The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | June 8, 2011
Contents
American Libraries Online
ALA News
Booklist Online
New Orleans Update
Division News
Round Table News
Awards
Seen Online
Tech Talk
Publishing
Actions & Answers
New This Week
Calendar
The merger of the century: EBSCO acquires H. W. Wilson
In a surprise announcement June 2, two of the leading names in digital reference publishing told their library customers that they have merged to strengthen the value of their databases and print resources. EBSCO Publishing has acquired the staff and product lines of the H. W. Wilson Company. In a FAQ describing the move, EBSCO said that the “vast majority of Wilson databases will continue to be maintained, and there are many planned enhancements.”...
American Libraries news, June 3
On My Mind: A tribute to H. W. Wilson
Former ALA Executive Director Robert Wedgeworth writes: “In the summer of 1973, I attended my first IFLA conference. Leo M. Weins, president of the H. W. Wilson Company, took the lead in introducing me to Sir Frank Francis, director of the British Museum Library, and other leading European librarians. Thus began my long association with the H. W. Wilson Company. Much of the success of our institutions can be credited, in part, to the commitment and dedication of the leaders and staff of the companies that have grown alongside libraries.”...
American Libraries column, June/July
Court agrees: Libraries are educational places
A decision by the New York State Supreme Court has reaffirmed in case law that public libraries in the state of New York are undeniably educational institutions. The ruling came in the course of the East Hampton Library board winning an eight-year quest to get zoning variances for a 6,800-foot addition to the present facility for a children’s wing. During the protracted court battle, library plaintiffs had accused members of the posh community of having “exclusionary and discriminatory motives” for the zoning battle....
American Libraries news, June 7
Library services are essential after Massachusetts tornado
American Libraries received an email from Springfield (Mass.) Public Libraries Director Molly Fogarty June 3 about the aftermath of a tornado that devastated several neighborhoods there on June 1. The storm killed several people, injured many more, and destroyed and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. The next day, Fogarty said, Springfield’s Central Library and nine branches provided regular service hours—with the blessing of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno....
American Libraries news, June 8
The smartest readers
ALA Librarian Karen Muller writes: “One key use of libraries is how many books and other materials are borrowed. The Institute of Museum and Library Services conducts an annual survey of the country’s 9,200+ public libraries that retrieves library circulation data. We dug a little deeper into the 2008 data (PDF file), the latest published, to find which libraries serving a population over 100,000 (a total of 549) have the highest circulation. So which cities have the ‘smartest readers’—those whose residents make the most use of their tax-supported libraries?”...
American Libraries news, June 6
Professional growth through learning communities
Paul Signorelli and Lori Reed write: “When we library staff members are struggling to respond to incoming phone calls, email, text/instant messages, tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn updates, and people stopping us in hallways to ask for help, it’s easy to forget that we, too, need learning resources and communities of support. A valuable resource for those committed to professional development is what has become known as communities of learning, communities of learners, or learning communities.”...
American Libraries feature
How to label a book
Q. Does ALA have any guidelines or sample policies for labeling books for the shelves? A. Although ALA has established standards and guidelines for a range of library activities, none of these cover shelf preparation or physical processing of library materials. Consistent practices, which library users have become accustomed to, do exist nevertheless. Each library defines its own practices, with little significant variation across libraries—perhaps due to standardization of the supplies for labeling and other shelf preparation practices over time....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, June 8
Retirements
On June 3, David Gunckel (right) retired as director of library services from the Sierra Vista (Ariz.) Public Library. On June 30, Michele Strange will retire as access services librarian at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Murphy Library. Thomas Jones retired May 31 as director of Bismarck (N.Dak.) Public Library. Jeanie Deem is retiring in June as media specialist at New Martinsville School in West Virginia....
American Libraries column, June
Auditorium Speaker Series lineup
The 2011 Auditorium Speaker Series features 12 renowned writers, including best-selling children’s author Jeff Kinney (right, Diary of a Wimpy Kid), former United States military analyst Daniel Ellsberg (Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers), blogging pioneer and author Jeff Jarvis (What Would Google Do?), and award-winning writer-producer David Simon (Treme, The Wire). The series is part of the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23–28....
Public Information Office, June 7
Volunteers return to New Orleans
More than 220 volunteers from across the U.S. will gather at the New Orleans Convention Center for “Libraries Build Communities,” a daylong community-service effort at 15 area locations, on June 24 during ALA Annual Conference. This will mark the fifth anniversary of ALA’s first-ever community-service event, which began in 2006 when ALA became the first national organization to hold a conference in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers will shelve books, reorganize and update collections, catalog, and assist with landscaping, painting, and other construction projects....
Chapter Relations Office, June 7
Meet the 2011 Emerging Leaders
Annual Conference attendees are invited to meet the 2011 class of Emerging Leaders at a poster session and reception on June 24. The ALA 2011 class of ELs will showcase their final projects at the Morial Convention Center, Room 271–273. Light refreshments will be served....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 7
ALA 101 programs for first-time attendees
John Chrastka writes: “ALA’s 101 Programs provide a wonderful introduction to ALA and its divisions, providing you with an orientation to navigating the Annual Conference, ways to get more involved around the Association, and a chance to meet new people. You are invited to attend any of these programs in New Orleans.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 7
Your ALA Annual Conference and you
Gee willikers! Check out this swell 1950s-style educational film (6:26) that gives you the A-B-Cs of having a jim-dandy time at Annual Conference. It’s packed with so many super tips that every Billy and Sue out there will exclaim, “Golly! Can we watch it again?” Yes indeedy, you can! (Stick around afterwards for a few bloopers, too.) Starring John Chrastka and filmed by Daniel Kraus for American Libraries....
YouTube, Apr. 28, 2008
Getting social at Annual Conference
Megan Hodge writes: “As ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels said, if you don’t come back from a conference with new ideas, you’re missing something. Sometimes those new ideas aren’t learned in the formal programs, but from simply talking to your seat mate on the Gale shuttle or a neighbor at the ProQuest lunch. Many ALA units host socials where free food is often provided. The Newbie and Veteran Librarian Tweet-up is good for newer librarians or ones who haven’t yet found an ALA home. Vendors also host evening receptions.”...
ACRLog, June 3
COSWL programs in New Orleans
The Committee for the Status of Women in Librarianship is hosting two programs at the 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans. The first session, “Introduction to Women’s Issues,” June 25, will provide an opportunity to discuss the issues of caregivers. The second session, “Right Here I See My Own Books: A History of the Woman’s Library (above) at the Chicago World’s Fair, 1893,” June 26, will be presented by Sarah Wadsworth, associate professor at Marquette University....
