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

Privatization showdown moves to Osceola County
After several months of rumors about the future of the Osceola Library System that serves Kissimmee, Florida, a series of public hearings that began October 25 are seeking to explain why county officials are considering the outsourcing of library services to Germantown, Maryland–based privatization firm Library Systems and Services, Inc., and how LSSI plans to deliver the services sought. Officials seem to have an uphill battle on their hands to sway their constituents, however: The prospect of privatization has already pitted library supporters and the Florida Library Association against the county commission....
American Libraries news, Oct. 26

Sanhita SinhaRoy appointed associate editor
Sanhita SinhaRoy joined the ALA staff October 24 as associate editor of American Libraries magazine. She will be responsible for writing news stories and blog posts, copyediting and fact-checking feature articles and columns, and assisting with the preparation and production of the weekly e-newsletter American Libraries Direct. SinhaRoy will also work directly with selected authors and columnists in preparing content for the magazine and the American Libraries website....
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 24

Grassroots advocacy: Putting yourself out there
Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci, and Christian Zabriskie write: “Librarians shouting about funding is fast becoming old news. We need to find new ways to take a stand against library budget cuts. A grassroots push is a terrific advertising tool, and it can be really fun to pull off. It’s a wonderful motivator to get people out and keep them coming back to do more. An event can score press coverage, and it will allow you to frame the debate the way you want it to be seen.”...
American Libraries feature

Will’s World: No more kidding around
Will Manley writes: “How often have you heard people complain in the last few months that our elected leaders are behaving like little children—pointing fingers, making funny faces at the camera, and attacking each other petulantly? This is precisely why I believe that children’s librarians are our profession’s best hope for strong leaders. By understanding how to handle children, they are gaining an understanding of how to handle politicians.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

Training and development of Romanian librarians
Hermina Anghelescu, associate professor of library and information science at Wayne State University in Detroit, explains her ongoing involvement with the education and training of librarians in Romania in an interview with ALA’s Leonard Kniffel in Brasov. Anghelescu organized the U.S. contingent at the international “The Book. Romania. Europe” symposium in Sinaia, Romania, September 20–23....
AL Focus, Oct. 20

Currents
Effective January 1, Robert Hulshof-Schmidt (right) will become Oregon State Librarian. Richard Landon, 68, who held numerous positions at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, died October 5; during his career, he was the director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book library, professor in the Graduate Department of English, and adjunct professor of the Faculty of Information. Effective in December, Ken Frazier will retire as director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison General Library System....
American Libraries column

Budget message from the Executive Director
ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels shared the following message on October 24 with members and the Association’s governing Council: “I am pleased to report that ALA ended the 2011 fiscal year with a small net operating loss of about $250,000 on an overall budget of $46 million. This total ALA budget includes the general fund units, divisions, round tables, grants, and endowment earnings. This $250,000 is actually more than $1 million better than planned, as 2011 was a ‘spend down’ year for AASL and PLA in anticipation of their conferences in 2012.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 24

Susan Cain and John Green to speak at Midwinter
Susan Cain and John Green, authors and speakers with huge followings, join the roster of memorable ALA Midwinter Meeting Auditorium Speakers. They are scheduled to appear at the Dallas meeting January 21 and 22, respectively. Cain, author of the forthcoming Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking will talk about how dramatically our culture misunderstands and undervalues introverts. Green will address how social networking relates to literature and how librarians can reach patrons through fun and inventive social networking....
Conference Services, Oct. 26

The largest family game day in history: November 12
On November 12, more than 20,000 people in communities across the United States will come together in the spirit of play for ALA’s fourth annual National Gaming Day @ your library. Sponsored by Family and Party Games, the event aims to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games. For more information about National Gaming Day @ your library, visit the National Gaming Day website....
ALA Public Information Office, Oct. 24

ALA joins national Go4Life campaign
ALA has joined the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health in Go4Life, a new national exercise and physical activity campaign for people aged 50+. The goal of Go4Life is to provide resources to older adults that they can use to incorporate physical activity into their everyday lives. This federal campaign is based on research showing that exercise can help people stay healthy and independent and prevent some of the chronic conditions associated with aging. ALA will offer Go4Life resources, such as free guides and DVDs, to attendees at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas and the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim....
ALA Development Office, Oct. 19

