Having trouble viewing this HTML e-mail? Click here [<%= util.viewHtmlLink %>]. March 7, 2007 Contents U.S. & World News [#usworld] ALA News [#alanews] Booklist Online [#booklist] D.C. Update [#dcupdate] Division News [#divisionnews] Round Table News [#roundtable] Awards [#awards] Seen Online [#seenonline] Tech Talk [#techtalk] Actions & Answers [#actionsanswers] Poll [#poll] Calendar [#datebook] [http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=81] [http://www.sirsidynix.com] U.S. & World News ==================================================================================================== House to consider social networking bill [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/myspacebill.cfm] Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) reintroduced February 16 the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), which was passed once before by the House 410–15 in July 2006 before dying in the Senate. The bill (H.R. 1120, PDF file [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h1120ih.txt.pdf]) withholds federal e-rate funding from libraries and schools that do not restrict the use of social networking websites by minors. DOPA follows the January 6 Senate introduction by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) of the similar Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act (S. 49, PDF file [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s49is.txt.pdf])... . Passaic assesses plan to close aging branch [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/passaicplan.cfm] At what board President Craig Miller characterized as a “raucous” three-and-a-half hour meeting February 27, the Passaic (N.J.) Public Library board of trustees received community input on a plan to close its 104-year-old Reid Memorial branch, which specializes in services to the city’s Hispanic residents. Library Director Alan Bobowski told residents that the building has a leaky roof that would cost $150,000 to repair, a crumbling foundation, and an upstairs meeting room that’s not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.... Rochester blocks funding threat with filter-policy review [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/rochblock.cfm] The board of the Monroe County (N.Y.) Library System agreed February 28 to conduct a 60-day review of its central library’s longstanding policy of honoring requests by adults to unblock explicit websites and, in the meantime, to refuse all such requests. The action came in response to a threat from County Executive Maggie Brooks to withhold $6.6 million in funding if the library continued to disable filters temporarily at an adult’s request.... Rare manuscript volume stolen from UCLA Special Collections [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/uclatheft.cfm] Campus police are investigating the theft of a bound set of 18th-century manuscripts from an exhibit case in the University of California at Los Angeles library’s special collections department. The volume, part of an archive of materials on the prominent Orsini family of Rome acquired by UCLA in 1964, was stolen sometime between the late afternoon of Friday, February 9, and early the following Monday.... Chicago Public Library granted $1 million for computer training [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/cplgift.cfm] The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has donated $1 million to the Chicago Public Library so that it can provide free computer training to the public. The funds will create the Computer Smarts Program to offer instruction in areas from computer basics and an overview of the library’s resources to advanced search strategies.... Springfield, Mass., library stays put with lawsuit settlement [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2007/march2007/springfield.cfm] Ending a court battle that lasted nearly two years, the mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts, and the president of the city’s Museums Association signed an agreement February 27 that eliminates the threat that the Central Library will be evicted from the site it has occupied since 1912.... ALA News ==================================================================================================== Most challenged books of 2006 [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/mc06.htm] Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex penguin couple, tops the list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and administrators, due to the issues of homosexuality. The list also features two books by author Toni Morrison. The Bluest Eye and Beloved are on the list due to sexual content and offensive language. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 546 challenges last year.... ALA election polls open March 15 [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/ALAelectionpollsMarch15.htm] The polls will open on March 15 for the 2007 ALA election. All paid ALA members as of January 31, 2007, are eligible to vote. Members must submit their ballots by April 24 at 11:59 p.m. CST. All Web voters will receive ballots between March 15 and March 17, in a 48-hour email blast.... Diversity Office calls for research grant proposals [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/DiversityOfficeproposals.htm] The Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grant program. Applicants must be current ALA members, and 2007 proposals must address one of three identified topics: Spectrum as a model for diversity initiatives, diversity within diversity, or multicultural librarianship and pedagogy.... REAL ID Act of 2005 [http://blogs.ala.org/districtdispatch.php?title=repeal_real_id_act_of_2005&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1] ALA has signed on to letters to the U.S. House of Representatives (Congressman Tom Allen, February 26) and Senate (Senators Akaka and Sununu, February 28) expressing support for efforts to repeal the REAL ID Act of 2005. See the ALA website [http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/civilliberties/privacy/privacy.htm#real] for copies of these letters and further reading on the act.... District Dispatch blog, Mar. 5 Featured review: Books for youth [http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1895099] White, Ruth. Way Down Deep. Apr. 2007. 