Contents
American Libraries Online
ALA News
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San Diego Update
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Round Table News
Awards
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Tech Talk
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Calendar

Obama nominates Susan Hildreth for IMLS director
President Obama announced his nominations for key administration posts September 29, including Susan H. Hildreth for director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Hildreth is city librarian of the Seattle Public Library and an active member of ALA, having served as president of PLA in 2006–2007. She also served as state librarian of California from 2004 to 2009....
Washington Office, Sept. 30; White House, Sept. 29

Conviction in 2006 bombing of Salt Lake City Public Library
A federal court jury convicted Thomas James Zajac on October 4 of planting a pipe bomb in the Salt Lake City Public Library’s main facility that went off September 15, 2006, on the third floor and prompted the evacuation of some 400 patrons and staff members. Police attributed Zajac’s motive to anger over what he perceived as his son Adam’s mistreatment in being arrested in 2004 for a traffic violation....
American Libraries news, Oct. 5

Iraqi National Library director: “A critical crisis”
American Libraries Editor Leonard Kniffel recently spoke by phone with Saad Eskander, director of the Iraq National Library and Archives. The September 13 conversation (12:55) covered President Obama’s announcement of the pullout of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, the progress made in rebuilding the library, and the mood of the people of Baghdad. Due to the poor telephone connection, the interview is transcribed within the podcast to the extent possible....
AL Focus, Oct. 1

Dispatches from the Field: Rethinking library linking
Cindi Trainor and Jason Price write: “OpenURL link resolvers have become a vital part of many libraries’ offerings, especially those of academic libraries. Only recently has an effort been devoted to improving resolvers’ functionality by examining in detail the accuracy of the data that drives them. Also of critical importance is how the standard is implemented within the source databases from which OpenURLs originate. The solutions to OpenURL failures vary widely.”...
American Libraries column, Oct.

Will’s World: The conservatives among us
Will Manley writes: “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that politically the library profession is quite liberal. There may be a lot more conservatives in the profession than I know about but if they exist, they are for the most part quiet and under cover. Many liberal librarians will tell you that they equate the conservative movement with censorship and stringent fiscal policies. But these are two reasons why, instead of shunning the growing conservative movement in this country, we should engage it in a vigorous dialogue.”...
American Libraries column, Oct.

Going the distance without leaving your desk
Beth Filar-Williams writes: “Travel, especially flying, is a huge detriment to our environment. Can librarians change their attitude on travel for learning and networking opportunities? ALA and its divisions, committees, and round tables offer a number of learning opportunities, from one-time webinars to week-long courses. Log on from your desk or your home and participate without much more than a headset-mic combo.”...
AL: Green Your Library, Sept. 30

Rupert Grint chooses A Clockwork Orange
A Yahoo! News story informed its readers October 1 that “Rupert Grint (right) has risked upsetting parents of young Harry Potter fans—he’s urging them to read Anthony Burgess’s controversial novel A Clockwork Orange.” Grint did so by joining his costars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson to pose for a trio of Celebrity READ posters. ALA Marketing staff reports that the latest READ posters have created more buzz than any ALA poster in recent memory....
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 1; Yahoo! News, Oct. 1; ALA Graphics, Sept. 30

Major changes in place for Conference Services
Leonard Kniffel writes: “Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels announced October 4 a new arrangement with conference management firm Hall-Erickson that will include replacing Conference Services Director Deidre Ross with Hall-Erickson Vice President Paul Graller, who will act as ALA’s conference services coordinator. Fiels’s announcement noted: ‘Overall responsibility for conference services will remain the responsibility of Mary Ghikas, senior associate executive director for member programs and services.’”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 4

Warning: Avoid conference-housing poachers
ALA Conference Services cautions that sometime soon you will receive a phone, fax, or email transmission (if you haven’t already) that offers you cut-rate housing for ALA’s Annual Conference or Midwinter Meeting. The apparent intent is to convince you that the offer is made on behalf of ALA or that it is a viable alternative. Don’t be misled. Housing for the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference is handled exclusively by Experient....
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 1

Academic libraries survey coming soon (PDF file)
Every two years the National Center for Education Statistics collects basic statistical data from college and university libraries. That is happening again this fall with the launch of an online survey. Each academic library director will receive a letter containing a registration certificate that shows a User ID and password for the library. The director will be asked to indicate a “key holder” who will use those codes to enter the library’s data. The survey itself will be online between November 9 and February 28....
Office for Research and Statistics

Banned Books Week Machinima Contest winner
As part of its celebration of Banned Books Week in Second Life, the Office for Intellectual Freedom held a Banned Books Week Machinima Contest. Machinima is filmmaking within a real-time, 3-D virtual environment like Second Life. Four entries with the BBW theme of “Think For Yourself and Let Others Do the Same” were submitted. Clark Abismo’s robot-themed entry (5:00, above) was the winner, but the other submissions by MimiSoleil Firelight (2:56), Tidewater Community College’s Rosie (2:39), and Iono Allen and Miso Susanow (5:29) are worth watching....
OIF Blog, Oct. 5; You Tube

The Washington Office is 65 years old
In 1945, ALA founded the Washington Office to educate and work with legislators and public officials to obtain funding and policies that support libraries and public access to information. Over the years, the office’s work has been instrumental in many important wins for libraries, including the passage of the first bill enacted by Congress granting federal aid to public libraries in 1956....
District Dispatch, Oct. 1

OITP seeks cutting-edge technology practices
The Office for Information Technology Policy is once again soliciting nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology. Last year, OITP’s America’s Libraries for the 21st Century Subcommittee launched the “cutting-edge” contest to showcase libraries that serve their communities with novel and innovative methods and to provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library services in new ways. The deadline for nominations is November 1....
District Dispatch, Oct. 6

