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

Boston’s reprieve dimmed by losses elsewhere
Grassroots advocates in Boston were thrilled to learn June 21 that library officials were indefinitely postponing the closure of four branches that had been planned for months. The news came as hundreds of library workers at the Charlotte (N.C.) Mecklenburg Library and Los Angeles Public Library were coming to grips with layoff notices....
American Libraries news, June 22

Libraries report increased use, decreasing funding
A new ALA report finds that public libraries have posted gains in several areas of technology deployment. Nationwide, users are increasingly using library online services, particularly to support job seeking and e-government transactions, and libraries have managed to add public computers and improved internet connections. However, snowballing funding cuts at state and local levels are forcing thousands of libraries to lock away access to these resources as they reduce operating hours. The full 101-page report is available in PDF format on the ALA website and in the American Libraries Summer 2010 Digital Supplement in flipbook format....
Office for Research and Statistics, June 21

Think Green promo tool can save more than paper
Laura Bruzas writes: “Why stop with a ‘think before you print this’ message at the end of your emails? How about including a favorite easy-to-implement green tip, a one-sentence green book review, or a snapshot update on a green project that your library is undertaking in your signature line?”...
AL: Green Your Library, June 22

Library branch in the mall
Q. We’re renovating one of our branches and have been offered space in a mall as a temporary home. Have other libraries done this? A. Yes, there are other library facilities sited in malls, as both temporary and permanent locations. We do not have solid statistics on how many, but we’ve gathered references to a number of them at the Public Library in Shopping Mall page on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, June 23

ALA staves off a second furlough week
ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels told the governing Council and staff June 18 that management had reviewed the budget and updated year-end projections. “I am pleased to report that, based on this review, we no longer anticipate the need for a second furlough week for this fiscal year,” he announced. Fiels said the good news was based on the combined efforts of many units....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 18

Marlo Thomas replaces the Duchess
Less than 24 hours after Sarah, Duchess of York, canceled her appearance at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., revered actress, author, and children’s advocate Marlo Thomas stepped in to fill her morning slot on June 27. Often remembered for her 1960s television series That Girl, Thomas is more recently known for her work as national outreach director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 16

Annual Conference What’s Happening guide
Mary Ghikas, ALA senior associate executive director, has once again assembled a handy What’s Happening guide (PDF file) to the most important tips, facts, and activities at ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C....
ALA Annual Conference 2010 wiki

Follow along, wherever you are
To help attendees as well as nonattendees stay in touch with events at ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., staff from across the Association are collaborating on expanded minute-by-minute coverage of programs, speakers, governance, and social events. Look for the full conference dashboard in the American Libraries section, as well as enhancements to the ALA homepage....
Public Information Office, June 22

Panel to discuss Google Book Search settlement
The ALA Washington Office will host a panel discussion on the proposed Google Book Search settlement during Annual Conference. The session, “Panel Discussion on Life after the Google Book Search Settlement,” will be held 10:30 a.m.–noon on Saturday, June 26. A panel of speakers will discuss what the outcome of the proposed GBS settlement will mean for the future of libraries and digitization efforts....
District Dispatch, June 22

Electronic gadget petting zoo
Visit the ALA Publishing booth #2605 at Annual Conference for a peek at ALA TechSource’s electronic gadget petting zoo, Sunday, June 27, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. You’ll have a chance to check out some of the latest gadgets—smart phones, e-readers, the iPad—and discuss them in person with our bloggers Jason Griffey, Tom Peters, Kate Sheehan, and Tom Peters....
ALA TechSource blog, June 22

JobLIST Placement Center hosts free webinar
The JobLIST Placement Center is launching a free webinar 1–2 p.m. Eastern Time on June 29. The webinar will explore resources for professional development, job searching, and networking. Webinar presenter Diane Kovacs has 15 years’ experience as a web instructor and consultant. Register here....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 22

Emerging Leaders poster session
Members of the ALA 2010 class of Emerging Leaders will showcase their final projects at a poster session and reception on Friday, June 25, 3–5 p.m., during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The poster session will allow each group to showcase its creative and innovative solutions for their projects....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 22

Emerging Leaders interview Archivist David Ferriero
2010 Emerging Leaders Group C has created a series of podcasts on behalf of the Joint Committee on Archives, Libraries, and Museums. For the podcast’s inaugural episodes, the group interviewed David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States....
ALA Library, June 15

ALA Store at Annual Conference
The ALA Store, located beside Registration outside the exhibits hall, will have a diverse line-up of Celebrity READ posters available, as well as posters, bookmarks, gift products, and recently released ALA Editions books. Stop by early to pick up your conference souvenirs, including the official D.C. 2010 T-shirt and matching magnets....
ALA Publishing, June 22

Annual Conference guide in accessible formats
ReadHowYouWant is offering the 2010 Annual Conference guide in six different downloadable EasyRead print formats as well as Braille and DAISY. EasyRead documents are optimized to improve both word recognition and ease of eye tracking by adjusting word and line spacing....
ReadHowYouWant