“Intellectual Freedom across the Globe” webinar series
Registration is now open for “Intellectual Freedom across the Globe,” a series of three webinars on international issues related to free speech, censorship, and access to information in libraries and beyond. The webinars will be held November 9, 15, and 22, and will feature speakers from several countries. Attendees can register for individual webinars or, for a discounted rate, the entire series....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Oct. 21

Find the key to adventure with Hugo
This fall, ALA Graphics celebrates the magical world of Hugo Cabret. Discover the key to adventure with the new poster and bookmark inspired by the upcoming film Hugo, presented by Paramount Pictures and GK Films, in theaters November 23. Legendary storyteller Martin Scorsese invites you to join him on a thrilling journey to a magical world with his first-ever 3-D film, from a screenplay by John Logan, based on Brian Selznick’s award-winning, imaginative New York Times bestseller, The Invention of Hugo Cabret....
ALA Graphics, Oct. 24

A star-studded new graphics catalog
The bright stars of movies and television join the Celebrity READ® campaign, and imaginative stories from a variety of genres take shape in new products that inspire reading, all featured in the new ALA Graphics winter catalog (PDF file). Oprah Winfrey rejoins Celebrity READ for a record third poster, and actor Jackson Rathbone makes his READ debut as he continues his role as Jasper Hale in November’s hotly anticipated Twilight Saga conclusion, Breaking Dawn—Part 1....
ALA Graphics, Oct. 24

Ten libraries to host “Discover Earth” exhibition
The ALA Public Programs Office, in partnership with the National Center for Interactive Learning at Space Science Institute, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the National Girls Collaborative Project, announced that 10 public libraries will host an interactive traveling exhibition called “Discover Earth: A Century of Change” from January 2012 to December 2013. The exhibition and its educational support materials are part of the STAR Library Education Network, a hands-on learning program for libraries and their communities....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 21

Your help needed in public library internet use study
The November 11 deadline is quickly approaching for public libraries to participate in the 2011–2012 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study online survey. The survey provides an important opportunity for libraries to share information on computer and internet resources and infrastructure, as well as funding, technology training, and other uses of public libraries....
Office for Research and Statistics, Oct. 25

Preconference: Community building through civic dialogue
The Public Programs Office and the Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee will present a day-and-a-half-long preconference March 13–14 during the PLA 2012 National Conference in Philadelphia. The preconference, titled “Make Your Library a Community Leader: Community Building through Civic Dialogue,” will train participants in dialogue facilitation skills. For more information, visit the PLA conference website....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 21

Call for international papers and projects
ALA’s International Papers Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled for June 23, 2012. The International Papers Program theme is “Expecting the Unexpected: Libraries Respond to Profound Change.” The deadline for submitting proposals is December 23....
International Relations Office, Oct. 25

Financial assistance for support staff certification
The Library Support Staff Interests Round Table is is offering another opportunity for financial assistance to library support staff applying for certification in the ALA-APA Library Support Staff Certification program. The program offers library support staff the opportunity to achieve recognition for their existing skills and knowledge, and to gain new skills. Seven states are also participating. Applications will be accepted through November 15 at both the national and state levels....
Library Support Staff Interests Round Table, Oct. 21

Sarah Houghton workshop on ebooks
ALA TechSource will host a workshop on “Ebooks and Access: Upholding Library Values” with Sarah Houghton, December 7 and 14. In this two-part workshop, Houghton will help you navigate through ebook acquisition and collection development with library values as your compass. Registration is available at the ALA Store....
ALA TechSource, Oct. 24

Open your library to independent workers
ALA Editions is offering an exciting new workshop, “Making Space for Entrepreneurs and Independent Workers,” on December 1. Public librarian Meg Gerritsen Knodl, who moonlights as a coworking center librarian, will share her firsthand insights on how to adapt the concepts of the coworking movement for your library. Four pillars of coworking—community, collaboration, openness, and sustainability—are all ingredients that libraries can offer. Registration is available at the ALA Store....
ALA Editions, Oct. 24

