Will books become an endangered species??

eBook reading is definitely on the rise. Check out this infographic from @mashable to see if you agree about the future of books.

Why Support Your Local Library?

FIND A LIBRARY NEAR YOU

FIND YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY
INFORMATION INTEGRATED
WITH GOOGLE MAPS

DATA SOURCE: IMLS

Sources:

• ALA Library Fact Sheet
• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Data
• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• Northwestern University Libraries information
• MIT Library Data
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Census.gov - Public Libraries in the U.S. 2009
• ALA - Funding Technology Access Study
• Volunteer Match - Engaging Volunteers
• Pew Internet - Libraries, patrons & ebooks

• ALA Quotable Facts - American Libraries
• Harrison County Library - Facts and Figures
• Stanford University - Library Facts
• Library of Congress - Fascinating Facts
• Libraries for Real Life
• Houston Library - Facts
• Library Journal - Annual Library Budgets Survey
• ALA - State of American Libraries Report - 2012
• NationalService.gov - Benefits of Volunteering
• ALA - Library Operating Expenditures

Thank you to StateStats.org for providing this infographic and other free web guides and tools.

Smartphone Addiction ... Is This You??

Mashable's at it again. Would you rather shower or smartphone?

Kitchen Cheat Sheet

Something totally non-related to libraries, though we may argue that we sure have helped enough people with these types of questions. 

This is certainly pertinent information to share with all. Do you know your kitchen conversions? Now you will and can post this in yours so you don't forget! Thanks Everest ...  http://www.everest.co.uk/

Now This Is a Bookmobile!

The history of mobile libraries. This article (mostly photos) is cool. Fun to look through the wheels of time. The below pic is from the German Robi mobile but there are pix of many others through the ages. Check it out.

eReader Comparison Guide

Ok...so I just created this eReader Comparison chart for my library and decided that someone in blog-land may benefit from it as well...it's as up-to-date as it can be at this moment (including Amazon's big announcements this past Thursday).

eReader Comparisons

Frugal and Far Out Ideas

Now these solutions are brilliant...

The Fall Book Preview of Cross-Under Reads - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire

Lately I've been very impressed with the quality of Young Adult fiction titles coming out. The storylines are so much meatier and captivating that the audience has expanded to include a much broader range of readers than when teen books were written in my youth (80s).

The following is a nice blog of teen titles with cross interest to the adult readership world. Which ones would interest you?

The Fall Book Preview of Cross-Under Reads - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire 

 

 

Teen Reads

The Top 100 Best Teen Novels

From NPR...a list of the supposed best teen novels written. Many are current and while some of them are indeed very well written, we are questioning whether they will stand the test of time...

What are your thoughts? Which have you read? Which are you dying to get your hands on?

David A. Bell: The Bookless Library | The New Republic

The Bookless Library - The Future?

Looking forward to Fall

Here's the poop on the fall TV line-up. Which series are you saddest to see go? Which ones should have gone? And which ones gave you a deep sigh of relief to see had made the cut? See the full list from our friends at @huffingtonpost .

Looking forward to "Once Upon a Time" returning for sure, but also "New Girl", "Happy Endings", "Fringe" and "Grimm". 

Why can't they please just let "The Office" go - it has way jumped the shark...so sad.

The next 60 Apps You Need to Know

60 Apps in 60 Minutes Redux: The Next 60 Apps You Need To Know.

The mobile apps you need to know. Spotlight Session at the SLA 2012 conference updates the wildly successful session from last year.

Thanks for this great offering Joe & Scott!!

5 Cool Things to do on LinkedIn

Mashable shows us more neat ways to use this social media site that maybe you didn't know. I know I don't use it as fully as I can or should. Gonna try these out!

Determination

If we all approached things with this determination, our outcomes in life would reflect it...

Nook for Web

I know this isn't new but another stride B&N are making to stay in the game. Could be well received, but more so if the 6 free titles were titles of your choice. This does not seem to be the case. Well, let's try it and see how it works...

How do you weigh in?

BBC put together a calculator to allow you to input 5 simple qualifcations to see where you rank in the masses of the world's BMI. This calculator is based on research data pulled together by a team of researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Check out the calculator and see how you measure up...

Free iOS Apps - the Best!

Ok...if you have an iPad, iPhone or any other iOS device, this app is a must. "AppsGoneFree" is a daily update of pay apps that, for that day and that day only, are free. I have gotten some great new apps, even up to $4.99 in retail cost, for free that I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Check it out and thank me later! :)

Here's what the icon looks like (AppsGoneFree) in the App Store:

thanks emma <3

50 Shades of Grey in the 50 States

This series is a hot comodity in our library in Central Ohio and here's evidence of where else readership lies.

