Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/31/2011

Arna Bontemp, Painting by Betsy Graves Reyneau, provided by the National Archives and
Records Administration as a cooperative project with Wikimedia

 
Daily Thoughts 8/31/2011

This morning, I read some more of Hard Magic.  There is a lot of action in the story, plus there are a lot of different types of people with different powers.  The story is very clearly one of good versus evil.

I spent some more time on the Twitter and Facebook account.  I also checked the displays and put some books on 9/11 in the current events display.  I spent some more time checking on databases and the website as well.

I also had some time to read through Publishers Weekly today.  I put A First Rate Madness Uncovering the Links Between Leadershiop and Mental Illness by S. Nassir Ghaemi on hold.  I am looking forward to reading The Price of Civilization: Reawakening American Virtue and Prosperity by Jeffrey D. Sachs when it comes out in October.

The book, No Shelf Required E-Books in Libraries by Sue Polanka came in for me to read.  It is also a blog http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/

On the way home, I finished reading Hard Magic. It had lots of action and fighting.  It was worth reading.

Web Bits

Sony Tablets Coming in September
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/devices/article/48536-sony-tablets-coming-in-september.html

Sony Announces First Dedicated Ereader With Wireless Access
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891828-264/sony_announces_first_dedicated_ereader.html.csp

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/30/2011

Magyar Posta, Fairytales

Daily Thoughts 8/30/2011

This morning, I spent some time checking links on the website.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I am just getting used to the idea of hashtags. 

I also checked all the displays and looked through the bookstore.  There were a few books worth adding to the young adult collection.

We are having our website committee meeting this evening which should be interesting.  I spent some time writing some more time checking for link errors today.

This afternoon, we had a session discussing the different services we have available to the local schools.  We have a very large science experiment collection, lots of classic novels and plays, and lots of test preparation material for the Regents exams and advanced placement exams.  We also have the online learning service, Learning Express which has quite a bit of test preparation material for high school as well as Tutor.com which offers online tutoring.

I had the briefest chance to crack open a copy of the New York Times Book Review.  I placed the book, The Magician King by Lev Grossman on hold because of this.

We had a meeting tonight to discuss different issues around the website.  A lot of it was about making corrections to the website and wireless access.  I also mentioned  SirsiDynix Bookmyne http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/bookmyne.  We also discussed different issues around the databases as well.  We may be getting a catalog computer next to the circulation desk and a few other adjustments.  I have started putting in hashtags in Twitter http://www.hashtags.org/library.  I also have to setup a Youtube channel for the library.  This should be a very interesting project to start.  I have been posting photographs of events on our Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/mountvernonpubliclibrary%20
I am enjoying working with social media.

On the way home, I read some of Hard Magic by Larry Correia.  This is a novel of magic, gangsters, g-men, and good versus evil in an alternate 1930s.  It has all the elements of a mens adventure magazine with lots of pulp style action.  It is very enjoyable if you want a bit of escapism.



Monday, August 29, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/29/2011

Cover of the October 1920 issue of Popular Science magazine, painted by American illustrator Norman Rockwell It depicts an inventor working on a perpetual motion machine. I did a lot of driving today so I feel a little bit like I've been in perpetual motion.

Daily Thoughts 8/29/2011


I did not do any reading like I usually do.  I spent a little bit of time on the Twitter and Facebook account.  I also spent some time preparing for the website committee meeting tomorrow.  We have a lot to discuss.  This ranges from social media to databases to search engine optimization to the website itself.  Part of this was polishing some reports and thoughts on what I was going to talk about.  I also spent some time checking links on the website to make sure they worked.

I also finished taking a course by Jill Whelan, SEO Search Engine Optimization Getting Started on Lynda.com.  So far, the training has proved to be excellent, easy to understand, and quite useful.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/28/2011

Tottering Under The Weight of Knowledge, Atalanta Magazine, 1888 

Daily Thoughts 8/28/2011

Last night I finished reading Ghost In The Wires by Kevin Mitnick.  I found it amazing that someone was willing to break into computer systems to get code simply because they were interested.  I guess this is why I am not a hacker.  I also was amazed that people would buy Kevin Mitnick's books The Art of Intrusion and The Art of Deception after he spent so many years in jail for hacking.

I also read some more Made to Stick.  Right now, I am reading about how to make your ideas more concrete and understandable.  It is useful information, but not particularly exciting.

This morning, I took another course from Lynda.com instructed by Jill Whelan, SEO Search Engine Optimization Getting Started.  I have two months of training for free coming from my job on Lynda.com so I figure that I might as well take advantage while I can for free.

