Danger Will Robinson!

Lost in (cyber?) Space

This is a true danger to democracy, to the citizenry of the USA and to the USA's standing in the world. The continuing push to cripple Internet access will throttle innovation and growth.

What sort of hysteria is this? Why the shrill alarmist tone? Because I truly believe that this is a threat to what's left of our open society.

This article from Motherboard details a disturbing phenomenon identified in a recent Pew Internet study: broadband Internet adoption in the US has DECREASED since 2013.

The article points out the obvious - in the same time frame from 2013-2015, smartphone adoption has increased the same amount that broadband adoption has decreased. Why? Cost. The cost of broadband Internet is appallingly high for what you get and in some locations not even available. There are towns within 30 miles of where I live that you can get satellite and wireless plans but nothing else. No speeds to knock your socks off (maybe 4G LTE) and with high cost and caps. The plan I found for Alden KS residents had 15Gb shared data per month for $100. $1200 per year to participate in what is arguably the most plying-field-leveling and democratizing creation in history - the Internet. There are no options in Alden for wired Internet, at least through AT&T and there are no cable companies there.

From the article:

The evidence is everywhere; the walls are closing in from all sides. The net neutrality victory of early this year has rapidly been tempered by the fact that net neutrality doesn’t matter if you don’t have solid access to said ‘net.

My point is that cost is prohibitive for many, services are unavailable or very limited for many, and if you are lucky enough to be able to overcome those hurdles, there are a myriad issues around data insecurity and data caps with which users must contend. People have to then make a choice - broadband or wireless. Wireless has been winning out because (I think) it goes where you go, mostly and you can sort of do most things you need to do on a smartphone.

Because of this choice though, again, from the article:

Many Americans may soon be left with an insecure, surveilled, and capped Internet connection dominated by broadband and cellular providers that funnel traffic to the companies they've made deals with.

So people have to pay right? That's how capitalism works and the USA is the King of Capitalism. But the free market in this case is not free. The government regulates it in a way that favors the big companies, crippling competition, and stifling opportunity and entrepreneurship. The exact OPPOSITE of a free market.

Ultimately, this situation cripples our future as well. How can we as a country compete with other high-tech economies if the virtual world is capped, available to only some, and controlled by entities who have strong incentives to stifle competition?

The answer is, we can't. We will continue to lose ground in the world because we fail to make this most important of tools - access to information - a right rather than a privilege.

Who can change this? Only us, the citizens of the USA. We still have a right to vote. We can still make our voices be heard. Those we have elected to office are bought and paid for by corporations and individuals who DO NOT have the best interests of the United States in mind. Access to the Internet - a good, solid, secure, uncapped access - needs to be a right and not a privilege. Treat it as a utility. Treat it as you treat electricity, gas service, or water. You need those things at home and you need them to grow a business or create new things. The Internet is the same - it COULD be a tool of innovation but it is still being treated as a toy, a frivolity, an "extra" that one can do without. This is a false and dangerous view to take.

New Computers, New Services

A Christmas present for the Hutchinson Public Library patrons and staff! Now that we've finished the big task of moving our public computers downstairs, we are adding some new services and changing the way we allocate our public computers.

We are adding software called Envisionware PC Reservation. This piece of software will allow patrons to reserve a public computer for the time period of their choosing even days ahead if desired. It will also allow patrons to sit down at empty computer stations right away. This software takes the staff out of the process of checking people in and out and tracking time allotted. Staff members will be more free to help instead!

Integrated in to the software is another product called LPT:One which controls printing. Currently, a patron will choose something to print and the printer will spit it out without regard to number of pages, etc. This can cause needless printing of unneeded pages. LPT:One holds the print job at a designated print computer which will be right next to the printers. Patrons can then select and print only the jobs they want. It will save us paper and toner and hopefully save patrons from printing things they don't need.

A side benefit of this software is that it will provide HPL with wireless printing! If all goes well, patrons should be able to send print jobs from their own devices to the print station.

A Library of Things?

I can't decide if this is horrifying (thinking about everything that will have to be repaired all the time) or fantastic:

Sacramento Public Library : borrow a sewing machine?

What do you think would happen here in little ol' Hutchinson with such a project? What would be popular? Places like Auto Zone allow you to use tools to repair vehicles, locally, Reger Rental will rent you all sorts of things you might only need occasionally, but what about those folks who can't afford a rental?

