American Libraries Direct
The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | December 14, 2011

Contents
American Libraries Online
ALA News
Booklist Online
Dallas Update
Division News
Awards & Grants
Seen Online
Tech Talk
E-Content
Books & Reading
Actions & Answers
New This Week
Calendar

TechLogic ad

AL Buyers Guide

American Libraries Online

Michael PorterDavid Lee KingDavid Lee King and Michael Porter join American Libraries
American Libraries welcomes David Lee King and Michael Porter to its stable of columnists. The two librarians will coauthor a new column called Outside/In, which will debut in print beginning with the January/February 2012 issue but will be available online this month. King is digital branch and services manager for Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library. Porter has worked for more than 20 years as a librarian, presenter, and consultant for libraries and is currently leading the effort of the nonprofit Library Renewal....
American Libraries news, Dec. 13

“So, why are you doing my performance evaluation? You don’t even work here.”Will’s World: Taking care of business
Will Manley writes: “Public librarians have come up with all kinds of reasons why their communities should support them. Some of these reasons are even realistic. During my 35-year career, I had high hopes for the role public libraries could play in creating a business-friendly community. As a result, I spent a lot of time developing and publicizing business collections and services. One of the quirks I discovered is that we are vitally important to a certain type of business owner—those who can’t afford an office.”...
American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.

Cover of The Great Leader, by Jim HarrisonRousing Reads: Hard-boiled mysteries and soft-boiled poets
Bill Ott writes: “The world needs more hard-boiled mysteries written by soft-boiled poets. This admittedly peculiar insight occurred to me as I was reading poet and novelist Jim Harrison’s first crime novel, The Great Leader. The book immediately reminded me of another mystery written by poet Richard Hugo. The interesting thing about these two books—both of which are thoroughly gritty and definitely not cozy—is that their protagonists are given to weeping.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

Cover of Introduction to Information Science and TechnologyLibrarian’s Library: Occupying technology
Karen Muller writes: “A few years ago an earnest-sounding college student called the ALA Library to gather information about librarianship as a career, adding that she didn’t want to work with computers. We all have days we’d be happy to see our technology replaced with pen and paper that doesn’t crash. But that is not our world, and it behooves us to understand not only the technology we use but the power it gives us. (And yes, I did advise the student that most library jobs involve some use of computers.)”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

A giant Christmas tree constructed out of books’Tis the season for . . . a tree of books
Santa Claus is no doubt pleased with the giant Christmas tree at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, constructed for the holiday season by the staff entirely from books. The tree stands at approximately five feet wide at the base and about eight feet high, and is made of 1,600 mostly hardcover volumes. Duplicate and extra copies of books were used in the tree’s construction. More photographs of the book tree are available....
AL: Global Reach, Dec. 13; pulowerek.pl

Deanna MarcumCurrents
On January 1, Deanna Marcum (right) will become managing director of Ithaka S+R. On November 21, Charles Brown became executive director of New Orleans Public Library. William Williamson, 91, professor of library science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1966 until his retirement in 1987, died November 19. In December Sharon Zuiderveld retires as director of Jacksonville (Ill.) Public Library....
American Libraries column

ALA News

Stop SOPA now graphicWashington Office: Ask reps to vote no on SOPA
On December 15 at 10 a.m. Eastern time, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary will meet to markup and potentially vote in committee on H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). This bill, introduced in October by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), not only threatens the future of the internet as we know it, but it also jeopardizes protections currently enjoyed by individual citizens, as well as libraries. Eric Hellman explains why. Contact your representative....
District Dispatch, Dec. 13; Go to Hellman, Dec. 12

Arkansas Young Library Professionals welcome ALA President Molly Raphael to a Little Rock night spotChapters, affiliates display their strengths
ALA President Molly Raphael writes: “ALA provides a strong, unified voice for our libraries. Much of the Association’s strength comes not just from our divisions, round tables, and other ALA units, but also from our chapters and affiliates. Each year, many chapters and affiliates invite the ALA president to participate in their conferences, providing a wonderful opportunity for both ALA’s leadership and chapters to learn ways we can contribute to each other’s successes.”...
AL: President’s Message, Dec. 14

Transforming Libraries logoTransforming libraries, transforming ALA
Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels writes: “The digital revolution has been a major topic of public attention and discussion among librarians in 2011, as we are confronted by daily developments, announcements, and headlines related to ebooks. The transformation brought about by digital media has been a strong emphasis of ALA as well. During its fall meeting October 21–23 in Chicago, ALA’s Executive Board focused on how the Association can best help libraries adapt to this changing, increasingly digital world.”...
AL: Executive Director’s Message, Dec. 14

Take a new survey on librarians and privacy
OIF is inviting librarians and library workers across the country to participate in a survey that will measure librarians’ attitudes about privacy rights and protecting library users’ privacy. The survey is online and takes only 15 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous and confidential. The survey builds on an earlier 2008 survey (PDF file) assessing librarians’ attitudes about privacy both within and outside of the library. It will be available until March 1....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Dec. 13

National Gaming Day at the Haverhill (Mass.) Public LibraryThe largest National Gaming Day ever
More than 27,700 people of all ages came together in their local communities to participate in gaming events at more than 760 US libraries and 21 other libraries in 14 countries for National Gaming Day @ your library, November 12, sponsored by ALA. An estimated 39 libraries competed with one another in a National “Epic Super Smash Bros. Brawl” tournament. The Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library came in first place, beating out the Phoenix (Ariz.) Public Library....
Public Information Office, Dec. 8

Advocacy preconferences at Midwinter
Sign up for two January 20 Midwinter Meeting preconferences—“Nuts & Bolts for Trustees, Friends, and Foundations” and “Mobilizing Community Support for Your Library: An Advocacy Institute Workshop”—and receive $25 off the combined registration. The offer is good for the first 50 registrants. “Nuts & Bolts” will feature keynote speaker Ron Heezen, executive director of the Shreve Memorial Library in Shreveport, Louisiana. “Mobilizing Community Support” will focus on engaging and mobilizing Friends and trustee groups, opinion-makers, and civic organizations to support all types of libraries....
ALTAFF, Office for Library Advocacy, Dec. 13

Library Snapshot Day graphicLearn how to set up a Library Snapshot Day
Sign up for a free webinar on how to organize your own Library Snapshot Day, an initiative that provides staff with a way to show the value of their library by capturing all the wonderful things that happen there in a single day. The webinar is scheduled for December 19, 2–3 p.m. Central time. Participants will learn how to implement Library Snapshot Day on a statewide level....
ALA Membership Blog, Dec. 13

Google Policy Fellowship graphicALA seeks candidates for Google Policy Fellowship
ALA is again participating in the Google Policy Fellows program. For summer 2012, the selected fellow will spend 10 weeks in residence at the ALA Washington Office to learn about national policy and complete a major project. Google provides the stipend for the summer, but the work agenda is under the full control of ALA and the fellow. The Google Washington office provides an educational program for all of the fellows, such as lunchtime talks. Jessie Mannisto from the School of Information at the University of Michigan served as our 2011 fellow....
District Dispatch, Dec. 14

