tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49808849186112629412011-10-02T08:39:59.695-05:00Posts from the Library Director of Kilgore Memorial Library, York, Nebraska. <a href="http://4york.blogspot.com/2008/10/but-i-digress.html">Early postings</a> prompted by <a href="http://l2ne.blogspot.com/2008/09/home.html">Nebraska Learns 2.0</a>. Views expressed are personal and should not be taken to represent official policy or positions of the York Public Library Board or City of York. Old posts subject to revision.books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.comBlogger1181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-55518592251510549752011-06-22T13:54:00.000-05:002011-06-22T13:54:05.733-05:00

Folks put themselves forward offering to attend to our mutual business -- we elect some and they find themselves serving as City Council members, County Commissioners, School Board members, Mayors, Governors, state and national Senators, members of the House of Representatives, etc. That's all basic civics. One of their toughest jobs is allocating resources because even in "good times" there are

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-24212630884213761642011-05-18T20:18:00.000-05:002011-05-18T20:18:51.127-05:00

It is a chore for people to learn new tasks especially when they don't see the purpose. The Library's meeting rooms were busy today but that was not reflected in the Event calendar because it takes time to add listings to that schedule and few people ever look at it. I had the pleasure of sharing snippets of Kilgore Memorial Library's online efforts (these sporadic blog posts, Facebook entries,

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-65236067254107505532011-04-27T07:49:00.000-05:002011-04-27T07:49:18.280-05:00

"EGG CENTER OF THE NATION" was York's motto for a few years in the mid 20th Century. An enterprising historian could ferret out what led to the rapid increase in local poultry flocks, and the equally rapid decline in that facet of ag production. A careful observer can still find farm buildings of that period designed to house large flocks of chickens, and other physical manifestations. The

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-78750568895610687062011-04-05T14:23:00.001-05:002011-04-05T15:24:06.521-05:00

Some are habitual library users; others may turn to the library only due to special circumstances. Whatever your reason for using or valuing the library -- if you have a good library story please share it. We intend to produce a "print on demand" commemorative volume that will be available at 2011 Yorkfest. The first foundation chapter will highlight a hundred years of library service from

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-13210099391084190592011-02-11T22:02:00.000-06:002011-02-11T22:02:59.960-06:00

Years ago we had a "squeak toy" SNOOPY (the Charles Schulz character). We consider being snoopy an undesirable personality trait. Definitely not the same as being curious. Or dogged in pursuit of truth. Or inquisitive. Libraries exist to support that role in society, and in our individual lives. For those of us fortunate enough to have access to all the variety of web content, our curiosity

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-21037998121847797802011-02-02T16:48:00.000-06:002011-02-02T16:48:02.486-06:00

People who think of Kilgore Memorial Library as the "new library" might be surprised if reminded it is twenty-five years old. It has served the community well. High-use areas of the building are showing their age. Functions like internet access that did not exist when the building was designed and constructed are now in high demand. With all those things in mind, the Library Board

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-49485259680203102222011-01-04T20:35:00.000-06:002011-01-04T20:35:12.880-06:00

Those of you who visit the library in the evening will have noticed how few people are around. This has been more of a trend the last few months. Where are the people? Working second jobs? Taking care of dishes & laundry? Watching something or another on TV? Doing something on line? Kilgore Memorial Library is open until 9:00 pm Monday through Thursday (except on holidays). Visit the library

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-68928231840505588972010-12-20T17:59:00.002-06:002011-01-04T20:14:34.559-06:00

Those who know my packrat ways will find it implausible that I'd pitch something. But it is true that paper files are moving to recycle. One folder included late 1980s materials about "hyper-text" -- which eventually evolved into the .html (hyper-text markup language) standards which made the World Wide Web possible. One piece described a project that would create a searchable database of J.S.

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-34919771660614034702010-12-20T16:00:00.000-06:002010-12-20T16:00:52.068-06:00

York News-Times' Dec. 17, 2010 Entertainment page put a Herman panel about library stereotypes next to a Close To Home about unintended consequences of listening to the wrong kind of audio-book while driving. Both of these may resonate differently with library staff than with the general public.

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-28061456991508499292010-12-14T20:58:00.001-06:002010-12-14T22:34:18.146-06:00

The summer and fall flew by.Lots of energy went into all kinds of tweaks to yorklib.org (including a wiki component for internal consumption only), the start of a significant FLICKR project, a FACEBOOK "page" launch, a whimsical series of corny FLICKR galleries and other related efforts.Does any of this stir action? We can point to some reference queries that have been prompted by FLICKR images

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-14143341201403863062010-07-29T14:50:00.000-05:002010-07-29T14:50:23.863-05:00

By most lights, York is pretty small potatoes in a big world. But a century ago, one York resident made his mark in the world using York as his home base. The J. A. Parks Music Co. distributed J. A. Parks' vocal arrangements and original compositions world-wide. One of his early compositions -- The King of Glory -- is still in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's repertoire. Some of J.A. Parks' songs

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-72424419159283562652010-07-02T13:28:00.000-05:002010-07-02T13:28:20.097-05:00

Most days I stop by the house at lunch time to bring in the mail & generally check on things. Today's mail included the August Smithsonian which is structured around predicting what the next 40 years will bring. The article "Reading In A Whole New Way" raises issues. I spotted challengeable assumptions from my library perspective. I encourage folks to take a look and ponder for themselves.

