Contents
American Libraries Online
ALA News
Booklist Online
D.C. Update
Division News
Round Table News
Awards
Seen Online
Tech Talk
Publishing
Actions & Answers
New This Week
Calendar

Top 10 lists in The Librarian’s Book of Lists
“At some point in my life, I realized that making lists belongs on my list of top 10 favorite things to do,” said American Libraries Direct Editor George M. Eberhart, “and that’s how I came up with the idea for The Librarian’s Book of Lists.” Released in June by ALA Editions, the book is a collection of humorous, serious, and sometimes odd lists that Eberhart hopes will be “at least tangentially useful and informative, especially for librarians and book lovers.”...
American Libraries feature

Next Steps: Social eyes
Brian Mathews writes: “‘Library fines got you down? Help build our Facebook page to 500 people & I’ll waive fines of two students.’ This message streamed across the Twitter feed of Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College’s Luria Library. In less than 140 characters, it perfectly portrays the playful and forgiving nature of its library director, and demonstrates the rising value of social capital, which just might outweigh the penalty for a few overdue books.”...
American Libraries column, June 10

Is there a mascot in your green future?
Laura Bruzas writes: “Yesterday, I received the latest edition of the Bensenville (Ill.) Community Public Library’s e-newsletter Serendipity. In it, the library director introduced its new mascot, Scribbles the Bear, to the community via a fairy tale telling the story of how Scribbles lived all alone in the woods behind the library until one day a patron befriended him and helped him get his very own library card. Right now, I’m thinking a mascot named Mother Earth would be way cool.”...
AL: Green Your Library, June 11

Annual Conference preview
The ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., June 24–29, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and surrounding hotels offers a full program agenda and an array of guest speakers culminating with members converging on Capitol Hill to express their support for library-friendly funding and policies to the U.S. Congress. The effort is designed to serve as a visual reminder to members of Congress that libraries still matter. Here is a preview of conference highlights. Follow Annual Conference events and tweets on the American Libraries #ala10 page....
American Libraries feature

Conference registration is strong
ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels delivered a conference update June 15 to members of the ALA Council: “I wanted to provide everyone with a status report on how the Annual Conference is shaping up,” he said, emphasizing that “given the economy, registration has been quite strong.” Look for enhancements on the ALA homepage June 23–July 1, including a Twitter feed tracking the conference hashtag #ala10, a news tab aggregating blogs from around ALA, and quick navigation to key conference resources....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 16

Sarah, Duchess of York, cancels
Sarah, Duchess of York, has canceled her scheduled June 27 appearance at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Although her publicists gave no immediate reason for her June 15 cancellation, they told ALA that a statement was forthcoming. The Duchess was recently caught on videotape in the compromising position of trying to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, in return for £500,000 ($740,240 U.S.)....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 15

Our Authors, Our Advocates
Authors Carmen Agra Deedy, Sharon Draper, and Brad Meltzer are the first authors to participate in a new national library advocacy campaign titled “Our Authors, Our Advocates.” ALA President-Elect Roberta Stevens said the campaign “will focus on using these well-known and passionate individuals to speak out on the importance of not only sustaining but increasing support for libraries.” The launch will take place during the ALA Inaugural Banquet, June 29, at the Renaissance Washington Grand Ballroom, Washington, D.C....
Public Information Office, June 16

Literature programs and author events (PDF file)
While planning your schedule for the ALA 2010 Annual Conference, do you look for new authors to bring in to your library? Are you hoping to learn about the latest and greatest in contemporary literature to bring to your library’s reading and discussion groups? If so, this guide is for you. The ALA Public Programs Office has compiled this list of events that features appearances by authors, discussions of literature and poetry, and other resources to inspire cultural community programs in your library....
Public Programs Office, June 10

Need help at Annual? Text an ambassador
Need help from a real person during Annual Conference? Ambassadors are standing by each day. You can visit the ambassador desk in registration, the desk in the Membership Pavilion, Booth 2525 in the exhibits, or by text message. To text, send the word “ala” followed by your question to 66746....
ALA Membership Blog, June 14

Virtual Library Advocacy Day
ALTAFF and the ALA Washington Office will lead Virtual Library Advocacy Day, an opportunity for all library advocates to make their voices heard on a national level, on June 29. ALTAFF Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed encourages all advocates to take part in this united effort to ensure that America’s libraries can continue to serve the public....
ALTAFF, June 15

Dwyane Wade named honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month
This September, Olympic gold medalist and 2008–2009 NBA top-scoring player Dwyane Wade wants Americans to know that a library card is the “smartest card” in every wallet. As Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, Wade has donated his time and image to the creation of a print PSA. ALA will place the downloadable PSA in magazines during Library Card Sign-up Month in September....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, May 25

McCook to present 2010 Jean E. Coleman Lecture
Kathleen de la Peña McCook, distinguished university professor at the University of South Florida SLIS in Tampa, will present the 2010 Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture in Washington on June 28. This year’s lecture, “Librarians and Human Rights,” will present a historical and cultural analysis of the librarian’s role in human rights....
Office for Literacy and Outreach, June 9

