It's too bad that I no longer enjoy the city of San Francisco, because they are doing some very innovative things with their libraries. First came their Book a librarian program, and now they are installing automated book machines in BART stations.
I was disappointed that the article starts with the notion of "saying goodbye to our neighborhod librarian." Such a negative spin on something that is actually so positive!
First of all, the book machines are obviously not a replacement for libraries, as they are of limited usage. They contain only the most popular books, and clearly there is a lot more to libraries than bestsellers. And of course it can't make book suggestions or answer your reference questions.
In addition to convenience, this could be a fantastic marketing tool. Every person walking past the machines during their commute will be reminded of the library. If they are smart about signage, they will post library hours for the closest branch, post about upcoming events, and remind people of other services available when they visit the library.
Finally, I was not surprised to learn that these machines are made by a Swedish company and have already been used in Scandanavia. If you want to learn more, here is a lengthy video which includes a lot of coughing.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
February: Heart
This month's theme for the BAM Challenge is heart; suggestions included romances, books about cardiology, and titles containing the word "heart," including a long-standing book on my To Read list, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Though the writing was somewhat inaccessible, this short novel was strangely compelling. The protagonist travels deep into the Belgian Congo, to a place so removed he likens it to entering prehistoric times. He is searching for Colonel Kurtz, who has gone over the edge, is killing for ivory, and living in a hut surrounded by human heads mounted on stakes. The strength of the story is not so much the plot but the atmosphere - whispering voices, the blur of running bodies just behind the trees, drums beating in the distances, and a vague sense of disorientation.
At the risk of sounding a bit less smarty-pants than I like to think I am, I have to admit that the entire time I was reading Heart of Darkness I kept thinking of Lost. The atmosphere is so similar: the whispered voices from nowhere, the crazy man who understands the jungle/island and doesn't want to leave, mysterious dark secrets just out of your grasp. Strangely, in last week's episode Sawyer referred to Locke as Colonel Kurtz, and then an article appeared in Entertainment Weekly comparing Lost with Heart of Darkness.
Is it a coincidence that I happened to be reading this book when these other events took place? Anyone on the island would say that it was fate...
"The horror! The horror!"
Though the writing was somewhat inaccessible, this short novel was strangely compelling. The protagonist travels deep into the Belgian Congo, to a place so removed he likens it to entering prehistoric times. He is searching for Colonel Kurtz, who has gone over the edge, is killing for ivory, and living in a hut surrounded by human heads mounted on stakes. The strength of the story is not so much the plot but the atmosphere - whispering voices, the blur of running bodies just behind the trees, drums beating in the distances, and a vague sense of disorientation.
At the risk of sounding a bit less smarty-pants than I like to think I am, I have to admit that the entire time I was reading Heart of Darkness I kept thinking of Lost. The atmosphere is so similar: the whispered voices from nowhere, the crazy man who understands the jungle/island and doesn't want to leave, mysterious dark secrets just out of your grasp. Strangely, in last week's episode Sawyer referred to Locke as Colonel Kurtz, and then an article appeared in Entertainment Weekly comparing Lost with Heart of Darkness.
Is it a coincidence that I happened to be reading this book when these other events took place? Anyone on the island would say that it was fate...
"The horror! The horror!"
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Retro Rib Socks
These are from Interweave Knits, Winter 2004 issue (I guess I'm a little behind!) I used Zwerger Garn Opal, which is quite lovely yarn and comes in generous skeins of 465 yards.
This is a very enjoyable pattern to knit because it's so simple - just knits and purls - but creates a nice texture. It's also easy to memorize.
I'm so glad these socks are done because I've been very antsy to wear them! Once you start wearing hand knits socks, there is no going back, and right now I don't have nearly enough pairs to get me through the week.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
What library schools SHOULD be teaching
In the spirit of AL's post Courses I Wish I'd Had in Library School, I give to you course descriptions of classes that would be useful in my professional life. I'm sure Simmons GSLIS will add these to their curriculum soon.
Argument Without Reason: Illogic 101
You will not be able to argue with many patrons and co-workers without this course. Learn how to win an argument with anyone, including the mentally ill or those who have simply been in their jobs for too long. Emphasis on volume, facial expression, and intimdating body language.
Identification and Removal of Stains and Odors
Library budgets are strapped and that means no improvements to carpets, upholstery, or plumbing. This essential course, now with a lab component for hands-on learning, will teach you all you need to know about common stains and smells as well as a thorough exploration of cleaners, sanitizers,and disinfectants.
How to Choose your Second Job
You will never be able to pay for this education with your salary, so now is the time to explore options for your complementary career. High pay is key to making your work hours worthwhile, and with that in mind you will learn how to break into the sex industry. Stripper, phone-sex operator, escort, and adult film actor are only some of the glamorous career options we will explore in this class. Free pasties with registration!
Dulling the Pain: Choosing the right substance for your mood
If you think the drug you take to cope with the public is the same one that will get you through a long boring staff meeting or help refrain from crank-calling the library trustees, think again! The varying effects of pharmaceuticals and liquor are discussed in this comprehensive course, which includes all you need to get you through your day, and beyond. Bonus section on using hallucinegic drugs to create more imaginative displays.
