Monday, October 31, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/31/2011


William Michael Harnett, Still Life With Three Castles Tobacco, c1880
Daily Thoughts 10/31/2011

This morning I read some more of Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Willpower.  The book is describing how glucose and other sugars affect peoples thinking.  It reminds us to eat a good breakfast with fruit and other foods that slowly release glucose.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts and the displays to make sure things were in order.

I also spent some more time on Lynda.com studying Photoshop CS5.  I checked with a librarian visiting from Westchester Library System about the length of Lynda.com and hopefully I can still continue using it.  If I can, I will start on Microsoft Publisher 2010 and Dreamweaver CS5.

Happy Halloween. There were a lot of programs for children today.  We had a storyteller come in and a bilingual Spanish and english storytime.  Many of the staff are in costume.  There is also a lot of candy in different places around the building.

I spent some more time weeding in the mezzanine.  I also confirmed that we will be having two sessions of computer training on Tuesday nights starting on November 15, 2011.  One session will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and the next session will be from 6:45-7:45 p.m.

On the way home, I read some  more of Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Willpower.  The authors are writing about how to set goals.  One of the best reminders is to set goals which you can work on every single day.  Another reminder was to not set goals which conflict with each other. 

I have been thinking ahead a little bit.  I am looking forward to the Book and Bake Sale on November 4.  I usually stop by and talk to the Friends of the Library there and have some coffee and a cookie during my break.  The book dealers usually come at the beginning of the sale to buy up the best material first.  They also tend to come at the end as well when they can try and get a bargain.

Web Bits

Survey Says Library Users Are Your Best Customers

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publishing-and-marketing/article/49316-survey-says-library-users-are-your-best-customers.html

Reading a Book Versus a Screen: Different Reading Devices, Different Modes of Reading?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020094337.htm

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2011

Carl Spitzweg: Kunst und Wissenschaft. Ca. 1880. Oil on canvas. 56.5 × 35.2 cm. Neue Pinakothek, Munich.

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2011


I updated the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I am reading Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney.  This book is about the psychology of self regulation and self control.  Self control seems to me to be a better term than willpower which has some very dark connotations.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/29/2011

Public library week--November 12 - 18 Your public library invites you to make its acquaintance : Open house all week : Always at your service. Poster for the Chicago Public Library promoting public library week.  Date Created/Published: Chicago : Illinois WPA Art Project, [between 1936 and 1940] 

Daily Thoughts 10/29/2011

This morning, I updated the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library.  I also spent some time learning Microsoft Excel 2007 on Lynda.com.

I finished reading Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis.  The book ends with some thoughts on transparency and government.  Jeff Jarvis is describing the recent movement to create more open government.  He is describing the technology of the internet as a tool which will fundamentally change society for the better.

Web Bits

I have been following the bits on libraries and Occupy Wall Street.  There is quite a bit out there.  Right now, I am watching as events unfold.  I find it rather interesting that there is a literary component with a poetry anthology, library, and book coming in December.  I am being a bit random and just pulling articles which I liked and seemed interested in.  Think of it as uncataloged browsing.

It looks like it could have some very interesting intellectual underpinnings. There is a sign that there could be some writing worth seeing soon.  I don't think that I will visit the physical site.  I know that Urban Librarians Unite has visited the protest site.

While I was reading through this, I noticed that the Twitter feed for the library went up on October 10, 2011 and the Facebook page went up on September 26, 2011, so the social media presence for the Occupy Wall Street Library is fairly new.  I can't really endorse them.  The thinking is still very loose and amorphous.

I also have questions about whether Occupy Wall Street supports entrepreneurship, microlending, more local manufacturing like the maker movement, creative forms of work like coworking, green business, and projects focused on community improvement through business.

New York Review of Books on Occupy Wall Street

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/10/zuccotti-park/?pagination=false
Note the date on this article, November 10, 2011 about 12 days from now.

Occupy Librarianship: 5 Variations on a Theme

http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2011/occupy-librarianship/%20

Why The Occupy Wall Street Movement Has Libraries

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/892578-264/why_the_occupy_wall_street.html.csp

From Chomsky to the Onion: What's on the Shelves at Occupy Wall Street's Library 

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/10/25/from-chomsky-to-the-onion-whats-on-the-shelves-at-occupy-wall-streets-library/%20

Intellectual Roots of Wall St. Protest Lie in Academe-- From Chronicle of Higher Education

http://chronicle.com/article/Intellectual-Roots-of-Wall/129428/%20

Protesters Hone The Art of the Movement 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204644504576649250732446240.html

Occupy: The Intellectual High Ground-- From The Guardian in London  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/oct/27/occupy-intellectuals?newsfeed=true

Occupying Boston and Beyond, With Tent Libraries for All
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/us/tent-libraries-occupy-boston-and-beyond.html?_r=2&hp

For Quiet Moments Between Protests, a Growing Library

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/for-quiet-moments-between-protests-a-growing-library/%20
This is the third article I have found about the Occupy Wall Street Library from the New York Times.

Occupy Wall Street Book Coming In December

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/occupy-wall-street-book-coming-in-december_b41097%20

A Library Occupies The Heart of the Occupy Movement (From American Libraries)

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/10182011/library-occupies-heart-occupy-movement%20

Occupy Wall Street's Library Keeps Growing

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/892496-312/occupy_wall_streets_library_keeps.html.csp
I find it interesting there is a children's collection.

Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/occupy-wall-street-poetry-anthology_b40854

Occupy Graphic Novels

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/10/occupy-graphic-novels/%20
The theme of V for Vendetta seems popular.

