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Boardwalk Empire’s librarian
Greg Landgraf writes: “When Boardwalk Empire, the new series about Prohibition-era Atlantic City, debuted September 19, it had plenty of factors in its favor: an acclaimed director (Martin Scorsese), writer (Terence Winter), and network (HBO). But it also had a powerhouse researcher in its corner—Atlantic City Free Public Library’s Heather Halpin Perez (right), archivist for the library’s Alfred M. Heston Collection of materials related to Atlantic City history.”...
American Libraries news, Oct. 11

Connecticut senator: Ban violent books from prison libraries
Connecticut State Sen. John Kissel (R-Enfield) met October 6 with state Department of Corrections Commissioner Leo Arnone to discuss the removal of books containing graphic violence from Connecticut prison-library collections. The meeting took place several days after jurors returned a guilty verdict for the first of two defendants in the murder of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters Hayley and Michaela in their Chesire, Connecticut, home, and the brutal beating of their husband and father William Petit....
American Libraries news, Oct. 12

Youth Matters: Hearts and minds in play
Jennifer Burek Pierce writes: “At the Library History Seminar XII, September 10–12, in Madison, Wisconsin, many scholarly papers focused on youth services. The ideas in circulation at the conference suggested that two factors ignite academic interest—censorship and new technology. Forces of change make young people visible in the library, because attempts to limit access to information and new technologies that promise to improve our connections and impact are highly public activities.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

Perpetual Beta contest winner
Jason Griffey writes: “Last month I announced the first ever Perpetual Beta contest, with the winner receiving a copy of my newest book, Mobile Technologies and Libraries. After poring over the entries, a final decision has been made, and the winner is LeecyB75. Congratulations! There may be other contests coming on Perpetual Beta in the future. Keep reading.”...
AL: Perpetual Beta, Oct. 12

Comic fans show their library love
The Campaign for America’s Libraries’ Megan McFarlane (dressed as Rogue, right) writes: “October 8 was professional day at New York Comic Con. Librarians showed up en masse to attend programs, check out new titles, and have fun. ALA and 8bitlibrary.com hosted an Epic Librarian Photo shoot at the ALA booth. More than 30 librarians came to have their photo taken and show their support for the valuable role that comics, graphic novels, and manga play in today’s libraries. Library fans (like Wolverine, above) also showed their library support by having their picture taken holding our special library card.” OIF Deputy Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone gave a talk on challenges to graphic novels in libraries, and a panel of New Jersey librarians said libraries are purchasing more comics than ever....
At Your Library Blog, Oct. 10; WalletPop, Oct. 11; School Library Journal, Oct. 12

Programming Librarian gets reprogrammed
The Public Programs Office website has debuted an updated look and enhanced features for librarians committed to bringing increased access to literature, music, contemporary issues, art, history, poetry, scholars, writers, and musicians to their communities. New features include the Programming Librarian Forum for posting and responding to questions about planning, promoting, and executing all types of library programs; and the PR Generator, which gives users who are registered with Programming Librarian access to templates for fliers, bookmarks, and postcards that can be easily customized....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 12

Learn how to lead a productive discussion
Adam Davis (right), director of training and publications for the Project on Civic Reflection, will present “The Art of Discussion Facilitation: Essential Tools for Public Programs and Beyond” in a January 6–7 institute offered by the Public Programs Office at the ALA 2011 Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. Registration is limited to 50 participants....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 12

National STEM Video Game Challenge begins
ALA and AASL are among the founding outreach partners in the first annual National STEM Video Game Challenge competition, which is being held by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, in conjunction with E-Line Media and other sponsors. Designed to pique children’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, the challenge will result in five game-developer awards next spring: A Youth Prize of $50,000 to 5th–8th graders and their school; two Developer Prizes (grand prize of $50,000 and two $25,000 awards) to emerging and experienced game developers for mobile STEM-focused games for young children; and a People’s Choice Award....
ALA/AASL, Oct. 12

OITP names two new directors
Larra Clark (left) and Marijke Visser (right) have been named directors in the Office for Information Technology Policy at ALA’s Washington Office. Beginning November 1, Clark will serve as director of the Program on Networks and associate director of the Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century, with a focus on OITP’s telecommunications portfolio and management of projects in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Visser becomes assistant director of OITP as of October 18 and will manage the office’s e-rate activities and its projects on children and technology....
Office for Information Technology Policy

Free webinar on frontline advocacy
Learn how to empower all library staff to become better advocates for their libraries and themselves October 29, 2–3:15 p.m. Eastern time, during the “Frontline Advocacy” webinar. Targeted for library staff at all levels and types of libraries, the program will show you how to empower frontline staff to integrate advocacy into patron and constituent interactions and how to teach these techniques on a local level. Registration is required for this free webinar....
Office for Library Advocacy, Oct. 12

Celebrate cultural heritage @ your library
Public libraries are among the first American institutions that immigrants turn to for help in learning how to read, write, and speak English. Funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the American Dream Starts @ your library initiative has awarded $5,000 grants to 75 public libraries in 24 states to develop and implement innovative literacy services for adult English-language learners and their families. American Dream libraries are recognizing and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) and Polish-American Heritage Month (October 1–31)....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Oct. 12

The American Dream Starts in Arkansas
On September 27,the American Dream Starts @ your library initiative hosted a poster session at the joint conference of the Arkansas Library Association and the Southeastern Library Association in Little Rock. During the session, American Dream librarians Hadi Dudley (right) and Darby Wallace discussed (6:09) the challenges, the successes, and their hopes for the future as they develop programs for English-language learners....
American Dream Starts @ your library, Oct. 11

