Daily Thoughts 05/31/2013

Auguste Reading to Her Daughter, Mary Cassatt, 1910

Daily Thoughts 05/31/2013

This morning, I brought some of the books from BEA Book Expo America back to work.  It was a lot to carry.  There were a mix of audiotapes, large print, and hardcover books.   I also put the advanced reading copies in the staff lounge.  I have some reading to catch up on.

The Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library were sorting books in the basement for the book sale.  They asked about the Adult Summer Reading Book Club Tea which is the final event for the club.  There are going to be three books read this summer, Till You Hear from Me by Pearl Cleage, In The Woods by Tana French, and Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka.

I spent a little time checking the displays.  I also checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.

I spent a little time reading The New York Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement.

While searching for paintings to use in the daily post, I found this organization, http://www.wikipaintings.org

On the way home, I finished reading Big Data: a Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think by Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier.  It is a very solid overview of the subject and what it portends.  The ending even has a bit about how the algorithms affect our lives.

I also started reading The Librarians Guide to Micropublishing Helping Patrons and Communities Use Free and Low-Cost Publishing Tools to Tell Their Stories by Walt Crawford.  Walt Crawford defines micropublishing as books with print runs of less than 500 copies.  He also describes the processes that go into making a book that is affordable.

Web Bits

Collection Development 2020 Library Journals Day of Dialog
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/collection-development/collection-development-2020-library-journals-day-of-dialog/

This was an interesting panel.  The focus on demographics seemed to be about picking books for different ethnic groups, especially foreign language titles. 

I also found the idea of having a backlist ebooks publisher, Open Road Integrated Media interesting.  Most of my experience is that people tend to only see the frontlist titles in ebooks.  They are a relatively company.  They were on the booth tour list for new companies that was given to us in the VIP lounge. http://www.openroadmedia.com/

Daily Thoughts 05/31/2013

Woman Reading (Olga), Pablo Picasso (1920)

Daily Thoughts 05/31/2013

The convention opens today on the floor for Book Expo America.  I spent a little time checking the library Twitter and Facebook.  I also took some time to sort through the books which I got at Day of Dialog.  A few of them that I found particularly interesting are An Appetite for Wonder The Making of a Scientist by Richard Dawkins which is a memoir coming out in October of 2013, Number Sense How to Use Big Data to Your Advantage by Kaiser Fung coming out in July of 2013, The Worlds Strongest Librarian A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne which came out this month and Burning the Page The Ebook Revolution and the Future of Reading by Jason Merkoski which is available as an ebook, and is coming out in paper in August of 2013.  There were of course a variety of bestselling books, some large print titles, and a few audiobooks.

I walked the show floor today.  It is gigantic.  I gathered a lot of different books which I sent back to the Mount Vernon Public Library.  I sent back 37 pounds of books.  I also picked out a few to read myself. It was a long trip home.  There was also a scavenger hunt where we visited fifteen different vendors and talked to them about books.  A few were self publishing arms of larger companies.  I found this interesting.  Self publishing is taking on a whole life of its own.  I remember one of the people at Day of Dialog differentiating people who use author services like editors, public relations people, and book designers from those who simply use a vanity press without any editing.  The term for well put together self published was Author Services Publishing.  This reminded a bit of the new company Writer.ly which is a marketplace for people offering services like editing to authors http://writer.ly

There was another site which was mentioned called Booktrope which is a team publishing site.  It reminds me a little bit of Netminds. http://www.booktrope.com

I picked up two more advanced reading copies to read which are both young adult, The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer which is the sequel The House of the Scorpion and a new novel by Paolo Bacigalupi called Zombie Baseball Beatdown.  Both are due out in September of 2013.

Web Bits

Writing The Wonders of Science,  Library Journal's Day of Dialog
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/books/nonfic/sci-tech/writing-the-wonders-of-science/
I was surprised at how different Richard Dawkins was in person than I thought he would be.  He is not at all dry and he talks a lot about the sense of wonder.  Richard Dawkins even talked about how fantastic Carl Sagan was which surprised me a lot.

