Sunday, December 31, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/31/2017

The letter scale - Gosta Adrian-Nilsson
Gosta Adrian-Nilsson, The Letter Scale 1923

Daily Thoughts 12/31/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Web Bits


On the Walls of the LA Public Library, Zapotec Artists Tell the Story of Oaxacalifornia


Saturday, December 30, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/30/2017

File:Max Schödl - Still Life with Nautilus Goblet and Books.jpg
Still Life With Nautilus Goblet and Books, Max Schodl, 1893 

Daily Thoughts 12/30/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I don't review everything which I read.  I also am selective about what I write about for the library.

Today is the last day for the Lets Build Robots! Tweens Learn. Build. Share. fundraising campaign.

I am building connections on Alignable which is a social network for business which Black Westchester suggested that I join.

Web Bits



What Truths About Us Will Future Libraries Tell

John Ronan's Independence Branch Library/Apartment Project Ready to Move Forward
This is curious to me.  I would think that libraries tend to have a much longer existence than residential apartment buildings.

Hennepin County Libraries Buy  700K Books A Year, Here are the Most Popular

Libraries Wait, Worry Over Possible Effects of Net Neutrality Repeal

 

Friday, December 29, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/29/2017


A Philosopher, Jan Lievens, 1631

Daily Thoughts 12/29/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.


There are two more days in the Lets Build Robots! Tweens Learn. Build. Share.  campaign.  We have reached $4230,  71% of our goal of  $6000.  Please donate.  Even a small amount counts.
https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

I read part of an e-book last night from Baen Books, Though Hell Should Bar the Way by David Drake.  http://www.baen.com/though-hell-should-bar-the-way-earc.html  I purchased the e-Arc and finished reading the book.

It has been a quiet day today.  I am on vacation.

The  New Year is coming up soon.  I have a class starting on January 8, Advanced eCourse: Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding!

I checked the bestseller list for the New York Times and Publishers Weekly today.

Web Bits

Bookstore Chains,  Long In Decline, Are Undergoing A Final Shakeout



Librarians Leading The Way During Times of Rapid Social Change


Thursday, December 28, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/28/2017

Firebird. Cover of the Book - Konstantin Somov
Firebird Cover of a Book, Konstantin Somov, 1907

Daily Thoughts 12/28/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also looked at a few more articles on robots.

Web Bits


Thomas Ford Library Recruits Tweens to Build a 3D Printer

Evanston Library Serves as a Resource for City's Homeless Population


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/27/2017

Cubist Still Life with Revue Magazine - Kmetty János
Cubist Still Life With Revue Magazine, Kmetty Janos, 1930

Daily Thoughts 12/27/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.  It is the story of a generation ship with an hierarchy based on race.  The black people are at the bottom tending the plants and making the food, while the white people are at the top administrating the ship.  The ship is a plantation traveling between the stars.  It is a harsh place racked with rebellion and religious intolerance.  The story is well written and captivating.  I tried to read it in one sitting, but the writer had a lot to say, so I finished reading it in the morning.

I placed three books on hold  Getting Started With Drones by Terry Kilby and Belinda Kilby and Make: Getting Started With Littlebits by Ayah Bdeir and Matt Richardson and Paper Circuits by Pamela Williams.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/26/2017

Title page of Baby's Own Aesop - Walter Crane
Title Page of The Baby's Own Aesop, Walter Crane, 1887

Daily Thoughts 12/26/2017

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.

I read some more of Bunk this morning.  I am reading about plagiarism.

This afternoon, I finished reading Bunk, The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News by Kevin Young.  This is an academic analysis of a popular subject.  It makes it both entertaining at points as well as sometimes incomprehensible in ways which are still interesting to read.  The book has a pointed sense of language and is both serious, funny, and ironic at the same time.  I rather liked that Kevin Young compares Trump to P.T. Barnum.  The book reminds us that we are surrounded by euphemism, alternative facts, and propaganda played off as entertainment.