208p. Farrar, hardcover (978-0-374-38251-4). On the first day of summer in 1944, a red-haired toddler appears on the courtroom steps in Way Down Deep, West Virginia. Nobody knows who she is or how she got there. But Miss Arbus, the owner of the boardinghouse, swoops down and brings her home, and the rest of the town takes her to its collective bosom. Then, when Ruby turns 12, a desperate man tries to rob the bank.... [http://bookclub.booklistonline.com/groupee]Calling all readers! [http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1896593] The Booklist Book Club’s partnership with Downers Grove (Ill.) Public Library continues to spark lively exchanges, but we need your help to broaden the discussion. We’ve posted a number of new forums in conjunction with Downers Grove’s active book discussions for March; the registration to participate is quick and easy. Or, if you just want to see what others are saying, feel free to browse.... @ Visit Booklist Online [http://www.booklistonline.com/] for other reviews and much more.... D.C. Update ==================================================================================================== Music in the District [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Washington%2C_D.C.] The music of Washington is known for two primary scenes, hardcore and associated derivatives, and a hip hop/dance music hybrid called go go [http://johnhenry22.tripod.com/gogo1/info/history.html]. The city’s first major musical figure was band leader John Phillip Sousa (1854–1932). Later figures include jazz legends like Duke Ellington and soul singers like Roberta Flack. The city is home to the Washington National Opera [http://www.dc-opera.org/] and the National Symphony Orchestra [http://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/].... Wikipedia Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café [http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2817952-kramerbooks_and_afterwords_district_of_columbia-i] Kramerbooks [http://www.kramers.com/], at 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, was the first café to set up shop in Dupont Circle. It is always crowded, particularly on weekends when singles who would rather skip the bar scene flock to this surprising hot spot. Live music is featured nightly, Wednesday through Saturday. The cafe is a full-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily..... Yahoo! Travel Division News ==================================================================================================== PLA Spring Symposium: Customer service in public libraries [http://plablog.org/2007/03/you-dont-want-to-join-you-want-to-belong.html] Andrea Mercado offers an overview of Karen Hyman’s Spring Symposium presentation on “The Customer-Centered Library: How to Stop Tweaking and Start Doing It with 12 New Steps.” She writes: “We live in a world where libraries compete with the likes of Google, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, at home wi-fi, movies on demand, Netflix, ‘Send to phone’ options, and more; it’s about service.”... PLA Blog, Mar. 2 ACRL now has podcasts [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/ACRLPodcasts.htm] The ACRL Podcasts [http://blogs.ala.org/acrlpodcast.php] provide fresh dimensions on the issues and events in academic librarianship. Podcasts are planned for these areas: ACRL presidential elections, ACRL authors and editors, the ALA Emerging Leaders program, ACRL events, ACRL advocacy, and ACRL how-to.... Round Table News ==================================================================================================== Celebrate the Library Bill of Rights [http://donwood.alablog.org/blog/_archives/2007/3/2/2775403.html] Spend an afternoon in Washington June 21 with library intellectual-freedom activists as the Intellectual Freedom Round Table celebrates one of our profession’s most important documents: ALA’s Library Bill of Rights [http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.htm]. A panel of speakers who have faced challenges will talk about what the document means to them. Then there will be an opportunity to participate in facilitated table discussions of the many Library Bill of Rights interpretations [http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/interpretations/Default675.htm] adopted by ALA Council over the years.... Don Wood: Library 2.0 blog, Mar. 2 Awards ==================================================================================================== ALA names four honorary members [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/hm07.htm] (Left to right) David Cohen, Alice L. Hagemeyer, Anita R. Schiller, and Alphonse F. Trezza were elected to honorary ALA membership in action taken by the ALA Council at the 2007 Midwinter Meeting, held January 19–24 in Seattle. Honorary membership, ALA’s highest honor, is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship.... Anne K. Beaubien wins Virginia Boucher ILL Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/BoucherOCLCAward.htm] Anne K. Beaubien, director and cooperative access aervices and grants officer for the University of Michigan library, is the 2007 Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished Interlibrary Loan Librarian Award recipient. The award, presented by the RUSA Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section, recognizes and honors a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and contributions to ILL and document delivery.... Margaret Mann Citation honors Robert Wolven [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/MargaretMannCitation.htm] Robert Wolven, director of library systems and bibliographic control at Columbia University in New York, is the recipient of the 2007 Margaret Mann Citation presented by the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section. The Mann Citation, recognizing outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or classification, includes a $2,000 scholarship donated in the recipient’s honor by OCLC to the library school of the winner’s choice.... Nancy J. Gibbs receives Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/LeadershipAcquisitions.htm] The