What I'm listening to today (12-18-15)

The day started streaming some Christmas music from one of my favorite singers, Dean Martin. But I was scrolling through albums related (apparently because of the performer and not that it was Christmas music) I ran across this:

This is one of those re-packaged, re-released collections of live tunes. The type of thing to fill in the background with some pleasant tunes and some "witty" banter. I've always wondered if these guys really liked each other or not. Frankly, I really haven't ever read much about their relationships with each other - maybe someone can point me toward a good book about them? Of course, I found this on Hutchinson Public Library's streaming music service. You can log in and use it too with your library card.

No Internet for me

/rant

I feel a little like I've insulted the Soup Nazi, only with my home Internet provider. A short time ago, Hutchinson had a little ice storm. Not as bad as the one 7-8 years ago when the ice knocked out power to the library for 3 days, but serious enough to litter the street and sidewalks with tree limbs both large and small. While I never lost power at home, we did lose our cable Internet connection from Cox Communications. And that was when the fun started!

Joking. It wasn't fun. In fact, it was a lot of talking to a series of seemingly well-intentioned customer service reps who had no ability to do anything but empathize. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% sure that these folks would have helped me if they could, they just had no way to do it.

Here are the stories:

First contact the Sunday we lost service: Explain that my cable is out, and the tech support person confirms this. I'm watching, literally, limbs break and fall out of trees while on the phone and yet according to Cox there has been no "outage" declared for my area. Apparently an "outage" must be declared or you get shoved to the bottom of the service call pile. Nothing can be done until a WEEK from Tuesday. Nine days for a service call. What? Are all the repairmen on vacation? Tech support was polite and efficient, but could DO nothing.

Second contact in person at the store: Explain situation and ask if it is really possible that no one is available for 9 days to restore my service. Answer: yes, that is true BUT there is no widespread outage in the area. No reason given for the apparent lack of repair crews.

Third contact mid-week: Tech support person on telephone explains that our area is being "upgraded" to fiber (no explanation available for what that means). No technicians are available to hook customers back up until project is done. So, a weather event occurs that knocks out power to thousands, but the cable company doesn't want to interrupt an upgrade project to get service back to its customers?

Here's what this all says to me: There is no connection between the Cox decision-makers and the Cox customer. There is in place a "screen" of tech support and CSR staff who, intended or not, insulate the decision makers from problems. And there seems to be no way for the folks who are part of the "screen" layer to solve problems for their customers. Were there a choice, I would have already cancelled my Cox subscription.

But, what happens when one large company has, essentially, a stranglehold on a particular service or product? Truthfully, I have two choices for residential Internet service in my town - AT&T or Cox. At the speed level I subscribe to from Cox, AT&T has an advertised download rate 1/4th the speed for about the same price. So, not really any competition. IMO, there is no competition for high speed Internet in my town.

What is the solution? I think two things that lobbying and big corporate dollars will never allow. First, treating Internet service as a utility on the federal level. Second, on the state and local level, encouraging municipal broadband networks.

/end rant

Does the public library matter to you?

Maybe the Hutchinson Public Library or some other public has had an effect on your life. Perhaps you just needed a place to sit and relax, perhaps you needed a source to finish a paper for school, or perhaps you needed to search for a job or needed instructions to repair your car.

Maybe you haven't been in a public library since you left school. You may not feel like something seemingly so "old school" could possibly be useful in a time of smartphones and streaming everything. If you can get all you need information and entertainment-wise by paying for it, you probably can't see the utility in such a "populist" institution as the public library. But there are millions of Americans who cannot afford or even purchase if they wanted, good, high-speed Internet access. Public libraries can help with that - some even lend WiFi hot spots for you to take home!

This is a great article from the magazine The Nation about the value of public libraries. I'd recommend a read.

Science Fiction Discussion: 1632

This month our SF discussion group read 1632 by Eric Flint (beware - that link to wikipedia does contain spoilers to this story and the series story arc). This is an action-packed story about a small West Virginia town from the late 1990's or early 2000's that is transposed in time and place with an area from Thuringia (Germany) in 1632. 1632 you might know, would be smack in the middle of the Thirty Years War which took place mainly in what is now Germany on the European continent.

The resulting tale follows the Grantsville, WV townsfolk through the various trials and tribulations that such a time/space shift would cause. This is definitely more of a free-wheeling tale with combat and real-life grit than the past few books we have read.

All-in-all, I think our group's collective rating was "meh" (in the adjective sense, not the exclamation).

For the next discussion (in January), we are reading Nancy Kress's After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall.

Public Service Announcement

This is an important reminder of why we should all be keeping our software up-to-date and our anti-virus programs functioning:

Hey Reader's Digest: Your site has been hacking people for days

Please make sure all your vulnerable programs are on the latest versions. It seems like the usual culprits in these kinds of attacks are out-of-date Adobe Flash or Java, and things like old versions of Internet browsers in general.

