Library - Blog Posts
Your library card is your ticket to anywhere!
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Hey hey, as a librarian, can I just say donât pace yourself at the library. I get a lot of customers saying âoh I shouldnât get too many books out at onceâ but like you should!!!! Max out your card, take everything we have on a subject youâre interested in, make a book fort in your home. We love that shit! It doesnât matter if you read them or not; just take them for an adventure and bring them back whenever theyâre due!
For public libraries, one of the ways we secure funding year to year is lending. Governments donât want to fund more books if theyâre not being used and the way we measure use is by issues. Regardless of whether you read it or not, whether you have it for a day or a month, if you issue it to your library card, we get the stats! It makes the library look good!
Help your local library; get books out even if you know you canât read them all!
Milan Library Living Room Mid-sized Scandinavian open concept living room library idea with light wood flooring, multicolored walls, and a wall-mounted tv
Library in Oxfordshire Living room library - mid-sized contemporary open concept carpeted living room library idea with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv
Modern Living Room London Inspiration for a mid-sized modern enclosed dark wood floor living room library remodel with beige walls
Living Room - Transitional Living Room Huge transitional open concept living room library idea with gray walls, a tile fireplace, a standard fireplace, and a media wall.
"Unsure Certainty" I have been working on this piece on and off between work, and I am both pleased and displeased with it. I thought it may be better that I stop and see what happens when I let them be. But certainly (or not), the title reflects my sentiment towards this piece.
Eclectic Living Room Madrid
Example of a mid-sized eclectic open concept living room library with dark wood floors and beige walls.
Family Room - Transitional Family Room Remodeling ideas for a sizable transitional porcelain tile family room library with gray walls and a media wall
Enclosed - Library
Inspiration for a large, enclosed, rustic space with a media wall, a traditional fireplace, a medium-tone wood floor, a wood ceiling, and wallpaper. The space also has brown walls.
Living Room Library in New York Inspiration for a sizable transitional open concept living room library remodel with gray walls and light wood floors
Game Room - Contemporary Family Room Example of a large trendy open concept limestone floor game room design with white walls, no fireplace and no tv
"Listen lady, I don't care who you are! You have to pay the late fee like EVERYBODY else !Period!" The manager wasn't happy.........librarian was a bust aswell.....ugh
I'm on a roll!
Very honest photo dump about how the month is going (i need a miracle to get me through these exams)
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Worth Existing (or, Frank Webster Gives Keegan An Existential Crisis)
been busy this semester, but have a reflection comic I got away with making for an information history class! it's rambling, but i had some fun digesting my thoughts.
image descriptions from alt: The title page contains the title âWorth Existing, or: Frank Webster gives Keegan an existential crisis.â In front of a mirror, Keegan stands with their back facing the viewer as a reflection of them as a librarian looks back worriedly.
Page 1 features a sequential cartoonish sequence of Keeganâs head rolling and landing on his shoulders. He says: âFinding out how weâve come to view our information society has been a ride. My pea brain can only fit so much, ideas only roll vaguely when I try to talk about what Iâve learned, but Iâm at least seeing things from new eyes. More specificallyâŠâ
Dialogue continues on Page 2, 3 panels sequentially zoom in on a horrified Keegan. She says, âIâm seeing how much Frank Webster hates libraries.â The quote from the book sheâs reading is as follows: âMoreover, library staff have benefited disproportionately from the establishment of these services, being provided with secure and pleasant (if not lavishly remunerated) employment. Why, one might ask, does the public purse need to support the likes of Agatha Christie and Jeremy Clarkson when their books are readily available for cheap purchase and their literary merit, still more their intellectual and uplifting qualities, are at best of minor significance. Such observations raise questions regarding the efficacy with which public libraries actually operate. It follows that a driving force behind their establishment and continued state support, the appeal to mitigate the inequalities of capitalism in the informational domain, seems to have been less than fully effective.â End quote.