ALCTS Acquisitions Section has selected Nancy J. Gibbs, head of acquisitions at Duke University, to receive its 2007 Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award. The award, sponsored annually by Harrassowitz, is given to a librarian to recognize contributions and outstanding leadership in the field of acquisitions and includes a $1,500 gift.... Robert Bothmann wins Esther J. Piercy Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/EstherPiercyAward.htm] Robert L. Bothmann, electronic access/catalog librarian at the Minnesota State University at Mankato library, is the winner of the 2007 ALCTS Esther J. Piercy Award. As webmaster, treasurer, and membership coordinator for OLAC (On-Line Audiovisual Catalogers), Bothmann has worked to impart a clearer understanding of media cataloging and its management to an international library audience.... First Step Award to Paula Webb [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/FirstStepAward.htm] Paula Webb, serials/interlibrary loan librarian at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, is the recipient of the 2007 First Step Award, a Wiley Professional Development Grant presented by the ALCTS Serials Section.... Banks/Harris Preservation Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/BanksHarrisPreservation.htm] Walter Henry, lead analyst in the Preservation Department at Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources, is the winner of the 2007 ALCTS Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award. Henry is known internationally as the moderator of the Conservation DistList and the creator and administrator of Conservation OnLine (CoOL), indispensable tools for communication and dissemination of knowledge within the field.... Julia Blixrud receives Serials Librarianship Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/CSAULrichSerialsAward.htm] Julia Blixrud, assistant executive director for external relations of the Association of Research Libraries, is the winner of the 2007 ALCTS CSA/Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award. Blixrud’s contributions have influenced virtually every aspect of serials work from cataloging to publishing to access.... Blackwell’s Scholarship Award honors the late Ross Atkinson [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/BlackwellsScholarship.htm] The Blackwell’s Scholarship Award for 2007 is awarded to the late Ross Atkinson for his article, “Six Key Challenges for the Future of Collection Development,” published in Library Resources & Technical Services 50, no. 4 (Oct. 2007): 244–251.... Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/BestofLRTSAward.htm] Jim Stemper, electronic resources librarian at the University of Minnesota libraries, and Susan Barribeau, electronic resources librarian for collection development at the University of Wisconsin at Madison libraries, have won the 2007 Best of LRTS Award for their article, “Perpetual Access to Electronic Journals: A Survey of One Academic Research Library’s Licenses,” published in Library Resources & Technical Services 50, no. 2 (Apr. 2006): 91–109.... Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/GilchristISDudleyAward.htm] Debra L. Gilchrist, dean of library and media services at Pierce College in Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup, Washington, is the winner of the ACRL Instruction Section’s Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian Award. The honor recognizes a librarian who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of instruction in a college or research library environment.... Marta Lange/CQ Press Award winner [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/LeMartaLangeCQPresswinne.htm] Binh P. Le, associate librarian at Penn State Abington, has been named the 2007 recipient of the ACRL Law and Political Science Section’s Marta Lange/CQ Press Award. The award, established in 1996 by LPSS, honors an academic or law librarian who has made distinguished contributions to bibliography and information service in law or political science.... Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship awarded [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/KimDissertationwinner.htm] Jihyun Kim, graduate student instructor at the University of Michigan School of Information, has been awarded the 2007 ACRL Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for her proposal, “Faculty Self-Archiving Behavior: Methods and Factors Affecting the Decision to Self-Archive.”... ACRL Best Practices in Marketing awards [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/ACRLBestPracticesawards.htm] Eastern Illinois University and Winston-Salem State University have won the ACRL Best Practices in Marketing @ your library Award. The awards will be presented at the ACRL 13th National Conference in Baltimore during the keynote luncheon on Friday, March 30. The award recognizes academic or research libraries that demonstrate an outstanding best practices marketing program. Each winning institution will receive $2,000.... Community and Junior College Libraries Program Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/ACRLCommunityJuniorAward.htm] The Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities at Spokane (Wash.) Community College has received the ACRL Community and Junior College Libraries Section’s EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Program Achievement Award.... Sage Support Staff travel grants awarded [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/Sagegrantsawarded.htm] Six library support staff have been awarded a 2007 ALCTS/SAGE Library Support Staff Travel Grant. These grants provide airfare, three nights’ lodging, and conference registration to attend the 2007 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.... ACRL staffer selected for John Jacob Astor Award [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/DeissAstorAward.htm] Kathryn Deiss, ACRL content strategist, has been awarded the 2007 John Jacob Astor Award for Library and Information Science by the Checkpoint Charlie Foundation, Berlin, Germany. She has been selected for her extensive workshops on the topics of library management and leadership, change, creativity, and