Daily Thoughts 04/30/2015

Still Life with Books, a Letter, and a Tulip, Charles Emmanuel Biset, Between 1648 and 1693.

Daily Thoughts 04/30/2015

I am enjoying reading Americanah A Novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  Part of the novel is set in Nigeria.  It is a novel about family.  I rather like some of the descriptions in the novel of activities like hair braiding, attending parties at big men's compounds, and observations about church life in Nigeria.  These are different enough to hold my attention.  I am reading it for our book club on May 21, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I checked the displays and the book sale this morning.

I also did a little more work with flyers.

Today is the last day of the Mount Vernon Public Library Survey.  So far, 526 people have taken the survey.  People are interested in it.

I spent some time reading reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist today.  I also spent a little time using Directors Station to get some statistics from SIRSI Dynix about the collection.  I still have to finish reading a copy of Forecast from Baker and Taylor.

I put the book Patience and Fortitude Power, Real Estate, and the Fight to Save a Public Library by Sherman Scott on hold.  Patience and Fortitude are the two lions which sit in front of the 42nd street library in Manhattan.

I spent some time working on ordering material for next week.

Web Bits

When The President Visits Your Library

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/04/industry-news/when-the-president-visits-your-library/

Summer Reading in the Digital Age

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/66218-check-it-out-with-peter-brantley-changes-for-the-nypl-s-summer-reading-program.html

The World Without Libraries A Speculation

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lindsey-drager/the-world-without-librari_b_7139948.html

Realizing the Dream of Public Libraries

http://www.heraldextra.com/sanpete-county/news/realizing-the-dream-of-public-libraries/article_6ab79e22-e9f2-538b-8e58-c8ee5098a634.html

Daily Thoughts 04/29/2015

Diego Rivera, The Learned, 1928
Daily Thoughts 04/29/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua on the way to work.  It is an intellectual and historical graphic novel with lots of speculation in it.  The characters have many wonderful eccentricities.  Ada Lovelace was the daughter of Lord Byron and there are descriptions of the pull between poetry and mathematics.  Charles Babbage was wonderfully inventive, but easily distracted.  This makes for an excellent pairing of characters in the graphic novel.  The end of the graphic novel includes diagrams for a plan to build an analytical engine.  There is also an appendix with letters written about Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace.  This is a wonderful, intellectually curious graphic novel.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also picked up some more paper surveys to process. We are closed to finished with the survey. I also checked the flyers next to the circulation desk.

The May Bookpage came in for me to read.  I have a stack of review literature to read including Booklist, The New York Times Book Review, Library Journal, the Times Literary Supplement and the May 2015 Forecast from Baker and Taylor.

I placed the book, The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin on hold.  It is Chinese hard science fiction.

My VIP pass came in from Book Expo America.  I am looking forward to going between May 27 and May 29, 2015.

515 people have taken the Mount Vernon Public Library so far.

Web Bits

Inside the Office of a Bestselling Author

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/books/inside-the-office-best-selling-author-david-baldacci.php

Why Aren't More Latino Authors Being Published?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-cubias/why-arent-more-latino-authors-being-published_b_7112612.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Libraries Are Paving the Way for Cultural Unity

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-riordan/libraries-cultural-unity_b_7155146.html

Cultural unity is not necessarily a good thing.  Having more diversity leaves more options and choices on the table.

Baltimore Libraries Stay Open to Provide Community Support

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/amidst-protests-baltimore-libraries-stay-open-provide-community-support/

Do We Need Libraries?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2015/04/28/do-we-need-libraries/

Daily Thoughts 04/28/2015

Duke Humfrey's Library, The Oldest Part of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 1904

Daily Thoughts 04/28/2015

On the way to work, I finished reading Start A Revolution Stop Acting Like a Library by Ben Bizzle.  Ben Bizzle is discussing graphic art.  He reminds us that having a graphic artist who can create a consistent brand is important.  He also discusses how to get administrative buy in for marketing the library.

