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

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

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AL Buyers Guide

American Libraries Online

Texas State Librarian Peggy Rudd at the ARSL conference 2011. Photo by Paul HealeyA big gathering of small and rural libraries
ALA Office for Diversity Director Miguel Figueroa writes: “More than 320 librarians gathered in Frisco, Texas, September 8–11, for the 2011 Association for Rural and Small Libraries Annual Conference. An ALA affiliate, ARSL is a nationwide network of library practitioners dedicated to the positive growth and development of libraries. Evident throughout the conference was the attendees’ firm belief that rural and small libraries make essential contributions to their communities, no matter how big the state in which they are located.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Sept. 13

Catalog cover for the Jewish Museum’s celebration of Ezra Jack Keats’s workRecognizing the impact of Ezra Jack Keats
Rocco Staino writes: “In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ezra Jack Keats’s groundbreaking picture book The Snowy Day (Penguin, 1962), the Jewish Museum has created the first major United States exhibition for the Caldecott-winning illustrator. ‘The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats’ show features over 80 original works, from preliminary sketches to final paintings and collages, and will remain at the New York City museum until January 29, 2012.”...
American Libraries news, Sept. 14

Andrew CarnegieA century of philanthropy: Carnegie Corporation of New York
Karen Theroux writes: “In 1911, Andrew Carnegie created his last and largest philanthropic institution, Carnegie Corporation of New York, to promote international peace and advance education and knowledge. While staying true to these goals, the foundation time and again has risen to the evolving challenges of the past 100 years. The foundation can claim credit for such diverse achievements as establishing TIAA-CREF to provide financial security for educators, funding the laboratory where insulin was discovered, and underwriting the venerable Brookings Institution.”...
American Libraries feature

Major OwensLibrarians in government
The question came in with the subject line “Reference question that only ALA can answer,” but it really is a question that only all of ALA, not just the ALA Librarian, can answer: Are there librarians who have been elected officials, or who have run for office? The quick answer is an unqualified “yes!” because for over a decade we had our “librarian in Congress,” Major Owens (right), Democratic Congressman from New York’s 11th District. Do you know of any others?...
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, Sept. 14


APA ad

ALA News

Interview with President-Elect Maureen SullivanPresident-Elect Maureen Sullivan
ALA President-Elect Maureen Sullivan (right) talks to American Libraries Associate Editor Pamela A. Goodes in this interview (11:36) about her goals for her presidential term, ALA election voter turnout, the ALA Future Perfect Report, diversity, and advocacy....
AL Focus, Sept. 13

Emerging Leaders Paige Mano and Casey SchacherLeading by example: Emerging Leaders
Newcomers to the profession are getting a boost toward leadership, thanks to ALA’s Emerging Leaders program. Emerging Leaders aims to put participants on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership by offering learning, networking, and volunteer opportunities. The program, which was launched in 2007 as one of Leslie Burger’s presidential initiatives, is limited to librarians at the beginning of their careers. Participation is open to librarians under 35 or who have fewer than five years of experience in a professional or paraprofessional library position. Watch the AL Focus video (2:24), in which members of ALA’s 2011 class of Emerging Leaders discuss their projects....
American Libraries feature; AL Focus, Sept. 13

ALA urges supercommittee to guard job-seeker resources
The ALA Washington Office sent a letter (PDF file) to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction September 13, urging the bipartisan, 12-member panel to protect federal support for our nation’s libraries in its soon-to-be-released deficit reduction package. ALA asked the committee, often referred to as the deficit-reduction supercommittee, to maintain funding for the Library Services and Technology Act, which was reauthorized last December....
Office of Government Relations, Sept. 13

Libraries urged to participate in internet use survey
ALA is encouraging public libraries to participate in the 2011–2012 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study online survey. The survey provides an 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, such as providing public access technology centers in their communities. The survey will be available through November 11....
Office for Research and Statistics, Sept. 12

Screen shot from Lauren Myracle's Virtual Read-Out videoBlume and Myracle help launch Virtual Read-Out
Readers from across the United States are demonstrating their support for free speech by participating in a Virtual Read-Out of banned and challenged books that will culminate during the 30th annual Banned Books Week, September 24–October 1. Individuals, libraries, and bookstores are uploading videos to YouTube, tagged for the Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out channel. Videos of frequently censored authors Judy Blume and Lauren Myracle (right) have recently been posted....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Sept. 13

Dan KleinmanInterview with Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries
Rory Litwin writes: “Dan Kleinman (right) is the man behind the SafeLibraries campaign, which opposes the ALA’s intellectual freedom efforts regarding challenged books in school libraries and classrooms. From Dan’s point of view, as many know, ALA is responsible for exposing children to sexually inappropriate materials. Dan agreed to an interview, which we conducted on Facebook chat.”...
Library Juice, Sept. 13

Screen shot from Beaux Foy PSA videoNorth Carolina celebrates Library Sign-Up Month
In September, the State Library of North Carolina reminds residents not only that a library card is the smartest card but that having one totally rocks. The state library kicked off its sixth annual Library Card Sign-Up Month campaign, featuring Beaux Foy (above) from the North Carolina–based band Airiel Down. Foy donated his time and image to a print public service announcement (PSA) and a promotional video (2:01) filmed at the West Regional branch of the Wake County Public Libraries....
Public Information Office, Sept. 13; YouTube, Aug. 8

Submit your Smartest Card photos
In celebration of Library Card Sign-up Month, the atyourlibrary.org website is looking for photos of library users with the “smartest card”—a library card. Upload photos from your library to your Flickr account, join the “Show Us Your Library Card!” group, and add your photos to the group pool. Photos will be shown on the home page throughout the month of September....
Public Information Office, Sept. 13

Portion of Guadalajara Book Fair poster featuring GermanyGuadalajara Book Fair free pass
ALA and the Guadalajara International Book Fair are partnering for the 13th year to provide support for ALA members to attend the 25th book fair from November 26 to December 4. Free passes will be awarded to 150 librarians who work in the area of Spanish-language acquisitions. The deadline for applications has been extended to October 1. This year’s invited country is Germany....
International Relations Office

LSSC project for LTA program partners
The ALA–Allied Professional Association invites colleges that offer Library Technical Assistant degrees or certificates to participate in a project that may allow their graduates to receive Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) without having to further demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Over the next year, the ALA-APA will review participating college curricula to find if graduates must complete courses that cover the majority of LSSC’s competency requirements....
ALA–Allied Professional Association, Sept. 13

Cover of Going MobileGo mobile the easy way
Library users increasingly expect access to their libraries anywhere, anytime. Going Mobile: Developing Apps for Your Library Using Basic HTML Programming, a special report published by ALA Editions, provides practical guidance in how librarians can put the library in the palms of their users’ hands. Using the HTML skills that many librarians already have, along with flexible development tools, technology expert Scott La Counte shows how creating a customized mobile app doesn’t need to be expensive or require deep expertise....
ALA Editions, Sept. 12

ALA Editions goes into OverDrive
OverDrive’s academic catalog grows more robust as titles from ALA’s publishing imprint, ALA Editions, are added. ALA Editions offers more than 75 unique e-books that cover a slew of current topics relevant to all types of library institutions. Highlights include Young Adult Literature by Michael Cart, The Frugal Librarian by Carol Smallwood, and No Shelf Required by Sue Polanka....
OverDrive Digital Library Blog, Sept. 6