Goodreads is at it again...a fun infographic of the hottest novel series to hit adult readership this year:

 

And of course, Mashable always has some fun w/stuff like this...

Do cats like PB??

Evidently mine do...right, Blackie?!

Happy 4th of July

Free 4th Celebration!

Send a physical postcard virtually from your photo gallery of your mobile device with this app.

Download this free app *Postcard on the Run* (which is very cool) today and send 2 free postcards in honor of the Independence of the United States of America!

Just thought I would share... thx www.postcardontherun.com !

Tech Cats

Have iPad will pounce...

Ok...so my cats love my iPad. I walk in the door from work and they literally follow me around meowing until I set up one of their favorite games. 
The vid clip above is "Blackie" playing "Cat Fishing".

They have no front claws or I wouldn't even try this, but it occupies (sometimes) hours of their day. They have favorite apps (the vid clip above being a true fave for 2) which include:

"Cat Fishing" (Friskies - vid sample seen above)

"JitterBug" (Friskies)

"Cat Toys"

"Games For Cats"


Check 'em out. If you have a cat, I guarantee they' ll love it!


Today: FREE app on iOS: "Real Fireworks Artwork" (normally $4.99) 
How could a cat not love this one??!! Tap and fireworks appear...

Fresh(ness) News

 Seasonal Produce Availability

Love farmers markets...now you can see what to look for when. 
Word from http://chasingdelicious.com/ :

Best (or worst depending on your sense of humor) tumblr blogs

Funny Tumbles...

omg... lol... wth... etc, these are def worth a peek!!

Googly eyes is my fave for sure! Thanks @mashable.

cOOl CatS!!

26 Cool Cats Who Live in Fridges

With the heat wave here, these cats will do anything to stay cool. LOL! @buzzfeed

Go-Go Gadget

Gadgets...They are EveryWhere!!

Demographics of gadget ownership. Who exactly does NOT own one??

Pew is at it again!

Libraries, Patrons & eBooks

Pew Research Center did a library study for eBook useage and here's the news:

> 75% of nation's libraries loan eBooks -- YAY!

58% of library patrons DO NOT know this  -- BOO!

2/3 of library eBook borrowing patrons say the library's collection is good -- YAY!

56% of the above 2/3 said that they at least once tried to borrow an ebook

only to find it unavailable -- BOO!

Like to learn more about this study? Read the findings at Pew Research Center: Libraries .

Libraries are so dependent on our users to help get information out. Tell 10 of your friends about this and tell them to tell 10 of their friends. Soon that 58% will be 0%!

 

New Sci-Fi/Fantasy Obsession

Summer School for Geeks:

11 New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

Yes, I am a geek. Just learning that I really love some of the titles in these genres.
All you other lovers of sci-fi fantasy NEED to check out this summer's most buzz-worthy geek science fiction and fantasy books. Thanks @wired !

Takin' your (e)reading on the road

Going Mobile w/eBooks

Here are some quick how-to vid clips of getting eBooks on just about any mobile device that you might have. Be it: Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Kindle, Nook, etc. it's here for you.

60 Digital Media Resources You Might Have Missed @Mashable



Mashable rounded up the top resources in social media, business and tech to catch you up to speed.

What Do You Think??

The Books That Shaped America

How many of these 88 books have you, or will you, read?

@libraryofcongress

The Book That Can't Wait

Read It Before It Disappears!

Argentinean independent publishers Eterna Cadencia released an anthology of new Latin authors using special ink that disappears once it comes in contact with sun and air, completely disappearing within two months time after opening the book. @mashable

Techy Travel Tips

So I offered a program at our library entitled the above...great idea, I thought, but really for an online offering more so than a classroom lecture. Therefore, I'm making this my first official original post!

The idea behind this was to help those with summer vacation ideas firm up planning and also show them how to make travel more fun and easy before, during and after. I found over 60 apps (and there are many, MANY more) that do things from how to pack - "uPackingList" - to offbeat and unique places to stay - "AirBnB" - to sending an actual print postcard back home from your phone and the pictures on its' album - "Postcard on the Run" - to documenting and sharing your experiences after - "TripJournal". I created a Pinterest Board with the above title and descriptions of each of the 60 apps (all free or Lite versions) also print handouts for those who prefer paper.



These were my apps and thanks to www.dailytekk.com for their article in March called "Travel Smarter: Over 100 Top Websites and Apps for Your Next Trip" : http://dailytekk.com/2012/03/12/travel-smarter-over-100-top-websites-and-apps-for-your-next-trip/ .

Check out my library's Pinterest page for more info on the above apps: http://pinterest.com/southwestpl/travel-apps/

Top 40 Useful Sites to Learn New Skills

Building skills? Check out this site!

Teen Books to Movies? Cool list...

Teen Books to Movies - what to watch for in the coming months...Thanks "Big Books Tiny Voices"