Daily Thoughts 06/27/2013

Lady Reading In a Wooded Park, George Stubbs, 1768-1770

Daily Thoughts 06/27/2013

Last night, I finished reading Negotiation by Brian Tracy.  It is a nearly perfect subway read.  The book itself is a pocket book sized hardcover.   It is short, 102 pages with the index.  I could finish it in a single sitting.  One of my fellow passengers on the subway commented that she liked the way the book looked.  She even took a look at it while I was reading it.  Her impression was that it was very much common sense oriented and perfect for a salesperson looking for something to read.

I found the language in the book to be very practical.  The author gave simple steps for negotiating.  He identified the differences between short term negotiations like buying a car and long term negotiating like negotiating a business lease for a building.  There were many points made about being calm, being prepared, doing your research, and how to be considerate so people will talk to you.  The book came across as both practical and to the point.

This morning, I spent some time updating the Twitter and the Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  Today is the first day of the Adult Summer Reading Program.

I also read a couple of copies of Publishers Weekly and the latest Library Journal. I spent a little time talking to people about where we might have holes in our adult nonfiction collection.  I also spent a little time putting together some orders.

I checked out the book, Ungifted Intelligence Redefined The Truth About Talent, Practice, Creativity, and the Many Paths to Greatness by Scott Barry Kaufman.

We had the computer lab open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  There were also two computer classes tonight, a Microsoft Excel class and a Microsoft Powerpoint class.

Web Bits

Libraryreads Book Discovery Program to Launch ALA Annual 2013
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/marketing/libraryreads-book-discovery-program-to-launch-ala-annual-2013/

Daily Thoughts 06/26/2013

New Fairy Tale - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky, 1891

Daily Thoughts 06/26/2013

I finished reading Lexicon by Max Barry last night.  The story had an edge to it.  It was very much about control and violence as it relates to language.  I liked how Max Barry threw in mythical examples of how language was created and biblical references like the tower of Babel.  It made the book more complete. 

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I spent some time placing orders with central library district funds.  I am looking for obvious holes in the collection.  I ordered some interior design, decorating, craft, jewelry, and art books.  We have a lot of art books.  People especially like knitting, crochet, and needlepoint.  I am also going to spend some time looking at the literary criticism.  I'll probably be looking for criticism on contemporary latino, African American, and Asian authors.

I checked out two books, Negotiation and Motivation by Brian Tracy.  They are printed by AMACOM.  I also have a stack of advanced reading copies from library journal; Let Him Go by Larry Watson, The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon, The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure, The Lincoln Deception by David O. Stewart, Mother Mother by Koren Zailckas,  Longbourn by Jo Baker , Relic The Books of Eva by Heather Terrell, The Rathbones by Janice Clark, A Beautiful Truth A Novel by Colin McAdam, Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis which is a thriller, and Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lowland.

Web Bits

Barnes and Noble Will End Manufacturing Tablets as Company Posts Large Quarterly Loss
http://www.infodocket.com/2013/06/25/barnes-noble-will-end-manufacturing-tablets-as-company-posts-large-quarterly-loss/#_
I am glad I did not get a Nook.

Younger Americans Want Great Library Programs and Spaces More Than Ebooks
http://lisnews.org/younger_americans_want_great_library_programs_and_spaces_more_than_ebooks

Daily Thoughts 06/25/2013

Interior at Arcachon, Edouard Manet, 1871

Daily Thoughts 06/25/2013

I have steadily been reading Lexicon by Max Barry.  I find it interesting because at the heart of the novel, it is a book about words and the power and meaning of words.  The plot is one of suspense, but that is not what matters to me.  I rather like the underlying theme that people are strongly influenced by words and words can both control, persuade, and kill.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and worked on the weekly orders.  I have some things to think about with ordering.

I spent a little time working with one of the senior clerks on my section of the new website which is being worked on called Books, Movies, Music.   I have quite a bit more to do.

Web Bits

Pew Study Teens Still Love Print Media Traditional Library Services
http://www.slj.com/2013/06/public-libraries/pew-study-teens-still-love-print-media-traditional-library-services/

Daily Thoughts 06/21/2013

The Old Book,  William Merritt Chase, 1916

Daily Thoughts 06/21/2013

I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  We had a management meeting today as well. We discussed policies around computers and customer service issues.  We are getting a new projector the community room to show films which should be very nice.

