tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29695042012550008282024-02-18T23:24:09.524-05:00A Bibliomaniac's PassionThe feeling and thoughts about all things book and bookish.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-50602782656368258622010-01-25T16:24:00.001-05:002010-01-25T16:24:10.881-05:00Moving the BlogFor those of you that look at this blog, I've moved to Wordpress. The new address is:<br />
abibliomaniacspassion.wordpress.com<br />
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Sorry for any inconvenience.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-39659621343285204422010-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:002010-01-03T15:12:18.502-05:00New Book AdditionsI know it's been a while, but with the holidays, looking for work, internet problems, and a whole host of other things good and not so good, I've finally made it back to do a post. I have to say that Christmas was good for me as far as books and my collections. No books cases I'm sad to say, but that's ok. It looks like I finally have a job so I can buy my own :D Anyways, I received several books. All were of what I wanted. The most practical of which is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sailmakers-Apprentice-Comprehensive-Self-Reliant-Sailor/dp/007157980X">The Sailmaker's Apprentice</a>. This book is a non-fiction on how to make and repair sails (you know, for sailboats. I LOVE sailboats) and all the theories that go with it. I hope to make some canvas bags and stuff in my free time. It's fun and I can make a little money on the side too. That book is the only one that isn't part of a collection.<br />
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I received, as well, two books on the history of Dragons. I have a thing for dragons. The seem to be interesting books all about the history and myths of those incredible creatures. I'm in to anthropology type books, so books on myths are right up my ally. I may do a review on one of them at a later time.<br />
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As well as the books above, I also received a gift card to Borders. I ended up getting three books for myself and a book for my lovely girlfriend. She's into the whole young adult paranormal type books so she got <a href="http://www.chloeneill.com/merit2.htm">Friday Night Bites</a>. Not my cup of tea, but she enjoys them so more power to her. The books I got where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_Rising">The Shadow Rising</a> which is the fourth book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. A great fantasy series. A classic in the genre. I have the first two books and the prequel already. With 12 books, so far, in the series, I still have a lot of collecting to do to get them all. The next book I got is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard%27s_First_Rule">The Wizards First Rule</a> in Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. This book is a replacement of a very well read copy. Not really into collecting all the books in that series, but still, it's a very well written set of books. Finally, the last book I got was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armageddon%27s_Children">Armageddon's Children</a> which is the first book in the post-apocalyptic trilogy Genesis of Shannara by Terry Brooks. This will go into my slowly growing post-apocalyptic collection.<br />
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That's it for book stuff for Christmas. I have some plans for blog posts in the near future and I hope to get at least one of them up in the next couple of days.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-36663784201321391482009-12-12T16:34:00.003-05:002009-12-12T16:38:48.547-05:00The Mail Order Library (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tbfreviews.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/books_in_mailbox-1-247x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://tbfreviews.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/books_in_mailbox-1-247x300.jpg" width="164" /></a><br />
</div>In the last post I talked briefly about an idea for a mail order library. Today I'm going to talk about the book tracking systems that would be needed for such a thing to occur. I'm more than likely to touch upon a few other systems, but only as it pertains to the general tracking.<br />
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The first thing to be encountered by a patron is the website and database. Besides allowing access to the system, it would also provide a great place for book reviews and/or talks, as well as other tools that might be of interest to a reader looking for a new book to read. While all that would, and should, be on the website, the main focus will be on the display of information from the database.<br />
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Let us start with the search. The database should be able to be searched by<br />
author, book tile, and subject. Those are your basics and are already options<br />
in the current inter-library loan system. Our system, though, will also allow<br />
someone to search on a character name, quote, and publisher. Of course you<br />
could also run a search with filters. Once the patron finds a book they are<br />
interested in they click the link and all the information from the database on<br />
that book is pulled up, including a basic synopsis of the book. As a way to<br />
make money, a link to Amazon.com or some other site to buy the book, could be<br />
posted.<br />
<br />
"That's all fine for someone that knows what they are looking for. What about<br />
the person that just wants to look around and see what he finds?" We can do<br />
that too! The site should be set up in such a way that it makes for easy<br />
navigation. One feature that should be included would be book suggestions based<br />
on previously checked out books. There would also be an option to add 'books<br />
you like' to the system so that you don't really need to check out books you may<br />
own just so that the system knows the type of books you enjoy.<br />
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So the book is ordered, what now? Well at a set time each day all the orders<br />
from the last 24 hours and any holds that are available are printed out by the<br />
computer, by Dewey decimal. the librarians than get all the books the package<br />
them up. They are then shipped to the patrons that ordered them. Now comes a<br />
