Thursday, June 30, 2011

Daily Thoughts 7/1/2011

Marshall, Henrietta Elizabeth (1908). Stories of Beowulf. black and white illustration of a mother and son reading a book on a chair.

Daily Thoughts 7/1/2011

I read some more of How The Hippies Saved Physics this morning.  The author is writing about the idea of the observer effect in physics. 


Library Journal sent me some Advanced Reading Copies of books; Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, A Sound Among the Trees A Novel by Susan Meissner, The Double Life of Alred Buber by David Schmahmann which has an interesting cover, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh which is coming out in September, Child Wonder a novel by Roy Jacobsen told from a child's perspective, The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Smallwood  which has an Amish element to it, and The Crossing A Novel by Serita Jakes.  I think I am going to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, it seems to have that bits versus atoms thinking which is starting to crop up among the digerati.  Also, Child Wonder looks quite interesting.

Today, I worked on writing a number of flyers for events including a wills workshop and a workshop on mortgage law.  As always, I checked the Twitter account and the displays and looked over the book sale.

I also checked out the book, HBR's 10 Must Reads On Strategy which is published by the Harvard Business Review.

How The Hippies Saved Physics is become more interesting as I read it.  It is describing how the Fundamental Fysiks Group got funded and tied in with new age and eccentric groups and places like Esalen, Werner Erhard,  and Henry Dakin.  There is a touch of spoon bending with Uri Geller, psi, fringe science, and pseudoscience thrown in to make it even more fascinating.  We get descriptions of quantum physics in relation to remote viewing, underground newspapers from the 1970s, and makeshift laboratories.  The list of ecceentric physicists is interesting including Richard Feynman, Fred Alan Wolf, and Jack Sarfatti.  At points it makes me laugh and smile because at the same time as it is very serious, it touches on the outlandish.  There are points where icons of counterculture get woven into the story like Ram Dass and Ira Einhorn. It is a great read, especilly if you are interested in how fringe science becomes accepted or counterculture.

Web Bits

Crowdfunding: When the Publisher Doesn’t Cover the Creator’s Expenses
By Todd Allen

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/article/47781-crowdfunding-when-the-publisher-doesn--t-cover-the-creator--s-expenses.html%20%20

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/30/2011

Albert Einstein

Daily Thoughts 6/30/2011

Last night I read some of How the Hippies Saved Physics.  The book is a popular treatise that focuses on the philosophy of science.  Quantum physics has a lot of strange qualities which can be interpreted in very unusual ways.  The author spends some time focusing on the Fundamental Fysiks Group at University of California Berkeley which was a group founded in the 1970s.  Right now, I am reading about the early creators of quantum physics, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Albert Einsteen, and Erwin Schrodinger.

There is a book on mashups called Remixthebook by Mark Amerika coming out in September.  I spent a little time reading the latest Publishers Weekly.

I also spent some time going over the ordering pattern this afternoon as well as checked through the gift books for books to add.  There were a number of donated books like Don Quixote by Cervantes and Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens which were assigned for the schools.  This is the thing which is easiest to find among donated items.

I checked the displays in the morning and udpated the Twitter account.  Our website came back up which was a relief.  I also sent in the monthly statistics for programs.

Things went fairly smoothly today.

On the way home, I read some more of How The Hippies Saved Physics.  The author is writing about John S. Bell who describes spooky action at a distance in physics. It is hard to describe or even understand Bell's Theorem.

Web Bits

Why It's Important for Communities to Have Bookstores
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/27/pm-why-its-important-for-communities-to-have-bookstores/

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/29/2011


William Sydney Porter--    O.Henry, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

Daily Thoughts 6/29/2011


Today was another very steady day.  I checked the displays and the book sale.  I also tabulated another survey.  I discussed the Central Library District allotment with the director this morning and looked over peoples ordering assignments.

I also spent some time helping people with job search in the computer lab for an hour.  It is something we do on occassion. 

