tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55742658981255769022024-03-05T03:19:17.469-06:00Julie's Library StewA hodgepod of my favorite things, information and hands-on rehabbing!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-3544657311605181962012-07-13T14:20:00.001-05:002012-07-13T14:20:38.871-05:00Non-Fiction and Self-PublishingWhile reading Publisher's Weekly, I came across an <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20120709/52881-pw-select-july-2012-taking-the-measure-of-self-publishing.html" target="_blank">article </a>analyzing the spending habits of people who purchase self-pub books. It mentioned that NF is primarily purchased by men as they prefer more academic and professional topics. Interesting but no great surprise. What I did spark my interest was trying to figure out how to know if these NF titles can be relied upon to present good information. Do these authors have their respective associations read them and provide feedback? Do they have editors to help them correct grammar and focus on the topic at hand? How do we know the authors aren't just making it all up? How do we, as librarians, figure what is reliable and what is not? I mean I attempted to read 50 Shades of Grey and could not get pass the halting, awkward writing. There is someone who desperately needed editor...Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-71624836197343630952012-07-10T19:12:00.002-05:002012-07-10T19:12:34.071-05:00Government denying mermaids!<a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/mermaids.html" target="_blank">No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found!</a><br />
I still believe...<br />
<br />
For those who still believe in the ridiculous,<br />
Check out the CDC's <a href="http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/" target="_blank">Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse</a> plan
<br />
<br />
I love that the U.S. Government has been getting a sense of humour lately! It is great PR and reminds people that the government does have information online. Even if they have to use ridiculous ploys to reach people.<br />
I just love it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-89375136804364951242012-07-05T09:47:00.001-05:002012-07-05T09:47:23.502-05:00J.K. Rowling's New BookFirst, I would like to state that I had NO idea that she was writing an adult novel. Second, I like the cover despite the NYT's less than enthusiastic <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/readers-judge-new-rowling-book-by-its-cover/" target="_blank">review </a>of it...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.earlyword.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/6a00d8341c630a53ef017742fb0ad0970d-800wi.png" />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-15014290853518218582012-06-22T11:14:00.000-05:002012-06-22T11:14:04.596-05:00To download, or not to download, that is the questionThere has been an interesting development in the past 10+ years regarding music ownership. Most people are downloading music illegally to the detriment of the artist. The download for free mentality is best represented by Emily White <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2012/06/16/154863819/i-never-owned-any-music-to-begin-with" target="_blank">here</a>. While her post provided great insight into this era, I found the <a href="http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/letter-to-emily-white-at-npr-all-songs-considered/" target="_blank">response </a>by David Lowery incredibly enlightening.<br />
<br />
Personally, I love the fact that my husband will buy a CD when he truly believes it to be great. He believes that it is important to support the artists. However, most of the time we download from iTunes which provides about <a href="http://msl1.mit.edu/furdlog/docs/baffling_itunes_royalty_calculation.pdf" target="_blank">$.10</a> to the artist.<br />
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Any thoughts?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-17472834838912013682012-05-08T09:56:00.003-05:002012-05-08T09:56:52.204-05:00Such Sad News!<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/books/maurice-sendak-childrens-author-dies-at-83.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">Maurice Sendak</a> passed today! He was such a great children's author that had wide spread appeal for children as his characters were not always well-behaved making, at least me, feel better!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-4077305259736420522012-04-17T14:35:00.000-05:002012-04-17T14:35:48.383-05:00The Librarian Pub CrawlIt has been a LONG time since I have posted anything. I would like to apologize for that but I have been BUSY at work with the impending move and at home with the renovations. However, this post must be done and provides insight into my state of mind:) <a href="http://librarianpubcrawl.com/">http://librarianpubcrawl.com/</a> Of course, I will be in Edmonton, Alberta for my grandpa's 90th so I'm hoping that some of you could attend and let me know if you found a few good bars in the process.