all taken us. Not just Tarra and me, but the people that have been mentioned in the blog. Some of them follow, others just don't know we're writing about them [well maybe?].

Some people just come to the library to be in our blog. While others demand that we be in the library when they are (Hillary & Zack, to name a few). We've been fortunate enough to even celebrate birthdays in the library. Like Scott's, Jedidiah's, Tarra's, and even Megan's. Some people find it an odd way to interact with people in the library, but I've realized that it's a happening place to be, especially on a college campus like ours.

Through the midst of reminiscing, someone walked in and set off the security sensors ;)
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As this semester is coming to an end, so will this blog. For those of you stumbling on this blog late, enjoy reading all the posts. If you're like Tarra or me, you'll find them funny.

Now go and study hard you guys! It's Dead Week and our lives will soon begin to feel hellish for realizing the amount of work that we've put off!

Multnomah County Library

So for my capstone, I need to look up women's magazine advertisements from World War II.  Unfortunately our library at UP doesn't have those artifacts, but the Multnomah County Library does!  So I'm here checking out artifacts from "Good Housekeeping" during the years of the war - 1942.  I'll take some study breaks to update, but let's do this!

P.S. Rick and I have decided to take a field trip here.  I think I might actually get more work done here because of it is secluded from the campus.  I just need to get away from campus.  Libraries and coffeeshops please??

Missing us?

Hey Readers!

It's the week before Easter Break, and things have been kicked into high gear academically.  Sure, we're spending more time in the library, but we really haven't had a chance to update.  I have a couple stories from this past weekend, and I'm sure Rick does too.  New guest appearances have joined us on our adventures, and we have some funny stories to share.  Plus, we have some commentary about things we've noticed.  Just a little something something to look forward to...

Please hang in there as we update our blog. In the meantime, maybe you should get some homework done too.  ;)

Catch ya later!

Another day in the library ... during Spring Break :D

So, I said I most likely won't be coming into the library today, that was surely a lie, haha.

I woke up early enough to come in here, so I thought I would. Before I tell you any library stories I have a story to tell all of you, a personal one.

I have a sinus infection, haha. It was actually kind of funny because when the doctor was taking some wax out from my ear [sorry, a little too much I know, haha] I was laughing hysterically because I'm so ticklish X)



Ok, moving on from that. I'm here in the library and the only person I know, and can honestly say I see is ... Scott Olberding. He's not working today at the desk, he's just working like a regular civilian - kind of like myself.

If I wanted to, I could go take a picture with him, but I'm one of the following:

1) Lazy and don't really feel like it, nor do I feel like saying "hi" or striking up a conversation of some sort

2) I don't have any picture taking device on me right now. No laptop. No camera.

3) Even if I did - they're most likely dead, haha.


That's all for today. Tomorrow is Friday. A little soon and a little shocked. My parents come down on Saturday. Tarra comes back on Saturday too. Before we know it the library will be FULL of the usual faces that we see.

I hope everyone has been having an amazing Spring Break, because I know I have (despite the fact that I'm in the library and doing homework).


:D

Spring Break ... In the library X)

So yesterday, well now that I think about it - two days ago (Tuesday) I went to the library. Fearing I was going to be the only one there except for the workers I walked in...

To my surprise, there were other people there too that were doing the same thing as me - homework. Before I get too off topic [ha] WHO THE HECK GIVES OUT HOMEWORK DURING SPRING BREAK!?

That's right, University of Portland, haha.

Aside from knowing that Madison was in the library working, I knew no one else, so I went on with my day doing my Chemistry reading (AUGH)!

That was the end of that, ha.


Moving onto yesterday (Wednesday), there were definitely less people there, or maybe that was because I went quite early this time. Either way, I did the same - chemistry. But lo and behold I saw a familiar face with a familiar t-shirt on. It was quite exciting seeing someone I knew that wasn't a worker. Who might this person be you ask? ANDREW HANSEN!! He's Tarra's library friend, if you didn't know :P

That's all for now. Probably won't have enough time to go into the library tomorrow, so with that I kind of hope it's a dull and boring place tomorrow.