I also spent a bit of time on Facebook and Twitter this morning.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/27/2011

Charles Frohman presents William Gillette in his new four act drama, Sherlock Holmes, Metropolitan Printing Co., 1900


Daily Thoughts 8/27/2011


It is raining lightly outside.  I finished taking the class from Lynda.com Social Media Marketing with Facebook and Twitter.  I think I am going to focus a bit on something else. I updated the Four Square Page for the Mount Vernon Public Library http://www.foursquare.com/venue/942651


We have enough friends now on the Facebook page to have a much shorter link to get there.
http://www.facebook.com/mountvernonpubliclibrary


I also have been reading a little bit lately about search engine optimization.  I submitted the library site to the Yahoo directory and DMOZ recently.  I also spent some time looking up keywords.


Hopefully, learning these skills will be useful.



Friday, August 26, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/26/2011

Portrait of a Woman, Reading A Book, Monogrammed and Dated 1907


Daily Thoughts 8/26/2011


I read some more of Ghost in the Wires.  There is a certain irony in how Kevin Mitnick is acting.  He is a detective at Teletech while he is hacking into computers.  Kevin Mitnick also shows an incredible naivete when he changes his identity, but does not change his hacking habits or his profession.


I spent some more time finishing a webinar on Indesign CS5 which is very different than Microsoft Publisher.  It seems to be a much more professionally oriented piece of software aimed at the publishing market.  


I also did some more training on Lynda.com on using social media.  


There is a storm coming so I went and bought some water and a few things to make sure everything was safe for us in case things got a bit messy.



Thursday, August 25, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/25/2011

Wagner & McGuigan's Steam Lithographic Print Establishment, No. 4 Athenian Buildings, Franklin Place, Philadelphia Print shows printing plant, printers at work, and symbols of the printing trade and the United States to advertise the firm. Date Created/Published: [between 1850 and 1857]

Daily Thoughts 8/25/2011

This morning, I read a little bit more of Make It Stick.  They are writing about how to catch peoples attention and surprise people.

I also checekd the Twitter account and the Facebook account and made sure the displays were in order.
Today was a busy day, I ended up writing two reports for the library for the web committee.  There are a lot of things which should be changing soon.

Some donations came in.  I added some manga, specifically Deathnote and Claymore as well as a whole bunch of science fiction paperbacks based on the Xbox game Halo.

We are having the second part of the Women's Enterprise Development Center session for First Steps which is an introduction to entrepreneurship.  It runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. tonight.  I think it will go well.  There were so many people in the room that we had to pull out an extra table for people to sit at.

I am also going to ACBAW Association of Community Based Arts of Westchester tonight for the Mount Vernon Writers Network group. http://www.acbaw.org/

The meeting went quite well.  We had a chance to discuss an event that was going to happen at Lola's Tea House in Pelham, New York on September 29, 2011 in the evening where everyone would read a few pieces of their work, give a brief biography, and discuss why they write. 

A Conference on A Digital Public Library of America
http://unabashedlibrarian.com/ul-conferences/2011-conference

On the way home, I read some more of Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick.  The book is very interesting because of how obviously wrong the hacker, Kevin Mitnick acts.  He pulls exploits then can't stop and get away or plan for more long term actions.  He gets caught repeatedly and often does not come across as being very lucid or cool headed in his actions. It is often an object lession in how not to do these things.

Another fascinating thing about the book is how people are described as too trusting with personal information. Kevin Mitnick hacks into the social security office, the FBI, various phone companies, the Departement of Vehicles, and many other places.  The book reveals how little privacy we have with so much of our personal information.

I have to get a biography of Abraham Lincoln for a Biography Book Club which we are planning for September 20, 4-5 p.m.

Web Bits

20 Celebrities With Stunning Home Libraries
http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/20-celebrities-with-stunning-home-libraries

Kickstarter Project American Commons Photographing Libraries Across the Nation
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1370597130/american-commons-photographing-libraries-across-th

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/24/2011


A Chinese revolving typecase from the agricultural book Nong Shu, written by the Chinese official and agronomist Wang Zhen, published in the year 1313 CE during the Yuan Dynasty.

Daily Thoughts 8/24/2011

This morning, I read a little bit more of Ghost in the Wire.  It becomes clear when the reading the book, that Kevin Mitnick was absolutely absorbed with computers and telephones to the point where little else mattered.  I also read some more of Made to Stick which is describing how to simplify and focus your message.

This morning, I took some time to update the displays, check the gifts, and put together a flyer for a biography book club.  The Friends of the Library had asked for the club as well as some of the people from the Adult Summer Reading program.

I also spent some time checking the Facebook and Twitter accounts.

