Comments for So Many Books http://somanybooksblog.com the agony and ecstasy of a reading life Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:46:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on The Reference Experience Report by Daphne http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/07/03/the-reference-experience-report/#comment-40943 Daphne Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:09:32 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1739#comment-40943 I love libraries and librarians and they are always so helpful at our little Alameda library (which is an awesome "green" building insulated with shredded denim and has solar power!). I should come up with a question just for the fun of it. They are always very helpful when I need to request a book outside our system. I love libraries and librarians and they are always so helpful at our little Alameda library (which is an awesome “green” building insulated with shredded denim and has solar power!). I should come up with a question just for the fun of it. They are always very helpful when I need to request a book outside our system.

]]> Comment on The Reference Experience Report by iliana http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/07/03/the-reference-experience-report/#comment-40942 iliana Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:58:59 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1739#comment-40942 Good question and that's definitely great service - on a busy day no less! I don't typically ask the librarians questions either but one time I did ask online - we chatted real time and she was able to find the poem I was looking for. I only had a snippet of it and she was able to find it! Good question and that’s definitely great service - on a busy day no less! I don’t typically ask the librarians questions either but one time I did ask online - we chatted real time and she was able to find the poem I was looking for. I only had a snippet of it and she was able to find it!

]]> Comment on The Reference Experience Report by Dorothy W. http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/07/03/the-reference-experience-report/#comment-40941 Dorothy W. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:55:51 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1739#comment-40941 Glad it went well -- it wouldn't be any fun to have to report a bad experience. I would have been a little stumped for a question -- I'm used to looking things up myself too! Glad it went well — it wouldn’t be any fun to have to report a bad experience. I would have been a little stumped for a question — I’m used to looking things up myself too!

]]> Comment on A Herodotus Revival by AST http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/06/27/a-herodotus-revival/#comment-40939 AST Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:22:22 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1733#comment-40939 I finished Herodotus a few months ago. It was the Britannica Great Books translation. What impressed me the most about it was what it told us about the Greek mind, the fascination with clever stratagems and cryptic prophecies, especially those that men and women misread to their doom. One thing that impressed me as well was the way the people of that time resemble modern Arab, Persian and other tribal societies. The hideous ways of dealing with one's enemies never seem to run out, nor do the vendettas and vengeance. I've been reading Thucydides for a while, along with Victor Davis Hanson's book, A War Like No Other. These books have really fed an interest in knowing more about ancient societies, as well as a view of modern enemies as continuing a worldview that hasn't changed much in the past 2400 years. I finished Herodotus a few months ago. It was the Britannica Great Books translation. What impressed me the most about it was what it told us about the Greek mind, the fascination with clever stratagems and cryptic prophecies, especially those that men and women misread to their doom.

One thing that impressed me as well was the way the people of that time resemble modern Arab, Persian and other tribal societies. The hideous ways of dealing with one’s enemies never seem to run out, nor do the vendettas and vengeance.

I’ve been reading Thucydides for a while, along with Victor Davis Hanson’s book, A War Like No Other.

These books have really fed an interest in knowing more about ancient societies, as well as a view of modern enemies as continuing a worldview that hasn’t changed much in the past 2400 years.

]]> Comment on The Reference Experience Report by Cipriano http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/07/03/the-reference-experience-report/#comment-40938 Cipriano Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:48:25 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1739#comment-40938 Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest. -- Lady Bird Johnson -- Terrific blog posting. I LOVE the Library. One of the things I love most about living in a fairly big city [4th largest Canadian city] is that the Library system is really great. I can order books from my computer and have them DELIVERED to the branch nearest me. And it is so nice, as you mention, when the Librarian takes an interest in finding what you need. Countless times I have phoned, trying to locate a book, and I have always found the librarians to be helpful and courteous. I like to envision an Afterlife that has this MASSIVE Library... with eternal lending-privileges. Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.
– Lady Bird Johnson –
Terrific blog posting. I LOVE the Library.
One of the things I love most about living in a fairly big city [4th largest Canadian city] is that the Library system is really great. I can order books from my computer and have them DELIVERED to the branch nearest me. And it is so nice, as you mention, when the Librarian takes an interest in finding what you need. Countless times I have phoned, trying to locate a book, and I have always found the librarians to be helpful and courteous.
I like to envision an Afterlife that has this MASSIVE Library… with eternal lending-privileges.

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