myliblog

Sony Ebook Reader PRS-600 - first impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:43:00 +0000

A month or so I bought Suzanne a Kindle. Setting it up was simplicity itself. Turn it on, follow on-screen instructions, pull books from the air (via 3G), and voila. The manual for the device was one of the built-in books. Really, a piece of cake.

But I was a little troubled by the proprietary format, and the rather high-handed way content can suddenly disappear from your device if Amazon gets notions.

So I asked for, and got for Christmas, a Sony. This is the little touch screen. Suzanne also bought a cover for it, with a built-in light. That'll be handy as a bedside device.

Over the next few days or weeks, I'd like to blog about how it is to use. It's interesting to have two librarians, and two ereaders in the same house. We're comparing notes.

SETTING UP, FIRST TRY (LINUX)

I had to plug it in to a USB port on my PC to charge it up. That didn't take long (maybe an hour, I guess) but I couldn't use it while it charged. (I could the Kindle.)

Now we come to the primary design flaw of the Sony. Everything it does (well, charging or getting content), it does by being plugged into a computer. And despite the fact that the Sony is running (according to Wikipedia) MontaVista Linux, I learned that I either had to have a PC or a Mac to (a) download Adobe Digital Editions, or (b) run the Mac or Windows installer from the Sony device itself. It appears that at least (b) is absolutely necessary to use protected content on the reader.

OK, at home, I use Ubuntu Linux. I followed this thread on ubuntoforums.org and did manage to get the Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) downloaded and installed in the "wine" virtual environment. It ran. I was able then to go into my library catalog and download an ebook, drag and drop that file on the running ADE. It opened, and I could read it on my computer. Great. But of course, I don't WANT to read a book on my computer, I want to put it on the Sony.

And in the ADE program on Ubuntu, there was no way to do that. The reader was supposed to show up as a bookshelf (ADE terminology for a special booklist). It didn't. So there was no way to transfer the library book to the Sony reader.

Then I got to poking around in files on the reader itself. It did find (under Launcher) some install files for Windows and the Mac. I couldn't get the Windows installer to run -- it just errored out.

Meanwhile, I discovered a program called calibre -- a very slick open source program that runs on Linux, Windows, and the Mac. It's wonderful, and had no trouble recognizing the reader when I plugged it in. It had a big button that said "send to device!" So I did.

And here's what I learned. ADE and (I imagine) the Windows program I couldn't install, handle the Digital Rights Management (DRE) issues. calibre pushed over the file, but the Sony reader wouldn't let me open it.

So that concluded my installation experiments on Linux. I couldn't get it to allow me to use DRM-protected books. (I did learn, using calibre, how to push free and pdf files onto it, though!) Apparently, Linux's 1% market share isn't enough to persuade even big manufacturers to make things work.

SETTING UP, SECOND TRY - THE MACINTOSH OSX

Fortunately, there are a couple of Macs in the house. Suzanne let me use hers, and at first, getting everything downloaded was slow, errored out, etc. But the issue, I soon learned, was that a lot of people got Sony ereaders for Christmas, and they completely overwhelmed the servers. Why those other couldn't have waited till I was done is just one of the many mysteries of life. I eventually got ADE and the Mac installer up and running. I registered on Adobe, and with the special Mac program, tried to drag my library book to the Sony (which DID show up as an option). When I did that, I had to give my Adobe password again. Then, voila, it worked. That is, I could go to our website, check out a digital book, push it onto my Sony, and read it. I assume that in 21 days it will delete itself. That's cool.

Let me point out, by the way: the Sony doesn't have a manual with it. It did have some weird assortment of preloaded books in English, French, and German, as well as a few samples that didn't interest me. But it didn't have a manual. I think that's insane.

And even without the hassle of trying to use it on Linux, the steps were needlessly complex (charge, wait, setup desktop computer, plug in reader, download additional software from another vendor). For setup, for consumer ease, Kindle is a clear winner. You turn on the device, you go to the store (a screen menu item), and you say, that one!

Granted, I won't have to mess with installation in the future, but it's still a process of logging onto a website, transacting business, downloading a file, plugging in the Sony, loading another program, adding the downloaded file to a library, then transferring the file. Clunky.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

calibre was a find, though. I was able to do something kind of cool: take a big file (the Openoffice.org version of my book, "The New Inquisition," output it to a pdf file, then convert it and push it to the Sony. Oh, and because it had an ISBN number, calibre went online and found cover art and blurb information for it. I did the same thing with an unpublished chapbook of my poetry (which, of course, didn't have either cover art or ISBN).