A readers’ advisory guide to street literature
Street lit, also known as urban fiction, addresses with unflinching grit the concerns and problems of city living. Controversial in some quarters, it is also wildly popular. The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Street Literature, written by Vanessa Irvin Morris and published by ALA Editions, emphasizes an appreciation for street lit as a way to promote reading and library use....
ALA Editions, Oct. 25

The Dallas–Fort Worth Airport
The world’s fourth busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements, Dallas–Fort Worth is a tourist destination in itself, with its mall-like restaurants and concessions, its multimillion-dollar Public Art Program, and Founders’ Plaza, an observation park that offers a panoramic view of the south end of the airport, a granite monument and sculpture, post-mounted binoculars, and piped-in voices of air traffic controllers. This video (5:10) gives an overview of the airport facilities and history....
Wikipedia; DFW Airport

See how agonizing your flight could be with Hipmunk
This app is similar to other popular travel booking sites out there, in that it certainly makes scheduling flights quick and easy. But Hipmunk Flight Search is a special service all its own—it’s set up to find flights that will be the most comfortable for you. After you've entered your flight information, the results are sorted by “agony.” This means that the app takes into account how long you’ll be traveling and how many stops you’ll make, and then uses special algorithms to locate flights that will be most enjoyable....
Appolicious Android Apps, Oct. 20

Staying productive in the air
Kevin Purdy writes: “Your time in the air can be really productive. The lack of (most) electronic distractions, combined with being surrounded by strangers, can bring out the best focus in travelers. But only if you plan ahead. Bring a good laptop, and make sure it has the files you need. And give yourself the space you need to do anything other than be miserable. Here’s how to get those things in order before you’re hundreds of miles from the office.”...
Fast Company, Oct. 16

Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the downtown Arts District. Established in 1903, the museum features an outstanding collection of more than 24,000 works of art from around the world, from ancient to modern times. During the Midwinter Meeting, it is holding an exhibition on fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, whose work in the 1970s earned him the nickname “enfant terrible” of the fashion world....
Dallas Museum of Art

iPads change economics and speed of hotel Wi-Fi
Joe Sharkey writes: “If, like me, you have been complaining about unusually poor internet service in hotel rooms lately, the hotels have a good explanation. Largely because of the broad use of iPads and other mobile tablets, which are heavy users of video streaming, the guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands. According to iBAHN, iPads consume four times more Wi-Fi data per month than the average smartphone.”...
New York Times, Oct. 24

Two divisions receive $200,000 Dollar General grant
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to YALSA and ALSC. The two divisions will share the funding to support a variety of youth literacy programs through Everyone Reads @ your library. This is the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s second grant to ALA in support of this initiative. YALSA will use the funds to provide grants for teen reading programs, and ALSC will use the grant money to promote Día and multicultural family literacy....
YALSA, ALSC, Oct. 25

YALSA has a new national research agenda
YALSA has published a new national research agenda on libraries and teens, updating the last one from 1994. The new publication is available online. The YALSA Research Agenda was developed by members of YALSA’s 2010 and 2011 Research Committees, who surveyed the field to determine gaps in research and determine the questions that needed to be answered in order to fill those gaps. It also updates the agenda to reflect the many changes that have happened in teen services and libraries in the 17 years since the last update....
YALSA, Oct. 25

YALSA to partner in new Digital Learning Day
February 1 will be the first-ever national Digital Learning Day, which YALSA is supporting in partnership with the Alliance for Excellent Education. Digital Learning Day will celebrate innovative teaching practices that make learning more personalized and engaging in schools and public libraries. Register to receive customized toolkits, resources, and invitations to run-up events and activities. Watch the video (3:42) of former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise (above) announcing the initiative....
YALSA, Oct. 25

