Mississippi Library Leadership Institute 2014

The Mississippi Library Commission announces the opportunity for up to thirty librarians in the state of Mississippi to participate in the 2014 Mississippi Library Leadership Institute (MLLI). MLLI is an in-residence leadership training program open to librarians employed in public, academic, school, and special libraries in the state of Mississippi. Funded with a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library services (IMLS), the Institute is designed to develop the next generation of leaders in the field of librarianship in Mississippi.

The 2013 Mississippi Library Leadership Institute had 27 participants, including librarians from archives and from public, community college, school, and university libraries. Their studies were focused in the areas of team building, improving communication skills, and strategic planning. They did group work, gave four presentations over the course of the program, and engaged in numerous hands-on learning activities designed to enhance the content of the lectures and presentations. Participants also took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test and received training on using MBTI in the workplace. After reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin, and Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity by Josh Linkner, participants completed assignments designed to develop their skills as leaders in their institutions. Participants also received $1000 to implement a special project in their library with a community partner. Examples of projects include oral history projects, college entrance preparation, and digital literacy training.

The Institute consists of four three-day retreats held in Jackson over the course of one year. Eligible applicants must:

• Have a master’s degree in librarianship accredited by the American Library Association (ALA)
  or be currently enrolled in an ALA accredited Master’s degree program in librarianship
• Have less than fifteen years of professional experience
• Be employed by a Mississippi library
• Be nominated by their direct reporting authority such as Library Director, Dean, Administrative Board of Trustees Chair, Principal, Provost, etc...

The only cost to selected participants is transportation to and from Jackson. Dates of the 2014 retreats are:

• April 2-4, 2014
• July 16-18, 2014
• October 22-24, 2014
• January 14-16, 2015

Applications to the Mississippi Library Leadership Institute must be post-marked by Friday, January 17, 2014. Applicants will be notified of selection status by Friday, February 28, 2014.

Participation in the Institute is intensive; however, it is also extremely rewarding and fun. We look forward to seeing you!

New Books - Dogs of Courage

Do you love dogs? If you do, our new book Dogs of Courage: The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around the World is a great pick. This informative book by Lisa Rogak explores dogs in various helpful-to-human roles. For example, did you know that in addition to drug-sniffing dogs, that there are such beasts as cancer-sniffing dogs? Drop in soon to check out this book on everyone's favorite pet. See you soon!

Did you know that books at the Mississippi Library Commission are available for check out to the general public? Simply bring in your current library card from a Mississippi public library, fill out this short application form, and you're set!

Did You Know? Carons Aren't Circumflex

Have you ever wondered what the little mark above certain letters is called? While all symbols written on, above, or beneath letters are called diacritics, they also all have special names. The little "V" written above this "S", for example, is called a caron, a wedge, or a haček:

 

 When the "V" is flipped, it is called a circumflex:

Each mark changes the pronunciation of the letter in some way, depending on the language. Now you know! Go dazzle someone with your new-found knowledge!

http://diacritics.typo.cz/index.php?id=5

New Books - Epistolophilia

Did you know that books at the Mississippi Library Commission are available for check out to the general public? Simply bring in your current library card from a Mississippi public library, fill out this short application form, and you're set!

From time to time, we like to share with you the new books available at the Mississippi Library Commission. One of our new favorites is Epistolophilia by Julija Sukys. It details the life of Ona Simaite, a fascinating librarian who helped Jews in Lithuania during World War II. Check out our blog post about her from last year or come on in and check out the book. See you soon!

William Faulkner's Family

Remember our post back in June of 2012 when we shared some photos of Eudora Welty and her family? Well, we happened across some family photos of another famous Mississippi author that we'd like to share with you--William Faulkner!

"Faulkner's great-grandfather, Colonel William Clark Falkner, the model for the fictional Colonel John Sartoris. (Faulkner added the u to his surname in 1918.)" (128).

"Faulkner's grandfather, John Wesley Thompson Falkner, the model for Bayard Sartoris in the Yoknapatawpha novels" (128).

"Faulkner (back row, center) with his three younger brothers, Murry (left), John, and Dean (in front), ca. 1911-1912" (129).

