Daily Thoughts 08/26/2013

Bouquet of Violets, Edouard Manet, 1872

Daily Thoughts 08/26/2013

This morning, I rested on the train to work.  I am off tomorrow for the rest of the week.  I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  I did some ordering and read the latest copy of the New York Times Book Review.

I also interviewed someone for the computer lab assistant position as well.  A small box of Advanced Reading copies came in from Library Journal with four books, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Notable by Maria Bates which is a teen book, Cries of the Lost by Chris Knopf, and Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill.  I think I am going to read Dept. of Speculation.

I was quite busy today.  I did a little bit more weeding.  We finished our Summer Reading programs and are going to be starting in on our fall programming soon.

Web Bits

School Librarians Belong in NYC Schools
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christian-zabriskie/school-librarians-belong-_b_3813519.html

A Library Card May Get You More Than You Think-- MSNBC Video
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52837280#52837280

Daily Thoughts 08/23/2013

Three Women at the Table by the Lamp, August Macke, 1912

Daily Thoughts 08/23/2013
This morning, I read some more of Taking Your Kindle Fire to the Max. I am noticing that there are two types of tablets, tablets that focus on content like the Nook and the Kindle Fire which are designed for books, films, music, and movies mainly, and more general tablets focused on apps like the Google Nexus 7 and the iPad.

This morning, I checked the social media for the library and the displays. I also read the latest copy of Book Page. I picked up an advanced reading copy of Night Film by Marisha Pessl to read while I was going through the advanced reading copies in the staff room.

We had a management meeting this morning. They are going to be replacing some of the shelving. They are also planning on doing more weeding. We may be working with more electronic materials as well.

The clerical staff have brought up all the large print books from the mezzanine to be interfiled with the regular collection. We are also adding two more computers to the computer lab and expanding the number of computer classes.

Today has been a very busy day.  We had a visit from the 3M Cloud Library today to show their ebook platform.  It was interesting.  We watched a presentation in the trustees room.  It was very polished.

I also spent a very small amount of time weeding.  I try and do a little bit each day.


Web Bits
The Complete List of All Public Children's Literature Statues In America
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/08/14/the-complete-listing-of-all-public-childrens-literature-statues-in-the-united-states/

Daily Thoughts 08/22/2013

Dante's Inferno, 1924, Film Poster

Daily Thoughts 08/22/2013

Last night, I read some of Discovering Vintage New York: A Guide to the City's Timeless Shops, Bars, Delis, & More by Mitch Broder.  It was interesting.  It mentioned many classic places in New York.  I am quite fond of a few of them including The Donut Pub and the Strand Bookstore.

I am going to read Taking Your Kindle Fire to the Max by Mark Rollins.  We spent some time discussing electronic resources today.  We are planning to have some computer classes for seniors and to make some changes to our current computer class schedule and lab arrangement.  A book that was suggested for basic computer teaching is Is This Thing On A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes, and the Kicking and Screaming by Abby Stokes.  We are also getting Overdrive Advantage so we can have a local collection of ebooks which should be very nice.

I checked the displays and the social media for the library today.  We have computer classes tonight: Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Powerpoint.  We also have the End of Summer Reading Literary Tea for Adults today which I hope goes well.  It is in the community room. The Sylvia Mims and Patti-Preiss-Harris Jazz Duo is singing tonight. We are also giving people who participated in the Adult Summer Reading Club a book to choose, a pad and pen, and a tote bag with our logo on it. The duo is very good.

Web Bits

The Tea Party Vs. The Public Library
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-morris/the-tea-party-vs-the-publ_b_3768714.html?utm_hp_ref=tw#!

Daily Thoughts 08/21/2013

Daily Thoughts 08/21/2013

I finished reading Rumsfeld's Rules last night.  He makes some interesting points that are quite conservative.  One is that private industry creates money that can be taxed.  Another is that the United States is not the main source of the worlds problems.  It was worth reading.  The political position is conservative, but open minded to new ideas.

This morning, I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also did a little bit of weeding, picked out a few sites to be added to the website.  We are working on a new site design for Mount Vernon Public Library.  I also did a little bit of weeding.  I am preparing to interview someone and have a meeting on the computer classes.

