Having grown up with Rajneesh (Osho) in our student days and as a family friend, I am often asked, what his teachings were! I don't think that even Osho could have given a straight answer.

Anon-conformer, Osho was different from other spiritual or religiouspreachers. Others generally focus on their own religion or any otherbelief system they subscribe to. Theirs is the only way, theyproclaim claim! But Osho had a bewildering assortment of interestsand he seemed to appreciate and criticise whichever prophet orphilosophy he spoke on. Over 600 books have been published, which arecompilations of his lectures, subject wise. The catholicity of hisviews can be realised from his lectures from just one compilation,viz. 'Books I have loved'.

'BooksI have loved' is a series of lectures on his 168 favourite books.As a self confessed bookworm, I was suitably impressed. They rangefrom 'Alice in Wonderland', to lesser known obtuse sects. Asampling of just 20 books he lectured on is:

Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche

Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Book of Mirdad by Mikhail Naimy

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

The Parables of Chuang Tzu

The Sermon on the Mount

Bhagavad-Gita by Krishna

Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

The Book of the Sufis

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The Book of Lieh Tzu

Dialogue on Socrates by Plato

The Notes of the Disciples of Bodhidarma

The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam

Masnavi by Jalaluddin Rumi

The Isa Upanishad

All and Everything by George Gurdjieff

In Search of the Miraculous by P. D. Ouspensky

Hisashram claims, that 'Having read more than 150,000 of theworlds greatest books on every conceivable subject, Osho shares thefragrance of some of his favourites, in these spontaneous andintimate talks. From the very first book, 'Thus Spake Zarathustra'by Friedrich Nietzsche, to the 167th entry a book by Alan Watts, hetakes us on a journey of discovery, sampling gifts from authors wehave known along with some surprises from mystics and poets neverheard of before'.

Generalisationsare odious, but if I were do so:

Hewas in tune with philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurthy and encouragedothers not to get into the groove, by adopting blindly the beliefsystems and life styles, handed down to us. But to test theprinciples oneself and tread 'the road less travelled', if needbe!

Myfather had concluded an article in 'Philosophy East West' bysaying, 'More harm is done to a religion, by its followers ratherthan by its worst enemies!' Osho echoed this repeatedly. In a bookon Kabir and other mystics, he wrote:

'Iwill speak for Christ, not on Christianity. Christianity has nothingto do with Christ. In fact, Christianity is anti-Christ, just asBuddhism is anti-Buddha and Jainism anti-Mahavir. I am all forChrist, but not even a small part of me is for Christianity. If youwant Christ, you have to go beyond Christianity. If you cling toomuch to Christianity, you will not be able to understand Christ.Christ is beyond all churches. Christ is the very principle ofreligion. In Christ all the aspirations of humanity are fulfilled.That's the beauty of Christ. Buddha is beautiful, superb. Krishnais lovable!'

Theinimitable writer Kushwant Singh, after meeting Osho wrote: 'Soonafter meeting him I began to read his books. I was very impressedthat there is one teacher who is highly erudite. He could talk aboutany subjects religion, psychology etc. His range and vision wasenormous and unmatchable. The strong point is his lucidity. There isno confusion about what he said. Also he impressed me as he liberatedpeople from their preconceived notions, superstitions and beliefs. SoI got more books to read. I kept reading. I have written anintroduction to one of his books based on whatever I have read. Hewrote so much that it is difficult to say that I have readeverything. I have not. I wrote this introduction because of agenuine admiration for the man who had the courage to speak hismind'.

Herewas a man, who delivered to you a recipe, within your own faith.However, not as your religion dictated it. But as Buddha, Mahavir,Christ and other founders had directly experienced it themselves!

Igave a copy of his Hindi book on Kabir, to my mother-in-law with sometrepidation, not knowing how a deeply pious lady would react to it.To my relief, she said, that the book had helped her to understandKabir even better, though from childhood we have been reading andreciting, 'Kabirke dohe' - 'Kahat Kabir suno bhai saadho ..

'Kabirajab hum paida huay,

Jaghanse, hum roay.

Aisikarni kar chalo,

Humhanse, jag roay'!

