Daily Thoughts 07/31/2012

Karel Van Der Pluym, Old Man Holding A Pair of Spectacles, second half of the 17th Century

Daily Thoughts 07/31/2012

This morning, I read the paper on the way to work.  It feels much lighter than reading online.  I usually read Yahoo News and CNN online.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library this morning.  I also checked the gift books, the displays, and did a little more inventory in the mezzanine.  In addition, I spent a little time looking at the scheduled programming for August.

I spent some time in Titletales from BWI.  The book, Buddypress for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson came in for me to read.  I also checked out the book Difficult Conversations What Matters Most by Douglas Stone.  There were a few titles that caught my interest Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie about when he was in hiding.  Another book looked interesting coming out in September is The Kickstarter Handbook Real Life Crowdfunding Success Stories by Don Steinberg.

I also started reading Difficult Conversations.  It starts off by discussing why it is often difficult to start certain conversations.  The whole set of author is Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project, Tenth Anniversary Edition.

Web Bits

Ebook Choices and the Soul of Librarianship
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/07/ebooks/ebooks-choices-and-the-soul-of-librarianship/

Book Riot Launches 'Start Here' Kickstarter Campaign
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/deals/article/53358-book-riot-launches--start-here--kickstarter-campaign.html
I rather like Book Riot.  It has a rather popular feel to it.

Daily Thoughts 07/30/2012

Francais: Composition (personnelle) sur la littérature à partir d'images disponibles sur Wikipedia (domaine public ou libres de droits).

Daily Thoughts 07/30/2012

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also checked the displays and gift books.  I spent time looking through the travel books as well at duplicate titles. I also did a little bit of inventory in the mezzanine.  A small amount each day.

Westchester Library System which is a member of has got One Click Digital from Recorded books for young adults, childrens, and Pimsleur language learning.  http://westchesterny.oneclickdigital.com/en/Home/Newly%20Added.aspx

I spent some time reading through the latest Forecast from Baker and Taylor. 
Web Bits

Google Says Book Search Is Fair Use
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/53341-google-says-book-search-is-fair-use.html

Daily Thoughts 07/29/2012

Woman Reading in a Garden, 1880, Art Institute of Chicago

Daily Thoughts 07/29/2012


I finished reading The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook Today.  I also did the exercises.  They were very easy to do.  Most were about how to think differently putting the world in a more positive light with less worry.  I also took a look at the library Facebook and Twitter pages.

I also will be talking with the Friends of the Library about the end of summer adult programming.

Today was a day to mainly relax.

The Westchester Library System bought a 1000 one click digital titles for the system for children and young adult titles.  This should be interesting.

Web Bits


Redigi plans to Sell Used Ebooks
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/53334-redigi-plans-to-sell-used-e-books.html
This is interesting.  What is the different between a new and a used ebook?

Daily Thoughts 07/27/2012

Boy Holding a Book (Portrait of Lorenzo Tiepolo), Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, oil on canvas, New Orleans Museum of Art, c. 1747-1750

Daily Thoughts 07/27/2012


This morning on the train to work, I read some more of The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook, I am about two thirds finished with the book.  A lot of it is changing the way you think about things to more positive outcomes.

I also checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library, checked the displays, and checked the gift  books.

This afternoon, I did some checking in the inventory.  I also spent some time talking about shelving issues to different people.  I have a few programs which are coming up including the End of Adult Summer Reading Tea on August 10, and the Women's Enterprise Development Center Is Small Business Right for You in August. 

On the way home, I did some more exercises in The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook. I also checked out the movie Guys and Dolls.  One of my fathers friends used to sing I've Got the Horse Right Here, and I never saw the movie.  I don't gamble at cards or horses because I know I'm not that good at pure games of chance.  I sometimes play backgammon for points, Paul Magriel who is a world champion player has an excellent book called Backgammon.



Web Bits

How Google Organizes the World Q&A With the Manager of Knowledge Graph
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how-google-organizes-the-world-qa-with-the-manager-of-knowledge-graph.php
This reminds me of the concept of the social graph which is the total map of social interconnections on the internet.

Daily Thoughts 07/26/2012

TITLE: [William A. Pinkerton, full-length portrait, seated, at desk, in well-furnished office]
CALL NUMBER: BIOG FILE [item] [P&P] REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-42836 (b&w film copy neg.) No known restrictions on publication. MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: c1904.

