Daily Thoughts 12/30/2014

Papyrus or Paper Reed Growing in the Ciane, Sicily, Marianne North, 1870

Daily Thoughts 12/30/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook page this morning.  I also read a copy of the New York Times Bestseller list and worked a bit on next years orders for books.


I checked the displays and the gift books.  We spent some time discussing programming for next year.

I read the February copy of the Ingram Advance.  I also read through the latest Publishers Weekly.  I put a few more titles in for next weeks order.  Neil Gaiman is coming out with short story collection called Trigger Warning in February.  Peter Diamandis has a new book called Bold How to Go Big which is a business title.  I read his previous book, Abundance, and liked it.

I placed a hold on the book, Waking Dreaming Being by Evan Thompson after reading this article. In Search of  a Science of Consciousness.  http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/12/30/373952810/in-search-of-a-science-of-consciousness?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2056


Web Bits

An African Reading List
http://bookriot.com/2014/12/30/african-reading-list-2/

Daily Thoughts 12/29/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/29/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  I relaxed a bit on the way to work.  I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also put in an order for new books this morning.

I spent some time with a colleague working on an order of E-books.

I have a copy of the New York Times Book Review to read.

There is an online jobs workshop tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the computer lab.

Web Bits

Who Will Shape the Future?
http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/who-will-shape-future

Daily Thoughts 12/28/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/28/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  I looked through my usual news sources this morning and saw nothing particularly interesting yet.  I found a few things.

I spent some time looking through the Random House online catalog today.
http://atrandom.com/catalogs/



Web Bits

Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits Vs.  Literary Productivity, Visualized

http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/12/16/writers-wakeup-times-literary-productivity-visualization/

                     

House of Books Majestic Photos of Libraries Around the World

http://www.boredpanda.com/house-of-books-majestic-photos-of-libraries-around-the-world-by-franck-bohbot/

Daily Thoughts 12/27/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/27/2014


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  Last night, I spent some time looking through Locus Magazine online and Science Fiction Site.  I enjoy reading science fiction sometimes.




I checked the Romantic Times website and am looking forward to when the book, Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear comes out.  It is a steampunk western.  There are not that many western style fiction books anymore.  The only writer of westerns who gets books in paperback on the bestseller lists is William W. Johnstone.


I took a few minutes to look through the Mahogany Books website.  It usually has some interesting African American titles.




Web Bits


The Future of Britain's Libraries Why Lattes and Wi-Fi Are Nothing to Fear
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/26/future-of-britains-libraries-lattes-wifi


Follow what is happening in Britain in libraries.  Also in Canada.  There is a lot of debate about what libraries are and should become.


A Piece of Yale's Library is Brought Back to Life
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/27/nyregion/yale-university-library-revives-entrance-hall.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Daily Thoughts 12/26/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/26/2014


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.


I watched several movies this week. Godzilla was mildly entertaining and Guardians of the Galaxy was just plain silly.  I also watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.   The best film which I took out was Rise of the Black Pharaos which is a PBS movie.  It is the story of the 25th dynasty of Egypt when the Cushites often called the Nubians as well conquered Egypt.  Cush is what is now the Sudan in Africa.  We learn that the Nubians were a conquered colony of Egypt and that they produced most of Egypts gold.


We also learned that after the 25th dynasty fell, the next Egyptian pharaoh tried to wipe out all traces of a Cushite dynasty in Egypt; destroying statues, defacing imagery, and denying history.  This is a really interesting archeological documentary.


I also read a little bit more of Leading the Life You Want.






Web Bits

A Closeup Look at FreeFor All Inside the Public Library

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/12/advocacy/a-closeup-look-at-free-for-all-inside-the-public-library/

This is the film.  There is a book with the same title.

Take A ‘Shelfie’ To Get A Free Ebook Version of Any Print Book You Own

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/take-a-shelfie-to-get-a-free-ebook-version-of-any-print-book-you-own_b95633

Daily Thoughts 12/25/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/25/2014

I checked my email this morning for work. I also checked the Facebook and Twitter accounts for thelibrary.  I did not look at it for the last four days.  I am off this week.  I am trying to relax and not do too much that is much that is library oriented.   I mostly relaxed and tried to do nothing. It is good to do nothing sometimes.

