I was recently reading an article at Time magazine entitled Top 10 Gadgets of 2013 http://techland.time.com/2013/12/04/technology/slide/top-10-gadgets/ and it occurred to me that many of the gadgets were not new but merely upgrades of technology already available. Smart phones with better cameras, virtual reality glasses finally making the main stream after their poor debut when they caused motion sickness. Video screens reduced in size, not enlarged, so they can fit on your wrist; What great new tech! (he says tongue in cheek). Of the tech of 2013 that Time presented I must say that the e-reader/kindle/ipad/pad computer is still the most promising new tech. Specifically for the reason that for students with a dozen books in a backpack, these devices are a miracle of the modern age. It is now possible for students to carry every text book, journal and article they need for school with them at all times, as well as offering an access point to the sum of human knowledge we call the internet. Libraries of the future will merely be repositories of digital data to be accessed by patrons with the proper authority and technology. But, and this is the most emphatic “but” that I can make, with the rise of digital data comes the ease with which data can be corrupted, censored, edited and forever lost due to changes in the technology or the efforts of those wishing to exploit the truth/facts or twist knowledge for their own personal gain. I feel that this is a real and very probable threat. Perhaps one that is already being visited upon us and the best response is to maintain the printing of books. Use the technology as the tool it is and should be but, always have a permanent and unalterable source to refer to for the future. Read a real book some time it feels good.

This site has recently shown itself to be a tool for myself and I hope others, as a way to continue the growing process that is life. To remain an in tune, in step library in the world today continuing education is essential. We all want a life of contentment and security but we often overlook the point that we also want a life that is not boring. How do we overcome that? We try new things, we embrace new techniques, new foods, new friends, new places and despite conservative political ideologies, new ideas. Most of these things we need to learn about as we move forward. The best way to do that is often read a book, either old school on paper with hard leather covers or from that new electronic device you are holding in your hand. The results are very much the same and the method is time tested and honored. Read, practice, repeat, oh yeah and have fun or at least be satisfied doing it.

If you have a new pursuit that interests you stop by the library and let us know, we can get books

We got off to a rocky start here. I needed to move our page a bit and in the process we lost a little bit but now we can move on proudly.

Some of the new titles we have added to the library this month are:

No Man’s Nightingale by Ruth Rendell

Left for Dead by J. A. Jance

The King and Max by David Baldacci

Cross my Heart by James Patterson

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Personally I have read Evanovich and Patterson but know little of Rendell. My favorite genre being science fiction, and my favorite authors are Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert. Most people I know are mystery readers and the science fiction section offers no interest but I would recommend The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven as one of the best social predictions I have ever read.

Let us know what you read, who are your favorite authors and if you have any insight into great books we should read. Oh yeah, support your local library.

The Bookroom is an online place for Trenton Public Library friends to talk about their favorite books and authors. A place to share with others their favorite stories and perhaps find a new author or title to fall in love with. Reading is the original way to escape the daily grind, help one fall asleep or lose yourself during a cold winter weekend.

So, let us know about your favorite authors and books and we’ll share ours with you. Good reading.