Library Wars

Check out this new manga series set in the library:

"In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves-the Library Forces!"
Will-san wants to know where he can sign up! The tagline is: "Winning the war on information, one book at a time!" We'll have our own Read or Die Unit!
Hmmm. The idea boggles the mind. Would each library become a recruiting office? Would we get our own library camo? Is the world ready for armed librarians?
Don't forget the meeting this Saturday. We're showing Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, and we have a special guest. Come check out the new teen library cards, illustrated by our own Jessica Howard.

Read or Die Marathon is on!

Are you ready to watch anime until your brain fries and your eyeballs fall out of your head? This Saturday, August 21st, Read or Die will host a marathon from 10am until 5pm. Bring your pillow and prepare to eat junk and watch garbage...I mean, we'll eat healthy, nutritious snacks while studying edifying representations of the latest that Japanese animation has to offer. Lets hope the Broken Arrow Library can bear the strain!

Did you say "DVD Giveaway"?

Yes, I did. Come to the Read or Die meeting next weekend and choose from our large selection of FREE DVD's. Did I mention they were FREE? Our wonderful Teen Services Coordinator has sent along films purchased or donated to the Library System. All are unwatched and still sealed. Come to the Broken Arrow Library at 1:00, Saturday, July 17 and learn more!
-Will-San

Tokyo Finds Tulsa, Temporarily at least

READ OR DIE had a blast at the Tokyo in Tulsa anime con this weekend. About 15 ROD members showed up and rocked the dealer and gaming rooms in particular. I was impressed with the level of costuming at TnT, especially at the Steampunk Ball, and personally couldn't resist the "League of Extraordinary Librarians" t-shirt, or the Olde Tech brass goggles.

Jessica Howard sold several copies of her awesome self-published HOW TO DRAW MANGA book, a steal at the convention price of only $3. Makes me think we should come up with items to make or sell next year. Can't wait to bring the group together next month and get feedback. Next time, we'll definitely bring food to feed our hungry crew.
Oh, and apologies for spelling Naruto incorrectly on the handout. My bad.

Tokyo in Tulsa

Well, folks, it's just a few short days until Tokyo in Tulsa. Are you prepared?
We'll be manning a booth at the Doubletree Hotel from 10AM to 5PM, Saturday. It's time to meet and greet, and make those important contacts in the manga and anime industry. Network!
And while you're at it, buy stuff and watch anime and don't forget the Cosplay and the Rave and...well, you get the idea. Stop by the booth for a Read or Die button. Get 'em while they're hot.

What kind of name is Read or Die?

Obviously a very awesome one. The manga and anime "ROD" (Read or Die) by Hideyuki Kurata inspired us, because what's not to like about a spy-brarian who's also a Paper Master? If you are uninformed about the adventures of Yomiko Readman, both in book form and on DVD, YOU ARE MISSING SOMETHING! Rectify this hole in your education immediately. Then tell your friends how uninformed they are. Act like you knew about Read or Die forever!

Be There or Be Square

The Read or Die Manga/Anime Club will host a table at the upcoming Tokyo in Tulsa anime convention, June 18-20. We'll have a booth open all day on the 19th. Come check us out, talk anime, and in general harass us. It's what we're there for. TnT will be in the DoubleTree Hotel at 616 West 7th Street in Downtown Tulsa. Don't say we didn't warn you!

The Sound of One Librarian Clapping

What is a librarian when he's out of the library and away from books, like when he is supervising an anime meeting? Is he a teacher? Parent? Police officer? No. I say
he/she is a mentor, a facilitator. While we don't want damage to library property, loud noise, or roughhousing which may end in injury, our main purpose is to provide an environment for our teens to learn and grow. This means getting to know the teens
and not judging them. Sometimes their lifestyles may be shocking, but it shouldn't stop us from mentoring them. What plans or dreams do they have? Do they want to go to Japan? Get them language tapes. Do they want to draw manga or anime? Get them books, bring in speakers,show them websites where they can post their art. Do they like Cosplay? Show them books on sewing and Japanese fashion. Put yourself out. Grow and learn alongside them. They'll appreciate it and you.

Home of the Naruto Cupcake

I have been asked to include some content for librarians out there who may benefit by our vast(ha!)experience in anime clubs. Certainly we want to encourage other libraries to do what we do, eh?
Rule one is: make cupcakes! Yes, you always want to feed a hungry anime club, or they'll run riot. Actually, they pretty much run riot anyway, but you should feed them. Mass quantities of sugar and caffeine are the way to an otaku's heart. i believe we were the first to introduce the Naruto cupcake, which has yellow spiked icing and a Naruto badge made out of cardboard or fondant. We're searching among our members for photos of these fantastic edibles to add to the site.
We are fortunate to have Kelly Waters at the Broken Arrow Library,who makes us such tasty treats. All right, this blog is making me hungry! I may have to order a fresh batch. We could branch out. Sasuke cupcakes? Sakura cupcakes? The mind boggles.