PS

Formore on Osho:

1.http://www.merinews.com/article/osho-my-friend-/135596.shtml

2.http://www.merinews.com/article/cashless-with-osho/15922102.shtml

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Osho: A man for all seasons - Merinews

YouTube is monstrously huge, comparable in popularity to Google and Facebook. Often referred to as the Wild West for video content, Id say its more like an uncharted galaxy, expanding ever-outward as new material comes in. The developers behind Rheo, led by Apple and Facebook veteran Alan Cannistraro, offer a different take on video discovery.

Where YouTube can overwhelm you with choices, making it difficult to decide whats worth watching, Rheo presents videos that fit the mood youre in. It began in 2016 on AppleTV and is now available as an iOS and web app.

Once youve created an account and logged in, Rheo loads up its main video feed, which is called Rheo One. You can passively watch this feed, or you can choose a different one based on the mood youre in. Rheo counts seven moods: Laugh, Inform, Learn, Taste, Chill, Move, and Spark. Videos load automatically, and users can watch or skip each one. If you especially like a video, you can click boost (a heart icon), and push it up higher in the rotation for others to see. Boosted videos are also bookmarked, so you can easily find and watch them again. You can also share videos to Facebook or Twitter, or text videos to friends.

Use the icons at the top of the app to find videos that match your current mood.

You can also use your smartphones camera and microphone to record video responses and comments. Again, users collect their recorded responses into a reel that can be shared. You can search through other users and follow them, and they have the option to follow you back.

The first of the mood channels, Laugh (indicated by a laughing face icon), is, of course, comedy, and seems to lean toward current clips from late-night talk shows. Digging deeper, however, brings up various other shorts. After much skipping, I found some animated shorts and skits, including an Amy Schumer short from Comedy Central called Time Travel. The second channel, Inform (a radio tower), consists mainly of footage from news broadcasts (Reuters is a main source).

Third, we get Learn (a microscope), which is like it sounds: a channel full of short documentaries. Subjects explored upon first glance included gun control, cults, heaven and hell, ghosts, brain freeze, robots, Mexican drug cartels, and more. One helpful video shows how to spot a liar. A nice discovery was the profound little What If Money Didnt Matter? narrated by the late Alan Watts, sure to make viewers ruminate on their lives. (I gave it a boost.)

The fourth channel, Taste (a martini glass), popped up with a Vogue interview with Olivia Munn (73 Questions), which crashed, and moved on to a behind-the-scenes of a photo shoot at Vanity Fair. It sounded like this was going to be more of a food and drink channel, but it started heavy on fashion/lifestyle stuff. After skipping ahead a while, I did find the first foodie-friendly shorts, one about mooncake and another focused on the 90-something queen of Creole cooking. That one included some drool-inducing shots of gumbo and jambalaya.

Spark (a lightbulb), the fifth option, fit best with my personal tastes: short films. There was a preview for a beautiful-looking upcoming animated film; a touching 12-minute comedy-drama called Alls Fair, starring Thomas Middleditch; the weird, semi-controversialbut hilariousshort Baby Trashes Bar in Las Palmas; the pilot episode of Jenny Slates unsettling web series Catherine; and a short documentary on homosexuality in Mexico. As I was skipping through, one short film crashed and didnt work, but the majority did. This is the channel on which I felt like I could have spent the most time.

The 12-minute comedy-drama, Alls Fair, starring Thomas Middleditch, was one of my favorite finds on Rheo.

The sixth and seventh channels proved less interesting to me, but will certainly be interesting to others. Move (a winged shoe) offers what looks to be mostly skateboarding, surfing, skiing, and biking videos. And Chill (a record) offers a series of music videos, mostly low-key, electronic pop, and not much of it particularly chill to my ears. After much skipping, I finally found a beautiful little animated short called Light that seemed to be more meditative.

The video interface is smooth and intuitive, allowing the option to fullscreen or pause, though scrubbing back and forth is a little tricky; doing so tends to skip to the next video. Once a video gets hung up, there seems to be no way to get it to play again.

Like any social service, Rheo benefits from repeated and regular use. The service learns your tastes and will presents videos it thinks youll like in a personal feed. Theres also a setting that blocks or allows mature content (defaulting to the on position). And, of course, users can grow lists of friends and fellow users and watch each others comments. I declined to record my own video comments, but the ones I saw seemed to be troll-free, and for the most part contained kind remarks.

