Louisiana denied state aid; support varies elsewhere
Beverly Goldberg writes: “According to the National Council of State Legislatures, all 32 states with annual July 1–June 30 fiscal cycles finalized their budgets by mid-July, and almost half have projected FY2013 upswings in sales and corporate income taxes. The big unknown is how long it will take for that nascent upswing to reach libraries after years of uncertain support in many states. However, libraries are faring poorly in Louisiana, where Gov. Bobby Jindal zeroed out the entire budget line of $896,000 for State Aid to Public Libraries for FY2013.”...
American Libraries news, Aug. 8

ALA releases report on ebook business models
Based on conversations with publishers and deliberations on the ebook market, on August 8 ALA released Ebook Business Models for Public Libraries (PDF file), a report that describes general features and attributes of the current ebook environment and outlines constraints and restrictions of current business models. The report, which was created by the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group, suggests opportunities for publishers to showcase content through public libraries....
AL: E-Content, Aug. 8

Outside/In: Essential bookmarks
David Lee King and Michael Porter write: “Our library users want and deserve the e-content they need, when they need it, and on the device on which they want to view it. But how can libraries possibly do that in competitive ways? We’ve compiled a collection of resources here that you can use to ensure you are informed about the major issues related to ebooks, e-content, libraries, publishers, and other critical areas.”...
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

Newsmaker: Karen Keninger
Karen Keninger (right) became director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., in March. She is the first person who is blind to direct the Braille and talking-book program. She spoke with American Libraries in June about how she plans to turn her lifelong patronage of the NLS to the advantage of its other users....
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

APALA member featured at Poetry Parnassus
Anchalee (Joy) Panigabutra-Roberts and Jade Alburo write: “Bryan Thao Worra (right), Lao-American writer, poet, and a member of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, was selected to represent Lao poets in Poetry Parnassus, a poetry festival named after the home of the Greek Muses and part of Southbank Centre’s Festival of the World, held June 26–July 1 in conjunction with the 2012 Olympics. He was one of the poets picked from more than 6,000 nominations to represent each of the 204 countries participating in the Olympics.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Aug. 3

Youth Matters: A tale of two students
Michelle Luhtala and Deb Svec write: “Meet Michael. In June, he graduated from a high school where he was encouraged to use his own technology for teaching and learning, and to connect to the district’s Wi-Fi network, where he shared almost complete open internet access on school- and personal-learning devices while on campus. Now meet Jessica, who is entering 11th grade in one of the 12 largest school districts in the United States. In this district, all personal devices are banned.”...
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

Librarians who interview authors on television
Valerie Hawkins writes: “The ALA Library recently responded to a rather specific question: What television programs consist of librarians interviewing authors? We found a good handful of librarian-hosted TV talk shows from all across the country that provide insight into the writer and writing process. We believe that all of these are current. Please do not hesitate to comment here with corrections or additions.”...
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, Aug. 7

A new podcast series by AL columnist Joe Janes
We are surrounded by and live by various documents, but we take them for granted. Joseph Janes (right), associate professor in the University of Washington Information School, got to thinking: What if he highlighted their stories by discussing how such documents came to be, what they mean, and how they are evolving in a changing world? That’s how he came up with the idea of a series of podcasts on “Documents That Changed the World.”...
University of Washington, Aug. 2

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Freedom to Read Foundation launches new website, blog
The Freedom to Read Foundation, the First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with ALA, has unveiled its new website. The site, which retains the same URL, is a significant upgrade for the organization and will enhance the online experience for FTRF members, donors, grant and award applicants, and those who want to know more about the cases and programs in which FTRF is involved. Among the features of the new site is a new FTRF Blog....
Freedom to Read Foundation, Aug. 7

“All Things Digital” panel at JCLC
The Institute of Museum and Library Services will convene an “All Things Digital” panel at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color on September 22 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will provide an opportunity to explore the future of library services with experts leading some of the profession’s most innovative and ambitious projects. Scheduled speakers include Charles Henry, Jon P. Gant, and Jake Cowan....
Office for Diversity, Aug. 7

Chinese-language RDA
ALA Publishing and National Library of China Publishing House have reached an agreement for the translation of RDA: Resource Description and Access into the Chinese (Mandarin) language. The publishing house will translate a print version of RDA in Mandarin and distribute it in China and globally. The current agreement does not include any plans to offer an electronic version of the translation....
RDA Toolkit, July 31

Getting the most out of social media tools
Social Information: Gaining Competitive and Business Information Using Social Media Tools, published by Chandos Publishing and available through Neal-Schuman Publishers, explores how information available through traditional business and competitive resources can be complemented by information gained through social media tools. Outlining different categories of social tools and their competitive and business applications, author Scott Brown provides many examples of searches with screenshots....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Aug. 1