Daily Thoughts 05/30/2013

Portrait of Edmond Maitre, (The Reader), 1871   Pierre Auguste Renoir

Daily Thoughts 05/30/2013

I was at Day of Dialog Between Libraries and Publishers all day to day.  I also spent some time picking up sample books which we plan on reviewing or adding to the collection.  There was quite a lot of material this time.  I usually set a few of the books aside for myself.  I am looking forward to reading Max Barry's Lexicon as well as a book on ebooks and a book on big data.  The vendors were good this time.  I spent some time talking to Penguin books, Baker and Taylor, Midwest Tape, Overdrive, and a few others.  I have two bags of books to sort through.

I just got back and spent a little time checking Facebook and Twitter for the library and going through various emails.  I went to Day of Dialog on library time so I am spending a little time checking the email reference from home and forwarding things to various people.

I have a notebook full of notes about the event to sort through and rewrite.  I also collected some business cards and gave out the new business card I have from the library.  I have to contact a few people about some outside projects.  I saw people I recognize from Library Journal, Brooklyn Public Library, and the New York Librarians Meetup.  I was a bit tired today.  I just listened mainly.

The lunch was nice this time.  I always pick the vegetarian lunch at conferences because I am not sure about where the meat comes from.  I had several cups of coffee.  I spoke to a collections librarian from SUNY Albany.  It was interesting.

The new director of the Mount Vernon Public Library went to the Library Journal Day of Dialog as well.

I sat and listened most of the day to various talks about different books.  I will be sorting through my notes tonight.  I also will spend a little time catching up on my online reading.  I took a break from library things on Monday and Tuesday.

Web Bits

The Library of the Future
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/The_library_of_the_future_May_2013.pdf


BEA 2013 The Whole Damn Thing
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/57509-bea-2013-the-whole-damn-thing.html
Today was the Book Expo America kick off.

Daily Thoughts 05/26/2013

Vincent Van Gogh - Gauguin`s Chair In Arles With Books And Candle, 1888

Daily Thoughts 05/26/2013

I have been reading about collaborative publishing lately.  I am finding some of the ideas quite interesting.  Microsoft and Adobe now allow people to work simultaneously on the same document.  Although not immediately obvious, this will have a big impact on the publishing process.  There are also features in Microsoft Office that will allow people to merge documents together from the different applications.

I read some more of Big Data today.  The authors do an excellently job going over privacy issues.  Everything which we do is tracked by both corporations and governments.  This is usually very granular.  Amazon wants to know what you buy, AT&T might want to know when you make phone calls, Netflix might want to know what movies you watch.  There is a reminder that we should not just give away our information too freely.  I learned there are ways to identify people simply by knowing what you like.

This afternoon, I stopped by Barnes and Noble and looked around for a little bit.  I noticed that there is a lot more backlist material than before.  Some of the summer reads were perennial classics like 1984 and the Great Gatsby.  There were still most of the bestsellers featured near the front of the store.

Daily Thoughts 05/25/2013

Daily Thoughts 05/25/2013

I read a little more of Big Data this morning.  There is quite a bit on travel.  Airlines seem to generate lots of data from tickets to flight plans to delays.  There is also a realization that some companies understand how to use data and others do not.  Google, IBM, and Microsoft use big data.

Daily Thoughts 05/24/2013

Chikanobu Yoshu, Joys of Reading, 1887

Daily Thoughts 05/24/2013

This morning, I read some more of Big Data.  The authors use a word called datafication to describe the process of turning all kinds of information into data which can be used for algorithms and analysis.  It is an interesting new word.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and did a little more checking in the 900s.  I am going to be off for a few days next week to go to Book Expo America and the Day of Dialog which should be very interesting.  I generated an exhibitor list of booths which I would like to visit to look at materials for.

We had a meeting today where we discussed the cybercorner and the computer lab.  We also spent a little time discussing ebooks.  I had to make some arrangements for this while I am gone.  I spent a little time reading Publishers Weekly.   I am looking forward to Jaron Lanier's new book, Who Owns the Future as well as George Orwell: A Life in Letters.

I checked out the book, The Science of Consequences How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World by Susan M. Schneider.

On the way home, I read some more of Big Data.  The book is writing about the value of data.  What it reminds me is that people are becoming units of data and that everything about you from your shoe size to how fast your heart beats has value to some company somewhere and because of this, there is constant monitoring by corporations.  It also reminds me that we are also government statistics constantly being tallied in some report somewhere.