Committee for the Status of Women in Librarianship, June 6
Come one, come all, to the diversity Town Hall
The Town Hall Meeting on Diversity, sponsored by the Committee on Diversity, will take place the morning of June 24 during ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Attendees will have an opportunity to discuss challenges, opportunities, and best practices for achieving diversity in the profession after hearing a brief presentation on current statistics and research that point to an increased need for diversity in librarianship....
Office for Diversity, June 7
James Bartleman to speak on youth, literacy, libraries
James K. Bartleman (right), former lieutenant governor of Ontario and author of As Long as the Rivers Flow, will join the Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds for their program, “Raisin’ Readers: Improving Literacy for Rural Children and Youth,” on June 26 at Annual Conference in New Orleans. A member of the Mnjikaning First Nation, Bartleman will talk about initiating the Lieutenant Governor’s Book Program in 2004, which collected more than 1.2 million books to stock school libraries in First Nations communities....
OLOS Columns, June 8
Digitizing hidden collections in public libraries
The Office for Information Technology Policy issued its first OITP Perspectives—a new publication series created to complement OITP Policy Briefs. The publication, Digitizing Hidden Collections in Public Libraries (PDF file), was written by Gwen Glazer, staff writer and social media coordinator at Cornell University, who served as the Google Policy Fellow for OITP in summer 2010. OITP Perspectives publications will be intended for primarily digital release....
Office for Information Technology Policy, June 2
2009–2010 Annual Report highlights Alire presidency
The recently released 2009–2010 ALA Annual Report covers the key initiatives of former ALA President Camila Alire under the theme “Libraries: The Heart of All Communities: Frontline Advocacy and Family Literacy.” The report also highlights the increase in library usage and the vital role libraries play during challenging economic times. One of the highlights of the year was the launching of the Spectrum Presidential Fundraising Initiative....
Public Information Office, June 7
Step Up to the Plate for Father’s Day weekend
Promote quality family time at your library this Father’s Day weekend with Step Up to the Plate @ your library. Step Up to the Plate encourages people of all ages to use the print and electronic resources available at their library to answer a series of trivia questions designed for their age group. This year, the program connects generations by exploring baseball’s more than 150-year history through topics like famous baseball families and historical baseball franchises....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, June 7
Barbara Ford appointed to UNESCO commission
At its April meeting, the ALA Executive Board voted to send Barbara J. Ford’s name to the State Department as its choice for representative to the United States National Commission of UNESCO. Ford (right), who was ALA President in 1997–1998 and is now director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will serve a three-year term. The National Commission consists of 100 members who assist with global initiatives focused on communication, education, social science, natural science, and culture....
Illinois Wesleyan University, June 2
Library conference call, 1876
Larry Nix writes: “On this date (or around this date) 135 years ago, the first call for the conference of librarians that resulted in the creation of ALA went out to librarians across the nation. This occasion is documented in Edward G. Holley’s Raking the Historic Coals: The A.L.A. Scrapbook of 1876 (Beta Phi Mu, 1967). The circular containing the call included the names of 28 prominent librarians, including the young upstart Melvil Dewey. A second call to conference went out on July 28 in which the dates for the first ALA conference were set for October 4–6, 1876, in Philadelphia.”...
Library History Buff Blog, June 8
Text a donation to Japanese libraries
Take a couple of minutes to donate $10 to help rebuild libraries in Japan devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. ALA has set up an option to easily donate to the Japan Library Association Relief Fund through your mobile phone. To donate, simply text ALAJAPAN to 20222, and a $10 one-time tax-deductible donation will be added to your mobile-phone bill....
International Relations Office
Public library use and employment
Presenting the latest and most comprehensive assessment of public librarians’ education and career paths, A Strong Future for Public Library Use and Employment reports on a large-scale research project performed by authors José-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King. Published by ALA Editions in collaboration with the ALA Office for Research and Statistics, the book includes an examination of trends in public-library employment....
ALA Editions, June 6
@ Visit Booklist Online for other reviews and much more.... |
Lego statue in the public library’s Children’s Room
On November 17, 2006, the Lego Group donated to the city as a work of public art a model of a post-Katrina New Orleans, developed from the imaginations of children in the city and across the country. Artist Nathan Sawaya created the piece using children’s ideas for what they thought would help the city as it rebuilds. The structure is on permanent display in the second-floor Children’s Room at the New Orleans Main Library, 219 Loyola Avenue. Children’s Room Librarian K. G. Wilkins says it is worth a look....
New Orleans Public Library
Tour New Orleans East
New Orleans has a sizable and vibrant Vietnamese community that began in the mid 1970s. The community of Versailles is in the process of rebuilding, post-Katrina. The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association invites you to join them June 24 on a guided tour through New Orleans East that will take you to nonprofit organizations, the intercultural charter school, a youth community center, the future urban farm, the New Orleans East library (under construction), the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, and the landfill site that became a rallying point for the community....
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, June 3
The best gumbo in New Orleans
Amy Bickers writes: “New Orleans restaurants offer hundreds of variations on gumbo, a traditional Cajun-Creole concoction. They all begin with a roux—a mixture of spices and flour thickened with cooking fat. From there, chefs create hearty, dark varieties with smoked meats like Andouille sausage or duck and tasso, or fill lighter seafood versions with shrimp, crabmeat, tomato, and okra. We spent a few days exploring eateries in the French Quarter (and beyond) in search of our favorite gumbos. Here are the tasty results.”...
Southern Living, Nov. 2010
New Orleans in film and fiction
The Crescent City is a popular setting for books, plays, graphic novels, movies, television shows, operas, and even videogames. You can even take a tour of famous film locations that includes Interview with the Vampire, The Pelican Brief, King Creole, and Easy Rider....
Wikipedia; New Orleans Office of Film and Video; The Original New Orleans Movie Tours
Independent bookstores are thriving
Jaquetta White writes: “Today, as their larger competitors have faltered under economic strain, some local independent bookstores are finding ways to thrive. Tom Lowenburg, owner of Octavia Books (right), said, ‘We think that we’ve been vindicated. There’s growing support and recognition for the value in what we do.’ Take Maple Street Book Shop. The 47-year-old Uptown store for new and used books is thriving, with plans to add two additional locations. Britton Trice, who owns the Garden District Book Shop, listed his Prytania Street shop on the internet coupon service Groupon.”...
New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 29
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is located at 925 Camp Street next to Lee Circle and near the National World War II Museum. The collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world. Exhibits on display during Annual Conference include photos from Haiti after the earthquake, nature paintings by John Alexander and Walter Anderson, juke joint photos, and “Art and Jazz: Preservation Hall at 50.” Check out this sneak peek of the latter exhibit....