YALSA sponsors Lori Easterwood as 2012 Emerging Leader
YALSA has chosen Lori Easterwood (right), programming supervisor at the Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library, as its representative for the 2012 ALA Emerging Leaders program. She will receive funding from YALSA to attend the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference. Emerging Leaders receive up to $1,000 each to participate....
YALSA, Oct. 25

Power up your teen programs
Learn new ways to bring more teens into the school and public library in Power Programming, YALSA’s popular online course, which offers up-to-date ideas for programming, from simple, self-running contests to reading celebrations and more. The self-paced course is taught by Amy Alessio and takes place February 5 to March 6. To register, visit the YALSA website....
YALSA, Oct. 25

Teen programs for any budget
From smaller, community room–based programs to city-wide initiatives, find out how you can launch innovative programming tailored to fit your audience and budget in the November 17 YALSA webinar, “Innovative Teen Programming from $10 to $10,000.” Jack Martin and Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library programming gurus, will lead a workshop on how to initiate cool, low-cost pilot projects or scale up smaller programs into big events that support your teens’ interests and needs. Registration is now open....
YALSA, Oct. 25

ALTAFF’s Gala Author Tea at Midwinter
ALTAFF will host its Gala Author Tea on January 23 at the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. The event will feature authors Kim Edwards (right), Erin Duffy, Pam Houston, Taylor Stevens, and Leonard Kniffel. Some books will be given away, while others will be available for purchase at a generous discount. This event is sponsored by ReferenceUSA....
ALTAFF, Oct. 25

“Reference Interview” online course
Registration closes October 26 for the next offering of “The Reference Interview,” an asynchronous online course offered by RUSA. This popular course runs October 31 through December 9 and is perfect for public librarians, academic librarians, and library support staff interested in learning reference basics or getting a refresher in reference interview skills....
RUSA Blog, Oct. 26

New PLA statistics portal
PLA is offering a new 24x7 portal to the Public Library Data Service Statistical Report, PLAmetrics. With PLAmetrics, subscribers can access PLDS data collected annually (2006–2011) from public libraries across the United States and Canada and then take advantage of a powerful reporting functionality that enables the production and sharing of multiple-format data reports for internal management, stakeholder relations, and advocacy purposes. PLAmetrics is managed by Counting Opinions....
PLA, Oct. 25

ALA offers recognition grants and awards
Nominate yourself, colleagues, or your library for the 2012 ALA recognition awards and grants. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline for awards is December 1. For general information about these and other ALA awards, visit the Awards and Grants section of the ALA website....
Office of ALA Governance, Oct. 25

Citation for Innovative International Library Projects
Nominations are being sought for the ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects. Citations are awarded each year by the ALA President at the International Relations Round Table’s International Librarians Reception during the ALA Annual Conference to recognize innovative contributions to international librarianship. Nominations must be postmarked or emailed by December 1....
International Relations Office, Oct. 25

2012 John Ames Humphry Award
ALA is accepting nominations for the 2012 John Ames Humphry / OCLC / Forest Press Award for International Librarianship. The award is given to a librarian or person who has made significant contributions to international librarianship. It consists of a prize of $1,000 and a certificate presented at the ALA Annual Conference. The deadline for nominations is January 1....
International Relations Office, Oct. 24

Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund
ALA is accepting nominations for the 2012 Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund, sponsored by the Bogle Memorial Fund and the Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science. An award of $1,000 is given to an ALA member to attend his or her first international conference. The nominee must have been an ALA member for one full year. The deadline for applications is January 1....
International Relations Office, Oct. 21

Robert L. Oakley Memorial Scholarship
ALA and the Library Copyright Alliance have established the $1,000 Robert L. Oakley Memorial Scholarship to support research and advanced study for librarians in their early-to-mid-careers who are interested and/or active in intellectual property, public policy, and copyright. Applications should provide a statement of intent for use of the scholarship funds and must be submitted to Carrie Russell by March 1....
District Dispatch, Oct. 24

