Halsted Mencotti Bernard @cygnoir@mastodon.social

Whoops, I never did a proper #introduction!

I often describe myself as a:
* #writer of fiction … I write and perform stories
* chronicler of foibles … I am an online #diarist
* wrangler of chaos … I am a #librarian and database designer

My about page has more:
https://cygnoir.net/about/

What I'm up to now:
https://cygnoir.net/now/

O, my dear Gabriel. You didn’t love this photo I took of you 18 years ago, but it reminded me of one of our grandest adventures. Rest easy now. No more need to fight.

I drove to Salem to meet, tour, and generally soak in the excellent @statelibraryor. #librarylife

My fancy water bottle with the sensor sometimes tracks drinks in the middle of the night while I am definitely nowhere near it. So now it’s confirmed: ghosts also believe in proper hydration. 👻 💦

I loved the “Uptown Squirrel” episode of 99% Invisible. 🎧 So many things I never knew about squirrels! https://overcast.fm/+DA_dsoE

Nothing floors me quite like the agony of accidental gluten ingestion. My small intestine is a lace handkerchief wrung in the worried grip of a Victorian matriarch.

Springy. 🌷

Writers, do you recommend any particular weekly writing prompts? ✍️ I’m looking for a gentle nudge to get me back in the habit after months of not making time for it!

This podcast makes me full-on ugly-cry on the regular. But I stayed sniffle-free last night! Lots of mirth and heart.

Late-night leadership training. 📚 What’s your favorite book on leadership?

Such an inspiring Oregonians Against Discrimination Business Leaders Luncheon today! “Trade your privilege for progress,” said Alex Kroman, SVP of Engineering for New Relic.

★ Liked “I Have to Ask: Libraries and Homelessness”

Libraries are special places precisely because they are open to everyone. It is our absolute pleasure to welcome each person who walks through our doors. https://elgl.org/i-have-to-ask-library-as-a-special-place

The excellent Library Extension is now available for Firefox! Install it to see book and e-book availability from your local library on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. 📚 https://www.libraryextension.com/

Belatedly, I also really enjoyed the session on DEI and library staffing. And the keynote with Ryan Dowd was predictably awesome. I hit the conference jackpot: inspiring sessions, catch-up with colleagues, and meeting an online friend in person for the first time! #olawla19

Caris O’Malley is demonstrating the coolest spreadsheet I’ve ever seen: the Purpose Builder. We’re helping someone craft her personal mission statement! #olawla19

One of the secrets to leadership really resonates with me: People who understand their purpose do better things. #olawla19

Strategic plans shouldn’t be to-do lists. Yes! #olawla19

In a session about leadership skills, and stunned by an increase in self-checkouts from 8% to 95%. Not a typo! 😳 #olawla19

Time for lunch and the keynote! #olawla19

Hello from 2019 OLA-WLA! 👋 I just attended an inspiring morning session on Agile for library projects. I’m psyched to scrum! #olawla19

Made it to the weekend. All I want to do is sleep and dream of these trees.