Ogden Museum of Southern Art; Made in New Orleans, May 19
11 important New Orleans statues
Andrew Jackson’s equestrian statue in Jackson Square is only one of the many famous works of public art to be found in New Orleans. The French Market has some interesting sculptures (PDF file). This statue of Winston Churchill (right) by Welsh sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones can be seen on the circle in front of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside on Poydras Street. Churchill’s daughter, Lady Soames, attended the dedication ceremony in November 1977 and played a tape of her father saying that American support of Great Britain during World War II was “like the Mississippi. It just keeps rolling along.”...
New Orleans Magazine, March 2008, June 2011; French Market
How to deal with airport strandings
Severe storms make it hard for airlines to know when flights will go. Often, instead of trying to string passengers along, the airlines will cancel operations for the remainder of the day and try to reset for the following day. That’s when you should spring into action. The first thing you’ll want to do is find yourself a room for the night. When the weather goes south, the airlines won’t pay for your hotel. With many people stranded, hotel rooms are likely to become scarce....
CNN, May 30
Guide to free Wi-Fi in New Orleans
Michael Golrick writes: “There is a new-ish blog about things to do in New Orleans called 411NOLA.com. Earlier this month they posted a list of the free Wi-Fi hotspots in New Orleans. For my friends and readers who are coming to town for the ALA Annual Conference, I have cut and pasted some of the information. (I am guessing that the airport part will be most useful to folks on the way home.)”...
Thoughts from a Library Administrator, June 7; 411NOLA.com, June 3
Free Wi-Fi can cost you
Josh Noel writes: “On the hotel, café, or convention center networks, we flip through our online tasks with nary a care. But care would be a good idea. Jason Glassberg, cofounder of Casaba Security, said the hazards associated with public Wi-Fi networks are so numerous that he does not log on to them; he connects to the internet through his iPhone. When he must go through a public network, he does so through a virtual private network (VPN) that allows him to encrypt his data through a personal server back home.”...
Chicago Tribune, May 31
ALTAFF tells “Tales from the Heart”
ALTAFF will host “Tales from the Heart: Literary Memoirs” on June 25 at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Featured memoirists include Wendy McClure (right), Margaux Fragoso, Brianna Karp, Theresa Weir, and Rachel Hadas. The program will be moderated by Barbara Hoffert, editor of Prepub Alert for Library Journal. An author book signing will follow. The event is free for conference attendees....
ALTAFF, June 6
How Louisiana libraries created new beginnings
ALTAFF will present “How Louisiana Libraries Created New Beginnings” for its Specialized Outreach Services luncheon featuring author and library advocate Karin Slaughter (right) on June 25 at Annual Conference in New Orleans. Attendees will learn how diverse individuals have faced change in their libraries and communities, as well as how they have joined forces with staff, trustees, Friends, local politicians, and the community to make it all come together and create new beginnings for their libraries....
ALTAFF, June 7
ALCTS forum analyzes latest Ithaka S+R survey
Roger C. Schonfeld, director of research for the not-for-profit Ithaka S+R, will present findings in the group’s Library Survey 2010: Insights from U.S. Academic Library Directors (PDF file) on June 27 at Annual Conference in New Orleans. He will offer a strategic analysis meant to help library leaders plan for the future based on the survey. Respondents weighed in on managing their library’s collections, developing new digital collections, and creating new services to meet changing user needs....
ALCTS, June 7
2011 PLDS database released
The Public Library Data Service Statistical Report Digital Database (PDF file) has been updated with 2011 results. Compiled from surveys submitted by U.S. and Canadian public libraries, the 2011 edition includes data from 1,462 public libraries on their finances, resources, annual use figures, and technology. It also features a special, in-depth section on public library finance that details independent taxing authority, cash reserves, services charged for, library foundations, and governmental and alternative sources of income for public libraries....
PLA, June 7
ACRL innovation contest winners
In conjunction with its President’s Program at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, ACRL sponsored a contest to identify exciting library innovation projects using teams to implement new ideas. Given the high quality of the proposals and innovative thinking demonstrated in the projects, the committee selected three winners (Towson University, UT-Chattanooga, and St. John Fisher College) from the 28 teams of academic librarians who submitted proposals....
ACRL, June 3
How to attract and keep Baby Boomer volunteers
ALTAFF has made available to its Friends and Foundation personal and group members a new toolkit, “Tapping Into the Biggest and Most Active Group of Volunteers in Town—The Baby Boomers.” This 13-page toolkit, by ALTAFF Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed, explains why Friends groups need new active members, how today’s volunteers are different and how these differences will affect future Friends groups....
ALTAFF, June 2
New web education offerings from LITA
LITA is offering two new webinars, “Using Scrum to Streamline Web Applications Development and Increase Staff Involvement” and “Roadmap to JPEG2000,” as well as a web course, “Creating Library Web Services: Mashups and APIs.” Details are on the LITA website....
LITA, June 7
Strategic planning in college libraries
ACRL has published Strategic Planning in College Libraries (CLIP Note #43), compiled by Eleonora Dubicki of Monmouth University. Academic libraries have experienced dramatic changes in recent years due to the transformation of the information and higher education environments. The book incorporates sample plans from 25 academic libraries, ranging from one-page strategic plans to documents offering more than 20 pages of detailed goals, objectives, action plans, timelines, and assessment measures....
ACRL, June 7
Celebrate 10 years of the Amelia Bloomer List
Join authors Olga Cossi, Margarita Engle, Jan Godown Annino, and Lisa Desimini at the Amelia Bloomer Project Breakfast, sponsored by the Social Responsibility Round Table’s Feminist Task Force, on June 26 during the ALA Annual Conference. The annual bibliography, named after pioneering newspaper editor, feminist thinker, public speaker, and suffragist Amelia Bloomer (right), recognizes high-quality children’s and YA books featuring protagonists who spur the imagination and confront traditional female stereotypes....
Social Responsibilities Round Table, June 7
Get your résumé reviewed
Job hunting? Applying for a promotion? Just want to get your résumé in shape? The New Members Round Table Résumé Review Service is for you. Librarians from all types of libraries and specializations have volunteered to help you make your résumé shine. Their services are available at ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans on June 25–26 in the Placement Center....
New Members Round Table
Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast
The Ethnic and Multicultural Exchange Round Table and the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee will celebrate the best in children’s and young adult literature representing the African-American experience at the 2011 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast June 28 in the Sheraton New Orleans Napoleon Ballroom at ALA Annual Conference. This year’s celebration will feature award winners Rita Williams-Garcia, Bryan Collier, Victoria Bond, T. R. Simon, and Sonia Lynn Sadler. Tickets are $60....
Ethnic and Multicultural Exchange Round Table, June 3
Help ASCLA celebrate its award winners
Celebrate the achievements of ASCLA award recipients on June 26 at a dessert reception cohosted by the division and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies. A ceremony will honor winners of the Keystone Library Automation System National Organization on Disability Award, the Francis Joseph Campbell Medal, the Exceptional Service Award, the Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, and the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award....