I read two biographies, One Lucky Bastard by Roger Moore which is a bit risque and shows how much of a raconteur, bon vivant, and working actor that Roger Moore is.  It is a very entertaining and sometimes surprising story.

I also read Sophia Loren, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow My Life which is an autobiography.  Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow is the title of a film where Sophia Loren plays a stripper.  The book is very sophisticated.   There is a lot of hardship: a poor childhood, multiple miscarriages, legal complications in marriage, and prison for tax issues.  This is easily eclipsed by the story of a beautiful, capable, and driven personality. It is a story of a person who rises to the top of their profession not just in acting in the traditional sense, but also ties it with extraordinary beauty, fashion, and passion for life.  Sophia Loren wrote two cookbooks and did a variety of interesting things.  I read this book for my book club.

I started reading Leading the Life You Want Skills for Integrating Work and Life by Stewart D. Friedman.  I first saw this book in Barnes and Noble.  It is published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Web Bits

Opinion From Vicious to Virtuous : The Collapse of U.K. Libraries and Unbreaking the Cycle of Library Support

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/12/opinion/opinion-from-vicious-to-virtuous-the-collapse-of-u-k-libraries-and-unbreaking-the-cycle-of-library-support/

Seven Things I’ll Miss About The Traditional Library

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/22/seven-things-miss-traditional-library

Clash In the Stacks

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/12/10/rethinking-library-proves-divisive-topic-many-liberal-arts-institutions

Thirsty, Go To A Library Not A Coffee Shop

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11299758/Thirsty-Go-to-a-library-not-a-coffee-shop.html

I am not that fond of the hipster ethic.

Libraries Can Provide Patrons With Sanctuary In Many Forms

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2014/12/24/libraries-can-provide-patrons-sanctuary-many-forms/20880951/

A nice reminder that libraries are safe havens, quiet places for thinking, and places of culture.

Books Suck: Why I Love My Kindle More Than Dead Trees

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/books-suck-love-kindle-dead-trees/

Daily Thoughts 12/19/2014

The Globe Kittens, 1902, Ernest J. Rowley
Daily Thoughts 12/19/2014

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

On the way to work, I read some of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow My Life.  Sophia Loren describes how people have to find their own beauty that she would never be conventional and have plastic surgery.  It also describes one of her first big breaks as an actress as working in photonovellas, stories with pictures and speech bubbles.  She says it helped develop her expressiveness with her face and body.

I checked the gifts and the display books.  The majority of gift books which we want added have been added.  I read the January Bookpage and did a little more ordering for next weeks new book order.

Web Bits

Library Advocacy.  Everyone Thinks they Do It.  But, really what is it?

http://www.nyla.org/max/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=725&MenuKey=eBulletin

Book News: The Future of the Public Library May Lie in the Coffee Shop

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/18/371650738/book-news-the-future-of-the-public-library-may-lie-in-the-coffee-shop?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=books&utm_term=artsculture&utm_content=2044

Daily Thoughts 12/18/2014

A Literary Reading, Vladimir Makovsky, 1866

Daily Thoughts 12/18/2014

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

I checked out the book, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow My Life by Sophia Loren.  It is the book which our next book club meeting is reading.  I also checked out One Lucky Bastard by Roger Moore which is also an autiobiography.

Web Bits

Amazon Not as Unstoppable as it Might Appear

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/technology/personaltech/amazon-not-as-unstoppable-as-it-may-appear.html?_r=0

Daily Thoughts 12/17/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/17/2014

The final touches are being put in place for the poetry chap book.  There is a young lady having an exam proctored. I am thinking about proctoring.

I took some time to look through the Simon and Schuster Digital Catalog for books.
https://catalog.simonandschuster.com/Catalogs/Default.aspx?CatType=shared&a=

I rested on the way to work.  I don't always read.  I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I also checked the gift books and the displays.  I spent a little more time working on next weeks order of new books.

There is a Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees meeting going on today at 6:30 p.m. in the Trustees room.

Web Bits

Kids are Thriving, Reading, and Hungry For More:  Crunching Numbers at the Nielsen Children’s Book Summit

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/65068-kids-are-thriving-reading-and-hungry-for-more-crunching-numbers-at-the-nielsen-children-s-book-summit.html

What is the Value of a Public Library?

