Reading Machine

Since the semester ended I have been a reading machine.

Ok, so the books I've been reading have been really easy young adult books. Percy Jackson and the Olymipans, Vampire Academy, that kind of stuff. But it's so nice to read things that are not school related. Or, I suppose one could argue that since I am going to school to be a librarian, everything I read is school related. Hmm...
But it's nice to be able to curl up and read something that is not a textbook. Sure, I read a few books during the semester, but that was during a train ride or a few pages while eating breakfast. The past few days I have been reading pretty much all day. I go out for runs, I stop to eat, and I try to do at least one productive thing, but for the most part it's been a reading marathon. I love it.

Putting books on an e-reader

I was putting a book on my e-reader through the New York Public Library (NYPL), which I recently became a member of. While doing so, I realized that downloading an e-book is not as easy as 1, 2, 3. There is downloading and installing involved, accounts have to be made, and fire hoops have to be jumped through. It's kind of a big deal. Which is why I decided to put a list of steps one must take to get e-reading. Remember, though, that different libraries have different policies and use different vendors. If you are having trouble downloading an e-book, it is best to ask a librarian at your own library. They are trained in the software their library uses, and will be able to help you out.

I miss reading.

    Lately, I have been very busy with school work, which is why I haven't been posting. I have been getting up early so I have extra time to write papers and study for finals. This schedule has changed my subway reading time into subway listen-to-music-zone-out-and-relax time. I needed the subway ride to unwind and stop thinking for a little while. It really helped me stay sane, and actually helped my focus on doing work when I got home, since I would occasionally get an idea for a paper while listening to music.
    The past two weeks have comprised of doing research and writing final papers, and thinking about final tests. Today, I took my first final (my last one is tomorrow (: ). After I was finished, I thought of everything I still have to do. It turned out to be not that much, which was a huge relief. I popped my headphones in and headed off to the train.

Fun

Just another reason libraries are fun places to be:



http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/11/29/142910393/the-library-phantom-returns?sc=fb&cc=fp

http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html

Out with the Old

In library lingo, weeding is the process in which a librarian must decide what materials should be retired from the collection in order to make room for new materials. Maybe the book, journal, or movie in question is not used very often (or ever). Maybe it is out of date or a new edition has come out, or it is simply old and falling apart. Whatever the reason, the books just got to go.
What happens to the books after they are weeded, though? I'll give you a hint. Getting all the stuff library staff put in books to make them shelf ready- bar codes, alarm sensors, those stickers on the spine- must be taken out. The process to un-shelf-ready a book is expensive.
Was that enough hint?
In this blog, S Peter Davis tells the sad tale of what happens to weeded library books. It's not pretty.
But it's all part of the collection development process.

CraZy!

So e-books are pretty wild. But this is just crazy!

Check this out.

This article is about a machine that prints books on demand. The espresso book printing machine. Woah.
Users can (for a fee) print a book they wrote or a book already in print. These machines are not for printing Harry Potter size books. More like a 200 page or so book.
When the book is completed, it will have a cover and be trimmed to a specified size. The claim is that the books will be library quality. In about 5 minutes. Again, woah.

Alternating

I really like my Kobo. I just thought I'd throw that out there. However, there is nothing like reading from a physical book. I have been reading The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller, and it feels nice to turn the pages. I like alternating between the two book forms. They are two different experiences, and both are enjoyable.
This got me thinking about what I would do if I saw the library had the same book in both digital and physical format available. I say available, because if one was checked out I would obviously go with the one I could read right away. I have not decided what I would do in that situation. Maybe I would choose the one I could check out for longer. If I were traveling, I would probably go with the ebook. Maybe I would base the decision on how heavy or thick the book is. If it's small, might as well get the physical book. If it's too big to carry around in my bag (I've mentioned my bag issues) then probably the ebook. Or maybe I'd ask the librarian which form is most popular for that particular book, and take out the least popular one. That way the popular form would be available to others. I suppose I'll find out when the situation arises.
What would you do?