Multitasking is sweet...

I am gradually getting adjusted to the stress of school, and relearning to ignore that voice that says, "You'll never get caught up so you might as well panic instead of trying," and actually get some things done.

But the podcasts have helped a lot with this because being "in class" while riding the subway to work is probably the best thing ever. Sometimes on the subway I wonder what the people around me are listening too. Unlike with books, you just can't tell.

Bandwidth in the UK

So I am finding the DC 09 textbook to be a useful reminder of the ways the internet actually exists as physical materials and various types of connections between machines, not just as an amorphous sphere.

There is currently a controversy in the UK about who will pay for rising bandwidth use resulting from the BBC's new iPlayer. The larger issue at play here, especially when dealing with privately owned content providers, is net neutrality, (here's a recent bbc article about this) an issue I've been struggling to grasp for a while now.

Also involved is the digital divide, which may become more complicated as applications and streaming media that demand higher bandwidth become more ubiquitous. (When will having a personal website and a hypertext resume become necessary for employment? How will citizens be required to interact with government websites in 5 or 10 years?) Being unconnected will still be an issue, but being less connected might be a more widespread problem that will default to public libraries to solve.

Camping and Blogging

Have been using the family vacation in Minnesota as a time to catch up a bit. I was surprised to find that the campground we are in has wireless. I can blog from Kamp Dells in Waterville, MN which is a sure sign that wireless internet has become the norm. This is reassuring to me because my internet usage has increased greatly in the last two years and now I am awfully lost without some sort of connection.

I have found that reading the student blogs for the course is reassuring, nice to hear other people's frustrations and discoveries! Putting all those feeds in to my reader at once was tiring though. Wasn't so long ago and I was really amazed at RSS, and now I find myself thinking, "Isn't there and easier way to do this?" So greedy!

I've also been wrestling with the decision of what to print and what not to print with the course readings. I read so much on a screen these days that I think I could avoid printing all of the readings out. There's something to be said for reading on the subway or anywhere you want, though, and I can't afford a kindle quite yet. Maybe someday.

It may seem hard... but it's easier than it used to be

I wanted to post about a great graphic novel that I recently came across. Bookhunter, by Jason Shiga was a random find in the book store. I opened it up and knew immediately that I was going to love it. It tells the story of Special Agent Bay with the Library Police as they track down a rare bible stolen from the Oakland Public Library. Using circulation records and library security technology they track down the book thief just before the library of congress shows up to reclaim its traveling rare book display. The story is a hilarious and engaging combination of police procedural and library culture.

I find this comic particularly interesting as LIS 2600 begins because the story takes place in 1973, and Shiga painstakingly reconstructs library technology of the period. The agents use card catalogs, circulation cards, record drums and other old tech items I couldn't even begin to name to solve the crime. Not only does this provide a fascinating look at the old way of doing things in a library, it is also reassuring to me. Sometimes the technology aspect of libraries seems daunting, but the old style technologies in this novel are even more obscure and incomprehensible to anyone outside of the IT or tech services department.


The interactive web, as well as other recent information innovations allow public service oriented librarians to be closer to the more technical aspects of library service. They make things easier, they really do. And Shiga's exacting recreation of a bygone library era in this book is a good reminder of that. Not to mention, who can help but smile and secretly rejoice as the library police flash their badges, conduct a high octane chase in the bookmobile, and keep the world and library materials safe from vigilante censors, thieves and vandals.

The book is available to read online or buy at Shiga's website. Its worth a look.

Hello all

Just a first post to say hello. The title of the blog is a bad pun that comes from cribbage terminology. The original phrase is two for his knobs (sometimes two for his nibs) and is a favorite around my house.

I'm looking forward to exploring library technology and web 2.0 this summer!