ALA partners with Target’s Read With Me campaign
Target Corporation has announced a partnership with ALA in the retailer’s nationwide Target Read With Me campaign that aims to increase children’s reading proficiency and ability to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. ALA has contributed recommended reading lists and tips on building a child’s home library, as well as providing support and resources for a website dedicated to encouraging adults to read to children, which includes a search tool that locates libraries by ZIP code....
Development Office, Sept. 29

New TechSource online workshop on using RDA
While some libraries are formally testing RDA as participants in the U.S. national libraries’ study, many more are experimenting and exploring. ALA TechSource is offering a three-part online workshop series, Using RDA: Moving into the Metadata Future, October 27, November 10, and November 17 to examine what’s changed from AACR2 and explore the potential for applying RDA data to library projects....
ALA TechSource, Oct. 1

JobLIST Placement Center offers webinar
If you’re feeling stuck in your job search and just not sure what you can do to change things, an October 20 webinar, “Take Your Job Search Campaign Up a Level: What to do When You’re Still Not Getting That Job You Want (And Need!),” is meant to jumpstart and re-energize your job search campaign, no matter where it is right now. Caitlin Williams (right), who has been offering career counseling at ALA conferences for the past decade, will present. Registration is open....
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment, Oct. 4

Library MVPs named
Maplewood Junior/Senior High School in Guys Mills, Pennsylvania, was chosen the top library MVP for 2010 for submitting nearly 400 entries to this year’s Step Up to the Plate @ your library program, cosponsored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The library wins a $100 bookstore gift certificate. Three other libraries were also named MVPs; they will receive a $50 ALA Graphics gift certificate and an autographed baseball....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Oct. 4

Place your bets on Money Smart Week @ your library
In partnership with the the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, ALA is expanding Money Smart Week @ your library week, to be held April 2–9, 2011, into a national initiative. Held in the Midwest for the past decade, Money Smart Week has enabled libraries of all types to partner with community groups, financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations, and other financial experts to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances. The library component of the Money Smart Week website launches November 1....
Chapter Relations Office, Oct. 4

Win a $5,000 gaming gear shopping spree from DEMCO
DEMCO is partnering with ALA to help one lucky library level up its gaming program with a $5,000 shopping spree. Libraries that are registered for National Gaming Day, November 13, can submit an application to win the prize. During your NGD10 activities, you can take pictures and video or talk to patrons to get ideas in order to show DEMCO your vision for a next-level gaming program for your community. One winner will be drawn from a pool of 15 finalists at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego....
National Gaming Day @ your library, Oct. 1

“Discovering Librarianship” application deadline extended
The deadline has been extended to October 15 to apply for an IMLS grant to become one of 35 early career librarians from a racially or ethnically underrepresented group who will receive recruitment training in the “Discovering Librarianship: The Future Is Overdue” project at ALA Midwinter in San Diego, January 7–11. Designed to increase the profession’s capacity to recruit high school and college students at national, regional, and local career recruitment and education events, the project will provide the library profession with a new set of recruitment materials....
Office for Diversity, Sept. 30

Dominican Republic president explores library development
Leonard Kniffel writes: “In what looks very much like the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández paid a visit to ALA in Chicago October 1, accompanied by First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández and an entourage that included Aida Montero de Jiménez, director of the Biblioteca Juan Bosch in Santo Domingo, to talk about libraries. They spoke passionately but pragmatically about developing a superior public library system, including libraries for children and teens.” Watch the full interview (9:50) or highlights (2:55)....
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 1; AL Focus, Oct. 1

New ALA Editions website
Daniel A. Freeman writes: “When ALA TechSource became part of ALA Editions, we immediately joined the effort to help book publishing at ALA stay on the cutting edge. As Editions’ production and editorial staff pushed forward with their efforts to publish digitally, we decided that a new website and vibrant blog would be a great way to give our readers an inside look at how a new type of book publishing is emerging.”...
ALA TechSource blog, Oct. 5

Common phrases and the amazing stories behind them
ALA Editions has released Common Phrases: And the Amazing Stories Behind Them by Max Cryer. This humorous and informative book is “as good as gold” for word buffs . . . “we kid you not!” Cryer unearths the stories behind hundreds of the words and phrases used in everyday speech. Librarians are equally adept at using language and seeking information, and this delightful book speaks to both activities. Stuffed with fascinating trivia that’s as fun to read as it is valuable for reference use, this volume explains the origins of such idioms as “bad hair day,” “canned laughter,” and “cold turkey.”...
ALA Editions, Sept. 29

New edition of Cataloging Correctly for Kids
Based on guidelines issued by ALCTS, the fifth edition of Cataloging Correctly for Kids: An Introduction to the Tools offers advice from experienced, practicing librarians. Revisions to the handbook, which was edited by Sheila S. Intner, Joanna F. Fountain, and Jean Weihs, include comprehensive updates on bibliographic description and subject access; a new chapter on cataloging for non–English speaking and preliterate children; and a discussion of when and how to move to RDA. The title is also available as an e-book and in a print/e-book bundle....
ALA Editions, Oct. 4

The Gaslamp Quarter
The ALA Midwinter Meeting will be held January 7–11 in the San Diego Convention Center, located downtown adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter, a 16½-block historical neighborhood that is now a premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district. The quarter, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive, and from 4th to 6th Avenue. With many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges, boutiques, art galleries, and shops for conference-goers to visit, the Gaslamp has established itself both as the playground of hip, eclectic San Diegans and as an elite urban destination....
Gaslamp Quarter Association

Labor concerns in conference hotels
The newsletter of the Social Responsibilities Round Table includes information about San Diego hotels and their current labor status. The article encourages SRRT members to support unions and to research hotels prior to making reservations for the ALA Midwinter Meeting and for other business and recreational purposes....
SRRT Newsletter, no. 172 (Sept.); Unite Here