Daily Thoughts 08/20/2013

Sarah Bernhardt and Christine Nilsson, Julius Leblanc Stewart, 1883

Daily Thoughts 08/20/2013

This morning, I read some more of Rumsfeld's Rules on the train to work. Donald Rumsfeld writes a lot about the changes in the military after September 11, 2001 in the context of asymmetric warfare and terrorism. He describes how the military was redesigned for faster deployment and more flexibility.

 This morning, I checked the displays, the gift books, and the social media for the library. I have a copy of Baker and Taylor's Forecast and the New York Times Book Review to read. I also took a few minutes to look through the new books and spotted William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher which is a parody mashup of Star Wars and Shakespeare by Ian Doescher. The words Verily, A New Hope are on the cover.

I was reading through the Baker and Taylor Forecast and I saw that the new Nora Robert's book Dark Witch had a print run of 2,000,000 which is huge, 100,000 is usually a very large print run for a book.  There were two books coming out in October that caught my interest, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman and  The Map and the Territory Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting by Alan Greenspan.  Both of these books should be fairly significant.

 Web Bits

Life With Raspberry Pi: The Hot $25 Computer May Just Spark A Coding Revolution In Schools
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/08/k-12/life-with-raspberry-pi-this-slim-25-computer-is-hot-and-showing-no-signs-of-cooling-off-it-may-just-spark-a-coding-revolution-in-schools/

Daily Thoughts 08/19/2013

The Effect Is Spoiled 1915-1916, John French Sloan

Daily Thoughts 08/19/2013

This morning, I read some more of Rumsfeld's Rules. Something surprised me while reading it. There is no index to the book. There is also no section of glossy pages with photographs. Still, it is an interesting book. He is describing what strategy is. He does a better job of this than almost every other author I have read. His description is inclusive of tactics, planning, and objectives.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library. I also checked the displays. We are having the End of Summer Literary Tea Party for Adult Summer Reading on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. in the community room. I am looking forward to it.

I spent some time putting in some orders.  We have had quite a few patron requests for romance novels by authors like Lisa Kleypass, Beatrice Small, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I also often buy romance paperbacks that are on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lists by authors like Debbie Macomber or Nora Roberts.

I spent a little bit of time weeding today.  I also spent some time looking through resumes.  We are hiring a part-time computer lab assistant for 17.5 hours at $16.14 an hour.

Web Bits
The Writing Tools of 20 Famous Authors
http://flavorwire.com/410384/the-writing-tools-of-20-famous-authors/10

The Library in Lego Form
http://mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/the-library-in-lego-form-aka-the-absolute-last-post-i-will-write-about-lego-librarians/

Daily Thoughts 08/18/2013

Daily Thoughts 08/18/2013

I finished reading The Bourne Supremacy this morning.  I found it hard to read.  There was a little bit too much paranoia and conspiratorial thinking for my taste.  Robert Ludlum wrote a number of  New York Times Bestselling books.  I watched the Bourne Supremacy and the Bourne Ultimatum this weekend.  In both cases, I found the movie far better than the book.  They were much more focused.  Matt Damon did an excellent acting job.

I also started reading Rumsfeld's Rules Leadership Lessons In Business, Politics, War, and Life by Donald Rumsfeld.  It is interesting.  He is quite to the point.  I rather liked the picture of the desk which he stands at.  So far there is a focus on punctuality, being focused and listening at meetings, and diplomacy in life and work. 

The people in the book are not people who I agree with like Dick Cheney and Richard Nixon.  It includes some suggestions on how not to get caught up in corruption, lobbying, or shady dealing.