I spent a little more time looking at the back orders this afternoon and read the latest copy of Bookpage for July.  I also spent some time looking at the website.

Daily Thoughts 12/20/2013

Smithers Aubrey Beardsley

Daily Thoughts 12/20/2013

This morning, I read some more of The Golem and Jinni.  It is a fascinating story.  I think the author did some thorough research.  There is a lot of references to the mysticism behind Jewish golems as well as the folklore of the Syrian Jinni.  Also, the feel of old New York is there with its tenements and neighborhoods.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library and read some of the New York Times Book Review.  I enjoyed the sections on gardening and cooking.  The Mount Vernon Public Library has a very large and varied cooking collection.  We even label the cookbooks by country.  I spent a little bit of time ordering cookbooks.

The computer lab is open today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  There are also two computer classes, 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.

There is also the first Adult Summer Reading Book Club tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are reading Till You Hear From Me by Pearl Cleage as the first book for the club.

I checked out Photoshop Elements 11 The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage today.  The July Bookpage came in today which is a free Book Review which is given away to patrons.

Web Bits

Awesome Bookish Flooring
http://bookriot.com/2013/06/11/awesome-bookish-flooring/?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=64d8c14338-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-64d8c14338-304533241

Daily Thoughts 06/19/2013

Paul Signac, Still Life With A Book, 1883

Daily Thoughts 06/19/2013

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays.  I am spending a little time going over our back orders right now with Baker and Taylor.  Our first order for books from Ingram has come in.  I also spent a little time talking with Apress about a show special they had at Book Expo America.

I spent some time reading Library Journal and I have two isses of the New York Times Book Review to read.  I am also planning on ordering some graphic novels from the New York Times Bestseller lists for graphic novels and manga as well as the Diamond Comic Distributors bestseller list for graphic novels.  Diamond Comic Distributors: Top 100 Graphic Novels: May 2013 http://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/597?articleID=135747  New York Times Graphic Novel Bestsellers http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/paperback-graphic-books/list.html

The  Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees meeting is at the library tonight starting at 6:30 p.m.

Web Bits

Reed Adds Library Amendment to Immigration Bill
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/legislation/reed-adds-library-amendment-to-immigration-bill/

Chicago Public Library welcomes First 'Fab Lab'
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130613/NEWS05/130619888/

Daily Thoughts 06/18/2013

The Grey Parrot, 1852-1853, Walter Howell Deverell. English (1827–1854)

Daily Thoughts 06/18/2013

I took a little time off for a few personal things.  This morning, I relaxed on the way to work.  I had finished reading Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang.  It was an excellent conceptual overview of digital photography focused on the different concepts like tone, light, color, and monochrone.  It included a lot of the basic technical information on photography like RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key Black) for color.  The pictures were varied and beautiful in the book. I enjoyed reading it.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  We are getting ready for our Summer Reading programs.   I also checked the displays this morning.

I spent some time reading Publishers Weekly and the New York Times Book Review.  I also spent a little time looking at the Purchase Alerts, and the bestseller lists from the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly.

I am thinking about going to the Harlem Book Fair on July 19 and July 20, 2013.  It should be interesting.
http://www.qbr.com/harlem-book-fair.aspx

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

I checked out the book, The Golem and the Jinni A Novel by Helene Wecker today.  I am going to read some of it on the train home.  It is a beautifully written fantasy story set in the tenements of old New York.  The contrast of having a male Syrian Jinni and a female Jewish golem makes for excellent counterpoint.

Web Bits

Repurposing Retail Library By Design
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/buildings/lbd/repurposing-retail-library-by-design/

Amazon Publishing Has First Million Copy Hit: Will Authors, Agents Take Notice?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygreenfield/2013/06/17/amazon-publishing-has-first-million-copy-hit-will-authors-agents-take-notice/?goback=%2Egmp_1515307%2Egde_1515307_member_250958744

Daily Thoughts 06/14/2013

Clovis, Paul Gaugin, 1886

Daily Thoughts 06/14/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  I spent some time working with Bookletters.  Bookletters allows you to email lists of books to people.  I emailed a list of fiction books and nonfiction books out.  I have to work on a mailing list later today.  I spent a little time working on learning how to send out a message for a mailing list.  I am supposed to announce the Adult Summer Reading Book Club.

