Daily Thoughts 11/5/2011

Old Corner Bookstore First Brick Building in Boston 1909

Daily Thoughts 11/5/2011

Sometimes your posts go missing.  I am redoing this post.  In the morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook page about the Book and Bake Sale which is today, November 5, 2011.  I very much enjoyed going to it yesterday.  It is an excellent way to support our library.


I spent some time studying Photoshop CS5 and Publishers 2010 this morning on Lynda.com as well.  This takes away from my time to write book reviews.  Right now, I think it is more important for me to rebuild my computer skills.  I have been talking to other libraries that give computer classes.  People are using libraries more and more to have computer access and access to broadband.  Our library offers internet access, WiFi, and access to computers for typing papers.


This afternoon I read some more of Supergods by Grant Morrison who is a very famous comic book writer.  Right now, he is writing about the origins of Superman who he compares to Apollo.  Grant Morrison has a very interesting bombastic style of writing which reminds me a little of the old radio plays like The Shadow or The Spider.

Web Bits

The Small But Powerful Guide To Winning Big Support For Your Rural Library
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/olos/toolkits/rural/index.cfm

All 50 State Librarians Vote to Form Alliance With Internet Archive’s Open Libraryhttp://www.thedigitalshift.com/2011/11/ebooks/all-50-state-librarians-vote-to-form-alliance-with-internet-archives-open-library/

Your Own Private Librarian

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/edlife/my-own-private-librarian.html?_r=1

This is also happening in the public libraries on a different scale.  Yonkers Public Library and New Rochelle Public Library have set up a sign up sheet for librarians for up to one hours time one on one to help with basic computer tasks like filling out forms, applying for a job, or setting up an email account.

Daily Thoughts 11/4/2011

Jihon-Ton-Ya was the Japanese popular book publisher and seller in Tokyo from 17 to 19 century. Original painting was printed on Edo Meisho Zue (say "Picture Book of Edo") issued during 1834-1836.

Daily Thoughts 11/4/2011

This morning, I read some more of the Letters of Robert Frost to Louis Untermeyer.  The book has a number of Robert Frost's poems in it.  They seem less finished and more informal than his other poems.  It also describes rivalries with other poets which is kind of interesting.

This morning, I updated the Twitter and Facebook account and checked the displays.  I also printed a few flyers for events.

The Mount Vernon Public Library Book and Bake Sale is today, November 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..  I stopped by and had a cup of coffee and a piece of lemon pie.  They are playing the piano in the community room.  Also, I watched someone buy a few of the plants they have on sale.  There is a nice selection on the tables.  Paperbacks are 50 cents and hardcovers are $1.00.  The sale also runs tomorrow, Saturday, November 5, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The book Supergods What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, And A Sun God From Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human by Grant Morrison has come in for me to read.  I have been waiting for a while to read this.

I spent some more time updating the links on the website.  I also spent some time looking at the Learning Express Popular Softwar Tutorials which are decent, but not perfect.

Web Bits

Library Journal's Own Digital Shift
http://blog.libraryjournal.com/ljinsider/2011/11/04/library-journals-own-digital-shift/
I am finding increasingly because I read about library news online, I am catching many articles and ideas before they reach the print versions of Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

How Occupy DC Occupies Itself: The Library
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/11/04/how-occupy-dc-occupies-itself-the-library/

Daily Thoughts 11/3/2011

L'Arlésienne, Madame Ginoux, Vincent Van Gogh, 1890

Daily Thoughts 11/3/2011

This morning, I read a bit more The Letters of Robert Frost to Louis Untermeyer.  Reading letters sometimes takes a little bit more focus to read than other books because it is usually about the relationship between two people.

This morning, I checked the Facebook and Twitter account for the library.  I am also making some minor adjustments to the URLs for the library website.  I'll probably finish doing this tomorrow.

The Friends of the Library are in the community room setting up for the Book and Bake Sale tomorrow.  They also are selling plants.  One of them asked about the Biography Book Club which is on November 15, 2011 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

I spent a little more time on Lynda.com this afternoon learning about Photoshop.

This afternoon between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. I spent some time in the computer lab helping people look for jobs and practice typing.  I also showed some people the Learning Express Popular Software Tutorial module which has video instruction for Microsoft and Adobe software.  People seemed to like it.  It can be accessed by anyone with a Westchester library card.

Web Bits

Death to Keyboards and Monitors 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/death-keyboards-monitors-omnitouch-202115388.html 
 

More Occupy Wall Street material on the Library.

Occupy Wall Street At Valley Forge
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-215_162-20127692/occupy-wall-street-at-valley-forge/

The Career Road of Occupy Wall Street
http://sales-jobs.fins.com/Articles/SBB0001424052970204777904576651373797984258/The-Career-Road-of-Occupy-Wall-Street

Occupy Wall Street Library Catalog Online
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/occupy-wall-street-library-online_b39726

Daily Thoughts 11/2/2011

Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot, Poetry



Daily Thoughts 11/2/2011

I finished reading Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Willpower this morning.  I enjoyed reading it.  It gave me some ideas on how to manage my own weaknesses.  I like food a little too much.  Three ideas seemed very good; precommitting to what I would do in the future, placing a bet on how much weight I might lose, and putting off snacks.  Apparently, procrastinating on whether you want to drink, smoke, or do some other habit is a way to help quitting.