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also checked the gift books and the displays.  I spent a little time working on preparing material to be sent to our graphic artist for flyers and images to post on Facebook and in Constant Contact.

I picked up some more paper surveys which will be entered this afternoon by volunteers.  We have 497 surveys filled out.  I am hoping we will have more than 500 by the end of the night.

I spent some time discussing our website with colleagues.  We have a web developer who is going to redesign  the site.

I also worked on several different flyers for programs. There is going to be an open house on May 16 at 6:30 p.m. which all the staff are invited to attend.

The crochet class was today from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m..  It was very well attended.

We also had the Fundamentals of Computer Class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Beginning Microsoft Word from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

I read some more of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua.   The story occurs in a pocket universe where Jane Austen was a bestselling author, and mechanical computers double in size every two years.  There is a constant stream of Victorian mathematicians including George Boole, the creator of Boolean logic.  There are some pictures that are quite fun.  Some of the pages are drawn as infinite loops.

Web Bits

Vote in the ALA (American Library Association) Election.  I did.  If you want a conspiracy theory, all the candidates first names begin with J.

http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection

The Library Lets You Borrow A Sledgehammer

http://boingboing.net/2015/04/27/this-library-lets-you-borrow-a.html

California's Homeless Find A Quiet Place

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/24/public-library-portraits-californias-homeless-connect-in-a-quiet-place/

Daily Thoughts 04/27/2015

The Readers, 1890, Jacques-Emile Blanche

Daily Thoughts 04/27/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.  I also checked some new books.

I read another chapter in Start A Revolution Stop Acting Like A Library by Ben Bizzle.  I am reading about different types of marketing; billboards, lawn signs, drink coasters, giveaways, newspapers, and other traditional marketing channels.

I also read a bit more from The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. I rather like the black and white illustrations.  Some of them remind me a little bit of the illustrations in Alice in Wonderland.   I also like that the subjects being focused on are economics, manufacturing, science, and invention.

I read a little bit of Americanah.  I am reading about a woman getting her hair braided.  This is something I have not read before.

Web Bits

New York Public Library Struggling With an Aging System

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/love_your_local_library_tell_t.html

When Library Time Means Screen Time

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/when-library-time-means-screen-time/

The Google Killer Builder Is Now Ready for You To License

http://upstart.bizjournals.com/news/technology/2015/04/17/darpa-google-killer-builder-available-to-public.html?page=all

The Future of Reading: There's No Mystery About It-- Walter Mosley

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-future-of-reading-theres-no-mystery-about-it-1430104991

Automation

Cheaper Robots, Fewer Workers

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/25/technology/robotica-cheaper-robots-fewer-workers.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0

We're Barreling Towards a Robot Based Economy Where All Profits go to the Robots' Owners

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/were_barreling_towards_a_robot-based_economy_where_all_profits_20150203

Abundance

Global Oversupply of Capital and Labor Challenges Policy Makers

http://www.wsj.com/articles/global-glut-challenges-policy-makers-1429867807

This reminds me of the second part of post scarcity economics that goes along with automation, abundance.  An excellent book on the topic is Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think by Peter Diamandia.  It reminds of a third part that happens also which people are not prepared for The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, The Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism by Jeremy Rifkin.  New things are happening economically which many people are not prepared for.

Daily Thoughts 04/26/2015

The Sands of Time, Thomas Richard Williams, 1850-1852

Daily Thoughts 04/26/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  There is going to be an Open House at the Mount Vernon Public Library on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m.

We have volunteers who have been entering the survey on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

I am looking at the novel Americanah A Novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

I read some more of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage.  Babbage's original design for a difference engine had over 4000 mechanical parts to it.  It also used punch cards.

I read some more of Start A Revolution Stop Acting Like a Library.  I am reading about Facebook.  Ben Bizzle reminds people to post twice a day, once in the early morning, and once in the late afternoon.  He also reminds us that we need to take pictures for all our events.  Ten pictures per event is a good number.  He also makes a case for buying Facebook ads.

