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American Libraries Online
ALA News
Booklist Online
Division News
Awards
Seen Online
Tech Talk
E-Content
Books and Reading
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New This Week
Calendar

Third time is the charm for Troy
“This is one of the best days I’ve had in two years!” exulted Cathleen Russ, director of Troy (Mich.) Public Library, the morning after some 58% of voters saved the library from closing permanently by approving a five-year operating millage. The August 2 special election was the third library referendum held there in the past few years; voters had rejected the previous measures, albeit by narrower margins the second time around. The outcome had remained uncertain until the final returns late in the day....
American Libraries news, Aug. 3; Detroit News, Aug. 3; Troy (Mich.) Patch, Aug. 2

Missouri high school bans Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five and Sarah Ockler’s YA novel Twenty Boy Summer have been banned from a Missouri high school curriculum and library after a local resident complained that they teach principles contrary to the Bible. The Republic High School board voted 4–0 July 26 to remove the books, although they chose to retain Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, which had also been challenged by Wesley Scroggins, an associate professor at Missouri State University. Ockler responded to the decision in a blog post....
AL: Censorship Watch, Aug. 3; Sarah Ockler, Author, July 26

The case for graphic novels in education
Jesse Karp writes: “Perhaps we’re past the point of having to explain that graphic novels, with their knack for attracting reluctant readers and hitting developmental sweet spots, have a legitimate place on library shelves. Perhaps. But what about the idea that graphic novels encompass such a wide range of themes and create such layered experiences through word and art that they actually belong in classrooms? I contend that the format offers great opportunities to teach as well as to entertain.”...
American Libraries feature

Next Steps: A pioneer evolves
Brian Mathews writes: “Andrew Carnegie had a radical idea. In 1895 when he developed the public library complex in Pittsburgh, it included swimming pools, music halls, art galleries, and a natural history museum. He wanted to ensure that his mill workers and their families had easy access to excellent cultural assets. The original building still stands today. However, what’s pioneering in one century is not necessarily compatible with the next. As libraries have evolved, these legacy spaces do not always promote the free flow of information.”...
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

Cleaning up after water damage
Q. Recent thunderstorms have caused flash floods and some of our library regulars are asking about salvage of wet books. What can I tell them? A. I’m going to address your question from two perspectives. First, what should an individual be doing? And second, what should a library be doing? The information in Tips for Salvaging Water-Damaged Valuables by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and Heritage Preservation is designed for individuals....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, Aug. 3

Currents
On June 1, Scott Mandernack (right) was appointed associate dean for scholarly resources and collections at Marquette University Libraries in Milwaukee. Nancy Bennett retired May 19 as manager of the South County Regional Branch of the Camden County (N.J.) Library System. John Kallenberg, 69, died July 4 after battling cancer for several months; he was head of the Fresno County (Calif.) Public Library from 1976 to 2003....
American Libraries column

Why we need free public libraries more than ever
ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels writes: “As a former head of the state library agency in Massachusetts and a taxpayer myself, I read with interest the recent Atlantic editorial in which an elected official from Swampscott, Massachusetts, proposed public library user fees as a reasonable and ‘modern’ solution to some perceived imbalance. Under this proposal, a 50-cent user fee would be added to each book circulated by the library. The fact is: This would be the costliest additional revenue ever generated. The reasons for this are twofold.”...
The Atlantic, July 21, 27

Top 10 reasons to contact your legislators in August
It’s almost time for District Days, the weeks when congressional representatives are on recess and are able to return to their home districts. This year, the break is from August 8 to September 5. During this time, representatives often hold town hall meetings, office hours, and meet with a variety of constituents to get their perspectives on current issues. Here are the top 10 reasons librarians should reach out to them during District Days. (And the Washington Office has some advice for town halls.)...
YALSA Blog, Aug. 3; District Dispatch, Aug. 3

Summer vacation @ your library
As August hits and the temperature rises, the place to spend quality family time and cool off is @ your library. Encourage parents in your community to check out ALA’s new Connect with your kids @ your library Family Activity Guide. The guide offers additional ideas on how parents can spend quality time with their kids this summer using the resources at your library. Here are a few examples of what libraries are doing to create cost-effective and entertaining family programs for library users this summer....
Public Information Office, Aug. 2

ARSL conference on rural and small libraries
Join library staff, trustees, and volunteers from small and rural libraries across the country as they gather for the 2011 Association for Rural and Small Libraries annual conference in Frisco, Texas. The conference will be held September 8–11 at the Dallas-Frisco Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Aug. 2

Educate your staff on copyright
ALA Editions has announced a new facilitated eCourse, “Demystifying Copyright: How to Educate Your Staff and Community.” Lesley Ellen Harris (right), a copyright, licensing, and digital-property lawyer who works with the information industry, will serve as instructor for this four-week course, which begins on September 12. She will guide you step by step through developing a copyright education program for your staff and community....
ALA Editions, Aug. 2