Booklist Online logo

Cover of 1Q84Featured review: Adult fiction
Murakami, Haruki. 1Q84. Nov. 2011. 928p. Knopf, hardcover (978-0-307-59331-3).
Murakami writes two kinds of novels: short, intimate, crystalline portraits of lovers, often trapped in alternate worlds or struggling between secret selves (After Dark, 2007), and much longer, broad-canvas epics (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, 1997) that submerge the reader in a tidal wave of story. His latest definitely falls into the latter camp, and, yet, it clings resolutely to the intimacy of the shorter works. This foray into what is unquestionably Murakami’s most vividly imagined parallel world begins simply, with two seemingly ordinary events: two lonely 10-year-olds, a boy and a girl, Tengo and Aomame, hold hands in an empty classroom, and for the next 20 years, while never seeing one another, they dream of meeting but are strangely paralyzed to make it happen. Then Aomame, a 30-year-old woman in 1984—and an assassin who kills men who abuse women—walks down an emergency exit from a Tokyo expressway and finds herself in another world, which she calls 1Q84, a world overseen by two moons and ruled, apparently, by the quixotic “little people.”...

Top 10 travel books graphicTop 10 literary travel books for 2011
Brad Hooper writes: “Ardent travelers are not about to give up traveling or reading about other travelers’ experiences. There is much to appreciate in each of the following exciting travelogues, all reviewed in Booklist over the past year.” These books will take you to the Andes, the Middle East, India, Russia, Iran, Tibet, the Arctic, and other faraway places....

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


Division News

PLA 2012 Conference logoPLA Conference housing and registration open
Housing and registration for the Public Library Association’s 2012 Conference, March 13-17 in Philadelphia, are now open. The schedule is packed with education, inspiration, and entertainment. Keynote speaker Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will welcome attendees at the Opening Session, while Betty White will send them off from the Closing Session. In between, more than 125 education programs, engaging author events, unique networking opportunities, and a bustling exhibits floor will keep attendees busy....
PLA, Sept. 9

Banned Websites Awareness Day resources
On September 28, AASL is launching the first annual Banned Websites Awareness Day to spotlight the problem of excessive filtering of legitimate educational internet websites in many K–12 schools. AASL is providing resources for school librarians and others concerned with how filtering is affecting teachers’ ability to effectively use the internet as an instructional resource and equally as important how it is affecting student learning....
AASL Blog, Sept. 8

Cover of the Sept./Oct. Knowledge QuestNew Knowledge Quest website
The AASL journal Knowledge Quest now has an all-new website. Coinciding with the newly released September/October 2011 issue on “Educational Gaming” (right), the newly launched site features a variety of additional content and resources related to the theme of the issue, including a new podcast series, a new webinar series, and online bonus features....
AASL, Sept. 13

ALTAFF Book Club Choices available
ALTAFF has made its collection of Book Club Choices available to the public. More than 40 book reviews, originally featured in ALTAFF’s member newsletter, The Voice, are available on the division’s website. This is a great resource for Friends and/or library book clubs, as well as for library patrons looking for advice on book club selections....
ALTAFF, Sept. 12

Friend Your Library button setBecome a Friend in time for National Friends of Libraries Week
Your chance to honor library Friends is fast approaching, with the fifth annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 16–22. Library lovers everywhere are encouraged to join their local Friends of the Library group, or show support for their local library by wearing a celebratory button. ALTAFF and ALA Graphics have partnered to create new Friend Your Library buttons, available in packs of 6, 12, or 18, as well as downloadable materials....
ALTAFF, Sept. 13

LITA National Forum: Rich content, great networking
There is still time to register for the 2011 LITA National Forum. Held September 29–October 2 in St. Louis, the Forum offers nearly three days of content-rich programming for library technologists, along with the networking opportunities of a smaller conference. Attendees will have the chance to get to know LITA leaders, Forum speakers, and peers in the library and information technology field across all types of libraries....
LITA, Sept. 13

Teens' Top Ten logoVote by September 16 for Teens’ Top Ten
YALSA invites all teens to get out the vote for the Teens’ Top Ten. Teens can vote for their favorite books from the last year in the annual poll. The 25 nominees for this year’s Teens’ Top Ten are available online, along with a toolkit for librarians to promote the Teens’ Top Ten to the young adults visiting their libraries. Registration for Teen Read Week also ends on September 16....
YALSA, Sept. 8–9

Energy Kids is one of the new websites addedMore selections added to Great Web Sites for Kids
ALSC has added five more informative and engaging websites to Great Web Sites for Kids, its online resource containing hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children. Members of the ALSC GWS Committee review potential sites for inclusion and vote on the sites to be included....
ALSC, Sept. 13

Upcoming ALCTS e-Forums
ALCTS announces four new e-Forums. Offered free of charge, an ALCTS e-Forum provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss matters of interest, led by a moderator, through the e-Forum discussion list. The e-Forum discussion list works like an email discussion list: Register your email address with the list, and then you will receive messages and communicate with other participants through an email discussion....
ALCTS, Sept. 13

Awards & Grants

Nominations sought for Kilgour Award
Nominations are invited for the 2011 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, sponsored by LITA and OCLC. The award recognizes research that shows promise of having a positive and substantive impact on any aspect of the publication, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information. Send submissions to Nancy Roderer by December 31....
LITA, Sept. 12

Applications for 2012 PLA awards
PLA is now accepting applications for nine 2012 PLA Awards. Nominate your colleague or library through December 1. This year, through the generosity of sponsors, PLA is offering nine awards/grants designed to highlight the best in public library service and to honor those bringing innovation, creativity and dedication to public libraries....
PLA, Sept. 9

ACRL seeks awards nominations
For more than three-quarters of a century, ACRL has been committed to celebrating the achievements of academic and research librarians through the presentation of awards, grants, and fellowships. ACRL urges its members to nominate colleagues whose work has influenced their thinking and growth as an academic librarian and whose contributions merit recognition by the profession. Nominations must be submitted by December 2....
ACRL, Sept. 13

Ross Atkinson Award nominations sought
Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 ALCTS Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes the contribution of a library leader who has demonstrated exceptional service to ALCTS and its areas of interest (acquisitions, cataloging and classification, collection management and development, preservation and reformatting, and continuing resources). The deadline for nominations and supporting materials is December 1....
ALCTS, Sept. 13

ALCTS seeks nominations for awards
Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 ALCTS awards for innovation and collaboration, professional recognition, preservation, excellence in publication, and continuing resources. ALCTS presents 11 awards to honor individuals and groups in these areas. If you are interested in nominating a candidate for any of these awards, contact the chair of the appropriate award jury by December 1....
ALCTS, Sept. 12–13

Jan Merrill-OldhamNew grant in honor of Jan Merrill-Oldham
The ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section is offering a new grant in honor of the career and influence of Jan Merrill-Oldham (right), distinguished leader, author, and mentor in the field of library and archives preservation. The Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant will provide the recipient the opportunity to attend the ALA Annual Conference in order to contribute to his or her professional development. The grant consists of a $1,250 cash award donated by the Library Binding Institute....
ALCTS, Sept. 13

