Saturday, January 5, 2013
Dear Tony Lee, Here's a couple more examples of stress in libraries
Board Members from Hell
“That is the definitive record of what happened in the meetings rather than the propaganda sheet that comes out in the minutes,” he said.
The Randy Hopp Story
Toxic staff members
Gail Borden Public Library board member requests recording of each month's board meetings via a freedom of information request.
“That is the definitive record of what happened in the meetings rather than the propaganda sheet that comes out in the minutes,” he said.
The Randy Hopp Story
Toxic staff members
The Beth Elder Story (starting with 11/3/2011 post)
Related post:
CNBC Selects the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2013. (1/4/2013)
Shipments Still Being Received by Libraries as We Speak
L. Ron Hubbad's Books Now Available in Lending Libraries Across 192 Lands. (Scientology Newsroom, 1/27/2011)
Excerpt: The full scope of this library donation program encompassed more than 4.2 million books, CDs and DVDs to over 150 thousand libraries across 192 nations. In consequence, the Scripture of Scientology is now freely accessible to 90 percent of the world’s population, in the following languages:
Video Game Buyback Program in Southington Connecticut: Will the Library Be Encouraged to Participate?
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(Southington Library and Museum catalog)
Connecticut Town To Destroy Video Games And Violent Media. (CBLDF, 1/4/2013) Excerpt: For many others, however, the impending destruction recalls the past incineration of all kinds of creative works, from Beatles records to — of course — comic books, that some adults thought had a negative influence on youth. In reality, there is no proven link between gun violence and video games, but that has not stopped lawmakers and media commentators from trying to blame them for virtually every mass shooting by a young male since the Columbine massacre in 1999.
Excerpt: Just incredible, 13+ This game is just too good for words. It goes beyond a game, it turns into an exhilirating [sic] devastating adventure which you yourself will feel a part of. There's is a lot of gun violence with some blood but it isn't excessive. Language including a few uses of the F-word and some uses of the S-word and other not as bad swear words.
Friday, January 4, 2013
CNBC Selects the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2013
And here's #8: Librarian.
Call us crazy, or call it public service beyond the call of duty, but there was no way we wanted to keep the library closed for a month.
It's duly noted here that I had the pleasure of working with a dedicated, hard-working, customer-focused staff throughout my 22 years at Middleton.
A stress-free summer at the library as described in letters to Mom.
Friday, June 4, 1999. A Hint of Things to Come.
June is off to a cool start, the daytime high temperatures barely registering 70 degrees. This unseasonable weather has been lucky for those of us who work at the library, where the air-conditioning was not working for 2½ days this week. The inside of the building started to get a little stuffy on Tuesday. Usually when this happens, we can flip the switch of the main condensing unit in the basement mechanical room, and the system reboots itself, or whatever. Despite my repeated efforts, that contingency didn’t work. Time to call American Heating & Air Conditioning. Of course, it would take a day for someone to respond to our call.
On Wednesday, the service technician discovered a Freon leak, and it took him the rest of the day and all day yesterday to make the necessary repairs. (That invoice will put a big dent in the building maintenance subaccount of the library’s budget!) Today the library was almost too cold, even after we made the necessary adjustments to the air-flow controls on some of the ceiling vents.
Monday, July 25. Worst Possible News.
I’m not going to be able to make it to the state baseball tournament in Menomonie.
Today I received the worst possible news from a couple of technicians from a local heating and air-conditioning service. Our a-c system died, probably from a power surge or a lightning strike, although none of us at the library could remember a time when lightning struck anywhere near the building. Now I need to attend to the details of writing up an insurance report, arranging for a replacement system to be installed, and securing contingency funding in the neighborhood of $30,000 from the city. (Fortunately, the council meets next week.)
This crisis couldn’t have occurred at a worse time. We experienced the muggiest weekend of the summer so far, and the long-range forecast for the week is a bleak: chance of thunderstorms and temperatures approaching 90 degrees every single day.
Today the interior of the library was stifling, although by the evening the numerous fans we had placed at the entrance and near the various service desks provided a little bit of relief. If the heat doesn’t break by the end of the week, I wonder if we’ll have to close for awhile. A new system isn’t likely to be installed and operating for at least a couple weeks.