So thanks to calibre, you can convert content pretty easily from one format to another, including content you create yourself. Points to Sony for using the epub format. (I believe, though, that you can email pdfs to your Kindle by using username@kindle.com. I haven't tried that.)

On the other hand, the Kindle came with a built-in dictionary. The Sony doesn't have one. That's a point to the Kindle. (Correction: I was wrong. While reading a book last night I rested my thumb on a word and up popped the Oxford English Dictionary definition. Another icon expanded it to the whole page. But I still haven't found a manual.)

The Sony is a touch screen, which makes sense. The Kindle is button driven. Point to the Sony.

After finally getting a couple of books on it, I set it side by side against the Kindle. And the Kindle is undeniably easier to read: the screen is less reflective, and the letters are a crisper font (both allow you to adjust the font size, but not the font itself). Maybe the white plastic makes the Kindle screen seems brighter than the flashy red metal cover I picked out for the Sony. But altogether, the Sony text seems a little muddy. Both are muddier than print on paper.

Anyhow, those are my first thoughts. Now the test is to see if I will actually read something on it, and what I'll think of the experience. More on direct interface - use of buttons, flipping back and forth, adding notes or bookmarks, etc., in a future post.

Haiku for archivists

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Click this link, then click on "collection" to get a nicely designed gathering of rather discursive haiku about life in the archives. Thanks to Shaun Boyd!

The Fun Theory

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:57:00 +0000

I just love this. It seems to have implications not only for the design of public spaces, but for a whole approach to management and leadership.

A morbid little story

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:03:00 +0000

After my talk at Henrico County Public Library, I was chatting with Barbara Weedman, Public Services Administrator for the library. She mentioned a story from her childhood. Later, she emailed me this:

"Below you will find the morbid little story I begged my Southern Great-grandmother to tell me over and over again as a child."

The Little Bird

Once there was a little bird who lived outside the door.
He wanted to come INside and hop upon the floor.
"Oh! No! NO!" said the Mama bird,
"You must stay here with ME,
for little birds are safest up in a tree."
"I don't care!" said Robin, and gave his tail a fling,
"I don't think old folks know quite everything."
So dowwwwwwwwn he flew,
and Kittie seized him.
"Oh!" he cried, "I'm sorry, but I didn't think."

This reminds me of my daughter, who after I read her a Grimm Brothers fairy tale said it was "Gruesome! But good."

Poudre River Public Library District - Platinum LEED

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I saw this from Studiotrope:

The Council Tree Library, which sDC (Studiotrope) recently completed for the Poudre River Public Library District, has been awarded the first Platinum Level Certification in LEED for a Commercial Interiors program in the country! It is one of only two LEED Platinum libraries.

The Library is the first to feature the Supple Collection of sustainable furnishings which were designed in concert with library staff. The LEED certification specialist on the project, Kelly Karmel, credited the interior furnishings and finishes as a significant contributor towards exceeding the Gold Level mandate by the City of Fort Collins.

"We don't normally get to see such exuberance and style in recycled content furnishings. The displays and shelving units are very cool, by the way. The quality of this project is very high indeed." _K. Karmel

Join us in congratulating the Poudre River Public Library District for having the dedication and awareness to reach for such high standards!

Library speaking

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:07:00 +0000

I'm back from another speaking engagement, this one for the Henrico County Public Library in Virginia. I am reminded, as I am so often, of how wonderful librarians are. The group at Henrico came together for a two-day staff day (half the staff for half a day on December 8, and the other half on December 9). They laughed a lot -- the sign of a healthy culture. I also got to see, thanks to the gracious guidance of Public Services Administrator Barbara Weedman, the quite beautiful Tuckahoe Area Library.

Like most libraries, Henrico is trying to figure out what's next? They have done many, many things right. But getting to the next level of service in today's challenging economic environment takes real thought. My presentation to them was an attempt to call out what the best research of our times is telling us. The second day, in particular, generated a lot of lively discussion, which is fun.

If I had to boil down what I believe the Douglas County Libraries has to focus on over the next 3-5 years it's this: emergent literacy, merchandising, and community reference projects. Underlying all of that is the vital foundation of a strong customer service ethic. And the umbrella is the idea of marketing our value -- something library PR has not often targeted in the past.

