The Devolving Library

There will always be books - the great misjudgment.

OK, I've been trying to steer away from the anti-digital stuff, but like Michael Corleone I always seem to get reeled back in. I've touched on this before, but I just wanted to touch on this a little more because I see this evolving paradigm stuff getting actively pushed by libraries on Facebook. It is just driving me nuts. Why continue to run full-speed into the gallows?

I understand that they see this trend as irreversible and they want to jump onto the correct side before it is too late. But it is like the bookstores selling e-readers. When stories (e-book is an aberrative term and I am going to officially discard the use on my site) can be downloaded from the Internet what is the point of the brick and mortar facility? The e-reader can simply be purchased at a spawn of Satan store like Target anyway.

Their collaboration and enabling of their own destruction is on a level of Neville Chamberlain's piece of paper. Their saying that there will always be books is their guaranteeing peace in our time. By actively saying that there needs to be accommodation for e-readers and digital stories is their act of betting against the book. As the ratio shifts more and more what are they going to do with all the free shelf space? I mean as budgets squeeze its quite obvious to me that this archaic thing called the book is going to get the axe. When I sign onto the local library from my smart-phone and rent access to the library server when I am actually going to walk into the damned building? Mark my words this is the Sudeten Crisis of the library as a public functioning institution.

Yes, I know I can borrow movies. Maybe get a tax form. But is that all the evolving library going to be? Is the library simply going to be a glorified Red Box dispenser? Just a few banks of computers? And if you think that won't happen... it already has! My beloved City of Springfield has already proposed it! And this is where I got into a little tiff with a library friend on Facebook. They said it was the future. They have to stay in the game and evolve.Yes, my friends, no books... just Internet access. I don't have to like it and I won't. Libraries were once centers of culture, massive public works projects and national treasures on the scale of the Library of Alexandria. Now I feel that I am writing their obituary.

I don't want to walk into a library without books in them!! The building will be just some starch-white anti-septic morgue. The future is not written in stone. The future is what you make of it. I hope that what I see is only what may happen and not necessarily what will happen. So go borrow a book while you still can.

Applies to buildings as well

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey there my loyal five readers! I want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving! I appreciate the time you spend here reading and enjoying what I have to offer. Your support is what keeps me going.

To help contribute to the wonderful air of food, visiting friends, family and football here is a lovely video which I happened upon in my YouTube travels.

It is Russians Burning Kindles. It brought tears of joy to my eyes.

I suggest watching this in high definition. It adds to the beauty... :)

Biblio-dō : The Way of the Book

A few weeks ago I was in a little online conversation. It was one of my book / e-book 'discussions' with a friend. No real need to summarize, but the topic of art came up. I was making the point that with e-books you will lose the artistic value that comprises a book. His retort was that you still have the cover art. While true (for now) the cover art is not the entirety of the artistic value of the book. Who knows what the future holds on that part. E-books are usually translations of real books or attempts by those who hope to have a real book published someday. What happens when the books are gone and authors simply write stories which are meant for e-readers? Will there still be cover art for non-existent covers? Besides, the cover of the book is just the first page.

The artistic value of a book is far more than just cover-art. That is if the book even has cover art. Many books have amazing cover art and detailed illustrations. Some truly beautiful books are not graced by the flowing locks of Fabio. Some completely eschew the gaudiness of pop art and go with a stark font and say their title with direct authority. 

The book is a three-dimensional object, not an abstract breakdown of ones and zeros. The book itself is worked and crafted. Many books draw the attention to the spine with a fantastic design. Others have their edges gilt. Others their covers embossed. The author (or more likely the publisher) has a plethora of ways to express themselves in their design.

Still though the plainest book still has the weight and feel of a book. It has the smell of a book. It can hold a real bookmark. It is a book. Even the cheapest, plainest, most drab and dullest of books still lays claim that it is a real book. It can be held with no chance of its batteries dying withholding its information or story due to failing technology. So the book need not be old or a collectors edition to be a work of art. That dog-eared, bruised and battered, aged and worn piece of literature still holds title to memories and tactile comfort.

