Speak Quietly: Ramblings About Libraries, Writing, and Everything in Between

Read "Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian" Free!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 30 May 2016 16:31:00 +0000

To help spread the word about my next book (#OrganicJesus), I have made Quiet, Please free on Kindle and iBooks. Get it while you can and enjoy it forever!

Librarian: The Game

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Shelving books may not sound very sporty, but if you have ever wondered how fast can you shelve a cart of books, then there’s now an app for that.

Last October, my wife and I began working with a developer to create a game just for librarians. The game is called “Sheleved” and it went live last week.

The game features three different modes of play: LOC, Dewey, and Alphabetical.

It may not be the most exciting game, but if you are looking to test your Pages, or even test yourself, then it’s just the game for you.

It’s .99, but if you are a blogger interested in reviewing it (and don’t have a dollar to spare), I have a very limited promo codes for free downloads.

If you happen to download it, let me know what you think. Below are the links:

iPad and iPhone

Also, my wife is giving away a Kindle this week to celebrate her blogs two year anniversary, so if you don't have one and want one, then enter already!

500 Spanish Words Every Librarian Should Know

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:43:00 +0000

A few months ago, you might remember I mentioned starting a small eBook publishing company called Minute Help. You can read about it here.

The company is going strong, and we are sticking to our plan of putting out about six to twelve books a month.

Last week we began a new series called "Spanish for Workplace Survival." There are currently ten books in the series.

It would be great to know Spanish, but many people just don't have time; that's where this series comes in handy; it helps you learn the Spanish you need to get by. Below are 500 power words every librarian should know to give you an idea of what each book is about.

The book is now available on Kindle, Nook, and iBooks.

There are 10 other books in the series, which can be found by searching for "Spanish for the Workplace" or off our website http://www.minutehelpguides.com/.

