Daily Thoughts 07/31/2015

Woman Reading, Henri Matisse, 1894 

Daily Thoughts 07/31/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library today.  I also prepared some more material for ordering.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

On the way to work, I read some more of In Montmarte.  There are two sections of images, a set of paintings and a section of photographs of some the artists in the book like Matisse, Picasso, Paul Poiret, Gertrude Stein, and Georges Braque.  I especially like the stories about Picasso's struggles to succeed as an artist.

I spent some more time reading Future Crimes as well. I am reading about how bitcoin and other electronic currencies allow for completely anonymous transactions which are untraceable.  This can be used for criminal purposes.

I spent half an hour learning about, Select Reads this morning. http://www.selectreads.com  There are some very interesting features which include social reading functions like sharing booklists and recommendations through social media and email.  Patrons can create their own lists of books as well as alerts for when new material is coming in. 

I spent some time picking out some titles from the mezzanine on exploration in Africa as well as travel in Africa from the 1920s and 1930s.

We showed the film, Stripped, the Comics Documentary today.  It is a very enjoyable film to watch.  If you want to learn some things on comics this is well worth it.  Part of the documentary about the transition between print and digital comics.

Web Bits 

Libraries, The Value of Just In Case, Not Just In Time
http://www.slaw.ca/2015/07/29/libraries-the-value-of-just-in-case-not-just-in-time/

The Future of American History
http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/07/29/421624129/the-future-of-american-history

Daily Thoughts 07/30/2015

Alphonse Mucha


Daily Thoughts 7/30/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read a graphic novel, the first in the Superior Spiderman series.  In it, Peter Parker's body is taken over by a villain.  It makes for an interesting story.  This is part of the Graphic Novel club planned for August 25 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.



In Montmartre, Picasso, Matisse and the Birth of Modernist Art by Sue Roe.  Montmartre was an artistic town known for its bohemian lifestyle in France.  The book opens with Pablo Picasso and includes some biographical material.  This is the book for the Brown Bag Book Club on August 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.



I checked the 2nd and 3rd issue of the graphic novel, The Superior Spiderman.   The story is catching.



I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also did some work with programs today as well as worked a little bit on ordering.  Tomorrow we are showing the film Stripped in the community room at 3:00 p.m.  It should be excellent.


I read through two copies of Booklist and two copies of Publishers Weekly.  There is a new mystery by Ed McBain called So Nude, So Dead.  Ed McBain passed away in 2005.



Web Bits

Taking the National Digital Platform for Libraries to the Next Level

http://blog.imls.gov/?p=5926

Libraries Are The Future of Manufacturing in the United States

http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/libraries-are-the-future-of-manufacturing-in-the-united-states

Daily Thoughts 07/29/2015

Daily Thoughts 07/29/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I checked the gift books this morning and the displays.

I am talking to Select Reads on Friday about the book lists that they generate http://www.selectreads.com

I read through the latest Times Literary Supplement, the New York Review of Books, and the New York Times Book Review.  I have a few books to order.

I am attending a webinar on Crowdfunding for Libraries: Technology Tips for Futuristic Fundraising at 2:00 p.m.  I enjoyed watching the webinar.  The part on Indiegogo was the most interesting.  Indiegogo allows you to keep the money raised even if you don't reach your goal unlike Kickstarter. One of the main points is that you need to start building a crowd before you start crowdfunding.

Web Bits

Great New Possibilities for the Library of Congress
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/aug/13/great-new-possibilities-library-congress/

Daily Thoughts 07/28/2015

Still Life With Fruit and Vegetables, Thomas Hart Benton, 1914

Daily Thoughts 07/28/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also read some of Crash Course In Marketing for Libraries.  I am reading about surveys.  The Mount Vernon Public Library recently finished a survey and did some work on focus groups.

I also read some more of Future Crimes.  I am reading about Dread Pirate Roberts the pseudonym for the man who ran the black network called Silk Road where you could buy almost anything illegal from drugs to contract killers.