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John Green to be 2012 Teen Read Week spokesperson
Best-selling YA author John Green (right) has been named Teen Read Week spokesperson for 2012. Teen Read Week is YALSA’s annual literacy initiative aimed at encouraging teens to read for the fun of it. The week will be celebrated October 14–20 with a theme of “It Came from the Library!” As spokesperson, Green will host a national kickoff event and judge a teen book-trailer contest....
YALSA, Aug. 7

YALSA seeks a blog manager
YALSA is looking for a member manager for its acclaimed YALSAblog. The blog delivers news, information, and resources of interest to public and school librarians and library workers who serve teens. Full details, including qualifications, duties, and honoraria, are available online. Applications are due by November 1....
YALSA, Aug. 7

Stories that matter
Everybody knows that some stories are more compelling than others. Now you can discover how to select and communicate the stories of your library’s successes in ways that will have the greatest impact and will produce the results you need. LLAMA will present a webinar on “Library Outcomes: Stories that Matter” on August 22. Register online....
LLAMA, Aug. 7

RUSA reveals its fall online learning lineup
This fall, RUSA is offering courses on interlibrary loan, business reference, spatial literacy and online mapping, reference interview skills, and genealogy reference. Also available is the brand-new Health Information 101 course. Registration is open....
RUSA Blog, Aug. 1

New evaluation workbook for school librarians
AASL has released a new book that provides school librarians an opportunity to engage in rigorous self-evaluation and shape school administrator evaluations. A 21st-Century Approach to School Librarian Evaluation, written by Patricia Owen, is available in both print and ebook formats. The publication includes workbook-style prompts that walk school librarians through suggested readings, action tips, and evidence collection....
AASL, Aug. 7

Analyze your data sets
AASL has released a new publication focused on increasing a school librarian’s ability to analyze and articulate data sets. The Power of Data: An Introduction to Using Local, State, and National Data to Support School Library Programs, written by Sandra Andrews, guides school librarians through the effective use of data in order to influence school library program stakeholders. The publication is available in both print and ebook formats....
AASL, Aug. 7

ALSC offers student session on mentoring
ALSC will offer a free online workshop on August 14 for all students and early career professionals interested in children’s services. “Emerging As a Leader: How ALSC Helped Us Become the Future” is presented by three members of ALSC’s 2012 Emerging Leader project team. Debbie Zimmerman, Kim Castle-Alberts, and Maria Pontillas were members of Team E, which developed recommendations for an ALSC mentoring program. Register by August 13....
ALSC, Aug. 2

How to improve service for people with disabilities
In the four-week course “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities,” instructor Kate Todd teaches about resources and assistive technologies; the changes in attitudes, laws, and technologies that have impacted people with disabilities; and how to recommend changes in personal and organizational behaviors to improve services. Registration is open....
ASCLA Blog, Aug. 7

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Win a $3,000 National Library Week grant
Libraries seeking to share their stories and raise public awareness are encouraged to apply for the 2013 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant. The library that develops the best public awareness campaign using the 2013 National Library Week theme will be awarded $3,000 to promote its services. All proposals must use the theme “Communities Matter @ your library,” which incorporates the Campaign for America’s Libraries’ @ your library brand. Apply by September 30....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Aug. 7

Anastasi, England win YALSA stipends
Meg Anastasi, reference and teen librarian with the Springfield (Mass.) City Library and teen services coordinator with Meekins Public Library in Williamsburg, and Megan England, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have won 2012 Young Adult Literature Symposium stipends from YALSA. Anastasi received a worker stipend, while England received a student stipend. The grant provides them with up to $1,000 to attend the 2012 symposium, to be held November 2–4 in St. Louis....
YALSA, Aug. 7

2012 RITA Awards
The 2012 RITA awards were announced at the Romance Writers of America Annual Conference in Anaheim, July 25–28. The awards signify excellence in 12 categories of romantic fiction. The winner for romantic suspense was J. D. Robb, New York to Dallas (Penguin), for YA romance it was Ann Aguirre, Enclave (Macmillan Feiwel and Friends), and for historical romance the winner was Joanna Bourne, The Black Hawk (Berkley)....
Romance Writers of America

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Trash fees bail out three Springfield branches
In a decision cheered by library supporters, the Springfield, Massachusetts, city council approved a $15 trash fee increase July 30, part of which will be used to reopen three library branches in the fall. The council voted 7–4 to boost the trash fee from $75 to $90, and then approved using $200,000 of the new revenue to reopen the Liberty Street, Pine Point (above), and East Forest Park branches of the Springfield City Library as early as September 24....
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, July 30

Library becomes a village post office
On August 1, the Leighton Township Library in Moline, Michigan, became the first library in the country to be designated a “village post office,” according to US Postal Service representative Sabrina Todd. Most village post offices are located inside pharmacies, grocery stores, or other businesses. After hours were cut at the nearby post office branch, Library Director Andrea Estelle suggested that the library might offer some postal services as an added benefit to patrons....
Wayland (Mich.) Advance, Aug. 2