Daily Thoughts 08/16/2013

Portrait of Poet, Boris Pasternak, Jury Annenkov, 1921

Daily Thoughts 08/16/2013

I read some more of The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. Robert Ludlum is very good at describing complex escape and chase scenes. He also does a good job of describing following people around. The other thing he does is well is create elaborately plotted plans for kidnappings, assassinations, thievery and other types of rather dirty espionage. It makes for interesting stories.  I watched the Bourne Legacy, but it was with a new main character, not Jason Bourne, it was not as good as the films with Matt Damon.  Robert Ludlum has passed away and Eric Van Lustbader has written Jason Bourne novels since 2003.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library. I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I spent more time weeding as well.  I have a few staff suggestions for books to purchase as well for next week.  I plan on reading Rumsfeld's Rules Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life by Donald Rumsfeld.  I have a very different outlook than Mr. Rumsfeld who I probably don't agree with much so it should be interesting reading.

 Web Bits

The Age of Big Data A BBC Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlwhP5JejA#%21

Daily Thoughts 08/14/2013

The Brown Teapot, Gwen John, 1915-1916

Daily Thoughts 08/14/2013

I read some of the Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum this morning.  I think the films are better than the book.  Partially because the story is very action oriented.  Also, in the book, the main character, Jason Bourne who is also known as David Webb is a headcase with schizophrenia, paranoia and a violent, unpredictable background.  This makes the book a bit confusing sometimes. Also, the mix of conspiracy theory, secret organizations, patriotism, and stereotypes makes thing intriguing but very messy in the novel.

 I think the movies help clarify the characters actions, making them more predictable, and create a more focused psychological background for the main character.  The main character is still highly unpredictable, willing to do unexpected things which a normal person would not do, but also is much more coherent than the novel.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library and the displays.  I also spoke to Atomic Learning about their product.  In addition, I did a little bit more weeding.

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

Web Bits

Keys to the Whole World American Public Libraries
http://www.npr.org/series/209598179/public-libraries-in-america

Daily Thoughts 08/13/2013

An Enthralling Novel, Julius LeBlanc Stewart, 1885

Daily Thoughts 08/13/2013

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  A colleague is going to a training session this Wednesday on Facebook at the Westchester Library System.

I finished reading A Wrinkle In Time, the graphic novel on the way to work.  I liked the illustration style.  The coloring was a mix of black, white, and light blue which added to the philosophical bent of the story.  The illustrator, Hope Larson did an excellent job of creating the feel of light and darkness in the graphic novel.  She really brought out the contrast between light represented by responsibility, love, caring, and uniqueness versus darkness represented by hatred, uniformity, and control.

The illustrations did a good job of explaining some of the fantasy concepts in the novel like traveling through the fifth dimension by using the tesseract, and successfully showed how beings of light often had difficulty taking physical form.  I think Hope Larson did an excellent job of translating Madeleine L'Engle's classic children's book.


I spent some time working on a new computer class schedule for September and October.  I also did a bit of weeding.  The computer lab was open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.  We also have computer classes tonight, Microsoft Word and Fundamentals of Computer Operations.

I checked out The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum.  It should be interesting.


Web Bits

Bestselling Author Cory Doctorow Supports Library Ebook Lending
http://www.pio.ala.org/visibility/?p=4380

How One Local Bookstore is Dealing With the Ebook Revolution
A San Francisco Institution Tries Its Hand at Selling E-readers
http://techland.time.com/2013/08/12/how-one-local-bookstore-is-dealing-with-the-e-book-revolution/?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=3e43e9441c-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-3e43e9441c-304551865

The Books We've Lost-- Charles Simic
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/aug/13/books-weve-lost/

September 2013 Library Reads List
http://libraryreads.org/september-2013-libraryreads-list/
I found this while reading through Early Word

Daily Thoughts 08/12/2013

Woman Writing, Edouard Manet, 1863

Daily Thoughts 08/12/2013

On the way to work, I read a little more of Taking Your Android Tablets to the Max.  I am reading about different media you can use on the tablet; ebooks, video, and music.  Also, the book, Cat In An Alien X-Ray by Carole Nelson Douglas came in for me to read.

I checked the displays and the social media for the library this morning.  I also spent a little bit of time on scheduling computer classes for September and October.  I am looking at a product called Atomic Learning which is from Recorded Books.

I also spent a little time ordering books.  The large print books are being brought up from the mezzanine to the main floor as a first step in bringing up some of the books from the mezzanine.

It is a day where there are a lot of tasks going on.  I spent a little bit of time weeding as well.

