please support your local public library

Please support your local public library.

Why? Well, Isaac Asimov says it best.

“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it.” Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

My childhood was not impoverished though budget was often quite tight. Books were, and are, always a welcome and special gift. Visiting the library allowed me to read so much more. At one point, my mother and I got into trouble for holding two different library system cards and were banned from borrowing from either for a year. That period is still a traumatic one for me.

Still not convinced? Try this Library Use Value Calculator. Try it for just one month’s worth of your reading. Can you donate that amount? Please?

Still unsure?

I have three public library systems that I support, even if it’s just purchasing a book or two from a Friends of the Library annual sale.

The newest one to the list is my local Westchester Public Library branch, even if I think their new patron restrictions are bizarre.

I love the New York Public Library that has tirelessly supported my reading and learning for the past 15 years. Without access to the knitting books in their circulating collection, I do not think I would be the Knitter I am today.

I also still support the Brooklyn Public Library when I can. They opened up new worlds to me during the seven years that I lived there.

Because of all libraries–public school, general public, and the private libraries of my college and university–I’ve read books I wouldn’t have read otherwise because they’re difficult to find in print or because they are scholarly and quite expensive and out of reach. I’ve found business books to help figure out what to do and fiction to escape with. I’ve read biographies and traveled through time and place with history books.

Yes, I geek the library!

Please, donate. If your budget is making that difficult right now, that’s ok. Go to your library and ask what you can do to help. Thank you.

Rose Main Reading Room, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, New York Public Library

a special centennial birthday greeting

Happy 100th Birthday NYPL!

Workspace 365.098

The history of the NYPL is as fascinating as its vast collections. A short book is available in which various luminaries ponder the collection from Pooh to pencils, Know the Past, Find the Future. It’s available for free as a Kindle download if you didn’t get lucky enough to pick up a print copy to share with friends. (I didn’t, I had to download it and be Future.)

Thank you NYPL for all the wonderful things you’ve taught me, the obscure references you’ve helped me find, and the fun escapes many books have provided. Today I will honour you with a small birthday donation. I am pleased to count myself as a friend.

Where would I be without the NYPL? Here are a few hints. ;)

reading again

I’m reading again, though my eyes are still a bit sore. I do need to spend some more time franticly pounding away on the keyboard to be where I should be on word counts at various levels. I’m pass the 30k mark and I’m astonished. It’s been many years since my creative story telling juices have gone this way but I don’t want to focus on that right now. I need to regroup and focus on the other reading, writing, and “coding” I need to do.

This past week I finished:

The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal (Race in the Atlantic World, 1700-1900)The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal
by Afua Cooper

I read this for class and I hope to write a proper review of it once the class discusses it. I found it a nice overview of the history of “New France” (which I really didn’t know) than of giving voice to Angelique, the most famous slave in Canada.

Color Style: Innovative to Traditional, 17 Inspired Designs to Knit (Style series) Color Style: Innovative to Traditional, 17 Inspired Designs to Knit
by Pam Allen

Knitting Lace: A Workshop with Patterns and Projects (Threads Books) Knitting Lace: A Workshop with Patterns and Projects
by Susanna E. Lewis

The photography is clear as are the charts. The patterns are varied. This is a book I would welcome on my bookshelf.

Electronic records retention: New strategies for data life cycle management
by David O Stephens

This is a very good overview of the vast topic of electronic records. I like it because it doesn’t advocate keeping everything because storage space is “cheap” and provides a well argued rational as to why. I believe it is readable by Records Managers, IT staff, and those who might “accidentally” fall into a role which needs to cover Electronic Records. ARMA produces materials with clear writing. However, I feel this reads slightly dated in 2008 and I would like to see an update to incorporate changes in legislation, hardware, software, and of course the changes of the internet of the past five years.

I’m still reading quite a bit. I’ve finished through Chapter 26 of Wake by Robert J. Sawyer and will now impatiently wait for the next edition of Analog (Jan/Feb). I’m trying to read through all of my other books too. Right now I have about 25 books out from various libraries and perhaps 10 others with a bookmark in them and I refuse to count up the total number being completely neglected or waiting for me to start. *sigh* I must read and knit from my stash. ;)

Do you support your local public library? (those of you who are employed by one give a considerable amount, and I think you) While we don’t give exactly the equivalent cost that all my reading would be if I were to purchase every book I check out, we do give as generously as we are able to the NYPL (NYPL serves Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Brooklyn and Queens have completely separate systems. I find Brooklyn not as very user-friendly for me, when I do use them I do provide support, just not as much as NYPL. Which saddens me because they probably need the funds more, but there really is only so much to go around.) [edited to add: check out this unshelved comic strip for today good to see bill and i are on a similar wavelength?]


Coding is just some lite stuff: php, css, and html. Not “real” coding but because of browser quirks not easy or something I truly enjoy.