Daily Thoughts 10/29/2012

Der Bibliothek-Saal zu Tübingen. Osiander, Tübingen um 1822

Daily Thoughts 10/29/2012

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  The city is closed down.  There are pictures all over Facebook of different libraries closing for Hurricane Sandy.  It is wet and windy outside.  We made sure all of our windows were closed.  Grand Central Terminal is empty and shut down.

Web Bits

Random House and Penguin Agree to Merge
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/54536-random-house-penguin-agree-to-merge.html

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2012

Still life with books („In a library we are surrounded by friends“), L. Block, 1901
Daily Thoughts 10/28/2012

I have been reading a bit more of On Politics by Alan Ryan.  Alan Ryan is writing about Saint Augustine.  This is a quote from City of God by St Augustine.

Justice being taken away, then, what are kingdoms but great robberies? For what are robberies themselves, but little kingdoms? The band itself is made up of men; it is ruled by the authority of a prince, it is knit together by the pact of the confederacy; the booty is divided by the law agreed on. If, by the admittance of abandoned men, this evil increases to such a degree that it holds places, fixes abodes, takes possession of cities, and subdues peoples, it assumes the more plainly the name of a kingdom, because the reality is now manifestly conferred on it, not by the removal of covetousness, but by the addition of impunity. Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, “What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor.”

 I have started reading The End of Business As Usual Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution by Brian Solis.  This book has digerati written all over it.  It is the always on message which is being spread around.  I prefer not to be always on.  I like having quiet time to read and think.

There is something a little bit disconcerting to read that 92% of children in the United States have an online presence by the time they are two years old.  This bothers me.  I don't put my families information up on Facebook.  I like the internet, but I also like my privacy.

However, it is useful to know how it is to live in a constant stream of information with cell phones, tablets, and laptops turned on all the time, synched together, and shared at all hours of the day.

I am thinking again of the New York City Data Meetup #9,  I went to. http://www.meetup.com/NYC-Data-Business-Meetup/events/84016392/ I went to there to see what it was about.  It seemed to be very different than what I was expecting.

I was not listening for individual contributions, but rather to get a sense of what big data was in a business setting.  The first thing I learned was that in industry that there are three sections; infrastructure-- how do you store and manipulate massive amounts of information and data sets, algorithms and programs-- how do you make useful these large sets of data, and applications how do you apply the information in business.

The other thing I learned is that big data is being used by Fortune 1000 companies the world over.  It is something which they all are having to use to stay in business.  According to the panelists it was not a flash in the pan, but a long term 20 year trend.

When I talked to people at the reception afterward, I had a sense that this was very much a meeting for serious programs and investors.   The panel addressed the crowd as future investors and creators of large computer companies.

The other thing that I learned is that there are huge amounts of data sets, it is not hard to find information.  It is having a deep understanding of how to use the information and the subject it covers as well as create metadata that is useful that matters more than the ability to generate new information.  The real key here where librarians would seem to fit in is in metadata, taxonomy, indexing, and the ability to make information useful.

A lot of the discussion was focused around programming with a little bit touching on social media.  One of the differences in the language being used was a lot of it was about how you use both people and computers together to generate information which can be useful.  It was more about people than you might expect.  I found the portion of the talk by Crowd Computing Systems quite interesting.
http://www.crowdcomputingsystems.com/

This was a very business oriented meeting.  There was no discussion of government or education.  Most everyone was dressed business casual with a sportscoat, turtleneck, or dress shirt, dress shoes, and no tie.  The meeting was at Bloomberg LP in Manhattan.  Security took your photograph, made you a badge, and you returned the badge when you left.

It helped me get a better sense of what Big Data is.  There have been quite a few articles recently on the subject in the last year.

MIP, Big Data and Angry Birds, Febreze, and the Future of Reading

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/trade-shows-events/article/51811-mip-2012-big-data-little-data-and-angry-birds-febreze-and-the-future-of-reading.html

Book Industry Study Group’s Making Information Pay Conference Beyond Business As Usual the Age of Big Data

http://www.publishingtrends.com/2012/05/bisgs-making-information-pay-conference-beyond-business-as-usual-the-age-of-big-data/

Guest Post Where Is Big Data for Libraries by Matt Weaver

http://www.infodocket.com/2012/05/24/guest-post-where-is-the-big-data-for-libraries-by-matt-weaver/

I first thought about this because I was looking at trending topics in ASIST

http://www.asis.org/asist2012/abstracts/187.html

 
They did not talk that much about government data, but http://data.gov has a lot of free data sets on government information.  Also New York City has an interesting Open Data Repository
https://nycopendata.socrata.com/

There is a big storm tomorrow, Hurricane Sandy.  I learned my library will be closed on Monday.  Also, the annual meeting for Metro, the Metropolitan Library Council of New York was canceled.  Things look very serious right now.  The subways are being shut down in Manhattan, lower Manhattan is being evacuated, and the Metro North railroad is being shut down.

