Sunday, March 28, 2021

#library30 Photo Challenge: 2021 Edition


On Thursday April 1, 2021 I'll be inviting people to participate in this year's #library30 photo challenge

What is it?

Even though I work in a library, it's not uncommon for me (and others in the field) to look to related cultural institutions for new ideas and new perspectives. That's how #library30 happened. My wife (who works directly with museum professionals), alerted me to the #museum30 initiative that had been launched by Magnifying Zoology in 2017.

The premise was pretty simple. Participants worked from a set of daily prompts and posted pictures on social media related to the prompt along with the #museum30 hashtag. As I followed that hashtag and saw the amazing stories that were being shared, I thought, "Libraries should do that...".




How does it work?

All you have to do is upload a photo related to the daily prompt on Twitter or Instagram and include the hashtag #library30. This will allow others to easily find your post as well as those of other participants. It helps too if you also include the day of the challenge, the prompt, and even short description of why you chose that photo. A typical post might look like this:




As for the content, you're free (and encouraged) to interpret the prompts any way you like. Think of this as a chance for you to show your creativity and explore how the prompts relate to you, the community you serve and the library you love! 

[Please note: I did consider altering this year's prompts to more specifically acknowledge the unique challenges created COVID-19. In the end decided to leave them as is. My reasoning being that this year's circumstances will doubtless come through loud and clear as people begin posting. Plus, I like the idea of consistent prompts being in place year after year in the event any future researchers want to do a longitudinal study of the #library30 hashtag :) Either way, I expect that this year's #library30 photo challenge will offer a snapshot of a very unique time for libraries and the people whose lives they touch].

When is it?

April is a special month for libraries. We celebrate National Library Week in April. We honor school libraries and librarians in April. April is National Poetry month. It also helps that there are 30 days in April! So, you guessed it, this year's #library30 photo challenge will run April 1 through April 30.

Who can participate?

Anyone who works in, volunteers for, uses, loves, supports, or otherwise finds a connection with libraries! Pretty much all of us.

Why do this?

My hope is that by participating in #library30 we'll be able to share our stories and the stories of those libraries that mean so much to us. Similarly, I believe that #library30 will offer many opportunities to connect with one another, learn from one another and inspire one another. That can only serve to make libraries even better.

To keep up with my progress on the #library30 challenge, you can follow me Twitter at @jeffrey_r and on Instagram at @jregensb

Saturday, March 30, 2019

#library30 - A 30 Day Photo Challenge


On Monday Apri1, 2019 I'll be in inviting people to participate in the #library30 photo challenge

What is it?

Even though I work in a library, it's not uncommon for me (and other in the field) to look to other cultural institutions for new ideas and new perspectives. That's how #library30 happened. My wife (who works directly with museum professionals), alerted me to the #museum30 initiative that had been launched by Magnifying Zoology in 2017.

The premise was pretty simple. Participants worked from a set of daily prompts and posted pictures that related to the prompt along with the #museum30 hashtag. As I followed that hashtag and saw the amazing stories that were being shared, I thought, "Libraries should do that...".



How does it work?

All you have to do is upload a photo related to the daily prompt on Twitter or Instagram and include the hashtag #library30. This will allow others to easily find your post as well as those of other participants. It helps too if you also include the day of the challenge, the prompt, and even short description of why you chose that photo. A typical post might look like this:



As for the content, you're free (and encouraged) to interpret the prompts any way you like. Think of this as a chance for you to show your creativity and explore how the prompts relate to you and the library you love!

When is it?

April is a special month for libraries. We celebrate National Library Week in April. We honor school libraries and librarians in April. April is National Poetry month. It also helps that there are 30 days in April! So, you guessed it, this year's #library30 photo challenge will run April 1 through April 30.

Who can participate?

Anyone who works in, volunteers for, uses, loves, supports, or otherwise finds a connection with libraries! Pretty much all of us.

Why do this?

My hope is that by participating in #library30 we'll be able to share our stories and the stories of those libraries that mean so much to us. Similarly, I believe that #library30 will offer many opportunities to connect with one another, learn from one another and inspire one another. That can only serve to make libraries even better.

To keep up with my progress on the #library30 challenge, you can follow me Twitter at @jeffrey_r and on Instagram at @jregensb



Sunday, January 8, 2017

Small Losses, Likely Unnoticed (or, Bauhaus Bon Voyage)

My regular commute involves time on the mostly unremarkable stretch of Olentangy River Road between Dodridge and North Broadway. I say mostly unremarkable because there are but three features that distinguish it from any of the other four lane roads in Columbus dotted with hotels, chain restaurants, and car friendly retail. They are the Clinton Predestinarian Baptist Church at Dodridge and Olentangy, Union Cemetery, and a modest Bauhaus-by-way-of Richard Neutra inspired office building that's stood its ground since, oh, I don't know, 1965 or so.