Web Bits

Why Social Media Isn't Working for Your Library
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/05/why-social-media-isnt-working-for-your-library/

Daily Thoughts 05/23/2013

Langston Hughes by Winold Reiss, circa 1925. Pastel on illustration board. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.

Daily Thoughts 05/23/2013

I read a little bit more of Give and Take last night.  The author describes how asking lots of questions and not making demands can lead to getting what you want around a specific desire.  I also read some of Big Data.  The authors are describing how it is now possible to analyze massive amounts of data without having to use small samples of the data.  Often this is not about looking for causalities, but instead looking for correlations between events.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I also checked the displays and did a little bit more weeding in the 900s.  I am trying to do a little bit each day.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  We have a new computer technician.  We spent some time talking about the computer lab and the website.  We also have two computer classes tonight, a Microsoft Excel class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and a Microsoft Powerpoint class from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

On the way home, I read some more of Big Data.  The book tells the story of how Amazon let go of most of its staff of human book reviewers in favor of correlational data between sales of books.

If you are interested in learning Hadoop or SQL this may be useful.
http://bigdatauniversity.com/

Web Bits

IMLS Invites Civic Minded Techies to Hack Agency Data
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/05/software/imls-invites-civic-minded-techies-to-hack-agency-data/

Most Searched Authors & Books on Google
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/most-searched-authors-books-on-google_b71014

Daily Thoughts 05/22/2013

Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (Russian painter, 1868-1945) Reading in the Garden 1915

Daily Thoughts 05/22/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also read a bit more of Give and Take on the train to work.   I spent some time reading different review magazines today.

I also took a look at some of the different exhibitor booths I will be visiting at Book Expo America. Companies like Overdrive, MacMillan, Hachette, Netgalley, O'reilly media, Penguin Media, and others.

I have the schedule for the 2013 Library Journal Day of Dialog
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/dayofdialog/schedule/

I have to work on Friday so i won't be going to the whole conference.

On Thursday, May 30, I am hoping that I will get a chance to go the AAP Annual Librarians Book Buzz from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.I did not register for the library dinners or lunches.  I'll probably be picking up some samples and other knick knacks to use for the Adult Summer Reading Program.   I also am planning to visit the digital zone to ask some questions about things like publishing templates and collaborative publishing.

I am looking at Big Data A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think by Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier.

I spent a little time looking at the White Plains Public Library website.  They use Wordpress and manage the wordpress with a content management system called Pagelines.

Daily Thoughts 05/21/2013

"Mary Cassatt at the Louvre", c. 1880, by Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)

Daily Thoughts 05/21/2013

This morning, I read some more of Give and Take on the way to work.  I also checked the displays when I came in and the Facebook and Twitter for the library.

I spent a little more time weeding in the 900s.  I also did a little bit of updating in Bookletters.

I read the last issue of Booklist.  There is a review for the book, Double Double: A Dual Memoir of Alcoholism  by Martha Grimes and Ken Grimes.  It is about alcoholism and writing.  Martha Grimes is a superb mystery writer.  I am considering reading this.

Kirkus Reviews BEA 2013
http://d3eoifnsb8kxf0.cloudfront.net/files/BEA_2013_Issue.pdf

Web Bits

The book as a container and an object.

In Defense of the Book as a Container
http://go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-defense-of-book-as-container.html

What Books Mean as Objects
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/05/what-books-mean-as-objects/

Who Really Owns the Library of Congress?
http://copyfight.corante.com/archives/2013/05/19/who_really_owns_the_librarian_of_congress.php?utm_source=LISNews

Daily Thoughts 05/20/2013

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) In a Garden Corfu 1909.
Daily Thoughts 05/20/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also did a little more preparation work for the Adult Summer Reading program.  I checked the displays and checked the donations.  I added a large print book to our collection.  We have a decent sized section of large print books.  People like biographies, mystery, and fiction mostly in the large print area.

I checked New York Times Bestseller List, the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, and placed a few orders.

I also spent a little time doing weeding in the 900s.

I received my VIP Pass for Book Expo America which is a nice thing to get.

Daily Thoughts 05/19/2013

Girl Reading (1872). George Cochran Lambdin (American, 1830-1896). Oil on canvas. Gift of Horace Fairbanks.

Daily Thoughts 05/19/2013

I spent some time checking social media today.  I also read some more of Give and Take by Adam Grant.  The author describes why it is important to acknowledge other peoples work and get people to work with you.  It is a prerequisite to continuing success.