Southern California gray whale migration
Migrating gray whales travel south along the coastline by San Diego to the waters off Baja California to breed and then back to their summer feeding grounds. Newport Landing Whale Watching offers cruises daily from Newport Beach with a 96% success rate, so it would be a fluke if you failed to see one. Come early or stay late to catch a glimpse of one of the 26,000 whales that migrate along the California coast from December 3 to February 28....
Newport Landing Whale Watching

LITA keynote: Roy Tennant on the Cloud
This is a keynote session presented by Roy Tennant at the LITA National Forum, October 2, in Atlanta. One of the most-hyped technologies in recent days is cloud computing. This talk (52:48) goes beneath the hype to provide a high-level overview illustrated with specific examples about how libraries are using cloud computing technologies to better and more efficiently serve their users. Watch Ross Singer’s keynote (58:33) on linked data....
Ustream, Oct. 2–3

2010 Great Ideas contest winners named
Three librarians have won YALSA’s Great Ideas contest, held to brainstorm ways of promoting the action areas in its strategic plan (PDF file). Elizabeth Burns of the New Jersey State Library Talking Books and Braille Center in Trenton suggested a blog-based YALSA book award/booklist reading challenge. Kit Ward-Crixell of New Braunfels (Tex.) Public Library and Krista McKenzie of Maryland’s Garrett College shared an award for independently submitting the same idea: the creation of an online tool to aid YA librarians in conducting original research....
YALSA, Oct. 1

Advance registration to close for YA lit symposium
Advance registration remains open through October 8 for YALSA’s biennial November 5–7 Young Adult Literature Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In keeping with the theme—“Diversity, Literature, and Teens: Beyond Good Intentions”—the symposium will offer attendees a chance to meet more than 30 authors, learn about current trends in young adult literature, and receive a certificate for more than 12 contact hours....
YALSA, Oct. 4

Deadline extended for AASL Fall Forum
Advance registration pricing for AASL’s November 5–6 Fall Forum in Portland, Oregon, has been extended until October 21. “In Focus: The Essentials of 21st-Century Learning” will feature breakout sessions with three preeminent school library researchers, Gail Dickinson, Leslie Maniotes, and Ross Todd, who will show how essential questions, enduring understanding, and evidence-based practice align with AASL’s learning standards and program guidelines....
AASL, Oct. 1

Consulting Toolkit workshop returns to Midwinter
ASCLA will reprise the full-day 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting workshop “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit: What You Need to Know to Become a Successful Library Consultant” on January 7 at the 2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. Nancy Bolt, Sara Laughlin, and Beth Bingham will present an overview of library consulting, and then workshop attendees will conduct a self-assessment of their personal consulting potential....
ASCLA, Oct. 5

Comments sought on new tool for evaluating teen services
YALSA members are invited to to comment on the draft of its teen services evaluation tool (PDF file). The finalized tool will be used to evaluate a public library’s overall level of success in providing services to 12–18 year-olds, with the areas for evaluation derived primarily from YALSA’s Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth: Young Adults Deserve the Best, revised in 2010. The survey is open until November 15....
YALSA, Oct. 1

AASL seeks conference proposals
AASL has issued a call for proposals for concurrent sessions at the 15th national conference of AASL, which will take place October 27–30, 2011, in Minneapolis, with the theme of “Turning the Page.” Sessions should help attendees elevate themselves as leaders or elevate their library programs at every stage of implementation Proposals must show support of the AASL Strategic Plan, the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, or Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. The deadline for submissions is November 1....
AASL, Oct. 1

Speaking out against bullying
In response to the recent tragic events involving GLBTQ teens, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table has compiled “Speaking OUT Against Bullying,” a list of resources for kids in trouble and the people who care about them. Resources were contributed by members of the round table and further suggestions are welcome....
GLBT Round Table

Edwards Award nominations welcomed
YALSA members’ applications are sought for the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Best Literature Program for Teens. Sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, the award bestows $500 on the individual winner and another $500 to the award winner’s library. Nominations are due by December 1....
YALSA, Oct. 1

ALA offers 2011 recognition awards and grants
Nominate yourself, colleagues, or your library for ALA’s 2011 recognition awards and grants. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline for awards is December 1. General information about ALA awards is available here....
Office of ALA Governance, Oct. 4

13 vs. 14
Jonathan Hunt writes: “As you know, the Newbery audience goes up to and includes the age of 14, but next spring the ALSC membership will have an opportunity to lower the age of service from 14 to 13 (while increasing it at the bottom end from preschool to birth). If the proposed changes to the bylaws pass, there will be many implications, but for our purposes here, it seems likely that the award criteria will be revised accordingly.”...
School Library Journal: Heavy Medal, Oct. 2; ALSC Blog, Feb. 25

FLICC awards for federal librarianship
The Federal Library and Information Center Committee has announced the winners of its national awards that recognize the many innovative ways that federal libraries and library staff fulfill the information demands of government, business, and scholarly communities, and the American public. Among the honorees is Eleanor S. Uhlinger (right), university librarian of the Naval Postgraduate School/Dudley Knox Library in Monterey, California, who is the 2009 Federal Librarian of the Year....
FLICC, Oct. 1

Princeton salutes Leslie Burger
The Princeton (N.J.) Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the names of four honorees at a September 30 press conference, stepping outside of the business community in one case to honor Leslie Burger, director of the Princeton Public Library, with a Community Leader of the Year Award. Burger, who has directed the library’s renovation, growth, and expansive range of programs since 1999 and served as ALA President in 2006–2007, was selected for setting a new standard for community libraries across the country....
Trenton (N.J.) Times, Oct. 1

Nominations due for Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award
October 15 is the deadline for nominations for the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award, which is given by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Established in 1969 by library school faculty to honor Downs on his 25th anniversary as director of the school, the award acknowledges those who have resisted censorship or efforts to abridge the freedom of individuals to read or view materials of their choice....
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign GSLIS

Laman Library System wins Prism Award
The William F. Laman Public Library System of North Little Rock announced October 5 that it has received a statewide, multi-industry award for its new website, becoming the first library system in Arkansas to do so. The award was presented by the Arkansas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America....
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 5