Carolyn Forsman jewelry for FTRF
Bryan Campbell writes: “Looking for something upbeat, upscale, and affordable to take home from Annual Conference? Be sure to visit Booth #2535 to check out the designs of Carolyn Forsman—the New York-based jeweler who donates proceeds from her ALA booth to the Freedom to Read Foundation.”...
OIF Blog, June 22

Toolkit on e-government services
The ALA Committee on Legislation has released an E-Government Toolkit, created to assist librarians with addressing the growing public demand for assistance with online government services. According to ALA research, 61% of libraries report providing access to government information as one of the most critical internet services they provide....
District Dispatch, June 21

Digitizing scattered historical materials
OITP Google Policy Fellow Gwen Glazer is working on a proposal for a program that would fund small-scale digitization of scattered historical materials and create a centralized repository that the public could browse and search. She wants to hear from libraries that do not have much previously digitized original material. Take a three-question survey....
Gwen Glazer

Text a donation to help rebuild libraries in Haiti
It now only takes two minutes for you to donate $10 to help rebuild libraries in Haiti. ALA has set up an option to easily donate through your mobile phone. To donate to the ALA Haiti Library Relief Fund simply text “alahaiti” to 20222, and a $10 one-time tax-deductible donation will be added to your mobile phone bill. ALA is raising funds to rebuild three libraries in Haiti destroyed during the earthquake in January....
International Relations Office

Designing space for children and teens
ALA Editions has released Designing Space for Children and Teens in Libraries and Public Places by Sandra Feinberg and James R. Keller. Providing tips, suggestions, and guidelines on the critical issues involved with designing spaces for children and teens, this how-to book addresses topics such as how to select an architect or design professional, the importance of including YA librarians in the design and implementation, and information on how children and teens view and use space....
ALA Editions, June 17

ALA history: The Marjorie Fiske study on censorship
Ellie Collier writes: “By 1953, ALA was strengthening its public position as defender of intellectual freedom. With a grant from the Fund for the Republic and the sponsorship of the School of Librarianship of the University of California, it conducted a project, headed by sociologist Marjorie Fiske from 1956 to 1958, that studied the problem of censorship in book selection. Fiske’s report showed the profession that, at least in California, its proposed ideals were not consistently in practice.”...
In the Library with the Lead Pipe, June 23

ALA Conference survival tips
Karen Schneider writes: “By my count, since I first attended ALA at Midwinter 1992 (San Antonio), I have attended roughly 35 ALA conferences, including Midwinter Meetings—so many that I have founded the (actually nonexistent) Old Members Round Table, which sports a hashtag on Twitter of #omrt and has its own Facebook fan page. There are many tips for surviving and enjoying ALA, but for the sake of anyone new to ALA who stumbles across this blog, here are some more.”...
Free Range Librarian, June 19

Visit two of Baltimore’s historic libraries
Take advantage of your Annual Conference attendance to visit two of Baltimore’s jewels—the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Central Library and Johns Hopkins University’s George Peabody Library (right). Baltimore is just a short distance away from Washington. The tour will take place Monday, June 28. Space is limited, so contact Sonia Alcantara-Antoine by June 24....
PLA Blog, June 21

Side trips: Sites of progressive social change
Jerome Pohlen’s Progressive Nation: A Travel Guide with 400+ Left Turns and Inspiring Landmarks is the source for this list of places to visit during your free time. Pohlen’s guide endeavors to celebrate those who worked for progressive social change, as well as the movements and communities they inspired. The listings here are, with one exception, within 30 minutes via foot and/or public transportation of the Washington Convention Center....
Women in Libraries, June

Jung’s Red Book at LC
Nearly a century after its creation, the original Red Book by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) is the centerpiece of a Library of Congress exhibition titled “The Red Book of Carl G. Jung: Its Origins and Influence.” The 205-page illustrated manuscript—in the author’s own hand—had been locked in a vault after Jung’s death. Created between 1914 and 1930, the Red Book was the product of an “active imagination” technique developed by Jung, which resulted in his concepts of the archetype, collective unconscious, and individuation....
Library of Congress, June 2

Movable books pop up at the Smithsonian
Nancy Mattoon writes: “On June 14, the Smithsonian Libraries opened a new exhibit at the National Museum of American History at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop, and Turn, showcasing the art of the movable book. (This is a more inclusive term than pop-up, as it covers all books with moving parts.) The exhibit drew on the libraries’ vast collection of more than 13,000 movable books and was created by Curator Stephen van Dyk of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Library.”...
BookTryst, June 16

Haunted hotels in D.C.
The nation’s capital has plenty of opportunity for frights, even when you don’t count the politicians. The Hay Adams Hotel staff is said to believe that Clover Adams, the wife of the original owner, haunts the fourth floor, and strange occurrences have happened at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel since the Inaugural Ball for Calvin Coolidge on January 20, 1925, which he did not attend because he was mourning the death of his son....
YALSA Blog, Oct. 30, 2009

