The State Fair of Texas

Dear readers,

As you might know, last weekend Jen and I went to the State Fair of Texas. As I know some of you are from out of state, or have never been to the state fair, indulge me for a moment while I give you a brief overview of this annual event.

Since 1886, the state fair has been held at Fair Park in Dallas, home to some lovely art deco architecture built for the Texas Centennial in 1936. Since 1952, a fifty-two foot tall cowboy named Big Tex welcomes visitors to the fair. The fair is also home to a large assortment of fried foods (including fried butter) as well as a large midway. The centerpiece of the midway is the Texas Star, the largest Ferris wheel in North America. The Texas State Fair is the largest on the United States, and has an annual attendance of approximately three million people, second only to the Minnesota State Fair in attendance. It’s a great experience, one which we try to go to every couple of years. We love going for the experience itself, as well as what a great social equalizer the fair is. People from all walks of life come to enjoy themselves, and eat a bit too much fried food.

Jen and I went on a particularly lovely day last weekend, and the weather was not unnoticed by many of our fellow fair-goers. The fair was very busy - so much so it took us about thirty minutes to get through the front gate. Admission was fairly inexpensive due to a free ticket (you know who you are - thanks!) and we proceeded on to eat the only “true” Texas State Fair Food - Fletcher’s Corny Dogs.

Let me tell you, there are corny dogs and then there are Corny Dogs, with Fletcher’s being purveyors of the latter variety of hot dog on a stick. Perfectly cooked with a tasty breading, Fletcher’s are excellent - and best eaten at the fair. Half of the enjoyment of eating the corny dogs is trying to put your condiment of choice on it with your hands full, as well as trying to eat standing up while staying out of the way of your fellow fairgoers. Jen and I managed to successfully consume three dogs between us, as well as take some fun photos of the corny dogs and Big Tex himself.

After our bellies were full, we moved on to the indoor car show. This is one of my favorite parts of the fair - the opportunity to look at and sit in cars, without the annoying salesmen, is wonderful. I can report that the new Lexus hybrid is great if you are in the market, and so is the new Subaru Outback. Our favorite, though, was the new Prius. People were crowded around the new Camaros on the floor, ogling them - but we just moved on. I’m sure my brother James is annoyed by this - but sorry - we just weren’t interested.

As we left the car show, it began raining lightly - which we took as our sign to start wrapping things up. We proceeded into the food hall, home to the many fried culinary curiosities that the fair is well known for. Fried Butter, Chicken Fried Bacon, and most unusual was the Fried Coca-Cola. We did not try any of these foods, as we were out of Lipitor and coupons needed to purchase the food.

Leaving the food hall, we walked around the side of the Cotton Bowl to the Midway. The midway has lots of games you can play, with prizes awarded with varying regularity at each stall. Another highlight of the midway are the rides, all of which looked a little questionable to Jen and I - but maybe that’s just me growing up with a family that runs an amusement park mistrusting carnival rides. I will say everyone on them was safe, and sounded like they were having a great time, though I cannot speak to whether or not fried food and the rides went well together. The Grand Dame of the midway is the huge Ferris wheel, the Texas Star. I rode this once with my dad, and you can hear the slag from the welds rattling around inside the support arms as you go around. With Jen (and my) fear of heights, we passed on taking a ride.

We made our way around to where we came in, and got to the car. We were tired, but we had a great time. I feel sure in saying it will be another couple of years until we return - but hopefully we made a few great photos - which will be posted either on the site here, or on flickr.

Check out the fair, if you can - it’s a great place!

- Jason Dean

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Fair_of_Texas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Park

A Note from Cosby

Well hello, hello, humans!

I just wanted to write today and tell you things are going well for me. I have calmed down quite a bit, and I am really enjoying this home life. It’s great!

I think my favorite new thing I want to tell you about is my new litter box. I used to love scattering my litter all across the floor, something which annoyed Jen and Jason to no end. Now, though, I can’t do that anymore because of the litter box. Also, I like it because it’s much more environmentally friendly, and I can do my cat business in private.

It’s called a ModKat, and if you have a cat, I’d say check it out!

- Cosby

My Time on the Reference Desk

Yesterday I sat down with a library staff member to observe for an hour at the reference desk of the Amon Carter Museum Library. The observation was very fruitful, as I learned about the many facets that constitute working the reference desk in the library.

First, staffing the reference desk in the library includes many different tasks. Of course, one does fulfill reference duties, which are top priority while working the reference desk, but a person staffing the reference desk is also responsible for observing patrons and protecting the artwork that is displayed in the library. Another responsibility reference desk staffers are charged with is to continue their normal duties if they are not fulfilling their reference duties. Meaning that they need to continue cataloging and circulation duties if they are not answering reference questions.

After a general demonstration of tasks associated with working the reference desk, I learned that the Carter library answers reference questions in three ways: through e-mail, phone, and in-person. The library also answers reference questions through postal mail, but this option is rarely used - the library might receive three questions through postal mail in a year. Most reference questions from the public are submitted to the library through phone calls, followed by email, and then in-person reference sessions. Museum staff members mostly submit their reference questions in-person, with a few phone and email questions submitted.

