Daily Thoughts 04/30/2013

Charles Frederic Ulrich, The Dutch Typesetter, 1880s

Daily Thoughts 04/30/2013

This morning on the way to work, I read a little more from Vote Yes for Libraries.  The authors are describing how to set up a budget and a calendar for a ballot initiative.  Some of the items they discuss are lawn signs, buttons, bumper stickers, going door to door, and the importance of mailings for library campaigns.

I also read a little bit more of the Lean Entrepreneur.  The authors are discussing how to test a product cheaply and update a product quickly.  There are numerous case studies of a couple pages throughout the book.  This ranges from gourmet pizza to motor vehicle prototypes to internet startups.  This book is not just for software companies.

I checked the displays this morning and am checking the monthly statistics.  I also checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.

On the way home, I finished reading the Lean Entrepreneur.  It is a completely overview of the lean philosophy in entrepreneurship.  A lot of it is about how to build a startup inexpensively with a lot of bootstrapping.  I also read another chapter of Vote Yes for Libraries.  The authors are writing about the importance of volunteers.

Web Bits

What's The Problem with Self Publishing
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/publishing/whats-the-problem-with-self-publishing/

Daily Thoughts 04/29/2013

Monet, Claude, Dans La Prairie, painting of the French artist's wife, Camille, reading in a meadow full of flowers. It was first exhibited in Paris in 1877.

Daily Thoughts 04/29/2013

On the way to work, I read some more of Vote Yes for Libraries.  I am reading about the process of hiring a consultant to help put together a ballot initiative.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  This week, the library has the Friends of the Library Book and Bake sale on May 3 and May 4, 2013.  I also checked the displays this morning.  May is National Inventors month.

I spent some time checking the purchase alerts, the collection management sheet for patron requests, and the New York Times Bestseller list and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list.  I have a meeting today to discuss the setting up alerts for popular authors.  I have a list of authors with five plus circulation annually.

I checked out the book, Pimping Fictions African Crime Literature and the Untold Story of Black Pulp Publishing by Justin Gifford.  This is the history of street literature.  People like Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, and Chester Himes are discussed.  There is also some coverage of more modern urban fiction.  It should be interesting reading because there are some controversies around the idea of street literature.  I took a minute to flip through the book and there is coverage of Terri Woods and Sistah Souljah also.

I sent over a list of authors to put on alert to Baker and Taylor.  A box of advanced reading copies came in from Library Journal.  Marisha Pessl Night Film, Alex by Pierre Lemaitre which is a thriller, Instructions for a Heatwave A Novel by Maggie O'Farrell, Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach A Novel, Crazy Love by Amir Abrams, and A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik.  We keep a shelf of advanced reading copies in the staff lounge for people to look over.

I have a copy of Library Journal and two copies of the Times Literary Supplement to read.

On the way home, I read some more of the Lean Entrepreneur.  I am figuring out the basic meaning of viable is that there is a customer who will buy your product.   I also read another chapter in Vote Yes for Libraries.  The chapter is focused on who will vote for you and why they will vote for you.  One way to find out who will vote for you is through opinion polls and surveys.


Web Bits

Self Publishing is for Control Freaks
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygreenfield/2013/04/23/self-publishing-is-for-control-freaks/

Daily Thoughts 04/28/2013

C. Cole Philips, 1908, Fadeaway Girl 3

Daily Thoughts 04/28/2013

I spent a little more time reading Vote Yes for Libraries. I mostly relaxed this weekend.

Web Bits

Publishing Notes: Our Brains on Screens
http://toc.oreilly.com/2013/04/digital-vs-paper-reading-churnalism-cookbook-publishing.html

Daily Thoughts 04/26/2013

Inscription regarding Tiberius Claudius Babillus of Rome (d. 56 CE) which confirms that the Library of Alexandria must have existed in some form in the first century AD.

Daily Thoughts 04/26/2013

On the way to work, I read some more of the Lean Entrepreneur.  I am reading about the concept of minimal viable product which is about the minimum product that can be built that gives value to customers.

