Daily Thoughts 01/31/2018

Calligraphy by Jan Van De Velde; from Spieghel der schrijfkonste, 1605

Daily Thoughts 01/31/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read some more of Data Strategy.  Sometimes you pick up bits of information which stick with you while you are reading.  I learned that Hello Barbie is an AI barbie for children which monitors what you tell it.

I also read a little more of The Victory Lab.  I am reading about the rise of political consultants for campaigns.

I checked the gift books and the displays.

I spent some time discussing the Community Development Block Grant with the director and treasurer.  We had discussed a few ADA improvements last year with the library.  I looked up some statistics and a few articles.

Web Bits

Mysterious 15th Century Manuscript Decoded by Computer Scientists Using Artificial Intelligence
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mysterious-manuscript-decoded-computer-scientists-ai-a8180951.html

Daily Thoughts 01/30/2018

Reading Lamp, Nautilus Design, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1899

Daily Thoughts 01/30/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of The Victory Lab on the way to work.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I also worked on some orders for new books.

I spent some time discussing our procedure for reporting when computer equipment is broken.  We are trying to keep a log.

The book Rules for For Radicals A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky came in for me to read.

I spent some time discussing the Friends of the Library Writing Contest from 2013 with colleagues.

I am also thinking about the Lets Build Robots! Tweens Learn. Build. Share. fundraiser and how we will create the programs that go with it.

There was a crochet group today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

There is also a Fundamentals of Computers class tonight as well as a Beginning Microsoft Word class.

I put out the latest Bookpage for February.

I also spent some time looking through damaged material to see what needed to be replaced, mended, or discarded.

On the way home, I read some more of The Victory Lab.  I am reading the history of how people developed campaign letters and polling for politics in the United States.  A lot of it is about statistics and motivation.

Web Bits

Save School Libraries Petition
http://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/schoollibrarians?utm_campaign=schoollibpetit&utm_medium=email&utm_source=votelibraries

Daily Thoughts 01/29/2018

A Man Reading, Thomas Sword Good, 1827

Daily Thoughts 01/29/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read a little bit more of Data Strategy.  I am reading about how data effects customer service and operations.  One example they uss is that banks now check your financial transactions with algorithms to make sure you are the one making a purchase.

I also read a bit more of The Victory Lab.  I am reading about early studies done in Chicago on what motivates people to vote.

Last night, I watched The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.  It is part of the Great Courses lecture series on DVD.  I like Tyson's lectures.

I also read the latest Bookpage.

I wrote a short post for my class on the concept of Ladders of Engagement.

Cultivating Support for Your Library With A Ladder of Engagement
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cultivating-support-your-library-ladder-engagement-sweeney/

Web Bits

The Libraries Bringing Small-Town News Back to Life
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/01/libraries-local-news/551594/

Support Libraries, Support MLSA
http://cqrcengage.com/ala/app/write-a-letter?9&engagementId=424273

Daily Thoughts 01/28/2018

 Circular; in the center a globe, books, scroll, rake, sythe; around the border books intersperced with the inscription, in Russian, "Learn to read and life will be better", 1921

Daily Thoughts 01/28/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I spent some time looking at Share Your Story this morning.
http://www.ilovelibraries.org/share-your-story

I read some more of Data Strategy this afternoon.  I am reading about how to choose the right questions to ask for data analysis.

I also started reading The Victory Lab The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns by Sasha Issenberg.  I am learning how analytics are increasingly being used to help win very close political campaigns.


Web Bits

New NEH Grant Provides Matching Funds to Support Humanities Infrastructure

https://www.neh.gov/news/press-release/2018-01-16

A Publishers Life and Library

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/books/review/howard-kaminsky-library.html

CopyTalk Copyright Librarian Starter Kit

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/copytalk-copyright-librarian-starter-kit/

The Book That Changed My Life ... In Prison
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jan/19/the-book-that-changed-my-life-in-prison

Daily Thoughts 01/27/2018

The Bankers Table, William Michael Harnett, 1877


Daily Thoughts 01/27/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read a little bit more of Data Strategy this morning.  I am reading about why every business now is a data business.