2010 Carle Honors
Hundreds of children’s book enthusiasts gathered September 30 at Guastavino’s in New York City to celebrate the 2010 Carle Honors, hosted by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. The year’s honorees were The New Way Things Work author and illustrator David Macaulay (Artist, right), noted art collectors Kendra and Allan Daniel (Angel), the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Stephen Mooser and Lin Oliver (Mentor) and renowned sculptor Nancy Schön (Bridge)....
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

2010 Thurber Prize for American humor
The 2010 Thurber Prize for American Humor was awarded October 4 to Steve Hely for his debut novel, How I Became a Famous Novelist. The award was presented at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. Started in 1997, the Thurber Prize for American Humor is the only recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The winner receives $5,000 and then is the guest entertainment for the annual December Thurber Birthday Gala....
Thurber House, Oct. 4

2011 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award
The Children’s Book Guild has honored Kathleen Krull with its 34th Nonfiction Award. The award is presented annually to an author or illustrator whose total body of work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children. Krull’s snappy prose, intriguing facts, and humorous anecdotes enliven biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Sigmund Freud, Wilma Rudolph, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and many other notables....
Children’s Book Guild, Oct. 1

National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” fiction
This is the fifth year of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” selections, which recognizes five young fiction writers chosen by National Book Award winners and finalists. This year’s honorees are Sarah Braunstein, Grace Krilanovich, Téa Obreht, Tiphanie Yanique, and Paul Yoon. The five writers will read at an invitation-only event November 15 at the PowerHouse bookstore in Brooklyn, New York....
National Book Foundation, Oct. 5

2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Dave Eggers’s Zeitoun (McSweeney’s) and Marlon James’s The Book of Night Women (Riverhead Books) were named winners September 22 of the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for nonfiction and fiction, respectively. Inspired by the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize is the only international literary peace prize awarded in the United States. The prize celebrates the power of literature to promote peace and global understanding....
Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Sept. 22

22 best young Spanish-language novelists
The editors of Granta have announced their first-ever list of Best Young Spanish-Language Novelists. The 22 writers on the list were chosen by a distinguished panel of six judges. To be eligible, the writers had to be born on or after January 1, 1975. They hail from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Peru. The list was announced at a press conference at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid on October 1....
Granta, Oct. 1

2010 Wheatley Medal for best index
On September 30, at the annual dinner of the Society of Indexers conference at Middelburg, Netherlands, SI President John Sutherland announced that the Wheatley Medal for an outstanding index was awarded to Jan Ross for her index to A. J. Zuckerman et al., eds., Principles and Practice of Clinical Virology, 6th ed. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). The winning indexer receives a medal, certificate, and cash prize....
Catalogue and Index, Oct. 4

2010 CLPE Poetry Award
Carol Ann Duffy’s New and Collected Poems for Children (Faber & Faber) was honored September 30 with the 2010 Poetry Award by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education at a special ceremony in London by last year’s winner John Agard. The annual award is one of very few poetry awards for children in the U.K. and was launched in 2003 to highlight the importance of this branch of literature to children....
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education

Stockton–San Joaquin County considers hiring LSSI
Officials in Stockton and San Joaquin County, California, are trying to determine if they can get more bang for the buck by having LSSI, a private company in Germantown, Maryland, manage the library system. But red flags came up when some Thornton residents questioned whether having decisions about their library made three time zones away would be a good idea. And after LSSI CEO Frank A. Pezzanite asserted in a New York Times article that “a lot of libraries are atrocious,” ALA President Roberta Stevens argued in a letter to the editor against relinquishing library management to the private sector, and Amy Traub at the Drum Major Institute concurs. Will Manley has some comments from librarians who work for LSSI....
Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel, Oct. 1; New York Times, Sept. 26, Oct. 3; Huffington Post, Oct. 4; Will Unwound, Oct. 2

Gas cut off in Chicago library field house sit-in
The gas was cut off October 4 at the Whittier Elementary School field house in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago where dozens of parents have been staging a sit-in for nearly three weeks in hopes of convincing Chicago Public Schools to remake the building into a library. However, a city task force recommended October 5 that CPS restore heat and hot water to the field house and halt demolition plans until the group releases its recommendations on which facilities to repair or build. The parents have set up a library on the premises, thanks to donations of books, and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 30. On October 1, Chicago Teachers Union officials lent their support by donating more than 500 books....
Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 5–6; Gapers Block, Oct. 1; WLS-TV, Chicago, Oct. 1

New York Public Library names new president
The New York Public Library is planning to name Anthony W. Marx, the current president of Amherst College, a native New Yorker and a passionate advocate of public education, as its new president. He replaces Paul LeClerc, who announced his plan to step down in November 2009. The choice suggests that the search committee sees the library’s future as rooted in the life of its 86 neighborhood branches....
New York Times, Oct. 5

Kaffir Boy challenged in San Luis Obispo
Mark Mathabane wrote about his experience in Kaffir Boy, an autobiographical account of South African apartheid published in 1986. However, due to an anonymous complaint about a passage in the book in which Mathabane describes how some children would prostitute themselves for food, San Luis Obispo (Calif.) High School has begun a review process that could potentially remove the book from the school’s curriculum and its library....
San Luis Obispo (Calif.) New Times, Sept. 29

Boston Public Library eliminates 40 jobs
The embattled Boston Public Library system announced 40 service and support staff layoffs October 1, on the heels of eliminating four management positions. The cuts are to custodial, secretarial, library assistant, and human resources jobs that will be eliminated at the central library branch in Copley Square, said spokeswoman Gina Perille. No librarians were laid off....
Boston Globe, Oct. 1

Marietta school library reopens one year after flood
One year after north Georgia’s historic flood destroyed its library, a Marietta school officially opened a new library October 4. Shreiner Academy, a private preparatory school in Marietta, lost its entire book collection in the 2009 flood. When the heavy rains came, the library was undergoing renovations. Books were being stored in the basement of one of the school’s buildings. The new library is an improvement over the old reference center....
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, Oct. 4