See how the American Dream Starts @ your library
On June 28, representatives from three public libraries will describe how participation in the American Dream Starts @ your library initiative helps their libraries provide literacy services for adult English language learners. Since the initiative was launched in 2008, 104 public libraries in 24 states have been awarded the grants....
Office for Literacy and Outreach, June 9

Ethnic affiliates will showcase literacy initiatives
The five ethnic affiliates of ALA will showcase their Family Literacy Focus initiatives in “Tools to Promote Family Literacy and Advocacy” June 26 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The Family Literacy Focus is an initiative to encourage families in ethnically diverse communities to read and learn together....
Office for Literacy and Outreach, June 9

Committee on Literacy is 10 years old
ALA leaders and literacy advocates will gather on June 25 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the formation of the ALA Committee on Literacy. To be held in the ALA Washington Office, the celebration will focus on the committee’s decade of working tirelessly to advocate for literacy services across generations and in libraries....
Office for Literacy and Outreach, June 9

Membership Meetings in Washington
ALA members are invited to attend and participate in the two Membership Meetings on Saturday, June 26, and Monday, June 28, in Ballroom A of the Washington Convention Center. ALA members can bring issues important to libraries and librarianship to the floor and decide how they might be addressed within ALA....
Annual Conference wiki

Register onsite for Bookmobile Sunday
Missed online advance registration for Bookmobile Sunday during ALA’s Annual Conference? Registration will be available at the door beginning at 10:15 a.m. at Room 207A/B at the Washington Convention Center. Registration is $25 at the door and includes lunch....
Office for Literacy and Outreach, June 15

The late Effie Lee Morris honored by Nancy Pelosi
In a tribute at the U.S. House of Representatives June 10, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi read into the Congressional Record a tribute to Effie Lee Morris, the first African-American president of PLA, who died in San Francisco on November 10. Pelosi’s tribute came five days before a celebration of her lifetime of work as a librarian and advocate for underserved children and the visually impaired was held at the San Francisco Public Library....
Public Information Office, June 15

Advice for libraries receiving ADF meeting-room policy letters
Deborah Caldwell-Stone writes: “The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization, has initiated a letter-writing campaign to libraries and schools around the country. The campaign targets libraries with meeting room policies that restrict the use of the library’s meeting rooms for religious services. Because ADF states that it intends to take legal action against the library if it does not change its policy, we advise libraries to communicate with ADF only through legal counsel.”...
OIF Blog, June 14

OITP brief explores mobile technology and libraries
There’s an App for That! Libraries and Mobile Technology: An Introduction to Public Policy Considerations (PDF file), released June 16 by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, takes a look at how the adoption of mobile technology alters the traditional relationships between libraries and their users. Authored by OITP Consultant Timothy Vollmer, the brief explores reader privacy, access to information, digital rights management, and accessibility....
District Dispatch, June 16

New National Gaming Day logos
Join hundreds of libraries of all types across the country and abroad to participate in ALA’s 3rd annual National Gaming Day @ your library on November 13. New logos are available to begin advertising your library’s planned activities now. This year’s event will again include a national videogame tournament (Rock Band and Super Smash Bros. Brawl), as well as board game and other activities. Registration will open in July....
National Gaming Day

Education of a wordsmith
Martin Garnar writes: “When I first joined the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee as an intern in the fall of 2003, I wanted to make a good impression and show that I was eager to participate. Before I had attended my first meeting, there was a request for volunteers to draft a document. Little did I know that it was being drafted in response to an extremely touchy situation and that my participation on the task force would lead to my inbox being flooded with emails accusing me of being a shameful accomplice to criminal activity.”...
OIF Blog, June 16

Emerging Leaders speak
Members of the 2010 class of ALA Emerging Leaders speak about their experiences so far and what they’ve gotten out of the program in this video (2:26). Appearing on camera are J. P. Porcaro and Justin Hoenke (right), Eileen Bosch, Jeannie Chen, Kirby McCurtis, Valeria Molteni, and Dennis Nangle. ALA is now seeking applicants for the Emerging Leader class of 2011; the application deadline is July 30....
AL Focus, June 11

New ALA TechSource workshop series
ALA TechSource Workshops are the newest online initiative in furthering discussion, learning, and information sharing for librarians interested in keeping up with and applying technology effectively. Each interactive ALA TechSource Workshop will provide participants with a unique hands-on experience that will help simplify key concepts involved in making important technology decisions. Workshops are planned for the summer and fall....
ALA TechSource, June 14

Library of Congress “Hope for America” exhibition
Legendary entertainer Bob Hope once quipped, “I love to go to Washington, if only to be near my money.” Hope’s political humor, his relationship with U.S. presidents, and the interplay among the worlds of comedy, politics, and civic activism are showcased in the new public exhibition, “Hope for America: Performers, Politics, and Pop Culture.” The exhibition is located in the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., SE....
Library of Congress, May 27; New York Times, June 11

A Washington monument to munchies
Fenway has Fenway Franks, the Dodgers have Dodger Dogs, but the Washington Nationals have Half-Smokes, from the landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl at 1213 U Street, NW. Twice the girth of a normal hot dog with a 50:50 pork-to-beef ratio, the kielbasa-sized frank is usually spliced in half on the grill with red pepper flakes inside. Bill Cosby is a resident regular, and President Obama and Mayor Adrian Fenty have visited. The landmark restaurant was founded in 1958 in a theater building that used to show silent films....
Serious Eats, Apr. 2, 2008; New York Times, Jan. 15, 2009