ALA Student-to-Staff program
One of the great opportunities ALA offers each annual conference is making it possible for 40 students from Student Chapters to participate in the Student-to-Staff program. In exchange for working 16 hours during the conference, these students receive free registration, free housing, and a per diem for meals. Contact your ALA Student Chapter for its selection criteria....
ALA Student Membership Blog, Oct. 8

The wonders of Balboa Park
Do you fancy photography, folk art, or fossils? Are you crazy about cars, trains, and planes? Mad about Old Masters and mummies? Batty for baseball? Or do you just get a kick out of critters like koalas and kangaroos? You can explore all these wonders and more in San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park, the largest cultural complex west of the Mississippi. The Park covers 1,200 acres and it’s minutes away from downtown San Diego. There are more than 85 cultural and recreational organizations here, including 15 museums and various performing arts groups....
San Diego (Calif.) Convention and Visitors Bureau

Does your flight have Wi-Fi?
Simon Mackie writes: “In-flight Wi-Fi is becoming more common, but it’s unfortunately not ubiquitous just yet; it can be difficult to tell which flights have it available. Enter your flight details into HasWifi and it’ll let you know whether you’re likely to be able to stay connected during your journey, and if so, which service provider is used.”...
GigaOM, Oct. 8

Never leave home without these
Jay Turner writes: “Imagine: You’ve spent the past several weeks preparing a presentation. You’ve been in contact with the A/V people and they’ve assured you that all your equipment needs will be handled. They promise you a projector, speakers, internet access—the works. You arrive on the morning of your presentation and find that someone on their end has dropped the ball. Sure, the projector is there, but where’s the VGA cable? Where are your speakers? And where the hell is your internet access? Here are the top five accessories that no trainer should leave home without.”...
ALA Learning, Oct. 5

AASL 2010 School Libraries Count! survey
According to the results from the AASL 2010 School Libraries Count! survey (PDF file), the educational resources of students in high-poverty schools have been most affected by last year’s economic downturn. Overall survey results show that school expenditures on information resources were approximately $12,260 in 2010, compared to $13,525 last year. However, average spending on information resources in high-poverty schools decreased 25%, or $3,557, on average compared to 2009 survey results....
AASL, Oct. 13

Crowd discusses the cloud at LITA Forum
Lisa Carlucci Thomas writes: “The 13th annual LITA National Forum brought library and information technology professionals together in Atlanta September 30–October 3 to discuss projects and developments surrounding the conference theme, ‘The Crowd and the Cloud.’ Expert speakers shared knowledge of, and experiences with, the leading trends and innovations in library technologies, including mobile, social, and web services. Keynoting this year’s forum were Amy Bruckman (above), Roy Tennant, and Ross Singer.”...
American Libraries news, Oct. 13

ACRL Information Technology survey
This spring, the ACRL Board created an Information Technology Task Force to develop a plan for the division to address its members’ desires for additional programs and opportunities related to new technologies. The task force is seeking your feedback to inform its work. This brief survey is open to all, regardless of ACRL membership status....
ACRL Insider, Oct. 12

Friends groups survey deadline extended
The deadline for completing ALTAFF’s survey of Friends groups has been extended through October 29. Respondent groups will be entered in a drawing for a free year as an ALTAFF Friends Group Affiliate and a copy of “Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends.” The 15-minute survey gathers information about Friends groups’ structure, revenues, fundraising activities, grants, library support, bookstores, advocacy, and membership....
ALTAFF, Oct. 6

Dollar General funds Everyone Reads @ the library
ALSC and YALSA have received a total of $210,000 from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support the new youth-literacy program, “Everyone Reads @ the library.” YALSA will use the funds to develop materials and programs to support summer reading programs for teens, Teen Read Week, and materials in Spanish for teen readers. ALSC will significantly expand its El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) to include and celebrate a wide variety of cultures....
ALSC, YALSA, Oct. 12

3M/NMRT professional development grant available
Members of ALA’s New Members Round Table can apply to receive a grant, sponsored by 3M Library Systems, to cover round-trip airfare, lodging, conference registration fees, and some incidental expenses associated with attending ALA Annual Conference, June 23–28, 2011, in New Orleans. The grant was created to encourage participation by new ALA members in national Association activities. Details are available here; current NMRT members can apply by December 15....
NMRT, Oct. 6

Nominations sought for Kilgour Award
LITA invites nominations for the 2011 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology. The $2,000 award, sponsored by OCLC, recognizes research relevant to the development of information technologies, in particular that which has a positive and substantive impact on any aspect of the publication, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information or on how information and data are manipulated and managed. The deadline for nominations is December 31....
LITA, Oct. 8

$50,000 in opportunities to school librarians
Nominations and applications are open for 10 awards and grants administered by AASL for 2011. Recipients’ achievements showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include research, collaboration, leadership, and innovation. The application deadline is February 7 for all but the National School Library Program of the Year award, whose deadline is January 3....
AASL, Oct. 12

Call for proposals for Baber Research Grant
Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Carroll Preston Baber Research Grant of up to $3,000, awarded to one or more librarians or library educators who propose a project aiming to answer a question of vital, national importance to the library community. Recipients will conduct innovative research that could lead to an improvement in services to any specified group of people. The application deadline is January 14....
Office for Research and Statistics, Oct. 11

Apply for a Fyan Grant
The Office for Research and Statistics is accepting proposals through December 3 for the Loleta D. Fyan Grant of up to $5,000. Projects must be used for the development and improvement of public libraries and the services they provide, with the potential for a broader impact and application beyond meeting a specific local need. The deadline is December 3....
Office for Research and Statistics, Oct. 11

