eBooks: Still a long way to go

So, the retail store that was bankrupt into closing and has now re-opened as an online store sure has a whole truckload of items on offer, including eBooks. Time to load up the olde eBook reader for the holidays. Hmmm ... what to buy when mere cents are required?

Lets try the old 'humor' search and see what's on offer. And just who is this author?

How cheap can cheap books get?

Monday's drive out to Penrith in the stinking heat in a non-air conditioned vehicle was the pits; but well worth the trip to participate in the Western Sydney Region Teacher Librarians' 2012 National Year of Reading Think Tank, hosted by Penrith Public Library. Great ideas getting tossed around there.

As an extra special bonus, I got to visit the cheap book place everyone is talking about, in the adjacent Penrith Plaza. Sure does have a heap of quality books for the minuscule amount of five bucks. Good luck to my colleagues who are authorised to take advantage of these retail outlets. I'm still trying to figure out why that select group school principals, who control the working conditions as well as the budgets of school library folk would object to getting a little more bang for their buck.

Anyways, having traversed the shopping mall to get to the library, just outside the library were paperback spinners stacked with library culls selling for 20 cents each. Oh boy!

But in today's email came what has to be the cheapest of the cheap books. A company called Free eBooks wrote to tell me that they currently have a 50% off sale ....

2011 Best Books?

The UK Guardian Newspaper has published its list of the Books of the Year.

I don't want to say too much about this list, cos there's a few 'personnel' who may complain to the 'authorities' (again) that it somehow shows I have a financial interest in the Guardian newspaper, and I'd be in yet more poop.

There's got to be something wrong with a government system that says they don't have to proved guilty of an unfounded allegation for which there is no proof; you that have to prove yourself innocent - when even Blind Freddy can see it's a malicious and vindictive complaint. Not to mention a backlog of allegations of which you aren't even informed!

No, no ... we're not speaking here of San Salvadore or any similar country. This is Australia, a Constitutional Democracy. Or so we teach in our schools.

A financial interest in the publication? Heck, I don't really even have an interest in their best books list ...

Dessert. Yummy!

So you take your basic After-Dinner fare, and look at the choices for presenting it so it is a delight to the eye as well as the palette. Mmmmm. Add ice cream, cream, or both?

And just think! Shortly there'll be an addition with blood pressure apparently well on the way up!

Ah, the carefree life of library folk with the sound of the beeping of bar code scanners during stock take; the cheerful discussion about what eBook reader is best for libraries with very small budgets - not to mention various formats for eBooks and proprietary software for same; the future of the profession hanging in the balance once again; the generation of yet more policies, procedures and documentation.

So much to do ... (Part 1)

Today I collected up all my borrowed stuff, and returned everything to the library. What exhausted me was the next six hours on the 'net looking for this picture. Isn't it brilliant?

The Use of Positive Attitudes

Days of Celebration: Do we need a few more?

I was very disappointed to find out that World Zombie Day had come and gone (October 8th), without my even knowing about it. So, as one does, I went a-searching for any other significant day of which I should be aware.

Who knew that there was International Awesomeness Day? Given that it's on March 10th (Chuck Norris' birthday), there's plenty of time (now) to prepare for the next one.

Seems to me like there should be a whole raft of other days of international celebration. Anyone got any suggestions?

This Week's Achievements

This week I completed over 2 thousand data entry units, plus relocated over two tons of resources. Luckily the resources were on wheels! And had power steering with air conditioning and quite a good sound system ...

The current gig is still continuing, but comes up for review in a week. Makes me think of the posters about "what has been seen cannot be unseen". A person could do worse with their time to do a Google image search for that. Just a thought, not a suggestion or anything, you understand?

Wise Words for today: Sarcasm

Grammar is not a dirty word, is it?

Original author unknown. Will acknowledge when author is tracked down.

The Bookcase Project

PhilipMSr responded to Rules for a Home Collection Weed (10/8/11), and wrote:

"I like the photo and wish you would add it to my bookcase photo collection site. I have two Australians which view the site, but not bookcase photos from them. Please share this comment with your fan base so there will be more representation from Australia."

So there you go, PhilipMSr. I hope you won't be too disappointed to find out that book cases in the Antipodes are pretty much the same as anywhere else on the planet.

Screaming Part 2: Stressed Librarians

After searching for suitable AV material for Information Literacy Lessons, I came across this invaluable piece of advice for library folk who need a good scream. I'm just about to go do the costings for this project, which I think should have top expenditure priority in any library. Picture hopefully coming soon ...

