Recent Blog Posts

Apr 13
000

National Library Week and The Importance of Books

By Paige Wills in Why Choose Paper?

 
A 2x3 segment panoramic view of the Great Hall...

A 2x3 segment panoramic view of the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., United States. Français : Vue panoramique du Grand Hall de la Bibliothèque du Congrès à Washington, États-Unis. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

National Library Week is coming to a close. It took place this past week and ends tomorrow (April 8-14). In honor of National Library Week, I thought I’d talk about the important role libraries play in our society.

According to a blog post on CNN’s website by Molly Raphael titled “My View: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever,” the demand for library services has increased dramatically. Raphael wrote in the post, “Last year, 1.5 million library visitors checked out more than 2.4 billion items”

Libraries provide free access to information. In addition to books, newspapers, and magazines, many libraries also have music, DVD’s, and computers.

Libraries are extremely important, especially in these hard economic times. There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor and a sort of digital divide. However, libraries provide up-to-date information and current trends that help bridge that gap. They provide educational resources and give people the means to access important information.

I have been to the library twice this past week. During my college career, I have spent many days and nights studying or working on group projects in our university library. However, I recently went into my hometown library and was shocked at what I found. It was always a nice library; however, it has changed drastically since my last visit, five or so years ago. It now has a coffee shop and bistro, which I think it is a great addition to the library. Many people enjoy reading newspapers or books over coffee. It gives the library more of an upscale feeling.

I believe libraries are also very important for children. I can remember going with my mom to the library on a monthly basis. They offered story time and it had games that I could play with. I remember always renting my favorite book, “Call of the Wild,” by Jack London.

There is still one day left of National Library Week…so go out and enjoy Saturday afternoon at your local library.

What is your view on public libraries? Do you or your family visit them often? Does your library have a coffee shop? If not, do you think it would be a nice addition? Do you think the demand  for libraries will continue to increase?

Enhanced by Zemanta
 
 
Comment On This
 
Apr 07
000

Easter, Paper, and the Vatican Library

By Paige Wills in Facts About The Paper Industry, Why Choose Paper?

 
The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library.

The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the spirit of Easter, I thought I would write about the Vatican library and the most important book in the Catholic faith, the Bible. I saw a short segment about the wonders of the Vatican library a few months ago. It is truly amazing what the library holds.

According to the 60 minutes article “A Rare Look at the Vatican Library’s Treasures,” and video (below), the Vatican library contains two million printed books. The shelves of the library would stretch 31 miles if lined end-to-end.

It contains beautiful, handcrafted and handwritten bibles. For example, the video below shows a Bible from 1476 that took years to make by hand and is embellished in real gold.

However, the Vatican library doesn’t only hold religious books. It holds about 80,000 handwritten manuscripts. It also holds prints, drawings, maps, cookbooks, and coins.

In the article, 60 Minutes discusses one of the most interesting items the library holds: Henry VIII’s love letters that he hand-wrote to his second wife.

On the other hand, some of the most important and unsung heroes of the library are the people who preserve these ancient artifacts. It is tedious work. It can take many months or even years to complete the process. Although the library is not open to the public (it’s only open to scholars), the hope is that these works will be around for future generations to enjoy.

I believe the Vatican library is a shrine to the importance of paper in our history. It is rare today to find books or drawings of that quality. Books were handmade and were considered works of art. Although some books today may still have this quality, I believe much of this art has been lost with the advancement of technology.

How hard we work to preserve artifacts on paper is a testament that paper will withstand the test of time. It is obviously extremely valuable (not necessarily the paper itself, but what and who wrote on it). If it was not important, we would not spend money and tedious hours, months, and years preserving it.

Many say that e-books will replace printed books. Who knows, maybe they will. No matter what, I don’t believe that e-books will ever be stored and preserved like the books, maps, and art that is in the Vatican library. Do you?

If you have a few minutes, check out this short YouTube clip from 60 Minutes about the Vatican Library and tell me what you think. It’s about 12 minutes long, but it is extremely interesting.

Enhanced by Zemanta
 
 
Comment On This
 
Apr 06
001

No More Paper Dollar Bills?

By Paige Wills in Facts About The Paper Industry, Why Choose Paper?

 
Obverse (left) of the current Sacagawea Dollar...

