Books by Ruby

My influencer book is now available at Amazon.

Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK91FGFY

My book The Evil Called Love (Poems and Stories) is available at Amazon!

Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJGJZ9Z7

My spoken poetry book "Heartache Out Loud" is now available at Amazon.

Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKFLPLNC

I have recently started writing stories, mostly to exercise my typing skills and explore my creative capacity. So far, I have learned several things from various authors and youtubers, for example...

From Neil Gaiman's Masterclass, I learned that:

Finding your voice is the key to developing a story.
We convey truth in stories. All fiction has to be as honest as you can make it.
World building has a lot to do with bringing in something that is real. By world building, you can play god, and every little detail you can smuggle into your fiction makes your world more real to a reader.
Give yourself license to ask questions.
Learn to read a story as a craftsperson and less as an audience/reader.
The main block to writing is the fear of being judged. Be prepared to be naked.

So far, I have written some short stories for practice. Find them through this label: Short Stories.

10 Occult Books That Can Be Classified Under LCC G

If you hear the word “occult,” you might imagine dark rooms, candles, and someone whispering Latin badly. But in library science, the occult often sits quietly under LCC Class G — the section for Geography, Anthropology, and Folklore . Why? Because many occult works deal with myth, symbolism, ritual, cultural belief systems, and human attempts to understand the unseen. In other words, they are less about flying broomsticks and more about how people make meaning. Here are ten notable occult books that can reasonably fall under LCC G , especially within folklore (GR), customs (GT), or cultural anthropology. 1. The Golden Bough – James George Frazer Frazer’s massive comparative study of myth and religion explores magic, ritual sacrifice, fertility rites, and sacred kings. It is not a spell book. It is anthropology with a dramatic flair. Why LCC G? Because it analyzes myth and ritual across cultures. This comfortably sits in folklore and anthropology (GR). 2. The Hero with a Thousand Face...

3 Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Handwriting

Handwriting doesn’t have to be a lost art, even in today’s digital world. Whether you’re taking notes, writing a letter, or just doodling in your journal, legible handwriting is a skill worth mastering. Let’s start with three quick tips to make your writing more readable: 1. Pay Attention to Spacing Spacing is one of the most overlooked aspects of legibility. It’s tempting to let your letters and words run together, but that’s the quickest way to turn your notes into an indecipherable mess. Make a conscious effort to leave some space between each letter and word. This breathing room allows the reader to clearly distinguish one word from the next. Slow down, and you’ll find your spacing naturally improves. 2. Hold the Pen Correctly You might not think much about how you hold your pen, but it plays a big role in your handwriting. Too tight a grip, and your hand tires quickly, causing shaky lines. Too loose, and you’ll struggle to control the pen. Aim for a relaxed but steady grip that le...

5 Books That Make You Better at Getting Things Done

1. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz This book says energy is more important than time. Weird, right? But it makes sense. The authors say we should work like athletes — focus hard for a bit, then take real breaks to rest and recharge. Instead of running on empty all week, you learn to build routines that give you energy, not drain it. Basically, it’s saying: stop acting like a robot and start acting like a human who takes naps. 2. Getting Things Done by David Allen If your brain feels like a messy desk full of sticky notes, this book is your cleaning guide. David Allen teaches you how to put every task, idea, or reminder somewhere safe — so your mind can finally relax. Once you’ve written everything down, you can actually focus on what’s in front of you instead of wondering what you forgot. It’s for people who want to feel calm, in control, and slightly smug about their tidy to-do lists. 3. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker Peter Drucker is...

A Librarian’s Method for Organizing a Wardrobe: Current, Non-current, or Archive?

I did not set out to fix my wardrobe. I was just tired of negotiating with it every morning. My closet was full, but I wore the same few things. The rest stared back at me like a group project I never agreed to join. I had already tried the usual advice: declutter, be ruthless, imagine an ideal self who attends brunch more often than I do. None of it stuck. Then I realized the problem was not the clothes. It was the lack of a system. I am a librarian. When something does not work, I do not add more space. I reclassify. Again, I remind myself that I am a librarian. When something is chaotic, my first thought is NOT “buy more storage.” It is “this needs a system.” My closet did not need more hangers. It needed cataloging. Librarians do not panic about having too many books. They decide where each book belongs: current , non-current , or archive . So I tried the same method on my wardrobe. The Library Method, Explained Without the Jargon In libraries: Current ...

