Daily Thoughts 01/30/2015

Janez Šubic, Slovenščina: Pismo, 1878, 

Daily Thoughts 01/30/2016

I checked the libraries Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also read some more of On Her Own Ground.  I am reading about how Madam C.J. Walker would sell her product.   She would set herself up in a comfortable hotel in the town she visited then solicit the local black churches and fraternal organizations to do presentations.  This is a classic example of selling to who you know.  It is also an excellent of business success.  Part of the reason her product was so successful is that it was one of the few ways black women could make money at the time.  According to the book in the 1900s 90% of black women who worked were employed as domestic help.  The book has a set of black and white photographs many of which feature Madam C.J. Walker's products.  The author, A'leila Bundle is related to Madam C.J. Walker.




Web Bits

The Secret World of Membership Libraries

http://qz.com/592459/the-secret-world-of-membership-libraries/

Bodleian Library Wants You to Color Their Collections

http://tumblr.libraryjournal.com/post/138295403468/bodleian-library-wants-you-to-color-their

 

Daily Thoughts 01/29/2016

The Second Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, 1911

Daily Thoughts 01/29/2016

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

I also checked the gift books and the displays.

I read a copy of the Times Literary Supplement and the New York Review of Books.  I also read through several copies of Booklist.

I  put in an order for a few books on African history.  February is Black History Month.  I also spent some time in the afternoon working on the displays focusing on civil rights, African history, and African American history.

I also spent some time talking to Literacy Solutions New York, Inc. which is at Yonkers Public Library.

We are planning on opening our computer lab for longer hours.  10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

I read some more of On Her Own Ground.  I am reading the story about how Madam C.J. Walker started losing her hair, then used a hair regrowth product.  This led to her becoming a hair product saleswoman in addition to being a laundress.  She moved to Denver where she learned to create her own formulas for haircare products.  It is a story of entrepreneurship and investing in what you know.

Web Bits

77 Percent of Harlem Library Secondary Schools Don't Have Librarians, Group Says

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160126/central-harlem/77-percent-of-harlem-secondary-schools-dont-have-librarians-group-says

Bill Gates Share This Habit With Successful Leaders

http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/bill-gates-shares-this-habit-with-successful-leaders?utm_content=buffer68817&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Daily Thoughts 01/28/2016

Still Life With Newspaper, Juan Gris, 1916

Daily Thoughts 01/28/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I checked the gift books and the displays.

I spent some time discussing issues with the computer lab.

We had the Brown Bag Book Club today.  We discussed the book, The Girls of Atomic City :  The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan.  The next book we are planning on reading is On Her Own Ground The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker by A'leila Bundles in February.  February is black history month.

I have a stack of journals to read tomorrow.  There are several copies of Library Journal and Booklist.

Tonight we have an adult board games night in the community room from 6-8 p.m..  It should be a nice activity to do.

The board games night was quite enjoyable.  We played scrabble, checkers, and monopoly.  We also brought out variety of books on different games.

I started reading On Her Own Ground tonight.  It was requested as a subject by the book club.  It is a very different kind of story.  It is about a road out of extreme poverty and deprivation to reaches.  The story of Madam C.J. Walker shows a path to success based on self-help, salesmanship, perseverance, faith, and entrepreneurship.


Web Bits

Why America’s Public Library System Will Survive

http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201601271000

Knight News Challenge on Libraries Opens for Applications on February 24, 2016

http://knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2016/1/9/knight-news-challenge-libraries-opens-applications-feb-24/

What Happens When Libraries Are Asked to Help the Homeless Find Shelter

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/01/27/what-happens-when-libraries-are-asked-to-help-the-homeless-find-shelter/

Daily Thoughts 01/27/2016

Interior View of Appleton's Bookstore, Broadway, New York 1856

Daily Thoughts 01/27/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read the New York Times and the New York Daily News.

I printed up some flyers and brochures.

I spent some time reading through The Weeding Handbook A Shelf by Shelf Guide by Rebecca Vnuk.  It has suggested guidelines for different parts of the library.

We had training today for Report Stations which can generate lists of books for weeding and selecting material.  We did training on generating lists of books for weeding purposes.