New Jersey library wins interior design award
A 2009–2010 redesign of the River Vale (N.J.) Free Public Library has been recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers. Susan Quick, owner of SLQ Design, who created the library’s redesign plan, received the Design Excellence Award in the educational / academic / library category. The biannual award is given for creative and functional use of space, scale and proportion, color and composition, interesting use of materials, surface textures and patterns, effectiveness and creative use of lighting, and appropriateness and effectiveness of detail....
Pascack Valley (N.J.) Community Life, Oct. 7

Mario Vargas Llosa wins Nobel Literature Prize
Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa won the 2010 Nobel Prize in literature October 7 as the academy honored one of the Spanish-speaking world’s most acclaimed authors and an outspoken political activist who once ran for president in his tumultuous homeland. Vargas Llosa, 74, has written more than 30 novels, plays, and essays, including Conversation in the Cathedral and The Green House. He is the first South American winner of the prestigious 10 million kronor ($1.5 million U.S.) prize since Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez won in 1982....
Associated Press, Oct. 7

Howard Jacobson wins Man Booker Prize
Howard Jacobson’s laugh-out-loud exploration of Jewishness, The Finkler Question (Bloomsbury), has become the first unashamedly comic novel to win the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in its 42-year history. The book—Jacobson’s 11th—follows the lives of three friends, Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, and Libor Sevick, and tackles not just what it is to be a British Jew, but also the nature of friendship itself. Jacobson was awarded the £50,000 ($79,000 U.S.) prize at an October 12 awards dinner at London’s Guildhall....
The Guardian (U.K.), Oct. 12

2010 Forward Poetry Prize
Seamus Heaney won Britain’s most valuable poetry prize October 6 for a volume of verse inspired by his experiences after a stroke. The £10,000 ($15,886 U.S.) Forward award for best collection went to his Human Chain book of poems published by Faber & Faber, the first since his stroke in 2006. Other winners were Hilary Menos, who took the Felix Dennis prize for best first collection (Berg, published by Seren) and Julia Copus, who won best single poem with “An Easy Passage.”...
The Guardian (U.K.), Oct. 6

2010 Jo Osborne Award for Humor in Children’s Literature
Daniel Pinkwater, author of many popular books for children, has been selected to receive the 2010 Jo Osborne Award for Humor in Children’s Literature from the Ohio State University. The Jo Osborne Award, established in 1996 and named after a longtime children’s librarian at Worthington (Ohio) Public Library, recognizes authors and illustrators whose humor is delivered with heart, wit, and insight....
Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology, Oct. 11

2010 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize
Children’s author Michelle Paver is the winner of the 2010 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for Ghost Hunter, the concluding volume of her bestselling Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. Set in an imagined prehistory, the series follows a young boy called Torak, who finds he can communicate with a wolf cub, and becomes his companion. The £1,500 ($2,380 U.S.) prize was founded in 1967, is judged by children’s authors themselves, and can only be won once by any single author....
The Guardian (U.K.), Oct. 8

Belinda Bauer wins the Gold Dagger
Belinda Bauer’s Blacklands (Corgi) has won the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award for 2010. The awards were announced at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel October 8 at the 2010 Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards. Simon Conway’s A Loyal Spy (Hodder) won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, which recognizes the thriller of the year, and Ryan David Jahn’s Acts of Violence (Macmillan New Writing) won the CWA John Creasy (New Blood) Dagger for a first book by a previously unpublished writer....
Mystery Fanfare, Oct. 8

British Book of the Year
The British Printing Industries Federation, Oxford Brookes University, and the Publishers Association joined forces October 5 to announce the winners of the 2010 British Book Design and Production Awards. The awards were arranged this year under 16 different categories. The highly acclaimed Book of the Year category was won by Jane Eastoe for Britain by Bike (Anova Books)....
British Book Design and Production Awards, Oct. 5

Community college librarian found guilty of murder
Jurors rejected an insanity defense October 12 from former Northeast Lakeview College adjunct librarian Alan Godin (right), who walked into the school’s library in San Antonio, Texas, on October 13, 2008, and methodically gunned down his colleague, Donald “Devin” Zimmerman. Godin was found guilty of first-degree murder. His attorneys did not deny he was the shooter, but said he did have a history of mental illness and had a relapse that afternoon....
The Ranger (San Antonio College), Oct. 13; San Antonio (Tex.) Express-News, Oct. 13

Man says librarians helped him read again
Bruce Searles (right) wishes he could do more than put a sign in his yard to support the Southwest Public Libraries levy this November. He credits the Grove City, Ohio, library with teaching him to read again after he suffered a stroke 18 years ago. He tried to read, but everything looked like gibberish at first. “[The librarians] got to know me and they took me seriously and encouraged me. They showed me the books to get and they were very compassionate toward me,” Searles said. He estimates it took him four years to learn to read again....
Grove City (Ohio) This Week, Oct. 6; WBNS-TV, Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 10

Berkeley students stage protest in Doe Library
At least 500 students rallied in the University of California, Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza October 7 and then staged a raucous sit-in at the historic Doe Library in the latest of a string of protests begun last year to oppose fee hikes, layoffs, and course cutbacks in public higher education across the state. Yet even as they cheered, the rallying students could not ignore that the latest state budget being considered in Sacramento is expected to restore about $200 million each to the University of California and California State University systems, and provide about $5.5 billion to public higher education....
San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 8; Daily Californian, Oct. 7

Rutgers Republicans want Paul Robeson’s name off the library
The library of Rutgers University’s Camden, New Jersey, campus is named after Paul Robeson (1898–1976), the African-American concert singer and actor who became known as a social-justice activist and supporter of the Soviet Union. Erik Opczynski, a 21-year-old undergraduate finance major and president of the Rutgers–Camden College Republicans, published a letter in the school’s newspaper in September asking Rutgers to rename the library because of Robeson’s “radical socialism.” Andrew Shankman, an associate professor of history, drafted a rebuttal signed by nearly a dozen faculty....
Philadelphia (Pa.) Daily News, Oct. 9