How to Go High Tech on a Tight Budget workshopGo high tech on a tight budget
ALA TechSource has announced a new two-part workshop, “How to Go High Tech on a Tight Budget” with Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings. Learn best practices for using technology to keep your library connected and up to date. The workshop takes place in two 90-minute parts on February 1 and 8. Coleman is the technical trainer at Harford County (Md.) Public Library, and Hastings is the information technology manager at the Missouri River Regional Library in Jefferson City, Missouri....
ALA TechSource, Dec. 13

Graphic for Reference Through Social MediaStandards for using social media in reference services
ALA Editions has developed a new facilitated eCourse on “Reference Through Social Media: Developing Standards, Guidelines, and Policies.” Sarah Steiner will serve as instructor for a six-week facilitated eCourse starting February 6. This eCourse will guide you in writing useful, concise, legally sound standards and guidelines for providing reference through social media. Simply establishing basic greeting, closing, and tone standards that reflect user expectations will significantly improve user satisfaction....
ALA Editions, Dec. 13

Cover of The Black Belt LibrarianEffective security plans
The Black Belt Librarian: Real-World Safety and Security, published by ALA Editions, arms librarians with the confidence and know-how they need to maintain a comfortable, productive, and safe environment for everyone in the library. Sharing expertise gleaned from more than two decades as a library security manager, author Warren Graham demonstrates that libraries can maintain their best traditions of openness and public access by creating an unobtrusive yet effective security plan....
ALA Editions, Dec. 9

Booklist Online banner

Booklist Online logo

Cover of NutsFeatured review: Graphic novels
Wilson, Gahan (author and illustrator). Nuts.Oct. 2011. 144p. Fantagraphics, hardcover (978-1-60699-454-2).
One of the greatest gag cartoonists, whose monthly contributions to Playboy may prove that magazine’s most durable legacy, Wilson gave National Lampoon something to be remembered for, too—his only comic strip, collected here. Titled to echo Charles Schulz’s great newspaper feature full of kids who think and talk like adults, the six-paneled Nuts develops a realistic situation from out of memory (the strips typically begin with the word “remember”). All the fully visible characters are children, mostly boys, but, contra Peanuts, what they say expresses kids’ enthusiasms, fears, and frustrations in the words grown-up memory gives them (the slightly precocious language is Wilson’s primary departure from naturalism, except for his loopy drawing, of course)....

Carte Blanche graphicTime marches—well, you know . . .
Michael Cart writes: “That darned tempus. It just keeps fugiting. Here it is December already and me in a retrospective mood. After all, what better time to reflect on what’s been happening in young adult literature than the end of the year, when December 31 brings such a nice sense of closure. So what did happen in 2011? In a word: lots, starting with the continued growth of the field. When I first became involved with young-adult literature a quarter of a century ago, the genre was on the ropes; even in a good year, no more than 250 or so YA titles were being published. This all began to change in the mid-1990s. But the upshot was the almost exponential expansion of the field until, today, we routinely see some 2,500 to 3,000 YA titles published each year and new YA imprints continuing to appear like mushrooms after a spring rain.”...

@ Visit Booklist Online for other reviews and much more....


Dallas Update

The Magnolia Hotel's Pegasus, lit up in neonThe flying red horse
The Magnolia Hotel is a 29-story, Beaux-Arts style hotel in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas that for many years was the tallest building in the state of Texas. Even after taller buildings were constructed, it continued to stand out, mainly due to its “flying red horse,” more accurately known as Pegasus, which stands 450 feet above street level and which, for many years, could be seen for miles. Today the horse is only visible at a distance from the south, where there are fewer new skyscrapers to block the view....
A Guide to Dallas History, Jan. 13

Plaque on side of Neiman Marcus flagship store in Downtown Dallas. Photo by Andreas PraefckeNeiman Marcus
The flagship Neiman Marcus has set the standard for fashion and elegance since its grand opening in 1907. The store has featured exclusive designer lines offered nowhere else in the South and helped put Dallas on the international retail map. The Zodiac is the elegant restaurant on the 7th floor. This venerable dining destination, which has been serving fine cuisine for more than 50 years, features an exquisite, classic menu selection....
Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

Division News

Cover of The Age of Persuasion, one of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles of 2011Choice editors preview favorite books, websites of 2011
Honoring the best in scholarly publishing, Choice’s annual “Outstanding Academic Titles 2011” list will appear in its January 2012 issue, featuring 629 titles spanning 54 disciplines. The list comprises less than 9% of the titles reviewed by Choice during 2011 and 2.5% of those submitted during the same time span. It may be viewed online at Choice Reviews Online (nonsubscribers can register for a free trial to access this feature)....
ACRL, Dec. 13

Pass it on: Preservation Week, Apr. 22-28, 2012New Preservation Week Facebook page
Preservation Week, the annual celebration of the role of libraries in preserving our personal cultural heritage, found a new look with the launch of a Facebook page. Visit the page and follow all the activities for the 2012 Preservation Week, April 22–28....
ALCTS, Dec. 12

Building digital media labs in public libraries
PLA will host a live hourlong webinar January 25 called “Creating a Digital Media Lab at Your Library,” as part of its Public Libraries at Work monthly webinar series. Digital media labs for teens and adults offer a range of hardware and software tools for video, audio, and graphic design. During the webinar, presenters Toby Greenwalt and Mick Jacobsen from Skokie (Ill.) Public Library will share how to sell the concept of a digital media lab to library administration, set up and staff a space that fits any budget, and offer programs and services that bring the public in....
PLA, Dec. 13

Eat, drink, and networkEat, drink, and network with reference colleagues
Kick off the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting with RUSA’s Membership Social—an opportunity to eat, drink, network, win door prizes, and learn more about RUSA. The social, which will be held 6–8 p.m. January 21, is open to all current RUSA members, friends of RUSA, and those meeting attendees interested in learning more about the association and networking with peers....
RUSA, Dec. 13

Upcoming AASL online courses
AASL is launching three winter courses for its AASL e-Academy starting in January 2012. Designed to isolate and strengthen problem areas, the four-week courses will assist school librarians in developing the skills and techniques needed to bring their programs into the 21st century. Led by experts in the field, the courses will arm attendees with the tools and resources necessary to get results in their programs. Detailed descriptions of each course and registration information are available on the AASL e-Academy pages....
AASL, Dec. 13

Timely topics from ALCTS interest groups
A wide array of timely and informative topics awaits Midwinter Meeting attendees from ALCTS interest groups. From library exhibits to the future of MARC to the “big deal,” these presentations will enlighten and stimulate discussion. Here is a sampling. Check the Midwinter event scheduler for more interest group topics by searching ALCTS....
ALCTS, Dec. 12

It’s Teen Tech Week and I work in a school: Now what?
For many school librarians, celebrating Teen Tech Week (March 4–10) can present some steep challenges. Not every librarian teaches classes, or has a designated time with their students to demonstrate and create, leaving tech programming a little up in the air. Many may not even see the point in celebrating. Here are some easy ways to integrate technology into your library for the week without disrupting classes or running yourself ragged....
YALSA Blog, Dec. 12

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Awards & Grants

Caroline KennedyI Love My Librarian Award winners
Ten librarians were recognized December 8 for service to their communities, schools, and campuses as winners of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. More than 1,700 library patrons nationwide nominated a librarian. Each received a $5,000 cash award and was honored at a ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by the New York Times, on December 8. Caroline Kennedy (above), in the keynote speech, saluted librarians for their courage, dedication, and vision. Her remarks appear in full on the At Your Library website....
ALA Public Information Office, Dec. 9, 13; At Your Library

2012 YA Nonfiction finalists
YALSA has selected five books as finalists for the 2012 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, which honors the best nonfiction books for young adults written between November 2010 and October 2011. The division will name the winner at the Youth Media Awards on January 23 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas....
YALSA, Dec. 7

William C. Morris Award finalists
YALSA has selected five books as finalists for the 2012 William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. The division will name the winner at the Youth Media Awards on January 23 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas....