I also learned about the new IT Wiki for Westchester Library System. http://www.it.westchesterlibraries.org


Web Bits

The Loss of Libraries Is Another Surefire Way to Entrench Inequality—United Kingdom

http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/jan/27/loss-libraries-entrench-inequality-poor-family

Wis. Court: No Right to Watch Porn  in a Library

http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2016/01/wis-court-no-right-to-watch-porn-in-a-library/

Daily Thoughts 01/26/2016

Flower Piece With Books, 1916,  József Nemes Lampérth

Daily Thoughts 01/26/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read some more of Humans Are Underrated.  I am reading about teamwork and innovation.  Geoff Colvin is describing how important it is to meet and work with people face to face to create new ideas and innovate.

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

This morning I was at the dentist.  I had a crown replaced for a tooth.  They printed the new crown on a 3D printer.

I checked the collection management sheet where we write down patron requests for items which we do not have.

We have a strategic plan committee meeting this evening.

I placed an interlibrary loan request for the book, The Weeding Handbook, A Shelf by Shelf Guide by Rebecca Vnuk.

The strategic planning meeting was focused on looking at the mission statement for the library, then focusing in on goals, values, and objectives for the long range plan.  We looked at a number of different documents as well.

On the way home, I finished reading Humans are Underrated What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will by Geoff Colvin.  Geoff Colvin argues that we cannot replicate or outdo machinery.  Many of the things we do well like cooking will eventually be done by machines.  He writes about the artificial intelligence Watson is an excellent chef.  The library has a book on this called Cognitive Cooking With Chef Watson: recipes for Innovation from IBM & The Institute for Culinary Education.

Geoff Colvin argues that human elements will become more valuable as we rely more on machines.  Leadership, empathy, ability to work with teams, and social acuteness will become more valued in the workplace.  People will work more cooperatively and collaborate more.  These are not engineering skills, they are people skills.  It is an argument that I am not sure I believe completely.


Web Bits

New York State Library Aid Letter-- Support to Increase the Budget

http://cqrcengage.com/alany/app/write-a-letter?4&engagementId=159033

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload with 'Infomagical'
http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/01/25/463232382/get-a-grip-on-your-information-overload-with-infomagical
It looks almost like a prank.

Artist's 'Blank Books' Project Seeks to Restock Historic Baghdad Library
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jan/26/wafaa-bilal-168-01-blank-books-project-ontario-baghdad-library?CMP=share_btn_fb

Daily Thoughts 01/25/2016

Miss Ethel Philip Reading, James McNeill Whistler, 1894

Daily Thoughts 01/25/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read some more of Nonviolent Communication.  I am reading about how to express anger without directly blaming other people.

I also read some more of Humans Are Underrated.  I am reading about military training.  Geoff Colvin is describing how it is not just jet versus jet.  To improve training, it has to include pilot versus pilot in training.  Geoff Colvin describes how simulations of combat before battles improves results.

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.  I am working on a flyer for an event in February.  We are having Sylvia Mims who recently received a CD, Where Lovers Live do a Valentines concert on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.

I have some more work to do with the Sparks! Ignition Grant.

I spent some time in the computer lab today helping patrons.  I also am working on a set of procedures for the computer lab.

I finished reading Nonviolent Communcation A Language of Life 3rd Edition by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD.  I found it to be an interesting book.  I think it helped me understand how to communicate without conflict a little better.  It made me think about concepts like compassion, empathy, and conflict resolution.

I donated a small amount of money to Everylibrary which is political organization which supports libraries.  http://action.everylibrary.org/

Web Bits

S.F. Library Rolls Out Biblio Bistro for Lessons on Cooking

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-library-rolls-out-Biblio-Bistro-for-lessons-6778021.php

The Book and Pub Club: Not Your Mothers Book Club

http://www.lohud.com/story/life/2016/01/24/book-pub-club/78268350/

Take A Peek Inside Neil Gaiman's Library
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5352953/take-a-peek-inside-neil-gaimans-library/

Daily Thoughts 01/24/2016

Brentano's Literary Emporium, Union Square, New York, 1871, Charles E. Brown

Daily Thoughts 01/24/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I also checked the latest New York Times Bestsellers and Publishers Weekly Bestsellers.

I read some more of Nonviolent Communication.  I am reading about listening in combination with empathy.

I read some more of Humans Are Underrated this morning.  Geoff Colvin is writing about empathy and how important it is in the business world.  Empathy is necessary for good customer service, and other social elements of work.

Yesterday, I watched Jurassic World.  I enjoyed the dinosaur story focused on velociraptors and the tyrannosaurus rex.