TED and Conventional Wisdom

I signed up with TED today. Did you ever see that bumper sticker [slash] t-shirt [slash] poster that said "Everyone's entitled to my opinion"? I suppose this is a reaction against that other saying "If I want your opinion I'll give it to you".


And speaking of supplimentary wisdom, I wish that I'd thought of this when I was asked (by someone 20 years my junior!) hadn't I heard about "not hanging out the dirty washing in public"? The circumstances you can guess at, but if I'd been in a different frame of mind I may well have countered with "is that like sweeping the dirt under the carpet?".

Ah well. Yet more of l'esprit de l'escalier.

Rules for a Home Collection Weed

In the interests of efficiency and sanity, and of course with the benefit of Hindsight, it would probably have been a better idea to finish the cull before the Garage Sale. Which is interesting at least from the perspective that October is Mental Health Month.

But the truth of the matter is there was so much junk in front of this book case, we couldn't get to the lower shelves - which is why all the upper shelves are neat and approximately "Dewey-ized". OK, it's just the sports books that are close together, but hey! This is my home library and I'll put books together on the basis of their size if it suits my mood at the time. I know that will sound rash and dangerous to some of my colleagues, but I'm standing firm on this one. Let them take me to court if it upsets them! We live in dangerous times, and I feel like I'm up to the challenge, at least on the matter of home library organisation.

But I have digressed. Is anyone surprised? Hidden on the lower shelves were the "resources" that were a bit iffy the last few times I was culling. Favorite picture books from my children's early years - fairly poor condition, but would these be something my children might like to pass on down to their children? Books I had picked up at sales (some at 90% of their RRP like "101 Things for Bright Boys to Do"), with the intention of including them in the Day Job library - but given the rejection of the application for reimbursement for the last Ripley's Believe it or Not (at less than $20), now headed elsewhere.

What are the culling guidelines for a professional library, as opposed to a home library? Frequency of use? Condition? Likelihood of future use? Bias? Currency? Relevance to the curriculum (school and academic libraries?) From my personal perspective, biggest difference is that of sentimental value - which should count for zilch in a professional library, but it's up there with the biggies in a Home Library Collection.

New Donations Policy

We had a Garage Sale (Yard Sale for our US cousins) today. Mostly it was just the usual junk that isn't used or wanted - only horded away "just in case".

We've had them before, over the years. But this year marks a First Ever inclusion - books. Until now, I'd always given our 'pre-loved' books to whatever library I was working in.

As we are a family of diverse reading preferences, our cast-offs generally help fill a number of gaps in various collections.

This year, things have changed. Over the last four years, I've donated over 2000 bucks worth of books to a Library of My Acquaintance. As they say, "no good deed goes unpunished" ... those who know what's going on will understand. The others will just have to wait for my official autobiography. Which, I suggest, you will need to read sitting down. The movie rights are still open for negotiation.

Anyways, although only getting a dollar or two for books that cost over $40 originally, any funds raised will go towards additions to our Home Library. Seems fair to me.

Justice for all?

He was 14 yrs. 6mos. and 5 days old --- and the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th Century

In a South Carolina prison sixty-six years ago, guards walked a 14-year-old boy, bible tucked under his arm, to the electric chair. At 5' 1" and 95 pounds, the straps didn’t fit, and an electrode was too big for his leg. Now, a community activist is fighting to clear Stinney’s name ... You can read the rest of the news report here.

Sixty years later, and folk are now interested in the truth. It'll scare you - especially when you find out that this is still going on now, and where YOU live.

Here in Australia, a hundred years after his execution, Harry "Breaker" Morant may receive a posthumous pardon (see here) following the investigation of new evidence by Australian Navy Commander James Unkles.

However, the British government, who conducted the trial in 1902, refused to grant the pardon (see here). Australian Navy Commander James Unkles commented ''It is pathetic. Dr Fox appears to have been advised by a group of faceless public servants. The responsee does not address the legal issues involved. We will grind on until this matter is the subject of judicial review. This is only the beginning."

Is this our new poster-boy for justice? The South Carolina case re-opened after 60 years, "Breaker Morant's" steamrolling investigated after more than 100 years.

Meanwhile, here and now in this state, if a government employee gets "investigated" due to malicious and spiteful complaints by a manager - you're likely to be found "guilty" - based on no evidence at all and exclusively heresay - even to the extent of ignoring the recommendations of its own internal investigator. Cases won't be reopened even only months after they've been closed - regardless of how compelling the evidence or how many primary witnesses come forth unsolicited.