ASCLA, June 7
TASL wins AASL ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant
The Texas Association of School Librarians and its program “TASL and the Texas PTA: A Partnership for Learning” have received the 2011 AASL ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant. Established in 1986, the grant of up to $1,750 is given to school library associations that are AASL affiliates for planning and implementing leadership programs at the state, regional, or local levels....
AASL, June 7
2011 Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship
Audrey Barbakoff, reference librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library, is the fourth recipient of the Freedom to Read Foundation’s Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship. The scholarship will provide for her expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Barbakoff will attend various FTRF and other intellectual freedom meetings and programs at the conference, consult with a mentor or board member and present a report about her experiences and thoughts....
Freedom to Read Foundation, June 7
EBSCO scholarships
In cosponsorship with ALA, EBSCO has awarded seven librarians $1,000 scholarships to attend the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. As part of the application process, EBSCO asked librarians to write an essay on the topic, “How will attending the ALA Annual Conference contribute to your professional development?” One librarian winner, Jonathan Chima Ogugua, is traveling from Nigeria to the United States for the first time....
Office of ALA Governance, June 7
LITA scholarships
LITA has announced the annual scholarships it sponsors jointly with three organizations: Baker & Taylor, LSSI, and OCLC. These scholarships are for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology, at an ALA-accredited library school program. The winners are Frederica Lush, Andrea L. Galbo, and Diamond Camille Sankey....
LITA, June 3
ALSC scholarships
ALSC announced six scholarship winners for the 2011–2012 academic year. Four winners were awarded the Bound to Stay Bound Books Scholarship, made possible by Bound to Stay Bound Books: Nancy Graves, Danielle Gregori, Rachel Ortiz, and Robyn Woods. Two winners were awarded the Frederic G. Melcher Scholarship: Patricia Prodanich and Donna Hanley....
ALSC, June 2
Eleanor Frierson is Federal Librarian of the Year
National Agricultural Library Deputy Director Eleanor Frierson has been named 2010 Federal Librarian of the Year by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee of the Library of Congress for her leadership and direction of NAL and her service as cochair of the Science.gov Alliance. Frierson was honored along with other award winners at the 28th Annual FLICC Forum on Federal Information Policies on May 17 at the Library of Congress....
National Agricultural Library, May 17; Library of Congress, May 13
2011 Read Aloud Book Awards
A picture book of a goldfish who shares a daily memoir and a fictionalized biography of girl who grew up to be a “real, live giant” are the winners of the seventh annual Read Aloud Book Awards, sponsored by the Curriculum Materials Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Memoirs of a Goldfish (Sleeping Bear), by Devin Scillian and illustrated by Tim Bowers, won the Wanda Gág Book Award for the best read aloud picture book for younger children. Stand Straight, Ella Kate (Dial), written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, won the Comstock Book Award for the best read aloud picture book for older children....
Minnesota State University Moorhead
First Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now prize
Discworld author Terry Pratchett (center) has chosen a story of sex-crazed zombie cows and an Iain Banks-esque coming-of-age novel as joint winners of his inaugural Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now prize. The £20,000 ($32,660 U.S.) award for previously unpublished novelists was given for “stories set on Earth, although it may be an Earth that might have been, or might yet be, one that has gone down a different leg of the famous trousers of time.” The winners were David Logan (right) for Half Sick of Shadows and Michael Logan for Apocalypse Cow; both will receive a contract from Pratchett’s publisher, Transworld....
The Guardian (U.K.), June 2
2011 Angus Book Award
Young adult author Keren David (right) has been named the winner of this year’s Angus Book Award for her novel When I was Joe (Frances Lincoln, 2010). Voted for by more than 400 third-year pupils across the county, the award—a trophy of the Aberlemno serpent stone and £500 ($818 U.S.)—was presented at a May 24 ceremony in Arbroath Academy in Angus, Scotland. The award is now in its 16th year, and was the U.K.’s first young adult book prize....
Montrose (Angus) Review, June 6
Supporters give hug to budget-pinched NYPL
A group of supporters encircled the New York Public Library’s 42nd Street branch in Manhattan arm-in-arm June 4 to show their love. Hug the Library was part of the Save NYC Libraries campaign organized by the advocacy group Urban Librarians Unite in response to nationwide cuts to public libraries. The continuous human chain symbolized a human shield to protect the library from the most significant decrease of open hours, materials, and staff in its 100-year history. Flavorwire encouraged the event with a slideshow of historic photos from the library’s Digital Gallery....
CNN International, June 5; Save NYC Libraries, June 5; Flavorwire, June 4
California Assembly wants to make it hard to privatize libraries
Despite strong opposition from Republicans, the California Assembly on June 3 passed a union-backed bill to make cities and counties blow through a series of roadblocks before they can privatize their libraries. Under Assembly Bill 438, library systems would have to prove that a switch away from the free public library system saves the city or county money, show that the cost savings are not simply a factor of lower pay for the private company’s employees, and ensure that the public employees don’t lose their jobs. The bill is now in the state Senate....
Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, June 3
Learning to read on zero dollars a day
Anthony Doerr writes: “Meet Pat St. Tourangeau (right), a school librarian at Boise (Idaho) High. She has an indomitable look, as though this morning, while you slept, she might have baked a mean batch of cookies, towed someone out of a ditch, and repaired a snowmobile. I ask her how the library is doing. ‘Our budget next year is going to be zero,’ she says. ‘Again.’ I had foolishly assumed school libraries were something sacred. Picking on libraries is like picking on premature babies: What sort of person would actually do it?”...
New York Times, June 4
School librarian loses job after filing harassment complaint
The former librarian of the Galloway School, a private school in Friendswood, Texas, has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that she was fired in retaliation after she complained about sexual harassment by a coworker. Lori Solt said the school did not renew her contract after she refused to sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to discuss the circumstances. The physical education teacher of the school allegedly sent Solt unwanted text messages over several months....
Friendswood (Tex.) Journal, June 7
Historic artifacts, displaced by teen center, in city police lockup
150-year-old artifacts from the historic pueblo Villa de Branciforte, previously on display at the Branciforte branch of the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Library, are being held in the city police property lockup in lieu of a permanent home. The artifacts, which include a historical railroad spike, green marble, a Joaquin Castro Adobe book by Suzanne Paizis, and a 19th-century map of Branciforte, were requested to be removed by Library Director Teresa Landers to make room for a new Teen Center. The library board on June 6 declined to discuss readmitting the artifacts or any alternative....
San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, June 6; Santa Cruz (Calif.) Patch, June 6
Cuneiform-tablet readers: This dictionary’s for you
Scholars at the University of Chicago have worked since 1921 on a comprehensive guide to Akkadian, the ancient Semitic language in which some of the earliest days of human history were recorded on cuneiform tablets. All Akkadian dialects are included in the 21-volume, 28,000-word Chicago Assyrian Dictionary,the first volume of which was published in 1956. Organized more like an encyclopedia, the dictionary was created over the years by about 85 employees writing on millions of index cards in up to five large offices at the school’s Oriental Institute....