YALSA, Dec. 8

Foundation honored with Major Benefactor Award
ALTAFF, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Library, honored the Public Service Enterprise Group Foundation with a Major Benefactor Award for its outstanding contribution of $812,500 to the Live Homework Help New Jersey program, an online, real-time tutoring service for students of all ages that supported more than 67,000 children and teens in their academic endeavors. The gift is the largest amount of money received by the New Jersey State Library (outside of Gates Foundation grants)....
ALTAFF, Dec. 13

ALTAFF award applications due soon
ALTAFF is accepting applications for the ALA Trustee Citation and the ALTAFF/Gale Outstanding Trustee Grant. Applications for both awards are due December 30. The ALA Trustee Citation symbolizes and honors the best contributions and efforts of the estimated 60,000 American citizens who serve on library boards. The ALTAFF/Gale Outstanding Trustee Conference Grant enables a public library trustee to attend the ALA Annual Conference....
ALTAFF, Dec. 13

Five librarians awarded scholarships to Midwinter
In cosponsorship with ALA, EBSCO awarded five librarians $1,500 scholarships to attend the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, January 20–24. As part of the application process, librarians were asked to write an essay on the topic: “If you could change anything about your current workplace or job responsibilities, how would you position them to meet future needs?” The winners outlined creative approaches for change unique to their libraries....
Office of ALA Governance, Dec. 13

Ann HeinrichsLibrarian wins National Punctuation Day contest
Ann Heinrichs (right), a part-time staffer at the Poetry Foundation library in Chicago, was one of 10 winners of the National Punctuation Day annual paragraph contest, in which competitors were tasked with writing one three-sentence paragraph that included 13 separate punctuation marks. She also happens to be the author of a 2010 book on punctuation published by Child’s World....
Chicago Reader: Bleader, Dec. 7

Cover of Moon: Apollo 11 and Beyond2011 ALCS Award for Educational Writers
Stewart Ross was named the winner of the 2011 Award for Educational Writers for his fact-filled Moon: Apollo 11 and Beyond (Oxford University, 2009). The £2,000 ($3,117 US) award, sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and the Society of Authors, showcases an outstanding example of traditionally published nonfiction that enhances teaching and learning....
Society of Authors, Dec. 6

Seen Online

Robert Hulshof-SchmidtDirector shakeup at Oregon State Library
Faced with the abrupt resignation of the incoming state librarian, the Oregon State Library board of trustees reopened the search on December 9. The action came on the heels of the December 6 resignation of Robert Hulshof-Schmidt (right), a state library division manager unanimously selected by the board in October to succeed long-time state librarian Jim Scheppke, who is retiring at the end of the year. Officials are not revealing why Hulshof-Schmidt resigned....
Salem (Oreg.) Statesman Journal, Dec. 10

Osceola County votes to privatize libraries
Commissioners in Osceola County, Florida, decided December 12 to turn over management of libraries to a private company to save money. The 3–2 vote to have Maryland-based Library Systems and Services run the six branches starting the first week of January makes Osceola the first county in central Florida to outsource its libraries. The county will pay the company $4.71 million during the first year of a five-year contract, which commissioners said would not result in reductions in operating hours or services....
Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, Dec. 12

Viracocha antique store, 998 Valencia Street, San FranciscoPrivate libraries on the rise in California
California is facing a $13 billion budget shortfall over the next year and a half, and it’s safe to say that the pain will be felt across public services. In some parts of the Bay Area, incoming tax dollars won’t be enough to buy even books for libraries. What’s to be done when the economy makes books unaffordable, but public libraries can’t fill their shelves? KALW’s Holly J. McDede found a fairly simple answer: Start your own library....
KALW-FM, San Francisco, Dec. 7

Libraries make room for high-tech “hackerspaces”
As information becomes more digital, public libraries are striving to redefine their roles. A small number are working to create “hackerspaces,” where do-it-yourselfers share sophisticated tools and their expertise. The Allen County Public Library, which serves the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has a modest hackerspace inside a 50-foot trailer in its parking lot. Library director Jeff Krull says hosting it is consistent with the library’s mission....
NPR: Weekend Edition, Dec. 10

YouTube for Schools videoYouTube creates separate site for schools
With many schools blocking access to YouTube as a way to protect students from content that is inappropriate—or worse—the online video site opened a new network December 12 that allows access only to content that can be used in the classroom. By signing up, schools automatically disable certain features, including the ability to make comments on posted videos, and other distractions to student learning, YouTube announced. Watch the video (1:26)....
New York Times: SchoolBook, Dec. 12; YouTube Blog, Dec. 11; YouTube, Dec. 6

LC plays back 1880s Alexander Graham Bell recordings
The Library of Congress partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to offer the first listen December 13 of some early sound-recording experiments by inventor Alexander Graham Bell. A speaker from the 1880s recites a portion of Hamlet’s Soliloquy as a green wax disc crackled to life from computer speakers. A $600,000 three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences funded the pilot project....
Associated Press, Dec. 14

Former librarian leaves Lincoln Library $340K
A $340,000 bequest from a former librarian will help the Lincoln Library in Springfield, Illinois, expand its collection of electronic and print reference materials. Lucille Fritz, who died in the Chicago area in March, named the library’s foundation as a beneficiary of her estate. Fritz worked at the library from 1937 until 1980, when she retired as head of reference....
Springfield (Ill.) State Journal-Register, Dec. 6

Tanja Höls shown here with the coins she discovered on the fourth floor archive. Photo from Der SpiegelLibrary janitor finds silver coin cache
Janitor Tanja Höls had often passed by an unassuming wooden box stowed away in an archive in the historic state library in the southern German city of Passau, but it wasn’t until late November that curiosity got the best of her and she decided take a look inside. What she found were dozens of coins, most of them made of silver and dating back from the years between the Roman Empire and Napoleon’s rule. The library believes the collection of 172 well-preserved coins likely belonged to Passau’s prince-bishops....
Der Spiegel, Dec. 7