Youll want to use the Rheo smartphone/tablet app to get the full experience. The web app doesnt have nearly as many of the social features.

I noticed content from a handful of video services (specifically not YouTube), including Vimeo, Thrasher magazine, Vogue magazine, Vanity Fair magazine, and Reuters, and I assume that more providers will be coming. I wonder if there will be any main channels, other than Rheo One, to choose from in the future. (The app gives users the option to unfollow Rheo One, but nothing else to choose in its place.) It seems that the service could further diversify its content with more of these. (Imagine a main Rheo channel aimed at women, or kids, or... the possibilities are endless.)

Finally, the web version of Rheo is notably different from the app, and doesnt offer any of the social services. Viewers can watch, boost, and share videos, but they cant access their previously boosted videos, nor can they access any other users, or record comments.

My first time through Rheo, I found myself skipping more than watching, but I did find some worthwhile videos, and several that at least held my attention. And now that Ive tried all the subchannels, I know which ones will be my regular destinations (Laugh and Spark), and perhaps if the app learns that I want food and drink videos rather than fashion, Taste will become a favorite as well. If Rheo catches on, with more users, more boosted videos, and more sources, it could become a finely tuned video-watching machine.

More:
Rheo review: This video-streaming/sharing app surfaces videos based on your mood - TechHive

DELRAY BEACH, FLInviting the recently fired White House chief of staff to take a load off and embrace his newfound freedom, a blissed-out, hemp-wearing former press secretary Sean Spicer reportedly assured Reince Priebus on Monday that leaving the White House was the best thing that ever happened to him. Seriously, man, that place was toxicafter I got out of there, it was like this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, said the serene, baja-hoodie-clad former spokesman, offering Priebus some of his homemade kombucha and his copy of Alan Watts Become What You Are while assuring him that leaving the Trump administration would allow him to find a sense of tranquility and spiritual reconnection. I take long walks now. I read. I meditate. Remember how flustered I used to get? The other day, someone totally screwed up my lunch order, but I didnt even let it get to me. Trust me, youre going to look back on this as the day you rediscovered yourself. Welcome back, brother. At press time, Priebus was attending a silent meditation retreat in Bali, waiting for the echoes of Donald Trump shrieking at him to finally subside.

Read the rest here:
Blissed-Out, Hemp-Wearing Sean Spicer Assures Reince Priebus This The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Him - The Onion (satire)

JULY 31, 2017

CON MEN IN JAPAN collectively pull in over $400 million a year. One of their most successful grifts is the Ore, Ore scam, in which the con man calls an elderly person, says, Its me, and then tells of some bind hes gotten himself into and needs money to get out of. The elderly person, duped into believing that the con man is a younger relative, sends cash through registered mail or transfers money into a bank account. The scam is so common that Japanese children, at school festivals, pass out Its not me flyers to elderly attendants, warning their grandparents about the dangers of Ore, Ore. Its even so ubiquitous that Japanese noir novelist Tomoyuki Hoshino is able to use it as the catalyst for his novel ME,which has recently been translated byCharles De Wolf.

ME begins with disaffected camera salesman Hitoshi Nagano eating lunch at a Tokyo McDonalds. A group of three salarymen stand nearby, one of whom bullies the other two. Hitoshi steals the bullys cell phone, more to be a jerk than to actually have the phone. When he gets back home, the phone rings and the screen tells Hitoshi that the call is from Mother. Hitoshi answers and pretends to be the bully, Daiki. He tells Mother hes had a car accident that led him to running up a bunch of debt. Now, hes in a tight spot. He convinces her to wire 900,000 (about $8,100) to Hitoshis bank account. She does so.

Hitoshi is immediately shaken up. Hes not a con man. He gave Mother his real bank account number. Hes set himself up to get caught. And this is when the unexpected begins to happen in the novel. Rather than charges being pressed, Mother shows up at Hitoshis apartment and starts treating him as if hes Daiki. Making matters worse, Hitoshi returns to his own parents home only to find a replacement Hitoshi living there. Hitoshis birth mother doesnt recognize her birth son and threatens to call the police. The replacement Hitoshi meets Hitoshi at the nearby McDonalds. They realize that theyre both MEs con men who have become so entangled in their own grifts that theyre losing themselves. Replacement Hitoshi has become Hitoshi. He tells the original Hitoshi, Theres nothing for you to do but become Daiki [] Youve got no alternative, have you?

