Library Log 10/28/09

Kieran’s notes from the back room :

Strangest thing happened the other day, I met a woman who reads this column… and she seemed perfectly normal and nice. She actually came in to the back room to say hi! (… to me! …a scary prospect I am sure.) We talked about audio books. There are quite a few different kinds of formats for audio books. CDs, playaways, & MP3 discs are the John C.’s main formats, but we also provide access to Talking Books and down loadable audio books. CD’s comprise the majority of our audio collection, but I think sometimes people mistake the discs for coasters or Frisbees judging by the amount of scratches they often get. MP3 discs are similar, but one MP3 disc can contain four or five times the amount of data as a regular CD, so there is less to get scratched. Of course MP3s only play in certain kinds of CD players or on computers, so there is less demand for them. Let’s face it, most of us just want to toss a CD in our old boom box and call it good. Playaways are an alternative to discs. They are wee little (think cell phone sized) boxes that have a book in them. Plug in headphones, hit play and off you go. Of course to make up for the convenience, they are pricey, so we only have 40 titles available. Enter the realm of the down loadable audio book. Cheap! Lots of them! But a bit more complicated. The patron (that would be you) has to own a device called an MP3 player or Ipod, use the internet, and put the books onto the device. We installed a new computer back in the teen area to make this process easier. It is our Download Station/Teen computer. It is FAST! We also provide access to the Talking Book program from the Library of Congress. It is a ‘National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped’. The program is free for those who qualify. They send you a machine and you can pick the titles you want to hear – books & magazines. So, if you are brave enough to follow in Trish’s footsteps, come to the back room and say hi…. apparently I am not scary!

Library Log 10/22/09

Kieran’s notes from the back room :

I like the quote by Linton Weeks, “In the nonstop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us with floaties and teach us to swim.” The imagery of the tsunami gets me. I picture this giant wave of papers and books falling all jumble mumbled together onto a classroom of folks… which is kind of how the back room has felt these last few weeks (or has it been months?) Too much good stuff and not enough shelves. But we are getting it organized! Yup, a new table (thank you Fremont Middle School!), a bit of organization in the closet (thanks Cheryll!), and it is taking shape. While we didn’t find Jimmy Hoffa, we did find the pickle, and will be hiding it for you to find as part of the Merchant’s Christmas festivities. A ‘find the pickle’ contest I guess – Cid is our public pickle liaison and will answer all of your pickling questions. While you wile away the hours pickle hunting, relish the new books, DVDs and music on your way back to Cid’s desk for the latest information about the upcoming programs (and if you are the artistic sort, let her know and she can sign you up to display your art on our walls – she will be pickled pink). If you make it all the way back to Grand Cid-dill pickle central, pop your head in the back room and we can discuss the proper use of pickles (which is on a sandwich!) Suddenly, I’m hungry…..

Library Log 10/15/09

Kieran’s notes from the back room :

“It was a dark and stormy night”… not to plagiarize either Edward Bulwer-Lytton or Snoopy (or the other nine or ten folks who have used that as an opening line..), but as a classic line, it does get one in the Halloween spirit, and a literary mindset. Speaking of literary, author and historian Sandy Dexter will be presenting “Lost Souls of Purgatory” on Saturday, October 31st at 2:30 pm. She will talk about the mysterious happenings that occurred in Southeastern Colorado. If that doesn’t frighten you enough, we have books; ‘The complete book of ghosts’ by Paul Roland, ‘Scary stories to tell in the dark’ by Alvin Schwartz, and many others! So, come by the library to get scared! (of course you can also stop by the back room and I’ll yell, ‘Boo!’ at you.) Now if ALL of that doesn’t scare you, how about talking about money. (Ha! That got you didn’t it?) Actually it is good news. The VHS and book sale at Farmer’s Market and Pioneer Days went well and we will continue with a “by donation” book/VHS shelf in the back (by the science fiction section.) So feel free to contribute a bit of cash as you hustle that armload of free books out to your car, heck, I will even help you carry them! See you in the back room (and wear your Halloween costume and see if I recognize you!)

Library Log 10/8/09

Kieran’s notes from the back room :

I am already thinking about next year. “What!”, you say, “But it isn’t even Halloween yet!?” Yeah, I know, and as much as I like to enjoy the moment, here at the library we like to keep our head in the game. And we like to be prepared! So, next year’s tentative budget is ready for the board, our tech plan is prepared and Gypsy, the director, has the overall flow and direction mapped out for 2010. Be not afraid, the future looks bright (shades recommended!); and yes, it will include more new books, DVDs, music, video games, programs and the internet! So what bright lights will we be shining on you in the future? Well, self-check is a biggie, and that will be rolled out in the next few months. Checking out your own book will be an alternative to going to the desk, but don’t fear the desk will still be there. Along with self-check, we want to really push the email notification system. Yes, we are trying to save postage and envelopes. So, if you have an email account that you already use, let us know the address and we will notify you electronically of your overdue books and such. Don’t worry if you don’t have an address out there in the electronic world, it isn’t necessary, just an added convenience for those who like to use “teh internets”. We also are unveiling the homeschooling project. Mary has been working hard to gather resources and space to assist folks looking to supplement their homeschooling resources. Space is at a premium here at the John C., but we managed to find a corner for Mary and the homeschooling resources. (I thought we would have to hang books down from the ceiling, but Gypsy and the whole staff have made the most of our cozy space!) Being a staff member, I got a sneak peek at some of the upcoming programs… WOW!.. You will be excited! So come on by the back room and see if you can wheedle some of the titles and names from me.

Library Log 10/01/09

Kieran’s notes from the back room :

Don’t let people tell you that people are reading less. Library circulation is up across the nation (and I don’t believe this is entirely recession-driven either; sure, some of it is, but not all, but that’s another story for another day). See, I was reading the press release from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) – (I know I work in a library surely I could have found something more interesting to read, but no). The headline, “Book Publishing Sales Post Gains in July” caught my eye. The release said, “New York, NY, September 23, 2009— Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for the month of July increased by 2.0 percent at $1.54 billion and were up by 1.9 percent for the year. So, folks are buying more books. I also had just run some statistics on our library for the boss, library director Gypsy Kelso, and I knew our books were getting out and about, more than 3 times the amount they were last year at this time. Yup, people are reading more. There could be many reasons for this. Maybe literacy has spiked an all time high, maybe the economy has driven the masses away from other forms of entertainment… or maybe people just like to read. I know I do, why else would I be reading press releases from publishing associations! Yeah, I know, I should get more of a social life rather than sitting at home reading odd things, but I did ask my girlfriend to marry me and she said yes! So, stop by the back room and say ‘Hi’ and we can discuss the reasons for people reading more, and you can check out something to read on your way! Or, if you are looking for other forms of entertainment, the John C. is presenting some fantastic programs in October. On Tuesdays at 7:00 pm we have: on the 6th – Movie Night with the movie “Fresh – A Celebration of Re-inventing our Food System”, on the 20th – Phyllis Swenson and Mike Moser are speaking about Aardwolf Alpaca Ranch, on the 27th – the Canon City Food Co-op is having a presentation, and then a special program on Saturday, October 31st at 2:30 pm – an adult Halloween program about the mysterious happenings in southeastern Colorado in the 1600’s told by historian and author Sandy Dexter. (Kind of scary sounding isn’t it?)