Anecdotal evidence together with mainstream media reports would seem to indicate that the incidence of suicide by public servants is escalating. (Interestingly, the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not record the occupations of suicides.) Would a firing squad ultimately be more humane?

Are YOU OK?

Today was "RUOK Day". The purpose is to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and introduce small kindnesses such as asking someone who is stressed, troubled, in a crisis, etc if they are OK.

Then, of course, you have to be prepared to listen - really listen, not just stand by looking at your watch with one foot poised for take-off. That's the hard part.

You'll never know how much you can do for someone in a crisis situation, until you listen to what they have to say.

The three objectives of RUOK Day are:
(1) Help employees and students feel good about themselves by connecting with, and supporting others.
(2) Increase connection and support within groups.
(3) Through reducing stress and depression, help reduce Australia's suicide rate.

Stress and depression are the largest contributors to lost productivity in Australia, directly costing employers an estimated $10.11 billion a year (Medibank 2009).

The R U OK? at Work initiative is intended to help combat workplace stress by urging employers and business leaders to actively encourage positive, meaningful conversations between staff and ensure they know who to turn to when they’re not OK.

Every workplace can choose how they would like to run R U OK? at Work, all we ask is that when employees take time out for a coffee or a break on Thursday September 15, they're encouraged to start a conversation with someone they care about.

Interestingly, just a few weeks ago I was told - officially, and in writing - that under our employment conditions, there is "no entitlement to a morning break". This was in response to a number of other questions I asked ... I didn't even raise that issue, only those of parity and natural justice. Is it any wonder there are increasing instances of stress in our profession?

I really really wanted to make a few phone calls today, and just let a few people of my acquaintance know that its people like them, with their bullying, intimidation, inflexibility, self-serving selfishness, pettiness and abuse of their position are the reason why there are so many work-place related suicides.

I didn't make those phone calls. But I have third-party documentation witnessing that a number of workplace bullies read this blog - ironically so they can use it as fodder for their whining, trite complaints. It's possible that I'll be told to remove this posting. Also possible that I'll get yet another reprimand, and maybe worse. Guess what? I still figure that my employment arrangements do not negate my right to have an opinion and express it publicly. Last time I looked, Australia was still a democracy.

I will await the inevitable, and share the outcome.

Shame File: School Library Expenditure

How can a school spend $0.00 on their library, and then bank over a million dollars? These figures are from a school's annual report. Just to let you know that this is a government high school in NSW, but not one where I am employed (nor ever have been).

This is a public document available through the Internet, without any password etc requirements. You can locate it through a Google (or other search tool) search for "NSW school annual report" [insert year]. You will get a clearer image by clicking on this one, which will enlarge it.

At the bottom of the document it says "the school" invites you to contact them for more information. I wonder if anyone did.

Sort of makes me want to go check out some others ...






Hey! Just for comparison, this is the library expenditure for the geographically closest school to the one above. Interestingly, the schools are about the same size.

You can see this one spent more than $25K on their library, and banked "only" $708, 000.

Their income was $3,285,896 for 1165 students ($2820 per student). Library expenditure was $25231 ($21 per student).

Notably this school excels academically.

The first example's income for the same year was $2, 999,720 for 1200 students ($2499 per student). Library expenditure was $0.00 total, or equal to 0.00 per student.

Both schools are in an area of socio-economic advantage. Both are for the 2010 school year. Go figure ...

It's so hard to get good help these days ...

... but when you think about the fishy pay, lack of training, not actually caring too much about the outcomes, toilet facilities, etc, then I suppose it's only to be expected. So here's a tip - don't expect much from your cat, except cat hairs in your printer. Sigh.

Where do YOU go to scream?

So it was just another one of those days, where somewhere back down deep in the reptilian part of your brain you know that a good deep scream will somehow help you cope. The question is where does one go, if you're in a city - let alone an office?

Back in the day where horror flicks were all the rage, one could have popped in and let loose with the general movie goers, at the appropriate times, of course. No one ever screams at the pictures any more - at least not that I've heard for maybe 20 years. Maybe I'm going to the wrong movies?

Folk in rural areas might be able to find a spot isolated enough for a belly roar - but for city folk by the time you've driven anywhere far enough away from folk who might become alarmed, the urge for a bellow will probably have passed.

In an office? Forget it. Someone will call in SWAT or ALA or something, and you'll have to fill out forms and be assessed and maybe even have your shoelaces taken away. Or so I believe - I'm not talking from experience here.

There's a woeful lack of soundproof areas available for primal screams. Under OHS (or OSH if you're in another hemisphere), someone should do something about it.

Just my thought for today.