Thank you ars technica for these sorts of alerts!

Some major update sites:

Microsoft

Adobe

Apple

Some free and/or pay virus and malware removal tools:

Malwarebytes (The company mentioned in the ars technica article)

PC Mag 2015 Top 10 antivirus

TechRadar Top 9 antivirus

Tom's Guide Best antivirus 2015

Computers are moving!

We are changing the way we provide public computing here at Hutchinson Public Library. We are moving to the open space on the first floor under the mezzanine area! This does mean some upset and limited or no access during the move, but we'll be back up as soon as we can make it happen.

For years and years we have had a computer lab tucked away on the second floor of the building that served all our public-access computing needs. This was a great way for us to handle a large computing demand and provide some level of assistance in computer use.

We had 21 computers in the area plus a scanner and printing capabilities. There was a staff desk which was manned at all times when the lab was open.

The down sides to this method of computing were how tied the staff member was to the service desk, limiting their ability to help in some cases. Also, because the computers were in such a small space, there was no way to effectively "sit down and teach" a new skill when the lab was even moderately full. The real down side was the fact that the room itself could never be temperature regulated. Way too hot in summer and if the wind blew hard out of the northeast, way too cold in the winter. And let's face it, in the summer the space just smelled bad.

So, the new area is out in the open. This means that our staff (we'll still have a manned IT desk) will be able to get up and have space to help learn new skills. We'll have time-keeping and printing software to take that tracking burden off of the staff members. The computers will be wireless, thus easily movable. The climate will be under control. Basically, we hope that this move will be an improvement.

Those of you with a long memory know that the computers used to be on the first floor. I file this kind of change under the category "what's old is new again" in this case!

I hope you come in to see the changes!

Very much looking forward to this...

I have always been a history reader. Definitely not a historian, but an avid reader mostly of ancient history, and also modern history especially around the World Wars. A couple of years back I read and was amazed by Antony Beevor's account of the D-Day invasion, D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. The book was not an easy read, but it was amazingly insightful and very well written.

Now, Mr. Beevor has a new book coming out that I am anxiously awaiting. It is titled Ardennes: 1944 and is an account of Hitler's last big offensive, the long-shot gamble for Germany to break out in the west and split the allies. The review from The Guardian linked above is quite complimentary, so I'm now even more excited! Hurry up, publisher!

What I'm listening to today (11-27-15)

It's nice to be able to browse close to 10,000,000 songs. Sometimes you start out with a certain artist in mind, expecting a certain set of songs but stumble instead upon a recording you've never heard. Today I'm listening to Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter: Live at the 1988 Montreaux Jazz Festival. Not only have I never heard this recording, there are several songs that I've never heard period. This is a nice, relaxing listen for the start of the hectic holiday season.

You can chill or rev up, whatever you need too using the Hutchinson Public Library's streaming music service! All you need is your library barcode and an Internet connection. There are apps for Apple and Android devices (search for "Freegal") and get started listening for free today.

Sign up for a library card...

...get access to lynda.com! Ordinarily this tool would require an individual to pay for access to the amazing database of self-paced video tutorials. But because the Hutchinson Public Library has signed up for a site subscription, HPL card holders get access for free! All you need is a current card to get started and you can start learning something new from home, on the go, or at the library.



That isn't what you are looking for? What about free access to powerful business and investing tools? Among our offerings for the independent investor is the powerful Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage - an entire suite of up-to-the-minute tracking and research tools.

Maybe you're interested in learning a new language for that upcoming (or buck-listed) big adventure? The Hutchinson Public Library subscribes to Transparent Languages. Learn 90 different languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu and be ready to travel!

What I'm listening to today

Using our new streaming and download music service over the past month has me back in the habit of listening to music while working. Last week I finished downloading an album for Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, a prolific blues guitar and fiddle player from Texas. I think the album was simply titled "Live in Concert". I saw him play once in Houston in 1999 or 2000 when he must have been around 70 years old. He sat down in his chair on stage, lit his pipe, and proceeded to tear through a jump blues set with such energy and enthusiasm I still get chills thinking about it today!

Today though, I've gone down a classic bluegrass path, listening to 'Tis Sweet To Be Remembered: The Essential Flatt & Scruggs.

Storytime resurgance

An interesting article from the New York Times about the growing popularity of story times in public libraries. This phenomenon is due, I think, to the focus (not everywhere, unfortunately) on the importance of early childhood literacy. Educators and policy makers have been pushing development of pre-k programs to make sure that young children are familiar with the basics of letters, numbers, and the like by the time they hit kindergarten. I thought this quote from a nanny in NYC was telling:

“It used to be, ‘What do you do when the child cries?’” she said. “Nowadays, they’re like, “We would like to have library time.’”