Last night, I finished reading The Truth Matters A Citizen's Guide to Separating Facts From Lies And Stopping Fake News In Its Tracks by Bruce Bartlett who is a veteran journalist and presidential adviser.  This a short 119 page guide on how to sort out what news is authoritative and accurate.  It explains how newspapers are dying and news is increasingly being driven by audience size.  The reader learns how to set up their own news feed, pick out information that is less biased, and gets a better understanding of how journalism works.  It is easy to read, accurate in its presentation, and even supports your library.

Webinar Organizing Powermapping from PC Sweeney of Everylibrary

http://www.nicheacademy.com/blog/power-mapping

I am sorting out some ideas that I need to communicate right now.

I checked out the ebook, Campaign Boot Camp 2.0 Basic Training for Candidates, Staffers, Volunteers and Nonprofits by Christine Pelosi on Hoopla as an e-book.  Christine Pelosi is the daughter of Nancy Pelosi.  I also reserved the book, Rules for Radicals A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky.

Web Bits

Blackbeard the bookworm?  Why conservators think the pirate may have kept a library aboard his ship.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.4484878/blackbeard-the-bookworm-why-conservators-think-the-pirate-may-have-kept-a-library-aboard-his-ship-1.4485264?platform=hootsuite

Hamptons Based Library Promoting Animal Adoption Through Art

http://www.hamptons.com/The-Arts/Art-News/24220/Hamptons-Based-Library-Promoting-Animal-Adoption.html#.WmynoK6nGUk

Daily Thoughts 01/26/2018

Juan Gris, Carafe and Book, 1920

Daily Thoughts 01/26/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read a little bit of the book, The Truth Matters by Bruce Bartlett.  This book is about fake news. So far I have learned a little bit about news terms like documentary evidence, on the record, and off the record.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

I also checked on my ecourse Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding.

I am preparing for a management meeting today.

We discussed a variety of subjects from programming to signage.

I spent some time checking items that needed to be mended, discarded, or replaced today in the afternoon.  I also looked through the New York Times Bestseller list and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list.

The book, The Victory Lab The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns by Sasha Issenberg came in for me to read..  I also have a copy of the February 2018 Bookpage to read.

Web Bits

Visual Merchandising Applying Bookstore Insights to Public Library Collections
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2018/01/visual-merchandising-applying-bookstore-insights-to-public-library-collections/

Advocating for Libraries: Tips for Talking for Legislators
http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/advocating-tips-talking-to-legislators/

Daily Thoughts 01/25/2018

Still Life With Fruit Bowl, Flowers, and Books, William Shewell Ellis, 1910


Daily Thoughts 01/25/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I spent some time working on my class yesterday.  I am learning quite a bit about the political process and librarianship.

I read some of Data How To Profit From A World Of Big Data, Analytics And The Internet of Things by Bernard Marr.  This is a business book focused on data. It describes how to manage the internet of things and big data from a corporate perspective.

I checked the gift books and the displays.

I also placed some orders for new books.

We are working on shifting the 800s and 900s.

I spent a considerable amount of time discussing programming for March, April, and May of 2018.

I also did some scheduling for vacation and conference attendance.  I am planning on attending the Urban Librarians Unite conference on April 13, 2018 and Book Expo America on May 30 through June 1st.  These both should be excellent conferences.

Web Bits

Inside Amazon GO, A Store of the Future

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/21/technology/inside-amazon-go-a-store-of-the-future.html

How A Library Handles A Rare and Deadly Book of Wallpaper Samples

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/shadows-from-the-walls-of-death-book

The Growing Necessity of Radicalism in Library Advocacy and Political Outreach
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1014&context=pollib

An article from my class.

Daily Thoughts 01/24/2018

Reading Woman, Kmetty Janos, circa 1910 to 1912

Daily Thoughts 01/24/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also spent some more time with scheduling.

Library Power Mapping Webinar
http://www.nicheacademy.com/blog/power-mapping

I placed a hold on The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns by Sasha Issenberg

I read some more of The Four today.  This shows how far technology companies are willing to go to track what you do.  They are even using artificial intelligence to try and figure out what you will purchase next.  Although, it is not discussed in this book, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google are the center of the social graph which is a map of all the connections between internet users.

