hatman | (no subject)

Okay, this is a little freaky...

My library has gone through some changes/upgrades recently. I might have mentioned it a while back. It's always been a cool place. They don't just have books. They also rent movies, music, books on tape, software, etc. They've got a pretty good comic book collection, too. (And their rental terms are a heck of a lot better than you'd find at Blockbuster or whatever.)

Late last year (give or take), they did some renovations. There was talk of getting a new, bigger building, but that fell through, I guess. Anyway, they took out the reference section (it's all computerized now) and moved the media section to where the stacks used to be. Then they put in a trendy juice bar/coffeeshop thing where the media section used to be. And there's been free wireless internet for at least a year or two.

At some point (before the coffeeshop was put in), they added a vending machine, specializing in school supplies. Pencils, index cards, etc. It used to be up front, but today I noticed it in a corner of the new media area (which also has some tables and a study area). Something electronic-looking caught my eye as I passed, so I stopped for a closer look. Was amused to find that they were stereo earbud headphones with multiple jack adapters. Good way to help keep the noise level down.

But then, I saw what was next to the headphones. A 1GB jump drive. For $8. In a vending machine.

Freaky.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... that really is freaky. o_O

*whew* Glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds it so.

Wow. How times have changed, huh?

I was thinking this very thing recently when my daughter went away on an overnight field trip, to play in a band competition then spend the following day at an amusement park. One of the written instructions to the kids for the park was "make sure you have your assigned chaperone's cell phone number programmed into your phone and make sure they have yours in theirs." And it made me think about the fact that 1) it wasn't that long ago that cell phones were banned in school and 2) they just assume that most kids are going to have them when they included this in the instructions. And these were all 7th & 8th graders, not even high school students. (And indeed, Amy knows very few kids her age who don't at least have access to a cell phone.)

Oh, and I'm equally impressed by your library. That sounds really awesome!

Seriously. I remember when I first went to college (fall '97), Mom insisted on getting me a cellphone. I was embarrassed to have it (so elitist!) and a little resentful (you want to keep tabs on me 24/7?).

Now I don't go anywhere without it. Most of the time, it's literally attached at the hip.

And, you know... We passed the point a couple of years ago where there was at least one active cell phone for every two US citizens. I think I read somewhere that we recently hit that point for world population. Times are, indeed, changing.

And yes, it's one of the best libraries around. Always has been. Recent changes are kind of freaky, but I suppose it's an inevitable 21st century move.

Man, I remember taking weekly family bike trips to that library... So last milennium.

i'm not sure what's freaky, other than maybe the price. *trying to remember what i paid for mine* wasnt a lot.

and it does seem like something you'd want to sell, along the same line as the earbuds; something everyone needs in a library. (at least, if you're going to use those reference computers...)

also, i thought my library was pretty snazzy. they havent got around to the juice bar/coffee thing yet, so i guess you're still ahead ;)

Why is it freaky?

Long story short... I'm old. ;)

ah. that would do it then ;p