Making a difference
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17 August 2010
18 July 2010
Home again
I've now been home for a few days and the trip seems like it was a long time ago. I flew home business class on the A380 which was pretty good...got a bed, and pyjamas and toiletries, and excellent food. I don't know how will fly any other way...sigh. Jet lag hint...Melatonin, from the health food shop, I've not had any jet lag there or back.
Reflections and Highlights
Despite the almost unbearable weather in Washington and NY we still managed to pack a lot in and braved the subway in NY and the open air bus in DC.
Libraries
It was interesting to see what was happening in the US. Often,as Australians, we believe that we aren't as good as everyone else or that our library services are behind in some way. This is just not true. we are every bit as good, if not better, than most of the libraries I saw on the trip. There were a few interesting ideas and Columbus certainly stood out as the best public library and deservedly won the library of the year. The US libraries have been severely affected by budget cuts as has the whole US (no matter what you think of the current government they have certainly managed to make the GFC relatively painless for us), they have been shedding staff and operating hours, which is a shame but they aren't alone. However, they all seem to have had a lot of money over the past 10 years for capital projects and most services we visited have had extensive renewal and building programs going on for a number of years.
Conference
Like all conferences they can be hit and miss and this was no different. However on reading my notes and reflecting back I got more out of it than I thought. In particular the interview conducted by Nancy Pearl about the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird. (Sarah we had better get a few copies)If you have never read this book make sure you do as its one of the best books ever written.
Culture
There is so much art in the US it is overwhelming. I don't think I can look at another Monet for a few months...or visit a gallery...the best gallery was the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The best architecture was in Chicago but the best architect is definitely Frank Ghery.
Best City
They were all fantastic but what stands out was Baltimore because it was so much more than I expected and of course NY wins hands down. This time I got to do some stuff I'd always wanted to do which was go to the Russian Tea Rooms for lunch, have afternoon tea at the Plaza, visit the Hotel Chelsea, enjoy a drink at the bar at Sardis and sip on a cocktail at the Library Hotel There is so much to do and see in NY that 12 days still wasn't enough.
Highlights
Catching fish at the Pike Market in Seattle, visiting Ellis Island (an amazing museum), Everything about Baltimore (including my personally autographed picture from film director John Waters), Library of Congress domed reading room (jaw dropping), a first edition of Dewey annotated by Melville himself and sitting on the highway along the Hudson River watching the amazing 4th July fireworks...I could go on and on!
Pictures
Here's the link to the pictures on Picasa
Reflections and Highlights
Despite the almost unbearable weather in Washington and NY we still managed to pack a lot in and braved the subway in NY and the open air bus in DC.
Libraries
It was interesting to see what was happening in the US. Often,as Australians, we believe that we aren't as good as everyone else or that our library services are behind in some way. This is just not true. we are every bit as good, if not better, than most of the libraries I saw on the trip. There were a few interesting ideas and Columbus certainly stood out as the best public library and deservedly won the library of the year. The US libraries have been severely affected by budget cuts as has the whole US (no matter what you think of the current government they have certainly managed to make the GFC relatively painless for us), they have been shedding staff and operating hours, which is a shame but they aren't alone. However, they all seem to have had a lot of money over the past 10 years for capital projects and most services we visited have had extensive renewal and building programs going on for a number of years.
Conference
Like all conferences they can be hit and miss and this was no different. However on reading my notes and reflecting back I got more out of it than I thought. In particular the interview conducted by Nancy Pearl about the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird. (Sarah we had better get a few copies)If you have never read this book make sure you do as its one of the best books ever written.
Culture
There is so much art in the US it is overwhelming. I don't think I can look at another Monet for a few months...or visit a gallery...the best gallery was the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The best architecture was in Chicago but the best architect is definitely Frank Ghery.
Best City
They were all fantastic but what stands out was Baltimore because it was so much more than I expected and of course NY wins hands down. This time I got to do some stuff I'd always wanted to do which was go to the Russian Tea Rooms for lunch, have afternoon tea at the Plaza, visit the Hotel Chelsea, enjoy a drink at the bar at Sardis and sip on a cocktail at the Library Hotel There is so much to do and see in NY that 12 days still wasn't enough.
Highlights
Catching fish at the Pike Market in Seattle, visiting Ellis Island (an amazing museum), Everything about Baltimore (including my personally autographed picture from film director John Waters), Library of Congress domed reading room (jaw dropping), a first edition of Dewey annotated by Melville himself and sitting on the highway along the Hudson River watching the amazing 4th July fireworks...I could go on and on!
Pictures
Here's the link to the pictures on Picasa
10 July 2010
Nearly time to go
This is my second last day in NY and we are trying to cram in as much as we can to make sure we have seen everything we want to see, My feet are a bit tired and I think I've taken off those extra kilos I packed on earlier in the tour.
New York is fantastic, despite the surly customer service staff and the really, really hot weather. There is an energy that is hard to define but the city buzzes.
