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Aphrodite posted:Libraries are also a big help for low income families/individuals and the homeless. Yeah, help the homeless find porn to jack off to.
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Sep 27, 2015 19:59
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Johnny Aztec posted:Yeah, help the homeless find porn to jack off to. Everyone has needs.
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Sep 27, 2015 20:06
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Johnny Aztec posted:Yeah, help the homeless find porn to jack off to. Are you saying the homeless don't deserve porn?
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Sep 27, 2015 20:12
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My local library checks out CDs and DVDs for free. It offers a way to check out E-books, both for free and for pay. It also offers, for free, a substantial computer area. Many of my low-income friends depend on libraries for Internet access, because ISP fees are an expense many people can't afford. The library does a boom business in helping people print downloaded IRS forms now that you can't get them on paper. My son volunteers to staff the computer area and (most of) his patrons are really grateful, because they don't have basic computer skills. Nobody cares if the patrons watch porn; jacking off is another issue. Library manners have changed, too. In my local library, there's no "be quiet" rule, and any patron, including homeless and mentally ill people, is welcome until he/she threatens others or makes a scene. Your mental image of "a library" is different from what they actually do nowadays.
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Sep 27, 2015 20:45
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No, most libraries near me are still repositories for bits of dead tree. The ones that still exist at all, that is. The bigger ones have computers people can use, but limited printing services, and very limited staffing to help people with them. But our current government is taking a disturbing glee in starving public services of funds so
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Sep 27, 2015 20:54
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Arsenic Lupin posted:My local library checks out CDs and DVDs for free. It offers a way to check out E-books, both for free and for pay. It also offers, for free, a substantial computer area. Many of my low-income friends depend on libraries for Internet access, because ISP fees are an expense many people can't afford. The library does a boom business in helping people print downloaded IRS forms now that you can't get them on paper. My son volunteers to staff the computer area and (most of) his patrons are really grateful, because they don't have basic computer skills. Nobody cares if the patrons watch porn; jacking off is another issue. Library manners have changed, too. In my local library, there's no "be quiet" rule, and any patron, including homeless and mentally ill people, is welcome until he/she threatens others or makes a scene. Berkeley's does too. My sister is one of the librarians there, and my whole family uses the place all the time.
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Sep 27, 2015 21:01
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Another great thing many public libraries provide is access to huge research databases like ProQuest and Hoover's and EBSCO MasterFILE that you would otherwise have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year for an individual account for. Get an account with your local library's website, tied to your library card, and you can pass from there directly into those databases. There's nothing like being able to search through completely word-indexed PDF scans of 100+ years of the Washington Post and NY Times in their entirety via ProQuest, for example; even just looking at the old ads on the pages can be interesting, and I get that for free via the public library's institutional account and can access it from home by going through the library's web portal. This is an amazing service that I always try to let people know about.
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Sep 27, 2015 22:17
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Nutsngum posted:I would be interested in really finding out if bookstore are really suffering that badly or the case of Borders failing due largely because of corporate competence creating a bit of a misunderstood case. Last I heard, they're not doing as well as pre-Amazon, but they're surviving. The funny thing about the collapse of Borders is that it had less to do with being in the print books business and more to do with their expansion into the CD business.
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Sep 28, 2015 01:27
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tacodaemon posted:Another great thing many public libraries provide is access to huge research databases like ProQuest and Hoover's and EBSCO MasterFILE that you would otherwise have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year for an individual account for. Get an account with your local library's website, tied to your library card, and you can pass from there directly into those databases. There's nothing like being able to search through completely word-indexed PDF scans of 100+ years of the Washington Post and NY Times in their entirety via ProQuest, for example; even just looking at the old ads on the pages can be interesting, and I get that for free via the public library's institutional account and can access it from home by going through the library's web portal. This is an amazing service that I always try to let people know about. I know there's tons of cool poo poo like that I can get with my library card and an internet connection (limited free music downloads is one) but I don't know what most of them are because my library has a lovely website without a "here's what we offer" page.
