September
13, 2006
AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter e-mailed
every Wednesday to personal members of the American
Library Association.
Contents:
U.S. & World News
ALA News
Booklist Online
Division News
Round Table News
Awards
Seen Online
Actions & Answers
Poll
Datebook
AL Direct
FAQ
Board
moves to privatize Tennessee library
The Jackson–Madison County (Tenn.) Library board stunned the Madison
County Commission September 6 when it announced its decision to enter
library management contract negotiations with the Maryland-based, privately
owned firm Library Systems and Services, commonly known as LSSI....
Lackluster
fundraising looms over San Diego library
California officials are threatening to renege on a $20-million grant
to help build a new main library in San Diego due to almost two years
of stalled fundraising efforts by the San Diego Public Library Foundation.
If the state backs out, observers fear that a complex private/public formula
to pay for the $185-million facility would collapse....
Survival
uncertain for Minneapolis branches
Several branches of the Minneapolis Public Library are facing potential
closure as the library board of trustees evaluates its 2007 budget and
three-year plan. Among the libraries facing termination is the Southeast
Community Library, which avoided a similar fate in 2003....
Mold-afflicted
Missouri library reopens
A broken air conditioner and hot, humid conditions contributed to mold
growth on books at the temporary home of the University of Missouri at
Columbia’s journalism library, forcing officials to close the stacks
from mid-August to September 8, when, University of Missouri Director
of Libraries Jim Cogswell told American Libraries, “the area
is stable and we have a working library again.”...
Gates
Foundation grant will improve public library connectivity
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded ALA’s Office for
Information Technology Policy $525,000 in support of efforts to ensure
free public access to the internet in all of America’s public libraries.
The three-year general operating grant will allow OITP to help libraries
meet an increasing demand for public internet access by supporting their
participation in the federal e-rate program....
New
online resources for immigration-themed programs
The ALA Public Programs Office has set up a new website
to assist librarians in creating public programs on the theme “Becoming
American—New Immigration Stories.” The project is designed to
provide libraries throughout the United States with an excellent selection
of books on immigrant literature for adults and families....
Banned
books virtual panel discussion
On Monday, September 25, at 10 a.m. Eastern time, ALA will participate
in a virtual panel discussion to kick off the 25th anniversary of Banned
Books Week. Sponsored by Internet2 service provider MAGPI at the University
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the panel will feature YA authors Chris
Crutcher (above) and Sonya Jones, as well as Intellectual Freedom Committee
Chair Kent Oliver....
Google
Book Search joins Banned Books Week
Starting September 12, readers can visit a new
site created by Google Book Search that lets users explore 42 of the
banned or challenged books that appear on the Radcliffe Publishing Course
Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century. Interested readers can search or see
basic information about these books and then either check for them in
local libraries or buy them online....
Lawyers
for Libraries training institute in Columbus
ALA will present its eighth regional Lawyers for Libraries Training Institute
in Columbus, Ohio, November 3. As with previous training sessions, the
institute is intended primarily to equip attorneys with the tools they
need to defend the First Amendment effectively in libraries....
Cultural
Communities 2007 fundraising goal set at $277,000
The ALA Public Programs Office began its 2007 fundraising campaign this
month to build the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment created to
support local libraries in establishing community and cultural programs.
This year’s goal is to raise $277,000 in order to qualify for matching
funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities....
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Submit
a proposal for PLA’s 2008 National Conference
PLA is now accepting preconference and program proposals for its 12th
National Conference, to be held March 25–29, 2008, in Minneapolis.
Proposals may be submitted through an online form available on the PLA
website....
Gail
Godwin’s Annual Conference talk online at RUSA
Best-selling author Gail Godwin spoke at the RUSA President’s Program,
“What You’ll Read Next: The Buzz of Books,” June 26 during
ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. The full text of her talk, “The
Two Faces of Authorship in 2006,” is now available on the RUSA website
(PDF
file)....
Consider
serving on Depository Library Council
Each year the Government Documents Round Table recommends up to five people
to be nominated by the ALA Executive Board to serve on this advisory council
to the Public Printer. To express an interest, complete the GODORT nomination
form by December 1....
Nominations
sought for ALA awards and grants
Nominations are being sought for the 2007 ALA recognition awards and grants.
Unless otherwise noted, the deadline for applications is December 1....
Delaware’s
quiet campaign
The Delaware Division of Libraries has won a 2007 Communicator Award for
its new advertising campaign, “Shhhh. They’re in the library.”