I got over to see Ellis Island on Thursday and be up close to the statue of liberty. Ellis Island has been restored into a fantastic museum, documenting the millions of people who passed through there during the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It is full of memorabilia and pictures of people and families who passed through the doors looking for a better life. Of course. in good old US style, there was also a major exhibition of Barbie dolls of the world. You'll be pleased to know that the Australian Barbie was dressed in a traditional Jilaroo costume. But seriously Ellis Island was an amazing museum and not to be missed should you go to NY.
G'day (hello) from Australia, the land "down under"! Australian Barbie® sports an outfit typical of a jillaroo (female rancher) in the outback. Her brown, wide-brimmed hat protects her face from the hot sun while her tan skirt and vest match much of the dusty terrain found in the outback. Underneath her vest, Barbie® wears a red and white short-sleeved blouse, with a knotted red scarf tied around her neck. And finally, her boots make for easy walking through the brush as she moves from one adventure to the next!
We went along the the Empire State Building very early so we could be there when it opened and avoid the crowds. Unfortunately when we got up there we were surrounded by cloud so the visibility was zero! But we waited for a while and some of it lifted so we Had a little bit of a look.
The last couple of days have been devoted to shopping...does anyone want any make-up...almost half the price here, the same goes for lego its very cheap!
We are staying just around the corner from Times Square and I can't quite work out which came first...the people or the neon. There is actually nothing really in times square except for shops (that can be found anywhere across the city) and huge neon signs, its almost like people come there because other people are there, at night it is seething with people who are there just because it is Times Square and to look at the neon.
We have also had a couple of memorable meals...Jean-Georges near central park was amazing. $26 two course fixed price lunch that also included appetizers and petit fours at coffee time. The Russian Tea Rooms was also very yummy and an italian place at 1 Lexington Street. So there are definitely good eating places around town. Today we are going to the Plaza to have afternoon tea and then to the Met which doesn't close till 9pm tonight.
New York is fantastic, despite the surly customer service staff and the really, really hot weather. There is an energy that is hard to define but the city buzzes.
I got over to see Ellis Island on Thursday and be up close to the statue of liberty. Ellis Island has been restored into a fantastic museum, documenting the millions of people who passed through there during the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It is full of memorabilia and pictures of people and families who passed through the doors looking for a better life. Of course. in good old US style, there was also a major exhibition of Barbie dolls of the world. You'll be pleased to know that the Australian Barbie was dressed in a traditional Jilaroo costume. But seriously Ellis Island was an amazing museum and not to be missed should you go to NY.
G'day (hello) from Australia, the land "down under"! Australian Barbie® sports an outfit typical of a jillaroo (female rancher) in the outback. Her brown, wide-brimmed hat protects her face from the hot sun while her tan skirt and vest match much of the dusty terrain found in the outback. Underneath her vest, Barbie® wears a red and white short-sleeved blouse, with a knotted red scarf tied around her neck. And finally, her boots make for easy walking through the brush as she moves from one adventure to the next!
We went along the the Empire State Building very early so we could be there when it opened and avoid the crowds. Unfortunately when we got up there we were surrounded by cloud so the visibility was zero! But we waited for a while and some of it lifted so we Had a little bit of a look.
The last couple of days have been devoted to shopping...does anyone want any make-up...almost half the price here, the same goes for lego its very cheap!
We are staying just around the corner from Times Square and I can't quite work out which came first...the people or the neon. There is actually nothing really in times square except for shops (that can be found anywhere across the city) and huge neon signs, its almost like people come there because other people are there, at night it is seething with people who are there just because it is Times Square and to look at the neon.
We have also had a couple of memorable meals...Jean-Georges near central park was amazing. $26 two course fixed price lunch that also included appetizers and petit fours at coffee time. The Russian Tea Rooms was also very yummy and an italian place at 1 Lexington Street. So there are definitely good eating places around town. Today we are going to the Plaza to have afternoon tea and then to the Met which doesn't close till 9pm tonight.
08 July 2010
New York: Shopping, Galleries, Whooing and being mistaken for Poms
In NY there are only two types of customer service. The really good and the really bad. The really good is great fun and the sales people are very nice and helpful.
The bad ones are really bad, its almost as if they are deliberately trying not to sell you something or that you are really bothering them by coming into the shop! Chris asked to try on a pair of shoes she knew wouldn't fit just to make the sales guy go out the back and get them, he was so unhelpful! In another shop two young ladies were behind the counter, one reading the paper and the other on the computer and we were in the shop for 10 minuets and they didn't acknowledge us once (there were no other customers so they weren't exactly busy).
The galleries are amazing, in fact you can start to get very blase about the monets, van goghs, picassos, grecos, van meers, rubens', turners, whistlers, etc., atc. I've not seen so much stuff in one place before its actually quite astonishing. I ran into someone from Melbourne at the Frick gallery...it is definitely a small world!
Today we went to see Fela on Broadway, it was quite good but not what I'd call fantastic, It certainly well done with great costumes and dancing. But the audience loved it and in typical American style were whooing and gave standing ovations. But they seem to Whoo at just about anything so I suppose this show deserved to be whooed just as much as anything else!
Everyone in the states thinks we are english (sorry Fritzey), they can't distinguish the australian accent from the pommie. Although someone said to day that we sounded more refined than other australians she had heard.