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Sep 28, 2015 01:59
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Arsenic Lupin posted:My local library checks out CDs and DVDs for free. It offers a way to check out E-books, both for free and for pay. It also offers, for free, a substantial computer area. ... In my local library, there's no "be quiet" rule, and any patron, including homeless and mentally ill people, is welcome until he/she threatens others or makes a scene. Wait, that's not normal? Another thing that my local library provides that is a big hit is audiobooks. My grandmother pretty much always has at a book on CD checked out, often two. And as for dead trees, we still have a good supply. And a good need, libraries allow easy access to a lot of reference stuff, including the thing I rely on it most for now that the kindle can handle most of my written-word needs: pictorial references on everything from flowers to human faces to Star Wars vehicles. Edit: Oh, and computer technology had made libraries better, I can search pretty much every public library in like a third of the state with a single query and easily request resources from any of them, allowing small branch libraries and even the bookmobile that serves communities too small to have one to provide access to a huge collection. Keiya has a new favorite as of 02:48 on Sep 28, 2015 |
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Sep 28, 2015 02:36
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Would a lot of the reason why libraries having trouble keeping up with digital media be because publishers are just being total cunts about licensing e-books/digital stuff? I know software publishers AAA+ jerks about licensing for places like libraries/community centers.
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Sep 28, 2015 02:37
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Croccers posted:Would a lot of the reason why libraries having trouble keeping up with digital media be because publishers are just being total cunts about licensing e-books/digital stuff? My ex worked in a library, and according to her publishers are complete, unmitigated cunts when it comes to digital licensing. This goes from e-books, to archival and preservation of old video and audio.
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Sep 28, 2015 02:46
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Orcs and Ostriches posted:My ex worked in a library, and according to her publishers are complete, unmitigated cunts when it comes to digital licensing. This goes from e-books, to archival and preservation of old video and audio. Yeah, they do poo poo like if you want 10 patrons to check out the same book simultaneously, you have to pay the equivalent to 10 copies. Plus you can only keep the books in circulation for so many "reads" to simulate wear-and-tear before you have to "buy" a new copy. It's total bull-poo poo.
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Sep 28, 2015 03:39
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Yknow, I do kinda get where they're coming from. If copyright was still at 14 years or so, I'd call that somewhat reasonable even.
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Sep 28, 2015 03:54
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You can argue a point for the 10 patrons/10 copies but go to hell over a simulated wear-and-tear, that's just 
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Sep 28, 2015 04:14
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Croccers posted:You can argue a point for the 10 patrons/10 copies but go to hell over a simulated wear-and-tear, that's just It almost as if the thing that is actually obsolete is publishers, not libraries. *posts link to Amazon's selfpublishing/werewolf erotica section**grins smugly* 
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Sep 28, 2015 04:48
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The wear numbers are insane low too, like maybe 30 times before you have to buy a new one? How many fuckin times do you think the average book at a library has been checked out? A lot goddamn more than 30, that's for sure.
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Sep 28, 2015 07:24
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Speaking of this whole thing: Return date stamps inside library books. There was something I found sort of interesting to see the chronological check-out history of a book over the years. Now its all digital receipts and print outs.
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Sep 28, 2015 09:20
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lovely youtube but still  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urpFPU_mhWQ
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Sep 28, 2015 10:41
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Jerry Cotton posted:lovely youtube but still I want it.
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Sep 28, 2015 11:48
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Somebody post the crazy decks that changed sides automatically by flipping the tape physically.
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Sep 28, 2015 13:25
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Humphreys posted:I want it. Who doesn't?
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Sep 28, 2015 13:25
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Jerry Cotton posted:lovely youtube but still IT'S WHISPER QUIET!
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Sep 28, 2015 14:16
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joedevola posted:IT'S WHISPER QUIET! WHAT?
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Sep 28, 2015 14:54
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JediTalentAgent posted:Speaking of this whole thing: Return date stamps inside library books. There was something I found sort of interesting to see the chronological check-out history of a book over the years. Now its all digital receipts and print outs. This all over. My local libraries have been using RFID systems to check out books for years, and I'm pretty sure they don't actually HAVE any date stamps any more, but all the new books still get date stamp cards put in them.
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Sep 28, 2015 18:24
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thespaceinvader posted:This all over. My local libraries have been using RFID systems to check out books for years, and I'm pretty sure they don't actually HAVE any date stamps any more, but all the new books still get date stamp cards put in them.
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Sep 28, 2015 18:28
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I borrow graphic novels from the library all the drat time. gently caress paying $15 or $30 for the new Epic book, just borrow, read and return. I've read so many of them that way. Got into some stuff I wouldn't have considered before, such as the new Ms. Marvel.