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-421509654273663872010-06-30T14:13:00.004-05:002010-06-30T14:31:04.915-05:00

York is a lay-over or resting point for all kinds of  people making cross-county journeys to publicize causes.  Last weekend, Sea To Shining Sea passed through. Today, Ashley Kumlien is stopping over at mid-day to avoid heat and get some work done at the library.  She's running cross-country to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis to honor her mother. She has the energy,

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-63038136168849100792010-06-14T12:21:00.000-05:002010-06-14T12:21:58.721-05:00

A few years ago, "LIBRARIES CHANGE LIVES" appeared as a promotional phrase. If that assertion is valid, the indicators of a library's success will be found in the lives of those who use it, or whose lives are influenced by its presence. A few weeks ago, the story of one life changed by the York Public Library   made the rounds. Dr. Kilgore's decision  on how to distribute his worldly goods was

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-88177275393677103802010-06-02T15:38:00.000-05:002010-06-02T15:38:06.083-05:00

360 days with nary a peep. Bloggers theoretically let words flow like effusions from an artesian well. The brain generating this blog is more like that infamous "oil collector" that clogged up with methane hydrates -- nothing wants to flow out the intended spout. But things have not stood still at the library. The FLICKR image sets grew. Collections had their months to shine in the Elmer Baker

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-161605689976990752009-06-05T10:33:00.004-05:002009-06-05T10:57:21.868-05:00

Recent issues of library professional journals have included lots of articles relating to social networking web sites and services, and how they are used by libraries.Public response to our "web presence" -- this blog, the library's web site, and the library's FLICKR(tm) account -- has been pretty low key.A couple of libraries have added us as FLICKR(tm) contacts.

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-84015280616442650992009-05-27T10:23:00.008-05:002009-05-27T12:08:44.100-05:00

The York News-Times' "forum" received 10 comments in the week following the May 19th York County Board meeting in which the topic of county funding for public library service was raised.The 2008 and 2007 York County Board meetings at which the request was presented do not turn up in the York News-Times' "advanced archives search" using "county" and "library" as search terms. A July 26, 2006

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-40429734181459373442009-05-22T10:31:00.005-05:002009-05-22T11:27:14.662-05:00

An out-of-town advertising specialty company contacted local businesses pitching a public service refrigerator magnet listing community agency phone numbers.The list includes sheriff, police, fire, hospitals, some national emergency hotlines, etc. The list is surrounded by ads from the advertisers who paid for the product. The advertising company found enough takers to produce the

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-4806569397683604682009-05-21T15:23:00.002-05:002009-05-21T15:46:32.211-05:00

There's so much going on in the world. A former colleague, dead of Alzheimer's disease a few weeks shy of her 61st birthday. Unexpected excitement during routine review of claims. The formal opening of the next budget planning cycle. 9 days and counting until "Art Thingy." If you've read this far (with or without peeking at the diversions), indulge yourself in "I Love Libraries."

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-30684880390229310192009-05-07T08:44:00.006-05:002009-05-07T17:23:39.049-05:00

This post outlines a presentation to the York City Council's May 7, 2009 meeting.The topic is the library's role in providing access to electronic content.TheElectronic Databases and Other Electronic Resources page in Kilgore Memorial Library's web site lists a selection of resources. Some are provided at no cost by their publishers and sponsors. For example, the York News-Times archive at

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-80112909056267246392009-04-20T19:20:00.003-05:002009-04-20T19:55:14.485-05:00

Maybe its the stuffed head from spring pollen, or pre-occupation with must-do details. For whatever reason, nothing new has come to this blog for most of a month -- at least no one was hollering for a new post.NetLibrary e-audiobooks are now available for iPod(tm) as well as generic MP3 players. The company is promising even more enhancements in the next few months. Preparations are underway

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-3243389054799572622009-03-27T11:39:00.006-05:002009-03-27T15:34:25.381-05:00

Lincoln historian Jim McKee tells the story of Thomas Jefferson Fitzpatrick, whose book collection filled a two-story house. Filled -- wall to wall and floor to ceiling.Fitzpatrick began the collection as an organized arrangement. He valued the books above all else, and gradually filled every available space.The successor owners had different values. They sold off the items that had substantial

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-71319541860238062142009-03-26T19:14:00.006-05:002009-03-26T20:40:48.635-05:00

After repeated collisions with snow removal equipment and overnight encounters with folks who wantonly apply brute force to public property, the library's book drop is sprung out of its original shape sufficiently that the door does not work smoothly. This impacts no one but the few members of the library staff who have to unlock and re-lock that door a few times a day. For those select few

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-10893538931009100392009-03-25T15:53:00.007-05:002009-03-26T20:56:13.858-05:00

According to the Wiktionary, there is no recognized etymology for "curmudgeon." A "cur" is an unloved dog -- but what about "mudgeon?" It is a pity a subscription to the online Oxford English Dictionary is so expensive -- that would at least provide access to the work of serious scholars. Information might want to be free, but information providers want to be paid for their work. They want

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-54586724848809566992009-03-24T19:04:00.006-05:002009-03-24T20:16:34.243-05:00

We take our physical surroundings for granted. Lights come on with the flip of a switch; water comes out when the handle is moved. Waste water disappears down a drain. What happens when those things do not work? Fluorescent light systems have tubes and ballasts -- either or both can fail. Failed water faucets leak; but what has gone wrong if no water emerges? Today the library staff

