Computer Terminals at the Compañía de Jesús Library

Computer stations are also available at the Compañía de Jesús Library in La Antigua Guatemala. Patsy mentioned that many people opt for the computer instead of grabbing the old-time-tested book. Well, the times are a-changing, you know and everyone needs help with a new system. If you don’t believe me, just take a look a the video clip below that show us how difficult it was for the book to get accepted as the new medium for holding texts.

See I am a geek at heart. I carry a Palm Tungsten with over 100 electronic books on it for all those times when I am forced to make the queues; and that happens often in Guatemala. So I carry all kinds of electronic books, many downloaded from the Proyect Gutenberg which I read with Palm Reader or Pluckr on the handy Palm. I have many more books on the computer in PDF and other formats. So I am not foreign to the new technologies. But I love real paperback books, hardcovers, off-white with rough border books. I especially like that no batteries are included for the book to work.

What is your opinion of books, electronic books, e-books, electronic book readers, the new Kindle reading device?

Post cards request update: Today a found several post cards sent by Ann from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Ann was kind enough to send several post cards to compensate for her tardiness, so she says. Ann maintains the very insightful and informative Montego Bay Daily Photo. Just like with books, as much as I take advantage of email, web sites, and blogs, I have a soft spot in may heart for actual really real post cards and letters, so please keep ’em coming! If you don’t know what I am talking about, please do read the entry Postscript.

Gerald says:

December 6, 2007 at 3:06 am

Ah yes I saw that video a while back – I spend enough time visiting blogs that I mostly can’t be bothered with pdf files [ok for a brochure or manual, but nothing that is real reading for pleasure].
As yu know I love postcards but ecards are not worth the paper they are not printed on. I actually detest ecards – if you can send someone an email you could send them a personal plain email. Those who artists and create their own work and send that – that is great but not sending through a yukky website.

patsy poor says:

December 6, 2007 at 6:12 am

i know a computer is great, i use mine every day but you can get into a book and travel far away.
looks like the computers in photo don’t have chairs? do people stand at the computers?
here they set in chairs and use the computers in libary.

Carmen says:

December 6, 2007 at 11:14 am

I have nothing against e-books and so on, but I like the feel of a book, its pages old or new. I recently gave my sister a book I have been rereading since I was a kid. That book with its tattered pages represented a lot to me and my sister knew this. She is a reader too and was excited when I found a copy of a book she likes in Spanish in LAG. I brought it back to her as a gift. I find books become part of your life and every time you read them you find something new or remember why it was you read them in the first place…sort of like traveling. You visit new places an old places and they all offer something different, but equally interesting. 🙂 I am all for handwritten notes and letters. I was taught to write notes and letters and to actually write a well thought out message and not just regurgitate some phrase that can sound nice, but turn out hollow. Yes, handwritten notes and letters are always better than a generic card or e-card.

Sandra Sweeney says:

December 6, 2007 at 11:59 am

You are not a geek, just very smart (ask your nice)
Thanks for the B-day call yesterday. I am having a week off during the holidays and would like to catch up on my (fun) reading; any suggestions? Can you share from your collection? But just in case the geek in you is trying to teach me something- remember- this is a vacation. I am easy, anything in the range from Poe to Koontz.
Happy Thursday!

Manolo says:

December 6, 2007 at 12:36 pm

Rudy, Rudy… I’ve been planning and planning on getting a Palm for years now so I can take my darn pdf files to read on the go… you copycat you…
And while we are talking about e-books we must mention Editorial Libros Mínimos an effort by Guatemalan writers to reach out to a larger audience and get you hooked on their work. Another related technological issue is audio-books, I “listened” to Life of Pi by Yann Martel several months ago and it was an interesting experience. BTW I completely recommend this book to ANYONE, it is a nicely written, clean, amusing, and engaging book, Martel’s craft is incredible.
Ah, and about the pic, love the wooden units where the PCs are… the PCs look more like electronic catalogs than reading stations. Does this library have the old card catalogs? I have such warm experiences of looking up books on those little drawer thingies..

Claudia says:

December 7, 2007 at 5:47 pm

Rudy, I could be wrong, but the screensavers on those computer look like one of your photos, could it be? I love real books, however, I must admit, (even thought I work in the purchasing dpt of a computer co.) that I am technologically challenged. . . which is also why I still don’t own an IPOD . . .

Computer Terminals at the Compañía de Jesús Library

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