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141206/OPINION02/712069987

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2014

Railway, Edouard Manet, 1873

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

On the way to work, I read some more of  Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous.  The book reveals that Anonymous is not a single group but rather a platform of common values and skills which many different small groups join to push forward a variety of direct actions usually involving hacking, trickery, and political dissent.  It is constantly shifting and amorphous with no central direction or even universally accepted goals. The inconsistency, the dark humor, the infighting make this book captivating reading.

We had a staff luncheon for the holidays this afternoon.  I did my book club, with the book Unbroken by Lauen Hillenbrand.  I am going to request Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow by Sophia Loren as our next book club book.  We also discussed a little bit about the book Alan Turing the Enigma by Andrew Hodges.

I made a few changes to Bookletters and a read a copy of Publishers Weekly.  I also did a little work on next weeks order of new books.

Web Bits

Capital Home to Oversized Atlas

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/63498563/Capital-home-to-oversized-atlas

Vital Community Hubs, Libraries Toil Underfunded

http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/government/5463-vital-community-hubs-libraries-toil-underfunded

Daily Thoughts 12/15/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/15/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  I proctored an exam.
There is a Path to Employment Workshop today in the computer lab from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  I spent a little time working on the planning committee.
I placed an order for new books this morning.

On Sunday, I read some more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous.  I have been reading about Anonymous and its relation to Wikileaks, and how Anonymous was involved in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.

I spent some time organizing my desk.  I also spent a little time planning what I am going to do in the near future.

I have a copy of Publishers Weekly to read.

On the way home, I read a little bit more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy.  It is the trickster aspect of Anonymous which interests me. PBS Hacked, Claims 'Tupac Alive' in New Zealand.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/30/pbs-hacked-tupac-alive_n_868673.html

Web Bits

So How Do You Wrap an E-book?

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/14/fashion/holiday-gifts-giving-children-books.html?_r=1#_=_

Six Hacks to Improve Diversity in Book Publishing

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/65043-got-diversity-six-hacks-that-address-book-industry-diversity-21st-century-style.html

Daily Thoughts 12/13/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/13/2014

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

I read some more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman.  Gabriella Coleman wrote this as part of her academic requirement to publish.  She is a cultural antrhopologist focusing on modern culture.  The style is quite interesting.  There are many excerpts from internet relay chat conversations.  This means there is a lot of dialogue.  Also, in order for her to do this kind of work, she has to have regular contact with the people involved so that there is a lot of original research.  This makes the book more authoritative.

I checked the gifts and the displays this morning.  I also summarized my committee meeting from yesterday.  I sent some information for a flyer to our graphic designer.

The Mount Vernon Public Library is seeking a children's librarian part-time.
http://metro.org/jobs/childrens-librarian/

Web Bits

No Luddite Libraries Here 95% of American Libraries Carry Ebooks

http://www.today.com/money/no-luddite-libraries-here-95-percent-u-s-libraries-carry-1D80328966

Make New York City’s Libraries A Higher Priority

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-sandorf/make-new-york-citys-libra_b_6302950.html

Libraries Find New Ways to Thrive in Digital World

http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/libraries-find-new-ways-to-thrive-in-digital-world_14535.aspx#.VIxMVZRdUWI

Daily Thoughts 12/12/2014

Ferenczy, Karoly, Red Wall, 1910

Daily Thoughts 12/12/2014

I read some more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy.  I learned that are pirate parties in some countries with a specific platform of supporting reform in copyright, censorship, intellectual property laws, freedom of information, and greater participation in government.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.  I spent some time preparing for programs in January.  I also wrote up the November monthly statistics.

We had a meeting of the planning committee in the afternoon.  I have another report to write.

Web Bits

FCC Boosts Funding to Increase Internet Speeds at Schools, Libraries

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-fcc-erate-internet-school-20141211-story.html?track=rss

E-books Challenge Public Libraries and High Street Booksellers

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/e-books-challenge-public-libraries-000000250.html

Daily Thoughts 12/11/2014

Reading Woman with a Parasol, Henri Matisse, 1921

Daily Thoughts 12/11/2014

I took a day off from blogging yesterday.  I got a request for my cell phone number as a security precaution.  I don't give this out.