I placed the book, The New Digital Age, Reshaping the Future of People, Nations, and Business by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen on hold.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I also checked the displays.  We had a management meeting this morning.  We are getting Book Prospector which is interesting.  http://www.bookprospector.com   We also discussed a variety of issues including different vendors like Baker and Taylor, Midwest Tape, and Ingram Content Group.  There was a bit on the new computer classes in May.

This afternoon, I did a bit of weeding and shifting in the 900s and the large print books.

May is National Inventors Month.


Web Bits

Rare Books: the New Vinyl
http://burbankbooksandantiques.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/rare-books-the-new-vinyl/?goback=%2Egmp_2173290%2Egde_2173290_member_235791076
My view is that the recording medium has a direct effect on how material is supposed to be perceived.  For example, if a record was released as vinyl, it will sound much closer to the artists intention if it is listened to on a record player.

Daily Thoughts 04/25/2013

Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, circa 1726, by Enoch Seeman

Daily Thoughts 04/25/2013

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

Last night, I finished reading the second novel in the book Loose Cannon by David Drake called Fortress.  Fortress was a bit of a lark.  Tom Kelly, unpredictable agent, defeats the nazi terrorists who have taken over the American Strategic Defense Initiative superfortress in orbit with the help of little green men.  This is over the top silliness written in a very serious tone. 

I read some more of the Lean Entrepreneur on the way to work.  The authors describe how lean entrepreneurship came out of the Toyota model of lean manufacturing and kaizen or continuous improvement.  They describe how lean entrepreneurs also use a strong customer focus aimed at creating a salable product.

This morning, I checked the displays and the gift books.  There is going to be the Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library Book and Bake Sale on May 3 and May 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..  It always has a nice feeling to it.  I like their coffee.

This afternoon the computer lab was open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I helped some people print up some  travel information.

I read some of the New York Times Book Review.  I am going to start putting a cart of rush items for bestsellers and patron requests together next week.

On the way home, I read some more of the Lean Entrepreneur.   The authors are writing about how to create value and identify different groups of customers.  I also started reading Vote Yes for Libraries.  This book is about how to win library ballot initiatives.  Some of the issues being discussed are very similar to what is happening at our library.  The main focus is on Santa Cruz Public Library in California. I worked there as a page.


Web Bits

Kindle Singles Amazon's Stealth Publishing Imprint
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/04/23/kindle-singles-amazons-stealth-publishing-imprint/?goback=%2Egmp_2085962%2Egde_2085962_member_235342888#more-50073

Daily Thoughts 04/24/2013

Charles Frederic Ulrich, The Village Printing Shop, Haarlem, Holland, 1884

Daily Thoughts 04/24/2013

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook page this morning.

Last night, I read some more of Loose Cannon by David Drake.  He is definitely better at writing science fiction than techno-thrillers.  The interesting thing about the book is that quite often the techniques, actions, and weapons come across as more real than many other books because of David Drake's military background as an interrogator in Vietnam and Cambodia.

I spent a little time working on a set of authors to check for forthcoming books for nonfiction.  I also did a bit of weeding in the large print and the 900s.

The book, Cooked A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan came in for me to read.

I worked on finalizing sign up sheets for Excel and Powerpoint classes on Thursday in May.  We are expanding the amount of computer classes offered.

The front doors of the building were painted red today.  The building was also washed down recently.


Web Bits

Americans Still Love Libraries
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/americans-still-love-libraries_b68426?goback=%2Egmp_2655023%2Egde_2655023_member_235016974

Redefining A Little Library
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/redefining-a-little-library/

Daily Thoughts 04/23/2013

Portrait of a boy at his desk holding a book. German School, early 19th Century. Pastel, 46 x 40 cm

Daily Thoughts 04/23/2013

On the way to work, I read some of Loose Cannon by David Drake.  It is not his usual style.  This is a techno thriller with aliens in it.  It is a bit different than his military science fiction or fantasy.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  There were a few hardcover copies of Danielle Steel which are going to be added.  I also took some time to read the latest copy of Forecast from Baker and Taylor.