Wait...a what? Where?

Yeah, the building at the entrance to Kohl's, the one that looks like a rectangular box with another rectangular box stacked sideways on top of it, the building with the crazy carport, the building you probably never looked twice at. That building, in its low-slung and unobtrusive way, was actually a pretty dramatic bit of period architecture. 


Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not like Architectural Digest was going to do a spread on this place. It's not a World Heritage site. It's not even a Lustron home. There's probably no architect of record either. Still, this is Bauhaus design at its purest, holding forth on half an acre of commercially-zoned Ohio real estate. Form follows function. The construction is honest; it looks like what it's made of. There is a decided lack of ornamentation. It's nothing fancy to be sure, but if you were ever curious to know what it looked like when high modernism trickled down to the retail parcels of  middle America, this was it. I mean look at that cantilevering! It's over the top! (pun intended). There's a cantilever, and then, "Oh go ahead and stick another on too".

Richard Neutra's Linn House

Anyone familiar with this area knows that over the last few years this stretch of road has seen something of a building boom. Mostly it's been in the form of cookie-cutter hotels to service THE Ohio State University, but there have been some retail additions too. Through it all, this boxy mid-century gem held fast. A couple years ago a "For Sale" sign materialized in front of it. Even then, no one seemed in any particular hurry to buy. Heck, I was tempted to make an offer.

Well, it apparently sold. I drove by a couple weeks ago and our humble Bauhaus wannabe had been transformed into an empty lot. I suspect some manner of development that doesn't pay homage to spare modernist design principles will likely take its place. We'll see.



I don't usually get sentimental about buildings and I know there's not really a compelling case for saving ones like this. Still, it doesn't seem right. It's a small loss, but given the fact no one will build anything like that again, it's permanent. I'm sure I'll feel differently though when I can swing in there for a Latte Macchiato on my way to work or a Diavolo Piada on my way home.

 

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Publishing Trends: Top Non Fiction Titles for 2017

Publishing houses are already exploring the impact of November's election on our national conversation.

To that end, here's just a sampling of the non-fiction titles we can expect in the new year:
 
  • What to Set on Fire: Essays and Actions for a New America


  • Punching Down, Moving Up: Harness the Power of Racism and Misogyny to Achieve Career Success


  • At Least I Didn't Live to See the Day: Phil Ochs in the 21st Century


  • "It Weren't Raycess": Explaining Your Trump Vote to People of Color


  • The Only Green that Matters: Megaprofits in an Age of Environmental Collapse


  • Flying High: Drones, Firearms and the Inviolability of the Second Amendment


  • Fake News is Good News


  • Plundering Toward Armageddon: a Guide to Graft in the Age of Trump


  • Power Words: 1001 Slurs, Slights and Epithets You Can Start Using Today!


  • Forms of Address: Revised and Updated
  





Saturday, July 23, 2016

The Clothes Make the Man Child

When people talk about men's ties, you can expect to hear opinions about width, pattern, and color. At a higher level (and usually among tie aficionados and devotees), the conversation inevitably drifts to the knot; the shape of the knot, the size in relation to the collar, and the number of moves it takes to execute a particular knot.

What's rarely brought up in these conversations is proper tie length. Maybe people don't notice. Maybe they think it doesn't matter. Maybe they assume that length is simply a function of the cut and shape of the tie (and therefore beyond the wearer's control).

To these points, I offer the following: there is a proper length, you should notice, it does matter, and it can be controlled.

To be clear, the tip of your tie should land at the middle of the waistband/belt buckle.

"Tie length? Yuuuge, right?"
Donald Trump consistently wears his ties at cartoonish lengths. Maybe it's part of the Republican platform.
Photo copyright (c) Getty Images

As our friends at Fine Young Gentleman point out,  "When a tie is worn at the proper length it helps balance out your legs and torso, wearing a tie at an incorrect length can throw the balance of the ensemble off.  When worn too long it can make the whole look look frumpy and sloppy.  When worn too short the look can look clownish."

Mixed messages: My French cuffs say "sophistication". My tie length says "drunk uncle at your wedding".
Photo copyright (c) Getty Images

Since I've had at least an  inkling of this guideline for most of my tie-wearing life, I assumed it was common knowledge (or at least common knowledge among those whose occupations might require them to wear a tie on a regular basis). Clearly it's not. This week's RNC Convention in Cleveland highlighted the Right's apparent predilection for long, sloppy ties.