I found the book to be well organized in its layout.  The ending had acknowledgements, notes, an annotated bibliography, and index.  In addition, there were black and white photographs throughout the book.  Graywolf Press as always designs a well put together book.  This book was printed on recycled acid free paper.

Escaping Poverty Requires Nearly 20 Years With Nearly Nothing Going Wrong
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/economic-inequality/524610/?utm_source=atlfb
This article encouraged me to place a hold on the book, The Vanishing Middle Class Prejudice and Power In a Dual Economy by Peter Temin.


Web Bits

Max the Scorned Library Cat Welcomed by Bookstores

Various Historical Figures Worked In Libraries

Larchmont and Mamaroneck Libraries Launch 2018 Reading Event


Monday, December 25, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/25/2017

Still-life with Bottle and Glass - Lajos Tihanyi

Still Life With Bottle and Glass, Lajos Tihanyi, 1928

Daily Thoughts 12/25/2017

Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas.

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Bunk.  Kevin Young describes how other journalists are most likely to unveil a journalistic hoax.  I read a little bit more of Bunk.  Kevin Young is describing the example of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who pretended to be balck.

Web Bits



How Libraries Can Save Lives


Sunday, December 24, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/24/2017

Still Life and Street - M.C. Escher
Still Life and Street, M.C. Escher, 1937

Daily Thoughts 12/24/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also checked on the Lets Make Robots! Tweens Learn. Share. Build. campaign.  We are on the last week of the campaign. https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

I read some more of Bunk today as well. I am reading about journalistic fakery.

Web Bits


Former Chicagoan Oversees the Library of Congress: the 'Ultimate Treasure Chest'

Medieval Manuscripts and Xmas Recipes, Abbey Library A Trove


Saturday, December 23, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/23/2017


File:Juan Gris - Still Life with Newspaper - Google Art Project.jpg
Juan Gris, Still Life With a Newspaper, 1916

Daily Thoughts 12/23/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read a little bit more of Bunk on the way to work.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

Today is a very quiet day.

We had a craft program today.  A teacher from Got Art Inc.  helped people make holiday centerpieces.  It was a fun activity.  People liked it.

I checked out the movie Shattered Glass.  It was mentioned in the book, Bunk.

Web Bits
The Extinction of Libraries: Why the Predictions Aren't Coming True

ALA Midwinter 2018: Are Libraries What We Think They are For?


Friday, December 22, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/22/2017

File:Garcia-Viardot Fryderyk Chopin reading and Maurice Sand writing.jpg
Pauline Viardot, Fryderyk Chopin reading and Maurice Sand writing. circa 1841

Daily Thoughts 12/22/2017

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.

On the way to work, I read some more of Bunk.  I am reading about the thin line between fiction and fact in biographies.  It is often not clear when a book is fiction or not.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I spent some time getting ready for a Holiday Craft program tomorrow in the fiction room.

A person gave a small amount of money to the Lets Build Robots! Tweens Learn. Build. Share. today.  We have raised $3705 so far for the program.  https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

I also described how I use current awareness in a short document this morning.

Right now, I am in the computer lab.

I spent some time checking the 800s.

I also looked through a copy of the Times Literary Supplement as well as looked at the latest New York Times Bestseller List and Publishers Weekly Bestseller list.  I looked through a copy of the Ingram Advance Graphic Novels and Comics Winter 2017-2018 as well.

I will be going on vacation next week.

I checked out the book An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.

Web Bits

The Future Library
https://kottke.org/17/11/the-future-library

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Museum and Libraries Act
http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/12/senators-introduce-museum-library-services-act/


Library of Congress Catches Fire, December 22, 1825
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/22/this-day-in-politics-dec-22-1825-301606

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/21/2017



Horse Carrying Books, Jade, 18th-19th Century

Daily Thoughts 12/21/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Bunk on the way to work.  I am reading about a fake biography of Howard Hughes.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I spent some time reading Booklist and the Ingram Advance.