Waukee library reclassifies teen book
The Waukee (Iowa) Public Library board of trustees voted October 12 to reclassify a book formerly housed in the library’s teen section after a patron said the book included inappropriate language. The Notebook Girls (Grand Central, 2006), by Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen, and Courtney Toombs, a diary cataloging the real-life experiences of four New York City high school girls, will now be housed in the adult nonfiction collection....
Des Moines (Iowa) Register, Oct. 13

Judging a mayor by his libraries
Julia Keller writes: “In 21 years in office, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (right) has built 59 public libraries. No city library system in the nation enjoyed more support—real muscle-and-mortar support, not just pretty words in nice speeches about the importance of reading—from its top elected official than Chicago has received from Daley. There are myriad ways to judge a mayor’s achievements: crime statistics, jobs, new businesses, city services. But public libraries are different. You don’t need to pull any strings to get VIP treatment. In a public library, everybody’s a VIP.”...
Chicago Tribune, Oct. 9

Massachusetts teachers union opposes library volunteers
The teachers’ union in Bridgewater and Raynham, Massachusetts, has filed a labor grievance that could block volunteers from keeping the school district’s libraries open. Librarian positions were cut from the middle schools in both towns this year and their salaries channeled into hiring teachers to address bulging class sizes. Volunteer organizations stepped in to pick up the slack—only to be surprised by threats of a labor complaint. Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker Jr. held a press conference October 12 to voice his outrage over the grievance....
Raynham (Mass.) Call, Oct. 12; Boston Globe, Oct. 12

Volunteers raise private funds to reopen library branch
After a year of relentless fundraising and activism, residents hoping for a chance to reopen the doors of the Benton branch (right) of the Belmont (Mass.) Public Library had their wish granted. The board of selectmen voted 2–1 to allow the Benton Library Reuse Committee and the Friends of the Benton Library to draw up a two-year license to run the library using private donations. The branch was closed in 2009 in response to the town’s budget constraints....
Boston Globe, Oct. 7

Zombie fashion hits Ferndale library
The zombie apocalypse started at the Ferndale branch of the Whatcom County (Wash.) Library System October 9, and it happened with style. Kids got to put on their worst faces at the library’s first Zombie Project Runway, where fierce struts were replaced by broken shuffles, and flawless faces instead looked bloody and hungry for brains. The idea for the event, which mixes the fashion reality competition Project Runway with the undead, came from a teen conference that YA Librarian Aubri Keleman attended....
Bellingham (Wash.) Herald, Oct. 10

Stacks is the newest New Castle library staffer
The New Castle (Pa.) Public Library recently welcomed its newest full-time employee. Susan Morgan, public relations and circulations manager, said a kitten roamed into the library August 12. Morgan said the first-floor staff fell in love with the kitten, who they named Stacks, and some patrons started coming in more often just to visit with him. The library is a large building with high ceilings, so experts said Stacks shouldn’t cause any allergic reactions....
WKBN-TV, Youngstown, Ohio, Oct. 10

Third season of The Librarians premieres in Australia
The season opener of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s TV series The Librarians on October 13 sees new challenges to test the tortured Catholic mindset, self-superiority, and disgust for post-1950s values of head librarian Frances O’Brien (series cocreator Robyn Butler, right). Here a hygiene-obsessed public servant (Angus Sampson) decrees that the public library must return a profit; Frances’s mother-from-hell, Pearl (Victoria Eagger), descends upon the O’Brien household; and librarian Ky Lee (Keith Brockett) marries his partner Darren in a gay wedding ceremony that veers from the hilarious to the disastrous. The cringe-making humor and pointed satire remain as sharp and uncomfortable as ever. Check out the Facebook page....
The Age (Melbourne), Oct. 7; ABC-TV; Sydney Star Observer, Oct. 12; Australian Conservative, Oct. 11

Ex-Pontiac director pleads not guilty
The former director of the Pontiac (Ill.) Public Library has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing more than $10,000 from the library. Eric Colclasure appeared October 4 in Livingston County Circuit Court with his attorney, James Casson. Prosecutors allege that Colclasure misdirected rent checks paid by Heartland Community College to the library between April and June....
Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph, Oct. 6

DNA testing permitted in Brookfield librarian murder case
DNA evidence collected at a Brookfield, Illinois, librarian’s murder scene will be tested in the case against the man accused of stabbing her. Marilyn Fay (right), who had worked in the Chicago Public Schools for 30 years and in retirement worked part-time at the Brookfield Public Library, was killed June 14 in her home. Steven Kellmann has been charged in her stabbing death....
Hillside (Ill.) Suburban Life, Oct. 6

Renovations begin on burned Shiprock school library
The Mesa Elementary School library in Shiprock, New Mexico, was targeted by arsonists September 12, and Principal Pandora Mike estimates the school lost 20,000 books. Administrators opened the damaged wing two weeks later. Renovation of the library began October 11, with a reopening tentatively scheduled for January. Clean-up and construction costs likely will top $500,000, but replacing the books is a more emotional matter, Librarian Darlene Chase said....
Farmington (N. Mex.) Daily Times, Oct. 7

The Bodleian Library expands
Oxford University Vice Chancellor Andrew Hamilton marked a new chapter in the 400-year history of the Bodleian Library by getting onto a forklift to officially open the library’s new £26-million ($41-million U.S.) book storage facility in South Marston, Wiltshire. Over the next year, nearly six million books will be moved there from a salt mine in Cheshire, a store in Nuneham Courtenay, and, of course, Oxford. The exercise is the biggest book move since the Bodleian first opened its doors to scholars in 1602....
Oxford (U.K.) Mail, Oct. 12; BBC News, Oct. 7; Materials Handling World, Oct. 12