Web Bits

Ursula K. Le Guin Acclaimed for Her Fantasy Fiction is Dead at 88

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/obituaries/ursula-k-le-guin-acclaimed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html?smid=fb-share

Speak Up for NYS Library AID 2018-2

http://cqrcengage.com/alany/app/write-a-letter?2&engagementId=429353

Union Sues Mount Vernon Library Over Wages

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-vernon/2018/01/24/union-sues-mount-vernon-library/1058284001/

Library Column: Books For Keeping Fit

http://www.newsadvance.com/nelson_county_times/lifestyles/library-column-books-for-keeping-fit/article_2dc3d732-15e4-5f46-a826-1ce085a2cd0d.html

Daily Thoughts 01/23/2018

Isaac Israels, Girl Reading, Circa 1906

Daily Thoughts 01/23/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of The Four.  I am reading about Scott Galloway's time on the board of the New York Times Newspaper. He did not do very well.

I also sent out a few emails about scheduling.


Web Bits

IMLS Report  State Library Funding Still Suffering

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2018/01/funding/imls-report-state-library-funding-still-suffering/

Think Twice: Library Hosts Second Annual Philosophy Night

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/41/3/24-philosophy-sleepover-at-central-branch-2018-01-19-bk.html

Somerset Says Only Volunteers Can Keep Libraries Open (United Kingdom)

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/22/somerset-says-only-volunteers-can-keep-libraries-open


CES Technology and Library Advocacy
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/ces-technology-library-advocacy/

Daily Thoughts 01/22/2018

Self-Portrait, Marietta Robusti, 1580

Daily Thoughts 01/22/2018

I rested on the way to work today.

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

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I spent some time working on programs today.  I called several people and sent emails about programs for March, April, and May.

I put in two orders for new books.  I also worked on some other orders of books today.

On the way home I read some more of The Four.  I am reading about Facebook and why there is so much fake news on Facebook

Daily Thoughts 01/21/2018

Still Life With Skull, Candle, and Book, Paul Cezanne, 1866

Daily Thoughts 01/21/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook today.

Last night, I read some more of The Four.  Jeff Bezos has invested heavily in robotics for Amazons as well as algorithms.  He sees little work for human in the future and supports a Guarantee Basic Income.  Amazon bought Kiva Systems which is a robotic fulfillment system for inventory warehouses.

I checked the purchase alerts for items on hold.

Web Bits

College Libraries Contemplate Meditation Rooms

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/01/02/library-meditation-rooms-space-apart/

Daily Thoughts 01/20/2018

Art and Literature, 

• William Adolphe Bouguereau · 1867

Daily Thoughts 01/20/2018

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

On the way to work, I read some of  The Four The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.  I am reading about Amazon and how it is increasingly dominating the online business world.  Jeff Bezos will soon be the richest man in the world.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I spent some time working on a Power Map for the library for the people who are connected to me as part of my class.

I am also looking at local history programs.  I spent some time looking at the African American heritage trail.
http://escapes.visitwestchesterny.com/itinerary.php?itinerary=african-american-heritage-trails

I also looked at the Performers and Programs list for New York state.
http://www.performersandprograms.com/results.cfm?StartRow=1&region=7&region7=7&category=cat0subcat0&keyword=women


Web Bits

JFK Library Among Facilities Impacted By Government Shutdown

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2018/01/20/government-shutdown-jfk-library-boston/

Update: 50 Senators Support CRA to Restore Net Neutrality

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/update-50-senators-support-cra-restore-net-neutrality/

Daily Thoughts 01/19/2018

Portrait of a Man With a Newspaper, Andre Derain, 1913

Daily Thoughts 01/19/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin.  Books, language, writing, cats, and horses matter a lot to Ursula K. Le Guin.  There are a lot of short poems which are enjoyable to read in this book.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I also checked out two books, Data Strategy How To Profit From a World of Big Data, Analytics and the Internet of Things by Bernard Marr which is a management book and The Four The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway.

I spent some time working on scheduling for programs for February 2018.  I have to figure out programming for the next several months as well.

We are meeting to discuss the Lets Build Robots! Tweens Learn. Build. Share. today to discuss how the funds are going to be used.  We are looking at some of the educator sets for different robots.