Library staffers stop man from beating girlfriend
Police responded October 4 to the Madden Hills branch of the Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library on a report of a fight in the parking lot. Witnesses told police that an 18-year-old man had been beating a young woman, apparently his girlfriend. When several library staff members entered the lot, the young man squared off with raised fists as if to attack one of them. When that did not dissuade his advance, a single punch to the face by one of the staffers did, sending the 18-year-old to the ground....
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, Oct. 5

Charlotte task force seeks ideas
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library director Charles Brown cautioned during a visit to Davidson in late September that maintaining the library system in its current form could be difficult given the county’s budget problems. So county officials hope a newly appointed task force can come up with some long-term answers. The 17-member Future of the Library Task Force begins meeting October 20....
Davidson (N.C.) News.net, Oct. 5

A Mad Men reading list
Books are no exception to the meticulous recreation of the 1960s advertising world in the AMC network series Mad Men—and one librarian has been paying attention. Billy Parrott, manager of the New York Public Library's Battery Park City branch, has compiled a “Mad Men Reading List” that includes such books as the paperback Betty Draper pored over in the bathtub while trying to soak away suspicions about Don’s cheating and the Japanese cultural-history tome that everyone in the agency is forced to read. But does Don Draper go to the library? “I like to think he does,” Parrott said....
New York Daily News, Oct. 3

Collector donates Civil War photos to LC
A Virginia collector has donated to the Library of Congress the largest trove of Civil War-era photographs depicting average soldiers that the institution has received in at least 50 years. The stunning ambrotypes and tintypes show hundreds of the young men who fought and died in the war, often portrayed in the innocence and idealism before the experience of battle. The pictures, almost 700 in all, make up the bulk of the collection of Tom Liljenquist, of McLean, Virginia....
Washington Post, Oct. 2

How the NYPL Photography Collection was born
Julia Van Haaften writes: “In 1977, I was invited to curate the New York Public Library’s first major photography exhibition. When the show came down at the end of July, I arranged to keep the books and albums in a special area adjacent to the Art and Architecture Division, in what is now the Salomon Room. There was demand from researchers to see these and other images, so over months, I added more photographic materials from the stacks that seemed vulnerable to vandalism or theft.” Visit NYPL’s photography exhibition online and watch the video (1:24)....
Huffington Post, Oct. 1

Tax-cut measures could devastate Colorado libraries
Colorado’s librarians are worried. Depending on what voters decide in the November election, libraries around the state could be forced to reduce their hours, slash services, or shut the doors to branches entirely. Of concern are Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 and 61, collectively known as the “Big Three.” Opponents, who have dubbed them the “Bad Three,” project a devastating impact on public services like libraries, schools, and fire and police departments, if any or all of them pass. Watch a video (4:51) about the issues....
Colorado Independent, Oct. 1; YouTube, Sept. 9

Fitchburg launches commemorative penny drive
In 1950, the children of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, scrounged up their spare change and brought it to school on Fridays for a penny drive to help build the Fitchburg Youth Library, one of the nation’s first collections intended for young people. In honor of the library’s 60th anniversary, Fitchburg Public Library trustees launched a penny drive September 29 to expand the children’s book collection. Mayor Lisa Wong unveiled a parking meter in front of the library so that children and parents can donate their change....
Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel and Enterprise, Sept. 30

Lord Jesus Christ thrown out of Belchertown library
The Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown, Massachusetts, has taken the unusual step of banning local artist Lord Jesus Christ III from the public facility in response to what they called recurring bad behavior. The September 8 order issued by the board of trustees warns that the dreadlocked, cross-dressing Jesus Christ will be subject to criminal charges if he appears in the library again. Library Director Owen Maloney said the library does not care how Jesus Christ dresses, but it does care how he acts inside the facility....
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, Sept. 28

Parents: Library Wi-Fi gives kids headaches
On September 27, a group of parents asked the town of Collingwood, Ontario, to shut off Wi-Fi services in the public library. The council committed to having staff report back on October 18 with an examination of Wi-Fi services in municipal facilities, not just the library. The parents have been lobbying the Simcoe County District School Board for several months to remove Wi-Fi units from school, saying their children have complained of headaches, nausea, and tachycardia. They claim Wi-Fi is the cause....
Collingwood (Ont.) Enterprise-Bulletin, Oct. 1

Do college students need more online privacy education?
In the wake of a Rutgers University freshman’s September 22 suicide after two videos of him having sex were broadcast online without his consent, privacy advocates say the rules regarding internet privacy and appropriate online behavior should be stressed in higher education. Tyler Clementi’s death came the same week Rutgers launched a program called Project Civility, designed by campus officials to encourage students to consider how they treat people....
eSchool News, Oct. 4

Yearbook collections go digital
Colleges across the United States have been making digital copies of old yearbooks. According to Laurie Gemmill, program manager of the Mass Digitization Collaborative at LYRASIS, the firm—with support from the Sloan Foundation and the Internet Archive—has helped 100 colleges and universities create digital archives that also include student newspapers and course catalogs. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne is among the institutions that have recently joined the digital collaborative....
Salisbury (Md.) Daily Times, Oct. 3; University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Librarian to walk the Great Wall of China for charity
Librarian Rosemary Dunstan will walk the length of the Great Wall of China in the latest in a series of charity treks she has undertaken. Dunstan, the manager of the Sonning Common Library in South Oxfordshire, England, will be raising money for the Institute of Cancer Research. The 54-year-old Dunstan has previously dog-sledded in Lapland, trekked to the Mt. Everest base camp, completed the Summer Solstice marathon in Iceland, and climbed some of the highest peaks in Nepal....
Henley (U.K.) Standard, Oct. 5