A lot of the teenagers are coming in for their assignment lists and signing up for summer reading.  Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees, and Animal Farm by George Orwell are very popular.  The short classics are what the teenagers want to read; The Pearl and The Red Pony by John Steinbeck,  Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and The Prince by Machiavelli are quite short.

The book, How The Hippies Saved Physics, Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival by David Kaiser came in for me to read.

I am looking forward to The Death Ray by Dan Clowes.  It should be an interesting graphic novel.  It is coming out in September.   I also think Lidia's Italy in America published by Knopf should do quite well.  I occassionally watch the cooking show on Channel 13 while I am folding laundry.

Daily Thoughts 6/28/2011

A Quiet Read - by William Kay Blacklock (1872-1924)

Daily Thoughts 6/28/2011

I read some more of Ark this morning.  It is about the world being flooded by water and humanities last hope being an orion drive starship with an alcubierre warp drive.  It is a story of survival and hope under harsh conditions.  Orion drive ships use atom bombs to push a starship through space.

This morning I checked the displays and updated the Twitter account.  I worked on a variety of flyers.  We are having a computer class on Tuesday nights.  Also, the Friends of the Library wanted more flyers for the Adult Summer Reading program.

I am preparing for the next two months programming.

On the way home, I finished Reading Ark by Stephen Baxter.  It was interesting reading a hard science fiction book with a modern take on interstellar travel and the survival of the human race.  I am donating the book to the library.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/27/2011

Woman Reading, Pieter Janssens Elinga (1623–1682)

Daily Thoughts 6/27/2011

Today has been a nice day.  I updated the displays and checked the Twitter account.  I also printed up some flyers for the Adult Summer Reading program.   We had our announcement for Adult Summer Reading and Young Adult Summer Reading today.  The name for the adult program is Novel Destinations and the young adult program is You Are Here.

We had people sign up in the lobby next to the art gallery in the rotunda and announced the programs.  I think it went well. I am planning a few things including book chats and an end of summer reading tea for the adults.

I started reading Ark by Stephen Baxter last night.  Also the book, The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth came in for me to read.

After reading one of David Brin's opinion pieces, I placed the book World Wide Mind The Coming Integration of Humanity, Machines and the Internet by Michael Chorost on hold. It is supposed to be a positive take on the singularity.

Weightless Books which is an epublisher for independent presses has the Jeff Vandermeer book Secret Lives for $2.99 which is a very good deal.  http://weightlessbooks.com/genre/fiction/secret-lives/

Web Bit

Ereader ownership doubles in the last 12 months

http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/E-readers-and-tablets/Report.aspx

As Wi-Fi Havens And E-Book Centers, Public Libraries Aren't Going Away Soon by Kit Eaton.  There is something reassuring about having support from Fast Company.  It shows that there are some forward looking businesses supporting libraries.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1763377/wi-fi-haven-e-book-lending-center-the-public-library-isnt-going-away-any-time-soon?partner=gnews


Daily Thoughts 6/26/2011 (Alien Invasion)

Strange Worlds No. 3, Avon Publications


Daily Thoughts 6/26/2011


I am not sure why my post on June 25, 2011 did not go in.  It was a very solid day.  This weekend, I relaxed a bit and read Alien Invasion: How To Defend Earth by Travis S. Taylor and Bob Boan.  It is entertaining, if a bit paranoid.  It describes what might happen if aliens invade and how we might defend ourselves.  The book feels like science fiction packaged as nonfiction, much like the many books on ufos are like.  It is published by Baen books which mainly publishes military science fiction.  I read the book as an ebook.  If you would like to know how to defend the homeworld, this book is it.  I think it was better than The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks.  The book had a serious tone.

Yesterday, I finished reading Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.  It is very much a story about a woman who reads a book a day to help face her sisters death.  The author was using reading as bibliotherapy.  It was an enjoyable read.

