#officers and books

[ltwilliammowett]

Officers and Books

I had written in Sailors and Books that reading was a quite popular occupation, if then the men could aread. For the officers, this was of course a prerequisite that they could and so there were not only contemporary novels and poems to find but also usefull books.

Among them were books like, The Mariner's New Calender which contained the principles of arithmetic and practical geometry, tide tables, tables of the sun's position, a table of the difference between latitude and longitude. But also description to use the quadrant, octant, and a nocturnal. But there were also series of books known abbreviated as pilots and were printed to navigate certain waters, relying almost exclusively on written instructions, until the printing of pictures became more convenient and they were included. 

The Mariner’s New Calendar by Nathaniel Colson, 1760 (x)

Practical navigator and seaman's new daily assistant, on the other hand, was a book consumed by the midshipmen. The young sea officers sheet anchor was also among the books they had to read, as it helped them understand rigging and seamanship. In addition, mathematics, arithmetic and geometry books were also found with them.

The young sea officers sheet anchor, or, a Key to the Leading of Rigging, and to Practical Seamanship, by Darcy Lever 1808 (x)

An important book for all of them was the prayer book or the Bible that was read during the masses on board. Equally important, if not necessarily in book form, were the articles of war on board, as well as a medical book, in case there was no surgeon on board or he was not available. There the officers could then look up and hope for the best.

The Seamen’s Medical Friend, by F.D. Fletcher, 1878 (x)

What many also had on board was The nautical magazine and naval chronicle: a journal of papers on subjects connected with maritime affairs. There they could read everything that was currently maritime, such as wrecks, sightings of sea monsters, inventions, important events such as promotions and courts martial.

[sincerelytennessee]

[burins]

I know this is the Take Personal Responsibility for Systemic Issues website, but I keep seeing weirdly guilt trippy posts about libraries and ebook licenses, which are a labyrinth from hell and not actually something you personally need to feel guilty about. here are a few facts about ebook licenses you may not know:

in Libby/Overdrive, which currently operates in most US public libraries, ebook licenses vary widely in how much they cost and what their terms are. some ebooks get charged per use, some have a set number of uses before the license runs out, and others have a period of time they're good for (usually 1-2 years) with unlimited checkouts during that period before they expire. these terms are set by the publisher and can also vary from book to book (for instance, a publisher might offer two types of licenses for a book, and we might buy one copy of a book with a set number of uses we want to have but know won't move as much, and another copy with a one year unlimited license for a new bestseller we know will be really moving this year.)

you as a patron have NO way of knowing which is which.

ebook licenses are very expensive compared to physical books! on average they run about 60 bucks a pop, where the same physical book would cost us $10-15 and last us five to ten years (or much longer, if it's a hardcover that doesn't get read a lot.)

if your library uses Hoopla instead, those are all pay per use, which is why many libraries cap checkouts at anywhere between 2-10 per month.

however.

this doesn't mean you shouldn't use ebooks. this doesn't mean you should feel guilty about checking things out! we buy ebook licenses for people to use them, because we know that ebook formats are easier for a lot of people (more accessible, more convenient, easier for people with schedules that don't let them get into the library.) these are resources the library buys for you. this is why we exist. you don't need to feel guilty about using them!

things that are responsible for libraries being underfunded and having to stretch their resources:

government priorities and systemic underfunding of social services that don't turn a profit and aren't easily quantified

our society's failure to value learning and pleasure reading for their own sake

predatory ebook licensing models

things that are not responsible for libraries being underfunded:

individual patron behavior

I promise promise promise that your personal library use is not making or breaking your library's budget. your local politicians are doing that. capitalism is doing that. you are fine.

(if you want to help your local library, the number one thing you can do is to advocate for us! talk to your city or county government about how much you like the library. or call or write emails or letters. advocate for us locally. make sure your state reps know how important the library is to you. there are local advocacy groups in pretty much every state pushing for library priorities. or just ask your local librarian. we like to answer questions!

also, if you're in Massachusetts, bill h3239 would make a huge difference in letting us negotiate ebook prices more fairly. tell your rep to vote for it!)

[jarrows]

recently i reread a bunch of my favorite sherlock holmes stories (norw my beloved) and felt compelled to create my own diagram for 221B

[suntails]

reality

[nasirsagron]

Saw Damianos of Akielos all up in Laurent of Vere's business.

Likely place for him to be.

[nighttime-thoughts]

Missing you come in waves. Tonight I'm drowning.

[vigilskeep]

read my powerpoint boy

[queerism1969]

[galina]

Leighton House, Holland Park

[laurents-secret-diary]

oh damen we're really in it now.mp4

[andallshallbewell]

[kiwiaok]

I still can’t believe this stupid gay mafia book genuinely changed my perspective on relationships, sex and consent

[dailyastarionpics]

BG3 Character Sheets: Astarion

from the BG3 Art Book

[isasan347]

I can’t write so I had to draw it

I love them so much

[oobbbear]

Dolus loves baggy pants and long ass skirts because they’re comfy