We have two programs running this evening.  The Womens Enterprise Development Center is running a program called Is Small Business Right For You today and tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 p.m..  We also have Arts Westchester tonight which is doing a program on a grant for local artists from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Jonathan Lethem has a new book coming out in November called The Ecstasy of Influence.  I rather enjoyed his science fiction writing, especially Gun, With Occassional Music.

Web Bits


52 Ways to Use Your Library Card
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ALA_print_layout_1_229857_229857.cfm

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/23/2011



Carl Spitzweig, 1880 Der Schreiber

 Daily Thoughts 8/23/2011

This morning, I read some of Made to Stick.  It is about why stories are memorable and hard to forget.  It sets a series of ideas on how to make what you are saying interesting.

We had a very nice donation of manga in the donations this morning.  There were copies of Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Black Cat, GTO, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and other titles which were all in excellent shape.

I took some time to update the Twitter account and the Facebook account.  I learned that I can post as my page if I change my account setting in the Accounts setting of the Facebook page.  This is quite interesting.  I also checked the displays and updated the current events display.

I sent in my planned programs for the month.  I will have to print up flyers for the programs as well today.

Three books came in for me to read, Kevin Mitnick with William L. Simon, Ghost in the Wires, My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, Hard Magic by Laryy Correia, and The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan.

I also spent a little time reading Library Journal and Publishers Weekly today as well as making some flyers for upcoming programs.


I tried reading some more of Made to Stick on the way home on train, but got bored.  The information is useful, but it becomes repetitive.  I decided to read Ghost In The Wires by Kevin Mitnick.  It is quite interesting.  Kevin Mitnick comes across as being obsessed with computers and hacking and lacking in common sense or caution.  This makes for an excellent story.  He can's stop doing what he is doing even when he is caught repeatedly.

I watched half an hour more of the CS 5 Indesign class which is about half way through the class.  I still have an hour to go.  I'll probably then read InDesign CS5 for Windows and Macintosh by Sandee Cohen.  I also finished watching the Lynda.com session on Facebook.








Monday, August 22, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/22/2011

Ларионов Михаил Федорович. Портрет поэта Велимира Хлебникова. 1910
 Daily Thoughts 8/22/2011

 I finished reading The Non-Designers Web Book 2nd Edition written by Robin Williams and John Tollett this morning. I plan on handing it off to a colleague tomorrow.  I thought it was quite interesting.  It helped me make a  few decisions about this site.I still have quite a bit to look at.

This morning, I spent a bit of time looking at Facebook and Twitter.  People are steadily adding themselves to the Facebook site.

I also spent some time on http://www.searchenginewatch.com

I also started reading Make It Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.   

There is a webinar on Introduction to InDesign CS5 which I have started watching. http://connectpro13726942.adobeconnect.com/p36131980/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/21/2011

An update of the logo to the header.  I wanted to be consistent with my buttons in various places around the internet.

Daily Thoughts 8/21/2011

I spent some time on Facebook this morning.  I also read some more of The Non-Designer's Web Book.

This is a reminder that September is National Library Card Sign Up Month.  Please get a library card if you do not have one, or encourage people to sign up for one.  http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/PSACard  

I spent a few minutes looking at the Open Font Library today.  It is a set of fonts available for noncommercial use. http://openfontlibrary.org

At the laundromat, I read some more of the Non-Designer's Web Book 2nd Edition.  There are some changes it is suggesting that would require me to restructure all the posts.  I am not sure that this would work.  I did make some changes to the color scheme and fonts.

I didn't write any reviews today.  I relaxed a bit and read two graphic novels.  The first was The Sons of Liberty Death and Taxes which is a superhero story set during the American revolution  
The second was Feynman, a graphic novel about Richard Feynman, the nobel prize winning physicist.  It was quite relaxing.

Web Bits

Mount Vernon Public Library to Provide Sony Ereader Training for Westchester County Librarians
 http://www.mvinquirer.com/ereader_training_for_westchester.htm





Saturday, August 20, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/20/2011

Imagen del funcionamiento de la tecnologia eInk

Daily Thoughts 8/20/2011

As always, I checked my Twitter and Facebook accounts. I also spent a bit of time thinking about a training session for librarians on Ereaders which is happening on September 7, 2011.

This afternoon, I replaced my old printer.  I could not buy ink cartridges for my old computer.  Now, I can scan and make copies with the new one.  Printers have dropped in price an incredible amount.  I got an HP 4500.  I could fax if I wanted to, but I don't have an extra phone line.

I also finished reading Make Yourself Unforgettable.  It was a bit uncomfortable reading at points.  The book touched on some of my personal flaws.

