Daily Thoughts 3/19/2011 (the information)

John Hancock, 1765, John Singleton Copley

Daily Thoughts 3/19/2011

I finished reading The Information today.  Otherwise it has been a very quiet day.

Daily Thoughts 3/18/2011 (Libraries, The Information, Advocacy)

Ink stick, brush and mill stone for sumi-e painting.


Daily Thoughts 3/18/2011

This morning, I read some more of The Information.  The author is discussing the mathematics of randomness as well as how all mathematical numbers can be reduced to zeros and ones.  Part of the discussion is about how to shorten strings of numbers by making them into algorithms.  I am learning about mathematicians like Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, and Andrey Nikolaevich Kolomogorov.

This morning, I spent some time entering a few more surveys, updated the Twitter account, and did some weeding in the storage area.  Things are very quiet today.  I'll probably spend a little time planning for the next month or two.

I am interested in going to the May 13, 2011 Westchester Library Association conference because Seth Godin is going to be the keynote speaker.  He is featuring his book, Poke The Box. http://wlany.info/?p=25

Next month, April, is national poetry month, so we should probably be doing something for it.  We also have the adult summer reading program.  By the end of the month we should have the library survey tallied so we can get a better idea of the type of programs which we might do.

I did some small tasks today; printed up some flyers for events, printed up some bookmarks from cardstock, and checked the email reference.

Web Bits

Strong Libraries Are Needed Now More Than Ever
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103010307

(Reuters) - The rapid rise of e-books could lead to a "reading divide" as those unable to afford the new technology are left behind, even as U.S. reading and writing skills decline still further.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/17/us-books-technology-golden-idUSTRE72G0G120110317

Daily Thoughts 3/17/2011 (Advocacy, The Information, Books)

Einen Brief lesender alter Mann mit seiner Katze. Öl auf Leinwand. 59 x 42,5 cm., Man With Cat,
Christoph Paudiss, 17th Century

Daily Thoughts 3/17/2011

Today is relatively quiet.  I put together a brief list of groups that I think are often associated with advocacy for libraries around New York.

Advocacy Links:



ALTAFF - "Citizens for Libraries"
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/index.cfm

Empire Friends of New York State Roundtable (Friends Groups)
http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=57


Funding History For Libraries
http://midhudson.org/funding/advocacy/funding_history.htm


Geek The Library
http://www.geekthelibrary.org/


I Love Libraries
http://ilovelibraries.org/

Library Advocates Handbook
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ola/libraryadvocateshandbook.cfm

Library Grants
http://www.librarygrants.blogspot.com/


Library Renewal
http://libraryrenewal.org/


Library Trustees Association of New York State
http://www.librarytrustees.org/


Marketing The Library (Training Module)
http://www.olc.org/marketing/


New York Library Association Advocacy
http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=514


New Poll Shows Continued Public Support For Increase in State Aid for Libraries
http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=1499


New York State Library Library Development
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/

New Yorkers For Better Libraries
http://www.newyorkersforbetterlibraries.org/drupal/

PLA Advocacy Section
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaadvocacy/index.cfm


Save Libraries
http://savelibraries.org/

Save NYC Libraries
http://savenyclibraries.org/

Telling The Library Story Toolkit
http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/t-z/tell-library-story/

10 Faq's About New York Libraries
http://www.nyla.org/content/user_1/nyla_10qs.doc


Turning The Page Online 2.0 Advocacy (Training Module)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaevents/turningthepage/index.cfm


Small Groups

New York Librarians Meetup
http://www.meetup.com/NYLibrarians/


Urban Librarians Unite
http://urbanlibrariansunite.org/

I also put in some more surveys, checked the displays, and updated the Twitter account.

I had some time to read Kirkus Reviews and the New York Times Book Review.  We are not ordering anything right now.  I did put several more books on hold;  The Quantum Thief by Rajaniemi Hannu which is a science fiction novel, Powering The Dream The History of Green Technology by Alexis Madrigal, and The Forgotten Founding Father Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshua Kendall.  Noah Webster created The American Dictionary in 1828.

I am also considering getting a Vook which is an ebooks with video.  The title is Unleashing The Super Idea Virus by Seth Godin.  The price is $6.99 which is very affordable.

On the way home, I read some more of The Information by James Gleick.  James Gleick is writing about genes as information.  One of the people he writes about is Richard Dawkins who wrote the famous book, The Selfish Gene.  Richard Dawkins is also responsible for the concept of the meme.  I find the idea of a meme somewhat questionable.  A meme is an idea that spreads socially.  I also started reading The Phsyics of the Future by Michio Kaku.  I like Michio Kaku's message because he tells about a positive future through scientific invention and technology.  He likes to say his hero was Professor Zarkov from Flash Gordon.