After giving me a rundown of the monthly reference statistics, I was then shown the steps taken to answer most reference questions. Many requests deal with information about a specific artist or artwork. If this is the case, the person working the reference desk generally will consult the bio files first. The bio files are simply a collection of ephemera about a specific artist. While the patron consults these items, the person working the reference desk then will consult the library catalog to see what items the library has about the topic. Before pulling books, the patron is consulted again to narrow their request a bit further, and then if they are needed, items are pulled from the stacks and brought to the reading room. A phone reference interview needs to be more specific, so that the resources can be pulled and consulted with the person on the phone. If the needed resources are found, they can be photocopied or scanned and emailed to the patron.

However, as a non-profit institution, staff members or volunteers of the Amon Carter are not allowed to value, or authenticate works of art. If a valuation or authentication request is made, the patron is referred to an appropriate appraiser or authenticator.

Overall, my time observing was very illuminating as to the multiple roles of working the reference desk. One does not simply answer patron questions - one also has a number of other responsibilities to manage. I look forward to observing again next week!

Carter Blog

Readers, I just wanted to repost something you might have missed. I write occasionally for the Amon Carter Museum Blog, where this post that I authored was originally posted on June 18. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!



If you are one of the patrons of the Amon Carter Museum Library, all that you might see is the reading room, and one of the fine library staff members helping you find what you need in the library. The reading room is a great space - quiet and welcoming – designed by architect Philip Johnson. At the east end are the periodicals which the Carter subscribes to, along the south wall are the major reference works in the library (catalogue raisonné, etc.) and the Bio Files. On the west wall are the study alcoves, and the north wall displays the collection of exhibition catalogs held at the Carter. It’s a wonderful space, and as I said, really the only space that most patrons of the library see. Behind the scenes, though, it’s a different world.

For example, how does the Carter decide what resources to add to the library’s large collection of over 100,000 items? What path do these items take from the bookseller to the stacks? What happens when a patron requests a book? What about interlibrary loans? Also, the library is just not books, periodicals, and ephemera. It is also a repository for some very important archives – such as the archives of Laura Gilpin, Eliot Porter, Karl Struss, and important records relating to the history of the museum itself. What of the archives, then?

My mind was filled with these questions when I began volunteering at the library here at the Carter. My name is Jason Dean, and I am a student at Syracuse University earning my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. Before I started my library science program, I contacted the Carter library about providing me some practical library experience. So far, working at the Carter has provided me with a wealth of experiences and knowledge, some of which I would like to share with you – and I might even be able to answer some of those “How does it work” questions I posed above.

For my first post, allow me to give you a brief description of how the museum selects what resources are purchased and then added to the collection. There is a document that states a broad collection development policy. It’s the tool that guides what the library collects. Though it offers some solid boundaries, it must also be flexible enough to accommodate new subject matter that may relate to new art entering the collection or special research projects. Any of the staff members (including curatorial staff) can propose the purchase of a book, but the final “veto” power rests with Sam, as he is the library director. Individual librarians have influenced the document as well, with their interests and their quest to expand the collection of the library in a meaningful way. These purchases can be sourced from any number of businesses, from ones we use every day – Amazon – to specialized rare book dealers. If an item falls within the areas outlined by the collection development policy, then the subject is researched to see if it will fit into the collection of resources we have here. If it does, then the item is purchased and integrated into the collection.

We also receive a great number of books which are gifts, or books that are sent in exchange by other museums. When the Carter exchanges books with another museum, generally we will send them exhibition catalogues they are interested in, and in exchange they will send us the books we want that the other museum has published. As I mentioned above, we have some very generous donors that give books outright to the library frequently. These gifts are recorded, and then they are researched to see if they fit into out collection.

Depending upon the size of the item purchased, it might simply go into the extensive bio files and skip the next step in the process altogether. However, if Sam, Jon, or Mary Jane think it best, the item will go on to the next step in the process.

What happens to the book next? Do we just put it on the shelf and leave it be? This question will be answered in the next post, which will take you through part of the behind the scenes area in the library. I hope you enjoyed this small look into the library, and I also hope you’ll keep checking “The N-Files” blog, as there is some great information about this wonderful library on the blog.

Trip Through Texas

For our summer vacation, Jen and I toured a part of our great Lone Star State that neither of us had spent much time in: Central and Eastern Texas, where Texas began. We had a wonderful time, and allow me to tell you about some of the highlights:

Washington on the Brazos - This state park is the birth of Texas independence. It’s a neat spot, but not really worth a return visit.

Independence - A very interesting little town. Independence was the home of Sam Houston, and the original location for Baylor. A neat spot, but we didn’t even get ut of the car.

La Grange - We liked La Grange! An older German town, La Grange has some beautiful architecture as well as some gorgeous scenery. We would love to go back to La Grange.

