CURRENT STATE OF TECHNOLOGY
The wifi connection strength is so-so, and I’m happy that I uploaded most of the image files before going on holiday. Actually, last week was mostly getting my laptop to work with the programs that run on my home computer – and then having to install Java 8 – and then finding out the database won’t work unless that too has been upgraded – and then not being able to connect to the cloud drive.. Lots of interesting things and experiences when one is on holiday. But this week, we have three publications, and next week at least one. If I can get the editing done on my laptop, then maybe more. Drat, I did not install Adobe, so we won’t be getting new pdfs next week.
Anyhow. Let’s forget about the technical matters. Content is what really matters.
NEW PUBLICATIONS (links have been corrected)
http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/G-BL001.htm
Lots of lovely items listed by ebay seller banderllon, and we have permission to use and republish them. This is the first of and ever-lengthening list – I love this small beaded purse. Some purse patterns have an U shape and are completely 2D. This one however has a seam starting halfway which makes the purse rounded in the middle as well. And what I like the most about this pattern is how that seam is actually used in the design to make the leaves of the small plant look like they grew sideways, while in the pattern they look straight.That’s a trick I had not noticed before and I keep thinking of how to use it when next I sew something. Thank you, banderllon, for this item and for the others!
http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/G-TP007.htm
Next, from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, yet another slipper, this one with more abstract patterns and some kind of motif that I thought was white butterflies, but it isn’t that. Well, let’s call it abstract 🙂 Thank you, Victoria!
http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/html/warm/F-RZ002.htm
Ebay seller raezza gave us permission to use her listing images as well. We’ve already published the butterflies and there’s a lovely white cat in progress, and more to come. This is a simple alphabet done twice, one italic and one plain, and each version has a small motif in addition, shoehorned in the remaining space. Thank you, Rae! Your generosity allows us to publish patterns that otherwise would remain inaccessible for those who don’t have lots of money. Of course a collector always wants the original, but we, as Antique Pattern Library librarians, want just the pattern. (I confess to occasionally snagging an original too, if it still fits my budget, but it has happened the past year that I did not bid on a pattern because I knew we had it among our donations.)
FUNDRAISING
Click to support the Antique Pattern Library project to pay for such things as database and website development, web hosting costs, data entry, scanning equipment.
Scan donations count! They save us room (for the books) money (for the shipping price and customs duties and believe me, those can bite), and time for scanning. Of course, money is always welcome. And scans are equally welcome. In the meantime, you can also support us via Amazon Smile.
The limit of small donations is 700 EUR, a bit more than 700 USD. It may increase if we get more small donations. That’s the limit to what you can donate per year and still have it count towards the small donations. It’s recalculated every year. If you donate more, the IRS puts your donations on the other side of the public funding ratio. So, if you were planning to donate just above the limit, give some to another organization, buy a cup of coffee and donate just the limit amount. 😉
Also, we are looking for people who can afford a one-time larger donation to support our goals for 2016, which will cost us some money.
It will help speed up our publication speed, and make more time available for the actual library work, which is sadly suffering. Judith and I spend more time than I like on bookkeeping and IRS compliance and stuff like that. Necessary, but it cuts into the time I have for the Library.
We’ve had one large donation already. That one has helped to improve the programming for the site so that now somebody else is able to do the entire round of publishing (except writing special notices and the blog) on her own, without help from me. That’s going to make it easier to keep publishing every week, even when I’m on holiday.And I can spend more time on editing the acquisitions, and visit people with laptop and scanner in a bag, if they have a suitable book and live within reach.
Basically, what I’m looking for right now is to get professional help to scan the really large publications, sized A2, A1, and maybe even A0, of which we have a chest full. Some leaves are so fragile that we get the chance to scan them once, then they fall apart. I’ve inquired at a nearby photographer, and they will have to build an installation too, in order to get the sheets properly photographed. The more money I plonk down, the more sheets they can do. And of course, the building and taking down of the installation, as well as closing the studio for one day, will cost money of itself. So, money is very welcome!
If you can’t afford to give anything, which also happens in these difficult times, introducing the Library to people who don’t know of it yet, is very useful, since it broadens our user base and therefore our donor base. I’ll try to publish a flyer in black and white which can be printed and used as handout, for anybody wanting to do that. It would be more useful than a visiting card.
Anything you donate for the Library, goes to the Library. The donations of the larger donors are far more than enough to cover our overhead, so what you give, goes straight to Library improvement.
The publications are free to download and to share, not to sell. Also the screendumps and later the text pages are published under the creative-commons licence – enjoy, but don’t sell. If ever you see a PDF for sale, especially with the Library creative-commons copyright notice or something that looks like it, we’d be glad to hear. Most we’ve heard of so far are legitimate sellers of their own copies, but every now and then there’s one that isn’t. In such a case, please email us privately with your concerns and give as much detail as possible. We don’t want peoples’ names aired about before we’ve had a chance to look the matter over, in order to protect the truly innocent.
Thanks to all the donors and volunteers, for all the help and new or improved material you provided.
Enjoy this new set.
Best wishes all,
Sytske