wrap-up before the wrap-up

As you know, I usually post the list of what I’ve read at around this time, but I haven’t read enough this year by my own admission so I will be adding a few more leftover links in this space and posting a “best of” list in a day or two. First of all check out what I saw in Boston.

sexy librarian?

It’s an ad for Sony’s “Reader Digital Book,” one of a zillion plastered all over the subway and train stations of Boston. I find it vaguely annoying, mostly because I find the commodifcation of reading annoying. The implication that some stupid computer is sexier than a real live person to help you with all your information needs? Stupid. Here are some other things left over from my inbox.

  • Well this was in my literal mailbox… I never renewed my ALA membership after 2006. Last week I got a “Hey former member, maybe you’d like to reconsider?” piece of junk mail from them. I’ve been very happy with my VLA contributions and interactions, moreso than I ever was with ALA. While I’m happy to see the good things that ALA is doing, the fact that I basically did everything I could to get off of spammy mailing lists and emailing lists only to continue to hear from them is a bit disheartening. That said, my ALA website logins still work despite me not having paid them a thing. It all balances.
  • The Michigan University Librarian has a blog. Not a lot there but I really enjoyed the first post: Being in Bed with Google.
  • Washington state is the latest battlefield in the “let’s cut library positions in schools to save money” debacle. There is a very organized group called Fund Our Future Washington that is trying to stop this problem before it starts. Here’s an LA Times article with more information and a good recent supportive editorial from the Seattle Times.
  • I am revising my review policy. People mostly don’t read it anyhow. In short, I am reading less and have less time for unsolicited books. While I still like to receive books that people think I may like, I do not want to set expectations inappropriately. The short form is: if you will be upset if I do not read your book, please do not send it to me.

That’s it until the booklist. Happy New Year!

6 thoughts on “wrap-up before the wrap-up

  1. When did you see that? We had them in San Francisco maybe 4 or 5 months ago, and I think the “Your library may vary” parenthetical wasn’t part of ours. Maybe the took some heat for that and tried to make them nicer, or maybe I’m just remembering it wrong.

  2. In the ad, it looks like a page of text on a gray clipboard. Ooooh! Sexy!

  3. @jessamyn

    Yes, i found the photo! taken in San Francisco on 29 September, no parenthetical. If you really want to see it, we can try to figure out how to get it off the phone.

  4. I’m a librarian in Boston. The first version of those signs (at South Station) did not have parentheticals. Now they do. They may have been trying to make them nicer, but they’re just more insulting and annoying now. I don’t really think discouragement of library use is a great marketing strategy.

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