RBMS preconference in Philadelphia
Ian Kahn writes: “Today was the first day of the ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section preconference in Philadelphia. The ABAA Booksellers’ Showcase was running all day. There were some great dealers there with some wonderful things to look at. I picked up a copy of Lunacy and the Arrangement of Books by Terry Belanger. Aidan and I spent the morning in the workshop on ‘Building Collections: Acquiring Materials and Working with the Antiquarian Book Trade.’ The tours were great.”...
Lux Mentis, Lux Orbis, June 22

ALTAFF takes on murder in Connecticut
A violent murder shocked the close-knit community of Cheshire, Connecticut. In the Middle of the Night, written by Brian McDonald from interviews given by one of the accused killers, was published before the trial. Cheshire Public Library bought the book, which was challenged before it arrived. Learn how the library’s advisory board handled this issue, what impact library advocates had, and what you should know to face a similar challenge in your community on Sunday, June 27, at an ALTAFF panel presentation moderated by Kent Oliver at ALA Annual Conference....
ALTAFF

30 ways to reach reluctant readers
Turning reluctant young adult readers into enthusiastic book lovers is a challenge that every teen and school librarian faces—and YALSA will suggest 30 surefire strategies to make this happen at its webinar, “Ready, Set, Go! 30 Ways to Reach Reluctant Readers in 60 Minutes.” The webinar will take place at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, September 16....
YALSA, June 22

Explore the future with ACRL
ACRL has released a new report, Futures Thinking for Academic Librarians: Higher Education in 2025 (PDF file) to prompt academic librarians to consider what trends may impact the future of higher education in order to take strategic action now. Authored by David J. Staley and Kara J. Malenfant, the report presents 26 possible scenarios for the future which may have an impact on all types of academic libraries over the next 15 years....
ACRL, June 22

Order AASL’s planning guide and rubric
The newest tool from AASL, A Planning Guide for Empowering Learners, is now available for advance ordering. Copublished with Britannica Digital Learning, this online, interactive school library program-planning module will help school librarians implement the AASL program guidelines. It includes a “School Library Program Assessment Rubric” that will allow school librarians to assess their program according to 16 different sets of criteria....
AASL, June 22

2010 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award
The Jefferson Elementary School Library in Elmhurst, Illinois, is the winner of the 2010 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. The award, sponsored by the ALA Public Programs Office and AASL, will be presented on June 27, immediately prior to the Marlo Thomas session. Learning Resource Center Director Nicolette Vaillancourt developed the winning Elmhurst History program....
Public Programs Office, June 22

2010 Spectrum Scholars announced
The ALA Office for Diversity has announced 75 recipients of the 2010 Spectrum Scholarships. The Spectrum Scholarship program provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies. Its mission is to improve service at the local level through the development of a representative workforce that reflects the communities served by all libraries....
Office for Diversity, June 22

UCLA ALA Student Chapter supports Spectrum
The University of California, Los Angeles, Student Chapter of ALA has announced its support of the Spectrum Presidential Initiative with a contribution of more than $1,000. The funds were raised through a barbeque (right) sponsored by the chapter as part of the Dinners for Spectrum Scholars program....
Office for Diversity, June 21

Nancy Drew gets her due
Nancy Mattoon writes: “An online exhibit celebrating supersleuth Nancy Drew has transformed the intrepid, titian-haired detective from a old-time library pariah into a modern-day ALA award winner. The ACRL Rare Book and Manuscripts Section has bestowed one of its Leab Exhibition awards for ‘online exhibit of exceptional merit’ to the University of Maryland Libraries for ‘Nancy Drew and Friends: Girls’ Series Books Rediscovered.’ That rumbling sound you hear is an army of reanimated children’s librarians, rising from their graves in outrage to mount a zombie invasion of ALA’s 2010 Annual Conference.”...
BookTryst, June 23

The American Dream Starts @ your library program
Thanks to the ALA and Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s The American Dream Starts @ your library program, 75 public libraries in 24 states received $5,000 grants to grow or develop literacy programs for adult English language learners. Some of the American Dream libraries immediately launched new programs and services for adult English language learners and their families. The rest are waiting until fall to begin their programs and classes....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, June 20

