Contents
U.S. & World News
ALA News
Booklist Online
Division News
Awards
Seen Online
Tech Talk
Publishing
Actions & Answers
Calendar

Free Library of Philadelphia could close October 2 if state fails to help
The Free Library of Philadelphia has posted notices at its branches and on its website advising users that all libraries will close at the end of business on October 2 if the Pennsylvania legislature does not approve the city’s request for a temporary sales-tax hike and a two-year deferral of pension payments. This is Mayor Michael Nutter’s “doomsday” Plan C, which would go into effect if the state Senate does not endorse a plan (H.B. 1828) approved by the House September 11. This helpful Q&A describes the crisis in a nutshell. The Senate has pushed back discussion of the measure to September 17, but if no action is taken, Nutter will send out layoff notices to 3,000 city workers on Friday....
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 12, 14, 16; Free Library of Philadelphia; Philadelphia Business Journal, Sept. 11

Michigan librarians demand full funding for resource sharing
Some six weeks after Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order that would dismantle the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries, some 500 librarians, genealogists, and other library supporters held a September 10 rally at the state capitol in Lansing to demand full funding for state-supported resource-sharing services. The day before, Granholm had issued an executive order September 9 to affirm that the board of the new Michigan Center for Innovation and Reinvention should include “librarians, historians, archivists, and others with relevant expertise.”....
American Libraries Online, Sept. 14

Copyright head tells House she opposes Google Books settlement
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee September 10, Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters raised strong objections (PDF file) to the proposed settlement of lawsuits challenging Google’s Book Search project. Calling parts of the settlement “fundamentally at odds with the law,” she warned the deal could undermine Congress’ ability to govern copyrights and could have “serious international implications” for books published outside the United States....
American Libraries Online, Sept. 16

Archivist saves, restores original NASA moon pictures
The Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project is restoring and releasing the first up-close pictures of the moon, taken by five unmanned Lunar Orbiter missions in the late 1960s, among them a famous 1966 black-and-white shot of the Earthrise from the surface of the moon (right). The originals of those images wouldn’t exist today at all, however, if not for the efforts of Nancy Evans, a retired NASA archivist and cofounder of NASA’s Planetary Data System....
American Libraries Online, Sept. 16

Oakland librarians return to work
In Rochester, Michigan, librarians, teachers, and students at Oakland University went back to school September 10, ending a week-long faculty strike joined by a dozen tenure-track librarians from the Kresge Library. The administration and the faculty union reached a tentative agreement on the faculty’s 2009–2012 contracts, and the strike that canceled classes since September 3 was called off....
American Libraries Online, Sept. 11

Washington Office’s Mark Bard dies from injuries
Mark Bard, 26, died September 11 at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from injuries sustained when he was struck by a drunk driver October 1, 2007, near his home in Alexandria, Virginia. He was working as an policy analyst for the ALA Office of Information Technology Policy at the time. An online registry book is available....
Chappell Funeral Home, Fennville, Michigan

Libraries connect Americans with online government and jobs
With national unemployment topping 9% and many Americans seeking online information and new technology skills, U.S. public libraries are first responders in a time of economic uncertainty. Libraries Connect Communities 3: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008–2009 (PDF file), an ALA report released September 15, says libraries are serving as crucial technology hubs for people in need of free web access, computer training, and assistance finding and using e-government and job resources....

Banned Books Week Read-Out, September 26
Join the Office for Intellectual Freedom to kick off Banned Books Week on September 26 in Chicago’s historic Bughouse Square. The McCormick Freedom Museum and the Newberry Library are cosponsors. Chris Crutcher will host authors of six of the 10 most challenged books of 2008, as they read from their work and share their experiences as censorship targets. The readings begin at noon and will be followed by book signings. City Lit Theatre Company and Chicago Public Library Readers’ Theatre will perform works from frequently challenged authors who couldn’t travel to Chicago....

New look, enhanced features for JobLIST
ALA JobLIST has had a facelift in response to user feedback. Its redesigned homepage displays the most recent listings at a glance, offers clearer paths for job seekers and employers to find what they need, and allows employers more options to control the response to their ads. Listings are searchable and sortable on a variety of criteria for professional and support-staff positions in libraries of all types, and for IT and knowledge-management positions with many types of nonprofits and companies. Positions can also be saved and shared through a variety of social networking sites and tools....