'Book sniffing' it is something that maybe you've heard about. If you haven't then go and find out for yourself. For the longest time, I really thought that I was the only one who truly enjoyed sniffing that aroma. Then I made that connection and discovered that another too found that smell pleasurable. It was a special moment. I wasn't alone on that front. A couple years later the memes started floating around. There were more, we were a community. It was definitely another artistic aspect in the Way of the Book which many of us enjoy.

That is not where the artfulness book ends. There are other creative aspects which can be explored such as the presentation of the book and their strength in numbers. A coffee table with a book is a conversation starter. A book thrown at someone sitting at a coffee table is a conversation ender. See... art! Books lead to bookshelves onto book cases onto libraries then into museums. That is something which cannot be achieved digitally. Oh yes, the great selling point of the e-reader. I can store a million books in it! Wonderful, I'm happy for you. Can you read a million in a day? No. That is not art. There is art in walking up to your bookshelf. Enjoying the Feng-shui of how you arranged it. Being greeted by the pleasant aroma. Drawing your finger along the spines as you decide what you want to read. That is art. Scrolling through directories or inputting names into query functions is tedium. 

So it is up to you. Do you want anti-septic and sterile or multi-faceted centuries-developed art in your hands?

Note: The book sniffing comic is by SarahSeeAndersen.

Student Book Clubs of Yore

*Sigh* Stillsuits covered the head.

Back in days gone by when I was a kid in school one of the annual events which I loved was book day. It wasn't just one day, actually it was two. The day that the catalogs came and the day that the books came. Those were great memories. The days of the Troll and Arrow books clubs with our Weekly Reader supplemental materials.

These were events that stopped class - always a special occasion! On catalog day we received our hallowed missives. Bright and vibrant full-color leaflets of about 5 to 8 pages. The books offered had a wide range. There were the cheesy 'cool' educational gems chocked full of mental nutrition. There were the actual mainstream children and teen books. There were the stereotypical girls and boys books. And finally there were the 'which-way books' - I lived for those.

Now back then I wasn't the reader that I am today. Oh, I had times when I would read quite a bit, but I wasn't 'a reader'. I would more often have my nose in my Dad's old encyclopedias than reading something like an actual novel. My peers of the day were much like me. The girls of the class were more like to be the deep readers. We boys were the dabblers. However, book day was event that crossed all borders and got us guys interested. I can speak from actual experience here. Everybody in the class usually ordered something. That event was in the Fall. It was one of the early class bonding activities.

*Woot* Break dancing!!!

Then the year would drag on. Winter would bestow its blessing of snow days. Tests, quizzes, exams, book reports, oral presentations, poem memorization all would serve to cloud the memory of catalog day. Then with the coming of the Spring amidst its bounty of flora and fauna the boxes were delivered. That was always a magical day! Almost every year I would have completely forgotten what I ordered. Names were called and happy students walked back to their desks with their treasured stacks.

Those days are among my happiest school memories. I feel that those book club days really ingrained in me an appreciation of the book as an object of happiness. As I stated earlier, I wasn't really a reader. I wasn't really buying books to read, but books to enjoy.

FREE POSTER!!!!

I am fairly certain that all these companies either were a part of or have been acquired by Scholastic. I did a little delving to see when these programs started but it seems to have been one of those slow morphs over the past century or so. I did stumble upon the Scholastic timeline which is pretty cool.

I fear that this really is a thing of the past. At least this is how I look back at my pre-Internet e-Nothing childhood and  interpret this feeling. I'll save you all the 'Damn you all to Hell! You blew it up!' e-reader rant save that kiss these happy memories goodbye kids. There will be no box of books - just an instantaneous e-reader download. *sigh*

Please note, the year of this catalog is 1985. In 1985 I was in 7th / 8th grade. So these catalogs would have been distributed to the little brats two grades behind me.

A Small Victory

Those of us who feel that real books are the true and honest form of the book know that we are seeing the beginning of the end of this noble art form. Those who have sold their souls over to e-readers will sit and try to explain away the very fact that they are helping to end the very art form they purport to love. They love to say that the real book will never go away. Oh, they say, you are just over-reacting. Tell that to the 8-track tape.

