Author: rdlankes

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Announcing My New Book: The Boring Patient

The following is information about my new book, but I wanted to start out with a thank you to the readers of this blog. Thank you for all your support through my cancer journey. Thank you for your input and ideas on the book and the encouragement to write it up. If you read my cancer posts you have a sense of the tone and humor in the book. However, the book is much more than just a compilation of blog posts. It tells my story, and speaks directly to caregivers and medical professionals. It also has my standard rants, jokes, and sermons. I hope you enjoy the book.

To my librarian friends, I need your help. Please help me get out the word on the book. Let’s show the world that librarians and libraries are indeed friends to authors.

Now available:

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This book is not about cancer. It is about how David Lankes, professor and father, responded to being diagnosed, living with, and being treated for cancer. That is an important distinction because cancer is not funny. Cancer sucks. Cancer does not teach, cancer does not preach, cancer does not comfort, or inspire, or inform. Cancer kills. How one responds to cancer? That is a completely different matter.

In this cross between memoir, case study, and a lecture, Lankes takes the reader on a humor ladened trip through a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis, chemotherapy, and ultimately a bone marrow transplant (technically an autologous stem cell transplant).

This book is for others living through a journey with cancer. and those in the business of delivering health care like doctors, med students, nurses, and medical administrators.

You can buy it now via CreateSpace (my preference) and Amazon. You can also get the eBook via Amazon (and Amazon Unlimited).

Check out the book’s homepage for a sample chapter and additional information.

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Publish or Perish: From Monks to MOOCs

Announcing IST600: Publish or Perish: From Monks to MOOCs, a new class I am putting together for next semester (on campus). It is meant for masters and doctoral students interested in the evolution of scholarly publishing. Here’s the description:

From academic librarians to independent consultants to doctoral students, information professionals have an amazing range of publishing options to use to build their reputation ands the reach of their ideas. This course will cover the practicalities of working with publishers, self-publishing including hands on projects, publishing apps, the evolution of the information publishing market, and disseminating ideas through MOOCs.

So if your looking for a 3 credit course for the spring, come join us Tuesday mornings 9:30 to 12:15. Also, if you’d like to share in person or via Skype (I’m looking at you journal and book editors) let me know.

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Question Poster Questions

For a few years I have been talking about the need for “Question Posters.” Instead of READ posters that promote reading, we need a campaign to promote libraries and their focus on learning. So rather than talking about it and hoping someone takes up the task, I’m stepping up…if you want me to.

Below are three designs I put together for the posters. They are based on the amazing WPA collection at the Library of Congress. Please take the time to tell me if you would be interested in purchasing a poster (which ones), and whether you would support a Kickstarter campaign to make this happens. Unlike self-published books, posters are still best done printing in bulk and not on demand. That would take a big up front investment, and so I would need some sense folks would actually buy them.

I see these as 36″x24″ glossy poster selling for about $10 (hence the need to print in bulk).

WhiteHouseQuestion

CourtQuestion

CapitalQuestion

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[yop_poll id=”3″]

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New Website

Screen Shot 2014-09-17 at 2.03.31 PMSo while you’re waiting for iOS8 to install – or whatever normal people do – take a look at my new home on the web. It’s prettier. No real new content, just a new look and feel. All the old links should still work. Let me know what you think.

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Expect More the Audio Book Now Available

infomercial

[TL;DR version: You can now buy the full audio book version of Expect More from Audible, iTunes, or Amazon…or continue to listen to it one chapter at a time from Circulating Ideas or Nerd Absurd]

{Cue Infomercial Voice} Tired of having to wait two weeks for a chapter of Expect More the audio book? Want the whole thing now with your Audible account? Itching to try audio books on iTunes? Tired of having to not pay for the audio version? Well go buy the Expect More Audio book right now!

That’s right, the full audio book version of Expect More: Demanding Better Libraries For Today’s Complex World is now available via Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. Hear the dulcet tones of a seasoned professor lay out the case for better libraries. Treat your provost, principle, board member, and/or taxpayer to the finest insights on librarianship collected from places such as Egypt, Columbia, Kenya, and Syracuse…New York!

You’ll have to pull to the side of the road as Lankes recites the importance of community, and rasps all philosophical like on fixing libraries trapped in their buildings. “Hey Dave,” you’ll ask your favorite audio device, “exactly how much did libraries return for every dollar invested in Florida libraries?” And you’ll find out…$6.54.

Sure you could buy an iPhone 6, or wait for your Apple Watch; or you can do what the cool kids do and BUY THE EXPECT MORE AUDIO BOOK!

So grab your Expect More the audio book…or listen to it on Circulating Ideas or Nerd Absurd…or download it for free…or buy the paper version. But whatever you do Expect More!

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Expect More…Audio

StereoFish[TL;DR version: Working with Circulating Ideas and the NerdAbsurb podcasts I’m making an Expect More Audio book.]

There are some great reasons for doing books with publishers. You get great editorial and design assistance. There is no way I could have done the Atlas of New Librarianship without MIT Press and ACRL. However, there also a lot of benefits to self-publishing. One of them is complete control of your intellectual property. So I can decide to make Expect More free to download: prioritizing reach over income (it also helps to have a day job). I can also use something like Expect More to try new things which brings me to today’s post.

I want to try and make an audio book. I want to learn about the whole recording/editing/publishing thing. I thought some of you might want to come along for the ride. So, I am recoding Expect More as an audio book. Based on suggestions from you folks, starting next week I’ll be releasing the book as a set of podcasts a chapter every two weeks.

Rather than starting a new podcast, I am lucky enough to partner with some fantastic sites. Circulating Ideas and the NerdAbsurd podcasts will be publishing the chapters throughout the fall. I also plan to compile all the recordings and sell it as an audio book through Audible.

Here’s the anticipated schedule:

Sept 9: Introduction and Chapter 1. The Arab Spring: Expect the Exceptional
Sept 23: Chapter 2. The Argument for Better Libraries: Expect Impact
Oct 7: Chapter 3. The Mission of Libraries: Expect More Than Books
Oct 21: Chapter 4. Facilitating Knowledge Creation: Expect to Create
Nov 4: Chapter 5. Improve Society: Expect Grander
Nov 18: Chapter 6. Communities: Expect a Platform
Dec 2: Chapter 7. Librarians: Expect Brilliance
Dec 16: Chapter 8. Action Plan: Expect More

Along the way I plan on posting some information on what I’m learning in the process.

Here is some more information on the Circulating Ideas and NerdAbsurd podcasts:

Circulating Ideas is the librarian interview podcast hosted by Steve Thomas. Since 2011, it has facilitated conversations about the innovative people and ideas moving libraries through the 21st century and beyond. Find the show online at www.circulatingideas.com and on Twitter @circideas.

NerdAbsurd started in September 2012 with some friends who met at the Dallas Makerspace. The podcast began with four members and was based on science, technology, and cultural topics from the standpoint of semi-hip 20-somethings.   Now, two years later, half of us are in our 30?s, and we still stand by our motto: Not in enough for the in crowd, not out enough for the out crowd.  We are NerdAbsurd.

Have other ideas or advice on an audio book, please share.