Metrorail fares increase
Just in time in time for everyone’s arrival, Washington’s Metro transit system will be implementing round one of its FY2011 fare hikes. Fares on Metrorail and Metrobuses will be increasing on Sunday, June 27 (pending final approval from the Metro Board on June 24), right during Annual Conference. Metro’s Trip Planner has already incorporated the new fares, so check it out to determine the price of your trip....
ALSC Blog, June 16

Ten days in a carry-on
Heather Poole, a flight attendant from Los Angeles, demonstrates how to pack enough for a 10-day trip into a single, standard carry-on bag. Step one: Folded clothing takes up too much space. This suitcase will hold three pairs of shorts, three pairs of dress pants, one skirt, three pairs of casual pants or jeans, three nightgowns, three bathing suits, one sarong, three lightweight sweaters, four dresses, 10 casual shirts, six dress shirts, a clutch, toiletries, and two pairs of shoes....
New York Times, May 6

Advocacy, outreach, and academic libraries
ACRL has published Advocacy, Outreach, and the Nation’s Academic Libraries: A Call for Action, edited by William Welburn, Janice Welburn, and Beth McNeil. The authors focus on scholarly activity and the production of research, outreach and civic engagement, the adoption of new and emerging technologies, information literacy, service to student populations, diversity, and organizational development as potential avenues for libraries to assert their value in their communities....
ACRL, June 15

Debraski to manage new YA blog
YALSA will launch a new blog this fall focusing on young adult literature, with Sarah Debraski (2008–2009 YALSA president) at the helm. The division is currently accepting nominations for the new blog’s name online through June 30. In addition to in-depth discussion of young adult literature, the new blog will feature teen perspectives and multimedia....
YALSA, June 10

EMIERT programs and events at Annual
The Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table is offering a smorgasbord of unusual opportunities at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, among them the remarkable story of a poem by Samuel Ullman that influenced world leaders from Douglas MacArthur to Ted Kennedy; and the saga of Romanian-Jewish immigrants in the United States and Canada....
EMIERT

Keeping CALM: Cooperation, collaboration, convergence
Charlene Hsu Gross writes: “One of the benefits of participating in the 2010 cohort of ALA’s Emerging Leaders is making new connections with committees within ALA. Along with four other group members, I have the privilege of working on a project for CALM, the Committee on Archives, Libraries, and Museums. CALM is the joint committee of three national professional associations: ALA, the Society of American Archivists, and the American Association of Museums.”...
New Members Round Table, Footnotes, May

Pura Belpré Celebración
Hundreds will gather June 27 for an event that celebrates the most influential Latino authors and illustrators of children’s literature. The Pura Belpré Celebración will serve as a national backdrop for the presentation of the coveted Pura Belpré Medal, an award that recognizes Latino authors and illustrators of children’s literature. Event highlights include a performance by Los Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble (right) under the direction of Laura Ortiz. Participating authors will sign copies of their award-winning books....
ALSC, June 15

The life of a Newbery Medal judge
Only 15 people get to officially decide what America’s best children’s book of the year is, and the Skokie (Ill.) Public Library’s Holly Jin was recently one of them. To call being part of the John J. Newbery Medal Committee an honor is a bit of an understatement, even if Jin’s original aspiration was to serve on the Caldecott Medal Committee. The one big difference, Jin said, is that the Newbery Award judges have to digest more complex books to evaluate which they think are the best....
Skokie (Ill.) Review, June 14

2010 Leab Exhibition Award winners
ACRL’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section has selected five winners and one honorable mention for the 2010 Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Exhibition Awards. The awards recognize outstanding exhibition catalogues issued by American or Canadian institutions in conjunction with library exhibitions as well as electronic exhibition catalogues. Certificates will be presented to each winner at the RBMS Annual Membership Meeting on June 27....
ACRL, June 9

Winners of Explore the Universe @ your library
Seven young library users have been launched on a journey out of this world, thanks to Explore the Universe @ your library. The program was designed to encourage children and teens to use the resources at their library to answer a series of questions about the Hubble Space Telescope. The winners were selected at random from all kids who answered the questions correctly. The contest was hosted on atyourlibrary.org, ALA’s public awareness website....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, June 15

Four states selected for Prime Time program
Prime Time, an affiliate of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, in cooperation with the Public Programs Office, has selected public libraries in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Michigan to participate in the national expansion of its award-winning family reading and discussion program, Prime Time Family Reading Time. Based on illustrated children’s books, Prime Time—now in its 19th year—is designed to help low-income, low-literate families bond around the act of reading and talking about books....
Public Programs Office, June 15

IMLS awards $22.6 million in 38 program grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services on June 15 awarded 38 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants totaling $22,623,984. These grants provide scholarships for students in master’s and doctoral programs in library and information science, support the research of early-career faculty in graduate schools of library and information science, and provide continuing education opportunities to enhance the skills of practitioners in libraries and archives. A complete list of awardees is here....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 15