MentorConnect launches this week
ALA Internet Development Specialist Jenny Levine writes: “Now that phase one of ALA Connect is in operation, we are focusing on other services aimed at members who want to get involved professionally, but not necessarily at the committee level. The first of those projects is MentorConnect, a service that allows ALA members to create mentoring profiles that highlight their expertise and experience. Any member can search for a mentor using a variety of criteria (gender, type of library, ethnicity) and request mentorship.”...
ALA Marginalia, Sept. 11

A new pipeline, direct to the public
American Libraries Editor-in-Chief Leonard Kniffel writes: “Every librarian knows that today’s libraries face contradictions in many areas of public perception: While libraries are popular, they are often taken for granted. While libraries are ubiquitous, they are not often visible. While libraries are unique, they face competition. ALA launched the @ your library website, designed not as a tool for librarians but as a direct pipeline to the general public.”...
AL Inside Scoop, Sept. 16

Showing films in the classroom
ALA and the Association of Research Libraries have released a document titled “Performance of or Showing Films in the Classroom” (PDF file) to provide guidance on digital delivery of content to the physical classroom. Understanding what is permitted under the TEACH Act of 2002 in combination with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and existing exceptions, such as fair use, has become increasingly confusing to many practitioners....
District Dispatch, Sept. 10

Endowment Fund trustee needed
Applications are being accepted for the position of Endowment Trustee for the ALA Endowment Fund. The candidate will be selected by the Executive Board at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston. The newly elected trustee will serve a three-year term that will officially begin at the conclusion of the 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The deadline for applications (PDF file) is November 15....

Updated resource for library trustees
ALA Editions has released a second edition of The Successful Library Trustee Handbook by Mary Y. Moore. Designed to improve any board’s effectiveness, this thoroughly revised resource includes updated state and federal legislation affecting public libraries, new tips on meeting management, and a new chapter on library technology. Practical checklists, tables, and “what have you learned?” review items will help anyone maximize the experience of serving on a board....

How librarians helped get out the vote... in 1952
Jenny Levine writes: “An article in a 2008 issue of Libraries and the Cultural Record pinpoints the moment in time when libraries became known for providing high-quality, accurate, authentic information about all sides of an issue. It’s certainly the point at which libraries became outlets for information about voting. In a fascinating look back, author Jean Preers chronicles the efforts made to civically engage Americans and increase voter turnout in the 1948 and 1952 elections, when ALA ‘undertook its own program to promote the discussion of current issues in public libraries.’”...
The Shifted Librarian, Sept. 15

Promote Teen Read Week with YALSA publicity tools
School and public libraries planning special events to celebrate Teen Read Week can promote their events using publicity tools offered by YALSA. Teen Read Week will be celebrated October 18–24 in thousands of libraries across the United States. Download sample press releases, public service announcement scripts, and audio PSAs featuring Emmy Award–winning actress Nancy Cartwright (who plays Bart on The Simpsons) from the Teen Read Week website....

Polls close soon for Teens’ Top Ten
Teens can voice their choice one last time in the Teens’ Top Ten, a booklist chosen entirely by teens and sponsored by YALSA. Through September 18, teens can vote for their favorite books from the last year in the annual poll. The 25 nominees for this year’s list are available online (PDF file), along with bookmarks, flyers, and other promotional tools for librarians....

New AASL toolkit helps parents become advocates
AASL has launched a new resource on its website, the Parent Outreach Toolkit, created to help school library media specialists educate and garner support from parents. The toolkit asks the question, “How can parents help their child succeed in this changing global economy?” The answer: by equipping every school with a full-time certified school library media specialist....

New templates for Learning4Life
Just in time for back to school, AASL has posted new templates for Learning4Life, the division’s national plan to implement the learning standards and guidelines for the 21st century. The templates can be downloaded from the resources pages. Templates include a brochure, letter frame, postcards (right), notecards, a PowerPoint template, bumper sticker, button, and web banners....

RUSA 2010 Annual Conference programs
RUSA has released its list of programs scheduled for the 2010 ALA Annual Conference, June 24–29, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The RUSA President’s Program, “For the Love of Reference,” will explore the twin appeals of information discovery and fulfilling users’ needs that drive the devotion to reference and readers’ advisory work....

Reference Research Forum: Call for proposals
The RUSA Research and Statistics Committee invites the submission of research projects for presentation at RUSA’s 16th Annual Reference Research Forum, June 27, as a part of Annual Conference events in Washington, D.C. Submissions should be sent by email by January 4 to Committee Chair Liane Luckman. Examples of projects presented at past forums are on the committee’s website....