This is an article about the hurricane.  It explains just how dangerous it could potentially be.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2277

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2012

Joan Llimona, Reading, 1891

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2012

I spent some time checking my email and social media accounts this morning.

I also read a little bit more of On Politics.  Paul Ryan is writing about the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero.  I learned a bit about the book De Officis which Cicero's philosophy.  The writing is beautiful.  http://www.constitution.org/rom/de_officiis.htm



Web Bits

10 Ways Libraries Matter In a Digital Age
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/inside-scoop/10-ways-libraries-matter-digital-age

Readers First A Movement to Improve Ebook Access for Libraries
http://readersfirst.org/?goback=.gmp_2655023.gde_2655023_member_179394938

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2012

Muse reading a volumen (scroll), at the left an open chest. Attic red-figure lekythos, ca. 435-425 BC. From Boeotia.

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2012

We had a staff meeting this morning.  I also spent some time checking for missing items from a list.  I found a few things.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  We are discussing signage at the meeting.  Thinking of signage makes me think of merchandising collections.

I also spent some time looking through lists of fiction series by different authors like Greg Bear, Beverly Lewis, Louise Penny, Rita Mae Brown, Kelly Armstrong, and other popular fiction writers from a variety of different genres.

I read more of On Politics by Alan Ryan.  I am reading about Polybius an ancient roman who wrote Rise of the Roman Empire. Polybius describes Rome as a republic which combines different features of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.  It is this combination which makes it superior to any one form of government by itself. 

I also spent some time looking at Small Press Distributors http://www.spdbooks.org/Default.aspx
and the Center for Fiction http://centerforfiction.org/   I rather like their essential books for writers list.  http://centerforfiction.org/

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2012

The Poor Artists Cupboard, Circa 1815, Charles Bird King

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2012

This morning, I finished reading Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  It is a solid overview for someone new to the subject.  There were some pointers that were worth reading.

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

I have been doing more ordering.  While looking through the Baker and Taylor Forecast, I came across a book that seemed interesting called The Zero Waste Lifestyle: Living Well by Throwing Away Less by Amy Korst.   The book is coming out on December 26. I think it should be interesting.   Reducing the amount of stuff we consume also reduces spending.

On the way home, I read some more of On Politics by Paul Ryan.  I rather like the idea from Aristotle that slavery would end when the plow could pull itself.

It is different than a favorite quote I have from the Greek philosopher Aristotle in around 320 B.C..

And so, in the arrangement of the family, a slave is a living possession, and property a number of such instruments; and the servant is himself an instrument which takes precedence of all other instruments. For if every instrument could accomplish its own work, obeying or anticipating the will of others, like the statues of Daedalus, or the tripods of Hephaestus, which, says the poet, of their own accord entered the assembly of the Gods; if, in like manner, the shuttle would weave and the plectrum touch the lyre without a hand to guide them, chief workmen would not want servants, nor masters slaves. (From Book 1, section IV of Aristotle's Politics, as translated by Benjamin Jowett.) 

Some people view this as the first historical example of thinking on automation.  It can be interpreted that technology would eventually end slavery.

  There are a lot of ideas that seem simple in this book, but have much deeper meanings.  For example, Paul Ryan reminds us that the modern republics owe more to the Roman republic than Athenian democracy.

Web Bits

Ignore the Doomsayers the Book Industry is Actually Adapting Well
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/10/ignore-the-doomsayers-the-book-industry-is-actually-adapting-well/263992/

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2012

Portrait of Jean Mielot, Jean Le Tavernier, After 1456

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2012

It was quite interesting going to the Big Data Meetup.  It was very different from what I expected.  I am still pondering what I am going to say about it.  I'll probably have to do a bit of research before I can fully explain what I saw.

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

On the way to work, I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  There was a recommendation for the book, The End of Business As Usual by Brian Solis which I checked out from our new books section.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  A copy of Baker and Taylor Forecasts came in for me to read.

The computer lab was open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. today. 

I spent some time looking through lists of missing and lost items.  I am probably going to reorder some material.  I have been focusing on fiction initially; popular authors like Mary Monroe, Carl Weber, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, and Jodi Picoult.

On the way home, I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  I was especially interested in what the author had to say about images and photographs and how to use Flickr.  I also read a bit more from On Politics.  The author, Paul Ryan, is moving from Socrates to Aristotle.  I find some of Aristotle's views on women, politics, and slavery to be distasteful. 



Web Bits

RA 4 FB Creating A Social Space for Readers
http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/ra-4-fb-creating-a-social-space-for-readers
I rather like Bookriot which was mentioned in this article.