Barbara Kingsolver wins Orange Prize for Fiction
An epic, ambitious novel that goes from the Mexican household of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the communist witch-hunts of 1940s America was named winner June 9 of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. Barbara Kingsolver took the £30,000 ($44,220 U.S.) prize for The Lacuna, her most recent novel since 2000. The award is given to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year....
The Guardian (U.K.), June 9

International Latino Book Awards
The 2010 International Latino Book Awards were announced May 25 during BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City. Sponsored by Latino Literacy Now, the awards honor literary excellence in many different categories. The award for Best Educational Children’s Book in English went to What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla (Trycycle Press)....
SLHW Literary Notes, May 26

Librarians stage read-in to protest New York cuts
To protest Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s budget cuts to New York City libraries, city librarians have circulated petitions, testified before city committees, and helped stage a Ghostbusters reenactment (3:35). On June 13, librarian Ingrid Abrams stood at a podium near the steps of the Central Library in Brooklyn, opened Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley and read. Abrams and more than 100 other readers staged a 24-hour read-in called “We Will Not Be Shushed,” meant to draw attention to the library’s campaign against the cuts. Library users wrote postcards and signed petitions. Watch the newscast (1:09)....
Wall Street Journal: Metropolis, June 14; New York Public Library Blogs, June 15; NY1 News, June 15

Google’s new encrypted search creates CIPA problems
A new encrypted search feature that internet search giant Google rolled out in May is causing problems for schools, which say the service keeps them from complying with the Children’s Internet Protection Act and could put their federal e-rate funding at risk. In accommodating privacy advocates, Google ironically has angered K–12 education technology officials, many of whom are now blocking access not only to Google’s encrypted search page but also Gmail and Google Docs....
eSchool News, June 14

Fond du Lac keeps another book
The book, Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern—recounting a teenager’s days in a mental hospital—will remain on the library shelf at Theisen Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. School District Reconsideration Committee members voted unanimously June 14 to make no changes regarding the book’s status. Ann Wentworth, a parent who requested the book be removed from the library, said she was not surprised by the outcome of the official hearing....
Appleton (Wis.) Post-Crescent, June 15

Flood damage at Ogemaw District Library
A number of photos, family history records, and research materials for genealogy stored by the Rose City Area Historical Society at the Ogemaw District Library in Rose City, Michigan, were destroyed by flooding that occurred June 12. According to ODL Director Jeanette Nathan, the records were housed in the basement while the historical society’s room was remodeled for an August 4 grand opening. The basement filled with around 56 inches of water....
Ogemaw County (Mich.) Herald, June 14

Huge pair of donations to Presque Isle
In early June, officials at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle, Maine, have found themselves in the middle of a fairy tale. First, a California woman with ties to the library donated $1 million that will be used to expand the 102-year-old facility. Three days later, the Family Literacy Project at the library received another donation in the form of a $25,000 grant from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Maine Family Literacy Initiative....
Bangor (Maine) Daily News, June 13

Molly Molloy’s database of death
Molly Molloy keeps a grim diary. “Eight killed in night club,” reads her April 28 entry. “Pregnant woman killed during soccer match,” she noted on May 4. Molloy, a reference librarian at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, spends most mornings sifting reports in the Mexican press to create a tally of drug-cartel-related killings in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. She is striving to fill a widening information gap about these homicides. Molloy tallies the reports and makes her findings available for free to anyone who wants them.”...
Wall Street Journal, June 15

Deal to save Evanston branches
Illinois Senate Majority Leader Jeff Schoenberg (D-9th) and Evanston, Illinois, Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl are set to announce a proposed partnership that could pave the way for restoring the city’s branch libraries. City officials disclosed the possibility in a news release today, announcing that Tisdahl and Schoenberg will appear at a press conference June 21 to provide more details. Aldermen moved to eliminate the North and South branches during the recent budget season as they sought to reduce a large deficit....
Evanston (Ill.) Review, June 15

Political signs stir up trouble in Brevard County
A pair of political signs displayed atop a table greeted patrons June 14 in the reference section of the Satellite Beach branch of the Brevard County (Fla.) Libraries. One urged patrons to phone county commissioners and sign a “Save our Libraries” petition, available at the information desk. The second thanked library supporters for attending a May budget hearing and extended a special thank you to Commissioner Mary Bolin for her support. Both have been deemed inappropriate by County Manager Howard Tipton....
Melbourne Florida Today, June 16

Mayor Ravenstahl scolded over Carnegie Library funding
Eight state representatives from the city of Pittsburgh have sent Mayor Luke Ravenstahl a strongly worded letter complaining that he hasn’t lived up to a commitment to provide the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh with $1.2 million over two years. City council last year approved, and the mayor signed, a bill giving the library system $600,000. But Ravenstahl returned unsigned a bill passed June 1 allocating the system another $640,000—money the system says it needs to keep all branches open through December....
Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette, June 16

William Jacques theft trial underway
A Cambridge University graduate stole a collection of rare books worth £40,000 ($59,000 U.S.) from one of Britain’s leading scientific libraries, a court heard June 16. William Jacques, 41, systematically pilfered 13 volumes of a 19th-century botanical encyclopedia from the Royal Horticultural Society’s library in southwest London by hiding them under his tweed jacket, it was alleged. Library staff became suspicious after spotting him acting suspiciously during a three-month period at the start of 2007....
Daily Mail (U.K.), June 16