Web Bits

Publishers Committment to Online Communities Set to Double by 2015
http://www.publishingtechnology.com/2013/04/publishers-commitment-to-online-communities-set-to-double-by-2015/

Daily Thoughts 04/22/2013

Girl Reading on a Stone Porch, Winslow Homer, 1872

Daily Thoughts 04/22/2013

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  We had a meeting this morning with our Baker and Taylor representative on our workflows.  I think it went well.

I spent some time on ordering this afternoon.  Two books came in for me to read, Loose Cannon, The Tom Kelly Novels by David Drake which is science fiction and Vote Yes for Libraries: A Guide to Winning Ballot Measures Campaigns for Library Funding by Anne M. Turner.

On the way home, I read some of The Lean Startup.  A lot of the book is hype.  It is the language of the next cool thing.  This can be useful to understand if you are interested in technology.  The other part is practical tips on how the lean startup system works focusing on different concepts like product based startup or minimum viable product.  It is a mix of practical tips and hyped language.

Daily Thoughts 04/21/2013

Edouard Manet, Marguerite de Conflans, 1875

Daily Thoughts 04/21/2013

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

I also started reading The Lean Entrepreneur How Visionaries Create Products, Innovate with new Ventures, and Disrupt Markets by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits.  There is an introduction by Eric Ries.  The authors go over subjects like minimum viable product, fast agile development, and eating your own dog food.


Web Bits

How Deep has the Digital Backlist Gone
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/56910-how-deep-has-digital-backlist-gone.html
This is something which is interesting.  I think most older books are not ebooks.  The public domain books are being converted to ebooks, but there is a huge middle area of books which are still in copyright and not bestsellers.  This includes lots of material on how to do different activities.  A lot of nonfiction material would simply be eliminated if we assume that ebooks are going to cover everything.

Your Brain on Ereaders
http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/your-brain-on-ereaders-evidence-suggests-that-reading-from-paper-might-be-more-conducive-for-learning_b34680

Daily Thoughts 04/20/2013

August Edwin Mulready, A London Newsboy

Daily Thoughts 04/20/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also finished reading Not in the Club.  It is a very solid overview of how organizations create exclusive cultures which limit the growth of women's careers.

I also started reading Redshirts by John Scalzi.  It is darkly humorous.  In Star Trek, the Redshirts are the ensigns who die during the television show while the main characters survive.  This is the story of a few of the ensigns who try and change their destiny.  The show is set in a different, but similar show to Star Trek.  Instead of the Federation there is the Universal Union which has is something to ponder.  A lot of the members of the ship seem to know that ensigns have a tendency to not last on away missions  so they try different ways to avoid ending up on the bridge with the captain.

As the book progresses, the story becomes much more intense, dark, and humorous.  To add a little spoiler, some of the crew escape and talk to the writer of the show and it turns into an existential predicament.  There are questions of writers block, the fate of the characters, and what it means to be a character in a science fiction television show.

The writing is excellent.  John Scalzi was the president of the Science Fiction Writers of America.  He also wrote scripts for Stargate universe.  I have read a number of his other books including Old Man's War and Agent to the Stars.

Daily Thoughts 04/19/2013

Memento Mori “To This Favour”, oil on canvas painting by William Michael Harnett, 1879, Cleveland Museum of Art

Daily Thoughts 04/19/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also read some more of Not In the Club.  The author is writing about how to identify places with limited advancement potential for women.

I checked the displays.  We had a meeting discussing summer reading.  I have quite a bit to do.

The Salmagundi Club Library Dinner is on Tuesday, April 24, 2013.  I went once before.  The food is good, the gallery space is very comfortable, and the listening space is excellent.
http://www.salmagundi.org/content.cfm/salmagundi/Annual-Library-Dinner/id/190?goback=%2Egmp_2294027%2Egde_2294027_member_233620571

I checked out the book, Redshirts by John Scalzi as well as the Lean Entrepreneur by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits.

I read some more of Not In the Club on the way home.  They are writing about why it is more important to stay focused on doing a good job at all times.