Web Bits

The LIbrary Lifecycle

http://neatoday.org/2018/01/15/school-library-partnerships/

NAU Tech Library Helps Those With Disabilities

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/nau-tech-library-helps-those-with-disabilities/article_fca448f7-6cfa-5031-97b6-cc5b5cf5c1b3.html

Daily Thoughts 01/18/2018

Still Life at the Open Window, Juan Gris, 1925

Daily Thoughts 01/18/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of No Time To Spare.  I rather liked the essay, Someone Named Delores.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I spent some time working on next months schedule.  I am planning a variety of programs for next month.

I have a box with February's BookPage next to my desk.  I read a copy of Booklist and looked through the latest New York Times Book Review.

I also placed an order for books through Amazon which were not available through Ingram or Brodart.

We are working on shifting the 800s and 900s right now.

I have to put together the schedule for the computer classes for February.

I checked some books to see if they should be added back into the catalog.

I updated the Computer Class Flier for February 2018 and set up the sign sheets for classes tonight.

Web Bits

How Social Media Endangers Knowledge

https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedias-fate-shows-how-the-web-endangers-knowledge/?utm_content=buffer299c1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Skokie Library, Area Organizations to Host Voter Registration Drives

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-voter-registration-at-skokie-library-tl-0111-20180108-story,amp.html

Daily Thoughts 01/17/2018

Still Life, Vase With Flowers, Gaugin, 1881

Daily Thoughts 01/17/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

The next MOCCA Art Festival is on April 7 and April 8, 2018.
https://www.societyillustrators.org/events/mocca-arts-festival-directions-tickets

I spent some time working on a Power Map for my connections for my class.

I read some more of No Time To Spare today.  I am reading about Ursula K. Le Guin's cat Pard.  When I was a child we had a cat, but I don't have one now.

Web Bits

At Free Library, Wolff Discusses the Firestorm Around 'Fire and Fury'

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/at-free-library-wolff-discusses-the-firestorm-around-fire-and-fury-20180116.html?amphtml=y

A New Home for AI: The Library

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/01/17/rhode-island-hopes-putting-artificial-intelligence-lab-library-will-expand-ais-reach

Daily Thoughts 01/16/2018

Jules Pascin, Thinking, (1885-1930)

Daily Thoughts 01/16/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of No Time to Spare last night.  There are some reflections on the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

I checked the displays and the gift books.  February is Black History Month.  I put out some books on Black History.

I also placed an order for new books today.

I am looking at an article called Thirty Years Not A Slave The Story of William Voris of Rye by Howard Husock.  It is on Pp. 116-124 of The Westchester Historian, Volume 92 No. 4, Fall 2016.  I am inviting Mr. Husock to speak at the library.  I am also inviting the African American Cemetery in Rye to give a talk as well for local history in February.

I have been thinking about upcoming programming.  We are meeting on Friday to discuss the programs for the Lets Build Robots! Learn. Build. Share fundraiser.

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

I am watching the film Loving Vincent.  It is in the background. The film has an effervescent quality to it.  The colors are brilliant.  It is an animated film which uses oil paints.  This is supposed to be the first time this has been done.  The quality of some of animation is dreamlike.  It is the story of Vincent Van Gogh.  His paintings are incorporated into the visuals. I'll sit down and watch it again tomorrow.

Web Bits

Tax Season is Here: How Libraries Can Help Communities Prepare
http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/tax-season-libraries-help-prepare/

AI Beats Human In Stanford Reading Comprehension Test
https://www.cnet.com/news/new-results-show-ai-is-as-good-as-reading-comprehension-as-we-are/

Libraries Can Help Disrupt the School -to-Prison Pipeline

http://www.slj.com/2018/01/programs/libraries-can-help-disrupt-school-prison-pipeline/#_

Daily Thoughts 01/15/2018

In Honor of Antonio Magliabecchi, Florentine Librarian Medalist: M. Antonio di Gennaro (Italian, 1675–1744)

Daily Thoughts 01/15/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also read some more of No Time to Spare.  I rather like Ursula K. Le Guin's short essay on Kids' Letters.  She has a children's series called Catwings.