Nominations for ALTAFF trustee awards
ALTAFF is accepting applications for the ALA Trustee Citation and the ALTAFF Gale Outstanding Trustee Grant. Applications for both awards are due December 30. For more complete information about these awards and an application, visit the ALTAFF website....
ALTAFF, Sept. 13

Carnegie-Whitney Awards
The ALA Publishing Committee provides a grant of up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes, or other guides to library resources that promote reading or the use of library resources at any type of library. Send proposals to Mary Jo Bolduc by November 4....
ALA Publishing, Sept. 12

TLA establishes annual Spectrum Scholarship
The Texas Library Association continues its commitment to diversity in the library profession by announcing its support of the ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program and this year’s special Spectrum Presidential Initiative. Beginning in 2012, TLA will annually fund one Spectrum Scholarship for an individual attending an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an AASL-recognized school library program in Texas....
Spectrum Initiative, Sept. 9

Loanis Menendez-CuestaReforma Fellowship winner
PLA has awarded a $1,000 fellowship to Loanis Menendez-Cuesta (right), reference and young adult librarian of Delray Beach (Fla.) Public Library, to attend the Reforma National Conference in Denver, September 15–18. Applicants for the fellowship were asked to describe ways they envision elevating access to public library services for Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities. Menendez-Cuesta is the newly elected president of Reforma’s Florida chapter....
PLA, Sept. 12

SJSU LIS students supported by Circle of Learning grantsIMLS exhibit booth visits
Kevin Cherry writes: “One of the pleasures of being a program officer at IMLS is meeting with grant recipients. It is especially enjoyable when those grant recipients are scholarship students. Back in June, a number of scholarship recipients visited the IMLS exhibit booth at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Among those I had the pleasure of meeting were San Jose State University’s LIS scholarship students (right) supported as part of the IMLS-funded “Circle of Learning Project.”...
UpNext: The IMLS Blog, Sept. 9

Gale’s 2011 TEAMS Awards
Reference publisher Gale and Library Media Connection magazine on September 12 announced the three winners of the TEAMS Award—Teachers and Media Specialists Influencing Student Achievement. The 2011 winners are Winter Park Elementary School in Wilmington, North Carolina; Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy in Jefferson, Louisiana; and Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The award was created to recognize the critical collaboration between teachers and media specialists in promoting learning and increasing student achievement....
Cengage Learning, Sept. 12

Screen shot from Ezra Jack Keats minigrant proposal tutorialEzra Jack Keats minigrants
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation minigrants of $500 are given to public schools and public libraries for projects that foster creative expression, collaboration, and interaction with a diverse community. They represent an opportunity for educators, whose efforts are often inadequately funded or recognized, to create special activities outside the standard curriculum and make time to encourage their students. The deadline for minigrant proposal submissions is March 15. Watch the minigrant video tutorial (14:00)....
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation; YouTube, June 5

Cover of Diary DrawingsMind Book of the Year
Mind, the U.K. mental health charity, has chosen as the 2011 winner of its Mind Book of the Year performance artist Bobby Baker for Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me, a collection of 158 drawings and watercolors selected from the accumulated hundreds she drew on a daily basis from 1997 to 2008, when she was struggling with mental illness. The award is presented to the best book, either fiction or nonfiction, that makes the greatest contribution towards increasing an understanding of mental illness....
The Guardian (U.K.), Sept. 12


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Seen Online

Supreme Court to rule on GPS and privacy
In November, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in United States v. Jones, the most important Fourth Amendment case in a decade. The justices will address a question that has divided the lower courts: Do the police need a warrant to attach a GPS device to a suspect’s car and track its movements for weeks at a time? Their answer will bring Fourth Amendment law into the digital age, addressing how its prohibition of “unreasonable searches and seizures” applies to a world in which people’s movements are continuously recorded....
New York Times, Sept. 10

Man arrested in University of Missouri library fire
Officials reopened the University of Missouri’s Ellis Library September 13 after workers finished cleaning up water-soaked ceiling tiles and carpet in the basement and first floor resulting from an arson fire set early September 10. Police arrested 25-year-old Chistopher C. Kelley on suspicion of burglary, arson, and property damage. Some 80 wet books were freeze-dried over the weekend to prevent mold growth. About $10,000 worth of replaceable microfilm reels were damaged. See some photos of the damage here....
Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune, Sept. 10, 12; MU Alert, Sept. 13; The Missourian, Sept. 12

Borders liquidator donates books to Chicago Public Schools
Hilco Trading, a private firm in Northbrook, Illinois, was recognized by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel September 10 for donating academic-quality books valued at approximately $130,000 to the Chicago Public School System. The books covered a wide range of nonfiction topics and were hand-selected and purchased by Hilco from Borders Book Stores across the United States....
Hilco Trading, Sept. 10

Kan-ed logoKansas broadband services slashed
A Kansas broadband network has cut its services to schools, hospitals, and libraries because of budget cuts approved by the Kansas legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback. Kan-ed discontinued LiveTutor, a heavily used service providing online tutor support for students, on July 1. Other services for research, educational databases, and a service that helps hospitals in emergency situations, have been cut by 50%. Kan-ed was set up by the legislature in 2001 to provide for a broadband technology–based network....
Lawrence (Kans.) Journal-World, Sept. 13

St. Paul braces for library cuts
Under pressure from the mayor’s office to shave more than $1 million in expenses, the St. Paul (Minn.) Public Library would reduce hours, increase fees and fines, and lay off workers in a proposed 2012 budget that makes tough choices throughout the city’s library system. In all, the library system would remain open to users 645 hours a week, down from the present 691 hours, and would drop from 166.9 FTE positions to 155.3 next year after cuts to clerical workers, library help-desk associates, and a librarian....
St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press, Sept. 8

Jacksonville faces budget reduced by $3.5 million
The 21 branches of the Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library may have their hours slashed, be closed on Mondays, and have their staff cut too. It's all part of budget cuts that went from an expected $900,000 to now more than $3 million. Bill Brinton, a member of the group Save Jacksonville Public Libraries, said he’s okay with the original $900,000 plan because library hours would not be affected, but $3.5 million is a bit much....
WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 12; Jacksonville Public Library

Striking librarians at the University of Western Ontario. Courtesy UWO Faculty AssociationWestern Ontario librarians on strike
Library personnel at the University of Western Ontario in London, represented by the UWO Faculty Association, went on strike September 8 after failing to reach an agreement with the university. The 50 unionized librarians and archivists—most of whom are women—have been without a contract since June 30. While compensation and workload are key issues, gender has also become a negotiating point....
London (Ont.) Community News, Sept. 8; UWO Faculty Association

Patrons rally to save Detroit branch
Users of the Detroit Public Library’s Chase branch held a daylong protest September 8 in hopes of saving what they say is the heart of their neighborhood. Chase is one of six branches slated to close under a proposal by Detroit Public Library administrators, who say layoffs in March have stretched the staff too thin. But the plan comes three months after officials abandoned plans that would have closed as many as 18 branches. The board of commissioners is expected to vote on the plan by the end of September....
Detroit News, Sept. 9

An unidentified woman included in a database of slave names and images of original source documents that the Virginia Historical Society has assembledDatabase of Virginia slave names goes online
Scholars at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond have set out to leaf through 8 million documents dating back to the 17th century, seeking the names of slaves. The preliminary results, listing about 1,400 enslaved people and 180 owners, started appearing September 14 in a database on the society’s website. “Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names” is searchable by locations, professions, and first and last names, among other keywords....
New York Times, Sept. 8