Web Bits

Go Set A Watchmen Breaks Westchester Library  System All Time Holds Record

http://portchester.dailyvoice.com/news/go-set-watchman-breaks-westchester-library-all-time-holds-record

True Crime Author Ann Rule Dead at 83

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ann-rule-dead_55b71f41e4b0074ba5a60a42

 

Daily Thoughts 07/27/2015

Two Women Reading A Letter, 1883, Chikanobu, The Artist's Eye

Daily Thoughts 07/27/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I also placed an order for new books.

Web Bits

How Changing Your Reading Habits Can Transform Your Health

http://www.fastcompany.com/3048913/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/how-changing-your-reading-habits-can-transform-your-health

Retracing Ralph Waldo Emerson's Steps In a Now Unchanged Eden

http://www.npr.org/2015/07/24/425321179/retracing-ralph-waldo-emersons-steps-in-a-now-unchanged-eden?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr

Daily Thoughts 07/26/2015

Alfonse Mucha, The Red Cape, 1902 
 
Daily Thoughts 07/26/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I relaxed today and did not do much.  No reading.

Web Bits

There's A Library Shaped Hole In The Internet

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/07/25/libraries-need-deeper-online-presence/Rzt63eBSHt1WomTqCwYStN/story.html?event=event25

Print Collections Take A Hit as Public Libraries Invest In E-books

http://www.your4state.com/story/d/story/print-collections-take-a-hit-as-public-libraries-i/10693/etBqAtZAM02ukX0GhsNYxQ

Major Publishers Might Revise E-book Pricing for Libraries

http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-library-news/major-publishers-might-revise-ebook-pricing-for-libraries

Inflatable Space

Colonoizing the Moon May Be 90% Cheaper Than We Thought

http://www.popsci.com/colonizing-moon-may-be-90-percent-cheaper-we-thought

Bigelow may be working on inflatable habitats for the moon.

Daily Thoughts 07/25/2015

Cesare Maccari, Cicero, 1888

Daily Thoughts 07/25/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I have been looking at some articles on collection development budgets.

Budgets and Funding 2015

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/02/budgets-funding/paying-for-people-budgets-funding/

Materials Breakout Materials Survey 2015

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2015/03/lj-in-print/materials-breakout-materials-survey-2015/

The average amount spent on a collection development budget is $283,300.

I read some of Future Crimes last night.  I am reading about how hacking groups are becoming more professional and even forming into corporate entities.

Daily Thoughts 07/24/2015

Reading, Berthe Morisot, 1888

Daily Thoughts 07/24/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I am going to work very early because we have two early focus groups at the library, one at 8:00 a.m. for community leaders, and one at 9:00 a.m. for staff.  I am helping out with this a bit.

I did a bit of help with the set up. I also spent some time at the 9:00 a.m. session discussing the library with my colleagues.  We discussed the future of the library and the unique things about the Mount Vernon community.

I read the latest copy of the New York Times Bestseller List and the August Baker and Taylor Forecast. 

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also put some books and graphic novels on hold for programs.

I also spent some time discussing weeding with the assistant director.  We are also working on an electronic scheduling system.

I spent some time working on an order for new books.  I am planning on speaking to Baker and Taylor about their new Titlesource 360 ordering system.

Web Bits

Behind the Bookshelf At Home With a Librarian

http://www.komonews.com/seattlerefined/lifestyle/Behind-the-Bookshelf--316049211.html

Paddle Out to the Floating Library

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/21/books-floating-library-mpls

The Copyright Office Belongs In a Library
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/07/copyright-office-belongs-library
 

Daily Thoughts 07/23/2015

Bookshelf With Music Writings, Giuseppi Maria Crespi, 1730

Daily Thoughts 07/23/2015

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

I came in early to help with a focus group for adults with children at 11:00 a.m..  This was a process to help with the long term plan which included a library survey.

Then I had the book club for Dead Wake by Erik Larson.  It went well.  The next book which we are reading for the book club is In Montmartre, Picasso, Matisse, and Modernism in Paris 1900-1910 by Sue Roe on August 27, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m..  It should be an interesting book.  I am also planning to read Superior Spiderman for our graphic novels club next month on August 25, 2015 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There was a second focus group for staff from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

I started reading the August 2015 Forecast.  I also checked the displays and the gift books.