The ads promote the online Delaware Library Catalog and Delaware Library
Card, which can be used at 28 participating libraries. Communicator Award
winners are chosen from a pool of over 14,000 entries and are judged by
communications professionals in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Delaware Division of Libraries, Aug. 28
LAMA
seeks Cultural Diversity Grant applications
LAMA is now accepting applications for its Cultural Diversity Grant. The
grants are intended to support the creation and dissemination of resources
that will assist library administrators and managers in developing a vision
and commitment to diversity. Applications and supporting materials must
be submitted by December 1....
The
2007 AASL awards
Over $50,000 is available through the annual AASL awards program. Thirteen
awards, grants, and scholarships recognize and support outstanding contributions
to the field of school librarianship in a variety of categories, including
leadership, reading, information technology, and distinguished service....
Mashing
Up the Library competition winners
UK and Ireland library systems company Talis has announced the winners
of its first Mashing
Up the Library 2006 global competition to encourage innovation in
the display, use, and resuse of data from and about libraries. The first-place
award of $2,000 went to John F. Blyberg of Ann Arbor (Mich.) District
Library for his entry, Go-Go-Google-Gadget,
and the second-place award of $1,000 to the Alliance Library System in
East Peoria, Illinois, for its Second
Life Library 2.0 entry....
Talis, Sept. 11; ALA TechSource blog, Sept. 11
Apply
for James Patterson PageTurner Awards
Thriller novelist James Patterson (right) is offering a $100,000 award
this year to any school or university that best instills the importance
and joy of reading in its students. Two other $50,000 awards will be given
to any group or individual who encourages the excitement of books and
reading. The deadline is October 16....
Hachette Book Group
National
Collections Care Award
Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic
and Artistic Works invite nominations for the 2007 Award for Outstanding
Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections. The annual award
honors archives, museums, and libraries that have demonstrated exemplary
and sustained commitment to caring for their collections....
Heritage Preservation, Sept. 7
Judith
Russell to retire
Superintendent of Documents Judith C. Russell announced September 13 that
she will be retiring early next year. Russell has been key in designing
the Federal Depository Library Program of the future, creating GPO Access,
and developing innovative plans for the publications sales program. Prior
to her appointment by Public Printer Bruce James in 2003, Russell spent
five years at GPO in the 1990s directing the agency’s electronic
dissemination operation and the FDLP.
Government Printing Office, Sept. 13
Flood-damaged
libraries to get $61,000 from state, NYLA
Libraries in south-central New York will receive $55,000 in state funding
to help recover from summer flood damage and for capital improvement and
equipment. The New York Library Association collected $6,000 in donations
and will award $1,000 grants to six public libraries damaged during the
June floods....
Oneonta (N.Y.) Daily Star,
Sept. 13
Arson
ruins Spokane school library
A fire set at 3:30 a.m. September 8 at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane,
Washington, destroyed
the interior of the library, charred thousands of library materials,
and shattered exterior windows. No injuries were reported, but classes
were canceled because of smoke damage and unsafe carbon monoxide levels
throughout the South Hill school....
Spokane (Wash.) Statesman-Review,
Sept. 8–9
Kahuku
library patrons fuming at vandals
Laie resident Bill Racoma is so ticked off over the vandalized Kahuku
(Hawaii) Public and School Library that he is spearheading a reward campaign
to catch the vandals and prevent further damage. Vandals smashed three
glass windows on the front doors of the Kahuku Library on the night of
September 3–4....
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Sept.
8
E-card
brings Florida State Library to state employees
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month—and Florida library
officials are using the occasion to encourage state workers to sign up
for their electronic state library cards. The e-card gives them access
to specialized online databases not available to the public....
Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat,
Sept. 11
Some
very special collections
As California’s schools have proliferated, collections of books,
manuscripts, photographs, maps, artworks, costumes, scientific instruments,
and specimens of animals, vegetables, and minerals have piled up faster
than dossiers of professors, students, and alumni—thanks to gifts,
purchases, and research expeditions. Every college and university has
at least one library that has amassed much more than predictable texts
and reference materials....
Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12
Frey
and Random House settle lawsuit
Under a tentative legal settlement, readers who said they were defrauded
by James Frey’s best seller, A Million Little Pieces, can
claim refunds, an agreement called unprecedented—and understandable—by
a leading publishing attorney. Readers who bought the book on or before
January 26, the day Frey and his publisher acknowledged that he had made
up parts of the book, would be eligible for a refund of the full suggested
retail price....
Associated Press, Sept. 8
DOPA
and the participation gap (PDF file)
Illinois Library Association Executive Director Robert P. Doyle summarizes
some practical alternatives for teen online safety that are far less intrusive
than the Deleting Online Predators Act (H.R. 5319), passed by the House
in July. The article also includes basic rules of online safety for teens
and talking points on DOPA for librarians and educators....
