What your favorite author says about you ...

... from Huffpost Books is quite interesting. This site says that if you are a Kurt Vonnegut fan, then you "... have an original and slightly absurdist way of looking at reality..."

So it really isn't your favorite author speaking about you personally. After all, how many people could someone like Kurt Vonnegut actually have met. Considering the billions of Internet-enabled folk world-wide, any of whom might land on that website, statistically it's pretty unlikely that he'd know any of them. Particularly as he died in 2007.

Nevertheless, the site does give food for thought. Shame the list stopped at only 12 authors. I wonder what the analysis would be for a reader with a passion for Chaucer? Or perhaps Matt Drudge? Or those that retire to bed with Library Management Policies ....

The Knee: Part 2. Diversional Therapy

I can't believe someone was actually interested in my knee! Apart from the medicos who use their fees to put their kids through college. Thanks hugely, Felicity!

Since you asked - and I'll really try to keep this at less than 20,000 words - it's healing nicely. The strange thing though is that after I found out about The Site Manager's complaints about me last November, I pretty much lost interest in even reading. But in preparation for the convalescent (knee) period, I visited the most excellent Max Webber Library and borrowed heavily. They have a borrowing limit of 30 items, which doesn't seem like a 'limit' at all to me.

I also bought a few books at Bargain Basement prices, owing to so many fine bookshops going into liquidation. Very, very sad, really. Happy to say though, that I am now once more enjoying reading. Funny, that.

How disruptive can an unconscious Warrior Librarian be?

The Knee certainly seemed to have taken on a life of its own; I hadn't realised that - until at the dinner table one of the Resident Teenagers asked if there wasn't something else I could talk about.

Typical teenager. If it wasn't about them it wasn't interesting. I mean, this is about me! What could be more important than that?

So last Friday, I underwent the dreaded - although officially described as minor - operation. I was told that the knee surgery was very successful. Great news, huh? The fact that I stopped breathing ("transiently") and had to be resuscitated apparently made me "transiently" famous.

And I missed just about all of it, except the end part when I awoke to ECGs and oxygen masks and about 200 people running around me dressed in medical staff garb. OK, it may not have been 200. I didn't actually count them. And I wasn't in any condition to hand out survey forms and collate statistics.

But anyway, it just goes to show that even when I'm unconscious, I still inadvertently cause dramas. Sigh.

I wish I'd written this ....

I'm sorry if you're really busy doing important things, but you really do have to drop everything immediately and read the following article "An Honest Facebook Political Argument":
http://www.collegehumor.com/article/5996384/an-honest-facebook-political-argument

Huge thanks to the original clever author Chase Mitchell, who also has some other pretty good original stuff at the same page.

Organising "Personal" Papers: I've been busy ...

Stage One is almost complete. At the moment, most of the labels have not been permanently fixed; as the archive boxes fill up, there's the usual shuffling about and starting new boxes.

Some of them are filled beyond capacity by single-topic files - gee, bet you can't guess which topics. Not.

Luckily my local stationer had few mark-downs recently. Added to which, of course, it's given me something to do.

Educational Value of Facebook?

The passage below is an excellent definition for the Fantasy genre of fiction - but lacks any attribution, statement of authorship, references ... nor paragraph structure.

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in fictional worlds where magic is common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of (pseudo-)scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three (which are subgenres of speculative fiction).In popular culture, the genre of fantasy is dominated by its medievalist form, especially since the worldwide success of The Lord of the Rings books by J. R. R. Tolkien. In its broadest sense however, fantasy comprises works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians, from ancient myths and legends to many recent works embraced by a wide audience today.Fantasy is a vibrant area of academic study in a number of disciplines (English, cultural studies, comparative literature, history, medieval studies). Work in this area ranges widely, from the structuralist theory of Tzvetan Todorov, which emphasizes the fantastic as a liminal space, to work on the connections (political, historical, literary) between medievalism and popular culture.

We are making progress, but by golly - there's still a long way to go.

Senior Moments: The Carjacker

Too good not to share ... but unfortunately attribution not yet available (I'm working on it). Click on image for a clearer and larger view.

When LS meets RL: Part 2

I've never been in a library that didn't find it necessary to provide signage of the Bleeding Obvious type. And I don't believe there is a household in the Western World that has teenagers who are not Selectively Blind, as well as Selectively Deaf, regardless of how technologically proficient they are.

So here's a helpful little sign that is about to go into service. You are welcome to adapt to your own needs, be it at home or at work.

When Library Science meets Real Life ...

... or, I was so bored that not only did I actually did put the spice rack in alpha-order, but created a "closed stack" (actually "closed basket") for lesser-used spices. This will be shelved in a designated cupboard known as The Cupboard with the Other Stuff in it (COS).

That may well become the second in a series of two cupboards for such purposes, and thus will be known by the acronym B-COS.

But wait, there's more! I also used "promotion" of those products that I believe would be more popular if they were used more often (like, der!) . Plus, I "inter-shelved" non-spice formatted flavorings for A More Sophisticated Palate. Yes!!!

I gotta get out more, ya know?

When budget insufficiences call for desperate measures

"Surveillance cameras may be in use." Pictured is one of many notices on the [Sydney] CityRail network. Needless to say the may should be emphasised - because there really wasn't any.

It's a bit of a give-away when other signs around CityRail buildings say "24 hour surveillance in operation".