Daily Thoughts 04/18/2013

The Yongzheng-Emperor while reading a book. Unknown Court Artist.  18th Century

Daily Thoughts 04/18/2013

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  Today is Poem In Your Pocket Day, April 18, 2013. http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406

I noticed that the Baen Free Library is under reconstruction.
http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx?__utma=222178315.2035325883.1366298994.1366298994.1366298994.1&__utmb=222178315.1.10.1366298994&__utmc=222178315&__utmx=-&__utmz=222178315.1366298994.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=240812928
It reminds me that many authors are reclaiming their books so they can setup websites and sell their own books.

This years theme for Adult Summer Reading is Groundbreaking Reads.  We are going to discuss this tomorrow.  I spent a little bit of time thinking about advocacy in support of libraries.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  I spent some time reading through Romantic Times online, Locus Magazine online, and Shelf Awareness.

Web Bits

The Reading Brain in the Digital Age the Science of Paper versus Screens
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=reading-paper-screens

Daily Thoughts 04/17/2013

John Otis Adams, Binding Books, 1904

Daily Thoughts 04/17/2013

I spent a little bit of time checking the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also read a little bit of Not In the Club which is about how clubs or exclusive groups form inside organizations.  Most of it is focused on how men create groups which exclude women.

I spent some time reading the latest New York Review of Books.  I put the book Debt The First 5000 Years by David Graeber on hold.

This afternoon I spent some time weeding in the 900s and the large print collection.  There is quite a bit more to do.  I spent a little time discussing the library website with a colleague.

The Board of Trustees meeting is tonight at 6:30 p.m.

I read a little bit of a novel of interstellar intrigue, Fire With Fire by Charles E. Gannon from the Baen books website.


Web Bits

Crowdfunding the Library
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/funding/crowdfunding-the-library/

Daily Thoughts 04/16/2013

Sebastian Stoskopff, The Great Vanity Still-Life, 1641 Oil on Canvas

Daily Thoughts 04/16/2013

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also spent a little bit of time checking the displays.  In addition, I did a little bit more weeding in the 900s.  I also spent a little time creating a list for the cookbooks.

We are working on setting up a new set of classes starting in May for Powerpoint and Excel on Thursday.  This will allow the library to have one day for beginners on Tuesday and more advanced classes on Thursday.  I am looking forward to it happening.  I also spent a little time on ordering this morning.

The graphic novel, The Initiates A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs by Etienne Davodeau came in for me to read.  It is comics lit or comics as literature.  The book, Not in the Club An Executive Woman's Journey Through the Biased World of Business by Janet Pucino came in for me to read.

I read The Initiates on the way home.  It was very enjoyable reading.  The art is in black and white.  It is a slice of life comic focusing on the friendship between a vintner and a comic artist.  The comic artist works for the vintner and describes the job.

The story is especially interesting because the wine making operation is run on biodynamic principles a practice similar to organic farming with additional practices like spraying mineral infused water on plants, paying close attention to the soil, and using very specific pruning and growing methods.

Also, the feel of the comics industry in France is much different than in the United States.  Comics is a much more respected industry.

I very much enjoyed the artwork.  It is black and white with a lot of use of greys.  There are ink washes which add different tones and shades to the background.  The lines are not heavy, but are quite detailed.  The square and rectangular panels are varied in shape and size which adds a little visual variety.  The dialogue boxes also fade into the background sometimes which makes the lettering stand out a little more.

The story is very focused.  It is about wine and comics.  It switches back and forth between the two art forms.  There is quite a bit of drinking in the story, but people don't get drunk.  Wine is viewed from an intellectual and artistic standpoint, something to socialize with and share as part of an artistic conversation.  In many of the panels the vintner and comic artist are sharing with publishers or other vintners.  The vintner goes to various comic conventions and views comic art shows like they would have in the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York.

I enjoyed reading the story.  It was different than most graphic novels I have read.  Much more artistic and philosophical.

Daily Thoughts 04/15/2013

In Der Bibliothek, John Arthur Lomax, before 1923

Daily Thoughts 04/15/2013

I read some more of Small Acts of Resistance last night.  There are some examples of national sex strikes by women to encourage the end of violence in the Sudan in 2002 and Kenya in 2009.  The tactics in Lysistrata by Aristophanes have been used in real life.