The carpeting between the circulation and reference desk is starting to buckle, and the intense humidity trapped inside the building is only going to make that condition worse. I just try to keep my eyes focused on the big picture and tell myself, “This, too, will pass.”
Sunday, July 25. Update.
First of all, I’ll give you an update on the library air-conditioning crisis.
The city requires bids for any projects over $10,000, no matter what the emergency, so that hurdle kept us from progressing as quickly as I hoped we would. It wasn’t until late Friday afternoon that the finance director, city custodian, and I decided on which replacement system to order. The cost of this project will be very close to the ballpark estimate we were given last Monday, when the service technicians gave our nonoperating system its final rites: $31,000. The new system won’t be available for shipment until August 5th, and delivery takes 7 to 10 days, which means the library will continue to be without a cooling system until mid-August.
Last Thursday, the city administrator told me that the mayor was starting to take an interest in this problem, perhaps postponing a decision to the next council meeting, scheduled for the 27th. But on Friday, as we sat down to our meeting to review the bids, the finance director said, “We’re going to order something today.” The mayor may not be pleased with his being kept out of the loop as a final decision was made, but I was not about to let anything delay this project any further.
Because of the delay in gathering bids, we were unable to hold onto a replacement system our service technicians had located in Nashville, Tennessee. We had to commit to it by Wednesday afternoon, which didn’t fit our suddenly expanded schedule. Replacing the library air-conditioning system is not like walking into a local warehouse and picking something off the shelf. Some of the other vendors who provided bids weren’t able to deliver a unit until late August.
We survived the hottest, most humid week of the month, although by Friday afternoon, the interior of the library was starting to feel like a sauna. I decided we’d only be open four hours on Saturday, from 9:00 to 1:00, instead of our usual eight hours.
The heat has intensified this weekend, with the high temperatures in the low 90s yesterday, the mid 90s today. I plan to visit the library later today to check on how intolerable the conditions have become. I also want to see if there has been any further residual damage. The carpet is buckling all over the place. We had to put up signs telling people to “Watch Your Step”. We lost a computer terminal at the reference desk. We have to keep one of the photocopiers off since the humidity-drenched paper keeps jamming. Who knows what else will pop up during the next three weeks?
Thursday, August 19. New System Up and Running
Our new air-conditioning system has been up and running since Monday afternoon. The unit was in place on the Thursday I returned to work, but it took until Monday for the final installation procedures and a check of the electrical wiring to be completed. Naturally, we’re all pleased to have our comfortable work environment back again. Just as I predicted, the weather immediately turned unseasonably cool. No record-breaking low temperatures, though.
Take your pick, Tony.
Stress comes in all kinds of packages, like the big one we received at the Middleton Public Library in 1999. I would have gladly dealt with a few surly and/or panicked teenagers instead.
Call us crazy, or call it public service beyond the call of duty, but there was no way we wanted to keep the library closed for a month.
It's duly noted here that I had the pleasure of working with a dedicated, hard-working, customer-focused staff throughout my 22 years at Middleton.
A stress-free summer at the library as described in letters to Mom.
Friday, June 4, 1999. A Hint of Things to Come.
June is off to a cool start, the daytime high temperatures barely registering 70 degrees. This unseasonable weather has been lucky for those of us who work at the library, where the air-conditioning was not working for 2½ days this week. The inside of the building started to get a little stuffy on Tuesday. Usually when this happens, we can flip the switch of the main condensing unit in the basement mechanical room, and the system reboots itself, or whatever. Despite my repeated efforts, that contingency didn’t work. Time to call American Heating & Air Conditioning. Of course, it would take a day for someone to respond to our call.
On Wednesday, the service technician discovered a Freon leak, and it took him the rest of the day and all day yesterday to make the necessary repairs. (That invoice will put a big dent in the building maintenance subaccount of the library’s budget!) Today the library was almost too cold, even after we made the necessary adjustments to the air-flow controls on some of the ceiling vents.
Monday, July 25. Worst Possible News.
I’m not going to be able to make it to the state baseball tournament in Menomonie.