I also talked about my presentation last night.

I looked over some invoices for electronic databases this afternoon.

We spent some time discussing different robots.  I looked at the book, Making Simple Robots, Exploring Cutting-Edge Robotics With Everyday Stuff by Cathy Ceceri published in 2015.  I also liked a review article on Space.com, Best Robot Kits for Kids  https://www.space.com/39095-best-robot-kits.html

I am checking out the movie, F is For Fake by Orson Welles.  It was mentioned in the book Bunk.

Web Bits

Bellingham Librarian Voiced Lucy In A Charlie Brown Christmas
http://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/bellingham-librarian-voiced-lucy-in-a-charlie-brown-christmas/281-501295448


Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/20/2017


Man Seated With His Reading and Writing Materials before Him

Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (Japanese, active ca. 1799–1823)

Daily Thoughts 12/20/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Bunk.  I am reading about literary forgeries.  Lord Byron is a focus of this discussion.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I displayed a few crochet books.

I spent some time in the computer lab this morning.

I have a presentation to do for the board this afternoon.  I have been making some adjustments to my report.

I wrote another report today for electornic resources.

I spoke to a person who was doing a program on the weekend for a holiday centerpiece.

I found a book which was a promotion for a stealth campaign called Books On the Subway.  https://www.booksonthesubway.com/about/

Web Bits


Revisiting the Founding Era Funding Opportunity.  I think I will be applying for this.

Read Forbidden Words and Savor Daring Artists In Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library

Connecting Through Circuits Library’s Robotics Program Teaches Technology, Confidence to Youngster

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/19/2017




The Artwork of Louis C. Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany 1914

Daily Thoughts 12/19/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Bunk on the way to work.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also put in an order of new books.

I spent some time preparing for my presentation tomorrow.  I have a copy of the Librarian III job description which I am handing out.

I also read through a copy of the latest New York Review of Books.

In addition, we had the crochet group today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We have several different activities tonight including the Fundamentals of Computer Class and the Beginning Microsoft Word class.

In addition we had our first session of Chess for Teens and Adults from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight.  The instructor liked the chess sets.

There was also a Women's Enterprise Development Center presentation on entrepreneurship from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. today.

It has been a very busy day.

Several books came in for me to read on robotics.

Web Bits


First Inmate Released With Library Card In Hand Due to New Partnership


Monday, December 18, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/18/2017



Cover to the first edition (in London by Heinemann in 1896) cover of The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells.

Daily Thoughts 12/18/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night I read some more of Bunk.  There is a discussion of how many of the lost race stories and myths about Africa have been turned into science fiction.  Edgar Rice Burroughs stories about John Carter of Mars, H. Rider Haggard's  King Solomons Mines, and H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau all of have at their heart false mythologies about race.

I reached out to some more people through LinkedIn for our Lets Build Robots! campaign.
https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

Give Gab started out as a social network for volunteers.
https://www.givegab.com/blog/pr-venture-capital/


Web Bits


The Case Against Library Fines-- According to the Head of the New York Public Library

Stay With Me is New Book Club Central  Pick

Stay With Me is our next book club pick.

A Block Chain Encyclopedia Everipedia

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/17/2017

Reader in Green - Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-August Renoir, Reader In Green, 1894

Daily Thoughts 12/17/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I am looking at the Robothink Westchester program right now.
https://www.robothinkwestchester.com/single-post/2017/04/11/What-makes-RoboThink-programs-the-best

I read some more of Bunk today.  I am reading about lost races.  There is mention of the fake Piltdown Man skeleton in England, and the Cardiff Giant, both examples of scientific fakery. 

Web Bits

Overturn the Vote! Sign the Petition for Net Neutrality.
http://action.everylibrary.org/netneutrality

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2017


The Reading Lesson, George Hardy, 1888

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I have been looking at some different sites about robots.  There is a site called Robot Test Kitchen which was useful to look at.  https://robottestkitchen.com/  Also there are a few reviews of robots in School Library Journal.