Maddy's blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Maddy, my daughter, completed her undergraduate education this year (a year and a half at Jacob's University in Bremen, Germany, and a year and a half at the American University of Paris). After another brief study in Prague, she emerged with a Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate. Since then, she got a job teaching at the Shane English Schools in Taipei, Taiwan.

Her new blog is a joint effort with her longtime friend Lauren Greyson. Lauren is now in London, England. So this is a joint blog by two very bright, observant, and versatile ex-patriates.

Recommended!

More finger-tapping guitar

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:37:00 +0000

According to the decription, "This is a video of the amazing acoustic finger tapping guitarist, T-cophony," from Japan.

Andy McKee - Guitar - Drifting - www.candyrat.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:28:00 +0000

My daughter writes me that one of her colleagues (teaching English in Taipei, Taiwan) played guitar the other night and stunned them. This was the piece (although this isn't her colleague). It is a pretty darn cool way to play guitar. Obviously some kind of open tuning. But great percussive effects and rhythmic drive. I've played it about six times in a row now.

Seven Arguments for Building New Libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Recently a friend of mine, now a director in the midwest, told me that he's hearing more and more often the refrain that building libraries just isn't necessary. Not in the 21st century. Not in the age of the Internet. I think we need some talking points about that. Here are 7 that occur to me. But I don't see why we have to stop at 7. Feel free to add to the list.

Argument #1 - The library is an anchor store and traffic generator. Libraries pull a cross-section of the public, all ages, all day long, through our doors. We are the business that (at least in most communities) never goes out of business. In fact, in a down economy, library use goes UP. You want your business to be by a library. If you're planning a development, you want the liveliness of a public building in the heart of it.

Argument #2 - Library construction is a powerful economic stimulus, esp. in a recession. People often overlook that a public construction project employs architects, general contractors, local tradespeople, local suppliers, and so on, which in turn generates sales for local restaurants, gas stations, etc.

Argument #3 - Library buildings are a bridge over the digital divide. Libraries are about access, and our record of allowing digitally disadvantaged people - poor, young, elderly, etc. - to use public technology to bootstrap themselves out of technological ghettos is real.

Argument #4 - The Internet encourages, not replaces, library use. Every time we add more Internet terminals, the use of everything else goes UP - more books checked out, more browsing, more magazines read, more reference questions, more program attendance. There's a lot of data about this (see the Library Research Service).

Argument #5 - Library buildings foster community, both through providing meeting space and lifelong learning programming. Genetically, socially, we are wired for interaction. Libraries serve the role of both common and neutral ground.

Argument #6 - Library buildings manifest and reinforce a statement of community values. The library is a tangible sign of a community's commitment to individual inquiry, a safety net for the young and old, a secular sanctuary for people who need public space either for public contact or for private pondering. I remember pondering this comment from a member of the Greatest Generation: "In my day, we lived in modest homes, but built significant public monuments. These days, we live in palaces, and build government buildings out of split-face concrete."

Argument #7 - Library buildings are an investment in our children's brains. The children's storytime - featuring real live people from your own community - is our nation's single most potent strategy for sowing literacy in the land. The library is a space where children meet live performers, then are loaded up with materials to further deepen the experience. The presence of location offering trained staff to promote literacy and learning through readers advisor work, reference work, teaching, adds a resource to a community that not only employs local people today, but helps raise people who are employable tomorrow.

What else do library buildings do?

Barriers to support: it's all on the web

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Recently, a colleague showed me an editorial in a small local newspaper that demanded the immediate resignation of both the director (my colleague) and her board. The reasons weren't exactly clear; it had something to do with her actually quite astute decision to snap up some property at foreclosure prices for a desperately needed library.

This week, there was a letter to the editor here in Douglas County, protesting the direction of our own library.

Of course, people voicing their objections to public decisions of any kind is a First Amendment right. I quite enjoy it myself.

But my interest is this. OCLC identified in its study ("From Awareness to Funding") a perception that is an "obstacle to support:" the idea that "the web has it all." Generally, OCLC concluded that you can't change people's mind about this one, so don't waste your time. But I think that misperception is quite broad these days, and may need special marketing attention.

People -- the general public -- seem to hold two persistent ideas about libraries, both of them, I suspect, created and perpetuated by librarians. First, we are the hallowed hall where old books go to die. Preservers of the past, musty museums of the word. Second, we are information providers, now superseded by Google.