I was at the bookstore today and bought a paperback copy of the book Ark by Stephen Baxter.  Stephen Baxter is a hard science fiction writer.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Daily Post 6/24/2011 (Tolstoy and the Purple Chair)

Moments with genius Written by the Illinois Writers Project : presented by the Museum of Science & Industry /Poster for a radio presentation "Moments with genius" by the Barnum Radio Players on radio station WBBM, showing the stylized face of a man holding a test tube.
Date Created/Published: Chicago : Illinois WPA Art Project, [between 1936 and 1941] 


Daily Thoughts 6/24/2011

I read a bit more of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair this morning on the train.  The author is reading to help her understand the death of her sister.  The book seems to be a process of bibliotherapy to help understand hardships in life.

Today has been another quiet, steady day.  I checked the displays, updated the Twitter account, and worked on some flyers for events.  I also cut some bookmarks from cardstock this morning.  We are having an announcement for the new website on June 27, 2011 as well as the kickoff for the Summer Reading program for adults, young adults, and children.

I also spent some time reading reviews for Kirkus Reviews.  I put the book, The Swerve, How The World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt on hold.  We got the schedule for the weekly computer class this afternoon.

Tonight, I finished reading Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading. I enjoyed reading it.  It was a reminder of how books tie in with ones life and how they can change you in subtle ways.   The book had a very uplifting message even though it was written because of a tragic illness.

Web Bits

The 30 Harshest Author on Author Insults In History
http://flavorwire.com/188138/the-30-harshest-author-on-author-insults-in-history/6#post_body

Daily Thoughts 6/23/2011 (Ereaders)


Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Bookshelves, Oil On Canvas,ca 1725

Daily Thoughts 6/23/2011

This morning, I read some of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. It is a memoir of reading books.  The author aims to read a book a day for a year and then review them.  The book was on the Indie Next list.  I liked the color of the cover and how the title was put together.  In the back, there is a list of the books Nina Sankovitch has read.  It is an interesting mix of contemporary literature, classics, science fiction, mysteries, international literature (I recognized some Portuguese, Indian, and Italian writers), and childrens books.  There were a few which I remember reading, Ed Mcbain, The Gutter and the Grave, Maggie Estep, Alice Fantastic, and Neil Gaiman, Stardust.

Today has been quiet so far.  I spent some time downloading classics onto our ereader -- things like The Odyssey, Pride and Prejudice, Emma,  Oliver Twist, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The New King James Bible Old and New Testament, and The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  We are going to take the two readers in the display stand provided by Sony and circulate them soon.

This morning, I updated the Twitter account and checked the displays.  I also put an order for material in the afternoon.  I put the book, The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth by Alexandra Robbins on hold.  I am looking forward to reading The Swerve: How The World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt.  It is coming out in September.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/22/2011 (Ereaders)

Franz Hals, Portrait of a Man Holding Book, Oil on Canvas Between 1640 and 1643

Daily Thoughts 6/22/2011

I spent a bit of time today coordinating the ordering.  I also checked the Twitter account and the displays.  I am spending a lot of time on reference lately, people are out on vacation.


The book, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch has come in for me to read.  I also spent some time today synching the Sony E-reader to download some free material so patrons can have something to check out.  There are a lot of classics for free like the Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare, the Bible, and Alice in Wonderland.

Today has mostly been very quiet.


Web Bits

Confronting the Future Strategic Visions for the 21st Century Public Library
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/policybriefs/confronting_the_futu.pdf

Library Ebook Checkouts Get A Major Boost.
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/06/15/15readwriteweb-library-e-book-checkouts-get-a-major-boost-65162.html?ref=technology%20%20








Monday, June 20, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/21/2011




 


Camille Corot Poetry

Daily Thoughts 6/21/2011 


Today was another quiet day.  I checked the displays and the Twitter account.  I have to get ready for the announcement of the new website on June 27, 2011 as well as the beginning of Adult Summer Reading.  I also have an order meeting tomorrow.  I think we may discuss special funds then as well.