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-78056734408572204992012-03-27T08:58:00.000-05:002012-03-27T08:58:08.998-05:00Information LiteracyI wish I could be as articulate as so many of my fellow librarians. Instead I simply forward on the best articles I read like this one on <a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/2012/03/27/information-literacy-in-an-age-of-networked-knowledge/" target="_blank">Information Literacy</a> by Andy Burkhardt. In particular, I agreed with the idea that we are not trying to create super researchers but simply trying to help people become 'sophisticated consumers and creators of information'.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-75611073304471219382012-03-16T16:31:00.000-05:002012-03-16T16:31:09.122-05:00FBI FilesThis could make for some interesting reading.<br />
1. The CIA's Role in the Study of UFO's, 1947-1990<br />
2. Watergate: the Nixon Grand Jury Records<br />
3. Bay of Pigs: Military Evaluation of the CIA Para-Military Plan, Cuba<br />
4. Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction: Senate Report 109-331<br />
5. John Nash letters to NSAJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-4331015383705059822012-03-14T09:12:00.000-05:002012-03-14T09:12:48.706-05:00The End of an Era"A<a href="http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/after-244-years-encyclopaedia-britannica-stops-the-presses/" target="_blank">fter 244 years, Encyclopaedia Britannica stops the presses</a>" This announcement made me sad. I understand that people are turning less and less to the print version of reference books than ever before, but I really love the idea of being able to visualize all of that knowledge in one place. It just made the grand scheme of life a lot less overwhelming.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-47354063805774721192012-03-11T14:22:00.004-05:002012-03-11T15:05:24.296-05:00A New Crush?Jon Hamm isn't really my type but that may change after reading <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/jon-hamm-paris-hilton-kim-kardashian-stupidity-celebrated-article-1.1037134?localLinksEnabled=false" target="_blank">this</a>! I love what he has to say about useless celebrities and female ideals. A shout out goes to Daniel Craig (who is exactly my type) and Jonah Hill as well....Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-27531042421645213192012-03-01T14:24:00.000-06:002012-03-01T14:24:14.639-06:00Beautiful!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Adzywe9xeIU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
A beautiful silent but powerful film for anyone who loves reading and books! I actually welled up at the end. It is a truly lovely story. I hope you enjoy.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-59606471488545276482012-02-29T10:22:00.000-06:002012-02-29T10:23:14.308-06:00Reminder to Librarians!Thank you to Andy Burkhardt for this post about <a href="http://andyburkhardt.com/2012/02/29/human-centered-librarianship/" target="_blank">Human-Centered Librarianship</a>. I thought this was a really well written post that helps remind us that our goal is, was and will always be to help the patron.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-91847128739294329452012-02-16T13:41:00.000-06:002012-02-16T13:41:48.775-06:00Follow the Money!<a href="http://www.followthemoney.org/index.phtml" target="_blank">Follow the Money</a> is another great website with information that is of interest to many! It is sponsored by the National Institute on Money in State Politic, which is a non-profit and non-partisan organization, and brought to my attention via another listserv.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-4155924623035943322012-02-16T10:59:00.000-06:002012-02-16T10:59:42.026-06:00Great Healthcare ResourceSometimes being on a listserv can be really annoying but most of the time I find they are an amazing resource! I was just introduced to <i>The Health and Medical Care Archive</i> by the University of Michigan and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Check it out <a href="http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/HMCA/archive.jsp" target="_blank">here</a>!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-45270081507906376242012-02-15T14:46:00.000-06:002012-02-15T14:53:13.440-06:00What is My Property Tax Rate?This was my best reference question of the day. Actually the real question was "I have a bet that Lake Co. has a higher property tax rate than Cook". Initially, I thought it would be a very quick search in the respective County Tax Assessors web page. I could NOT have been more wrong! I searched the entire web site for both counties, performed a Google search and nada. By this time, nothing was going to keep me from finding this information and settling the patron's bet plus I really wanted to know now...<br />
<br />