And of course, there is some truth to both of those. We are preservers of the past -- but (a) not everything is worthy of preservation and (b) library space is not infinite. We are also providers of information, providing access to knowledge. But we are not the only such providers. And more to the point: neither of these seems to secure sufficient support from the public to be sustainable as a primary institutional focus.

Ultimately, though, we are something deeper. We are advocates for literacy. That means several things:

* a focus on early or emergent literacy -- live storytelling, finger plays, music, an abundance of picture books.

* the savvy merchandising of library materials. Surely one measure of community literacy is the sheer number of books in people's homes. The more the merrier.

* introducer and access provider to emerging technologies. An example from the past decade about our value in this arena: Where do you go, in the United States (and many western nations) when you're on the road and need to send email? Maybe an Internet cafe. But probably a library. We bridge the digital divide.

* the third place, or maybe the "second home." There are many rich virtual communities. But it remains the truth that we, human beings, are wired for physical community. The library has a continuing role to play as neutral and common ground, public space in which free inquiry, lifelong learning, and simply hanging out with each other are not just allowed, but encouraged.

A second interesting thing is contrasting public education and public libraries. There are ways they are similar -- both are about the exploration of the world of ideas, about the quest for knowledge and wisdom. But there are differences; another colleague says education is about teaching, and libraries are about learning. That is, public education is about the communication of someone else's idea of curriculum. Public libraries are about self-directed learning. Both are probably needed. But they are not the same thing. And we probably shouldn't talk about them quite the same way.

CALCON09 - LaRue's View

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:25:00 +0000

I just returned from the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) conference 2009. At the end of Saturday, I realized that virtually everything I attended was about a common theme. I thought it might be useful to connect the dots.

What was the theme? It was captured by the title of the preconference I attended: "From Awareness to Funding," based on the OCLC report of the same name. For a long time, libraries have done a lot of things to increase awareness and use. But as that report and recent events have demonstrated, neither of these has resulted in consistent public support for libraries (in Colorado, anyhow) as measured in voter support.

Yet many libraries are working on "awareness" -- such as celebrating their recent Library Journal Index ranking of being 5 or 4 star libraries (including Telluride, Vail, Boulder, and Douglas). There were presentations on branding, both internal and external - which has now taken place at Denver Public Library, Estes Valley, High Plains and Rangeview, among others.

Several of our speakers addressed ideas I would group under "advocacy." Peter Pearson (President of the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library in MN ) spoke about his success using committed external advocates to lobby city officials. ALA-President Camila Alire spoke about internal or frontline advocacy to secure additional funding at her university. Several State Library senior staff spoke about the Butterfly Project -- a statewide library marketing campaign. I attended a CAL Legislative Committee, where our lobbyist reported on the environment in which they advocate for our interests. Sharon Morris mentioned the power and passion of advocacy for early childhood literacy by our amazing Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) people. I attended a public library trustee session, where the commitment of these volunteers was palpable.

Finally, there were two harsh wake-up calls in the area of "support." First was Aurora Public's defeat at the polls, despite the huge decline of service that was at stake. Second was the report of the three measures that will likely appear on the 2010 ballot that seeks to roll back, to undo, the public infrastructure that provides such support as we have today. (See my blog posting here.)

I'm left with the clear conviction that although there is a confluence of energy and ideas, Colorado's libraries (and not just public libraries) are going to have to get far more organized than we have been.

We're all talking about the same things. Maybe it's time to team up and DO the same things that research suggests might work more effectively. Together.

Threat to our communities

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Today I sent this out (from my personal email account, of course) to many interested parties.

As promised at the 2009 conference of the Colorado Association of Libraries, I'm posting this to libnet and to the Colorado Public Library Directors lists. It concerns three measures -- two constitutional amendments, and one initiative that if passed would become statute. They are quite likely to make it to the November 2010 ballot.

If they do, and if they are approved by a majority of Colorado voters, the results will be catastrophic not only to public libraries, but to virtually every local government (most definitely including public schools and higher education), as well as the state itself.

Below is my summary of a meeting I attended on November 16 of a group of interested parties, many of whom are from the private sector. Again, if these measures pass, not only government will suffer. It's hard to imagine that any business would choose to live in a state in which the infrastructure -- both physical and intellectual -- were to be deliberately dismantled.

What should you do with the document below?

1. Pass it along to your friends and decision-makers. Send it to schoolmates, and department heads, and friends, and trustees. Today. Don't wait till next week.

