Z665 → Library Links (03)

Mugginess on campus

Things have been a bit busy this month - lot of papers, projects, and assignments to finish up as I head into the home-stretch before the end of my time in the MLIS program. It's been ridiculously hot too - despite making it through the bitter cold of the prairies this past winter, I did not really miss the humidity of southern Ontario. The photo above is proof of all the haziness hanging around campus lately. Despite that, I've tried to keep up with things happening in library-land. So, here is a list of library- and book-related things that have caught my eye recently!

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith Didn't Tank. The big news this past weekend was the reveal that J.K. Rowling wrote a book using a pseudonym. I had to chuckle a bit from a librarian's perspective, as I'm sure many libraries across the world are scrambling to purchase copies of The Cuckoo's Calling as user demand goes way up. Still, it was interesting to see some comments - some, frankly, kind of catty - on Twitter regarding the 'weak' sales of the novel. Laura Lam wrote an excellent post detailing why that's just not true. It's quite fascinating and I, like Lam, hope Rowling explores her craft via a pseudonym again.

The Philosopher's Library. I spotted this on Tumblr a little while ago - a plan to turn an abandoned gas station on Route 66 into a 'Philosopher's Library' filled with materials about pilgrimages and personal transformations. You can suggest book titles at the link - they seem to be amassing quite the collection already!

The Ultimate, Mega, Essential Website Design Guide. From the iLibrarian blog, here's an excellent resource for tools focused on everything from graphic design to usability tools, to content management platforms. I've bookmarked this one - not only because of my enthusiasm for web design, but because I really think this could come in handy for me as a librarian one day.

Recruitment from the Other Side of the Table, by Kathy Bradshaw, [Letters to a Young Librarian]. As I'm getting heavy into job applications and cover letters these days this has come in handy. Some of the points are simple - but I see them everywhere, so clearly they need to be made. It's a tiny bit sad to think of people who don't bother to proofread applications.

Bullet Proof Tropes, [Dear Author]. This was a great post and discussion about the use of tropes in the romance genre. Highly recommend reading through the comments to get a sense of the absolute variety of tropes used in the romance genre and how varied people's opinions can be about them. One of these days, perhaps I'll write down my preferences - but for now, there's this.

The Urbana Free Library is now looking for a new director after the issues with book weeding went [inter]national. I've been trying to follow this story closely largely because of how flabbergasting it is. It's been an interesting lesson in not only weeding, but leadership issues, communication, and public relations.

On a final note/reminder: I got a Tumblr account! You can find me over here - and no, that doesn't mean I'm giving up this blog. Tumblr is a great place to interact with people, and I view my space there as a kind of looser alternative to this blog. While I love talking about library and book issues here, sometimes I just want to reblog a piece of art that I love, or leave quick thoughts/blurbs about the books I'm currently reading. Go on over and check it out, and give me a follow! But I'll still be here, even if you don't.

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