Of course, I'm giddy that people are finding value in a service that all public libraries provide! We are earnest in our collective desire to help children grow up to be the best adults they can be and we think that we have skills and services that are extremely valuable and in many cases quite under utilized.

Here in Kansas we have a Six-by-Six program emphasizing six skills that all children should have by age six. Besides pre-k, toddler, and soon baby story times, the Hutchinson Public Library has created the E.L.F (Early Literacy Fun) area in the Children's Department to support early literacy. This area contains hands-on activities for children based on general topics. The intention is for parents to work with their young children in the area. This activity strengthens bonds and better prepares these little people for the challenges of school.

The Importance of Being...

Educated. Not earnest, but educated. In a world where everyone seems to be outraged by everything because it offends them, or a group, or might offend someone, or might possibly contain something that could potentially trigger a person, sometimes (indeed often times) people miss the mark badly.

This is an example so filled with sweet, sweet irony, I have to share it. It involves a Tennessee woman and her attempt to ban a biography. The book in question is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is part of the STEM curriculum reading list in the school district attended by this mother's child.

Here is a good summary article of the rather disturbing misunderstanding that gynecology does not equal pornography.

The scary thing to me is that even in the face of facts, the person is still trying to ban the book from the school district. From the article, clearly the administration, teachers, and I assume the vast majority of parents, understand that the story of Henrietta Lacks is perverse for no other reason than the fact that ethical considerations for her as a human being were completely shoved aside in the process of scientific discovery.

This seems like exactly the kind of book you want to have being read by young people everywhere. It seems perfectly aligned with the new frantic emphasis on STEM education.

This situation is a textbook example of someone needing to read a little, ask a few questions, or maybe actually read the book in question before "going off half-cocked" as they say.

Libraries, tradition, and the "modern" world

This is a great opinion column from the New York Times. The author concisely states the dilemma faced by libraries today: How to remain libraries, remain relevant, and attempt to fill the gaps in social services all while budgets have been shrunk. This is the crux of the problem:

Librarians today are forced to take on a variety of functions that their society is too miserly or contemptuous to fulfill, and the use of their scant resources to meet those essential social obligations diminishes their funds for buying new books and other materials. But a library is not a homeless shelter (at the St. Agnes library in New York, I witnessed a librarian explaining to a customer why she could not sleep on the floor), a nursery or a fun fair (the Seneca East Public Library in Attica, Ohio, offers pajama parties), or a prime provider of social support and medical care (which American librarians today nonetheless routinely give).

The columnist goes on to say that while these are important societal functions, they will require more, not less funding in order to let us (the libraries) reinvent ourselves.

With this I totally agree. IF libraries are to become the social centers of our communities, libraries need to be funded to meet those demands. But we should also think consciously, deliberately about what the "modern" library should be. There is no sense in throwing money into services that could be better delivered by another entity.

So, let's as a society take a pause, decide what we should have available to people "societally", if you will, and do that well. We will all be better off for not wasting money but using it effectively to create a just, fair, and compassionate world in which to live. Plus, it will help libraries tremendously so that we can do what we do best - curate knowledge and foster new knowledge.

Science Fiction Discussion: Stranger in a Strange Land - Original Version

Our SF discussion group read Robert Heinlein's classic work, Stranger in a Strange Land this month. Actually, we read a newly-released version of the book that included a huge amount of material that was edited out of the original in order to meet the publisher's requirements.

I have to say, while this version was aided by the extra material, I didn't grok it. Just like a director's cut of a movie, this version of Stranger felt to me like it included what Heinlein wanted us to see about our society. However, the extra exposition sometimes felt too heavy-handed. Maybe I just didn't quite get it. I remembered liking it when I read it 20+years ago, but that was the shortened version. Re-reading it, I found much that was familiar but I somehow didn't totally get into it. This might have been because I was distracted trying to remember if this or that was in the version I'd read before. Or, as one of our members pointed out, if it was because I am at a different place in my own life and could relate less to the themes.

There were mixed feelings about it around our table. I think the final thought was that this is a book that would very much appeal to the rebellious, limit-pushing younger age reader. Not the 14-year-old necessarily, but the senior in high school or the college student. I still believe this book is a classic. It had great influence on other SF authors and on the genre as a whole.

Public library for getting work done?