A white tie over dark slacks highlights both Mike Pence and his tie missing the mark.
Photo: Carrie Devorah / WENN.com

Props to Peter Thiel. He probably wears a tie less than any of the Republican power brokers, and still managed to get closest to the correct length (Also, please don't sue me.).
Photo: Copyright (c) Just Jared Photo #: 3713426

Obviously set against the backdrop of xenophopic fear-mongering, racism (both implicit and explicit), divisive and dangerous rhetoric, and hypocritical opportunism, the length of a tie isn't a particularly egregious sin.  

Karl Rove and his water boy sporting laughably long ties. Apparently Karl's influence in the Party remains strong.
Photo: Copyright (c) Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Still, these are grown-ass men, powerful men, men who would presumably either know how to dress themselves or at least have people around them smart enough to help them out. If you've recently blanched at the idea of giving the nuclear codes to a thin-skinned narcissist, think about giving them to a thin-skinned narcissist who CAN'T EVEN TIE A TIE PROPERLY!.


Sunday, February 14, 2016

Like Waving a Red Cape in Front of A Bull(y)

I recently reviewed Sold Out, the Tim Rietenbach exhibition at Angela Meleca Gallery for Columbus Underground. If you haven't had the chance to see it, go now. It's a terrific show that plants its flag in that aesthetic sweet spot just between incisive and cynical. It's an exhibition that's piercing in its cultural observations, but somehow generous as well. Rietenbach has an approach to art making that acknowledges the conceptual elements of art in the 21st century while managing to hold a high degree of visual interest. And while I discussed a number of the pieces in the show in some detail, I made absolutely no mention (save an illustration) of what was undoubtedly my favorite piece.

For all it's apparent simplicity, Rietenbcach's Brutus serves as ground zero for so many potential discussions it's hard to know where to begin.

 Tim Rietenbach, Brutus, 2015 33 1/2" x 31 1/4"

Let's start with the formal elements. Brutus clearly pays homage to the grid and color abstractions of Paul Klee. But while Klee worked these compositions out with paint, palette knife, and his own sense of color theory, Rietenbach uses commercially available paint samples from retail home centers. This material choice calls into question both the role of the artist and the traditional hierarchy of mediums (a hierarchy that places oil painting above all else). Further, Rietenbach's Brutus playfully flirts with the dichotomy between analog and digital. The image offers the appearance of extreme "pixelation" while remaining resolutely analog. In this regard it offers a subtle hat tip to Gerhard Richter's famously "out of focus" paintings.


   Paul Klee, Alter Klang, 1925 30cm x 30cm

Brutus also blurs our spatial sense. While Rietenbach's work certainly reads as a two-dimensional construct, it's actually fabricated in three. These retail paint chips are affixed to a wire lattice support and hover above the ground. It's balancing act that presents viewers with a (mostly) flat image while reminding us that these chips are in fact actual, physical objects.

Oh, and about that image; anyone from central Ohio will llikely recognize it as the head of Brutus Buckeye, the mascot of The Ohio State University's athletic teams (Don't see it? Try squinting).

 
Brutus Buckeye TM (a registered trademark of The Ohio State University)

This provides a whole new frame of reference by which we can view Brutus. Pop-culture aesthetics are in play now, as is the tacit acknowledgment that even the most comically mundane elements of our visual landscape can serve as inspiration for contemporary artists. Rietenbach's Brutus goes further than that though, punching up in a way that has me cheering for the underdog as enthusiastically as I might the Buckeyes themselves (full disclosure, I'm a graduate of Ohio State and count myself as at least a casual fan).

But wait, punching up? Underdogs? What's that about?

Well, it's about what might be the most interesting element of Rietenbach's humble piece. This business of appropriation in art, of taking that which already exists and using it to create something new, often finds itself at odds with intellectual property concerns. It turns out the world of contemporary creativity is rife with disputes between artists and the holders of various trademarks, copyrights and patents. Sherrie Levine, Richard Prince, Alice Randall, and Andy Baio are just a few examples of creatives who've faced legal action in their efforts to appropriate and transform. Baio's story in particular resonates in this instance. The pixelation process he employed in his ill-fated Kind of Bloop project is one that's visually similar to Rietenbach's approach. (For a full accounting of how wrong the legal workings of intellectual property law can go, check out Baio's blog post, Kind of Screwed).

Which is to say it's at least conceivable that The Ohio State University would have a look at Brutus to determine if their trademark rights have been compromised.