	English	Spanish
1	A Fine	Una Multa
2	A Research	Una Investigación
3	A Return (Book)	Un Regreso
4	Abstract	El Abstracto
5	Academic Discipline	Las Disciplinas Académicas
6	Access	El Acceso
7	Accessible	Accesible
8	Accession Number	El Número de Acceso
9	Account	La Cuenta
10	Accounting	Contabilidad
11	Additional	Adicional
12	Additional Information	La Información Adicional
13	Advanced Degree	El Grado Avanzado
14	Advertisements	Los Anuncios
15	Africa	África
16	African American Studies	Los Estudios Afro-Americanos
17	African Studies	Estudios Africanos
18	Agriculture	Agricultura
19	Almanac	El Almanaque
20	Alphabetically	Alfabéticamente
21	American Literature	Literatura Americana
22	Animal Sciences	Ciencias Animales
23	Annotation	La Anotación
24	Annual Reports	Los Informes Anuales
25	Annually	Anualmente
26	Another	Otro
27	Anthology	La Antología
28	Appears	Aparece
29	Appendix	Apéndice
30	Applied Physiology	Fisiología Aplicada
31	Archives	Los Archivos
32	Arranged	Acomodados
33	Art	Arte
34	Art Conservation	Conservación de Arte
35	Art History	Historia del Arte
36	Article	El Artículo
37	Article Searching	La búsqueda de artículos
38	Arts & Humanities	Arte y Humanidades
39	Asia	Asia
40	Asian Languages	Idiomas Asiáticos
41	Asian Literature	Literatura Asiática
42	Asian Studies	Estudios de Asia
43	Assigned	Asignado
44	Astronomy	Astronomía
45	Astronomy and Physics	Astronomía y Física
46	Atlas	El Atlas
47	Australia	Australia
48	Authentication	La Autenticación
49	Author	El Autor
50	Available	Disponible
51	Back cover	Contraportada
52	Barcode Number	Número de código de barras
53	Before	Antes
54	Behavioral Health	Salud Comportacional
55	Between	Entre
56	Beyond	Más allá de
57	Bibliographer	El Bibliografo
58	Bibliographies	Las Bibliografías
59	Bibliography	La Bibliografía
60	Biennial	Bianual
61	Biochemistry	Bioquímica
62	Biochemistry and Chemistry	Bioquímica y Química
63	Biographical Information	Información Biográfica
64	Bioinformatics	Bioinformática
65	Biological Sciences	Ciencias Biológicas
66	Bio resources Engineering	Ingeniería de Los Recursos Biológicos
67	Biotechnology	Biotecnología
68	Books	Los Libros
69	Bookstore	La Librería
70	Boolean Logic	La Lógica Booleana
71	Boolean Operators	Los Operadores Booleanos
72	Boolean Searching	La Búsqueda Booleana
73	Borrow Direct	Un Préstamo Directo
74	Bound Periodical	La Publicación Periódica Consolidada
75	Brief	Breve
76	Business	Negocios
77	Business Administration	Administración de Empresas
78	By Phone	Por Teléfono
79	Campus Libraries	Las Librerías del Campus
80	Card Catalog	El Catálogo de Tarjetas
81	Catalog	El Catálogo
82	CD-ROM	El CD-ROM
83	Chair	Silla
84	Chapter	Capítulo
85	Characteristics	Las Características
86	Check out a Book	Sacar un libro
87	Check out Counter	Mostrador de salida
88	Checked out Item	Artículo en préstamo
89	Chemical Engineering	Ingeniería Química
90	Chemistry	Química
91	Circulation Desk	Mostrador de Circulación
92	Citation	La Cita
93	Cited	Citada
94	Citing	Citando
95	Classification	La Clasificación
96	Collect	Coleccionar
97	Collection	La Colección
98	Commonly	Comúnmente
99	Compilation	La Compilación
100	Compilations	Las Compilaciones
101	Complex	Complejo
102	Complex Searches	Las Búsquedas Complejas
103	Components	Los Componentes
104	Computer	La Computadora
105	Computer Lab	El Laboratorio de Computación
106	Computer Science	Ciencias de la Computación
107	Computer Workstations	Las Estaciones de Trabajo Computacionales
108	Computers	Computadoras
109	Consists	Consiste
110	Consulted	Consultado
111	Contact Information	La información de contacto
112	Content	El Contenido
113	Contents	Contenidos
114	Controlled Vocabulary	El Vocabulario Controlado
115	Copies	Las Copias
116	Copy	Copiar
117	Copy Machine	Copiadora
118	Copyright	Los Derechos de Autor
119	Correct	Correcto
120	Country Information	Información sobre el País
121	Course	El Curso
122	Course Reserves	Las Reservas del Curso
123	Cover	Portada
124	Creators	Los Creadores
125	Cross Reference	La Referencia Cruzada
126	Currently	En La Actualidad
127	Daily	Diariamente
128	Data	Los Datos
129	Database	La Base de Datos
130	Dated	Fechados
131	Department	El Departamento
132	Describe	Decribir
133	Description	La Descripción
134	Descriptors	Los Descriptores
135	Designated	Designado
136	Desk	Escritorio
137	Deteriorate	Deteriorar
138	Developed	Desarrollado
139	Devolution	Una Devolución
140	Diaries	Los Diarios
141	Dictionaries	Los Diccionarios
142	Different	Diferentes
143	Differential Calculus	Cálculo Diferencial
144	Directory	El Directorio
145	Diseases	Enfermedades
146	Dissertation	La Disertación
147	Distribute	Distribuir
148	Divided	Dividido
149	Doctoral Degree	El Grado Doctoral
150	Document Delivery	La Entrega de Documentos
151	Documentation	La Documentación
152	Documents	Los Documentos
153	Due Date	La Fecha de Vencimiento
154	DVD	El DVD
155	Each	Cada
156	Economics	Economía
157	Edition	La Edición
158	Editor	Editor
159	Education	Educación
160	Effective Research	La Búsqueda Efectiva
161	Efficient	Eficiente
162	Electrical Engineering	Ingeniería Eléctrica
163	Electronic Journal	El Diario Electrónico
164	Electronically	Electrónicamente
165	Electronics	Electrónica
166	Element	El Elemento
167	Employment	Empleo
168	Encyclopedia	La Enciclopedia
169	Endings	Las Terminaciones
170	Engineering	Ingeniería
171	English Literature	Literatura Inglesa
172	Entertainment	Entretenimiento
173	Entry	La Entrada
174	Ethnicity	Etnicidad
175	Europe	Europa
176	Evaluating	Evaluando
177	Evaluation	La Evaluación
178	Event	El Evento
179	Examples	Los Ejemplos
180	Exclusive Rights	Los Derechos Exclusivos
181	Facilities	Las Instalaciones
182	Facility	La Instalación
183	Facts	Los Hechos
184	Faculty	El Profesorado
185	Family Studies	Estudios de la Familia
186	Fashion Studies	Estudios de la Moda
187	Field	El Campo
188	File	Archivo
189	Finance	Finanzas
190	Fine Arts	Bellas Artes
191	First Aid	Primeros Auxilios
192	Flat	Plano
193	Food	Alimentos
194	Food Sciences	Ciencias de la Alimentación
195	Footnote	Pié de Página
196	Format	El Formato
197	Formulate	Formular
198	Frequently	Frecuentemente
199	Function	La Función
200	Gender	Género
201	Genealogy	Genealogía
202	General Audience	El Público En General
203	Generally	Generalmente
204	Geology	Geología
205	Geometry	Geometría
206	Glossary	El Glosario
207	Government	Gobierno
208	Government Document	El Documento Gubernamental
209	Group	El Grupo
210	Guide	La Guía
211	Hardware	El Hardware
212	Health	Salud
213	Higher Education	La Educación Superior
214	History	Historia
215	Hobbies	Aficiones / Pasatiempos
216	Hold	Una Reserva
217	Holdings	Los Artículos Reservados
218	Horticulture	Horticultura
219	Hotel Management	Administración Hotelera
220	Human Development	Desarrollos Humanos
221	Human Resources	Recursos Humanos
222	Identification Cards	Las tarjetas de identificación
223	Illustrates	Ilustra
224	Illustration	La Ilustración
225	Indefinitely	Indefinidamente
226	Index	El Índice
227	Indexes	Los Índices
228	Information	La Información
229	Information Science	Las Ciencias de la Información
230	Information Systems	Sistemas de información
231	Injuries	Lesiones
232	In-Person	En Persona
233	Institutional Management	Gestión Institucional
234	Instructions	Las Instrucciones
235	Integral Calculus	Cálculo Integral
236	Interlibrary Loan Services	Servicios de préstamo interbibliotecario
237	International Relations	Relaciones Internacionales
238	Internet	Internet
239	Intervals	Los Intervalos
240	Interviews	Las Entrevistas
241	ISBN	El número ISBN
242	ISSN	El número ISSN
243	Issue	El número de publicación
244	Issued	Emitidos
245	Item	Artículo
246	Items	Los Artículos
247	Journal	El Journal
248	Keyword	La Palabra Clave
249	Keyword Searching	La Búsqueda Por Palabra Clave