I watched The Bourne Identity last night.  It made me want to read the books by Robert Ludlum.  I am going to start with the first one.

Web Bits

Novelist Video Game Looks at the Writing Life
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/the-novelist-video-game-coming-soon_b75898

To Stay Afloat Bookstores Turn to Web Donors
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/business/bookstores-turn-to-web-donors-to-stall-the-end.html?smid=li-share&goback=.gmp_1628597.gde_1628597_member_265179283&_r=0#! 

Gauging the Print, Ebook Divide
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/58668-gauging-the-digital-divide.html

Daily Thoughts 08/11/2013

Daily Thoughts 08/11/2013

This morning I finished reading Babayaga by Toby Barlow.  I rather liked how the murderous witches were described with the murderous crone and the seductively dangerous beauty. There was plenty to be intrigued with in the story.  The story reminds us that love is the oldest and most mysterious magic, often inexplicable and mysterious.  The ending is very satisfying.  My favorite character is Vidot the inspector who is turned into a flea, then finds himself a man again.  This part of the story was quite humorous. It was an enjoyable read.

I also started reading Taking Your Android Tablet to the Max by Russell Holly.  I have a Google Nexus 7 at home and I wanted to learn a little more about tablets.  I spent some time reading the book in the laundromat.  The Android operating system is being developed by Google and integrates with all of Googles applications. Android, Inc. was a startup acquired by Google.

I am thinking about this because I am going to have more responsibilities focused around electronic resources at the library.

Daily Thoughts 08/09/2013

Isaac Israels, Girl Reading on a Divan, 1920

Daily Thoughts 08/09/2013

I finished reading Operation Storm Japan's Top Secret Submarines and Its Plan to Change the Course of World War II.  John J. Geoghegan demonstrates meticulous research, there are extensive notes, a section of photographs, acknowledgements from many of the original crew of the I-400 Japanese submarine as well as the submarine which captured it, the Segundo.  In addition, there is an Index, Epilogue, and list of sources cited.

I read a little more of Babayaga by Toby Barlow. There is a fantastic sequence where a witch turns a policeman into a flea.  This is one of the best transformation descriptions I have ever read.

This morning, I checked the social media and the displays.  I also gathered some statistics.  We had a management meeting this morning where we discussed digital resources like Zinio which is an online magazine service http://www.zinio.com 

We also confirmed that we are definitely getting Overdrive Advantage.  We are also getting a number of devices including an Ipad Mini, a Kindle Fire, a Google Nexus 7, and a few other things.  Yesterday, I got confirmation that the computer classes are being extended for the full year.  Hopefully, we should have some device classes in September.

We also spent some time discussing weeding.

I checked out the book, After the Fall Before The Fall During the Fall by Nancy Kress which won the 2013 Nebula Award for Novella.

I had a second meeting today discussing digital classes.  We may have a Spanish language computer class soon.  We also may have a Computers for Seniors class.  There are a few people I have to contact.  I also registered for a One Click Digital Webinar on Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Daily Thoughts 08/08/2013

Reflections, John William Goddard, 1918

Daily Thoughts 08/08/2013

This morning, I read some more of Operation Storm.  It shows the slow defeat of the Japanese navy in World War II by describing how the mission of the I-400 slowly devolved to less and less effective potential actions.  It starts with a plan for a fleet of submersible Imperial Japanese carriers that will attack Washington D.C. and New York, then the number of carriers is reduced and they plan on attacking the Panama Canal, and finally towards the end of the war, they are sent on a final mission in the closing days to attack a base in the Pacific.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library.  I also did a quick check of the displays and the gift books.  I spent a little bit of time talking to someone about ebooks from the 3M Cloud Library.  I also spent a little more time on the Overdrive Advantage program.  We get most of our ebooks through the Westchester Library System.

The fiction room in the library has been reopened.  I like the new arrangement.  I am going to be bringing up some of the items from the mezzanine soon.

I checked out the book, Taking Your Android Tablets to the Max by Russell Holly.  It should be interesting.  A whole lot of the technology books which I ordered came in including books on 3D printing, robot building, Arduino, Sharepoint, Microsoft Office, Wordpress, the Iphone, and a variety of other computer topics.