Famous Writers Including Salman Rushdie And Neil Gaiman Sign On To Support Occupy Wall Street

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/14/famous-writers-occupy-wall-street-rushdie_n_1011218.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

The Eclectic Reading List at Occupy Wall Street

http://www.themillions.com/2011/10/the-eclectic-reading-list-at-occupy-wall-street.html

 The Occupy Wall Street Library (From The Rumpus-- It looks like a blog related thing)

http://therumpus.net/2011/10/the-occupy-wall-street-library/%20

As A Revolution Takes Root, A Library Grows

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/892288-264/as_a_revolution_takes_root.html.csp

 The Occupy Wall Street Library
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/blog/pop-culture/occupy-wall-street-library/%20
It looks like most of the major library publications have covered the Occupy Wall Street Library including Kirkus Reviews, American Libraries, Library Journal, and School Library Journal.

What are Occupy Wall Streeters Reading?
http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=7416%20
There it is, Publishers Weekly, now there are most of the library magazines I read.

Rad Ref at Occupy Wall Street

http://www.radicalreference.info/content/rad-ref-occupy-wall-street-one-report-back
 Radical Reference has been around for quite a while.  My opinions are different than theirs.

The Occupy Wall Street Library-- from the New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/09/the-occupy-wall-street-library.html%20

The Library at Occupy Wall Street, The Peoples Library

http://peopleslibrary.wordpress.com/%20

The Press Release for the Occupy Boston Library

http://www.occupyboston.org/2011/10/16/library-established-at-occupy-boston/%20

West, Jessamyn. (2011, October 25). The temporary autonomous library at Occupy Boston, an interview with Kristin Parker. librarian.net

http://www.librarian.net/stax/3698/the-temporary-autonomous-library-at-occupy-boston-an-interview-with-kristin-parker/


Nanos, Janelle. (2011, October 25). No Dewey Decimals in Dewey Square. Boston Magazine Blog.

http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2011/10/25/dewey-decimals-dewey-square/ 

Tagholm, Roger. (2011, October 25). Star Books: Occupy London Protest Inspires Improvised Library. Publishing Perspectives.

http://publishingperspectives.com/2011/10/occupy-london-london-occupy-protest-inspires-improvised-library/


Occupy Writers-- A Group of Writers In Support of Occupy Wall Street

http://occupywriters.com/%20

Occupy Libraries on Library Thing, Includes Catalog of Books In Library

http://www.librarything.com/blogs/librarything/2011/10/occupy-libraries/%20

The Flickr Photostream at Occupy Wall Street

http://www.flickr.com/groups/owsl/%20

The Youtube Video from October 10, 2011 on the Occupy Wall Street Library.  This is a link.  I am not embedding anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDwkGOiH5N0%20

Occupy Wall Street, 26 Oct - The People's Librarian-- A second video

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1htIE_Oo4A


Lovelorn and Seeking A Bailout of the Heart -- A Little Poetry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/nyregion/poetic-connections-from-occupy-wall-street-found-verse-from-craigslist.html?_r=2&ref=books%20
















Friday, October 28, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2011

Illustration from 1819 edition of "The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog". Old Mother Hubbard's Dog Reading The London Gazette

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2011

I checked the Twitter and Facebook account for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  This morning I spent some time working on my programming schedule for November and December.  During lunch I spent a small amount of time watching Lynda.com videos on Photoshop and Microsoft Excel 2007.

Three books came in for me to read, Beginning HTML, XHTML, CSS, and Javascript by Jon Duckett, Habibi by Craig Thompson (Craig Thompson writes slice of life comics with an alternative edge), and Willpower Rediscovering The Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney.

I read the latest New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly.  There is a sequel to Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins, Return to Perdition in graphic novel form.

I did a little more weeding in the mezzanine.  I also picked out a book to read for the next Biography Book Club.  We are reading a biography of a famous poet.  The book I picked out is The Letters of Robert Frost to Louis Untermeyer.  It is an older book which one of my colleagues suggested.

I also spent some time looking through the gift books.  We got some more donations for the young adult classic collection, mainly books by John Steinbeck.

On the way home, I read some more of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis.  The author spends quite a bit of time debating the merits of sharing information on social networks as well as the concepts of privacy and oversharing.

Web Bits

Sometimes you find interesting books which address issues that are just coming into the mainstream.  I found this interview about a new book very interesting.

Race Against The Machine: How the Digital Revolution is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity, and Irreversibly Transforming Employment and the Economy by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/american-workers-race-against-machine-165318939.html

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2011

"Nature morte aux raisins, à la pomme et aux deux livres", Francois Barraud, 1929


Daily Thoughts 10/27/2011


I updated the Twitter and Facebook pages for the library this morning.   I also spent some more time on Lynda.com studying Photoshop CS5 and Microsoft Excel 2007.  I think I am getting a little better at understanding office skills and computers.  I also spent a little time looking over the controls of the Drupal Content Management System of the website.  It is becoming easier to understand.


I read a little bit of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis this afternoon.  I have been learning a little bit about the concept and history of privacy.  Privacy was not that common in the middle ages.  I read a little bit more and found a reference to The Gutenberg Revolution: How Printing Changed the Course of History by John Man

Web Bits 

Chinese Public Libraries See Record Numbers of Patrons
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-10/27/c_131216279.htm



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2011

Woman Reading A Novel, Vincent Van Gogh, December 1888

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2011

This morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook acccount at the library.  I also spent some more time reading Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis.  The author is describing the issues surrounding Google Earth which contains satellite photographs of many streets and houses.

This morning, I also finished taking the Lynda.com class for HTML 5 whch was an introduction to the new technologies coming out that are part of HTML.

Web Bits

CNN Article on Digital Libraries

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/26/living/digital-libraries/

New York Public Library's Ebook Lending Increased 81%
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/10/ny-public-librarys-ebook-lending-increased-81-in-one-year.html 

What is interesting about these two articles is that they are from nonlibrary news sources.  It says that people are interested in ebooks in the library setting.





Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2011

Logo on cover of 1896 edition of "The American Claimant" by Mark Twain

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2011

I read some of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis.  I learned that Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook had a dual major in psychology and computer science.  He considers himself a social engineer.  This is a bit different than I expected.

This morning, I updated the library Facebook and Twitter account.  I also finished taking a CSS course on Lynda.com.   This is more to understand it than code it.

I have been mostly relaxing today.






Monday, October 24, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2011

Bodoni, Giambattista

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2011

I've started reading HTML, XHTML & CSS 6th Edition by Elizabeth Castro.  This is a more up to date version of the book, HTML For the Worldwide Web.  It is not the most exciting reading, but it is practical.  I also spent some time this morning on Lynda.com learning a little bit about HTML 5 and CSS.

The book Public Parts How Sharing In The Digital Age Improves The Way We Work And Live by Jeff Jarvis has come in for me to read.  I think it is a pro social media argument.

This morning I checked the displays and did a little bit of weeding. I also took some time to read the latest Booklist this afternoon and do a bit more weeding in the afternoon.

Today was a quiet stead day.


Sunday, October 23, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2011

Page spread from Kelmscott Chaucer. Book was printed in 1896 by Kelmscott Press.

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2011

I have been reading more of Just My Type.  I learned that road signs are easier to read if they are in a mix of capital and lowercase letters, there are over 100,000 fonts, Dr. Seuss is set in Garamond font, and that the man, Cobden-Sanderson, who created the Doves font threw all the metal type into the Thames river so it would disappear forever.  There is something very refreshing about acquiring tidbits of knowledge that are of questionable use.

I also spent a little more time looking at Facebook and Twitter this morning.  Last night and a bit more this morning, I did a little more time studying HTML 5 and CSS on Lynda.com.  It is becoming more understandable.  I am also learning how search engines read html and cascading style sheets.  Different search engines are better at reading web documents.  Web pages look different in different search engines.  What I noticed is that the Opera search engine seems to be the one which is most up to date.

I finished reading Just My Type this evening.  It was quite enjoyable.

Web Bits

Free crowd sourced ebook.  School Libraries What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come edited by Kristin Fontichiaro http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.









Saturday, October 22, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2011

Buying tickets for the Dickens readings at Steinway Hall Crowd of spectators buying tickets to Charles Dickens reading at Steinway Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. Date Created/Published: 1867. 

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2011 

This morning, I spent some time checking Twitter and Facebook.

I was looking at LIS News and someone posted a comment on the aesthetics of libraries.  They also posted a link to a number of famous libraries.  http://www.thebestcolleges.org/amazing-libraries/    The articles is called The 35 Most Amazing Libraries in the World.


It reminded me that the library I work in is a Carnegie library which has an aesthetics of its own.  The library building we are in was finished in 1904.  The structure itself began construction in 1896.  This means there is a lot of history in the building.  This includes a local history room.  Art and history are as much a part of the library as the collection. 


We have a number of galleries of images of the library.  These come from the local history room. The Fresco Painted by Louis Brann http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Library-Fresco , From The Edge of Our History , http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Library-in-pictures , The Bookmobiles Gallery http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/BookMobiles

A few of the pieces of artwork in the building include a Doric Hall entranceway with murals by Edward Gay painted in 1924 and mosaic glass ceiling by Edward H Freeman at the top of the stairs.  There are also plaster casts on the walls of the reference room of The Triumphal Entry of Alexander Into Babylon. These were originally created by Albert Bertel Thorwaldsen for the apartments of the Quirinel in Rome in 1812.


Our book and bake sale is on November 4 and November 5, 2011.  The library takes donations of books for the book sale.  We also add some of the books and other materials which are donated to the collection.  We especially appreciate donations of classic paperbacks and assignment titles for the local schools.
http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/node/298

October 16 to 22 was National Friends of the Library Week.  The Friends of the Library make the Book and Bake sale possible.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/events_conferences/folweek/index.cfm

We do not sell library discards as part of the book sale.  The library discards which are salable go the Better World Books program for libraries. http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Info-Discards-Donations-Program-m-4.aspx

I have been reading more of Just My Type. There are lots of nice details in this book like the type used in the New York Subways is Helvetica.  There are also quite a few tongue in cheek references.  For example, on P. 105 there is a picture of a page from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle set in Baskerville type.

Web Bits

Five Challenges Every Librarian Must Face
http://21stcenturylibrary.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/five-challenges-every-librarian-must-face/


Friday, October 21, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2011

Sibyll, Print shows a seated woman, reading a book while a putto speaks to her.
Date Created/Published: [between 1630 and 1655]


Daily Thoughts 10/21/2011

On the train to work this morning, I finished reading Without A Net Librarians Bridging The Digital Divide.  It is an outline on how to teach basic computer skills in the library setting.  Basic means things like what a mouse is, the keys on a keyboard, and how to set up an email account.  The book is very practical.  There is a website for the book, http://librarian.net/digitaldivide

This morning I did a little bit of weeding in the paperback fiction.  I also did a little bit of weeding in the storage section in the afternoon.  I also checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook account.  We did not have any events today.

I printed up flyers for November events and working on a schedule of events for November and December.

Two books came in for me to read, Now You See It How The Brain Science of Attention Will Transform They Way We Live, Work, And Learn by Cathy N. Davidson and Worm The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden.

On the way home, I started reading Just My Type A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield. I am interested in book design because I think it changes peoples reading experience.  This book is a tongue in cheek history of fonts. It seems to be both about the fonts and the people who created them.

Web Bits

The Challenges of Building A Digital Public Library of America
http://www.hackeducation.com/2011/10/21/the-challenges-of-building-a-digital-public-library-of-america/ 

Google Debuts A Digital Bookcase
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2011/10/ebooks/google-debuts-a-digital-bookcase/

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2011/10/ebooks/google-debuts-a-digital-bookcase/








Thursday, October 20, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2011

Still Life with Spring Flowers, Anna Munthe-Norstedt, 1892

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2011

I read some of Without A Net Librarians Bridging The Digital Divide this morning on the train to work.  The author is describing how the library is often the only free place in many communities for internet access.  There are many adults who do not have access to a computer.  At our library we often help people who have never used a computer fill out job applications, request government forms, and acquire an
email account.

