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The Modern Age:Reading

Yes, People Still Read, but Now It’s Social

{Courtesy of Library & Information News}

June 20, 2010 - 12:26am — Bibliofuture

“THE point of books is to combat loneliness,” David Foster Wallace observes near the beginning of “Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself,” David Lipsky’s recently published, book-length interview with him.

If you happen to be reading the book on the Kindle from Amazon, Mr. Wallace’s observation has an extra emphasis: a dotted underline running below the phrase. Not because Mr. Wallace or Mr. Lipsky felt that the point was worth stressing, but because a dozen or so other readers have highlighted the passage on their Kindles, making it one of the more “popular” passages in the book.

Amazon calls this new feature “popular highlights.” It may sound innocuous enough, but it augurs even bigger changes to come.

Though the feature can be disabled by the user, “popular highlights” will no doubt alarm Nicholas Carr, whose new book, “The Shallows,” argues that the compulsive skimming, linking and multitasking of our screen reading is undermining the deep, immersive focus that has defined book culture for centuries.

Full article in the NYT

Posted: Fri, June 25, 2010

Library Advocacy: Action Needed!

No More Cuts to Libraries; Speak Up Now!

 

From the Pennsylvania Library Association and your Haverford Township Free Library:

 

The deadline to pass a state budget is just days away.  The effects of the recession have created a hole in the state budget in the range of $1.2 billion.  If we are to avoid a repeat of last year’s 101-day late budget, Governor Rendell and legislators must pass a new state budget by June 30, one that fills this revenue gap either through increased taxes and fees, or more cuts to state programs—or both.

 

Raising taxes and fees in an election year with the recession lingering is a tall order.  This reality increases the chances that the next budget might be balanced primarily through budget cuts, a possibility that could threaten library funding once again.  No specific library funding cuts have been mentioned but library supporters need to stay informed and engaged.

 

Now is a key moment to speak up and urge all your friends to do likewise.  Tell Governor Rendell, your State Senator, and your State Representative this one simple message:  No More Cuts to Libraries.   Tell them that cutting libraries again is unacceptable, especially during this recession when libraries are busier and more needed than ever.  Remind them that in this year’s state budget, the four library line items already were cut this year by 3%, 21%, 51%, and 73% respectively.

 

Send the Governor and your legislators an email here:  http://www.capwiz.com/ala/pa/issues/alert/?alertid=15111281

 

Join PaLA’s facebook page, “5.6 Million Pennsylvania Library Card Holders Can’t Be Wrong,” here: 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123050057708453.  Please share the link and invite your friends, too.

 

Here’s a chart detailing all library funding categories in the state budget: http://palibraries.org/associations/9291/files/State%20budg%20chart%20for%20website.pdf

 

Thank you for speaking out for libraries, and for spreading the word far and wide.  Stay tuned for more updates as events change.

 

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P.S. Please join the Haverford Township Free Library facebook page. Our 2010 goal is to recruit more than 1,000 regional fans. At this moment, we are nearing 300. Inform your  family, friends, and colleagues today!

 

Questions? Please contact Library Director Richard Thau soon! thau@haverfordlibrary.org

 

 

Posted: Tue, June 22, 2010

Do we have your email address?

The Delaware County Library System and the Haverford Township Free Library have transitioned to email notifications for reminders about items approaching their due date, overdue items, and the arrival of items that you have ordered from HTFL or another library.

What are the advantages? 

  • $AVING$!  Staff time, postage, paper, toner, and envelopes. 
  • CONVENIENCE!  You receive an email immediately when your library materials are ready for pick up.
Posted: Mon, June 21, 2010

Library Services

@ The Library!
Be an enlightened citizen
Create solid businesses
Celebrate diversity/cultural awareness
Connect to the Online World: Public Internet Access
Create readers/literacy
Discover your roots: genealogy/local history
Express creativity: create/ share content
Get facts fast: ready reference
Know your community/civics
Reading/writing
Career choices: Job/Career Development
Informed decisions: Health, Wealth, and other Life Choices
Satisfy curiosity: Lifelong Learning
Stimulate imagination: Reading/Viewing/Listening
Succeed in academics: Homework help
The Librarian: Understand how to find/evaluate/use information= Information Fluency
The Library: physical and virtual  
Questions: Contact Library Director Richard Thau at thau@haverfordlibrary.org
Posted: Thu, June 17, 2010

Meet Our Staff - Fran

A constantly smiling face you’ll see behind the circulation desk belongs to Fran. She has been there for about 20 years (We do let her out for good behavior).

She enjoys working with the public and helping them find just the books they want. She loves seeing the regulars as well as meeting new people.

Her hobbies include reading mysteries, cook books, magazines and newspapers, browsing the internet, politics, and cooking, although she also loves going out to eat.

Fran has a grown daughter.
 

Posted: Sat, June 12, 2010