The bad ones are really bad, its almost as if they are deliberately trying not to sell you something or that you are really bothering them by coming into the shop! Chris asked to try on a pair of shoes she knew wouldn't fit just to make the sales guy go out the back and get them, he was so unhelpful! In another shop two young ladies were behind the counter, one reading the paper and the other on the computer and we were in the shop for 10 minuets and they didn't acknowledge us once (there were no other customers so they weren't exactly busy).
The galleries are amazing, in fact you can start to get very blase about the monets, van goghs, picassos, grecos, van meers, rubens', turners, whistlers, etc., atc. I've not seen so much stuff in one place before its actually quite astonishing. I ran into someone from Melbourne at the Frick gallery...it is definitely a small world!
Today we went to see Fela on Broadway, it was quite good but not what I'd call fantastic, It certainly well done with great costumes and dancing. But the audience loved it and in typical American style were whooing and gave standing ovations. But they seem to Whoo at just about anything so I suppose this show deserved to be whooed just as much as anything else!
Everyone in the states thinks we are english (sorry Fritzey), they can't distinguish the australian accent from the pommie. Although someone said to day that we sounded more refined than other australians she had heard.
04 July 2010
Soho, The Hotel Chelsea and Sardi's
Had a fabulous day today. Jumped on the subway to go to Soho and had planned to work our way uptown through the Village and little Italy but it was so packed with stuff to see that we wandered around the streets for four hours...and only managed to get four blocks. We then jumped on another train and went to Chelsea to the market and to Highline, which is a roof top walking track across 6 blocks with plans to go another 10 blocks...beautiful gardens and a great view. 
What was planned to be the last stop was the famous/infamous Hotel Chelsea, the object of songs (Leonard Cohen...I remember her well at the Chelsea Hotel), where people wrote books (Arthur C Clarke, 2001; Arthur Miller, a couple of plays) and people died (Dylan Thomas from Alcohol poisoning; and Nancy when Sid Vicious stabbed her) and home to the artistic, the avant-garde and the famous.
After that my day was complete and we headed home on the bus. Walking up 44th street to get back to the apartment we passed by Sardi's (famous restaurant and haunt of movie and theatre stars) and went in for a drink. At the bar we met Joyce Randolph who was famous for playing Trixie in The Honeymooners in the early 60s and she was very lovely and happy to chat to us...all in all a very satisfying day!
Photos
Highline
Chelsea Hotel
Soho
Brooklyn
What was planned to be the last stop was the famous/infamous Hotel Chelsea, the object of songs (Leonard Cohen...I remember her well at the Chelsea Hotel), where people wrote books (Arthur C Clarke, 2001; Arthur Miller, a couple of plays) and people died (Dylan Thomas from Alcohol poisoning; and Nancy when Sid Vicious stabbed her) and home to the artistic, the avant-garde and the famous.
After that my day was complete and we headed home on the bus. Walking up 44th street to get back to the apartment we passed by Sardi's (famous restaurant and haunt of movie and theatre stars) and went in for a drink. At the bar we met Joyce Randolph who was famous for playing Trixie in The Honeymooners in the early 60s and she was very lovely and happy to chat to us...all in all a very satisfying day!
Photos
Highline
Chelsea Hotel
Soho
Brooklyn
03 July 2010
Brooklyn Bridge
Tonight we jumped on the subway to City Hall and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. We timed it just right by getting there about 7pm while it was still daylight but not too hot. We then stopped off in Dumbo and enjoyed a snack and a fizzy raspberry martini before heading back across to view Manhattan at night. The Empire State Building was lit up in red white and blue and looked fantastic while just behind it and to the left the Chrysler building (my favourite building) was glowing. All in all a very satisfying night.
New York
We arrived in New York on Tuesday afternoon after a pleasant train trip from Washington DC. It was great to be back here and the weather is cooler (but its getting hot again next week, mid 90s). Yesterday we went to Queens on the train and visited the Central Library and the Flushing Library, both huge, very, very busy libraries, facing budget cuts just like everyone else but still managing to run lots of programs. The themes that have emerged from out trip have been, early literacy programs, job hunting programs, public art and budget cuts. Libraries here do a lot more of the social support work than we do and seem to spend time finding the gaps and then filling them with programs that they fund with grant money and donations. The official Great Public Library Tour finished at lunch time today foillowing a tour of the NY public library. It has been a fantastic opportunity and I have some great pics and ideas to bring home.
Now it is time for my holiday...so I can relax a bit and take in some of the sights and sounds of New York. We spent the first day exploring the city from our hotel in East 39th Street and today have moved to our fabulous two-bedroom apartment in West 44th street (just around the corner from Times Square). Have a couple of things I really want to do on this trip, like have brunch at the Russian Tea Rooms and high tea at the Plaza as well as some shopping.
Now it is time for my holiday...so I can relax a bit and take in some of the sights and sounds of New York. We spent the first day exploring the city from our hotel in East 39th Street and today have moved to our fabulous two-bedroom apartment in West 44th street (just around the corner from Times Square). Have a couple of things I really want to do on this trip, like have brunch at the Russian Tea Rooms and high tea at the Plaza as well as some shopping.
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