Frugality: 7 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You During A Bad Economy
Even as a librarian, I have a hard time remembering all of these. Public libraries save you money. We all get in the mode of thinking that "if I'm not paying for it, then it's no good" but that's not always true. Besides, you are paying for it. It's a miniscule part of your tax bill but it's there, so why not borrow a book instead of buying it, rent a movie from your library instead of Blockbuster, or see what programs your library is putting on for your kids or for yourself instead of paying hundreds of dollars on camps and clubs and whatnot.
Too often, when I see the "new things" that libraries are coming up with these days I too often less than surprised. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things that libraries and librarians are trying out and implementing in terms of new services, new functionality on their web pages and catalogs, and new media and tools being used on the floor and in the back room. But very very little of it is internally born. It's all just repurposing and reinterpretations of what others are doing.
For example, there are some changes rippling through online catalogs, adding the possibility for users to add tags, reviews, place in bookbags, manipulate their own personal displays... That's all great but these have all been done before: Amazon, Google, del.icio.us, etc. That's not to say that we shouldn't be adding these features, but why does it take us so long to do it and why don't we come up with features of our own. Well I'll tell you a couple of reasons why:
- At least for any technological area, libraries usually do not have enough skilled staff, money, and/or time to produce the code (let alone develop code innovatively), manage hardware, or purchase either of it.
- Librarians, like everybody else in this world, have a hard time reinventing themselves, exploring new areas, trying new things, or doing things in a different way. It takes effort to "go where no one has gone before" and if there's nothing pushing you there, why would you go?
- And even if we have the will and the resources, large groups of people have a kind of inertia that have to be overcome even if everyone in the group is game. It's like silly putty: if you pull it quickly, it'll snap, but if pull slowly, it will stay together and even flow like a liquid. Or maybe it's like spider legs: one leg can be moved easily but if the spider wants to go anywhere in one piece, all its legs have to move with the same common goal, all working together. Or something like that.
We are changing though. Libraries are staking out new territory, trying out new widgets, bring gaming systems into their collections and whatnot, so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on us. It's just frustrating when I see where "I" think we should be going and everyone else isn't going there fast enough to suit my style... maybe I'm that one spider leg that is going all wonky? Maybe I should be paying attention to where all the other legs are going?!? Wait for me, guys!
Read: "Dating violence can affect teenagers too" on Yahoo! Health
This is another area where more information would really help. It says in the article that "teenagers who have a friend in a violent dating relationship should be taught to report the situation to an adult". But the problem is that all three people in the equation - victim, friend and adult - are usually really unaware of the problem, both of its existence and its importance. Most people are unaware IMHO that the problem is as common as it is (I mean really, 3% of 12-17yo girls? That's quite a lot in our so-called enlightened society.), and too many of those that know that it's happening are not really sure (again IMHO) that it shouldn't be happening, such as the assaulter (duh), the assaulter's immediate environment (it's not a genetic trait, you know), and too often the victim herself (or sometimes himself).
So what do we do about it? Information. Talk about it. Get the statistics out. Write about it. Be sure everyone knows it won't be tolerated (again, duh), especially your kids. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there that truly believe that violence is the way to solve many of our problems, sad but true. Hopefully, we can "inform" some sense into people. Otherwise, we may have to open a can of whoop-ass, on 'em! Right? No! Wrong, see violence... Geez people...
Read: "NYC chain restaurants posting calories on menus" on Yahoo! Health
What a good idea! Imagine knowing just a little more about what you plan on eating. This is not just about health because we all know this is not going to bankrupt McDonalds or the Olive Garden or any store really. This is about information. The more information we are provided with about the things we do - particularly those things we do all the time (like eating) and very often without thinking too much (like eating) - the better off we are. We pride ourselves as the top of the food chain, as the king of beasts, as the world's greatest protector, as the universe's or God's greatest achievement (all depending on who we are) but most of us live our lives on full auto-pilot: not really thinking about 99% of the things that we do.
This is of course only a small part but it's pretty important. NYC's a big place (one of the reasons I'm glad I don't live there anymore) and there will now be a lot of people that are a little more conscious about the stuff they're shoving into their maws. Hopefully it won't stop at NYC. That's another thing that bothers me. This is a pretty good idea. There's not much that can be said about it's downside. But you know it will be 20 years at least until we see it even substantially outside NYC. That's my prediction... Prove me wrong, kids!