innovation in the United States, Canada, Austria, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.... James Patterson PageTurner Awards [http://www.pattersonpageturner.org/winners2006.html] Author James Patterson announced March 2 the 39 winners of the 2006 James Patterson PageTurner Awards, who will receive cash prizes totaling $500,000. The top winner of $100,000 is the Seattle Public Library’s Washington Center for the Book [http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=about_leaders_washingtoncenter], which originated the “One City, One Book” concept in 1996.... PageTurner Awards, Mar. 2 Canada Reads panel makes its choice [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2007/03/02/canada-reads-friday.html] Lullabies for Little Criminals, the story of a pre-teen girl surviving on the streets of Montreal, has won the all-star edition of CBC Radio One’s Canada Reads contest. The debut novel by Heather O’Neill tells the story of 12-year-old Baby and her drug-addicted father, Jules, as they live a life of poverty and she tries to escape her desperate situation.... CBC Arts, Mar. 2 Library wins award for corporate look [http://www.greaterdaytonadassociation.org/hermes2007winners.php] Washington-Centerville (Ohio) Public Library was recently honored with a gold Hermes Award for excellence in advertising by the Greater Dayton Advertising Association. The award, which recognized the library’s corporate look as one of the exceptional local examples of mixed media campaigns, is given annually.... Greater Dayton Advertising Association Seen Online ==================================================================================================== Justice Department takes aim at image sharing [http://news.com.com/Justice+Department+takes+aim+at+image-sharing+sites/2100-1028_3-6163679.html] The Bush administration has accelerated its internet surveillance push by proposing that websites must keep records of who uploads photographs or videos in case police determine the content is illegal and choose to investigate. Universities and libraries would reportedly be excluded. “There’s a PR concern with including the libraries, so we’re not going to include them,” a participant in a private meeting in Washington February 28 quoted the Justice Department as saying. “We know we’re going to get a pushback, so we’re not going to do that.”... C|net news, Mar. 2 Critics target Pizza Hut reading program [http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/02/ap3481336.html] You’ve read the book, now eat the pizza. Since 1985, that’s been the gist of Pizza Hut’s Book It, an incentive program used by 50,000 schools nationwide to reward young readers with free pizzas. The program is now under attack by child-development experts who say it promotes bad eating habits and turns teachers into corporate promoters.... Associated Press, Mar. 2 Fair use for digital content [http://www.boucher.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1011&Itemid=75] A bill (H.R. 1201) that would make it easier for scholars to use copyrighted works without running afoul of copyright law was introduced in Congress last week by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.). The legislation contains several improvements to the Digital Media Consumer’s Rights Act, similar legislation which the lawmakers introduced in the 108th and 109th Congresses.... Congressman Rick Boucher, Feb. 27 Random House, HarperCollins publish online excerpts [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700725.html] Random House has made online excerpts available from books by Toni Morrison, Calvin Trillin, and thousands of others as publishers continue their push to sell more books through the internet. The Random House search and browser program, Insight, was officially launched February 27. Earlier in the week, HarperCollins announced its own Browse Inside “widget” program, with excerpts available from books by Michael Crichton, Sidney Poitier, and many others.... Associated Press, Feb. 27 Patents on the Web [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030401263.html] The Patent and Trademark Office is starting a pilot project that will not only post patent applications on the Web and invite comments but also use a community rating system designed to push the most respected comments to the top of the file, for serious consideration by the agency’s examiners. It’s quite a switch. For generations, the agency responsible for awarding patents has kept its distance from the very technological advances it has made possible.... Washington Post, Mar. 5 Largest library closure in the U.S. looms [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/04/MNGC7N6Q3M1.DTL&hw=jackson+county&sn=00 1&sc=1000] Jackson County in southern Oregon is getting ready to shut down its entire library system April 7. Not long after all 15 branches were rebuilt or remodeled, every one will be shuttered in what’s being called the largest library shutdown in the United States. The crisis in Oregon can be traced not only to changing funding priorities on Capitol Hill, but also to crooked railroad deals in the Wild West, a spotted owl, and a shrinking timber harvest. But support seems to be growing for a one-year renewal [http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0306/local/stories/dc-trip-dm.htm] of the federal timber subsidy.... San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 4; Medford (Oreg.) Mail Tribune, Mar. 6 House panel modifies West Virginia library funding bill [http://wvgazette.com/section/Today/2007030524] A West Virginia House of Delegates committee amended a Senate bill March 5 to ensure that nine counties will continue to receive funding for libraries through local school boards. The bill (SB 541) would have allowed county school boards to continue to receive the funding, but pushed them to have their own voter-approved excess levies. It moved the state money for education in counties down to 94%, from the current 98%, leaving enough money to pay the libraries’ levy.... Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette, Mar. 6 Harry Potter on the horizon [http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2007/03/06/arlington/news/nws663b.txt] This year, July 21 will mean only one thing to many people: the release date of the long-awaited seventh installment of the Harry Potter series. Even though the book will not be out for more than four months, northern Virginia’s libraries are getting prepared. As soon as publisher Scholastic announced the release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, hold lists for the book grew rapidly at libraries in Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun County.... Arlington (Va.) Sun Gazette, Mar. 5 Library research on rap music [http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/03/03/20070303-D1-04.html] A class in rap research is helping Ohio State University freshmen learn, in a palatable way, how to do college-level research. A hip-hop scholar herself, instructor and OSU Fine Arts Librarian Leta Hendricks worried that nobody would sign up, but the two-hour, once-a-week seminar filled quickly with 17 rap fans.... Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Mar. 3 LibraryThing as social networking [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/business/yourmoney/04novel.html] Social networks that tap the interests and buying power of traditionally reserved groups like the bookish are a small but growing force on the Web. Kathryn Havemann, an indexing analyst for LexisNexis in Dayton, is among the 150,000 or so members of LibraryThing [http://www.LibraryThing.com], a site that lets people create detailed online book catalogs, learn about the collections of other members, discover shared favorites, and swap recommendations.... New York Times, Mar. 4 Tech Talk ==================================================================================================== Are you ready for Daylight Savings Time? [http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2100064,00.asp] The latest crise du jour stems from the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which moves daylight saving time forward by about three weeks to March 11. The result? This time change is likely to throw off computer users’ operating systems and Outlook calendars. Find out how to fix it here.... PC Magazine, Mar. 5 Global computer shutdown day, March 24 [http://shutdownday.org/] People would find life extremely difficult without computers, perhaps impossible. If they disappeared for just one day, would we be able to cope? Be part of an experiment to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day and what will happen if we all participate. Can you survive for 24 hours without a computer?... Shutdown Day Bibliographic control has a future [http://blogs.ala.org/pace.php?title=bibliographic_control_has_a_future] Andrew Pace writes: “It does. Though, after spending 30 minutes last night describing the problem to my wife, I sure wish we had called it ‘the future of finding stuff online.’ I’m headed out this morning for a meeting convened by the Library of Congress’s working group on the Future of Bibliographic Control [http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/]. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about data, relevance, and subject access to metadata records. It seems that everyone is after a less expensive way to do what libraries have always done. Not a bad goal.” Find out more here [http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2007/03/dear-library-of-congress.html].... Hectic Pace blog, Mar. 7; ALA TechSource blog, Mar. 7 Life on the Island [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/inetlibrarian/2007columns/internetmar07.cfm] Joe Janes writes: “Info Island. Doesn’t that conjure up fascinating images? Palm trees swaying in a tropical breeze, sun dappling a cool and green lagoon, languorous string music wafting in the background, librarians in sarongs peeling fruit and answering reference questions. OK, that took a sort of odd turn there. There is a real Info Island—real in a certain sense. It’s real to a lot of people and from at least one perspective, not real at all. It’s in Second Life.”... Internet Librarian, American Libraries 38, no. 3 (Mar. 2007): 34 Money, money, money at Midwinter [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/techspeaking/2007columns/techmar2007.cfm] Andrew Pace writes: “Deep Throat was right. Or at least Hal Holbrook (who portrayed him in All the President’s Men) was when he told Robert Redford (as Bob Woodward) to ‘Follow the money.’ Well, money was talking, as they say, at ALA Midwinter in Seattle, where over 12,000 librarians, library workers, and exhibitors gathered in January. Those are pretty good numbers for a Midwinter turnout, and ‘pretty good numbers’ seems to be what just about everyone out there is looking for these days.”... Technically Speaking, American Libraries 38, no. 3 (Mar. 2007): 30–32 Bavarian library joins Google Book Search [http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2007/03/bavarian-state-library-becomes-largest.html] Google plans to digitize more than a million public-domain books in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [http://www.bsb-muenchen.de/] (the Bavarian State Library), according to Jens Redmer, head of Google Book Search in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.... Inside Google Book Search blog, Mar. 6 Medical library tech trends [http://medlibtechtrends.wordpress.com/] Find out what several librarians in the field of health care librarianship think are the most important technological trends.... Medical Library Tech Trends 2007 blog Library 2.0 Ning network [http://library20.ning.com/] Bill Drew, systems librarian at the State University of New York at Morrisville, has set up a social networking site on Ning for librarians and others interested in Library 2.0. Like other Ning networks, this one offers L2 feeds, podcasts, videos, photos, member bios, and a forum.... Library 2.0 Actions & Answers ==================================================================================================== LC adds to National Recordings Registry [http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-039.html] Librarian of Congress James H. Billington named sound recordings made by 25 musicians to the National Recording Registry March 6 to be preserved for all time. Among the