Small businesses and public libraries as partners
Aligning with current difficult economic times, Small Business and the Public Library: Strategies for a Successful Partnership, published by ALA Editions, helps libraries assist users entering or already involved in the small-business community. Authors Luise Weiss, Sophia Serlis-McPhillips, and Elizabeth Malafi are public librarians who have incorporated small business services within their library. In their book they point the way to addressing the needs of job seekers, and those starting or operating their own businesses....
ALA Editions, Aug. 2

First RDA vocabularies published
The Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA, the DCMI/RDA Task Group, and ALA Publishing (on behalf of the copublishers of RDA) have announced that the first group of RDA controlled vocabularies have been reviewed, approved, and their status in the Open Metadata Registry changed to “published.”...
RDA Toolkit blog, Aug. 1

Register now for Women’s Leadership Institute
ACRL is collaborating with a variety of higher education associations to offer the 2011 Women’s Leadership Institute. This year’s institute will be held November 29–December 2 in Dana Point, California, and December 4–7 in Amelia Island, Florida. The discounted early-bird registration deadline for the institute is October 12 for the California program and October 26 for the Florida program. Program details, cosponsors, and a link to registration materials are available online....
ACRL, Aug. 2

AASL’s Exploratorium to showcase school library best practices
AASL is making available its lineup for the Exploratorium at its 15th National Conference and Exhibition. With more than 40 individual learning stations, the complete list can be found online. The Exploratorium on October 27 is a two-hour educational session that will showcase best practices from the school library community. Attendees can browse at their own pace, spending as much or as little time as they wish at each station....
AASL, Aug. 2

Social media webinar
Social media has altered the information landscape by expanding the flow of information from books, newspapers, and journals to instant reports from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. How can librarians help teens navigate these information streams and learn to separate the wheat from the chaff? Join YALSA for “From 140 Characters to 10 Pages: Teens, Social Media, and Information Literacy.” This webinar will be presented by Laura Pearle on August 18....
YALSA, July 29

Get your message heard in the August YA Forum
YALSA is hosting its monthly discussion forum this week on communicating with key stakeholders. Division members are encouraged to check into the discussion forum and ask questions and contribute. The forum will close at 3 p.m. Eastern time on August 5. This month’s discussion is on how to communicate the value of your library through data....
YALSA, July 29

PLA reading kit summer sale
From now until August 31, take 40% off PLA’s three unique children’s reading kits. PLA and ALA members can also use their ALA Store discount of 10%, resulting in a 50% savings. Simply enter the promotion code “sale11,” whether ordering by phone or fax or online. These interactive reading kits are great in helping early literacy efforts at the library or to send home with parents....
PLA, Aug. 2

The 2012 Printz Award calendar
Linda W. Braun writes: “It debuted at Annual Conference this year, but you can still purchase a copy of the 2012 Michael Printz Award calendar, which celebrates 12 years of award winners and honor books. The calendar is available in the ALA Store and all proceeds will go to the Friends of YALSA. The calendar includes information about the winning titles, birthdays of award-winning YA authors, monthly and weekly events, and information about YALSA history.”...
YALSA The Hub, Aug. 3

Six Judith Krug Fund grants
Following 2010’s very successful inaugural effort, the Freedom to Read Foundation, through its Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund, has announced grants to six organizations in support of events during Banned Books Week, September 24–October 1. In addition to a cash award of $1,000, FTRF is providing Banned Books Week merchandise, sold by the ALA Store, to the grant recipients....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Aug. 2

Teen Read Week minigrant winners
YALSA has announced the winners of its 10 Teen Read Week minigrants. The grants, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, give each winning library $1,000 to use for events, programs, and services to encourage teen reading and celebrate Teen Read Week, October 16–22....
YALSA, Aug. 2

AASL names its 2011 Spectrum Scholar
As part of its commitment to furthering diversity in the school library profession, AASL chose Tonya Grant as its 2011–2012 Spectrum Scholar. Grant is currently an LIS student at the University of Georgia. As an educator for the past six years, Grant looks forward to using her studies to identify ways she can build an engaging school library program and incorporate her love of technology and reading into challenging and fun lessons....
AASL, Aug. 2

AASL travel grants to four Spectrum Scholars
AASL will sponsor the attendance of up to four Spectrum Scholars at its national conference. The AASL 15th National Conference and Exhibition will be held October 27–30 in Minneapolis. The division will select up to four current Spectrum scholars who are pursuing a library degree concentrating in school librarianship or are working as school librarians....
AASL, Aug. 2