I spent some time looking at the 700s as well.

I had a meeting with a community group to discuss a future program in the trustees room in the evening.

Two books came in for me to read.  They are professional material, Crash Course in Marketing for Libraries by Susan W. Alman and Sara Gillespie Swanson and Marketing Research for Non-Profit Community and Creative Organizations by Bonita Kalb.

I read some more of Future Crimes on the way home.  I am reading about how criminals can alter data.  For example, it is possible to jam GPS signals and spoof where cars or ships are located.



Web Bits

The Enterprise Behind Dr. Seuss

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/67548-the-enterprise-behind-dr-seuss.html

 Dr. Seuss is fantastic.

IBM's Watson Can Analyze Your Writing for Emotion

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/ibms-watson-can-analyze-your-writing-for-emotion/107363

The Great Gift of Reading Aloud

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-great-gift-of-reading-aloud-1436561248

Mount Vernon Public Library Holds Literacy Gala for Its Childrens Library

http://justcliqit.com/mt-vernon-public-library-holds-literacy-gala-for-its-childrens-library/

Daily Thoughts 07/22/2015

Julie Writing, Berthe Morisot, 1884

Daily Thoughts 07/22/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I rested on the way to work.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.  I also spent some time working with the 700s.

I did a little work with schedule in the afternoon.

We now have a new logo for the library.  They gave us a pin with the symbol.  I am also wearing a button which says Ask Me About Hoopla.  In addition, I have a lanyard with a name tag with my department on it.

The art books from the Distribution to Underserved Communities library program came in for me to add to the collection. http://www.ducprogram.org/index.php

I am looking at a book by Tovah Martin called The Indestructible Houseplant 200 Beautiful Plants That Everyone Can Grow.   I placed a hold on the book, The Economics of Inequality by Thomas Piketty and Arthur Goldhammer.

On the way home, I read some more of Future Crimes.  I am reading about how location data can expose you to criminal activity like burglary.

I also read some more of Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan.  I am reading about different characteristics of service like the service being provided is inseparable from the people providing the service.



Web Bits

Who Should Be the Next Librarian of Congress?

http://www.rollcall.com/news/who_should_be_the_next_librarian_of_congress_wrong_question_commentary-242902-1.html

Nationwide Grants Give Groups Chance to Learn Latino Culture, History

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/nationwide-grants-give-groups-chance-learn-latino-culture-history-n395141

Libraries Without Walls:When Students Become the Core Design Consideration

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/Features/Comment/Libraries-without-walls-when-students-become-the-c#

Daily Thoughts 07/21/2015

Reading,  Henri-Fantin Latour, 1877

Daily Thoughts 07/21/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook pages.

I rested on the way to work.

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.

We had a digital photography class from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. today.  They went over how to create photogalleries.  I also helped out a little bit with the crochet class today.

This afternoon, I had the graphic novels club.  We talked about the history of comic books. We also discussed the Avengers.  The next meeting will focus on Spiderman.  The club was from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tonight we have a Fundamentals of Computers class and a Beginning Microsoft Word class.  

I spent some time checking the 700s.

I read some of Future Crimes on the way home.  I am reading about cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and revenge websites.

Web Bits

Do Libraries Matter In Distance Education?
http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/libraries-distance-education-889/

Get Your Library Involved in National Voter Registration Day
http://everylibrary.org/get-library-involved-national-voter-registration-day-sept-22/

Daily Thoughts 07/20/2015

Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables, Thomas Hart Benton, 1914

Daily Thoughts 07/20/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Future Crimes.  Marc Goodman is writing about how Google and Facebook give us free access to their services in exchange for the right to sell our personal information.

I also read some more of Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan by Patricia Holts.  I am reading about how the strategic plan often ties in with the marketing plan and the collection development plan.

The order from Davidson Titles came in today.  I split it up and divided into three sections, one for adult, one for the job information center, and one for teens.  I also identified which books are going into the new books section.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

There was a yoga class today from 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

I left early today.