YALSA seeks poster sessions for Annual Conference
YALSA invites proposals for a poster session on exceptional Teen Tech Week events to be held at ALA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 24–29, 2010. The poster session will highlight successful and innovative library services and Teen Tech Week programs that integrate technology in a way that is effective, affordable, and replicable at other libraries....

CE presenters needed for YALSA e-courses
As part of a goal to provide quality continuing education opportunities to the library community, YALSA offers three sessions of e-courses per year as well as face-to-face licensed institutes. The division is currently looking for instructors for 2010 and 2011 to design and deliver curriculum for both types of learning experiences in four areas. If you have experience and interest, submit a proposal (Word file) to Beth Yoke by October 30....
YALSA Blog, Sept. 11

ALA website wins web development award
The ALA website has been recognized for outstanding achievement in web development. The site developer, Duo Consulting, was awarded a Non-Profit Standard of Excellence WebAward by the Web Marketing Association, a 13-year-old organization focused on setting a high standard for internet marketing and development of the best websites....
Web Marketing Association, Sept. 15

ALCTS awards nominations
Nominations are being accepted for the 2010 ALCTS awards. ALCTS presents numerous awards each year, among them two preservation awards, two publications awards, two awards for innovation and collaboration, three professional recognition awards, two continuing resources awards, and the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. If you are interested in nominating a candidate for any of the awards, contact the chair of that award jury. The deadline for nominations and supporting materials is December 1....

2009 Pimp My Bookcart contest
It’s time for the fourth annual contest run by the library-themed comic strip Unshelved to see who can best pimp, trick, or otherwise improve a standard bookcart. Libraries and schools often stage youth programs to generate entries. Prizes are provided by Unshelved and this year’s sponsor, Smith System. Unshelved cocreators Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum are the sole judges. Submitted photos will be posted online as they arrive. The deadline for submissions is October 31....
Unshelved

FLICC awards for federal librarianship
The Federal Library and Information Center Committee has announced the winners of its 10th annual awards for federal librarianship. Honors went to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Research Library (right) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and the U.S. Air Force Hurlburt Field Library in Florida. Verlene Herrington, chief of the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Library in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, was named Federal Librarian of 2008, and Lawana Gladney, library technician in the U.S. Department of Justice, was named Federal Library Technician of 2008....
Federal Library and Information Center Committee, Sept. 14

2009 book blogger awards
The votes are in for the best book blogs of 2009, and the winners include J. Kaye’s Book Blog (best commentator and most prolific blogger), The Book Smugglers (best collaborative blog), Books on the Nightstand (best general review blog and most eclectic taste), Hey Lady! Whatcha’ Readin’? (best literary fiction blog), Bermudaonion (most concise), and The Story Siren (most extravagant giveaways)....
Book Blogger Appreciation Week, Sept. 15

Dragon Codex Song Contest winner
Librarian Heather Perry of Little Elm (Tex.) Public Library and two young patrons have won Mirrorstone’s Dragon Codex Song Contest. Their winning entry for the Green Dragon Codex lyric has now been recorded as part of the publisher’s Dragon Codex series. Download the song (MP3 file) or the lyrics (PDF file). Each Dragon Codex novel takes a type of dragon and weaves a spellbinding story around it....
Mirrorstone, Sept. 9

Brooklyn returns to a seven-day schedule
Four Brooklyn Public Library branches will once again be open on Sundays, returning to a seven-day schedule that ended in January because of anticipated budget cuts. Sunday service was axed after Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a $17.5-million (21%) cut to the library budget beginning in March. That was a particularly bad blow to neighborhoods like Borough Park, where most residents observe the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday and can’t use the library then. The New York Public Library is also expanding hours at 10 of its branches in Manhattan and the Bronx....
New York Daily News, Sept. 16; New York Times, Sept. 14

D.C. libraries fear staff cuts
The District of Columbia Public Library will be forced to cut staff and reduce services if its proposed $44-million budget for fiscal year 2010 is further reduced in moves that Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper (right) says are a last resort to save money in a tough economic climate. Cooper said she has exhausted all other options for saving money. A declining operating budget could lead to staff and budget cuts and pose a problem for new construction projects, as buildings could open without enough staff to run them....
Washington Times, Sept. 14