The computer lab is open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..  We also have 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..  Some of the students for the computer classes come to the lab to practice their skills.  We have Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Platinum, and Microsoft Office on the lab computers.

Web Bits

Book Row: A History of the Strand Bookstore with Fran Lebowitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-Wl9zhC-snY

Libraries Leading Roles On Stage On Screen and in Song?
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/07/207510092/libraries-leading-roles-on-stage-on-screen-and-in-song?ft=1&f=1032

Daily Thoughts 08/07/2013

Reading Julius LeBlanc Stewart 1884

Daily Thoughts 08/07/2013

This morning, I finished reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.   The story was hard to classify.  It had a touch of magical realism, a bit of mysticism, some urban fantasy, and a tiny bit of weird tale.  It was excellent writing.  There was magic, but not the overwhelming wizardy kind which is done in so many fantasy novels.

A lot of it was about how we see things in the world and remember things.  The book reminded me that things are different when we are children.  We see things with wonder and apprehension.  It was worth reading.

I also read a little bit more of Operation Storm by John J. Geoghegan.  The author gives some excellent descriptions of how submarines worked in World War II, both Japanese and American submarines.  The complexity of the systems is very interesting.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays.  I read two copies of the New York Times Bestseller list.

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

I have been talking to Henry A. May who is a local author with  a book called  First Black Autos.
http://stalwartpublications.homestead.com/FBA_Book.html

Carole Nelson Douglas has a new book coming out called Cat In An Alien X-Ray.  It is a crossover novel, a mix of Area 51, aliens, and mystery.  I do hope it will be entertaining.   The mystery series is quite popular.  I saw it in the new releases section of Locus Magazine for August.  I am planning on reading it.

The book Babayaga by Toby Barlow came in for me to read today.  It should be interesting, it is set in postwar Paris.  I also spent some time learning more about the Overdrive Advantage program for ebooks.

Web Bits

DIY How to Get Your Indie Book Into Stores and Libraries
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/58529-diy-how-to-get-your-indie-book-into-stores-and-libraries.html

Impoverished Suburb Has Library District But No Library
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-04/health/ct-met-ford-heights-library-20130804_1_library-book-nonresident-library-cards-state-of-the-art-library

What's Next for the Novel
http://bookriot.com/2013/08/07/whats-next-for-the-novel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bookriot%2FWlRy+(BOOK+RIOT)
I placed the book Night Film listed in this article by Marisha Pessl on hold because it had easter eggs.  Easter eggs in games are additional content that you have to search to find.  Apparently you can scan portions of this book and get extra content.

Daily Thoughts 08/06/2013

The Book Lover, Frantisek, Kupka, 1897
Daily Thoughts 08/06/2013

This morning, I read some more of Operation Storm.  The author John J. Geoghegan specializes in writing about unusual inventions.  The central device in this story is the Japanese I-400, a submarine capable of carrying 2 float planes for very long distances.  It was a disruptive technology in its time.  It reminds me of other examples of disruptive technology which did not appear to go anywhere like the Convair Sea Dart, a jet powered seaplane which only flew as a prototype, or the Lockheed Martin P-791 Stealth Blimp.  The book itself is very much about how technology develops and choices people make.

This morning, I checked the social media for the library.  I also checked the displays.  I spent a little time looking at the Overdrive Advantage program for libraries.  Hopefully, by the end of the week, all the fiction books will be put back in the fiction room.  I am looking forward to it.

I spent a little bit of time on weeding today.  We also had two computer classes; a Microsoft Word class and a Fundamentals of Computer Operations class.

On the way home, I read a little bit of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.  Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors.