This morning, I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.  I also spent some time talking to the Collection Development department of Baker and Taylor about them sending alerts about different subjects like test books, fiction, and bestsellers.  I also checked the displays.

This afternoon, I spent time weeding in the 900s.  I have quite a bit more to do.

I am reading through the weekly purchase alerts to see what items people are interested in.

I finished reading Small Acts of Resistance tonight.  This is a book about how seemingly small acts of protest add up over time.  There are sections on nonviolence, music, and technology.


Web Bits

London Book Fair 2013 In Keynote Gaiman says "Try Everything."
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/london-book-fair/article/56816-london-book-fair-2013-in-keynote-gaiman-says-try-everything.html

A Plan to Power 100 Percent of the Planet With Renewables
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030&WT.mc_id=SA_syn_Yahoo

Daily Thoughts 04/14/2013

Christopher Latham Sholes at his typewriter. 1870s.  Christopher Latham Sholes patented a mechanical typewriter in 1868 with assistance from Carlos Glidden and Samuel Soule.

Daily Thoughts 04/14/2013

I am reading Small Acts of Resistance How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World by Steve Crenshaw and John Jackson.  There is a foreword by Vaclav Havel.  It is about how small things can make big changes.  Part of this is about group action.  When groups of people decide to do little things like stop watching the state news during the dinner hour or not follow dress codes it makes a difference.

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

It is National Library Week on April 14 through April 20, 2013.
http://www.atyourlibrary.org/national-library-week

Daily Thoughts 04/13/2013

Jack London, Writing 1905

Daily Thoughts 04/13/2013

I finished reading Mary Roach, Gulp Adventures on the Alimentary Canal.  There is a bit on Elvis being constipated and some final material on probiotics.  The book had a lot of medical stories in it.  It was entertaining, but gross.

I spent a little more time checking the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

Web Bits

The Future of E-reader Hardware Pico Projectors
http://lisnews.org/the_future_of_ereader_hardware_pico_projectors

Publishing News: Democratizing Publishing and the Digital Divide
http://toc.oreilly.com/2013/04/nook-press-self-publishing-ebook-subscriptions-bittorrent-authors.html?goback=.gmp_2414597.gde_2414597_member_231932629

Daily Thoughts 04/12/2013

 OSMAN HAMDY BEY (1842-1910), THE SCHOLAR signed and dated OHamdy-Bey 1878 centre left, oil on canvas, 45.5 x 90 cm.

Daily Thoughts 04/12/2013

I have been reading Gulp Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach.  It is fascinatingly gross.  We get to visit a pet food taste lab, learn about olive oil tasting, and get various informational bits on how the alimentary canal works.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  We had a management meeting this morning.  I have a copy of the April 1, 2013 Booklist to read. I spent a little time looking at the collection management sheet today as well as checking the 900s.

I read some more of Gulp on the way home.  The author uses lots of gross out humor.  For example, no one has ever been able to eat more than four pounds of fruitcake, astronauts wear activated charcoal in their underwear to prevent the smell of flatulence, and live frogs and worms cannot survive in the digestive tract.


Web Bits

Librarian Lego Minifigure
http://minifigures.lego.com/en-us/Bios/Librarian.aspx

Daily Thoughts 04/11/2013

Kusakabe Kimbei, Writing Letter, Before 1933

Daily Thoughts 04/11/2013

This morning I finished reading The Normal Bar.  I thought it was worth reading.  I also checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I spent a little time putting together a display of Latin American and South American fiction.  I also spent some time reading Library Journal.  I put the book, Not in the Club An Executive Woman's Journey Through the Biased World of Business by Janet Pucino on hold. I placed a hold on the graphic novel, The Initiates: A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs Etienne Davodeau.

The library had the computer lab open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.

Web Bits

Ten Ways Self Publishing Has Changed the Books World
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/apr/08/self-publishing-changed-books-world

Daily Thoughts 04/10/2013

Craftsman in shop holding Boston newspaper. Thinking It Over 1884

Daily Thoughts 04/10/2013

I read some more of The Normal Bar on the way to work.  It is the largest survey of couples romantic tendencies ever done.  Some of it can be quite adult in its contents.  There is quite a bit on sexuality, affection, and communication.  I found it to be quite interesting.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays. The young adult librarian is using part of the new book display area.  I spent a little time checking the 900s this morning as well.