I started reading The Non-Designers Web Book, 2nd Edition today.

Web Bits

Boys and Reading Is There Any Hope?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/books/review/boys-and-reading-is-there-any-hope.html?_r=1






Friday, August 19, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/19/2011

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

Daily Thoughts 8/19/2011

I stopped by briefly at work.  We spent some time discussing business cards and the library logo.  I was also asked to read a book The Non-Designers Web Book, 2nd Edition by Robin Williams and John Tollett.  It is supposed to be an excellent book for web design.  I also turned in some Photo/Video/Audio releases for the Mount Vernon Writers Network so we can post images on our website of the event.

I also spent some time looking over my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

On the way home, I read some more of Make Yourself Unforgettable.  The book is describing ways to be more patient and empathic.

Web Bits

When "Library" is not an Action but an Old Building by Dr. Troy Swanson
http://tametheweb.com/2011/08/15/when-%E2%80%9Clibrary%E2%80%9D-is-not-an-action-but-an-old-building-a-ttw-guest-post-by-dr-troy-swanson/



Thursday, August 18, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/18/2011

John Singer Sargent, Simplon Pass: Reading, 1911, Watercolor On Paper  

Daily Thoughts 8/18/2011

I finished reading Stand and Deliver.  There is an excellent reminder that people go nowhere without specific goals in their life.   I also updated the Twitter account and checked on the Facebook account.  We are having the Mount Vernon Writers Network, 8/18/2011 from 6:00-8:00 p.m..  I think it will go very well because there is a little bit more networking and preparation put into the program itself.  The Mount Vernon Writers Network is on Facebook.  I am rather enjoying it being held at the library.

I also spent some time looking at the databases.

The Writers Networking Event went very well.  We are planning for an outing to Pelham, New York to Lola's Tea House which has a writers group as well.  We are going to discuss why we write.  I read two poems including:


Blue Sky Thinking

Sky blue thinking is as vast as open fields
where we touch the earth.

Blue sky thinking is wide as the blue sky
where we touch the heavens

Sky blue thinking is moving past hills
rolling on a slow train

Blue sky is endless open vistas
flying on a fast plane

Sky blue thinking is like a robins egg
solidifying our reality

Blue sky thinking is an indstrial diamond
the world of tomorrow

Sky blue thinking promises the new
Blue sky thinking lives in the now

Blue sky and sky blue are the same color.

I read some more of Make Yourself Unforgettable.  There are some interesting sections on listening and being relaxed.  Right now, I am reading about patience.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/17/2011

Part of the collection: Bookplates. Inscription on bookplate: "Lionel Lindsay ex libris". Handwritten in pencil on bookplate: "Proof". "1933"--on album page. Title supplied by cataloguer

Daily Thoughts 8/17/2011

This morning I read a little bit more of Stand And Deliver.  Right now the book is writing about persuasion and emotion.  It reminds us that everyone is interested in themselves.

I spent some time getting raffle tickets ready for the Adult Summer Reading Tea.  I also checked the displays, and looked over the Facebook page.  I also checked on Twitter.  I bought some tea this morning and cookies.  We are also going to have some small sandwiches. 

I spent some time in the computer lab from 2:00-3:00 p.m. helping a few people with job searching.

We had the Adult Summer Reading Tea today from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  We raffled off a bag of books for people who participated in the Adult Summer Reading program.  We also served tea, coffee,  and cookies and discussed the library.  Part of the discussion centered around creating a Biography book club in September.  Quite a few of the attendees were from the Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library.  They are going to have a meeting soon.

We also discussed a variety of books which we had been reading.  Some of them were The Reader by Bernhardt Schlink, Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin which is a romantic comedy of manners, No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

This was the finish for the Adult Summer Reading Program.  It is the second Adult Summer Reading program which we have run.  It went better than last year.  We had more people who were interested in the program.  It also had more involvement with the Mount Vernon Public Library Friends of the LIbrary.

The graphic novel, Feynman written by Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Leland Myrick, and coloring by Hilary Sycamore came in for me to read.  

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/16/2011

Portrait of Father, Bruno Liljefors, 1884, Oil on Canvas

Daily Thoughts 8/16/2011

This morning, I read some of Stand and Deliver.  I am reading about humor in speeches and stage fright.  I am enjoying reading the book.

This morning I checked the displays, checked the gift books, updated the Twitter and Facebook pages.  I a  I have been adding some pictures from events to the Facebook page.  I also did some weeding today as well.

I also plan on reading The Sons of Liberty Death and Taxes which is a superhero graphic novel set during the American revolution.  The two heros are escaped slaves with superpowers.