Annual library baking blitz in Fargo
For the 19th year, Liz Mason of Fort Collins, Colorado, teamed up with her friend Lori West of Fargo, North Dakota, to bake Christmas cookies. More than a thousand cookies, in fact. The tasty tradition started innocently enough when the Fargo Public Library coworkers decided to spend a day off doing some Christmas baking in West’s tiny downtown apartment. They had so much fun that they took turns hosting, even when Mason moved to Colorado in 2003....
Fargo (N.Dak.) Forum, Dec. 11

Fallen oaks near the Boone Gallery, Huntington LibraryHuntington Library assesses wind damage
A ferocious November 30 windstorm battered trees on the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The gardens suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage that will take time to repair. In all, it may have to remove as many as 100 damaged trees. Large areas were closed to visitors pending safety assessments for weak and broken limbs....
Associated Press, Dec. 9; Huntington Library, Dec. 9

Jury convicts Sacramento library official in kickback case
A Sacramento (Calif.) Superior Court jury has convicted former Sacramento Public Library Facilities Director Dennis Nilsson of 16 counts of grand theft, conflict of interest, bribery, and embezzlement. According to prosecutors, Nilsson was at the center of the scheme in which an estimated 1,400 billing orders had been fraudulently inflated. Contractors billed a cumulative total of around $560,000 on projects completed in 2004–2007 for which Nilsson charged the library $1.3 million....
Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, Dec. 10

Ex-Saugus library worker indicted
A former Saugus (Mass.) Public Library worker was indicted by a federal grand jury December 7 on charges of siphoning $800,000, money she allegedly used to cover bills, pay for work on her home, and splurge on jewelry, flowers, and hotel stays. Former Administrative Assistant Linda E. Duffy was indicted on four counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft....
Boston Globe, Dec. 8

Undated Navy photo of female firefighters at Pearl HarborLibrarian helps identify Pearl Harbor female firefighter photo
Bill Dedman writes: “In the 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, a dramatic photo of female firefighters has been published many times in magazines, books, and online as a depiction of action on December 7, 1941. Now, with the help of our readers (one of them author and former librarian Dorothea Buckingham), we’ve located one of the women, who says the photo was definitely not taken on that day.”...
MSNBC: Open Channel, Dec. 12

20th century art, courtesy of the Kinsey InstituteKinsey Institute gets Masters and Johnson archives
The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University said its library has been given the archives of pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The collection includes letters, records, correspondence, research papers, media coverage, and other materials chronicling Masters and Johnson’s groundbreaking work beginning in 1957 at Washington University in St. Louis and stretching into the 1990s....
South Bend (Ind.) Tribune, Dec. 12

Artistic bookbinder thrives at Government Printing Office
Kate Tummarello writes: “Deep within the warehouse-like building that is home to the Government Printing Office lies an artist. His medium is paper; his task both poetic and prosaic. Bookbinder Peter James practices the ancient task of marbling paper, which beautifies book edges while helping to preserve the pages. In proper Dickensian or Hardyesque fashion, James began his bookbinding apprenticeship at 15, when he went to work in a loose-leaf and library bindery.”...
Roll Call, Dec. 12

Dark London appLondon set to commemorate Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, considered by many to be the first great novelist of the modern city and the age of mass culture, will be widely celebrated throughout Great Britain in 2012, the 200th anniversary of his birth. If you can’t visit the Museum of London’s six-month-long exhibition, then you can download Dickens: Dark London, an interactive app for iPhones and iPads that the museum launched December 9 that brings Dickensian London to life....
New York Times: InTransit, Dec. 8; Reuters, Dec. 8

Detail from John Rocque's 1746 map of London used on the Locating London's Past websiteNew interactive maps reveal London’s social history
Locating London’s Past is a new website that lets users delve deep into London’s past, looking into such records as crime and punishment, the distribution of wealth and poverty, the ownership of consumer goods, mortality, archaeological finds, voting records, and other historically relevant material. The website is the result of a collaborative project between the University of Sheffield, the University of Hertfordshire, and the University of London....
Joint Information Systems Committee, Dec. 12

A visit to Trinity College is a highlight of any tour of DublinDublin’s libraries get the last word
Davin O’Dwyer writes: “For me, Dublin’s long and storied relationship with the book—formally recognized in 2010 when the Irish capital was named a UNESCO City of Literature—is most clearly defined by a group of libraries dotted around the city center. It’s in these remarkable buildings, with their miles of shelves and volumes and vast catalogs and air of concentration, that Dublin most shines as a mecca of the written word.”...
Toronto Star, Dec. 13

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Tech Talk

Kindle Fire remedies promised
The Kindle Fire, Amazon’s heavily promoted tablet, is less than a blazing success with many of its early users. A few of their many complaints: There is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky. Company spokesman Drew Herdener said an over-the-air update would roll out in late December....
New York Times, Dec. 11

Kids learning math from an iPadGoodbye textbooks, hello iPad
David Worthington writes: “A technology shift is underway. The PC’s promise to transform how learning happens in the classroom is being realized by Apple’s iPad. Students and teachers in grade school through higher education are using the iPad to augment their lessons or to replace textbooks. The iPad is especially helpful for students with special needs. Its simplified touch interface and accessibility features help these children learn more independently; aftermarket accessories assist in making the iPad more classroom-friendly.”...
PC World, Dec. 10

Screen shot of a video promoting Twitter's new lookTwitter, Facebook, Google+: What’s with all the change?
Jill Duffy writes: “I’m not going to be the hater who hates on Twitter’s new redesign (watch the video, 1:49); just like I didn’t have negative things to say about the Facebook ticker that lets you ‘Facebook while you Facebook,’ or any other bizarre and new features added to social networks this year. I will continue to use the big three—Twitter, Google+, and Facebook—regardless of the constant tinkering that causes those service to get a new look or otherwise change drastically every few weeks. But I will say I am getting tired of it.”...
PC Magazine, Dec. 13

LS2 Mobile for AndroidLS2 Mobile for Android
The Library Corporation’s LS2 Mobile application is now available for Android, offering millions of additional smartphone users the ability to access their local library’s catalog. LS2 Mobile allows people to connect with their public or school libraries 24 hours a day from any place with mobile or Wi-Fi internet services. It can search a library’s entire catalog and reserve titles. Additionally, users can check their account balances and cancel holds on previously reserved titles....
AL: Solutions and Services, Dec. 14

How to buy a photo printer
M. David Stone and Tony Hoffman write: “True photo printers—in contrast to standard inkjets that manufacturers merely call photo printers—fall into two broad categories at the consumer level: dedicated and near-dedicated photo printers. As the name indicates, dedicated (also known as small-format) photo printers can print nothing but photos, and they are relatively small and portable. Near-dedicated photo printers are aimed at serious amateur photographers.”...
PC Magazine, Dec. 8

12 tips for printing great photos
M. David Stone writes: “If you’ve tried your hand at printing your own photos and been disappointed in the results, you may be making some mistakes that are easy to correct. Most inkjet and thermal dye printers today can print photos at drugstore quality or better with little or no work on your part. However, it sometimes helps to follow the 80-20 rule, although in this case it’s more of a 90-10 rule: You can get 90% of the best possible photo for 10% of the effort.”...
PC Magazine, Dec. 8