A virtual revolution is brewing for colleges
Zephyr Teachout writes: “Undergraduate education is on the verge of a radical reordering. Colleges, like newspapers, will be torn apart by new ways of sharing information enabled by the internet. The business model that sustained private U.S. colleges cannot survive. Major universities are already teaching a few of their courses online. And the young students of tomorrow will be growing up in an on-demand, personalized world, in which the notion of a set-term, offline, prepackaged education will seem anachronistic.”...
Washington Post, Sept. 13

NBA star Dwyane Wade helps out hometown library
Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade was back in his hometown of Robbins, Illinois, September 10 to donate $25,000 to the William Leonard Public Library District. Wade had learned of the district’s financial woes—the library was nearly closed until donors came forward this summer—and wanted to help. The donation from his Wade’s World Foundation will keep the library open through October....
Chicago Southtown Star, Sept. 11

Preservation spat over North Beach branch
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to vote September 16 to determine whether as many as eight branch libraries built between 1953 and 1966 and designed by Appleton and Wolfard should be studied as potential landmarks. The trigger for the landmark push is the North Beach branch, which opened in 1959. Like other libraries by the defunct firm, the branch shows why the public tired of the dogmatic modernism that typified so much change after World War II....
San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 12

Danny Glover to star in library film
Dozens of people were at the closed McGregor Public Library in Highland Park, Michigan, September 14 to announce the production of a movie aptly titled Highland Park. The movie, slated for release in 2010, will star Danny Glover and chronicle the struggles of the once prosperous city as well as serve as an attempt to refurbish the library on Woodward Avenue that has been closed since March 2002. Filming is set to begin September 28....
Detroit Free Press, Sept. 14–15

Rockford union offers a counterproposal
Library union officials submitted an alternative proposal to the city September 14 for cutting about $1.5 million from the Rockford (Ill.) Public Library budget that could save some jobs. The offer includes no closures or reduced hours or services, although one option involves nine (instead of 30) layoffs. During the city council meeting, some two dozen parents, children, and library workers gathered on the city hall steps for a special story time to protest the proposed cuts....
Rockford (Ill.) Register Star, Sept. 14

Kansas City firm plays role in New Orleans library rebirth
If all goes according to plan, five New Orleans Public Library branches will open next spring, a mere 10 months after groundbreaking, thanks to a fast-track process that has had Kansas City, Missouri, architects operating at a breakneck pace for much of this year. The architectural firm of Gould Evans Associates landed the contract in a competition this summer. The $26.4-million project is not the biggest reconstruction effort under way in the hurricane-damaged city, but the libraries are important symbols of renewal in their respective neighborhoods....
Kansas City (Mo.) Star, Sept. 10

Alvin Community College library makes a comeback
One year ago, tornados from Hurricane Ike visited Alvin (Tex.) Community College and left $15-million worth of damage resulting from flooded buildings, molding books, useless computers, and mangled roofs. ACC Librarian Tom Bates had to dispose of about 5,000 books worth $250,000. Now, though, he believes his library is better than ever. The final piece that means total recovery for the ACC Library is the modern furniture that is expected to arrive at the end of September....
Brazoria (Tex.) Education Headlines Examiner, Sept. 11

Elgin trustee gets into trouble again
Gail Borden Public Library Trustee Randolph Hopp—already banned from the library except for board meetings—got into another altercation with a library employee, according to a police report. Elgin, Illinois, police said they were called to the library shortly before the September 8 board meeting in response to an accusation that Hopp was trespassing at the library and shoved Dave Considine, Gail Borden’s director of facilities and building operations....
Elgin (Ill.) Courier-News, Sept. 11

Disney archives on display at Anaheim’s D23 Expo
Ninety-two items from Disney films that have long been kept under lock and key—including the giant bejeweled storybook (right) used in 1959 for the opening scene of Sleeping Beauty—headlined an unusual exhibition of memorabilia at the first D23 Expo (Disney + 1923, when the Disney Studio opened), September 10–13, in Anaheim, California. CEO Robert A. Iger is committed to expanding the holdings of the Disney Archives and making their treasures more public. Since Iger put a renewed focus on the collection, archivists have added about 15,000 items, partly by combing through storerooms....
New York Times, Sept. 8