250	Kinesiology	Kinesiología
251	Languages	Idiomas
252	Latin America Studies	Estudios de América Latina
253	Law	Ley
254	Leadership Studies	Estudios de Liderazgo
255	Legal Provision	Las provisiones legales
256	Legal Studies	Estudios Jurídicos
257	Leisure	Ocio
258	Librarians	Los Bibiliotecaros
259	Libraries	Las Bibliotecas
260	Library	La Biblioteca
261	Library Card	La Tarjeta de Biblioteca
262	Library Collection	La Colección de la Biblioteca
263	Library Materials	Los Materiales de la Biblioteca
264	Library of Congress	La Bilbioteca del Congreso
265	Library of Congress Classification	La Clasificación de la Biblioteca del Congreso
266	Library Resources	Los Recursos de la Biblioteca
267	Licensed Resources	Los Recursos con Licencia
268	Linguistics	Lingüística
269	List	La Lista
270	Literary Criticism	La Crítica Literaria
271	Literature	Literatura
272	Loan Period	El periodo de préstamo
273	Locally	Localmente
274	Location	La Ubicación
275	Magazine	La Revista
276	Management	Gestión
277	Manuscripts	Los Manuscritos
278	Map	El Mapa
279	Masters Degree	El Grado De Maestría
280	Master's in Library Science	La Maestría en Ciencias Bibliotecarias
281	Materials	Los Materiales
282	Math	Matemáticas
283	Mechanical Engineering	Ingeniería Mecánica
284	Media	Los Medios
285	Medical Sciences	Ciencias Médicas
286	Medical Technology	Tecnología Médica
287	Mention	La Mención
288	Menu	El Menú
289	Method	El Método
290	Microfiche	La Microficha
291	Microfilm	El Microfilm
292	Microforms	Las Microformas
293	Middle East	Medio Oriente
294	Military Science	Ciencias Militares
295	Missing	Faltante
296	Monograph	La Monografía
297	Monthly	Mensualmente
298	Movies	Películas
299	Multiple Subjects	Los Temas Múltiples
300	Music	La Música
301	Musical Scores	Las Partituras Musicales
302	Names	Los Nombres
303	Necessary	Necesario
304	Newspapers	Los Periódicos
305	North America	América Del Norte
306	Not Allowed	No Permitido
307	Not Available	No Disponible
308	Notes	Notas
309	Number	El Número
310	Numbered	Numerados
311	Nutrition	Nutrición
312	Obtain	Obtener
313	Off Campus	Fuera del Campus
314	Online	En Línea
315	Online Search	La Búsqueda en Línea
316	Operators (Search)	Los Operadores de Búsqueda
317	Organizations	Las Organizaciones
318	Original	Original
319	Own	Ser dueño de
320	Pages	Las Páginas
321	Particular	Particular
322	Parts	Las Partes
323	Password	La Contraseña
324	Periodical Abstracts	Los Abstractos Periódicos
325	Periodical Index	El Índice Periódico
326	Periodical Indexes	Los Índices Periódicos
327	Periodicals	Publicaciones Periódicas
328	Pertinent	Pertinente
329	Pets	Mascotas
330	Philosophy	Filosofía
331	Phone	Teléfono
332	Photographed	Fotografiado
333	Photographic	Fotográfico
334	Photographic Film	La Película Fotográfica
335	Photography	La Fotografía
336	Phrase	La Frase
337	Physics	Física
338	Physiology	Fisiología
339	PIN (Personal Identification Number)	El NIP (Número de Identificación Personal)
340	Place	El Lugar
341	Plagiarism	El Plagio
342	Planning Process	El Proceso de Planeación
343	Plastic	Plástico
344	Poems	Los Poemas
345	Point Of View	El Punto de Vista
346	Political Science	Ciencias Políticas
347	Presidents	Presidentes
348	Primary Source	La Fuente Primaria
349	Print Reference Materials	Los Materiales de Referencia Impresos
350	Printer	Impresora
351	Privileges	Los Privilegios
352	Professional Societies	Las Sociedades Profesionales
353	Programming	Programación
354	Programming Languages	Lenguajes de Programación
355	Proxy Server	El Servidor Proxy
356	Public Health	Salud Pública
357	Publication	La Publicación
358	Publication Date	La Fecha de Publicación
359	Publications	Las Publicaciones
360	Published	Publicado
361	Publisher	El Editor
362	Publishing Period	El Periodo de Publicación
363	Quality	Calidad
364	Quarterly	Trimestralmente
365	Quiet	Callado
366	Quotations	Citas
367	Rare Books	Los Líbros Poco Comúnes
368	Reader	El Lector
369	Reading Area	Área De Lectura
370	Reading Room	Sala de Lectura
371	Recall	Una Petición de Devolución
372	Record	El Registro
373	Records	Los Registros
374	Reduced	Reducida
375	Reference	La Referencia
376	Reference Assistant	El Asistente de Referencia
377	Reference Collection	La Colección de Referencia
378	Reference Desk	El Escritorio de Referencia
379	Reference Librarian	El Bibliotecario de Referencia
380	Reference Number	Número de Referencia
381	Referred	Referido
382	Regional	Regional
383	Register	El Registro
384	Regular	Regular
385	Regular Intervals	Los Intervalos Regulares
386	Renewal	La Renovación
387	Represent	Representar
388	Representation	La Representación
389	Reproduce	Reproducir
390	Request	La Solicitud
391	Research	La Investigación
392	Research Materials	Los Materiales de Investigación
393	Researchers	Los Investigadores
394	Reserve Reading	La Lectura de Reserva
395	Resources	Los Recursos
396	Responsible	Responsable
397	Results	Los Resultados
398	Retrieval	Recolección
399	Return	Regresar
400	Returned Book	Libro Devuelto
401	Review	Revisión
402	Root	La Raíz
403	Scholars	Los Académicos
404	Sciences	Ciencias
405	Screen	La Pantalla
406	Search	La Búsqueda
407	Search Results	Los Resultados de Búsqueda
408	Search Strategy	La Estrategia de Búsqueda
409	Sequence	La Secuencia
410	Serial	El Serial
411	Serials	Los Seriales
412	Server	El Servidor
413	Sexuality	Sexualidad
414	Sheets	Las Hojas
415	Shelf	El Estante
416	Shelves	Los Estantes
417	Short	Corto
418	Silence	Silencio
419	Size	El Tamaño
420	Social Sciences	Ciencias Sociales
421	Sociology	Sociología
422	Software	Software
423	Source	La Fuente
424	South America	América Del Sur
425	Space	El Espacio
426	Special Collections	Las Colecciones Especiales
427	Special Education	Educación Especial
428	Specialists	Los Especialistas
429	Specialized	Especializados
430	Specialized Assistance	La Asistencia Especializada
431	Specific	Específico
432	Sports	Deportes
433	Stacks	Los Conjuntos de Libros
434	Staff	El Personal
435	Starting Point	El Punto de Inicio
436	States	Estados
437	Statistical Sources	Las Fuentes Estadísticas
438	Statistics	Las Estadísticas
439	Storage	Almacenamiento
440	Stored	Almacenado
441	Students	Los Estudiantes
442	Studies	Los Estudios
443	Subject	Materia
444	Subject Experts	Los Expertos en el Tema
445	Subject Guides To Literature	Guías de Contenido Literario
446	Subject Headings	Encabezados
447	Subject Specialist Librarian	El Bibliotecario de Temas Especializados
448	Successive	Sucesivos
449	Summary	El Resumen
450	Symbol	El Símbolo
451	System	El Sistema
452	Table	Mesa
453	Table of Contents	Tabla de Contenidos
454	Tax	Impuestos
455	Teachers	Los Maestros
456	Technology	Tecnología
457	Television	Televisión
458	Terminal	La Terminal
459	Thesaurus	Tesauro
460	To Borrow	Pedir Prestado
461	To Conserve	Conservar
462	To Document	Documentar
463	To find	Encontrar
464	To Place	Colocar
465	To Prepare	Preparar
466	To Preserve	Preservar
467	To Print	Imprimir
468	To publish	Publicar
469	To Read	Leer
470	To Register	Registrar
471	To Renew	Renovar
472	To Research	Investigar
473	To Scale	A Escala
474	To search	Buscar
475	To verify	Verificar
476	Topic	El Tema
477	Trigonometry	Trigonometría
478	Truncation	El Truncamiento
479	Typically	Típicamente
480	Unique	Único
481	University	La Universidad
482	University Libraries	Las Bibliotecas Universitarias
483	Used	Usado
484	Useful	Útil
485	Users	Los Usuarios
486	Variant	La Variante
487	Variety	La Variedad
488	Verification	Verificación
489	Visitors	Los/Las Visitantes
490	Vocabulary	El Vocabulario
491	Volume	El Volúmen
492	Weekly	Semanalmente
493	Words	Las Palabras
494	Working Days	Los Días Hábiles
495	Workstation	La Estación De Trabajo
496	Workstations	Las Estaciones De Trabajo
497	Writings	Los Escritos
498	Written	Escrito
499	Yearbooks	Los Anuarios
500	Zoology	Zoología

