Wide and "Crazy" vs Narrow Libraries

Kathleen Marie:

I was really worried about fluff, and was avoiding a certain package to prevent downloading fluff. And then ... I did the willy nilly because I was curious to see what that fluff would do to my search fields. I am very pleased with the results. I didn't know what I didn't know.

If I don't want a particular resource clogging things up... I don't download it (or I remove it). And if I really don't want it, I'll hide it. I don't have any interest in missing out on good deals because of extra stuff I don't care for.

MJ. Smith:

Kathleen Marie:

Despite owning this, I cannot afford a will or anything like that, on top of the debt I have accumulated buying it. LOL. So, is there anything set up that is a free and easy way to make sure a library goes somewhere instead of just becoming the equivalent of rust and moth-food

There are a number of free online sites that allow you to write a will for free. You can even do it without their help - just make sure you have a couple of witnesses sign it. The only advantage of the online sites are they speak legalese ... useful if the will is contested.

I was just going to respond to say the same thing. Not only are there ways of creating a will that are free on-line but many lawyers will offer simple will for very little cost with the hope that they will get your business in the future. When I turned 18 my dad made me get a will and I'm pleased that he did. I'm a bit believer that we should all have a will even if we don't think we own much. It is an act  of love toward those who follow to help make things easier for them.

Kathleen Marie:

Do you only purchase books within your own denomination, or do you buy widely from multiple denominations?

I buy widely from multiple denominations.  My denomination and theology is Methodist / Wesleyan.  For 45 years I was a United Methodist pastor.  My Congregation and I are still Methodist, but no longer United Methodist.  Some of my favorite writers are Calvinists, such as Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and others.  I am more interested that a writer has a "heart for God" than whether or not the writer parrots my beliefs.  I also love the Church Fathers.  I can hold to what is good in a writer while discarding the rest.

Kathleen Marie:

Does anyone ever buy the most unfamiliar and "crazy" collection you can find, to diversify your library? Have you ever gotten into a rut in your research, and only then looked beyond your former comfort zone?

No, I usually buy books related to something that I am interested in.

Kathleen Marie:

Is a wide library a "waste" of money or essential for you?

An essential.

Kathleen Marie:

Do you worry that you are hoarding books? Do you worry that your purchases might be a sin, because you are in debt, or you are reading books that you think might be heresy?

  I do not worry about hoarding books.  Most of my ministerial books for last 30 years have been in the form of Logos books.  However, I have several thousand paper books of all types.  At one time my purchases were likely a sin, as I went into debt to buy books.  However, that has not been the case for years now.  I will not go into debt to buy a book.  As for reading heresy, I still have enough brain power to separate wheat from chaff when I read.  I recognize heresy when I read it, but I do not consider everyone who disagrees with me doctrinally to be a heretic.  Some of them are merely mistaken

Kathleen Marie:

If you are feeling playful and creative: Create a title and a short description for your collection of Logos books.

"9045 of my Closest Friends".

Kathleen Marie:

Do you only purchase books within your own denomination, or do you buy widely from multiple denominations?

I mainly use Logos for daily Bible reading and meditation.

 My beliefs are:  Conservative, literal Interpretation of the Inerrant Bible, Baptist, Reformed (which intersects with some Presbyterian/Lutheran/etc doctrine and commentaries but does not agree with all Presbyterian/Lutheran/etc doctrine for example)

I trust, value, and buy books within those types of doctrines.  I seek to identify false doctrine and keep the correct doctrine.  I make "notes" when I identify false doctrine and false teachers and authors using the notes function in Logos.  If the author is overall false I hide those resources by those authors within Logos (Library, Select Resource, Control+RightClick+Hide) because I don't want false ideas polluting or defiling my meditation of the literal interpretation of the Inerrant Bible. 

I desire to be careful to heed the following verses

• Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good - Romans 12:9
• But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;  1 Thessalonians 5:21

Verses like this impact how I use Logos

Kathleen Marie:

For me, meditation is such a very different activity than academic paper writing.

I still find myself resorting back to other software for my devotional time.

At first I thought I just needed more training so that my Logos time was more effortless,

but I am realizing that even having some of my school resources in my sight is intrusive into my private time.

And I don't want the same things "preferred".

Logos Layouts lets you set up multiple custom layouts for different purposes.  I only have one custom layout I named "Greg's Bible Reading Layout".

But I don't think you can have multiple prioritizations of resources.  That would be helpful to academics who want to also use Logos to deepen their Love for God daily.

I mainly use Logos to deepen my Love for God daily.  Its wonderful to search maps, Bible dictionaries, Hebrew and Greek definitions,  pronunciations, and commentaries to hear God speak his deep love into my heart.  The resources I just mentioned make the Bible understandable, deep, and rich. 

Without Logos I can't find all these insights efficiently and I just settle for a quick understanding, sometimes with multiple physical study Bibles and commentaries, maps, and dictionaries, and a concordance stacked up on my coffee table or kitchen table sometimes.  

I know friends who get distracted with digital Bibles and books, during their meditation on the Bible, but much more often it deepens my Love for God by knowing and hearing so much more about exactly what God is saying to me today.  Its a sweet time with the Lord together.

But you have to repurchase the same books?

I am just starting to fully understand the problem, for me. The recent free Quiet Time MP seminar and this recent post by Greg have been helpful in identifying the issue for me. The "go to seminary" books and articles often state that it is essential for students to have separate devotional time from their studytime, and some insist on a third separate time for connecting with their home church. These three activities can be wildly different for some students. For me, they all require a different prioritized Bible.

I don't think different settings are possible even on different devices with entirely different apps, even using a combination of Logos, Verbum and the Faithlife Study Bible.

Layouts help some, but there are still breakthrough preset Faithlife priorities and favorites that overide EVERYTHING. The more I transition from using Logos as an ebook reader to a personal workspace, the more I am discovering I cannot create three different workspaces for the three separate areas of my life.

GaoLu:

You can have more than one Faithlife account with

A) more than one LOGIN and/or

B) totally different installations on the same computer. 

Use your broad library for academic research.  Use a narrow one with a different setup for devotions.

GaoLu:

You can have more than one Faithlife account with

You could set up another account with another separate free version of Logos that keeps you from the distractions of all your academic resources.

But what I love is actually using many resources that are not free, to deepen my understanding and love of God

Here are the options I am aware of:

• Separate Accounts costs more money, unless you only use the free version for additional accounts

• Using the same account
• Separate Desktop Layouts can help remove distractions
• Separate Online Web App Layouts can help reduce distractions 
• Separate Mobile App Layouts can help reduce distractions

For now I would try setting up a separate Layout and give it a custom name, like "My Personal Time To Love God More".  Such a name reminds you that is a special time, not to be distracted with other purposes.

We could also ask Logos to design Layouts to not just define the window panes we see within a layout but also include the following options:

• Separate Prioritization of Resources by Layout
• Separate Hiding of Resources by Layout
• Separate Hiding of entire packages that we don't want to see when focusing on our own growth in our heart with God by Layout

That would help further to reduce the distractions and accomplish the focus needed for Loving God More.

Yes less is better, because focusing on God is most important for meditation on the Word of God

I'll add a new post in the Suggestions Thread for this enhancement

Hmm. It looks like the preferred Bible did NOT come up. I would prefer an offline option, but I will play with this. Thanks!

Yes, it looks like the Kindle Fire will allow me to override the general Faithlife preferred Bible setting, for a local preferred Bible.