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also read some more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy.  I am reading about the early history of Anonymous.  I am learning about the start of the use of the Guy Fawkes mask in protests, the adoption of sites like Pirate Bay, the use of botnets, and denial of service attacks.  It is interesting if not a little dark material.

I read the latest copy of the Ingram Advance for January/February and did preparation work for next weeks orders.

I watched something silly and unintellectual last night, The Scooby Doo Wrestlemania Mystery Original Movie.  It was an opportunity to turn my brain off and laugh.

There is a beginning Microsoft Excel class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Web Bits

Move Over HP Lovecraft, Fantasy Writers of Color are Coming Through

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/09/move-over-hp-lovecraft-black-fantasy-writers-are-coming-through

Writers in Residence at the Public Library

http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/12/paging-all-local-writers-we-want-you-as-a-resident-at-our-library/

Daily Thoughts 12/09/2014

Domenico Remps, Cabinet of Curiosities, 1690s

Daily Thoughts 12/09/2014

I read a bit more of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy.  I am reading a little more about how Anonymous came out of message boards and hacker groups.  There is a prankster aspect to Anonymous.  The group started with a protest against scientology.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook this morning for the library.  I also checked the gifts and the displays.  I wrote my short monthly report.  I have to get the statistics done soon.

I am looking through the 100 Notable Books of 2014 list in the New York Times Book Review.

I am going to spend a little more time going over a list of missing and lost items with high circulation.

I spent some time checking on the computer lab and the public computers.  We have a Fundamentals of Computer Operations class tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 6;30 p.m. and a Beginning Microsoft Word class from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Web Bits

Can Libraries Survive Disruptive Technologies
http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/blog/can-libraries-survive-disruptive-technologies

Daily Thoughts 12/08/2014

Felix Widder, Mednyanszky, 1919

Daily Thoughts 12/08/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  We had a program this morning from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., The Path to Employment Staying Focusing in the Computer Lab.  There is also going to an Online Job Search Workshop tonight between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also put in an order for new books. I also spent some time looking at a report on lost and missing items at the library.

A copy of the New York Times Book Review came in for me to read.  It is one of the giant issues with books reviewed for the full year.

Two books came in for me to read, The Best American Comics 2014, Edited by Scott McCloud and Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman came in for me to read.

Daily Thoughts 12/05/2014

Giotto Painting the Portrait of Dante, 1852
Daily Thoughts 12/05/2014

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I enjoyed reading Bad Paper Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld by Jake Halpern.  This book is an expose of how corrupt the system of buying and selling debt is.  There are some wonderful ideas in here.  One of the first is that if you wear a suit it is far easier to rob someone.  This book exposes the seemy side of debt collection.  It shows agencies will sometimes try and collect on the same debt multiple times.  It also describes how debt often is not legitimate and does not have a clear paper trail.

There are a few things worth learning.  Show up if you receive a judgement letter for debt in court.  90% of these letters are dismissed if you show up.  There is an hierarchy to debt collection starting with the banks, going to top tier collection agencies, then smaller collection houses with a few people, then shady small agencies which buy debt for pennies on the dollar so they can try and collect it.  The final layer are lawyers who send out collection letters.  There are also a wide variety of types of debt ranging from mortgages, credit cards, cell phone bills, to payday loans.  I liked the descriptions of people trying to collect debt from people who owed.  One of the interesting ideas I get from this book is that many people want to pay but fall into traps where they simply cannot afford to pay their debts anymore.

Some of the accounts of the smaller agencies are gripping.  It is where the law meets gray areas, where the agents sometimes use threats, and warnings of legal action to get the debtor to pay.  It is also a world where agencies buy, sell, and steal debt from other agencies.  The people running the agencies are often ex-gangsters, former drug dealers, or have unsavory backgrounds and are not averse to using a little physical contact to collect their money.  There is a feeling when you read these accounts, you are reading about legal extortion, usury, and chicanery.

Web Bits

Licking Library Now Loaning Guitars

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/05/licking-library-now-loaning-guitars.html

City Seizes Brooklyn Library Building [Udpated]

http://commercialobserver.com/2014/12/city-seizes-brooklyn-library-building/

Daily Thoughts 12/04/2014

Men Reading, Francisco Goya, circa 1819-1823

Daily Thoughts 12/04/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I started reading Bad Paper Chasing Wall Street to the Underworld by Jake Halpern.  This book is an account of how banks sell loans that they have failed to collect for a variety of debts from credit cards to home loans for pennies on the dollar.  The people often collecting these loans use tactics that are questionably legal.  It is a shadowy world where bankers meet the street.