On the way home, I read some more of Future Crimes.  I am reading about how advertisers are increasingly trying to track where they think customers are using cell phones and social networks.

I alse reread The Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita, Jr.  This graphic novel has a story line about the Avengers fighting Ultron and the timeline in the future being broken into pieces.  I am reading it for the graphic novel club tomorrow.

Web Bits

Local Councilman Not Sold on Brooklyn Heights Library Redevelopment
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2015/07/8572377/local-councilman-not-sold-brooklyn-heights-library-redevelopment?news-image

Daily Thoughts 07/19/2015

Birmingham Reference Library, The Reading Room, Edward R. Taylor, 1881

Daily Thoughts 07/19/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Future Crimes.  The author is describing many of the different types of people who can be potentially involved in criminal activity.  It includes hackers, hacktivists, crackers, terrorists, criminals, and many others.  He also describes a variety of different means of attacking computers including viruses, trojans, malware, and denial of service attacks.  It is an interesting overview of the different types of crime.  He points out that cybercrime can reach millions of individuals on a large scale.

I also started reading Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan.  I like to think of this as part of strategic planning, something which the library is doing right now.  There are a series of focus being planned for the library.

Web Bits

All Those Techies Who Promise the Demise of the Public Library Were Wrong

http://www.alternet.org/books/all-those-techies-who-predicted-demise-public-library-were-wrong

I like to think of a silo as what you put grain in a field in.  Some techies have this habit of calling a library a silo for learning where knowledge is locked into a single building.

Daily Thoughts 07/18/2015

Daily Thoughts 07/18/2015

I started reading Future Crimes Everything Is Connected Everyone is Vulnerable And What We Can Do About It by Marc Goodman who is a consultant on cybercrime.  He owns an organization called Future Crimes Institute.  The book starts by describing how vulnerable people are to hackers and how crime on computers is global.


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I read the New York Times Bestseller List and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List.

I also read an article on board games in the library on Webjunction.
Board In the Library, Part Six: Board Game Night Basics
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/board-in-the-library-part-six.html

I am also trying to figure out how crowdfunding works in the library setting.
Consider Crowdfunding Your Libraries Dream Projects
http://evancedsolutions.com/crowdfunding/
I am trying to figure out a basic project where it will be fairly easy to reach the funding goal, but can easily grow past the initial donation.

Daily Thoughts 07/17/2015

Julie Manet Reading in a Chaise Lounge, Berthe Morisot, 1890

Daily Thoughts 07/17/2015


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I finished reading Mission Based Marketing Second Edition Positioning Your Not for Profit in an Increasingly Competitive World Peter C. Brinckerhoff.  The book reminds you to keep your logo and brand updated.  The logo for the library was recently updated.


I also started reading Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale.  The story is one of Nat Love who was a famous African American gunman in the old west.  The language is very salty.  There is also a lot about race relations after the civil war.  Some of it is a little uncomfortable.  I have enjoyed reading about Nat Love's escaping a lynching, joining the Buffalo Soldiers, and learning to shoot.  Right now, I am reading about the famous shooting contest which he took part in.  It is how he got the nickname Deadwood Dick because of his incredible aim.


I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also spent some time looking at some of the new website which is being planned.  In addition, I am thinking about how to do adult board game programming.

This afternoon, I was the door minder for the Ice Cream Social.  I stamped the kids, adults, and teens hands to make sure they got one serving and came in in groups of 25 at a time.

I printed up some more flyers for events afterward.

We are getting people to do a variety of things for the library.  There are focus groups coming up with different purposes, programming, and events for the foundation.  I had a grape juice popsicle.

On the way home, I finished reading Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale.  I like the style he writes with.  He is one of the few popular western writers that still produces work.   However, he writes in a style that uses a combination of historical figures, campfire banter, and tall tales.  There are numerous references to dime novels. In addition to Nat Love, the main character there are a sprinkling of historical characters throughout the novel including Wild Bill Hickock, Bass Reeves, Calamity Jane, and Judge Isaac C. Parker.