Woman pleads not guilty to stealing 2,000 library books
A 44-year-old Vista, California, woman accused of stealing thousands of books from public libraries in Carlsbad, Oceanside, and San Diego pleaded not guilty to felony theft charges during her arraignment September 9. Carlsbad police said officers recovered 2,000 library books during a search of Maria Nater’s home after her arrest on September 6. Detectives had gone there to investigate reports of a significant loss of books from Carlsbad Public Library between March and July. Nater had also been reported acting suspiciously at the library on July 25....
Escondido (Calif.) North County Times, Sept. 9

Sex offenders banned from Knox County libraries
Knox County, Tennessee, Mayor Tim Burchett by executive authority September 12 banned those listed on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry from visiting county libraries. He said if they need to use the services, the offenders can access the library catalog and electronic resources online or have someone else check out and return library material on their behalf. Any offender who has been warned not to enter a library and does so may be arrested for criminal trespass. Indiana University law student Jennifer Ekblaw points out (PDF file) that this has been tried before....
Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel, Sept. 12; Indiana Law Review 44 (2011): 919–956

Gabriel Levinson's Book Bike service in ChicagoPima County to launch a book bike
The Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library plans to launch a three-wheeled mobile library this winter. The book bike, inspired by an independent service in Chicago (right), is a project of Adult Services Librarian Karen Greene. The books on the bicycle library will be free for people to take. The idea is to educate people who may not have been to the library in a long time. Greene secured $4,000 from a state library grant to get the book bike built by Haley Tricycles in Philadelphia....
Tucson Velo, Sept. 7

Brazil's biciclotecaAnd Brazil has its Bicicloteca
Collecting and distributing books to disadvantaged areas of society can present logistical problems, but the Institute of Green Mobility in Brazil has found a simple solution with Bicicloteca, a tricycle adapted to function as a mobile library. The tricycle was created to bring books to homeless people, those living in areas with no access to a library, or those who cannot afford books. The institute loans the Bicicloteca to NGOs and trains them on how best to approach people and how to perform monthly maintenance....
Springwise, Sept. 6; Instituto Mobilidade Verde

The Uni, installedThe Uni mobile library debuts in Manhattan
A futuristic private mobile library debuted September 11 at Lower Manhattan’s New Amsterdam Market. The Uni, as it’s been dubbed by creators Leslie and Sam Davol, is composed of 144 detachable cubbies that can be arranged in various configurations to act as the shelves of an eye-catching portable reading room. The design features hundreds of cone-shaped covers for book-filled cubbyholes that can be removed and turned into benches and tables. The Uni offers free-to-read books—curated to complement the setting—for children and adults....
DNAinfo, Sept. 8

Wisconsin State Law Library birthday cake from a 175th anniversary celebration in AprilWisconsin State Law Library celebrates 175 years
The Wisconsin State Law Library has been helping lawyers and other citizens of this state for 175 years and September 14 it is celebrating its anniversary with a private reception. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, but the library was established in 1836 when an act of Congress created the Territory of Wisconsin. The 16th and final section of that act appropriated funds for the Wisconsin State Library to support the needs of its fledgling government. “It was the first library established in the state of Wisconsin,” said library history buff Larry Nix, one of the reception speakers....
Madison Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14

Accident at Tiverton (R.I.) Public Library. Screen shot from WHDH-TV newscastWoman rescued after car flips into library
A single-car crash caused a stir at the Tiverton (R.I.) Public Library September 7. The driver, a woman estimated to be in her mid-80s, was trapped inside her car for a brief time before firefighters extricated her from the rear passenger door. Adult Services Librarian Prudence Fallon said she heard a loud crash and called 911 while Circulation Librarian John Fitzgerald and nurse Sue Wilkie, who happened to be in the library at the time, spoke to the woman while she was trapped in her car....
Fall River (Mass.) Herald News, Sept. 7; WHDH-TV, Boston, Sept. 8

The 7th mystery sculpture, found at Edinburgh Central LibraryEdinburgh’s mysterious book sculptor strikes again
They have been described as the work of a “mystery book sculptor with a heart of gold.” Yet another miniature model fashioned out of a book has been left at one of Edinburgh’s cultural locations, and though the latest offering takes the form of a magnifying glass, there is still no clue as to who is behind them. The latest sculpture, found sitting on a bookshelf at Edinburgh Central Library, brings the tally discovered since March to seven. Edinburgh photographer Chris Scott has a roundup of photos, locations, and sources....
Edinburgh (U.K.) Evening News, Aug. 30; Central Station Blog, Aug. 31

Vein scanners use near-infrared light to reveal the patterns in a person's veinsAustralian city considers vein scanners
A radical plan to use biometric vein-scanning technology to monitor the working hours of library staff is being considered by Monash Council in Melbourne, Victoria. The system would involve staff checking in and out of work by having their fingers scanned, rather than using time sheets. But Australian Services Union Assistant Branch Secretary Igor Grattan said the system was an invasion of privacy that angered library staff and councillors....
Waverley (Vict.) Leader, Sept. 13

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Tech Talk

Screen shot of Windows 8 demoA first look at what’s new in Windows 8
Whitson Gordon writes: “Microsoft revealed a more in-depth look at Windows 8 at the Build Conference on September 13, featuring a new tablet interface as well as the traditional mouse-and-keyboard desktop. Microsoft’s reimagining of Windows 8 is focused very heavily on a new, Metro-style touch-based interface. However, they make a big deal of saying that it’s just as usable with a mouse and keyboard. And Windows 8 actually has better performance than Windows 7.” Watch the video overview (8:22)....
Lifehacker, Sept. 13; YouTube, Sept. 13

Samsung NF310-A01 netbookHow to buy a netbook
Cisco Cheng writes: “As a category, netbooks are such a diverse group that it’s hard to come up with a single, all-encompassing definition. The best indicators that you’re dealing with a netbook are a low price, light weight, and low-powered components. It’s likely the system will have a screen on the smaller side and a basic feature set. Still, netbooks vary in screen size, typing experience, and specialty features. Despite their current state, there are certainly enough netbooks that warrant further explanation. Luckily, this netbook buying guide does just that.” And here are PC Magazine’s top 10 choices....
PC Magazine, Sept. 8

Postagram app sends your photos on postcardsAwesome Instagram apps and services
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Instagram, the mobile photo-sharing app for the iPhone and iPad, has spread like wildfire with more than 7 million users sharing 150 million photos. This addictive little app enables users to snap photos with their devices, add fun and transformative filters, and then share them on such social networks as Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter. Its burgeoning popularity has brought with it a slew of third-party apps to enhance your Instagram experience. Here are some of the best.”...
iLibrarian, Sept. 13

Twitter releases web analytics tool
How much traffic does your website receive from Twitter? Twitter Web Analytics, a new tool announced September 13, should help provide some clarity to website owners who rely on the information network for content distribution. It’s powered by BackType, the social analytics company that Twitter acquired in July. The tool is free and currently in beta....
Mashable, Sept. 13