Falcon hatchlings at Evanston Public Library
A nest of three newly-hatched peregrine falcons are guarded May 5 by their mother Nona and father Squawker on their ledge at the top of the Evanston (Ill.) Public Library (1:17). A third hatched May 3. All three chicks were banded and named May 26: Lorraine, Hennen, and Perkins....
YouTube, June 10; Evanston Public Library

Cal State students create makeshift study area
California State University, Los Angeles, students Stephanie Velasquez and Karla Chitay were stymied recently when they headed to the university library to study for a final exam: The facility had closed at 8 p.m. just before they arrived. But a few feet away, scores of students were bent over laptops and textbooks in a makeshift open-air study area. There was a copy machine and a printer. The “people’s library,” open until midnight, was organized by a group of students after administrators curtailed regular library hours because of state budget cuts....
Los Angeles Times, June 10

Scripps library enters the digital era
Inside the library at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, rows of century-old books that chart the beginnings of modern oceanography are guarded behind a locked gate. All of them are deemed too fragile or valuable to remain in the general stacks. But a partnership with Google has unlocked the gate and made the institution’s vast resources available online. Over the past 18 months, they have digitized an estimated 100,000 volumes from the La Jolla library as part of a broader effort to put texts online through Google Books....
San Diego (Calif.) Union-Tribune, June 13

New Novi library showcases visual arts
Just when many libraries are cutting staff and hours, Novi, Michigan, plans a grand opening June 26 for a new library that is double the size of the old one. The library was designed to showcase visual art, welcome community gatherings and provide literature, videos and 107 computers for Novi residents. And it was built under budget by an estimated $700,000 to $800,000 for its $12.5-million original estimated cost....
Detroit Free Press, June 14

Statue stolen from Allen Public Library
For seven years, the bronze statue of a child on a bench reading a book greeted arriving visitors outside of the Allen (Tex.) Public Library. Nicknamed “Tommy,” the 2,500-pound sculpture disappeared the night of June 10. Police aren’t sure how thieves were able to haul off the statue but fear it may have been scrapped for its metal....
WFAA-TV, Dallas, June 14

Librarian claims bias in firing
A former librarian at the Western branch of the Louisville (Ky.) Free Public Library has sued the city government, alleging she was unjustly terminated because of her age and race. Carmen Samuels served as branch manager for 23 years, according to the lawsuit, filed June 8 in Jefferson Circuit Court. Samuels, who is African American and in her 60s, was fired in August 2008, two years short of becoming eligible for retirement....
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, June 10

Library worker stabbed to death in Brookfield
65-year-old Marilyn Fay worked in the Chicago Public Schools for 30 years and in retirement worked part-time at the Brookfield (Ill.) Public Library. Acquaintances were shocked to learn that her body was found riddled with stab wounds in her home June 14. A man and a woman have been arrested and are being held for questioning....
Chicago Tribune, June 16

Student found in college library dies
A student found unconscious in the Ridgewater College library in Hutchinson, Minnesota, has died, and authorities are trying to determine what led to her death. Der Vang, a freshman, was in a study room June 9 when another student discovered her unresponsive....
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 11

Escaped lemurs lured into library
When the authorities arrived, the fugitives were lounging in the Cresset Christian Academy library in Durham, North Carolina, stuffing themselves on a tropical fruit salad that the lunch lady had thoughtfully provided. So ended the 36-hour adventure of Berisades and Ivy, a pair of 6-year-old ring-tailed lemurs who daringly vaulted the electric fence of a natural habitat enclosure at the Duke Lemur Center late on June 5. Teacher Anna White and some teens spotted them outside the school and lured them into the library with some lunch leftovers. Watch the newscast (2:06)....
Durham (N.C.) Herald-Sun, June 8; WTVD-TV, Durham, June 8

Students lured into library with snacks
It’s final exam week for middle and high school students, time for many teens to reacquaint themselves with the Westport (Conn.) Library. As the librarian for teen services, Jaina Lewis hopes to make the students’ studying more enjoyable and more productive by passing out free snacks. So she loops through the building a couple times an evening, pushing a cart full of snack packages and juice boxes that were purchased for just over $100 with money provided by the Friends of the Westport Library....
Westport (Conn.) News, June 16

Mayonnaise mayhem in Boise
A 74-year-old Boise woman is accused of tossing an open jar of mayonnaise into a book drop of the Ada Community Library in Boise, Idaho. Joy L. Cassidy has been charged with malicious injury to property. Boise police say they have been investigating several reports of vandalism at the library since May 2009. Employees told officers the suspect has been pouring liquids, such as corn syrup and ketchup, into an outside drop box, destroying books and other materials....
KTVB-TV, Boise, Idaho, June 14

Google to scan Austrian library books
The Austrian National Library has struck a 30-million-euro ($37 million U.S.) deal with internet giant Google to digitize 400,000 copyright-free books, a vast collection spanning 400 years of European history. Library Director Johanna Rachinger hailed what she called an important step, arguing at a news conference that “there are few projects on such a scale elsewhere in Europe.”...
Agence France Presse, June 15