First Impressions of Hanoi, Vietnam

So This Is What 14 Degrees Looks Like The very first thing I saw of Hanoi was not a building. Not a landmark. Not even a proper tree. It was fog. From the plane window, the land below looked like a watercolor painting someone had forgotten to finish. The trees were faint shapes, like shy ghosts standing politely in line. It was late January. The captain announced it was 14 degrees Celsius. So this is what 14 degrees looks like, I thought. It looks like a country half-asleep under a gray blanket. The Expectation That Quietly Packed Its Bags Before arriving, I carried a small, unflattering assumption in my suitcase: that Vietnamese people might not be especially warm or smiley. That assumption lasted about as long as the walk from immigration to baggage claim. People were kind. Not loud. Not overly expressive. Just… kind. The kind of kindness that responds to how you show up. If you are friendly, they are friendly. If you are respectful, they soften. It felt less like customer serv...

What Does an Abstractor Do? And Other Frequently Asked Questions.

My very first job ever is ABSTRACTOR. And, in the year 2000, I had to sit a person down and spend no less than fifteen minutes explaining what I do. Now, it's easier because people are more likely to get it when I tell them about the main job description of an abstractor. What exactly does an abstractor do? An abstractor is a person who summarizes important information from documents and records, making it easier to understand the main points without reading the whole text. This is often used for legal documents, such as those related to property ownership, for submitting studies to peer-reviewed journals, and for thesis writing. Here are some questions you might want to ask if you're considering a job as an abstractor. Does an abstractor need to be a graduate of library science and information courses? An abstractor does not necessarily need to have a degree in library science. Typically, abstractors have backgrounds in fields related to the documents they work with, such as ...

Librarian Resources: Books on the Passion of Christ

Offer your patrons several reading choices for Lent. Here is a list of notable books that delve into the passion of Christ, each offering a unique perspective on this profound subject: 1. "The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die" by John Piper - Synopsis: This book offers fifty clear reasons why Jesus Christ underwent the suffering of the cross, according to the Bible. John Piper delves into the theological and spiritual implications of Christ's Passion, aiming to deepen the reader's appreciation and understanding of Christ's sacrifice. 2. "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" by Anne Catherine Emmerich - Synopsis: Based on the visions of the German mystic, Anne Catherine Emmerich, this book provides a detailed account of the events leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus. Emmerich's vivid descriptions bring to life the sufferings of Christ in a way that encourages empathy and reflection. 3. "Je...

Why is Data Science a Good Extension Career for Librarians?

As a librarian with a degree in library science, pursuing a second course can enhance your skills, broaden your expertise, and open up new career opportunities. If you're a librarian looking to expand his or her career, here is a good option for you: data science. Why Data Science? Data Management Skills Data science courses will equip you with skills in data analysis, management, and visualization, which are becoming increasingly important in libraries for handling large datasets and digital collections. These skills enable you to efficiently organize and analyze large volumes of information, making data more accessible and useful to library patrons. Research Enhancement Understanding data science can enhance your ability to support researchers and academics in data-driven research. By gaining proficiency in data science, you can assist in developing research methodologies, managing research data, and providing advanced data analytics services. This can make your library an...

Simple Way to Ask Library Users to Rate the Library Service

Library users do not always share their thoughts on how the librarian or school can improve their library service. In fact, some won't ever, unless prompted. Soliciting their thoughts using a suggestion box is also not as good a strategy as it is predicted to be. After all, the blank piece of paper near the suggestion box doesn't really guide the user. I also noticed that users would only use the suggestion box if they have a complaint, but not if they just want to go about their business and leave. There must be a more pro-active way to solicit users' opinion. A simple solution would be to offer a short survey to measure how successfully users were able to complete some common activities in the library. This assessment uses the Likert scale, which is typically a five, seven, or nine-point agreement scale used to measure respondents' agreement with various statements. For example, the scale can range from "very unsuccessful" to "very successful."...

Why Create a Homeschool Library?

You need a homeschool library if you’re homeschooling your children. Homeschooling has become a big thing in recent years, especially with the pandemic. It is difficult for parents to cope with the workload of tutoring their children, especially if they have mainly depended on the school systems to take care of their children’s educational needs. Fortunately, parents and guardians have plenty of support from various sources like social media groups and non-profit organizations that aim to help with the teaching part. Now, the resource part of the homeschooling journey is another matter. What should your library contain? A homeschool library should contain books that support the homeschool curriculum. These resources can be encyclopedias, dictionaries, fiction books, and others. Objectives of a Homeschool Library Like a school library, you need to build your home’s resource space with the following objectives: 1. To develop an awareness of the importance...

Ruby Galvez, RL

Search This Blog