Page Created: 09/16/10. Last Updated: 11/01/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 02/17/09.
LATRICIA MARKLE
In her own words:
I've loved Fantasy since listening to my older brother read THE HOBBIT when I was around 5 years old. My interest in science fiction developed a bit later when I was in High School and could read writers like Asimov, Wells, and others myself.
I have a BA in Literature from Rider University here in New Jersey and have my MLIS (Masters in Library and Information Science) from the University of North Texas. I moved back to New Jersey in 1998 and have been with the Tenafly Public Library for 11 years.
I am also a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and an avid reader of horror, young adult literature, fantasy, and mysteries as well as science fiction. Although I work mainly with children and teens at the library, I also work the reference desk and work with our tech services librarian to develop our science fiction and fantasy collection for adults.
BLOGS & WEBSITES:
Bound Treasures Blog with all book reviews, mostly J and YA but it might branch out more in the future.
Lady Wren Personal Blog, but most of the book lists that I have done for BCCLS are on it.
Bergen County Cooperative Library System BCCLS Homepage
BCCLS Mock Awards The best Childrens' and YA books of the year as chosen by the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.
BCCLS VIsor Recommended Reading Lists by Topic Compiled by BCCLS Librarians
Library for the Blind & Handicapped Terrific Resource for anyone with Special Needs, but especially Young People
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MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: January 24, 2009.
Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 25.
Meeting Program: Talk by Childrens' / YA Librarian.
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Notes:
This meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2009 but was rescheduled due to snow.
A list of authors and books mentioned by Ms Markle follows:
Anderson, Laurie Halse
..........CHAINS, Winner of 2008 Mock Newbery
Anderson, M T
..........THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING, TRAITOR TO THE NATION (series)
..........A Black Child Is Raised as an Upper Class White in Colonial Boston as an Experiment
Barlow, Toby
..........SHARP TEETH, Werewolf Novel Written in Verse
Bledsoe, Alex
..........THE SWORD-EDGED BLOND, Sword & Sorcery Noir
Susan Collins
..........HUNGER GAMES, Olympic Contests Determine Who Gets Food in a Resource Starved Future
Doctorow, Cory
..........LITTLE BROTHER, Computer Genius Teens Falsely Imprisoned by Homeland Security
James, Brian
..........ZOMBIE BLONDES, Cheerleaders Are Stepford Zombies
Niffenegger, Audrey
..........THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, A Man Suffering from Chrono Displacement and Is Traveling Backwards through Time
Pearson, Mary
..........THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX, Suspenseful Bionic Woman for the Teen Set
Pratchett, Terry
..........NATION, Winner of 2008 Mock Prinz Award
Smith-Ready, Jeri
..........WICKED GAME, Night DJs at a Radio Station Are Vampires
Swanson, Susan Marie
..........THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT, Winner of the 2008 Mock Caledcott, Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Taylor, Laini
..........FAERIES OF DREAMDARK: BLACKBRINGER, Devil Hunting Faerie Is Assisted by Crows
Vaughn, Carrie
..........KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON (series), Werewolf Paranormal Romance
Waters, Daniel
..........GENERATION DEAD, Teens Are Staying Dead and Are Recategorized as Living Impared
Westerfeld, Scott
..........SO YESTERDAY, Teen's Profession Is to Determine What Is Cool
Werlin, Nancy
..........IMPOSSIBLE, Elf Curse of Scarborough Fair on Females in Human Family
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Meeting Memories:
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Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP LOCAL Copyright 2009 Philip J De Parto:
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County's January meeting, originally scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2009, was rescheduled to Saturday, January 24, 2009 due to snow. Our apologies to anyone unable to attend the gathering due to this shift.
Both the Animation Associates screening of THE CAT RETURNS and the Ice Nine discussion benefitted from a better than normal meeting attendance. The Currently Cool Ice Nine bits included the Legion of Super Heroes recent appearance on SMALLVILLE, the animated WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN series, recent and upcoming horror movies, and Wayne Barlowe illustrations of A E Van Vogt aliens.
The meeting marked the 25 Anniversary of the Association. Director Philip De Parto had copies of the club's first consolidated Year in Review Report. He also summarized the state of the Association and will focus on different aspects of the group at the start of the next several meetings.
Latricia Markle was the evening's Speaker. She is the Childrens/YA librarian of the Tenafly Public Library and spoke about Science Fiction in the Library. Ms Markle has a BA from Ryder University and a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of East Texas.
Tenafly is a member of BCCLS, the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, an organization which includes most municipalities in Bergen County and some beyond it. Both the town and the library are small, so while everyone has their areas of expertise and responsibility, to a certain degree everyone also does everything.
Our guest became a fan of fantasy at age five when her brother read THE HOBBIT to her. She discovered science fiction in high school and decided that since she loved books and loved children, that she should become a teacher. Then she got to know more about the demands of teaching and decided to become an editor. Then she learned what editors are paid and decided to become a librarian. She is quite happy with her ultimate choice of profession.
Ms Markle feels fortunate to work in Bergen County which is an affluent part of the metropolitan area. Although library circulation has been rising for the past two years, presumably as a result of the troubled economic times, the system has thus far been spared the strains experienced by poorer communities. She urged the group to oppose changes to the Three Mil Law, which mandates that municipalities dedicate 3 Mils of each tax dollar collected to the library system.
Most of the talk revolved around Young People's books, but some of it was of a more general nature. There was discussion of censorship (Tenafly is pretty liberal, so this is rarely an issue), book selection (producing favorable reviews makes it easier to get purchases approved; Ms Markle reads 7 review journals each month), book ordering procedures (libraries cannot order from Book Clubs and some small publishers because of incompatible invoice payment procedures), book retention (space is pricy in Bergen County so shelf space is limited and stock must be pruned to make room for new material), format selection (paperbacks are considered disposable books as they do not last more than 15 readings and are therefore rarely in the system's data base), DVD usage, the internet, and audio books.
Our guest is on the nominations committee for the annual BCCLS Mock Printz Newbery, and Caldecott Awards. The process seems part horse trading, part smoke-filled room, part prayer for divine guidance. Phil asked was white smoke sent up when the winners were decided? The 2008 Mock Newberry winner was CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson. The Mock Printz winner was NATION by Terry Pratchett. The Mock Caldecott was THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes.
There is not enough space here to list all of the titles our guest recommended over the course of the evening. A list of books and authors mentioned will appear on the Speakers&Programs Google Group from the January 2009 Meeting.
Latricia has maintains two blogs. Her personal blog is <http://www.myspace.com/ladyrenn> and contains most of the book lists she has compiled for BCCLS. Her book review blog, <http://www.dragontreasures.blogspot.com/>, primarily features J and YA books, but may branch out more in the future.
Other websites mentioned (which all appear on the Meeting Page) are the general BCCLS site <http://www.bccls.org>, the Library for the Blind and Handicapped <http://www.njlbh.org/>, and the BCCL book list page (BCCLS Visor)