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How to go (almost) completely wireless in your home
Adam Dachis writes: “Whether for aesthetic or practical reasons, most people don’t like running wires around their entire home to, say, get online, or hook up a home theater. The truth is that you’ll be hard-pressed to cut the wires entirely; wireless isn’t necessarily the holy grail. There’s very little (if anything) that actually performs better wirelessly, so when you have the option of going wired instead of wireless, it’s often worth it. This is more of a guide to replacing wired solutions with wireless alternatives.”...
Lifehacker, Oct. 4

How to buy a wireless modem
Sascha Segan writes: “It’s an exciting time to get internet on the go. Less-expensive 3G service plans and new 4G networks are making wireless cellular modems faster and more affordable than ever. In many cases, you don’t even need to sign a contract. Wireless modems aren’t just for PCs any more, either. Many connections will work other gadgets too, like your iPod Touch or iPad. Here’s what you need to know to pick the right service and hardware.”...
PC Magazine, Sept. 29

Take control of your Android device
Chris Head writes: “Hacking your Android OS device, also known as ‘rooting,’ can be a great way to unlock new features that your wireless carrier nixed or Google failed to include. You’ll be able to control every aspect of your Android—from the processor speed to the user interface—just as you can control your PC. (Warning: Proceed at your own risk).”...
PC World: Phones, Oct. 5

BitTorrent explained
Are you new to the world of BitTorrent? Have you been using BitTorrent for awhile, but you’re curious about how it all works? This video (3:17), produced by the team behind the popular BitTorrent and µTorrent software, includes an overview of the BitTorrent ecosystem and gives you great tips on how to leverage the products for your enjoyment....
Vimeo, Sept. 22

Three terrific ways to download Torrent files
Jeffry Thurana writes: “Despite the fact that Torrent is one of the most popular download methods available today, there are many everyday computer users who still don’t ‘get it.’ Most people are more familiar with—and more comfortable using—direct download methods. But there’s always help if you are willing to look for it. Meet Torrific, a web service that will help you find and turn any Torrent file into a direct download.”...
MakeUseOf, Oct. 5

Four digital alternatives to the résumé
Sharlyn Lauby writes: “A résumé isn’t just used for job searching. Many times, it can serve as a way to land a piece of business, speaking gig, or board position. So it’s important to always have a résumé that’s ready to go on a moment’s notice. Technology and new opportunities provide a number of ways to present your résumé; while it might be good to maintain the traditional format, other options—such as video résumés, VisualCVs, social résumés, and LinkedIn profiles—can also make sense.”...
Mashable: Business, Oct. 5

A sneak preview of Google TV
Tom Simonite writes: “Google gave a preview of its assault on TV October 4. One big question mark is whether large numbers of people will welcome a TV experience that requires a keyboard. As the demo video (1:32) on Google’s official blog post and the new web page for the service both show, Google TV relies heavily on typing and hence a Bluetooth keyboard. Google TV’s second challenge is summarized in its deceptively simple slogan: ‘The web meets TV.’ Web pages are designed to be used from 18 inches away not a few yards. Google TV’s third challenge: content.”...
Technology Review, Oct. 4; Google TV Blog, Oct. 4

ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, California, January 7–11, 2011. Institutes and optional events are not included with a meeting registration and usually require an additional registration fee. When you register for bundled, advance, or regular registration you may also register for these events. They may be chosen on the online or paper registration form. Please add the event code for each event if you use the paper form.

Explore ways to find funding to attend the Midwinter Meeting.

“Like” American Libraries on Facebook.

The Return of Marc Chagall's America Windows Prime Time for Family Literacy 85 Years of Treasures from the Warner Bros. Photo Lab (slideshow) Visit Us at New York Comic Con this Weekend My Library and My Mother: A Caretaker Finds Support at Her Library Donna Seaman Interviews Author George Saunders Author Brian Selznick on the Importance of Libraries (video) Easing the Cost of Textbooks: How the Library Helped Me During Tough Economic Times Celebrate the Career of Fats Domino: If You Found Your Thrill on Blueberry Hill... Get Your Game Face On - At the Library!

Stieg Larsson documentary available for free download
The Millennium trilogy by Swedish author Stieg Larsson is the literary phenomenon of the last decade, with 15 million books sold worldwide. Millennium: The Story is a 50-minute documentary about Larsson, who at the age of 50 died from a sudden heart attack before his first novel was even published. Music Box Films is offering libraries the opportunity to download the documentary for free via iTunes to allow free public screenings. Contact Paige Blake for details....
Music Box Films

eSequels offers trial subscription
eSequels.com, the online database companion to Janet G. and Jonathan F. Husband’s Sequels reference book (ALA Editions, 4th ed., 2009), is offering a free, two-week trial subscription. The database indexes characters, locations, and subjects as well as authors and titles, allowing you to identify a series that you may recall only vaguely. Email a request for a trial with your library’s name, address, and phone number....
eSequels.com

10 great science fiction novels that have been banned
Susana Polo writes: “These titles are among the most popular and beloved science fiction works of the last century. They’ve told us how bad the future might be before we get there, how free you can be if you don’t follow blind belief, and that children are perfectly capable of digesting some pretty heavy concepts. But they’ve all been banned or threatened with banning. Number 10: Shade’s Children by Garth Nix is filled with a creeping dread that the computer intelligence that leads the teenage main characters does not have their best interests in mind.”...
io9, Oct. 1

Top 100 out-of-print titles
Every year BookFinder.com tracks the most sought-after out-of-print titles in America. In this eighth edition, several books garnered enough attention for publishers to reprint them in the near future. BookFinder also finds some out-of-print mainstays that are unlikely to see a printer again despite their popularity. Here are the top 100 most requested out-of-print titles in the United States over the past 12 months. Madonna’s Sex is at the top....
BookFinder.com