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-2955575123351792092009-03-18T10:40:00.007-05:002009-03-18T14:36:17.283-05:00

1st Street? First Street? M'Donald? McDonald? MacDonald? Macdonald?19th Century librarians tried to impose order and consistency on a chaotic universe. They championed uniformity of practice so that library users could anticipate consistency from one institution to the next, and so that catalogs and indexes would be kept orderly through gradual changes in library staff. Those practices became

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-63755987240221276822009-03-17T09:03:00.005-05:002009-03-17T13:19:45.557-05:00

Saint Patrick "came home" to do his life's work.After an adventurous youth, he returned to Ireland to share what he'd learned.Every small town has a few examples of similar life stories. York's own Dr. Wm. Sherwoood Kilgore went off to the big city to get his education, and then came back home to put his education into practice. Dr. Michael Breiner tells one story of Dr. Kilgore's

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-54193286683746405312009-03-16T19:47:00.006-05:002009-03-16T21:02:35.313-05:00

Most folks have odds and ends of "things" that may have some value as collectibles. A few get the collecting fever and start to collect in earnest. Price It! is a compiled database of selected auction prices realized, sales results, and asking prices from a network of antiques and collectibles dealers. The database covers a range of categories such as art, books, clocks, furniture, glass,

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-80472715845741874712009-03-06T17:07:00.004-06:002009-03-06T20:51:06.096-06:00

Amish barn raisings; midwest farmers turning out en masse to assist an injured neighbor at harvest; Mennonite Central Committee canning bees -- these are prime examples of people turning out in large numbers to get something worthwhile done is a reasonably short time.Some things lend themselves to such mass efforts. In Kilgore Memorial Library's history, two such events stand out. The entire

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-8990626261812839132009-03-05T19:49:00.002-06:002009-03-05T20:45:14.474-06:00

Sometime after World War I -- (but not too many years after) -- the First National Bank published a 16-page pamphlet titled York -- A City That Is!. It was the product of the Commercial Club -- a predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce. York had experienced something of a building boom in the previous decade, and the pamphlet shows several grand homes, Edison, Lincoln and Willard Schools,

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-17022077996694360532009-03-03T13:43:00.013-06:002009-03-06T16:47:47.929-06:00

The recent flurry of interest in a relatively small expenditure by the Nebraska Library Commission illustrates how one's perspective colors everything. What some people considered training on a common piece of information technology was perceived by others as frivolous play and criticized accordingly.It is unlikely that we'd have the same reaction to Fred Niblo's African photos as his original

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-84406651010714981792009-03-02T11:44:00.007-06:002009-03-02T12:16:59.184-06:00

A hobby-related "vacation" resulted in a posting hiatus.Meanwhile, the library moved forward day by day with lending materials, checking in returned materials, adding new items, and withdrawing old ones. The Elmer Baker Memorial Display case display changed over the weekend. The new display shows folded books and iris-folded paper images produced by Konda Cooper. The pieces are striking in

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-6732352350833916842009-02-24T11:41:00.016-06:002009-02-24T14:14:28.312-06:00

Sorry, no picture of a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield.By the way, do people still go there, or has that finally run its course from fame to old hat to obscurity? Is the museum at Gene Autry, Oklahoma still functioning? Will the "Kearney Arch" ever match its proponents' expectations? People in the electronic media world speak of applications "going viral." A "top 10" YouTube video

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-91768943666828710302009-02-21T23:42:00.008-06:002009-02-22T08:23:35.726-06:00

What are you doing Saturday evening?C-Span's American Perspectives --- Notes from one hour (conversation recorded Dec. 2, 2008)Churchill Club -- Evan Williams; Early Adopters; Twitter; "silo communications" "followers" "must-see groups" "geek community" "blogosphere" "social networks" "non geek-centric" "Twitter will dwarf blogger." "New mediums never kill old mediums." "Innovators try not to

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-13956437845561451472009-02-20T01:21:00.012-06:002009-02-23T08:19:25.497-06:00

A repeat "Scientific American Frontiers" segment on memory appears to have been initially produced in 2004. I don't recall having seen the episode before, despite the fact that public broadcasting has a remarkable number of repeats. Of course some of the programs are so content rich that one can learn something new even after multiple viewings.The multiple viewings don't explain why I have such a

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-5432260677566621642009-02-19T08:06:00.004-06:002009-02-19T09:23:19.647-06:00

Today's Dennis The Menace has the caption "Margaret has book smarts, but she's lackin' in playground smarts."The attitude is in keeping with Dennis's rambunctious persona.Many years ago Dennis appeared as a television series. The series ended in part because the child actor who played Dennis grew too old for the part. The comic strip Dennis does not have that experience -- he's eternally living

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-4064238910075388332009-02-18T23:55:00.008-06:002009-02-19T09:41:30.182-06:00

Which of the ancients decried the introduction of writing because it meant people would be relieved of the mental discipline of memorizing and remembering everything important?Now we are bombarded with ever increasing, ever louder, ever flashier attempts to grab our attention long enough to impart some message. I've heard that we need to hear something "x" times to have it truly

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-92074103001050621502009-02-17T23:08:00.007-06:002009-02-18T18:39:38.009-06:00