Chicago Sun-Times, June 4
Clermont library rooms reopen to religious groups
The 10 branches of the Clermont County (Ohio) Public Library will now allow religious groups to use meeting rooms, reversing a decision made three years ago by the board of trustees. A ban on using the rooms for anything other than library programs was instituted in June 2008, prompted by a lawsuit filed on behalf of a couple who intended to quote from the Bible if allowed to hold a free financial planning seminar at the Amelia branch. During a June 6 meeting at the Miami Township branch, the five library trustees present voted unanimously to suspend the ban....
Cincinnati Enquirer, June 7
Texas librarian spreads reading to Uganda
Trudy Marshall is saying goodbye to public education after nearly 30 years of teaching in Central Texas. But resting is not in her retirement plan. Her eyes were opened when she started traveling to Africa nine years ago. In 2005, she built the first library at a school in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. There were no plans to build another until she met Robert Johnson, an African pastor who invited Marshall to his village. Her Libraries of Love has now helped build 19 libraries that serve 25,000 children....
KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas, June 6
Flexible spending hurts low-achieving students
A $4.5-billion experiment intended to give California schools greater flexibility over state education dollars has resulted in cutbacks in some programs (including libraries) that target students who need the most academic help. A study by the RAND Corporation and Policy Analysis for California Education found districts tended to sweep revenues intended for specific programs into their general funds....
California Watch, May 27; RAND, May 26
Archivists helped game designers for L.A. Noire
Earlier this week, videogame enthusiasts and fans of Los Angeles history cheered the release of Rockstar Games’ L.A. Noire, a police procedural game noted for its faithful reproduction of the city circa 1947. To recreate a city now hidden beneath 64 years of redevelopment projects, production designers contacted archives at the Huntington Library, UCLA’s Department of Geography, the Los Angeles Public Library newspaper archives, the Pasadena Museum of History, and the USC Libraries’ Special Collections Department....
KCET-TV, Los Angeles, May 19
Retired librarian tracked down relatives for police memorial
Retired librarian Linda Abby Fein was the sponsor for a plaque honoring Philadelphia police officer Stella Donahue, the first female police officer to be killed in the line of duty in Pennsylvania on January 11, 1957. Fein conducted extensive online and library research and tracked down Donahue’s daughter, living in Kentucky, so that she could attend the May 25 dedication....
Philadelphia Northeast Times, June 1
Woman stabs two people outside Hennepin branch
Two people were stabbed in a seemingly random attack June 1 at the Hennepin County Library’s Oxboro branch in Bloomington, Minnesota. Samira Abdalla Salim was arrested after stabbing a woman who was walking into the library and a security guard who heard the victim’s cry for help. Salim, who lives next door to the library, had a reputation for handing out the Koran and talking religion outside the building. Police searched Salim’s home and believe the weapon was a pen....
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, June 2; KAAL-TV, Austin, Minn., June 3
French broadcasters banned from saying Facebook or Twitter
How do you say Twitter and Facebook in French? You don’t say them at all. France has banned the names of both social networking sites from being spoken on radio or television, unless they are part of a news story. The reason for the ban goes back to a 1992 decree that says mentioning such services by name is an act of advertising. Therefore, using the terms “Twitter” and “Facebook” constitutes preferential treatment....
Huffington Post, June 4
Oxford University nixes Half-Naked Half-Hour
Undergraduates at Oxford University’s Worcester College in the U.K. have been threatened with disciplinary action if they continue removing their tops in the college library on Wednesday afternoons. Some 40 male and female students became involved in the group action, which began in 2009. Librarians sent an email to the administration saying the practice was unacceptable and “a distraction to other readers.”...
Cherwell, June 2
YouTube unveils Creative Commons licensing option
Dan Rowinski writes: “On June 2, YouTube announced Creative Commons licensing options for videos hosted on its site, making it much easier to use and share videos with legal attribution. Creative Commons on YouTube will allow users to splice clips or scenes from other videos through the YouTube Video Editor. Copyright and Creative Commons can be a tricky area, as there are several different options. YouTube tries to make it easy by using only one—CC by 3.0—that permits users to share and adapt content for commercial use, provided that attribution is given to the original creator.”...
ReadWriteWeb, June 2; YouTube Blog, June 2
Meet the iCloud
Declaring that the personal computer was no longer the central hub of people’s digital lives, Steven Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, on June 6 unveiled the company’s new online storage and syncing service for music, photos, files, and software. The new, free service, iCloud, will simplify how people manage content and apps across devices. It will automatically store on Apple’s servers many of the new files that a person loads onto a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, and then make those files available on any other Apple devices owned by the same person....
New York Times, June 6
Six reasons why tablets are ready for the classroom
Vineet Madan writes: “Colleges and universities must proceed carefully when considering whether to adopt a new technology on a large scale. However, reports from recent iPad pilot programs at schools across the country have been positive, and some colleges have even begun distributing tablets to all of their students. By looking at all that tablets offer in the context of student behavior and some of the recent trends in education, it’s clear that tablets are ready for the classroom. Here’s a look at the top reasons why.”...
Mashable, May 16; The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Feb. 15; Seton Hill University
Three questions on the future of social media
Soren Gordhamer writes: “The conversation about social media in our society is shifting significantly. After billions of tweets and 600 million people on Facebook, it’s settled: People want to share online.” The emerging conversation is: How can we filter the social media stream to get the essentials without getting distracted or consuming more than we can absorb?...
Mashable, June 2
Get inside a hard drive
In this video (5:04), Bill Hammack the Engineer Guy tears down a hard drive to show how it stores data. He explains how smooth the disk surface must be for the device to work, and he outlines the mathematical technique used to increase data storage. “To keep the head flying at the right height the platter is made incredibly smooth: Typically this platter is so smooth that it has a surface roughness of about one nanometer.”...
EngineerGuy.com, June 4
11 gadgets to organize your workspace
Amber Singleton Riviere writes: “Although our work is steadily moving to the cloud, we still have a physical space to maintain and keep in order, whether that’s in a traditional office, a home office, or from the road. Here are a few gadgets to help you keep your workspace organized, from cord organizers and phone chargers to note holders and to-do lists.”...
GigaOM, June 2
Take the Island of Misfit Library Technology Quiz
Travis Jonker writes: “Usually I keep a strict children’s lit focus in these pages, but you know the old saying, ‘Write what you know about outdated technology.’ My school libraries are doing a technology deep clean this summer and we’re deciding what stays and what goes. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of some school library technology. How many can you name?”...
