151st Birthday of Thedore Roosevelt

This week, a blog from the Smithsonian Institute marked the 151st birthday of our 26th president Theodore Roosevelt.

I have found TR to be one of the more transitional figures in American political history. He was instrumental in transforming this nation from a primarily rural and agrarian society to a urban and industrial one.

Roosevelt defined the modern presidency more than any of his predecessors. His administration was responsible for the consumer protection and environmental laws that we have today. Roosevelt brought about global trade through the building of the Panama Canal. During the Spanish American War, Roosevelt and his Rough Riders stormed San Juan Hill and aggressively fought for war. Yet as president, Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a cease fire in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904. In business, Roosevelt was responsible for breaking large monopolies that prevented competition and became too greedy for the public welfare.

In many ways, Roosevelt seemed like a man ahead of his time. It is worth remembering that when he became president at age 42 the average life expectancy was only 48. Roosevelt would be considered by today's standards to be middle age. Nevertheless, I can envision him fitting right in to today's 24/7, over caffeinated, on-the go lifestyle. He was among the first presidents to recognize the importance of physical fitness as a form of recreation. His magnetic "larger than life" personality would be the perfect match for today's digital communciations era.

So, let me wish TR a happy 151 st birthday for his contributions to the modern presidency.

Mass retailing in the book industry

The economic recession has touched all aspects of our lives including the book publishing industry. A blog in the Huffington Post describes how retail giants such as Amazon, WalMart, and Target are selling books such as Dean Koontz's "Breathless" and Stephen King's "Under the Dome" for prices as low as $9. As a result, small independent bookstores are being undercut and forced to go out of the business.

I find this situation regrettable since the local community bookstores have catered to a small but loyal niche market. For literary art to flourish , we need the voice of new creative authors to be heard . If only the most popular authors are being sold than fresh, innovative perspectives will be shut out of the market. The article states that only 1% of authors sell 30% of books. This statistic should alarm anyone seeking new ideas and voices in the literary field.

I work in the newspaper industry and have observed firsthand the decline of journalism to new media and technology. The publishing industry is at the similar crisis if mass merchandisers who know nothing about books are allowed to drive out the small independent stores. The loss will be felt not only among talented fledging writers who go undiscovered, but by the book buying public in every local community.

As the holiday season approaches, we must patronize the small independent booksellers so that these vital connections to our communities are not lost to mass merchandisers interested in profits rather than books.

Wiki in the classroom

I was interested in the growing influence of Wiki as a collaborative educational tool in the classroom. Many educational institutions are turning to alternative means of interaction to improve the learning process.

Each student has a certain learning style that may not be conducive to a more traditional classroom environment . I personally feel that I am more effective learner when I am involved in a more collaborative learning environment that wiki provides. My own learning style is more tactile and oriented to the use of wiki as an educational tool. The classroom lecture and demonstration /application based learning is not particularly well suited to my natural abilities. Wiki or collaborative learning could bring alternative perspectives among a diverse array of students and enhance each student's educational experience.

Too often the online learning process can produce feelings of isolation between and among students. Wiki may be able to offer a means to crystalize understanding of class concepts, open the lines of communication between students, and enhance the bonds of a shared experience. An instructor's ability to communicate can be severely compromised in distance education and wiki may provide a more interactive means of breaking down those barriers which inhibit the learning process.

I am intrigued by the possibilities of the use of wiki not only in the classroom but to create a new market for library services