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2012

Stillleben mit Folianten und Kirschblüten, signiert F. Malacrea, Öl auf Leinwand, 70 x 45 cm, Francesco Malacrea (1812-1886)

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2012

I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies on the way to work. I checked the Facebook account and Twitter account for the library as well.

I am coming in a little early so I can go to an event tonight, The New York City Data Business Meetup which I have wanted to go to for a while.  It is about big data. http://www.meetup.com/NYC-Data-Business-Meetup/

I read the latest Booklist and finished reading Library Journal this morning.

I also checked the displays to make sure things were up to date and the book sale was in order.  I spent a little time talking to my colleagues about shelving.

I took some time to look at Monster Librarian http://monsterlibrarian.com which reviews horror books.  I also spent a little bit of time looking at the Mysterious Bookshop site.


Web Bits

How Libraries Count in the 2012 Election
http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/10172012/how-libraries-count-2012-election
I watched all of the presidential debates in the United States.  While I could not watch them at the time they happened, I did go to CNN on my computer to watch them.  Please take the time to vote.

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2012

Bookseller and Author, Thomas Rowlandson, September 24, 1784

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2012

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library.  I also checked the gift books and the displays.  I spent some time looking through the African American fiction section which is very popular at our library. I also took some time to look at the Collection Management Sheet for patron requests and the purchase alerts for items on hold.

Some of the nonfiction books which I ordered through the Central Library District funds are starting to come in for the new books section.  I spent a little time doing some professional reading.  Sometimes I look at American Libraries Direct  http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/aldirect  or The New York Times Books section http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html

Today has been a quiet, peaceful day.

I spent some time reading the latest New York Times Book Review and the latest Publishers Weekly.  I also read the latest Salaries and Placements information from Library Journal. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/10/placements-and-salaries/2012-survey/a-job-by-any-other-name-ljs-placements-salaries-survey-2012/  One of the things that it says is that many librarians are taking positions that are information technology related outside of librarianship.  I have noticed that a number of new titles in the technology field, like metadata specialist, taxonomist, content manager are very similar to modern librarianship.  The publishing field has an increasing need for metadata, indexing, and content management which is often related to librarianship.

On the way home, I read some more of On Politics. Sometimes you learn things that are interesting.  Plato's Academy was established in 387 B.C. and survived until 529 C.E. for 916 years.  

Web Bits

Transforming Libraries: Ebooks and Digital Content
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/ebooks-digital-content

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2012

Fumiyomu onna Print shows a half-length portrait of a woman reading a letter.
Date Created/Published: [178-, printed later]

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2012

This morning, I checked my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  The author is writing about keywords and analytics.  The library has used Google Adwords as part of its looking at keywords in descriptions for our website.  There is also a monthly report from the Westchester Library System which gives analytics about the website.

I read some more of On Politics by Paul Ryan.  The author is describing the rivalries between Sparta and Athens as well as the rivalries between Xerxes and the Greek city states.  I like Paul Ryan's idea that there will almost always arise conflicts between autocracies and democracies.

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2012

Claude Monet, painting of the French artist's wife, Camille, reading in a meadow full of flowers. It was first exhibited in Paris in 1877. Dans la prairie, 1876, Oil on canvas.

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2012

Last night, I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  It reminded me to set up a Google Alert for a few subjects. http://www.google.com/alerts
I also read a little bit more of Paradiso.  There is a lot of Roman and Florentine history in the poem by Dante.  I especially liked the description of the Roman Emperor Justinian.

This morning, I read some of On Politics, Book One by Alan Ryan.  It is a two volume set.  The first book covers from Herodotus to Machiavelli.  The focus is on western politics and starts with the polis or the Greek city state.  The author suggests that a small city state is very different from a large modern nation in how democracy is carried out.  Alan Ryan has a very impressive publications list.  I especially like the review list from the New York Review of Books.  http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ajryan/mycv.html#books

I also read some more of Paradiso by Dante.  My favorite line so far from Canto X is:

Within the court of Heaven, whence I return, Are many jewels found, so fair and precious They cannot be transported from the realm;

It is something worth contemplating.

I have been contemplating purchasing an ebook from Harvard Business Review, Information Wants to Be Shared by Joshua Gans.  I probably won't buy it.  It seems to be a spinoff of the idea "information wants to be free."

Web Bits

My 6,128 Books by Joe Queenan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444868204578064483923017090.html

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2012

Lesende. Kreidelithographie auf chamoisfarbenem Velin. 25 x 18,2 cm (Darstellung); 34,8 x 25,5 cm (Blattgröße). Signiert und datiert. 1925 Georg Schrimpf

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2012

This morning, I read some more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies on the train to work.  The author is writing about how to protect your reputation and get alerts when people are writing about your content.

We got a number of donations of oversize asian art books which are going to be added to the collection.  I also spent time this morning going through nonfiction core lists for ordering.  I also checked a list of missing items for replacements.