This afternoon, the computer lab was opened from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m..  Several people came in who had attended the Tuesday night computer classes to practice typing and using the word processor.  People are starting to ask about Excel and web design classes.

This morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook account.  I also checked the displays.  We got a large donation of young adult books.  Many of them were 2011 practice books for the SAT, PSAT, and AP classes.  There were also a variety of books on Shakespeare.  In addition there were a few books on the Ipad and the Ipod which were new.

This evening, we are having the Mount Vernon Writers Network from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Grace Greene Baker Community Room.  I am looking forward to the meeting. 

The Mount Vernon Writers Network went well.  We were discussing incorporation for the organization as well as bylaws and officers.  This is the first time I have had this experience.  There is a core group of people who are coming every evening that the organization meets. We also read some poetry later in the evening.  There is a plan to do a public performance in Mount Vernon in December of poetry.

I also spent some time reading Without A Net on the way home.  The author is describing key terminology for libraries in how librarians talk to people who are new to computers.  A lot of the material is how to show people the basics of what a computer is, how to use a mouse, and how to use vocabulary people who have never used a computer understand.




Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2011

Merchants' Exchange and Newsroom, 50 and 52 Pine Street, New York ; the reading-room

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2011

I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  We also had the Internet Job Search Hour from 2:00-3:00 p.m. today.  I also checked the displays.  One of our displays is for current events.  I plan on doing a display of biographies of poets soon.  We are reading the biography of a poet for the next Biography Book Club on November 15, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.

 I also spent some time checking the gift books.  We got quite a few classic titles like The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and other titles.  The Friends of the Library were in the sorting area preparing for the book sale on November 4 and November 5.  I always enjoy the sale.  It is a chance to have some coffee and cookies and buy a few books.  There are always a few book dealers who come through during the sale.  The Friends of the Library are bringing some books to give away during the Farmers Market tomorrow as a way to get more people to come to the book sale.

There is a Board of Trustees Meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the library.  We also have the Mount Vernon Writers Network tomorrow on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. which should be excellent. 

I spent some time reading Publishers Weekly and Library Journal this afternoon.  I put the book Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil on hold.  Also the book HTML, XHTML, & CSS by Elizabeth Castro came in for me to read.

I spent some time working on a schedule for November and December programs and practiced a bit on Microsoft Excel 2007 on Lynda.com.

Three more books came in for me to read, Without A Net Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide by Jessamyn C. West which tackles how to bring in basic computer needs for patrons in public libraries, Just My Type A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield, and Into the Hinterlands by David Drake and John Lambshea which is a fantasy novel.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/18/2011

An ex libris poem by Abraham Gall.  From Wikimedia.

Daily Thoughts 10/18/2011

This morning I checked the displays and updated the Twitter account.  I also took some time to call people who signed up for the Mount Vernon Writers Network on Thursday.

We are having the Biography Book Club this afternoon.   It should be interesting.  We had a few more people this time.  We discussed people from New York.  A few of the people we talked about were Paul Robeson, Damon Runyon, Fierello LaGuardia, and Langston Hughes.

The book In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood came in for me to read. I put the book Now you see it : how the brain science of attention will transform the way we live, work and learn by Cathy N. Davidson on hold.

I spent a few minutes making sure that the computer lab was set up for the Intermediate Computer class in the evening.  People are starting to ask about more advanced classes.

I spent a few minutes looking at the advertisement for the Sony Reader PRS-T1 which is a Sony Reader with Wi-Fi access. The PRS-350 which we have does not have WiFi access.

I read a bit of In Other Worlds.  It is a collection of essays about writing and speculative fiction. One of the wonderful things about Margaret Atwood is her ability to take very geeky ideas and make them intellectual.  She can write about superheros and compare them to Gilgamesh or Odysseuss in a seamless manner.  One moment she can go from talking about her childhood superhero superbunny and the next she can talk about the literary origins of Batman, Superman, and Captain Marvel. 

At the same time, her writing has some very literary qualities.  The Handmaids Tale, Oryx and Crake, and The Robber Bride are superb writing.  She even comes up with a new word for fantastic stories "Wonder Tales" to pull together science fiction, speculative fiction, slipstream fiction (an entirely new term), and fantasy.

I took a break from Lynda.com today.

Web Bits

Big Crowds More Digital Delivery at New York Comic Con
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/article/49136-big-crowds-more-digital-delivery-at-new-york-comic-con.html

Monday, October 17, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/17/2011

The curtain rises ... Contemporary plays and books on the Current Theatre.  Poster about contemporary works "on the Current Theatre," showing a conductor standing before an open theatre curtain. Date Created/Published: Chicago : Illinois WPA Art Project, [between 1936 and 1941]


Daily Thoughts 10/17/2011


I finished reading HTML for the World Wide Web this morning.  I am looking forward to reading more contemporary material.  I was talking to someone about web pages and Facebook at the laundromat yesterday.  He mentioned that most people just use Dreamweaver for their coding and leave handcoding of HTML and CSS alone.


I watched a little bit of instruction on Excel 2007 and Photoshop CS 5 on Lynda.com.  Photoshop is something which is used for most image editing on the internet.  I thought I needed to brush up a little bit on Excel.  I use Excel mainly to organize lists, not so much for formulas.


I also renewed my membership for the American Library Association Today.  There is a new roundtable on the list of memberships, the Gamers Roundtable, Gamert.  I heard about it while I was at New York Comic Con.  In addition to video games, we have more traditional board games like Scrabble and a Chess Club at the library.