I took a break and read the local newspaper on the train home today.

There is another special board of trustees meeting on June 27, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.  Hopefully, it should be interesting.  I do plan to attend.


Web Bits

What Big Media Can Learn From New York Public Library
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/what-big-media-can-learn-from-the-new-york-public-library/240565/

Daily Thoughts 6/20/2011

Portrait of French poet, journalist and writer, Anatole France, 1906 [picture] / Anders Zorn
1906. 


Daily Thoughts 6/20/2011 


Today has been another quiet day.  I spent some time setting up programs for July and August.  I also updated the Twitter account and checked the displays. I spent a little time doing minor spelling edits on the web page.  I am learning a little bit about the editor.

On the way home, I finished reading Harvard Business Review's 10 Must Reads On Change. What it reveals most is that there are a tremendous amount of different views on change and if you call what you are doing attempting to change things, it is more likely to fail.  It also shows that a lot of change is about attitude and skill development.


Web Bits

Google Will Scan 250,000 Out of Copyright Titles for the British Libraries
http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-google-will-scan-250000-out-of-copyright-books-for-the-british-library/

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/19/2011

To speak up for democracy, read up on democracy Poster showing three men conversing at a table with books, with an American flag and founding father in the background.  Date Created/Published: [between 1935 and 1943] 

Daily Thoughts 6/19/2011 

I read some more of On Change in the laundromat. I especially liked the article Radical Change The Quiet Way by Debra E. Meyerson which is about how personal decisions based on slow incremental planning can change organizations.  This can be simple things like how one dresses or how customer service is done, or quietly building alliances with other people in the organization.


Web Bits

Oakland Plans Closure of Most of Their Libraries
http://technorati.com/politics/article/oakland-plans-closure-of-most-of1/

NYC Libraries Warn of Consequences from 90 Million Dollar Funding Cut
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/06/17/nyc-libraries-warn-of-consequences-from-90-million-funding-cut/

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/18/2011 (Poetry)

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; 100 Aspects of the Moon #25, "Gravemarker Moon" - The famous poetess Ono no Komachi meditates on the arrogance and heartlessness she displayed to her suitors as a young beauty; 1886, third month.
 
Daily Thoughts 6/18/2011

I rested a bit on the subway to work today.  Sometimes I do this.  We have the Writers Networking Event hosted by James Fair today on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m..  This time we are opening with a theme on summer.

This is a short piece I wrote.  I am not really sure it is poetry, but it is something that just came out of me.

Summer In Santa Barbara

Hot rain, steaming asphalt
and orange sherbet

Old cars, yellow trees
and sticky fingers

Grandfathers, swimming pools
ten cents a scoop

Patio chairs, portable radio
sweet summer dream

Orange trees, purple pansies
memories that stick

In a Santa Barbara Summer

I updated the Twitter account and checked the displays.  I took the reference desk for most of the morning.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/17/2011 (On Change)

Tavolette, e Libri per li putti Print shows man selling books which he carries in a basket.
Date Created/Published: [1646] 


Daily Thoughts 6/1872011

I read some more of On Change this morning.  They are writing about how William Bratton reorganized the New York police department and reduced crime.


We also had some urban fiction books donated as well as some dvd donations.

Today has been another steady day.  This morning I spent some time setting up Evance for the Adult Summer Reading program.  I also checked the Twitter account and the displays.


This afternoon, I spent some more time setting up programs for the July and August calendar of events, and working a bit more on ordering.


Web Bits


The Technium What Books Will Become
http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2011/04/what_books_will.php 






Thursday, June 16, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/16/2011 (On Change)

Graffiti "Homer" by artist Roman Minin on Diaghilev's House in Perm

Daily Thoughts 6/16/2011

This morning I read a little bit of the book On Change.  It consists of ten articles from the Harvard Business Review.  I rather enjoyed the article on IBM on how they worked to change their corporate values to something more contemporary.