The Mount Vernon Public Library Foundation is now on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mount-Vernon-Public-Library-Foundation/816653081738554?sk=timeline

Web Bits

From ALA To Zuckerberg: Librarian Facebook Groups
http://www.5minlib.com/2015/02/from-ala-to-zuckerberg-librarian.html

Daily Thoughts 04/25/2015

William Adolphe Bouguereau, Inspiration, 1898

Daily Thoughts 04/25/2015

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

I also read some more of Start A Revolution Stop Acting Like A Library.  I am reading about Facebook marketing as well as Youtube.

I placed Biblio Tech Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever In the Age of Google by John G. Palfrey  on hold.

I watched Mockingjay Part 1 of The Hunger Games on dvd.  It was fairly close to the book in content.

LaShonda Barnett will be at the Mount Vernon Public on May 14, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the community room.

I am reading The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage.  The style is unique.  It is the only graphic novel I have ever read with extensive historical footnotes at the bottom of each page and diagrams throughout.  So far many of the footnotes are about Lord Byron.  It reminds me a little bit of  Fallout J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the The Political Science of the Atomic Bomb by Jim Ottaviani which is a graphic novel about physics, math, and politics.

Web Bits

The Two Men Who Helped Create the World's Greatest Library

http://news.yahoo.com/two-men-helped-create-world-greatest-library-100227710.html;_ylt=AwrC1CpxcztV_S4A9jLQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBybGY3bmpvBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners and Finalists

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pulitzer-prize-winners-list-20150420-story.html#page=1

An Interview with Rick Riordan
https://www.sfsite.com/00a/rr406.htm

Library of the Future  7 Technologies We Would Love to See

http://ebookfriendly.com/library-future-technologies/

Daily Thoughts 04/24/2015

Library Walk New York City,  Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain, 9, February, 2014

Daily Thoughts 04/24/2015

On the way to work, I finished reading Around the World In 50 Years.  There is a positive message in this book about conservation and the destructiveness of war.  He also tells us how children are taking education very seriously as the only way out of poverty and that many of the Asian nations are willing to work much harder and for less than the people in the United States to get ahead.

I checked the libraries Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Kids Adults Share Original Work at Poetry Event in Mount Vernon
http://westchester.news12.com/news/kids-adults-share-original-work-at-poetry-event-in-mount-vernon-1.10326038

I spent some time writing up a few things which we need to do with our website.  Locally, I like the White Plains Public Library website and the Somers Library website.

I spent a little more time working on programming today.

On the way home from work, I started reading Start A Revolution Stop Acting Like A Library by Ben Bizzle with Maria Flora.   The book is about digital promotion.  The first chapter is on websites and the second chapter is on mobile.  Ben Bizzle argues that it is better to have a professional web developer build a website than an in house librarian.

It is confirmed that I am going to Book Expo America this year with a VIP pass.  This is a Library First Time Guide to BEA from Early Word.  http://beaguide.earlyword.com/forums/

I have been invited to a variety of events.

I watched The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.  I am going to show it in May in honor National Mental Health Month.

I put the book, The Martian by Andy Weir on hold.

Web Bits

Brooklyn Author Recreates Borges' Library of Babel as Infinite Website
http://flavorwire.com/515783/brooklyn-author-recreates-borges-library-of-babel-as-infinite-website?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=interest_target&utm_campaign=FlavorwireSocial

Denying New York Libraries The Fuel They Need
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/nyregion/denying-new-york-libraries-the-fuel-they-need.html?_r=0

Daily Thoughts 04/23/2015

Still Life With the Head of Dante, John Quenton Pringle, between 1886 and 1890

Daily Thoughts 04/23/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  Malinda Daniel Hodge will be doing an Open Microphone at the library today between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

I read some more of Around the World in 50 Years on the way to work.  It is interesting reading about Kiribati and Tuvalu both islands that will be completely underwater within 20 years.  There is also quite a bit about difficulties with visas, flight connections, border crossings, and permissions to travel to certain countries.  Some of the countries which Albert Podell visited have already disappeared.