Daily Thoughts 07/26/2012


This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter pages for the library as well as the displays.  Today has been a quiet day.  I also checked the gift books.  I try and do this every single day.

I spent a lot of time doing reference work today.  I often spend time at the reference desk.  It is something that I find interesting.  I also spent two hours in the computer lab from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. helping people usually with email and printing things, sometimes helping with job applications.



Web Bits


World Book Night Kicks Off on April 23, 2013
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/trade-shows-events/article/53205-world-book-night-2013-kicks-off.html

Daily Thoughts 07/25/2012

Louise Tiffany Reading, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1888 Pastel

Daily Thoughts 07/25/2012

This morning I did some more exercises in The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  In addition, I checked the gift books.  I have a copy of the New York Times Book Review to read.

The library has the computer lab open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. today.  People are mainly printing up documents, doing job search, and writing resumes.

I put the book, Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed on hold.  She is an advice columnist for a website called The Rumpus.  I am not sure why I am requesting this book.  It was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review.  The review was entertaining.

I spent some time looking at the collection management sheet where we write down what patrons ask for.  There is a lot of crossover between the purchase alerts and latest bestsellers.  I also looked at the purchase alerts for items with lots of holds.

I still have to read the latest issue of Forecast from Baker and Taylor.  They often include titles that have not been reviewed in Library Journal, Booklist, or Publishers Weekly.

Daily Thoughts 07/24/2012

Portrait of a Man With Book, Circa 1520 Vincenzo Catena

Daily Thoughts 07/24/2012

This morning, I read some more of Energized.  It has an old cold war feeling to it.  The middle east is removed from the story partially because of a nuclear exchange of some kind called the crudetastrophe, there is not a complete description of it, this remains a mysterious part of the story.  The enemies of the Americans are the Russians.  There are no Chinese in space, nor is there much reference to inflatable space modules or a variety of different space ventures.  There is a single space hotel.  It is old fashioned and nostalgic.  It reads like alternate history for cold warriors and Americans interested in the high point of the United States space program.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library.  I also checked the gift books and the displays.  I also did a bit of inventory in the mezzanine.

The latest Publishers Weekly came in for me to read, the July 23, 2012.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today and we have two computer classes tonight; a beginning class from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and an intermediate class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

On the way home, I finished reading Energized by Edward M. Lerner.  Another aspect of this novel that is well done is the action.  The good guys have to outsmart the bad guys not just beat them up.  It is a story of treachery and misdirection as well as a story of technology.

Web Bits

Peering Into the Exquisite Life of Rare Books
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/books/rare-book-school-at-the-university-of-virginia.html?_r=2&ref=books

Daily Thoughts 07/23/2012

Three men reading on a bench, Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada. 1908

Daily Thoughts 07/23/2012

I read some more of The Don't Sweat The Small Stuff Workbook.  It is very easy to do.  Also the book Energized by Edward M. Lerner came in for me to read.

I updated the Twitter and Facebook page for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

This afternoon I did a little inventory in the mezzanine.

It has been a very quiet day.

On the way home, I started reading Energized by Edward M. Lerner.  The technology and politics in the novel are more interesting than the characters.  They drive the story.  The United States has captured a comet in orbit before it could strike earth, and now they are mining it to make a giant solar power satellite.  It is far fetched but interesting.  There is also quite a bit on astronomy and NASA.  I am enjoying reading the novel.  I can pretty much ignore the characterization.

Web Bits

Who Authenticates The Blogged Word?  The Publishers or the Readers? by Matthew Ellis
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/158678-who-authenticates-the-blogged-word-the-publishers-or-the-readers/?goback=%2Egmp_1818722%2Egde_1818722_member_137502954
I think it has always been the readers which make a work successful in the end.

Daily Thoughts 07/21/2012

Daily Thoughts 07/21/2012

Last night I finished reading The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  I enjoyed the three part series.  The author even mentions the other two books inside the novel, The Shadow of the Wind and The Angels Game.  The Prisoner of Heaven is set in a prison during the time of Franco.  The main city which the book is set in is Barcelona.  One of the favorite imaginary places exists inside this novel, the cemetery of forgotten books.  I enjoyed the series tremendously.

I also spent some more time reading The Don't Sweat The Small Stuff Workbook which is a series of one hundred exercises designed to cope with every day life.  I am about half way through the book.

I mostly relaxed this weekend. 