2010 Peter Lyman/Sage Scholarship
Cynthia Lovett of Brooklyn, New York, will receive the 2010 Peter Lyman/Sage Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a person who is pursuing an MLS and plans to specialize in the field of new media. A film set decorator, art department coordinator, digital artist, and video editor, Lovett hopes to “design new ways for people to interact with information retrieval systems.” Lovett will attend Rutgers University....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Marshall Cavendish Scholarship
Mackenzie Brooks of Batavia, Illinois, will receive the 2010 Marshall Cavendish Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing an MLS. As an undergraduate, Brooks interned in the Archives and Manuscripts Department of the Chicago History Museum. Brooks attends Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois...
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Tony B. Leisner Scholarship
ALA has chosen Madeline Grace Bentley of Springfield, Missouri, as the recipient of the 2010 Tony B. Leisner Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a library support staff member pursuing an MLS. Bentley will attend the University of Missouri-Columbia....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Christopher Hoy/ERT Scholarship
Holly Byers of Chicago will receive the 2010 Christopher Hoy/Exhibits Round Table Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing an MLS. Byers will be attending San Jose State University....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship
Diana J. Lennon of Ossining, New York, will receive the 2010 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship. he $3,000 award is given to an ALA or library support staff member to help finance the pursuit of an MLS. Lennon will be attending Long Island University’s Palmer School of Library Science....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Mary V. Gaver Scholarship
Bridget D. Ward of Wilson, North Carolina, will receive the 2010 Mary V. Gaver Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing an MLS with a specialty in youth services. Ward will attend the North Carolina Central University in Durham....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 Tom and Roberta Drewes Scholarship
Brenda Sevigny-Killen of Pittston, Maine, will receive the 2010 Tom and Roberta Drewes Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a library support staff worker who is pursuing an MLS. Sevigny-Killen will be attending the San Jose University School of Library and Information Science....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

2010 David H. Clift Scholarship
Laura Sue Manley of Hazel Park, Michigan, will receive the 2010 David H. Clift Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing an MLS. Manley will be attending Wayne State University’s School of Library and Informational Science....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 21

Awards for serving the blind and physically handicapped
The Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped presented awards to two libraries June 18 for outstanding service to the blind and physically handicapped communities. The Washington Talking Book and Braille Library in Seattle (right) received the Network Library of the Year Award. The Special Services Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of Virginia Beach, Virginia, received the fourth annual Network Subregional Library of the Year Award. Both awards carry a $1,000 cash prize....
Library of Congress, June 18

2010 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award
Author and Washington Post journalist Rick Atkinson has been awarded the 2010 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. The $100,000 honorarium will be presented at the library’s annual Liberty Gala in Chicago on October 22. The award recognizes a living author for a body of work that has profoundly enriched the public’s understanding of American military history....
Pritzker Military Library, June 21

International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker has won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel The Twin (Archipelago, 2009). Judges praised the book, about a man who returns to his family farm after the death of his twin, for its “laconic humor and surprising tenderness.” The €100,000 ($123,400 U.S.) prize is the largest worldwide for a work of fiction. Bakker’s English translator David Colmer will also receive a portion of the prize money....
BBC News, June 18

Best First Book in Intellectual History
Stephen Perkinson’s The Likeness of the King: A Prehistory of Portraiture in Late Medieval France (University of Chicago Press, 2009) has won the Morris D. Forkosch Prize for the Best First Book in Intellectual History from the Journal of History of Ideas. The book upends several well-established theories on the evolution of portraiture, and takes readers through a fascinating tour of late medieval history and philosophy....
Bowdoin College, June 18

Grant will assist libraries in helping the unemployed
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded OCLC WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina a grant to continue work to provide library-based employment services and programs to assist the unemployed. The $940,750 grant will fund work to conduct an impact and needs assessment on unemployment in all U.S. regions, and create a corresponding curriculum that can be tailored to meet local needs so that libraries are better equipped to meet the needs of the unemployed....
OCLC, June 23

NEH funds library humanities projects
The National Endowment for the Humanities will fund some $20 million in grants for 120 humanities projects. Among the library projects funded are digitizing pre-1923 newspapers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Washington State Library, and the Arizona Deprtment of Libraries, Archives, and Public Records; the development of environmental controls to protect the Folger Shakespeare Library’s holdings; and work on the Papers of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois....
National Endowment for the Humanities, June 10

San José’s Circle of Learning
The San José School of Library and Information Science is partnering with the American Indian Library Association to launch Circle of Learning—an initiative designed to recruit and support American Indians and Alaska Natives who are interested in earning an MLIS degree. Students must be admitted to the school’s MLIS program in order to receive scholarship funding. The Circle of Learning advisory committee is finalizing application criteria, which will be available August 3....
San José School of Library and Information Science, June 16

$1.5 million to support Native American libraries
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded $1.5 million to 218 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations as part of its Native American Library Services Basic Grant program. With this funding, the libraries will be able to strengthen their core services for the benefit of the tribal communities and villages they serve. A full list of recipients is here....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 17

Protest at New York’s City Hall
Dozens of people, determined to fight proposed funding cuts to New York City’s three library systems, descended on City Hall June 17. The protesters, many of them schoolchildren from Public School 1 in Chinatown, were armed with a whopping 200,000 letters and petition signatures to present to the City Council and in particular Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens), chairman of the committee on cultural affairs, libraries, and international intergroup relations. As many as 1,500 library employees could lose their jobs. Meanwhile, Brooklyn faces five to seven branch closings....
New York Daily News, June 20; New York Daily News, June 23

