Bookshelves!

[kestrell]

I bought myself new bookcases for my birthday and they just arrived! My day is totally saved. I think the UPS guy might have been a little taken aback by witnessing a blind woman get so excited about bookshelves.

Comments

[kestrell]

Wow, those are some very cool links! At one point, I had an amazing book featuring math and science symbols, with the symbols in braille and *large* embossed versions of the symbols but, sadly, I gave it to a teenager who said he wanted to go to MIT, and I have been unable to find a replacement copy.

I've been avoiding most of the ReaderCon thread, but I did get some of the relevant recent information from Alexx, who posted his thoughts here
http://alexx_kay.livejournal.com/

Like Alexx, I'm really impressed at how quickly and eloquently the ReaderCon folks took action and posted their apology online. I've worked on access with Rose and Crystal in the past, and they are some of the nicest people I know in fandom. Most con coms would take months to address such an issue, let alone apologize. I realize that good intentions aren't always enough to signify when a major mistake is made but, like most rights issues, I figure it's a process, and sometimes the mistake offers an opportunity for people to really talk about the issue, and make a big step forward.

[jesse_the_k]

Ooh, that tactile print & Nemeth sounds intriguing -- and the kind of thing NPB or DO-IT would have. (I wrote Nemeth confidently but has the UBC happened? Never mind, I'll Google.)

Alexx nails it.

That the board abdicated in favor of the concom is also surprising, since the "old guard" tend to comprise boards. "Old guardians" are often retired from the con's day-to-day, and less in tune with the newer ideas of the membership.

In recent memory I've been part of a concom buffeted by the pressures of Internet-time advocacy. I can understand why folks Want Change Now! I am delighted that Readercon has been able to respond in that time line. Also delighted that I doubt I'll ever participate in the concom again, so won't have to get up to that speed.

[kestrell]

What is UBC? Universal Braille Code?

I have searched for this book on NBP, but have had no luck in the past.

Re Old Guard: Boskone and even, at this point, Arisia (which set itself up as the young lions in opposition to Boskone) are seriously having this issue. The 2011 Boskone obviously set out to try to appeal to a younger audience, as they had Charlene Harris as the GOH, and a bunch of young horror writers, also (I don't think I had ever witnessed Boskone even acknowledging horror before, beyond Lovecraft and Poe, that is.

I think Readercon makes a very conscious effort to attract particularly intelligent and innovative writers, and progressive ideas often accompany that sort of aesthetic.