We all want things to go smoothly. We try to avoid things too complicated and potentially confusing. Accessing electronic content in libraries can be tough. Manipulating digital files to secure an e-book or borrow an e-audiobook is a challenge. The content suppliers are making efforts to simplify access to that content. But for many of us it is a strange and discomfiting world. Some

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-32957268333300092922009-02-16T17:56:00.006-06:002009-02-16T18:58:52.930-06:00

The observation of Presidents' Day holiday came about through a convoluted process that originated from celebrations connected with the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Many of these public holidays are formally observed only by public agencies -- national, state, and local governments. People who do not realize that public library service is a provision of local

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-39211464480611044132009-02-14T08:27:00.007-06:002009-02-14T11:13:24.655-06:00

Kilgore Memorial Library has been adding images to a FLICKR(tm) account for nearly eight months. Most of the images in these blog posts are hosted there.A FLICKR "pro" account costs $25.00 per year. That pays for access to statistics, and a much wider range of posting and hosting options.The statistic are telling -- what are people looking at and why? Several of the images in the library's

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-14382969229010276162009-02-13T23:50:00.006-06:002009-03-06T21:25:41.817-06:00

Most communities of any size have people who everyone knows, and people less well known. If you asked every local resident to write down a dozen well-known individuals' names there are a half dozen or so who would be on nearly every list. I don't know if any of these folks stopped by the York Home Show today (very few people did because of today's snow). But several of their names came up in

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-69392345273163061722009-02-13T08:19:00.006-06:002009-02-17T16:36:25.635-06:00

In today's "I didn't make this stuff up" Bob Sautter comments about someone wanting to know about Nebraska glaciers.Bob, you and Todd met a time traveler! His name didn't happen be H.G. Wells, did it? Nebraska in 1854 and 1855 was everything north of the Kansas-Nebraska line, east of the Rocky Mountain continental divide, west of the Missouri River, and south of the Canadian border. Yellowstone

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-21202471322872193532009-02-12T06:50:00.021-06:002009-03-06T17:05:25.320-06:00

A joke about punctuation. "Our country's founders were passionate lovers of freedom." means something entirely different if a fly leaves a deposit between "passionate" and "lovers"Seemingly insignificant details can be wonderfully important. Two historic figures born two hundred years ago today paid attention to details. The story is told of Mr. Lincoln how he used the moon-rise / moon-set

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-19046312574013073462009-02-10T06:28:00.012-06:002009-03-10T21:10:28.468-05:00

Buddy's Place, CNW Depot, Fraternal Hall, Gandy Avenue, Hillside Country Club, Let's Go Inn, Stein's Beach. Those words meant something in York at one time but who knows them now?.What places and names that we take for granted will likewise fade in the future? Some folks have been predicting the demise of public libraries as institutions for years. Could those predictions be coming

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-50845773773050263422009-02-09T15:34:00.006-06:002009-02-11T08:03:41.124-06:00

The folks who decided middle-Eastern boundaries after WWI, conceptualized things like the Panama or Suez Canals, or assembled our country's WWII Manhattan Project were big picture thinkers. This map shows a big picture project -- the yellow dotted line represents 1,702 miles of 36-inch diameter pipe, as a second phase of a larger project. The first phase -- the Keystone Pipeline -- is

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-15333247404283241732009-02-08T19:32:00.011-06:002009-02-14T11:44:04.958-06:00

A lippy liberal to a radical-right winger: "If you were truly a patriot, you'd clean house with a U.S. made weapon, not an AK-47." Q: "What's black & white and all over?" --A: the newspaper business.If you catch the right episode of C-Span's "Q&A with Brian Lamb," you'll hear variants of those and other zingers from a media personality. The "Aardvark" and "Platypus" works I've mentioned in

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-11810799273199607062009-02-07T07:10:00.022-06:002009-02-08T21:14:05.914-06:00

"Rumor's half-way round the world e'er truth's half out the door." I think I heard it that way somewhere.Sound and motion are inherently attention grabbing. The true internet explosion came when sound and lifelike motion could be captured and transmitted via that medium. I heard a story. It seems enterprising folks are making pastiches of sound clips copied from the audio-book versions

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-59680348633209557762009-02-06T12:22:00.016-06:002009-03-06T21:00:13.131-06:00

Testing e-audiobooks: Auditing "Plato and A Platypus .." and "Aristotle and an Aardvark .." brought to mind a freshman level college philosophy course. Anyone who has taken such a course will remember syllogisms and Venn diagrams from the section on logic. Combine that course with "Joe Miller's Jests" or The Daily Show. The authors' opinions and viewpoints permeate these works, so the next

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-30736950316479300062009-02-04T23:40:00.013-06:002009-02-05T16:12:53.559-06:00

A second set of John Updike clips on Charlie Rose included Updike's comment that the present tense in the "Rabbit" books was lightening and freeing. People comment that internet content lacks contextual clues of time and place that are inherent in books and other physical objects with information content.A reference question bounced between a couple of us on the library staff took us to a local

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-38761381556937491862009-02-03T05:59:00.016-06:002009-02-04T11:55:42.973-06:00

No middle-aged gents in borrowed finery, Mendelssohn marches, or flowers. Rather, some FLICKR image sets (Dougherty ephemera (old), 1984 slides (old), 25 Years later (new), and online history resources coordinated with reference titles you can "borrow". Oh, all right -- just one quick Mendelssohn march in honor of his 200th birthday:

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-69722156066930577702009-01-30T22:22:00.018-06:002009-01-31T10:49:23.713-06:00

Every institution has long term, medium term, and short term efforts underway. The longest term effort for Kilgore Memorial Library is facilities review -- at what point does the current facility need to be remodelled or expanded? Rebuilding www.yorklib.org got underway almost a year ago. Large portions of the former web site have not been rebuilt and have only "placeholder" segments in the

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-73279420974670331542009-01-29T23:03:00.008-06:002009-02-05T01:00:56.109-06:00

Charlie Rose's hour is a retrospective devoted to the late John Updike. (The second link brings up a menu of past interview clips.)The whole discussion is how multifaceted and prolific Updike's output truly was. A novel a year, plus essays, poetry, short stories, and over 800 pieces in the New Yorker during his 50-year career. His last pieces, yet to be published, reflect on his impending

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-70263971765394969482009-01-28T21:06:00.007-06:002009-01-28T23:43:49.527-06:00

The flip side of Permanent Ephemera. Yes, this electronic world means things are easily "stored / archived" without having to worry about massive physical structures. And the ease with which "things" can be generated in or converted to electronic formats means an exponential explosion in such content. This explosion is a boon to many folks. Lots of collecting hobbyists are either finding

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-39752405626774944062009-01-28T15:16:00.012-06:002009-01-31T10:57:50.138-06:00

Ephemera is fleeting stuff. Until it becomes someone's treasure. BIG MAC COLLECTIBLES?BUBBLE GUM COMICS? Remember gum wrapper chains? Ever help make one? What's the unique resource in a triple-secured vault in Stratford-On-Avon? Not the massive collection of early printed versions of Shakespeare's works, although they are very valuable. No -- the one-of-a-kind set of playbills

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-50758160256911536252009-01-27T21:39:00.010-06:002009-01-31T10:58:32.983-06:00

A 19th Century cookie recipe penciled in an old book lists quantities of sugar, butter, egg, baking soda, and "sweet milk." No mention of flour, or baking time and temperature. Why not? Well, flour varied from batch to batch depending on the skill of the local miller and the quality of the grain then available for milling. The temperature of the oven varied with the available fuel,

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-24053978146158992382009-01-26T18:39:00.013-06:002009-01-31T10:59:13.404-06:00

A completion deadline for the Nebraska Learns 2.0 self-paced training exercise that goaded the inception of this blog is looming, although the site and exercises will remain for future learners. L2NE's participants's blogs show various levels of engagement with the exercises. Some people saw how some of the "Things" could expand public services, or improve internal operations. And most of the "

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-46135274876590231982009-01-24T11:20:00.017-06:002009-01-27T13:06:20.212-06:00

Archives are set up to preserve official records and documents, with the aim of being able to retrieve information from them at a later date. Some archives, like those of the Vatican, or some European nations, have records going back for centuries. The exploits of "treasure divers" would not be possible without the Archive of the Indies with its records of the original fleets and ships.

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-57459507654618909572009-01-22T17:48:00.006-06:002009-01-31T10:59:51.113-06:00

"Give 'em WHAT's GOOD" ~~~ "Give 'em WHAT THEY WANT" Why can't those phrases be synonymous? Some wonderful (according to reviewers, etc.) but unused (not checked out in the last 3 years) materials are leaving the collection in the upcoming Friends of the Library's book sale. Eisenhower's memoirs, old "standard histories," volumes from the "Rivers of America," Catton's Civil War

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-60897872698623875232009-01-22T00:14:00.011-06:002009-01-31T11:00:28.206-06:00

Why are pre-Civil War vintage "Navy Colt" revolvers designed for the left hand? Is there an APPLEGARTH headstone in the Waco Cemetery, and if so what appears on it? What IRS form relates to deductible donations? Where are the Incredible Hulk books? The answers are important enough to someone to prompt the questions. Sometimes answers come easily; sometimes the easy answers are wrong;

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-38734010456844878722009-01-20T13:24:00.007-06:002009-01-20T19:53:17.081-06:00

Googling the title words brings up lots of references related to the current ongoing change in television broadcast technology, and pieces relating to sound reproduction technology. Is the human brain analog or digital?It turns out the question is at the center of current research in various areas of science.Too often we think of things in dichotomies : on/off ; yes/no ; black/white --

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-34424772818297648662009-01-18T15:01:00.009-06:002009-01-31T11:01:05.230-06:00

Armies in Henry David Thoreau's time used drums and bugles to coordinate the movements of large groups -- the sounds stood in for previously memorized drills or commands. So his different drummer comment evoked a different set of associations in readers then compared to now.It comes as somewhat of a shock to find a Thoreau MySpace page come up in response to a google search for "Thoreau

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-60320331512048276142009-01-17T12:35:00.009-06:002009-01-31T11:01:41.378-06:00

The group photo taken at Kilgore Memorial Library's dedication on September 14, 1986 elicits different responses depending on the viewer. Those who were present that day may try to find themselves in the group. The day's dignitaries and others in the front rows are shown clearly. Those further back in the group, or who were standing in the shade on the south side of the library, are not

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-83823651084041735832009-01-16T10:28:00.008-06:002009-03-06T21:19:45.140-06:00