Right now, I am drinking a mix of chamomile, rosehips, and ginger to clear a cold.

There are a number of things which are being worked on. Mount Vernon Writers Inc.  is incorporating as a nonprofit, there is a proposal for a second computer class, and our social networking presence is growing steadliy.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter account this morning.

I am noticing that the American Library Association group on Linked In is discussing the concept of coworking in libraries.  We get a number of people who come in to work at our library including a computer programmer, a paralegal, a writer, and a few others.  A lot of people can now take their work with them. This is a post by Tony Bacigalupo from August of 2009.  Tony Bacigalupo is one of the founders of New Work City in Manhattan, New York  It is not a new subject.  While I don't necessarily see the lbrary as a coworking space, I do see it as a space where it is easy for people to work with laptops.

Tony Bacigalupo-- Every Town Has a Public Library
http://tonybgoode.tumblr.com/post/174758246/every-town-has-a-public-library



Web Bits

At Summit on NYC Libraries Seen as Crucial, but Questions About Electronic Access, Broad Constituency Linger.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/892411-264/at_summit_on_nyc_libraries.html.csp 

Amazon Signs Up Authors Writing Publishers Out of the Deal
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/amazon-rewrites-the-rules-of-book-publishing.html

CSS Paged Media Brings Smarts to the Web
http://www.webmonkey.com/2011/10/css-paged-media-brings-book-smarts-to-the-web/
This is an idea that makes sense to me.  It also makes it much easier to print and select web content.

Wikipedia Loves Libraries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Loves_Libraries
I am not as much of a fan of Wikipedia as of Wikimedia which has lots of public domain images.  I thought this was interesting.





Sunday, October 16, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/16/20011

Portrait of French writer Octave Uzanne (1852-1931) by Félix Vallotton (1865-1925), 1892
 Daily Thoughts 10/16/2011

I have been reading more of HTML for the World Wide Web.  I am beginning to realize I should be reading something a bit more up to date.  I put a copy of Elizabeth Castro's book HTML, XHTML, and CSS on hold.  I also put the book Beginning HTML, XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript by Jon Duckett on hold.  There are pieces of the book which are bit confusing.  

I spent some more time on Lynda.com learning CSS and HTML.  I also spent a little bit of time this morning checking Facebook and Twitter.  I think I am learning a little bit more about computers and social media. 



Saturday, October 15, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2011

First Class Reading and Writing room of the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm, 1901, This is from an Ocean Liner.

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2011

Last night, I watched some of The Mystery of Picasso which is a film consisting of animations of Picasso painting.  It is quite fascinating watching his paintings slowly come to life.  He does both ink paintings and oils in this film.  The colors are very intense to watch. Some of the film is in black and white, and parts of it are in color.  This film changed my opinion on           some of Picasso's more abstract art.

I read some more of HTML For the World Wide Web.  It has gotten to the point where the author is describing tables and frames.  I do not get this very well.  It would be the kind of information which would be helpful if' I was using a web page builder like Dreamwaver and editing the HTML and CSS code in minor ways.  Ultimately, it is becoming too complex to even think of hand coding.  The combination of CSS and HTML is a bit daunting for me.  I also watched some more of the CSS instruction on Lynda.com.  There is some information about browsers and rendering engines which I think would be useful for librarians to know if they are using the internet to search for information.

I put the book In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood on hold.  I very much like her writing.  I thought the book, The Handmaids Tale was excellent.

Web Bits

An article about McNally Jackson Books.  They have an Espresso Book Machine.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/sarah-mcnally-of-mcnally-jackson-books-in-manhattan.html









Friday, October 14, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/14/2011

Kobikichō arayashiki koiseya ochie Print shows a head-and-shoulders portrait of a woman reading a book.  Date Created/Published: [178-, printed later]
 Daily Thoughts 10/14/2011

On the train to work I read some more of HTML for the World Wide Web.  I am getting a better handle on it slowly.  I also spent a little bit of time on Lynda.com today learning about CSS and Photoshop.

I got in early to work so I could distribute the swag from the conference.  A lot of the material was given to the young adult librarian.  I also checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facbook accounts.

I spent a little bit of time clearing my desk of various papers and filing things.  I also read the Forecast magazine from Baker and Taylor.  A book which looks quite good is Firebird by Jack McDevitt coming out in November 2011.

There are a few things which I still have to put together.  The bimonthly calendar of events should be done soon.

Web Bits

New York Comic Con on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35142064@N03/sets/72157627890086280/

Coworking At The Public Library
http://www.pcworld.com/article/241574/coworking_at_the_public_library.html

This is a bit different because it is not from a library magazine.  It sets the tone for the library as a workspace for entrepreneurs which could be very beneficial.  In the last week, I saw a class on entrepreneurship in the library focusing on coworking.







New York Comic Con 10/13/2011

House ad, Fiction House (defunct magazine & comics publisher), 1940s

New York Comic Con

On October 13, 2011, I went to New York Comic Con.  It was very entertaining.

I am only describing what I thought was useful.  There was quite a bit more said.  I also included some commentary of my own.

I went to the following panels:

Digital Comics & Libraries Past, Present, and Future  Digital 12:00-1:00 p.m.

This was an interesting session.  They talked about the Ipad.  Many readers are reading digital comics on both the Ipad and the Android.  I learned that New York Public Library circulates Marvel Comics as ebooks through Overdrive.  People can also subscribe online to services like Comixology.  In our own library, I see a number of the teenagers using our computers to look up manga.  As we switch to more Ebooks, this is something to consider.

Video Game Collection Development 1:15-2:15 p.m.

I learned the biggest barrier to video game collection development was the lack of distributors for libraries.  People either used Amazon or Ingram.  They talked a lot about tying the collection together with books, graphic novels, films, and other media.  For example with Halo, we have graphic novels and a whole series of books in the science fiction section.   This is in addition to the game.  I have never played the game, but I have read the books and read the graphic novels.  I also learned that most libraries checked out video games for one week.  This was enough time for people to finish the game.

