Blog

Highlights of My 2022 Reading

Links are to the publisher or author’s site or, barring that, to bookshop.org. In previous years, I’ve managed to write full descriptions book. 2023 has been its own difficult year, with family illness and the death of our dog, so I’m just listing the things I want to share. In some cases I could write a sentence or two, in others I couldn’t. But if they’re on here, I thought they were worth sharing.

All Clothing Is Handmade

Writing about an art quilt I made with reused textiles and what I hope it reminds us about the clothing that we wear and the people who created it.

Mastodon Introduction and Overview for GLAM

A revision of a post about Mastodon with some introductory information, definitions, and tips for how to jump in and get started. I pull from 5 years of mastodon experience and will create a second post with some information to help you become a more skilled user.

Weighing Fields in Library Catalog Search, or, The Hillbilly Elegy Problem

An overview of the challenges in assigning field weights in a library catalog. This uses the example of a book about Hillbilly Elegy to explain demonstrate where challenges arise.

The Extra-Long Highlights of My 2020-2021 Reading

I’ve previously shared highlights from my 2018 and 2019 reading. By the end of 2020, I was exhausted. So, while I had actually read quite a few books, I just made sure that I had a written log of them for my own reference and called it good. While I’m not necessarily feeling better now, I managed to pull together books from the two years. This isn’t a complete list. I’m sharing some highlights organized thematically.

Editorializing

Reflections on the occasion of a Code4Lib Journal article which deals with non-deidentified patron data. I consider my own time as an editor, why I stepped back, and what might be useful in the future.

Time is a Property of Data

When building data integrations into our library systems, we must consider time as a key attribute of that data. When time is not considered, even the most trusted source becomes, at best, laughable and, at worst, dangerous.

An Update on EADiva Examples and an Apology

The EADiva website no longer uses examples drawn from the Harry Potter universe. This post provides a brief update and is primarily my apology for ignoring the harm in using the examples in the first place and for letting things slide as long as I did after her transphobia became apparent.

The Long Highlights of My 2019 Reading

A summary of books I read in 2019. Much of the reading was on the theme of how we should (or should not) live, ranging from writings on religion, to race, to white supremacy. Also includes writings on war, the non-profit industrial complex, and my favorite fiction of the year

On Disappointment and Surprise at the Behavior of Certain Senior Archival Community Members

A short overview of what happened yesterday in the Society of American Archivists nomination slate for 2020 and the reasons many community members are surprised and disappointed.