"Faulkner with his daughter, Jill, born 24 June 1933" (155).

"The Faulkners [William's wife, Estelle, on the right] at Jill's wedding to Paul D. Summers, 21 August 1954" (186).

Looking for a book or two to read during the holidays? Stop by the Mississippi Library Commission and check out some of his books! For more things Faulkner related, check out our special "813.42-Faulkner" Pinterest board.

Antwerp, Margaret A., ed. Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol 2. . Ann Arbor, MI: Gale Research Company, 1982. Print. Documentary Series: An Illustrated Chronicle.

Old Saint Nick

Yesterday our Elf on the Shelf was elf-napped by Krampus. The ransom was paid and Peppermint was returned intact. All's well that ends well, but what in the world is a Krampus?

It turns out that Krampus hangs out in Austria and surrounding countries. Acting as St. Nikolaus's sidekick, he carries around a bag of sticks with which to punish all the naughty children. (This sounds much more painful than a lump of coal!)

St. Nikolaus Day is traditionally celebrated on December 6, the recognized date of St. Nikolaus of Myra's death and his feast day. One of his legends is explained thus:

A poor father had three daughters but not enough money to give each one a dowry. So he sent them out onto the street to earn money as prostitutes. The bishop had pity on them, and on three consecutive nights he threw three pieces of gold into the poor father's small room, helping all three girls to get a good husband. In one version of the legend, he threw the pieces of gold through the chimney. They fell into the socks of the girls, who had hung them there to dry. This version is the basis for the tradition of placing shoes in front of the door or hanging stockings by the fireplace to be filled.

St. Nikolaus has evolved into bringing treats to those who have been good on the eve of his feast day and is the basis for Santa Claus. The night before his feast day, December 5, is sometimes called Krampusnacht (Krampus Night). It seems that our villain is well-versed in holiday lore!

Want to keep tabs on Peppermint this month? Check out her album on our Facebook page.

Leisure. (2006). In Pop culture Germany! media, arts, and lifestyle. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcpopger/leisure/0

We're All Mad Here

We have several books compiled of articles from old Mississippi newspapers. The entries range from the mundane to the bizarre. For example, on November 29, 1894, the Southern Sentinel in Tippah County, Mississippi, ran the following blurb:

Henry, the 12 year old son of J. L. Walker was attacked in the street opposite Dr. Alexander's  resident last Friday by a dog supposed to be afflicted with the rabies. The animal reared up and evidently made for the boy's throat but Henry threw out his arm and the dog's teeth were buried into the left forearm. After biting the boy the dog fled in a northern direction and was afterwards slain by some parties near Faulkner.
Mr. Walker carried his son that same afternoon to Mrs. Palmer's and applied the mad stone which is said to have stuck for ten consecutive hours.
Henry does not complain and it is to be hoped that no serious consequence will result.

You'll be relieved to hear that Henry survived his dog bite. Here he is in the 1900 census, with his sister Noverta:

 

What conclusion must I draw from this? The mad stone cured the rabies! What is a mad stone, you ask? According to Merriam-Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary, it is:

a stony concretion (as a hair ball taken from the stomach of a deer) supposed formerly in folklore and by some physicians to counteract the poisonous effects of the bite of an animal (as one affected with rabies)

Fans of the Harry Potter books will recognize the mad stone by a different name, as in this passage where Snape reprimands Harry:

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons."
 
In 1885, only nine years before Henry Walker's accident, Louis Pasteur successfully treated a boy bitten by a rabid dog with a newly developed rabies vaccine. Mad stones eventually fell by the wayside as the much more effective vaccine became more widely available and well-known.

Lockhart, Tommy. Biographical Notes from the Files of the Southern Sentinel, Ripley, Mississippi, Tippah County. Old Timer Press, 1977.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Scholastic, 1999.

Madstone. (2005). In Merriam-Webster's medical desk dictionary, revised edition. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/mwmedicaldesk/madstone/0

"Louis Pasteur." Scientists: Their Lives and Works. Gale, 2006. Biography in Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.