100 Scope Notes, June 7
Nine ways to sort email
Dawn Foster writes: “I make extensive use of smart folders (in Apple Mail) and tags (in Gmail) to sort my email into logical groups that I can easily process all at once; it’s an important part of my strategy for processing my inbox faster and dealing with email overload. The key is to use rules and filters that automatically sort my email without any additional intervention from me. Here are a few of the rules, filters, and groupings that I use to sort and process email more efficiently.”...
GigaOM, June 3
Choosing a mobile tag format
Steen Andersson writes: “There’s been a war on for the last few years between a number of different Mobile Tagging technologies, with all of them wanting to become the leading standard. When clients ask about which tag format is best to use when driving customers to your mobile site, we talk them through four key factors. To help in selecting a particular tagging technology, we’ve put together a table (above) representing a weighted scorecard of the key technologies offered today.”...
Finger Food, Dec. 10, 2010
Three ways to create audio messages on your blog
Richard Byrne writes: “Adding an audio message to your classroom blog or website can be a good way to help deliver important messages to your students and their parents. An audio message, even if it’s the same as a text announcement, increases the chances that a visitor to your blog will take notice of something important. It’s not difficult to do. Here are three ways that you can add an audio message.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, June 7
ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23–28, 2011. Check out the full list of Poster Sessions on display Saturday and Sunday.
Harry Potter still reads. Daniel Radcliffe has played the title role in all of the blockbuster films based on J. K. Rowling’s bestselling Harry Potter books. Get ready for the July 15 release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with this Daniel Radcliffe Celebrity READ poster. The complete set features Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Alan Rickman. NEW! From ALA Graphics. |
New this week
|
Great Libraries of the World
Library of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada. The library is the main research center for the Parliament of Canada. Designed in Gothic Revival style in 1876 by Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones, the library’s circular shape and its galleries and alcoves were touches added by the first librarian, Alpheus Todd, who also wisely advised that it be separated from the central building by a single corridor to protect it from fire. A 1916 fire destroyed much of Parliament, but the quick action of library clerk Michael MacCormac in securing the iron doors to the corridor before the fire could spread saved the collection. In 2002–2006, Thomas Fuller Construction supervised a major upgrade that enhanced or restored the building’s 1876 features.
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, Canada. The library houses the university’s Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and its official archives. Built in 1973, the facility was named after an early settler of Upper Canada whose great-grandsons Sidney and Charles Fisher donated their own collections of Shakespeare, various 20th-century authors, and the etchings of 17th-century Bohemian artist Wenceslaus Hollar. Other rare items held are the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623), Isaac Newton’s Principia (1687), and Charles Darwin’s proof copy (with annotations) of On the Origin of Species (1859). 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 later this year by ALA Editions. |
Career
Leads from Director of Innovative Technologies and Library Resource Management, Linda Hall Library, Kansas City, Missouri. The library seeks a visionary and experienced leader to imagine, define, implement, and support the information technology infrastructure, information systems, materials processing, and digital asset management for the nation’s largest independent library devoted to science, engineering, and technology. The position will oversee the newly created Department of Library Technology and Resource Management. The ideal candidate will oversee the application and support functions of the library’s automated systems, and the staffs of the library’s technology and information asset management departments while collaborating with other units to move the library’s mission forward with the strategic use of existing and emerging enterprise technologies.... |
Digital Library of the Week
The University of California, Santa Barbara Digital Library includes some 3,000 highlights from the large collection of historic photographs, recordings, and manuscripts in the Davidson Library’s Special Collections Department. “The library wanted to reveal its hidden collections and highlight its unique holdings,” explained Lisa Koch, UCSB metadata librarian. “The Digital Library is a resource for people who want to explore the materials but can’t come to the building. Scholars and users can view items at home, and teachers can bring the archives into their classrooms.” Among the highlights are photographs from Ghana, Britain, and Australia from 1910 to 1921; poster prints from contemporary San Francisco artists; picture discs from the 1940s; and artistic photographs of California and the United States from 1970 to 1990. Audio recordings include discussions and talks by famous political thinkers, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The recordings are drawn from the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions Collection. Among other audio recordings in the Digital Library are 78 rpm Vogue picture discs from the Todd Collection. 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. |
Public
Perception “I care very much about libraries and I’m looking for more opportunities to speak out against the cuts and closures I see as so damaging to our children’s future.” —New U.K. Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate and author Julia Donaldson at her announcement ceremony in King’s Place, London, June 7. @ More quotes... |
Follow: 6th Annual Conference on Open Repositories, Austin, Texas, June 6–11, at: Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives, Annual Conference, Quebec City, June 7–10, at: Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management, Albuquerque, June 7–11, at: American Theological Library Association, Annual Conference, Chicago, June 8–11, at: Special Libraries Association, Annual Conference, Philadelphia, June 12–15, at: ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Ottawa, Ontario, June 13–17, at: American Library Association, Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 23–28, at: American Libraries news stories, blog posts, tweets, and videos, at: |
June 23–28: June 24–25: June 24–25: June 26–29: July 21–23: July 31– Aug. 3–5: Aug. 7–11: Aug. 20: Sept. 8–11: Sept. 14–17: Sept. 15–18: Sept. 21–24: Sept. 24–27: Oct. 13–14: @ More... |
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Google Books Settlement talks extended
Google was back in court June 1, as New York Appeals Court Judge Denny Chin met with the internet giant and its class-action foes in the publishing world for a status hearing over a scheme that could shape the future of publishing. “We have been working closely with the authors and publishers to explore a number of options in response to the court’s March decision,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “At today’s status hearing, we asked the court for more time to discuss those options.” The court granted a 60-day extension....
Christian Science Monitor, June 1
June is Audiobook Month
Mary Burkey writes: “Step one: grab great Get Caught Listening promos: sound clips of favorite authors to incorporate into a radio Public Service Announcement, posters (PDF file) to highlight your library’s audiobook downloads or physical collection, YouTube videos to add to your website—all highlighting the pleasures of listening to literature. Teachers can use the audiobook fact sheet in summer reading packets.”...
Booklist Online: Audiobooker, June 1
A library book, or rather, a book about the library
John Fiske writes: “The Library Book (Black Spruce Media, 2006), a historical novel about the design and construction of the New York Public Library on 42nd Street, is my surprising reaction to an actual experience. I went scuba diving in abandoned marble quarries in Vermont and wondered where all the marble had gone. That’s the truth. I did not manufacture this story for some literary reason. The story was right there. First I determined which notable marble building would be at the center of my story. Fairly quickly I decided to use the New York Public Library. The architects John Carrère and Thomas Hastings were the main characters.”...
Huffington Post, June 1
Break free of e-book “chains”
Stephen Shankland writes: “Free-software activist Richard Stallman can be a prickly character. But I find myself agreeing with some of his concerns about e-books. In a piece titled ‘The Danger of E-books’ (PDF file), Stallman bemoans the e-book’s loss of freedoms that most of us take for granted with physical books and places the blame on corporate powers. I do resent the restrictions I suffer with e-books. I understand why companies such as Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Amazon impose them, but that doesn’t make me happy about it.”...