Top 10 most valuable children’s picture books
Travis Jonker writes: “I spent a good portion of my formative years reading price guides. I was fond of prematurely and obsessively counting my riches, checking price guides for the current going rate of my most valuable assets. These memories of my collecting past came flooding back to me when I stumbled upon a list of the most valuable picture books of all time. Let’s build the suspense a bit and count them down.”...
100 Scope Notes, Oct. 5; Children’s Picturebook Collecting

Betty Crocker’s ancestors
Stephen J. Gertz writes: “At some point in the early 1900s, a brilliant marketer decided to publish a recipe book to promote the sale of his product. Very soon, just about every manufacturer of foodstuffs adopted the idea and a minor deluge of small, branded, free cookbooks flooded the marketplace. The point was to spread the word about the superiority of the product and the many ways it could be used to transform the average housewife into a kitchen-to-dinner-table goddess and thus win the hearts of husband, children, and dinner guests.”...
Booktryst, Oct. 5

America’s Star Libraries 2010
Library Journal’s new Index of Public Library Service is out, rating 7,407 public libraries and giving stars to 258. Created by Ray Lyons and Keith Curry Lance and sponsored by Baker & Taylor’s Bibliostat, this round of the LJ Index is based on 2008 data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, reflecting service since the onset of the recession. The top libraries in each group get five, four, or three stars....
Library Journal, Oct. 1

LC study shows dire state of sound preservation
Digital technology alone will not ensure the preservation and survival of the nation’s sound history. That is one of the findings in a major study released September 29 by the Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board detailing the state of sound-recording preservation and access. The State of Recorded Sound Preservation in the United States: A National Legacy at Risk in the Digital Age is the first comprehensive study on a national level that examines the state of America’s sound-recording preservation....
Library of Congress, Sept. 29

Or maybe not so dire
Dorothea Salo writes: “Digital preservation is no harder than analog; we just have better scaffolding in place for (some) analog preservation. We’ve worked out quite a bit with regard to preserving digital materials. We know about best practices. Those of us with some experience can make sharp guesses about the preservability of digital materials handed us, just as a paper-preservation expert knows to look at the paper stock and the quality of binding.”...
Book of Trogool, Sept. 30

Libraries are essential to bridge the broadband gap
Bobbi Newman writes: “As we see a push by the National Broadband Plan from the FCC and organizations like Broadband for America to make high-speed internet access available to every household in America, we need to take a realistic look at the role libraries will play. The benefits of access to broadband are widely documented; it is the gap in access we need to address.”...
Broadband for America, Oct. 4

Just print what you like
Beth Filar-Williams writes: “PrintWhatYouLike is a free online editor that lets you format any web page for printing in seconds, saving money and the environment. It helps you eliminate printing web pages full of ads, empty space, and other junk you don’t want. Enter the URL and you get a screen with the web page image and a legend of options. Watch the demo.”...
Going Green @ your library, Oct. 5

Journal cuts threaten research
In September, New Mexico State University Library announced the cancellation of more than 700 journal and database subscriptions, the result of a perfect storm of rising journal prices and a slashed materials budget. It is the latest, but not the largest, in a procession of research libraries to chop, slash, and hack their subscription lists in response to significant budget cuts. Now, tensions are rising as scientists speak out against library cuts and how they will affect research....
The Scientist, Sept. 28

Underground resource sharing
Steven Bell writes: “One outcome of the Netflix discussion that took place in the library community is that there seems to be general agreement that adhering to licensing agreements is the right thing for academic librarians. So I find it interesting that this blogger is complaining about not having access to JSTOR as an alumnus. But apparently a popular workaround is to ask a friend with access to a research library and its databases to share his log-in and password with you.”...
ACRLog, Sept. 29; Love and Disdain, Sept. 26

Searching for better research habits
Should colleges teach students how to be better Googlers? Educators who see the popular search engine as antithetical to good research might cringe at the thought of endorsing it to students. But they might not cringe nearly as hard as did attendees of the 2010 Ithaka Sustainable Scholarship Conference when Andrew Asher showed them what happens when students do not learn how to use Google properly....
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 29

A library without walls
Robert Darnton writes: “Can we create a National Digital Library? That is, a comprehensive library of digitized books that will be easily accessible to the general public. Simple as it sounds, the question is extraordinarily complex. It involves issues that concern the nature of the library to be built, the technological difficulties of designing it, the legal obstacles to getting it off the ground, the financial costs of constructing and maintaining it, and the political problems of mobilizing support for it.”...
New York Review of Books blog, Oct. 4

New name for LC Annotated Card Program
The Library of Congress has officially renamed its Annotated Card Program the Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging Program. LC initiated the Annotated Card Program in the fall of 1965. Though renamed, it will continue to provide the same services. The new name, which now contains the word “cataloging,” better defines the activity of the program and specifically identifies the audience for the types of materials it handles....
Catalogablog, Oct. 4

Get married in the James J. Hill Reference Library
The James J. Hill Reference Library in St. Paul, Minnesota, often rents out its spacious reading room for weddings and has a 4.7 (out of 5.0) venue rating on WeddingWire. One bridal blog posted the photos of a June 2010 wedding at the library, which featured typewritten invitations on an old-style library card, a spectacular bibliographic environment, and other bookish touches....
Style Me Pretty, Oct. 4; WeddingWire

Working with non-YA librarians
Gretchen Kolderup writes: “Many YA librarians find themselves on something of a team of one, the only professional at their libraries dedicated to serving teens. When we’re not at the desk or in the building, taking care of teens’ reference questions and readers’ advisory requests falls to non-YA staff members. We can help bolster teen services at our libraries when we’re not present by providing non-YA librarians with some of the resources we use in assisting teens.”...
YALSA Blog, Sept. 26

ProQuest offers new marketing toolkit for public libraries
With budgets for many public libraries being squeezed, it’s more important than ever for librarians to be able to promote the value of their resources and their information expertise. To aid them in this essential work, ProQuest has released a new version of its free Public Library Marketing Toolkit. The toolkit contains many resources that will help to increase awareness of the library and to boost usage of online resources....
ProQuest, Sept. 14