This morning I checked the Twitter and Facebook account.  I have been asked to post a little extra about our Book and Bake Sale on November 4 and November 5.  We are opening on Saturday for the event.

http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/node/298  We even have a countdown widget on the page which reads 1 day and 16 hours until the sale.

I also checked the donations.  We had the complete Seasons 1, 2, and 3 for the television show Lost which is being added. 

I put together a display of biography books on a variety of poets including Allen Ginsberg, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Alice Walker and others.  We are reading a biography of a poet for the Biography Book Club on November 15, 2011 from 3:00-4:00 p.m..  I like tying the collection with programming.

In the afternoon, I was in the computer lab for two hours helping people.  I helped people look for jobs and helped someone with basic word processing he was learning as part of the Beginning Computer Class on Tuesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m.  I have also been looking at the Popular Software Tutorial package that is currently on Learning Express and is available to all of our patrons.  http://www.learningexpressllc.com/datasheets/Popular_Software_Tutorials_Product_Sheet.pdf

On the way home, I read some of The Letters of Robert Frost to Louis Untermeyer.  The book was written in 1963.  I got it from our mezzanine area.  It is very old fashioned. 

Daily Thoughts 11/1/2011

The Pen ts'ao, 1249 C.E. Printed with woodblock, this illustrated book discusses Chinese herbal medicine.

Daily Thoughts 11/1/2011

This morning, I checked the Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I also spent a little bit of time on the website.  I have been learning to make minor adjustments.  I put up a brief description for a new display of hooked rugs in the Rotunda Gallery by the Hudson Valley Rug Hookers. http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Gallery

There is a free Library 2.0 Virtual Conference between November 2-4.  I just signed up.  http://www.library20.com

I spent some more time this afternoon practicing on Lynda.com.  I also spent some time talking to people about our computer lab.  We are getting steadily increasing usage.

I also spent a small amount of time weeding in the mezzanine.

On the way home, I read some more of Rediscovering The Greatest Human Strength Willpower by Johan F. Baumeister and John Tierney.  I liked the descriptions of how changing simple habits like posture can increase ones willpower.  I also liked the description of how can increasing discipline in one area like diet or studying can increase discipline in other areas.  One piece of the writing bothered me.  The authors claim that self discipline is more important self esteem.  I disagree with this.  I think both are equally important.

Web Bits

Library With Free Online College Textbooks Makes Debut
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2011/11/ebooks/library-with-free-online-college-textbooks-makes-debut/

I am going to present two ideas that are percolating around public libraries.  The first is the increasing interest by the Maker Movement which is focused on Tech Shops, 3D Printing, and small scale manufacturing and libraries and the second is how coworking is increasingly starting to interact with the library space.

These are ideas.  I don't necessarily agree with them, but they offer interesting new opportunities which libraries could look at more closely.  Part of this comes from concepts of what libraries might look like in the future. 

Library Partners With Tek Venture

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110702/LOCAL/307029959

Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make “TechShops”?

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/03/is-it-time-to-rebuild-retool-public-libraries-and-make-techshops.html

Public Libraries, 3D Printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/05/public-libraries-3d-printing-fablabs-and-hackerspaces.html

Making Hackerspaces in Public Libraries

http://forum.contactcon.com/discussion/34/making-hackerspaces-in-public-libraries/p1

Perpetual Beta Awesome 3D Printing Video

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/perpetualbeta/awesome-3d-printing-video

Canton Public Library 1st Hack Day Recap

http://soup.hackerspaces.org/post/93975543/Canton-Public-Library-1st-Hack-Day-Recap

The second idea which comes up is the library as an entrepreneurial space.  There already are groups which are proposing the library be used as a coworking space.  Again, this is a small piece of a possible picture.  There are many people who come in now to use the library for its WiFi so they can work.

Coworking at the Public Library

http://www.pcworld.com/article/241574/coworking_at_the_public_library.html

Making Space for Entrepreneurs and Independent Workers

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=3568&zbrandid=4634&zidType=CH&zid=8535571&zsubscriberId=1031499408&zbdom=http://ala-publishing.informz.net

Every Town Has A Public Library-- Tony Bacigalupo who is one of the founders of New Work City in Manhattan.

http://tonybgoode.tumblr.com/post/174758246/every-town-has-a-public-library

Could Public Libraries Become the Next Coworking Location

http://www.centernetworks.com/public-libraries-coworking

Both of these bring libraries back full circle in a way to their beginnings. I sometimes think that public libraries have lost their focus as a source of technical and scientific knowledge.