September
20, 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
EPA
library closings continue despite protests
Touting it as part of a plan to put more information online, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has been closing its regional libraries
in spite of protests by federal employees. The Chicago library shut its
doors August 28, and the Dallas and Kansas City, Missouri, libraries are
set to close by the end of September....
IMLS
gets feedback on NCLIS and NCES survey consolidation
The Institute of Museum and Library Services released a summary September
13 of comments on its July draft plan to consolidate the policy functions
of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the
public and state library surveys of the National Center for Education
Statistics into its operations....
Homeless
patrons win in Worcester
The Worcester (Mass.) Public Library board of directors decided September
12 to permit homeless patrons who receive mail at a shelter or elsewhere
to check out as many books as any other patrons. The decision followed
a class action lawsuit filed in July by the Legal Assistance Corporation
of Central Massachusetts and the American Civil Liberties Union, charging
that the library’s borrowing policies were unfairly restricting access
for residents who live in homeless shelters....
Arrests
made in middle school library arson
Three 15-year-old boys have been arrested in the torching of the Sacajawea
Middle School in Spokane, Washington. The early-morning fire on September
8 gutted the media center, which was set ablaze by igniting gasoline that
had been poured around the library, but thanks to a quick response from
firefighters the flames did not spread to any other area of the campus....
D.C.
residents rally for branches again
Washingtonians gathered at a closed branch of the District of Columbia
Public Library the first week of September to demand its immediate reopening.
The protest, sponsored by the D.C. Library Renaissance Project, took place
at the Anacostia branch, one of four closed in December 2004 for reconstruction....
Prison
uncovers library book drug-smuggling scam
The Michigan Department of Corrections has foiled a plot to smuggle drugs
hidden in borrowed public library books into a state prison. State Police
Detective Sgt. Edward Doyle said in the September 13 Grand Rapids Press
that a scheme at the Carson City (Mich.) Correctional Facility was discovered
through an informant before any drugs entered the prison....
Australian
university library removes alleged jihad books
Fearing that federal authorities could press charges under the Australian
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005, the University of Melbourne has removed three
books on Islamic jihad by Abdullah Azzam from open shelves in the Baillieu
Library. Two of the books—Defence of the Muslim Lands and
Join the Caravan—were banned from importation by a federal
review board in July that found them liable to incite acts of terrorism
and martyrdom....
We
the People Bookshelf theme is the “Pursuit of Happiness”
Part of the National Endowment for the Humanities We the People
initiative, the Bookshelf
is a grant program created to encourage young people to read and understand
great literature while exploring themes in American history. This year’s
theme is the “Pursuit of Happiness.” In spring 2007, NEH and
ALA will select 2,000 libraries to receive the Bookshelf....
Freedom
to Read Foundation organizational memberships
As part of its efforts to meet increasing challenges to intellectual freedom,
the Freedom to Read Foundation has established an organizational membership
category. This new dues structure offers libraries, businesses, and nonprofits
a greater opportunity to support librarians throughout the country who
are facing attempts to restrict access to library materials and services....
|
|
Meg
Cabot records Teen Read Week PSAs
The author of The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot, has recorded two
Public Service Announcements for Teen Read Week, October 15–21. The
PSAs, in MP3 format and available for downloading,
are meant for librarians to use in raising awareness about Teen Read Week
in their communities....
AASL
unveils new committee structure
The AASL board of directors has adopted a new committee structure to better
align the division with its new strategic plan. The new
structure will maintain fewer standing committees and employ more
task-oriented work groups to carry forward the association’s mission....
Register
for PLA Spring Symposium
PLA is now accepting registrations for its Spring
Symposium to be held in San Jose, California, at the Fairmont San
Jose, March 1–3, 2007. Registrations will be accepted by fax, mail,
or online through January 29. The 2007 Symposium will feature six one-and-a-half-day-long
workshops targeted toward a variety of public library professionals....
ACRL
offers three CE workshops at Midwinter
ACRL is presenting three professional-development workshops January 19
in conjunction with the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The advance
registration deadline is December 8....
Liaison
librarian makes connections in Ghana (PDF
file)
Robin Bergart, liaison librarian at the University of Guelph, Ontario,
describes her adventures in improving the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
department library (shown at right) at the University of Ghana in Accra....
International Leads 20, no.
3 (Sept.)
New
ALCTS award honors Ross Atkinson
In conjunction with its 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2007, ALCTS has
established the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. This new award
honors the legacy of Ross Atkinson, distinguished library leader, author,
and scholar whose extraordinary service to ALCTS and the library community
at large serves as a model for those in the field....