2011 Estela and Raúl Mora Award
Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, has selected two library systems as recipients of its 2011 Estela and Raúl Mora Award for exemplary efforts in promoting El día de los niños/El día de los libros. The winning libraries are the Santa Ana (Calif.) Public Library and the Springfield (Oreg.) Public Library. This brings the total number of Mora Award winners to 17, as Día celebrates its 15th anniversary this year....
Reforma, Oct. 17

2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has selected five libraries and five museums to receive the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The libraries are the Alachua County (Fla.) Library District; Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library; the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (right) in Collegeville, Minnesota; San Jose (Calif.) Public Library; and Weippe (Idaho) Public Library and Discovery Center....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Oct. 25

Long Island firm wins sustainable design award for library
Patchogue, New York–based BBS Architects and Engineers took home the 2011 Sustainable Design Award from the Long Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects annual Archi awards on October 20. The award was given to BBS in recognition of its “outstanding use of sustainable design practices” for the company’s work on the expansion of the Nesconset branch of the Smithtown (N.Y.) Special Library District....
Long Island Business News, Oct. 24

Delaware’s revamped librarian scholarship program
Stressing the need to attract and retain Delawareans to serve as librarians, Gov. Jack Markell and legislative leaders created the Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Program, named after the late Newark legislator and champion for Delaware public libraries. Markell signed House Bill 153, which revises an existing scholarship program for master’s candidates to also allow scholarships for library and archives staff seeking a bachelor’s degree or a doctoral degree....
State of Delaware News, Oct. 18

What makes a book great?
Laura Miller writes: “What is the purpose of literary prizes and how do we determine the excellence of a book? Those two questions have been cropping up a lot lately, from discussion of the National Book Award in the United States to the unfolding kerfuffle over the Booker Prize in the United Kingdom. Booksellers often say that the Booker has more credibility with American readers than the NBA. Chosen by a panel with varied backgrounds, the Booker shortlist tends to be a blend of acclaimed and relatively undiscovered works that many Britons (and quite a few Americans) make a habit of reading in its entirety.”...
Salon, Oct. 18

2011 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award
The $100,000 2011 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing, sponsored by the Tawani Foundation, was presented October 22 during the library’s annual Liberty Gala at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago. This year’s winner was Carlo D’Este (right), who established himself as an authoritative voice in the field of World War II scholarship with biographies of Patton, Eisenhower, and Churchill. The library’s $500 Colby Award was presented to Karl Marlantes for his novel Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War....
Armchair General, Oct. 25; Pritzker Military Library, Oct. 21

School library amendment withdrawn from ESEA
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with a 15–7 vote on October 20. Joining all Democrats in voting in favor of the legislation were three Republicans. Unfortunately, an amendment sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that would support school libraries was withdrawn by Senator Whitehouse because of lack of support on the amendment....
District Dispatch, Oct. 21

Aldermen rip Chicago mayor’s proposed library cuts
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to reduce Chicago Public Library hours and impose “draconian” job cuts that would impact library services at all hours is in danger of being shelved. Aldermen from across the city made that clear during city council budget hearings October 21 to the applause of library employees, some 284 of whom stand to lose their jobs (about one-third of the CPL staff). They decried the mayor’s decision to reduce support for libraries by $6.6 million (though few had suggestions on how to fill the city’s budget gap), even as the city continues to build new libraries on top of the 59 constructed under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, cardholders are up, and libraries have become a beacon for job-seekers (above). ....
Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 22; Chicago Tribune, Oct. 21, 25

British writer declares war on stupid library closures
Philip Pullman (right), author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, has lambasted Brent council in the UK for its comment that closing half of its libraries would help it fulfill “exciting plans to improve libraries,” describing the statement as a masterpiece that “ought to be quoted in every anthology of political bullshit from here to eternity.” Citing campaigns to save libraries in Oxfordshire as well as in Brent, Pullman said “the war we’re fighting is not against this party or that one, this flag or another flag, our parents or our MP or anyone else in particular: It’s against stupidity. And stupidity is not to be underestimated.”...
The Guardian (U.K.), Oct. 24