The original Hitoshi is resistant, but the replacement Hitoshi explains, Its like company work there can be personnel changes, and my title may change too, but as long as operations run smoothly, life goes on. So, with seemingly no other options, Hitoshi begins to morph into Daiki. With no prompting, his co-workers at the big box store where he sells cameras begin to call him Daiki. He goes to Daikis high school reunion and visits Daikis sister. In both cases, hes accepted as Daiki. Even his memories blend together with Daikis memories. In the meantime, he meets other MEs who are going through similar transitions. As he loses his individuality and his identity disperses, he begins to become not a part of a community, exactly theres nothing communal about this group but a subculture of equally selfish, equally dispersed MEs. What follows is a Kafkaesque journey of a lonely narrator being absorbed by an impersonal system. For Kafka, these narrators engaged in futile battles against bureaucracy. For Hoshino, Hitoshi/Daiki is swept up in the mass-produced identities of consumer corporate culture.

His specific approach to identity also seems to have roots in Buddhist thought. Throughout the novel, Hitoshi/Daiki continually morphs. He takes on other names and other forms. He dies a few times, yet continues to live in ways that should be maddening but are not. The continual morphing works because theres always a ME narrating the story, and we always follow the ME through a sequence of events (the Japanese language doesnt distinguish between subject and object pronouns). The very structure of this approach to identity is tied to Zen. As Alan Watts explains in The Way of Zen, It is fundamental to every school of Buddhism that there is no ego, no enduring entity which is the constant subject of our changing experiences. Instead, we are constantly being reincarnated in the sense that the process of rebirth is from moment to moment, so that one is being reborn so long as one identifies himself with a continuing ego which reincarnates itself afresh at each moment in time. If we take this approach, it makes perfect sense that the novels narrator can start off as Hitoshi, become Daiki while still retaining aspects of Hitoshi even though there are new Hitoshis and old Daikis, and they can all become MEs who can hunt and kill each other, yet have an ego that continues in a new material form after death.

Hoshino seems to take this concept of identity for granted. ME doesnt exist to demonstrate Zen concepts of shifting identity. As Kenzabur e notes in the afterword, ME is no simplistic allegory. The weight of reality it creates, e argues, is able to surpass even Kb Abe, Japans great forerunner in the power of literary thought. es comparison of ME with Abe is not made lightly. Hoshinos concern with memory and the fluidity of memory harks back to Abes Kangaroo Notebook, which is an equally surreal tour through the dark side of urban Japan. The unnamed narrator of Kangaroo Notebook continues to lose his sense of self and his memories as he wanders through the novel. Like Hitoshi/Daiki, Abes narrator cant trust his memories. He feels them undergo a metamorphosis. Both narrators come to understand that, beyond names, our sense of identity comes from the memories we choose to cling to and the memories we choose to release. They also learn that the memories we keep and the ones we let go are likewise fluid. As Watts says, Mans identification with his idea of himself gives him a specious and precarious sense of permanence. For this idea is relatively fixed, being based upon carefully selected memories of his past, memories which have a preserved and fixed character. Watts suggests that its best to release these expectations of a static identity. Similarly, and each in different ways, the narrators in Kangaroo Notebook and ME are stripped of this sense of permanence.

Beyond the Buddhist concepts of identity and the comparisons to Abe, ME is not a particularly Japanese novel. It is set in Tokyo, but a Tokyo of box stores, meals at McDonalds or Yoshinoya Bowl, and apartments where single men in their 20s gather to drink beer and play with their smartphones. In other words, its a Tokyo thats interchangeable with any major industrialized city. It could just as well take place in Seattle or Edinburgh or Karachi. Its not cosmopolitan as much as it is multinational. For this reason, its helpful to examine Marxist concepts of identity in addition to the Buddhist ones. In particular, we can look to Louis Althussers concept of interpellation. For Althusser, power calls us a name (interpellates us), and thereby assigns us a set of behaviors. Think, for example of multinational corporations insistence on calling its customers consumers, as if customers are nothing more than giant mouths, stomachs, and anuses swallowing up goods, processing them, and leaving behind a trail of waste; as if the highest, most meaningful activity in life is to purchase, use up, and dispose of commodities. Think, further, how readily we accept this term and perform the role of a consumer. Think of how this interpellation encourages us to spend our free time shopping recreationally as if that activity is natural or fulfilling.