The Value of Free

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Publishing is a tough business. Many people try to write books, many people finish writing books, but most never see them actually published. Sometimes it's because they just weren't polished enough yet; often, however, they just never find it a home. I was fortunate to find my first book a home. What has proved not so easy, however, is the one that followed. This is the journey of that novel...

Unlike many authors, my book had an agent with the connections to get it read by editors at all the big publishing houses, but after a year, the book still sat unpublished and with no hope in sight.

The book is called The N00b Warriors. It is a YA novel about a civil war that has wiped out much of the country...so much so that kids are being trained with video games so that they too can go out and fight in this war. It was wrote after years of teenage boys telling me there were no books that spoke to them. Really, it was my attempt to give them something that spoke to them.

When it landed at the desks of the New York editors, the response was quite favorable--except for one minor thing: it was violent. Teens, from what I gathered from much of the houses, don't want violence--they want nice stories where the good guy wins, people fall in love, and there is hope. Now it wasn't that my book didn't have that...it just didn't have enough. Also, teenage boys, it seemed from there input, didn't read.

Fortunately, in a digital age, it is possible to let the readers decide if a book that publishers said no to is worthy of the rejection. I don't know a lot about teens, but I do know two things: one, they don't have money and they appreciate free; and two, if they don't have an iPhone then chances are they have an iPod Touch. Unlike most adults, they actually enjoy reading on those tiny, glaring screens. So I did what would have been disgraceful and unprofessional five years ago (but what is now pretty common): I gave it away for free.

I was once asked what I would rather have: fame or fortune. It's easy: fame, because how do you have fame without fortune? I now know the answer: by giving it away for free. In the two plus weeks it's been live, it has been downloaded well over 1000 times. And, judging from the reviews, teens actually read and liked it.

The response has been enough to make me continue the series even if publishers reject the content as too violent. Ten years ago, writing a book that dared to be different risked never seeing the light of day, but now there's at last a chance for readers to weigh in at what should really published and read.

Many writers will go on and on at how they write for the passion not for the money. It's funny how many still aren't willing to give away their books. I've been writing professionally long enough to know writers don't make money. It's nice to get a buck here and there, but it's much nicer to know your book is actually being read.