Mobilewalla logoOne million apps and counting
Somewhere at a computer on December 7, a developer pushed a button and the one-millionth mobile app went to market. The pace of new app development dwarfs the release of other kinds of media. “Every week about 100 movies get released worldwide, along with about 250 books,” said Anindya Datta, the founder and chairman of Mobilewalla, which helps users navigate the mobile app market. “That compares to the release of around 15,000 apps per week.”...
New York Times, Dec. 11


E-Content

Last week in e-content
Christopher Harris writes: “Last week was a busy one for e-content, so here is your quick catch-up on three trending topics: OverDrive was bad, Kindle was jailbroken, and iBooks was fontified (I think that is the correct word for when you add fonts to a device). Rumblings continue to plague OverDrive.” OverDrive has posted a response on outlining the limitations of availability of certain titles to certain libraries, as well as differing terms of use for certain publishers or titles....
AL: E-Content, Dec. 12; OverDrive Digital Library Blog, Dec. 12

Justice Department confirms ebook pricing probe
The US Justice Department confirmed on December 7 that it is investigating the pricing of ebooks, the latest antitrust watchdog to probe whether there was improper collusion by Apple and publishers to prevent discounting. Some media have been reporting that the Justice Department has been investigating the matter since last year. State attorneys general in Texas and Connecticut also are investigating the matter....
Wall Street Journal, Dec. 8

The Kindle family of e-readersHow to pick an e-reader this holiday season
Mario Armstrong writes: “If you plan to give someone you love a great tech gift this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with an e-reader. Yes, they have been around for awhile, but the technology has changed along with the selection. The great news is that e-readers are still relatively inexpensive, and they’re bound to get a ton of use. The choices this holiday season can be overwhelming, but that’s why we’re here to help you pick the perfect e-reader.”...
Mashable, Dec. 13

A page from Newton's Principia Mathematica. Photo from Cambridge University LibraryDigitized Isaac Newton goes online
The UK’s Cambridge University Library has put 4,000 pages of Sir Isaac Newton’s scientific papers online and plans to upload thousands more over the next few months until almost all of its Newton collection is available to view and download for free to the public. Among the items being made available online are Newton’s annotated copy of Principia Mathematica (right) and his “waste book”—a large notebook he inherited from his stepfather and filled with notes and calculations when he was forced to leave his studies in Cambridge during the Great Plague in 1665....
Cambridge University Library, Dec. 12

The bloom is off the digital rose
Michael Poston writes: “Online collections just aren’t as sexy as they once were. Increasingly ubiquitous plans to put digital images online excite an increasingly smaller crowd. Instead it is fashionable to point out the shortcomings of digitization, the bits that get lost in translation, the bytes that are left behind. At the DigiPal conference September 5, Elaine Treharne offered this bit of advice for project managers: Stop! Stop all digitization efforts for a year or more, and carefully reassess what you are digitizing, for what use, for which audience.”...
The Collation, Dec. 5

Wisconsin libraries join ebook buying pool
Wisconsin’s public libraries plan to participate in a statewide ebook buying pool to purchase $1 million in new content in 2012 for a Digital Download Center sponsored by the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium. The purchase will dramatically expand the center’s offerings—including ebooks, audiobooks, videos, and music—to all Wisconsin residents....
Appleton (Wis.) Post Crescent, Dec. 8

Crayola will create coloring ebooksCrayola to create coloring ebooks
Crayola is partnering with interactive storybook app publisher Ruckus Media on a series of ebooks and apps for iOS and Android. The first three titles in the Crayola series are Color-Me Early Concepts: Caterpillar’s Colors, Color-Me Adventures: Find That Dragon, and Color-Me Stories: Picture Day. They will be available on iTunes in January, with Android releases later in the year. Crayola partnered on iPad apps and a digital stylus earlier this year, but this is the company’s first entry into ebooks....
PaidContent, Dec. 13

BeowulfHow to format poetry on your smartphone
Here is how you can format poetry in XHTML format so that it looks nice on smartphone screens where many or even all of the lines do not fit the screen width. In other words, the concern is how to break poetry lines nicely. The examples used in this tutorial are from Shakespeare, Horace, and, for a more specific formatting convention, Beowulf....
epubBooks, Dec. 12

Amy Tan's new "Rules for Virgins"Amy Tan says writing for digital medium is “liberating”
Dianna Dilworth writes: “Author Amy Tan published her first e-xclusive story this week as part of digital imprint publisher Byliner.com’s new fiction series. The author talked to the Sacramento Bee about writing the short story ‘Rules for Virgins’ for the digital medium. She said: ‘This is the first story I’ve directly written for e-publication, and I found the form liberating because there was no word-length limitation. I likely will do more.’”...
eBookNewser, Dec. 13; Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, Dec. 12

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Books & Reading

Save scholarly ideas, not the publishing industry
danah boyd writes: “The scholarly publishing industry used to be about making sure that knowledge was shared as broadly as possible to those who would find it valuable. These days, the industry operates as a gatekeeper, driven more by profits than by the desire to share information. It stopped innovating and started resting on its laurels. And the worst part about it? Scholars have bent over and let that industry continuously violate them and the university libraries that support them.”...
Social Media Collective, Dec. 11

Cover of In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard, one of Pearl's picks for 2011 books with personality7 books with personality: Nancy Pearl’s 2011 picks
Nancy Pearl writes: “Although all works of fiction and narrative nonfiction have characters—be they animals, hobbits, dragons, humans, werewolves, or whatever—I’ve found that there are some books in which these characters are three-dimensional and awfully interesting. (Whether or not they’re likable is another question.) I’m always on the lookout for this kind of book, but they’re not always easy to find. Here are six novels and a work of history that have marvelously evoked characters.”...
NPR: Morning Edition, Dec. 13

Vogue Archive imageThe Vogue Archive launches (PDF file)
Condé Nast Publications launched the full-color Vogue Archive December 8, a database that includes all pages of every issue of the magazine from 1892 to the present, including covers and advertisements. Available to libraries through ProQuest, the archive should prove a valuable resource for students of fashion and the visual arts and for researchers in cultural and gender studies. New issues will be added each month and users can search full text, captions, titles, ads, covers, and fold-outs....
WGSN, Dec. 8; ProQuest

Cover of Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! by Virginia KrollCelebrating Las Posadas
Jeanette Larson writes: “When we talk about winter holiday celebrations we usually think about Christmas and Hanukkah and maybe Kwanzaa. Often library programs and storytimes center around one or more of these festivities. Libraries that support El día de los niños/El día de los libros may want to add another celebration that is becoming popular in school and public libraries: Las Posadas (December 16–24), celebrated throughout Latin America and in the Philippines, reenacts Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem and their search for shelter.”...
ALSC Blog, Dec. 14