Some books were sent off to Better World Books yesterday which is working well for us.

Web Bits

Want to Learn How To Think Read Fiction
http://www.psmag.com/blogs/news-blog/reading-literature-opens-minds-60021/

Daily Thoughts 06/13/2013

Still Life With Books and Candle, Henri Matisse, 1893

Daily Thoughts 06/13/2013

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.  I also spent a little bit of time checking the social media.  I helped another staff member sign up to be an administrator for Facebook.  This means I have a little help with this which is nice.

We had a meeting this morning to discuss the website.  I have a number of things to do. I spent some time looking at the Ferguson Library website in Connecticut where our new director came from.  There were a few links that might be useful like Reading Group Choices http://readinggroupchoices.com/

I also spent a little time preparing for the Adult Summer Reading.  I put the book Who Owns the Future by Jaron Lanier on hold.

I did a little more work for the website.  We are adding some suggested legal resources.  The library also has two computer classes tonight, a Microsoft Excel class and a Microsoft Powerpoint class.

Web Bits

In Praise of Traditional Libraries
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/opinion/peer-to-peer-review/in-praise-of-traditional-libraries-peer-to-peer-review/

Pew Parents Children and Reading
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/05/01/parents-children-libraries-and-reading/

The Avant Garde Art of Book Stacking In Stores of Japan
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/06/03/the-avant-garde-art-of-book-stacking-in-stores-of-japan/

Daily Thoughts 06/12/2013

Walter Crane (1845-1915, UK)

Daily Thoughts 06/12/2013

I have been reading Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang on the way to work.  A lot of it is conceptual.  It is about how to look at things.  Concepts like light, shadows, depth of field, and other ways of looking at the world have been gone over.  It is aesthetically interesting reading this book.  He includes multiple photographs for everything which he describes.

I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library today.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  There were a few large print James Patterson books which will be added.

I spent some time talking about the meeting tomorrow for the web committee with colleagues.  I am thinking about how I can do some slideshows for the displays as well as how to incorporate some digital photographs into the website.  I probably should spend a little bit of time on Bookletters today.

We have a few new part time librarians who have come in.  This means I have less time on the reference desk and more time to focus on the collection.

Web Bits

Coming Soon A Universal Ereading App
http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2013/06/in-search-of-a-universal-ereading-app.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheAverageJoe+(The+Average+Joe)

ACRL NY Symposium December 6, 2013  The Library as Knowledge Laboratory
http://acrlny.org/greetings-from-2013-acrlny-symposium-chair/
This looks interesting.  It covers things like Big Data and 3D printing which are fascinating.

Daily Thoughts 06/11/2013

Amanda Sidvall Self Portrait 1870-1871

Daily Thoughts 06/11/2013

This morning, I read some more of Digital Photography for Dummies.  I am almost done reading it.  I am learning about printers for digital photography right now.  I am planning on reading a basic book on Photoshop Elements which is an easier version of Adobe Photoshop as well as reading a more general book on photography.  The library has a fairly large photography collection.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning and checked the displays.  Right now, I am working on the e-blast list.  I am pulling together a few things to make it work well.  There is construction in the workroom so I have to take some of my stuff out of there.

I checked the book Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang out.  It should be interesting.  I finished reading Digital Photography for Dummies during lunch.

There are two computer classes tonight, a beginning Microsoft Word class and a Fundamentals of Computer  Operations class.  There is going to be a meeting of the website committee on Thursday.  We should be working on making some changes.

I am thinking of getting Expect More: Demanding Better Libraries For Today’s Complex World, David Lankes, winner of the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature
He is teaching as part of the Syracuse University New Librarianship Master Class Online.
http://ischool.syr.edu/future/grad/newlibopencourse.aspx

Web Bits

Walk Your Precinct : Use Campaign Techniques to Activate Library Advocates and Voters

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/opinion/advocates-corner/walk-your-precinct-use-campaigns-techniques-to-activate-library-advocates-and-voters-advocates-corner/

Queens Library is facing $30 million dollars in budget cuts.
http://speakup.queenslibrary.org/
All of the libraries in the five boroughs of Manhattan are facing large cuts to their budgets.

Daily Thoughts 06/10/2013

Norman Rockwell 1927 "The Law Student"

Daily Thoughts 06/10/2013

This morning, I spent some more time reading Digital Photography for Dummies on the train to work.  I even used some of the things I learned taking more photographs of the building today.  We are working on getting some money for construction and repairs.