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.  I also did a little more work with programs.  I have a copy of Library Journal and Booklist to read.

I registered for Book Expo America on May 27 through 29, 2015.  They sent me a free VIP Badge.  I always enjoy the show.  I also registered for the Metro New York Libraries Conference on January 15, 2014.

I placed the book, Best American Comics 2014 on hold.  Scott McCloud is the editor this year.  I trust his judgement.

I am working on the final chapbook for the Mount Vernon Public Library Poetry Workshop.

There is a Beginning Internet Class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab tonight.

The library had its tree lighting ceremony for the holidays today.  The Mount Vernon Interfaith Community Choir was here tonight at 6:00 p.m. along with an elementary school band, the Ice Cold Band.  They had cookies, punch, and eggnog in the Trustees room.  It was nice.

The book Leading the Life You Want Skills for Integrating Work and Life by Stewart D. Friedman came in for me to read.  It is published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Web Bits

Library or Homeless Shelter?  Proposal to Open Library 24-7 Stirs Debate

http://www.sltrib.com/news/1903011-155/library-or-homeless-shelter-new-proposal

Daily Thoughts 12/03/2014

Lady Reading, Joseph Frederick Charles Soulacroix, circa 1900

Daily Thoughts 12/03/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.  I also checked the gift books and the displays.

On the way to work, I read some more of Wherever You Go There You Are.  Different types of meditation are being described:  walking meditation, sitting meditation, meditation laying down, meditation on mountains, meditation on lakes, and meditation while standing often focused on trees.

I finished shifting in the adult 900s and did a litte more work with the oversize books.  I am looking at some different places where we might apply for a technology grant.

NPR's Book Concierge http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2014/#/_

I spent some time working on setting up programming for February today.

There was a Gmail class today in the Mount Vernon Public Library computer lab from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

On the way home, I finished reading Wherever You Go There You Are Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life by Job Kabat-Zinn.  This book is a solid reminder on how important it is to pay attention.  One of the central ideas in the book is that we have to pay attention to understand the present moment.

I watched another episode of National Geographic called Brain Games which was called Remember This.  It was about memory.  They had a professional memory person on the show who did a variety of things including remember the names of twenty different people going into a theatre, remember a series of objects, and identify a sequence of cards in a deck.  There was also a crime scene setup with a pickpocketing where memory for faces and events was tested.  I found the show very entertaining and informative.  I put Brain Games Season 3 on hold.  There is also a Brain Games Season 4 which the library has not gotten.


Web Bits

Unpublished Raymond Chandler Work Discovered in the Library of Congress

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/02/raymond-chandler-libretto-library-congress

Readers’ Love Letters to Libraries

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/03/readers-love-letters-to-libraries

New Wreaths for New York Public Library Lions

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/new-wreaths-for-new-york-public-librarys-lions/?_r=0

Daily Thoughts 12/02/2014

Raphael, School of Athens, 1505

Daily Thoughts 12/02/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.




I also read a bit more of Wherever You Go There You Are.   There are references to Buddhism, Taoism, and Sufism in the book in the context of paying attention and not doing certain things.


I also watched some of Brain Games by National Geographic.  This is Part 1.  It was about how the brain pays attention.  There was a bit on how hard it is for people to multitask as well as the limits of attention.  Part of the limits of attention section was about why it is so easy to be fooled by sleight of hand and magic tricks.



I spent some time working on the displays this morning.  I also checked the gift books and did a little work on ordering for next week.  I put the book, Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabrielle Coleman on hold.



Three books came in for me tor read, Bad Paper Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld by Jake Halpern, Blacksad A Silent Hell which is a graphic novel, and The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth which is horror.


On the way home I read some more of Wherever You Go There You Are.  I am reading about sitting meditation.


 I also read another Blacksad graphic novel.  This one was Blacksad A Silent Hell.  This book uses anthropomorphic characters.  The main character Blacksad is a humanoid cat who is a detective.  The artwork in this book is exceptional.  The cartoon panels are done with watercolor.  The artists often use washes in blue, yellow, red, and other color to add tone to the panels.