Cover of The Library in America, by Paul DicksonMy 10 favorite library history books
Larry Nix writes: “Over the years I’ve put together a basic collection of books on library history. I’ve identified 10 of my favorites from this collection. Please note that I’m not saying these books are necessarily the best library history books—just my favorites. Unfortunately, several are out of print. The Library in America: A Celebration in Words and Pictures by Paul Dickson (Facts On File, 1986) is a great introduction to American library history for the nonscholar.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Dec. 8

Archie G. Berman and Arye Carmon, “ha-‘Ariḳ” (“The Deserter”). Jaffa: Hotsa‘at Buḳ G'ons, 1960. Miron Uriel (“Archie Berman”) was one of the most prolific authors of the 1960s pulp industry in Israel. This book is part of the Buḳ G'ons Series, a very popular Western stories series that was imitated by other publishersArizona State’s Israeli pulp fiction collection
Bright, lively illustrations splash across the covers of small, aged booklets that comprise the IsraPulp collection at Arizona State University’s Hayden Library. The collection is the sole compilation of Israeli pulp fiction in the United States and contains a wide variety of works. Many of these booklets, known as chapbooks and about the size of a DVD case, are several decades old and representative of popular magazine-style publications....
ASU News, Dec. 9

I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick) by Jon Klassen, an amusing tale of a bear looking for his hat, is a favorite of Erwin and Carleton15 children’s books that make great gifts
Jane Henderson writes: “For this year’s roundup of top children’s books, I asked three experts for advice: St. Louis Public Library Director of Youth Services Patty Carleton (who serves on the ALSC Notable Books Committee), book blogger Melissa Posten, and bookseller Vicki Erwin. Here are 15 of their top picks, presented alphabetically by title.”...
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 10

Cover of 1950s edition of Karel Capek's War with the Newts10 satirical novels that could teach you to survive the future
Charlie Jane Anders writes: “There’s only one thing we know for sure about the future: It’ll be weird, and you can’t really prepare for it. Just imagine trying to tell someone in 2000 how to prepare for life in 2011. But luckily, there’s one sure-fire way to brace yourself for another round of future shock: by reading a slew of great satires about people trapped in weird and incomprehensible worlds.” Here are 10 possibilities....
io9, Dec. 13

Cover of Unpacking My LibraryWriters and their home libraries
Taking her cue from Walter Benjamin’s famous essay about book collecting (and arranging), Harvard English professor Leah Price has assembled a book-length tour of writers’ libraries. Thirteen writers opened their homes and libraries to Price for Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books. The list of writers includes Alison Bechdel, Stephen Carter, Junot Díaz, Claire Messud (and her partner, James Wood), among others. The best thing about this book is the way it lingers, at length, over each author’s actual bookshelves, with results that fall midway between autobiography and intellectual EKG....
Very Short List, Dec. 13

2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas

The Conversation Starts Here is the Midwinter Meeting theme. Centerpiece events will be “Empowering Voices, Transforming Communities,” two afternoons of deep conversation about the evolving roles of libraries, led by visionary professor David Lankes, as well as the President’s Program with Rich Harwood, described as “one of the great thinkers in American public life.”


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Great Libraries of the World

The new wing of the German National Library

German National Library, Leipzig. Formerly known as the Deutsche Bücherei, this branch of the National Library system is the largest library in Germany. Established in 1913 to collect all German-language imprints, the library was designed by architect Oskar Pusch in 1914–1916 and features the portraits of Otto von Bismarck, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Johannes Gutenberg on the facade. It merged with the German Library in Frankfurt in 1990 to form a reunified National Library. The building underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2007–2011 by Stuttgart architect Gabriele Glöckler to accommodate the collections of the German Music Archive housed in Berlin.

St. Nikolaus-Hospital Library

St. Nikolaus-Hospital Library, Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Philosopher and scientist Nicholas of Cusa built this hospital in the 1450s. Its library was established upon his death in 1464 and contains 314 manuscripts in all fields of knowledge dating from the 9th to the 15th century, as well as Nicholas’s entire works, drafts of his sermons, and astronomical equipment.

This AL Direct feature showcases 250 libraries around the world that are notable for their exquisite architecture, historic collections, and innovative services. If you find yourself on vacation near one of them, be sure to stop by for a visit. The entire list will be available in The Whole Library Handbook 5, edited by George M. Eberhart, which is scheduled for publication in 2013 by ALA Editions.

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Librarian III - Wine Librarian. Sonoma County Library, Healdsburg, California. Under general direction, manages the Wine Library, a special collection of resources about the wine industry, for 60% of the time; serves as adult reference librarian 40% of the time. The position supervises a contract employee and serves as the person in charge in the absence of the Branch Manager. Reports to the Healdsburg Branch Manager....

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Digital Library of the Week

An illustration from Puck called The Political Vaudeville, which dates from October 1900. It shows the business representative (or "walking delegate") for the Pennsylvania coal miners' union doing a song and dance on a stage for the benefit of striking coal miners; lurking in the shadows is a man labeled "Manager Jones." Caption: The walking delegate in his latest popular song -- "No matter what happens, I'm always on top."

The Theodore Roosevelt Center unveiled the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Collection December 8. Unlike modern presidents, Theodore Roosevelt does not have a presidential library. Instead, his personal and presidential papers are scattered in libraries and other sites across the United States. The mission of the TR Center, based at Dickinson State University in North Dakota, has been to gather and digitize copies of all Roosevelt-related items to make his legacy more readily accessible to scholars and schoolchildren, enthusiasts and interested citizens. Items in the digital library include correspondence to and from Roosevelt, diary entries, notes, political cartoons, scrapbooks, newspaper columns, and magazine articles by and about Roosevelt, speeches, and photographs. Users can also view film clips and listen to audio recordings.

Do you know of a digital library collection that we can mention in this AL Direct feature? Tell us about it. Browse previous Digital Libraries of the Week at the I Love Libraries site.

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Picture of date-stamped library circulation card with the words: "I get sad when I think about all the things that are going to be different between my kids' lives and mine"

PostSecret, an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard, Dec. 10.

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Caroline Kennedy to Librarians: “Your work is truly life changing.”

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Counterfeit Goods: Fabulous Fakes or Sinister Stuff? by Wanda Urbanska

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Calendar

Jan. 21–22: Association of Research Libraries, Leadership Symposium, Aloft Hotel, Dallas.

Jan. 23–27: Promise Winter School, Zinal, Switzerland. “Information Retrieval Meets Information Visualization.”

Jan. 24–25:
Software Information Industry Summit, Pier Sixty, New York City.

Jan. 24–
Feb. 6:

Cairo International Book Fair,
Egypt.

Jan. 25–28: Special Libraries Association, Leadership Summit, InterContinental Buckhead Hotel, Atlanta. “Future Now: Operation Agility.”

Jan. 28–30: Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Health Informatics, International Health Informatics Symposium, Miami Beach Resort and Spa.

Feb. 1–2:
Handheld Librarian, Online Conference. “Mobile Solutions for Libraries that Work.”

Feb. 11–15: Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Bellevue, Washington.

Feb. 23–26:
Alaska Library Association,
Annual Conference, Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center. “Alaska’s Libraries: Heart of the Community.”