London library wins over British comedian
Library lovers everywhere rose up in anger when comedian Frank Skinner (right) described local libraries as “musty, uninspiring places” in a recent weekly column for The Times. But there were none more annoyed than Don MacKenzie, who invited the comedian to pay a visit to his local library on Church Street in Lisson Grove, West London. He came on October 6, and Patsy Brogan, one of the library assistants, said the funny man was so impressed by what he saw he agreed to become a member....
Hampstead and Highgate (U.K.) Express, Oct. 8

New Zealand minister fears Masonic witchcraft
A Christian minister in Carterton, New Zealand, is objecting to a Masonic lodge being used for a temporary library because he considers it connected to witchcraft. John Cromarty and his wife Marilyn, of St. David’s Church, are handing in their library cards and are asking all their friends not to visit the lodge, which is housing the town’s books while the $6-million event center is built....
Wairarapa (N.Z.) Times-Age, Oct. 7

Go back to the Top

Microsoft’s 3-D strategy
Erica Naone writes: “Microsoft has joined the wave of companies betting that 3-D is the next big thing for computing. At a recent talk at MIT, Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie said he sees the technology as an innovation that ‘will get people out of treating a computer as a tool’ and into treating the device as a natural extension of how they interact with the world around them. Microsoft plans to introduce consumers to the change through its gaming products, but Mundie outlined a vision that would eventually have people shopping and searching in 3-D as well.”...
Technology Review, Oct. 13

7 ways we digitize our world, and 3 reasons why we need hard copies
Jaymi Heimbuch writes: “Digitization has been a forward march for years now; still, it might be surprising to step back and look at how physical copies of our stuff have changed into something else entirely. And even more surprising might be to go beyond the debate of the level of pleasantness of reading a paperback book versus an e-book on a Kindle and look at how digitizing everything might save space and shrink the environmental footprint of everything we produce, but also put the longevity of our information at risk.”...
TreeHugger, Oct. 11

Video calling and video chat
Almost a fifth of American adults—19%—have tried video calling, either online or via their cell phones, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. These figures translate into 23% of internet users and 7% of cell phone owners who have participated in video calls, chats, or teleconferences....
Pew Research Center, Oct. 13

How to take better pictures with your smartphone
Whitson Gordon writes: “Cameraphones have come a long way in the past few years, but they don’t always take point-and-shoot quality pictures on the first try. Depending on your cameraphone and the lighting conditions, the results are often dull, ugly photos that are barely worth looking at later on. You can do better, though; you can take most cameraphone shots from forgetful to interesting with just a few tweaks. Here’s how to squeeze the best quality photos out of your smartphone’s camera.”...
Lifehacker, Oct. 13

HTML5 draws privacy concerns
The new web code, HTML 5, is already in limited use and it promises to usher in a new era of internet browsing within the next few years. It will make it easier for users to view multimedia content without downloading extra software, check email offline, and find a favorite restaurant or shop on a smartphone. But HTML5 presents more tracking opportunities, so that advertisers and others could retrieve a user’s location, time zone, photographs, text from blogs, shopping cart contents, emails, and browser history. Facebook says it is using some HTML5 technology right now....
New York Times, Oct. 10; CNET news: Deep Tech, Oct. 13

How to maintain your PC
Eric Griffith writes: “You need to perform some consistent maintenance for a PC to treat you well in return. Here are 14 things you—or those who torture you most with unnecessary tech support calls—can do to repair your relationship with your computer, starting today. Remember, some of these tips might sound basic, but they’re often ignored. And, hey, everyone has to start somewhere.”...
PC Magazine, Oct. 8

Best solutions for multi-terabyte storage
Adam Dachis writes: “Last week we asked you for the best ways to safely store tons of data (at least 6TB). Here’s a roundup of some of the best and most creative answers to get 6TB of usable storage with a connectivity faster than USB 2.0, for as cheap as possible.”...
Lifehacker, Oct. 11

15 apps for adding multimedia to Twitter
Aliza Sherman writes: “I love Twitter, but one thing I admit can be lacking from the service is that it doesn’t allow for embedded images, audio, or video in the Twitter stream; you can only link to them. Still, there are plenty of apps to help you to integrate multimedia into your tweets. Here’s a list of handy and easy-to-use services for images, audio, and video.”...
GigaOM, Sept. 22

Find your way through the mall and airport
Mobile phone maps have guided people through streets and alleys around the globe. But when those people step into a sprawling building, they can get lost. A number of start-up companies are charting the interiors of shopping malls, convention centers, and airports to keep mobile phone users from getting lost as they walk from the food court to the restroom. Some of their maps might even be able to locate cans of sardines in a sprawling grocery store....
New York Times: Technology, Oct. 10

ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, California, January 7–11, 2011. Check out the ALA Midwinter Wiki and follow meeting activities on Twitter at alamw (use #alamw11 for your tweets).

“Like” American Libraries on Facebook.