I have often said the greatest ideas and dreams can be found in one central location: the cemetery. It's unfortunate but most dreams are never carried through. They rest in our minds until one day we are gone, and so are the ideas we carried in us. Everyone is capable of greatness, but few are capable of the sheer will, discipline and desire to get through the long bitter race that must be run before we get to the point were we can look to the crowd and listen to them appalled and chant well done.

Sometimes finishing the race that is writing means getting absolutely nothing for it. The thrill is the cheers. The book is on sale on Kindle (where it can't be free by Kindle rules), and people have bought it--enough to buy my wife a moderate dinner some place nice...but the real audience is where it's free. There may not be any glamour in giving something away, but there is certainly readership--and that's enough.

If you want to read it, just go to iBooks and type in "The N00b Warriors." If you want to buy it, go here. And if you want a free copy in Word or ePub, then email me: scottdouglas@scottdouglas.org. I will also be irregularly updating the official N00b website here: www.then00bwarriors.com

The Death of Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:08:00 +0000

It's fitting that Mac is calling their new OS Lion. It's fitting because it is the OS that is going to tear though and conquer everything. Windows? It's dead.

Apple has built an empire on the phrase, "It just works." And you know what? It does. Next time my parents need a computer, why would I get them a Windows? With Apple, more so now than ever with Lion (due out Summer 2011), the learning curve is virtually gone. Why does the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad work? Because you can sit down with them and know how they work with little effort.

What's more, Apple is now the computer of choice for just about every single college freshman. Microsoft had a similar tactic when I was in college--I paid only 15 bucks for the Office Professional suite and 25 bucks for Windows 98 at the college bookstore. Apple is at nearly every college campus in the country, offering discounts and, of course, Apple credit cards to pay for them. For the ones not willing to pay $1000+ on a laptop, they give an iPhone.

People want things that look the same. It's only logical that people want a computer that interacts as simple as their phone. The new iMovie program in iLife is enough to make any parent lust to have it in their home--so their kids too can create videos that blow their peers away. And iPhoto is iCandy to every senior’s eye--a photo suite that makes it simple to print out albums. It's cool, and there's something for everyone.

Apple is doing something that Microsoft hasn't figured out: they're making their consumer see how their life will be easier if only they could have on.

Microsoft has a nasty habit of innovating after innovation--Zune is better than iPod in many ways, but it came too late; the same can be said of the latest Windows mobile. If the rumors are correct, they too are working on an app store for computers/tablets, but time will tell if it comes too late.

Windows, for now, will remain the computer of businesses, but I suspect Android will soon take care of that.

Things change. The giant today is the dwarf tomorrow. So why should it matter? Because, while I love Apple, and have four in my house, the idea of having a computer with apps means the ultimate end to customization. Sure we can tweak the computer, but soon it will only be in a way that Apple wants.

I like Apple. I like apps. They're simple. But the idea of someone having them deciding what apps are approved and rejected is worrisome.

Lego Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Why didn't Lego ads look this cool when I was a kid?

Build Anything from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

So Long Summer...See You Next Year

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Update On My Next Book

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:55:00 +0000

Today is the first time in several weeks that I have a day off from basically everywhere I work (FYI, on top of working for a public library, I also work P/T at a college library, freelance gigs, and teaching writing through the Gotham Writers’ Workshop). Seems like a good time to update this blog regarding information about my next book.

I officially signed a contract last month with ALA Editions to write a guide on mobile app development for libraries. The book is tentatively called “Going Mobile” and it will be due out, assuming all timetables are meant, sometime in 2011.

As some of you know, I published my first iPhone app back in May; this was essentially prep work for this book. I have believe for quite some time that libraries needed to get into the mobile app game, and I wanted to see how easy (or hard) it is.

The goal of the book is to show that mobile apps aren’t as hard as you may think; new software is making mobile development both easy and practical with people with only HTML skills.

Washington DC is the only library that has kind of experimented in getting the library online (they have a free app on the iPhone store); there are a handful of library related apps (like WorldCat), but it is extremely limited. I’m excited for the opportunity to write about a topic that has yet to be thoroughly covered.

So stay tuned, and I’ll keep you updated on its progress. And if any librarians are currently working on apps for their libraries, I’d be interested in hearing from you…leave a comment below or email me scottdouglas at scottdouglas.org.

Happy 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:59:00 +0000

American...the land of make racist remarks now, and apologize for them later

Happy 4th!

(photo curtesy of the National Archives)

Publishing is Dead?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:46:00 +0000

Two years ago, I would have said a bold statement like "Publishing is Dead" is a little extreme. Two years later, I now rexamine that statement and question, if not dead, then is it fair to say, at the very least, that traditional publishing it's dying? I think so.

The death, or dying, of publishing is not triggered by electronic publishing, rather the lack of publishing in general figuring out what to do because of it. The best way to deal with a problem is to figure out a solution before the problem hits--that didn't happen.

Here's the problem as I see it: Publishing in general is more worried about what distributer will get them the most money than developing a model that works. They are approaching eBooks the same way they approach physical books. The biggest mistake of publishing is using yesterdays publishing model on a platform that is still defining itself. Instead of learning new platforms, they are simply opting in with little understanding of how it actually works.

I saw this as an opportunity.

I told my friend, and now business partner, Roland, that we should try and take advantage of traditional publishings present mistake--to develop a model that just might work.

In June we started setting up our model; we drafted out our first books, opened up accounts, registered the name, and did all the stuff necessary to make the business legal. We called our publishing business Minute Help Press; by the end of the month, we had our first two books. By the end of July, another dozen should join their company. Our plan is to release 5 to 10 a month.

So, in less than a month, we had two books designed, edited, and submitted to electronic distributers. The process for traditional publishing is 1 to 2 years.