I spent some time thinking about the shelving.  I also did a little more work with the 900s.

Daily Thoughts 04/09/2013

Portrait of Frederick Collett,  Frits Thaulow, August 13, 1875
Daily Thoughts 04/09/2013

This morning, I finished reading Extinction Machine.  It was a mix of techno thriller and science fiction.  I rather enjoyed the story.  I might read the other books in the series.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the gift books and the displays.  There were a few books to add from the gift books.

I am thinking about reading The Age of the Image: Redefining Literacy in the Age of Screens by Stephen Apkon.  The book is about visual literacy.

I spent a little bit of time checking the 900s as well as the large print collection.  Centerpoint Large Print sent us a free sample of of four large print books.  I also spent some time working on getting another computer class for Thursdays.  We put a sample of the magazine, Bookpage out which is a review magazine for libraries.

We have been working a little bit more on the Booksite page. http://library.booksite.com/7273/nl/?list=CNL7

Web Bits

Tablets Overtake Dedicated E-readers as Most Popular Devices
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/devices/article/56727-tablets-overtake-dedicated-e-readers-as-most-popular-devices.html

Libraries of the Future Visualization
http://librarysciencelist.com/libraries-of-the-future-visualization/

City Settles Lawsuit Over the Destruction of Occupy Wall Street Library
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/04/city_settles_la.php
As usual the lawyers got the most money.  They lawyers always win.

Daily Thoughts 04/08/2013

Frank Bramley, Delicious Solitude, 1909

Daily Thoughts 04/08/2013

I read some of The Normal Bar The Surprising Secrets of Happy Couples and What They Reveal About Creating A New Normal in Your Relationship by Chrisanna Northrup, Pepper Schwarz, Ph.D., and James White, Ph.D..  This is a survey of couples, 70,000 of them on relationships.  What mades this more comprehensive was that it was easier to reach people through the internet.

The book, The Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry came in for me to read.  It is a thriller in which alien technology is found on earth.  The main character, Joe Ledger is tasked with recovering and helping reverse engineer this technology.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I did some ordering in the morning.  We should have an Excel and Powerpoint class for computers soon.

I spent a little time checking the large print books.

I read some more of The Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry.  It is very much a thriller designed to appeal to the conspiranoia crowd.  There are secret cabals who are working with alien technology to make dangerous weapons: super aircraft, super soldiers, exotic spy equipment, and other things.  The hero, Joe Ledger works for a secret government agency with a supercomputer that can hack into and uncover secrets that no other computer can resist.  It has a fantastic edge to it.  The author, Jonathan Maberry tries to create a mix of Tom Clancy and Ian Fleming and succceeds to a degree.  It is pure nonsense with pseudoscientific gobbledygook, silly ufology, and touches of high technology to rationalize the villains.  I am finding it to be very pure escapism.

Web Bits

Thin Reads, an online guide to e-singles launches
http://paidcontent.org/2013/04/08/thin-reads-an-online-guide-to-e-singles-launches/

Daily Thoughts 04/07/2013

WPA, Federal Art Project, December 1937

Daily Thoughts 04/07/2013

I was reading The Fight is For Democracy Winning the War of Ideas in America and the World.  I put the book down after a couple of chapters.  I found the arguments to almost not exist in an old fashioned context.  This in a way is scary.  I am very interested in the way ideas take hold.  


 Franklin Delano Roosevelt said:

“Books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can put thought in a concentration camp forever. No man and no force can take from the world the books that embody man’s eternal fight against tyranny. In this war, we know, books are weapons.”

If you look at other historical quotes like Ludwig Von Mises,"In a battle between force and ideas, the latter always prevails."

Or another earlier quote, On résiste à l'invasion des armées; on ne résiste pas à l'invasion des idées. (One resists the invasion of armies; one does not resist the invasion of ideas).