Today I received the worst possible news from a couple of technicians from a local heating and air-conditioning service. Our a-c system died, probably from a power surge or a lightning strike, although none of us at the library could remember a time when lightning struck anywhere near the building. Now I need to attend to the details of writing up an insurance report, arranging for a replacement system to be installed, and securing contingency funding in the neighborhood of $30,000 from the city. (Fortunately, the council meets next week.)
This crisis couldn’t have occurred at a worse time. We experienced the muggiest weekend of the summer so far, and the long-range forecast for the week is a bleak: chance of thunderstorms and temperatures approaching 90 degrees every single day.
Today the interior of the library was stifling, although by the evening the numerous fans we had placed at the entrance and near the various service desks provided a little bit of relief. If the heat doesn’t break by the end of the week, I wonder if we’ll have to close for awhile. A new system isn’t likely to be installed and operating for at least a couple weeks.
The carpeting between the circulation and reference desk is starting to buckle, and the intense humidity trapped inside the building is only going to make that condition worse. I just try to keep my eyes focused on the big picture and tell myself, “This, too, will pass.”
Sunday, July 25. Update.
First of all, I’ll give you an update on the library air-conditioning crisis.
The city requires bids for any projects over $10,000, no matter what the emergency, so that hurdle kept us from progressing as quickly as I hoped we would. It wasn’t until late Friday afternoon that the finance director, city custodian, and I decided on which replacement system to order. The cost of this project will be very close to the ballpark estimate we were given last Monday, when the service technicians gave our nonoperating system its final rites: $31,000. The new system won’t be available for shipment until August 5th, and delivery takes 7 to 10 days, which means the library will continue to be without a cooling system until mid-August.
Last Thursday, the city administrator told me that the mayor was starting to take an interest in this problem, perhaps postponing a decision to the next council meeting, scheduled for the 27th. But on Friday, as we sat down to our meeting to review the bids, the finance director said, “We’re going to order something today.” The mayor may not be pleased with his being kept out of the loop as a final decision was made, but I was not about to let anything delay this project any further.
Because of the delay in gathering bids, we were unable to hold onto a replacement system our service technicians had located in Nashville, Tennessee. We had to commit to it by Wednesday afternoon, which didn’t fit our suddenly expanded schedule. Replacing the library air-conditioning system is not like walking into a local warehouse and picking something off the shelf. Some of the other vendors who provided bids weren’t able to deliver a unit until late August.
We survived the hottest, most humid week of the month, although by Friday afternoon, the interior of the library was starting to feel like a sauna. I decided we’d only be open four hours on Saturday, from 9:00 to 1:00, instead of our usual eight hours.
The heat has intensified this weekend, with the high temperatures in the low 90s yesterday, the mid 90s today. I plan to visit the library later today to check on how intolerable the conditions have become. I also want to see if there has been any further residual damage. The carpet is buckling all over the place. We had to put up signs telling people to “Watch Your Step”. We lost a computer terminal at the reference desk. We have to keep one of the photocopiers off since the humidity-drenched paper keeps jamming. Who knows what else will pop up during the next three weeks?
Thursday, August 19. New System Up and Running
Our new air-conditioning system has been up and running since Monday afternoon. The unit was in place on the Thursday I returned to work, but it took until Monday for the final installation procedures and a check of the electrical wiring to be completed. Naturally, we’re all pleased to have our comfortable work environment back again. Just as I predicted, the weather immediately turned unseasonably cool. No record-breaking low temperatures, though.
Take your pick, Tony.
Max Garland Named Wisconsin's New Poet Laureate
Excerpt: Garland, now charged with promoting poetry across the state, will receive $2,000 and two weeklong residencies at Shake Rag Alley School for Arts and Crafts in Mineral Point. The poet laureate position, eliminated from the governor's office in early 2011, is now supported by the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission under the stewardship of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Winner of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center
Open Competition for 2006
Lester Library of Rome Fundraising Progress Report
Rome library raises $180K toward expansion. (Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, 1/3/2013)
Fundraising goal: $900,000
Current facility
- Constructed in 2001
- 2,500 square feet
- Capacity: 30
Addition will add 6,000 square feet.