little confusion. Normally I would say that people could keep books as long as<br />
they want, but then people would just collect books from the library and never<br />
give them back. So I think that a credit card should be left and books can be<br />
borrowed for up to a month. Or, a better idea that keeps with the whole free<br />
thing, is to limit the amount of books that a person or household may have out<br />
at any given time. After that, once the book is returned, it is run through the<br />
computer has being available and the cycle continues on.<br />
<br />
There are certain other considerations that need to be taken into account, but<br />
I feel that something like a mail-order library would work out very well. With<br />
the fast paced environment that most of us lead these days, it would be nice to<br />
just be able to 'order' a book and then have it show up. Take a look at<br />
Netflix if you don't think people are either to busy or to lazy to go out to<br />
the video store, or library.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-38829705591400174582009-12-07T12:23:00.002-05:002009-12-07T12:25:16.728-05:00The Mail Order Library (Part 1)I went to the library today, I go almost everyday so that's nothing new, and as I was looking through the shelves I got to thinking about my use of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlibrary_loan">Inter-library Loan System</a>. Both myself and my girlfriend use it quite extensively. I have often times thought that it would just be easier to have the books delivered right to the house (most of my library visits are to get books that have arrived). My question is why can't I get books delivered right to the house? Why not cut out the trips to the library almost entirely? I think it can be done, and why it hasn't been I don't know.<br />
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I'm assuming that all of you know what the Inter-library Loan System is. Almost all libraries are on one network at least. My idea is just an extension on that system. Why not have one repository of books in the state, as book warehouse as it were. This warehouse would hold copies of almost all the books in the state library system, except for reference material. The local library could then be reduced in size since a person would really only need to go to use the computers or get access to reference materials. For all the other books, they are ordered online and delivered either to the local library or right your home.<br />
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This model, of course, can also be adapted to a commercial venture. Just think Netflix for books! With public libraries though, it makes it hard to convince people to pay for a service that they can get for free. The only think paying would get would be home delivery. This could also be used with the<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/features/"> Nook's</a> lending feature (sorry kindle fans, you guys don't have it... yet) making it possible to borrow books for you e-reader for whatever price the service was<br />
going for.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-6322797414906465142009-11-30T20:33:00.000-05:002009-11-30T20:33:55.071-05:00All I Want For Christmas...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:7hBVrWiLz7gdjM:http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n0/n3546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:7hBVrWiLz7gdjM:http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n0/n3546.jpg" /></a><style>
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</style> Yes, a Christmas blog, well, more of a blog about what I'm hoping to get for Christmas. There are, of course, the large list of specific books I want. Most of them of the collectible variety, though not to terribly expensive. For those that don't know I focus my collectible book collection to two areas: books about books, which include both non-fiction and fiction books, and books dealing with a post-apocalyptic themes. I've been having a reoccurring dream lately that I got the first edition of of Shelley's <a href="http://www.lwcurrey.com/details.php?record=75682&URLPAIR=%2F%2Fwww.lwcurrey.com%2FadvSearchResults.php%3Faction%3Dsearch%26pageName%3DSearch%26category_id%3D0%26authorField%3D%26titleField%3D%26orderBy%3Drelevance%26keywordsField%3Dthe%2Blast%2Bman%26submit.x%3D0%26submit.y%3D0%26submit%3DGO">The Last Man</a> for Christmas. Fat chance of that happening, but I can dream can't I?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwXzAOqk1oDcgS8P4r3M0SYnU-UIMpym6iDNXT4DlBX2bVqbqkPvenoWD5csjy4QvmIEV-1N2gc6YYKBijGxl4cx4JsOSavHjZo-_iu-h2Itudz42XuBYPDyHmeQvQktnRpWPVxMUZE1k/s1600/bookcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwXzAOqk1oDcgS8P4r3M0SYnU-UIMpym6iDNXT4DlBX2bVqbqkPvenoWD5csjy4QvmIEV-1N2gc6YYKBijGxl4cx4JsOSavHjZo-_iu-h2Itudz42XuBYPDyHmeQvQktnRpWPVxMUZE1k/s200/bookcase.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>By and far the most important thing I want to get for Christmas is, well, two things really (if you don't count books... which really makes it three things... I better stop now). One is a nice bottle of LBV or Vintage Port to enjoy with a good book. The other is another book case. More than one would not be unwelcome. In fact, there is still room in my bedroom for at least another... 4 book cases I should think. We've pretty much run out of shelf space now and I don't even have half my books with me! I'd love to get a large<a href="http://www.csnbookcases.com/DAV440-DAV430-DAV495-DAV450-PKR1291.html"> wall book case</a>, but that would not be the easiest thing to move into and/or around the apartment. Still, maybe I'll get that with the Shelley.<br />
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OK, that concludes my rambling for today. You all may go back to reading or whatever it was you where doing.<br />
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</div>M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-73962324607501771662009-11-15T11:56:00.003-05:002009-11-16T09:48:12.258-05:00The Great Book Debate: The Death of Paper Books?<style type="text/css">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There has been much talk about e-readers and the 'death' of books for quite a while. With the release of B&N's Nook it seemed to take a fevered pitch, at least for now. I'm sure that this blog will not be the first, nor the last, to offer up an opinion on this subject. I just want to throw my two cents, for whatever it's worth, into the fray. Now, on to the show!<br />