Web Bits

Getting Rid of Library Books: A Rebuttal to the Berkeley Library Director

http://berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2015-07-06/article/43486?headline=Getting-Rid-of-Library-Books-a-Rebuttal-to-the-Berkeley-Library-Director

St. Helena Library Director Dismissed in City Budget Cuts
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/06/budgets-funding/st-helena-library-director-dismissed-in-city-budget-cuts/#_

Crowdfunding A New Option for Libraries
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/06/crowdfunding-a-new-fundraising-option-for-libraries/

Letters:  The Library is No Place to Eat Dinner

http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/12920498-123/letters-the-library-is-no

Daily Thoughts 07/16/2015

A Philosopher, Jusepe De Ribera, Spain, 1637

Daily Thoughts 07/16/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Mission Based Marketing 2nd Edition on the way to work.  I created a short competitors list while doing this.

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.  I also finished taking the Collection Development Policy class on Webjunction which is a 1.5 hour class.

The book, Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan: A Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive by Patricia H. Fisher came in for me to read.

I spent some time printing up flyers for people to bring to events.

I also did some more work on the 700s.

Web Bits

When Browsing Books First Lines Still Matter
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-harper-lee-go-set-a-watchman-opening-line-20150713-story.html

Protesters Rally Check Out Books To Make Clear Concerns Over Weeding at Berkeley Central Library
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2015/07/14/protesters-rally-check-out-books-to-make-clear-concerns-over-weeding-at-berkeley-central-library/

Daily Thoughts 07/15/2015

Ivan Shishkin, 1860, In the Studio on the Island of Valaam

Daily Thoughts 07/15/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I read some more of Mission Based Marketing.  I am reading about how to identify competitors both internal and external.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.  I also printed up some more flyers.

I read a copy of the latest Publishers Weekly.  I also checked out two books, Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale which is about Nat Love and Future Crimes by Marc Goodman

I spent some time taking an online class from Webjunction.  I am taking all four parts of the online collection development course.  I am on the second part which is about collection policy.

There is a Beginning HTML class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the computer lab today.

I am looking at a book called Lagoon by Nnedia Okorafor called Lagoon about an alien landing in Lagos, Nigeria.

There is a Board of Trustees meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m..  There will be a new president of the board of trustees and a new trustee will be sworn in.

I watched The Invisible Universe Revealed tonight which was a dvd on the Hubble telescope.  Hubble is the first space telescope.  It revealed the age of universe, showed us blackholes, and also had some beautiful photography of astronomical phenomena.  This is a PBS special.

Web Bits

The Magic of Words

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/07/14/422527144/the-magic-of-words-transcending-the-tyranny-of-the-specific

Libraries and Book Collections As Essential Cultural Institutions

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/07/shows-events/ala/libraries-and-book-collections-as-essential-cultural-institutions-ala-annual-2015/#_

Daily Thoughts 07/14/2015

Bibliotheque Nationale Boul, December 31, 1784
 
Daily Thoughts 07/14/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Mission Based Marketing Second Edition.  I am reading about the idea that an organization should run its marketing campaigns off of its mission statement.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  I also printed some more flyers.

St. Paul's National Historic Site is giving a lecture today from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the community room.

I showed one of the trustees the local history room.

On the way home, I read some more of Mission Based Marketing Second Edition.  I am reading about market segmentation or identifying different groups to focus on.

I spent some time writing up all the different professional development activities I have done this year.


Web Bits

Crowdfunding for Libraries: Technology Tips for Futuristic Fundraising

https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=80x43ycn0oq7

School Libraries are Under Attack

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/122293/school-libraries-are-under-attack

ALA 2015: On E-books, Libraries are Pushing for Other Options

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/conferences/article/67342-ala-2015-on-e-books-libraries-pushing-for-options.html

Landmark Victory for School Libraries and Students Today!

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/07/landmark-victory-for-school-libraries-and-students-today/

New Digital Bodleian Libraries Website

http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/news/2015/jul-09

Some Libraries Struggle to Find Balance Between Print, Digital

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-libraries-print-books-ebooks-20150708-story.html#page=1

Authors, Booksellers Pen Plea for Antitrust Probe of Amazon
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/authors-booksellers-pen-plea-for-antitrust-probe-of-amazon/