We had a book club today for the book, Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m..  The next book we plan on reading is Americanah A Novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

There was a Google Docs class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today.

The poetry open microphone went well and was well attended.  News 12 was there and interviewed Malinda Daniel Hodge who did some excellent singing.  Quite a few people read their poems.  A few of them had attended the Mount Vernon Poetry Workshop.

On the way home, I read some more of Around the World In 50 Years.  The book is quite political because the author travels to many places which are dangerous to outsiders.   Towards the end of the book, he is attempting to travel in some very difficult places, Saudi Arabia, Mogadishu, Rwanda, and South Sudan. He is attempting to finish his travels.  Albert Podell also goes to places which have different views of the world than the United States like Cuba and North Korea.

Web Bits

2015 Eisner Award Nominees Announced

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/2015-eisner-award-nominees-announced/102453?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=galleycat&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter20150423

Daily Thoughts 04/22/2015

Glass Carafe and Newspapers, Georges Braque, 1914

Daily Thoughts 04/22/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  We now have a way to send out a weekly list of events to Facebook and through the email list.

On the way to work, I read some more of Around the World in 50 Years.  I am enjoying it.  It is quite adventurous.  The author has many hair raising experiences, travels through wars, over dangerous roads, and deals with a variety of different kinds of excitement.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I worked on some scheduling.  I also worked on a description of my job for civil service.

We just got a Makerbot.  I hope we have a chance to play with 123D Catch to make some interesting things.  http://www.123dapp.com/catch

I read a little bit more of Around the World in 50 Years. I like that the author visits Robert Louis Stevenson's grave in Samoa.  I also like his description of visiting Timbuktu.  Also, he describes taking risks to visit countries that are in war zones, plagued by lawlessness, are dangerous to travelers, and suffer from corruption. Albert Podell also describes how it feels different and it is a different experience traveling in the Middle East and Africa since 09/11 for westerners.

The graphic novel, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua came in for me to read.  Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron.  She was a mathematician and invented the first example of a computer program in Victorian England.  Charles Babbage had a design for a mechanical computer.  In this story which is part alternate history and part fact, Ada Lovelace did not die at an early age from Cancer  and got together with Charles Babbage to build a steam driven mechanical computer.

Web Bits

New York Public Libraries Warn of a 'Staggering' Crisis With Infrastructure
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/nyregion/new-york-libraries-citing-dire-need-for-renovation-seek-funds-from-city.html?_r=0

Daily Thoughts 04/21/2015

Daily Thoughts 04/21/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook accounts.

I read a little bit more of Curiosity by Alberto Manguel.  I am reading about the sophists.

I spent some time working on an event.  Kenneth Davis will be at the library on June 18, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m..  He will be discussing his new book, The Hidden History of America at War, Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also handed some more of the library surveys.

The crochet class is today from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the fiction room.

I read the latest copy of the New York Review of Books.  I am looking at Around the World in 50 Years My Adventure to Every Country on Earth by Albert Podell.  I started reading the book.  It is a book about often dangerous, adventurous travel all over the world.

We entered our first batch of paper surveys into the computer.  We have 390 people who have taken the survey.

Daily Thoughts 04/20/2015

Girl Reading, Edward Simmons, 1893

Daily Thoughts 04/20/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  We are working on changing the pattern of how we post things.



I read some of Curiosity by Alberto Manguel.  I am reading about Dante and Inferno.  Alberto Manguel is describing Dante talking to Virgil and Ulysses.



I checked the gift books and the flyers this morning.  I also handed out some paper surveys to the public.



May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  I spent some time looking at bibliographies of bibliotherapy books.

The Westchester Library Association has a set of bibliographies for helping children with bibliotherapy.