Daily Thoughts 07/20/2012

Reading Room, Public Library [picture] / Charles Nettleton 1878.

Daily Thoughts 07/20/2012

This morning I did some more exercises in The Don't Sweat The Small Stuff Workbook on the train to work.  The exercises are easy to do and have a light touch to them. 

I checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library.  Right now, I am catching up on cleaning up my desk.  I cut some scrap from left over documents, cut up some extra bookmarks to put out, cleared off a bit of my desk, and put a new collection management sheet for the patron requests at the reference desk.

I also checked the gift books and the displays.

I did some more desk clearing and put out some marketing material for the Playaways and bookmarks the Job & Career Accelerator portion of  the Learning Express Database.  I also found a copy of Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Prisoner of Heaven which I plan to read.  It was officially released on July 12, 2012.

I spent a little bit of time looking at citizenship test books.  Patrons have been asking for them.

Web Bits

Retro 1960s Library Posters
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/sets/72157623618957199/with/4480094816/

Daily Thoughts 07/19/2012

Haha to ko Print shows a mother and her son with an open book; the boy is resting on top of the book, preventing his mother from reading it.
Daily Thoughts 07/19/2012

I finished reading The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating A Social Network.  It makes me want to learn more about Buddypress which is an extension of Wordpress.  I requested Buddypress for Dummies through interlibrary loan.

This morning, I checked the displays and gift books.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook pages for the library.

Wikipedia has recently started an initiative to work with libraries.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Loves_Libraries

The library has the computer lab open for academic use from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I finished doing the Javascript Essentials Training video on Lynda.com.  I understand it a little better, but am a long way from programming in Javascript.

I spent a little time on Earlyword http://www.earlyword.com/  today looking at the news.  A lot of the news is coming out of the San Diego Comic Con.  Hopefully, I will get to go to New York Comic Con.  They are starting professional registrations for New York Comic Con on July 23, 2012. There is a list for BEA 12 Librarians Picks on Earlyword http://www.earlyword.com/librarians-shout-n-share-bea-12/

Web Bits

What to Make of Finnegans Wake
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jul/12/what-make-finnegans-wake/
Michael Chabon is one of my favorite authors.  I especially liked The Yiddish Policemen's Union.  I am looking forward to his next book, Telegraph Avenue.

Daily Thoughts 07/18/2012

Kyōka hachi taika Print shows four men (poets) looking at a scroll.
Date Created/Published: [between 1818 and 1824] Daily Thoughts 07/18/2012

Last night on the train home, I read three short books which were given out by O'Reilly Media at Book Expo America; the first was What is EPUB3 Matt Garrishwhich is 16 pages long, the second was HTML 5 for Publishers by Sanders Kleinfeld which is 44 pages long, and the last was Breaking the Page Transforming Books and the Reading Experience which is 75 pages long by Peter Meyers which is a preview edition of a larger book.  Combined this information tells me that the ebooks we are getting are not that adequate.

Things are described like how to create an index to a book which links to every mention of a particular word, how to embed video and audio, how to make a book much more searchable, how to do better note taking which includes the ability to easily share notes, better pagination strategies, how to create timelines in books, geolocation tags, expanded annotations, and browsable sections inside an ebook.  The ebooks we are getting now are mainly containers for words with not very much else.
There is also some talk about alternate formats like novellas, short stories, and books based on timelines and collections of photographs with recipes or captions.

On the way to work, I read some more of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Social Network.  The author is describing issues of choosing content and moderating discussions.  One of the most important points made in the writing is that it is absolutely essential to create original content that cannot be found in other places.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter pages for the library.  I also checked the displays and gift books.  I have a copy of the latest New York Times Book Review to read.  The computer lab is open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. today.

We are working on reassigning ordering.  I took some time to walk around the 900s and biography section this morning.  I was looking to see if there could be some shifting done as well as relocating some items to the mezzanine.

I put The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente on hold.  I also put the book Energized by Edward Lerner on hold which is a near future thriller about solar power satellites.  I found it while looking at Locus Magazine online new releases list.

I had a chance to do a bit more inventory in the mezzanine as well as a bit more of the Introduction to Javascript tutorial on Lynda.com.  I am almost finished with it.  Then I have to go back and do some more of the Codecademy classes.