Two features in today's York News-Times centered on dogs. Gail Nordlund's Paws for Pets reminisces about Boston Terriers.Kate Burke's Coffee With Kate muses on stray dogs joining households. Vern Friesen's initial sketch for "Once Upon A Time" had people; a dog joined the group before it was cast in bronze. Why is "going to the dogs" so bad when we value canine companionship?The library

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-29775157312758960142009-01-15T10:09:00.012-06:002009-03-06T21:11:41.570-06:00

Genealogists and historians try to reconstruct past things. Their building blocks are snippets of print, photos, artifacts, and oral tradition.Kilgore Memorial Library has been assembling pieces to reconstruct the story of the J. A. Parks Music Company for years. The task was inconceivable before the internet. Now, tools like WorldCat, and google's multiple facets make it possible to find

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-40885422891990147052009-01-14T14:24:00.010-06:002009-01-14T17:45:06.170-06:00

Google's book scanning project turns up in the news every once in a while. The project uses the collections of large research libraries, to generate digital image files with key word search capability. To get a glimpse of the research potential of this project, an "exact phrase" search for Parks Music Company during the years 1910 through 1930 returns two items. One uses the business

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-24541912295629804632009-01-10T15:30:00.006-06:002009-03-06T21:10:34.117-06:00

From now through the end of April, some people will come to the library in quest of tax forms, with no other use of the library in mind. Amendment 16 is the basis for the Federal Income tax, and the State and local Income taxes that piggyback on it.Nos. 30 and 31 of the Federalist Papers discuss government's power to tax in the proposed U.S. Constitution. Kilgore Memorial Library has copies in

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-30097287112419585752009-01-10T12:43:00.015-06:002009-01-10T15:49:50.062-06:00

Some library users have a "regular day" to visit. They might also have a "regular set" of favorite authors, a favorite genre, or a guideline like "New York Times bestsellers". Others might visit only in quest of specific information. Some young readers are using "Accelerated Reader" to direct their choices, others look for favorite characters like Franklin or Clifford. We know less about how

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-24905233528120276132009-01-09T07:57:00.006-06:002009-03-06T21:15:59.393-06:00

People will sometimes comment "why all the cars" when the "reading room" library is relatively quiet but the meeting room is in use. Library regulars eventually get used to the parking lot full of public safety vehicles during a R.A.P. meeting, or the lineup of small town utility vehicles when the water system operators meet for training sessions. Elected officials use the space to meet with

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-1415080693904924522009-01-07T13:58:00.008-06:002009-01-07T16:32:46.886-06:00

Harper's Index is a popular editorial feature which has now run 25 years. It gives statistical snapshots of various topics. The topics are selected to comment on each other.Most public agencies produce statistics about their operation. The statistics are to serve the dual function of explaining the agencies' operation, and accounting for the public resources used during the course of operation

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-15215555737384008042009-01-06T18:04:00.007-06:002009-01-06T18:14:33.544-06:00

Wisconsin has a history of "progressive" politics and imaginative social services. Imagine if Nebraska libraries could offer "AskAway":We have the Unicameral Legislature and Public Power -- two other "progressive" ideas that did not take root elsewhere in the nation -- so why not shoot for universal statewide access to library services?P.S. This post was prompted in part by the L2NE Thing 21 (

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-3488967257026720372009-01-06T12:28:00.005-06:002009-03-06T21:05:44.245-06:00

In the final stages of composing Time Suck, I was looking for some pertinent Calvin Trillin link. One of the totally non-pertinent Calvin Trillin pieces turned up in the process is Alternate Eating, a June 8, 2008 homily from All Souls, Berkeley, CA. You'll have to read it to see how Trillin figures in. Libraries are places to look for specifics, and to allow oneself to get diverted on a tangent

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-30544469044159327452009-01-05T21:00:00.011-06:002009-03-06T21:23:31.735-06:00

A colleague uses the title phrase to describe any activity which consumes an apparently inordinate amount of time. It is subtly different than "waste of time." Years ago, the "efficiency experts" whose family life served as fodder for Cheaper by the Dozen performed timed activity tests to determine the most efficient way of accomplishing physical routines. Trying to apply the same

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-50036848862433156382009-01-03T09:09:00.009-06:002009-01-03T11:59:53.104-06:00

It is fun and informative to plug unusual phrases or word pairs into search tools like google and see what turns up.I was experimenting with text editing and background highlighting in L2NE's pbwiki exercise, and decided to search google/images for "tinted emoticon." A few clicks into the result set, a link to a NASA instruction on how to generate B&W 3-D images appeared. Now I did not

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-89811553718652804722009-01-02T16:31:00.003-06:002009-01-02T17:09:27.592-06:00

The 2008 Avenue of Trees display offically ended today, and most of the trees were removed during the course of the day. The Elmer Baker Memorial Display Case creche display also was packed away. People are starting to ask for the 2008 tax forms. The printed forms and instructions from the Internal Revenue Service and the Nebraska Department of Revenue will be slowly arriving in the

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-73620530233525638572009-01-02T09:05:00.003-06:002009-01-02T16:22:02.294-06:00

One item found by doing a google search for "wacky wiki" discusses how wikis' collaborative core makes them susceptible to pranksters and vandals. Rules for participation and consistent editorial oversight can manage that type of disruption. Another issue with wikis is getting sufficient participation to make them viable. As I've noted previously, a few public libraries around the country