Web Bits

Converting an Old Card Catalog Case into an eReader Cabinet
http://www.district87.org/bjhs/ereader_cabinet.htm

Daily Thoughts 3/15/2011 (The Accidental Taxonomist, The Information)

Reading room, view toward the delivery room, Carnegie Library and Music Hall, Allegheny City, Pennsylvania

Daily Thoughts 3/15/2011

I finished reading The Accidental Taxonomist this morning.  It describes the options for becoming a professional taxonomist.  The general consensus is that it is a growing profession, but, most of the jobs will still be part of a larger position like being a librarian or computer programmer.  I also read some more of The Information by James Gleick.

I am relaxing today and staying home.

Daily Thoughts 3/14/2011 (The Accidental Taxonomist, The Information)

Lady Ingram and Her Two Sons Martin and Steven). Oil on Panel. 38 x 33 in (96.5 x 83.8 cm)., 1557

Daily Thoughts 3/14/2011

Today has been another steady day.  I spent some time compiling statistics from the childrens room for the survey.  I also updated the library Twitter account.  I also checked the displays and did a little more weeding in the mezzanine. 

I am doing a tour of the library for a group on Wednesday.  There are a few art pieces in the library.  We have our ceiling painted with a mural based on the Unicorn Tapestry in the Cluny museum in Paris, there is also a large Tiffany glass installation at the top of the stairs.

I have been taking some time to review the zero circulation books that are part of the inventory project in the mezzanine or storage area.  It is kind of interesting.  We have started fairly recently and right now are going through the books on librarianship and book selection.  There is quite a bit on the history of old libraries in the United States.

On the way home, I read some more of The Accidental Taxonomist.  Heather Hedden is describing taxonomy structure which can get fairly complicated.  I get the idea of mind mapping, related terms, and understand the different software programs.  Node labels, faceted categories, and hierarchical organization are new concepts for me.  I also read a little bit more of The Information by James Gleick.  He is currently writing about Dell Shannon who is the father of information theory.  Dell Shannon is describing how to program the first chess program.

Daily Thoughts 3/12/2011 (the secret of kells, the information, the accidental taxonomist)

Detail from Folio 124 recto of the Book of Kells

Daily Thoughts 3/12/2011

This morning, I watched some of The Secret of Kells.  It is an animated fantasy movie loosely based on the creation of The Book of Kells.  The movie is beautiful to watch.  The animation has an otherworldly quality to it.  The style seems to pull a little bit from the style of medieval illuminated manuscripts which is quite refreshing.  The colors are vibrant, and the sense of magic and mysticism are quite beautiful.
 
There is the magic of the enchanted forest with its Celtic mythology,  the sense of wonder of the monastery, its saints, and priests, and the fearsome presence of the raiding North men.  This makes for a complete story filled with dread and wonder.  The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It is worth watching.

I finished watching it this evening.  There is a lot of symbolism in the movie; represented by celtic knotwork and illuminated writing. 

I read some more of The Accidental Taxonomist. The author is describing how taxonomies are about the relationships between words; broader terms, narrower terms, and related terms are some of the ways to think of relationships between words.  The author describes semantic terms as terms which have more complex relationships like father to son, or corporation to product. This is surprisingly useful as a way to think of how to search for things on the internet.  The more you understand taxonomies and indexes the easier it is to find things in search engines or site maps.

Right now, I am reading The Information.  James Gleick is writng about the famous Turing Test.  The proper way to describe it is The Turing Imitation Game.  This is an entry on it from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/turing-test/  I have found that there are a lot of references to this both in philosophy and science fiction.  It really is where philosophy and sciecne fiction meet.  However, it is becoming less and less science fictional.

I decided it was time to renew my American Library Association membership and my Westchester Library Association membership.  I am hoping they have something to offer this year that will stand out.

Daily Thoughts 3/10/2011 (The Accidental Taxonomist, The Information)

De zachte uren, Richard Roland Holst, Oil on Eternit, 1911-1912

Daily Thoughts 3/11/2011

I read a little bit of The Information by James Gleick on the way to work.  I also read a bit more of The Accidental Taxonomist.  I am thinking about the idea of ontology which is not something which I have thought about much before.

I updated the Twitter account this morning, did a bit more weeding, picked up a few surveys, and checked the displays.

On the way home, I read some more of The Accidental Taxonomist.  The author was talking about who became a taxonomist.  Almost half of taxonomists come from a library science background.  Others seem to come from programming, publishing, or database backgrounds.  The story seems very similar to the story of content strategy or information architecture where there is a close link to library science.  The list of titles which would include taxonomy includes words like information, information architecture, content, analyst, taxonomist, content strategist, and similar words.

Web Bits

Filter or Be Flooded: Publisher As Curator

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/46359-filter-or-be-flooded-publisher-as-curator.html

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#

I think it would be very interesting for a library to have ties to a coworking space, tech shop, or fab lab.

Daily Thoughts 3/9/2011 (The Information, The Accidental Taxonomist)

Portrait of Prime Minister Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin. Oil on canvas. 116 × 76 cm. The State Radischev Art Museum, Saratov., 1910

Daily Thoughts 3/9/2011

I read some more of The Information by James Gleick this morning.  I am enjoying reading about the birth of computing and the creation of the electric telegraph.  This book is very much a book about the history of technology.  There are a lot of entertaining anecdotes which make the writing very readable.