Althusser doesnt use the consumer example. Thats mine. Althusser keeps it more simple and general. When power interpellates in Althusser, it just hails you. It says, Hey, its you. Or, in Hoshino, Hey, its ME. When Hitoshi/Daiki first starts the Ore, Ore scam, he doesnt merely say, Its me he becomes a ME. He goes on to meet other MEs. They are similarly interpellated not only into con men, but also into selfish, isolated workers whose lives are geared toward the good of multinational corporations. They eat all their meals at McDonalds. They sell commodities. They work menial jobs for which they are undercompensated. They buy their own sales pitches. They allow themselves, their very identities, to become mass produced.

In his most honest moment, Hitoshi/Daiki sits alone in his apartment, trying to tune out the outside world. As soon as he engages with it, he thinks,

my troubles would begin in earnest. I would have to deal with parents enslaved to a program, incapable of knowing me as a flesh-and-blood human being, have chummy conversations with coworkers, and otherwise explain myself to other people. I would constantly have to be me, and that would drive me crazy. I cherished the time I had to myself, since it was only then that I could chill out and stop being me its impossible to truly switch off when other people are around.

Its interesting to note that, unlike most of us who see our real selves as the person we are when no one is around, Hitoshi/Daiki sees his real self as the performance he puts on in public. This is what makes him a ME. He has so fully embraced the mass-produced identity of consumer corporate culture that he knows no other self. This sets him up for, first, a fantasy of a world full of MEs, and, second, a journey into the nightmare of what a world full of MEs would really produce.

The novel follows this journey. Hoshino takes the story into wild, unexpected places. For as bizarre as the situations become, Hitoshi/Daikis first-person narrative keeps its hard-boiled tone. This tone is what makes ME special. Hoshino can keep the reader firmly rooted in Hitoshi/Daikis mind as he engages in horrifying situations. For example, at one point in the novel, he witnesses a group of men descend on and murder an innocent couple. Hitoshi/Daiki says, I felt the pressure to jump on the victims myself. If I participated, I might no longer be viewed as one apart, a marked man, and thus, by joining in the celebration of this event, be left alone. The reader might not agree with Hitoshi/Daikis actions, but she can at least understand his actions as consistent with the world he creates. She wont even bat an eye when Hitoshi/Daiki calls the murder a celebration. And when Hitoshi/Daiki then says, I gave in to the pressure. I took out my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, opened the blade, and gripped the handle, the reader is prepared to be swallowed into that dark, corrupt world.

Sean Carswell is the author, most recently, of The Metaphysical Ukelele. Hes a co-founder of Gorsky Press and Razorcake, and an assistant professor at CSU Channel Islands.

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Mass-Produced Identity - lareviewofbooks

John Wiley andSons, Inc.announced the launch of Wiley Content Sharing across its research portfolio. The launch follows a trial that began in early 2017. Wiley Content Sharing facilitates collaboration by allowing authors and subscribers to share free-to-read full-text articles with non-subscribers. This new functionality will be available to all journals on Wiley Online Library. In addition,Wiley Content Sharing provides the public with greater access to research when following links from selected media outlets globally. During the four-month trial Wiley Online Library users shared more than 7,000 links to articles. Upon launch, Wiley Content Sharing will be available to more than 1,700 journals from across Wileys portfolio.

Wiley Content Sharing enables authors and subscribers to share their work with their peers as well as non-subscribers, including over social media, scholarly collaboration networks, and email. Wiley Content Sharing also provides the public with greater access to research through its media sharing capabilities. Popular outlets such asThe Daily Mail,The Wall Street JournalandReuterswere included in the pilot alongside specialist sites such asMedscape,NatureandScienceMag.