Carlie
Webber named winner of YALSA audiobook contest
Carlie Webber of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System in Hackensack,
New Jersey, has won the opportunity to record a literacy message at the
end of an audiobook, courtesy of Listening Library. The contest, a part
of “Reading with Your Ears,” a YALSA preconference on audiobooks
at ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, involved participants recording
a sample of an audiobook....
GODORT
2006 award recipients
The Government Documents Round Table recognized five individuals in 2006
for their work and service: Grace Ann York (James Bennett Childs Award),
Sherry Mosley (“Documents to the People” Award), Julie Linden
(Catharine J. Reynolds Research Grant), Ann Marie Sanders (Hoduski Founders
Award), and Kevin Reynolds (Rozkuszka Scholarship)....
Apply
for the Ingenta Research Award
The Library Research Round Table encourages applications for the Ingenta
Award, a grant of up to $6,000 for a research study and $1,000 for travel
to a national or international conference to present the results. The
award is given to support projects involving the acquisition, use, and
preservation of digital information. The deadline is March 31, 2007....
ALSC
professional awards
ALSC offers awards that provide travel support for continuing education
opportunities, honor individuals for superior service to the division
or the profession, and recognize and support outstanding library programming
for children. The application or nomination deadline for all the awards
is December 1....
Laura
Bush 21st Century Librarian Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services invites libraries, archives,
library agencies, associations, and consortia to apply for the Laura Bush
21st Century Librarian grant program. The program supports efforts to
recruit and educate the next generation of librarians and the faculty
who will prepare them for careers in library science. The deadline is
December 15....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 18
Marchionini
wins LACASIS award
Gary Marchionini, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SILS, has
been selected as the 2006 recipient of the Contribution to Information
Science Award, given by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology to honor an individual who has made
significant contributions to the field of information science....
Los Angeles Chapter, ASIS&T
|
A
Kansan in the Ninth Ward (PDF file) |
Texas
Tech student thief caught
22-year-old student assistant Jonathan Nunley was indicted in August on
a third-degree felony theft charge after more than $75,000 worth of Texas
Tech University Library books found their way to an online retailer. Between
March 30 and July 31, police believe Nunley sent or arranged to send more
than 1,000 books to an Oregon-based online book buyer specializing in
textbooks and nonfiction....
Lubbock (Tex.) Avalanche-Journal,
Sept. 17
Vatican
opens a portion of its secret archives
The Vatican opened part of its secret archives September 18 to let historians
review some 30,000 bundles of documents from the 1922–1939 papacy
of Pius XI to gain insight into how the Holy See dealt with the growing
persecution of Jews before World War II. The opening is part of the Vatican’s
efforts to defend Pius’ successor, the wartime Pope Pius XII, against
claims he did not do enough to save Jews from the Holocaust....
Associated Press, Sept. 18
Florida
International gets a world-class Cuban music collection
What is likely the most complete collection of Cuban music anywhere is
housed in Florida International University’s Green Library. The collection
of the island’s seminal music—the origin of genres from salsa
to Latin jazz—as well as items from other Latin American countries,
is the result of two generous gifts....
Miami Herald, Sept. 17
Small-town
WWII letters collection goes to LC
As the town’s unofficial historian, Virginia Hoare always knew the
contributions Seneca, Missouri, gave to the World War II war effort. Now,
because of her, a rich compilation of Seneca soldiers’ and sailors’
letters and pictures, as well as a treasure of other 1940s tidbits with
a local flair, have recently landed a place in scrapbook form at the Library
of Congress....
Neosho (Mo.) Daily News, Sept.
18
Rural
Kansas public libraries survive, but just barely
Because of declining population and a tiny property tax base, one-third
of the 54 libraries that are part of the Central Kansas Library System
can’t raise enough tax revenue to pay a librarian to work just 10
hours a week. The key to survival for small libraries, said James Swan,
administrator of the Great Bend-based system, is “the will of the
people.”...
Salina (Kans.) Journal, Sept.
3
Philadelphia
Free Library to get $9.5 million for expansion
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced September 18 that the state
is investing $9.5 million in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s central
branch expansion and renovation project, saying such investments are important
to the city’s revitalization and future....
PR Newswire, Sept. 18
Maritime
Museum library closes to the public
The San Francisco Maritime Museum’s library, which has the largest
collection of materials on ships and the sea on the Pacific Coast, will
close to the public, except by appointment, effective October 1. In addition
to cutting public access, the library’s budget will be reduced by
a third as part of a realignment at the San Francisco Maritime National
Historical Park....