The book, The Accidental Taxonomist by Heather Hedden came in for me to read.  Hopefully, I will learn something new from reading this.

Today, I checked the displays and did some weeding in the storage area.  I also took some time to look over the surveys.  There are more print surveys coming in than online surveys.  I also checked on the twitter account.  Things have slowed down a little bit.  Our budget is very tight so that there is not much money for ordering.  It would be nice if people brought in more donations.

I am also hoping that people join our friends group http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/friends  or donate to the foundation  http://www.mvplfoundation.org/  .  I know times are financially difficult all over for libraries.  This is true not just in the United States but also in the United Kingdom. 

We also opened the computer lab for an hour so people could search for jobs.

On the way home, I read some more of The Information.  I also started reading The Accidental Taxonomist by Heather Hedding.  She has a website tied in with the book: http://www.hedden-information.com/Accidental-Taxonomist-Websites.htm

Web Bits

ROI: The $200 Tablet Computer
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703662804576188901890884360.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

Daily Thoughts 3/8/2011 (The Information)

Robert Wilhelm Ekman, Reading woman. 1838

Daily Thoughts 3/8/2011

This morning, I read some more of James Gleick, The Information.  The author is writing about Charles Babbage who designed a mechanical computer that was never produced.  It was a design before its time.

Today has been a quiet day.  I did some weeding in the storage area, checked the displays, updated the Twitter account, and collected some more surveys.  I also checked on the inventorying for items that needed to be discarded.  Things went very smoothly today.  I also did a little preparation for opening the computer lab to help people search for jobs on the internet for an hour.

I read some more of The Information on the way home, James Gleick is writing about Ada Lovelace who is considered the first programmer.  She created programs based on a machine that was not yet even created.  It adds a layer of abstraction to the history of computing.

Daily Thoughts 3/7/2011 (The Information)

Frontispiece of a book by the Austrian mathematician Anton Felkel showing the author reading a book by the mathematician Lambert. Leaning to the table is a set of calculating rulers (used in the "stencil method"). The books in the shelf to the left are general literature, shown disordered; to the rigth are books on mathematics, orderly arranged.

Daily Thoughts 3/7/2011

On the way to work, I read some more of Information.  It is quite entertaining.  The author describes how it is possible to have memorized literature without writing.  The Odyssey by Homer is an example of this.  I also like James Gleick's descriptions of Babylonian mathematics.

This morning, I did some weeding, checked the displays, checked on the status of an art book donation from Distribution to Underserved Communities Libraries Program http://www.ducprogram.org/  We should be getting some books in a short while from them.

I also am working on a flyer for networking organizations and career fairs in Westchester.

On the train home, I read some more of The Information.  James Gleick is wriitng about the first attempts at alphabetization and the first dictionaries.  I am especially fond of the Oxford English Dictionary even though we don't use it that much.

Web Bits

A conversation between Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler on the BBC.  http://www.ducprogram.org/

Daily Thoughts 3/4/2011 (The Information)

Alice Sheldon, James Tiptree, Jr., Racoona Sheldon signature

Daily Thoughts 3/4/2011

Today has been another quiet day.  I checked the displays, did some weeding in storage area, checked up on the Twitter account, and made sure people were reminded about the survey.

I am looking forward to A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin coming out on July 12, 2011.  I liked the earlier books.

I started reading The Information by James Gleick.  The first chapter is on African talking drums which are the first large scale long distance signal systems.  It is interesting thinking of musical instruments as carrying language over distance.

Web Bits

Cory Doctorow, Explaining Creativity to a Martian, http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2011/03/cory-doctorow-explaining-creativity-to-a-martian/

Daily Thoughts 3/3/2011 (The Information, Online Learning)

Invention of printing - Gutenberg taking the first proof Gutenberg with 3 other people and printing press.   Date Created/Published: c1869.

Daily Thoughts 3/3/2011

Today has been another quiet, steady day.  I read some of The Experience Economy this morning on the train to work.  I like how they describe the difference between providing a service and providing a complete experience.  For example, a birthday party, a trip down the grand canyon, a game of laser tag, a workshop is an experience.  This was quite different.

This morning, I checked on the survey, checked the displays, and did a little more updating on the Twitter account.  I also spent some time thinking about inexpensive places to take classes for librarians; http://www.webjunction.org/ Webjunction, http://www.ala.org/ala/onlinelearning/index.cfm American Library Association Online Courses, http://www.metro.org/en/cev/mon/ Metro New York, and various Meetups like the New York Librarians Meetup http://www.meetup.com/nylibrarians/

The book, The Information A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick came in for me to read.  James Gleick is the author of Chaos which is a book about chaos theory in physics.  I enjoyed reading Chaos because it reminded me a bit of when I went to the University of California Santa Cruz.