I watched part of a webinar called Branding Through Custom Typography.  It was kind of interesting.  The presenter talked about creating custom type faces for Xbox and Google Android.

Tonight, I have the website committee to go to.

We also have the Computer Class today from 6-7 p.m. in the computer lab.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/15/2011

Корин А.М. "За книгой", 1900, холст, масло, Дальневосточный художественный музей
Daily Thoughts 8/15/2011

I checked the displays, picked out some young adult titles to be added from the gift books,  updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts, and checked the gift books.  I am also spending some time working on Bookletters today.  I called people for the Writers Networking Event on August 18, 2011 from 6-8 p.m., and the End of Summer Reading Tea on Wednesday, August 17, from 4-6 p.m.  I also spent some time setting up the bag of books which will be raffled off for the participants in the Adult Summer Reading Program.

I wrote a poem for the Writers Networking Event as well as put down five reasons why I write.  We are going to do an exercise as a group explaining reasons why we write.  

I spent a small amount of time updating the Bookletters page today.  It has been a while since I did this.
http://library.booksite.com/7273/nl/?list=CNL7  I also spent some time looking at the website statistics.  I am on a committee for the website.  People are coming to use our online research links.

Two books by the Dale Carnegie Training Institute came in for me to read Stand and Deliver How to Become a Masterful Communicator and Public Speaker and Make Yourself Unforgettable How to Become the Person Everyone Remembers and No One Can Resist.  Right now, I am reading Stand and Deliver which is about how to communicate with people both in person and in front of large crowds.  It is very much a motivational book.  I read a bit of Make Yourself Unforgettable which is about how to have poise and class.  Make yourself Unforgettable is very much a book about how to show confidence.  Neither of the book is a formal work, there are no references and they have strong opinions.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/14/2011

Set of Books with Cherry Blossoms, Chosui Yabu, Between 1858-1862, Woodblock Print


Daily Thoughts 8/14/2011


I spent some time on http://www.wearemedia.org which is a social media for nonprofits tutorial site.  I also spent some time updating my Facebook page.  It is a learning experience.

I also worked a bit on an online training module from Lynda.com which Westchester Library System provides for two months for employees that are part of member libraries.  I watched a training video on Facebook and am starting another training video on Social Media Marketing with Facebook and Twitter.  I rather like the sound of one idea, "Word of keyboard".

I also have got a new printer today.  They no longer sell ink cartridges for my current printer, so I had to go out and get a new one.  This time, I got a new one with fax, copy, and scan in addition to printing.  Hopefully, this will come in useful.

This afternoon, I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up some magnetic clip bookmarks for the Bag of Books which will be raffled off to a participant in the Adult Summer Reading Tea which is on August 17, 4-6 p.m., as well as picked up some wafer cookies and tea biscuits from the local produce market.

In addition, I read some more of Heartless by Gail Carriger in the laundromat.







Saturday, August 13, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/13/2011

Reading Aloud, oil painting by Charles W. Bartlett, 1892
Daily Thoughts 8/13/2011

I read some more of Heartless by Gail Carriger this morning.  I also started doing some of the writing exercises in Six-Week Start-Up by Rhonda Abrams.  A lot of the beginning is about clarifying your ideas.

I spent a bit more time on Facebook this morning trying to figure out what needed to be done.  The pages and groups are new to me.




Friday, August 12, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/12/2011

Swedish author Viktor Rydberg reading a book in his rocking-chair. Anders Zorn, 19th Century.

Daily Thoughts 8/11/2011

This morning, I started reading Heartless.  It is light entertainment.  Last night, I started reading Six Week Start Up by Rhonda  Abrams.

I spent some time this morning updating the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I added a Mount Vernon Public Library Facebook Group.  I am not done with Facebook, the next step is to create a Facebook Cause page to accept donations.  I also was asked to start using Twitter hashtags, something which I have not done before.  https://support.twitter.com/entries/49309-what-are-hashtags-symbols

I also did some other minor tasks, checking the displays, checking the flyers, checking the gift books, and checking on the email reference.

I spent some time reading the New York Times Book Review and Library Journal for reviews.
I put Stand and Deliver How to Become a Masterful Communicator by the Dale Carnegie Institute and
Make yourself unforgettable --how to become the person everyone remembers and no one can resist
by the Dale Carnegie Institute on hold. I have read How To Win Friends and Influence People which is basically about how to have self confidence.  It is something that is asked for a lot.

I also placed Ghost in the wires : my adventures as the world's most wanted hacker by Kevin Mitnick on hold.