Obverse (left) of the current Sacagawea Dollar and reverse (right) of the original Sacagawea Dollar, 2000-2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The United States one dollar note, like all ot...

The United States one dollar note, like all other American dollar bills, is historically green. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What is more American than the one dollar bill? It is what our country stands for. It proudly displays our first president, George Washington. Also, many people frame the first dollar they earn…not the first five dollars or one hundred…the first dollar bill. However, the future of the dollar bill could be in jeopardy.

According to an article on foxnews.com titled “Call for change: Lawmakers push bill to switch to $1 coin,” the House and the Senate have both introduced legislation that would replace the paper one dollar bill for a one dollar coin.

According to the article, the dollar bill became part of the U.S. currency in the 1860s, during the Lincoln administration. The switch could save between $200-to-$500 million because coins stay in circulation longer than paper. However, others argue that it could take 10 years to recoup the money it will take for the switch.

I don’t know how the American public would react to a dollar coin. There are currently dollar coins. I usually only get them at car washes. However, I hardly ever use them. They sit in my coin jar or in my wallet. They are there for emergencies or just in case I need it.

I feel like a lot of people wouldn’t like the switch simply because coins are heavier to carry than a paper bill. From a woman’s perspective, my purse is heavy enough without having to carry around one dollar coins instead of bills.

Bills have been phased out in the past. Take for example the two dollar bill. I have only seen a few in my lifetime. However, bills that are phased out become extremely valuable. So if you have a nice, mint one dollar bill, you may want to hang onto it. It may not be worth anything in our lifetime. However, it could be worth a lot during our children or grandchildren’s generations.

The article states, “A survey this year of voters across the country found roughly 70 percent of them oppose the change. The survey, by Lincoln Park Strategies, a Democratic-leaning public opinion research firm, asked voters in 12 states.”

What are your thoughts? Do you prefer the paper dollar bill or would you like a coin instead? How do you think Americans would react to the change? If it is phased out, do you think the dollar bill would become highly collectible and eventually worth lots of money?

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
 
 
Comment On This
 
Apr 05
000

News Anchors: Paper or Electronic Notes?

By Paige Wills in Why Choose Paper?

 
a sharpened blue-grey pencil lies on a table n...

a sharpened blue-grey pencil lies on a table next to a blank sheet of paper, only partially visible. Oblique angle, narrow depth of field, high-grain, slight sepia tone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was watching the news the other night, and I noticed that some of the news anchors are beginning to use tablets to reference their notes. However, I also noticed that the news anchors that had tablets had paper notes as well. I think this brings up an interesting point.

News anchors read off of a teleprompter. However, we all know that things go wrong during live television. That’s why I believe news anchors have paper notes in front of them. If all else fails, that piece of paper is an insurance policy. It will always be there for them to reference. It won’t freeze up or have a glitch.

The only way paper would present a problem would be if they spilled their coffee on it; however, if they spilled coffee on their tablet, the result would be even worse. They would be out a lot more money than if a piece of paper got ruined. Even if paper had something spilled on it, there is a chance that the writing may still be legible. When a tablet goes black, there is no chance of reading what was on the screen.

On the other hand, tablets do have their advantages. However, I wonder if news anchors will ever fully trust their tablet enough to do a broadcast without a paper sheet as a backup? What are your thoughts?

Enhanced by Zemanta
 
 
Comment On This
 
Mar 31
000

800-Pound Paper Airplane Flew at 98 Miles-Per-Hour

By Paige Wills in Why Choose Paper?

 
Paper airplane

Paper airplane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we think of paper planes, we usually think of the small ones that are made out of one sheet of paper. They probably only weigh a few ounces. However, an 800- pound paper airplane was recently built and launched.

According to an article on the Huffington Post’s website titled, “Giant Paper Airplane: Pima Air & Space Museum Lifts Off 800-Pound Paper Airplane,” the 45 foot, 800 pound paper airplane flew at an altitude of 2,703 feet and reached speeds of 98 miles-per-hour.

According to the article, the design was inspired by a 12-year-old who won an airplane distance contest.

I bet this was a pretty cool site to witness in person, especially for the 12-year-old who helped inspire it.

Here is a short YouTube video of the launch of the 800-pound paper airplane!

Share your thoughts on this event.

Enhanced by Zemanta
 
 
Comment On This