Finkelstein's test for DeQuervain's tenosynovitis, a condition that can be caused by textingSo many gadgets, so many aches
Look around, they’re everywhere: hunched shoulders, angled necks and wrists, hands twisted like claws. As people harness their bodies to use more electronic devices in more places, they may unknowingly be putting themselves at a greater risk of injury. By positioning themselves improperly, people are at greater risk of eye strain, tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive actions that lead to overuse of muscles and tendons can inflame them, causing pain in the hands, shoulders, neck, and back....
New York Times, Sept. 10

25% of federal web domains are unreachable
Approximately 25% of top-level federal web domains can’t be accessed by web users, according to an unofficial analysis by FCC New Media Fellow Benjamin Balter released on September 7. The analysis examined 1,761 federal government domains using a tool called Site Inspector, which provides detailed information about a website and its capabilities. Balter admitted that the unreachable sites may be due to progress achieved by federal agencies on the White House goal to reduce government websites over the next year, or simply could be due to sites being temporarily down....
Government Technology, Sept. 13; Benjamin J. Balter, Sept. 7; Nextgov, Sept. 9

DriveImage XML screenThe best drive cloning app for Windows
Whitson Gordon writes: “Windows has countless drive cloning programs available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. It’s almost impossible to pick the perfect one, but if you have a drive to clone, we recommend starting your search with DriveImage XML. Its biggest advantage is that you don’t have to reboot your computer to run the cloning process. It can ‘hot image’ your drive so you can start cloning while you keep working.”...
Lifehacker, Sept. 13

Some of your PC's inner partsHow to install a new hard drive
Eric Z. Goodnight writes: “It’s recession economics 101—you can’t always afford to shell out for a whole new PC. In this first of a new series of Hardware Upgrade posts, we’ll cover the basics for buying new drives, backing up old system disks, and opening up your PC to swap out drives. It’s great geeky fun, and it can help you put off a new PC purchase for just a little bit longer. Installing a hard drive is a fairly simple affair. Here’s the lowdown on what you’re going to need to upgrade your storage.”...
How-To Geek, Sept. 14

Fix incorrect photo dates in Flickr
J. D. Biersdorfer writes: “Flickr gives you the ability to edit your photos and information about those photos even after you upload them to the site. You can change the dates one by one if you have a small amount of photos to fix, or you can also change the date on a whole batch of images at once. To correct the dates on just a picture or two, click the photo’s thumbnail image on your main Flickr page.”...
New York Times: Gadgetwise, Sept. 9

E-Content

Amazon Prime logoAmazon ponders Netflix-like book service
Amazon is reportedly in talks with publishers to turn a selection of Kindle books into a Netflix-like content library as an added bonus for Amazon Prime customers. Under the rumored plan, Prime members would get to read a limited number of books for free every month from a library of older titles as part of their annual $79 Prime membership fee. Brennan Slattery identifies five things that Amazon must do for this scheme to succeed. And what does its success mean for libraries? The Guardian’s Sarah Crown speculates: “If I were a librarian, I confess, I’d be putting the career-change plan into action just about now.”...
PC World, Sept. 12; PWxyz, Sept. 12; The Guardian: Books Blog, Sept. 12

HathiTrust digital library logoAuthors Guild sues universities over HathiTrust
With the Google Settlement in tatters and the case expected to soon head back to litigation, the Authors Guild has doubled down on its infringement claims by suing a consortium of university libraries over the HathiTrust digital initiative. According to the complaint, filed September 12 in New York, the Authors Guild—along with the Australian Society of Authors, the Union Des Écrivaines et des Écrivains Québécois, and eight individual authors—has filed a copyright infringement suit against the consortium, led by the University of Michigan, but which now numbers more than 50 partners and nearly 10 million volumes. James Grimmelmann offers an analysis of the lawsuit, and Karen Coyle adds her thoughts....
Publishers Weekly, Sept. 12; The Laboratorium, Sept. 12; Coyle’s InFormation, Sept. 12

Authors Guild googles the author of an orphan work
The Authors Guild writes: “About two minutes of googling turned up a professor emeritus of one of the HathiTrust ‘orphan works’ candidates. He lives in suburban Maryland. His second book sold a reported one million copies, and he’s listed in IMDB (two of his books were turned into movies: one starred Elvis Presley, the other Warren Beatty). He has a literary agent, and he signed an e-book contract earlier this month. No, we’re not making this up.”...
The Authors Guild Blog, Sept. 14

Indiana University strikes deal with e-textbook publishers
Indiana University has negotiated new publisher agreements that are expected to reduce the costs of e-textbooks for students, extend the periods in which they have access to the texts, and give them more flexibility in how they use the digital material. The current set of agreements applies to e-text publishers John Wiley and Sons, Macmillan’s Bedford Freeman and Worth Publishing Group, W. W. Norton, and Flat World Knowledge....
Campus Technology, Sept. 13

Libraries and e-books: The lending continues
Blake Sanders writes: “With the rising trend of e-readers, public libraries are providing new downloadable e-books and audiobooks for their customers. If you have a library card and a high-speed internet connection, you can download an e-book at libraries offering this service. Generally, e-book downloads are available in mobi, EPUB, and PDF formats. Some branches also offer a selection of e-readers to check out.”...
eBookAnoid, Sept. 14

Michael S. Hart in 2006E-book inventor Michael S. Hart (1947–2011)
Michael S. Hart, who was widely credited with creating the first e-book when he typed the Declaration of Independence into a computer on July 4, 1971, and in so doing laid the foundations for Project Gutenberg, the oldest and largest digital library, was found dead September 6 at his home in Urbana, Illinois. He was 64. Today, Project Gutenberg consists of more than 30,000 books in 60 languages, with the emphasis on titles of interest to the general reader....
New York Times, Sept. 8

Why an e-book still needs an index
Peter Meyers writes: “Indexers are the offensive linemen of book publishing. No one notices their work until they screw up. Today’s question is: Why do the vast majority of e-books today come without indexes? First, implementation challenges. A reader’s ability to adjust font size plays havoc with page references. Most publishers, when asked about indexes, point to search as a decent substitute. But it’s not. The absence of an index deepens reader prejudice regarding the value of e-books. It’s not unfair to say that books that do less are worth less. It doesn’t have to be that way.”...
O’Reilly Radar, Sept. 2

Screen shot from Sony under the sea videoUnder the sea with a Sony Reader
Nate Hoffelder writes: “Have you ever been 300 feet down in the ocean and had a hankering to read an e-book? Me neither, but some people want to keep their options open. A pair of divers, Mark Thurlow and Robin Jacoway, dive all over the world and they wanted to take a Sony Reader with them. They asked Gates, a specialist in underwater equipment cases, to make a custom case for the Sony Reader PRS-300. The video (4:32) actually shows an image where you can read the text through the screen.”...
The Digital Reader, Sept. 14; YouTube, Sept. 12

The lifespan of a link
Nick Bilton writes: “Pop quiz. How long do you think a fresh new link lasts online before people stop clicking on it? The answer: on average, just shy of 3 hours. If you ask the same question about a news-related link, the answer is a measly 5 minutes. According to new research by Bit.ly, links have different lifespans if they are posted on Facebook and Twitter or sent through email or chat clients.”...
New York Times: Bits, Sept. 7; bitly blog, Sept. 6