I spent some time looking up networking meetings for my Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding.  I looked at the Lions Club, The Fleetwood Neighborhood Association, and the Rotary Club.  We also do a Spring open house at the library.  I also did a little more and am learning how to map the influence I have in the community with something called a power map.

Daily Thoughts 01/14/2018

Seated Man Reading, Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris), 1774, Red Chalk

Daily Thoughts 01/14/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of No Time To Spare.  I am reading about Ursula K. Le Guin's cats.

I also started reading Provenance by Ann Leckie.  This is a science fiction story of forgery, originality, and politics.

I did a little bit more of my homework for next week for my Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding.  One of the questions was about body language.

I watched some of Lo and Behold Reveries of the Connected World which is Werner Herzog Film.  It has a wonderful irreverent quality to it.  It is about the internet and starts with the origin of the internet.  There are many famous people interviewed like Kevin Mitnick and Elon Musk.

Daily Thoughts 01/13/2018

The Readers, Alberto Magnelli, 1931

Daily Thoughts 01/13/2018

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

I finished reading Making Contact Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Sarah Scoles.  I rather enjoyed this book.  I like the concepts behind astrobiology, radio telescopes, and SETI.  They are huge, expansive concepts that open people to new ideas.  For example, the idea of extremophiles or creatures that can live in volcanic vents or on chemical spills is intriguing.  It shows how curious the universe is.  Things like radio astronomy show how small we are and how huge the universe is.  This is satisfying to me.  The willingness to give yourself to something huge in science is admirable.  This was an excellent book.

I started reading No Time to Spare Thinking About What Maters yesterday on the train home.  Ursula K. Le Guin has turned 80 and she is reflecting on life.  This is a collection of short writings.

I started on my Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding assignments for next week.  I have to list three events which are networking oriented for my community which I plan to attend.

I registered for the Urban Librarians Unite conference today which is on April 13, 2018.

Web Bits

Museums and Library Services Act 2017 Introduced In Senate

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2018/01/legislation/museum-library-services-act-2017-introduced-senate/

Holt Ships 700K Copies of 'Fire and Fury'

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75805-holt-ships-700k-copies-of-fire-and-fury.html#comments

As Escondido Prepares To Outsource Its Library, Another City Drops Firm

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-no-library-outsourcing-20180110-story.html

Daily Thoughts 01/12/2018

Portrait of Henri Cordier, Teacher at the School of Oriental Languages, Gustave Caillebot, 1883

Daily Thoughts 01/12/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I finished reading Grandville Force Majeure A Detective-Inspector Lebrock of Scotland Yard Scientific-Romance Thriller by Bryan Talbot.  This is an antrhopomorphic or furry comic. It is the fifth book in the series.  The content is quite mature.  My favorite character in this book is  Detective Chief Inspector Stamford Hawksmoor who is Lebrock's mentor.  I like the depiction of a detective as a hawk.

I also read some more of Making Contact.  Jill Tarter is famous for being the model for the female astronomer in Carl Sagan's book, Contact.  I also like that the book gives clarity to the idea that when you look for aliens, you often learn about other things which are quite inexplicable.  I rather like the recent idea that a possible alien megastructure is dust.  https://gizmodo.com/new-results-quash-alien-megastructure-theory-of-myste-1821734317    I also like that even though we found fast radio bursts, we have no idea what they are.  http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/world/repeating-fast-radio-burst-frb121102/index.html

I checked the displays and the gift books.

I called a few people about programs.  We are working on the calendar of events.

I checked the New York Times Bestseller list and The Publishers Weekly Bestseller list.

I looked at the Diamond Comic Distributors Top Graphic Novels for November 2017
https://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/597?articleID=203747

I spent some time checking part-timers schedules today.

I am in the computer lab right now.

There is a supplement for African American titles in the latest Ingram Advance.  February 2018 is African American history month.