Library Journal sent a box of review copies.  Two of the copies were young adult titles, Chasers by James Phelan and Hollywood High by NiNi Simone.  The rest were fiction books.  I rather liked the title, The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore.

I spent some more time looking at fiction titles and lists of prize winning books this afternoon.

On the way home, I read a bit of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  The author is writing about services which will provide alerts to you when someone writes about you on the internet.   I also started reading On Politics Volume 1 by Alan Ryan.

Web Bits


Google Throws Open Doors to Its Top-Secret Data Center
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/10/ff-inside-google-data-center

Daily Thoughts 10/18/2012

 Isaac Israels, Girl Reading, Circa 1906


Daily Thoughts 10/18/2012

This morning, I rested on the train to work.  There was an accident on the tracks last night, so I had plenty of time to read Online Reputation Management for Dummies.

This morning, I updated the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the library and checked the displays and gift books.  I also spent some more time looking through the core fiction list for adult fiction from BWI.  Hopefully, I should get lists to look through for missing and lost items so I can replace some material soon.

Two books came in for me to read, True North Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George and Book One of On Politics by Alan Ryan.

The computer lab was open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I also spent quite a bit of time looking through core lists for both recent fiction and nonfiction today.

On the way home, I read some more of Paradiso by Dante.  It is the final part of The Divine Comedy. 

Daily Thoughts 10/17/2012

Daily Thoughts 10/17/2012

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also read through my various social media accounts.

On the way to work, I read a little bit of the El Diario newspaper for practice.  I also read a little bit more of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.

This afternoon we had the computer lab open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

I spent a lot of time this afternoon looking at lists for award winning books in both nonfiction and fiction.  Everything from the Pulitzer Prize to the Edgar Awards to the Man Booker Prize.


Web Bits

One on One: Robin Sloan, Author and Media Inventor
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/one-on-one-robin-sloan-author-and-media-inventor/?imm_mid=098322&cmp=em-toc-newsletters-oct16-elist


Ebook Collection Surging New Data Available from LJ, SLJ, Annual Usage Reports
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/ebooks/ebook-collections-surging-new-data-available-from-lj-slj-annual-usage-reports/#public

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2012

Peeling potatoes. Signed and dated A.J.Madiol/1873. Oil on panel, 55 x 45.5 cm, 1873

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2012

I finished reading Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish this morning.  I am probably going to go back and read over a few of the sections.  I also read some more of The Little Book of Talent.  I am on the second section which focuses on deep practice.  A lot of the book is describing how practicing each day, being consistent, pushing your limits, and breaking down activities into small chunks makes it easier to improve skills.  There is a lot of focus on sports, the military, and music in this book.  I also cracked open and read the first few pages of Online Reputation Management for Dummies.  Dante's Paradiso came in for me to read. 

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

In the afternoon, I spent some time looking through the Early Word website and read the New York Times Book Review.  I also spent some time looking at core bibliographies of recent titles for fiction and multicultural fiction.  Hopefully, I should have a chance to look at missing item lists and lost book lists for my library as well.

On the way home, I finished reading The Little Book of Talent, it is a quick read with lots of solid information.  I may read the authors other book, The Talent Code.  Some of the ideas I liked in the final section which is on sustaining progress, are cultivate your grit, and work on your skill constantly.

I have started reading Online Reputation Management by Lori Randall Stradtman.  I rather liked the idea that you should not put anything online which you would not want your grandmother to read. 

Web Bits

Publishing' Open Future
http://toc.oreilly.com/2012/10/publishings-open-future.html

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2012

A.L. Leroy, Interior With A Man Reading At His Desk, 1827, From Wikimedia

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2012

This morning, I checked the displays and checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also did some more ordering focused on professional books for librarians.  There are some titles which should be of use.

I am writing a short summary of my activities during the last month.

I have a copy of the New York Times Book Review to read on my desk.  I just checked out Online Reputation Management for Dummies by Lori Randall Stradtman as well as The Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle.

I read another chapter of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish on the way home.  I also started reading The Little Book of Talent.  It is focused on 52 different ways to improve your skills.  The first section is on how to start building skills.  I rather like the idea of keeping a journal as a form of building skills.  I also like the idea that practicing in a very spartan area with no distractions helps.

Web Bits

Three Startups That Could Change the Market
http://bookseller-association.blogspot.com/2012/10/three-start-ups-that-could-change-market.html

Daily Thoughts 10/14/2012

Anne Brontë - drawing in pencil by Charlotte Brontë, 1845

Daily Thoughts 10/14/2012

I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also finished reading another chapter of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.  When I am done reading this book, I might go back and read over a few chapters.