Spectrum fundraisers
Spectrum Scholars, librarians, and library supporters came together at fundraising events in San Diego and Los Angeles to raise more than $4,300 for the Spectrum Presidential Initiative....
Spectrum Initiative, Aug. 2

School librarian wins Coast Guard leadership award
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Abigail Rainey Scrocco (right) of Station Oak Island has won the Coast Guard’s Master Chief Angela M. McShan Inspirational Leadership Award. She earned the award for her work maintaining Station Oak Island reserve personnel at the highest rate of readiness of all Coast Guard stations. In her civilian capacity, Scrocco is a library media specialist and computer teacher at St. Mary School in Wilmington, North Carolina. She will be recognized at an August 11 ceremony in Washington, D.C....
Coast Guard News, July 28

2011 Sparky Award winners announced
Four new student films on the importance of open access to research and data have been voted the best by a panel of new media experts, students, and librarians in the fourth annual Sparky Awards. Calling on students to articulate their support in a two-minute video, the contest has been embraced by campuses all over the world and has inspired imaginative expressions of student support for the potential of open access to foster creativity, innovation, and problem solving. The Sparky Awards are organized by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)....
SPARC, Aug. 2

Congress revises consumer products act
After three years, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) issue has been resolved. On August 1, U.S. Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) introduced H.R. 2715 (PDF file), a bill to provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission with greater authority and discretion in enforcing the consumer product safety laws, and for other purposes. The publishing and printing industries had long argued that books have never presented a threat of high lead levels. This bill protects libraries in two ways....
District Dispatch, Aug. 2; Publishers Weekly, Aug. 2

Senate passes faster FOIA bill
Steven Aftergood writes: “The Faster FOIA Act, a modest bit of legislation to establish a commission ‘to examine the root causes of FOIA delays,’ was introduced and passed in the Senate August 1. It was previously passed in May, but the resulting bill was amended by the House in order to serve as a vehicle for its debt ceiling debate, stripping out the FOIA-related content. It was reintroduced and the new bill, S. 1466, passed on a voice vote and will move once again to the House.”...
Secrecy News, Aug. 2

Public libraries are essential during recessions
José-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King write: “Our data show that every year over the past two decades, use of public libraries has increased by over 2 billion visits annually. In fact, when remote access to public libraries through the internet is included, the number of visits per capita has more than doubled during the same two decades. When we looked specifically at the previous two recessions, we saw that growth in visits to libraries as well as services they offered rose well above previous levels.”...
Providence (R.I.) Journal, July 27

Banned Sites Day on September 28
New Canaan (Conn.) High School Library Department Chair Michelle Luhtala takes issue with restrictions on the use of social media sites by students, which she likens to the practice of banning books in school libraries. In an effort to raise awareness around the importance of freedom of information for students, Luhtala plans to launch Banned Sites Day on September 28, piggybacking off ALA’s annual Banned Books Week the last week in September....
Stamford (Conn.) Advocate, July 30

Fired library assistant sues over free-speech violation
Sally Stern-Hamilton, a former library assistant at the Mason County (Mich.) District Library, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the library violated her free-speech rights by firing her in 2008. Her controversial book The Library Diaries, written under the pseudonym Ann Miketa and set in what she calls the Lake Michigan town of Denialville, is a series of fictional vignettes about mostly unsavory characters encountered daily at the library. Library Director Robert Dickson declined to comment on the lawsuit....
Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, Aug. 1; American Libraries news, Aug. 30, 2008

Mystery surrounds loss of records from 9/11 attack
Letters written by Helen Keller, 40,000 photographic negatives of John F. Kennedy taken by the president’s personal cameraman, sculptures by Alexander Calder and Auguste Rodin, the 1921 agreement that created the agency that built the World Trade Center: The September 11, 2001, attacks destroyed tens of thousands of records, irreplaceable historical documents, and art. Twenty-one libraries were destroyed, including that of The Journal of Commerce. Dozens of federal, state, and local government agencies were at the site. A more detailed report of the cultural loss sustained on 9/11 is available from Heritage Preservation (PDF file)....
Associated Press, July 30; Heritage Preservation, 2002

Comics are an educator’s secret weapon
Lindsay Mar writes: “Diana Maliszewski, librarian at Agnes Macphail Public School in Toronto, is one of the few teachers in Canada who dedicate a student club to graphic novels. But she is one of a growing number of educators and literacy advocates who believe the often-misunderstood genre could be the key to unlocking literacy for reluctant readers. Maliszewski also believes the combination of word and image can help reluctant readers who have short attention spans or problems visualizing.”...
This Magazine, Aug. 2