Web Bits

ALA to Congress in 2018: Continue to #Fundlibraries

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/ala-2018-continue-to-fundlibraries/

Free Comic Books Day May 2018-- Comics List

https://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/597?articleID=204131

The Benefits of Reading Books Infographic

https://ebookfriendly.com/benefits-of-reading-books-infographic/

Daily Thoughts 01/11/2018

Large Boston Public Garden Sketchbook: A Woman Reading a Book

Maurice Brazil Prendergast (American, St. John’s, Newfoundland 1858–1924 New York)

Daily Thoughts 01/11/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read some more of Making Contact.  There is a strong relationship between searching for exoplanets and trying to find intelligent life.  One of the ideas attached to exoplanets is that we should like for a habitable zone where life could live.  NASA has an archive of exoplanets  https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/   In the future it may be possible to look at planets in other solar systems with something called a gravitational lens using the sun.  https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601331/a-space-mission-to-the-gravitational-focus-of-the-sun/    The gravitational lens is not in the book, it is just an interesting idea.

I checked the displays and the gift books today.

I also checked some items that needed to be put back in the catalog as well as a few items that needed to be mended.

We spent some time working on programs for February and March of 2018.

I also discussed the calendar and how much we were spending on programming with a colleague.

There is a computer class tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for What Is Coding?

I checked out the graphic novel, Grandville Force Majeure A Detective Inspector Lebrock of Scotland Yard Scientific Romance Thriller by Bryan Talbot.  I also checked out the book, No Time to Spare Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Web Bits

NBF, NYC Raising Readers Initiative

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75777-nbf-nyc-partner-on-raising-readers-initiative.html

Why Should You Report Censorship? OIF Answers a Few Questions

http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=12235

Kansas City Public Library Teams With Police to Hnd Out Free Gun Locks

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article194017634.html

Daily Thoughts 01/10/2018

Old Woman Meditating, Gabriel Metsu, 1660-1662

Daily Thoughts 01/10/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of Making Contact.  This is a biography of Jill Tarter who is one of the founders of SETI and the astronomical search for aliens.  There is a list of terms which are used at the beginning of the book as well as a list of people in the book.

Last night I watched the documentary, The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin.  It was an official selection of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.  It gives an excellent introduction to how bitcoin works.

I checked the displays and the gift books.

We are finished checking the 800s and 900s.  Right now, we are doing shifting.

I spent some time looking over books that were listed as not being in the catalog.

We spent some more time working on the calendar of events.

I also contacted people for programs for February and March.  We have a number of events that are already planned in the coming months.

Web Bits

National Book Festival 2017 Collections As Data

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=8168&loclr=eanw

This was an interesting talk.

The story of Koha, The First Open Source Library Management System

https://opensource.com/education/14/4/story-of-koha-lms

‘Fire and Fury’: Anatomy of A Bombshell

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75762-fire-and-fury-anatomy-of-a-bombshell.html

The Urban Librarians Unite conference is on April 13, 2018

http://www.urbanlibrariansconference.org/

Council Unanimously Votes to Take Back Library Operations

https://signalscv.com/2018/01/council-unanimously-votes-take-back-library-operations/

Harvard Endowment’s Gupta Named CIO of New York Public Library

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-09/harvard-endowment-s-gupta-named-cio-of-new-york-public-library

Daily Thoughts 01/09/2018

The Thinker, Auguste Rodin, 1902

Daily Thoughts 01/09/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I wrote my first assignment for Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding!  on the train to work.  It was a self reflection.

I also started on the book, Making Contact Jill Tarter and The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Sarah Scoles.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I also checked some more of the 800s today.  I pulled some nonfiction dvds on Hispanic culture.  We are working on updating the brochure for Hispanic films.

We had our Crochet Group today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

There was also a program called Healthy Living For Your Brain and Body focused on alzheimers which ran from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In addition we have the Fundamentals of Computers and Beginning Microsoft Word class tonight in the computer lab.

We reached our goal for Give Gab, Lets Build Robots.  Teens Learn. Build. Share.  We raised more than $6000 for the planned programs. We are 102% funded.  https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/let-s-build-robots

Web Bits

Bard and Brooklyn Public Library Partner for Microcollege

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2018/01/library-services/bard-and-brooklyn-public-library-partner-for-microcollege/

For Holt, Unexpected Demand for 'Fire and Fury'  Proves A Challenge

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75766-for-holt-unexpected-demand-for-fire-and-fury-proves-a-beautiful-disaster.html

Daily Thoughts 01/08/2018

Daily Thoughts 01/08/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some of the Beginners Guide to Community Based Arts.  Keith Knight, one of the authors is a syndicated cartoonist.  This makes the illustrations and content quite entertaining.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

We are ordering several ebook copies of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff.  We ordered some print copies, but they may not be here until the 18th or 19th of the month.