Related posts:
Fundraising campaign for a much-needed building expansion. (5/2/2012)
Home Town Rome Players raise $6,000 for library building expansion fund. (10/28/2011)
Library needs more room. (6/24/2011)
Netflix, ebooks, and library building projects, part 61. (6/20/2012)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
51 Years Ago Today: Librarian Victim of Purse Snatching
from the Wisconsin State Journal, January 3, 1962, page 2
Brooklyn, Wisconsin, not Brooklyn, New York.
Once upon a time, the Village of Brooklyn used to have a library. Earlier references to it are made in a history of the Brooklyn Garden Club.
In May of 1934, contributions were made to Brooklyn’s Library Fund.
In 1936, Edna White conducted a riddle contest at the White Elephant Sale- proceeds went to buy books on gardening for the library.
Perhaps the mid-30s was when the library was first organized?
If I recall from my browsing of the shelves at the UW-Madison SLIS library -- and it's a fuzzy look back -- the Brooklyn Public Library was listed in a 1971 Directory of Staff Members in Dane County Libraries. Whatever the case, Brooklyn has been without a library for many years. Now the Dane County Library Service bookmobile stops there.
Paging the Library History Buff!
One more thing. using this inflation calculator, $60 in 1962 is now the equivalent of $440 today. Perhaps Ethel.....
Her monthly wages, at best, I presume.
Wisconsin Legislative Session Calendar for 2013 (Tentative)/Library Legislative Day Reminder (Not Tentative)
- "Meeting with Legislators"
- Step #1 -- make an appointment -- is being done for you by the Library Legislative Day planning subcommittee of WLA's Library Development & Legislation Committee.
- Legislative policy statements
- Issues papers (revised versions available soon)
And please consider also attending this event.
Another Post-It to Robin Vos's Legislative To-Do List
Incoming Speaker Vos seeks lower tax rates. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/3/2013)
Related posts:
Vos appends his legislative to-do list. (12/4/2012)
Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Board Puts on the Rose-Colored Glasses
LINK to editorial
I suppose "slow" is one way of putting it.
Related post:
Work to do, words to live by. (12/27/2013)
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
50 Years Ago Today: Wisconsin State Journal Editorializes for a New Central Library
Until 1964, the Madison Central Library was located on North Carroll Street, across from Central High School. What remains of Central is now the downtown campus of Madison (Area Technical) College.
As it turned out, the parking utility got its way. A parking ramp now sits where the library used to be. And a new central library, now undergoing an extensive renovation, was constructed on Mifflin Street between Henry and Fairchild streets.
Based on this column graph, print books are not likely to go away anytime soon
Ereader user increases slows. (eMarketer, 1/2/2013)
Excerpt: eMarketer estimates that nearly 50 million Americans used an ereader at least monthly [emphasis added] in 2012. This year, the number of users is expected to increase 10.1% to 21.8% of internet users or 16.8% of the total population. eMarketer’s estimates of ereader users include those using devices with e-ink displays, such as Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. Devices with an LCD screen like the NOOK Color are considered tablets.