Liberia’s first children’s library
Joyce Baker, director of the Arizona City (Ariz.) Community Library, is traveling to Yekepa, Liberia, in June to help prepare and catalog books for a children’s library. There are no public libraries in the entire country and there has never been a children’s library. Students at schools in Gilbert and Chandler collected more than 10,000 used books and teaching materials to help the Liberian children. Baker is going with her husband, a counselor, to teach Liberian nationals basic counseling techniques and to help prepare the books for circulation while she is there....
Arizona City (Ariz.) Independent, June 9

Rural Uganda district gets its first public library
Kanungu District, one of the hardest-to-reach areas in southwest Uganda, now has a five-room public library in the village of Nyaka to support school reading, adult literacy, and computer use. The Nyaka Blue Lupin Community Library, which opened in April, was constructed by the Nyaka AIDS Foundation and has a community room with a seating capacity of 200. The library is a relief to residents who had to travel long distances to find books for their children....
Kampala New Vision, June 8

Go back to the Top

19 Android phones you can buy today (or soon)
Priya Ganapati writes: “Less than two years after Google introduced the first Android phone, the free, open source operating system has turned into a juggernaut. There are 16 Android phones available now, and three new devices will hit retail stores later in June. The latest Android phone is the HTC Aria (right), revealed by AT&T on June 14 as a mid-range phone that will run Android 2.1, and have a 5-megapixel camera and a 3.2-inch display.” Meanwhile, here are 10 things Android does better than the iPhone OS....
Wired: Gadget Lab, June 14; CNET: Android Atlas, June 14; Gizmodo, June 3

Laptops with the best battery life
Dan Ackerman and Scott Stein write: “We don’t blame consumers for being obsessed with laptop battery life—after all, who wants their laptop to shut down in the middle of a long flight or at an important meeting? Over the years, we’ve found the battery life of laptops can range wildly: We’ve seen some systems push 7 hours, and others have trouble even clearing an hour and a half. For your benefit and ours, we’ve gone back and cherry-picked the front-runners in battery life for 2010 laptops.”...
CNET: Crave, June 10

12 tips to speed up Windows 7
Michael Muchmore writes: “One of the main virtues of Windows 7 is its speed—especially when compared with its predecessor, Vista. But most people haven’t experienced the 15-second boot for the operating system that Microsoft engineers were shooting for. The problem with most ‘speed-up Windows 7’ stories is that they tell you to turn off some of its more charming visual features. The first nine of my dozen tips show you ways you can speed up your system without compromising its appearance.”...
PC Magazine, June 14

The Object Reuse and Exchange specification
The May issue of Library Technology Reports, edited by Michael Witt, offers insight into the Open Archives Initiative’s Object Reuse and Exchange specification, which defines a set of new standards for the description and exchange of aggregations of web resources. ORE and its concept of aggregation may present the next major disruptive technology for librarians who develop and manage collections of digital information....
ALA TechSource Blog, June 9

The future of cloud computing
According to a Pew Research Center survey, most technology experts and stakeholders say they expect they will live mostly in the cloud in 2020 and not on the desktop, working mostly through cyberspace-based applications accessed through networked devices. This will substantially advance mobile connectivity through smartphones and other internet appliances. Many say there will be a cloud-desktop hybrid. Still, cloud computing has many difficult hurdles to overcome....
Pew Research Center, June 11

The USB Typewriter
The USB Typewriter is a new and groundbreaking innovation in the field of obsolescence. Lovers of the look, feel, and quality of old-fashioned manual typewriters can now use them as keyboards for any USB-capable computer, such as a PC, Mac, or even an iPad. The modification is easy to install, involves no messy wiring, and does not change the outward appearance of the typewriter. The result is a retro-style USB keyboard that looks great and feels great to use. Watch the video demo (0:11)....
USB Typewriter

ALA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 24–29.

Follow Annual Conference events and tweets on the American Libraries #ala10 page.

ALA has partnered with Boopsie to bring you ALA Mobile, the fastest, easiest way to access important and useful information about the Annual Conference directly from your cell phone. To get ALA Mobile on your cell phone, visit the Boopsie website or simply text the word “ALA2010” to 41411.

Cognotes (the second Conference Preview issue) is available in Nxtbook, accessible, mobile, and PDF versions.

How e-books are like disposable razors
Tom Peters writes: “In the good old days, when men wanted a shave, they often went to a barber shop. As far as I can tell, it was a bundled, one-price service. Then along came the safety razor and the social shift to shaving at home. Now men had to purchase the shaving handle, the disposable razor blades, and shaving cream, usually separately. Buying a printed book was like getting a shave in a barber shop; one price delivered almost the complete experience. But portable e-books are doing for reading what the safety razor did for shaving.”...
ALA TechSource Blog, June 15

A frustrated e-book nonuser
Sarah Houghton-Jan writes: “I strongly feel that e-books and e-audiobooks are only used on the margins of our library communities. Not because people don’t have the technology—they do. And not because they don’t want e-books—they do. But because using library e-books is such a horrible pain, sometimes impossible, due to the restrictions that DRM places on us (which affects the subsequent issues of licensing and copyright). Publishers need to realize that DRM doesn’t stop the real pirates.” David Lee King agrees (somewhat)....
Librarian in Black, June 14; David Lee King, June 15