CNET News: Deep Tech, June 7
Five reasons why e-books aren’t there yet
John C. Abell writes: “There are no two ways about it: E-books are here to stay. And yet there are some aspects to print book culture that e-books can’t replicate (at least not easily) yet. I am completely one with the idea that books are legacy items that may never go away, but have been forever marginalized as a niche medium. With that in mind, however, here are five things about e-books that might give you pause about saying good riddance to the printed page. Fix these problems, and there really will be no limits to the e-book’s growth.”...
Wired: Epicenter, June 3
National Academies Press offers free downloads
The National Academies Press announced June 2 that it will make available for free download to the public full-text PDFs of its 4,000-title catalog. NAP is the publisher for the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. “Our business model has evolved so that it is now financially viable to put this content out to the entire world for free,” said NAP Executive Director Barbara Kline Pope....
National Academies Press, June 2
Online book is 10 millionth record added to WorldCat
A record for an online book titled Task-oriented and Purposeful Robot-Assisted Therapy marked the 10 millionth record added to WorldCat via the WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway. The record was harvested into WorldCat by staff at InTech, an open access publisher located in Rijeka, Croatia. The book was written in 2007 by a group of eight researchers....
OCLC, June 7
Outraged reactions to “Darkness Too Visible”
Over the weekend the YA world was abuzz with reactions to an article by Meghan Cox Gurdon titled “Darkness Too Visible” in the June 4 Wall Street Journal, which said that teen literature was too violent and depraved. Such authors as Cecil Castelucci, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Libba Bray wrote impassioned responses. Elizabeth Burns and Mary Elizabeth Williams also had a lot to say. This graph pretty much sums it up. The night of June 4, author Maureen Johnson suggested the hashtag #yasaves for people to tweet the importance of YA lit, and within 20 minutes it became the third-highest trending topic on Twitter in the United States....
YALSA The Hub, June 6; Wall Street Journal, June 4; Los Angeles Review of Books Blog, June 5; Laurie Halse Anderson, June 5; School Library Journal: A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy, June 5; Salon, June 6; School Library Journal, June 7
How LC is building the Twitter archive
Audrey Watters writes: “In April 2010, Twitter announced it was donating its entire archive of public tweets to the Library of Congress. Creating a Twitter archive is a major undertaking for LC, and the process isn’t as simple as merely cracking open a file for researchers to peruse. I spoke with Martha Anderson, the head of the library’s National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program, and Leslie Johnston, the manager of NDIIP’s Technical Architecture Initiatives, about the challenges and opportunities of archiving digital data of this kind.”...
O’Reilly Radar, June 2
U.N. declares internet access a basic human right
A United Nations report said June 3 that disconnecting people from the internet is a human rights violation and against international law. The report (PDF file), by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, was issued the same day that the internet-monitoring firm Renesys detected that two thirds of Syria’s internet access had abruptly gone dark, in what may be a government response to civil unrest there.....
Wired: Threat Level, June 3
Get glogging!
Mia Cabana writes: “Teens, teachers, librarians, lend me your ears. And your eyes and your monitors and keyboards, for that matter. If you’re looking for a new web tool that has lots of potential for book reports and visual pathfinders, look no further than Glogster, an online tool that helps you to create interactive online posters. You can embed videos, there is an eye-catching array of clip art, and the results look professional and impressive. Glogster is a hip online alternative to the good old Power Point presentation.”...
YALSA The Hub, June 3
Google image inconsistencies
Phil Bradley writes: “Google comes out with a great idea and then shoots itself in the foot with a total inability to apply any sort of consistency. Take the new search feature that in theory allows you to find more images. The idea is great: If you are doing a search for pictures and you have chosen not to search using the image function, you might add in a term like ‘images’ or ‘photographs.’ Lo and behold, Google can recognize this, and it starts by showing you many pictures before you get to the web pages. Excellent idea, but....”
Phil Bradley’s Weblog, June 6
Digital forensics
Leslie Johnston writes: “Libraries, archives, and museums are acquiring increasing numbers of born-digital collections. I’ve been interested to see the increased use of digital forensics tools in the appraisal and processing and accessing of such collections. But there are challenges. Some of the software tools come from the realm of legal forensics. Some software introduces new technical concepts. Archives are looking at vintage media, which often requires vintage hardware and software, or specialized hardware.”...
The Signal: Digital Preservation, June 7
There’s a Congressional app for that
Christine Sellers writes: “I recently got a new smartphone and have started exploring apps that can help me keep up with Congress and do my job. I’ve compiled a sampling of apps that offer information on Congress and lawmakers, as well as news about Congress. For example, Real Time Congress provides floor updates for the House and Senate, whip notices, hearings schedules for the House and Senate, documents (CBO cost estimates, GAO reports, White House policy statements), and news.”...
In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress, June 7
British Library offers 19th-century books for iPad
BiblioLabs and the British Library have released a British Library 19th-Century Historical Collection app for the iPad. Currently the app features more than 1,000 19th-century books, but it will provide access to more than 60,000 titles by later this summer when details on pricing will be announced. The books are all in the public domain and are part of the library’s collection. Included are such titles as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Adventures of Oliver Twist (with illustrations) by Charles Dickens....
British Library, June 7
Changing reading practices in academia
Barry W. Cull examines literature from a variety of disciplines on the technological, social, behavioral, and neuroscientific impacts that the internet is having on the practice of reading. A particular focus is given to the reading behavior of emerging university students, especially within Canada and the United States. A brief overview is provided of the recent transformation of academic libraries into providers of online digital text in addition to printed books and other materials....
First Monday 16, no. 6 (June 6)
OCLC and open data licensing
Jim Michalko writes: “In a recent presentation (PDF file) to OCLC Global Council, OCLC provided some preliminary thoughts on open data licensing of member library catalog data. A number of OCLC members and groups have contacted OCLC staff in recent months asking for OCLC’s views on open data licensing of WorldCat metadata. These tend not to be casual inquiries; many libraries around the world have substantial amounts of metadata derived from WorldCat in their local or group catalogs.”...
Open Knowledge Foundation Blog, June 6
The Internet Archive’s new physical collection
Brewster Kahle writes: “The Internet Archive is building a physical archive for the long-term preservation of one copy of every book, record, and movie we are able to attract or acquire. Because we expect day-to-day access to these materials to occur through digital means, our physical archive will only have occasional retrievals. The opportunity to preserve more than 10 million items is possible, so we have designed a system that will expand to this level.”...
Internet Archive Blogs, June 6
What’s on Julia Child’s bookshelf?
