Contents:

U.S. & World News
ALA News
Division News
Awards
Seen Online
Actions & Answers
Poll
Datebook

AL Direct FAQ

Congress extends Patriot Act
another five weeks
Shortly before 16 provisions of the USA Patriot Act were set to expire February 3, Congress passed a second short-term extension, continuing the act until March 10. The House approved the five-week extension February 1, and the Senate followed suit the next day, the Associated Press reported February 3....

Iowa bill ties funding to filtering pornography
A bill introduced January 30 in the Iowa Senate would withhold state funding to public libraries unless they “eliminate access to pornography on the public library’s computer equipment.” If enacted, Senate File 2108 would also require state-funded public libraries to prohibit patrons younger than 17 from borrowing R-rated films....

Library Journal Editor-in-Chief
John N. Berry III retires
After more than 40 years at Library Journal, Editor-in-Chief John N. Berry III retired January 31. Berry joined the magazine in 1964 as assistant editor, becoming editor-in-chief in 1969....

Indianapolis to borrow $45 million
to finish library construction
At a public hearing January 26, the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library board voted to borrow $45 million to cover cost overruns on its $103-million expansion project, which has been delayed several years by lawsuits stemming from faulty construction....

Curious Incident triggers curious reaction
The selection of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the 2006 Galveston County (Tex.) Reads event has resulted in the mayor of a Houston exurb announcing that the board of his community library would reconsider the book’s addition to its collection....

Wal-Mart exec’s name taken off
new Bentonville, Arkansas, library
A Bentonville (Ark.) Public Library facility scheduled to open this fall will not bear the names of former Wal-Mart executive Tom Coughlin and his wife Cynthia, the BPL Foundation has decided. Cynthia Coughlin addressed the foundation’s board January 31, hours after her husband pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud....

Library auctions name on Ebay
In an attempt to raise at least $375,000 for a renovation and addition, Womelsdorf (Pa.) Community Library is auctioning naming rights for the library on the Ebay online marketplace....

Montreal school arsonist to be released in May
A 20-year-old man convicted of arson in the April 2004 firebombing of a Jewish elementary school in the Montreal, Quebec, suburb of Saint-Laurent is scheduled for release in May....

Providence Public Library and city
discuss revised governance
City councilors tabled a proposed ordinance February 2 that would have forced the Providence (R.I.) Public Library to place eight publicly appointed trustees—four chosen by the mayor and four by city council—on the library’s board....

Library’s footwear rule upheld
in appeals court
An Ohio man has lost his latest bid to go barefoot in the Columbus Metropolitan Library....

Annual Conference in New Orleans,
June 22–28—
Frequently Asked Questions

IFLA/ALA Campaign for the World’s Libraries:
showcases the unique and vital roles played by public, school, academic, and special libraries worldwide

Freedom to Read Foundation:
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees all individuals the right to express their ideas without governmental interference, and to read and listen to the ideas of others.

Browse through new products from ALA Editions and ALA Graphics

ALA applauds library funding increase in President’s 2007 budget
President Bush’s 2007 budget requests $262.2 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an increase of $15.1 million, or 6.1% over FY 2006. For the Library Services and Technology Act, the budget includes $220.9 million, an increase of $10.3 million over FY 2006. Contact the White House to thank the Administration for its continued support and commitment to our nation’s libraries....

Baseball Hall of Fame named
Campaign founding partner
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is the latest Founding Partner in @ your library®, The Campaign for America’s Libraries, ALA’s national, multiyear public awareness and advocacy campaign about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century....

Council addresses “65% solution”
On January 22, ALA Council adopted a resolution calling for a coordinated national effort to classify school librarians as instructional staff and to recognize the impact of state-certified school librarians on student achievement....

Great Stories CLUB applications open
The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a book club grant program organized by the ALA Public Programs Office and YALSA to provide young adults with the opportunity to discuss books relevant to the challenges in their lives. Oprah’s Angel Network is providing a grant to support the program....

BCALA selects conference theme
“Culture Keepers VI: Preserving the Past, Sustaining the Future” is the theme for the 6th National Conference of African American Librarians. The conference, sponsored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, is scheduled for August 2–6, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas....

New editor joins ALA Editions
Jenni Fry is now an acquisitions editor at ALA Editions, ALA’s book publishing imprint. Fry joined ALA Editions in 2004 as managing editor....

New staffer in Public Programs Office
Kara L. Giles will be responsible for management of the Public Programs Office website and the PPO Online Resource Center....

ACRL preconference on libraries,
archives, and museums
The Institute for Library and Museum Services has provided funding for 30 new and aspiring professionals to attend a major national conference organized by ACRL’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section entitled “Libraries, Archives, and Museums in the 21st Century: Intersecting Missions, Converging Futures?” to be held in Austin, Texas, June 20–23....

AASL recognizes five new SLMS programs
AASL announces the recognition of five graduate programs leading to a master’s degree in education with a specialization in school library media or master’s degree in library and information studies....

RUSA appoints new editor of RUSQ
Diane Zabel, the Louis and Virginia Benzak Business Librarian at the Schreyer Business Library, Penn State University, has been appointed editor of Reference and User Services Quarterly, RUSA’s refereed research journal....

ACRL Information Literacy Immersion program
Applications are due February 15 for ACRL’s Institute for Information Literacy Immersion Program, which brings together academic librarians for five days of intensive work in teaching and information literacy....

ACRL calls for 2007 conference proposals
ACRL invites proposal submissions for a half-day or full-day workshop or preconference to be held prior to the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting or Annual Conference. Submissions will be accepted through April 3....

Call for proposals for
Diversity Research Grants
The ALA Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grant program. Applicants must be current ALA members, and the 2006 proposals must address one of three identified topics. Deadline is April 15....

ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries winners
This year’s recipients are the Thomas Tredway Library at Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill., and the Rochester Institute of Technology Libraries, Rochester, N.Y. Sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services, the award recognizes the staff of a college, university, and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution....

Scholastic Library Publishing
National Library Week Grant winner
The Maricopa County Library District in Phoenix, Ariz., is the winner of the $5,000 grant, awarded annually for the best public awareness campaign in support of National Library Week (April 2–8, 2006)....

PLA “Grow Your Own” scholarships
PLA has announced the winners of its inaugural “Grow Your Own” institutional scholarship program....

Notable Children’s Books for 2006
ALSC has selected its 2006 list of titles that includes fiction and nonfiction poetry and picture books of special interest, quality, creativity, and value to children from preschool through age 14....

Notable Children’s Videos 2006
ALSC has selected its 2006 list of Notable Children’s Videos. The list includes videos for children 14 years of age and younger of especially commendable quality that demonstrate respect for a child’s intelligence and imagination and that reflect and encourage the interests of children in exemplary ways....

Notable Children’s Recordings 2006
ALSC has selected its 2006 list of Notable Children’s Recordings....

Notable Computer Software for 2006
ALSC’s notables list recognizes high-quality computer programs and online subscription services for children 14 years of age and younger....

Penguin Young Readers Group Award winners
Four librarians have been named winners of the 2006 Penguin Young Readers Group Award administered by ALSC....

ALSC Distinguished Service Award winner
Mimi Kayden, HarperCollins Books, is this year’s recipient of the ALSC Distinguished Service Award....

AIA/ALA Library Buildings Award
seeks jury nominations
The LAMA Building and Equipment Section’s Library Building Awards Committee is seeking nominations and applications for jurors for the 2007 Library Buildings Award competition, jointly sponsored by ALA and the American Institute of Architects....

Applicants sought for 2006 CALA scholarships
The Chinese American Librarians Association announces the availability of its 2006 scholarships. Full-time students of Chinese heritage who are currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited master’s or doctoral program of library and information science at a higher education institution in North America are eligible....

San Francisco PL takes
gay history exhibit on the road
Out at the Library, an archived collection of gay history by the SFPL’s James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center, has been packaged for a tour of the country's eastern, Midwest and southern regions. The exhibit coincides with the Hormel Center’s tenth anniversary, and was funded entirely by $250,000 in donations....
San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, Feb. 7

Teens crash car into Columbus, Ohio,
Livingston branch library
Three teens plowed a stolen car into the outside wall of the Livingston branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library February 6, injuring Branch Manager Shirley Freeman, who was working in the building’s main office. Columbus police say the crash was an intentional act in a stolen car carried out by the teens, including one who had just finished a one-week library suspension. Two teens have been arrested....
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Feb. 7; NBC 4 news, Feb. 7

Budget squeeze in Mesa, Arizona,
putting strain on library staff
The city’s interim library director Heather Wolf has inherited the loss of 42 staff positions over the past year and a $500,000 budget cut. “The leadership team and I are coping with keeping three libraries open with almost the same staffing level we had 10 years ago while the workload keeps going up,” she said. “We can’t ask the staff to work any harder.”...
Phoenix Arizona Republic, Jan. 25

Libraries fear digital lockdown
Libraries have warned that the rise of digital publishing may make it harder or even impossible to access items in their collections in the future....
BBC News, Feb. 3

National book reserve unsuitable
for Oxford University
The head of Oxford University’s library services has condemned plans to increase storage space in British libraries by destroying duplicate copies of rare books and journals. Ronald Milne, acting director of university library services, said the idea of giving up some of the Bodleian’s collections to a national reserve was unlikely to be acceptable to the university....
The Oxford Student, Feb. 3

Trademark bill would limit speech of artists
Several consumer, arts, and public interest groups jointly sent a letter February 3 to the Senate Judiciary Committee condemning provisions in the Trademark Dilution Revision Act (H.R. 683) that weaken protections for individuals and small businesses that refer to companies by their trademarks....
Public Citizen, Feb. 3

More Than $85,000 Awarded
to Hurricane-Affected PTAs
The National Parent Teacher Association awarded $89,230 in grants to PTAs and schools in six states affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. An estimated 24,900 students will benefit from the grants that have been awarded to PTAs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas....
National PTA, Feb. 3

Report on orphan works
The Copyright Office has completed its study of problems related to “orphan works”—copyrighted works whose owners may be impossible to identify and locate. As requested by Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Office submitted its Report on Orphan Works to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31. The report is also available for download....
U.S. Copyright Office, Jan. 31

NARA’s document-a-day
The National Archives website now includes a new Today’s Document feature, viewable online. Each day’s document highlights a specific document, record, or photo from the holdings of the National Archives relating to the current day, and/or current exhibitions and programs at the National Archives....
National Archives and Records Administration

How to code a constitution
As Congress considers reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act, we could really use a few good hackers in the debate. That’s because the principles our legal system employs to protect life and liberty are very similar to the principles that computer scientists use to design secure systems. We need hackers right now because—whether they know it or not—they understand democracy....
Wired News , Feb. 1

The professor as
instant messenger (requires subscription)
UNC–Chapel Hill English professor Kathryn Wymer discovered her students don’t use e-mail, so she looks into the pros and cons of communicating with them using IM....
Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 7

The digitally re-shifted school library
ALA TechSource blogger Michael Stephens interviews Christopher Harris, creator of the Infomancy Blog, on new technologies in the school library....
ALA TechSource Blog, Feb. 6

Would Thomas Jefferson have Googled?
Google’s Book Library Project would be applauded by at least one of America’s founding fathers, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman said February 6 during her keynote at a national publishers meeting....
C|Net news.com, Feb. 6