State hits Milwaukee Public Library with sanctions
State and regional officials hit the Milwaukee Public Library with sanctions for cutting its budget too deeply, Library Director Paula Kiely said June 22. Under state law, municipal libraries that belong to federated library systems can’t reduce their annual operating budgets below the average of the past three years. But Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the Common Council chopped 2010 property tax support for the library by $1.2 million, and the library missed its state-mandated target by more than $1 million....
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 22

New members of IMLS Advisory Board
On June 22, the U.S. Senate confirmed five individuals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services on general policy and practices. The new members are former ALA Executive Director Robert Wedgeworth (left), Dean of Johns Hopkins University Libraries Winston Tabb (center), former ALA President and Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Carla Hayden (right), Birmingham Civil Rights Institute CEO Lawrence J. Pijeaux Jr., and former Smithsonian Exhibits Officer John Coppola....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 23

Ex-librarians club meets in Los Angeles
Jon writes: “On June 21, I attended (what I’m calling) the first meeting of the Ex-Librarians Club at Wurstküche in L.A. It was a chance for Los Angeles Public Library workers who were laid off last week to get together and console each other over drinks and sausages. There was a sad undertone throughout the night. A lot of former LAPL employees have spent their entire working lives in public libraries and they are worried that their skills will not be transferable to a corporate desk job.”...
LA Snark, June 22

Need revenue? Lease your flagpole to T-Mobile
T-Mobile is in negotiations with the trustees of the North Merrick (N.Y.) Public Library to place a 50-foot cell tower on the library grounds. The stealth tower, which would take the form of a new flagpole at the library, would help to eliminate coverage gaps in the area, according to a T-Mobile representative. Library Director Tom Witt said that T-Mobile would pay the library $18,000 a year to lease the land if the board approved the deal....
Merrick (N.Y.) Patch, June 22

Many patrons prefer books to gadgets
The makers of internet-enabled communications devices are bombarding consumers with sales pitches for revolutionary gadgets that promise to deliver the world to their fingertips in pocket-sized packages. So, where does the public library fit into this bold new world? “We still spend more on books than we do technology,” said Nancy Sanford, director of the Florence-Lauderdale (Ala.) Public Library, though that library is the most tech-savvy in the Muscle Shoals area....
Florence (Ala.) Times Daily, June 20

Judaica gets new home at UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, will now preside over the Judah L. Magnes Museum’s nearly unrivaled collections representing the cultural history of Jews in the West, according to an agreement announced June 21. The Bancroft Library will house the Magnes’s Western Jewish History Archives—letters, photographs, diaries, and other records of Jewish settlement in the West. Sheet music and musical manuscripts will go to the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library, and artifacts wlil be moved to a building in downtown Berkeley....
San Francisco Chronicle, June 22

Shakespeare Folio theft trial opens in Newcastle
A jobless book dealer who posed as an international playboy allegedly mutilated a stolen £3-millon first edition of Shakespeare’s works to disguise its provenance, the Newcastle Crown Court has heard. Raymond Scott is accused of taking the Folio from Durham University in 1998 and waiting 10 years before taking it to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., for authentication. Scott now admits the Folio is Durham’s, but that he got it through a Cuban contact. The Folger’s Richard Kuhta testified at the trial that he had recognized the book as the stolen one....
BBC News, June 18; Newcastle (U.K.) Northern Echo, June 19; Press Association, June 21

Tome Raider found guilty
A Cambridge graduate who stole more than £1 million ($1.48 million U.S.) worth of rare books during his career as a professional book thief was found guilty June 22 of stealing rare books from the Royal Horticultural Library. William Jacques, nicknamed “Tome Raider” after stealing hundreds of rare books in the late 1990s, drew up a “thief's shopping list,” targeting the most expensive books that he could access. Sentencing was postponed until July 20....
The Guardian (U.K.), July 22; BBC News, June 22

Missing library statue found mutilated in Dallas
The Allen (Tex.) Public Library’s missing statute of a boy reading a book turned up in pieces at a Dallas recycling yard. Dallas Police Detective John Easton said thieves had broken the head off, cut the bench in half, and broken the arms off. Easton said he gave the pieces of the 2,500-pound bronze statue to Allen police June 17, as well as information on two suspects, who had tried to sell them to Claxton Recycling Services on June 4....
Dallas Morning News, June 17

San Francisco branch designated a city landmark
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted June 16 to designate the 51-year-old North Beach branch (right) as a city landmark, setting the stage for a continued fight over its demolition at the city board of supervisors. Preservationists are attempting to use the landmark process to prevent the demolition of a number of aging branch libraries in the city, most controversially the North Beach branch....
San Francisco Chronicle, June 17

What students should look for in a college library
One of the first things a college admissions officer or a high school guidance counselor tells a prospective student is to visit the libraries on campus. U.S. News & World Report spoke to a handful of experienced college librarians to find out what prospective students—and their parents—should look for when they check out a prospective school’s library....
U.S. News & World Report, June 17