Last night, I read some more of Bunk.  I am reading about fake memoirs. Kevin Young debunks James Frey's A Million Little Pieces  as well as Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan.  There are parts of this book that are darkly satirical, that reveal how far people will go to make things up about their lives to please an audience.  At the same time, the content reveals how insulting fakery and hoaxes can be to the people being taken advantage of.

I signed up for the Advanced eCourse: Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding!  It is taught by PC Sweeney one of the founders of Everylibrary.  It is starting in January.  I am hoping to learn a few new things.
https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/advanced-ecourse-winning-support-and-influencing-communities-library-funding

Friday, December 15, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/15/2017

Thomas Jefferson Writing the Declaration of Independence - Howard Pyle
Thomas Jefferson Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1898

Daily Thoughts 12/15/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Bunk.  I am reading about when white people pretend to be other races.  Kevin Young gives the examples of Opal Whitely and Grey Owl who were caucasians that pretended to be Native Americans.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

I also looked up some examples of robotics programs in libraries on the Programming Librarian website. I especially like the Bristlebot program  Brushbots A Fun Way to Get Kids Problem Solving. http://www.programminglibrarian.org/blog/brushbots-fun-way-get-kids-problem-solving

I worked a little bit more on my report for the board on Wednesday.

David Rocco did a presentation from his book, The Indestructible Man today from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.


Web Bits


Stunning Photographs of Well Worn Library Books

New York Public Libraries:  The Proposal To Kill Net Neutrality is ‘Appalling’

Google Now Directs Users to Library E-books

The Future Looks Bright for Librarianship



Thursday, December 14, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/14/2017

詩歌写真鏡 李白Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō), Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)), Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan


Ri Haku from the series Mirrors of Japanese and Chinese Poems (Shiika shashin kyō) Katsushika Hokusai, circa 1832


Daily Thoughts 12/14/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I read some more of Bunk.  I am reading about people who pretend to be from Africa or the orient during the 19th century.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  I also looked over some books that were listed as not in the system.

I spent some time working on my presentation for Wednesday of next week.  I am going to add some pictures to the presentation.

I am making some final adjustments to another report as well.

There is an Intermediate Microsoft Word class tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

I put in a request for the book Library Robotics by Sarah Kepple.

Web Bits


'People of Color In Publishing': Striving for More Industry Diversity

This Week's Activities to Save Net Neutrality

Franklin's Junto Reborn In Local Libraries to Fight Division and Disinformation


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/13/2017

Bookbinding of repeat foliate pattern, Attributed to the weaving workshop funded by William Sheldon (Barcheston, Warwickshire and Bordesley, Worcestershire), Wool, silk, silver-metal-wrapped thread, containing a seventeenth-century printed book, British, possibly Barcheston or Bordesley

Bookbinding of repeat foliate pattern

Attributed to the weaving workshop funded by William Sheldon (Barcheston, Warwickshire and Bordesley, Worcestershire) Between 1561 and 1613

Daily Thoughts 12/13/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

We had a staff meeting this morning.  We discussed the computer area as well as security issues in the building.

I spent some time talking to Overdrive today.

I turned in  a grant for Humanities New York for a reading program on Audre Lorde.

I also spent some time working on the final report for an Arts Westchester grant.

We discussed shifting the 800s and 900s today.

I am preparing a report for the board on December 20, 2017.

I also signed up for Blue Cloud Analytics for Collection Development on February 22, 2017.

Web Bits


As Books Disappear Libraries Are Still Transforming the World

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/12/2017


Portrait of Diego Martelli by Edgar Degas, 1879

Daily Thoughts 12/12/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I finished reading Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding by John Chrastka and Patrick PC Sweeney.  The last part was on how to do email for outreach and why Facebook was the most important platform in social media for publicity.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I spent time talking to a variety of database vendors including ABC-Clio and Proquest.  I also talked with Overdrive about e-books.  There is a new streaming service coming in from the Westchester Library System called Kanopy.

