Thursday, March 5, 2015

Daily Thoughts 03/05/2015


Daily Thoughts 03/05/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I finished reading Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman on the way to work.  I enjoyed reading the book. The library closed today due to the weather.

I also read some more of The Second Machine Age.  The authors are describing how Moore's law now applies to sensors because they are increasingly moving from Analog to Digital.

Web Bits



Big Data and Books Part 5 With Seth Dellon

Forecasting the Future of Libraries 2015

Neil Gaiman Honors Douglas Adams

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Daily Thoughts 03/04/2015

A father giving his son a new picture book, from a school reader published in 1869

Daily Thoughts 03/04/2015

I checked the Twitter and Facebook for the library.

On the way to work, I read some more of Trigger Warning.  The short stories are often dark and a bit scary.  I also read a bit more of The Second Machine Age.  This is the second time I am reading this book. There is a bit on how to deal with changing technology at a personal level with ones job.

I read the March Bookpage.  There is a book called Werewolf Cop by Andrew Klavan.  I have seen the theme of the werewolf as security guard, cop, or detective mainly in short stories.  It should be entertaining.


Two books came in for me to read, The Occupyers by Michael A. Gould-Wartofsky which is about Occupy Wall Street and Hurricane Fever by Tobias Buckell which is a technothriller.  I also checked out Messages The Communication Skills Book by Matthew McKay, Ph.D. which we recently purchased.

I spent some time talking with Gale about our new collection of e-books, the Gale Jobs and Careers Library.  Earlier in the day, I talked to ABC-CLIO about setting up the African American Experience database.

On Friday, there will be e-reader training for the staff.

There is a Beginning Microsoft Access Class from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the computer lab.

We are getting a new telephone system tomorrow.

On the way home, I read some more of Trigger Warning. I like how the fantasy elements mix in with ordinary life.

Web Bits

Message from the New Rochelle Public Library Director
http://newrochelle.dailyvoice.com/opinion/message-new-rochelle-public-library-director


Libraries Don’t Need More Advocacy, They Need Better Advocacy
http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/blog/libraries-don-t-need-more-advocacy-they-need-better-advocacy


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Daily Thoughts 03/03/2015

Ray Douglas Bradbury, Public Domain
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury#mediaviewer/File:Ray_Douglas_Bradbury.svg

Daily Thoughts 03/03/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

On the way to work, I read some more of Trigger Warning.  The introduction includes a bit on how each story came to be.  Neil Gaiman praises both Jack Vance and Ray Bradbury as being inspirations to him.  This speaks to the quality of the writing in the short stories.

I checked the gift books and the displays.  This month is Women's History Month.

I also spent some time going over the website usage statistics.  It showed that some of the most popular pages on the Mount Vernon Public Library website were the sections on Mount Vernon History and the Mount Vernon Public Library History.  The Bookmobiles Gallery is very popular. http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/Bookmobiles

I spent some time looking at the episode guide for Latino Americans 500 Years of History.
http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/episode-guide/  As part of the grant appication, I have to choose two episodes to show and bring in two scholars on Latino American history.

Another person came by to pick up their chapbooks from the Mount Vernon Poetry Workshop.  The Crochet Class was today from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There are two computer classes tonight, a Fundamentals of Computer Operations Class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Beginning Microsoft Word Class from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

I checked out the The Second Machine Age Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew Mcafee.  This is for the book club on Thursday, January 26, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.. I also checked out The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.

I put out copies of the March Bookpage for patrons to take.  I have to read through it tomorrow.

Web Bits



11 Book Burning Stories That Will Break Your Heart

Emerging Roles and Possible Futures for Librarians and Information Professionals

Monday, March 2, 2015

Daily Thoughts 03/02/2015

Charles West Cope, Maiden Meditation, 1846

Daily Thoughts 03/02/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

I also read some more of Waking, Dreaming, Being.  I am reading about the concept of the self being a process not a thing.

I spent some time thinking about the collection development policy.  

I finished reading Waking, Dreaming, Being Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy by Evan Thompson.  The last part contained some questions about whether amoebas are conscious and questions about whether living beings become more conscious as they become more complex. It was a very contemplative book.  If you are interested in meditation and how awareness works this book has a lot of depth.

I started reading Trigger Warning Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman.  I started by reading The Case of Death and Honey which is a Sherlock Holmes story.  It includes the death of Mycroft Holmes.  The second short story I read was Nothing O'clock which is a Doctor Who story.

Web Bits



LAPL, Self-E, Surprising States Self Publishing and Libraries

IDEO Designing Better Libraries

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Daily Thoughts 03/01/2015

Girl Reading at the Window, Gwen John, 1911
Daily Thoughts 03/01/2015

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

I also read some more of Waking, Dreaming, Being.  I am reading about meditative buddhist and yogic concepts of death.  There is also a section on Near Death Experiences focusing on scientific studies.  Death remains a mystery.

I watched some more of the documentary, Makers: Women Who Make America today.  There is a lot about feminism and NOW, the National Organization for Women as well as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem.

I placed a hold on the book, The Occupiers The Making of the 99 Percent Movement by Michael Gould-Wartofsky.

Web Bits

19 Totally Magical Libraries to Visit Before You Die
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/totally-magical-libraries-to-visit-before-you-die?utm_term=.rsLZM8zJo#.pmPXJmL06


Roasterie  Offers Library-Themed Coffee to Support Public Libraries

Remarkable Lessons In Innovation From a Public Library