The following link is to a website that posts pictures of librarians. Why? The site says it is to challenge the librarian stereotype one post at a time.
For more, visit:
http://lookslikelibraryscience.com/
Tag Archives: like
Ebooks: Not There Yet?
The following article Wired lists five reasons as to why ebooks are not there yet. I would say that ebooks will never be the same as traditional books and they probably are never meant to be the same. I would also say you should probably never expect them to be the same. Television is not the same as going to the movies and never will be. I think waiting for ebooks to be the same as traditional books is to ensure you never use ebooks all that much. Just my opinion.
There are some useful considerations in the five points raised in the article – but there are also some fairly ordinary ones also, which suggest to me a bias against ebooks from the start. Being concerned that ebooks don’t allow you to use them in home design – I mean, really??? If that is a major concern with ebooks – you have to be kidding.
Some years ago I never thought I would ever like ebooks – I love them now and I don’t even have an ebook reader (I use by laptop) at this stage. I can see myself buying one in the near future – that would make ebooks so much more convenient to me. I could read one on a bus or ferry, I could read at work without too many difficulties (in my breaks of course), etc.
How many books can I now own? For a bibliophile like me ebooks are a dream come true. I have well over 1000 traditional books and I will soon eclipse that number in ebooks – many of which are old and out of print works which are very precious to me. These brilliant old books are now so accessible to me and I can store them all in such a small place. Fantastic I say.
See the article mentioned above at:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/ebooks-not-there-yet/all/1
DailyLit: Read Books Via Email
If you like to read but have limited time to find a book to read, perhaps DailyLit could be the answer you’re looking for. Simply put, DailyLit sends you books to read via email.
Go to the DailyLit site and set up a profile, which doesn’t take long to do. You can then browse the book list and select the book you would like to read. You then set how often you would like to receive a portion of the book via email. Once you confirm that you want to receive the book via email, DailyLit will begin sending you portions of the book to read according to the settings you have set.
For more visit:
http://www.dailylit.com/
Page 99 Test: Testing Books Out Before You Buy
Page 99 Test is a social network for authors to post page 99 of their book so that users of the site can test their book. The theory is you open page 99 of any book to get the feel of it and to see if it is something that you would like to read – does it grab you enough for you to want to read more? So authors post there page 99 for book lovers to read and then to rate and comment on. So it is a site that you can give feedback to an author prior to the book being published. Anyhow, have a look at the links below and learn more.
You can listen to a podcast about Page 99 Test and the founders of it at:
http://5by5.tv/founderstalk/3
Visit Page 99 Test at:
http://page99test.com/
BookYap: Book Recomendations
I am about to start using a new web application called BookYap. Put simply, BookYap is an application that recommends books based on criteria you enter. There are over 650 000 books in its database, so chances are it will find a book for you.
You can search for a book by using keywords or the filters it has available (based on personality types). By becoming a registered user, the application learns more and more about you and your reading habits, improving the recommendations it makes for you.
Books appear with thumbnails of their covers and book ratings. A brief description appears by hovering over the thumbnail. You are able to interact with the application and associated community by sharing books you have read and your reviews of them. There is connectivity with both Facebook and Twitter also.
You are also able to add books to a reading wishlist if you like. Books can be purchased from Amazon when you choose a book to read.
Visit BookYap at:
http://bookyap.com/
‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton’
I have decided to not post any more thoughts on suggestions offered by this book. It is not because I don’t like the book – I do like it and think that the majority of the suggestions are worth following up on. I know I will be trying to follow up on many of them.
I think I have provided enough to whet the appetite of all so that those who will want to find out more will go out and buy the book. I highly recommend it.
Remember the website at:
Changing the World: December 19 – Blind Waiters
I won’t dwell too long on this suggestion – not because I don’t want to support the cause, which is to support blind people to find employment as waiters. There doesn’t seem to be an Australian or for that matter, a widely global application of the idea.
In several European cities there are restaurants which are in darkness, giving employment opportunities for the blind and increasing awareness of what it is like to be blind.
More information can be found at:
A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton
Changing the World: December 11 – Share Books with BookCrossing
Now this is an idea I really like, but I won’t spend too much time describing what it is all about and how it is done. I’ll simply say that I’m signing up and looking forward to getting involved with this whole BookCrossing idea.
Check out BookCrossing at:
A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton
Changing the World: November 30 – Supporting Local People
Today’s suggestion is one I really do like – it is about supporting the local people of isolated rural villages, especially in Third World countries (not that the book really makes that distinction).
To do this, the suggestion is to buy products produced by local artisans via the web. This is a great suggestion and one I think I will try and support from time to time. It is a great way to assist people in difficult situations.
Some useful websites:
A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton
Changing the World: November 26 – Buy Nothing Day
Today’s suggestion is about supporting the ‘Buy Nothing Day’ initiative. Buy Nothing Day is usually held at the end of November. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of our world’s dwindling resources and our preoccupation with unnecessary things.
I like the sound of this day and will try and support it, as well as being more aware of what I buy and why.
www.ecoplan.org/ibnd/ib_index.htm
A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton
At the BookShelf 