2. Consider a donation to the folks listed at the end. Got $10? $50 is better. It might save over $2 billion in local services. Never sent in money to a political cause before? Give money. Or lose money. Those are the choices.

3. Get ready. Between now and next fall, I believe some big things have to happen. This election will not only be about the acceptance or rejection of ill-informed and small-minded anti-government sentiment, it might well be the beginning of something else: a deep, grassroots campaign to educate the public about the worth, the value, of our contribution to our communities. It's time for us to stand up and do as so many of our recent Colorado Association of Libraries speakers advised us: tell our story, advocate for resources to strengthen our communities, solicit and deploy passionate advocates from both inside and outside our ranks. Let me be really blunt: you, front line librarian, trustee, or innocent bystander, will have to either demonstrate support for our work, or sanction its immediate decline. That might include your job.

Caveat: what now appears is the best information available. That will change. Stay tuned.

“PROTECT COLORADO'S COMMUNITIES”
briefing on Amendments 60, 61, and Initiative 101
November 16, 2009

Note: amendments to the state constitution have two digits; initiatives have three. These are anticipated numbers, although they may change.

Amendment 60 - local budget constraints

* "Re-Bruces” - overturns the demonstrated will of local voters in previous elections
* Allows petitions to lower tax rates – creates potential for more elections
* Requires school district to reduce property tax rates (with backfill expected from state)
* Applies 10 year limit on future taxes – requiring new elections to maintain funding
* Shifts local school costs to state -- which does not have the funds to absorb this

Amendment 61 - public financing ban

* Places TABOR constraints on all public financing
* Revenue rollbacks
* Shrinks allowable borrowing to finance public projects
* Makes use of Certificates of Participation (COPs) difficult as a borrowing tool – all debt must be approved by voters
* After paying off current COPS, must reduce amount of tax by that amount
* Affects cash flow management
* Ends all multi-year arrangements: lease, lease-purchase, etc.

Proposition 101 – public service cuts

* Repeals Referendum C
* Seeks to lower state spending limit, ratcheting down state spending after recessions
* When fully implemented, would cut state revenue by at least $1.7 billion ($1.2 billion in income tax rate reduction; $179 million in elimination of FASTER fees; $164 million in transportation by cutting registration, license and title fees to $10 per vehicle; $100 million in sales taxes by exempting $10,000 in vehicle value from sales taxes; $22 million by eliminating sales taxes on rental vehicles; $4.5 million in telecommunications fees)
* When fully implemented, would cut local government revenue by $622 million ($500 million in specific ownership taxes by cutting to $2 per new vehicle, and $1 per used vehicle; $100 million in sales taxes from exempting $10,000 in vehicle from sales taxes; $22 million by eliminating sales taxes on rental vehicles)

Other
* Over 135,000 signatures gathered for each, so the petitions will probably stand
* If signatures are certified and content is approved, proposals will be on November 2010 ballot
* May be legal challenge: petition gatherers say they are paid, pro-amendment spokespeople say they are not. No issue committee or donations recorded to date. No one knows who is behind it.
* Costs to mount legal challenge – between $25,000 and $175,000
* Costs to mount statewide campaign – between $5-10 million

Donations to: “Protect Colorado's Communities” (EIN 27-1298654) protectcoloradoscommunities.net

c/o RBI Strategies and Researching
1900 Grant Street, Suite 1170
Denver CO 80203
(303) 832-2444 X 22

W9 and/or acknowledgement letter available on request
Not tax-deductible. Contributions larger than $19.99 will be reported to the Secretary of State's office.

From Fedora 11 to Ubuntu 9.10

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:43:00 +0000

I was beginning to have problems with my aging PC -- an HP Pavilion a520n. If you do a search on this machine, the consensus is clear: upgrade. I bought it in May of 2004. I've been using various versions of Linux on it ever since.

Most recently, I was running Fedora 11, which was actually pretty snazzy. It was gorgeous onscreen, and remarkably responsive. Then, suddenly, I was having all kinds of issues with my wireless connection. The reason had nothing to do with the operating system. As I determined through popping in a bunch of live CDs, the problem was the wireless card. It was dying.

So one of my friends installed a new card for me. It works great. But something about the change disabled all my cool graphics -- the nvidia resolution, the Compiz effects, all refused to function.

With a little diligence, using Google as my troubleshooting manual, I probably could have fixed it. But I admit it: I got bored. I started distro hopping. (I'd made a backup of my files before I turned in the PC for repairs. It was a weekend. I'd already raked the leaves on the front lawn. So....)