Omne ignotum pro magnifico est
Google Translate supports more than 50 languages, including minority languages such as Welsh and Haitian Creole, and the addition of Latin is sure to please scholars and traditionalists. In a blog post written entirely in Latin, Jakob Uszkoreit, a senior engineer at Google, said that Latin was far from a dead language. Although the Latin translation tool will rarely be used to decipher emails or captions on YouTube videos, it can enable web users to read many of the crucially important philosophical and scientific texts originally written in the language....
The Telegraph (U.K.), Sept. 30; Official Google blog, Sept. 30

It’s American Archives Month...
October is American Archives Month—an opportunity to raise awareness about the value of archives and archivists. Since 2006, the Society of American Archivists has provided members with public relations kits that provide practical information and great ideas to help you make your archives program more visible. You can join in a common effort—“I Found It in the Archives”—to reach out to those who have found their records, families, heritage, and treasures through your collections....
Society of American Archivists; Wisconsin Historical Society

...and it’s Theological Libraries Month
The American Theological Libraries Association is offering ideas and marketing materials to help theological libraries launch their October 2010 Theological Libraries Month activities, including bookmarks, a poster, press release templates, and a cartoon contest. The goal of the event is to advance the importance and value of theological libraries and library services to faculty, administrators, staff, and students....
American Theological Libraries Association

Training, accidentally
Kate Sheehan writes: “I am coming up on a year of training people to use Evergreen as their ILS. I’ve had a year to see what’s worked, what hasn’t, and to start organizing my experiences into something resembling lessons on training. I’m sharing my list of what I learned at work this year in the hopes that other trainers (accidental and otherwise) will chime in with their experiences and thoughts on the subject.”...
ALA TechSource blog, Oct. 4

37 productivity tips for working from anywhere
Sarah Kessler writes: “The days of shackling your business to a brick and mortar office are over. Even people who primarily work in traditional offices occasionally find themselves working on the road or from their kitchen tables. This flexibility is great in a lot of ways, but each new work setting also brings with it a new set of productivity challenges. We asked people who work from home, from coworking spaces, in coffee shops, on the road, and in offices to share their secrets for a productive day.”...
Mashable, Sept. 27

Learn world geography with Enigeo
Jason Don Forsythe writes: “As a geography buff, I get frustrated that many students I talk to don’t seem to have a great grasp of the countries of the world, or in some cases, all 50 states in our own country. Luckily, we have free applications like Enigeo. Enigeo is a free download that lets you test your students’ geographical knowledge.”...
Instructify, Oct. 4

Europe as seen by various nationalities
Frank Jacobs writes: “In the kaleidoscope of cultures that is Europe, no matter from where you look at it, you’re always surrounded by ‘the Other.’ It takes but a few small steps thence to paranoia, xenophobia, and worse. One solution to dealing with the potential divisiveness of diversity and (if done in good humor at least) a lot funnier, is the great European Shouting Match. Most of these ‘Europe As Seen by’ maps were created by the Bulgarian-born, London-based designer Yanko Tsvetkov.”...
Strange Maps, Oct. 5

Top 10 countries that censor the internet
The Committee to Protect Journalists tracks countries in Asia and the Middle East where information is submitted to censorship by their governments. In some cases, the dictatorships or totalitarian regimes restrict access and impose prison penalties for uploading any “misleading” information to personal web pages. Here is a list of the 10 top countries where blogging activity is considered risky and where you can get in serious trouble for doing so....
Listverse, Oct. 2

Life is not PG-13
Film critic James Berardinelli writes: “The average American teenager is exposed to more profanity in the halls of a public school than they would hear in a Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino movie. Nudity and sexual imagery are prevalent. The real problem with the PG-13 rating is that it no longer serves the purpose for which it was created. It has turned into a marketing tool. The time has come for the MPAA to shift away from regulating who can and cannot see movies to simply providing content information for anyone who cares. Expand upon what is done today and provide more detailed descriptions.”...
Reelviews, Oct. 3

How I went from management to mending cart (satire)
Josh Hanagarne writes: “A couple of years ago I was one of the library’s rising stars. When I was offered the job of managing one of the library branches, I was told that my particular skill set was perfect for what was needed. Things came to a head after one year. A patron suggested that the pants I was wearing were not flattering to my figure. I seized him by one foot and threw him up into the ceiling fan, where I hoped he would disintegrate into crimson mud and mist.”...
World’s Strongest Librarian, Sept. 30

Author-inspired scented candles
Apparently, you can now buy candles whose scents are reminiscent of various authors. Yes, really, author-scented candles. The original scents are Edgar Allan Poe (a mix of patchouli, absinthe, and sandalwood), Jane Austen (gardenia, tuberose, and jasmine), Henry Thoreau (a blend of cedar, moss, and juniper), Walt Whitman (grass, thyme, and clover), and Charles Dickens (tangerine, juniper, and clove)....
Reading Copy Book Blog, Oct. 1; Paddywax

Hold on, pardner, there’s a new card in town
The staff of the Chinook Regional Library in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, put together a Western-themed stop-motion animation video (2:27) to celebrate its migration to provincewide interlibrary sharing that uses Innovative Interface’s Millennium/Encore library system. The staff members involved with the video were Laura Emery, Dawn Stark, Trudi Pickering, and Wendy Muri....
YouTube, Aug. 30

Baby, come back (to the library)
In a competition to create the most original and compelling public service announcement (1:00) promoting libraries to New Jersey teens, the team of Malcolm Minor and Nicole Thompson, from the Malcolm X. Shabazz High School in Newark took top honors for their spot “Baby Come Back.” This well-written parody of a Geico Insurance commercial has a library book with eyes trying to convince a young girl to come back to the library. The video was filmed at the East Brunswick Public Library....
YouTube, Sept. 1; New Jersey State Library Newsletter blog, Sept. 8

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