I have been spending some time looking at different publishing sites like https://writer.ly and http://www.netminds.com 

Both are examples of collaborative publishing.  Netminds even has a book published which looks interesting, Finding The Next Steve Jobs:  How to Find, Hire, Keep and Nurture Creative Talent by Nolan Bushnell and and Gene Stone.

Daily Thoughts 05/17/2013

Julius LeBlanc Stewart (1855-1919) Reading Aloud, c. 1883

Daily Thoughts 05/17/2013

This morning, I checked the social media for the library.  On the way to work, I started reading Give and Take by Adam Grant.  The author posits there are three types of people Givers, Takers, and Matchers.  This is how Givers do better for people.  It reminds me of the conservative idea of makers and takers or the old fashioned idea of builders and destroyers.

I spent a little time reading Black Expressions Book Club and Earlyword on the web.  I also spent a little time on the displays.  We are getting a steady stream of new adult books coming in.

I put the book, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker on hold.

Web Bits

Smartphones Have Bridged the Digital Divide
http://readwrite.com/2013/05/17/smartphones-have-bridged-the-digital-divide

Daily Thoughts 05/16/2013

An afternoon’s reading - painting by Felix Milius (1843–1894)

Daily Thoughts 05/16/2013

I spent some time checking the social media this morning.

I also started reading Debt The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber.  David Graeber is known for creating the slogan "We are the 99%".  This book asks questions about debt and modern economics.  It questions ideas like barter systems are the first economic systems and whether we need to pay back our monetary debts.

I checked the displays and did a little more weeding in the 900s.  The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  The library also has computer classes for Microsoft Word and Microsoft Powerpoint tonight.

We put out the latest copy of Bookpage for June.  We are also adding a poetry book by a local minister, the form and structure of the poetry is formally correct.

This slideshow is a work in progress.  It is kind of interesting.
http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Library1900andBeyond



Web Bits

BEA Librarians Guide to Bookexpo America 2013
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/shows-events/bea/librarians-guide-to-bookexpo-america-2013/
I am going to this.  I also try and go to the Library Journal Day of Dialog.

Daily Thoughts 05/15/2013

Willard Metcalf (1858-1925) Summer at Hadlyme, 1914

Daily Thoughts 05/15/2013

This morning, I read some more of The New Digital Age.  I am reading about drone warfare and the use of robots in combat.  I learned about Taco Copter which is supposed to be a hoax.  http://tacocopter.com/

I spent a little time checking social media this morning.  I shifted some more in the 900s.  I also checked the displays.

Max Barry has a new book, Lexicon which is about a secret society of poets.  Max Barry created an online forum called Nationstates.  This creates a unique audience for his books.

I spent some time working on a bibliography for the Adult Summer Reading Club.

The Board of Trustees Meeting is today at 6:30 p.m. in the Trustees Room.

I signed up to get the New York Times Books section in my email on Fridays.
http://www.nytimes.com/marketing/booksupdate/

Web Bits

In A Digital World Print Books Maintain Appeal
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/05/15/e-books-print-books/2159037/

Community Centered 23 Reasons Why Your Library is the Most Important Place in Town
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-23-reasons-why-your-library-is-the-most-important-place-in-town/

Daily Thoughts 05/14/2013

Guy Orlando Rose (1867-1925) , Marguerite 

Daily Thoughts 05/14/2013

This morning, I read some more of The New Digital Age.  I am reading about the future of terrorism and how terrorism affected by the internet.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays this morning and read a copy of Publishers Weekly.  I have to work on a bibliography for the Adult Summer Reading Club.

I did a bit of shifting in the 900s.  I have a copy of Library Journal to read today.  I got new business cards today with an official title, Collection Development Librarian II which is satisfying.

There are two computer classes tonight, a Microsoft Word class and Fundamentals of Computer Operations.

Daily Thoughts 05/13/2013

Man Reading a Book, 1916, J.C. Leyendecker

Daily Thoughts 05/13/2013

This morning on the way to work, I read some more of The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen.  They are writing about state censorship and control of the internet.  They also described the dangers of cyberwarfare and cyberespionage.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I also spent some time looking up books to order from the New York Times Bestseller Lists, the Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lists, the purchase alerts for items on hold, and the collection management sheet for patron requests.  We are also requesting holds for the books for the Adult Summer Reading Club.