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<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5496059/Amazon-Kindle-2-main_Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5496059/Amazon-Kindle-2-main_Full.jpg" width="200" /></a> E – BOOK LOVE.<br />
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There are some good things about e-books. Things that trump traditional books in a way that can never be duplicated. One of the biggest perks for e-books is the amount of books one can have on hand at any one time. The thought of having thousands of books to browse through is a compelling one. It was not that long ago when most people had, at most, only a small handful of books to their names. Even now, few outside of collectors and bibliophiles has more than a bookcase of books.<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The functionality of e-readers can also be a big plus in certain cases. To be able to search text is a big plus for text books, non-fiction, and magazines. I can see schools switching their text books to ebooks, which would save on costs and virtually eliminate out of date text books. Anyone doing research would also be greatly helped with a search function on their books or research material.<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1258303538077"><br />
</a> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.readcwbooks.com/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://www.readcwbooks.com/books.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE GREAT E – BOOK HATE.<br />
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A big hinderance to e-books is the fact that they can't hope to simulate traditional books. Paper books are warm and inviting. They have a smell to them that I for one enjoy. The texture of the paper is as pleasing as the sound of the pages being turned. These are things that can't be duplicated in an e-reader. Another major problem is a consumers vs. publisher kind highlighted by the recent <a href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/">Amazon debacle</a>. One has to wonder this: if ebooks to take over traditional books, will they follow the same copyright BS as movies, music, and software? Will you stop paying for ownership of a book and merely pay for the 'privilege' of being able to read the book, but only at the publisher's whim? I, unfortunately, think that will be the case, and that problem alone should be enough for people to for go making ebooks their primary source of reading material.<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So now the big question, who will prevail? I honestly think that ebooks will find a nitch in schools and research settings, as well as the few people that happen to buy them. I don't think that they will take over the traditional book and there are a couple of reasons why I think that. First and for most is that the majority of book buyers are older, a group of people that don't like and have a hard time with new technology. I get the feeling that the e-reader producers are trying to market to the wrong crowd. A large portion of the book buying population are also collectors. How are e-books going to be collectible? I'll even go so far as the 'hardcore' book buying population are also fans of printed books over ebooks anyway, which will severally hinder the amount of ebooks sold (not to mention that there are some great sources for FREE ebooks like <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page">Project Gutenberg</a>, which will destroy publisher's bottom line, among other things like the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/books/23price.html">big three's predatory pricing</a> (which is something for another post). Another problem is the fact that there are no set standards for e-readers. A few, like the Kindle, are DRM protected which means they will only play books that have been bought off of amazon.com or has been converted.. Others are much more open in the formats that they play, but with all the different formats out there, it's hard to include them all. Until there is some standard format, which will come as the RIAA and their ilk try to bring book publishers into their fold, it'll be hard for ebooks to take off since people are not going to want to spend money on readers that may or may not work in the future.<br />
With all that said, the only thing I or anyone else can do is wait and see. I for one am pulling for traditional books and am actively pestering my family and friends about it.<br />
</div>M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-68567007086495145352009-11-10T14:42:00.001-05:002009-11-10T18:51:45.684-05:00Love and Hate for the Public Library<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The library, a bitter sweet institution of acquired knowledge and learning. Dedicated to preserving the accumulated writings of the world. In so doing so, though, it has also taken actions against books that make any true bibliophile cry in horrid despair. In an attempt to provide free books to read to the masses, they have taken to rather destructive practices. At cross purposes within itself, the library is an unpalatable gruel of life sustenance that I frolic in with overabundant joy. It's a curse.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The experience of a library is meant to be enjoyed and savored like a fine meal or wine. One must allow ample time to browser and select books with care. Rashness or hurried browsing more often than not leads to making a bad selection. The library opens doors and windows of possibilities that may not usually be explored. Every avenue of literary delight should be rooted out and devoured with happy abandon. Libraries offers the hope of mankind. If more people would stop for a few moments to read a book, there would be a lot more understanding in the world... and a lot less stupidity.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://scinfolex.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/chaine-hereford-cathedral-chained-library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://scinfolex.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/chaine-hereford-cathedral-chained-library.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