If that sounds far-fetched, it's not. The Ohio State University has a whole department charged with the task of overseeing all aspects OSU's trademark business. Make no mistake either, it is a business. Per the Trademark and Licensing Services web site, "the Licensing Program has generated over $130 million in royalty revenue from approximately $1.3 billion in licensed retail sales". And if you think that OSU is too big to go after the little guy, think again. As this report from NBCi shows, enterprises large and small can fall under the watchful eye of the Trademark and Licensing Services.

Of course creative endeavors are quite different than selling mugs, t-shirts, or cookies, and the law makes allowances for this. The legal doctrine of fair use can provide some cover for artists, especially in those instances where a significant transformation of the original can be established. Still, the cost of arguing your case before the court (along with the possibility of losing) is often enough to lead many artists to either give up the fight, or worse, not even consider the possibility of appropriation to begin with.

Knowing how aggressive OSU is about trademark protection, it will be interesting to see if they respond to Rietenbach's work. From the perspective of one who values art's ability to comment on (and borrow from) our existing culture, I hope they'd let Rietenbach and Brutus be.

If, as Ohio State Assistant Vice President Rick VanBrimmer asserts, the school doesn't want to be "the bully on High Street" this would be a good chance to prove it.

Tim Rietenbach's Sold Out will be on view at the Angela Meleca Gallery until March 12, 2016.

For more information visit www.angelamelecagallery.com.
 



Saturday, September 5, 2015

Tilting at Windmills: The Traffic Engineering Edition

Traffic can get weird on Summit and 4th streets, scary even. This is particularly true of those stretches between Hudson Avenue and the OSU campus. That's not entirely surprising given the easy access to OSU, the Fairgrounds/Expo Center, Mapfre Stadium, the Short North, and downtown. This geography ensures these corridors present a dangerous mix of young, aggressive drivers ("Check out my Challenger!"), impatient commuters ("I'll take Summit! It's quicker!), bewildered tourists ("Are the fairgrounds around here? Oh! Is this street one way?") and impaired drivers ("Dude, I said I was cool. Give me the keys!").

It should go without saying that any changes to these roads and the traffic they carry should be done carefully and thoughtfully. Unfortunately that has not been the case. As part of a project that involves adding bike lanes to Summit and 4th, the City of Columbus also plans to remove the traffic lights at the following intersections:

Summit and Maynard
4th and Wyandaotte
4th and 19th

Not surprisingly, the people who actually live in this neighborhood have pushed back, citing both the residential nature of the neighborhood and the need for more traffic calming, not less.

The City's not budging. Sure, the signs say the lights are "under study", but make no mistake, they're going away. Still, as a resident of the area myself, I felt it was important that my voice be heard. In that spirit, I wrote a letter to all of our City Council representatives and the lead traffic studies engineer. I knew nothing would come of it, but I'm getting to that age where I'm expected to start shaking my fist at things, and this seemed like as good a place as any to start:

July 22, 2015
Columbus City Council Members,

As an area resident and long-time homeowner near the intersection of Maynard and Summit I am writing to voice my concerns over the removal of the traffic signals at Summit & Maynard and Wyndotte & 4th.
When I moved here in 2000 Summit still had a traffic signal at Tompkins. That was removed when Medary School closed. With it went the traffic calming effect that it had on drivers entering Summit at Hudson.

Now the City proposes removing the only other calming influence on this stretch of road between Hudson and Lane. Maybe that's good traffic planning, and maybe that's good car planning, but it's absolutely awful neighborhood planning. While I understand the importance of traffic flow in the context of a car-centric city like Columbus, I also know that this area is, and remains, a largely residential neighborhood. Are the needs (and safety) of those residents to be compromised simply to help commuters get to campus or downtown a minute or two sooner? That seems neither reasonable nor fair.
Also, I'm curious to know how an intersection that was once deemed problematic enough that it was outfitted with the "added safety" of a red light camera, now doesn't warrant a signal at all. Similarly, do you think this light would be slated for removal if it were still generating revenue for the City? My hunch is no.

I know the City's response to all this has been to invoke federal standards and compliance and the like. The problem with that explanation (as has been pointed out by area residents who've done their homework) is that the City has NOT done all the studies it could have and the City HAS NOT explored means by which the lights can stay. From the sound of it, the City found the answer it was looking for, and then stopped looking.
It's hard for me to imagine Clintonville getting treated like this. I've not heard of any lights on Summit in Italian Village going away either. But North Campus? Well it's just a marginal neighborhood full transient students, absentee landlords, and a handful of voiceless and disenfranchised homeowners, right? Apparently that means drivers, developers, and commuters will get whatever they want. 
This whole episode is shameful. I strongly encourage City Council to re-examine this backward and regressive decision.