So, is CityRail, and by association the government, trying to "intimidate" the public? I figure a "reasonable person" (which I am reliably informed is terminology from our fine legal system) would consider this nothing more than an attempt to encourage appropriate behaviour.

Others may disagree. But here's the "rub"; such a sign in a library would be trying to achieve the same goal - particularly when said library may well not have a sufficient budget to actually install CCTV.

Interestingly, such equipment - which is now available at such a low price there really isn't any reason for even the smallest library to install same - has been proven to reduce theft, graffiti, bullying and many other socially unacceptable behaviour.

"Intimidating"? Only to those with evil intentions. Desperate indeed.

"Content-free" Information

Time for a laugh? Try the Uncyclopedia wiki, which describes itself as "content-free". A bit like The Onion meets Encyclopedia Britannica meets Mad magazine. But with all the digital search functionality that young folk in particular demand. Just my personal opinion, but I'd be introducing this to Information Literacy classes and those government instrumentalities (not local, as far as I know) looking to close school libraries.

There's no information as to copyright arrangements for images, so apologies in advance if anyone gets upset about this particular image - it will be removed immediately if it violates some law of which I am not aware, or any Intellectual Property claim if such is in existence.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Polar_bear

Collection Culling: No need for panic. Yet.

This is a warning that intelligent, well educated and cynical (sorry, realistic) folk such as librarians will not need. Not all media reports are accurate. One example relates to the report that the University of Sydney's Fisher Library "disposing" of more than half a million books. (See also Media Reports such as http://tinyurl.com/5t4h6va )


The Fisher Library Librarian was on Sydney radio this morning (2UE?). The books are going into closed stack. They have about 60 retrievals a day from there. Students will still be able to borrow the books, but they won't be taking up the space needed for the one lineal kilometre of shelving needed for new acquisitions each year.

Those items being "disposed" are duplicate copies; unsuitable and unused donations; older editions that have been replaced by current editions; and journals where these is a digital copy available. There is *** no need to panic***.

Incidentally, the reports of protesters who intend to borrow en masse leave the library staff absolutely thrilled with the free publicity. I'd venture to suggest that records would show those registered as "protesters" haven't actually borrowed anything since their enrollment.

Personally, I have fond memories of the library, particularly of the vending machine "eatery" beneath the main building, immediately adjacent to the Edgeworth David (geosciences) building, where I spent 4 years of my life. (E.D., not the eatery).

[Pictured here outside the Great Hall with my "baby" sister, who is now one of two barristers in the family.]


As to the loss of 30 staff members ... that wasn't actually mentioned by The Fisher Librarian.

Wisecrack Generator

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/inplainsight/games/wisecrack/

Well worth a visit!!!

More Google Fun: Chuck Norris

"Google won't search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you"

Philosophy from Fiction: Opinions

Now on my third re-reading of this worthy and highly underrated tome:

All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well-supported in logic and argument than others.

The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time. Douglas Adams. ISBN 0-330-41843-2, p. 98


My next quest will be to try to locate a copy of The Experts Speak (Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky) as recommended by the sadly missed Douglas.

Professional Development: A missed opportunity

"School" goes back tomorrow, but only for staff in NSW government schools; the kids go back the next day. This is to allow teachers and other school staff to be professionally developed in a "student-free" environment.

At my place of employment they are having a whole day lecture for the local learning community (the high school plus the surrounding primary schools) on Brain Based Learning. Colour me surprised! Just shows how little I know - I thought *all* learning occurred in the brain.

So anyway, in the hope that I would not be professionally disadvantaged in comparison with my classroom colleagues, I did a little research and reading from the 'net. I found the following recent article particularly enlightening:

Brain-(not) Based Education: Dangers of Misunderstanding and Misapplication of Neuroscience Research : " ... Oversimplification or inappropriate interpretation of complex neuroscience research is widespread among curricula claiming that brain-based approaches are effective for improved learning and retention ..."

Wordle Fun

Click on image for enlargement.

http://www.wordle.net/

Inspiring Websites

Check out http://www.limeandtonic.com/sydney/en/index.php for excellence in website design. If I was giving out prizes, this one would be a "first place" for innovation, use of coding, originality, etc etc etc. Purists shouldn't pay too much attention to the content (I didn't, but then I was looking for something else) - just the website design.

Imagine that level of digital excellence and creativity transferred to a library/book/author website. Or maybe just the capacity to purchase the necessary software and the intestinal fortitude to run with something so far removed from the "industry standard".

(Actually, JK Rowlings' site fulfils the above criteria - and look how brilliant that site is. By golly, don't you wonder how many books she might have sold if it were not for that website? Yeah, OK ... stretching it a little bit there.)

Not so smart - Google Maps

It's brilliant in so many ways; not to mention plug-ins like Google Earth. But it does seem to be a little flawed. If you ask for driving directions from Sydney Australia to New York, NY, you'll get the usual highly detailed street directions .... try it for yourself.

You'll get told that it is a 56 day drive, but instruction 123 on my test was "kayak across the Pacific" (from Tokyo to Hawaii) . I want to know why I would have to kayak, when there's perfectly good luxury liners offering passage. Is it something to do with carbon footprints, or an economy option?

Film adaptation of Challenged Book

Here in Australia, there was much concern in certain areas about "We need to talk about Kevin"; the film adaptation has been shortlisted for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, according to the Orange folk's Facebook page.

Just remember, you read it here second, or maybe third :-0