I decided to look up my own property bill to see the breakdown. Of course, Cook Co. doesn't have detailed tax bills available electronically. Really, come on Cook get with it! However, they do provide a tiny image of the bill that does not enlarge well. I squinted and magnified the page and pieced together bits of info like the Volume #, Tax Code #, and Township #. I 'Googled' tax rate for tax code with the # which lead me to this <a href="http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/tsd/DocumentLibrary/RATE%20REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">list</a>. Then I returned to the Lake Co. site and used a random address in the area and found the rate within the detailed tax bill.<br />
<br />
And the WINNER (or loser) is...... Cook Co. has the highest property tax rate*.<br />
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<i>*Based on my property in the City of Chicago (Cook Co.) and a random property in Deerfield (Lake Co.)</i>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-52098176291230125522012-02-07T20:25:00.001-06:002012-02-07T20:25:37.501-06:00Not Really the First PostI am in the process of importing my blog from another publishing platform and I'm having technical difficulties... Hopefully I can get that corrected soon. In the meantime, I will continue on my merry little way on this blog!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-22611293752354917542012-02-07T20:25:00.000-06:002012-02-15T14:48:15.842-06:00Patrons can be a Great Resource!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP-Wv1wPZOJ5Tvdv3j7hYwU8TbAxLBXJGwkhlsimpI7xuii09NHuIpcGB84DQaavkRi7FswajnP0IkhqPFdNBS0rKSqKDb2Rq5ow6HYyjShExbRQb0fX1AFbXU4HgIv-3_0ds_MCa6NE/s1600/wolfram-alpha-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP-Wv1wPZOJ5Tvdv3j7hYwU8TbAxLBXJGwkhlsimpI7xuii09NHuIpcGB84DQaavkRi7FswajnP0IkhqPFdNBS0rKSqKDb2Rq5ow6HYyjShExbRQb0fX1AFbXU4HgIv-3_0ds_MCa6NE/s200/wolfram-alpha-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The library I work at has a Facebook page to which I post on occasion. In an effort to engage with the patrons, I asked if anyone had any great resources they would like to share. This actually elicited a few responses (happy, happy, joy, joy). Most of the suggestions I was already aware of but ONE I had never heard of... Wolfram Alpha! This is a super cool search engine that finds facts and concrete answers much like Siri. It is quite a fun resource and I am so glad one of our patrons suggested it. For further information in a much more eloquent article check out the NYT article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/technology/wolfram-a-search-engine-finds-answers-within-itself.html" target="_blank">here</a>.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-76246618931190549912012-02-01T14:30:00.000-06:002012-02-14T14:33:24.466-06:00Google has a sense of humour!Did you know Google does tricks? Well, neither did I until my coworker accidentally hit enter too early on a search and the screen twirled! It was COOL... So, as nosy reference librarians do, we wanted to how that happened and discovered Google does tricks. It is known as a barrel roll and to get it to work for you type "do a barrel roll" and hit enter. Or try "Google Gravity" and hit "I'm Feeling Lucky. Not only did I not know these tricks existed but that they are called Easter Eggs! I love them:) I now have a ninja on my Google Reader.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-13632425881217752572011-12-16T05:14:00.000-06:002012-02-15T14:48:42.333-06:00Gilmore Girls Reading List - Awesome!I loved the show the <em>Gilmore Girls</em>. There is actual dialogue, it is witty, quick, strong role models (women <em>and</em> men) and just fun. It reminds me of the old school movies with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy specifically <em><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1000253-adams_rib/" target="_blank" title="Adam's Rib">Adam's Rib</a></em>. Plus Rory was a girl after my own heart. What a role model for young girls... She wasn't boy crazy but did date, wasn't catty with girls but was actually friends with them and read voraciously. Anyway, the reason for this post is someone actually took the time and created a list of EVERY book that she read during the 7 years on air. I have read A LOT of books and this list made me feel a bit behind. Check out the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge <a href="http://bookreviews.me.uk/rory-gilmore-reading-challenge/" target="_blank" title="The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge">here</a>!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-80864535411927858552011-11-03T11:29:00.000-05:002012-02-15T14:49:22.751-06:00The GPO and PrivatizationI just found out that there is a House Proposal to have the Government Printing Office be privatized and/or broken into bits. It is difficult enough to find out what is going on or find documents as it is. Could you imagine if it is broken off and sent to various places? Also, what happens when something is privatized? Seriously, it does not ever seem to work better when this happens... Look at the U.S. Postal Service.<br />