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-59326907755271299892008-12-30T15:25:00.008-06:002009-03-06T21:08:50.892-06:00

"Impossible to see, the future is." -- YodaThe current financial crisis has brought about a drastic cut back in the staffs of newspaper and book publishers. Some of the traditional stock in trade of public libraries -- the books, newspapers, and magazines on the shelves -- may no longer be produced, or may only appear in vastly altered form. The Yoda link in the opening is to a wiki entry --

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-57397948204580630132008-12-29T15:08:00.003-06:002009-01-02T08:27:41.785-06:00

The following e-mail exchange has been edited only to exclude the identity of the remote questioner -- Submitted on Dec 27 2008 - 5:37pmSubmitted by anonymous user: [141.158.48.148]XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Email: reelsrus@______________________________ Subject: Tracing a York employee Message:Hello, and Happy New Year!A friend and I are researching the life of a Los Angeles fishing reel

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-18064033843990916082008-12-27T10:51:00.005-06:002009-01-02T14:51:13.883-06:00

2.0 pieces are peppered with HTML   links. Every link present an option -- click or not? Robert Frost's famous poem about choices mentions two; but omits the third -- reverse course and go back the way you came. Google/images diverging roads lets one see 30,500 visual options for that phrase (as of 11:15 a.m. Saturday Dec. 27, 2008). Even unlikely links offers nearly 900,000 choices at

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-32651545146401478172008-12-22T19:36:00.009-06:002009-03-06T21:01:52.538-06:00

Horn tooting will only attract attention if the listener is inclined to listen; otherwise the sound is distraction or annoyance. A newspaper article is different -- people can elect to ignore, read, or respond as they will. So the response to the Dec. 21, 2008 Lincoln Journal-Star article by Joannie Cradick about this year's "Avenue of Trees" is gratifying. It brought visitors from as far away

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-45886397714389877692008-12-20T10:01:00.006-06:002009-03-06T21:18:44.609-06:00

Years ago there was a comic feature titled "There Oughta Be A Law." Dennis Michalski clearing snow Dec. 19, 2008In our windy climate, wind tunnel studies of proposed buildings should be part of the design process. The Kilgore Memorial Library building has an aerodynamic quirk. Any snow event with accompanying wind, or followed by wind, has an inevitable result. Wind sifts the snow off the

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-80142041396787883282008-12-19T15:58:00.006-06:002009-01-29T19:07:32.656-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, last evening & overnight mixed drizzle, rain, and sleet evolved into snow. The total deposit amounted to around 4 inches or thereabouts in York, with more further east. Pre-school story time had zero attendees, so the special pre-Christmas provisions laid in for the event went on to alternate arrangements. For those who are curious, here are some views of "what

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-1253794756712172232008-12-18T10:07:00.028-06:002009-03-06T21:24:58.059-06:00

My "hobby hat" has me editing a collector club newsletter, running FLICKR and delicious accounts, sporadically blogging, and maintaining a modest web site for the club. Yesterday, a club member called to ask what happened to the club's web site -- whoosh -- it had vanished. Not Good. I had apparently not been paying attention, and overlooked an announcement from my personal internet

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-59985572621670893462008-12-17T17:49:00.011-06:002009-03-06T21:09:41.848-06:00

68467 is easy to remember and unlikely to refer to much else beside York, Nebraska. What better "unique identifier" to highlight useful web sites relating to our community? One of the L2NE things invited participants to think how libraries could use delicious.com. We have set up a special delicious identity that we will use to tag web sites with reliable information pertinent to an

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-46732069440349441522008-12-15T09:11:00.006-06:002009-01-29T19:25:22.493-06:00

The weekend post about the Conaway family is a limited example of the potential for "digital scrapbooking." Instead of fading photographs and yellowing newsprint in oversize volumes, succinct narratives can be assembled from digital copies, and shared online. The community has access to this ST200X imaging equipment which will capture digital versions of photos, newspaper clips, or any other

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-18180797389850870602008-12-13T13:57:00.022-06:002009-03-06T21:13:53.310-06:00

Kilgore Memorial Library's collection of J.A. Parks Music Company materials grew a bit recently with the addition of Girls' Three-Part Choruses, and the penciled comment of an 1889-1890 student in a high school science text book. The music book came to us as a result of a conversation noted in Going Home a few weeks ago. The penciled note was found entirely by while thumbing

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-18778370144798321952008-12-12T08:48:00.008-06:002009-03-06T21:21:20.029-06:00

The following four sentences use asterisks in pre-html format+. The C.A.S.T.L.* group and S.E.L.S.** Board met in the K.M.L.** meeting room yesterday. C.A.S.T.L.'s "round robin" discussion allows each institution to describe current concerns and get insights from other members of the group. The S.E.L.S. Board welcomed a new member, and went on to review activities and formally

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-3890277203479358322008-12-09T14:54:00.005-06:002008-12-09T19:47:08.141-06:00

The Library Director writes a monthly report to the Library Board. The following paragraph is extracted (and then expanded) from the report covering mid-November to date: "The FLICKR account has photo sets for the "Avenue of Trees" and for some of the more striking and imaginative ornaments . There are over 150 photos between the two sets. A song book and one sheet music title were added to