So, the author of this lifehacker article wants to get people to think of their public library instead of a coffee shop as a place to get work done (I assume when on the road or if you don't have an official "office").

I think that traditionally, people think of libraries as places for studying but not for conducting business. There are good reasons for this. If you read the comments after the article, they are filled with opinions that range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Valid (IMO) is the idea that conducting business sometimes means making noise, such as by talking on a cell phone and that might not be the most considerate thing to do at a library. Valid too is the idea that a library COULD be a great temporary office, but the facilities need to be there. Any library with small study or meeting rooms for reservation would be perfect. You could make some noise in the enclosed space without disturbing others. Likewise, you could avoid noise if that's your need.

Is this sort of activity possible at the Hutchinson Public Library? Frankly, yes and no. We really aren't set up very well to serve this sort of patron need. A row of 2-3 person study rooms would be ideal, but we don't have that here. we do have larger conference rooms for public use, but those get used for group meetings quite a lot and might not be available if someone wanted a work space on a drop-in basis.

What are your thoughts? Do you mind a conversational volume level of talking in a library? What could HPL do to make itself attractive as a place for the business person to work while not disturbing traditional library services? If you are a business person, are there services or "things" the library could provide to make it an attractive place to do a little work?

Lynda.com Online Learning at Hutchinson Public Library

My youngest son has been working on Java programming so I thought I would look to see what kind of tools the Hutchinson Public Library has for helping him along. Turns out we have four books of varying "ages" - from 2004 (yikes!) to 2015. Those might help, so I sent him the list.

Then I went to look in one of our new self-paced education tools, lynda.com and found this:

Turns out that lynda.com has 16 different tutorials on Java, 5 beginner, 10 intermediate, and one advanced. Since these are all self-paced and lynda keeps track of your progress, he'll be able to do them as he has time. Also, since the tutorials are indexed and searchable, he can use them to find answers to particular questions if he is stuck somewhere in the process!

As he progresses (he wants to create games with Java), there are more than two dozen video courses in the "Web Developer" section of lynda dealing specifically with games and game design.

This amazing tool is available to him and to you for FREE. All you need is a valid Hutchinson Public Library card.

Free Music with your library card!

We've been testing out our new music service for a few weeks now. I'm on my second album download (you get 5 free mp3 downloads per week)! So far I personally have found the webpage to work the best. I have android mobile devices and the app available for those seems to work pretty well, but doesn't have the full functionality of the website.

We'll continue to feature this tool at events like Hutchinson's Third Thursday. If you have questions about the service, please call us and we'll help you get started!

Just as a reminder though, that our music service is REALLY easy to use. To get access to almost 10 million songs and your five free downloaded tunes each week, all you need is to visit www.hutchpl.org (the library's website) and click the image you see below and enter your library card number to login:

The "Rich Guy" and "Those People"

It's no secret, I'm sure, that expectations for public behavior seem to be at a low ebb. People that work for public institutions and tend public spaces deal with daily behavior that 20 or 30 years ago would have been cause for calling authorities.

Today there is a much larger percentage of people whose sense of entitlement leads them to believe they can let their children (or themselves) run rough-shod over the rules. We at the library try to be there for all - young, old, rich, and poor. We try to create rules that make use of our library available to all. It's a balancing act.

Behavior and our expectations for how people should act in public occupy a lot of our time at the library. But there is a deeper issue at work.

When you combine an educational system that won't allow or acknowledge the failure of a student, an economic system that has bred chronic un- and under-employment, and a culturally embedded feeling that laying blame is preferable to taking responsibility you end up with people who don't know how or don't care to behave well in public.

I don't know how to cure society-wide ills like this, except through education. Unfortunately, public education is under such unwarranted pressure that that solution seems less certain now than in the past. I do know that most of what we are changing here at the library are attempts to contain undesirable individual behavior.

So, what do we do about behavior in the library? We continue to encourage good behavior, try to enlist the cooperation of our patrons, and ask that people be considerate of others, by pointing out unacceptable behavior before asking people to leave.

Sometimes this involves moving things around. For example, we're moving the smoking area on the West side of the building. Many people entering the building have complained, not necessarily about the smoking in the area, but the attendant bad language near where children enter.

We have moved an adult reading area from right next to the E.L.F. family area. Many adults have an expectation of quiet that we just can't provide near our children's library.

The behavior for which I have no answer has come in this form: "I don't go to the library any more because there are homeless people there." When I first heard that there are folks in our community who won't use their public library because "there are homeless people there", I was more than taken aback. I was hurt, and then curious (with a tinge of paranoia). Who do they say this to, and why?