Outside the library.

With beautiful weather outside in Portland for the past week, it was only right to enjoy it! Rick and I spent some time in the sun outside of the library! Without a computer or a camera, Rick busted out his phone and took some video.

Introducing our first video blog...! ;)

Oh goodness. Rick is so demanding, telling people what to do! Anywho, we need to go outside more often. We need a change of setting every once in a while. :)

Just sleep.

Oh man. Definitely crashed in the library tonight. Then some kid had the audacity to laugh at me. I'm sorry that I'm extremely tired and need to get some reading done. That kid has no idea that my body clock is 3 hours ahead. It's like 3:30 in my world. Blah. Whatever. I'm going to bed. Good night!

Welcome back to Portland!

It's 10:33 p.m., and I'm super tired. I mean seriously, my body thinks it's like 1:30 a.m. Darn jet lag. I felt like a zombie walking to the library tonight, but I felt that I needed to have some library adventures with Rick, since he went almost a whole week without me.

So yes, we are reunited on the second balcony and took a snazzy picture in the library!

Awesome, yeah?? The glasses are straight from NACA Nationals! Yeah, Boston! Woot! :)

I kinda miss the East Coast, even though we had beautiful weather here today. I guess I just liked taking a break from school and being on CPB business. It's pretty awesome!

On the other hand, my friends miss me a lot when I'm gone. I really had no idea how much of an impact I had on the community here at UP. It's pretty amazing.

My friends abducted me last night as a way of welcoming me back. They blindfolded me and carried me away in a car with "so and so" - whoever that is. I was pretty much terrified the whole time, even though I was with people I trust. "So and so" ended up being Colin. I kinda figured that out when Kristina said his name and when he touched my knee. I also figured out that we were going to VooDoo Donuts, but they said we weren't. Where else are you going to go in Portland around midnight on a Wednesday? I'm pretty sure that's like the only place open...well, maybe. Anywho, point being...it was an interesting way to be welcomed back home! Thanks! :)

Alright well, better get back to work before I crash in the library. I hope I get over this jet lag ends soon. As fascinating as it is, it's kinda detrimental to my studies.

Oh so Rick got a new ID card because he lost his other one in Kristina's room. He got a new picture and everything. And then...Kristina found his old one. Oh well...he has a better picture now. YAY! Check it out...

Alrighty then, I'm gonna go read. Let the adventures continue! ;)

P.S. Yawns are contagious. Just think about it. You know you want to yawn now.

Sunday Evening

It's Sunday, which is typically when everyone and their mom is in the library.

Rick and I are up on the second balcony. Nothing much happening. Although I'm pretty sure I passed by Andrew and Jeff with extreme determination to get to the second floor. Whoops.

There's a ton of athletes in the library this evening. I felt a tad bit uncomfortable about it, to be honest. I'm not really sure why though.

Anyway, Rick went down to find a computer. Oh wait...He just texted me that his shoes are squeaky. Thanks for the minor update dude! haha

I need to get back to reading before mass. See you there Sam!

Let the Adventures Begin...

One day, Tarra went to the library to read her fascinating communication textbooks. While reading on the second floor of the library, overlooking the entrance, she began to people watch, noticing that she actually knows a lot of people in the building.

Just then, she received a text: "Look down at the printers." Lo and behold, Rick was standing by the printers waving. A few moments later, he joined her on the balcony, watching the people from below.

Recognizing some friends below, there was only one way to get their attention - texting. Rick grabbed Tarra's phone and punched in a message to Jedidiah - "You should look up at the balcony." Sure enough he responded with a smile and a wave.

Just then, Jeff came into the library and set off the security sensors three times. He came up to the second floor, chatted with Jedidiah from above, and then came over to sit next to Rick and Tarra.

A row of Macs lined the balcony as the students worked on homework and people watched simultaneously.

They all stayed there until the library closed. It was at this moment as well as a few instances after that Rick and Tarra decided that they should record their library adventures.

This blog will record their adventures, complete with stories, photos, and possibly videos. Enjoy! :)