Web Bits

David A. Bell: The Bookless Library
http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/magazine/david-bell-future-bookless-library?page=0,0

Beacon To Publish First Tweet Book: Tweet Land of Liberty
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/52977-beacon-to-publish-first-tweet-book-tweet-land-of-liberty.html

Daily Thoughts 07/17/2012

Daily Thoughts 07/17/2012

This morning, I checked the gifts, the displays, and updated the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also did a bit of inventory in the mezzanine.

I also read the latest Publishers Weekly.  There is a new book by Cory Doctorow coming out in September called The Rapture of the Nerds.

Web Bits

Digital Imprints Take Root
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/53006-digital-imprints-take-root.html

Daily Thoughts 07/16/2012

One visual interpretation of the Galactic Library glyph (Library Institute emblem), based on the verbal descriptions in David Brin's "Uplift" series of science-fiction novels (a five-fold spiral with a vertical bar through its center).  I like David Brin.


Daily Thoughts 07/16/2012

I took a break from social media this weekend. I also have been reading Existence by David Brin which I am finding enjoyable and interesting.  I especially like a reference in the book to an imaginary book title, Pandora's Cornucopia which is about all the different ways that humanity might go extinct.  There are lots of big ideas in this book including making animals more intelligent and alien contact.

This morning, I checked the website, updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  Made some suggestions about the $100 Startup including a bit about New Work City, Skillshare, and General Assembly.  I also checkd the displays and gift books.

I am waiting for a new graphic novel to be ordered by the library system, The Lovely Horrible Stuff by Eddie Campbell which is about money.

This afternoon, I did a little more inventory in the mezzanine.  I also finished reading the latest copy of Booklist and looked at the Purchase Alerts which lists items which are on hold for us.  Many of them are items which we do not own.

I finished reading Existence by David Brin.  It has a lot of interesting concepts in it.  The story makes you think.  David Brin brings in a lot of ideas from Von Neumann probes to alien contact stones and alien memes.  

Web Bits

Bookyard, A Library In Ghent
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/bookyard

Creating the Future: a 2020 Vision Plan For Library Service in the State of New York
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/2020final/index.html#r24

Daily Thoughts 07/13/2012

Anton Chladek (1794 - 1882) - Portrait of Romanian poet Alecu Văcărescu, National Art Museum of Romania, Bucureşti

Daily Thoughts 07/13/2012

I have been reading David Brin's Existence.  The book is enjoyable, it is about alien contact.  There are a number of discussions threading throughout the book about SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), artificial intelligence, and humanities generally meddlesome nature.  There is a very chaotic lively feeling to the writing.  I am a fan of David Brin's writing, I especially liked The Uplift War series, and I follow him on Facebook and Twitter.  I also occassionally read his material from Reason magazine which is a libertarian magazine.

This morning, I checked the displays, gift books, and updated the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library.  I still have some New York Times Book Reviews to catch up on for my professional reading.

I finished going through the New York Times Book Reviews today.  I am caught up on my professional reading.  I also checked the Collection Management sheets for patron requests.  Sometimes you learn little details like many military personnel prefer the McGraw Hill version of the ASVAB.  This helps make ordering books better. 

Daily Thoughts 07/12/2012

Men of the Day No. 1118: Caricature of Samuel Clemens. Caption read "Below the Mark".  Published in Vanity Fair, 13 May 1908.

Daily Thoughts 07/12/2012


I read some more of  Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee on the train to work.  It is very much the story of  Thomas Jefferson's table.  The book describes a number of political dinners with important figures in French and American history including John Adams.  It also describes Jefferson's habit of eating lots of vegetables.

This morning I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also updated the Facebook and Twitter accounts. I spent a little more time looking over the website statistics.

I put the book Chimera by T.C. McCarthy on hold.  It is military science fiction.  A chimera is a mix of different animals. 

We had the Computer Lab open today between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The book, Existence by David Brin has come in for me to read.  It is a science fiction book.

Web Bits


Ebook Strategy and Public Libraries: Slow Just Work Any More
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/07/ebooks/ebook-strategy-and-public-libraries-slow-just-wont-work-anymore/

Daily Thoughts 07/11/2012

Daily Thoughts 07/11/2012

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  We also had a collections meeting to discuss the collection development budget this afternoon.  I thought it went well.

I spent a little time checking the displays this afternoon.  I also spent some time looking at the statistics for the website.  People are very much interested in the special collections, the photographs of old bookmobiles, the services like literacy, the rotunda gallery and similar material.  What it shows is that people like to think of the Mount Vernon Public Library as a cultural institution and want to see examples of this on the website.