In addition, there was a description of a variety of programming using Guitar Hero, and other video games for teenagers.  In our programming we have done Guitar Hero and other games for the teenagers.  There was also a talk of intergenerational programming using older video games.  There was also some description of video games as a form of storytelling.

The book Video Games in the Library by Eli Neiburger was cited as the most up to date material on using games for programs.  They also mentioned that School Library Journal has a column on video games.  If you want a laugh take a look at http://www.8bitlibrary.ocm/

National Gaming Day at Your Library: Using Video Games as Library Outreach Tool
2:3-3:30 p.m.

The speakers also mentioned Free Comic Book Day which is on May 5, 2012

National Gaming Day was on October  12, 2011 http://ngd.ala.org/ .  This would be a way to promote our collection of games in our library.

American Library Association now has a Gaming Roundtable as part of their membership which is $10 a year to join.  The name of the roundtable is Gamert.

The speakers talked about how games pulled people together.  They also discussed multipart programs using games, dvds, and books.  For example, one of them did a discussion of the book Watchmen, showed the movie, and then played the game.

They mentioned how graphic novels can be used to lure in male teenagers which would not normally come to the library.  One of the series they mentioned was Scott Pilgrim which has a movie, graphic novel, and game.  We have the movie and the graphic novel series.  They also talked about how to use graphic novels as a way to teach non-native readers how to learn English.

The final panel was:
Graphic Novels and Libraries: Beyond the Basics

This was a very well organized panel.  They spent some time describing what circulated best for them.  There were a few titles that I had not heard of; Fairies Landing and Big Gun.  Most of the titles were familiar, popular titles which we had like Fruits Basket, Naruto, Bleach, Vampire Kisses, Full Metal Alchemist, Fables, Scott Pilgrim, The Losers, The Runaways, and Powers.

The panelists talked about how it was important to display the graphic novels in a prominent area.  There was some discussion of putting the graphic novels and anime together.  Queens Public Library puts their anime and manga together.  They also described a trend where the new books are not the most popular comics.  The big compilations with whole sets of comics put together are very popular.

I learned that Columbia University has
Alexander Street
’s database of Underground and Independent comics which is quite interesting. http://alexanderstreet.com/products/comx.htm

Most of the people in the panel said they prefer the print versions because most of their customers cannot afford the devices like the Ipad to download comics on.

I had a chance to walk the show floor in the evening.  I stopped by the American Library Association booth and went to most of the major comic book vendors to see what they had to offer.

I also picked up a variety of swag including bookmarks, comics, and posters.  I gave a lot of it to the  young adult librarian for programming (especially the anime club) and I put aside some for my graphic novels club in the future.  I added two books to the collection as well which were free.  I rather liked the paperback Star Wars Old Republic Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams.  They also had paper hats for the comic Naruto and Cookie Monster from
Sesame Street
.

There was also a very dark free uncorrected proof of a graphic novel called My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf.  It is the story of Jeffrey Dahmer the serial killer during his high school days.  The graphic novel is not easy to read.  The author wonders why the adults did not see what was happening while Jeffrey Dahmer was growing up.  The story is very creepy.  The uncorrected proof is put out by Abrams Comicarts.  The graphic novel is due out in March of 2012

I saw a variety of excellent books including Habibi by Craig Thompson, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon which is a childrens comic, volume 2 of the Twilight graphic novel, the graphic novel adaptation of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  I also had a chance to look at the young adult books by Rick Riordan.  They plan on releasing more of his books as graphic novels.

It was both entertaining and interesting.  I stopped by the American Library Association booth.  I saw several colleages at the convention.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/13/2011

Classic Comics No. 33 Sherlock Holmes

Daily Thoughts 10/13/2011

I have a professional pass to New York Comic Con which I am attending today.  There is a discounted rate for teachers, educators, and librarians.  I plan on going to to a number of panels that are specifically for librarians about comics and games.  Some of the panels are Graphic Novels and Libraries Beyond the Basics, National Gaming Day@Your Library, Video Game Collection Development for Libraries.  The show should be very interesting.  I am hoping that I will get a chance to visit DC, Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse Comics.

I also plan on stopping by the American Library Association booth and maybe running into some people from the New York Librarians Meetup.  There are sixteen people signed up from the Meetup.  Also one of my colleagues is coming.  I think it will be an excellent show.

I have my event planner information printed up with a map of the show which should make things easier.

The floor for the show did not open until 4:00 p.m., so I sat through all four panels for librarians.  The Web Comics for librarians panel was quite interesting.  I learned that New York Public Library has a number of graphic novels from Marvel comics that are ebooks in the Overdrive service.  I looked up a few of them and saw The Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, and Ironman.  They are supposed to be very high circulation items.  I have complete notes on the four panels which I plan on writing up tomorrow.  I also learned that the two major suppliers which libraries use for video games are Ingram and Amazon.

I also stayed for the floor show until they turned off the lights and cleared the floors at 7:00 p.m..  I picked up a lot of interesting swag including a cookie monster hat, a few paperbacks, many bookmarks, a variety of comics, and had a chance to look at some specific graphic novels that I am interested in including Habibi by Craig Thompson and The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon.

I am going to take some time tomorrow to write all this up.


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/12/2011

Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899), American writer.  Horatio Alger is famous for writing rags to riches stories.

Daily Thoughts 10/12/2011

I read a little bit more of Designing With Web Standards Second Edition on the train to work.  It made me realize I should be reading a book on HTML 4, Javascript, and CSS because those were the current web standards.  I checked out the book Visual Quickstart HTML for the World Wide Web 4th Edition by Elizabeth Castro.