I spent some time checking the social media for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I read the latest copy of the New York Times Book Review and spent some time placing orders for bestsellers and patron requests.  I am looking at the email blast right now.

It is Maurice Sendak's birthday today.  I always liked Where the Wild Things Are.  He ranks up there with the great writers like Dr. Seuss.

On the way home, I read some more of Digital Photography for Dummies.  I am learning about the best way to take different kinds of pictures as well as how color works in digital cameras.

Web Bits

Pew: Third of Americans Now Own Tablets
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/pew-third-of-americans-now-own-tablets/

Does Google Have An Ethical Obligation Not to Spy?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-08/does-google-have-an-ethical-obligation-not-to-spy-.html

The Library's Future Is Not an Open Book
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324000704578386500193028168.html

Daily Thoughts 06/07/2013

Lesende in einem feinen Salon (1918). Karl Maria Schuster (Austrian, 1871-1953).


Daily Thoughts 06/07/2013

I started reading The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty.  The premise is excellent.  A young human editor is hired to write a guide to New York city for the undead.  The author has to keep herself alive and employed at the same time.  It is fun in a dark way.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I put in the monthly statistics.  I also checked the displays.  I am putting in a new display for adult fiction.  We had a management meeting this morning to discuss different things around the library including the website, security, and ebooks.  It was useful.

This afternoon, I spent a little more time on the displays.  I also spent some time working on an order of computer books.  I am looking at a few more advanced titles like Practical 3D Printers by Brian Evans and Web Standards: Mastering HTML 5, CSS 3, and XML by Leslie Sikos.

Web Bits

Focus On People Not Tools The User Experience
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/opinion/aaron-schmidt/focus-on-people-not-tools-the-user-experience/

Daily Thoughts 06/06/2013

Universiteitsbibliotheek Leiden in 1610 van Woudanus.
Daily Thoughts 06/06/2013

I finished reading Number Sense on the way to work.  The last part was kind of interesting it was about statistics in fantasy football, something which I would have never read about if I had not picked up this book.  I also started reading Digital Cameras For Dummies.  Right now, I am reading about memory in digital cameras.  I turned in a flash drive with a bunch of photographs which I took around the building.

This morning, I spent some time working on the Gay Pride Month display which is this June.  It is not something which I know a lot about.  I had to spend some time looking in encyclopedias and on the web to identify biographies and quality books on the subject. 

I also checked the displays this morning and made sure the Facebook and Twitter was up to date.  The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  There are also two computer classes tonight, an Introduction to Excel class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and an Introduction to Powerpoint class from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m..

Web Bits

Hyperlinked Library MOOC
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/programs/moocs/hyperlinked-library-mooc?goback=%2Egmp_1814025%2Egde_1814025_member_224786053
I think this is an experiment in collaborative learning.  It sounds interesting.  Imagine enrolling 400 students online.

Daily Thoughts 06/05/2013

The Reader by The Wooded Bank Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, Between 1865 and 1870

Daily Thoughts 06/05/2013

I read a little bit more of Number Sense on the train to work.  The author is writing about how rankings are manipulated for law schools and the benefits and downsides of companies using Groupon.  It is helpful in understanding how statistics and data are manipulated to look different than they really are.

This morning I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also took pictures around the library of different furniture and bathrooms.  I also checked the displays and read the latest copy of the Times Literary Supplement.

I spent a little time writing the monthly report for May.  We write a summary page on what happened each month.  I also wrote a brief report on what happened at Book Expo America and Day of Dialog.

I spent a little time checking the gift books.  I am sitting here watching my new smart phone recharge.  It was about time for me to get one.

I checked out a book on Digital Photography for Dummies by Julie Adair King as well as a copy of The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty which is fantasy.  As always, I have a little bit too much to read.

I still have a stack of catalogs which I have to go through from Book Expo America.