San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 15
Arsonists
torch Santa Cruz County high school
Someone set fire to the San Lorenzo Valley High School in Felton, California,
September 16, completely destroying 11,000 books, furniture, and dozens
of computers in the school library. Officials estimate the damage at more
than $2 million....
Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel,
Sept. 19
Salt
Lake Library returns to normal after blast
The Salt Lake City, Utah, Main Library remained a prime page-turning venue
last weekend, despite a pipe-bomb explosion September 15 that broke a
window and led to the building’s evacuation....
Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 17
Scottish
doctors prescribe self-help books
Self-help books are being made available on prescription in Fife and Glasgow,
Scotland, in an attempt to tackle depression, eating disorders, and other
mental-health issues. The scheme allows patients to borrow the books anonymously
from local libraries for up to six weeks....
The Scotsman, Sept. 6
Teacher
education is out of step with classroom reality, report says
The vast majority of the nation’s teachers are prepared in programs
that have low admission and graduation standards and cling to an outdated
vision of teacher education, concludes a new four-year study authored
by Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship
Foundation. The report, Educating School Teachers (PDF
file), finds that most education schools are engaged in a “pursuit
of irrelevance,” with curriculums in disarray and faculty disconnected
from classrooms and colleagues....
Education Schools Project, Sept. 18
Science
fiction and science are partners in China
The link between science fiction and actual scientific progress may seem
specious to those reared on Western sci-fi, but in China the connection
isn’t so far-fetched. With China’s forays into space generating
interest in all things extraterrestrial, Chinese science-fiction fans
have achieved critical mass. This year, Beijing announced that it would
start awarding prizes for sci-fi literature....
Seed Magazine, Sept. 12
Will
research sharing keep pace with the internet?
(PDF file)
SPARC’s Richard K. Johnson writes: “By seamlessly linking data,
knowledge, and users, the emerging research environment promises to catapult
science ahead. And, given the complex scientific, social, and economic
challenges that face us, the arrival of these new capacities is coming
none too soon.”...
Journal of Neuroscience 26
(Sept. 13, 2006): 9349–9351
Achieving
success, aloha style
(PDF file)
Under the guidance of its library media specialists, Kapolei High School
and its students have been recognized in Hawaii, nationally, and internationally
for their success in raising reading and math scores. In this interview,
Kapolei High library media specialist Carolyn Kirio discusses the guiding
principles of her school’s efforts and explains how other schools
might model its success....
Cable in the Classroom, Oct.,
pp. 8–9
UK
library buildings’ survey published
A report published by the UK Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council
shows 70% of England’s public library buildings are fit for their
purpose and meet health and safety standards. The report (PDF
file) estimates the cost of bringing the remaining 30% of library
buildings up to standard at £760 million ($1.4 billion U.S.)....
eGov Monitor, Sept. 18
Dvorak
tackles translation software
PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak weighs in on online translation
software: “If computers can now play a credible world-class game
of chess, then they should be able to translate complex sentences written
in the world’s major languages. They should be able to translate
to and from English, to and from French, and to and from Russian. I eventually
expect a translation to and from Chinese and Japanese, too. Exactly what’s
the hangup?”...
PC Magazine, Sept. 18
Store
your records on the Moon
Hollow lava tubes on the Moon could be used as a giant digital library.
That’s one commercial possibility for the Moon, put forth in a white
paper by NASA astrobiologist David McKay. The lunar computers could be
buried in lunar soil, put at the bottom of craters, or set into lava tubes,
which are subsurface caves in which lava used to flow....
Short Sharp Science blog, Sept. 20
The ALA Office for Diversity seeks submissions for its bulletin, Versed,
which focuses on best practices in library-based diversity work. Published
five times a year online, the next print issue will be distributed at
the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.
|
|
|
In March, 73 senators voted for the Arlen Specter/Tom Harkin amendment
that provided an additional $7 billion for education and related programs
in the FY2007 budget resolution. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee
reported out a bill that is $2 billion short of the FY2005 level, ignoring
the amendment. Visit ALA’s Legislative
Action Center for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About 800 of them a month, for that matter. Founded in 1924 to provide support to ALA staff and members researching library policies and practices, the ALA Library responds to questions from around the globe. Q. Help! With Banned Books Week approaching, a 6th-grade teacher in my school assigned her class a project of investigating why particular books have been banned. What resources are there to help me? A. As you might guess, this is a “Frequently Answered Question” at this time of the year . . . see the website for our answer. Send us a question and we’ll publish the best one in a future issue of AL Direct. |
|
|