Sincerely,
Jeff Regensburger

I'll credit Council Member Shannon Hardin's office with replying. Everyone else? Crickets. And that's fine. As I mentioned, this is a done deal and the lights are going away. What surprised me though was that once I found my voice, I didn't want to stop using it.

Sadly, the high number of traffic accidents in our neighborhood have provided a lot of additional opportunities to correspond with this group. "If they want to study traffic" I thought, "Maybe I can help".

So, I sent them a few more letters:

August 25, 2015
Hey Everybody,
I wanted to share this picture from the corner of Clinton and Summit yesterday. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I'm pretty sure it involved a high rate of speed.

The fact is unreasonable speeds on Summit are the rule, not the exception. Yet, in spite of this, you want me to believe that removing the last traffic calming device in the residential neighborhood between Hudson and Lane is a safe and sane option.
But hey, I just live here. You all are the experts. Just let me know when we should expect our guardrails and noise barriers.

Best,
Jeff Regensbruger

This time? No response at all. Not even a thank you. I don't know about you, but if I was studying traffic, I'd want to know about this sort of thing. As it turns out the morning of August 30th provided additional material for the City's study.

August 30, 2015
Hey Everyone,

I've got a couple other things to share as you continue to study the removal of last remaining traffic signals in our neighborhood.
First, please find attached a picture from an accident that occurred on Summit St, just north of Maynard at 3:00 AM Sunday August 30th 2015. While it's dark, and hard to tell at first, what you see is in fact a car flipped on its side in the middle of Summit. There was another car involved in the accident and a parked car was struck as well (an occurrence that's actually pretty common along Summit. Have you studied those records?).


Secondly, I'd call your attention to this SUV/motorcycle accident a block further south that happened at the beginning of July:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/02/motorcycle-crash-university-district.html
 

Honestly, I don't know how you calculate the value of unimpeded traffic, but it's hard to believe it's worth this kind of menace.

I know your collective contention is that restricting Summit to two lanes (and narrowing those lanes) will somehow calm traffic. While you are certainly welcome to your opinion, as a resident who's lived here and watched traffic fly by for the last 15 years, I'd like to offer a different perspective: it's going to take a lot more than that to calm traffic and reduce speeds on this stretch of road.

Removing these lights is a step backwards. You wouldn't stand for it your neighborhood. Why should we stand for it in ours?

Regards,
Jeff Regensburger

When it rains it pours, right? On the very next day I drove past an accident on 4th Street just north of a signal slated for removal. The scene there offered yet another chance to contribute to City's ongoing traffic study.

August 31, 2015
I hate to pester you folks, but I know you're studying the the traffic light at 4th and 19th too, so I thought I'd pass this along.
The attached pictures were taken around 4:30 PM on Monday, August 31, 2015 at the intersection of Northwood and N. 4th St (that's a few blocks north of 19th).


While it's impossible to know exactly what happened here, it's a safe bet that excessive speed played a role.
To that point, I remain mystified as to how removing the very elements that might help control speeds benefits anyone, save those individuals who would prefer drive as fast as possible regardless of the risks.
I'm really trying hard to avoid hyperbole, but it's getting difficult at this point. This plan is ill-conceived and unconscionable.

Jeff Regensburger

Needless to say, the City hasn't responded. And why would they? They've made up their minds, and that's that. Unless something unexpectedly miraculous or unexpectedly horrific happens, these lights are going away.

Still, I want this to end on a positive note. I want to be gracious and congratulate our winners.

First, a shout out to all the Clintonville residents who work downtown or in the near north. When you swing right on Summit from Hudson now, you can punch it and not have to worry about slowing down till Lane Avenue.

Second, congratulations to all the commuting OSU students and faculty who live north of the University. Your trip to and from campus will now be faster and more convenient.

Third, let's not forget the motorcycling friends who harbor an unquenchable thirst for speed. Open it up. Bless us all with the dulcet tones of your immaculately tuned pipes. On Summit and 4th streets, fifth gear is now yours. You just have to want it.

Finally, congratulations to everyone at City Hall and the Division of Traffic Management. You withstood the backlash. You weathered the storm. The lights are bagged. You win.   


  

#library30 Photo Challenge: 2021 Edition

On Thursday April 1, 2021 I'll be inviting people to participate in this year's #library30 photo challenge What is it? Ev...