Argument Without Reason: Illogic 101
You will not be able to argue with many patrons and co-workers without this course. Learn how to win an argument with anyone, including the mentally ill or those who have simply been in their jobs for too long. Emphasis on volume, facial expression, and intimdating body language.
Identification and Removal of Stains and Odors
Library budgets are strapped and that means no improvements to carpets, upholstery, or plumbing. This essential course, now with a lab component for hands-on learning, will teach you all you need to know about common stains and smells as well as a thorough exploration of cleaners, sanitizers,and disinfectants.
How to Choose your Second Job
You will never be able to pay for this education with your salary, so now is the time to explore options for your complementary career. High pay is key to making your work hours worthwhile, and with that in mind you will learn how to break into the sex industry. Stripper, phone-sex operator, escort, and adult film actor are only some of the glamorous career options we will explore in this class. Free pasties with registration!
Dulling the Pain: Choosing the right substance for your mood
If you think the drug you take to cope with the public is the same one that will get you through a long boring staff meeting or help refrain from crank-calling the library trustees, think again! The varying effects of pharmaceuticals and liquor are discussed in this comprehensive course, which includes all you need to get you through your day, and beyond. Bonus section on using hallucinegic drugs to create more imaginative displays.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Sweater, now with 50% more misfortune
My vacation, I thought, would be the perfect time to correct the mistakes of the Sweater with Rib Pattern. So last week I prepared to measure, take notes, calculate and set my course toward a successful sweater. The first thing I did was to lay out my sweater on the dining room table to take it apart and get a good look at what needs to be done.
Right away I noticed something that had escaped my attention earlier: the front and back of the sweater aren't quite the same color.
As you can imagine, I was not happy to see this. I'm using Caron Simply Soft which is cheap, acrylic, and declares "no dye lot," which apparently doesn't mean what I thought it meant. I assumed it meant "no need for a dye lot because the materials are all fake and completely uniform." But no, it seems to mean "Hey buddy, you're on your own. Good luck with that." For some reason, this color issue is only visible under the dining room light, which is why I hadn't noticed it before. (And is inexplicable - it's a crappy old chandelier with those stupid little chandelier bulbs.) I didn't even attempt to capture the issue in a photo. The long and short of it is that if it's so apparent in one room of my house, it's sure to be apparent somewhere I will go wearing the sweater, so it must be fixed.
I assembled all the skeins of the yarn together and divided them up based on the color differences. There is enough of one shade to at least do another front (or back - they are the same). Worst-case scenario, the sleeves will end up being slightly off color. But there is no avoiding having to do another whole large piece, and this is in addition to ripping back and correcting the lace pattern.
One thing I try to do every time I have vacation in the winter is watch Pride & Prejudice, the 5-hour BBC version. While doing so I ripped back and re-knit most of one piece with the lace coming out higher up. A little too high. So I ripped back again (this is becoming a theme) and finally finished that piece. Third time's a charm, as they say.
Now I just need to make another whole piece like this. Again. Let's hope I get to wear this sweater while it's still cold enough to do so.
Right away I noticed something that had escaped my attention earlier: the front and back of the sweater aren't quite the same color.
As you can imagine, I was not happy to see this. I'm using Caron Simply Soft which is cheap, acrylic, and declares "no dye lot," which apparently doesn't mean what I thought it meant. I assumed it meant "no need for a dye lot because the materials are all fake and completely uniform." But no, it seems to mean "Hey buddy, you're on your own. Good luck with that." For some reason, this color issue is only visible under the dining room light, which is why I hadn't noticed it before. (And is inexplicable - it's a crappy old chandelier with those stupid little chandelier bulbs.) I didn't even attempt to capture the issue in a photo. The long and short of it is that if it's so apparent in one room of my house, it's sure to be apparent somewhere I will go wearing the sweater, so it must be fixed.
I assembled all the skeins of the yarn together and divided them up based on the color differences. There is enough of one shade to at least do another front (or back - they are the same). Worst-case scenario, the sleeves will end up being slightly off color. But there is no avoiding having to do another whole large piece, and this is in addition to ripping back and correcting the lace pattern.
One thing I try to do every time I have vacation in the winter is watch Pride & Prejudice, the 5-hour BBC version. While doing so I ripped back and re-knit most of one piece with the lace coming out higher up. A little too high. So I ripped back again (this is becoming a theme) and finally finished that piece. Third time's a charm, as they say.
Now I just need to make another whole piece like this. Again. Let's hope I get to wear this sweater while it's still cold enough to do so.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Gusset, a love story
My favorite part of knitting socks is creating the gusset, that little triangular space that connects the leg and foot near your ankle.
In traditional cuff-down socks, once the leg is complete half the stitches are set aside while knitting back and forth to create a heel flap, and decreases are then used to form the heel shape. To create the gusset, stitches are picked up along the edge of the heel flap, perpendicular to the leg.
They look so neat and orderly!
This is done on the other side as well, until it is all connected in a tube shape again, but now the tube is turned in a new direction to create the foot.