Friday in the YA Library
Greg Hatcher writes: “In addition to comics and pulp fiction, I’m also very fond of what used to be called young adult series adventure novels. Today they’ve largely disappeared from the bookstores, though revamped versions of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are hanging in there. But the ones I’m talking about had a very specific look and format. They were hardcovers, seven inches tall by five-and-a-half inches wide, no dust jacket, roughly 240 pages or so, and always with a pulpy cover illustration that promised excitement with a touch of weirdness.”...
Comics Should Be Good!, June 11

BiblioPulp: The underbelly of the rare book world
Stephen J. Gertz writes: “Hard-boiled dames caught in the grip of a habit beyond their control; corrupt dolls seeking cheap thrills between the sheets of a book; innocents ensnared into the rare book racket, underage girls seduced by slick blurbs, and grown men brought to their knees by bibliographical points that slay dreams in a depraved world. It’s a tale told through posters designed and exclusively distributed by Heldfond Gallery in San Francisco, based upon vintage pulp fiction book covers. Proprietor Eric Heldfond has been peddling them for a few years now.”...
BookTryst, June 14

LC gallery: Digitizing the past and present
Rob Beschizza writes: “I recently took a tour of two Library of Congress departments: the Preservation Research and Testing Division in Washington, D.C., and the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. The library’s preservation specialists use the latest technology, such as hyperspectral imaging, which offers ultra–high resolution scans of documents, imaged under sharply restricted wavelengths of light, revealing details denied to the naked eye.”...
Boing Boing, June 9

Best library people on Twitter
Jason Boog writes: “Times are tough for the libraries and librarians in your life. No matter where you live, your library needs your support right now. To celebrate these passionate literary professionals, we have created another directory curated by GalleyCat Reviews readers. Add your favorite library people in the comments, and we’ll add them to the list. We will constantly update the directory, just like our other lists (book reviewers, editors, etc.).”...
GalleyCat, June 10

Diaries: 18th-century Twitter feeds
In reviewing volumes of diary entries—mostly written by women—from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Cornell University Assistant Professor of Communication Lee Humphreys found many terse Twitter-style records about what was happening in daily life. Entries ranged from what was for dinner to reports of deaths, births, marriages, and travel—such as “April 7. Mr. Fiske Buried. April 27. Made Mead. At the assembly,” from the 1770 diary of Mary Vial Holyoke (above) of Salem, Massachusetts....
Futurity, June 9

New copyright regulations coming to college campuses
Starting July 1, new copyright regulations will apply to colleges that participate in federal student aid programs. The regulations implement provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 relating to copyright infringement on campus networks. The Department of Education has provided a sample text that colleges may use to summarize the penalties for violating federal copyright laws. ALA is concerned with this unfunded mandate that outsources copyright enforcement to institutions of higher education....
District Dispatch, June 15

E-reserves lawsuit is a failure to communicate
Andrew Richard Albanese writes: “A contentious copyright infringement lawsuit filed in Atlanta in 2008 by academic publishers against four individuals at Georgia State University has been quietly progressing. The case, known as Cambridge University Press et al. v. Patton et al., involves electronic reserves and the murky contours of copyright and fair use. Publishers are in essence suing their very partners in the scholarly publishing enterprise (including a university librarian).”...
Publishers Weekly, June 14

Librarians versus Nature
John Dupuis writes: “The University of California system has said ‘enough’ to the Nature Publishing Group’s huge proposed jump in the cost of its journals. What are the long-term implications of this dust-up? Hard to say, but it’s very clear that the commercial publishers really aren’t on the side of libraries, researchers, scholarship, science, curing the common cold, putting another person on the moon, apple pie, motherhood, or any other of those wonderful things.”...
Confessions of a Science Librarian, June 13

Digital talking books celebrated
Two hundred librarians and staff who serve blind and physically handicapped individuals celebrated the national rollout of the digital talking-book system (right) at the biennial conference hosted by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, part of the Library of Congress. The conference, held May 15–20 in Des Moines, Iowa, marked the release of digital talking books and players to special-format libraries that serve a readership of 900,000....
Library of Congress, June 11

Bookplate exhibition at the University of Virginia
Albert Einstein’s bookplate shows an immense universe of stars and swirling masses. George Washington’s bookplate simply shows his family seal, with a bird perched on top and the motto “Exitus acta probat” (“the end shows the deed”). These are just a few tidbits that make the world of bookplate collecting so fascinating for James Goode. A sample of his treasury is on display through July 29 at the University of Virginia Library. Watch the video (4:25)....
University of Virginia Magazine, June 8

Baby books: A mother lode for researchers
Judy Lin writes: “Baby’s first tooth, first words, records of doctor’s visits, favorite foods—such are the stuff of baby books. They are also a rich source of scholarly material, as evidenced by a robust interest among researchers in the official Baby Book Collection at UCLA’s Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, now at 1,100 books and growing. Dating back to 1882, the books are a record not merely of young lives, but open a personal window into the history of American childhood and family, medicine, art, architecture, and other disciplines.”...
UCLA Today, June 3

