RIP Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records.
diy librarian got noticed! I spotted mentions of this site on Open Stacks, Angry Thoat, and librarian.net. Funny, though, that what people commented on doesn't even appear anywhere on this page: my job title.
This now somewhat famous job title is Information Core Director. I've had the title for a little more than two years now, and it still makes me think of a nuclear core.
So what is an information core? Here at the Population Research Institute, the staff is organized into core components--the Administrative Core, the Computer Core, the Statistics Core, the Geographic Information Analysis Core, and, last but not least, the Information Core. The Information Core consists of a library and a data archive. The Information Core also provides webmaster, writing, editorial, and graphics services for the entire institute. (No, I don't do all of that myself, we have a staff of eight people in the Information Core.) Not a bad gig for someone who enjoys being a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.
7-30-03: comics...they're not just for kids! addendum
Next time your mom gets on your case for reading funny books with foul language, tell her you're brushing up on your Latin. This legal document ("The Constitutionality of Fuck, 'Fucker' and 'Fucking Fag'") is both entertaining and enlightening. I wonder how many libraries have tried to shelve The F Word in the children's section? [found via Boing Boing]
Sigh. There goes my blog's PG rating.
7-30-03: comics...they're not just for kids!
I hope that libraries have figured out by now that just because Ghost World has pictures doesn't mean it belongs in the children's section. I also hope that parents have figured out that if they want to have any control over what their children are reading, they should go to the library with them. I already mentioned one story about a kid finding Ghost World in the children's section. Now there is another one. This is from the School Library Journal review of the book:
This is a book with distinct appeal to urban high school students, but it's certainly not for their younger brothers and sisters. Depending on where your comics are shelved, add this one where the age-appropriate audience is most likely to find it.
Unless British teenagers are really that different from American ones, the LAST place they'd want to be found looking for books is in the children's section.
Personally, I've been wanting to read Ghost World for a while now, and it just got bumped up on the list because I want to know what word is more offensive than "the 'F' word" (as mentioned in the Birmingham story above).
7-28-03: a fun web site I found today
SoYouWanna.com is exactly what you would think. So you wanna mix a few classic drinks, be a sitcom writer, learn to play poker...? These articles are fun and helpful. Actually, I re-found this site after losing it a while ago. My classic recommendation (good for a laugh) is So you wanna fake being an indie rock expert? (See entries on indie comics and librarians below.)
7-28-03: books are here to stay (for the moment)
[At Eastern Michigan University] according to the July 12, 2002, issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, half the book collection has been put in a vault to make room for "group study areas, computer banks, and a television studio." Morrell D. Boone, dean of learning resources and technology at Eastern Michigan, admits he has "no idea" how this arrangement has affected book circulation. But, he told the Chronicle, "I don't care [because] undergraduates do all their research online now." (Libraries, Books, and Academic Freedom, by S. David Mash) [found via librarian.net]
Mash's article goes on to outline what is wrong with this approach to higher education, specifically in terms of academic freedom, and Mash also hints at something else--the shift in focus from "learning" to "research". This is a dangerous shift, in my opinion. I have no doubt that research is integral to higher education and to scholarship. After all, I work at a research institute, supporting research every day. But research alone is not the sole contributor to an undergraduate education (or education at any level). For one thing, most researchers are also required to be writers and teachers, which requires not only the ability to gather and interpret data, but also to explain those interpretations, to form hypotheses, to think about the story the data tells. For another thing, not all undergraduates have research as their career. There are future painters, poets, journalists, lawyers, and more other things than I can even think of among those undergraduates.
One of the formative experiences of my undergraduate career occurred in the library, reading books (yes, perhaps books that I had discovered by searching the library's electronic catalog, or perhaps books that had been mentioned in a classroom, or books that I had found browsing the open stacks). I learned to make my own connections between works, by reading those works, mulling the ideas contained within them in my mind, and trying to piece them together. (This is also the experience that led to my becoming a librarian.)
The ideal library contains the resources needed by its clientele, or the means to access those resources. In the case of an undergraduate library, this may include electronic, searchable versions of Shakespeare's plays (because the ability to search them may be useful in literary analysis), paper texts of the plays (because these are easier to read than the electronic versions for a number of reasons), and taped performances of the plays (because this is how Shakespeare himself intended them to be appreciated).
My argument may show a bias toward the humanities, but I believe the argument holds true for other disciplines as well.
Free Range Librarian is back. I never knew about it the first time around, but now I am anxiously awaiting the first new issue (the site currently contains the first two issues, originially published in 2002). "A small monthly meditation on librarianship" is just the kind of thing to round out a beautiful Friday afternoon.
I found a cool new librarian site to peruse today--Indie Rock Librarian. I have to admit to being a bit apprehensive about visiting the site at first, but soon found that there was plenty of cool stuff to be found and not a bit of the indie snobbishness I was afraid of.