Techniques for electronic resource management
Jill Emery and Graham Stone write: “Two decades after the advent of electronic journals and databases, librarians are still grappling with ways to best manage these resources in conjunction with their print resources. Every two weeks for the next three months, this blog will look at each of the six stages in electronic resources management and invite you to review and comment.”...
TERMS: Techniques for ER Management, Sept. 9

UNC to launch a Digital Innovation Lab
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is launching a virtual lab that will encourage collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative digital humanities projects. The Digital Innovation Lab will encourage the production of digital public goods—projects and tools that are of social and cultural value, can be made publicly available, are scalable and reusable, or serve multiple audiences. One immediate focus will be the use of maps, newspapers, city directories, and public records data by scholars and the public in understanding the history of communities....
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sept. 14

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Cover of Working in the Virtual Stacks

In Working in the Virtual Stacks: The New Library and Information Science, veteran author Laura Townsend Kane interviews dozens of practicing librarians who are highly involved with technology as part of their day-to-day jobs. Revealing the full richness of the profession, Kane profiles web-services librarians in all types of settings, from veterinary medicine and law to astronomy, market research, and cataloging. NEW! From ALA Editions.


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Andrew Carnegie

A Century of Philanthropy

Censorship Watch

Currents

Perpetual Beta

Inside Scoop

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Solutions and Services

AL Focus


Great Libraries of the World

Library, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Library, Leuven, Belgium. The university and its library were established in 1835, shortly after Belgium acquired independence from the Netherlands. The library was completely destroyed in a fire purposely set on August 25, 1914, by German troops occupying the town at the beginning of World War I. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable books and manuscripts were lost. A new Renaissance Revival structure, designed in 1921 by American architect Whitney Warren and featuring the controversial inscription Furore Teutonico Diruta: Dono Americano Restituta (“Destroyed by Teutonic fury, restored by American gifts”) on its façade, was dedicated in 1928. The building and most of its collections were again destroyed on May 16, 1940, during the German invasion of Belgium, although apparently not deliberately. The losses included specimens of every incunable printed in the Netherlands and many books and papers on socialism and anarchism written by German scholars in the 1920s. The library was rebuilt after World War II in accordance with Warren’s design.

Exhibit Hall, Hendrik Conscience Memorial Library

Hendrik Conscience Memorial Library, Antwerp, Belgium. The first official library of the city of Antwerp dates back to 1481. Since 1883, it has been housed in the Sodaliteit, a 1622 building that once belonged to a Jesuit monastery. The exhibit hall (Nottebohmzaal) houses the rare materials, which include 17th-century terrestrial and celestial globes made by Willem Blaeu, an Egyptian storage cabinet and collection of books by German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius, and busts of famous writers from Antwerp and other cities of Europe.

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.

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Digital Records Archivist, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. The person appointed to this tenure-track, faculty position will manage the Eberly Family Special Collections Library’s existing born-digital archival holdings and expand its capacity to collect electronic records with the initial effort focused on university records. The Digital Records Archivist will help develop and implement workflows and processes enabling the effective acquisition, description, access, management, and preservation of a broad range of digital content, including university records, websites, email, and personal digital archives. Reporting to the head of the Special Collections Library, this position works closely with the university archivist, other archival professionals, librarians, information technologists, and records creators throughout the university....

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Digital Library of the Week

F, 1 Bicycle Corps with Their Bicycles, Fort Riley, Kansas, 1897. Photo by Joseph Judd Pennell, number 287A

The Pennell Photography Collection at the University of Kansas Spencer Research Library in Lawrence consists of more than 30,000 glass plate negatives that represent the life work of Joseph J. Pennell, a successful commercial studio photographer who worked in Junction City, Kansas, from the early 1890s to the early 1920s. It offers a comprehensive view of life in a moderate-sized Midwestern army-post town on the Great Plains at the turn of the last century. The university acquired the negatives, along with 10 ledgers of business records, in 1950. Pennell’s novelist son, Joseph Stanley Pennell, was persuaded to donate them by KU faculty member Robert Taft, who selected 4,000 images that he considered significant, printed them, and prepared a traveling exhibition, which generated a great deal of interest. In 1983, with funding provided by NEH, the entire collection was surveyed, and additional images were printed and cataloged along with the images selected by Taft. It is this subset that is now viewable online.

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.

American Libraries' Solutions and Services column

Public Perception
How the World
Sees Us

‘When I first saw 1968 on the web page, I thought, Wow, apparently, all those Brady Bunch books I’ve read listing 1969 as the show’s first year were wrong,’ Caryn Wisniewski told reporters at a press conference. ‘But even though I obviously trusted the internet, I was still kind of puzzled. So I checked other Brady Bunch fan sites, and all of them said 1969. After a while, it slowly began to sink in that the World Wide Web might be tainted with unreliable information.’ Following up on her suspicion, Wisniewski phoned her public library, the ABC television network, and the office of Brady Bunch producer Sherwood Schwartz—all of whom confirmed that Ted’s Ultimate Brady Bunch Site was in error.

—“Factual Error Found on
Internet,
The Onion, May 22, 2002.

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Calendar

Sept. 24–25:
National Book Festival,
National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Sept. 24–
Oct. 1:

Banned Books Week.
Sponsor: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Sept. 28:
Banned Websites Awareness Day.

Oct. 6:
Read for the Record.
Reading event sponsored by Jumpstart. Call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.

Oct. 9–12:
American Society for Information Science and Technology,
Annual Conference, New Orleans Marriott. “Bridging the Gulf: Communication and Information in Society, Technology, and Work.”

Oct. 14–15:
American Printing History Association,
Annual Conference, Faculty Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla. “Printing at the Edge.”

Oct. 16–22:
National Friends of Libraries Week.
Sponsor: ALA’s Association for Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations.

Oct. 16–22:
Teen Read Week.
Sponsor: ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association.

Oct. 17–19:
Federal Depository Library Conference,
Doubletree Hotel, Arlington, Virginia.

Oct. 17–19:
ARMA International,
Conference, Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center, National Harbor, Maryland.

Oct. 27–30:
American Association of School Librarians,
National Conference, Minneapolis Convention Center. “Turning the Page.”

Nov. 2–3:
Library 2.011,
Virtual Conference. Cosponsors: San José State University SLIS, ALA, Special Libraries Association.

Nov. 8–12:
Association for Educational Communications and Technology,
International Convention, Jacksonville, Florida. “Celebrate 3.0: Design.Learn.
Community.”