Seeing the little rows marching on away from the heel is so satisfying! This new larger tube is now decreased through the ankle area until it is the right size for the foot, and those decreases create the lovely triangular final gusset shape.
So neat, so perfect, and so little left before my sock is complete!
In traditional cuff-down socks, once the leg is complete half the stitches are set aside while knitting back and forth to create a heel flap, and decreases are then used to form the heel shape. To create the gusset, stitches are picked up along the edge of the heel flap, perpendicular to the leg.
They look so neat and orderly!
This is done on the other side as well, until it is all connected in a tube shape again, but now the tube is turned in a new direction to create the foot.
Seeing the little rows marching on away from the heel is so satisfying! This new larger tube is now decreased through the ankle area until it is the right size for the foot, and those decreases create the lovely triangular final gusset shape.
So neat, so perfect, and so little left before my sock is complete!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
January: Time
Because I'm an over-achiever, I read not just one, but TWO books for the January Book-A-Month Challenge. Here are my thoughts on both of them.
Time Capsule: Short Stories About Teenagers Throughout the Twentieth Century edited by Donald R. Gallo
Each story in this young adult book represents one decade of the last century. Most of the stories were mediocre and oddly reminiscent of a middle-school English textbook. Some of them just didn't ring true to me and I don't know why. Maybe because those authors were writing about decades before they were born. Nevertheless, I found two of the stories to be outstanding.
"We Loved Lucy" by Trudy Krisher (1950-1959)
Nancy is caught up in the confusion of the Cold War and her father's obsession with building a bomb shelter. She escapes the doom-and-gloom of her household to watch "I Love Lucy" at her friend Brenda's house, where she is allowed to experience humor and laughter and just be a kid. Keeping her family a secret from Brenda is a challenge, and Nancy's struggles and conflicting loyalties feel realistic as a teenager's experience in any decade.
Second place goes to "Fourth and Too Long" by Chris Crutcher (1960-1969)
It is no surprise that Crutcher can capture what it is like to be a teenager. The main character in his story must decide between cutting his long hair and losing his place on the football team. What his coach doesn't understand is that his hair has nothing to do with rebellion and everything to do with hiding a disfigurement and finally fitting in with everyone else
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
In which a man is plagued by traveling through time against his will. His wife meets him for the first time when she is 6 years old, but he doesn't meet her until she is 20. I was confused by page 8. This should not come as a surprise given that I didn't even understood Back to the Future, and only tenuously grasped the episode of the Simpsons in which Homer time travels and keeps changing the future (you know, the one where it rains doughnuts).
However, I'm very grateful to the author for a couple of things. First, the premise that you cannot change what happens. There are no alternate universes here; you can visit the past, but you can't change it. Second, she makes it clear who is narrating by starting each section with "Henry:" or "Clare:" As someone who is frequently confused by shifting perspectives, I thank you so much, Audrey Niffenegger. There is nothing worse than suddenly realizing the narrator speaking isn't who you thought it was.
Despite the time travel, this is first and foremost a love story between two compelling characters. I just wanted to wrap myself in this book, it was so beautiful and sad.
Time Capsule: Short Stories About Teenagers Throughout the Twentieth Century edited by Donald R. Gallo
Each story in this young adult book represents one decade of the last century. Most of the stories were mediocre and oddly reminiscent of a middle-school English textbook. Some of them just didn't ring true to me and I don't know why. Maybe because those authors were writing about decades before they were born. Nevertheless, I found two of the stories to be outstanding.
"We Loved Lucy" by Trudy Krisher (1950-1959)
Nancy is caught up in the confusion of the Cold War and her father's obsession with building a bomb shelter. She escapes the doom-and-gloom of her household to watch "I Love Lucy" at her friend Brenda's house, where she is allowed to experience humor and laughter and just be a kid. Keeping her family a secret from Brenda is a challenge, and Nancy's struggles and conflicting loyalties feel realistic as a teenager's experience in any decade.
Second place goes to "Fourth and Too Long" by Chris Crutcher (1960-1969)
It is no surprise that Crutcher can capture what it is like to be a teenager. The main character in his story must decide between cutting his long hair and losing his place on the football team. What his coach doesn't understand is that his hair has nothing to do with rebellion and everything to do with hiding a disfigurement and finally fitting in with everyone else
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
In which a man is plagued by traveling through time against his will. His wife meets him for the first time when she is 6 years old, but he doesn't meet her until she is 20. I was confused by page 8. This should not come as a surprise given that I didn't even understood Back to the Future, and only tenuously grasped the episode of the Simpsons in which Homer time travels and keeps changing the future (you know, the one where it rains doughnuts).
However, I'm very grateful to the author for a couple of things. First, the premise that you cannot change what happens. There are no alternate universes here; you can visit the past, but you can't change it. Second, she makes it clear who is narrating by starting each section with "Henry:" or "Clare:" As someone who is frequently confused by shifting perspectives, I thank you so much, Audrey Niffenegger. There is nothing worse than suddenly realizing the narrator speaking isn't who you thought it was.
Despite the time travel, this is first and foremost a love story between two compelling characters. I just wanted to wrap myself in this book, it was so beautiful and sad.
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