(readcube.com, wiley.com)

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Wiley Content Sharing Launches Across Wiley Online Library - EContent (press release)

By Montgomery County Memorial Library System

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TexasThis summer saw huge increases in library cardholders in Montgomery County.

With many new families moving to the area and hundreds of programs and free activities drawing crowds into the libraries, June saw double the number of new library cards issued over the previous month.

Just under 3,000 new library cards were issued in June, compared with 1,400 new cards issued in May, bringing the total number of library cardholders in the County to 285,377, or 52% of all County residents.

Large gains were seen in The Woodlands, whose two libraries issued 1,361 new cards, nearly as many new cards as the entire County issued the month before.

The library card boost wasnt the only large increase for Montgomery County Memorial Library System.

This was another record-breaking year for Summer Reading participation across all age ranges.

Over 12,000 kids, teens, and adults pledged to read during the reading program from May 30-June 14th, a 10.5% increase over last year, which itself had seen over a 10% increase from the year before that.

Generous sponsors supported the local communitys reading program, by providing coupons and other incentives for the eager readers.

The grand prize for the Adult Summer Reading Program this year was a Samsung Digital Tablet, donated by Hoopla Digital, one of the librarys providers of streaming digital content to patrons.

Library customers already know that the library is more than a place to discover new reading material. With job seeking assistance and technical computer training, free Wi-Fi and meeting room access, plus programs featuring science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, the library is an unexpectedly modern place to find the pulse of the community.

The nationally-recognized George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library in The Woodlands is a designated Family Place Library and one of only 15 libraries nationally named as a finalist for the 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

The Mitchell Library was the only library in the state of Texas to receive this high honor. With a wealth of resources made available to all County residents, Montgomery County citizens have a lot to be proud of in their library system.

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Montgomery County Memorial Library System sees record-breaking summer involvement - Woodlands Online, LLC

LOWELL -- All libraries experience some loss of materials, whether it's people stealing books or DVDs without checking them out or simply not returning items past the due date.

Lowell's Pollard Memorial Library hopes to combat thefts with a new security and checkout system installed in September.

"Hopefully less things are just walking out the door without being checked out," said Library Director Victoria Woodley.

She said the library has had some sort of anti-theft system since before she came on board in 2000, but the last one had become obsolete and it was time for updated technology. Woodley said the library used state aid funds to pay for the system, but she declined to provide the cost.

With the new system, each book and item in the library has a radio-frequency identification, or RFID tag. When items are checked out properly, that tag is turned off. When someone tries to leave the library with an item that hasn't been checked out, the gates at the door sound an alarm and flash red lights, and the item information pops up at the checkout desk, Woodley said. The library also has surveillance cameras, she said.

Woodley said she believes the system is working, and her staff seems to be reporting fewer instances of theft evidence, such as jackets torn from books.

Getting items back that people don't return is an entirely separate issue.

Lowell hasn't had to go the route that the Fitchburg Public Library is considering: hiring a debt collector to recoup funds on lost materials. That library hopes to get reimbursement for a small fraction -- $1,800 of the 8,400 items valued at $175,000 -- that have not been returned.

Merrimack Valley Library Consortium Executive Director Eric Graham said none of the consortium's 36 member libraries has turned to automated debt collection.

The consortium collects numerous data from its members and provides that information to the state each year. Graham declined to provide loss information directly to The Sun, deferring to individual libraries and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Loss information was not included in the public library statistics on the state body's website and a spokeswoman did not respond to a request for information last week.

While libraries can usually easily determine loss figures like those provided by Fitchburg, Woodley said such data gathering has been complicated in Lowell by a recent change in the catalog system that allows the libraries in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium to share items. Other area libraries The Sun contacted reported similar difficulties.

Woodley said she felt debt collection wouldn't be an effective way to recoup funds on lost materials because there would be no credit-score incentive on those who owe and it could push patrons away instead of compelling them to pay.

Lowell is among about half of the member libraries of the consortium that charge overdue fees for items. For books, its 5 cents per day for a maximum of $3 per item. For movies, it's $1 per day for a maximum of $5 per item.

Woodley said she wants to look at doing away with the fines altogether.

