Daily Thoughts 10/05/2014

Daily Thoughts 10/05/2014

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

I read some more of Real Happiness at Work by Sharon Sulzberger.  I am reading about compassion and anger in the workplace setting. This is the first time I have read about compassion in a workplace setting.

I also read a bit more or Mrs.  Lincoln's Dressmaker.  The plot is driven by historical events.  The writing often mentions newspaper stories and involves many historical figures.  Jennifer Chiaverini has a new book coming out called Mrs. Lincoln's Rival.

Web Bits

Reimagining 448 Local Libraries in Moscow, One Space at a Time

http://www.archdaily.com/553341/reimagining-448-local-libraries-in-moscow-one-step-at-a-time/

Science Has Great News for People Who Read Actual Books
http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-books

Daily Thoughts 10/04/2014

Daily Thoughts 10/04/2014

I read some more of Mrs.  Lincoln's Dressmaker on the way to work.  The story starts slowly for me, and then it picks up as more historical facts are added and the civil war continues.

I also read some more of Real Happiness at Work.  I am reading about how multitasking makes people uncomfortable and is not an effective way to work.

This morning, I checked the gifts and the displays.  The computers were down this morning so I had to check Facebook and Twitter for the library later in the day.  I got a chance to organize my desk a bit.  I am going to send out some flyers as an eblast soon with different programs.

I am requesting an interlibrary loan for The Accidental Library Marketer by Kathy Dempsey.

I spent some time writing my monthly report for October.  I also started looking over the career books in the Job Information Center.

I am looking at The Grumpy Guide to Life Observations by Grumpy Cat.  It is a bit of fun.



Web Bits

Read Slowly to Benefit Your Brain and Cut Stress

http://online.wsj.com/articles/read-slowly-to-benefit-your-brain-and-cut-stress-1410823086?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral

How Much Is a Library Worth?

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20141003/NEWS01/141009814/0/News05/How-much-is-a-library-worth?-

Daily Thoughts 10/03/2014

The owl of wisdom on one side, hooded Death the other. A sculpture of the dilemma facing students in Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University, Picture by Henry Trotter, 2005.
Daily Thoughts 10/03/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read some more of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  In many ways, the main character, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley is a tragic figure who suffers tremendously in silence.  This is what make her interesting.

I am also reading Real Happiness at Work Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace by Sharon Salzberg.  This is a book on mindfulness, it focuses on subjects like awareness, meditation, and compassion.  The book uses a lot of cognitive psychology with some buddhist thought.  Trying to present this outside of a religious context as self help is a bit interesting.  There have been some new books that have come out that are trying to do the same thing like Waking Up a Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris which is on the New York Times Bestseller List.  I find this approach a bit troubling.  Meditation and spiritual practice having a religious origin does not bother me.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  I put out a few more of the holiday books this morning. October is also Family Heritage Month.

I am in the Computer Lab today from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the cybercorner (computer center) for the public is being upgraded outside by the Westchester Library System, so I am opening the lab for two hours.  I spent a little time working on flyers and programming.

We are having a book reading of Dr. Larry Spruill and Donna Jackson's book, Mount Vernon Revisited which has over 200 historic images of Mount Vernon, New York in it on Thursday, October 23, 2014 between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

I also read the October copy of Bookpage which is a giveaway for library patrons with book reviews.

Web Bits

Librarians Who Write: How Librarian/Authors Will Thomas and Eleanor Kuhns Juggle Two Careers

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/09/in-the-bookroom/authors/librarians-who-write-how-librarianauthors-will-thomas-and-eleanor-kuhns-juggle-two-careers/#comments

We’re Reading More Than In Previous Decades – Story From CBS Local In Minnesota

http://www.lisnews.org/were_reading_more_than_in_previous_decades_story_from_cbs_local_minnesota

DIY: Building an Author Websites

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/64034-diy-building-an-author-website.html

Harvard Library The Future of the Book

http://library.harvard.edu/09282014-1909/future-book

Daily Thoughts 10/02/2014

Study of a Seated Cavalier Reading, France Circa 1870, Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier 

Daily Thoughts 10/02/2014

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

This morning, I finished reading Transcendental by James Gunn.  It was a fast paced science fiction story.  I liked how many of the aliens in the story got separate chapters to describe their place in the cosmos.  This was excellent.  Humans are new to a galactic civilization.  The theme of transcendence or becoming more than you are makes the story gripping.

I also am reading Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  It is different that what I usually read.  The novel is about manners, style, etiquette, social position, and of course dressmaking in the historical context of the civil war.  It is a polite novel set in a strife ridden era.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  I am starting to take out the holiday books for display.  The music will come out later this month.

I also spent some time going through the Job Information Center.  I was looking through the resume books.

Web Bits

Pictures: A Century of Reading Around  the World

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/pictures/140927-reading-writing-books-literacy-people-places-culture/?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=daily_app_20140929_V3&utm_campaign=DailyApp#/nationalgeographic-1069716-copy_83537_600x450.jpg

Delegation: A Must Have for Managers

http://metro.org/articles/delegation-a-must-have-for-managers/

United For Libraries to Coordinate National Friends of the Library Week October 19-25

http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/09/united-libraries-coordinate-national-friends-libraries-week-oct-19-25

Daily Thoughts 10/01/2014

Olenka and Kolya On the Steps, Konstantin Makovsky, 1900

Daily Thoughts 10/01/2014

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.



On the way to work, I read a little more of The Organized Mind.  I am reading about guesstimating things.  Daniel J. Levitin is describing the famous question asked as part of the Google hiring interview, "How much does the Empire State Building weigh?".  I finished reading this book. This book is a useful book.  It actually suggests things that you can act on to be more organized.  I have already done a few of them.


I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also spent some time working with the Job Information Center books.


I checked out two books, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini for our book club, and Transcendental by James Gunn which is science fiction.

I spent some time looking through the e-originals review section of Library Journal online.
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/tag/e-originals/





Web Bits

Branded Tablet Growth Expected to Disappoint With Only 2.5% Growth: Apple Down and Samsung Up

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2014/tablet-growth-disappoints-in-first-half-2014-ipad-sales-down-samsung-up/?et_mid=695269&rid=240836703

Educational Media Reviews Online

http://emro.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/index.asp

Spark Your Project Tech Tools for Libraries

http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/spark-your-project-tech-tools-for-libraries.html