University of Wisconsin–Superior reopens library after flood
The University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Jim Dan Hill Library reopened August 7, some six weeks after massive floods destroyed thousands of books on the building’s lower level. The library is offering access to its collections on the upper two floors. Director Debra Nordgren said she plans to have the core of the book collection replaced by late September. “This is a good opportunity for us to make sure we have a collection that is vital to our curriculum,” Nordgren said....
University of Wisconsin–Superior, Aug. 7

Kansas museum library sustains water damage
The University of Kansas’s Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence remained closed August 6 after a water line broke early August 1 and leaked water into the bottom two floors of the building. The water damaged between 15,000 and 20,000 books, roughly 10% of the library’s 170,000 volumes. KU spokesman Joe Monaco said the books will be taken to a Chicago facility where they will be vacuum-freeze dried, evaluated, and treated....
Lawrence (Kans.) Journal-World, Aug. 2

Bedbugs close two libraries
Wichita (Kans.) Central Library was closed August 2–6 after bedbugs were discovered on chairs on two floors of the building. The bugs were sniffed out by Ms. Liberty Belle, the beagle who did the same for the Tulsa library recently. Library Director Cynthia Berner Harris (right) said officials don’t believe any library materials were affected. Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut, reopened August 3 after the building closed earlier in the week due to an infestation that affected about 2,000 items in the collection....
KAKE-TV, Wichita, Kans., Aug. 2; Wichita Eagle, Aug. 6; WTIC-AM, Hartford, Conn., Aug. 3

Library cafés: One persists, another closes
For the third year in a row, the Laramie County (Wyo.) Library System’s café closed out the fiscal year in the red. The café, which first opened in September 2009, has operated at a loss every year since then. But Chief Operations Officer Laura Block said neither she nor the library board consider the loss to be a serious issue, as the café generates revenue and customer numbers are going up. But the business-operated café in the West Des Moines (Iowa) Public Library is closing August 10. It has had five different owners since 2003, and Library Director Darryl Eschete plans to repurpose the space. Check out this 2012 survey of library cafés....
Cheyenne Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Aug. 2; Des Moines (Iowa) Register, Aug. 4; Primary Research Group, July 3

Bronx library labors to be relevant again
The stacks of the Huntington Free Library and Reading Room in the Bronx, New York, once overflowed with American Indian manuscripts, books, and artwork so prized that the Smithsonian Institution tried unsuccessfully to seize the collection. But decades of financial trouble eventually forced the historic but little-known library to part with the collection. Today, it is trying to reinvent itself in the role of a traditional community library....
New York Times, Aug. 7

Chicago Public Library offers a Blue Moon fine amnesty
For the first time in 20 years, the Chicago Public Library is offering a fine amnesty program to encourage all patrons to return overdue materials and not allow fines to discourage students from taking advantage of library resources. Coinciding with the astronomical phenomenon taking place on August 31, the Library is naming the program the “Once in a Blue Moon Amnesty,” reinforcing the fact that it is not a regular occurrence. The last amnesty was in 1992. CPL is currently owed $1.4 million in unpaid fines from overdue materials with an estimated worth of more than $2 million....
Chicago Public Library, Aug. 6

Google tries out new mapping program in Oceanside
In the first project of its kind on the West Coast, Google is about to include the indoor floor plans of Oceanside (Calif.) City Hall, the Civic Center Library, and the city’s senior citizen centers in Google Maps. Want to know where the video discs are displayed in the library or how to find the children’s section? The answer will be found on your smartphone or tablet. Better yet, the map will show where you are and how to get there—with the display constantly updating as you take an elevator or escalator or walk upstairs to a higher level....
Escondido (Calif.) North County Times, Aug. 4

Clearwater library to put up a fence
After only eight years, the downtown Clearwater (Fla.) Public Library’s front entrance and the outdoor terrace on the west side are starting to show wear and tear. Officials say that’s partly because there’s a problem with homeless people sleeping around the building at night. So the city council voted August 2 to put a teal-colored, 8-foot metal fence around the front entrance, with a curving arch on top that mirrors the library’s wavelike roof. A similar fence will surround the west terrace, for a total cost of $119,400....
Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, Aug. 4

US scholar urges closer cultural ties with China
At age 80, Chi Wang (right), a Georgetown history professor who helped develop the Chinese Collection at the Library of Congress, still has a dream—to open an office in China to enhance the country’s cultural interaction with the United States. The office, he said, could buy books directly from publishers in China and help US scholars conduct research there. LC only had 300,000 volumes in its Chinese Collection when Wang began working on it in 1957; it now holds about 1 million books, newspapers, magazines, and films....
China Daily, Aug. 4

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