Other libraries, like those in Westford and Chelmsford, haven't charged such fees for years. Libraries in both towns estimated the materials they are unable to reclaim are typically less than half of 1 percent of their circulation in a given year.

Library Director Ellen Rainville said it has been more than 45 years since Westford's J.V. Fletcher Library charged overdue fees and fines.

She said that changed as part of an early 1970s progressive philosophy that such fines ultimately cause more harm than good.

"There was a feeling that it actually discouraged the return of books after a certain point," Rainville said.

When items aren't returned on time, Rainville said it's usually because the responsible person is experiencing some sort of family hardship or other "circumstances that make the return of library materials a very minor priority."

Like at any library, there will always be times when items are damaged or lost and have to be replaced, she said.

"There is a cost of doing business with the public, and we have that expectation that a book will get loved to death, a book will get eaten by a dog, a book will end up in the bottom of a pool, or a book will be left in a taxicab in London," Rainville said, noting real-life examples.

As of Wednesday, the Chelmsford Public Library had 481 items missing for the year -- many of which might still be recovered, Library Director Becky Herrmann said -- out of the 111,359 items in the collection. The approximate value of those items is $8,600 -- far less than the estimated $10,000 annual cost of a security system and the loss of patron goodwill that would result, she said.

"I think we are really very fortunate in Chelmsford that our losses are not greater," Herrmann said. "Our library patrons value the library and their ability to use all of our services."

Wilmington Memorial Library used to charge more, but greatly reduced the items that have overdue fees a couple years ago, according to Assistant Director Charlotte Wood.

She said it's part of a trend of libraries moving away from fines in an effort to be friendlier to patrons.

"You still get materials back," Wood said. "The fines were nickel-and-diming people. It really wasn't very friendly."

Now, Wilmington only charges overdue fines for items designated as "hot": the most popular books, DVDs and CDs of the moment, Wood said. Such items have fees ranging from 25 cents to $1 per day, with a maximum of $3 per item.

The library also offers "Food for Fines" months, which many patrons prefer to paying the fines, Wood said. Every August and March, people can bring in items for the local food pantry in lieu of paying fines originating from only the Wilmington library, she said.

Overdue fees or not, all libraries in the consortium ask for agreed upon replacement costs for items that aren't returned. But libraries will try many ways to gently remind patrons to return items before it gets to that point.

Whether or not your home library charges overdue fees, the consortium policy is that once you reach $20 in fines or 20 overdue items, you're no longer able to check out materials from any of the member libraries without paying, Wood and Herrmann said.

Follow Alana Melanson at facebook.com/alana.lowellsun or on Twitter @alanamelanson.

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Lowell library goes high tech to combat thefts - Lowell Sun

SPEARFISH To create a logo to reflect the many services it offers and also highlight the community in which it is located, Grace Balloch Memorial Library in Spearfish is accepting submissions from all ages of the public to create a design.

We do not have an official logo, Amber Wilde, library director, said, explaining that various things have been used over the years, such as stylized versions of the library name, Grace Ballochs portrait, the bookplate from the original Grace Balloch collection, etc. None of those were really eye-catching and easily identifiable as the library. Weve talked about doing better about promoting our services, but when we try to put together promotional materials it is hard to really make them stand out and be recognizable as something coming from the library without a consistent image to represent us.

The first-place winner of the logo contest will receive $300, with cash prizes for second and third place, as well, and the deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8.

Wilde said that she hopes the contest gets people thinking about what the library means to them and also inspires them to submit an idea.

We hope that encouraging community members to participate will help create a logo thatreally represents us, she said. We dont want something generic. We want it to demonstrate Spearfish values and our importance to the community.

Wilde described that the library collection is more diverse that people realize, from books and movies to a variety of online resources including e-books, music, digital magazines, language learning software, etc. The library also offers services including access to computers and internet, exam proctoring, and assistance with questions on technology, genealogy or history research, and more.

She said that people are often surprised to hear about the online content of the library.

They have been spending money purchasing e-books or songs and dont realize we can offer them for free with their library card, she said. I also think people are surprised by the size and variety in our movie collection. It has grown a lot in recent years and is very heavily used.