School librarian inspired children’s book author
An unnamed school librarian in Akron, Ohio, cornered a boy in a hallway. She asked him to read a nonsensical book (The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary), and her suggestion became a catalyst in an 8-year-old’s life. When Michael Buckley grew up, he penned bestsellers that have transported children into a world of make-believe. Buckley was the featured author at the eighth James V. Brown Library Author Gala in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, June 17....
Williamsport (Pa.) Sun-Gazette, June 18

University of Illinois Library celebrates Bloomsday
With treats and a cooler filled with O’Doul’s on hand, the University of Illinois Rare Books and Manuscripts Library hosted its annual Bloomsday celebration June 16, one of many events held around the world commemorating the life and work of Irish author James Joyce. Ulysses aficionados joined the library for a round of performances that included readings of the author’s published writings and musical numbers of songs mentioned in the novel....
Daily Illini, June 17

Globe-trotting Shanachies gear up for e-book age
Dutch library innovators Erik Boekesteijn (left) and Jaap van de Geer (right) are on a quest to ensure libraries survive the digital revolution—and pick up a few technology tricks along the way. The pair were in Wellington, New Zealand, in mid-June, visiting the National, Central, and Karori libraries, and held a seminar for librarians in the city. They began traveling the world four years ago in the tradition of Irish shanachies or storytellers—sharing and collecting stories about best practice in libraries, particularly in technology, in return for food and lodging....
Stuff.co.nz, June 21

Go back to the Top

Google Voice now open for signups
Jason Griffey writes: “If you haven’t heard of or used Google Voice, it’s an interesting service that has a lot of potential. The general idea is: You sign up, and Google gives you a new phone number, which then becomes a sort of relay, forwarding calls to any number of other phones simultaneously. For instance, if someone calls my Google Voice number, it rings my work phone and my cell at the same time, and I just pick up whichever is more convenient. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though.”...
AL: Perpetual Beta, June 22

How to maximize your laptop’s battery life
The How-To Geek writes: “If you have a laptop with a really old battery that drains in a few minutes after a full charge, there’s not much you can do to make that old thing last much longer—you'll probably want to replace the battery before you do anything else. For everybody else, these tips can help you keep your battery working at peak efficiency. The LCD panel is the biggest culprit by far.”...
Lifehacker, June 17

Creating a library database search using Drupal
When Florida Gulf Coast University Library was faced with having to replace its database locator, they needed to find a low-cost, non-staff-intensive replacement for their 350+ database search tool. Danielle Rosenthal and Mario Bernardo describe the development of a library database locator using Drupal along with several modules, such as CCK, Views, and FCKeditor....
Code4Lib Journal, June 22

Top 10 Mac apps that should be on Windows
Adam Pash writes: “We love what Microsoft’s done with Windows 7, but when we boot into Windows after spending a good amount of time on a Mac, there are 10 applications we sorely miss. For most purposes, we stuck with free applications. For a counterpoint, check out these 10 Windows apps that should be on Macs.”...
Lifehacker, June 19

ALA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 24–29. Annual Conference offers many opportunities for you to meet, discuss, network, learn, and debate with other ALA members at interactive sessions, programs, and events.

Don’t forget to check out these parties and receptions.

ALA will again be offering free Wi-Fi internet access to all attendees of the Annual Conference at no charge in the Washington Convention Center. Wi-Fi “hot zones” will be in all of the public areas (lobbies, meeting rooms, and ballrooms) but not in the exhibit halls. Once onsite, look for the “ALA2010” network.

Not a crisis, a transition
Barbara Fister writes: “At the annual meeting of the Association of American University Presses, incoming President Richard Brown challenged the idea that scholarly publishing is in crisis. A crisis, when it isn’t resolved for decades, becomes a way of life, and his preferred description for that way of life is ‘perpetual transition.’ That should resonate with librarians. Even better, he plans to make improving communication with librarians, whom he calls a ‘kindred community,’ a priority this coming year.”...
ACRLog, June 21

Where have all the Norman Mailers gone?
Lee Siegel writes: “Amid all the hubbub provoked by The New Yorker’s ‘20 Under 40’ list, one elephant-sized fact has been hidden in plain view. Fiction has become culturally irrelevant. With the exception of a few ambitious—and obsessively competitive—fiction writers and their agents and editors, no one goes to a current novel or story for the ineffable private and public clarity fiction once provided. For better or for worse, the greatest storytellers of our time are the nonfiction writers.”...
New York Observer, June 22; New Yorker, June 14; Huffington Post, June 9

Luxurious leather-bound books from the Franklin Library
The Franklin Library, a division of the Franklin Mint, was a publisher of fine collector edition books from the early 1970s until 2000. Known for beautiful bindings, Franklin books were published in three styles—full genuine leather, imitation leather, and quarter-bound genuine leather. The full leather-bound editions were produced throughout the library’s lifespan but the other two styles were only published in the 1970s and 1980s. The publisher developed a following by providing beautifully bound editions that would not break the bank....
AbeBooks, June 21