For World Cup fans
BBC Sport has produced a Match of the Day Unplugged video segment (5:16) on the exhibition being held at the National Library of South Africa in Cape Town titled “The History of Soccer in South Africa.” Host Alan Hansen covers the main features of the exhibition, which traces the history of the sport in South Africa from 1897 to the 2010 World Cup....
BBC Sport, June 12

Military libraries launch summer reading
U.S. Defense Department library officials have embarked on their first departmentwide summer reading program in hopes of encouraging military children to keep their reading skills sharp during the summer. More than 250 base libraries will soon set off on “Voyage to Book Island” (0:31), an activity-packed reading program in which children are asked to complete four to six books over the course of the summer, said Nilya Carrato, the program assistant for the Navy General Library Program....
American Forces Press Service, June 14; YouTube, May 14

Libraries subscribe free to care ADvantage magazine
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is offering free library subscriptions to its care ADvantage, a quarterly magazine for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses. Discounted bulk orders are also available. Articles are written by top experts in their respective fields....
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

South Florida students lobby for LSU library school
The Board of Governors at Louisiana State University announced in May that they were considering closing the library and information science program, among others, due to budget cuts. After hearing this, the University of South Florida’s SLIS Student Organization decided to set up an email and social media campaign to let LSU know how they feel about the importance of a degree for information professionals....
Librarians-in-Training, June 9

The death of library schools?
Will Manley writes: “It’s always wonderful when someone comes along and writes my post better than I ever could. This commenter has basically said it all: Library school students have been sold a bill of goods. Does anyone else cringe at the irony of a school of information studies giving out misinformation? But beyond that rather obvious and regrettable issue is a much larger issue. Why are library schools selling a bill of goods?”...
Will Unwound, June 14

Going postal with British libraries
Larry Nix writes: “At the request of Renae Satterly, editor of the Library and Information History Group Newsletter, I agreed to write a brief article about libraries and postage stamps for the just-published Summer issue (PDF file). Along with the article I developed supplementary web pages on bibliophilately and library stamps of the British Isles.”...
Library History Buff Blog, June 15; Library and Information History Group Newsletter, Summer, pp. 16–17

A librarian in every school
5th Grade Teacher Bob Peterson writes: “This spring, within a week’s time, two things happened that made me angry. One was the Milwaukee school district’s announcement of major cuts to local school budgets for next year that resulted in the elimination of our librarian position in our 400-student elementary school. During spring break, I met with my principal and a parent who is on the school governance council, and we agreed to call a public meeting about the lack of librarians.”...
Rethinking Schools, Summer 2010

Bleeding school libraries
This video (3:31) provides a dramatization of what will happen to school libraries when poorly conceived budget cuts close them. Laura K. Graff, librarian at Sun Valley (Calif.) High School, was the mastermind behind the enterprise and in a YALSA Blog post she describes how she got the idea for the video and how she’s been distributing it....
YouTube, June 2; YALSA Blog, June 11

School librarians are teachers
Teacher-librarian Sudi Hope Stódola of the Denver Public Schools put together this grassroots advocacy video (3:50) that dramatizes the importance of library media specialists as teachers. Teacher-librarians collaborate with other teachers in all subject areas, they foster a love of reading, they teach research skills, and they teach 21st-century skills....
YouTube, June 5

Libraries at the heart of our communities (PDF file)
Wayne Senville writes: “Is there a place in your community where residents of all ages and incomes visit and enjoy spending their time; where people go to hear interesting speakers discuss new ideas, books, travel, and a broad range of topics; where you can get help when applying for a job; that can be counted on, day after day, to draw people downtown or to main street? In a growing number of cities and towns, there’s one answer to all these questions: the public library.”...
Planning Commissioners Journal, no. 75 (Summer 2009): 12–18

How many closings?
Q. I keep reading about recent closings of public libraries or proposed closings of branches in some larger cities, and I recall that others, such as in Salinas, California, closed but reopened. How many libraries have, in fact, closed? A. The most reliable count of the number of public library service outlets comes from the annual IMLS Public Library Survey, as reported on our Fact Sheet 1, but that report is lagged because of the collection, analysis, and publication processes, and doesn’t reflect the various actions reported in the news....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, June 15

What is a public library?
Stars and Frogs posted this parody (0:38) of an iPad commercial that sings the praises of public libraries. “A public library goes everywhere and lasts a lifetime. There’s no right way or wrong way. It’s crazy powerful.”...
YouTube, June 13

Internet stars for internet freedom
Free Press and the Harry Potter Alliance collaborated on this video (2:39) featuring a series of online celebrities and writers (vlogbrothers John and Hank Green, blogger Wil Wheaton, mythbuster Adam Savage) speaking about the importance of net neutrality. Sponsored by Save the Internet....
YouTube, June 10

Best anti-plagiarism video ever
The University Library of Bergen, Norway, created this hilarious Dickensian moral tale (5:13) about the dangers of copyright violation, in which a student is shown by the Ghost of Plagiarism what might happen to him if he copies an article on logic and artificial intelligence and submits it as his own. With robots, marching bands, special effects, and numerous references to Hollywood films. Hit the CC button for English subtitles....
YouTube, May 27

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