Jason Griffey kicked off the proceedings telling us about Libraries in the Post PC Era. He talked about how our customers are accessing our resources, the fast adoption of mobile technologies, and the need for better metrics in measuring this change in access. He went on to show us some examples of new technologies: flip scanning devices that will scan a book at a speed of 500 frames per second; the Samsung transparent window pc; Maker-bot 3D printing machine; and others.

Eric Miller of Zepheira talked about Linked data – weaving the web of libraries, museums and archives. This was my favourite presentation of the Conference.

Eibhlin Roche who is an archivist from The Guinness Storehouse in Ireland talked to us about her job and the Guinness Archive: unlocking the potential of an iconic global brand.  She stunned us with her statistics concerning dollars generated for Guinness directly from the Guinness archives.

Many other people presented talks and information in a variety of ways on topics ranging from gaming in libraries, to big data, staff training, library makeovers, and more. The papers and presentations can be found here. Further comments and notes can be found on Twitter by searching with the tag #VALA2012.

The main streams of content from the presentations were: planning for the future; up-skilling library staff to be able to assist with new technologies; library space redesign; data management; social media applications; and finding relevancy in the community in an era when library resources and competencies are available from other sources.

The truth is that not much makes me laugh out loud. Never has. And it’s not as though I don’t have a sense of humour because I do. So I set a challenge for anyone who reads this blog – all two of you – to recommend a book to me that is guaranteed to make me laugh out loud.

To refine the field a little I can tell you that I don’t find slapstick funny, nor humour at the misfortune of others. I don’t find expletives funny because to me they are just words and hold no power to amuse or deride. I find some amusement in the differences of people – you know the old Irish jokes? But is that more to do with discomfort than amusement? Men versus women jokes are not really funny to me because they are so often close to the truth.

I don’t find “Aussie” humour funny at all. I don’t find comedians like Judith Lucy funny. She can’t seem to get through one routine or interview without making mention of her vagina. Why she seems to think people find that funny or even worthy of mentioning is quite beyond my comprehension.

Animal humour can be slightly cute and will stir a smirk or giggle from me on occasion. Usually though this is in the form of video clips and I am not prone to read “animal” stories at all. Unlike nine year old boys, I am not amused by toilet humour.

I can tell you that I am a Monty Python fan and think that there have been no comedies to match them at all in the 40 years since they made their mark. The Life of Brian and The Holy Grail are classics. As you go through life being troubled by life’s typical problems you can always find a Monty Python quote to match the situation and lighten the mood with a sense of levity. And although their books remind you of their silliness I wouldn’t say they have made me laugh hysterically.

Brian: I’m not the Messiah!

Arthur: I say you are, lord, and I should know… I’ve followed a few.

I appreciate Fawlty Towers but it doesn’t quite do it for me the way the Monty Python team did.

The French sense of humour I understand and I don’t know why. Twice in my life I have laughed so much that tears rolled down my cheeks and both of these were at live performances. One was in Melbourne back in my art school days and I went with a friend to see a one man stand up routine by Chris Langham. He worked with the Monty Python crew and was one of the centurions in The Life of Brian. His career took a sad turn for the worst in recent years which is unfortunate. But nevertheless he did make me laugh back in the day.

The second time I laughed tears of hysteria was in Paris in 2008 at a cabaret show and one of the acts was a performance by a clown/acrobat/mime. I started laughing as soon as he came onto the stage because of his silly antics and it grew from there. I laughed all through his performance and I had sore cheeks, tears in my eyes and on my face and I was breathless by the time he finished his skit.

Perhaps I laugh at what is absurd and ridiculous. I like satire and comedy aimed at intellect.

So you see unfortunately I can’t recall one single book that has made me laugh out loud. I am sure there must have been moments in books that I sniggered at, but none stand out.

I would love a good laugh, so if you think you have something to match my narrow sense of humour then please provide your ideas in the comments section and I will definitely look it up and read it.

[The members of "The People's Front of Judea" are sitting in the amphitheatre. Stan has just announced that he wants to be a woman and wants to be called "Loretta," and is explaining why.]

Stan: I want to have babies.

Reg: You want to have babies?!?!

Stan: It’s every man’s right to have babies if he wants them.

Reg: But … you can’t HAVE babies!

Stan: Don’t you oppress me!