Gill Library Bibliotherapy List

http://www.westchesterlibraryassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/GillLibrary1.pdf

Grieving List White Plains Public  Library

http://thetrove.org/readinglists/grievinglist.shtml

Bibliotherapy Lists from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

http://www.clpgh.org/research/parentseducators/parents/bibliotherapy/


We are going to be showing The Soloist on May 4 and having a panel discussion about the movie between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m..


I spent some time reading the latest New York Times Book Review and started working on my order for new books for next week.

Web Bits

Linda Gregorson: "The Internet Chips Away  at the Barriers Between Solitary Writing and Solitary Reading."

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/linda-gregerson-the-internet-chips-away-at-the-barriers-between-solitary-writing-and-solitary-reading/102168



Library Room Dedicated to Getting New Business Off the Ground
http://www.yumasun.com/business/library-room-dedicated-to-getting-new-businesses-off-the-ground/article_bf84a270-e4bf-11e4-b125-4b58e6f90380.html

Automation

The Machines Are Coming

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/opinion/sunday/the-machines-are-coming.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0

Daily Thoughts 04/19/2015

Reading, Berthe Morisot, 1888

Daily Thoughts 04/19/2015

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

I enjoyed reading Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale.  When the Romans enter North America in this alternate history they encounter the Cahokian tribes.  In the real world, the Cahokia mounds are a mystery.  No one is quite sure what happened to these people between 1200 a.d. and 1400 a.d..  The time setting is 1218 a.d.  This allows a lot of license for Alan Smale to create a culture from scratch.

It also allows Alan Smale to speculate with technology.  For example he draws on conjectures like Jim Woodman's Nazca ballooon http://juliannott.com/nazca/  and the idea of pre-colombian glider craft.  There is even a bit on greek fire.  This makes for interesting alternate history.  It also makes for a tale about technological innovation and change.

The book is the first part of a three part series.

I also started reading Curiosity by Alberto Manguel.  He opens with a critique of education for purely technical skill, arguing that education is meant to seek new things and ask questions about how the world works.

Web Bits

Metro Money: Growing Number of New Yorkers Are Using the Library for Office Space

http://www.wsj.com/articles/metro-money-growing-number-of-new-yorkers-are-using-the-library-for-office-space-1429301421?mod=rss_newyork_real_estate

Library of the Future Is Here

http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/01/library-future-here/8193/

Daily Thoughts 04/18/2015

Woman Reading, Henri Matisse, 1894

Daily Thoughts 04/18/2015

This morning, I read some more of The Blue Zones Solution.  I am reading about how social connections, personal interests, and attending church extend longevity.

I also started reading Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale.  This is an alternate history novel.  The setting is a Rome that did not fall invading North America and losing its first major battle against the natives.  The description of a Roman legion in 1248 c.e. is interesting.

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  I spent some more time looking at our libraries statistics.

I handed out a few more paper copies of the Mount Vernon Public Library survey this morning.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

The book Curiosity by Alberto Manguel came in for me to read.

I spent some time looking at collection policies for committee work.  I also got contacted by someone for the Latino Americans 500 Years of History Grant.

I spent some time working on the order for new books next week.

Web Bits

The Real Purpose of Libraries by Ferguson Library Director Scott Bonner
https://www.readingrainbow.com/blog/2015/04/16/the-real-purpose-of-libraries-by-ferguson-library-director-scott-bonner/

The Future of the Future of Books
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lincolnmichel/the-future-is-never#.mo60EdyBd

Take a Look at New York City's Best Boutique Libraries
http://observer.com/2015/04/take-a-look-at-new-york-citys-best-boutique-libraries/

Daily Thoughts 04/17/2015

Lewis Hine, Boy Studying, 1924

Daily Thoughts 04/17/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library this morning.  We are working on a weekly email newsletter.

On the way to work, I read some more of the Blue Zones Solution.  This is a link to an app which calculates life expectancy.  http://apps.bluezones.com/vitality/

I also finished reading The Orbital Perspective by Astronaut Ron Garan.  He describes the concept of the Overview Effect or what happens when people first see earth from space as an astronaut.