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Sep 28, 2015 18:35
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i miss being able to read the card in the back of the library book to see if i recognized any names from my class. then u could make friends with new kids and talk about stuff
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Sep 28, 2015 18:48
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blugu64 posted:Somebody post the crazy decks that changed sides automatically by flipping the tape physically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRSDp1JI5BQ
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Sep 28, 2015 22:46
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Back when I worked in library automation (a loooong time ago) most librarian groups insisted that any computer system they bought deleted checkout records after a book had been returned. They wanted to make sure that nobody could come in and demand to see everybody who'd checked out $suspiciousbook. No idea if this is still true. This is an actual advantage automated circulation systems have over physical cards. My library has a self checkout system now and a related benefit is that you don't have to fear judgement from the person handling your books. No chance of "Isn't this subject advanced for you?" or "Do you have your parents permission to borrow this?" Openly browsing the stacks was once a big freedom and self checkout kind of is too.
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Sep 29, 2015 02:54
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point of return posted:Last I heard, they're not doing as well as pre-Amazon, but they're surviving. The funny thing about the collapse of Borders is that it had less to do with being in the print books business and more to do with their expansion into the CD business. Another thing really is that printing books is well... pretty loving cheap to be honest. There's a reason why unsold books just have the cover ripped off and are then basically dumped. That said Ive never really seen the profit margin of your average bookstore but the product itself is about as cheap as you can get to produce considering the cost attached and the authors mostly getting dick all from the sales.
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Sep 29, 2015 19:27
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I still go to used book stores too and grab a few things. They always seem pretty busy when I go.
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Sep 29, 2015 19:29
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Nutsngum posted:Another thing really is that printing books is well... pretty loving cheap to be honest. There's a reason why unsold books just have the cover ripped off and are then basically dumped. The physical printing is a tiny part of the cost of publishing a book. Transportation and logististic costs are not negligible. Nor are the other ancillary costs that go into publishing a book, but many of those are incurred by ebooks as well (editing, marketing, artwork, etc...)
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Sep 30, 2015 00:33
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flosofl posted:The physical printing is a tiny part of the cost of publishing a book. Transportation and logististic costs are not negligible. One might think paper is light, but since a euro pallet of books is basically a solid 120*80*n cm³ block of paper, books are actually really loving heavy to transport compared to a pallet stacked to exactly the same height with, say, retail DVDs because that pallet will consist of something like 50%* air. *) I pulled that number out of my butt of course. Feel free to correct me if you're the likes-to-calculate-the-volume-of-a-DVD-case type of nerd 
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Sep 30, 2015 13:20
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I once saw two guys try to fit a pallet of catalogues into the trunk of some sort of mini van. About half-way through one of them noticed the suspension had bottomed out at some point. They ended up doing three trips welp that's my paper is heavy story and also my I'm a right bastard and didn't intervene earlier I just watched story hope you enjoyed it 
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Sep 30, 2015 13:24
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Nutsngum posted:Another thing really is that printing books is well... pretty loving cheap to be honest. There's a reason why unsold books just have the cover ripped off and are then basically dumped. A lot of that is also to do with the shipping costs involved to return whole books. The ripped covers are what the retailers return to the publisher/distributor/whoever and the book tossed. My friends and I as cheeky teenagers heard of this practice and would raid dumpsters behind the local Newsagency to get our hands on the sweet sweet softcore porno magazines. Later in life I worked at a newspaper company and our retailers would send the mastheads of all unsold copies back to us for credit.
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Sep 30, 2015 14:20
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What really appeals to me in a book these days are the super nice looking fancy editions that Barnes and Noble has been pushing out. Leather bound, hard cover, gilded pages, heavy thick paper, and they look fantastic on a shelf. Look at this crap, its gorgeous:
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Sep 30, 2015 14:48
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Double-whammy: portable TVs with antennas and exhaustive single-topic websites curated by a single author, DIY style. http://www.taschenfernseher.de/index-e.htm
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Sep 30, 2015 15:50
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Endymion FRS MK1 posted:Possibly a mixture of both but probably the latter. My dad used be very computer smart and used to do the whole http thing until recently when I pointed it out that he didn't need to. Computer illiterate people I work with do the type google.com and search for https://www.facebook.com thing all the drat time Part of the problem is that most browsers come set with Bing or Google as a default. I work at a Help Desk and the number of people who are completely incapable of just going straight to a website I am trying to direct them to vs. using a search engine first is absolutely maddening. If I'm doing remote support usually the first thing I do is shut that browser feature off.
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Sep 30, 2015 16:10
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Super Waffle posted:What really appeals to me in a book these days are the super nice looking fancy editions that Barnes and Noble has been pushing out. Leather bound, hard cover, gilded pages, heavy thick paper, and they look fantastic on a shelf. Look at this crap, its gorgeous:
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Sep 30, 2015 16:52
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