April 1st, 2009 Brian Herzog
Although the Kindle and other ebook devices are growing steadily in popularity, there is one advantage that libraries and bookstores still have: author visits and book signings.
Getting to listen to and meet an author in person is a great experience. And it’s something that you can only do in person - right? Not any more. Amazon has announced a new program in an effort to recreate this experience for its Kindle customers.
The new “Online Book Signings” portion of their Digital Text Platform lets Kindle customers watch a live webcast of an author talking about their book, and ask the author questions via realtime chat.
But the best part is that people who buy a Kindle version of the book will also be able to get it personalized and signed by the author. A demo (Kindle not required) of three titles is below - click a title, type in your name, and then download the signed book to your Kindle. Pretty neat.
This might start a whole new market for digital autographs - so collect all three!
Tags: amazon, april, book, Books, ebook, ebooks, fool, fools, joke, jokes, kindle, kindle2, libraries, Library, online, online book signings, public, signing, signings, slooflirpa See Also
Posted under Library, Random, Technology | 3 Comments »
December 9th, 2008 Brian Herzog
One of the publications that gets mailed to my library is aROUNDtheTABLE, the newsletter of The Genealogy Roundtable in Concord, MA.
In addition to success stories from peoples’ family research, it also often has tips on things like scanning black and white negatives, how photos can be used for research, etc. This issue also had some humorous columns - here are some excerpts which made me laugh on a Tuesday afternoon:
You know you’re addicted to Genealogy…
- …when you brake for libraries
- …if you get locked in a library overnight and you never even notice
Top ten worst ways to begin a family history:
- #8 - “Cal me Ishmael,” our ancestor Ishmael Johnson might have said if you asked, “What should we call you?”
- #6 - Let me start by saying this book would have been better if my g’damn relatives had answered my g’damn questions.
- #1 - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Several years later, my grandmother was born in Des Moines.
Ah, humor makes any periodical more interesting.
And speaking of genealogy, I attended a great genealogy session at the annual NELA conference. Given by Cindy O’Neil of the Manchester (NH) City Library, it outlined the resources needed for a genealogy core collection (for New England), and is worth skimming.
See Also
Posted under Library, Random | No Comments »
September 4th, 2007 Brian Herzog
The answer to Wikipedia’s entry on Librarians is the Uncyclopedia’s humorous Librarian entry.
Thanks, Karen.
More library-related humor websites:
humor, jokes, libraries, library, library humor, public libraries, public library
See Also
Posted under Library, Random | 1 Comment »
April 2nd, 2007 Brian Herzog
This email was sent to all the staff at my library yesterday, for an April Fools joke - it met with mixed results:
Announcing a New Reference Program
In order to reach out to teenagers who use the internet more than the library, the Reference Department is launching a new program designed to appeal to these kids.
Since kids are online so much, this new program is geared to reach kids where they spend time. Instead of the Reference Desk, we will use accounts on MySpace and Facebook, and launch a new blog with podcasts and YouTube videos. This will show the kids that the library is as hip and cool as they are, which will make them more comfortable in asking us questions.
We also came up with a hip and cool name and image for the program, based around the look and language of teens today. To show that we’re funky-fresh, the program will be called “RephrenZ” (the teen’s phonetical spelling of “reference).
A core service of this program will be a new 24/7 chat/IM reference service. The Friends of the Library have graciously given the library funds to purchase five new laptop computers, one for each member of the Reference Staff.
To be able to answer chat and IM reference questions day or night, all Reference Staff will be required to carry their laptops with them at all times, and answer chat questions during their regular desk shifts as well as while they are at home. The Friends are also buying two extra laptops, so other staff can volunteer to answer chat reference questions from home.
The blog and chat login and everything else will be centered in our new website. For more information, please visit Da Rephrenz webpage at http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/rephrenz
Are you ready to Git Yo Reph On?!?
Brian
Tags: april, fool, fools, git yo reph on, joke, jokes, libraries, Library, public libraries, public library, rephrenz, slooflirpa See Also
Posted under Library, Programs, Random, Service | 3 Comments »