The setting is New Orleans in the 1950s which makes for a very colorful background.  There are also many musical references to jazz.  The story is fairly hardboiled with lots of action, drinking, drugs, and sexuality.   There is also some skullduggery.  It is a story meant for adults.  The story is translated from Spanish.  http://blacksad-gallery.blogspot.com/


I watched some more of Brain Games from National Geographic when I got home.  I was watching about how we can fool ourselves when we look at color and shadow.




Web Bits



Science Shows Something Surprising About People Who Love Reading Fiction
http://mic.com/articles/104702/science-shows-something-surprising-about-people-who-love-reading-fiction

What’s Going on in the Library? Part 1, Librarian Publishers May Be More Important Than You Think

http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2014/12/01/whats-going-on-in-the-library-part-1-librarian-publishers-may-be-more-important-than-you-think/

New York Public Library Expands Free Wi-Fi Program

http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-york-public-library-expands-free-wi-fi-program-1417489781

Daily Thoughts 12/01/2014

Daily Thoughts 12/01/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

On the way to work, I read some of Wherever You Go There You Are Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn.  There are quite a few references to Thoreau and Walt Whitman in the book.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also spent some time working on the computer class schedule and planning for programming.  There has started to be some outreach for fundraising by the Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library and some requests for people to volunteer at the library.

I have a lot of review material to go through.  A copy of the New York Times Book Review, two copies of the Times Literary Supplement, a copy of the New York Review of Books and a copy of the Baker and Taylor Forecast.

I spent some time looking at material on Digital Media Labs.

Web Bits

Virtual library helps low income schools teach reading

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/30/schools-adopt-digital-library-program/19701285/

Daily Thoughts 11/30/2014

Daily Thoughts 11/30/2014


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.


I finished reading Cibola Burn by James S. Corey last night.  It had an unexpected ending which united the opposing human factions and made them work together to create a colony.  I liked the descriptions of space combat.


I spent some time playing a gamebook which is a combination of game and book.  It is a basically a choose your own adventure book with a game built in.  This one was called Destinyquest Infinite published by Adventure Cow. http://adventurecow.com/store/stories/630/destinyquest-infinite  The difference between this and the older game book is that the only versions are less cumbersome with built in game mechanics.  An older example of this is Project Aon with the Lone Wolf series http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Home  


I have noticed there is renewed interest in choose your own adventure type books.  Recently a book called Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography was on the New York Times bestseller list. Because I was interested, I took a look around there are some Kindle Choose Your Own Adventure e-books. http://www.cyoa.com/pages/ebooks


I also see that a number of computer Gamebooks have been released through a company called Tin Man Games in Australia. http://tinmangames.com.au/blog/   What I am seeing is mainly in the United Kingdom and Australia.


I have written about this before when I spent some time reading a Visual Novel from Hanako Games.
Part of why this is interesting is that it shows what you can do with an e-book graphically, with music, and with branching content that is not being done that much by mainstream publishers.
http://www.hanakogames.com/fatal.shtml

Daily Thoughts 11/29/2014

Heinrich Vogeler, Martha Vogeler Lesend, circa 1905

Daily Thoughts 11/29/2014

I watched a documentary on Irish Writers last night.  It was interesting.  There was quite a bit about plays.  I liked the sections on James Joyce and Oscar Wilde.  The documentary was published by Kultur.




On the way to work, I read some more of Cibola Burn by James S. Corey.  The corporate colony ship has declared martial law over the existing settlement because some of the settlers blew up their landing pad and killed some of their security people.  In the background, there are intimations of a dangerous alien presence.




I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.


I put the book The Resurrectionist the Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black by Elmer Holdspeth on hold.  It looks rather macabre.

I read a copy of Publishers Weekly.  I put the book, Bad Paper Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld by Jake Halpern on hold.

I spent some more time working with the oversize books.  I also spent some time working on programming.


Web Bits

Libraries on Film
https://www.pinterest.com/gmeberhart/libraries-on-film/

TNT Debuts A New Trailer for Their Upcoming Series the Librarians

http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/124760-tnt-debuts-a-new-trailer-for-their-upcoming-series-the-librarians

Westchester Library System Empowers Communities, #lohudcares

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2014/11/28/westchester-library-system-empowers-communities/19357319/

Daily Thoughts 11/28/2014

Sebastian Stoskopf, Still Life With Books

Daily Thoughts 11/28/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.