Web Bits

If You Don't Have Time for Partnerships Chances Are Your Community Won't Have Time for You
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/08/marketing/if-you-dont-have-time-for-partnerships-chances-are-your-community-wont-have-time-for-you/

Daily Thoughts 08/05/2013

The Difficult Reply, Guy Rose, 1910

Daily Thoughts 08/05/2013

I read Gabba Gabba Hey The Graphic Story of the Ramones over the weekend.  I liked the black and white art.  It had an almost photographic quality to it, much like duotone photographs.  There was a unique sensibility to the book because the artists were British.  They had a little bit of a punk sensibility and wrote some material on the Ramones in Britain.  There was also a little bit about Andy Warhol.  It makes me want to read about Warhol.  The book was very edgy.  The music group originated in Queens, New York.  They are very much a New York rock group.

I also finished reading I Wear the Black Hat Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) by Chuck Klosterman on the way to work.  The book was a cauldron of popular culture, a little Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a bit of Monica Lewinsky, some O.J. Simpson, a touch of Black Sabbath and Aleister Crowley, and a million other pop names.  A lot of it is about annoying popular figures like Perez Hilton or cartoons like Beavis and Butt-Head.  It was a real eclectic mish mash meant to be read as dark entertainment.  The book was on the New York Times Bestseller list.

This morning, I checked the displays and updated the social media for the library.  I also spent a little time doing some weeding from a list of zero circulation items.  I spent some time talking to the director about technology as well.  I have to work on getting someone new for the computer lab.  I also have to look at some ebook providers like 3M and Axis 360.

On the way home, I started reading Operation Storm Japan's Top Secret Submarines and Its Plan to Change the Course of World War II  by John J. Geoghegan. This is an unusual story. Admiral Yamamoto planned to send a fleet of submersible aircraft carriers to attack New York and Washington D.C..  Japan during World War II used submarines to carry airplanes mainly to scout for the navy.

Web Bits

The Power of Shelvers
http://librarylostfound.com/2013/07/30/the-power-of-shelvers/
I was a shelver at one point.

Daily Thoughts 08/02/2013

Felix Feneon at the Revue Blanche, Felix Vallotton, 1896

Daily Thoughts 08/02/2013

This morning, I read some of I Wear the Black Hat.  The book opens with the question "Why do villains want to tie women to train tracks?" which is a bit silly, but entertaining.

I checked the displays, the gift books and the social media for the library.  I spent some time doing weeding in the nonfiction.  The fiction room is slowly being reshelved.  It is almost done.  It will be a nice space when everything is put back.  I am also going to be bringing up some of the books from mezzanine or storage area to the main floor soon.

There has been a lot of work on improving things around the building lately.  I moved back downstairs to the tech room office recently.  I got dividers for my work area and a table to put things on in back of me.  People are creating a new layout for the tech room.

I checked out the graphic novel, Gabba Gabba Hey The Graphic Story of the Ramones by Jim McCarthy and Brian Williamson.  It is a black and white graphic nonfiction story, with an almost photographic quality to it.  I am also on planning watching the new film version of Les Miserables with Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.  It won 3 Golden Globe Awards.

Web Bits

The Decline and Fall of the Book Cover
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-book-cover.html

Daily Thoughts 08/01/2013

A Young Woman Reading, Rembrandt, 1634

Daily Thoughts 08/01/2013

This morning, I read some of more of Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard by Kim Newman.  It is very much a modernization of the dracula tale.  We get Bonnie and Clyde as vampire, Andy Warhol as a vampire, vampires becoming creators of ideas and myths.  I like how the main character comes from Eastern Europe and transforms himself into an American vampire changing from his European past.  Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards.  He starts out as Johnny Pop hanging out with Andy Warhol.  Then he develops a drug from vampire blood, eventually moving into film and high finance.  It is very much a story of the vampire remade over and over again.  Johnny Pop remakes himself as Johnny Alucard eventually becoming the new master vampire.  This is a story of transformation and myth making in the modern setting.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library, checked the displays and the gift books.  I also spent some time looking for zero circulation items.  The computer lab is open this afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  They are in the process of redoing the fiction room.  Some of the items in storage are going to be brought up to the main floor.

I spent some time this morning reading the New York Times Book Review.

The graphic novel version of A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle came in for me to read.  It is being adapated by Hope Larson.

Web Bits

How Andrew Carnegie Turned His Fortune Into a Library Legacy
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/01/207272849/how-andrew-carnegie-turned-his-fortune-into-a-library-legacy