Page 3 has Keegan looking with hands clasped, paused. They then look at the camera, asking âDid the dude just insult Agatha Christie?â The bottom has them lying on their bed, looking up at the ceiling in thought, saying âThereâs something that just bugged me ever since I read that chapter. I never really understood the theory we talked about in class, itâs a skill Iâm working on, but the weird beef he has with libraries at least gave me a vibe on âHayekian Neoliberalism.â And also how weird it is that capitalism got so far into deciding whatâs worth existing. If the thing I wanna do with my life is worth existing.â
On Page 4, Keegan walks with his crutches as the dialogue continues. âI could go on for hours about all that sucks with Websterâs opinions! Of course I want the staff to âdisproportionatelyâ benefit from their work. Unlike books, people have to eat! Whatâs ironic about Websterâs whole spiel about the efficacy of libraries is that he provides several examples of figures from his area heavily aided by libraries. Panels feature novelist John Banville, author Jeannette Winterson, and sociologist Richard Hoggart. Keegan continues and says, âAnd yet he goes on to be likeâŠâ
Page 5, a sock puppet speaks angrily: âPeople are getting free books and are hurting the poor bookseller! Libraries are stupid because it doesnât miraculously fix the inequalities of capitalism!â To the side, the text says âArtistâs exaggeration. Donât take this seriously.â Bottom panel contains Keegan pointing with her thumb at Frank Websterâs Wikipedia page. She says, âI wouldnât be so hung up if this was some random guy, but considering this guy is so largely quoted and touted in my field of information sciences? Ouch obviously doesnât cut how much all that stung.â
Page 6 contains an Asian man with a bun protesting banned books. The next panel contains a white woman with a turtleneck reading in a library as a winter storm brews outside. Keegan off-screen says, âWhile Webster calls libraries âcensors of society,â librarians are fighting vehemently against book bannings! And the way he says that public libraries are âcaptured by the better-off section of society?â Like what, youâre going to ignore how libraries act as comfortable spaces for folks without housing during harsher months?â
On Page 7 a gavel bangs on a panel. âAs if thatâs not enough, publishers are suing libraries for distributing e-books, calling them âdirect economic competitorsâ when, if anything, they often support these publishers and their authors by buying multiple copies, hosting events and collaborating with local businesses.â As an example, the comic features a scene of a Black woman in a cardigan talking to a white cashier with a shaved head. She says to them, âI just read this at my library earlier and just needed to get my own copy! Canât believe it took me this long to discover this author!â A panel below, a pair of hands scoops sand and watches it flow from their fingers. Keegan says, âI donât know. Even in good company, it sometimes feels like the future is slipping through my fingers.â
Page 8 is a pillar of falling sand. Embedded in it is an Apple pencil, a floating feather, and a book. Keegan narrates, âAs an artist and a writer, itâs wondering if Iâll be prioritized over a generative AI that doesnât have to eat or sleep. As a birder, itâs wondering if the backyard visitors I always see at my feeder will end up as myths and taxidermied specimens. As a librarian, itâs wondering if the institutions I often called home will be felled by the swift axe that the invisible hand holds. Itâs a weird feeling of perpetual free fall for a drop that is light years away.â
Page 9, Keegan is holding a book to the sky as they read it. They narrate âLearning is a language Iâve always used to make sense of the thoughts Iâve had swirling in my brain. Finding out âinformation capitalismâ was a thing was like learning about the leash that has pulled at my throat since I entered the schooling system. I am learning because I am not a person, but a tool to be put to a trade. The world around me whispers in my earâŠâ
âFeel wonder if you must, but donât linger long enough to turn in something too late.â On page 10, Keegan lies on a grassy field looking up with the book on his chest. He narrates, âI canât deny thatâs a message hard to unhear. As of now, I donât think I remember much before 2022 other than the grades I got.â
On page 11, a hand wipes a bathroom wall with a sponge. The bottom of the page is filled with floating bubbles. Keegan narrates, âThis sounds silly, but I was in tears when I heard about the concept of degrowth this past week. It couldâve been the clorox I was using to clean my bathroom, but the toil of my body and mind mustâve come to some crashing conclusion when I listened past what we were assigned.â The quote goes, Theyâre essentially making the argument that if we stay on this growth path, the only end to that is, you know, our own extinction. They are not just saying itâs not possible. Theyâre also saying itâs not desirable. Itâs the kind of life that you and I ultimately do not want. We donât want to drown in just stuff. We want to have a life. We want to have time for each other. We want to have time for creative thinking and art and love and kindness.â The quote ends. It comes from Voxâs Blame Capitalism: Degrowing Pains and is spoken by Dirk Phillipsen.