I read some more of Heartless on the way home.  It is pure, silly entertainment.  It is the fourth book in the Alexa Tarabotti series so Gail Carriger has the story down pat.  The writing is very smooth and funny at the same time.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/11/2011

Kannazuki Print shows a man sitting on a veranda, reading, an incense urn next to him, and a woman standing at a door looking over his shoulder.  Date Created/Published: [1770, printed later] 

Daily Thoughts 8/11/2011


I finished reading Nonprofit Management  101 this morning on the train to work.  I still have to go through a lot of links to various resources from http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits%20to http://www.techsoup.org/  This afternoon, I had a chance to look at some of the links in the recommendations section.  There were a few which I liked; http://wearemedia.org/ We Are Media, http://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/ Future Fundraising Now, and http://www.idealist.org/ Idealist. 

This morning, I checked the displays, updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts, and checked the gift books.  There were some classics which were worth adding; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, White Fang, and Wuthering Heights were a few of them.  We always seem to get a lot of classic paperbacks in our donation.

 
We had our Adult Summer Reading Book Chat today at 1:00 p.m.  People were talking about The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  I also had a chance to read a few haiku poems.   One of the patrons requested the Rhonda Abrams, Successful Business Plan from me when I showed it to them.

The people attending expressed an interest in having a biography book club.  It would be interesting to focus on different books on a particular person each time.

 We are having our Adult Summer Reading Tea on August 17, 2011 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in the community room for people who participated in the Adult Summer Reading program.  There will be a raffle, tea and cookies, and a chance for the participants to chat with each other.

We also opened the Computer Lab for several hours for research, business, and job search.  We should be getting some volunteers soon to help with the lab.

I checked out Heartless An Alexia Tarabotti Novel by Gail Carriger today.  I like the cover blurb, A novel of vampires, werewolves, and teapots. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/10/2011

Monastic Library, Oil on panel, mid 19th century, Reinhard Sebastian Zimmerman

Daily Thoughts 8/10/2011

I read some more of the book Nonprofit Management 101 this morning. I am reading about online community building, peer to peer fundraising, and cause related marketing.  There is a lot of material covering social media and its role with nonprofits in this book.

Today has been a quiet day.  We had the internet job search hour today.  I helped someone with their resume.  I also checked the displays, checked the gift books, updated the Twitter account and the Facebook account.  We have 12 likes on our Facebook places page right now after four days of having it up.  It is slowly growing.  I was asked if we had a flyer for the Facebook page so I designed one as a handout for people to take.

The Friends of the Library are discussing the Adult Summer Reading Tea with me.  We are going to serve tea and cookies and have a raffle of a bag of books on August 17, 2011 for the people who participated in the Adult Summer Reading Program.

I put the book Supergods by Grant Morrison on hold.  Grant Morrison is a very well known comic book writer.  The book is about superheros.  I saw it earlier in the Strand Bookstore.

There is another book which caught my attention, Your Company Sucks by Mark Stevens.  I liked the title.

Web Bits

Apple and Big Publishers Conspired To Fix Ebook Pricing, Lawsuit Alleges
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891584-264/apple_and_big_publishers_conspired.html.csp


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/9/2011

Studio Shot of Reclining Woman Reading A Book, Silver Albumen Photograph Taken between 1800 and 1899 at the Brooklyn Museum.

Daily Thoughts 8/9/2011

This morning, I read some more of Nonprofit Management 101.  The book reminded me that diversity includes disability which can happen to anyone as well as aging which also happens to everyone. I continued reading it on the way home.  The section on advocacy was quite interesting.  Every chapter ends with a list of books and websites to visit.   I still have not had a chance to check on many of the websites.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also checked the displays.  It is always interesting looking for books which relate to the latest news; subjects like the federal reserve, Apple computers, and Afghanistan.  I also checked the email reference and made sure the holders for event flyers and readers advisory bookmarks were full. I am trying to get an article about Ereaders into the local papers. 

I am also keeping in contact with Kenneth C. Davis.  I have friended him on Facebook and Twitter.  Hopefully, we should have a few people to volunteer for the computer lab soon also.

Tonight we have our computer class from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the computer lab.  It has been going very well.

Jim Collins has a new book Great By Choice.  He is the author of Good to Great.

Web Bits

Publishing Gives Hints of Revival, Data Show
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/books/survey-shows-publishing-expanded-since-2008.html?_r=1&hp

Why Nonprofit Social Media is Unique
http://socialfresh.com/non-profit-social-media/

Monday, August 8, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/8/2011

Dame am Goldfischbassin (Die Gattin des Künstlers), Lovis, Corinth, 1911

Daily Thoughts 8/8/2011

This morning, I spent some time on the Facebook and Twitter page for the library.  The number of users and content is steadily growing.  I also put the graphic novel Feynman by Jim Ottaviani on hold.  It looks quite interesting. 