Is it a surprise that those in need might make use of what few public services there are? Society at large has failed to end joblessness and homelessness and has failed to treat mental illness and drug abuse. I am not sure I can change a well-to-do person's assumption that homelessness=criminality or a well-to-do person's desire to avoid being uncomfortable when confronted by the reality of our local economy.

Now I'm just mad. Mad at the selfish, hard-hearted attitude. Mad and disappointed in an influential person in my community. The public library is THE place in a community where everyone should feel on equal footing. We will work hard to make sure that everyone is welcome here and that everyone is safe here. We will encourage good behavior and will not tolerate behavior that takes away from others' experience at the library. You are safe here, rich guy. I'm sorry if you have to see a homeless person (not really, I actually think it's good for you). But I can almost guarantee that it isn't the homeless person you need fear, it's your attitude and the behavior it breeds. HPL has a dizzying array of tools for everyone and for virtually every educational, inspirational, and even entertainment need. It is a place that can offer hope to anyone who comes in. The library is not a religious institution - no need "convert" or "confess" to get help. The concept of the public library is a societal good. A gift to us made possible by a compassionate, forward-thinking society that valued education and wanted it available to anyone. And if there is no where else to go, the "good" the library does for a person might simply be to let her or him warm up, sit, and maybe, just maybe pick up something to read.

Science Fiction Discussion: Deathworld

This month our group read Deathworld (book 1, beware: spoilers in the wikipedia link) by Harry Harrison. This is the first book in a trilogy about Pyrrus, the most dangerous planet in the galaxy.

The settlement on this planet is facing extinction. The flora and fauna are extremely dangerous and seem to be becoming more dangerous with every passing moment. The main character, a gambler named Jason dinAlt gets involved with the Pyrrans when he is enlisted to turn a large sum of money into a massive fortune by gambling. dinAlt has psychic powers that he can sometimes harness to influence his gambling "luck".

The main story develops on Pyrrus when dinAlt and the Pyrran ambassador, Kerk Pyrrus return to the embattled colony. dinAlt discovers some secrets of life on Pyrrus which really improve the story and are, in my opinion, the only reasons to read the book. The style of the book was very pulp sci-fi action adventure - the sort of storyline that you could set in colonial period Africa, or the wild west of the United States. There is a lot of action though which keeps the pages turning. I'm not sure I could really recommend this one. I think Harrison's more famous series, The Stainless Steel Rat, is a better bet.

The discussion group's opinion was that this is a book to be avoided.

"Deathworld" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deathworld.jpg#/media/File:Deathworld.jpg

Book Challenges - What tops the list?

 ISO 3864-1 prohibition sign via wikipedia

Public libraries are places for contemplative study, for entertainment, for meeting and sharing of ideas. Not just some ideas, not just some points of view, but as many of each as possible. Public libraries are meant to represent the views of ALL people in their communities and therefore any individual using one may run into ideas that are in opposition to his or her own.

This is NOT a bad thing. This is a good thing. Libraries are "safe" venues to be exposed to other view points and other ways of thinking. What's harsh, crass, or offensive to one person may be matter of routine to another. To "not be offended" is a dangerous and increasingly common reason for blocking, censoring, and otherwise trying to suppress ideas that run contrary to one's own. It is generally attempted and justified in the name of sparing the "innocent" from a perceived harm if an idea is shared.

Here's a good summary of a portion of this years American Library Association "State of America's Libraries Report" concerning works that are challenged most often:

http://boingboing.net/2015/04/14/ya-graphic-novels-books-by-p.html

In some ways this might not be a surprising list, but it is a never ending battle that librarians fight on your behalf. Bottom line is that we believe you know best what is appropriate for you and your children. This is why we, as librarians, encourage learning with , reading with, and visiting the library with your children.

Science Fiction Discussion: Ender's Game

The SF Discussion Group met at Hutchinson Public Library in September to discuss Orson Scott Card's novel, Ender's Game. The discussion was a rare one for our group - we all liked it and agreed that it was a good one! It is another novel that is quite a bit different (like our July pick, Enemy Mine) than its big screen version. If you've seen the movie but not read the book, I would highly recommend picking up a copy.

The novel is about war, military tactics, and expansionism, centering on the character Ender Wiggin and his rise through the ranks of the International Fleet.

Interestingly (at least to me), the novel has been included in the Professional Reading List of the US Marine Corps for its depiction of how and why military forces do what they do.

It is a Hugo (1986) and Nebula (1985) Award winning novel.

E-books and reading

This is something I have long wondered about: will e-books ever "eclipse" print books as the medium of choice?

So many different types of media have come into the mainstream and then become "just another option" or simply faded away when superseded by another medium.