I also refilled the flyer rack at the base the stairs and checked the displays.  In addition, I updated the Twitter and Facebook pages for the library.  I also checked the gifts and added a book by Kimberla Lawson Roby who is a bestselling African American author.

From 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. we had our Internet Job Search Hour.  I spent a little more time learning about HTML 5 on Lynda.com.

I put the book, Public Parts: How Sharing In the Digital Age Improves The Way We Work and Live on hold by Jeff Jarvis.  Jeff Jarvis wrote What Would Google Do?.  His material is popular writing which is easily understandable by most people.

I spent a little time reading the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly this afternoon.  I put The Better Angels of Our Nature Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker on hold.  I also put the graphic novel The Death Ray by Daniel Clowes on hold.  Daniel Clowes has an eccentric, independent streak in his graphic novels.  I'm planning on looking through the Ebony magazine bestseller lists this evening.

Web Bits


Opening Your Library to Entrepreneurs
http://ala-publishing.informz.net/ala-publishing/archives/archive_1841700.html
I find this interesting because the idea of Coworking interests me.  This is the first time I am seeing this put into effect in a library setting.  I've visited a coworking space in Manhattan, New Work City.  It is something I thiink is quite fascinating.  It is also the first time I have seen a librarian moonlighting in a coworking space.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/11/2011

Studiosul ("The Scholar") or Studiu cu barbat la masa de lucru ("Study Portrait of a Man at His Writing Desk"), ink drawing, 11,6 x 10,3 cm.

Daily Thoughts 10/11/2011

On the train this morning, I started reading A Thinking Man's Bully Unstuck In Time, Unburdened by Convention And Liberated from Fact by Michael Adelberg.  This is an advanced reading copy given to me by Library Journal.  The story is about a man in psychotherapy who has a history of being a bully.  This drives one of his friends to committ suicide and his son to try and committ suicide.  There is a callousness to the book which is quite surprising.

Things have been rather steady today.  I updated the Facebook page and the Twitter account.  The number of social media followers for the library has been increasing steadily.  I also checked the displays.

Also, our Sony representative came by and showed the new Sony Tablet which was rather interesting.  We took some pictures with the tablet, took a lot at the book Alice In Wonderland, and tried out some applications.  There was also some discussion about the Sony E-readers and what was coming next.  The Sony representative was nice enough to donate some books to the library.

We also had a public demonstration of the Sony Ereaders for the patrons where we showed people how the Ereaders worked in the computer lab.

I am going to New York Comic Con on Thursday.  It should be interesting.  If you work at a library, there is a special "Kidsa Day" promotion for librarians. For your customers and patrons, New York Comic Con hosts a “Kids Day” on Sunday, October 16, the final day of the show. Children and tweens under 12 are welcomed to attend the Show and literary programs at no cost on Sunday. NYCC will support this in your library with posters, bookmarks and pins. If you'd like to make Kids Day available through your library please email Jul Sifers (jsifers@reedexpo.com) with New York Comic Con; they would be happy to send you all the information and material to share this free event with your community

The book Designing With Web Standards 2nd Edition by Jeffrey Zeldman came in for me to read.

I spent some time making sure the computer lab was set up for the Beginning Computer Class tonight this evening which was from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m..

I read some more of A Thinking Man's Bully on the train home.  It is a very psychological novel.  I think it is a deeply revelatory book.  It shows how behavior passes from father to son.  The main characters son becomes a bully like his father. The story is quite macho in points.  Some of the characters play hockey which is a very physical sport with lots of contact and fighting.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/10/2011

Bookcase, Robert Adam (1728-1792), 1776, exhibited in the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Daily Thoughts 10/10/2011


This morning, I read a little bit more of The Orphan Master's Son.  The main character is interacting with a variety of leaders in North Korea including Kim Il Sung.  It is very different. I finished reading the book at the laundromat.  The ending is quite surprising.  I cannot say that I have read anything like this before.  The book is due out on January 10, 2012.


I also spent some time on Lynda.com learning a bit about HTML 5.

Web Bits

With a Little Help Now At Your Library
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/49010-with-a-little-help-now-at-your-library.html%20

I am a big fan of Cory Doctorow.



Sunday, October 9, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/9/2011

Christine de Pisan instructs her son, Jean de Castel, France Paris 1410-1411

Daily Thoughts 10/9/2011

I read some more of The Orphan Master's Son. The book is becoming increasingly dark. The character is in a prison camp followed by being captured and being prepared for torture.  Although, it is gruesome, there is something deeply fascinating about the writing.

I finished taking another course, Analyzing Your Website to Improve SEO on Lynda.com.  I learned a few things about header tags, geo tags, and creating an XML site map.  This is all very useful in terms of building and promoting a website.

 Web Bits

Ereader Boom II Is Your Library Ready
http://libraryrenewal.org/2011/10/07/ereader-boom-ii-is-your-library-ready/

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/8/2011

Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Bust) Lithograph by Armstrong & Co., 1883.

Daily Thoughts 10/8/2011 


This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also finished taking the Drupal 7 online course from Lynda.com and started taking Web Design Fundamentals.  It has been a steady learning process.

I also started reading The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson.  It is an Advanced Reading Copy provided by Library Journal.  The book is coming out on January 10, 2012.  The setting is absolutely unique and the story is very different.  It is told from the perspective of a North Korean who is raised in an orphanage.  Every few chapters, the main characters circumstances change from being a kidnapper to being on a boat to being in a prison camp.  There is a surreal harsh quality to the quality which reminds me of The Gulag Archipelago.

I finished taking Web Design Fundamentals from Lynda.com this evening.  The teacher recommended a book Designing With Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman.  I put the second edition on hold.  He also recommended the book, Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug which is excellent.


The Lynda.com course set out a set of skills that would be useful to learn, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Photoshop.  I also probably should take some time to review my Microsoft Office skills as well.