Nov. 14–15:
Life and Literature Conference,
sponsored by the Biodiversity Heritage Library, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

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Books and Reading

Penguin's UK cover of James and the Giant Peach, illustrated by Quentin BlakeJames and his giant peach turn 50
Gillian Engberg writes: “September 13 has been declared Roald Dahl Day in honor of the author’s birthday, and this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of James and the Giant Peach. Penguin Young Readers Group has rolled out an interactive site filled with activities, games, and opportunities to send a Peach-gram that will help keep a virtual peach rolling around the world, and Quentin Blake, illustrator of recent editions of Dahl’s books, will hold a live webcast on September 28. All of this fanfare has made me curious about the many ways that James and his wondrous fruit world have been portrayed over the decades.”...
Booklist Online: Likely Stories, Sept. 13

Cover of Eloise (1955) by Kay ThompsonCan celebrities write good children’s books?
Betsy Morais writes: “The celebrities-who-write-children’s-books boom began about three decades ago, according to Wendy Lukehart, youth collections coordinator at the District of Columbia Public Library. Charles, Prince of Wales, came out with The Old Man of Lochnagar in 1980, and Jimmy Buffet and his daughter wrote The Jolly Mon in 1993. But the trend stretches back even further. In 1955, an entertainer who was a vocal coach and friend of Judy Garland published a book about Eloise, a little girl who lives at the Plaza Hotel (as the author did, apparently rent-free).”...
The Atlantic, Sept. 12

Writers who don’t read
Buzz Poole writes: “At the New Yorker’s Book Bench, Macy Halford recently posed an important question: ‘What is wanting to write without wanting to read like? It’s imperative that we figure it out, because Giraldi’s right: It’s both crazy and prevalent among budding writers.’ She was echoing a question asked by debut novelist William Giraldi, who in the course of teaching writing at Boston University has noticed a growing number of aspiring writers disinclined to read. How can anyone claim to be interested in writing without being serious about reading? What does this say about culture at large?”...
Salon, Sept. 12; New Yorker: The Book Bench, Aug. 18

Do literary agents try to straighten gay characters in young adult lit?
Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith write: “We are published authors who cowrote a postapocalyptic young adult novel. When we set out to find an agent for it, we expected to get some rejections. But we never expected to be offered representation on the condition that we make a gay character straight, or cut him out altogether. We wrote this novel so that the teenagers we know—some of whom are gay, and many of whom are not white—would be able, for once, to read a fun postapocalyptic adventure in which they are the heroes. And we were told that such a thing could not be allowed.”...
Publishers Weekly: Genreville, Sept. 12

Cover of Farewell, Miss Zukas, by Jo DereskeFarewell, Miss Zukas
Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes: “Whenever I get a little misty for the old days, I have discovered a comfortingly familiar throwback in the character of Miss Wilhelmina Zukas, librarian heroine of the murder mystery series by Sumas, Washington, author Jo Dereske. Helma, as she is called, may well be making her last appearance, however; the latest book in the series is titled Farewell, Miss Zukas. At work, Helma continues to cope with her head-in-the-clouds library manager, Ms. Moon, as well as the rest of the staff.”...
Bellingham (Wash.) Herald, Sept. 12

Reading fiction improves empathy
Burying your head in a novel isn’t just a way to escape the world: Psychologists are increasingly finding that reading can affect our personalities. A trip into the world of Stephenie Meyer, for example, actually makes us feel like vampires. A University at Buffalo study published in Psychological Science found that undergraduates who read Harry Potter self-identified as wizards, whereas those who read Twilight self-identified as vampires....
The Guardian (U.K.), Sept. 7

Reading fiction affects our response to aggression
A Brigham Young University research team led by Sarah M. Coyne writes in the British Journal of Social Psychology: “Reading aggression in literature can influence subsequent aggressive behavior, which tends to be specific to the type of aggression contained in the story.” The study does not show that reading a fictional account of an aggressive action increases belligerent behavior, but it suggests exposure to such literature has a psychological impact on readers, affecting the way they respond to provocations....
Miller-McCune, Sept. 7

Dust jacket for F. Scott Fitzgerald, All the Sad Young MenVintage dust jackets
Emily Temple writes: “We don’t know about you, but it’s not too often that we stop to look at a dust jacket in its entirety, and as we’ve come to discover, that is a shame. Earlier this week, Dangerous Minds tipped us off to Facsimile Dust Jackets, a treasure trove of beautiful, fully unfurled (flaps and all) vintage jackets from almost 8,000 books. As an added bonus, you can also buy the prints from the website.”...
Flavorwire, Sept. 11; Dangerous Minds, Sept. 2

Actions & Answers

JCLC 2012 logoDeadline extended for JCLC proposals
The Steering Committee of the 2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color has extended the open call for program proposals for the conference, scheduled for September 19–23, 2012, in Kansas City, Missouri. Proposals must be submitted by October 1. All proposals will be blind reviewed (without author identification) by the JCLC Program Committee. Notification of proposal selection will be made between November 1 and December 15....
ALA Office for Diversity, Sept. 13

ABOS logoBookmobile and Outreach Services Conference
Outreach librarians and bookmobile professionals will come together October 13–15 in Cleveland for the 2011 Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services Annual Conference. This year’s conference returns to Ohio, site of the first national bookmobile conference in 1985, as attendees examine the trends and challenges in delivering 21st-century library services in their communities. Featured speakers include author Audrey Niffenegger and Satia Marshall Orange, retired director of the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services....
ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Sept. 13

Are librarians different from other professionals?
The University at Buffalo is doing a study of how librarians spend their time outside of work. If you are a librarian, complete this brief survey. It should take about 10 minutes to answer a few questions. The findings will help librarians to understand themselves better, to know what makes them different in how they spend their spare time, and to plan how they will spend their time in retirement. If you would like to be notified of the study’s results, send an email to Renee Bush....
Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo

Seven myths about internet filters
Doug Johnson writes: “Here are some common myths created both through ignorance and intent about internet filters. These mistaken beliefs often result in poor decisions about the use of this software, leading to censorship of online resources. You and your school will be more successful in developing good policies about filtering if you have good information about how this software works. And it will be up to you, the librarian, to bring intellectual freedom into the conversation.”...
AASL Blog, Sept. 13

Cover of STAR mobile devices reportSTAR guide to mobile learning devices
In the latest School Technology Action Report, Education’s Guide to Mobile Devices: Everything You Need to Know about Mobile Tech and Your Schools (PDF file), the editors of eSchool Media highlight what every school needs to know about the benefits of mobile devices, why they have become a game-changer in education, and best practices for implementing and managing mobile devices in classrooms. In this collection of industry reports and in-depth case studies, you’ll find teacher-vetted apps and mobile technologies to help you understand how to make use of mobile....
eSchool News, Sept. 1

If you were on Twitter
Scott McLeod writes: “Dear educator, if you were on Twitter yesterday, you might have found the following 20 useful things. But you weren’t on Twitter yesterday, so it’s likely that you saw none of this. Because you’re not on Twitter, what you don’t realize is that Twitter is the back fence you share with your neighbors. Except your neighbors are people all over the world who share your interests and passions and can help you accomplish your personal and professional goals. Why, again, dear educator, aren’t you on Twitter?”...
Big Think: Dangerously Irrelevant, June 2

50 alternative ways for students to tell their stories
Joyce Valenza writes: “I decided to update an old PowerTools document of ideas I had for mixing up the traditional student project and for offering students alternate strategies for communicating their knowledge and creativity. Yes, I have tried many of these at home with adventurous teachers. I thought I’d share. Please feel free to add your own creative ideas to this list in our Google Doc....
School Library Journal: NeverEndingSearch, Sept. 11

WriteCheck logoIs it plagiarism?
Kent Anderson writes: “The two most popular plagiarism-detection programs are Turnitin, widely used in higher education, and CrossCheck, widely used by scholarly publishers. Both programs rely on software developed by iParadigms. Inside Higher Ed published a story suggesting that a lesser-known iParadigms product called WriteCheck is allowing the company to work both sides of the plagiarism game. For $6.95, a student can submit a paper to WriteCheck and get ideas for grammatical improvements and proper citations. In addition, the student also apparently learns if any part of the paper would be flagged by Turnitin. In short, this doesn’t seem right.”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, Sept. 12; Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 9