I started with Linux Mint, which looked promising. But Mint couldn't talk to my new Atheros wireless. Start over.

I went to the latest Ubuntu - 9.10. At first, all was well. It connected. But then I decided to install it while I was online. It took about an hour, which seemed excessive. On the other hand, it immediately offered to upgrade proprietary graphic drivers. At the conclusion, although things looked good enough, there were no window controls. I was back to editing the xorg.conf file. I might have fixed that, too, I bet (through System>Appearance>Visual Effects). But as I suspect may be clear, the issue was not a problem with the OS. The problem was with me. Attention Deficit Disorder.

So I backtracked to an older CD, the Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support). I got everything to work, and started off some 712 updates as I went to bed. But it still wasn't done by morning, and I couldn't help but notice that that particular CD had loaded up my system with a whole bunch of conflicting choices -- Gnome AND KDE. I like Gnome. Frankly, I really didn't want the cruft of multiple approaches. I'm a simple guy. Or so I imagine.

So before I went back to Fedora, I thought I'd give one more try to the latest Ubuntu. This time, I didn't log online before the install. This time, it took about 15 minutes. THEN I did the video upgrade (system>Administration>Hardware Drivers). And this time, it worked.

So then I spent some time installing codecs, extra software packages (Jpilot, Thunderbird, Vym, Notecase Pro, gftp, Kompozer). Hey, it keeps a boy off the streets.

Bottom line: I don't think Ubuntu is really any better than Fedora. Setting up ANY Linux distro to navigate codecs and video/audio formats is a pain. But for both key distros (Ubuntu and Fedora), it's the sort of thing you mostly just do once. Call it a couple of hours -- but less than five minutes of typing. I kind of like the idea of the new Ubuntu One program -- free online storage that promises to sync across systems.

I'm back in business. It's easier to do this stuff than it used to be. Of course, it's still more work than Windows or the Mac. On the one hand, I'm using a 5 year old computer, but absolutely cutting edge software. Most Windows or Mac users can't say that.

On the other, it took a couple of years of whacking my head against the learning curve -- not to mention, of course, lots of very hard and intelligent work by open source software developers -- to make it EASIER to wipe and install three or four distros in just 24 hour or so. And wind up with something that fulfills my modest needs.

Another observation: my little Acer Aspire has filled in quite nicely as I've waited for my "main machine" to come back home. The truth is, a little Netbook is probably better on many levels than the big honking desktop computer. Less power, less space, less weight. And as you learn after copying over megabytes of data, most of it doesn't really matter much.

At any rate, after a weekend of puttering, I'm back online with a new distro. Whoopee.

P.S. No animals were harmed in the reinstallation of this PC. On the other hand, I doubt any animals are all that happy about it, either.

LaRue interviews ... LaRue

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

One of my more interesting duties is interviewing writers for "Authors @ Douglas County Libraries," produced by the Network Douglas County. They're a creative bunch, and came up with an idea for a promo of the series. Here it is: me, interviewing me.

Aurora library election loss

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:06:00 +0000

So Aurora citizens soundly defeated (54 to 46%)the proposal to shift funding of Aurora, Colorado public libraries from the falling sales tax to more stable property taxes. All understood that 4 of 7 libraries would close, and some 40 jobs be eliminated. Said the victorious leader of the opposition, "This is not a referendum on libraries." Rather, it was to save property owners an estimated $5.69 a month.

Aspen Walker at Internet Librarian

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:37:00 +0000

My executive assistant, Aspen Walker, is a recent MLIS grad. Before she came to work directly with me, she was in our Community Relations Department. Recently (Oct. 28, 2009), she presented at the Internet Librarian conference. The title was "We're All Marketers Now." Aspen is a rising librarian, focused on the Right Stuff.

Aspen blogs, and tweets (as AspenWalker)-- both worth following.

Here is her intriguing presentation.

Zombies and the library

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:53:00 +0000

I don't know which I like best about this -- the clear animated description, so helpful to the earnest student, or the fact that well, zombies are just everywhere, and hardly deserve comment. This is true for so many of us these days.

Halloween book burning

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:45:00 +0000

You can't make this stuff up. To get the UK-based report about this upcoming North Carolina event, click the title of this entry.

To get the list of books to be burned, and why, go right to the Amazing Grace Baptist Church site (in Canton, North Carolina) here.