Today has been another quiet day.  I checked the displays and updated the Twitter account this morning. I also spent a little bit of time on Evance which is used to set up the summer reading program.

There were two books that caught my attention, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch and a series of comic books using Neil Gaiman's Sandman characters as small children drawn by Jill Thompson.  I am thinking of getting Deliriums Party A Little Endless Storybook

Web Bits

There is Now Shelf Awareness for Consumers called Shelf Awareness:Enlightenment for Readers.  I like reading Shelf Awareness.


http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1487#m12555

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/15/2011

Gwen John, The Convalescent, Between 1923 and 1924

Daily Thoughts 6/15/2011

I read some more of On Change this morning on the way to work. 

I checked the displays, updated the Twitter account, and checked on my orders with BWI.  I also have to plan on ordering with central library money.

This afternoon, we did an hour helping people search for jobs in the computer lab.  There was also a foreclosure workshop this evening in the community room presented by Westchester Residential opportunities.

The Board Meeting is this evening.  It started at 6:30 p.m.  I still have quite a bit of reading material to go through, mainly Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/14/2011 (On Change)

Helene Rohlfs, lesend. Tempera und Farbkreide auf JWZANDERS 1920. 78 x 57cm.

Daily Thoughts 6/14/2011

Right now, I am reading HBR'S 10 Msut Reads On Change.  HBR stands for Harvard Business Review.  Harvard Business Review was at Book Expo America let us take some sample copies of their series.  There is also on On Managing People and On Strategy that is part of the series.

Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen


Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft by Paul Allen

Paul Allen founded Microsoft with Bill Gates.  They went to the same high school together and were close friends.  They also were part of the early history of personal computers.  Microsoft was founded on the program BASIC.  One of the reasons it grew to prominence was also because it designed the disk operating system for IBM. 

Paul Allen does an excellent job describing the relentless drive behind people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.  I liked his descriptions of how Bill Gates pulled all nighters programming fueled by caffeine and coffee.  It describes the extremely competitive, constantly demanding, will to succeed of many people in the computer industry.  However, this book is more than just a book about success in business.

Paul Allen originally wanted to be an astronaut but could not be because he wore glasses as a teenager.  He read lots of science fiction and constantly was thinking up new things.  In this book, Paul Allen innovates; he creates new computer products, starts new businesses, and does not stop trying new things.

The second part of the book is about what happens when he leaves Microsoft after getting cancer.  He starts living his ideals: founding a Jimi Hendrix museum, buying two sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, helps fund Spaceship One the X-Prize winner, starts a brain research institute, and becomes a serial entrepreneur.  I found this quite inspirational.

I especially liked his descriptions of being a serial entrepreneur.  He describes his failures as well as his successes in starting various businesses.  This is a story of failing a lot, but succeeding a lot as well.  I also liked his descriptions of traveling all over the world.  It would be some peoples dream to live this life.

This book is about business, ideas, innovating, and living your dreams.  It talks about how to take risks and succeed.  It is also about overcoming the adversity of cancer and trying new things.  The book says a lot about not giving up and paying attention to opportunities.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/13/2011 (fictionaut)

Full-length portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour.


Daily Thoughts 6/13/2011


Today has been another quiet day.  I checked the displays and updated the Twitter account.  I am also getting somre more orders ready for next week.  I spent most of the day doing reference and covering for people who were out.  I also check Email reference every morning.


I spent a little time working with the editor on the website.  The content management system which we use is based on Drupal.  I also spent some time calling people to attend the Writers Networking Workshop on Saturday, June 18th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..