Web Bits

The Aroma of Books Infographic

http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/06/01/newoldbooksmell/

A New App Turns Your Romance Novel Fantasy Into Reality

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/crave-romance-reading-app_us_56894c65e4b014efe0dab687

Sounds like a Gamebook adventure for romance readers.  Most of them are for fantasy or science fiction adventures.

Daily Thoughts 01/23/2016

Central Stair Hall, Library of Congress, Washington DC, 1901-1902, Detroit Publishing Company

Daily Thoughts 01/23/2016

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

The library is closed today due to inclement weather.  I have not been outside all today.  The buses and subways are not running and people are not supposed to be driving on the roads.  My front steps are covered with snow.

Last night, I read some more of Nonviolent Communication.  I am reading about empathy and how to make positive requests.

I also started reading Humans are Underrated What High Achievers Know that Brilliant Machines Never Will by Geoff Colvin.  He describes a future where capital is replacing labor with smart machines.  He also shows how both the high end jobs and low ends are increasingly replacing people.  The example of Autonomy a company that replaces hundreds of lawyers with a single lawyer to do legal discovery shows that all kinds of jobs can be replaced.

Ultimately, there is a statement that there is no way of knowing what job cannot be replaced with artificial intelligence.  In ten years, it could be most jobs.  Geoff Colvin, the author, argues that is human activities that matter like collaboration, leadership, brainstorming, sharing, and creativity that matter and will stay in demand.

 This reminds me of the science fiction concept of whuffie, the ephemeral reputation based currency written about in the science fiction novel, Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow.  It is a message that I am not sure is true.  It also seems to touch on the idea of personal branding which was popular for a little while then faded out.

I have been reading more of The Handheld Library Mobile Technology and the Librarian.  Each chapter is by a different author.  I am finding this book to be the best book for public libraries that I have found on the subject so far. Chapter 5 Going Mobile Reaching the Younger Generation by Bonnie Roalsen, Chapter 10 Mobile Catalogs by Chad Haefele, and Chapter 11 Reading Transformed by the Mobility of E-books by Andrew Reveille and Sue Polanka were quite useful to read.
I also learned about the Gone Mobile? Library Survey from Library Journal in 2010.
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2010/10/technology/gone-mobile-mobile-libraries-survey-2010/
This goes well with the Pew Internet Mobile information.  http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/mobile/pages/5/

Web Bits

Imagining an Ultra-Futuristic Library for Houston

http://www.citylab.com/design/2016/01/imagining-a-ultra-futuristic-library-for-houston/426636/

Fairytales Much Older Than Previously Thought, Say Researchers

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/20/fairytales-much-older-than-previously-thought-say-researchers

Daily Thoughts 01/22/2015

A New Book by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, 1895-911, Book Poster

Daily Thoughts 01/22/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I spent some time reading more of Nonviolent Communication.  I am reading about clarity in communication.  How to say why you feel a certain way.

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.  I also spent some time looking at the library photogalleries. http://mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/from-the-edge-of-our-history-mount-vernon-public-library/

The book, Mobile Library Services, Best Practices Edited by Charles Harmon and Michael Messina came in for me to read.  The book, The Handheld Library Mobile Technology and the Librarian, Edited by Thomas A. Peters and Lori Bell came in for me to read.

I have been spending some time looking at the new website.  It is much better looking than the old one.

I am going to work a little bit on the Sparks! Ignition Grant.

I applied to work with Culture In Transit today. 

Tomorrow, the library is closed due to inclement weather.  There is going to be a huge snow storm.  I checked out a movie and have a few books to read.

Web Bits

Harvard “Free The Law” Project

https://lsslib.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/harvards-free-the-law-project/

General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis Email About Being 'Too Busy To Read' Is A Must-Read

http://www.businessinsider.com/viral-james-mattis-email-reading-marines-2013-5

A New Vision for Public Libraries

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/about/blog/open-doors-community-public-libraries

Library Bids Farewell to Leslie Burger

http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2016/01/20/library-bids-farewell-to-leslie-burger/

Alan Burger did some consulting work for our library.

Library Shelves, Not Just Grocery Stores, Are Almost Bare
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/liveblog-live/liveblog/updates-winter-storm-targets-d-c-region/#fe2b29b6-eb15-4211-883a-169c3686f06a
There should be a big blizzard tomorrow.