Salt Lake City library could lose its Friends
Chaotic conditions and cratering morale at the Salt Lake City Library may next take their toll on patron services and public programs. The influential Friends of the Library is threatening to pull its funding over continuing library controversies. The Friends’ announcement came at the end of a contentious October 20 board meeting, which also saw some residents vent, one calling for embattled Library Director Beth Elder’s ouster and another blasting the board....
Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 20

Library board deadlock leaves Detroit branches open
Detroit Public Library officials once again have backed away from plans to close neighborhood branches. Following a trend that has developed since administrators proposed closures in April, commissioners rejected a proposal October 18 to close four of 23 branches. The 3–3 deadlock meant no action, bringing cheers to a crowd of some 70 users at a meeting at the Main branch....
Detroit News, Oct. 19

Occupy libraries
Boston has a new and somewhat grittier reading nook. Housed in a green military tent, the Occupy Boston library in Dewey Square is overflowing with scholarly tomes that have no due dates or late fees. The growing collection includes more than 500 books, overseen by a bookstore owner and a number of librarians supporting the movement, including some from the Boston Radical Reference Collective. Jessamyn West interviewed occupying archivist Kristin Parker about the library, which officially opened October 16. Meanwhile, the Occupy Wall Street Library has some 2,000 books, all organized by subject; and a library has sprung up at the Occupy London protest called Star Books....
New York Times, Oct. 21; librarian.net, Oct. 25; Occupy Boston, Oct. 16; Occupy Wall Street Library, Oct. 22; Time NewsFeed, Oct. 25; Publishing Perspectives, Oct. 25

Occupy librarianship: Five variations on a theme
Kim Leeder writes: “Several of us at Lead Pipe have been watching the Occupy Wall Street movement with interest. How does one protest something that seems to be part of the foundation of a culture? And when a foundational institution benefits only a small subset of its members, how does one not protest? None of us here have ever seen, in the course of our lifetimes, such an amorphous yet focused, long-term, geographically distributed picket line in our own country. It is an inspiration to all those who feel that ‘business as usual’ isn’t working for them.”...
In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Oct. 26

The National Baseball Hall of Fame library
Baseball is still taken very seriously by the A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, which opened in 1939. Since then, the facility has developed into a full service research library, with more than 3 million documents, newspaper clippings, and an individual file on each of the 17,000-plus men who have played one Major League Baseball game. “If it’s anything to do with baseball we're interested,” Head Librarian Jim Gates (above) said....
Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard, Oct. 24

Internet filtering at Dartmouth High School
Heather Gagne and James Rider write: “In January, the Dartmouth (Mass.) School District installed Fortiguard Web Filtering to regulate school internet use. This year, complaints have arisen among students and teachers alike who are unable to reach websites containing ‘banned words’ or streaming media that can be used to improve the educational experience. Student opinion about Fortiguard varies in magnitude, but there is a general consensus that it goes too far. Some of the strangest words students said were blocked included ‘banana,’ ‘owl,’ and ‘tattoos.’”...
The Spectrum (Dartmouth High School), Oct. 25

UC librarians approve contract
More than 350 librarians at the University of California have ratified a new contract with merit increases, UC officials announced October 10. The agreement between the American Federation of Teachers and the university runs through September 30, 2012. The agreement includes participation in the annual academic merit program for 2011–2012 like all non-student academic employees, with increases retroactive to July 1....
Sacramento Business Journal, Oct. 11

Missouri repeals Facebook law
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation October 21 repealing a contentious law that had limited online chats between teachers and students and caused a judge to warn that it infringed on free-speech rights. Nixon’s action eliminates a law enacted earlier in 2011 that barred teachers from using websites that allow “exclusive access” with students or former pupils age 18 or younger. The law generated an unexpected backlash, with teachers raising concerns they would be barred from using Facebook and Twitter....
eSchool News, Oct. 24

Library at center of Kevorkian painting dispute
The Armenian Library and Museum of America (right) in Watertown, Massachusetts, is refusing to surrender 17 paintings and other artwork by assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, saying he had donated them and his estate has no claim on them nearly 12 years after it put them on display. The paintings, including one Kevorkian did with a pint of his own blood, were among 140 of his personal effects set for auction by his estate in New York City in late October....
Associated Press, Oct. 19