Web Bits

I got invited to the Open Beta of Fictionaut.  It looks kind of interesting.  I found it in my email which is a fine place to find things on occasion.  http://www.fictionaut.com/users/jurgen-fauth

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/12/2011 (The Analects)

The Gutenberg Monument, 1899

Daily Thoughts 6/13/2011

Last night, I finished reading The Analects by Confucius.   The edition by Oxford University Press does not try to interpret the work, but tries to make it easily available for the average reader.  Right now, I am planning on reading HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change.  HBR refers to Harvard Business Review.


Saturday, June 11, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/11/2011 (book sale, survey)

Adrian van Ostade, Portrait of a scholar. 1665

Daily Thoughts 6/11/2011


I am reading Confucius The Analects.  I like the other name which people use for Confucius, Master Kong.   The book has some very interesting insites in how to be harmonious and get along with other people.

This morning, I put some books on African art and photography in the display cases next to the exhibit Out of Africa.  We have a very large collection of oversize art books. I also updated some of the books on the current events table. Out of Africa Exhibit

We have the Friends of the Library Book Sale today.  I'll probably pick up some baked goods and coffee at lunch time.  The book sale went steadily today.

I also took some time to review the survey; French and Spanish are the two most asked for languages at our library.  People are asking for more computers and computer classes.  Most of it is very straightforward.  People especially like the exhibits and art gallery displays.  We have a very large new books section and quite a few glass display cases to display materials.  Patrons also like arts and crafts quite a bit.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/10/2011

Bust of Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) by Paterne Berrichon (1855-1922).  From La Plume 1900.
  
Daily Thoughts 6/10/2011

Today has been another quiet, steady day.  I checked the displays, updated the Twitter account, and spent a little bit of time looking at June's Indie Next List. http://www.indiebound.org/files/nextlist/pdf/IndieNextList201106.pdf   I also sometimes like to look at the Strand Bookstore online and Powell's Books.

Today is the book sale.  I stopped by and had some coffee and a brownie.  It looked like there were a lot of people this time.  It is very much a genteel activity to do.  The tables had a nice variety of books.  Usually, some of the book dealers come early in the morning on the first day of the sale, then they come at the end of the sale, hoping for a bargain to take away a lot of books.

I am taking out Confucius The Analects, Oxford World's Classics.

Web Bits

Oprah Ends 25-Year Run With Spotlight on School Libraries
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/890935-312/oprah_ends_25-year_run_with.html.csp

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/9/2011 (Idea Man, Book Sale)

Writing set, English, late 18th century; gold, rock crystal, and heliotrope. Exhibit in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Daily Thoughts 6/11/2011


This morning I finished reading Idea Man by Paul Allen.  The book reads very much like someone who has repeatedly fulfilled his wishes including owning two sports teams in Seattle, starting a Jimi Hendrix museum, funding Spaceship One, owning an ocean going yacht, and traveling all over the world.  At the same time it has a hard driven edge to it focused on working at computers and having repeated bouts of cancer.

Today, I did some more minor things.  Checking the displays and Twitter account, putting in some finishing touches for some flyers and policies and writing a description of the Friends of the Library book sale.

The Friends of the Library are downstairs setting up the book sale right now for tomorrow and Saturday, June 10 and June 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  I had to a chance to look over what was there.  There is a very nice selection of fiction, especially African American fiction as well as nonfiction. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/8/2011

Don Quichotte bei der Lektüre. Bleistift auf Velin. Ca. 23,5 : 16 cm. Rechts unten monogrammiert "AF".

Daily Thoughts 6/8/2011

I read a bit more of Idea Man by Paul Allen.  It gives some really excellent descriptions of how driven people can be.  I really like the descriptions of Bill Gates drinking endless cups of coffee and coca cola and programming all night long.  The raw drive is pretty incredible to read about.

Today has been another quiet day.  I checked the Twitter account in the morning, checked the displays, and discussed the ereader policy today.  I also wrote a few handouts and set up a program for an author talk.

Tomorrow, the Friends of the Library will be setting up the community room for the book sale.

