Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A five books meme

My three readers know that I cannot resist a book meme. I saw this a while back over at Ruminations. However, with my busy schedule as of late, I did not have time to do it back in June. So, I wrote down a draft in my journal, and I am finally able to post it to my blog. So, here goes (applicable as of July 11, 2011).  

The book I am currently reading:

I am always reading more than one book. In my reading cue at the moment I have the following:
The last  book I finished:
The next book I want to read:

There are a few, or a lot, of books I want to read next. However, there are some I feel I should get to next:
The last book I bought:
Last book I was given:
  • This is easy because it's a special one: Simon Beecroft, Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary. It's special because, besides the fact that I like Legos and Star Wards, it was a Father's Day gift from my daughter. 

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Why keeping the library open is a matter of public safety.

When it comes to libraries and their funding, a lot of people go for the usual, "we can close the library. But make sure we keep the cops." While I think that we do need our police, closing the local library should not be the default option for funding cuts. As Diane Cherry  puts it in her editorial for the Marietta Daily Journal, "Closing Cobb's libraries a threat to public safety." This should be applicable to all libraries. A couple of good statements from the article; do go and read the rest.

  • "Public safety begins with our teens who we can either educate and give opportunities to or deal with out on the streets. The same is true for the unemployed and homeless friends, neighbors and former co-workers who have touched every one of us. They need the libraries now more than they ever did." 
  • "If we close libraries, we are shutting the doors on the people who need us most - a very real threat to public safety - as economic desperation often leads to crime and public unrest." This sounds a bit like a statement of the obvious, but then again, the asshats who want to cut public services and public goods (after they had 8 years or so of spending like drunken sailors with nothing really to show for it) do not particularly care.