Friday, October 7, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/7/2011


"Le bibelot de Chine", oil on canvas, 1930, 38 x 46 cm, Francois Barraud

Daily Thoughts 10/7/2011

Today has been a quiet steady day.  I checked the Twitter and Facebook account, and looked over the displays.  I also selected some pictures of the library for a display; mainly of the bookmobile and the rotunda.

I also did some minor edits to the website.  I am learning a bit more about how the library website works.  I have a lot more to learn.  I finished taking Microsoft Word 2007 from Lynda.com.  I think the video instruction is excellent.  I am still taking the class on Drupal 7.

This afternoon, I spent some time talking to the computer instructor to see if we could do an extra hour of instruction for the computer lab.

A story on the Mount Vernon Writers Network from the Mount Vernon Inquirer  . http://www.mvinquirer.com/mount_vernon_writers.htm

Web Bits

The New York State Library has a new document called Creating The Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan For Library Service in New York. http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/creating.pdf   There is a lot in here which can significantly change how libraries are run.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/6/2011

De zachte uren. Richard Roland Holst. 1911-1912
Daily Thoughts 10/6/2011

Today has been a steady day.  I checked the gift books today, made sure the displays were in order and started planning for a few programs.  Someone asked about http://www.booksalefinder.com/ which lists all the different library booksales.

I am putting together a display of old pictures of the library and working on setting up another session for the computer class during the week.  There seems to be a lot of demand for computer training.

I spent some more time practicing on Lynda.com, I finished the course on Indesign CS5.  I think I still have quite a ways to go.  It was a good introduction.  I am almost finished with taking Microsoft Word 2007 on Lynda.com.

We opened the Computer Lab today in the afternoon.  There are quite a few people who have come in to practice what they learned in the computer class in the lab.  A lot of them are practicing typing. 

I put the book Without A Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide by Jessamyn West on request through interlibrary loan.  It should be quite interesting.

I am reading Every Thing On it poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein.  It should be both entertaining and lighthearted.  The book reminded me a bit of The Giving Tree.  The collection was posthumous so it had a lot of poems that were very different than his other books.  Some had a fairytale quality to them which I liked.

Tomorrow we will be getting a demonstration of the new Sony tablet computer.  I am looking forward to it.  

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/5/2011



Winston Churchill

Daily Thoughts 10/5/2011

I read some more of A First Rate Madness.  The author is describing Abraham Lincoln's fits of melancholy as well as Winston Churchill's suffering which Churchill called the "black dog."

The author posits there is a relationship between depression and empathy.  People who have experienced depression are more able to be empathic.  He writes about depressive episodes
in Martin Luther King's life as well as Mahatma Ghandi.  It is an interesting if not completely believable hypothesis.

This morning I checked the Facebook and Twitter account, checked the displays, and looked over the gift books.  We got a large donation of new large print books with many popular authors like Danielle Steel, James Patterson, Catherine Coulter, Nicholas Sparks, and others.

I spent some time weeding and also spent some time discussing test books with a colleague.  I am preparing a fairly large order of civil service exam and professional exam books. 

I also had some time to read the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly.  In the October 3, 2011 issue of Publishers Weekly, there is a review of Crafting With Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya translated by Amy Hirschmann.  This made me question what I was reading.  Luckily, there is also a review of How To Fix Copyright by William Patry which looks quite interesting.  William Patry has worked for Google on copyright.  It is coming out in January of 2012.

On the way home, I tried to read more of A First Rate Madness, but found it was no longer to my tastes.  The author was describing the polio of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Addison's disease of John F. Kenndy.  At this point, I decided to put away the book and read some haiku. There is going to be another Writer's Networking Event on October 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m..


Web Bits

Your Personal Information Is Valuable You Should Hoard It
http://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/448-Privately-Held.html

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/4/2011

Le Pêcheur à la ligne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1874 Oil On Canvas
Daily Thoughts 10/4/2011

I read some more of A First Rate Madness this morning.  The author delves into William Tecumseh Sherman's bouts of melancholy during the United States civil war and Ted Turner's manicly driven behavior when he was founding CNN.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook account, checked the gift books, and printed up some fliers to make sure the racks for fliers were full.  I also created a display of New York biographies.  The Biography Book Club which is meeting on October 18, 2011 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. is reading different biographies of people who are from New York.

I also spent some more time on Lynda.com studying Microsoft Word 2007.

I did the monthly statistics for programs.  Things are moving along steadily.  We have the Beginning Computer Class tonight from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  It has been growing steadily.  I am thinking we might do another computer class.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Daily Thoughts 10/3/2011


Dirk van Hoogstraten, Bearded Man Reading, c.1630

Daily Thoughts 10/3/2011

I read some more of Damon Runyon a Life.  The book is quite enjoyable.  He introduced a number of boxers as a sports writer including Joe Louis.

This morning, I checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also spent some time weeding in the graphic novels section.

This afternoon, the books A First Rate Madness Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi and Everything On It by Shel Silverstein came in for me to read.  A First Rate Madness is on the New York Times Bestseller list.  I very much enjoy reading Shel Silverstein, one of my favorite books of poetry is Where The Sidewalk Ends.  I also like his childrens book The Giving Tree.

I found out that New York Comic Con sold out of Professional Passes.  There should be a lot of librarians there.

I read some of A First Rate Madness on the train home.  The book posits that during times of crisis it is important to have leaders who are a little bit insane who can deal with abnormal situations.  It also states that during times of stability, it is important to have leaders that are more sane.  It is an interesting idea, but not completely believable.

I also finished reading Damon Runyon A Life.  Near the end of the book, Jimmy Breslin writes a bit on Guys and Dolls, the Broadway play which is based on different pieces of Damon Runyon's short stories.  Damon Runyon's short stories are considered classics.

Web Bits

Our Ebook Future-- Digital Shift
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891898-264/our_ebook_future__the.html.csp