Reg: I’m not oppressing you, Stan. You haven’t got a womb! Where’s the fetus gonna gestate? You gonna keep it in a box?

And so to kick off my involvement I will proclaim that The Most Amazing Book I Have Ever Read is “Illusions: the Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” by Richard Bach.

It begins…

“1. There was a Master come unto the Earth, born in the holy land of Indiana, raised in the mystical hills of Fort Wayne.”

It is a precious jewel of a book offering a gentle and positive slant on life. I love the mystical spiritual elements that are grounded in the real world of squashed insects on windscreens and greasy hands. We are gently urged to look beyond the veil of reality where something amazing might be revealed.

It is a story about two pilots who fly small planes around the USA selling rides in small town America. They meet and discuss Life. Don is the Teacher and the Richard is the Seeker.

“Where do you learn all this stuff, Don? You know so much, or maybe I just think you do. No. You do know a lot. Is it all practice? Don’t you get any formal training to be a Master?”

“They give you a book to read.”

The book is revealed: Messiah’s Handbook: Reminders for the Advanced Soul; a source of wise and interesting sayings.

I tend not to keep hold of many books once I’ve read them, but Illusions is the exception that I will keep and reread. I used to loan it to others but it never came back, so now I keep my own copy. And who can blame anyone for wanting to keep a copy for themselves.

It sits alongside Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig in a genre all of their own. Whilst Zen is complex, Illusions is a simple tale. Both gently coerce you into a deeper insight.

                        “Argue for you limitations and sure enough they’re yours.”

“The world is so loud. Keep falling. I’ll find you.”

Kate Bush~ what can you say? She is a creative artistic genius. She listens to and expresses her own creative heart. She is unique. Some people love her while many don’t.

She is one of the very few artists that I will buy without having listened to the music. I trust her implicitly and respect her creative choices without doubt. I don’t love every piece she creates but I am always won over by most of what she produces.

Her new album 50 Words For Snow is melancholy, understated and enchanting. A surprise duet featuring Elton John Snowed In At Wheeler Street is a sure winner. You can see much of her work here

Snowflake is sung by Albert McInstoch who is Kate Bush’s son. His choir-like vocals are amazing and send shivers up my spine.

As an art student I remember “dancing” and “singing” Wuthering Heights in a field of green as another student captured it on video. No music though and I am no singer or dancer but it gave us some laughs.

She has a gift for melancholy tones and sustaining the note that holds you. The unresolved motif has the ability to transfix your attention making you wait and listen wanting more, holding on for what comes next. There are also recurring images in her lyrics: rope; under water; women rising; on the roof; an old woman, and the spiritual world interlaced with elements of domesticity.

Her music sways you with a gentle lull then startles you awake with discordant surprise.

I loved her previous album Aerial too. Sea of Honey seduces and encapsulates your senses with reassuring warmth. By contrast 50 Words for Snow evokes a chilly winter’s theme. I will need to listen to this again when our Summer is over.

While the World Wide Web has increased and broadened information accessibility, it has also radically changed the working lives of Librarians. And there is more to come. Where will we be when a library can’t purchase an item whether it is physical or electronic and we have to subscribe to platforms for everything? How is that going to impact small town libraries and their people?

This all hinges on the internet for access and delivery and there is this widely held notion that this access is a given. But it is not so. Even in the not-so-remote parts of Victoria where I live and work, there are “black spots” where whole towns have no coverage other than dial-up.

Not only does this prevent any delivery and connection via web-based models, such as the online library catalogue, but it means that many people residing in these towns are well behind in knowledge, acceptance, and skills in using this form of information. More and more organisations are only offering online services now. Think about how you submit your tax return, book flights and shows, apply for jobs, etc.

And when a know-it-all interloper from the city breezes into town espousing the wonders and virtues of the internet, they are seen as some kind of snake oil salesman.

 Places like this still exist and are being used as such. Disability access, OH&S, even reliable electricity are not seen as important factors, let alone on any kind of priority list. Attempts at network access via 3G fail repeatedly. So trying to convert the stubborn country folk is a trial of proportions not appreciated by library suppliers from the cities where fast reliable connectivity is expected. Even trying to coax people into using the internet to order and reserve physical books is like trying to teach an aqua-phobic  to swim.