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-81408763526132940912008-12-07T13:45:00.008-06:002009-03-06T21:06:38.802-06:00

derivative 20090129: This post's content preserved solely for history. Friends of the Library's 5th annual "Avenue of Trees" moved in Thanksgiving weekend. Each tree is decorated in a theme meaningful to the individual or organization that entered it. In no particular order, there are trees built around beanie baby dogs, cleaning supplies, hand tracings, owls, famous first lines, die-cut

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-62715253676818885452008-11-27T00:16:00.003-06:002009-01-29T19:51:18.211-06:00

What do other people make of Thanksgiving?Thanksgiving.org is Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, TX. Thanks-giving.org is a Lutheran Church in Bellevue, Nebraska. Google/maps informs us about Thanksgiving Point at Lehi, Utah. Thanksgiving.com is a commercial shortcut site that ultimately links to multiple vendors' products. Thanks-Giving.com has a lot more content on the top page.History.com's

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-41776737827506506552008-11-25T13:15:00.005-06:002009-03-06T21:20:18.683-06:00

The internet's existence is being recognized in nearly every field of human endeavor. Merchandise is marked with the URL of a manufacturer or wholesaler. Authors, publishers, and even some individual books have web sites.Here's some examples from a shelf of new books coming in to the library:A donated trade paperback edition of Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo -- has two -- (

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-30896418815003319092008-11-24T19:29:00.007-06:002009-03-06T21:07:37.191-06:00

Some say the modern celebration of Christmas traces back to a novella published in December 1843. The book was an "overnight success" and revived its author's flagging career. People began to copy his fictional characters' behaviors. One thing led to another, and here we are. Friends of the Library's "Avenue of Trees" is already taking shape in the library. The "official" set up days are

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-27976284131244149002008-11-22T20:12:00.008-06:002009-03-06T21:02:57.885-06:00

Keeping track of reading has been a challenge nearly as long as books have existed. Some regular library users maintain note books to track what they've read. Years ago many people put "personal brand marks" in books they'd read, but that practice seems to be dying out. Because of privacy concerns, most integrated automated library systems do not keep track of what people have

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-47338211244124266612008-11-20T19:02:00.006-06:002008-12-09T18:54:34.139-06:00

Many homes will have an out-of-the way location with a series of pencil marks one above another marking the growth of a child in the home.Most new houses with a tree planted nearby will eventually have to deal with leaves on the roof and in the gutters. Unless the trees are dwarf varieties, or are kept cut back, the trees will keep growing until they die, and at some point will overshadow nearby

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-69668886707216910942008-11-19T14:41:00.005-06:002009-01-29T19:57:17.221-06:00

The York Public Library Board met yesterday.The library's web site and this blog were among the items reviewed. Please comment on this blog, so we can judge if the effort to compose these blog entries is warranted. Contact us with kudos or suggestions how we can make the blog more useful. If you know people who might find this blog interesting, please invite them to take a look.Several past

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-25474938888581352322008-11-17T13:59:00.023-06:002009-01-29T20:00:20.368-06:00

Doing some more get-acquainted work with the ST200X, and throwing together a "library update" presentation for Sunrise Sertoma. The presentation is a musing on daily library activity and the impact of 2.0. York Public Library has owned a 24-volume "Ninth Britannica" for over a century and it is not listed in the public catalog. The only local information I've found in the set is a state of

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-13911690266104819412008-11-15T12:26:00.016-06:002009-01-29T20:06:20.512-06:00

The meaning of appropriate technology depends on context. For some examples, look at wikipedia, Appropedia, Journey To Forever, the National Center For Appropriate Technology, and the Development Center For Appropriate Technology." To be appropriate, technology must be connected to the place, resources, economics, culture and impacts of its use." -- the quote comes from DCAT. So how does

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-17526654643349176952008-11-11T15:02:00.005-06:002008-11-13T14:47:55.370-06:00

One of the L2NE exercises is to subscribe to RSS feeds. The resulting inbox of oddments includes some unusual items. This entry from "stephenslighthouse" rehashes another blogger's post about some odd analysis tools. One wonders what motivated the original designers to construct such things, what assumptions are built into them, and whether they are intended to be taken seriously. Anyhow, here

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-84200645219096181002008-11-10T16:53:00.007-06:002009-01-29T20:12:10.629-06:00

Friends of the Library had their monthly board meeting today. The group is in the middle of their annual membership renewal effort. The reports included the outcome of the November 1st Holiday Boutique, and planning for the upcoming Avenue of Trees in December, and used book sale January 24th through February 1st, 2009. Those who enjoy the Avenue of Trees or the other programs, events and

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-39165069246807940382008-11-09T14:11:00.007-06:002009-03-06T17:06:42.294-06:00

The library's J.A. PARKS information once again engages us in the wider world. A few days ago I commented on how our J.A. Parks pages were found by people "far away."Today's e-mail contains another query -- this one is an offer to fill one of the "gaps" in our collection of J.A. Parks's publications.Since I don't read music, most of J.A. Parks' output is essentially a closed book for me unless

books4yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09035243531585506012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980884918611262941.post-24322194707198594512008-11-08T12:44:00.004-06:002009-01-29T20:14:11.309-06:00

Listening to a "Weekend America" piece interviewing a mail carrier about what it is like to have a job that involves weekend work. -- Thinking about things that need to get done... hmmm... The agenda for the next Library Board Meeting should go out Monday because Tuesday is a holiday??Work on getting the Library Board meeting materials integrated into the web site? To do that, a reasonable back

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