Oakland library stays open late to reduce homicides
An East Oakland, California, library is staying open late in August as part of the city’s campaign to provide youth with safe alternative places to spend their weekend nights. The 81st Avenue branch of the Oakland Public Library has joined city officials and the Oakland Unified School District for their “Late Night Live!” initiative, which aims to provide city youth with a safe haven on Friday and Saturday evenings....
San Francisco Bay Citizen, July 30

Florida jobless flock to library to file
As of August 1, Floridians are required to file both new and continued unemployment claims over the internet. The complete switch to internet filings will save $4.7 million annually. For those without a computer or internet access, libraries will have to pick up the slack. “It could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes just to get them on that site, to get them to be able to go from one page to the next,” said Collier County Reference Librarian April Ristau....
Naples (Fla.) News, July 31

Video store’s loss is Forbes Library’s gain
Pleasant Street Video, a Northampton, Massachusetts, institution for 25 years, closed its doors July 15 after the commercial space was sold to a new owner. Instead of merely liquidating its stock, the store owners joined with Forbes Library in a fundraiser that allowed the library to take over its collection while retiring the debt that Pleasant Street had incurred. Organizers attribute the success of the effort to an ingenious twist in which people were invited to buy and donate their favorite movies. The 8,000 new DVDs will triple the library’s collection....
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, July 30

Outsourcing the library can lead to a backlash
Melissa Maynard writes: “Hardly anyone in the general public realizes it, but LSSI, which runs 68 branch libraries in California, Kansas, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas, is now the fifth largest library system in America. Quiet though it has been, the rise of LSSI has attracted its share of critics, not just at the local level but in the increasingly nervous network of public library systems around the country. LSSI so far has no competitors in the private sector.”...
Stateline, Aug. 1

Town resents county’s armed guards at library
The decision by Maricopa County, Arizona, to place armed security guards at the Southeast Regional Library in Gilbert has drawn the ire of town officials, who say the county acted unilaterally and refuses to negotiate. Frustrated by what Town Council members say is the county’s strong-armed action, members on July 28 said they will begin looking at alternatives for operating the library, including privatization or a takeover....
Phoenix Arizona Republic, July 30

Chicago’s new Richard M. Daley branch library
Chicago Public Library’s new Richard M. Daley branch is the 58th library set in motion during the former mayor’s 22-year tenure. The building’s namesake and his successor, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, dedicated the shiny, 16,000-square-foot, light-drenched building on July 28. It had opened three weeks earlier and had already been host to 10,000 visitors....
New York Times, July 30; Chicago Tribune, July 29

Virginia’s Rare Book School attracts bibliophiles
Welcome to Rare Book School, summer camp for bibliophiles. Tucked in the basement of the cavernous main library at the University of Virginia, the school is an annual five-week homage to the printed page. Founded at New York’s Columbia University in 1983, the Rare Book School relocated to Charlottesville in 1992 as a nonprofit affiliate of the university and found a niche as a place for librarians and scholars to decode the story told by the book itself: the ink, the paper, the typeface, the binding, the illustrations, the subtle notations in the margins....
Washington Post, July 28

Shakespeare First Folio returns to Durham
A Shakespeare First Folio stolen in 1998 and recovered 10 years later is back on exhibit at Durham University’s Wolfson Gallery, telling the story of its theft and return. A Newcastle Crown Court jury cleared 53-year-old Raymond Scott of stealing the book but found him guilty of handling stolen goods and removing criminal property. He was given an eight-year prison sentence, but has launched an appeal against his convictions....
Sunderland (U.K.) Echo, July 26

Library delivery man captures sex assault suspect
After hearing a child scream, an Edmonton (Alberta) Public Library driver chased a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old boy, pinning him down until police arrived. Kim, a 12-year veteran library driver who declined to give his last name, was in the midst of a delivery at the Riverbend branch when he heard a child’s scream. Kim told the boy to go into the library, then followed the man three or four blocks. The driver has been nominated for the Edmonton Police Commission’s citizen recognition award....
Edmonton (Alberta) Journal, July 29

U.K. legal battle over libraries heats up
The defense of the U.K. public library service has entered a new phase with the judicial review hearing in the High Court into Brent council’s contentious proposal to close six of its 12 libraries. The case was the first to be heard but more will swiftly follow, as campaigners frustrated by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport’s unwillingness to order a public inquiry into closures turn to the law for urgent action before their libraries are closed for good....
The Bookseller, Aug. 1

European libraries that offer respite from the crowds
Geraldine Fabrikant writes: “European cities are feet-on-the-pavement destinations, where many of us find ourselves trudging along familiar routes with hordes of tourists just like us. To take a break, we are likely to stop at the cafés and museum gardens already overcrowded with fellow travelers. But relief could be at hand, in the guise of cities’ libraries, which are often ignored by visitors. Here are some of my favorites.”...
New York Times, July 29

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