Speak Out Against Bullying What Does the New Health Care Law Mean for Me? Give a Little Bit: Volunteer Opportunities Abound for Teens at the Library Libraries Are Beloved by Toni Morrison (video) Library Lovers at New York Comic Con (home page slideshow) America's Favorite Librarians: Dana Thomas Donna Seaman Interviews Author George Saunders 85 Years of Treasures from the Warner Bros. Photo Lab (slideshow) Prime Time for Family Literacy The return of Marc Chagall's America Windows

Why art books won’t become e-books
Jim Lewis writes: “Kindles, iPads, and the like will soon be the dominant medium—if, indeed, they aren’t already. As a novelist this bothers me not at all. But novels and nonfiction aren’t the only things that come in book form. Unless you’re very dedicated, and very well-traveled, most of the art and photography you’ve seen has been on the printed page as well. Will these, too, gradually be replaced with e-books? I suspect not.”...
Slate, Oct. 7

Make your own e-books
The book is an antiquated method of delivering words to your brain. Just as the iPod compressed massive record collections onto tiny go-anywhere devices, so the e-book readers are putting entire libraries onto paper-thin portable devices you can shove in your (oversized) pocket. Want to ditch the backpack full of books and join the digital book revolution? Here’s the Wired How-To guide to creating a digital copy of just about any book—whether it’s your own masterpiece or an old paperback of Cervantes—into a digital book....
Wired: How-To Wiki, Oct. 6

The digital newspaper: Four top iPad apps
Amy-Mae Elliott writes: “Consumers have more digital options for reading the news than ever before. But it’s the on-the-go mobile apps we are interested in here, with a hands-on look at four popular apps for the iPad platform, from traditional newspaper companies offering both free content and that which lives behind the paywall. Check out these reviews for a look at iPad apps from The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Financial Times, and The New York Times.”...
Mashable, Oct. 13

When will subscriptions reach the iPad?
Kent Anderson writes: “While the iPad has been hailed as a potential bridge into the digital age, periodical publishers remain frustrated by its application-centric model—every issue has to be an application, since there’s no way for a magazine application to include subscription elements in a satisfactory manner. This drives up prices for development, which are passed along to the consumer. However, Apple may be catching a clue, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, Oct. 11; Wall Street Journal, Sept. 26

Ebrary launches patron-driven e-book acquisition
(PDF file)
Ebrary announced October 11 that it is collaborating with librarians and publishers to develop a new Patron-Driven Acquisition model. With the company’s implementation of PDA, libraries can create collections of titles of their choice, provide full access to end-users, and have titles automatically added to their permanent collection in real time, based on usage....
Ebrary, Oct. 11

Accessibility and e-books
Sue Polanka writes: “Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak with Ken Petri, director of the Web Accessibility Center at Ohio State University, about the accessibility of e-books and e-book readers. Ken is incredibly knowledgeable on the topic and offered a great deal of information during the interview (mp3 file, about 25 minutes). Here are some resources on e-book accessibility that Ken recommended.”...
No Shelf Required, Oct. 6

Top 10 best novels of the past 20 years
I. Presnel writes: “The 10 novels on this list all substantiate the belief that books are the most elastic, introspective, human, and entertaining form of media that exist. Not movies, not music, not art, not the theatre. The first introduction a student often has to literature are stale, century-old books that do not translate well into this new modern era. Frankly they are boring, and a lot of kids drift into the living room and turn on the television and stay glued for the rest of their lives. So, here I will present the 10 greatest novels of the last 20 years, without apologies.”...
Listverse, Oct. 10

Picture books are unpopular? Not so fast, New York Times
Julie Bosman, a writer for the New York Times, says picture books are so unpopular at the Children’s Book Shop in Brookline, Massachusetts, that employees there are used to placing new copies on the shelves, watching them languish, and then returning them to the publisher. She adds that parents have begun pressing their kindergartners and 1st-graders to leave the picture book behind and move on to more text-heavy chapter books. But children’s librarians dispute both of these statements, asserting that picture books in libraries are as popular as ever. And book blogger Amanda Gignac said Bosman took her quote out of context....
New York Times, Oct. 7; EarlyWord: The Publisher | Librarian Connection, Oct. 12; The Zen Leaf, Oct. 7

Dewey lives on in Nine Lives
When Spencer, Iowa, public librarian Vicki Myron wrote about an orange tabby kitten who came to live at her library one winter’s day in 1988, little did she know she would have a bestseller on her hands. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (2008) has sold more than 1 million copies and is being adapted into a movie to star Meryl Streep (but the “script isn’t in good shape,” says Myron). Now Myron is back with Dewey's Nine Lives (Dutton), filled with stories Dewey fans tell about their own cats....
USA Today, Oct. 11

Five books on bibliomania
Allison Hoover Bartlett, author of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Riverhead, 2009), offers her suggestions on books to read about extreme book-collecting. At the top is Nicholas A. Basbanes’s A Gentle Madness (1995), a “meticulous history” that “offers plenty to enthrall the most knowledgeable of collectors.”...
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 9

Marilyn Monroe: Avid reader and book collector
Stephen J. Gertz writes: “She had a personal library of over 400 books. She loved James Joyce, Walt Whitman, and poet Heinrich Heine. Saul Bellow and Carl Sandburg were literary heroes. Truman Capote and Isak Dinesen were friends. And she was married to playwright Arthur Miller. Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe, edited by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment, was published October 12 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Within we learn of Marilyn’s intellectual quest.”...
Booktryst, Oct. 8

In search of superlibros
L. D. Mitchell writes: “Book collectors have, over the centuries, used a variety of means to indicate personal ownership of a particular volume. When marks of personal ownership are applied to the bindings of books, they are known collectively as supralibros. Although the best known and probably most numerous supralibros are coats-of-arms, other marks of ownership commonly found stamped on bindings are the owner’s name, initials, monogram, or some combination thereof.”...
The Private Library, Oct. 11

21st-century social media literacies
Howard Rheingold writes: “When it comes to social media, knowing how to post a video or download a podcast—technology-centric encoding and decoding skills—is not enough. Access to many media empowers only those who know how to use them. We need to go beyond skills and technologies. We need to think in terms of literacies. And we need to expand our thinking of digital skills or information literacies to include social media literacies.”...
Educause Review 45, no. 5 (Sept./Oct.): 14–24

Mary Minow appointed to IMLS advisory board
On October 6, Mary Minow was appointed to the National Museum and Library Services Board. She was nominated by President Obama on April 26 and confirmed by the Senate on September 29. Minow is an attorney, consultant, and a former librarian and library trustee who has made presentations and consulted for libraries and library associations in more than 25 states on free speech, privacy, and copyright issues....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Oct. 7