Mar. 3–4:
Society of American Archivists, Indiana University Chapter, Conference for Students and Beginning Professionals, Bloomington. “Back to the Future: Reconciling the Past, Present, and Future in Archives and Special Collections.”

Mar. 11–13: Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, Open Access Meeting, Kansas City Intercontinental Hotel, Missouri. “Back to the Future: Reconciling the Past, Present, and Future in Archives and Special Collections.”

Mar. 14–15: Library Technology Conference, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Mar. 14–16: Information Fluency Conference, University of Central Florida, Orlando. “Information Fluency and the Digital Divides.”

Mar. 16:
North Carolina Serials Conference, William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, Chapel Hill.

Mar. 22–23:
Atlas Systems,
ILLiad International Conference, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

June 15–16:
2nd Milwaukee Conference on the Ethics of Information Organization,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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Actions & Answers

Cover of Academic Libraries: 2010 First Look2010 NCES academic library statistics
Academic Libraries: 2010 First Look, compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics, summarizes services, staff, collections, and expenditures of academic libraries in two- and four-year degree-granting, postsecondary institutions in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Steve Kolowich writes: “Some campus libraries might be under pressure to cut costs, but as of 2010 academic libraries were spending more money than they were before the financial downturn that started in 2008.”
...
INFOdocket, Dec. 13; National Center for Education Statistics, Dec. 13; Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 14

Building the Harvard Library
Katie Koch writes: “In December 2010, Harvard University announced plans to better align its library’s structure with the university’s evolving academic priorities. The Harvard Library’s leadership team, however, has only recently taken shape. Led by Helen Shenton and Mary Lee Kennedy, the group has an ambitious aim: to take a diverse network of libraries that have grown organically over the course of 375 years and bring them together under a single mission and structure.”...
Harvard Gazette, Dec. 8

Jimmy Wales's Wikipedia blackoutWikipedia ponders blackout to oppose SOPA
Jolie O’Dell writes: “Wikipedia might see a blackout to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which goes before the US House Judiciary Committee on December 15. Wikimedia chief Jimmy Wales (right) started a poll to determine whether Wikipedia’s vast community thought SOPA was worth protesting. A similar protest conducted on the Italian Wikipedia site had a profound impact and asked users to weigh in on a blackout for the English-language version. So far, 87% of Wikipedians support a blackout.”...
VentureBeat, Dec. 13

Making pre-1978 Copyright Office records accessible
Mike Burke writes: “From 1870 to 1977 there were 16.4 million works registered in the Copyright Office. During that same time, the assignment or transfer of rights was recorded for more than 1.7 million works. So how do you determine if a particular work is still under copyright and who the owner is? The answers are in the paper and microfilm records in the Copyright Office. The goal of the copyright digitization and public access project is to convert these records and to make them widely available online.”...
Copyright Matters: Digitization and Public Access, Dec. 8

OCLC library cooperation graphic from June 2009Why don’t librarians collaborate more?
Steve Matthews writes: “After reading a lot of literature on libraries in this 21st century, it finally struck me that one area in which I have read virtually nothing is collaboration among librarians. Having consulted with numerous libraries, I find more that do not share ideas and information than do. Naturally, that led me to investigate, and guess what I found—virtually nothing.”...
21st Century Library Blog, Dec. 14

An image from the Ryan Gosling library memeRyan Gosling sure loves librarians
Kathleen Massara writes: “We just came across the Tumblr blog Hey girl. I like the library too, and the earnest text accompanying a series of photos of heartthrob actor Ryan Gosling are making us cry tears of joy. Tears, we say! A December 5 entry reads, ‘Hey girl. You know how sometimes you would rather read books than be around actual people? I feel the same way sometimes. Never about you, though, girl.’ Librarians, is this what you dream of during your downtime? We suspect so.”...
Melville House Books, Dec. 8

Library science without the library
Jane Greenstein writes: “Library schools keep churning out graduates, but it’s the private sector that is laying out the welcome mat to MLIS graduates. Library schools should become more aggressive about preparing students for positions outside the library. Why? Studies point to the fact that library jobs are being cut due to a perfect storm of decreased funding and technological advancement. And it’s safe to say that library students are beginning to branch out—by force or by choice.”...
Library Journal: Backtalk, Dec. 9

Artists in Finck's Coffee House, painted by Wilhelm Bendz while he lived in Munich in 1831-32. The coffee house was a 19th-century ideas factoryHow to turn your library into an ideas factory
Hugh Rundle writes: “Throughout history libraries have been highly effective as idea storehouses. Universities and schools have been highly effective as idea communicators. But, particularly at a time when many are questioning the relevance of libraries, might we develop them further as idea factories? These are the essential ingredients of an idea-generating environment: liquid networks, slow hunches, serendipity, error, exaptation and recycling, and platforms. Let’s explore what these mean in practice.”...
It’s Not About the Books, Dec. 13

Library lockdown at Virginia Tech
Brian Mathews writes: “December 8 was a wild, scary, sad day at Virginia Tech. The campus buildings went on lockdown shortly after a police officer was shot. Our staff responded efficiently and professionally, securing the library building. There were (falsely) reported shots and suspect sightings in various places around campus. This resulted in a lot of action just outside the library. Several of our neighboring buildings had to be searched and/or evacuated. I saw numerous officers in combat gear with assault rifles—that was a wake-up call.”...
The Ubiquitous Librarian, Dec. 9

These are the items of Joseph Caldwell, who was a professor and the president of the University of North Carolina in 1799UNC library rules, 1799
Jennie Rose Halperin writes: “Ever wonder what library rules were like in 1799, soon after the founding of the University of North Carolina library? In this gem of an entry from the General Faculty and Faculty Council Records, the Board of Trustees write the rules for the library. Notice that some things never change—reference books remain in the library for the most part, call slips go out with books, and fees are paid for ‘defaced’ books.”...
For the Record, Dec. 13

Old-school search engines: Where are they now?
James Weinheimer writes: “I read an article in WebProNews where the author discusses the old search engines (all launched in 1995–1996), and it gave me a chance to reflect on some of the historical developments I have seen and studied. The article doesn’t discuss pre-web search engines that were at least semipopular. I am thinking of the old gopher networks. I find it interesting that parts of Gopher still function and that there seems to be a small community trying to keep it going.”...
First Thus, Dec. 11; WebProNews, Nov. 16

Interview red flags
Joe Hardenbrook writes: “Much has been written on the topic of interview red flags, but it’s mostly from the employer perspective: what to watch out for when interviewing candidates. But what about the view from the interviewee? Here are few red flags—along with a couple anecdotes—that should make you run and scream from a library interview.”...
Letters to a Young Librarian, Dec. 12

Cover of Developing Kindergarten ReadinessAssessing kindergarten readiness
On December 12, the National Association for the Education of Young Children released a report to help states and other stakeholders with a growing trend in early childhood education: statewide kindergarten readiness assessments. Developing Kindergarten Readiness and Other Large-Scale Assessment Systems presents a framework for developing and implementing large-scale kindergarten readiness assessments....
National Association for the Education of Young Children, Dec. 12