I am working on some more of my monthly report.  I have to put the statistics together.

I have started taking the Ecourse Winning Support and Influencing Communities for Library Funding.  This is not a grant writing course.  It is a course focused on gaining supporters for libraries.  It is about political activism where you ask people to support your library with funds and volunteering.  There are two documents which stand out immediately in the course From Awareness to Funding.  http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/funding/fullreport.pdf   and the 2016 Pew Research Report on Libraries.  http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/09/libraries-2016/

Web Bits

From A to Y Sue Grafton Remembered

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2018/01/in-the-bookroom/authors/from-a-to-y-sue-grafton-remembered/

Frustration Grows Over Delay In State Takeover of Hawaiis Only Volunteer Run Public Library

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37211325/frustration-grows-over-delay-in-state-takeover-of-hawaiis-only-volunteer-run-public-library

Daily Thoughts 01/07/2018

Old Woman Reading, Clarence Gagnon, 1904

Daily Thoughts 01/07/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning. I also checked alignable.

I finished reading The Vanishing Middle Class Prejudice and Power In a Dual Economy by Peter Temin.  I am reading about how student debt and mortgage debt are limiting the economy and making it more difficult for social mobility.  If education is the main path for social improvement, then expensive student loans limit social mobility. 

I also started reading Beginners Guide to Community Based Arts.  This is an argument about how community based arts increase freedom and improve the well being of communities.  The book is very focused on social activism.

Web Bits

Brain Study Suggests The Type of Book You Read to Your Baby is Important

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/brain-study-suggests-the-type-of-book-you-read-to-your-baby-is-important/2017/12/29/c1cec97e-ea5d-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html?utm_term=.abde7f44aefd

Loveland Library's Robokids Explores The Fun Side of Robotics

http://www.reporterherald.com/news/loveland-local-news/ci_31574631/loveland-librarys-robokids-lets-kids-explore-fun-side

Daily Thoughts 01/06/2018

Pianist and Listener, Umberto Boccioni, 1908

Daily Thoughts 01/06/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also checked on some scheduling.

On the train to work, I read some more of The Vanishing Middle Class.  I am reading about how the school systems went from being segregated by race to being segregated by class.  Increasingly those with money are moving to the suburbs where there are better schools or putting their children in private schools.  People with less money are stuck in inner city schools and as part of poorer school systems.

I checked the displays and the gifts this morning.

I am looking at Beginners Guide to Community-Based Arts  Revised Edition by Keith Knight, Mat Schwarzman and Many Others.  It is a graphic guidebook to community arts.

I checked the New York Times Bestseller list and the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list.  I also read through a copy of Library Journal.

I spent some time working on my monthly report, but did not finish it.

I also put together some display lists for Bookletters for new fiction, new nonfiction, and new dvds.

Web Bits

A Tough Environment -- Review and Reinvention Planned

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/01/02/treasurer-message-tough-environment/

Suburban Libraries Working to be More Accomodating to the Homeless

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-library-homeless-st-0105-20180105-story.html

Daily Thoughts 01/05/2018

Detroit Publishing Company photochrom of Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre, which burned down in 1926.  Between 1890 and 1900.

Daily Thoughts 01/05/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I spent a little time looking at Tech Soup for libraries.
http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/spotlight

I also did a little more with the new social network, Alignable.

I read a little bit more of The Vanishing Middle Class.  I am reading about issues surrounding mass incarceration like private prisons, the militarization of the police, and the war on drugs.

Web Bits 

Supporting Workforce Development With Libraries Work

http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2018/01/supporting-workforce-development-with-libraries-work/

 

Daily Thoughts 01/04/2018

Gregor Perusek, Still Life by 1940

Daily Thoughts 01/04/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

The library is closed due to severe weather.