We get a lot of technology-related questions, Wilde added. There are a lot of people that just need a little help with their smart phones or the computers. Sometimes these questions relate to using the e-book and other online services the library provides, but other times its just generally learning to operate a device or even figuring out how to fill out an online job application or maneuver through some other type of website that they need to use. We have staff that do this all the time and are happy to help. We even have computer classes coming this fall to help with some of these topics for people that arent comfortable just coming in and asking for one-on-one help.

Many years ago, the library did a contest to design the artwork for the library cards patrons receive, and that U.S. flag image is still in use on the current library cards.

Wilde said that the library staff is hoping to get a lot of contest submissions for the logo contest.

There is so much talent and creativity in our community, she said. Even if you arent a graphic designer, if you have an idea, please submit it.

She added that the library staff are perfectly willing to help with the online submission process. For more details and to submit your entry, visit cityofspearfish.com/library.

The contest really is open to all individuals, whether you are a 5-year-old with a box of crayons or an adult with a graphic design background, Wilde said. The key is going to be finding a way to accurately reflect the librarys importance to Spearfish and keep in mind that we still love books, but we are so much more.

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Original post:
Spearfish library accepting submissions for logo contest | Local ... - Black Hills Pioneer

With the official "grand reopening" underway, the Cache County Library is hosting a weeklong rodeo-themed event in Providence.

After transitioning to a new circulation system and issuing new library cards, librarian Cheri Mickelson said the move away from the state library system has been smooth as they celebrate the reopening of the Providence facility.

The library, located at 15 N. Main St., is giving away various prizes each day through Friday for patrons who come in and get their new library card or simply fill out an entry form, Mickelson said.

Prize giveaways each day include boxes of cookies, lassos and two Cache County Rodeo tickets. Along with the prizes, each patron will receive a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Macey's.

Throughout the week, the library is also hosting a preschool story time which began yesterday starting at 10:30 a.m. each day through Thursday.

On Tuesday, Mickelson read "Rodeo" and "The Magic Boots" to the participants in attendance. Following the stories, children crafted their own sets of boots out of paper and stickers.

Library patron Tallie Geddes said she hasn't seen much of a change in services with the transitions at the library. She picked up her new library card while attending the story time Tuesday.

"We are always here since we live down the road. I think my kids are at the library too much sometimes," Geddes said. "Today I got a new card just by walking in and turning in the old one. It was easy. We are sad with some of the changes, but so far, everything seems to be going well."

Since early July, the library has issued nearly 500 library cards and successfully launched the new online catalog website that allows patrons to reserve books, Mickelson said.

"We didn't know how many active users of the library there were before the switch, so we don't have a way to compare where we are at with cards right now," Mickelson said. "We are staying busy. Everything is going well so far."

Mickelson believes that once schools are back in session the library will likely revert back to the old hours to give staff a chance to keep up with circulation demands.

Despite being "up and running," the library is still without Overdrive for patrons, but Mickelson believes that will be resolved quickly.

"We are just starting interlibrary loan so patrons can get books from elsewhere," Mickelson said. "We have everything for patrons that the state library offers."

The library is open to all residents of Cache County. Those seeking a library card need to bring a utility bill to prove residency. Only one card will be issued per family.

The Cache County Library is open from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The rest is here:
Turning the page: Cache County Library celebrates 'reopening' - The Herald Journal

After a 10-year hiatus, Wiscsonsin Indianhead Technical College is bringing back the Selling Principles class this coming fall.

Several business owners had lamented that local sales training was not available, and thought back to the popular and valuable course that had been offered at WITC. They asked for a comeback, and WITC agreed.

The Selling Principles course offers ideas and concepts that, when implemented, can increase sales performance for the salesperson and their organization. Students will develop customer-focused sales strategies and presentations directly related to their own organizations current products and services.

Selling Principles will be offered in-person at the Rice Lake campus and by ITV to the other campuses and outreach centers. The course starts Aug. 29 through Dec. 21, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, 8 -8:50 a.m. The class is three credits at $428.10, plus cost of book.

To register call 800.243.9482 and ask for your local campus Student Services office. Course numbers for the locations are: Rice Lake 64014; Superior 64017; Ashland 64015; New Richmond 64016; Ladysmith 64021; Hayward 64020.

See the original post:
Sales training making a comeback at WITC - Ashland Daily Press