— Victor Marie Hugo (1802 – 1885), Histoire d'un Crime (The History of a Crime), written 1852, published 1877

I am thinking about this because I have been reading different arguments for filtering content on computers.  A lot of it is about politics, background, and sexuality.  It is a difficult subject.

I spent a little time checking the Facebook and Twitter pages for the library.

Web Bits

Why do we Keep Making Ebooks Like Paper Books

http://gizmodo.com/5993800/why-do-we-keep-making-ebooks-like-paper-books

Daily Thoughts 04/06/2013

Alfred Stevens, Pleasant Letter, between 1860 and 1867
Daily Thoughts 04/06/2013

This morning, I finished reading The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray by Jorge Amado.  It is about a civil servant who gives up his old life as an upstanding citizen to become an inveterate drunk.  The story is set at Quincas Water Bray's funeral with his upstanding family on one side and the people who he hangs out with on the other.  There is an element of dark comedy where his pals take his body for one last night of revelry and Quincas Water-Bray gets his last wish to be disposed of at sea.  The story is a quick read.

I also finished reading The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers.  It made me want to read the previous book, The City of Dreaming Books.  The fantastic elements in this story were wonderful, especially the descriptions of puppets of all sizes and shapes.  This went well with the described philosophy of puppetism.  It added to the philosophy of biblionism.  The book has the feel of Ambrose Bierce, H.P. Lovecraft, Norton Juster, and Lewis Carroll all mixed together in a blender.  It is dark, humorous, obsessive, and entertaining.


This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  There were a few young adult books to add, including a book by Gary Soto.

The book, The Fight is For Democracy, Winning the War of Ideas in America and the World New Liberal Unorthodoxies, edited by George Packer came in for me to read.

I spent a little time weeding in the large print collection.  I also checked the collection management sheet for patron requests.  There were a few nonfiction books.  I also did a bit of desk cleaning.  I spent a bit more time checking the online bestseller list for Publishers Weekly.

Web Bits

The Financial Times has a Secret Weapon, Data
http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/financial-times-john-ridding-strategy/

Press: The National Digital Public Library of America is Launched
http://dp.la/2013/04/02/press-the-national-digital-public-library-is-launched/

Daily Thoughts 04/05/2013

Your Mind Is Your Best Tool--Use it to Work Out New Ideas! Office for Emergency Management. War Production Board. (01/1942 - 11/03/1945) circa 1942-1943

Daily Thoughts 04/05/2013

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

On the way to work, I read some more of The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers.  I rather like Walter Moers illustration.  http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/walter%20moers  His Tumblr page has some interesting illustrations.  I also picked up a copy of The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray by Jorge Amado which is a novella.

I spent some time checking the displays this morning as well.  I also did some work with my colleagues on  Bookletters putting together some widgets for different slideshows. http://library.booksite.com/7273/nl/?list=CNL7

Web Bits

Food and You, From One End to the Other
Gulp: Adventures Along the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/books/gulp-adventures-on-the-alimentary-canal-by-mary-roach.html?_r=0
This is something we are getting.

Daily Thoughts 04/04/2013

Anonymous, China, Writer's Water Dish, 18th Century, Blue Glass, Walters Art Museum

Daily Thoughts 04/04/2013

On the way to work, I read some more of The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books A Novel by Walter Moers.  The book is translated from German. One of the excellent things about this book is that the main character is a lindworm which is German for dragon.  He is a dragon author.  There are no humans which makes the setting more flexible with the ability to add many more fantastic elements.  It has a feeling of the older school of fantasy with a bit of the weird tale and pure nonsense.  I especially liked the pasage where the main character, Optimus Yarnspinner is being followed around by a living newspaper.  It is a delightful story.  The setting is equally intriguing.  It is the city of Bookholm, once destroyed by fire, but now remade.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  I also spent a little time looking at the different review sources today.  I spent a little time looking at the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award Winners
http://www.bcala.org/awards/literary2013.pdf

The computer lab was open today.  I also spent some time doing ordering.  I am looking forward to Neil Gaiman's new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane which is coming out in June.  I also took a look at the large print to see if some of the Agatha Christie titles could be replaced.