I took some time to read through Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and the latest New York Times Book Review.  There are two books that I will probably read that are coming out soon.  The first is Ekaterina Sedia, Heart of Iron and the other is Gail Carriger, Heartless.  Both of these are steampunk novels by women writers with very unique styles.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/7/2011 (board meeting, idea man)


Frederick Cayley Robinson The Word 


Daily Thoughts 6/7/2011


Last night I finished reading Founding Gardeners on the train.  I liked the statement about trees being necessary for good air and health by many of the founding fathers.  I also started reading Paul Allen Idea Man.  There are a lot of books about Bill Gates, this is the first one that I have seen about Paul Allen.  So far, it reads like a history of the creation of the home computer.  The first computer program which Microsoft worked on was Basic.  It describes Bill Gates and Paul Allen working together in small offices all night creating computer programs.

Last night I was at the special board meeting.  We had the Girl Scouts put in new landscaping outside the building which makes things look a lot nicer.  We may be getting further help from the girl scouts as well.  There was also some discussion on the upcoming book sale which is going to be this weekend.  I always like the book sales, they bring a lot of good will.  This time we are planning to take photographs of the book sale which should be quite nice.

The board also announced that our budget and our board of trustees will be voted on in June of 2012.  This is a big step to announce.

Web Bits

Browne Warns Society Will Pay For Library Closures
 

Monday, June 6, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/6/2011

Graffiti de Toni Morrison en el frontón del barrio de Aranzabela-Salburúa, en Vitoria-Gasteiz. Imagen tomada el 30-12-2010 Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, by Zarateman
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitoria_-_Graffiti_%26_Murals_0392.JPG

Daily Thoughts 6/6/2011

This morning, I read some more of Founding Gardeners.  There is an ideal being expressed that comes from the Greek republics that a good citizen is a farmer, more so than a merchant or tradesman.  The founding fathers idealized the small holder with a plot of land and a garden.

Today has been another quiet, steady day.  I updated the Twitter account, entered a new survey, and checked the displays.

This morning the truck came from Better World Books to pick up our boxes.  They are on the way.

Another book came in for me to read, Paul Allen Idea Man A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft. 

Tonight we have a special meeting of the Board of Directors at 6:30 p.m.  I plan on going.  Also, this week we are reopening on Saturdays.  This week we are having the Friends of the Library Book Sale on June 10 and June 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Lost Fleet Beyond The Frontier Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell









The Lost Fleet Beyond The Frontier Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell


Jack Campbell continues his space opera series with the seventh book in the series.  John "Black Jack" Geary has successfully defeated the Syndic worlds as an Alliance commander.  Now, he is going to seek out the aliens who supported the Syndics.  This is classic space opera.  Black Jack is the hero out of time, a common theme in science fiction.  He was awoken out of frozen sleep after 100 years to lead the Alliance to victory.  This theme goes all the way back to Buck Rogers.

Jack Campbell writes about more than just battles.  The story is also about a man who refuses to become a supreme leader and is a living hero.  John Geary must also deal with the politics of command, prisoners of war, and resupplying his war weary fleet.  He is sent back to face a new enemy, the aliens because the people at home are afraid of him.

The aliens are wonderfully enigmatic.  They destroy their own ships and installations before they can be captured.  As the fleet enters deeper into alien space, the aliens become more and more dangerous.  It follows the classic formula of space opera; each battle must be more challenging, and each time the hero must be more morally upright and cunning.  It makes for an entertaining story.  Predictably at the end the fleet meets up with an even more powerful alien race.  It is a classic, reliable formula.

