Daily Thoughts 12/26/2012
I read some more of Management Basics for Information Professionals. I am reading about the hiring process. Most of the book is an outline of the basics of management in a library setting. A lot of it is common sense. The writing is very general, does not give examples, and a bit dry. However, it is aimed at having complete coverage of the topic, so it is very detailed even if it is general in tone. The book is aimed at someone with little experience or reading knowledge of administration. It is useful to me because it is a complete overview.
This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library. I also checked the displays. We are getting lots of new books.
The computer lab is open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
I am looking at Jane Austen, Emma, An Annotated Edition edited by Bharat Tandon. It is beautifully illustrated with commentary and pictures. The pictures include artists like Arthur Rackham, John Opie, Vincent Van Gogh, and caricaturists like John Gillray. There are also a variety of poems in it like Grays Elegy. I like the design of the book. This book is part of a series coming from Harvard Belknap Press. There is also The Annotated Frankenstein and the The Annotated Persuasion published recently by Harvard Belknap Press.
I have a copy of the New York Times Book Review to read and a copy of Publishers Weekly. While reading through Publishers Weekly, I saw a book called The Art of Freedom: Teaching the Humanities to the Poor by Earl Shorris. It interested me because it is about a program focused on teaching philosophy, art, and literature such as Plato, Dante, and Cervantes to poor students of all background. I like the title.
On the way home, I read the rest of The Lovely Horrible Stuff by Eddie Campbell which is a graphic memoir focused on money. The first part concerns Eddie Campbell's difficulties with money as an artist. It also goes into personal details about his families finances. Throughout the book there is a discussion about money as an abstraction.
The second part which was very enjoyable is about his trip to the island of Yap. There, Eddie Campbell collects stories and legends about the islanders use of big stone disks as money. The stories are both historical, the Irish Captain O'keefe and the invasion by the Japanese during World War II, and legendary-- trickster tales about heroes sculpting the most stones. Eddie Campbell sees a metaphor for sculpture in the Rai stone disks. The pictures are quite colorful and include descriptions of his fellow travellers.
Web Bits
The Short But Effective Window Where Ereaders Changed the Industry
No comments:
Post a Comment