ILA Reporter 24, no. 5 (Oct.):
16–21
How
to blog a conference
Web information consultant Josh Hallett offers some practical advice on
the tools and strategies you might need to provide online coverage of
your favorite conference. He writes: “Not every organization has
the luxury of having a large blogging staff (whether paid or volunteers).
You might be all on your own, but having some helpers makes a big difference.
If you plan to cover everything, your lowest common denominator is the
maximum number of breakout sessions.”...
Hyku, Sept. 6
The
Wizard Rock movement and literacy
A new music genre called Wizard Rock features songs related to the Harry
Potter books, played by bands like the Remus Lupins and Harry and the
Potters. Josh Bernstein writes: “Almost every one of these bands
on their Myspace or website mention that one of their goals is to promote
literacy. Some even have links to sites or pdfs you can download explaining
how to help promote literacy in your own area.”...
Alternative Teen Services, Sept. 8
Six
tips to protect your online search privacy
Google, MSN Search, Yahoo!, AOL, and most other search engines collect
and store records of your search queries. If these records are revealed
to others, they can be embarrassing or even cause great harm. The Electronic
Frontier Foundation has developed six privacy tips ranging from the simple
to more complicated measures that offer near-complete safety....
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Sept. 12
New
West Point library to open in 2008
It required moving a statue of General Patton and blasting away 28,000
cubic yards of granite rock, but West Point cadets in March 2008 will
have a magnificent new library and hi-tech interactive learning center
on the United States Military Academy’s famous Hudson Valley campus.
Designed by STV architects and engineers, the new Jefferson Hall will
be the first academic building on the campus since 1972....
U.S. Military Academy
Wikipedia
vs. Britannica: The debate
Can Wikipedia’s everyone’s-an-editor approach produce a reliable
resource tool without scholarly oversight? Are traditional encyclopedias
like Britannica limited by lack of input? The Wall Street Journal
Online invited Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to discuss the topic
with Dale Hoiberg, editor-in-chief of Britannica. The paper published
their exchange, carried out over e-mail....
Wall Street Journal, Sept.
12
Comments
on IMLS/NCLIS consolidation
The Institute of Museum and Library Services released a summary of comments
September 13 on its draft plan for consolidating the functions of the
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the public
and state library surveys of the National Center for Education Statistics.
Overall, the 25 commenters felt that combining data collection, policy,
and grant making in one agency would result in stronger federal support
for library data collection and information policy....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 13
IMLS
grants to Native American communities
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced an award of $1,781,300
September 12 that will go to 15
Native American tribal communities and Alaska Native villages to improve
library services to their communities. More than 53 applications were
received, requesting $7,135,926....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 12
Gulf
Coast School Library Recovery Initiative, the next round
The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries is accepting grant
applications from Gulf Coast–area school libraries destroyed or severely
damaged by the 2005 hurricanes. The deadline is October 13....
Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries
November
2 is National Mock Election Day
On November 2, American students and parents in all 50 states, Washington,
D.C., and around the world will cast their votes for president, senators,
congressmen, and governors (where there is a race) and on key national
issues. The National Student/Parent Mock Election is the nation’s
largest voter education project. Find out how your school can get involved....
National Student/Parent Mock Election
Sip
tea with Agatha Christie’s grandson
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers are offering, for librarians only,
a grand prize of round-trip airfare to London for two, hotel accommodations
for two nights, and an invitation from Mathew Prichard, Dame Agatha’s
only grandson and the chairman of Agatha Christie, Ltd., to join him for
tea at Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair. Enter the contest before September
20....
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
What’s
all the fuss about FRBR?
(PDF file)
For those who may have missed it, in its March issue the MINITEX Library
Information Network newsletter had a nice overview of Functional Requirements
for Bibliographic Records and how they are forcing changes in cataloging
standards and online databases. For up-to-the minute FRBR facts, try William
Denton’s FRBR Blog....
MINITEX/OCLC Mailing, Mar.,
pp. 5–7
Readers of all ages can vote
for their favorite challenged books. Organized by age group, the
books all have faced expulsion from U.S. schools and libraries in the
last 25 years. Votes will be tallied and announced Monday, October 2.
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The Online
Placement Center for the 2006 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color,
Dallas, TX, October 11–15, is now online.
All services are free to job seekers—not just ALA and/or JCLC members
or on-site attendees. You may use this service even if you won’t
be able to attend the conference.
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If you already have the entire ALA
banned book poster collection, try out this one from the American
Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.
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