A Few Thoughts sums up what is right with independent (or "indie", if you must) music and what is wrong with "indie cred" and the "indie scene". Why do words like "independent" and "alternative" always end up meaning "we are all alike and we only want to talk to people who think like we do"?
...just because someone likes Indie Rock, or Country, or whatever, and defines themselves as a fan of said type of music, does not mean that all other forms and types of music do not exist.
This poetry/joke has already been blogged all over the place, but it's a good example of art that doesn't need expensive materials or virtuoso technique, and it uses the inherent properties of the web so beautifully.
I was reading a Comics Journal Message Board thread on "The Demise of the Pamphlet Comic" and Leland Purvis said exactly what I wanted someone to say:
The dissappearance of the pamphlet form could spell complete doom for the comic specialty shop. If we make the transition to wider, mass-audience appreciation, fine. But the opportunity to self-publish something small at a small but certain profit for limited investment will dissappear too. Superhero and mainstream comics can exist without those shops, but for alternative material to survive, it may need to make the complete switch to targeting strictly to the bookstore set.
7-17-03: copyright and the public domain
The Center for the Public Domain has a great online library called ibiblio. It's both browseable and searchable and contains all kinds of wonderful things that are available publicly and freely because they're in the public domain--including texts, music, and software. ibiblio also "attempts to promote open source ideals within contexts other than software." To enter into the spirit of things, I replaced the copyright message on this web site with a Creative Commons license. So please, feel free to copy, distribute, or display (or perform, if you can figure out how) my work!
The Crypto-Gram Newsletter has a great article about stupid security rules that unnecessarily violate your privacy--and what you can do about them.
When you see counterproductive, invasive, or just plain stupid security, don't let it slip by. Write the letter. Create a Web site. File a FOIA request. Make some noise. You don't have to join anything; noise need not be more than individuals standing up for themselves.
You don't win every time. But you do win sometimes. (#1"How to Fight")
My friend William suggests an addition to the "When Animals Attack!" film festival: Night of the Lepus.
When obvious special effects that include real rabbits stomping miniatures to splinters filmed in slow-motion, to attacks by men dressed in fuzzy long-eared suits, it's all good unintentionally campy fun. (Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide)
This may be especially useful if, like me, you are having trouble finding a copy of The Bees to rent. I also highly recommend Killer Shrews, of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame.
7-11-03: music industry, part 3
So it turns out there are even more threatening characters than kids who share files over computer networks ("Global illegal CD market swells", BBC News, July 10, 2003). And these guys aren't just sharing music with their buddies, they're actually mass-producing copies of albums and selling them for a profit. I guess it must be much safer for the RIAA to go after the kids than it would be for them to target organized criminal gangs. [found via BoingBoing]
I found instructions for a Do It Yourself Film Festival. This is a fairly accurate description of a typical weekend in my living room. When you live in a college town that inexplicably fails to have any type of film festival, you get to be an expert at organizing your own film festival. Now I need to find a web page that will show me how to fund the purchase of a big-screen TV for my film festival.
7-10-03: music industry, part 2
Here's the Grateful Dead business model: encourage your fans to record your concerts and trade the music freely amongst themselves, then make a killing off of your tours. (Oops, "killing" is probably the wrong word to use when talking about Deadheads, but I'm pretty sure Jerry Garcia didn't die a pauper.) Sure, it requires you to actually leave your nice expensive house and go out and play music in front of people, but if you're a real musician, wouldn't you kind of want to do that anyway? It's such a good business model that Forbes wrote an article about it ( "Steal my music, please", Forbes Magazine, July 7, 2003 [free registration required to view article]).
The bands take a possible hit to record sales in favor of robust concert receipts. Few sign with major record labels, and those that do don't sell many discs. But jam bands boast fans--and profits.
Personally, I don't much care for the music (other than American Beauty), but I have to admire the idea.
Former pro-wrestler Mick Foley (aka Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love) has written a novel, Tietam Brown, published by the literary publisher Alfred A. Knopf, and I couldn't be more excited. The book is getting mixed reviews (as could be expected), but I'd buy it and read it even if all the critics hated it. See, he did it himself, just like he wrote all of his books. He had no use for a ghostwriter.
Says his editor at Knopf of Foley's novel manuscript, "It needed work, but I liked his voice. He's a storyteller, and it was a piece of writing with a lot of feeling, and that's what really matters." ("Foley takes a novel approach", USA Today, Sept. 8, 2003)
Foley's first book, the autobiographical Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, was originally to be written by a ghostwriter, but after a first look at what the ghostwriter had written, Foley took over himself, writing the entire 500-page book on legal pads. He wanted to be more honest. He wanted the book to reflect his own voice. He resented the fact that many of the sports autobiographies he'd read as a kid weren't written by the sports stars themselves, but by ghost writers who may have interviewed the subjects (and supposed authors) only briefly. He wanted to do it himself. And no, his writing isn't perfect, but, to quote the title of his second autobiographical book, "Foley is good...and the real world is faker than pro wrestling."