selections are Franklin D. Roosevelt’s address to Congress after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941; Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1965); Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland; “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones; and other notable performances by Jelly Roll Morton, the Carter Family, Bob Marley, Arthur Rubinstein, Cole Porter, Eubie Blake, and Sarah Vaughan.... Library of Congress, Mar. 6 Bodleian ephemera to go digital [http://www.proquest.com/pressroom/pressrelease/07/20070305.shtml] The Joint Information Systems Committee announced March 5 that it will be funding a unique partnership between ProQuest CSA and Oxford University Library Services to digitize more than 65,000 items from the Bodleian Library’s John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera. [http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/johnson/johnson.htm] Containing 1.5 million items ranging from 1508 to 1939, it spans the entire range of printing and social history. It was assembled by John de Monins Johnson (1882–1956), printer to the university, who was visionary in his preservation of Britain’s vulnerable paper heritage.... ProQuest CSA, Mar. 5 Murder in the library, part 1 [http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/03/murder-in-the-library-part-i-a-%e2%80%93-h/] George Eberhart writes: “Murder in the library, as a literary plot, holds a certain peculiar fascination for many readers (especially librarians). Some of the plots revolve around specific rare books, but most are set in mythical academic and research libraries in the United States and United Kingdom. Here are a few titles (arranged alphabetically by author) to get you started.”... Britannica Blog, Mar. 5 Room for readers [http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0703/feature4.html] Many schools are losing their librarians just when they need them the most. Because of cutbacks and funding decisions, some districts, such as Federal Way in Kings County, Washington, have lost more than half of their credentialed librarians. While reading is fundamental and literacy a growing focus, school libraries must still compete for precious school resources—space, money, staff, even respect. In response, librarians are finding new and creative ways to reach readers—both in and outside of school.... NEA Today, Mar. now in full text [http://www.hwwilson.com/news/news_3_2_07.htm] Wilson Library Bulletin, the trade magazine for librarians published from 1914 to 1995, now enjoys a second life as part of two leading H. W. Wilson library and information science databases. Full-text plus full-color PDF page images from the publication will run on Wilson’s Library Literature & Information Science Full Text and Library Literature & Information Science Retrospective databases, at no extra charge to subscribers.... H. W. Wilson, Mar. 2 U.S.–China education exchange [http://www.mls.lib.il.us/ennounce/2007/01_03/USChinaexchange.asp] Alice Calabrese-Berry writes about her experiences as part of a delegation of 20 librarians to the People’s Republic of China in November 2006 sponsored by the People to People Ambassador’s progran and the China Education Association for International Exchange. Led by former ALA President John W. Barry, the delegates were paired with American K–12 computer education teachers.... Metropolitan Library System E-nnounce 1, no. 3 (Feb. 21) The next generation of superheroes [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200701/the.next.generation.of.superheroes.htm] The first English edition of The 99, a comic-book series whose superheroes are based on Islamic culture, was released in November 2006. Created by Kuwaiti psychologist Naif Al-Mutawa, the series features superheroes who are all imbued with the 99 qualities that the Qu’ran attributes to God. The plot surrounds the search for 99 mystical Noor stones, in which the librarians of Baghdad’s House of Wisdom had hidden the library’s knowledge from the Mongols in 1258.... Saudi Aramco World 58, no. 1 (Jan./Feb.) Calgary Public Library television announcement [http://youtube.com/watch?v=rQZk0CKgkIg] This 30-second PSA, “The greatest stories ever told,” from the Calgary (Alta.) Public Library demonstrates both simplicity of presentation and cleverness of message.... YouTube New Australian TV show about librarians [http://abc.net.au/corp/pubs/media/s1860093.htm] The humble suburban library takes on a new meaning in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s new six-part comedy-drama series The Librarians, which starts production March 5 in Melbourne. Head Librarian Frances O’Brien (played by Robyn Butler) unravels when she is forced to employ her ex-best friend—now a drug dealer—as the children’s librarian. Apparently O’Brien is Catholic and repressed and has difficulty dealing [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/fun-between-the-covers/2006/12/25/1166895234791.html] with Muslim, Asian, and gay patrons.... Australian Broadcasting Corp., Mar. 1; Melbourne Age, Dec. 28 Books for soldiers [http://booksforsoldiers.com/index.php] This website sets you up as an official volunteer to send books, DVDs, games, and other supplies to any deployed American soldier, airman, sailor, marine, or coast guardsman who has an APO or FPO address. The site complies with Department of Defense guidelines that require enlisted personnel to request a package. Once you are approved as a Books for Soldiers volunteer, you can choose a branch of the service and select from a long list of requests.... Books for Soldiers Army’s Fort Huachuca library closes [http://www.imcom.army.mil/site/news/huachuca_library.asp] The library at the Army’s Fort Huachuca installation in Arizona closed its doors March 1, but the Sierra Vista Public Library will offer its services to the military community there. After extensive analysis, post officials determined having the city provide library services to Army personnel was both cost-effective and beneficial. The municipal partnership was approved under congressional authority for Municipal Services Partnerships, received in the FY05 National Defense Authorization Act.... U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Feb. 