I read some more of the The Vanishing Middle Class.  I am reading about how mass incarceration limits people chance to succeed and move from the lower classes to the middle class.  There are also tremendous racial disparities in incarceration.  Black or Latino people have a much greater chance to be in jail.  There is also a preference by the very rich statistically to not want to pay more taxes or support additional social programs.

I watched the final episodes of The Science of Mindfulness: A Research Based Path to Well Being on Hoopla.  There were 25 half hour episodes.  We get five shows to watch each month.  It took five months to finish the series on Hoopla.

I also watched the movie Freakonomics.  It is very similar to the book.  There are lots of interviews with the authors of the book, Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  I found the movie amusing.

Web Bits

Fashion Institute of Technology's Library Gets a Makeover

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/fashion/fashion-institute-of-technology-library.html

Daily Thoughts 01/03/2018

Ad for Alfred Benjamin & Co (clothiers in New York), a man is shown in a suit, reading a book, as a cigarette smolders in his hand. A human skull sits on a shelf behind him.24 February, 1904

Daily Thoughts 01/03/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I read some more of The Vanishing Middle Class.  I am reading about some of the changes that are occurring in the upper classes.  With finance it is possible to earn 10x as much money as manufacturing as a CEO.  There has been a steady move into hedge funds and other financial firms by the wealthy.  This changes how firms are run.  Also, there is a greatest focus on using contractors instead of regular employees to limit benefits and costs.  These changes have reduced opportunity for the middle class.

I checked the gift books and the displays.

I discussed marketing with a colleague this afternoon.

I also read the latest copy of The New York Times Book Review, and the Religious Catalog of Ingram Advance.

I have been taking care of some contacts for future programming.  I have confirmed our program for Audre Lorde in April of 2018.

I generated a few reports from Blue Cloud Analytics for the children's department.


Web Bits

The Culture War Being Fought Over Tomorrow's Libraries
https://www.fastcodesign.com/90151650/the-culture-war-being-fought-over-tomorrows-libraries

Art Buchwald's Archives Are Bound for the Library of Congress, He Would Have Been Thrilled.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/art-buchwalds-archives-are-bound-for-the-library-of-congress-he-would-have-been-thrilled/2018/01/02/995eef38-e502-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html?utm_term=.a6d346b13a5f

A.I. And Big Data Could Power A New War On Poverty

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/opinion/ai-and-big-data-could-power-a-new-war-on-poverty.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

Daily Thoughts 01/02/2018

Hand With A Reflecting Sphere, M.C. Escher, 1935

Daily Thoughts 01/02/2018

I checked the Facebook and Twitter today.

I rested on the way to work on the train.

I checked the displays and the gift books this morning.

I put in an order for new books today.

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

The Crochet Group is meeting this afternoon.

I have a stack of books to look through.  I checked out Stay With Me by Ayobami Adeboyo which is the book for this months book club.

Also, the book, Library Robotics Technology and English Language Arts Activities for Ages 8-24 by Sarah Kepple came in for me to read.  There are three other books that came in as well, Memos from the Chairman by Alan C. Greenberg, Making Contact Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Sarah Scoles, and The Vanishing Middle Class, Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy by Peter Temin.

I worked a little bit with fliers today.  I also checked some items that were not in the library system.

We have a Fundamentals of Computers class tonight as well as a Beginning Microsoft Word class tonight.

I read some of The Vanishing Middle Class on the way home.  It is about how the economy is increasingly split between a lower class based on subsistence and prejudice and an upper class based on investment and education.  This is kept in place by a divisive political system and poor schools.

Daily Thoughts 01/01/2018

Boy Reading an Adventure Story, Norman Rockwell, 1923

Daily Thoughts 01/01/2018

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I had a nice holiday.  I stayed up late last night and slep in today.  Have a great new year.

My resolution is to stay healthy, read a little bit every day, and find something to invest in.

I underestimated the number of books to take out for my vacation.  I should have quite a few things waiting for me on Tuesday monring.  I did read the paper today.

Web Bits

In 2018, Libraries to the Rescue: Why Americans are RIght to Crave Facts and Books

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/2018-libraries-rescue-article-1.3726473

First Law On Public Libraries Enacted-- China

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/first-law-on-public-libraries-enacted/ar-BBHLUqK