However, there is a sliver of hope. No, the e-reader is not going away. They will continue to contribute their non-biodegradable carcasses to over-satured landfills and spew carcinogenic EMF pollution for centuries to come. Hark! There has been a push-back from like-minded souls. We may be the Charge of the Light Brigade, but we will not let the book die without a fight. Look at this picture my friends and take some heart. The message is getting out there.

This was the question at Grammarly on Facebook (like them!):

These were the top two answers!!

Look at those likes!!! 705 for those who prefer real books... wishy washy support, but their heart and their reasoning is in the right place. 419 brave souls took the bold step to state THE TRUTH!!! And, of course, there is the *ahem* ABSOLUTELY WRONG, nervous, hand-wringing, shamefully politically correct statement trailing in a distant third place.

It was a good day. We will not go down without a fight my brothers and sisters. Every chance you get you get deep into the conscience of those who are blindly following the Pied Piper. Every day you fight is a another day we have real, honest books in this world to enjoy.

Aileurobibliophile's Burden

*Sigh* Where do I start...

Hey? Do you mind?

This is the life of the aileurobibliophile. Over the years I can not completely tally the amount of times I walked out of the room to return to find this scene. Go out to get a drink and come back to find my previous spot occupied. Other times I have been minding my own business, relaxing with a good book only to have my cat interpose himself between myself and the book.

Yes! You, dummy!

Being a cat owner for most of my life I understand that the nature of the cat puts himself in the center of the universe. I understand this completely. But is the threat of the book to the cat so offending that he must physically put himself me and the offending object which commands my attention? On many occasions I have put the book aside to shower him with affection. He knows that our bond is true. Yet still he is jealous... or is he?

Oh. I get half. I thank your benevolence.

Could he be seeing the fascinating connection that I am having with this mystical object? Is he understanding that this magical tome is something 'interesting' and 'fun'? Is he simply trying to join in with the fun that his human is hogging all to himself? Is he sitting there pondering, wondering why the large overlord is not sharing this wonderful toy with him? This toy which does not smell of tuna or catnip. Neither dazzles like the red dot nor tinkles like the elusive rubber ball. Is he too trying to join in on the reading enjoyment?

You're doing it wrong! You need to look at the words!

This ancient stone talisman unearthed from an ancient Babylonian dig shows that this occurrence is not new. We book-loving cat fanciers have been dealing with this constant battle for attention between feline and the the written word. Perhaps the sensitive nose of the cat too knows the joy of sniffing a good book. The aroma of which tantalizes the senses and comforts the soul. Perhaps the cat is wondering why for someone who can't smell nor see in the dark like a decent person holds his nose away so far?

Worries of the ancients too.

Perhaps the truth is that he has already read the book while you were away. Ignoring him, quite obviously. Leaving him to scratch his own ears and to entertain himself. 

What the cat THINKS he's doing.

The Hemingway Museum

Nestled down in the warm Florida Keys is the Hemingway museum. I have had the personal pleasure to visit this museum back in the mid 90's. It truly is a lovely plot of land. The Hemingway Home was built in 1851. It was not originally the Hemingway's but was purchased and reconstructed when he returned stateside from Europe.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the author. He was an extremely talented writer and personal participant as a soldier / field reporter in both World Wars and the Spanish Civil War. He writing is extremely well-crafted prose with a truly hands on feel for what he is writing. His life was full, but ended tragically on July 2, 1961. His life spanned the massive generational and cultural changes which swept through the nation in the first half of the 20th Century. His writing from A Farewell to Arms to The Old Man and the Sea told the tales life's struggles. In 1954 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is so much more to tell that can be included in a blog post.

The Hemingway Museum preserves and tells the life of this man who had a tremendous impact on the literature of the times. One of the more curious aspects of the museum is the Hemingway Cats. In his will Mr. Hemingway left funds for the care and preservation of his famous polydactyl (six-toed) cats. The first of which was given to him by a sea captain down in the Florida waters. Now up to 50 cats are cared for and live on the premises of the museum.

More toes = more cat to love!

The Healthcare Law and Libraries

It has been reported in the Associated Press and other news outlets that the Obama Administration has decided to enlist the nation's library system to assist people in signing up for ObamaCare. On June 30, 2013 in a special information session at the Washington office of the American Library Association the plan was presented to public. Using the nation's library system is just one part of the massive brainwashing effort ahead of parts of the law taking effect this Fall.