Round Top - Just a neat tiny little town, with neat buildings, and a wonderful antiques market. Might be worth a return trip during the music festival, or for the antiques market.

Bastrop - Home of the Lost Pines, we loved this spot. Neat shops and buildings. Lots of outdoor activities.

Lockhart - The Barbecue Capital of Texas. We ate at Smitty’s Market, and it was wonderful. Definitely will go back for the food, as well as the architecture.

- Jason Dean

Thoughts on the next Governor of Texas.

Dear reader - this post might be inflammatory, or might anger you. Allow me to issue a disclaimer before you read, and I continue writing. In this post, I am not advocating any specific political party, nor any specific candidate. I am, however, enumerating several concerns I have about the state of my home state, which I love dearly. Problems with this wonderful state have come to my mind recently, and I simply desire to share my concerns with you.

Soon, the great state of Texas will elect a new Governor. For those of you unfamiliar with this post, and our politics, Texans have historically been mistrustful of most forms of government, leading us to create a constitution that dramatically limits the power of the governor. So, the office is mostly a ceremonial one, but one with a very important power - what T. Roosevelt called the “bully pulpit.” The governor is reflective of the majority (hopefully) of Texans, and as such has a very important task. I have assembled this “wish list” of things I hope the next governor will address, and hopefully, solve:

First, the state of highway transportation - as evidenced by Interstate 35. Jen and I recently attended a wedding in San Antonio. The drive, according to the distance and speed, should have taken four hours. It took eight hours, because for most of the distance between Fort Worth and San Antonio, 35 is a four lane highway. Four lanes are simply not enough to handle the massive amount of traffic that travels that corridor daily. Why not fix it? The state doesn’t have the transportation funds to do so - a story that plays out over and over again in many places in the state. Our next governor should attempt to solve this difficult, and widespread problem

Second, the state of public education in Texas. Texas has one of the worst public education systems not only in the United States, but the “western world.” As a former educator, allow me to tell you that the system is a complete mess for the students. Poor funding, confusing standards, and conflicting racial expectations are just a few of the problems students face in the public education system in Texas. Overall, the state is consistently near the bottom of rankings between states, and has been there for years. Our next governor should grab the board of education by the scruff of its neck and set it on a path that creates a quality, meaningful education for all students. One so good that private, exclusive schools are put out of business. Texas should be a beacon of education, not an embarrassment to a great state and nation.

Third, some sort of review of death penalty policies and procedures. Texas has a notorious reputation when it comes to the application of capital punishment. Just las week, I read this article in the New Yorker highlighting the problem:
Trial by Fire, by David Grann
Something must be done to either change the system by which capital punishment is administered in the state, or abolish it altogether. Our great state should not be besmirched by a reputation for executing innocent citizens.

Fourth, address all this secession nonsense. Someone really needs to calm these people down:














































And, no I don’t mean Rachel Maddow. Texans all have a bit of a rebellios streak in them, but frankly, that sort of behavior is disrespectful to our nation, regardless of how we feel about it. As a matter of fact, one of the great early Texans, Sam Houston, fought hard against secession - and I feel that he is still right today. As a Texan, it’s amusing to talk about Texas as a nation, but honestly, Texas as a nation was a mess. It wasn’t until the US annexed Texas that things got better. And, to be frank, Texas would not function without federal money. Personally, I find this offensive, as well as to friends and family members of mine that have served our nation in the armed services. The governor needs to explain to these secessionists that their discourse is not helpful, and to calm down and do something constructive with their passions.

Fifth, do something about our state shrine, the Alamo. This is a personal sore spot to me. I am not going to say much else about my complaints, but if you are curious, look back to this post:
The Alamo
Much like was done with another important Texas site, the Governor’s Mansion, the state should partner with the public to reclaim this sacred site, and erase all the traces of crass commercialism from Alamo Plaza. Restore the walls of the Alamo, and make this a place that celebrates Texas heritage - and not just Anglo heritage, as it tends to do today. Also make it a place of remembrance, not only for those who lost their lives in the Texas revolution, but also a place of remembrance for all Texans who have given their lives in service of their state, and nation.

I hope this makes you think about what you would like to see change with the next governor of Texas. And I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it.

- Jason Dean

IST 511, Final Day

(Originally posted elsewhere on July 24.)

Just got back to the room from the end of session barbecue. It feels great to be done with this part of the courses! It’s such a relief, but I will also look forward to the fall semester, and more opportunities for learning. Overall, it was a phenomenal experience – one of the best educational experiences I have ever had. Scott and Natasha did a great job giving everyone beginning the LIS program a level playing field so we can all now go forth and get more into the finer points of librarianship.

Our poster session was today, which I very much enjoyed. It was great to hear people’s comments about our idea, and talk to many people about an issue of which they might not have been aware. It was also fun to see what other groups had created in the short time we had for the assignment. Overall, it was a nice day, and a great way to wrap up this week of intensive study. I sure am ready for home, though!

- Jason Dean