They don’t ban books in San Francisco
The San Francisco Public Library’s planned celebration of Banned Books Week, September 26–October 3, provides an opportunity for local folks to feel good about themselves. The library’s collection development director, Laura Lent, says she can recall only one instance in the past decade in which the library opted to pull a book off the shelves as a result of patron insistence. And this patron happened to be the book’s author....
San Francisco Weekly, Sept. 9

Twilight books too racy for some Sydney schools
At some religious-based primary schools in the Sydney, Australia, area, librarians have removed Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books from the shelf either because the content is too sexual or goes against religious beliefs. Helen Schutz, head librarian at Santa Sabina College, a Roman Catholic girl’s day school in Strathfield, said the themes are different from those in the Harry Potter series: “We wanted to make sure they realize it’s fictitious and ensure they don’t have a wrong grasp on reality.”...
Sydney (N.S.W.) Daily Telegraph, Sept. 12

Lexington Public Library to cut its budget
The Lexington (Ky.) Public Library board voted September 9 to cut its budget for the first time in 25 years, resulting in 10% less money for new materials, a hiring freeze, and indefinite delays on renovation projects. The library, mostly financed by Fayette County property taxes, is proving to be in shakier financial condition than the board previously thought. Also, LPL has budgeted $250,000 in fees for a legal firm to represent the library during recent investigations of its spending....
Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, Sept. 10

Anchorage libraries feeling a budget squeeze
These are hard times for Anchorage, Alaska, library users. Hours were cut to account for unpaid furloughs this summer. Loussac Library and its branches have only been open four days a week. And those are cuts in a staff that already runs bare bones, according to a preliminary study by the library consulting firm Himmel and Wilson. But before anyone is tempted to close the book and turn out the lights, there’s some good news too....
Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, Sept. 9

Köln to build new city archives
Half a year after the dramatic collapse of its city archives building, Köln, Germany’s documents are to be given a new home. The city council announced September 10 that it plans to spend over 97-million euros on a new, purpose-built building that will also provide space for a variety of other cultural institutions....
Medieval News, Sept. 11

Go back to the Top

Bing launches new Visual Search
Phil Bradley writes: “No sooner does one new visual search option come along, than you get another. Neck and neck with Google’s Fast Flip (which allows users to skim through Google News stories by viewing an enlarged thumbnail) do we have Bing’s Visual Search. It’s a simple concept: People like searching visually. The idea is that you simply click on what interests you, and you'll get a bunch of images. You can then mouse over the one that interests you and immediately see some information below the search box, with the person/thing/whatever added into the search box for you.”...
Phil Bradley’s Weblog, Sept. 15; Google News Blog, Sept. 14

Popular search engines of the 1990s: Then and now
Jacob Gube writes: “In the heyday of the internet, when Google wasn’t the only search engine people used to seek information, web surfers had several options for finding what they needed. This article harks back to the days of AltaVista, HotBot, and Ask Jeeves. You’ll see how the web designs of ubiquitous search engines of the past have evolved through time.”...
Six Revisions, Sept. 12

Top 10 things library administrators should know about technology
Roy Tennant writes: “It’s not insulting to say that those who run libraries tend not to know all that much about technology. A very different set of skills are needed to run an organization, and those skills do not often come packaged along with technical knowledge and experience. But administrators need to know some specific things about technology in order to do their jobs well, so here is my list.”...
TechEssence, Sept. 12

Great software cheat sheets
Need a handy printout for some of the software that you or your staff use? Here are some application cheat sheets for Microsoft Office, web browsers, Linux, Photoshop, Twitter, Vi/Vim, and search engine optimization that you can post on a nearby bulletin board. A few others can be found here....
MakeUseOf.com, Sept. 14; CustomGuide

10 tips to safeguard your Facebook privacy
Mahendra Palsule writes: “Facebook has 250 million active users, each with an average of 120 friends. More than 1 billion photos are uploaded every month by its users, over 70% of whom use applications like games and quizzes in Facebook. Unfortunately, most users don’t know the implications of entering personal information, making friends, and playing games on Facebook. This guide will show what you can (and cannot) do to safeguard your Facebook privacy.”...
MakeUseOf.com, Sept. 13

Robert Darnton’s case for books
Harvard University Library Director Robert Darnton writes: “The book is not dead. In fact, the world is producing more books than ever before. According to Bowker, 700,000 new titles were published worldwide in 1998; 859,000 in 2003; and 976,000 in 2007. Despite the Great Recession of 2009 that has hit the publishing industry so hard, one million new books will soon be produced each year. Yet the general lack of concern for history among Americans has made us vulnerable to exaggerated notions of historic change—and so has our fascination with technology.”...
Publishers Weekly, Sept. 14