Related posts:
Printed books still lead ebooks by a significant margin. (12/28/2012)
Ebook market pauses to take a breath. (12/25/2012)
Year-to-date book revenues: Jan-Jul 2011 and Jan-Jul 2012. (11/1/2012)
Libraries get screwed when it comes to price of and access to ebooks. (9/10/2012)
Millennials lead the way....to fewer bookstores? (8/22/2012)
Ebooks sliding down the peak of inflated expectations. (8/18/2012)
Adult hardcover book sales hold their own, paperbacks sales drop in 1st quarter of 2012. (6/17/2012)
Library ebook circulation skyrockets @ the Greendale Public Library and throughout Wisconsin. (5/29/2012)
In so many words: Libraries will have a place at the table. (4/30/2012)
3M Cloud Library ebook lending service goes beta at select libraries. (4/28/2012)
Pew Research: The rise of e-reading, summarized. (4/5/2012)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution attempts to get a handle on the ebook era. (4/2/2012)
And I quote from "Bringing Up an E-Reader". (3/29/2012)
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board weighs in on ebooks and libraries. (3/19/2012)
Carl Zimmer responds to Franzen. (1/31/2012)
It's only Monday but this is still the best ebook headline of the week. (1/20/2012)
Jonathan Franzen has something to say about ebooks. (1/30/2012)
As they have been doing all along, libraries adapt to technology. (1/29/2012)
Floating an Idea: The Harvard Library Innovation Laboratory's Library License. (1/17/2012)
Getting in line @ your library for ebooks. (1/15/2012)
The Post-Christmas ebook sales surge. (1/10/2012)
Honey, we've been 'trying' it. For years. (12/25/2011)
Chris Bohjalian on our totemic connection to books. (12/20/2011)
Hold that bricks-and-mortar bookstore obituary. (12/13/2011)
Your local public library: The greenest option of all in the ebooks vs. print books debate. (12/11/2011)
Go directly to Amazon, do not pass library. (11/3/2011)
Ebooks in U.S. public libraries. (10/22/2011)
How ebook buyers discover books. (9/27/2011)
Cookbooks make the transition to digital publishing. (9/27/2011)
Redefining what an ebook is and who gets to publish it. (9/19/2011)
The L.A.Times on ebooks: An Amazon tablet, push into interactivity. (9/16/2011)
The Economist: "Great digital expectations". (9/16/2011)
Lev Grossman presents a short history of the reading device.. (9/6/2011)
Speaking of gadgets, here's the latest iteration of ebooks. (8/25/2011)
Sounds like another digital divide in the making. (7/30/2011)
Libraries and ebooks: Any book, not any time soon. (6/1/2011)
On the distinction between the book reader and the book owner. (5/10/2011)
Demand for ebooks grows exponentially in Wisconsin. (5/2/2011)
Struggling to find an ebook common agenda between libraries and publishers. (4/5/2011)
Ebooks and libraries: "The challenges just keep piling up". (3/28/2011)
Publishers Weekly tracks ebook sales. (3/18/2011)
Word is getting out: Ebooks @ your library. (3/18/2011)
Ebooks continue to gain market share. (3/17/2011)
Publishers look to bottom line in formulating ebook policies for libraries. (3/15/2011)
News stories on HarperCollins ebook decision go mainstream. (3/5/2011)
9 years of book sales: trade and ebook. (2/17/2011)
Will ebook readers be wooed by Barbara Cartland? (2/12/2011)
The impact of ebooks on libraries. (2/11/2011)
OverDrive news release: Library eBook circs up 200% in '10. (1/10/2011)
Mashable: 5 ebook trends that will change the future of publishing. (12/29/2010)
Christmas 2010 the tipping point for ebooks? (12/24/2010)
Ereader as brown paper bag. (12/9/2010)
The ebook reader compatibility surprise. (12/3/2010)
Ereader ownership: Survey says.... (11/30/2010)
David Carnoy asks, "Does the Kindle pay for itself?" (11/29/2010)
Need to repair that ebook reader? (11/19/2010)
Who uses an ereader: Survey says.... (9/22/2010)
Book industry wrestles with print vs. pixels. (9/2/2010)
Coming soon to a screen near you: Ads in ebooks. (8/20/2010)
Ebooks now comprise 8.5% of book sales. (8/12/2010)
Genre paperback publishers drops print. (8/6/2010)
Ebooks and libraries. (5/4/2010)
Ebooks eliminate a free form of adversiting: the book jacket. (3/31/2010)
Ebooks: another round of false promises? (3/19/2010)
The skinny on ebooks. (3/8/2010)
Hardcover vs. ebook: Breaking down the costs. (3/1/2010)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Mobile Apps @ Your Library
Pew Internet: Mobile Connection to Libraries. (12/31/2012)
Library Web sites see boost in mobile traffic. (CNET News, 12/31/2012)
Excerpt: Mobile is key for any organization that wants to capture the attention of Americans -- even for an institution that seems as antiquated as the public library system.
CountyCat
Library Web sites see boost in mobile traffic. (CNET News, 12/31/2012)
Excerpt: Mobile is key for any organization that wants to capture the attention of Americans -- even for an institution that seems as antiquated as the public library system.
CountyCat
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