January, 2008

Welcome...

mash — Sun, 04 May 2008 10:16:29 -0600

I have been writing a weekly newspaper column since 1987.

For 3 years, it ran in the Greeley Tribune. Since then, it has run in various subsidiaries of the Douglas County News Press. I still have most of my columns in digital format.

For many years, I only gave myself one rule: try to work the word "library" into every piece. My intent was to think in public about just what librarianship means at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st.

January 17, 2008 - Where Are We Going?

spyder — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:21:24 -0700

Last week, I talked about who we are and what we stand for. This week I'd like to focus on where we're going.

Despite the hysterical predictions of pundits that the book is dead,
that public places are obsolete, and that everything can be found for free through Google, the plain truth is this:

January 10, 2008 - Who Are We?

spyder — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:17:18 -0700

Every now and then, I think it prudent to let the readers of this column know what the library is and what it stands for.

The Douglas County Libraries is an independent library district, established by the voters of Douglas County in 1990. Its boundaries are identical to those of the county itself. The vast majority of library funding comes from a property tax (of four mills per year), also established by county voters. In 2008, annual library revenues will be just over $21 million.

January 3, 2008 - Who Can You Trust?

spyder — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:22:24 -0700

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."