<br />
The biggest issue I have with this is how do we ensure the transparency of government?<br />
<br />
For more information:<br />
<a href="http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LEG-FY2012_xml.pdf" target="_blank" title="HR 2551">HR 2551</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt148/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt148.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill</a> page 25Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-56147879283292500222011-10-04T09:55:00.000-05:002012-02-14T14:34:06.234-06:00Did s/he really say that?My iGoogle home page has a "Quotes of the Day" section. Below is one of the three:<br/><br/>"A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward." -<a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Franklin_D._Roosevelt" target="_blank">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a><br/><br/>Being a librarian and understanding how words, much like numbers, can easily be manipulated, I headed over to the reference section to verify the quote. According to <em>The Harper Book of American Quotations</em> the quote was accurate. However, it is an excerpt from a longer statement from FDR. The full quote is below.<br/><br/>"A radical is a man with both feet firmly planted--in the air. A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs, who, however, has never learned to walk forward. A reactionary is a somnambulist walking backward. But a liberal is a man who uses his legs and his hands at the behest --at the command--of his head." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio speech, October 26, 1939<br/><br/>Now that you have read the full quote, does it change your perception of what the quote means? It did for me not a lot but enough to give me a better perspective. Of course I wanted to read the whole speech as I could not figure out why this would pop up during a radio address. Here is the link if you are curious as well. <a href="http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15828#axzz1ZqGo3JBH">http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15828#axzz1ZqGo3JBH</a><br/><br/>Another quote from years ago that motivated me enough to attempt to track it down was the the quote by Matt Damon in the movie <em>The Departed</em> where he stated "what Freud said about the Irish is we're the only people impervious to psychoanalysis." Well, Freud never said that. I tried to find it when I was working as a Reference Intern at Northwestern University and could not find a thing. I even asked the real Reference Librarian if she could find anything regarding the quote as I as a student may have missed. She checked his concordance and found absolutely nothing. He NEVER said anything about the Irish anywhere that has been recorded in print. The Freud Museum in London has it in their FAQ section <a href="http://www.freud.org.uk/about/faq/">http://www.freud.org.uk/about/faq/</a><br/><br/>Why am I going on about this? Simply because I think it is important for people to question what they hear and see. Be a thoughtful person, embrace knowledge. Remember if you can't find the answer call/email/facebook/text/IM your local library;)Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-62874394960344421772011-09-08T17:48:00.000-05:002012-02-14T14:34:06.239-06:00The BathroomIt is done! Well, almost...<br/><br/>Below are some before shots. As you can see it is an interesting colour scheme. If the lyric "Color u peach and black" from <em>U Got the Look</em> by Prince doesn't come to mind then you are either under 35 or lived under a rock in the 80's. And yes, that is wallpaper, everywhere!<br/><br/><a href="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-36" title="Bathroom Before 1" src="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="339" height="254" /></a> <a href="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/house12.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-38" title="Bathroom Before 2" src="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/house12.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="355" height="267" /></a><br/><br/>I wasn't sure what to do with this that wouldn't require a complete tear down of the space. My ah-ha moment was remembering the seller's agent mentioning another client who painted their bathroom black with a chandelier. Black, hell to the yes, plus I had just come across an article about high gloss paint becoming quiet the trend. It clicked for me, black high gloss paint, duh. So the wallpaper came down, the wall sanded and primed. Then the reality of black walls and ceiling with the only light source from the sconces by the mirror kicked in. My mother suggested a white ceiling to help reflect the light from the window which was planned for the doors and window anyway. Eureka!