The book Six Week Start Up by Rhonda Abrams came in for me to read.  I still have a bit more to read in the other books by Rhonda Abrams. Also, the book Made to Stick Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath came in for me to read as well.

I found out that Kenneth C. Davis who is the author of the Don't Know Much About series of books is from Mount Vernon.  I contacted him recently on his website, friended him on Twitter, then called him on the phone.  http://www.dontknowmuch.com/about-kenneth-c-davis/ Hopefully, he should be coming in January.


We are also planning to have a workshop on Ereaders for librarians on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 from 2:00-3:30.  I am hoping that it goes well.

A friend sent me A New Resonance 6 Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku 6, Edited by Jim Kacian and Dee Evetts.  I am looking forward to reading it. 


On the way home, I read some more of Nonprofit Management 101. I am reading about collaboration and alliances between nonprofits.  This interests me quite a bit.  I have been working with a few organizations like the Women's Enterprise Development Center and the Mount Vernon Writers Network for a bit and I think they will lead to good things.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/7/2011

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Between 1913-1915, Liseuse à la Vénus (Gabrielle avec une sculpture)
Daily Thoughts 8/7/2011

This morning, I spent some time on Facebook and Twitter.  I find it interesting to do this.

I read some more of Blue Ocean Strategy this morning. It made me think of the changes which are coming with Ereaders.  The first wave will be Ereaders.  This will introduce lending Ereaders into libraries.  I am glad we have the Sony Ereaders.  However, we also have to be prepared for the second wave of dedicated devices for reading, tablets.  I am hearing rumors that there will be an Hewlett Packard tablet device soon, a Sony tablet device soon, and of course we will see upgrades to the Ipad.

I think that libraries need to be prepared for enhanced ebooks.  I have seen a few in our catalog from Overdrive, including an enhanced ebook of Keith Richard's Life.  I would like to see some on our computers just so people can use them and get a feel for them.


Web Bits

Eastchester library will loan e-readers one of the few in the region to do so.
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107290317

Biographers International is an association for Biography Writers
http://www.biographersinternational.org/

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/6/2011

A little girl raids the family library to cut out pictures for a collage, 1884 

Daily Thoughts 8/6/2011



I spent some time on Facebook this morning.  I am trying find local organizations that have done programs with the library and like them.  It is kind of interesting.  I also read some of Nonproft Management 101 A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals.  Right now, I am reading about fundraising.  83% of fundraising comes from individual donors.  I rather like the idea that most fundraising succeeds from building relationships.

I also finished reading The Successful Business Plan Strategies and Secrets by Rhonda Abrams.  I learned that I need to learn a lot more about financial numbers.  This part was quite hard for me.  I get the ideas behind operations, customer service, technology, marketing and sales, but need work on accounting and finance.  I am starting to read Successful Business Research Straight to the Numbers You Need Fast by Rhonda Abrams.  If nothing else, this will help me get a better grasp of how finance works in business. I spent some time looking at Infotrac database, Business and Company Resource Center going over summaries of the electronic publishing business. On Monday, I'll probably spend some time in Lexis, Reference USA and Hoovers to get some more information.

I read a bit more of Blue Ocean Strategy as well.  They are describing how companies like Home Depot, Jet Blue, and Cirque Du Soleil both differentiate themselves and reduce costs at the same time.

Web Bits


Quotation by John Maynard Keynes in Shelf Awareness
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1525#m12959

Friday, August 5, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/5/2011


Lady in White - Portrait of Mrs. Théo Van Rysselberghe, 1926, Theo Van Rysselberghe




Daily Thoughts 8/5/2011


On the train to work, I read a little bit more of The Successful Business Plan. Right now, I am reading about keeping track of technology. I also read some more of Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen and Blue Ocean Strategy. Right now, I am reading three books at the same time.


Today has been fairly quiet. I checked the donations, updated the Twitter and Facebook account, and checked the displays. This morning, I wrote a summary of the Social Media for Nonprofits conference. It was interesting going over some of the strategies that might work.


Some of the ideas which seemed to stick with me were that all the different communication channels needed to be linked together in a complete plan; Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, email, and website. This plan includes a complete story which people can follow easily so you can raise money and gain advocates. Part of the raising money and gaining advocates included finding people who would spread your message, making sure you have pictures of what you are buying with donations, and keeping thorough track of statistics for all your communications.