I spent some time with the digital camera this morning practicing taking pictures of the library.  I took some pictures of the art around the building and a few other things.

I checked the displays this afternoon.

Daily Thoughts 05/12/2013

Leonard Campbell Taylor, Far Away Thoughts, c. 1900.

Daily Thoughts 05/12/2013

I read some more of The New Digital Age.  I am reading a chapter called The Future of Identity, Citizenship, and Reporting.  The authors describe how news is much more distributed now and does not just come from the newsrooms, they also argue that there is a greater need for privacy and data security.

I spent some time checking social media this morning.

Sometimes you find titles that are interesting like Making Starships and Stargates by James F. Woodward which investigates the science of wormholes and warp drive.  NASA has been working quite a bit on the Alcubierre drive. The book came out in December 2012 and there is no listing for it in Worldcat so I can't request it through interlibrary loan.

Daily Thoughts 05/11/2013

Portait of a Man Reading, Hans Memling, 1485

Daily Thoughts 05/11/2013

I spent a little time looking at social media this morning.  Last night, I read some of The New Digital Age.
There was quite a bit on how cell phones are changing the world and that eventually smart phones will change the world even more in the third world.  The book could have used some illustrations and charts especially when they were writing about new technology.

I also spent a little time on thinking about what a vote would mean for the library for its budget and its board members.

A Pinterest Page labeled Reading in Art. http://pinterest.com/ajarndtbooks/reading-in-art/

Web Bits

More Data Please! President Obama signs Open Data Executive Order and Releases Open Data Policy
http://www.infodocket.com/2013/05/09/more-data-please-president-obama-signs-open-data-executive-order-and-releases-open-data-policy/

Microsoft May Be Willing to Take Nook off Barnes and Nobles Hands for $1 Billion
http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-may-willing-nook-off-barnes-noble-hands-131053068.html

Daily Thoughts 05/10/2013

Henry Fuseli, Woman Reading, Seated Before a Window, 1805

Daily Thoughts 05/10/2013

This morning, I finished reading Mission to Mars by Buzz Aldrin on the way to work.  There is a section on Aldrin Mars Cycler which is based on using gravity to create oblong flight paths between objects like Mars and Earth.  http://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/rocket_science/aldrin-mars-cycler/  I also liked the ending section which has appendix describing the space policy of each of the presidents.  This book is very much a popular science title supporting the idea of making a trip to Mars and building a strong United States space program.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library last night.  I also checked the displays.  We had a management meeting this morning to discuss different issues like library cards, customer service, computer classes, changing the cybercorner, and similar activities.  I have to work on updating the brochure describing the adult library services.

I spent some time updating the services listed in the services brochure focusing on databases and electronic resources.  I have to write a few bookmarks for the Adult Summer Reading Program.

The book, Give and Take A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant came in for me to read.  I am having a few social tea biscuits and a cup of green tea at the end of the day.  As always, I have more books than I can read.

Daily Thoughts 05/09/2013

Emperor Nicholas I's Visit to the Public Library. 1853

Daily Thoughts 05/09/2013

This morning, I read some more of Mission to Mars.  I am reading about space commercialization.  There is a bit about Virgin Galactic, Space X, and Bigelow Aerospace which are all interesting companies.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library last night.  I also spent some time discussing the Adult Summer Reading program.

This afternoon, I spent some time checking the 900s.  The computer lab was open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

We also have computer classes on Thursday evening.  There was a class in Microsoft Excel and a class in Microsoft Powerpoint tonight.

On the way home, I read some more of Mission to Mars.  I am reading about Phobos and Deimos the moons of Mars as waypoints for Martian exploratory expeditions.

Web Bits

Ebooks, Libraries, and Democracy
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/opinion/e-books-libraries-and-democracy.html?_r=1&#commentsContainer

Daily Thoughts 05/08/2013

An illustration from Jules Verne's novel "Off on a Comet" (French: "Hector Servadac", 1877) drawn by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux.

Daily Thoughts 05/08/2013

This morning, I checked the library Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also read some more of Fire With Fire on the way to work.  I rather like that the authors describes diplomacy with aliens, not just outright war.  It makes the story very interesting.

