The Book of Dave

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but in the case I'm going by the title, "The Book of Dave," by Will Self. This novel is about a London cab driver whose life is coming apart; his marriage is failing and he's addicted to antidepressants. He keeps a journal in which he outlines his psychotic beliefs about the roles of men and women and how society should function. To preserve the journals for his young son, he buries them. Hundreds of years later, after the apocalypse, the journals are discovered. The existing primitive civilization believes them to be sacred and structures their society based on the writings. For example, when people greet each other, they don't say "Hello." Instead, they say,"Where to, guv?"

As with "Clockwork Orange," the author has invented a futuristic language. It's mainly phonetic and a glossary is included, but I'm trying not to use it. Anthony Burgess told me that his glossary wasn't part of Clockwork's first printing because he wanted the reader to "learn" the language. OK, he told me this during an informal Q&A after a speech at Penn State. I wasn't the only one in the room but he did speak to me directly and called me "Sir."

I've only read a few pages of "Dave" but it's intriguing.

Richard Shindell Interview podcast

Last fall I went to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Richard Shindell. If you like his music, there is a two-part interview with him available as a podcast from Six String Island. By the way, he has a new album and is touring with Sara Milonovich and Greg Anderson. Check the schedule here.

“The more they know about us, the more they'll like us.”

The cover story in the March 2007 issue of Wired is titled The See-Through CEO. It asserts that organizations can be successful by becoming more open, especially when dealing with their customers, shareholders and employees. The article states that customers appreciate it when companies are honest about mistakes and upfront about what they’re doing. Instead of zealously guarding their internal communications and trade secrets, “…firms spill information in torrents, posting internal memos and strategy goals, letting everyone from the top dog to shop-floor workers blog publicly about what their firm is doing right.”

The article cites two companies that are using blogs to promote openness and give their customers a place to voice their opinions; Southwest Airlines Blog and Redfin Realty

As I read the article, I thought about the “Library as Conversation,” proposal that Dave Lankes has been writing and podcasting about. The idea is to find ways to encourage participation by our patrons in our web site content, library programming, material selection, etc. One of the ways libraries are doing this is by designing their web sites with blogging software. The Ann Arbor District Library site is a example of how to do this. Everywhere you go on this site there is a place for comments from users. With a little searching, you can find lots of online conversations between patrons and library staff.

For example, here’s a discussion between Eli, who moderates teen game programs at the library, and some of the participants. Or this interchange between someone who has a question about an SAT practice test being given at the library. The library director has a blog on the site where she discusses the opening of a new branch and seeks feedback from the community about moving or renovating the library.

I read about a recent survey showing that libraries are one of the most trusted institutions in the country. Finding ways to build on this trust and encouraging “conversations” with our patrons willl help the library stay an important part of the community.

Finally, there’s this quote from Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, the online shoe retailer. “The more they know about us, the more they'll like us.”

"Wireless Internet Access in Your Library" workshop

On April 4, I'll be part of the New York Library Association Institute's workshop titled "Wireless Internet Access in Your Library" at Lemoyne College in Syracuse.

For more information and to register, please go to the Institute's web page.

This session will be repeated on May 16 in Poughkeepsie.

A growing number of medium and small public libraries in New York State have found the wireless solution that is right for them, enhancing both their services and technology infrastructure. What’s the right solution for your library? Learn how to assess your site and your service needs. Learn about equipment, technical support issues, network security, and costs. Hear the specifics about several solutions for wireless, from build-it-yourself to vendor-provided. Ample time will be provided for a question & answer period. This workshop is appropriate for public library staff, managers, trustees, and anyone interested in wireless networks.

The Places You'll Go

This article, Of the Places You'll Go, Is the Library Still One of Them? ran in the Wall Street Journal last week. I love the quote from the first grader who says, "If you waste time on the computer, you won't find any good books."

Blogger Chic

The latest in sartorial splendor from Thinkgeek.com.

Also, today we were looking for a missing CD in the library. The title (I'm not making this up) was "Keep Searchin" by jazz trombonist Steve Turre. We found it eventually.

The Ghost of Internet Past

When I started library school at Syracuse University in 1993, the Internet was much different than it is now. There were no browsers and searches results could take a week to return, often containing only the message "invalid syntax." Navigation between sites and accessing files were done with menus. For a peek at the way it was, take a look at this site.

Download Audio Books at the Library

Now you can download audio books on computers in the library. Liverpool Public Library is the first library in the area to offer the OverDrive Download Station on seven of our public computers. Instead of downloading the books at home, you can use the library's computers and fast Internet connection. The Download Station automatically tests your mp3 player for compatibility (iPods are not compatible at this time due to digital media licensing issues). If the player is compatible, you can download audio books or music and transfer them directly to your player. You'll need a valid library card to reserve a computer. Remember to bring your player's USB cable.

Karma Kafe

On Saturday, Syracuse Post-Standard columnist Dick Case did a story about a local coffee shop with a new owner and a new name - Karma Kafe. My wife and I checked it out over the weekend (it's in the Regional Market) and it's terrific. The latte was excellent and we had a very nice conversation with the owner. The cafe has a wireless network there so I'll be doing the librarian outreach there soon.