This article from the New York Times seems to indicate that the frenzy for e-books might be cooling. That might mean that at least in libraries e-books, like any other new media, will simply be assimilated into the collection. I personally think that the more ways we can have to share ideas with each other, the better.

I could be smug and say, "I told you so!" and that I thought e-books were a fad or something. But I would be lying if I said that I really thought print books were never in danger of disappearing. There have been moments, especially with the sustained media frenzy over e-books, that I thought the tide had risen too high for print. And, of course, print still might disappear someday. The information about sales in the NYT article seems to indicate though that print books, book stores, and libraries might still have a place in society and an important one at that.

Access 10,000,000 songs with your library card!

Seriously.

Starting October 1, the Hutchinson Public Library has made available a new download and streaming music service.

The new service, Freegal, allows every patron with a valid HPL library card 5 free download songs per week and 3 hours of free streaming music per day!

Did I mention that the songs are free? They are also DRM free and can be saved to anything that can store/read mp3 files. Apps are available for Android and iOS users.

This service expands our music collection exponentially and covers all genres and musical tastes. I can hardly believe that it's real, but it is - and you should check it out!

Building Upgrades at Hutchinson Public Library

It's been a long time since any major remodeling or expansion has taken place at the Hutchinson Public Library. Of course we have had "maintenance" types of work done and I suppose you could consider things like a new roof "major work". But you never notice a roof until it leaks.

What we are planning now is a series of upgrades to the usable spaces in the library.

First, we are moving the public computers out of the poorly ventilated second floor space it now occupies. The computers will move to the first floor in the area below the mezzanine. IT staff will still be available to help but computers will be in more of a walk-up situation, out in the open.

That move frees up the space the lab currently occupies, which brings me to the second project: Remodeling the Main Street entrance. We are going to extend the foyer eastward to create a larger air-lock to help with heat gain/loss when the automatic doors are all open. Simultaneously, we will be adding some windows and a reading area in the old lab space which is directly above the Main Street entrance. In the end, we hope to have a better entry AND a nice new (quieter) reading area overlooking Main street.

Our third major upgrade is sorely needed. We will be remodeling the children's area bathrooms. These are the oldest bathrooms in the building and boy, do they show it! They will get a top-to-bottom redo.

For the more distant future, we have in the works an upgraded and enlarged young adult area and a remodel of the auditorium.

It may not always seem like it, but we are working hard to bring you new services and now updated spaces!

More to lynda.com than just computer software

I may have given the impression that the only thing lynda.com is good for is getting you out of a software jam or learning a new piece of software.

Actually lynda.com contains a myriad of learning opportunities on scores of subjects. You can learn new business skills, add to your photography or music recording skills, learn basic skills like typing and computer use, and much more.

Remember, the service is free to Hutchinson Public Library cardholders (either inside or outside the library through the links above) and is self-paced so you learn at the rate you choose.

Free Downloadable Magazines

The Hutchinson Public Library is now offering free downloadable magazines. All you need is your library card! The service is available here on the library's website.

These are not some strange magazines you've never heard of or digest versions missing content. On the contrary they are popular, everyday journals and magazines that you know and are in an easy-to-use format. Check them out!

Get "Un-stuck" at the Hutchinson Public Library

This image shows the main list of broad learning categories available

Have you ever installed a new version of some software you've always used? But when you open up the new version, all the menus have changed or that feature you use a hundred times a day has been modified? This has happened to me, at least. So, you fire up your browser or open your YouTube app and start looking for a tutorial that answers your question.

This solution may work, but it is often time-consuming and can be frustrating. Now, you can instead use your library card to use a new tool offered through the Hutchinson Public Library: lynda.com

lynda.com is an online tutorial and learning service made up of a HUGE number of video lessons. The lessons are in short, 3-5 minutes chunks and are indexed and searchable. This arrangement allows you to watch and learn through a whole lesson, watch a lesson in small parts and lynda.com keeps track for you, or search for your specific need and get the answer to your immediate question.

This service is free to you through the Hutchinson Public Library's website. All you need to get started is a current library card! Go and browse through the catalog of training courses today!

Science Fiction / Fantasy - August's Pick

Our Science Fiction book discussion group took up Terry Pratchett's first Discworld novel, "The Color of Magic". Sadly, I missed this discussion because I was out of town.

The Color of Magic is the first tale (I believe) of the wizard Rincewind and the wealthy Agatean tourist Twoflower. Their journey is complicated by the fact that their adventure is basically a giant board game being played out by the gods of Discworld. I liked the book, it's witty and funny in places. Much of Pratchett's cleverness is tied up in wordplay and taking the familiar and making it work in unexpected ways in his fantasy.

