According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, serendipity (n) is defined as “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.”
Serendipity is when you find things you weren't looking for because finding what you are looking for is so damned difficult. ~ Erin McKean (Dictionary editor and lexicographer)
You don't reach Serendib by plotting a course for it. You have to set out in good faith for elsewhere and lose your bearings… serendipitously. ~ John Barth (American novelist)
In the field of observation, chance favours only the prepared mind. ~ Louis Pasteur (French biologist)
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny." ~ Isaac Asimov (American writer and biochemist)
How is an unexpected discovery in a library like the improvisation of a jazz ensemble? Serendipity is a crucial, non-linear component of the creative process in both the arts and sciences, yet some warn it is a dying concept in a world filled with "smart" search algorithms and propaganda. Come learn how to cultivate and use serendipity for any art form with guided practice in the quiet book stacks of the Mt. SAC Library. Attendees will also be introduced to digital library collections and how to mindfully use them to enhance this increasingly important skill.
Check out this article by Ben Tallon, an illustrator and hand painted lettering specialist : Freelance State of Mind: Embracing Serendipity written for Design Week (online magazine).
“Too much control can lead to frustration but playful experimentation can unlock results.” ~ Ben Tallon
Workshops will be held in the Library:
Saturday May 4 9:30am - 10:45am
Saturday May 4 10:55am - 12:10pm
Workshop Facilitator: Jared Burton, Mt SAC Librarian
Jared Burton is a librarian at Mt. SAC with a background in mathematics (AS) and anthropology (BA). Raised by a pack of poets, he is a singer-songwriter, amateur visual artist, and nature-lover with a special affection for wild birds. His areas of interests in library science revolve around cultivating curiosity, the slow media movement, and equity.