Getting into print
Jennifer Roland writes: “Rejection is the constant companion of both the editor and the writer. The editor must make decisions when selecting articles, turning a harsh eye on submissions that don’t fit the format or tone of the magazine. And the writer who hasn’t amassed a hefty collection of rejections is probably writing only for his or her own consumption. The key to seeing your article in print is to follow the rules and be persistent.”...
Blue Skunk Blog, Sept. 15

The oldest living reference work?
Mary Ellen Quinn writes: “If there’s an older surviving reference work than the Annual Register, I haven’t come across it. Founded by Edmund Burke in 1758 (and written and edited by him through 1765), the Annual Register is celebrating ‘250 years of uninterrupted publication’ with the 2009 edition. For the anniversary volume, there is a speculative preface to a 300th (2059) edition (the population of Antartica is 3–4 million, thanks in part to melting polar ice). The 2009 Annual Register is published by ProQuest along with a special edition of the very first volume. The entire archive is available online.”...
Points of Reference, Sept. 11

Obama administration open to Patriot Act reform
In a September 14 letter sent to Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the Department of Justice called for the reauthorization of three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, but also expressed that the Obama administration is open to reforming those and other provisions. The provisions, including Section 215 or the “library records” provision, are up for renewal this year and will expire on December 31 if Congress does not take action. The committee will hold hearings on the Patriot Act September 23....
American Civil Liberties Union, Sept. 15

National Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution, and other organizations are offering resources to help appreciate Hispanic cultures....
Library of Congress

IMLS grant will help libraries help the unemployed
Through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC’s WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina have launched a one-year initiative to gather and share best practices for providing library-based employment services and programs to the unemployed. The partners will develop and host an online training module—available to everyone—that adapts the curriculum of a North Carolina state workshop held earlier in the year....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 10

Five universities endorse open-access journals
Five leading universities—Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, and UC-Berkeley—announced September 14 a new Compact for Open Access Publishing Equity in which they have pledged to develop systems to pay open access journals for the articles they publish by the institutions’ scholars. In doing so, the institutions are attempting to put to rest the idea that only older publication models (paid and/or print) can support rigorous peer review and quality assurance. And they are inviting others to join them....
Inside Higher Education, Sept. 15

Redesigned ARSL website highlights its members
The Association for Rural and Small Libraries has redesigned its website as a dynamic space that captures ARSL’s personality and mission in a way that is appealing and relevant to its members. It is also spotlighting its member libraries on the homepage each month. Elements of this website, including the new ARSL logo, were unveiled at their annual conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, September 11–13....
Association for Rural and Small Libraries

The 11 commandments of student research
Mary W. George writes: “I would like to offer a list of precepts for student researchers, all in a positive vein but doing Moses one better. Whereas the Children of Israel were never admonished to critique their own behavior—just read the tablets and follow the rules, already!—the children of the 21st century must learn to search thoughtfully and judge sources wisely lest they too wander for decades in a metaphysical desert or accept mirages as reality. These are matters that I, as a college librarian, would like undergraduates to know (or at least know about) before I encounter them.”...
Keywords from a Librarian, Sept. 14

Why isn’t a picture worth 1,000 words?
Kristine Alpi writes: “Although entire books have been written about the value of color as communication, color has always been a special request for interlibrary loan copies. Now, color is much more common—in situations where color is crucial, and in cases such as graphs where well-presented shades of gray could convey the message. Yet neither color nor image quality is mentioned in the ALA Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States (2008), nor in the sample ALA Interlibrary Loan Request Forms.”...
In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Sept. 16

A wish list
Buffy J. Hamilton writes: “I’ve been thinking today about what I wish I and my high-school students could have access to in the library. Forget all the restrictions currently in place in the name of network security, student safety, legal protections, and such—this is a list of favorite things that I feel could enhance student learning if the school network and filter were to be unfettered.”...
The Unquiet Librarian, Sept. 12