The New Digital Divide Mobile First Design Serves All Virtual Patrons
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/01/04/new-digital-divide-mobile-first-design/

Daily Thoughts 01/21/2016

Jack London, The Sea Wolf, Book Poster, 1895-1911

Daily Thoughts 01/21/2016

I went to the Metro New York Libraries annual conference today. I got up at 6:00 a.m.

The conference started at 9:00 a.m..  It was at Baruch Vertical College.  It had a lot of sessions with a tremendous amount of content.  Most of the content was focused on technology.

It will take me some time to sort through some of the things which I found interesting.

The Culture In Transit project was very interesting to learn about.  It is setup for a mobile scanning project for local history.
http://www.mnylc.org/cit/

Also, the final keynote was another technology project that was astounding.  It was the first time that I ever saw pictures of 24 foot by 4 1/2 foot high high resolution touch screen called the CURVE, Collaborative University Research and Visualization Environment.   http://sites.gsu.edu/curve/

I also attended a very interesting session on New York Public Library's Public Domain Drop.  There are quite a few things I am hoping to find there.  This includes old book posters and dust jackets.

I watched a session on digital privacy in libraries.  I learned about New York Statute 4509 which pertains library records privacy.  http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/excerpts/cvp4509.htm

I read some more of Nonviolent Communication today.  I am reading about how to identify feelings and communicate how you feel to other people while minimizing conflict.

Web Bits

The Next Big Steps for E-books in Libraries
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/69153-the-next-big-step-for-e-books-in-libraries.html

Pew Research The State of Privacy in America
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/20/the-state-of-privacy-in-america/

Daily Thoughts 01/20/2016

Daily Thoughts 01/20/2016


I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.




I read some more of Can and Can'tankerous.  I enjoyed an essay by Harlan Ellison which explains why Ray Bradbury is his brother.  The essay about Ray Bradbury even includes a bit on Leigh Brackett.






The library computers are being worked on right now.






I checked the displays and the gift books.  There are two books which are on libraries and art which are interesting to look at:  The Artist's Library A Field Guide by Laura Damon-Moore and Erinn Batykefer  and Bibliocraft A Modern Crafter's Guide to Using Library Resources to Jumpstart Creative Projects by Jessica Pigza, Photographs by Johnny Miller.  The photographs in this book are pretty.






The book, Nonviolent Communication A Language of Life, 3rd Edition by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD came in for me to read.






I spent some time looking at the narrative requirements for the the Sparks! Ignition Grant today.
I have a copy of the latest New York Times Book Review to read today.

Daily Thoughts 01/19/2016

Knowledge, Mural By Robert Louis Reid, Library of Congress, 2nd Floor, North Corridor, Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, DC, 1896, Caption Underneath Reads

IGNORANCE IS THE CURSE OF GOD

KNOWLEDGE IS THE WING

WHEREWITH WE FLY TO HEAVEN.

Daily Thoughts 01/19/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.

I took a look through a summary of ideas for the Sparks! Ignition Grant.

Last night, I finished reading When Books Went to War, The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptin Manning.  I enjoyed reading it.  There was a bit on censorship which I found interesting focused on the book Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith.  The book also talked about reintroducing paperback books to the European market after the war to restart the publishing industry.

The book is well researched.  There is a list of all the books in the Armed Services Edition series as well as an index, notes, and a set of black and white photographs.  These add to the overall presentation of the book.

The book also has quite a bit in it on how libraries supported the war effort during World War II.

I started reading Can and Can'tankerous by Harlan Ellison.  This is a bit different than his earlier work.  I think he changes things stylistically for a more modern market.  The writing reminds me a bit of Neil Gaiman, Fredric Brown, and Terry Pratchett. There is a lot of dark humor in this short story collection.  More than in his earlier works.

Web Bits

The Internet is Making Some People Poorer

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-internet-is-making-some-people-poorer-211010142.html

It is interesting to thnk of the digital divide as something with international impact.  The digital divide is a very serious issue for libraries.  It is one of the reasons there is so much technology in libraries these days.

E-book Library Checkouts Increased in 2015 (Overdrive)

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/e-book-library-check-outs-increased-in-2015/115033

Library's Claim to Books Survives Timeliness Challenge

http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/this-weeks-news/id=1202747285396/Librarys-Claim-to-Books-Survives-Timeliness-Challenge?mcode=1202615036097&curindex=2&slreturn=20160019162209

Daily Thoughts 01/16/2016

Daily Thoughts 01/16/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of When Books Went to War.  I am reading about the popularity of small paperbacks among soldiers in World War II.