When I started reading this book, I could not put it down.  It was gripping.  The hero did not just fight the aliens, he outstrategized them.  The story is much more than blazing guns.  Jack Campbell, the author served in the U.S. Navy surface fleet and it shows in the writing.  The series is also on the bestseller list in Locus Magazine.  I also enjoyed reading several of the other books.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/4/2011 (Founding Gardeners)

Frontispiece by Jan Wandelaar (1690-1759) of Linnaeus, C. (1738), Hortus Cliffortianus. The plate shows Mother Earth, seated on a lion and lioness, holding the keys to the garden. At her feet are a pot with Cliffortia and a plan of the Hartekamp garden. To the left a negress brings her an Aloe from Africa, an Arabian woman offers Coffea arabica from Asia and a befeathered American indian brings Hernandia from America. On a pedestal is a bust, possibly portraying George Clifford. On the right is a banana in flower and fruit. A young god Apollo, with the head of Linnaeus, steps forward, bringing light in his left hand and with his right hand casting aside the shroud of darkness around the goddess. Underfoot he tramples the dragon of falsehood, a reference to the counterfeit Hydra at Hamburg exposed as a fraud by Linnaeus while on his way to Holland. (desription summarized from Stearn, W.T., (1957), in Ray Society, Species Plantarum, A facsimile of the first edition: 46)

Daily Thoughts 6/4/2011

I have been reading more of Founding GardenersAndrea Wulf is describing how the founding fathers, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison saw the United States as an agrarian republic focused on farming and self sufficiency.  I very much like the descriptions of their visits to gardens in England as well as their ideas about botany and horticulture.  There are descriptions of people like Benjamin Franklin collecting seeds in France and Engliand to be sent home.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/3/3011 (libraries)

[Bookplate of artist Francis D. Millet] Print shows an artist painting outdoors; buildings and the American flag in the background. Date Created/Published: [between 1870 and 1912]

Daily Thoughts 6/3/2011


I started reading Founding Gardeners by Andrea Wulf.  It is about the agrarian ideal in the founding of the United States. Andrea Wulf writes about the passion which the founders had for farming, botany, and gardening.


This morning, I updated the Twitter account, checked the displays, and am working on a policy for ereaders.  I also took some time put some more material in the book sale and checked the calendar of events to make sure everything is in order.

Web Bits

NY Court Declares Libraries Educational Institutions
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/890854-264/new_york_court_declares_that.html.csp


Libraries are Part of the Safety Net — No Wonder Governments Hate Them
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/06/whats_really_killing_libraries_i_ask_my_mom.html

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/2/2011 (Slide show)

[Bookplate of Charles P. Searle] Print shows a man sitting in a library or study reading a large book monogramed "CPS".  Date Created/Published: [1904]

Daily Thoughts 6/2/2011

I spent a bit of time updating the Twitter acount and getting ready for the order meeting.  We are working on getting up some more images for the gallery of the library.  We have added eight more historic library images to the website.  The section is called Reference Through the Ages.
http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/node/282

The ordering meeting went well.  It is the first time we have done ordering for a while.  Next week is the Friends of the Library Book Sale on June 10 and June 11.  It is also the week which we are restarting Saturday hours.  Saturday hours are what patrons have been asking for the most.   I am also working on a contract for a computer teacher to come in once a week to teach classes.

Web Bits

3rd Annual Librarian Shout and Share on Youtube from Book Expo America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpTOKE_v_ZM

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Daily Thoughts 6/1/2011 (the lost fleet)

Mariano Moreno (Buenos Aires, 23 de septiembre de 1778 - Alta mar, 4 de marzo de 1811), fue un abogado, periodista y político de las Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata, actual Argentina. Tuvo un rol decisivo en la Revolución de Mayo. 1908

Daily Thoughts 6/1/2011

Today has been a quiet day.  On the way to work, I finished reading The Lost Fleet Dreadneought by Jack Campbell.  The story is gripping, not just because of the action in the story, but also because of the politics and background story.  The aliens do everything they can to remain mysterious including destroying every trace of their existence before the hero can get to them.  It makes for a good story.

I checked the displays, updated the Twitter and prepared a little bit for the ordering meeting tomorrow.  Many of the books from Book Expo America are starting to be added to the collection.  I also put together some monthly statistics.