Yesterday was very busy.  Malinda Daniel Hodge did an excellent job with the poetry open microphone yesterday.  We are having another poetry open microphone on April 23, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Please come if you are a poet in Westchester county.

I read a lot of review material yesterday.  I still have quite a bit more to do.

The book, Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale came in for me to read.

We sent several packets of flyers about the Mount Vernon Public Library survey to local libraries.  We are also getting people handing in paper copies of the library survey.  We have been steadily receiving more paper surveys.

I spent some time working on the order for new books next week.  I also discussed some of the responses from the survey with a colleague focusing on computer classes.

I also finished working with the large print books today.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  I am looking at Bibliotherapy lists.


Web Bits

Library of Congress is Uploading 75 Years of Poetry and Literature Recordings

http://hyperallergic.com/199311/the-library-of-congress-is-uploading-75-years-of-poetry-and-literature-recordings/

Daily Thoughts 04/15/2015

The Bookseller Blok, Vincent Van Gogh, 1882
Daily Thoughts 04/15/2015

I read some of The Blue Zones Solution by Dan Buettner.  Dan Buettner is writing about where the long lived people are on earth as well as why they live so long.  He focuses on community, diet, exercise, social circles, and faith.  There is a strong public health orientation in this book.  He is writing about changing communities not just individuals.

I also read some of The Orbital Perspective by Astronaut Ron Garan.  Ron Garan is writing about how if you look at the earth from space, you see the world as being three dimensional and about collaborating with others on an international scope.  I enjoyed the section on how the Americans and Russians worked together on the initial plans for the International Space Station.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also checked Facebook and Twitter for the library.  We now have an account on Constant Contact and are signing up people for the mailing list. http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/E-Blast

We are also on continuing work with the survey. 285 people have taken the survey so far.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXYDLNH

I spent some time working with the large print books.  I also have several review magazines to read, the Times Literary Supplement, the New York Times Book Review, Booklist, and the Ingram Advance.

I placed a hold on the book, Curiosity by Alberto Manguel.  I liked his book, The Library at Night.  I also am looking forward to the book Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale which is based on the tale of Nat Love.

Web Bits

In This Digital Age, Book Collecting Still Going Strong
http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-this-digital-age-book-collecting-is-still-going-strong-1428894136

How Libraries Engage Local Advocates
http://connectivity.cqrollcall.com/how-libraries-engage-local-advocates/

Daily Thoughts 04/14/2015

Woman at a Writing Desk, Ury Lesser, 1898

Daily Thoughts 04/14/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook today.  I also checked the displays and the gifts books.  I had several flyers printed today.  There is a Poetry Open Mic led by Malinda Daniel Hodge on April 16th and and April 23rd from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m..  It should be excellent.




We started an account with Constant Contact today so we can send out information to our mailing list which is growing.



A few people sent the survey to their mailing lists.


I wrote the monthly report for March.  I was on vacation last week.



I spent some time working with the large print books.  I also replaced a few books by Victor Hugo.

Two books came in for me to read, The Blue Zones Solution Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People by Dan Buettner and The Orbital Perspective Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles by Astronaut Ron Garan.



The crochet class met from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. today.  It was well attended.

I have a stack of review magazines to go through.



There are two computer classes tonight, a Fundamentals of Computers Class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.




Web Bits



Summer Reading in the Digital Age
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/66218-check-it-out-with-peter-brantley-changes-for-the-nypl-s-summer-reading-program.html


State of America's Libraries Report 2015
http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2015

Daily Thoughts 04/12/2015

Sorting and Moving Kit Bags, Stanley Spencer, 1927
Daily Thoughts 04/12/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook today.  I am moving today so I probably may not check in for a few days.


Web Bits

The Coming Era of Alternative Credentialing

http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2015/04/the-coming-era-of-alternative-credentialing/

Daily Thoughts 04/11/2015

Flowers of Many Hues. Original Poems by Various Authors, Edited by Frederick Kempster, P.9, 1844

Daily Thoughts 04/11/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I am watching Sound City which is a documentary on a recording studio in Hollywood.  It was where many rock bands recorded their music.  Fleetwood Mac started their band in this studio.  I checked the documentary from Overdrive and am streaming it to my home computer.