Report shows progress in collections care
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has released Connecting to Collections: A Report to the Nation (PDF file), which describes how IMLS engaged dozens of public and private partners to reach thousands of museum and library professionals with resources and technical assistance to care for endangered collections. IMLS launched Connecting to Collections in 2007 in response to A Public Trust at Risk, an IMLS-supported report documenting grave threats to the treasures that museums, libraries, and archives held in trust for the public....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Oct. 5

The art of self-appraisal for public library workers
Leigh Anne Vrabel writes: “It’s that time of year again. The leaves don scarlet and orange frippery, then gradually waltz to earth in a slow dance of death. Bitter, howling winds nip at the ears and fingertips. Germs and viruses of every stripe stalk the land, sidelining the weak and weary with their pestilence. And librarians nationwide collectively bang their heads on their keyboards as they strive to summarize their annual accomplishments in the rite of self-appraisal.”...
Library Alchemy, Oct. 6

The new Facebook groups
Nick O’Neill writes: “On October 6, Facebook announced a revamped groups product. However, most people are either still not aware about what this means or unaware of what all the features are. This guide will answer your questions. The main purpose of groups is to help Facebook users socialize around any topic or community. First, you can watch Facebook’s own video (2:01).”...
All Facebook, Oct. 6; YouTube, Oct. 6

Influencing how your Google results are displayed
Lorcan Dempsey writes: “Two websites I regularly look at are The Guardian and Times Higher Education. I have been interested in how they are characterized in Google results, based on what they put in the meta description tags. So, what does The Guardian think will encourage people to click through to its site? A quick review of some public libraries suggested that the meta description tag is not widely used in this tactical way. Ditto for academic libraries.”...
Lorcan Dempsey’s Weblog, Oct. 10

WorldCat adds All Music Guide metadata
WorldCat has beefed up more than 250,000 pop and classical record entries, thanks to a new partnership with All Music Guide and Rovi. WorldCat users will now be able to find additional descriptions, genres and styles, release dates, tracks, AMG top track picks, ratings and reviews, and cover art....
OCLC, Oct. 6

WorldCat’s advanced citation function
Andy Havens writes: “If you use WorldCat regularly, you know that you can easily cite materials using the Cite/Export button on the detailed record page for any item. Clicking on that button brings up a box, allowing you to select from five popular citation formats: APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, and Turabian. You can then either click on one of the + buttons to see the citation text in that format, or export the citation to RefWorks, EndNote, or EasyBib. But did you know that you can use WorldCat Lists to perform advanced citation functions?”...
NextSpace, no. 16 (Aug.)

Bing to retrieve French National Library documents
Microsoft’s Bing search engine will give special treatment to search results from the archives of the French National Library, the two organizations announced October 7. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer signed an agreement with Bruno Racine, the library’s president, to improve Bing’s access to the archive and increase the number of potential users of the library’s archives worldwide....
PC World, Oct. 8

Creative Commons Public Domain Mark
Creative Commons has released the Public Domain Mark, a tool that enables works free of known copyright restrictions to be labeled in a way that clearly communicates that status to the public and allows them to be easily discovered over the internet. The mark increases the value of the public domain by making works that are already free of copyright readily accessible to the public. Europeana is its first major adopter....
Creative Commons, Oct. 11

Commerce Department seeks copyright comments
The U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force issued a Notice of Inquiry (PDF file) October 4 seeking comments from all interested stakeholders on the protection of copyrighted works online and the relationship between copyright law and innovation in the internet economy. Comments must be submitted by November 19....
U.S. Department of Commerce, Oct. 5

Crucial tax-exempt filing deadline
The Internal Revenue Service is providing one-time relief to allow small tax-exempt organizations (like libraries) to come back into compliance and retain their tax-exempt status even though they failed to file for three consecutive years. A crucial filing deadline of October 15 is looming for many organizations that are required by law to file their Form 990 with the IRS or risk having their federal tax-exempt status revoked. Nonprofit organizations that are at risk can preserve their status by filing returns by that date, under a one-time relief program....
U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Sept. 30

Teachers’ resources for the PBS Sherlock Holmes series
The BBC recently launched an updated version of the Sherlock Holmes stories—Sherlock features a text-messaging detective named Holmes and a blogging doctor named Watson. In the U.S., Sherlock will air on PBS Masterpiece for three consecutive Sundays beginning October 24. From October 25 through December 7, you can watch episodes for free at the Masterpiece website—each episode will be available the day after broadcast. A discussion guide for book and film clubs, as well as other resources and links, is available on the site. Watch the trailer (1:52)....
PBS Masterpiece; io9, Oct. 10

Best state websites for genealogy
David A. Fryxell writes: “Finding where your ancestors lived is the first step in identifying records about them. Fortunately, the internetization of America also has swept over the nation’s state archives, historical and genealogical societies, libraries, vital-records offices, and other keepers of genealogical gold. To help you find these outstanding state sites, we’ve compiled this state-centric Best Websites list. The 75 stellar sites singled out here represent the go-to bookmarks for browsing America’s past, state by state.”...
Family Tree Magazine, Oct. 12

How job seekers will use social media in the future
Sharlyn Lauby writes: “In today’s fast-paced and competitive business market, companies are learning that using social media allows them to cast a wide net. And recruiting is no exception. So, if job seekers want new opportunities, they will eventually have to learn where companies are posting positions, then follow. If the future of recruiting is social, then job seekers need to get social. Here is a look at some social media success strategies for conquering your next job search.”...
Mashable, Oct. 11