Renowned French chef Julia Child donated her home kitchen and its entire contents to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Christine Klepper writes: “One of my first impressions after I started working in the kitchen was how Julia’s bookshelf was a great example of balance. It featured copies of her own publications, books belonging to her husband Paul, and general interest readings unrelated to cooking. My assignment in the kitchen was to complete condition reports on all 27 books on the kitchen bookshelf.”...
O Say Can You See?, June 3
Academic library advocacy talking points
Brian Mathews writes: “It seems I’ve been defending the concept of the academic library lately. Different people respond to different attributes, so I’ve developed this framework to help express the narrative. I call it N3P3. This framework doesn’t cover every topic or every circumstance, but in a pinch it helps get the conversation going. I typically watch for areas of interest and then focus in on those themes.”...
The Ubiquitous Librarian, June 5
Why you should follow the Georgia State fair-use case
Nancy Sims writes: “Trial is currently underway in a copyright suit against Georgia State University brought by a number of academic publishers. Whoever loses will almost certainly appeal, so the case hasn’t attracted much attention outside of academe. But it has the potential to set some far-reaching precedents. The publisher-plaintiffs are suing over the way course readings are shared with students; they object both to readings posted on course websites and readings shared via e-reserves through university libraries, and argue that GSU should be responsible for individual instructors’ decisions on fair use.” The Chronicle of Higher Education offers additional perspectives....
Copyright Librarian, June 6; Chronicle of Higher Education, May 30
Engaging programming with READ posters
Kris Lill writes: “Late last year, the Allen County (Ind.) Public Library purchased ALA’s READ Poster Design Studio. We’ve come up with a fun way to use it. First, we designed READ posters featuring children’s services staff, each with a favorite book. Second, we came up with riddles that went along with each title. Next, we displayed the posters around the Children’s Services Department, then had a drawing for each of four age groups to get their photo taken for a poster.”...
ALSC Blog, June 4
Finding information on U.S. immigrants
Philip Trauring writes: “For many people researching family history in the United States, the research process seems to end at the coast. Finding information on where your ancestor came from before getting off a ship in New York or elsewhere in the U.S. can be a daunting task. I’m going to review several different types of information you can find on immigrants, and show how you can use that information to get to the next piece of information. These resources include passenger manifests, census records, naturalization papers, military draft cards, and historical newspapers.”...
Blood and Frogs, May 31
Three ways nonprofits can pioneer m-advocacy
Heather Mansfield writes: “The time is ripe for early adopters in the nonprofit sector to embrace m-advocacy, also known as mobile advocacy. Odds are that in 2012, pitches to subscribe or join Mobile Action Networks will be common in Facebook status updates, tweets, blogs, homepages, and e-newsletters. As social media taught us, nonprofits who embrace emerging trends tend to experience the highest success rate. This list focuses on mobile-optimized petitions, but calls to action can also be tap-to-call elected officials, text-to-give pitches, donation reminders, and/or volunteer requests.”...
Nonprofit Tech 2.0, June 7
Reinventing Vancouver’s libraries through outreach
An outreach program spearheaded by the Vancouver (B.C.) Public Library is taking root across Canada. “We have people in our community who haven’t used the library in years because they can’t afford to pay off their $8 fine,” said City Librarian Sandra Singh. “In the greater scheme of things, we’d rather they just used the library.” Motivated to increase inclusiveness, VPL took the lead in 2004 on the Working Together Project, sending librarians into disaffected communities to find out why they didn’t take advantage of free library services....
Vancouver (B.C.) OpenFile, June 3
Canadian school librarians under siege
In recent weeks, there has been extensive media coverage on the declining number of teacher-librarians in Canada. It began with the elimination of library staff and serious cuts to library services by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board in Ontario. The Canadian Library Association has been monitoring these developments and is concerned about the status of teacher-librarians across the country....
Canadian Library Association, June 7
Marshall Breeding on This Week in Libraries
Can library automation systems save libraries? Did you see the last Oprah show? Are we all moving into the Cloud? Those were some of the topics May 27 when Marshall Breeding, director for innovative technologies and research for the Vanderbilt University Libraries in Nashville, appeared on This Week in Libraries (37:31), the internet show hosted by Dutch librarians Erik Boekesteijn and Jaap van de Geer....
This Week in Libraries, May 27; Vimeo, June 2
How green is your library?
Michael Lieberman writes: “No matter what steps your library is taking to become greener it will be hard to beat the Grove Library Project in Western Australia. The entire project, designed by architects Cox Howlett + Bailey Woodland, utilized environmentally sustainable design ‘from soup to nuts.’” With dwindling natural resources and the future of public libraries hanging in the balance, ecologically sustainable development projects such as the Grove, which extend the traditional brief of libraries by making the very building itself a living, evolving book as well as a depository of knowledge, are now essential. Take a virtual tour (6:51)....
Book Patrol, June 1; The West Australian (Perth), May 31; YouTube, Apr. 2
New York City’s Conjuring Arts Research Center
Nestled in a hidden location in midtown Manhattan, the Conjuring Arts Research Center is ground zero for illusionists and historians alike. The center provides a range of services, publishes scholarly journals, and teaches hospital-bound kids magic through its Hocus Pocus program. The collection is noted for its emphasis on early conjuring books, including more than 1,000 volumes printed before the year 1900. It also maintains an extensive collection of manuscripts of magic methods, some dating back to the 15th century. Watch the video (3:47)....
Vimeo: Cool Hunting, June 3; Conjuring Arts Research Center
Use Hollywood Career-o-Matic to follow actors, directors
Christopher Beam and Jeremy Singer-Vine write: “A visitor to the Rotten Tomatoes site can check out the data for individual Hollywood careers, but there’s no easy way for users to measure industrywide trends or to compare different actors and directors side-by-side. To that end, Rotten Tomatoes kindly let Slate analyze the scores in its enormous database and create an interactive tool so our readers might do the same. Use the Hollywood Career-o-Matic tool to map the career of any major actor or director from the last 26 years.”...
Slate, June 6
Comic books: Superheroes of special collections (PDF file)
Jason Nargis and Benn Joseph write: “The comic book collection at Northwestern University’s Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections has a unique status as the only archive initiated by a donation from an undergraduate. When religion major Juan Cole offered his 1,100 comic books to Special Collections Curator Russell Maylone in 1972, he could not have known what a snowball effect his gift would have. Within a year, four other donors had come forward.”...
Illinois Library Association Reporter 29, no. 3 (June): 8–12
I’m tired of LOL
Will Manley writes: “I’m tired of LOL, LMAO, WTF. It’s time for some new internet lingo. Here are some nominees. RUOOYFM: Are you out of your freaking mind? HSDUTIM: How stupid do you think I am? VVV: Vini, vidi, vici. ICRS: I can’t remember shit.”...
Will Unwound, June 3