40th Mexican Library Association conference in Acapulco
Christy Zlatos writes: “For American librarians with Spanish-language skills, the annual conference of the Asociación Mexicana de Bibliotecarios—held this year in Acapulco, September 9–11—is a great way to give a talk and share ideas with Mexican colleagues about research. For example, OCLC representative Bruce Crocco spoke in English about OCLC’s user experience research alongside a distinguished Mexican speaker, Dr. Adolfo Rodriguez Gallardo, who discussed Mexico’s national consortium catalog for academic libraries.” ALA President Camila Alire also gave a presentation. See more photos here....
Glorious Journeys and Outrageous Interludes, Sept. 9, 11

Swedish librarians visit the Digital Bookmobile
The Rocky River (Ohio) Public Library hosted the 74-foot traveling Digital Bookmobile, sponsored by audiobook provider OverDrive, on August 20, and six librarians from Sweden were on hand to take notes. They were visiting Ohio libraries for one week on a grant from the Swedish Arts Council. Many Rocky River patrons also took advantage of the traveling bookmobile tour to see what the library has available. Take a video tour yourself (4:46), watch an interview with the Swedes (4:01), or read their own comments in their blog (if you know Swedish)....
Bay Village (Ohio) West Shore Sun, Aug. 29; blip.tv, Sept. 1; YouTube, Sept. 10; Digitala bokbussen

eCycling programs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers, are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment. This website offers basic information on recycling electronics, regional and state programs, organizations and retailers with donation and recycling programs, regulations for handling equipment, and an FAQ on electronic waste....
Environmental Protection Agency

OCLC convenes Record Use Policy Council
The OCLC Board of Trustees has convened a Record Use Policy Council, which will draw upon the fundamental values of the OCLC cooperative and engage with the global library community to develop the next generation of the WorldCat Record Use Policy. The intent is to recommend to the OCLC Board of Trustees a new policy that is aligned with the present and future information landscape....
OCLC, Sept. 14

Lexington teams up with WUKY-FM for NPR book club
The Lexington (Ky.) Public Library and WUKY-FM will begin monthly book discussions of books by on-air National Public Radio personalities, starting with a discussion of Geoffrey Nunberg’s Going Nucular: Language, Politics, and Culture in Controversial Times on October 13. The book club will meet the second Tuesday of each month, rotating library branch locations. Interviews with the book discussion facilitators will be aired on the station in advance and will be available by podcast on the WUKY website....
Lexington (Ky.) Public Library, Sept. 4

OCLC’s Classify service
Classify is a prototype OCLC web service designed to support the assignment of classification numbers for books, DVDs, CDs, and many other types of materials. The prototype provides access to more than 36 million WorldCat records that contain Dewey Decimal Classification, Library of Congress Classification, or National Library of Medicine Classification numbers. You can retrieve a classification summary by ISBN, ISSN, UPC, OCLC number, or author/title....
OCLC Research

Read Across Jamaica launches literacy campaign
The Read Across Jamaica Foundation has begun a campaign to increase literacy awareness in Caribbean communities in the United States and Jamaica. Donors can drop off new or gently used children’s books at supporting locations. The materials will be distributed to students and participating schools in January, May, and November each year....
Read Across Jamaica Foundation

Thinking outside the barn
The Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur, Illinois, designed its booth for the Farm Progress Show with the theme “Think outside the barn @ your library” to promote the value of librarians, libraries, and their services to the residents of agricultural communities. The logo, originally designed in 2007, has appeared on banners, yard signs, coffee mugs, post-it notes, and the staff’s polo shirts. RPLS Executive Director Bev Obert explains the concept in this video (4:25)....
Visibility @ your library, Sept. 15

Did you know 4.0
This is another official update (4:45) to the original (2008) Shift Happens video (8:28). This completely new Fall 2009 version includes facts and stats focusing on the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology, and was developed in partnership with the Economist. Content by XPLANE, the Economist, Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Laura Bestler....
YouTube, Sept. 14

Go back to the Top

ALA Midwinter Meeting, Boston, January 15–19. Exhibits will open on Friday, January 15, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:15 p.m. preceding the All-Conference Reception on the Exhibit Floor. Special events on the exhibit floor include the ERT Author Forum, a Spotlight on Adult Literature, and a Technology Showcase.

You can register now for ALA’s second annual National Gaming Day @ your library, November 14. This will put your location on the national map and allow you to request free donations if you are one of the first 1,000 libraries to sign up. Academic, school, and public libraries are all welcome. Registration will be closing in mid-October in order to get the games shipped to you. Sign up each of your branches separately so that each one can receive its own game. Contact Jenny Levine for more details.

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