Library services provided to small remote towns with limited internet connectivity are a lifeline to a larger world. While these people value, want and need their regular book delivery, many are yet to catch on to the possibilities that are there waiting for them.

Will the NBN come to the rescue of these people? Or are they destined to growing disadvantage caused by the digital divide?

This is an interesting talk given by Philip Kent in September 2011 at Melbourne University about Research Libraries in the 21^st Century.

So I have caught up with family, had a facial and massage, made some lovely meals, played my neglected piano, worked on that oil painting that has been waiting and gathering dust, gone for bike rides and walks, shopped, had meals and coffee in local cafes and restaurants, watched movies, gardened, cleaned the windows, practiced meditation and yoga.

Oh and what do librarians do when they are on holiday from work? They read of course. So I am currently reading Living As A River: Finding Fearlessness In The Face Of Change by Bodhipaksa. I am also catching up on reading blogs and twitter posts.

I will finish my leave with a weekend meditation retreat with the group I attend. And return to work with a clear mind ready to tackle the Dukkha.

OK so I did have to be a library member with a password, and register with the ebook supplier, and have an itunes account. But other than that…it proved to be seamless.

Contact Glenelg Libraries  for more information.

Kristian Winther on violin and Anthony Romaniukon piano gave an inspired live performance – In Search of Lost Time- at the Reardon Theatre as part of the annual Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. Reliving the Flaneurs of Belle Epoque Paris, they wove an intricate musical tapestry: Poeme by Chausson; Rhapsodie d’Auvergne by Saint-Saens; Carmen Fantasy by Sarasate; and Sonata by Ravel.

The melancholy flavour of the selection was perfect for such a day and a real treat for those of us huddled in the dark warm shelter of the theatre on a wild spring Sunday in wild south –west Victoria.

You can see some of Kristian Winther’s work here. You can see some of Anthony Romaniuk’s work here. Here are some other versions of these pieces that I have located online: Poeme played by Stephen Waarts; Rhapsodie d’Auvergne played by Emily Pei’En Fan; Carmen Fantasy played by Sarah Chang; Ravel’s Sonata(this is really beautiful and well worth listening to).

Nevertheless I relate more to images than text. I love to create images and have been taking photos for many years as an infrequent hobby. You can see some of my best unedited photos here.

My beloved multi-functioning iPod allows me to take photos then with a smorgasbord of free apps I can edit to my heart’s content creating my own little works of art.

What fun! Now I would tell you which application I used to  create each image, if I could remember, but I got so carried away with using  the tools that I lost track. I can tell you what photo editing applications I  have on my iPod though and they are these:

• Hipstamatic
• ClassicCam
• Instagram
• PS Express
• PhotoCopier
• Pic Grunger
• Bad-Camera
• DXP
• Retouch
• Pro HDR
• SketchMee

I tend to use the Free versions of these apps but if you  want to delve further into the detail there are more features available in the fuller  versions available for purchase. A great resource that covers these and others  with amazing examples and instructions is iPhone Obsessed : Photo Editing Experiments with Apps by DanMarcolina. Thanks Dan.

It is helpful to watch the cooking episode on TV, and then attempt the meal later. I am glad he has outgrown the need to say “pukka”.

Cookery books are the only books I buy anymore (everything else I borrow from the public library) and recently I have added these to my shelves:

• ·         Now Vegan by Lynda Stoner
• ·         The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone
• ·         Livwise by Olivia Newton John
• ·         Eating for the Seasons by Janella Purcell

Some others that have been on my shelf for awhile and I have enjoyed testing the recipes are:

• ·         The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking
• ·         Super Vegetarian Dishes by Vikki the Vego
• ·         The Vibrant Vegetarian by Vikki Leng
• ·         Raw Energy by Leslie and Susannah Kenton

While I can’t claim to be Vegan or Vegetarian, I do make eating choices in favour of that diet regime most of the time. I have significantly reduced the amount and frequency of eating red meat in recent years. I still eat seafood at least once a week and poultry now and then. I heard someone say that it’s difficult to be vegan in our society and so calls himself a “flexivore”.

Begin totally vegan or vegetarian is not straightforward and you really need to make sure you are getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals such as B12, D, iron, calcium and others. Jamie’s meals in his recipe books are not totally vegetarian but his does have many scrumptious recipes that are.

I am reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.