Holiday Grinchiness

Is that even a word?  Maybe it is the stress of the holiday season.  Maybe it is just me going through a time of seeing lots of negatives.  Lately, we at HPL have had a series of encounters of the negative variety.  Among them,  just last week we had to call our friends at the Hutchinson Police Department to deal with a disturbance in the building.  We have had a patron's automobile broken into while the patron was in using our services.  Now we have discovered some vandalism to the outside of the building.

So I wonder, is this a symptom of the times that will pass as the economy improves?  Or is this simply a lack of pride in ones community and lack of concern for others? 

As we move to the conclusion of 2009 though and look forward into 2010, I see lots of great things on the horizon for HPL.  We will start the year with a new coffee bar operation and kick off another One Book, One State program with our partner the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council.  In the Spring, we will be working with the Dillon Nature Center and the Rec Commission, participating in their program celebrating the outdoors.  Plus, the HPL 2010 Project will help usher in the new year with a better understanding of the online world and all the tools it has to offer.  Hmm...those will be fun!

Perhaps the key to staying upbeat is looking at the horizon while dealing as you go with the sometimes bumpy path that takes you there.  Stay safe, have fun and have Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas!

The Elusive Que and Some Publishing Madness

I read a few new things about ebooks and readers this past week that started me thinking once again about where this is all going.  I provided a link in this post about a ereader called the "Que".  I mentioned it because it has been designed to address one of the concerns about ebook readers, that is how easily they break.  It appears now that the Que might actually become available for purchase.  It appears Barnes and Noble will sell the Que along side its Nook product.  Meanwhile, the oft-rumored Apple tablet device, a gadget that so far no one has ever seen may really be coming - at an Apple-like price (potentially) of $1,000.  Apple is apparently pitching the product to publishers in an effort to create a content base.

Which brings me to the "publishing madness" portion of my missive today.  I read this article and think that perhaps the publishing industry has collectively taken leave of its senses.  How can they possibly think it is a good idea to delay by FOUR MONTHS the release of a new book in ebook format?  I suppose they really think that people will be so excited about some books that they will buy the print version first and the ebook version later.  What is actually going to happen is that the publishers will cut themselves out of a source of revenue.  The Amazon response quoted in that article is correct, the hype and publicity surge for a new book will be lost four months down the road and sales will be lost.  Another stated concern from the publishers is that piracy of the "e" format will reduce sales.  That is a possibility, but this strategy will certainly reduce ebook sales and I would wager actually increase the instances of piracy.  Sigh...

Projects Shaping Up

Starting off the New Year with some new activities at the library would be nice.  One "new" thing is actually a re-start of an old thing.  I am excited about and hopeful for a partnership between the library and our new coffee and snack vendor.  The Bru Crue Coffee Bar will open for business on January 4th, filling a void left by our last vendor.  The BC folks have a delicious line-up of products ready for sale and will be adding to their offerings as business grows.

Another long-standing issue has been the building just to the north of the library known as the Women's Civic Center.  For many years the building sat largely unused and neglected.  After the most recent effort to raise funds to restore the house by the Hutchinson Reno Arts and Humanities Council, the building was returned to the Library.  With estimates running into the multiple 100's of thousands of dollars to bring the building into a useful state as public space and no takers for moving the building because of its size, the Library has contracted to have it demolished.  We had an 8-week period for citizens interested in salvage to remove useful, re-usable items from the building.  So next, week there will likely be large machines at the corner of 10th and Main completing the task.

However, the Library salvaged some beautiful woodwork to use as part of a plan for a new "quiet" reading room.  Our plan is to re-create a space originally called the "Rayl Reading Room" in the old section of the library.  This will be an area for those people who need quiet for concentration and study.  A group of staff members came up with the plan in response to concerns expressed by several regular library users.  I think it is a great idea and I can't wait to get it started!

As you prepare for the crush of the holiday season, don't forget that the Library can be a great place to stop in for a moment of relaxation.  Pick up a new book, download an audiobook to listen to while shopping, or use our free WiFi. 

Don't forget!  Ask us about the HPL 2010 Project!