Foley has also written two children's books, Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos and Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx, the latter illustrated by none other than comic book creator Jill Thompson--who draws the cutest little pro wrestlers I've ever seen.
And, just to prove how good he is, here is an account of his appearance at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago, taken from Library Juice. I didn't make it to the lunch, but I did get Mick Foley to sign his book for me (a treasured possession).
The RIAA says that record sales are in a slump because of illegal downloading. I've always thought that there were many other factors contributing to the sales slump (high prices, limited selection, aging format), but I'm obviously not an industry expert, just someone who likes to buy CD's and support artists and who misses the days when Clear Channel didn't mandate that all radio stations play the same 10 pop songs over and over again. But now I've come across some research that supports my hypothesis.
Sound and Vision Magazine has a good article on the subject.
George Ziemann has lots of information on this subject at AzOz.com and has done a good bit of research himself.
In closing, a few places to find good independent or at least less mainstream music (to listen to or to buy):
- WFMU - independent freeform radio, not a playlist in sight (listen on your radio if you're in New York City or online if you're not)
- Miles of Music - "Good Music By Mail" (mainly Americana)
- Aquarius Records - "the store thats old enough to drink" (based in San Francisco, but worldwide mailorder is available, and their site also has staff top 10 lists, recommendations, music by category, and other good stuff)
- Forced Exposure - more staff top 10 lists, more mailorder fun, this time from Somerville, Mass.
- Tamizdat - nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing you independent music from Central and Eastern Europe
- WYEP - independent public radio from Pittsburgh, PA (listen online if you're not in Pittsburgh)
- Bloodshot Records - "As always, we are dedicated to providing you with only the finest roots inflected music---striving to encourage cross-pollination between the spirit and sound of punk, the craft and tradition of country, folk, bluegrass, and a general disdain for the confinements of mainstream tastemaking."
- And of course, visit your local independent record store (if you can find one). If you can't find one, maybe you can stop in my favorite record store next time you're driving through Pittsburgh.
My friend William tells me I should point out some of the independent comics creators out there whose work doesn't enter into the "indy aesthetic". So here are some of his recommendations and some of my favorites.
Oni Press puts out some great books--check out Queen and Country, Scooter Girl, Hopeless Savages, Whiteout, and all of the great Scott Morse books (Soulwind, Visitations, Volcanic Revolver, Magic Pickle).
Strangehaven is a great comic and creator Gary Spencer Millidge's web site also has some tips on self-publishing.
Alan Moore refuses to get online himself, but the Alan Moore Fan Site will tell you all about him. Alan Moore needs no introduction to comic readers, but for newcomers, he is the author of a number of amazing books, including From Hell (on which the recent movie was based), Watchmen, V for Vendetta...I could go on, but you should really just check out the web site.
David Lapham's Stray Bullets is one of the more disturbing entries--not for the weak of stomach. The best link I could come up with is this review.
SPX has a nice site listing indy friendly comic book stores.
A Canadian young adult librarian urges other librarians to include comic books in their collections ("Libraries urged to carry more comic books", National Post, June 28, 2003). I love comic books and graphic novels and sequential art and whatever else you want to call them, and I think they belong in libraries.
Of course, librarians need to realize that just because a book has pictures doesn't mean it belongs in the children's collection ("Girl finds explicit book in kiddies' section of library", Daily Record, June 10, 2003).
Apparently, as with wine and cheese, the French are way ahead of us with comic books in libraries ("Comic books already big in French libraries", LISNews.com, January 27, 2003).
I was pleased to see that my local library participated in Free Comic Book Day this year.
On a DIY note, there are tons of self-published and small press comic books out there (but I wouldn't start looking for them in your local library any time soon). The Street Librarian has a good comics page.
I've been doing some reading on blogging - blogging, of course, is very DIY in its almost complete bypassing of traditional means of publication.
- The Blogging Revolution - "This, at least, is the idea: a publishing revolution more profound than anything since the printing press. Blogger could be to words what Napster was to music - except this time, it'll really work. Check back in a couple of years to see whether this is yet another concept that online reality has had the temerity to destroy."
- A Blogger Manifesto - I was bothered by the jcrew.com ad. Then the manifesto explained the ad. Now I am slightly less bothered by it. But what if the writer said something that J.Crew didn't like? Couldn't J.Crew block the writer from collecting commissions through his link to jcrew.com? And, eventually, doesn't that land us right back in the same kind of publishing hierarchy where the advertisers dictate what we can and can't say? Well...only if we want to make money off of our efforts instead of losing it.
- How to Write a Better Weblog - Just because you're working without an editor doesn't mean you shouldn't write well.
All content on this website, unless otherwise noted, was created by Tara Murray and is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