Science Fiction - July's Pick

Our Science Fiction discussion group met on July 2nd for a discussion of Barry Longyear's novella "Enemy Mine" and a comparison with the film of the same name.

Having read the novella long ago and with apparently little attention to the details, I was struck by the significant differences between the two. It was clear to our group that the creators of the film missed an excellent opportunity when they deviated so significantly from the source material.

They changed the story (adding a happy ending, of course), the setting, and most crucially, the dynamic between the main characters, Jerry and Davidge.

The story is of two combatants, fighter pilots in an interstellar war, dog fighting and ultimately crash-landing on a world far from any civilization. Stranded on the planet, they initially attempt to kill each other but quickly figure out that the only way they will survive the harsh environment is through cooperation. It is a story that could be told in any setting, in any time period. It is a simple and classic story of man-vs.-wild with the twists of enemies being forced to help each other. Well, there are a couple of other twists, but I'd hate to spoil the story.

Talk20 Hutchinson

A parrot? In the library? With 275 people...after the regular library hours?

Indeed that was part of the program this July 24th when Talk20 Hutch once again took over the Library and enthralled the audience with a variety (10 to be exact) of stories. All from people (and parrots) who live right here in our Reno County communities.

This is one of the programs here at HPL that I absolutely love. We do nothing but provide the space and you, our community have provided us with now 40 snapshots of awesomeness.

If you would like to see the presentations, they are archived at the official Talk20 Hutch website. Just click on the Talk20 Hutch videos link and watch away!

If you would like to come and see what all the fun is about, your next opportunity will be January 22, 2016.

If you would like to tell your story at the next or some future Talk20, click here and fill out the form. Talk20 is always looking for unique stories!

Need skills? HPL has the training tool.

The Hutchinson Public Library is now offering a great tool to expand your skill set, help you move up in your job, or just provide a way to learn something new at your own pace. All you need is your library card! The service is free to any HPL card holder - info here.

The tool, lynda.com, has a 3,000-and-growing list of courses on topics ranging from business, web development, and photography to computer skills and specific software like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.

The courses are totally self-paced, divided into easy-to-digest modules. The service tracks your progress and allows you to pick up whee you left off. You can search the service and find answers to specific problems and questions, or browse and pick a new skill to learn.

Normally, this service requires a paid subscription, but by simply providing the barcode number and PIN for your active Hutchinson Public Library card account, you have access for free! This service is available inside the library or anywhere you happen to have an Internet connection outside the library!

Summer 2015

Summer Reading Program - a ritual so ingrained in our staff member minds that it's jarring when you run in to people who don't know what it is or how to participate in it. This was the case with our State Governor a few years back when he created a program for children to continue to read throughout the summer. Apparently, no one on his staff told him that practically every public library in the nation, let alone Kansas, has a summer reading program.

Our theme this year was "Every Hero Has a Story", and we had visits by heros ranging from firemen and policemen to the Batman!

This year, Hutchinson Public Library had:

1037 children sign up for the program with 601 reading 10 books/10 hours or more! That means in a period of about 10 weeks, over 6,000 books were read!

103 young adults signed up with 65 turning in 5 or more completion forms! There were a grand total of 1035 completion forms turned in (these represent either 1 hour of reading or 1 book read)

 More than 550 children came to the Summer Reading kick-off Celebration, 1136 children attended summer story times, 238 people participated in family time programs, and 395 children came to July craft days.

CREEEEAK! (flutterflutterflutter)

Damn bats! Always with the bats in here! Phew! Dusty too.

In defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakarias a compelling read. I liked it a lot, not because I hold a liberal arts degree (majors in English Lit. and Psychology), but because something is being lost in our society - critical thinking. There is a lot of talk about the importance of technical education, engineering and the like. No doubt these are very important to our collective success. However, a successful engineer needs to be able to tell a compelling story, sell an idea, think laterally at times and most importantly enjoy learning.  If we've learned anything in the past 2 decades it's that you have to continually learn new skills, change with the technology, and be mentally flexible to succeed. A background in the liberal arts provides you with the skills to survive the ever-changing world we live in..

Give Zakarias' book a read.

ZZZZZ WHAT!?

Wow! It has been months since I last updated this blog. Embarrassing, for sure. So, I have a great post I'm working on about the reading preferences of digital natives. The key phrase there is "working on". In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a computer system with 8.8 MB of storage:

That is slightly less than 1/10th the storage space needed on my cell phone for the Google Chrome app!