I have been steadily reading more of Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee. There are lots of descriptions of early French cuisine.  We learn people drank wine, beer, and cider instead of water because water was not safe.  Right now, I am reading about Jefferson's travels through French wine country.

Daily Thoughts 07/10/2012

Charles Gleyre, Lost Illusions http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Gleyre_-_Lost_Illusions_-_Walters_37184.jpg

Daily Thoughts 07/10/2012

Last night, I was reading Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee.  It is an interesting if complicated story.  Thomas Jefferson was deeply interested in food and wine, he grew grapes on his estate as well as extensive vegetable, fruit, and spice gardens.   This book is much more than that, though, it is also the story of James Hemings, Thomas Jefferson's son by Sally Hemings who was also his slave.  Thomas Jefferson made a deal with James Hemings that if he apprenticed as a chef in France, he would be given his freedom.  This is also the story of Thomas Jefferson in France during the time of 1784 before the French revolution.  The book is fascinating. 

This morning, I checked the displays and gift books.  I also updated the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I have been spending some time on the Mount Vernon Public Library website checking links.

I am looking forward to when Jonathan Carroll's new collection of short stories is coming out in August, The Woman Who Married A Cloud: Collected Stories.

I placed the book On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present by Alan Ryan on hold.  I also placed a request on We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of Lulzsec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyberinsurgency by Parmy Olson which is supposed to be a true crime book.

We have the computer classes tonight.  I just made up some sign in sheets for the classes.  Tomorrow we are discussing the collection development budget.  

Web Bits

Levin's Artepublishing to Do Enhanced Illustrated Books
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/52596-levin--s-artepublishing-to-do-enhanced-illustrated-books.html
What is interesting to me about this article is that the enhanced e-books are art books.

The Worst Masters Degree? -- Maureen Sullivan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-worst-masters-degree/2012/07/08/gJQAfm6BXW_blog.html 
The Forbes article which listed librarianship as the worst masters degree needed to be challenged.

Daily Thoughts 07/09/2012

Still life with books. Circa 1650.  Attributed to Jacques Bizet


Daily Thoughts 07/09/2012


I finished my vacation today.  I checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts in the morning.  I returned a bunch of material which I took for the vacation and donated a few books including James Lovegrove's The Age of Aztec.  There were two books waiting for me when I came in, a graphic novel, Flex Mentallo Man of Muscle Mystery by Grant Morrison and the Mongoliad Book One.


I also checked the displays and made sure the gift books were in order.  I had to update the current events display extensively.

We have the teenagers coming in with their Summer Reading lists.  Also, we are steadily getting people to bring in sheets of books they have read for the Annual Adult Summer Reading Game.  Things are going smoothly.

Library Journal sent me several advanced reading copies today, The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis which is a novel which includes Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo DaVinci as characters; The Double Game by Dan Fesperman which is a spy novel; Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee which is a nonfiction historical book about food; A novel called Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo; and a young adult novel, Charly's Epic Fiascos by Kelli London.  I always enjoy receiving these items.  I also have an issue of Library Journal, several issues of Publishers Weekly, and two issues of The New York Times Book Review to read through.

I put the book Existence by David Brin on hold.

There is an exhibit of art on nature in the rotunda galley which includes some very interesting paintings of fish and coastal landscapes.  I put some books on watercolor, landscape painting, and fish in the display cabinets which were not being used around the gallery.

Daily Thoughts 07/06/2012

Daily Thoughts 07/06/2012

I have been reading the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook.  There are a few bibliotherapy lists which are linked to from the Westchester Library Association.  White Plain Library maintains a list on Death Dying and Grieving for Children and Parents, http://thetrove.org/readinglists/grievinglist.shtml.

I also read some more of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Creating A Social Network.  The author is discussing naming and how important it is to both trademark and create a name that is easy to understand and directly reflects what your business is doing.  She also tells us that it should be very easy to signup for your service.

Web Bits

In Supreme Court Filing, Libraries Say Decision in Wiley Suit Threatens Lending Rights 
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/52874-in-supreme-court-filing-libraries-say-decision-in-wiley-suit-threatens-lending-rights.html 

Daily Thoughts 07/05/2012

Fifth Avenue Hotel Reading Room, 28 October, 1871
Daily Thoughts 07/05/2012

It has been very hot lately.  I have mostly relaxed.  I read a bit more of The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook.  I also took a look at the Facebook and Twitter account for the library.