This is a list of Slideshare Presentations from Social Media For Nonprofits.  It covers more than what was at the conference.  http://www.slideshare.net/SM4nonprofits/presentations


I have been taking the time to talk to different people about our Social Media strategy.

On the way home, I finished reading Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen.  This is a very politically charged and interesting book.  I don't really think that I have the military or intelligence background to really comment on the contents.  My undergraduate degree was in cultural anthropology.  I was surprised at the amount of material related to ethnography in military actions.  It made for very interesting reading.

I also spent a little bit more time reading about Blue Ocean Strategy.  It is not so much about competing with other businesses but creating alternative pathways to new markets and reaching out to people who have not used your product before.

Web Bits

September is National Library Card Month.
http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card/CRipken_PSA_FINAL_8.5x11.pdf










Thursday, August 4, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/4/2011

Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Reading Boy, 18th Century


Daily Thoughts 8/4/2011


I went to the Social Networking for Nonprofits conference today.  It was one speaker after another.  There was a session by New York Public Library on Geolocation and Foursquare which was quite interesting.  The conference was sponsored by Microsoft.  There was a lot that was covered.

It inspired me to work a little bit more on the Facebook page today.  I also contacted the Friends of the Library about the Facebook and Twitter page as well as emailing a number of people about the new social media tools as well.  I still have quite a bit more to do.

I will work on a more complete writeup tomorrow.  Afterwards there was a reception for the book, Nonprofit Management 101 A Complete and Practical Guide For Leaders and Professioals Edited by Darien Rodriguez Heyman.  There is a very web 2.0 feel to the book.

I also read a little bit more of Blue Ocean Strategy today as well as a bit of the book Counterinsurgency.  It has been very busy.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/3/2011


"Robert Browning," oil on canvas, by Michele Gordigiani. 28 1/2 in. x 23 1/8 in. (724 mm x 587 mm). Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Daily Thoughts 8/3/2011

Today I checked the displays, updated the Twitter and Facebook page, and checked the gift books.  We are getting a security upgrade for the computers right now.  I also printed up some civil service position announcements which go to the reference desk.  There are going to be 4000 openings for Fire Fighters in New York City soon.

We had the Internet Job Search Hour this afternoon from 2-3 p.m..  There was a person working on their resume, and another person was working on business related material.
I am also going to a conference tomorrow called The Social Media for Nonprofits Conference.  It should be very interesting.  http://www.meetup.com/NYC-Tech4Good-a-NetSquared-group/events/25337891/

The book, Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne has come in for me to read.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/2/2011

Eva Gonzales, Secretly, 1877-1878

Daily Thoughts 8/2/2011

I am reading Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen.  It is a book on military counterinsurgency.  I sometimes read these things.  For me it is contemplative much like reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu, or The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi.  It is on modern counterinsurgency in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.  It reminds me of the film The Battle For Algiers which is about an insurgency in Algeria against the French.

This morning, I updated the Twitter account, checked the displays, and checked the gift books.  There were a few books by Omar Tyree which I added.  I also looked over the new Mount Vernon Public Library facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Mount-Vernon-Public-Library/155068971235018

I also took some time to listen to a presentation on ebooks http://www.westchesterlibraries.org/ereaderprogram

The book Successful Business Research Straight to the Numbers You Need -- Fast! by the Planning Shop with Rhonda Abrams came in for me to read.

I spent some time this afternoon making sure the computer lab was ready for the computer class this evening.  We are trying to make sure all of the computers in the lab work.  We got overflow in the lab for the first time. 



Web Bits

Internet archivist seeks 1 of every book written


http://globegazette.com/news/national/internet-archivist-seeks-of-every-book-written/article_39bfcc14-944a-595d-9281-d73f770e74a7.html

Monday, August 1, 2011

Daily Thoughts 8/1/2011

The Two Sisters, oil on canvas, Pierre-August Renoir, 1889

Daily Thoughts 8/1/2011

Today has been a steady day.  I updated the Twitter account, checked the displays, and checked the donations.  There were a bunch of urban fiction books that were donated as well as some classics.  I also checked the Ereference.  We get lots of Local History questions in Ereference.

I am looking at doing some social media things for the library which should be interesting.  I started working on a a Facebook page for the library today. It is very different doing an institutional facebook page compared to do a personal Facebook page. It also feels different between doing a personal Twitter account and an institutional Twitter account.

I stayed late tonight to discuss technology in the library.  We talked about the computer lab, laptops, internet connections, the website, and a variety of different subjects.  A lot of patrons would like more wireless access and more laptops.  We also discussed possibly purchasing some magazine subscriptions for the Sony Ereaders which seems like an interesting idea.