The first thing we decided was that people tend to read eBooks on the go. Yes, people read it from home, but truly the best feature of eReading is the ability to have a book literally on your phone, your compuer, and your eReading device--this means wherever you are (at home, at work, or on the go) you have your book at your fingertips. The average person probably is not going t want to read "War and Peace" on their commute to work. The best eBooks are the ones you can read with a subway full of people--something that is easy to read when you are surround by distractions.

The second thing we considered is a growing number of people want to know as much as possible in the least amount of time possible. There are lots of people who are completists--they want to know every single detail about a subject. Those people are not our audience. Our audience is the business man or woman who just picked up a copy of Office 2010 and wants to know what's different about, what the basic features are, and how to use it--the people, in short, who want nothing more than a crash course on the subject.

The second thing we considered is price. We aren't paying anyone to print the books, market the books, edit the books, design the books, etc--we are doing it all ourselves. That means we can sell the books for $0.99 to $2.99 and still make a profit.

There are literally millions of people with eReaders; once people stop being stubborn and realize that eReading doesn't mean the death of physical books, that number will only grow. But as more people launch home-based publishing companies such as ours, publishing is going to take a hit--by the time they realize this, the competition might just be too great, so tomorrow's publishing companies might very well be one's just like Minute Help. In ten years, the books you see in the bookstore, might be books put out not by companies like Random House, but by two little guys with a little bit of know-how. Only time will tell.

If you want to watch the story unfold, you can join our newly launched Twitter feed here @minutehelp or see are new and future releases here: minutehelpguides.com

The first two books are currently available on Kindle; next week they should be available on the iBookstore; very soon they will be available on Nook and Google Editions. To see the current catalog of books, visit the following link. Previews of select titles are available.

The Lego Printer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:24:00 +0000

Maybe it is just the nerd in me, but this really is the coolest thing I've seen all week!

Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 31 May 2010 18:30:00 +0000

A number of people have asked what I thought about the Lost series finale...like the series itself, it's complicated; I wrote a blog about it on my other blog DistrubedChristians (which lately is updated much more frequently than this one). Follow this link if you want to read it.

The One About Immigration

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:17:00 +0000

From my other blog DisturbedChristians.com

A few weeks ago, a man came into the library where I work and asked a simple question; he said, “how does someone become a citizen?” I wish I could have answered the way someone would have answered my Canadian ancestors, and said, “Simply cross the line and prosper well—welcome to the land of dreams and prosperity!” That America closed its border a long time ago.

The person who wanted to become a citizen was illegal—a common story in California. She had been in the country with her husband (also here illegally) for over ten years, and had children who had been born in this country; her youngest son barely spoke a word of Spanish, and is as American as they come. So what is the answer to her question? It’s easy—pack up and move back to her country (Mexico), because you cannot become a citizen of the United States if you are here illegally. Her youngest son would be able to sponsor her in about six years also.

Why am I writing this? If you hadn’t heard by now, Arizona’s governor has passed new legislation to make anyone in Arizona who is in the states illegally, a criminal—which means prison time, a fine, and a one way ticket back to Mexico. It also means my wife, a born and raised United States citizen, can be questioned on suspicion of being in the United States illegally because she looks Mexican—most states call that racial profiling of the worst kind, but Arizona believes that questioning American citizens is not only socially responsible, but their right.

So back to the family above—if they lived in Arizona, they would be charged as criminals, fined, and returned to Mexico. And their ten year old, who is American and barely speaks Spanish?

Why are they doing this? Because they are criminals! Because they broke the law and now they must pay! Because they are wasting American tax dollars! And because they are a bunch of arrogant, racist, white dicks who don’t want dirty Mexicans contaminating their land.

Here’s one fact people don’t talk about. It is a documented fact that immigrants actually do not hurt the economics of America—in many respects they help it. America loves taxing, so don’t think for a second that just because you are here illegally you don’t pay taxes—the federal government has absolutely no problem collecting money from these so-called criminals. You want to know how badly immigrants hurt the economics of this country? Read this article.

The fact is if you are a wealthy Mexican, you’ll have no problem getting into this country; if you are a smart Mexican and the country can benefit from your brain, you’ll have no problem getting into this country. The problem is those two types of Mexicans are not the ones who make good Americans. The ones who make good Americans are the one who come here with the dreams of a better life—who want nothing more to contribute to the diversity that makes this country so great—the ones who will be happy with living as middle-class citizens. And those are exactly the ones who don’t stand a chance of ever getting her the legal way.

Does it make you a criminal to want a better life for your children? Arizona thinks it does. And if you think it does then why don’t you get yourself out too? It’s easy to forget that Americans forcefully planted themselves on this soil, and continued to illegally revolt against the English government to steal this country away from the king (who had stole it from the Indians). But I guess you have some justifiable excuse for why that was okay. The fact is people shouldn’t be here illegally—in ideal world the government would grow a pair and figure out how to make it possible for our neighbors South of us to immigrate to this country—and how to make it possible to grant citizenship to the ones who are already here.

What does this have to do with Christianity? Arizona citizens are largely in favor of this bill, and there’s bound to be just a few Christians in that state. If any of you are reading this post, then consider what your state is doing. These people aren’t criminals! You don’t need a green card to be American—you just need a dream of something greater. Don’t fear them—embrace them! If you want to protest the fact that they are here illegally, then give them a chance to become legal. Consider the fact that they are here illegally because they don’t have any other options—they are not stealing from your state! They are contributing to it. Are there people who cheat the system? Of course! But there’s American’s who cheat the system too. There are always going to be cheaters, but deporting them won’t stop that.

