Thursday Morning Musings

Good morning! I realized that my Twitter account is separate from here. I've been retweeting a lot of good stuff. In the next few days, I'll add the widget back with my account. Eventually, I'm hoping to create an RSS feed account where you can see when I updated. All of this is eventually.

I practically live on Twitter. I've had a lot to muse on this morning and wanted to share some of it.

First, yes, it is cold and if you're in the south eastern portion of PA, you should follow these guys. Generally, they are spot on with weather predictions. Then occasionally they have stuff like this:

MEGA ALERT BREAKING WEATHER NEWS: It's winter and it's going to be cold. Cue flashing graphics and icons with tag team meteorologists!
— PhillyWx.com (@phillywx) January 7, 2015

Next, a comic artist I follow on Twitter muses about her library experiences as a page and in an awesome pop culture library I did not realize exists. Star Trek Memorabilia? YES!

I Was a Librarian http://t.co/JjZUdcg5hp
— Kelci Crawford (@KelciDCrawford) January 8, 2015

I manage 2 nonprofit Facebook pages (my library and another) and I admit, I haven't actually sat down to read this yet, but it looks intriguing. I like 99u for their inspirational posts.

A day in apps: The social media manager’s edition. http://t.co/f6tmW3Rbwa
— 99U (@99u) January 8, 2015

Remember Ferguson Library? They are still doing awesome work.

Now Trending on Twitter: Public Libraries http://t.co/gEYTl6dKDx
— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) January 7, 2015

I love reading Questionable Content. Lately, he's been having a lot happen in the library with characters...but including some interesting commentary on libraries. Take a read here: First part and a follow up. I could go in-depth on this, but just enjoy the humor and how Marten and Claire (intern) and Tai (the head librarian) have their opinions of the [academic] library.

Last, Story Time Underground has this neat blog prompt called "Resolve to Rock." I first heard about it through Laura at Literacious (who is awesome). I may do this just for myself. I know it's time to set my vision and goals for the coming year so this might help me focus professionally.

Anything you found interesting so far this week? Want to discuss something? Share in the comments.

Web Comics and Libraries

Here's something that's starting to bug me: Libraries and Web Comics. Basically, the titles that are in libraries are limited and I would kind of like to know why. Lately, it seems there are a lot of great web comics are coming out in book format, but are libraries picking them up? Not really. The epic exception seems to be Unshelved, which while great and is library humored, is NOT really what I'm talking about here. Unshelved will be the example to explain web comics. Basically, a comic done by an artist with or without a writer and syndicated on the Internet. Simple.

The latest web comic to make waves in library land is/was the epic Axe Cop (which, my library copy got no where fast because the binding split). Every review I saw was like "THIS IS AWESOME." Don't get me wrong, I know it is awesome (even though I haven't read the first volume but I've seen a few strips). It is entertaining and fun, but of ALL the web comics in the last few years, this is what catches everyone's eye? What about Dr. McNinja (which I need to read but hear about a LOT from The Philosopher Musician)? What about Machine of Death which is a hybrid of sorts and includes a collaboration of web comic artists, authors, and The People (not to mention is coming out with a sequel and had a blast fighting it out with Glenn Beck not too long ago)? Many artists are coming out with books and loyal fans are picking these up. But what about poor readers who can't run out and buy every book, no matter how much they want to support the artist? What about exposing readers to comics they haven't seen? What disservice are we providing when all we have are the "classics*"?

I'll tell you. Simply you are missing the 20-somethings, the 30-somethings, and maybe their kids. I don't read as many web comics as I used to but I am partial to Questionable Content (which mind you, brought you the She Blinded Me With Library Science gear), XKCD, Red String, and a few I really can't mention on my blog (epically awesome, epically NSFW). I have respect for many, many more web comics because I've read bits here and there and despite not reading them after a period of time, they are still good or have improved. Plus, The Philosopher Musician has his list of web comics he follows (and is known to go on "archive binges" here and there) and many of my friends love different web comics yet we share a love of many of the same titles.

So, what's our excuse? Tight budgets? They're indie published? We don't have the reviews to justify them in the collection? We don't want those 20 somethings in the library? Real comics are books? That's all available on the Internet; why would they want the book? Tell me why you don't have them. I really want to know.

In the mean time, tell me what collections you want me to review. I'm starting with what I have easy access to (QC vol 1, Red String vol. 1, Axe Cop vol. 1, and Wondermark), but want to find more. Got stuff your teens are talking about? Let me know. Web Comic Wednesdays will start up soon where I'll talk about web comics where either The Philosopher Musician or me will talk about a web comic turned book, or the web comic itself.

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"Classics" include such hits as Penny Arcade, MegaTokyo, Wondermark, Gunnerkrig Court, and...Unshelved

So Farmville is a country!

This is probably old news by now, but I just couldn't help linking to this.

XKCD has made a map of the Internet as countries (at least that's how I see it). Either way, it is a nifty representation of web sites from Facebook to blogging and how "popular" one site is from another. It is pretty wicked cool. Although, book blogs don't rank anywhere...

In other news, I'm going to do some blog cleanup one of these days and move the blog to a better (more logical) address (I have it! I'm squatting!). I've got a small vacation (translation: lots of time at grandmom's house) coming up and hope that I can put some "blog" stuff on the agenda. My time has been eaten up by little things such as my job (yay school visits) and school work. Here's hoping I get a better handle by the end of next weekend!