Renewing the library in the Internet Era
Charles Buchanan writes: “T. Scott Plutchak (left) doesn’t believe the library is an endangered species. In fact, ‘this is the best time to be a librarian in 500 years,’ says the director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. ‘Increasingly, our role is to help people navigate the information space quickly and efficiently.’ Here, Plutchak and Jerry Stephens (right), director of UAB’s Mervyn Sterne Library, describe five key ways in which the digital revolution has made libraries more accessible, personal, and relevant than ever.”...
UAB Magazine, June

OCLC approves new WorldCat record use policy
A new WorldCat record use policy, developed by a Record Use Policy Council and informed by community input, has been approved by the OCLC board of trustees. WorldCat Rights and Responsibilities for the OCLC Cooperative will be effective August 1, replacing the Guidelines for Use and Transfer of OCLC Derived Records developed in 1987....
OCLC, June 21

BCALA Conference adds featured speakers
Award-winning journalist Roland S. Martin, eco-chef Bryant Terry, and producer Ray Charles Robinson Jr. will speak during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s seventh National Conference of African American Librarians, August 4–8, at the Sheraton Conference Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The conference theme is “Bridging the Divide with Information Access, Activism, and Advocacy.”...
ALA Office for Diversity, June 22

Processing the presidential records of Elena Kagan
Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero writes: “On June 18, the Clinton Presidential Library made available online more than 75,000 pages of records relating to President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan. This latest batch of records includes emails written by Kagan during the four years she spent in the Clinton White House. Since May 10, six archival technicians, 16 archivists, and a supervisory archivist have put in over 6,000 hours on the job—working every Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day—in order to process and make available almost 170,000 pages of records.”...
AOTUS: Collector in Chief, June 22

National Recording Registry adds 25
Tupac Shakur’s tribute to mothers struggling to survive, “Dear Mama”; Loretta Lynn’s biographical hit, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”; Bill Cosby’s second album, I Started Out As a Child; and the Marine Corps Combat Field Recording Collection of the second battle of Guam are among the 25 additions to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry announced June 23. The National Recording Preservation Board selects 25 recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and at least 10 years old. The latest selections bring the total number to 300....
Library of Congress, June 23

Source codes for vocabularies, rules, and schemes
In making available changes to MARC to accommodate RDA, the Library of Congress published lists of terms and codes for RDA content, media, and carrier types. But LC has determined that the source codes do not adequately reflect the source material (RDA), as is usually the case. So new codes are replacing the ones formerly indicated in the Source Codes for Vocabularies, Rules, and Schemes list for Genre/Form Term and Code Sources....
Catalogablog, June 18

BCR phase-out plans
Kelcey Wetzel writes: “For the last 18 years, BCR has been housed in a building located in Aurora, Colorado. As part of the phase-out of operations announced in early April, BCR put this building on the market. It’s now under contract for sale. While BCR will still be in operation into the fall, we will no longer process and fulfill any new orders after July 31. A special arrangement will allow BCR members to activate a Lyrasis membership good through June 30, 2011.”...
BCReview, June 8

May a library lend e-book readers?
Peter Hirtle writes: “A recent post at the Citizen Media Law Project about first sale rights with e-books got me thinking about libraries. CMLP noted that with e-books, one has no first sale rights because they are usually governed by licenses. First sale, however, is fundamental to the business of libraries. It allows us to loan copies of printed books we have purchased without violating the copyright owner’s rights to distribute the work. Some libraries have started lending e-book readers to faculty and students. Is this legal?”...
LibraryLaw Blog, June 20; Citizen Media Law Project, June 8

Mobile devices and library catalogs
Laurel Tarulli writes: “Like our replacement of landlines with cell phones, smartphones are replacing home computers. If you’re not a blogger or a student or someone who generates information, there is no need for a computer. Your smartphone is your computer. I’ve been seeing a lot of libraries put up a text-based, bare-bones catalog interface for mobile devices, calling it a mobile site. This isn’t good enough.”...
The Cataloguing Librarian, June 21

11 helpful cheat sheets for Google apps
Henry Jones writes: “Google puts out great products that help us perform our daily tasks. Whether it’s email, creating docs, or communicating with colleagues, there seems to be a Google service for just about everything. But just like other tools and applications there are lots of features, which means more stuff to remember. So if you’re like me and have trouble memorizing things like keyboard shortcuts, we’re here to help.”...
WDL, June 18

Measure distances in Google Maps
Kevin Purdy writes: “Want to know the distance between two points on Google Maps? Google Maps just added a Labs feature that provides as-the-crow-flies or combined distances in miles or kilometers. (Hit the ‘I’m Feeling Geeky’ link, and you get a whole host of other options, including Jewish temple cubits, light-years, football fields, swimming pools, etc.) Head to your Google Maps Labs settings and enable the Distance Measurement Tool.”...
Lifehacker, June 22

