Video of staff from the National Library of Australia performing at their 2010 Christmas party. Fun! [thanks iain!]
2010 in libraries
Because I am a detail-oriented nerd, I track the libraries that I visit. I usually take pictures if I can. Here is my post about the 2009 visits. I’m still using Daytum to track visits and I learned they just came out with an iphone app last month. I went to twenty-six different libraries for fifty-five visits total, I’m sure I have forgotten some. Here’s the short annotated list of what I was doing in libraries last year. I have a few library photos in this Flickr photoset.
- Kimball Public library (18) – my hometown library where I often worked this year.
- Hartness/Randolph (10) – the local academic library, open late, great DVD collection.
- Howe/Hanover (2) – my favorite bigger town library, so comfy, so lovely.
- Boxboro MA (2) – my Mom’s library, great for unwinding.
- Loussac/Anchorage Pl AK(2) – went here twice when I was at AKLA, neat architecture, busy place.
- Chelmsford MA(1) – came to see Brian, stayed to do work.
- Surprise AZ (1) – on a tour with my boyfriend’s parents. Neat libraries, so unlike New England libraries.
- Stowe Free VT(1) – former workplace of my great library pal Stephanie.
- New Bedford Pl MA(1) – I was on a weird research quest and they helped me out.
- Montpelier VT(1) – popping in to check email, lovely old wood in here.
- Burnahm Library, Colchester VT (1) – on a 251 club drive, nifty busy library.
- Goddard VT(1) – for a WordPress training, home library of my friend Helen.
- Beatley/Simmons MA (1) – before I gave a public speaking workshop.
- Cambridge (1) – walking distance from my boyfriend’s place, amazing renovation.
- Peoria AZ (1) – modern and fancy but sort of empty.
- Alling/Williston, VT (1) – fun history room and a snazzy bookmobile.
- Fort Lauderdale Reading Center, FL (1) – a weird non-library in some ways, well-loved clearly.
- Jericho/Deborah Rawson VT(1) – Fireplace and wifi, a great place.
- Palm Beach State College, FL (1) – busy place, old-fashioned building but modern collection.
- N Regional/Broward County Library, FL (1) – big and bustling, a little hectic.
- Niceville Pl, FL (1) – fun design, nice people, memorable fish tank
- Waterville NY (1) – doing great things, big lovely windows and light for a small place.
- Lantana Public Library, FL(1) – old fashioned and full, great location.
- Warren Branch, Indy (1) – super busy old style library/
- Nat’l Archives – Waltham MA (1) – friendly staff helped make awkward renovations managable.
- Maynard MA (1) – last library of the year, bright and busy w/ a great book sale.
2010 reading list, a year end summary
I made an effort to make time for reading this year. The combination of this and a lot of airplane time meant more good books read. Here are previous year end lists: 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004. My booklist lives in a separate blog and it has its own RSS feed.Here’s the wrap-up of what I read in 2010.
number of books read in 2010: 48
number of books read in 2009: 39
number of books read in 2008: 31
number of books read in 2007: 53
number of books read in 2005: 86
number of books read in 2004: 103
number of books read in 2003: 75
number of books read in 2002: 91
number of books read in 2001: 78
average read per month: 4
average read per week: .92
number read in worst month: 2 (Jan/June)
number read in best month: 7 (July)
percentage by male authors: 73
percentage by female authors: 27
fiction as percentage of total: 60
non-fiction as percentage of total: 40
percentage of total liked: 90
percentage of total ambivalent: 9
percentage of total disliked: 1
I read a lot of books on a few topics this year: art history/theft/discovery, cybercrime novels and a few victorian mysteries and some graphic novels. Still not really on the ebook bandwagon. Still enjoying reading paper books in bed. Still finishing a few books I started in 2010, I expect this trend to continue. Wish me luck, and happy reading in 2011!
complex, but with multiple access points – Liquor for Librarians
Apropos. Pedantic: Liquor for Librarians. Happy New Year everyone. Year-end reading and library lists start tomorrow.
Morris Cohen – spitfire legal librarian, RIP
I first became aware of Morris Cohen because he has the same name as my grandfather only spelled slightly differently. We exchanged emails a few times and I finally met him at Yale when I was in town for the Reblaw conference. He went out of his way to find a time we could have coffee and chitchat about quasi-radical librarianship and he made an impression on me as both a deeply principled and interesting person as well as someone who cared about mentoring and passing on his legacy. I was saddened to learn of his passing this week. There are good obituaries available at the New York Times and Library Journal.