I checked the displays and spent more time weeding and shifting in the 900s today.  I try and be consistent.  I also spent a bit of time putting together an order of books on business plans.  Tomorrow, I am going to be using the digital camera to take a few pictures around the library.

I finished reading Fire with Fire by Charles E. Gannon.  The main character, Caine is the classic man out of time.  He is woken out of cold sleep to perform missions for a secret organization.  It makes for an interesting character because he is anomalous without connections to the present.

The book, Mission to Mars My Vision for Space Exploration by Buzz Aldrin has come in for me to read. Buzz Aldrin is best known for the Apollo 11 moonwalk.

On the way home, I read some of Mission to Mars.  Buzz Aldrin describes a spaceship that would permanently cycle between the Moon and Mars taking on and off cargo and passengers.


Web Bits

What Can Libraries Do To Survive in the Digital Age?
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/05/07/future-of-libraries

Daily Thoughts 05/07/2013

Alfonse Mucha, 1896, Lorenzacchio.  

Daily Thoughts 05/07/2013

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library last night.  This morning, I checked the displays and gift books.  I added a few books from the gifts.  I also spent some time updating the Bookletters page with new titles.  I still have more to do.

Two books came in for me to read, Debt The First 5000 Years by David Graeber which is a nonfiction book, and Charles E. Gannon Fire With Fire which is science fiction.  Someone requested a few books by Wendy Williams who is a popular television personality.  She has written both fiction and nonfiction books.

I saw an interesting event, Bike The Branches which is on Saturday, May 11, 2013.  It is a fundraiser for Brooklyn Public Library.  http://misc.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/btb/

This afternoon, I spent some time weeding and shifting in the 900s.  I also thought a bit about the Adult Summer Reading Book Club.

I also learned that you can post your Bookletters pages to Facebook and Twitter which is an interesting way of letting people know what new books you have.

On the way home, I read some of Fire With Fire.  I had really several sample chapters from the Baen website.http://bit.ly/10ona0A
Web Bits

Social Media Libraries Are Posting, but is Anyone Listening?
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/marketing/social-media-libraries-are-posting-but-is-anyone-listening/

Daily Thoughts 05/06/2013

Attributes of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, 1769, Anne Vallayer-Coster

Daily Thoughts 05/06/2013

I spent some time checking the library Twitter and Facebook page this morning.  I also checked the displays.

I spent a little more time getting the classes for Powerpoint and Excel ready as well.

Random House sent me a copy of Paris by Edward Rutherford which I won in a contest.  It is on the New York Times Bestseller list.  Also a copy of The New Digital Age Reshaping the Future of People, Nations, and Business by Erich Schmidt and Jared Cohen came in for me to read, it is on the New York Times Bestseller list.  I have a copy of the New York Times Bestseller List to read.

I checked the purchase alerts, the Publishers Weekly Bestsellers, the New York Times Bestsellers, and a few other sources and placed some orders today.

I did my monthly report for April.  I try and summarize my reports in a single page.  I also took some time to do a bit of weeding in the 900s.

Things have been very busy.  I have to update the Bookletters page.

On the way home, I read some of The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen.  The introduction focuses on how new the internet is and how fast it is spreading.  The authors predict that almost all of the people on the globe will have an internet connection.  They attribute this to cell phones and similar devices.

I also took a break to think about things.  I have to plan a little more.

Web Bits

As Work Floods In, Nation's Library Treads Water
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/books/budget-cuts-hobble-library-of-congress.html?_r=1&

How Graphic Novels Became the Hottest Section in the Library
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/57093-how-graphic-novels-became-the-hottest-section-in-the-library.html

Publishers Bets on Big Collectible Books
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323372504578465140315281704?mg=reno64-wsj.html?dsk=y

Daily Thoughts 05/05/2013

A Flight Through Space from Brough's Fairytales of Science, Charles Henry Bennett





Daily Thoughts 05/05/2013

Yesterday, I checked the Twitter and Facebook pages for the library.  There was also the Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale.

I finished reading Floating To Space, the Airship to Orbit Program by John Powell.  This book is about JP Aerospace which is a company that does high altitude experiments with balloons.  Recently the JP Aerospace program broke the altitude record for airships.  http://www.space.com/13433-balloon-airship-altitude-record.html  It is very much a do it yourself type venture.