8 Learning Is Power [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PI2pFw5avc] Adult learners at Springfield (Mass.) City Library’s Read/Write/Now [http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/rwn/specialprojects.htm] Adult Learning Center created a “Learning Is Power” video (17:50) to share their experiences about going back to school to work on basic reading, writing, and math skills. The video has helped the library explain to the public what basic adult education is and how important it is to have a second chance.... YouTube First digital directory of women artist’s papers online [http://waand.rutgers.edu/news/index.php] The first digital directory of archives holding the papers of women artists active in the United States since World War II is now online at Rutgers University. The Women Artists Archives National Directory [http://waand.rutgers.edu] unites online information on more than 80 repositories into a single union catalog. Librarian and art historian Ferris Olin and Professor Emerita Judith K. Brodsky have led the effort to build the directory.... WAAND, Feb. 15 Millikin University Peep research, 2003 [http://www.millikin.edu/staley/peeps/] As Peep season rolls around once again, it’s time to revisit (in case you missed it back then) the excellent 2003 study by Susan Avery and Jennifer Masciadrelli at Millikin University on the ability of Peeps to conduct library research. As they wrote, “we invited a small group of Peeps to visit Staley Library at Millikin University during the week of March 17–21, 2003, so that we could more closely observe their research practices. This was determined to be an ideal week for the Peeps to visit the library, as Millikin University students were on spring break.”... Peep Research [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/midwinter/2007/home.htm] [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/geninfo.htm] The ALA/ProQuest CSA Scholarship Bash [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/scholarshipevent.htm] will be held at ALA Annual Conference, Saturday, June 23, at 8:00 p.m., and provides scholarships for graduate LIS students. This year’s event will feature local political satirists Capitol Steps. Tickets are $35.00 and can be purchased using the online registration form [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/registration.htm]. [http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=2248] [http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog&_pn=product_detail&_op=2306] [http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=2251] In Analyzing Library Collection Use with Excel, [http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=2251] collection development experts Tony Greiner and Bob Cooper show how to use Excel to translate circulation and collection data into meaningful reports for making collection management decisions. NEW! From ALA Editions. Enter a Teen Tech Week contest [http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teentechweek/contests/contests.htm]! All the deadlines have been extended through March 19. Celebrate TTW this week, March 4–10. In this issue March 2007 [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/tableofcontents/2007contents/mar2007.cfm] Mattering in the Blogosphere: Observations from the Well-Connected Search Fatigue Midwinter Meeting Report From the CentenniAL Blog The way we were 1 [http://blogs.ala.org/AL100.php?title=amusing_photos_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1] Something a bit lighter this week. A sampling of some of the amusing and interesting photos that have run in American Libraries. Visit the blog [http://blogs.ala.org/AL100.php?title=amusing_photos_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1] for more! (Above) The cover of the January 1923 issue of the ALA Bulletin, featuring what may be the magazine’s first photograph—a landscape of Hot Springs, Arkansas, site of that year’s Annual Conference. Barbara Toohey, reference librarian and “hug therapist” at Los Angeles Valley College, from the June 1980 American Libraries, p. 382. Career Leads from [http://joblist.ala.org/] Curator, Charles L. Blockson Collection [http://joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/controller.cfm?scr=jobdetail&jobid=5508], Temple University. Philadelphia. The Blockson Collection promotes and supports the study of the histories and cultures of Africans and African-Americans, emphasizing the experience of African-descended people in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley region.... @ More jobs [http://joblist.ala.org/]... [http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=776542920207] [http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2007/february07/february07.htm] [http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/library/historical/cfom/index.cfm] [http://ala-apa.org/about/nlwd.html] [http://www.techsource.ala.org/pr/assessing-audiobook-services-for-your-library.html] Assessing Audiobook Services for Your Library. [http://www.techsource.ala.org/pr/assessing-audiobook-services-for-your-library.html] The latest issue of Library Technology Reports helps librarians make informed decisions about audiobook content and services. The author of the report, Tom Peters (a librarian and an avid user of audiobooks) explains, “The purpose of this report is not to convince librarians to implement a digital audiobook service, but to help librarians make an informed decision.” Public Perception How the World Sees Us “In our civic life, public libraries play a critical role by facilitating citizens’ access to material that challenges the mind, engages the imagination, and encourages a well-informed citizenry able to exercise its enormous responsibilities in our republican form of government. The board’s decision preserves this important function of our public libraries by rejecting unnecessary and unwise censorship.” ?University of Arizona Law Professor Robert J. Glennon, on the decision of the Pima County (Ariz.) Board of Supervisors to allow adults to choose unfiltered internet access at county public libraries, Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Feb. 21. [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/smbus.htm] From