There are few things that I am really passionate about but one of them is Classic Movies. I love the classics! It doesn't matter what genre: WWII films, screwball comedies, film noir, Alfred Hitchcock suspense...if it was made between 1930 and 1950 I geek it.
I love coming to the Central Branch of KPL because there are so many wonderful movies to discover and so many old favorites to re-watch! The KPL movie collection definitely feeds my "old soul"!
—Pam Wilson
When I was young, I used to watch Gundam and Zoids and other anime with giant robots. Now that I am older, movies like Transformers and the soon to be released Pacific Rim get me jumping in my seat.
I often say that Optimus Prime is my hero, and I will stick by that, even if he's not in the fourth movie.
—Meghan
Serendipity: The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. This simple word manages to play a role in my gravitation toward most everything I find meaningful upon which to embark. From the time I spend working with the Friends of the Library here at the KPL, to my hobby of ancestry research, to retired items of clothing that beckon to be created into animals I make and sell, serendipity creates a draw toward things that grow me. I encounter people from whom I learn important things, ancestors that shaped my place in this world today, and activities that sustain the creativity that lives in my soul. It shouts cheerfully as it weaves across my path, "Look! This way," and off I veer helplessly.
Invariably, I've learned to know when it's serendipity at work and not just a passing fancy. It's when the emotion grabs me quick, and I'm lost if I don't follow. It's where I find the good stuff in life; the lucky stuff that leads me to even more serendipitous discoveries.
—Pam Selkirk
There are so many things I geek. Comic books, books, music, food, libraries. I could go on and on. I enjoy so many things because each brings a unique perspective to my life and I learn from every one of them. And learning is the biggest geek of them all. I love learning more than anything else in the world. Knowledge truly is power. Because I am a learning and information geek that is why I geek so many things.
—Jeffrey Lindahl
Many public libraries play a significant role in tackling community literacy issues—especially with young children. A new article in the Eastern Arizona Courier says, “Public libraries are well suited to address the literacy needs of the entire family, from birth to adulthood. Public libraries can also act as economic equalizers in the community, offering free books and services to all ages and providing literacy-rich opportunities to children who might otherwise miss out. And libraries turn no one away!” Read the complete article.
Everyone is passionate about something—everyone geeks something. Kalamazoo photographer John Lacko shares his passion for cars.
Everyone is passionate about something—everyone geeks something. Matt Smith, associate librarian at Kalamazoo Public Library, shares his passion for knowledge.
Everyone is passionate about something—everyone geeks something. Dr. Kay Palan, dean of the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University, shares her passion for Golden Retrievers.
Everyone is passionate about something—everyone geeks something. Esther Vandecar shares her passion for Taiko (太鼓), the art of Japanese drumming.
"The Fractalist: Memoir of a Scientific Maverick” just arrived at KPL. It is by Benoit B. Mandelbrot, the holocaust survivor and genuis who coined the term "fractal" and opened our eyes to the math behind so many beautiful events of nature, such as trees, clouds, and mountains.
World Book Online defines a fractal as "a complex geometric figure made up of patterns that repeat themselves at smaller and smaller scales," where "any of its smallest structures is similar in shape to a large structure, which, in turn, is similar to an even larger one, and so on." I'm sorry, what? To be honest, defining fractals is easier with real world examples, like the Romanesco broccoli. But I think the heart of why I geek fractals is that they encourage exploration and discovery. Computer-generated fractal images, such as the Mandelbrot Set, can be "zoomed" in forever, and essentially, the more you look, the more you find.
While basic patterns of the image are repeated at different scales, self-similar fractal patterns are always unique, never exactly the same, and “roughly” similar at different scales of space or time (yes there are temporal fractals, too). Because mapping fractals requires extensive calculation, only since the 1980s have computers allowed us to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their presence and dynamics. I hope that our continued exploration of fractals will create better understandings of human ecology, while potentially solving aspects of our energy production and energy storage issues.
Also, they just look really cool, and since the brain itself is fractal, my hunch is that observing fractals kind of tickles the perception - like letting one’s neural networks glance into a mirror reflecting their own fractal nature.