Does the Brain Like E-books?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Click the title of this entry to go to the fascinating compilation of short essays in the New York Times.

The question: is reading an electronic text (or video book, called "vook") qualitatively different from reading ink on paper? My two favorite quotes:

"I have no doubt that the digital immersion of our children will provide a rich life of entertainment and information and knowledge. My concern is that they will not learn, with their passive immersion, the joy and the effort of the third life, of thinking one’s own thoughts and going beyond what is given. Let us bring our best thought and research to preserving what is most precious about the present reading brain as we add the new capacities of its next iteration." Maryanne Wolf, author of "Proust and the Squid."

"Reading online is thus not just about reading text in isolation. When you read news, or blogs or fiction, you are reading one document in a networked maze of an unfathomable amount of information. My own research shows that people are continually distracted when working with digital information. They switch simple activities an average of every three minutes (e.g. reading email or IM) and switch projects about every 10 and a half minutes. It’s just not possible to engage in deep thought about a topic when we’re switching so rapidly." - Gloria Mark

These are not Luddites, but thoughtful researchers revealing what we do now (decode, then go beyond), and trying to track the continuing evolution of the brain as it wraps itself around new technology.

Speaking to libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:18:00 +0000

I've just come back from giving three talks to librarians in as many weeks: Burley, Idaho, Elko, Nevada, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

All were fascinating. I like librarians and library people. And although there are some regional differences, I think we have far more similarities. (Well, OK, Jefferson Parish, just outside of New Orleans, dealt with two hurricanes. That's kind of unique. I hope.)

My talks to these groups have centered around three themes:

* brain research. Science has learned a lot about how and why we think, how we learn to read, and why that's so important for humanity.

* models for library development and market penetration. Some librarian pioneers from around the country (and beyond) have done some useful experiments that point the way for the rest of us. Those models and trends need to be shared -- they'll save us time and money.

* combining all of these things into a new story that will work on building not just library use, but library support. Today, outside my own library, there was somebody gathering petitions to roll back taxes to the point where local municipalities, libraries, and schools, would be driven into penury, to our mutual detriment. OK, free speech, but a testament to the profound lack of civic understanding of too many of today's voters. But that same brain research tells us that cold, hard facts probably won't change any minds. We need a new and more compelling frame. The best research on this topic to date is OCLC's "From Awareness to Funding."

At any rate, those are the topics I converse with librarians about these days. If you want to know more about those things, email me. Have opinions, will travel.

So do you want to be happy, or what?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Thanks to Hank Long for this one, although I don't know where he found it. It does seem to size things up.

Invest in Early Education Now, Spend Less on Prison Later

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Click on the entry title to get a wonderful report from the state of Washington. This is what I mean by "community outcomes:" the demonstrated value of a program.

A quote of note: "At-risk children randomly excluded from the Perry Preschool Program were 85% more likely to have been sentenced to prison or jail by age 40."

Another: "Program participants were 47 percent more likely to attend a 4-year college than those left out of the program. Kids who were left out of the program were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime before their 18th birthday. By the time they were 24, the high-risk individuals who had not participated in the program were 24 percent more likely to have been incarcerated than the participants. When the 100,000 participants have all turned 18, the Child-Parent Centers will have prevented an estimated 33,000 crimes in that city."

I hope it goes without saying (not that I intent to let it stay that way) that an investment in public libraries is ALSO an investment in early literacy, and has a similar payoff in communities that are safer, and do a better job of growing productive citizens.

For fiscal and social conservatives out there: which approach is CHEAPER? Teach them, or lock them up? Because those are the choices.

Note: as of 10/20, the link doesn't work again. But try this, which is about Colorado.

Also, I wrote a column about this recently, with more Colorado information.

Two library stories

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:24:00 +0000

I'm in Elko, Nevada, for a gathering of Nevada Library Association folks. Tomorrow, I'm speaking on library advocacy. It happens that I got two emails today, one about a library in Illinois (where I come from), and one about the library I now direct in Douglas County, Colorado. The timing couldn't be better.

Here's the first article, with a snippet from the beginning, then the link:

Telling her mother that she wanted to come to the aid of a library under attack, 11-year-old Sydney Sabbagha stood at the podium before the Oak Brook village board.

"I used to go to the library knowing there were people there to help me find a book. Now there is no one to help me," Sydney said solemnly. "It will never be the same without the people you fired."

Sydney nestled back into her seat, but that didn't stop 69-year-old criminal attorney Constantine "Connie" Xinos from boldly putting her in her place.

