Daily Thoughts 1/5/2010 (Information Architecture, Meetup)

Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief agree...these books are too good to miss! / I.K


Daily Thoughts 1/5/2010

Today has been another steady day.  I read some more of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web.  The section I was reading was on metadata and classification and schemes.  It was basically about how you used words and their meanings in indexes and search engines.  The authors wrote about synonyms, definitions of terms, and other minutiae.  Much of it concerned thesauri in the context of computers.  I like how computers have changed classification away from old systems like the Dewey Decimal System.

I have been working on a donation form for materials as well as a set of procedures for donations.  It has been interesting doing this.  I also took some time to look at Lexis which is now part of the library systems purchase.  We have a system designed for public libraries called Lexis Nexis Library Express.  It allows people to find basic legal material, company information, and news.

I also spent some time looking at Freegal which is a music download service for libraries.  The question right now, is whether or not it is worth it.  There are a lot of services which are quite expensive which people want.

I am tempted by the New York Tech Meetup.  Not sure if I want to go.  Haven't been to it yet.  There are usually over 700 people at the event.  They pitch five startups at each event.

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2010 (library, budget)

Robert Martineau, Last Chapter, 1863

Daily Thoughts 12/16/2010

Today is a quiet day.  I checked the displays and am going to be speaking with the SCORE small business counselor.

There is a certain amount of trepidation in not being able to go to the board meeting last night because I was working.  The board meeting ran until midnight.  There is a lot which I would like to know about.  Maybe, I will learn it later today.

Ernie Garcia who writes for the Westchester Journal News was at the City Council Budget Meeting on November 14, 2010.  I am waiting for an article to come out on the meeting in the paper.

If you have not done so, please consider sending a letter in support of the Mount Vernon Public Library http://www.voteyesforourlibrary.org/mtvernon

I am going to try and get to the TechDrinks XXmas! party at Amity Hall this evening so I can do some networking.  I think it will be useful.  It is part of the New Work City Coworking Community.

Sometimes you wish that you can afford some of the latest conferences.  I wish I could have afforded the Mediabistro Ebooks Summit this Wednesday, but I have to be careful with my money.  Right now, I can afford many of the meetup type presentations and some of the other one day conferences that are sponsored by different companies.

Hit and Miss and More: Mediabistro's Ebook Summit Returns

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/conferences/article/45539-hit-and-miss-and-more-mediabistro--s-ebook-summit-returns.html

When I came home from the Meetup, there was an article posted on the Lower Hudson Political Blog on the Mount Vernon Public Library Board Meeting. http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2010/12/16/mount-vernon-library-not-closing-dec-31/

Daily Thoughts 12/9/2010

Christine de Pizan, showing the interior of an apartment at the end of the 14th or commencement of the 15th century. Frederick Litchfield

Daily Thoughts 12/9/2010

I spent a little time looking at the statistics generator from the Institute of Museums and Library Studies on funding.  I am looking at three other libraries with comparable population size.  In some ways we are not as well funded, in others it is comparable.
http://harvester.census.gov/imls/compare/index.asp

I also worked a little bit on the displays this morning.

Last night, the book, The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 came in for me to read.  It is 736 pages long including the index.  It is a big heavy book.  It includes a section of black and white photographs.

I took some time walking the book stacks spot checking for obvious loose material, things that were misplaced, damage to the shelves, damaged books, and similar things.  It is sometimes good to do this.

There is new signage to donate money to the library for bestsellers for the holidays.  This is satisfying to see.  I think it will help by showing we are trying to raise money by the city as well as generate some donations.

I also went to the Content Strategy Meetup holiday party at night.  It is going to take a bit to pull all of my thoughts together on this subject.  It was very informative.  It was a chance to give and take business cards.