Engage young artists with a bookmark contest
Susan Baier writes: “Looking for a fun school outreach opportunity that promotes your library while allowing students to express their creativity? Try a bookmark contest. My former employer, the County of Los Angeles Public Library, has held a highly successful bookmark contest for many years. I decided to replicate it at the Santa Clara (Calif.) City Library for the first time this year.”...
ALSC Blog, Dec. 13

Damage in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, through Google Maps Street ViewExplore the Japanese tsunami through Google Street View
Kei Kawai writes: “In July, we announced an initiative to digitally archive the areas of northeastern Japan affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Now we are making good on that promise. After driving more than 44,000 kilometers through the affected regions, 360-degree panoramic imagery of those areas is now available through the Street View feature in Google Maps. The images can also be viewed via a special website called Memories for the Future, where you can view before-and-after shots of the towns changed by these events.”...
Google Lat Long Blog, Dec. 12

PhilSci Archive logo50 Open Access resources for librarians
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “As part of my Intro to Reference course I try to introduce Open Access resources and directories to my students. Since many of them have found these resources useful, I thought I’d share them here.” Don’t miss Part 2....
iLibrarian, Dec. 9, 11

Facebook Other MessagesFurious at Facebook again
Elizabeth Weingarten writes: “On December 9, a colleague sent an email around about the messages Facebook hides in an obscure folder labeled ‘Other.’ Haven’t heard of it? Click the Messages tab on the left side of your Facebook screen. ‘Other’ will then appear beneath it. Click on Other and you will unearth months of messages you probably missed.” Slate readers soon discovered they had missed messages from friends, employers, and others....
Slate, Dec. 9, 12; Erika Napoletano Is Redhead Writing, Dec. 7

LC to receive entire Twitter archive
The Library of Congress and Twitter have signed an agreement that will see an archive of every public Tweet ever sent handed over to the library’s repository of historical documents. The Library of Congress has long been the repository of historical documents and the Twitter library, as a whole, is something historic in itself. Researchers will be able to look at the Twitter archive as a complete set of data, which they could then data-mine for interesting information....
Federal News Radio, Dec. 7

Spanish stamp commemorating the National Library New stamp commemorates Spain’s national library
On November 4, Correos, the national postal service of Spain, issued an 0.80€ stamp that celebrates the 300th anniversary of the National Library of Spain in Madrid. The library was founded by the first king of the Bourbon dynasty, Philip V, in late 1711 and opened in 1712 as the royal library. The library is hosting conferences, exhibitions, concerts, and performances throughout its tricentennial year. The festivities continue through 2012....
Correos, Nov. 4; Biblioteca Nacional de España

Agostino Ramelli's bookwheel design, 1588Bookwheels keep on turning
Italian engineer Agostino Ramelli (1531–1600) designed an intriguing answer to the problem of a 16th-century researcher’s cluttered desk sapce—the bookwheel. Based on the design of a waterwheel, the bookwheel would hold more than a dozen separate titles, all sitting open at the same angle. Using either hand or foot controls, the reader could easily sort through the books he collected at ease without the fear of losing track of his place. Published in Ramelli’s 1588 book, Le diverse et artificiose machine del capitano Agostino Ramelli, the design and idea spread around the world....
There, I Fixed It, Dec. 8

UNESCO endorses IFLA digital library manifesto
UNESCO has endorsed the IFLA Manifesto for Digital Libraries (PDF file) at its General Conference 2011. The manifesto provides principles to assist libraries in undertaking sustainable and interoperable digitization activities to bridge the digital divide—a key factor in achieving the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. The document was approved by the IFLA governing board in 2010....
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Dec. 13

The Archives' team hard at work boxing the 750+ liasses (document bundles) that were pulled from the construction zone, dusted, sorted by series number into subclassifications, and inventoried with their new box numbers in two days. Photo by Nora Lockshin/Smithsonian Institution ArchivesArchives conservation in Haiti
Nora Lockshin writes: “In 2011, I traveled to Haiti, as have other conservation experts, to assist with the Smithsonian’s Haiti Cultural Recovery project, which is working to rescue, recover, safeguard, and restore Haitian artwork, artifacts, documents, media, and architectural features damaged and endangered by the 2010 earthquake. My primary work focused on the preservation of 19th-century historic collections of the Archives Nationales d’Haïti.”...
The Bigger Picture, Dec. 13

Isom Moseley, age 88, October 1939. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division - Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection. Photograph by Marion Post WalcottVoices from the days of slavery
Karenna Gore Schiff writes: “It seems impossible that voices from the mid-19th century could survive into the age of audio recording, yet a small number have. The perspective on the Civil War that might seem most elusive is in fact the most tangible: that of enslaved children. Thanks to the Work Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project, and the careful stewardship of the Library of Congress, voices of onetime slaves who lived well into the 1930s are now just a few clicks away.”...
New York Times: Opinionator, Dec. 6

Daniel Shoshan installs bookshelves at a Haifa bus stop Bus-stop books in Israel
Israeli artists have developed a new model for the urban library: a free bus-stop library for commuters and travelers. Daniel Shoshan, an installation artist and lecturer at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, along with Technion graduate Amit Matalon, started this new library concept, figuring that people sometimes have long wait times for buses. The duo built a series of bookshelves at bus stops throughout Israel. The idea is that anyone may take a book from the shelf, read it at the station or take it on the bus, and return it when done....
Israel 21c Innovation News Service, Dec. 1

Screen shot from Reagan Presidential Library videoEffective video promo for the Reagan Presidential Library
Beth Dempsey writes: “This video (10:04) is an amazing way to promote a special library. Tour host, actor Gary Sinise, makes the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum sound so fascinating that even a Democrat would want to visit. Also notice ‘the ask’ right up front—he makes it clear that the library wants donations and tells viewers how to make them. Smart.”...
The ‘M’ Word—Marketing Libraries, Dec. 13

CRD partners with PubMed Health
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) produces and maintains a database of more than 11,000 abstracts for health professionals and policy-makers that looks at the overall validity and reliability of each review. With the new partnership, CRD will provide its database content to PubMed Health, a new online service provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the US National Library of Medicine—the world’s largest medical library....
The University of York, Dec. 9

The Edgar Allen Poe fragrance collection Scented library candles
Candle-makers Paddywax offers a line of literary candles to light up the libraries of bibliophiles. Pairing quotations from seven famous authors with an appropriate scent (Edgar Allen Poe’s “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream” is matched with cardamom, absinthe, and sandalwood), the candles and fragrances pay homage to literary greats....
Paddywax

Felt Edward doll2011 Librarian Lump of Coal Gift Guide
Travis Jonker writes: “Time is running out to get gifts for the insufferable librarian in your life. With help from Etsy, the 2011 edition of the Librarian Lump of Coal Gift Guide has your back.” For the librarian who likes felt a bit too much: The felt Edward from Twilight doll (right)....
100 Scope Notes, Dec. 13

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