LaRue's Views
This digital archives comprises Library Director Jamie LaRue's newspaper columns from January 3, 1996 - August 26, 2010.
In general, they appeared on the dates shown in various Colorado Community Newspapers.
December 6, 2007
Can the Latest eBook Kindle the Market?
Now comes Amazon's "Kindle" -- an ebook reader that is also connected to the Internet. And once again, the decline of the book is predicted. Who needs books?
Who needs /libraries/, because after all, libraries are just warehouses of books, right?
Wrong.
December 13, 2007
Are Animals Intelligent?
I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the human brain -- which is finally starting to surrender its secrets to the determined inquiry of researchers.
Along the way, I got distracted: what makes humans unique? That is, how are we different from any other animal?
Animals, it turns out, exhibit most of the characteristics of intelligence.
December 20, 2007
A Gift Suitable for All Ages
For the past several years, I've been reprinting what I've come to think of as "my Christmas column" -- a tradition. I hope you enjoy it.
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What we really need is an all-purpose gift that will satisfy everybody. It should be suitable for all ages. It should require no assembly. It shouldn't need batteries. You shouldn't have to feed it. It should last forever. It should be constantly entertaining. The more the recipient uses it, the more he or she should like it.
And of course, it should be free.
January 11, 2007
Read to Your Children!
Recently, library staff began work on a handout for parents to help them select books for their children. I just got the latest draft of it from Andrea Logan, one of our Youth Librarians, and I thought some of the research she cited deserved a broader audience.
December 27, 2007
So You Want to be a Trustee?
The players have changed but the game remains the same." - Harrison Ford, "Working Girl."
As we approach 2008, the Library Board of Trustees finds itself with two vacancies. Leaving us at the end of December is Steve Roper, who was appointed back in 1996. His term expires in January of 2010; his replacement will fill that out. Candidates must currently reside in Douglas County Commissioner District III, meaning Highlands Ranch.
January 3, 2008 - Who Can You Trust?
Recently I ran across an article debunking some longstanding medical myths. Among them is the idea that "We use only 10% of our brains." In reality, according to WebMD Medical News, "Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the 'non-functioning' 90% of the brain."
I found that strangely comforting. OK, we could be smarter, but not 10 times smarter.
Then I read a very pleasant book, written in a light, breezy style, by one Cordelia Fine. But it was on a delayed fuse. The title of the book is, "A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives."