We finished putting away some of the 800s today.  We have to work on shifting and reading the collection.

I spent a little time working on a grant.

I also spent some time on Give Gab today.

The Crochet Group met today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

There is a Fundamentals of Computers class and a Beginning Microsoft Word class tonight

Web Bits.


Librareis are transforming Colombia's Machine Gun City






Monday, December 11, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/11/2017


Origami Cranes, Public Domain from Wikimedia., Laitche
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Origami#/media/File:%E6%8A%98%E9%B6%B4_WUXGA.jpg

Daily Thoughts 12/11/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding.  I am reading about how to respond to opposition to libraries.  A lot of opposition to libraries comes from people who oppose increased taxes.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

I spent some time working on Give Gab.  We got a few more donations for the Lets Build Robots! fundraising campaign.

I put in two orders for books.

I also spent some time working on e-books.

I read a copy of the New York Times Book Review.

We had a holiday origami program today from 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the fiction room.  We made balls and cranes to hang with beads and thread.

There is a Beginning Microsoft Word class and a Fundamentals of Computers Class tonight.

We also have an Intergenerational Board Games night from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m..  A lot of teenagers were coming and we had to decide whether to make it adults and teens or just adults.

Web Bits


Maryland Legal Aid Advocacy Director Amy Petkovsek Discusses Lawyer in the Library Program

Library Lending Service Hoopla Adds Marvel Comics

Latest CIPFA Figures Revaal 'Catastropic' Scale of Library Closures (United Kingdom)

A Library Love Story Comes Full Circle


Sunday, December 10, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/10/2017


Sigmund Feyerabend, 16th century.


Daily Thoughts 12/10/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read some more Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding.  I am reading about how to get donors to support a library ballot election.

I checked the purchase alerts for holds this evening.

Web Bits


Different Boroughs, Different Library Systems



Saturday, December 9, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/09/2017

Still Life with Guitar - Antonietta Raphael
Still Life With Guitar, Antoinetta Raphael, 1928

Daily Thoughts 12/09/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

On the way to work, I read some more of Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding.  I am reading about creating Ballot Committes for libraries.  There was also quite a bit on how to make deeper connections into the community as well as identifying supporters with political power.

I fnished reading the latest New York Times Book Review.

I worked on some scheduling.

It is snowing outside the library right now.  It is very quiet.

Web Bits


Coding In Arkansas Public Libraries




Friday, December 8, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/8/2017


Poster Leningrad Department of State Publishing (Lengiz) Boris Kustodiev, 1925


Daily Thoughts 12/08/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read some of the book Bunk.  I am reading about the Cottingley fairy hoaxes.  Arthur Conan Doyle believed in fairies.

I also read a little more of Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians.  I am reading about the process of mapping out a budget campaign for libraries.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

We had a training session for e-books focusing on Overdrive and 3M Cloud Library.  Overdrive recently released the Libby App.

I spent some time working with Overdrive this afternoon because there were some changes in how Overdrive Advantage is being administered.

I also spent some time in the computer lab this afternoon helping someone scan photographs.

I also spent some time working on the Audre Lorde program which we are planning for April 2017.

I checked the New York Times Bestseller List and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List this afternoon  and worked on some book orders.

I read part of the New York Times Book Review today.  It is the time of the holiday book review issue.  The December 3, 2017 book review is 80 pages long.  I expect to get lists of every title that was potentially good during this year.

I checked out In The Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende.  It is being read by the book club this month.

Web Bits

My Job at the Library: the Library's First Official Historian
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2017/12/my-job-at-the-library-the-librarys-first-official-historian/

Advocating for LIbraries Tips for Talking to Your Legislators
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/advocating-for-libraries/


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/07/2017


Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)) 1798

Daily Thoughts 12/07/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some of  Bunk by Kevin Young on the way to work.  It was long listed for the National Book Award, but did not win.  I am reading about spiritualism.