I'm sorry if you support this plan. I am not discussing the demerits of this law. This idea of shanghaiing libraries to act as carneys for ObamaCare is stupid, plain and simple. It is one thing to have public computers available to which people can use them to enroll. It is clearly another thing to be asking librarians to actively be a part of the signing up process. If I want to know where I can find Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I will ask the sweet 90 year old lady behind the counter. She should not be obligated to answer questions on how to fill out the form to get the free ObamaCare contraceptives. She should just be able sit there and point to the computer and go on about her business. Now before you say that I am overreacting go read the ALA page for yourself. That is active participation, not just being a passive outlet for information distribution.

I absolutely love this quote from their page.

Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Susan Hildreth emphasized that “there are no federal funds to support this program,” which could be a hardship for libraries that are already overwhelmed by shrinking budgets and increased use.

Wow... great... And when you go to the public panhandling for funding you are going to wonder why nobody is going to be receptive to you. You are destroying your neutral brand with this nonsense (I could use a stronger word here). I am so sick of liberals in the academic establishment who think that they own the whole show and just don't care that they are alienating half the country.

At least the NFL was smart enough to tell Obama to go take a hike.

Markings on Paper

You just woke up in your cell, said your morning prayers, had a little breakfast, now you are ready to work. You walk solemnly to your desk and workstation. You were lucky enough to get one next to the window. It is one of the few perks of your monastic life. The smells of a medieval monastery may not be the best, but it is better than most places you can live and work in. There is always some incense burning, the aromas of wood, wax, paper, ink disguise the less tolerable smells. It was a nice clear night out. Certainly a nice enough night to allow the shutters to remain open. The Godly fragrances of the Spring are a blessing this time of year. But there is something else in the air. A new smell, one that is unfamiliar in your work area. What is it? Its pungent. Something one would smell near a latrine. This certainly is not normal. But where? Alas, oh well, the new smells of paint and ink will whisk that nasty odor away. Time to get to work... Dang it all!

Hic non defectus est, sed cattus minxit desuper nocte quadam. Confundatur pessimus cattus qui minxit super librum ostum in nocte Daventrie, et consimiliter omnes alii propter illum. Et cavendum valde ne permittantur libri aperti per noctem uni cattie venire possunt.







[Translation]

 Here is nothing missing, but a cat urinated on this during a certain night. Cursed be the pesty cat that urinated over this book during the night in Deventer and because of it many others [other cats] too. And beware well not to leave open books at night where cats can come.

Waste not, want not! Our intrepid writer is not about to start over again. What he does do is leave this handy advice to the lucky owner a book peed on by a cat in the night. I love history.

Photo of the manuscript credited to the Historical Archives of Cologne

Original Link for this manuscript image Here 

Here is another link that I just discovered detailing this image above and few more humorous markings of cats immortalizing themselves on print! 

When You Read You Score!

True in so many ways! What I am talking about in particular is the partnership that my hockey team The Boston Bruins has with the Massachusetts Library System. The Bruins have been doing this since 2009. I am a big fan of creative cooperative ventures like this. It is a win, win situation. The kids obviously win because it is great to hear from athletes that, yes, reading is important. Children are used to seeing this effort from more 'bookish' individuals, not from athletes. Those children are getting positive reinforcement from a non-traditional source. And yes, people like me who are fans of both libraries and the Bruins win because I get to see my team support a great initiative.

And why do I say that? Because they are coming to a library not that far away from me - the East Longmeadow library!

It is not known at this time if any of the players are showing up to the event. Blade the Bruins mascot will be there and some representatives from the team. The event is still a little fluid at the moment. The event will be restricted to those children who are a part of their Summer reading program. So if you are interested it is advisable to enroll your child in the reading program. It sounds like a great event.

Here is the official link from the Boston Bruins page on this initiative.

When you read you score!

Looking at the list of prizes the children can win I know which one I want to win. The Grand Prize! A chance to ride on the Zamboni! I believe that as a child 12 and older I do qualify for that prize!