"Those who come up here with tears in their eyes talking about the library, put your money where your mouth is," Xinos shot back. He told Sydney and others who spoke against the layoffs of the three full-time staffers (including the head librarian and children's librarian) and two part-timers to stop "whining" and raise the money themselves.

"I don't care that you guys miss the librarian, and she was nice, and she helped you find books," Xinos told them.

"Don't cry crocodile tears about people who are making $100,000 a year wiping tables and putting the books back on the shelves," Xinos smirked, apparently referencing the fired head librarian, who has advanced degrees and made $98,676 a year. He said Oak Brook had to "stop indulging people in their hobbies" and "their little, personal, private wants."

You can find the rest of this appalling tale here. (And thank you, B. Strand, for sending it to me.)

The second story starts like this:

More and more patrons are walking through the doors at libraries throughout Douglas County, but it’s not because of a sudden rise in avid readers.

Job hunters are coming in droves to utilize free resources offered by Douglas County Libraries — including employment databases, helpful workshops and Internet-ready computers.

Dozens of out-of-work residents have found employment by fine-tuning their resumes, browsing through the Douglas County Employment iGuide and drafting attention-grabbing cover letters.

Many of those who utilize library job-searching services do not have to go it alone. A team of reference librarians, along with a few volunteers, walk laid-off workers through a process that many have not experienced in several years.

And the rest of that, more uplifting tale, can be found here.

First story: libraries don't matter. Our perfect villain.

Second story: libraries matter a lot. With lots of heroes.

The second one, of course, would be advocacy. (And thank you, Chris Michlewicz, for writing it!)

"A History of God," by Karen Armstrong

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

After returning from a speaking engagement for the Idaho Library Association (wonderful people!), I came down with what might be, but I hope isn't, H1N1. (Back from the doctor. Yeah. Probably is. Got it from my son, who got it from school, which seems to be the main vector this time of year.) It's flu-like. I've spent about 30 hours in bed, sweating, shaking, coughing, and napping. In between, I picked up a book I've been wanting to read for years, "A History of God," by Karen Armstrong. Together, the experience is kind of shamanistic. I emerge from time to time for ritual soup, then back into a swelter of holy words, delirium, and dreams.

I've read a lot of Armstrong's works now, and find them consistently insightful. But she's subtle, too. She doesn't lay out her conclusions in a "first I'll tell you what I'm going to tell you, then I'll tell you, then I'll tell you what I told you" manner.

The subtitle is "the 4,000-year quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam." And some of her core themes seem to shake out like this:

* the idea of God does change, has changed in significant ways, in accordance with the times and trials of the people professing belief.

* the changes are parallel in all three faiths. That is, all have dealt in remarkably similar ways with the "problem" of creation (how does something come from nothing), of an impersonal deity beyond human knowledge versus the personal and subjective religious experience, of suffering and evil, of reason and science. The bottom line: outside of the more recent surge of fundamentalism, most of the faiths settled into an understanding that God, and scripture, is not literal truth, but symbolic, mythic, ultimately a subjective experience.

* Islam is particularly misunderstood in the west, despite the fact that it has been until the most recent times among the most tolerant of all the faiths.

* Western Christianity -- with the tendency in both Catholic and Protestant faiths to harshly enforce explicit doctrines -- is a cautionary tale. The personal God allows us to project our individual ignorance and prejudice on the Almighty, excusing and even mandating acts of violence and cruelty. There is also in Western Christianity, often, a wild emotionalism -- revivals, being "born-again" -- that seem quite contrary to the calmer and perhaps more abiding faith that comes through spiritual discipline and contemplation.

As the religionists here described encountered new challenges -- political, social, psychological -- they looked to their religion to help them survive. Generally speaking, each of the faiths lived up to those challenges. The exception may be the Holocaust. Many Jews, and not only Jews, concluded that either there is no God, God could have done something and didn't (so is monstrous), or God is impotent.

Armstrong leaves us with an interesting question: so, do we need God? Or can we find enough connection, transcendent meaning, cause for compassion, without such a construct? Her book ends with a marvelously touching poem by Thomas Hardy, "In the Darkling Thrush." [Interestingly, Wallace Stevens wrote, "After one has abandoned a belief in god, poetry is that essence which takes its place as life's redemption."]

Where Armstrong excels is in her ability to describe, without slander. She doesn't answer any questions. But she leaves you with better ones.