[Noisebridge-discuss] Noisebridge Lending Library?
jim
jim at well.com
Wed Feb 10 16:29:09 UTC 2010
I am invested in the library. I have some experience
working with real librarians, not a lot, but I know
some basics. I worked for a few years in the computer
book business and have some sense of what makes a good
computer book as well as familiarity with some of the
classics.
I have one electrical promise left to keep before I
feel freed up to start on "library" book shelves and
vetting the books we have and that are in boxes as
possible donations.
There was a discussion with a few people, including
Crutcher and his occasional abrasive extremes (which
I don't take too seriously) claiming space, and Kelly,
who presented a seeming absolute claim for space, and
andy, john, ian.... My take on the discussion was that
it was successful.
The whole library thing is in flux. Where to put
shelves, which prospective new books to accept, which
books to put on which shelves....
Some comments seem worth considering:
* books might best be shelved somewhere more nearly in
the center of the space. Suggested shelf locations
include on the center columns, against the walls outside
of the classrooms, against the walls between the storage
room and the double-doors.
* the metal shelves that currently house the library
are not very good for books.
* electronic books might be shelved in the electronic
work area.
* crutcher rightly (it seems to me) criticizes the
existing library as poorly curated.
* kelly points out a strip of blue tape on the floor
that she expects to demark the "big pile of crap" area
in the north west corner of the space (near the fire
escape exit). she allows that those books that we care
least about might have a place in that area.
* there seems to be agreement that some portion of the
books are valuable and should be protected.
* there's a group that's interested in using the wall
space directly under the western windows for planter
boxes; none of them were there last night, but i did
mention their interest in the after-meeting discussion.
* john reminds us that there's a persistent claim for a
place that's quiet where people can read.
* claims on space should be elastic: as the community
matures in the space, it's likely there will be more
interests needing space, so the contest between the
sewing group and the library group presages things to
come. Seems to me we should try to accommodate each
interest, but no one interest should claim a great
deal of space permanently; rather they should try to
set up a minimal permanent space and the ability to
expand easily into a "no person's land" area when
they're working, and collapse (or let the next group
collapse them) at the end of their work.
* the current locations of everything should be subject
to adjustment of some kind.
* we're not using vertical space much: more shelves up
the walls would provide more storage and maybe allow
us to reorient the existing metal shelves so they take
up less floor space. a counter argument is that more
storage allows more stuff, and more stuff is likely to
be unwanted and forever-ignored junk.
Bottom line for the library:
* build shelves in some locations,
* inspect the books in boxes to accept some or all as
donations,
* review all books to classify them as to type, shelving
location, and value.
I hope to begin some work within a week. The likely
locations in my mind are on the columns, on the wall
in the electronics work area, somewhere in the "big pile
of crap" area, and against the south wall between the
storage room and the double doors.
Note the discussion list seems to be settling on a
means of tagging books, perhaps with a rubber stamp or
with stickers, doesn't seem resolved yet, but shows
direction.
Help with building shelves and vetting and classifying
books, please.
jim
On Tue, 2010-02-09 at 23:49 -0800, steve camuti wrote:
> Hi Jim et. al,
> I am jumping into this discussion very beyond the start... sorry. I
> would like to help with the Library. Out of a previously expressed
> desire to help with the library, I have been named Librarian, despite
> my lack of experience in this role. Before we moved to 2169, I got the
> G4 iMac (the "desklamp" 800Mhz iMac) that is sitting on the coffee
> table in front of the lime colored couch donated to the space. I also
> donated my copy of Delicious Library and scanned nearly all the books
> already housed on the metal shelving.
>
> Concerns about a lack of Open Source Free Software aside, Delicious
> Library addresses much of the concerns expressed in this thread. If
> the MacMini previously mentioned would like to be donated, feel free
> to. I would be happy to contribute my time again to scan the rest of
> the library in. (I can get a projected barcode scanner to speed this
> process along. A modded cuecat was insufficient.)
>
> What needs to happen for the library to come together in its new
> location? Can I help with this?
>
> -Steve C
> Mooch
>
> On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 4:46 PM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:
>
>
> i think my response was pretty good. we're talking
> the problem out (as good consensors should) so's to
> address each of our concerns. note it reflects my
> understanding per conversations with those who seemed
> to care at the time.
>
> my big concern is that the noisebridge library is
> of high value: useful to each of us because of the
> value of the contents and a draw that helps to bring
> others to noisebridge.
> if the NB community in general does not care about
> a high quality library, i'd like to know that.
> if NB-ers want a high quality library, i very much
> want to support that.
>
> i believe that it's important to preserve high
> quality books, and not allowing them off-premises is
> a clean policy.
>
> rachel's right: labels are not a signout system.
> (back to that: ) those who take away a book that
> should be returned should record some kind of contact
> info so others can bug them to bring it back. for a
> counter example, think of video rental stores.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 2010-02-09 at 15:11 -0800, Leif Ryge wrote:
> > On 02/09/2010 02:53 PM, jim wrote:
> > > i am still stuck on the idea that some books
> > > do not leave premises. most books, seems to me,
> > > can go off premises, some forever.
> >
> > Phew! I'm glad we agree that most books should be
> borrowable. I'm
> > inclined to note that this is a long way from your original
> answer to
> > Will's question at the beginning of this thread, which I did
> not like at
> > all:
> >
> > [JS] > No, it is not a lending library. people who take
> > [JS] > books home tend to keep them, and in those cases the
> > [JS] > books are not available to others: not excellent.
> >
> > If people want to mark individual books with a "please leave
> this book
> > at noisebridge" stamp or sticker, I have no objection to
> that. I just
> > hope that the understanding for unmarked books in our
> library remains
> > that they are borrowable by default.
> >
> > ~leif
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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> >
>
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