A local author, Jacob M. Appel, donated two copies of their book, Millard Salter's Last Day.

The book, Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding by  Patrick "PC" Sweeney and John Chrastka came in for me to read.  I rather like Everylibrary, http://www.everylibrary.org

I read some of this book on the way home.  It cites From Awareness to Funding a 2008 OCLC study as critical to understanding how people vote on libraries.  http://www.webjunction.org/content/dam/WebJunction/Documents/webJunction/AwarenesstoFunding.pdf

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.

I read a copy of library journal today.

There is an Intermediate Microsoft Word class in the computer lab tonight.  The students gave some money to the Give Gab campaign for Lets Build Robots https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

There was a Hanukkah celebration at the library tonight at 6:00 p.m..  The acapella singer, Jacob "Spike" Kraus sang tonight and they served latkas.

Web Bits


How Bookstores Saved Themselves

John Cena Read to Children, Talks New Movie at Library of Congress


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/6/2017

[Imperial Library of the Louvre]

Édouard Baldus (French, born Prussia, 1813–1889)

Daily Thoughts 12/6/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading Artemis by Andy Weir on the train to work.  I very much enjoyed the book.  It had and unexpected ending.  I thought the mix of technology and action made the book well worth reading.  The technology being described reminds me of the idea of post modern technology or emerging technologies that will be realized in the near future but are currently in the laboratory or in the patent stage.  It is a way to predict what may happen in the future if you create scenarios where emerging technology is played out in an imaginary context.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I also wrote my monthly report.

I helped the director with some images for a report.

I read a copy of Booklist.

I spent some time checking the 800s.  We will be finished with this soon and we will be moving on to the oversize material.  We also plan on doing some shifting and shelf reading. 

I started reading the book Bunk, The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbugs, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News by Kevin Yount.  This book is about cons.  One of the cons the author writes about is how we construct race.  He uses the example of how P.T. Barnum created a sideshow with Joice Heth who was supposed to be the 161 year old slave of George Washington, the president.  The book is new.  It is published by Graywolf Press which has printed many quality literary works.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/5/2017

Cecilia, 1882, Henrique Pousao


Daily Thoughts 12/5/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some of Artemis by Andy Weir.  It is about a moon base that is built by commercial enterprises.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

I spent some time discussing the tweens and teens using the adult computers.  We are planning to have a separate teen area for computers eventually.

I put in two orders for books today.

I also spent some time discussing Give Gab.  We collected some money in person for Give Gab.

Right now, I am in the computer lab.

There is a Fundamentals of Computer Class and Beginning Microsoft Word class tonight.

On the way home, I read some more of Artemis by Andy Weir.  It reads like a near future crime thriller set on the moon.

Web Bits


America's Star Librarias Top Rated Libraries Library Journal Index 2017

A Library, A Quilt, and a Formerly Homeless Life In Repair

Self Service Library Stations to Provide Books On Demand for Hong Kong Library Readers


Monday, December 4, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/04/2017


Nicholas Roerich, Sage, 1916

Daily Thoughts 12/04/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading Get Your Sh!t Together How to Change Your Life By Tidying Up Your Stuff and Sorting Out Your Head Space by Vicki Vrint.  I read the second half of the book which is about getting organized in the laundromat.

I spent a little more time working on Give Gab.  There are some features which are interesting.  A lot of it is patience.  Some of the older patrons don't want to use an online payment system.  Some would like to give a check instead.

Web Bits


It's Gonna Get a Lot Easier to Break Science Journal Paywalls

New Elkin Residents Reveals Library of Congress Card at new Little Free Library

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Daily Thoughts 12/3/2017

Sage - Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich, 1897, Sage

Daily Thoughts 12/03/2017

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I spent a little more time looking over Give Gab.

I read the first half of Get Your Shit Together today which is about organizing your things.


Web Bits



The Accidental Bestseller

Brooklyn, Queens, and New York Public Libraries Launch A New Digital Privacy Initiative
http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=11782