now until May 10, [http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/smbus.htm] Woman’s Day magazine is collecting stories on how its readers have used the library to start their small businesses. The magazine announced the initiative in its March 6 issue, where it asked its women readers aged 18 and over to submit [mailto:womansday@ala.org] their stories in 700 words or less. Four of the submissions will be featured the March 2008 issue. Demco’s Book Cart Drill Team World Championship is back by popular demand at ALA Annual Conference in Washington, Sunday, June 24. To enter your team, submit the form (PDF file [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/bookcart07.pdf]) by June 1. Poll What do YOU do? Does your library have a presence in Second Life? Click here to ANSWER [http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2268MHSWUVD]! ==================================================================================================== Results of the February 28 poll: What is your patron cell phone policy? 34% Phones off 44% Selective enforcement 7% Complete toleration 17% Other (143 responses) This is an unscientific poll that reflects the opinions of only those AL Direct readers who have chosen to participate. Ask the ALA Librarian Q. I need to take librarian continuing education courses that will grant me Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Where can I find these? A. Although many library organizations offer some form of continuing education programs, not all programs have had their offerings evaluated according to the CEU standards set forth by the International Association for Continuing Education & Training [http://www.iacet.org] (IACET). Your best bet is to check with your state library—especially if earning CEUs is directly related to your state’s public librarian certification. The state library can provide details on courses that will fulfill those requirements or may provide the courses themselves. The IACET website has an online database of over 500 IACET authorized providers. Find out more on the ALA Professional Tips wiki [http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/CE_courses_with_CEUs]. The ALA Librarian [mailto:AskTheLibrarian@ala.org] welcomes your questions. Calendar Mar. 29– Apr. 1: ACRL National Conference [http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/baltimore/baltimore.htm], Baltimore, Maryland. “Sailing into the Future—Charting Our Destiny.” Contact: Margot Sutton Conahan [mailto:msutton@ala.org], 800-545-2433, ext. 2522. Apr. 1–30: School Library Media Month. [http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/aasladvocacy/schoollibrary.htm] “Come Together @ your library.” Apr. 15–21: National Library Week. [http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm] “Come Together @ your library.” Contact: Megan Humphrey [mailto:mhumphrey@ala.org], Public Information Office, 800-545-2433, ext. 4020. Apr. 17: National Library Workers Day. [http://www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd.html] Contact: Jenifer Grady, [mailto:jgrady@ala.org] ALA–Allied Professional Association, 800-545-2433, ext. 2424. May 1–2: National Library Legislative Day [http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washevents/nlld/nationallibrary.htm], Washington, D.C. Contact: Erin Haggerty [mailto:ehaggerty@alawash.org]. June 20–22: Council on Library/Media Technicians, Annual Conference [http://colt.ucr.edu/events.html#CALENDAR], Washington, D.C. “Library Support Staff: An Essential Piece of the Library Landscape.” June 21–27: ALA Annual Conference [http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/home.htm], Washington, D.C. Contact: ALA [mailto:customerservice@ala.org], 800-545-2433, press 5. Aug. 2–6: Black Caucus of the ALA, National Conference of African American Librarians [http://www.bcala.org/NCAAL_participation/index.html], Fort Worth, Texas. “Culture Keepers VI: Preserving the Past, Sustaining the Future.” Contact: Carolyn F. Norman [mailto:cnorman@cccco.edu], 916-445-0837. Sept. 29– Oct. 6: Banned Books Week [http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm]. Oct. 4–7: LITA National Forum [http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litaevents/litanationalforum2007denver/callforproposals.cfm], Denver. “Technology with Altitude: 10 Years of the LITA National Forum.” Contact: Mary Taylor [mailto:mtaylor@ala.org]. Oct. 14–20: Teen Read Week [http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/teenreading.htm], Tenth Anniversary Celebration. Oct. 25–28: AASL National Conference [http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/conferencesandevents/national/reno2007.htm], Reno, Nevada. “The Future Begins @ your library.” Contact: Kathy Agarwal, [mailto:kagarwal@ala.org] 312-280-4381. @ More [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/datebook/datebook.cfm]... Contact Us American Libraries Direct AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter e-mailed every Wednesday to personal members of the American Library Association [http://www.ala.org]. George M. Eberhart, Editor: geberhart@ala.org [mailto:geberhart@ala.org] Daniel Kraus, Associate Editor: dkraus@ala.org [mailto:dkraus@ala.org] Greg Landgraf, Editorial Assistant: glandgraf@ala.org [mailto:glandgraf@ala.org] Karen Sheets, Graphics and Design: ksheets@ala.org [mailto:ksheets@ala.org] Leonard Kniffel, Editor-in-Chief, American Libraries: lkniffel@ala.org [mailto:lkniffel@ala.org] To advertise in American Libraries Direct, contact: Brian Searles, bsearles@ala.org [mailto:bsearles@ala.org] Send feedback: aldirect@ala.org [mailto:aldirect@ala.org] To unsubscribe from American Libraries Direct: click here [<%= edition.unsubscribeLink %>] AL Direct FAQ: www.ala.org/aldirect/ [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/aldirecta/aldirect.cfm] All links outside the ALA website are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site. American Libraries 50 E. Huron St. Chicago, IL 60611 www.ala.org/alonline/ [http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/index.cfm] 800-545-2433, ext. 4216 ISSN 1559-369X. To unsubscribe from this newsletter: click here [<%= edition.unsubscribeLink %>]