How to Pick a Book for the Beach
“Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be.” – Italo Calvino At risk of being presumptuous, you seem … Continue reading
Look Around – Yet Another Piece about “Don’t Look Up”
Truly, I live in the dark times! The guileless word is folly. A smooth forehead Suggests insensitivity. The man who laughs Has simply not yet heard The terrible news. – … Continue reading
How to keep from getting distracted when you are trying to read
There is far too much going on these days. Truly, the world is being very inconsiderate. How can someone like yourself be expected to get any reading done when there … Continue reading
The joke was on us – reflections on Trump’s presidency
“There is laughter because there is nothing to laugh about. Laughter, whether reconciled or terrible, always accompanies the moment when fear is ended. It indicates a release, whether from physical … Continue reading
How to Prepare for This (totally normal) Fall Semester
The start of a new academic year is a thrilling and exhilarating moment! Professors and students come together to explore new topics, investigate complex issues, and continue down the path … Continue reading
How to Move Your Books in the Middle of a Pandemic
When the world is gripped by a pandemic, there are many activities that need to be approached with a new level of caution. Masks, gloves, social distancing, especially thorough handwashing, … Continue reading
What to do if you Encounter Paranormal Forces at the Library
Have you ever found yourself pleasantly working in the library when suddenly the lights flicker and the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention? Have you ever … Continue reading
How Many Books Does a Person Need?
“The acquisition of books is by no means a matter of money or expert knowledge alone. Not even both factors together suffice for the establishment of a real library, which … Continue reading
How to Reserve a Seat in a Library
Not unlike New Year’s Day, the start of the academic year is a time during which many people try to establish the routines and behaviors that they hope to stick … Continue reading
Statues or It Didn’t Happen
Editorial Note: In the aftermath of the white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville, where an anti-fascist protestor was murdered, much of the debate turned to the topic of statues. Specifically: was … Continue reading
How to make the most of your trip to the archive
Archival research is something of a rite of passage for many individuals in many disparate fields. Admittedly, it can be something of a daunting task. What follows is carefully curated … Continue reading
How to gut a book
Here is a problem: there are too many books to read and not enough time in which to read them all. What is one to do? Obviously, this is the … Continue reading
How to move a large quantity of books
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx Regardless of what you may have heard to … Continue reading
What Pokémon can you catch at a library?
Though you might not suspect it, libraries are an excellent place to catch Pokémon! Indeed, libraries are filled with many kinds of wondrous, rare Pokémon that can be found there … Continue reading
How to Grade Assignments in a Library
At this very moment, legions of students are busily writing papers and studying for their final exams. Indeed, for the end of the semester is upon us! These students will … Continue reading
En Garde! How to Defend Yourself With a Book
“Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.” – Bertolt Brecht 1. Popular parlance is filled with catchy phrases about the ways in which books can be harnessed … Continue reading
What to Do When the Internet Stops Working in Your Library
There may come a day when you find yourself happily sitting in a library only to have your pleasant feelings disrupted by the recognition that the Internet has stopped working. … Continue reading
How to Keep What You Are Reading Secret
Is there anything more annoying than being interrupted with the question “hey, what are you reading?” while you are engrossed in a book? Is there anything more frustrating than feeling … Continue reading
Things I Learned During My First Semester of Teaching Undergraduates
Despite having spent a lot of time in classrooms (a heck of a lot of time in classrooms), the fall semester of 2015 may well have been the semester in … Continue reading
What to Get the Luddite on Your List
‘Tis the season of the mailbox stuffed with catalogs. Regardless of whether or not one participates in the traditions that result in stockings stuffed with tchotchkes or trees bedecked in … Continue reading
How to Avoid Being Bothered While Working in a Library
There are instances wherein an individual seeks to flee from convivial communication, instead craving that variety of isolation fruitful for concentration and introspection. At such times a person may find … Continue reading
Google learns the Alphabet
“You still have to learn the ABC. The ABC says: They will get you down.” – Bertolt Brecht The way to spell “Google” has changed, and now the way to … Continue reading
How to Read a Large Book on Crowded Public Transit
At some point in your life you may find yourself waiting for some mode of public transit to arrive. When the aforementioned public conveyance finally comes you may feel a … Continue reading
A Mechanical Moses
An odd thing occurs if one tries to locate Mount Sinai within a recent atlas – for that mountain of such storied import is no longer where one might expect … Continue reading
We Apologize, We Will Change – An open letter from the NSA
[For Immediate Release – an open letter from the Assistant Director of the National Security Agency] To my fellow citizens, We are sorry. Let me repeat that to make my … Continue reading
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (and the NSA was watching)
Twas the night before Christmas, and all thro’ the house The only sound to be heard, was the click of a mouse; The family used their digital devices with little … Continue reading
Politicians Are Not Dadaists (they just act like they are)
The best way to understand current political occurrences in the US may be to imagine that one of the major political parties has secretly been hijacked by a band of … Continue reading
Your Phone is Not What’s Lazy…
What is a tech company to do when its recent product unveiling risks being forgotten thanks to a competitors even more recent product unveiling? Advertise, of course, and if possible … Continue reading
Reference Desk: Resources
Ahoy! One of your captains (me) has been overwhelmed by the universe lately, and so not posting much. Sorry! Let me make it up to you with links to sundry … Continue reading
What a Tragedy! The Appleonian Drama of Tim Cook and our Dionysian Distraction
There’s something theatrical about seeing fabulously wealthy CEOs pulled before a government panel and grilled about tax avoidance. Granted, the “grilling” is frequently more befitting a bunch of chums gathered … Continue reading
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