Sandra Says

A Green Library
Because I take every opportunity to promote my day job, HPL is having a grand opening celebration for the new Looscan Neighborhood Library. 20,000 square feet, fabulous design, located on 2510 Willowick (near Central Market). Just for being pretty, it’s worth a visit.

This is the first green library in Houston (I think in Texas, but am not 100% certain), the first completed green project by the City of Houston, and just the second of our locations to incorporate RFID technology in the books & materials for managing inventory (and making check in and checkout easier). It will have an internet cafe (to be completed by the end of the year — the tables & chairs, plus vending, will be there at opening… real coffee spot will be in place by the end of the year). As of the grand opening on Wed. 9/5 (ceremony 4-6 PM) will have free wireless access (just like all other HPL libraries).

I’m still learning the language surrounding the pending LEED’s certification for this building, but I have coordinated enough interviews about it that I’m becoming better informed every day. One of the things I found very interesting is that the building has staff showers, to enable staff who want to bike or walk to work to shower when they get there (before their work shifts). Very cool.

Book Sale
The Friends of the Houston Public Library are having their annual Children’s Book Sale on Sept. 7-9. If you have kids or if you’re a teacher, this is a great place to go and pick up a bundle of books cheap. Most books run $1, with better books at $2.

That’s it for now.

Got this in my weekly email from CitySearch:

Tropical Storm Erin moved ashore near Corpus Christi early this morning, with spotty rain likely for Houston today. Hurricane Dean could be coming our way next week. Citysearch urges readers to be prepared and stay safe.

I like that it had a real, timely message for me, even if it had little todo with the regular content of the email.

There was a great NetSquared meeting last night. Channel 39’s Yolanda Green and Ms. Wheelchair Texas‘ Angela Wigglesworth spoke about the upcoming Ms. Wheelchair Texas pageant. Somehow, and I don’t know how this happened, I sort of volunteered to help out with PR… at least a little bit.

Other’s in attendance at the meeting:

• the Houston Chronicle’s Dwight Silverman, 
• Katie Laird (of HappyKatie fame) and her HappyKiddo,
• Erica O’Grady, who was the #1 Erica on Google for a few hours earlier this week,
• Ed Schipul, the top gun at Schipul Marketing, and the guy who buys the drinks
• The Moleskin himself, Kelsey Ruger, who’s day job is haunting the halls of Pop Labs (and who was the only person to notice I cut @ 8 inches off of my hair)
• Laura Mayes, who along with Katie went to BlogHer recently,
• and lots of other wonderful people who weren’t sitting on my side of the room.

The topic was great. Kudos to the organizers.

Don’t miss BarCamp Houston, all day on Saturday 8/25 or the Website Design Mayhem meeting of the Houston Web Design Meetup Group (where they’ll attempt to create 20 sites in 2 hours, on Wednesday 9/19). And watch for the next NetSquared meeting.