Three Day Novel - One More Time

I know I keep saying I won't do it to myself, but... yeah... I'll be doing that Three Day Novel contest again.

I think I can get over 120 pages this time. I'm going to go very simple, very basic stuff: political thriller with a metahuman twist. :)

Whither eBooks?

One thing I keep thinking about is how paper print is still so popular when there hasn't been more of an effort to switch to electronic device book reading.

When I was studying for my library degree in 1993, there was talk even then of electronic screen eBooks, reading off of CD-ROM discs. There's a moderately successful eBook format online with NetLibrary, however only libraries seem to carry it. There's been, from what I've read, attempts to create book reading devices, but there were conflicts over marketability, technology, copyrights, costs, what have you. It's only been in the last year, with the advent of Amazon's Kindle device, that I've seen any overt big-push toward eBook reading.

Paper print is still popular because 1) it's relatively cheap, and 2) it's what people know. But as more people do stuff on computers and the Internet, and depending on if Kindle retains and expands its' place in the market, we should finally start seeing a shift away from paper-based reading and toward computer-screen reading.

I'd love to see a Kindle in action. And I'd love to get my short story book on Kindle. Heh.

George Carlin RIP

Man, this week started off with some real weak tea... :(

Carlin was best known for his routine over Seven Words You Can't Say On TV. In terms of being anarchist, free-thinking, and an occasional writer of words, I do note his passing. I also wonder if Sam Kinison and Richard Pryor are gonna let George pull up a bone throne to the discussion table in Hades...

Thinking about publishing

With summer here, thinking of things to do.

Would like to find more time to get more writing done. I've done some short stories, submitting them to contests and to a state fellowship program, gonna see how that all turns out.

On Lib Guides

One project we're working on at my library system is branching out to different online resources various research tips, online references, and handouts that people can use to improve their skills and their access to library materials.

I've been working on something called LibGuides, which allows you to create a page with side menus and a main box of instructions/explanations. Like what we used to call Pathfinders as printed handouts, a LibGuide allows you to create a simple one-page tool that

• Can list bits of information, such as book titles, names, items of interest;
• Can allow you to link to that information;
• Can allow you to type up instructions on how to use the library, or the computer, or the Internet, or any other thing that you might do in a library;
• Can allow library patrons to access the information even from their homes, so you can assist in remote access stuff so patrons can do their research whenever and wherever.

My first project is creating an instruction page on how to sign up for free e-mail services. Typing up the instructions was easy. The tricky part now is putting in the damn illustrations... I'll let you know how it goes. ;)

Ahhh, tax time

It's that time of the year again, between January and April 15th, wherein everyone goes paperwork crazy and files their tax returns. Like they say in the "Sun Makers" episode of the Fourth Doctor Who, everyone runs from the taxman...

This year there is a slight change. There is a stimulus package coming from the government, a rebate check ranging from $300 to $1200 depending on your status. The deal is, you have to file for tax returns this year, something that certain income groups, especially among retirees, didn't have to do before. (please read the instructions on that link for further info) As a result, we're getting a lot of questions at the library regarding tax filings, waaaay more than usual (this is coming from someone who wrote a short story about how even angels had tons of paperwork to file...).

There's a link here to my library's E-Gov't blog that details some of it. If you're a retiree, the one group that's asking the most questions about, you can get tax assistance from the AARP group, and locate the nearest AARP Tax Aide service in your community. There is also the official IRS website to get your forms online for free (must have recent version of Adobe Reader to open them)

Tax season. It's about 10 times more fun than Duck Season...if you happen to be a Wabbit.

New trends in librarianship

A lot of it has to do with outreach and promotion. Note the links I have for the Pasco Library System's blogs. We're attempting to promote readers via book discussion groups and recommended lists; we're trying to bring in teens and youths to make libraries a community activity center.

Some of the things we're looking at now include starting up a Wiki (online, open-input encyclopedia that can provide information and links to resources), creating Lib Guides (webpages linking to online resources), and profiles on various networking sites (we've already got a MySpace page, and are looking at other sites).

What does this all mean? It means we'll have 154 different ways of finding a copy of Green Eggs and Ham for ya, that's what. ;)