50 power Twitter tips
Chris Brogan writes: “Here I am with another 50 power Twitter tips. I broke them down into five categories: intent, technical, business, integrated usage, and off-twitter. Some could probably fit in more than one category. Your mileage may vary. Some of these might be really helpful and others might not be that useful at all, given your own situations.”...
Chris Brogan, June 16

How to create a custom Twitter background design
Cindy King writes: “Are you still using the standard Twitter backdrop? If you’re looking to leave a lasting impression, you should consider swapping out that plain-Jane image for something more exciting. Changing your default Twitter background shows your audience you’re not a spambot and gives you the opportunity to create a more inviting environment to engage with them.”...
Social Media Examiner, June 14

The best part about working in a public library
Leigh Anne Vraibel writes: “You know you’re a hopeless library nerd when you willingly spend a Friday evening talking to library school students about what it’s like to work in a public library. Because I’m not a complete maverick, I did scribble down a short list of things I wanted to make sure I said. I wanted to make sure that they knew it was worth it: the job-hunting, the subpar salaries, the budget crises, and the ‘paying your dues’ phase. Here’s what I came up with.”...
Library Alchemy, June 18

Serendipity’s guide to library use
Serendipity writes: “As a young girl, my fondest memories involve me, my dad, and a library. I remember spending Saturdays with my dad at the local library, roaming from shelf to shelf, making my stack taller than me, then devouring them anytime I could. But in my older, wiser years, especially on my frugal journey, I’ve realized how much the library really has to offer. Let’s review, shall we?”...
Serendipity’s Guide to Saving, June 21

10 ways to combat illegal file sharing (registration required)
As colleges and universities prepare to meet a new federal directive to curb illegal file sharing, one expert has a list of 10 suggestions for higher-education technology officials. As of July 1, colleges and universities must comply with the peer-to-peer provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act. Jay Friedman, vice president of marketing for Audible Magic, offers a list of 10 best practices that have emerged from his company’s work with many higher-education institutions in solving illegal file-sharing issues....
eCampus News, June 22

GPO joins Alliance for Digital Preservation (PDF file)
The U.S. Government Printing Office has joined a worldwide digital
preservation alliance to collaborate with federal depository libraries and other organizations on preservation initiatives. LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) provides libraries with digital preservation tools and support so they can collect and preserve their own copies of authorized electronic content. GPO’s participation in LOCKSS will support development efforts by libraries that utilize the service....
Government Printing Office, June 14

Age listings on IMDb: A privacy issue?
One of the biggest movie sites in the world, the Internet Movie Database, is facing a hornet’s nest of controversy over its policy of publishing the birthdates and ages of actors and writers. The Writers Guild of America, West, is leading an effort to convince the database that workers as they reach 40 face fewer job opportunities in a business that tends to prefer 25-year-olds. Listing ages publicly is exacerbating the situation. But IMDb isn’t eager to make the change....
TheWrap, June 16

Ground Zero
Bill Ferris writes: “This Google Maps mashup lets you see what would happen to your hometown (or another location of your choosing) if it was hit by various nuclear weapons. Ground Zero lets you pick your poison, which ranges from Fat Man and Little Boy to the Soviet Tsar Bomba, which caused the largest explosion ever. You can even look at the impact of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.” If you enjoyed that, then check out what your hometown would look like under the Deepwater oil spill with If It Was My Home....
Instructify, June 17; If It Was My Home

Keene on the Commons
Keene (N.H.) Public Library and the Historical Society of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, were accepted into the Flickr Commons in June and have added some 1,100 historical photos on the state’s history to the archive. Keene Collection Development Librarian B. J. Wahl writes that all of the scanning and enhancing has been done by one 70-year-old volunteer, who due to a stroke, can only use his left hand to do it. The Commons was launched in January 2008 and now more than 40 libraries and museums worldwide contribute images....
indicommons, June 16

Librarian Flickr fun: LSW Badge Game
The Library Society of the World has devised a game that combines fancy badges with assigning yourself a well-deserved prize. Called the LSW Badge Game, you do something you think is significant, then award yourself with a badge of your own design, add it to the Flickr pool, then post it on your website, blog, or Facebook page. For example, you could have a badge for attending ALA Annual Conference or for fixing a photocopier. Andy Woodworth has begun creating badges. More ideas are here and here....
Flickr: LSW Badge Game

Joyce the Librarian
Sue Jenkinson and Phil Sykes are members of the Yorkshire Ukulele Circle. This is their adaptation (3:28) of a song about the repressed “Joyce the Librarian” by Richard Stilgoe and Peter Skellern (lyrics are here). A verse has been omitted and the tune altered slightly to give maximum impact. This is what happens when you read D. H. Lawrence....
YouTube, Mar. 7, 2008

Go back to the Top