Reading Habits

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 or whether the materials that leave the library are used. Physical condition is a partial clue.

The copy of "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food" returned this morning has been loaned 110 times since the library automated in the summer of 1993. It is frayed around the edges and has other signs of regular use since it joined the collection 17 years ago. CDs and DVDs show physical signs of use in the form of small scratches & smudges which can be polished away.

We also have no firm knowledge of where such uses take place. Some CD audiobook users mention long commutes, and players in cars. Does anyone have a book rest like the ca. 1880 recumbent reader in patent no. 230,750.

Showoffs

Where is the boundary between being ready and able to present oneself to best advantage and being a "showoff?" The question looms large for many people at some point during childhood.

A somewhat similar question lies behind seemingly unrelated issues. When are billboards too much? How about neon lights on business signs? How about the design and location of public buildings like museums, schools, and libraries? How about directional signs and the like?

I noted directional signs pointing to local public libraries in a couple of last week's posts (see Personal verification and purely personal). York does not have comparable directional signs for our library.

And within the library -- What is the overall visual impression? What gets the most prominent place? What do we do to call attention to segments of the collection? How does the design & layout of the building impact? What do we "show off" and why?

Kilgore Memorial Library is fortunate to have staff with the skills and inclination to gather library materials and put them into seasonal and topical displays. This year we are fortunate to have a staff member with artistic skill to produce striking temporary signs. Hooray Bridget! We are fortunate to have Ken Bedient working in Friends of the Library to assemble displays for the Hall Gallery and the Elmer Baker Memorial Display Case. We are fortunate to have sufficient space to allow for these things.

See these snapshots for some recent images from Kilgore Memorial Library.

The remainder of this blog entry documents stages of a learning process to accomplish a goal for today -- illustrate a post.

(Nov. 5, 2008) P.S.1 Reflecting on the lessons in L2NE -- this post is supposed to include snapshots of the images cited, rather than a link to the FLICKR set containing them. I have not found the right combination of shortcuts and html to make it work -- yet.

(Nov. 5, 2008) P.S.2 In keeping with the spirit of L2NE, IM'd with Allana to see what I was doing wrong. I was trying to copy the wrong FLICKR "permalink" I guess. So some snapshots appear below. I'm also experimenting with imbedding .html in blog postings.

(Nov. 5, 2008) P.S. 3. Attached a "snapshot of self in a mirror" photo to the blog.
(Nov. 6, 2008) P.S. 4. Generated a more "feature rich" "snapshot of self in a mirror" for the photo in "who writes this".

Incipit

ne of my early interests was rare books and the history of books and printing.

It is amazing and dismaying that recorded knowledge and literary works can be lost. In a public library this phenomenon is experienced as unrecoverable local history.

It is a commonplace that information once posted electronically will survive forever. Is that true or only wishful thinking?

P.S. Nebraska Learns 2.0 is trying to teach us old dogs new tricks... so we can communicate with our grandchildren & their peers perhaps?

P.P.S. It will be interesting working with this to develop a consistent voice and viewpoint.