13 virtues of the next-gen librarian
Andy Burkhardt, Catherine R. Johnson, and Carissa Tomlinson write: “Benjamin Franklin developed a system of 13 virtues that were personally important, and he worked to improve himself by strictly following those virtues. In the spirit of Franklin, here is a proposed list of virtues of next-gen librarians that can be used as a tool to guide our self-improvement as librarians in the 21st century. The list comes from discussions among the authors, as well as conversations with other librarians and library directors.”...
College and Research Libraries News 72, no. 8 (Sept.): 450–452, 467

Surviving your library job search
Yvonne Mulhern writes: “Job hunting, even at its best, is never easy. In a down economy and a profession teeming with freshly minted graduates, it can be a long, soul-sucking experience wrapped inside a nightmare wrapped inside an abyss (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little). Here are some ideas that will hopefully lessen the pain.”...
Letters to a Young Librarian, Sept. 9

Build a Map logoSeven ways to build custom maps
Richard Byrne writes: “This morning on Twitter someone asked if there is a way for students to create online maps without a Google Account. The answer is yes and here are seven tools that students can use to build custom maps online. One is Build A Map, a new service that allows you to build layers on top of Google Maps. This is different than creating maps in the My Places feature of Google Maps.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Sept. 12

Screen shot of Jean Kaleda in one of the library videosNot in Our Town: In the library
In Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness, a new 60-minute documentary that debuts on PBS stations September 21, the Patchogue-Medford (N.Y.) Library plays a pivotal role as a safe haven for the local immigrant community. In Fall 2008, Reference Librarian Jean Kaleda (right) and Library Assistant Gilda Ramos learned that people were afraid to attend evening ESL classes at the library for fear of being attacked while walking the streets at night. A week later, Marcelo Lucero was murdered, and the library became a place for healing and community participation. Two videos feature Kaleda and Ramos, talking about the library’s community function. Local screening requests for the documentary are still being accepted....
Not in Our Town

It’s a field trip adventure!
Marge Loch-Wouters writes: “In the past, our public library tours for school groups were okay but lacked punch and direction. Kids were led around from one collection to the next and given pretty much the same spiel no matter what their ages. So a year ago, we decided to reimagine the tours into field trips with a concentration on fun and giving kids a glimpse into how libraries really work. But before the fun we had to work on the mechanics.”...
Tiny Tips for Library Fun, Sept. 7

2011 National Book Festival posterAuthors to highlight National Book Festival
An unprecedented 112 authors, poets, and illustrators will speak and meet with their readers at the 2011 National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress. The event, to be held September 24–25 on the National Mall, will also offer more authors and activities for young readers than ever before. The event is free and open to the public. Festival fans will find the usual array of author pavilions—history and biography, fiction and mystery, poetry and prose, and contemporary life, along with a pavilion aimed at teens and another for children....
Library of Congress, Sept. 13

Intellectual property and the public interest
A group of more than 170 policymakers and advocates from 35 countries who met August 25–27 at American University’s Washington College of Law has issued a Washington Declaration on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest. The declaration provides a series of specific recommendations for action, and the group is asking interested individuals to sign it. Though there seems to be a fairly broad agreement on the need for a more balanced intellectual property system that effectively promotes innovation, views diverge on how best to achieve it....
InfoJustice.org

52 types of blog posts that are proven to work
Karol Król writes: “Blogging is not only about putting together 400–2,000 words of text and publishing them on your WordPress site. As a blogger, you can choose from a much bigger variety of possible blog post types (and content in general). One of the most effective ways of fighting writer’s block is having a big resource file, containing lots of ideas and frameworks for new posts. This list is divided into a couple of sections depending on the purpose and characteristics of each content type.”...
ProBlogger, Sept. 3

Poster from John Raitt's 1997 London concertJohn Raitt papers go to Library of Congress
The Music Division of the Library of Congress will receive an extensive collection of Broadway and personal memorabilia from the estate of Broadway giant John Raitt (1917–2005), who originated the role of Billy Bigelow in the Rodgers and Hammerstein show Carousel and also starred in The Pajama Game, Oklahoma!, and other top musicals from the 1940s to the 1960s. An audio interview with Raitt’s daughter, singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, can be heard on the LC website....
Library of Congress, Sept. 7

European Commission Tempus logoLimerick library to lead information literacy project
The Limerick Institute of Technology Library in Ireland has received a grant of €1.2 million (U.S. $1.6 million) from the European Union Executive Agency to lead a cooperative project with seven other nations that will develop information literacy in the Western Balkans. It is the largest sum ever awarded for a library and information science project in the history of the EU’s Tempus program. The project will develop innovative online information literacy modules for lifelong learning....
Irish Library News, Sept.

How to make the most of your teen collection
Audrey Sumser writes: “You’ve got the materials. You’ve got the space. So what can a teen librarian do to draw the teens in and get the books in their hands? A lot, actually. Here is a brief list of some of the techniques that you can use to make the most of your teen collection.”...
YALSA Blog, Sept. 12

Green wall of the Semiahmoo branch of the Surrey (B.C.) LibrariesA lush library for literal wallflowers
Matt Hickman writes: “In October 2010, North America’s largest green wall was unveiled at the Semiahmoo branch of the Surrey (B.C.) Libraries. Sure, this feat of sustainable landscaping was impressive back in its infancy—a whopping 3,000 square feet of soil-less splendor—but nearly a year later, the lush creation of design firm Green Over Grey is really something to behold. The library’s green wall consists of more than 10,000 individual plants representing more than 120 unique species.” Contemporist has many photos of the wall....
Mother Nature Network, Sept. 12; Contemporist, Aug. 29

Postcard of Toledo Public Library with message: "Dear Sis: Think of the lovely fairy books you could get from this library. How's the Black Elk?"Messages on library postcards
Larry Nix writes: “Some people who collect postcards want only those that haven’t been used. I, on the other hand, value postcards that have been used more highly than unused cards. As a collector of library postcards, I especially like postcards that include a message that relates to the library pictured on the postcard or a message that indicates that the sender and/or recipient was a collector of library postcards. Billy R. Wilkinson found that messages on library postcards fell into four categories.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Sept. 9

Dealing with information overload
Dan Messer writes: “So, like a lot of people my age, I’m 35. And like a lot of people in general, I use Google Reader to keep track of a bunch of feeds. I have no idea how many are in my reader, and I don’t care. See that? That bolded bit? That, my friends, is the secret to information overload. So I do something else a lot of other people do: I declare RSS bankruptcy and mark a bunch of crap as read, even though I never even looked at it.”...
Not All Bits, Sept. 7

Screen shot from Puyallup (Wash.) Public Library teen scavenger huntScavenger hunt at Puyallup Public Library
Fifteen teens spent the night in the Puyallup (Wash.) Public Library after reading a ton of books and attending programs (6:39). Part of the Late-Night Lock-In was a carefully prepared scavenger hunt, involving lots of research, getting to know the library, and some crazy activities. Then they watched the sun rise and ate cold pizza with doughnuts....
YouTube, Sept. 10

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