</div>In the libraries unwavering stampede towards complete and total access of all books to everyone, they have also set about to destroy the very things that libraries were originally set up to protect. Don't get me wrong, everyone should have access to books. There just has to be a better way to go about it while protecting the books. It use to be that books where chained to the shelves with just enough slack to take to a nearby table. There are still plenty of libraries who's books are not open to circulation. For sure every library has those few reference books that can not be taken out or, if the library is lucky enough, a collection of rare books, but I'm talking about libraries that do not let any of their books out. <a href="http://www.grolierclub.org/">The Grolier Club</a> is a great example. Perhaps I should look into a better way and do a blog about it in the future.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For many people the library is their only source of books and is an indispensable resource when it comes to research. The shear number of books written is staggering and it is impossible for one to get all the books. When those people that collect only certain topics will have a hard time getting everything. What will be interesting to see is what happens to the library with the coming ebook craze. How will they adapt and change? While the slip slowly into obscurity, relegated to preservation only with access to their books only available to academia? I hope not.<br />
</div>M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-800671061869598732009-11-05T16:40:00.000-05:002009-11-05T16:40:03.980-05:00Intro to Printing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41650QGWMSL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41650QGWMSL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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So, I've been interested in letterpress printing lately. With that in mind I borrowed a book called 'Printing for Pleasure' by John Ryder. It was a good beginning book and it makes me wish I had the money to go out and get a press. I'll have to go find some more books on the subject or better yet, a job/apprenticeship at a bookbindery/letterpress printer. I really want a change in careers.<br />
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My girlfriend is quite the writer and it would be fun to have our own little private press. She's into the graphic arts thing so I think it would be something fun for her too. My main interest is in book binding. Maybe in the future a little side buisness could be set up, if not it'll still be fun :)M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-82420423618743893672009-11-04T14:38:00.000-05:002009-11-04T14:38:38.992-05:00Book Collecting and MeMany people have asked me why I collect books. My usual response is a shrug followed by the phrase, 'why not?' How do I explain to people my love, my passion for books? To people who's treatment of books consists of reading a book then tossing into some old box that sits in a dust corner of a garage, attic, or basement, only to be sold at some yard sale for five cents. Only fellow bibliophiles can truly understand the relationship that I have with books. Calling myself a bibliophile is perhaps being a bit... conservative. I'm sure that a case could be argued for calling me a bibliomaniac, a distinction that I am sure to live happily with. There are a few people that are close to me that have some inkling. Books, for me, are not merely part of my life, they ARE my life.<br />
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Books have a certain beauty about them too. I know even those that don't care for books much can't deny the beauty of a large private library filled with old leather bound books. There is a primal pull towards books. It could just be the information contained in them, but I don't think so. You can get those e-readers now a days, but most people that have them will tell you that they don't compare to the feel of a real book. A book is warm and lively. The even seem to exhibit a personality of their own. Even the smell of books can be quite intoxicating.<br />
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Many collectors and avid readers claim that their obsession start back in their younger years. Most point to some children's book. The start of my love affair with books didn't start that early. That's not to say that I didn't learn to read till later. I could read, very well, and I could understand what it was I was reading. I just despised reading. I hated having to read for school. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school that that all changed. I was introduced to fantasy novels by a friend. After that first book it was all down hill from there. I was soon checking books out of the library or borrowing them from my friends, spending most of my time reading, to the point if ignoring homework. For the first few years I mainly just read fantasy novels with the few books I had to read for school. After a while I started to read some non-fiction books as well. In the years since I have collected many many books. I have bought a lot of them. Some were given to me either as gifts or just because someone want to clean out their attic.<br />
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The idea of a personal library, for me, is a no brainer. Of course someday I'm hoping for a nice room that I can call my own and set it up to be a library with the over stuffed chairs, fireplace, and lets not forget the floor to ceiling bookcases with a library ladder or two. For now I'm and content to have my collection about me, with bookcases filling the living room and soon, the bedroom. My books will always have a home, a place to rest while they wait for someone to come along and explore their own little pleasures within those pages, ever effort being made to pass on that same contagious disease (if you want to call it that, I prefer to think of it as a blessing) that I caught all those years ago.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969504201255000828.post-81598938918414624832009-11-04T13:08:00.001-05:002009-11-05T16:17:56.292-05:00Welcome to A Bibliomaniac's PassionWelcome, this blog is intended for a place to place my thoughts on anything book related, from building my personal library to making books to publishing. I will, how ever, try to refrain from doing book reviews. There are many other sites for such things. That is not to say that they won't pop up from time to time and I may blog about what I'm reading. If there are questions or comments please post them. I love to hear the reactions of other people.M. Baldwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09333232385296220735noreply@blogger.com0