Manage your presence on Google Maps
Samuel Axon writes: “Did you know you can use Google Maps to promote your library? Many of the features that you might normally associate with Yelp are actually included in what Google calls Place Pages. And since they’re integrated tightly with the hugely popular Google Maps, you won’t want to ignore them. Even if Google already lists you, you’ll want to claim your page and make sure all the information is accurate.”...
Mashable, Oct. 11

10 tips for finding your groove and getting stuff done
Julie Strange writes: “For me, ‘productivity’ is such a crap buzz word—it gives me mental images of the gizmo maker on the production line with the supervisor standing over him cracking the whip: ‘500 more gizmos before lunch!’ Your ability to get stuff done is all you, buddy. Your success and failure is up to you. In that vein, I’m going to reframe ‘productivity’ to ‘the groove you get in that helps you get things done’ and share with you my tips for finding that groove.”...
The Strange Librarian, Oct. 6

USC acquires world’s largest LGBT collection
The ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives has donated the world’s largest research collection related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history to the University of Southern California Libraries. The collection includes pioneering magazines, papers of LGBT activists and entertainers, and other materials that document diverse LGBT experiences. With its focus on the stories of Los Angeles, the ONE Archives Collection complements the USC libraries’ extensive holdings in regional history....
University of Southern California Libraries, Oct. 7

Do you know this man?
Does anyone remember Islwyn Roberts, of Llanbedr, Meirionethshire, Wales, who started to hitchhike his way around the world in 1958 carrying a “Pays de Galles” sign with him? What was his story? No one seems to know if Roberts even made it to France, much less around the world, because he disappeared from the public eye. The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth wants an answer, so it is launching an exhibition on Welsh travel and exploration October 16 with Roberts as its poster child. (However, John Milnes says there is a plaque in his memory next to a bus stop in Llanbedr where he used to sit in the 1990s.)...
National Library of Wales, Sept. 30; John Milnes

Europeana opens virtual exhibition space
Europeana, Europe’s digital library and museum, has launched two online exhibitions that explore highlights of art and literature. Reading Europe: European Culture through the Book showcases the full text of 1,000 fascinating books, from medieval cookbooks to 18th-century English bestsellers. Reshaping Art Nouveau takes visitors on a cross-border journey that encompasses everything from domestic furnishings and decorative art to architecture and advertising....
Europeana, Oct. 7

The making of a micromanager
Will Manley writes: “Why are some people micromanagers? Oddly enough, it’s not to torture others. Most micromanagers have an overly developed sense of accountability. Most micromanagers I have worked for are nice people who take their supervisory responsibilities seriously. They are typically fair-minded people and they often treat their employees equally. They usually don’t play favorites. They truly do mean well. So how did they become micromanagers? Here are my theories.”...
Will Unwound, Oct. 12

Craft idea: Library card notebooks
Brittni Mehlhoff writes: “Caitlin at the Packagery blog created this fun DIY with just a handful of materials. Its a mini-library-card notepad tutorial. These notebooks are perfect for jotting down short little notes or lists. And it’s a great way to recycle some of those paper scraps you may have lying around. So, let’s get to it. Here’s Caitlin’s project.”...
Paper n stitch, Oct. 6

50 pop-culture cakes
Caroline Stanley writes: “All cakes were not created equal. Sometimes, they can transform into something greater than a common dessert—particularly when coupled with a bit of cultural inspiration. Whether you’re a pop culture junkie who loves books, film, music, TV, or the visual arts, we’ve scoured the internet to find the perfect cake to match your obsessive devotion. Some of them are awesomely bad, while others are edible works of art.”...
Flavorwire, Oct. 8

Eight awesome webcomics
Nancy Messieh writes: “A good webcomic doesn’t necessarily need out-of-this-world drawings, a story line to follow, or much else other than a fabulously sarcastic sense of humor and bare-bones kind of drawings that leaves the focus entirely on the words. That’s not to say that we don’t love the way these artists have chosen to get their message across. But in an attempt to narrow down an impossibly wide topic, we decided to look at the more minimalist geek webcomics and choose some of our favorites to share with you.”...
MakeUseOf, Oct. 10

The T140 Bible project
Scott Douglas, author of Quiet, Please! Dispatches from a Public Librarian, writes: “The Bible has been translated 100s of times, retranslated even more. Today I propose one more: The T140, or the Twitter 140 Bible. Last week, as I did a daily devotional, I wondered what the 10 Commandments would look like tweeted. That got me thinking: Could the entire Bible be written like this? To sound trendy, I’ll call it ‘tweetvangelism.’ So if you don’t have time to read the Bible in large doses, then follow @The140Bible. (And there’s a blog.) ”...
Disturbed Christians, Sept. 27; The140Bible

Our cerebrum is a library
Chinese student Yu Ming put together this animated short film (3:25) that compares the brain to a library, where “the books kept in the library are like our memories. Sometimes we will be immersed in them subconsciously.” Completed in December 2008, apparently as part of university coursework....
Eyeka

Who will help me? University of Alberta Libraries
Stephen Abram writes: “Here’s a great video (0:51) promoting the libraries at the University of Alberta. In my opinion, it does four things very well: It focuses on the core messages; it really does it in the appropriate amount of time for an online PSA; it uses the real staff and promotes their talents and roles; and it doesn’t let humor override the professional message.”...
Stephen’s Lighthouse, Oct. 12; YouTube, Oct. 6

Bowling Green’s library sleevefacing challenge
A sleeveface is “one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion.” Armed with vinyl and inspiration, Bowling Green (Ohio) State University’s Music Library and Sound Recordings Archives started sleevefacing to promote the library and bring awareness to their collection. And now they challenge others to do the same. All sleevefaces must be photographed in a library of some kind, and no Photoshopping allowed....
Library Sleevefacing

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