Book Swap

Yes, May 15th is our big book and anime swap. Bring in your lesser favorites and trade up to something better, or just try something new. We'll be watching Full Metal Panic this month. No, not Alchemist, I said Panic!

We've been promised a table at Tokyo in Tulsa on the 19th-21st. It's going to be awesome. For those who cannot make it, we will still have our meeting at BA, but I
will probably be at TnT, so another librarian will sit in.

What else? We've received over a hundred new manga books for the collection and they keep comin', so keep readin'. Tell us what you like, so we can know what to order for the collection. This is the Library, where your opinion counts.

-Will-san

BA to get more manga, new anime section

The teen program coordinator for the Tulsa City/County Library System has decided to make Broken Arrow's manga section the flagship collection for the entire library system. We will eventually double our collection of manga and graphic novels, and will start an anime DVD collection at the BA Library. The club will also receive five free day passes to Tokyo in Tulsa in June. The gifts just keep on coming.

-Will-san

A Baker's Dozen in the Snow

Thirteen of us showed up on Saturday in the middle of a blinding snowstorm to eat donuts and watch anime. That is dedication. We congratulated Jessica Howard, whose art will be on the next teen library card, and I told everyone about this website and the other new improvements that are coming. Kent requested an all day anime marathon and so, to make him happy (and you too, I hope), it will be August 21st from ten to six. You ask for it, you got it.
-Will-san

Check out the scrolls

What better place for scrolls than a library! TCCL has purchased $140.00 worth of anime scrolls for the club. They are now displayed at the back of the library in our teen section. No more tacky walls, just Bleach, Naruto, Death Note, Blood, and Full Metal Alchemist. Thank you, Budget Committee! You rock!

Chaperones

Hey, troops!

If we get to go to Tokyo in Tulsa this June, we're going to need chaperones, parents to get you there, watch over the group, and take you home. Someone other than ME! Now is the time to approach your 'rental units and give them the heads up. Maybe even try to get a commitment out of them. Emphasize what sort of trouble you could get into if they are not there to watch you. They needn't stay for the entire
day, but we hope to have enough helpers to get us through the day. 'Nuff said.
Sayonara,
Will-san

Japanese word of the day

bukatsu
: 部活
Bukatsu, or club activities, are a staple feature of anime and manga set in Japanese schools.

In the Japanese school system, extracurricular activities are strongly encouraged, if not outright mandatory. Every place of learning, from grade school to university level, has a slew of clubs catering to the students' interests - Physics Club, Track-and-Field Club, Book Club, Photography Club, etc. Participating in these clubs takes up a significant amount of "free" time.

If one is not interested in participating (an attitude viewed with suspicion and even marginal hostility, as being anti-social), one can be an inactive ("ghost") member of an existing club, or one can join the ranks of the clubless outcasts, sometimes referred to as the "Go-Home-Early Club".

Book Swap

Our May meeting will be our first annual Book Swap. Bring in a manga or anime you've grown tired of, and switch it out for one you haven't seen. I'll try to throw in a few freebies so nobody goes home empty-handed. Swag time!

Case Closed

Our next DVD is a classic series, Case Closed; Detective Conan. What could be more of a bummer than to be turned from a seventeen year old genius detective into a six year old boy, and THEN go live with a lesser detective and his hot daughter you're crazy about. Poor Conan. This series began in 1996 and is still going strong. What sets this aside from, say, Scooby Doo is the violent deaths of the victims Conan must investigate: hangings, axe-murders, violent deaths of all kinds. Conan must rely on a dart gun that knocks out his housemate, Detective Richard Moore, long enough to allow him to explain the murder and unmask the killer via a two way speaker. Stupid, yes, I know, but somehow we put up with it. Will Conan ever grow full sized again and get the girl? Will he eternally be six? It's a mystery, just like Case Closed. We'll check it out at the next club meeting.

Hey, you crazy Otaku!

This is the first blog of our club. I hope you like it. We're finally online! This way, you don't have to wonder what dates we'll meet or what's coming up. Here's the calendar for the next several months:

March 20th- meeting
April 17th- meeting
April 24th- Conestoga convention (Will speaking)
May 15th - meeting
June 6th - Tulsa Asian Festival (we'll have a booth!)
June 18th-20th- Tokyo in Tulsa
June 19th - meeting (same day)
July 17th - meeting

I had a meeting today with the library's Teen Coordinator, and it looks like we'll have money for some improvements in the club, and maybe even some swag. Kudos to
the Tulsa City-County Library for supporting us when other libraries are cutting programs.
I'll take suggestions for what to put in the blog at our next meeting. Until then,
Sayonara,
Will-san