This afternoon, I finished reading At the Mouth of the River of Bees Stories by Kij Johnson.  I especially liked the story, The Cat Who Walked a Thousand Miles, it is set in Japan and the cat character, Little Cat is compelling.  There are 18 stories in At the Mouth of the River of Bees.  I liked all of them.

I am also reading more of Makers.  Chris Anderson is writing about Kickstarter.  He also wrote about open source hardware which I find rather interesting.  Arduino is an example of an open source hardware.http://arduino.cc/   In addition, he is writing about the idea of having open business models for companies that focus on online communities, web based business, and sharing of ideas.

I finished reading Makers The Next Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson.  It helped me understand some of the changes that are coming around the pike.  I really didn't understand how things like http://www.123dapp.com/  123D Cad interacted with desktop printers like Makerbot http://www.makerbot.com 

The book also gave me a better sense how the value chain moved up to more complex services like Shapeways where people can request objects to be made.  http://www.shapeways.com  or something a little more complex like http://www.pocono.com

From Shapeways, it moves up to more complex spaces like Techshop http://www.techshop.ws/   or marketplaces like Etsy where handmade products can be sold http://www.etsy.com/  where people sell the things they make or make things themselves.   What Chris Anderson never talks about is how much the focus is on art as wells arts and crafts.

From there it becomes even more complex, it goes to the serious inventors and people who are very into manufacturing as a hobby with Make magazine.  http://makezine.com/   For me this is abstract, I am more interested in the idea than actually doing things.  There are also hackerspaces.  I have wanted to visit one, but have never got around to it.  Places like NYC Resistor http://www.nycresistor.com/  which are also magnets for computer programmers.

The next step up the value chain are people who have successfully made or invented products which are commercial in nature and have built communities around them.  These are places like Local Motors,  or Quirky http://www.quirky.com/

A lot of it seems more about art and creativity than manufacturing which is very interesting.  I don't see Kickstarter as a manufacturing hub, but as a place for creativity.  Still, there are some very interesting products being invented.

I can see how the creative side of things like Makerbot might be of interest to libraries.  Learning to be creative is part of education.

On a more serious level, there are industrial scale 3D printing which is described in this excellent New York Times article.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/technology/14print.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

To bring it back home to the library world, there are of course devices like the Espresso Book Machine which can quickly print books on demand.  http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-2-espress-yourself/

The Espresso Book Machines is of course in some libraries like Brooklyn Public Library.  http://www.infodocket.com/2012/03/07/espresso-book-machine-now-available-at-brooklyn-public-library/

There has been a push by some in the library space to bring in Makerspaces.  I find it a bit odd.
The idea has a kind of distant relatedness.  http://blog.makezine.com/2011/03/10/is-it-time-to-rebuild-retool-public-libraries-and-make-techshops/   In some ways, it seems like a direction which is different than what I would expect.  In a way, it seems to change the purpose of libraries. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/07/ux/westport-library-unveils-new-maker-space/ 
In this library Westport library says it is a trend to have Makerbots.

There are a lot of ideas floating around about new technology in libraries. There was a demonstration of Makerbot at the New York Metropolitan Library Council recently.  http://metro.org/events/190/
I am not sure if this is a passing fad, or a meme which has kind of reached out and appealed to the more techically inclined librarians. 

To me, making is the same kind of meme which has brought Codecademy into Library Journal. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/tag/codecademy/   Somehow libraries have been pulled into this rather odd idea that everyone should be able to program and make things.  Libraries are an open forum where people often push ideas into.  http://business.time.com/2012/06/08/codecademy-founder-why-everyone-should-learn-programming/

 I don't think everyone should be programming, nor do I think everyone should be making things.  I learned some HTML and CSS from Codecademy which was useful.  Not everyone wants this, it makes a lot of librarians uncomfortable.  However, the people who want this should be able to take advantage of it.

Daily Thoughts 10/13/2012

Painted portraits of writers from Russia - Pushkin, Krylov, Zhukovsky and Gnedich in Summer Garden. From Wikimedia.  1832. Gregory Chernetsov

Daily Thoughts 10/13/2012

This morning, I checked the library Facebook and Twitter account.  I also visited Barnes and Noble to look at books.  I like bookstores.

I put the book True North by Bill George on hold.  It is a book on business leadership.

I watched the film, Journey to the Mysterious Island which is a kind of a takeoff on The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.  I am planning on watching The Secret World of Arriety which is Studio Ghibli anime film. This is supposed to be based on the classic childrens book The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

I read another chapter of Madrigal's  Magic Keys to Spanish, and a few more stories from At The River of Bees by Kij Johnson.  The short story which the book is named after is a little bit unsettling and odd.  I also read a little bit more of Makers.  Chris Anderson is writing about Local Motors which is a custom fabricator of cars http://www.localmotors.com/  and Tesla which makes an electric roadster http://www.teslamotors.com/

Web Bits

This is a link to an article about Mo Yan winning the Noble Prize for Literature.
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/mo-yan-wins-the-nobel-prize-for-literature_b58941 

Is 2012 The End of the World for Print?
http://blog.agilitycms.com/is-2012-the-end-of-the-world-for-print?goback=.gmp_104765.gde_104765_member_144079385
I thought this was interesting.