Social responsibility isn’t a naughty word; it’s a Christian word—it means as Christians we are supposed to care for everyone—American or non. It means if there’s someone who wants to come to this country and dream, then we should help them build—not put up barriers to stop them.

I’ve heard a lot of Christians get upset because we don’t want prayer in schools or the Ten Commandments in courthouse. I get upset when I see Christians turning their back on people who want nothing more than freedom.

A Journey Through Literary American: A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:30:00 +0000

Who would have Steinbeck been without Salinas? Faulkner without Oxford? Hawthorne without Salem? Langston Hughes without Harlem? Many things shape a writer, but the one so often cited is that city or town that rose around them.

Most writers ultimately will move away from the city of their birth, and yet so often is it the one thing that they come back to as they write.

A few weeks ago, I was given a copy of the coffee table book “A Journey Through Literary America” by Thomas R. Hummel (photos by Tamra L. Dempsey), and I couldn’t wait to read it. More often than not, I am more fascinated by the lives of writers then the works they write—there’s something about seeing what influenced a writers writing that I find inspiring.

The book, which features 26 different American writers (I’ll list them below if you are interested), shows modern pictures of the town and talks about what it was like when the author was living, and what it is like today.

If you are a literary history buff, it’s a worthy companion to your bookshelf.

Featured in the Book: Washington Irving, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Robert Frost, Willa Cather, Wallace Stegner, John Steinbeck, Robinson Jeffers, William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Rita Dove, Henry Miller, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O’Connor, John Updike, Philip Roth, Raymond Carver, E. Annie Proulx, and Richard Ford.

Virtually Yours: Online Tools Your Library Needs Now & Why

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Nearly eight years ago this month, I submitted my graduate term paper on virtual reference. The paper concluded that every major library needed to have a new branch: The Digital Branch. While a few libraries have implemented what could be considered a digital branch, the majority have not.

Below are five very basic online reference tools that every major library should have now--they're cheap, popular, and, with the exception of iPhone Apps, easy to setup. I know there are dozens of other tools out there (tools libraries need), but these are what I considered the easiest to setup and/or most important to patrons.

If your library doesn't have it and you want it, but still don't know how to get it, send me an email.

Text a Librarian

Facts About Text Messages

74% of all cell phone users use the text message feature; 100% of all teens text; 85% of all college students text
Last year, over 1 Trillion text messages were sent
On average, Americans text twice as much as they call

Libraries with Text a Librarian Services

Seattle PL, New York PL, Newark PL, and hundreds of others

How the Library Benefits from Texting

Many people now prefer texting for simple questions that don’t need immediate answers (i.e. do you have a book, what time do you close, where can I get tax forms)
Texting allows librarians to manage their time more efficiently; patrons are more patient waiting for replies then they would be on the phone.

Cost

The cheapest solution would be to subscribe to an unlimited “Qwert” plan for $19.99 a month (plus one time setup fee of $9.99). There is no contract, and plan can be cancelled at anytime. Library needs to provide cell phone (preferably one with a QWERTY keypad, which can be bought secondhand for $50 dollars); Qwert works on any phone that takes a SIM card.
Most large libraries use a service by Mosio; this service sends a text to software on a computer. Plans start at $65 a month and go to $100.

Facebook

Facts about Facebook

In March 2010, more people visited Facebook then Google—making it the most visited site in the United States
Over 400 million people use Facebook
On any given day 200 million people login to Facebook
3 billion photos are uploaded to Facebook each month
1.5 million businesses now have Facebook pages.

Libraries on Facebook

Kansas City Public Library (1,400 Fans)
San Francisco Public Library (3,700 Fans)
New York Public Library (14,000 Fans)
Los Angeles Public Library (1,400 Fans)
Hundreds of others…

How Libraries Benefit from Facebook

It puts a friendly face on the library and encourages patrons to stop by and see more
It exposes programs regular patrons don’t know about
It keeps patrons connected
Easy (and free) way to share event photos and videos
Let patrons easily share information about upcoming library events with family and friends who might also be interested.
Facebook fan pages are visited more often than regular homepages
Facebook is easier to build and manage than a regular homepage.

Time Needed to Maintain

1 to 2 hours a week

Facts About YouTube

YouTube is the third most visited site on the Internet (behind only Google and Facebook
70% of YouTube users are from the U.S.
The average teen spends over 2hours a week on YouTube

Libraries with YouTube channels

Toronto PL, New York PL, Flint PL, Kalamazoo PL, Prescott PL, Topeka PL, and dozens of others

How the Library Benefits from YouTube

Easy and free way to show storytimes and computer classes, so patrons can see what they are missing out
Provide instructional videos on getting email, hunting for jobs, creating a resume, etc.
Videos can be watched on a wide array of devices (not just computers)

Time Needed to Maintain

30 minutes to edit each video

Podcasting

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting is audio feeds of different topics that users listen to on their MP3 player

How the Library Benefits from Podcating

Library can provide informative information that patrons can listen to while they drive or exercise.
Public libraries who have successfully implemented podcasting regularly publish book talks, book readings, storytimes, and monthly book news/book recommendation

Time Needed to Maintain

1 hour to record and publish podcast—plus the time to prepare what will be recorded.

iPhone App

What is an
iPhone App?

iPhone apps, are mobile applications that users with an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad can download. The applications are meant to mobilize the Internet and provide them with easy access to their favorite content.

Facts About the
iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad

Over 30 million people own an iPhone in the United States

Over 25 million people own an iPod Touch

iPad completely sold out before its April release

3 Billion apps have been downloaded

Most public libraries have not invested in developing apps because they can be costly and time consuming; new developments, however, have almost eliminated time and cost factors from the picture.