The tale of the Analy High School library bookshelves
The steel bookshelves that were in the library at Sebastopol, California’s Analy High School since the beginning of time were funky and ugly, painted a shade of green that might have been rejected at state prisons or hospitals. But today the library boasts handsome, gently used oak bookcases because librarian Rosalie Abbott sensed a rare opportunity and asked the Analy community to seize it. It did....
Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat, Oct. 20

Thousand Oaks library houses archives of radio legend
Near the checkout counter at the Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks, California, is a small display featuring works by radio giant Norman Corwin (right), who died October 18 of natural causes at age 101. The “poet laureate of radio” left behind a treasure trove—scripts, correspondence, production notes, research material, photos, and sound recordings—that is in the library’s climate-controlled storage room. His collection is a key component of the library’s American Radio Archives....
Ventura County (Calif.) Star, Oct. 20

Brighton District Library becomes a Certified Wildlife Habitat
The National Wildlife Federation has recognized the Brighton (Mich.) District Library’s property as an official Certified Wildlife Habitat site. The property is more than 10 acres and includes the adjacent Parker Preserve. It attracts a wide variety of birds, butterflies, insects, and other animals by providing a wildlife-friendly landscape. To achieve that, the library had to provide suitable food, water, cover, and places to raise young animals, as well as employ sustainable gardening practices....
Brighton (Mich.) Patch, Oct. 24

Jersey City library returns book stolen during Civil War
Nearly 150 years after a Union Army captain pilfered a book of court records from a county courthouse in Virginia during the Civil War, the Jersey City (N.J.) Free Public Library has returned the 220-year-old spoil of war to its rightful home. The leather-bound book has a broken binder and the pages are yellowed, but it exhibits the flawless penmanship of John Fox, a Stafford County deputy court clerk who in 1791 was given the task of transcribing summarized court records covering 1749 to 1755....
Jersey City Jersey Journal, Oct. 20

Rare book solves an Australian mystery
Auctioneer Grant Gardner was rummaging through a middle-class home in London, Ontario, in May when he stumbled upon a copy of An Historical Account of the Colony of New South Wales by Captain James Wallis, published in 1821. A closer look revealed 10 original oil paintings pasted on the back pages and several oil illustrations on the front pages. For decades, scholars have debated whether Wallis had done all the artwork. The book Gardner found contained not only the engravings Wallis said were his, but 10 original oil paintings used for the engravings. Five have the words “Drawn by a Convict” written on them. The New South Wales State Library has purchased the book at auction....
London (Ont.) Free Press, Oct. 18

How revolutionary tools cracked an 18th-century code
It has been more than six decades since Warren Weaver, a pioneer in automated language translation, suggested applying code-breaking techniques to the challenge of interpreting a foreign language. That insight led to a generation of statistics-based language programs like Google Translate as well as new tools for breaking codes. Now a team of linguists has applied statistics-based translation techniques (PDF file) to crack one of the most stubborn of codes: the Copiale Cipher, a hand-lettered 105-page manuscript that appears to date from the late 18th century....
New York Times, Oct. 24; USC Information Sciences Institute

Billionaire brings reading to Cambodia
Of the 60 countries in which billionaire Jim Thompson’s Crown Group does business, he chooses Cambodia for his acts of philanthropy—this time, the opening of a library in remote Pursat province on October 22. About 3,000 people, mostly students from the adjacent Leach High School, came to the province’s Phnom Kravanh district to honor the results of Thompson’s $57,000 donation. Named the Hazel Joyce Library, after Thompson’s older sister, it fits in with his notion that education is the primary requirement for Cambodia....
Phnom Penh Post, Oct. 24

Go back to the Top

American Libraries’ new Midwinter page aggregates all of the Midwinter-related stories on the AL site and displays tweets tagged with the official Midwinter hashtag, #alamw12.

Jamal Joseph, author of Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention (2012) will give the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture, Saturday, January 21, 4–5 p.m.

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