Daily Thoughts 10/12/2012

"Girl reading a letter", Alfred Edward Chalon (1780-1860)

Daily Thoughts 10/12/2012

Yesterday, I read a few of the stories in At The Mouth of the River of Bees by Kij Johnson. They are absolutely unique.  They have a feeling of oddness which is a tiny bit similar to Neil Gaiman at his best.  A thing I noticed about the writing is that she does not try and explain some of the odd things that happen which makes the stories even better.

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

I spent some time this morning placing orders.  I also spent some time looking through the core collection lists from BWI for history and biography.  I have a copy of Booklist to read through.

The book, Makers The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson has come in for me to read.  Where I surprisingly have seen some interesting things is in the world of art and music.  You too can print your own guitar http://kunc.org/post/you-too-can-print-your-own-guitar   The Metropolitan Museum of Art Recently had a 3D Hackathon http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/now-at-the-met/features/2012/hackathon  Also, there was a recent article in Wired about The San Francisco Asian Museum of Art also had a 3D Scanathon http://www.wired.com/design/2012/10/scanathon/ 

There are many examples of people making and selling things with 3D printers that are very interesting.  While I was reading about The Kickstarter Handbook by Don Steinberg, one of the project was a 3D filigree skull made using 3D printing. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshharker/crania-anatomica-filigre-me-to-you

I finished reading Booklist and took some time to look at the purchase alerts and the collection management sheet for patron requests.  I also added a few donated oversize art books to the collection, one on Leonardo Da Vinci and one on Winslow Homer.  I spent a little more time reading reviews from Library Journal online.  The reviews from the online version are different from the print version.

On the way home, I read some more of At The Mouth of the River of Bees, some of the stories have traditional trickster themes in them.  I especially liked the final story of the collection The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change as well as the story Fox Magic.  The stories seem to have a message of thinking differently about the world.

I also read some more of Makers.  Chris Anderson is arguing that 3D printing and manufacturing is very similar right now to the early stages of the personal computer revolution.  He focuses on the history of manufacturing in the first few chapters.

Daily Thoughts 10/11/2012

Still-Life with Statuette and Shells, Sebastian Stoskopff, First half of the 17th Century.

Daily Thoughts 10/11/2012

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I also looked at the displays, gift books,  and checked the email reference.

The book, At The Mouth of the River of Bees by Kij Johnson came in for me to read.  It is a collection of short stories.  I read the New York edition of the El Diario newspaper, on the train to work.  I think I can understand a little more than half of it.

We had the computer lab open this afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I helped a few people with job search online.

I mostly relaxed on the way home.  Something is convincing me that I should read Paradiso by Dante.  I have already read Inferno.  It would be a nice change of pace.


Web Bits


Celebrate All Hallow's Read on October 31
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/celebrate-all-hallows-read-on-october-31_b58834

National Book Awards Finalists Announced Today
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2012/10/in-the-bookroom/national-book-award-finalists-announced-today/#_
I am looking at the poetry.

Daily Thoughts 10/10/2012

The second of four designs for the reverse of the 2009 Lincoln cent in celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth

Daily Thoughts 10/10/2012

I spent a little time looking at the IMLS -- Institute of Museum and Library Services website as well as the New York State Library website this morning.  I also looked at the Westchester Databook for 2010.

The National Book Awards are being announced today.  I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.

I also picked out some nonfiction books on vampires, lycanthropes, mothman, yetis, and other cryptozoological and mythical beasts for a display.

This afternoon, I spent some time in the computer lab.  The lab was open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.

 I also put in an order for nonfiction books focused on a mix of subjects; popular nonfiction, history, biography, and careers.  I looked at Kirkus Reviews Online as well as Earlyword and the New York Review of Books http://www.nybooks.com/ in addition to Library Journal, Booklist and Publishers Weekly. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/biography-memoir/


Web Bits

Long Live Paper
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/opinion/long-live-paper.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
I like to think we will still have children's picture books and coffee table books in the future.  These seem to be a lot less replaceable than black and white text.

A Lively Mind Your Brain on Jane Austen
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/09/162401053/a-lively-mind-your-brain-on-jane-austen

Daily Thoughts 10/09/2012

Woman and Child Looking at a Picture Book, Circa 1600, Jacob De Gheyn (II), Pen and Wash On Paper

Daily Thoughts 10/09/2012

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also looked at Library Journal Online and Publishers Weekly. I checked the displays and the gift books.