Each stage of their planned program would open new scientific vistas.  Just getting an airship to the height which they propose is a breakthrough.  There are three steps to their program, an ascender vehicle which would go to 140,000 feet, a deep sky station which would be a permanent manned high altitude platform in near space, and finally an orbital airship which would go to space.  Each of these things seems impossible to many people.  That is why the book is so fascinating.

Having very high altitude airships would improve communications technology, surveillance technology, energy technology, and climate data.  It would make things like high altitude wind energy
and ideas like Stratosolar's http://www.stratosolar.com  high altitude solar power platforms much more believeable.  It sometimes stretches the limits of ones imagination.

The science in the program is fascinating.  The book gives a history of balloons being used in space, including the imp glider and the satelloon.  If you are interested in cheap access to space this book is a must read because John Powell does a lot of work with microsatellites, rockoons, science experiments for education, and rocket engine experiments.

It also brings back the idea of having airships for travel.  A lot of people are taking a closer look at airships because of this.  I like looking at companies like http://www.aeroscraft.com

There are numerous examples of the author repeatedly testing the limits of engineering and innovation.  This book also touches on a new frontier which there is very little known about, near space, the upper portions of the atmosphere.  There are microbes, strange electrical activities, and unique phenomena to observe.


I highly recommend this book.  It is one of those unique books which is hard to find.  I had to reserve it twice through interlibrary loan to get the book.  It is worth going to the JP Aerospace website to take a look.  http://www.jpaerospace.com

Daily Thoughts 05/03/2013

Halonnen, Pekka, Children Reading, 1916

Daily Thoughts 05/03/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  The Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library Book and Bake Sale is today 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I had a piece of cake and bought two graphic novels, Kabuki Circle of Blood by David Mack, and V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

I spent a little time working on making sure the computer classes for Excel and Powerpoint are promoted.  I also spent some time weeding in the 900s.  I also spent a bit more time working on displays for National Inventors Month which is this month.

The book, Floating to Space: The Airship to Orbit Program by John M. Powell came in for me to read.  I had tried previously to get it through interlibrary loan before.  I am a bit surprised it came this time.

I am going to the Library Journal Day of Dialog on May 28, 2013.  I am looking forward to doing this.  I try and do this every time that Book Expo America is coming to New York.

Web Bits

O'reilly Ends Its Tools of Chang Conference
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/conferences/article/57071-o-reilly-ends-toc-conference.html

Daily Thoughts 05/02/2013

An Old Scholar Reading in a Vaulted Room, 1631, Formerly Attributed to Rembrandt

Daily Thoughts 05/02/2013

This morning, I started reading Cooked A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan.  He is writing about the civilizing influence of cooked food and how it is important to eat together as a family.

Last night, I finished reading Vote Yes for Libraries.  There is quite a bit on how to talk to and contact the media.  This includes how to deal with opposition in the media.  It also answers the question what do you do if you lose.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  I spent a bit of time working on a display for National Inventors month which is May.  I also did a little weeding in the 900s.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

I am considering getting the book, Professor Borges: A Course on English Literature by Jorge Luis Borges translated by Katherine Silva.  I like Jorge Luis Borges writing as well as his most excellent quotes about libraries like "I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library" and “Let others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I'd rather boast about the ones I've read.” 

Tomorrow is the Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale.  Right now, the Friends of the Library are sorting the books and bringing them into the community room.  I look forward to having a cup of coffee, a few cookies, and buying a few books.

Daily Thoughts 05/01/2013

Reading-Room of the Boston Public Library, an engraving drawn by J. J. Harley and printed January 1871 in Every Saturday, a weekly newspaper published in Boston by James Osgood & Company. This depicts the library's first Boylston Street building, which was designed by architect Charles Kirk Kirby (1826-1910). Used between 1858 and 1895, it was replaced by the present building on Copley Square.

Daily Thoughts 05/01/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  This month is National Inventors month.

I read some more of Vote Yes for Libraries.  I am reading about fundraising and making contact with local voters face to face.

I have two issues of Publishers Weekly to read today.

Web Bits


94% of Parents Think Libraries Are Important for Their Children
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/94-of-parents-think-libraries-are-important-for-their-children_b69622

Gaiman on the Future of Publishing Be Dandelions
http://boingboing.net/2013/04/22/gaiman-on-the-future-of-publis.html?imm_mid=0a7063&cmp=em-toc-newsletters-frankfurt-cfp-20130501-elist