Web Bits

In New York, Everywhere A Writing Nook

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/theater/in-new-york-everywhere-a-writing-nook.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0

Daily Thoughts 04/10/2015

L'album, Jules Ernest Renoux (1863-1932)

Daily Thoughts 04/10/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.  I also have been posting a bit on these places about the survey.  187 people have taken it.  20 people have viewed it.  Please take the survey if you are in Westchester county. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXYDLNH

I read the e-book, Unexpected Stories by Octavia Butler.  It consists of two stories and is 130 pages long.  There is an introduction by Walter Mosley and a short biographical summary of her life with pictures at the back of the book.  One of the stories, Childminder was originally written for an anthology by Harlan Ellison that was never released.  The two stories are superb pieces of science
fiction.

I watched a webinar called Planning an Adult Program on a Budget on Webjunction today.

Web Bits

Poem A Day-- A Poem A Day in April in your email.

http://www.poets.org/academy-american-poets/programs/poem-day

SLA To Honor Two for Advancing the Careers of Others

http://www.sla.org/sla-to-honor-two-for-advancing-careers-of-others/

Tom Nielsen is a very considerate person.

Report Says Libraries Should be Open More: Libraries Agree

http://www.wsj.com/articles/report-says-new-york-city-libraries-should-be-open-more-libraries-agree-1428625533

Telling Stories With Games At Your Library
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/telling-stories-with-games-at-your-library.html

Board in the Library Part One
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/board-in-the-library-part-one.html

Science Fiction's Culture Wars-- Andrew Liptak
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/science-fictions-culture-wars/

Daily Thoughts 04/09/2015

The Philosopher (Henry James), circa 1880, Frank Duveneck

Daily Thoughts 04/09/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I contacted a few people via email about programming concerns.  I have been off and relaxing most of this week.

I watched the Webjunction webinar, Adult Programs on 0 Budget.

I read the e-book novella, Jack Strong by Walter Mosley.  It was an enjoyable 44 page noire story with some science fiction touches.

Digital Convention Launching In New York City in 2015, Streamcon
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/trade-shows-events/article/66149-digital-content-convention-launching-in-nyc-in-2015.html
This looks very interesting to me.

Web Bits

The Popular Romance Project

http://popularromanceproject.org/

Dear Poet You Just Won A Free House
http://lithub.com/you-just-won-a-free-house-to-write-in/

Linked In Just Bought Online Learning Company Lynda for $1.5 Billion

http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-buys-lyndacom-for-15-billion-2015-4

Daily Thoughts 04/08/2015

Two Men, a photograph by American photographer Belle Johnson (1864–1945)

Daily Thoughts 04/08/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I finished reading Baltic Gambit A Novel of the Vampire Earth by E.E. Knight.  I have enjoyed reading the series.  It is about what would happen if the earth was taken over vampiric alien creatures.  The story is about the human resistance to invaders.  I finished the book in one day.

I spent a little more time checking on the survey.

I put the book, Clash of Eagles: Book One of the Hesperian Trilogy on Hold by Alan Smales.  Rome which still existed in 1218 a.d. discovers the American continent.  A bit of alternate history.

I took the Webjunction course, Extreme Customer Service Every Time

Web Bits 

Building A Display Driven Strategy Brand Insider
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/04/opinion/brand-insider/building-a-display-driven-strategy-brand-insider/#_

Digitizing Print Collections With the Internet Archive

http://archive.org/scanning

A Brief History of the Future of Reading From Page to Screen to Phone and Back Again

http://lithub.com/will-reading-change-has-it/

Automation

Automation Jobs and History-- Financial Times Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQ5jShhfuU

Clean Energy

Clean Energy Revolution is Way Ahead of Schedule
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-08/clean-energy-revolution-is-way-ahead-of-schedule