<br/><br/>I painted the doors, trim, ceiling and the arch ceiling in the stark, bright semi-gloss white and the walls in hi-gloss black. The goal was to have the walls look like lacquer without using any. Nine layers of black with sanding in between each one did not give me the look I wanted but was shiny enough to be close plus Andrew was getting annoyed with the progress and I was tired. In the end, I think the outcome was pretty cool. The contrast highlighted the archway beautifully and the scheme helped tone down the peach.<br/><br/><a href="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom-after-91.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-41" title="Bathroom After Archway" src="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom-after-91.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="395" height="297" /></a><a href="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom-after-91.jpg"> </a><a href="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom-after1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-45" title="Bathroom After" src="http://julieslibrarystew.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bathroom-after1.jpg?w=225" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><br/><br/>Materials Used:<br/><ul><br/> <li>KILZ Original primer which was recommended by my best friend and her husband and my brother-in-law. That stuff stinks to high heaven but it worked miracles on the wall.</li><br/> <li>Ace hi-gloss paint in black</li><br/> <li>Benjamin Moore Aura Semi-Gloss paint in ??? I painted over the label. I really hope we never need to touch up too much.</li><br/> <li>Sponge roller 3" for smooth finish</li><br/> <li>Ace brand paint brushes - 1 1/2" and 3</li><br/> <li>400-600 grain sandpaper</li><br/> <li>Power handsander</li><br/></ul>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-91090381331960741012011-09-01T11:00:00.000-05:002012-02-14T14:34:06.265-06:00Organize, Organize, OrganizeThis Labor Day weekend I have decided that I cannot live with all the furniture still under wraps and the boxes everywhere! I am sick to death of not being able to find reciepts and other important documents. Perhaps after I unpack and organize then I can actually show you a few before and after (more like work in progress) pictures.<br/><br/>Current Projects:<br/>Finish the bathroom by Friday - me<br/>Paint the guest room - Andrew<br/>Unpack<br/>Organize<br/><br/>I am quite confident Amvets, Goodwill or whomever we call to collect the duplicated and unnecessary stuff will be so pleased;)Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-90243435807532749502011-08-18T07:49:00.000-05:002012-02-14T14:34:06.257-06:00Famous People and LibrariesI love when famous people support libraries. We have had two in teh past week with Neil Gaiman and Russell Crowe. Granted Russell just showed up for lunch during a bike ride but still awesome PR:)<br/><br/><a href="http://triblocal.com/batavia/2011/08/17/russell-crowe-bikes-to-batavia-library-for-lunch/">http://triblocal.com/batavia/2011/08/17/russell-crowe-bikes-to-batavia-library-for-lunch/</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/aug/17/neil-gaiman-edinburgh-book-festival">http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/aug/17/neil-gaiman-edinburgh-book-festival</a>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574265898125576902.post-528032940260602432011-07-19T21:14:00.000-05:002012-02-14T14:34:06.227-06:00Finding a Good Home InspectorI watch a LOT of HGTV, specifically <em>Holmes on Holmes</em> and <em>Holmes Inspection</em>. If you are not aware of these two shows, they show what happens when you buy a house that has shoddy workmanship and an incomplete home inspection. They completely freaked me out during our 6 month and 60+ house search. My way of dealing with this is was to research the heck out of it.<br/><br/>The research process:<br/><ol><br/> <li>Checking out the national home inspectors' association websites.<br/>Be sure to check the Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency and Coverage of both sites.<br/>In my opinion, AMHI was more organized and provided a list of inspectors with more detailed information.</li><br/> <li>Narrow your list of inspectors to a manageable amount.<br/>I suggest narrowing in realtionship to the location of the property that will be inspected.</li><br/> <li>Check out consumer rating sites.<br/>I searched by rating and location in both Yelp and the BBB (Better Business Bureau). <br/>Angie's List is brilliant but does cost $.</li><br/> <li>Go to your state's department for professional regulation and/or licenses to check if the inspectors' license was current and if they have ever been disciplined.</li><br/> <li>Review the inspectors' web sites.<br/>Remember: Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency and Coverage<br/>The one I chose had posted a sample inspection report and closely matched the Scope of Service provided by the AMHI.</li><br/></ol>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15682978816507313931noreply@blogger.com1