I spent some time talking to the career counselor today.  She had a bibliography with a variety of career titles.  I talked to our computer person on Friday about computer books.  I also spent some time looking through the Chief which is the civil service newspaper for New York city.  The Chief includes listings for Westchester county openings.

I read the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly in the afternoon.  I also wrote down a few recommended titles from my visit to Barnes and Noble on Monday.  I am putting together another order list.

On the way home, I took a break and read On Cats & Dogs Two Tales by Neil Gaiman and a few Love and Rockets comics by the Brothers Hernandez.

I finished watching DC Entertainment Spanish Level 3 on dvd.  I'll probably have to start with some light reading, maybe a newspaper or a novel in Spanish and some television programs.


Web Bits

Man Booker Prize Judge Has Little Time for Book Blogs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9594823/Man-Booker-Prize-judge-has-little-time-for-book-blogs.html
This makes perfect sense to me.  Most book blogs in my opinion have a focus on readability, not necessarily literary quality.  They advise on what a person likes more than provide literary criticism in the traditional sense.

Three Words of Wisdom: Standards, Rights, and Data
http://www.idealog.com/blog/three-words-of-wisdom-standards-rights-data/

Daily Thoughts 10/08/2012

Print shows the poet Henjō with two other women reading poetry. Date Created/Published: [between 1795 and 1801, printed later]

Daily Thoughts 10/08/2012

I read some more of Savvy Dealing With People Power and Politics at Work.  The author is writing about how to collaborate with other people and create situations where both parties win.  She also describes a number of barriers to collaboration ranging from behavior to philosophy to prejudice.

I also watched a little bit more of Spanish Level 3 from DC Entertainment on dvd.

I have the day off today.  It is Columbus Day today.

I finished reading Savvy this evening.  The book is useful, I liked the section on networking as well as the sections on understanding conflict and dealing with bullies.   Jane Clarke, the author describes savvy as the ability to deal effectively with politics at work.

I went to Barnes and Noble this afternoon in the mall.  I was also there to pick up a new tea kettle as an aside.  I like to look at different books.  Something which looked interesting was Sean Howe, Marvel Comics the Untold Story.  I take notes about what I would like to read or what I might get for the library when I visit bookstores.  On a more serious note there is Emma: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen, Edited by Bharat Tandon which is published by Belnap Press of Harvard University Press.  It looks like a beautiful book.

Web Bits

Alexandria Burning; or, The Future of Libraries and Everything Else
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/10/opinion/backtalk/alexandria-burning-or-the-future-of-libraries-and-everything-else-backtalk/

Daily Thoughts 10/07/2012

Louis August Cezanne, Father of the Artist Reading, Paul Cezanne.


Daily Thoughts 10/07/2012

I have been reading more of Savvy.  It has quite a bit on how to negotiate with other people, listen, and handle conflict.  I rather liked two sections so far; a chart on how to identify the styles of influence you use, and a list of common ways people use to deal with conflict at work.  So far it seems to be a useful book to read.  I'll probably watch some of Learn Spanish Level 3 from DC Entertainment and read a bit more Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.


Web Bits

The Worlds Largest Floating Bookstore
http://bookriot.com/2012/10/05/the-worlds-largest-floating-bookstore/

Daily Thoughts 10/06/2012

Portrait of Virginia Woolf, Roger Fry, Circa 1917

Daily Thoughts 10/06/2012

I spent some time looking at the Facebook and Twitter page for the library.  I also learned that there is a new news site in Mount Vernon, The Mount Vernon Daily Voice http://www.mountvernondailyvoice.com

I am off today.  I finished watching DC Entertainment Learn Spanish Level 2 today.  I think I am getting a better grasp of the subject.

I also read some more of Savvy.  Some of it is about how to avoid conflict and be better at office politics.  There is a case made that even if you do a good job, you still need to tell people what you are doing.

Web Bits

It's Time for a Publishing Incubator
http://toc.oreilly.com/2012/10/its-time-for-a-publishing-incubator.html?goback=%2Egmp_1818722%2Egde_1818722_member_172593448

Daily Thoughts 10/05/2012

Nikolaos Gyzis, Historia, Oil on Panel, 1892
 
Daily Thoughts 10/05/2012

This morning, I read through part of the vocabulary section of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.  I also checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  Tomorrow we are having the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter come.  They are doing a pet food drive at the library from October 1-6, and on Saturday are showing some cats and dogs for adoption.

I put some books on cats on dogs in the display next to the circulation desk with a colleague.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  The Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library are sorting through donations right now for the book sale.

I also did a bit of ordering focused on computer books, drawing books, popular nonfiction, and career books.

Today has been a quiet day.

On the way home, I started reading Savvy Dealing with People, Power and Politics at Work by Jane Clarke. One of the library patrons recommended that I read it.  I am reading about the difference between making reactive and proactive decisions.  It is about being prepared.