Sometimes it is a good day to practice doing nothing, something which I am not very good at.

Web Bits

Carnegie Approves Funding for Mount Vernon, New York.-- This is from a library history blog.  It is from 1908.
http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2012/07/carnegie-approves-funding-for-mount.html

Daily Thoughts 07/04/2012

John White Alexander: The Printing Press [showing Johannes Gutenberg] (from the cycle "The Evolution of the Book") Library of Congress (Jefferson Building), Washington, D.C.

Daily Thoughts 07/04/2012

This afternoon, I read a little bit more of The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating A Social Network.  The author is writing about the different types of customer service; telephone, internet chat line, and email which are available as well as the need for professional technical support which can be beyond the capabilities of many creators of the networks.  I also read some more of The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook.

Web Bits

Westport Library Unveils New Makerspace
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/07/ux/westport-library-unveils-new-maker-space/
There are many references to Maker Spaces in libraries.  The New York Metropolitan Library Consortium has even had demonstrations of Makerbot in their facilities.

Daily Thoughts 07/03/2012

Death Mask of William Shakespeare 1616, From Encyclopedia Britannica, 1911 V.24, pp.788 and 789.


Daily Thoughts 07/03/2012


This morning, I spent some time reading my different social media accounts.  I have a number of accounts which I only check on occasion, Quora and GetGlue are two of them.  Quora is often useful for answering technical questions.

Tomorrow is July 4, Independence Day in America.  It should be a nice day tomorrow.

I read some more of The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook and The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating A Social Network.  There was a description of the different costs which would happen with a social network, hosting the network on a server, insuring enough bandwidth for growth, ensuring enough storage space as the site grows, paying for the design of the site, paying for additional features which did not come with services original package, possibly paying a programmer to allow access for mobile service, and having people for customer service, or possibly hiring people to run the network.  This would amount to a considerable amount of money.  If it was done on the free services, it might take even more time to do, because they tend to take longer to develop.

There are many more features on a social network than on a blog.  A blog is a small piece of a total social network package which usually includes photosharing, rss feeds, music sharing, bulletin boards, video feeds, announcements, and a variety of other services.


Web Bits


Big Box Heaven An Abandoned Walmart Becomes A Library
http://www.bookpatrol.net/2012/07/big-box-heaven-abandonded-walmart.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BookPatrol+%28book+patrol%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#.T_H30vVCryI

Daily Thoughts 07/02/2012

Paris, Bouquinistes sur le quai de Tournelle. Signed E. Galien-Laloue. Gouache on paper, 55 x 98 cm
Daily Thoughts 07/02/2012

There is a Twitter list for Community Managers https://twitter.com/#!/duzins/community-managers
I spent a little bit this afternoon looking at social media.

I read a bit more and did some exercises in The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook as well as  The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating a Social Network.


Web Bits

Hue-Man to Close Brick and Mortar Bookstore
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/52851-hue-man-to-close-bricks-and-mortar-store.html

This was a significant bookstore in New York.  It really is a shame.  First there were the big bookstore chains that forced many smaller stores to close because it was not possible to run their businesses with a large chain store next to them.  Now online retailing, it is forcing many brick and mortar bookstores to close as well.  Nkiru books which was an African American bookstore in Brooklyn changed their business to a nonprofit community center the Nkiru Center for Education in Culture in 2000.  It had operated as a bookstore since 1976,  I have noticed some other bookstores which are quite successful attached to nonprofit organizations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkiru_Center_for_Education_and_Culture 

Daily Thoughts 7/01/2012

Harper's Magazine cover by Edward Penfield, June, 1896

Daily Thoughts 07/01/2012

I read a bit of American Libraries magazine it comes as part of my membership to the American Library Association. I also checked the libraries Twitter and Facebook page.  Mostly I have been relaxing a bit.

I also read a little bit more of The Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook.  When I check out workbooks from the library which I do on occasion, I usually write out the answer in a lined notebook.  I usually don't write in books.  I am just getting used to the idea of being able to annotate ebooks.

I also read some more of The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating A Social Network.  Most of what the author is writing about is fairly straightforward.  Angela Crocker reminds us that social networks are usually focused on generating some kind of influence.