So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh

"I've sung this song, but I'll sing it again,
Of the place that I lived since way back when,
It's the month of May, and you're going away,

So long, it's been good to know yuh

This dusty old dust is a-chokin my song,
And I got to be driftin' along.

So long, it's been good to know yuh."

These are the varied lyrics of the Woody Guthrie song that we sang when graduating from my alma mater, Buckingham and Browne and Nichols. I sometimes reminisce how singing these words made the whole affair light hearted and easier to say farewell to friends and teachers. Saying goodbye is never an easy thing and we have begun to bid some Govs seniors well, even though they mostly respond, "I'll be back! I'm not leaving right NOW!" But having lived a few decades more, we know that you might not be. We hope you will, but know you may not. And a great life lesson is knowing how to say goodbye, even though you think you cannot. I must confess, I am terrible at it. People generally think that I hang up on them whenever I am on the phone because I refuse to utter the 8 letters. Goodbye. 

I am comfortable with, "see ya", "ciao", and "Take care". I am learning though, and seeing you all walk in and out the library door this week has been like watching a sad film strip in slow motion. And when you do stop to chat I cannot help to quote Mother Theresa or Shakespeare or Rumi. I want to give you any last bit of reference help to life that I can, including any shortcuts I know to wisdom and happiness! Forgive me, I have watched you grow and I cannot help but wonder how you will continue to do so, outside of the Byfield biosphere, away from our nurturing eyes and ears. Just remember that if you get lost along the way, that time spent in the wilderness is not lost. That is when you find authenticity and beauty within your self.  I leave you with F. Scott Fitzgerald, for the efficacy of his words will always outdo my own...

So long, it really has been GOOD to know you!

Thank You Tech Connectors!

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to our awesome team of tech connectors! These students have been such a wonderful addition to the library and the school in general this year. We are so grateful to have you near us to avert a technological crisis! You can often find the tech connectors sitting behind the Mac at the end of the circulation desk, handling inquiries or more likely unlocking the secrets of the universe with their own developed software. This year the team has created a web site and blog that reviews apps, answers tech problems and highlights tips and tricks for students and faculty. You can see more at http://blogs.govsacademy.org/techteam/ or better yet, come in for a visit!
I can't tell you how many times one of the tech connectors has helped me out of a jam, so I wanted to give a sincere thank you to all.
This year's team was comprised of :

Chester, Wil, David, Tyler, Taha, Simon - 17
Tianyun, Nicolas - 16
Spencer - 15

We look forward to strengthening our bond with you in years to come!

Prom in the Library

Although prom might not be an association you make with your school library, we at the Pesky Library like to shake things up and always keep it real for the Govs' student body. And let's be real, Prom is this Sunday!! So what could we possibly be offering here that could totally enhance the prom experience, you might be wondering?  A professional makeup demonstration and offering by yours truly here. Jill of many eclectic trades I am, from teacher librarian to makeup artist to the stars. (I tell you, if anyone ever tells you you can't be whatever you want to be in life, send them my way, please.) This Sunday, May 17, from 11-1:30, I will offer a free makeup demonstration to complete your prom look for the evening festivities. I will select 2 guests to serve as my models and even if you are not one of the lucky two, I promise you will leave with enough tips and tricks to get you looking fab for pictures and beyond. Truth be told is that you are all such beautiful darlings of the universe and do not need an iota of paint on your face. It just so happens that this is a skill set I have and would love to share with you, and if it in any way makes you feel more glamorous for the event, then fantastic! Please email nmasterson@govsacademy.org if you plan on attending the session and we will begin promptly at 11:00. Hope to see your fresh faces!

In addition to offering glitz and glam in the library we also have a fun display of prom themed reads and films on the display tree in front of the circ desk.We have your prom topics covered - from romance to horror, the classics to the downright weird! (i.e. Girl Gives Birth to Own Prom Date)

Have a safe, fun prom and take care of each other!

How Do You Bookface?

For those of you not familiar with the new, quirky and bookish art trend called bookfacing, check out the New York Times article on it here.

NYTimes Bookface

Bookface entails aligning parts of the body with the cover of  a book so that reality becomes art and art, reality. It is very fun and addictive once you get going and there is plenty of evidence on social media to prove it. Librarians and other fun, bibliophile folks are posting their creations using #bookface on Instagram. Check out theirs and check out ours!

Take a Peep at this Year's Winners!

The winners of the 2015 Peep diorama contest are as follows:

Best Class Diorama: The Principles of Physics

Best Student Group Diorama: Barbie and Ken Get Married

Best Faculty/Staff Diorama: The Amazing Graced

Best Governor's Family Diorama: The Lord of the Peeps

If you did not get a chance to see the dioramas, they are on display in the library.  Thank you to all who voted and participated in this year’s Peep Contest!