Web Bits

Auto-graphics Adds Self-Publishing Tool to Library Software
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/software/auto-graphics-adds-self-publishing-tool-to-library-software/

Defending The Freedom to Read the History of Banned Books Week
http://atyourlibrary.org/culture/defending-freedom-read-history-banned-books-week

Daily Thoughts 10/04/2012

View of the statue of Ovid in Constanța, Romania. 1900

Daily Thoughts 10/04/2012

This morning, I read some more of A Universe From Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss.  The author describes how quantum fluctuations in nothing can create the universe.  He also says that mathematical laws make the universe possible.  It is a different explanation than I expected.  It is something worth thinking about.

There is a virtual conference,  The Digital Shift: Libraries Ebooks and Beyond on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/events/ebooks-and-beyond/

This morning, I checked the displays and updated the Twitter and Facebook account for the library.  I also did a little more checking on the website.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  I also am getting ready to order nonfiction books.

I finished reading A Universe From Nothing on the way home.  I liked the description that the universe may actually be a multiverse with many different possible universes with different laws.

Web Bits

Librarian Patience Has Run Out On e-book Lending Issues Library Association Says
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2012/librarian-patience-has-run-out-on-e-book-lending-issues-library-association-says/?et_mid=582063&rid=232351510

Daily Thoughts 10/03/2012

[Exterior view. Bronze doors to the right of the central entrance representing Writing by Olin L. Warner. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.] Date Created/Published: 2007. 

Daily Thoughts 10/03/2012

I read a bit of A Universe from Nothing this morning.  I learned that 70% of energy in the universe is dark matter located in space.  It is an interesting book.  The ideas involving quantum mechanics and how it interacts with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity are sometimes hard to grasp, but make you think.  I also read some more of Madrigal's Magic Keys to Spanish.

In addition, I learned about a few things.  The annual meeting for Metro, New York is on October 29, 2012.  I am a My Metro member.  There is also a virtual conference going on right now called Library 2.0.  It is free to attend and runs from October 3-5. http://www.library20.com/

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I am working late tonight.  This afternoon, I checked the displays.  This week is Banned Books Week, September 30- October 6, 2012.  I also did a little more link checking on the website.  The clerks are checking the fiction paperbacks right now.

I spent some time looking for books on drawing and cartooning which are very popular at my library.  I also looked at books for the Job Information Center and popular computer titles.  We have a lot of resumes books.  Digital video and digital music are popular as well.

One book which I saw while looking through different sites was The One World School House Education Reimagined by Salman Khan.  Salman Khan is the founder of the Khan Academy. The Khan Academy has over 3400 free instructional videos.

The computer lab was open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
I have to read through the latest Publishers Weekly and the latest Library Journal.

Web Bits

Fast Pencil, Autographics Team for Library Publishing Platform
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/libraries/article/54202-fastpencil-auto-graphics-team-for-library-publishing-platform.html
This is an interesting idea.  I have heard about writing groups sometimes producing chapbooks at libraries.


This article covers a book being set up on Kickstarter by Kim Krizan.

Self-Publishing for 'Dangerous Women'
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/54164-pw-select-october-2012-self-publishing-for--dangerous-women--.html

Daily Thoughts 10/02/2012

A lady reading while playing the spinet; signed 'A Foord-Hughes' (upper left); watercolour heightened with bodycolour; 32 x 23.5 cm

Daily Thoughts 10/02/2012

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the library.  I also did some minor editing for the website.  I probably should go through and do some more link checking and other things.

I also spent some time working on ordering.  I am focusing on ordering New York Times Bestsellers.  I spent some time checking the displays.  There are a lot of new books still coming in.  I plan on reading The Chief Civil Service Leader The Civil Employees Weekly newspaper.  It lists civil service job openings in the Five Boroughs of New York city.  Mount Vernon Hospital also has the Hopfer School of Nursing, and there is also a Westchester Community College Annex in Mount Vernon. Looking at these places helps me make decisions about what kind of test books which we need.

I spent a little time checking the displays this afternoon.  We have our computer classes tonight.  I printed out some new sign in sheets.

I also checked out the book A Universe From Nothing Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss.  He also wrote The Physics of Star Trek.  I read some of this book on the way home.  It is a book on cosmology.  The author starts by describing concepts like cosmic background radiation and dark matter.

Web Bits

The Makings of Maker Spaces Part 1 Space for Creation Not Just Consumption
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

This article mentions Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop—from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication by Neil Gershenfeld which is an interesting red.

The Makings of Makers Spaces Part 2 Espress Yourself
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-2-espress-yourself/

The Makings of Maker Spaces Part 3 A Fabulous Home for Cocreation
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-3-a-fabulous-home-for-cocreation/

Banned Books Trading Card Exhibit
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2012/09/banned-books/