On page 12, Keegan sits in the bathtub with a few tears. Narration goes, âIt was just nice that someone smarter than me in this topic wants the same things I do. Time to live and space to breathe. I know itâs not a perfect solution, but itâs one of those moments that culminate to tears when youâre having a rough week. This time, it was the reminder that this doesnât have to be all there is to it. That there were people echoing my heartfelt belief that the system that tears down those I love doesnât have to stay.
Page 13. A frog and toad book. âOne-sided beef with Frank Webster aside, this unit has bolstered my love for librarianship. As hastily made and rambling this comic went, I realize I feel this strongly because I love this field so much. Against all odds, even as the internet grew to commodify knowledge, libraries adapted to the best of their abilities for their patrons. Why should some British dude make me wonder if libraries will continue to exist? As depressing as learning about capitalism gets, itâs helpful to understand the hand that takes from you. To understand why and how Iâve always been hurt by the systems that be and make sure I can lighten the blow for those who come after. Iâve learned thereâs a lot that can come out of being so sad and scared about the future. Sometimes drawing it out (even if you turn in a late assignment) reminds you that thereâs still so much ahead. That, and the fact I should probably read Frog and Toad sometime. So, uh, Iâm gonna do that now. Bye!"
The references page lists several sources: Frank Websterâs âTheories of the Information Society.â An article by Brewster Kahle called, âThe US library system, once the best in the world, faces death by a thousand cuts.â An article by Rachel Kramer Bussel called, âHow Libraries Help Authors Boost Book Sales.â And a podcast episode from Voxâs Today Explained hosted by Noel King, titled âBlame Capitalism: Degrowing Pains.â end descriptions.
Contemporary Family Room Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary light wood floor and beige floor family room library remodel with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand
Library - Living Room
Inspiration for a sizable contemporary open concept living room renovation featuring porcelain tile, white walls, and a wall-mounted television
Paris Living Room Library Example of a mid-sized transitional open concept living room library design with beige walls, no fireplace, dark wood floors, and hidden television.
Eclectic Living Room - Living Room
Image of a formal, enclosed, mid-sized eclectic living room with a dark wood floor and purple walls, as well as a stone fireplace in the corner and a media wall.
Chicago Library Living Room Image of a mid-sized, elegantly enclosed living room library with a multicolored floor and gray walls.
Bedroom - Traditional Bedroom Example of a huge classic master light wood floor and wainscoting bedroom design with white walls
Living Room - Library Living room library - small contemporary open concept ceramic tile and black floor living room library idea with white walls, no fireplace and no tv
Contemporary Living Room in New York Example of a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room library with white walls, a stone fireplace, a traditional fireplace, and medium tone wood floors.
Living Room Library An illustration of a mid-sized, modern, enclosed living room library with a dark wood floor, white walls, a concrete fireplace, and a TV stand.
Living Room Library in New York Inspiration for a sizable open concept living room library remodel with gray walls in a transitional style.
Living Room in West Midlands
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept laminate floor and brown floor living room library remodel with white walls, a two-sided fireplace and a plaster fireplace