Libraries with
iPhone Apps

Washington DC Public Library is the Only public library with an iPhone

How the Library
Benefits from Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are one of the largest growth sectors

It’s an opportunity to do something few libraries have ever did and be cutting edge

It is one of the best ways to promote other virtual reference the library will offer
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

It literally puts the library at patrons fingertips, and gives them the convenience of
finding out about the library anywhere they are at.

Time Needed to
Maintain

15 to 20 hours are need to develop the initial application

1 to 2 hours weekly is needed to keep the page updated

5 hours of additional time invested would be enough to develop the same application on the
Google Android phone

Other Tools

What It Can Do:
It combines every instant messenger into one (AIM, Yahoo, etc.), and let’s patrons send instant messages to the reference desk.

Why We Need It:
It’s a simple (and free) solution that could be easily implemented to provide basic reference services virtually.

What It Can Do:
A blog with the latest library news, book reviews, and upcoming events can be fed directly to the libraries webpage.

Why We Need It:
Gives a little more to patrons who want substance, and not short wall updates.

What It Can Do:
As the library uploads more and more photos, this is an easy way to manage those photos.

Why We Need It:
Unlike Facebook, Flickr photos can be indexed and searched.

What It Can Do:
Patrons with twitter accounts, can send messages to the libraries Twitter account directly from their cell phones.

Why We Need It:
The website is growing more popular every year (especially with college students).

LibFind: Version 1.1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:01:00 +0000

The latest version of "LibFind" is now available on the App store. Six new states were added. I'm hoping to roll out another version this month that includes, amongst others, New York.

Happy April Fools! This Is No Joke!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:40:00 +0000

I've posted a new book on Feedbooks. It's been on Kindle for quite sometime, but it's new to the free category. If you read it, tell me what you think of it.

Why Do We Need Public Libraries? READ THIS REPORT

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:19:00 +0000

The Gates Fountation has released a valuable report about why we need Internet in libraries more than ever. The report is more fascinating then the latest Grisham and more valuable than all the Harry Potter books combined. Read it and learn:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/learning/Pages/us-libraries-report-opportunity-for-all.aspx

AgentMatch

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:47:00 +0000

Have you wrote a book, and need to find an agent to sell it? There's now an App for that! I hope to update this App and my other (LibFind) next month.

My First iPhone App

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Everyone is creating iPhone app these days; I figured it was about time to learn what it was all about. I spent the past two weeks learning the code and the features. I'm still learning.

Last week I started developing my first app...a very simple one to help you find the address and number of the libraries within your county. The first version only includes California. I hope to have an update up very soon with additional states.

The app is called LibFind, and today it was approved for sale. It can be purchased here (all money goes to paying for a poor librarian!).

I'm hoping to have some advance features implemented as I learn them. Below are a few screenshots.

For those interested in developing apps, it's not as hard as you think; it takes a lot of time and patience (and a Mac computer), but Apple offers plenty of tutorials.

Free: Dispatches from a Public Librarian

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:25:00 +0000

I have collected the first 34 "Dispatches from a Public Librarian" along with other library-themed essays/stories in an eBook, and it's yours free if you want to read them. Just go to this link and it's yours.

If you have Stanza on your iPhone, you can also find it on Feedbooks.

If you have a Nook, you can get a free download directly onto your reader.

It is also on ManyBooks, which converts it to several other formats.

For Kindle users, a .99 version is on the Kindle Store; it is not possible, at this time, to make the book free; if Kindle changes this, I will do so.

Pogoplug: A Gadget You Need

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:14:00 +0000

I love gadgets. But let's be honest, gadgets are frequently impulse buys. People buy them more because they are really cool, and less because they actually need them. Last week I picked up a Pogoplug (a small little device that let's you share a hard drive across the Internet).

I first heard about the device a few months back, and wasn't very impressed; it looked too complicated and was limited in capability. In December, they released a new version of the device for $130, and it's one gadget that's much more than an impulse buy--it's a gadget that you may just need yourself.

A few years back, when I moved out of my parents house, I knew my parents would have a hard time keeping the computer up to date, and being able to help them remotely. This problem was solved cheaply with LogMeIn (a free service that let's you login remotely, and securely, to any computer from any computer). The second problem was how to share files easily from computer to computer (my parents still aren't very good at downloading attachments, but have go drag and drop down pretty good). The PogoPlug fills this need for a relatively small price.

The device has four USB ports and one LAN port; you connect the unit to your router, plug in a thumb drive or external hard drive, and your set. There are no limits to size, so if you have four 1 TB hard drives, then you have a 4 TB cloud that anyone who you give permission to can view. You decide what people see, how much they see, and if they can make any changes.

All you need to do is pick a directory on your hard drive, and hit share

Once you decide to share a directory, you select who to give access to, and how much access they should have.

An email is sent to your friends alerting them to what you have shared; here they can either preview or download the files.

To make your life even easier, Pogoplug has a free download on their website that turns the device into a virtual drive on your computer, so there's no need to log into your Web browser to access the drive--you can access it the same way you would any other drive in My Computer, so it's all drag and drop functionality.

If you are looking for an easy way to share files with your family, then consider picking up a Pogoplug for yourself.--share the cost with your family if you are looking for an even cheaper solution.

Happy Valentines Day

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

What Do You Get the Redneck Book Lover in Your Family?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Back in the day, I used to write faux parody interviews for The Door Magazine. One of the interviews that made it to the editorial board, but was ultimately passed for reason I don't remember, was with Steve Jobs. After the iPad hype, I decided to dig up the interview; you can read it in it's entirety here.