Web Bits

Filling the Advocacy Gap: How Millions of Dollars are at Stake on Ballots and What We're Doing About It, Advocates Corner, John Chrastka
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/advocacy/filling-the-advocacy-gap-how-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-are-at-stake-for-libraries-on-local-ballots-and-what-were-doing-about-it/

Daily Thoughts 04/03/2013

Map of the Winkie Country of Oz (East and West are reversed), The Lost Princess of Oz, first published in the United States in 1917. L. Frank Baum (illustrated by John R. Neill)

Daily Thoughts 04/03/2013

I checked the libraries Twitter and Facebook this morning.   I also finished reading Publishing Ebooks for Dummies.  Ali Luke describes blogging to promote books as well as how to do online interviews on blogs. 

I checked the displays this morning, checked the gift books, and spent a lot of time reading book reviews.  I was on vacation last week, so I had a lot of material to read.  I put the book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation  by Michael Pollan on hold.  I like Michael Pollan's writing style.

I checked out the book, The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books A Novel by Walter Moers.  It is a mix of fantasy, humorous illustration, and bibliographic obsession.  It should be entertaining.

I still have a copy of Forecast to read.


Web Bits

Ebooks Are Actually Not Books Schools Among First To Realize
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/ebooks-are-actually-not-books-schools-among-first-to-realize/


The Simple Reason Why Goodreads is so Valuable to Amazon
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/the-simple-reason-why-goodreads-is-so-valuable-to-amazon/274548/

Daily Thoughts 04/02/2013

Works Project Administration Poster Collection, Library of Congress, Poster for free "victory concerts" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York City, showing Nike of Samothrace

Daily Thoughts 04/02/2013

I checked the libraries Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also paid my Metro Individual membership.  Hopefully, they should have some interesting professional development programs.

I spent some time finishing putting in the poetry display for April.  It is National Poetry month.  I also wrote my monthly report for March.

We had the computer classes tonight.

I read some more of Publishing E-books for Dummies today.  The author is describing a process called price pulsing where prices are purposefully varied to increase sales.  For example, a new book will be priced cheap at 99 cents and as the number of sales increase, the price will rise.  Another example would be lowering the price of the first book in a series, or an older book to attract more readers.  It is an interesting concept.  I am also reading about how people use Facebook and Amazon to promote their e-books.

New York Times Haiku
http://haiku.nytimes.com/

Web Bits

Why Libraries are a Smart Investment for the Countries Future
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2118141,00.html

Perceptions Have Improved So Where's the Money
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/marketing/perceptions-have-improved-so-wheres-the-money/#_

Out of the Archives WPA Posters
http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=285

Daily Thoughts 04/01/2013

Portrait of Ugolino Martelli by Bronzino, before 1537.  There is a copy of the Iliad on the Scholars Worktable.

Daily Thoughts 04/01/2013

I read some more of Ebook Publishing for Dummies on the way to work.  I am reading about why it is important for authors to build their own website for their ebooks.  It also suggests some different payment methods like Paypal as well as the blogging tool Wordpress.

This morning, we put in a display of books from the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf, Muslim Journeys from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  We were sent bookmarks, several posters, some dvds and a set of books. http://bridgingcultures.neh.gov/muslimjourneys/   I also started working on a display for National Poetry Month which is this April.  Poem in Your Pocket day is on Thursday, April 18, 2013.

I had a half day at work today because I am working on Saturday.  I will always have a half day tomorrow.

I checked the displays, the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I have a lot of material to read.  There are several issues of the New York Times Book Review, a copy of Library Journal, the Times Literary Supplement, and Publishers weekly on my desk.

Web Bits

Libraries to Become Community Publishing Portals
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker/library-ebooks_b_2951953.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Talking with Josh Hanagarne, the World's Strongest Librarian
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/prepub/talking-with-josh-hanagarne-the-worlds-strongest-librarian/
This is something which I plan on getting.

Publishers Speeds Up E-book Access for Libraries
http://technology.inquirer.net/24207/publisher-speeds-up-e-book-access-for-libraries?goback=%2Egmp_2655023%2Egde_2655023_member_228029049
Penguin is becoming more flexible.