Web Bits

Poetrys Appeal Library Journals Day of Dialog
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/in-the-bookroom/poetrys-appeal-library-journals-day-of-dialog/


Kawasaki Makes the Case for Self-Publishing

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/57646-kawasaki-makes-the-case-for-self-publishing.html

Daily Thoughts 06/04/2013

Whilst Reading: A Portrait of Sofia Kramskoya, the Painter’s Wife (Ivan Kramskoi, 1866)

Daily Thoughts 06/04/2013

This morning, I started reading Number Sense How To Use Big Data to Your Advantage by Kaiser Fung.  This book focuses on the idea that big data is about being able to analyze huge amounts of information and come up with correct answers.  The author describes how easy it is to misinterpret numbers.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I am probably going to be taking some more pictures today around the library with the digital camera.  I added a few more titles from Book Expo America.  My box also came in from Book Expo America with books which I plan on adding to the collection and some items which can be used for the Adult Summer Reading program.

I also took a look at the material which the director had brought in to be added to the book sale.  She gave me a copy of Double Double A Dual Memoir of Alcoholism by Martha Grimes and Ken Grimes.  We are slowly putting together something nice for the end of the Adult Summer Reading.

The computer classes are tonight.  There is a Microsoft Word class and a Fundamentals of Computer Operations class.


Web Bits

Editors Picks Panel Library Journal Day of Dialog
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/in-the-bookroom/editors-picks-panel-lj-day-of-dialog-2013/

O'Reilly Shutters Tools of Change Conference
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/oreilly-shutters-tools-change.html
This is rather interesting.  O'Reilly is refocusing on doing collaborative publishing.

Could Bookless Libraries Revolutionize Access for the Poor?
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2013/06/could-bookless-libraries-revolutionize-access-poor/5729/

Daily Thoughts 06/03/2013

Woman reading 'Romeo and Juliet', illustration by Haskell Coffin (American, 1878-1941) for 'Today's Housewife', 1918.
Daily Thoughts 06/03/2013

I spent a bit of time checking social media this morning.




Web Bits

3-D Printing Goes from Sci-Fantasy to Reality
http://news.yahoo.com/3-d-printing-goes-sci-fi-fantasy-reality-133123371.html

BEA 2013 The Show Evolves
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/57632-bea-2013-the-show-evolves.html

Daily Thoughts 06/02/2013

On the Dunes (Lady Shannon and Kitty), ca. 1900-1910. James Jebusa Shannon (Anglo-American, 1862-1923). Oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Daily Thoughts 06/02/2013

This morning, I spent some time sorting through business cards.  I still have to contact people and thank them for talking to me about different things at the conference.

While I was at the laundry I took some time to look at a number of different book vendors cards.  People from Baker and Taylor, Library Journal, Writer.ly, and other places.  I have to sit down and send out a few compliments.

I finished 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 focuses on two services for book production, Createspace and Lulu.  There is also a bit of a focus on genealogy and local history. 

Web Bits

A Reading Relief at Annual Book Show
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/01/business/media/bookexpo-america-draws-20000-to-javits-center.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130601&_r=0

Daily Thoughts 06/01/2013

Sunday Magazine (1908) Phillips,C

Daily Thoughts 06/01/2013

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  Today is the last day for Book Expo America.

I did not get to Book Expo America until the late afternoon.  I did not go to pick up more material.  I was hoping to get a chance to talk to ebook vendors.  A lot of the vendors were working on systems to convert documents into different formats from a variety of different document types: HTML5, InDesign, Word Perfect, EPUB, Mobi and other formats.  For example, Aquafadas http://www.aquafadas.com can take documents and add video and animation then change them into an app or epub document.

There were a few new things.  For example, there is now a self publishing platform for ebooks called ACX, Audiobook Creation Exchange http://www.acx.com   It also looks like some of the bigger publishers are starting to support self publishing.  For example Simon and Schuster now has Archway Publishing which helps people self publish books, there even was a local author from Bedford, New York who was using their services http://www.archwaypublishing.com , Bowker has http://www.selfpublishedauthor.com


I learned that ipublish central http://www.ipublishcentral.com worked with Douglas County Public Library on their ebook system in Denver Colorado.

I also took some time to talk with Writer.ly http://writer.ly  to learn a little bit more about how they were creating a marketplace for author services.  They said that another company which had a marketplace for author services, Bibliocrunch http://www.bibliocrunch.com  also had stopped by.

I can see some major changes happening with author services and self publishing that are going on now, not in the future.

Web Bits

BEA 2013 Welcome Power Readers
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/57601-bea-2013-welcome-power-readers.html
Book Expo America for the first time is opening its doors to the public.  It should be interesting.