I also read Using Mobile Technology to Deliver Library Services A Handbook by Andrew Walsh.  It gave me some ideas about how people use mobile devices in libraries.  It also showed me that there was not a lot written about library catalogs and mobile devices.

Web Bits

The Reinvention of Libraries

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/06/13/the-reinvention-of-libraries/

Daily Thoughts 01/15/2016

"Give Good Books to Our Men in the Service-- 1943 Victory Book Campaign."

Daily Thoughts 01/15/2016

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.


The book, Using Mobile Technology to Deliver Library Services, A Handbook by Andrew Walsh came in for me to read.

I checked the gifts and the displays this morning.

I placed an order for professional books today.

This morning on the way to work, I read some of When Books Went to War.  This book focuses on the "War for Ideas".  It reminds people that reading can be used to create the will to fight.  The book describes a propaganda war between the nazis and the allies using books.  The primary book the nazis used was Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler to spread their ideology.  The book describes how librarians and other mobilized campaigns to provide books to the allied troops duirng World War II.

The book CAN & CAN'TANKEROUS by Harlan Ellison came in for me to read.  It is a short story collection.

I am looking at the book, Dorling Kindersley Prehistoric Life The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth.  I was asked by a colleague to get some new books on dinosaurs with pictures of them with feathers and bright colors.  The new depictions are different.

I read some more of When Books Went to War on the way home.  I am reading about the Armed Service Edition paperbacks which were produced in the millions for troops.  They were designed to light, portable, fit in a pants or jacket pocket and be easy to read.  The most popular edition was for A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Web Bits

The Evolving Catalog
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/01/04/cataloging-evolves/

Daily Thoughts 01/14/2016

Afternoon In September, (Oil), 1913, Frank Weston Benson

Daily Thoughts 01/14/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read a copy of the New York Times on the way to work.  No books for me today.

I am reading a book suggested by a colleague, When Books Went To War The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  A colleague is doing a display of movies starring dogs.

I talked with my colleagues about the Sparks! Ignition Grant.  I have what I want to do fairly well outlined.

I gave an administrative editor role to one of the people who works on the public computers for Facebook.

There is a Beginning Microsoft Powerpoint class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight in the computer lab.

I worked a little bit on a flyer for a discussion of Native Son by Richard Wright and updated a few announcements in the Mount Vernon Daily Voice.


Web Bits

How Young Librarians Are Figuring Out the Fields Future
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/89910-how-young-librarians-are-figuring-out-the-future?l=dt

You Are Not What You Read: Librarians Purge User Data to Protect Privacy

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/13/us-library-records-purged-data-privacy

New Rochelle Library Looks to Build Bookstore

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/new-rochelle/2016/01/13/new-rochelle-library-looks-build-bookstore/78697168/

 

Elon Musk

Tesla Car Can Be Summoned and Park Itself

http://www.popsci.com/creeping-toward-kitt-now-tesla-can-be-summoned-and-park-itself-video?src=SOC&dom=fb

 

Daily Thoughts 01/13/2015

American Home and Garden 1905

Daily Thoughts 01/13/2015

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

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

On the way to work, I finished reading We Robots, Staying Human in the Age of Big Data by Curtis White.  I like how this book ends.  Curtis White describes how art can counter mass culture and that we do not have to participate if we do not want to.  His argument focuses on how we can write and express our own narrative through art.  He also makes a statement that often the best way to protest is not political, but through living a different lifestyle that is artistic and counterculture.  We have a right to choose how we live.

I was listening to the radio when I heard about an initiative to open more bookstores in Queens, New York after the Barnes and Nobles around the borough shut down.  This is the initiative.  http://www.thequeensbookshop.squarespace.com/

It reminds me about the need to have places where people can think and read in public.

Daily Thoughts 01/12/2016

Daily Thoughts 01/12/2016

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

I checked the gift books and the displays this morning.

We are opening the computer lab earlier in the day starting this week so we can have more computer coverage.

On the way to work, I read some more of We, Robots.  I am reading a critique of the movie Her where in the future, a man falls in love with an artificial intelligence.  Curtis White describes it as a man falling in love with his operating system.  There is quite a bit of philosophy combined with very dark humor in this book.

I spent some time looking up information on mobile devices and libraries.

I also looked at different options for career services.

I am doing a small order of professional books.

I put together a request to go to the Urban Librarians Unite Conference, Weird Science on May 6, 2016 in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Public Library.  It should be enjoyable.