I have started reading James S. Corey, Cibola Burn. It is about space colonization focusing on the story of who controls the process of the push outward.  There is a conflict between United Nations colonies supported by corporations and groups of loosely affiliated settlers.  The flood gates of the universe have opened when rings were discovered which allowed people to transport spaceships to different solar systems.




Web Bits


A 24 Hour Bookshop Thrives in Asia
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/a-24-hour-bookshore-thrives-in-asia_b94467

Daily Thoughts 11/27/2014

Daily Thoughts 11/27/2014

Happy Thanksgiving.

I finished reading Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand.  Louis Zamperini goes through a bout of alcoholism after returning from the war.  Then he finds redemption and eventual forgiveness for his captivity.  The last part is worth reading to understand the meaning of forgiveness.

I also checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I read the graphic novel Barbarian Lord by Matt Smith.  It is black and white with grey tones and washes to the panels.  It looks like a cross between an Icelandic saga and a 1980s barbarian comic book.  The saga part includes poetry contests, talking ravens, spirits of nature and magic, and fights over lands and livestock.  The barbarian part is the classic sword battles, fights with sea serpents, trolls, and men driven by treachery and berserk rage.  It is thoroughly escapist. http://www.barbarianlord.com

Web Bits

Love Letters to Libraries Chris Riddell

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/gallery/2014/nov/26/-sp-love-letters-to-libraries-chris-riddell

Daily Thoughts 11/26/2014

Woman On An Armchair, Federico Zandomeneghi, 1908

Daily Thoughts 11/26/2014

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.



On the way to work, I read some more of Unbroken.  Louis Zamperini's plane goes down and he spends 47 days on a rubber raft at sea and then is finally captured by the Japanese and put in a special interrogation camp.  It is a description of one harrowing thing after another.



I checked the gifts and the displays this morning.  I am clearing one of them for a new display.

I posted a Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library event.  On December 6, 2014 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., there will be an an Estate and Antiques appraiser at the Mount Vernon Public Library in the Grace Greene Baker community room.  General admission is $3, or $5 per item with an appraisal.



I spent some time with a colleague working on this months e-book order.


I also did a little bit more work with the oversize books.


The December Bookpage has come in.  There is a book by Louis Zamperini the protagonist of Unbroken written with David Rensin, Don't Give Up Don't Give In: Lessons from an Extraordinary Life.

I placed the dvd Brain Games Season 1 published by National Geographic on hold.  I also checked out the book Cibola Burn by by James S. Corey which is science fiction and the graphic novel, Barbarian Lord by Matt Smith.

I read some more of Unbroken on the way home.  I am reading about Louis Zamperini's time as a prisoner of the Japanese.  It describes him being beaten, denied adequate food, and enduring a variety of different cruelties.  It is a story of enduring.  The descriptions of being liberated with American bombers flying overhead makes the history of World War II much more real.



Web Bits

Library Futures: From Knowledge Keepers to Creators
http://www.wfs.org/futurist/2014-issues-futurist/november-december-2014-vol-48-no-6/library-futures-knowledge-keepers-c?utm_source=LTSA+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f0b14757a7-Library_futures11_26_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3d55aa40df-f0b14757a7-230239377

Daily Thoughts 11/25/2014

The Poet or Half Past Three, March Chagall, 1912

Daily Thoughts 11/25/2014


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I checked the gifts and the displays this morning.  I also spent some time on scheduling.  I finished checking for books that are listed as missing with holds on them.


In addition, the book, Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand came in for me to read.
I read a copy of the New York Times Book Review.  I did a little work with Bookletters.  I have some more to do tomorrow.

I started reading Unbroken.  It is the story of Louis Zamperini an olympic runner and bomber crewman during World War II.  I learned that the 1940 Summer Olympics were canceled due to the outbreak of war and were originally planned to be held in Tokyo, Japan.


Web Bits

What Kids Are Reading

https://www.learnalytics.com/wkar/

Love Letters to Libraries: Alexander McCall Smith

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/nov/25/-sp-love-letters-to-libraries-alexander-mccall-smith