Copyright for librarians and teachers, in a nutshell
Carrie Russell writes: “You may have wondered whether you hold the copyright to work you’ve put many hours into creating on the job. Who holds the copyright to works created by teachers or librarians? Short answer: In general, when employees create works as a condition of employment, the copyright holder is the employer.”...
American Libraries feature

Library giant Russell Shank dies
Russell Shank (right), 86, professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1977–1988 university librarian at UCLA, and a renowned leader who made his mark in academic, special, and public librarianship as well as in intellectual freedom and international librarianship, died June 26 of complications from a fall at his home. At Annual Conference in Anaheim, Shank (who was ALA President in 1978–1979) was among the library leaders acknowledged at the June 21 Library Champions and Past Presidents Reception....
AL: Inside Scoop, July 2

Toronto library hosts a comics festival
Robin Brenner writes: “The Toronto Comic Arts Festival may not have the name recognition of multimedia geek extravaganzas like San Diego Comic-Con International, but to devoted attendees, TCAF has become the must-attend comics event of the year. With the Toronto Reference Library as its main venue, more than 18,000 attendees passed through the library’s doors May 5–6 to mingle with more than 300 creators.”...
American Libraries news, July 3

Dispatches from the Field: Apple product news
Jason Griffey writes: “In March, Apple announced the latest product in the evolution of what it calls the post-PC computing world, and called it simply ‘the new iPad.’ While almost exactly the same shape, the new iPad is heavier because of a battery with a far larger capacity. The extra capacity was needed because of two key differences that distinguish it from previous versions: a Retina Display and LTE.”...
American Libraries column, May/June

Haiti rises from the rubble
Leonard Kniffel writes: “More than two years after the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, vast numbers of Haitians are still struggling just to return to something resembling normal life. While Haiti Library Relief dollars are making a difference, the need is so vast that ALA has to focus this effort on specific sustainable projects that will advance the nation’s recovery from one of the largest natural disasters on record.”...
American Libraries feature

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Rethinking ALA
ALA President Maureen Sullivan writes: “A year ago, then–ALA President Molly Raphael called for ‘all of us to work together and build a better future for all library communities.’ As president-elect I took these words to heart and made the commitment to continue that work during my term. Our strategic plan, ALA 2015 (PDF file), is an excellent framework to engage all of us in fulfilling the overarching goal to build ‘a world where libraries, both physical and virtual, are central to lifelong discovery and learning and where everyone is a library user.’”...
Amercian Libraries column, July 5

Camila Alire nominated for administration post
On June 28, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Camila A. Alire, ALA president in 2009–2010, as a member of the National Council on the Humanities, a key administration post. The council, a board of 26 distinguished private citizens appointed by the president and confirmed by the US Senate, advises the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities....
Public Information Office, July 3

ALA resolution on school librarians and educational success
Here is the text of the resolution on “School Libraries and Librarians Are Critical to Educational Success” that was adopted by ALA Council at the Annual Conference in Anaheim on June 25....
AASL Blog, July 3

Member POV: Engagement from the bottom up
Chris Kyauk writes: “I’m a governance nerd. If I’m going to belong to something, I have to understand how it ticks. That is why I have made a concerted effort to attend the sessions of ALA Council and ALA Executive Board, the two bodies that govern ALA. As I understand it, Council sets policy and Executive Board implements said policy. Sounds a little bit boring, right? Wrong! Both are actually really interesting.”...
ALA Membership Blog, July 2

Submit suggestions for Programming Librarian calendar
ProgrammingLibrarian.org, a resource website of the ALA Public Programs Office, invites programming librarians from public, academic, school, and special libraries of all sizes to submit proposals for articles and webinars to be included in the 2013 editorial calendar. Proposals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis through September 14. Visit the website for more information or to submit a proposal....
Public Programs Office, July 2

You need your state library association
Don Wood writes: “Add your voice to library advocacy within your state by joining your state library association—also known as an ALA chapter. Once you become a member, you will begin contributing to your state library association’s efforts to advocate for and support libraries, librarians, and library workers within your state.”...
ALA Membership Blog, July 3

Booklist to interview authors at ALA Virtual Conference
Booklist editors Brad Hooper and Donna Seaman will host 30-minute author lunches July 18–19 during the ALA Virtual Conference. Katherine Boo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose latest book is Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (right), will speak with Hooper July 18. Recording artist Christian Kiefer, whose first novel is titled The Infinite Tides, will discuss his work with Seaman July 19. Registration is still open....
Conference Services, July 3

ALA vs. comics conventions
While Derek Kirk Kim was at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, he went through the Artists Alley with a video camera asking creators who were exhibiting what they think of ALA versus comic conventions. Several artists (including Dave Roman, Raina Telegemeier, Gene Luen Yang and Cecil Castelucci) said ALA attendees are engaged in the subject matter and interested in learning about something new, while comic-con attendees tend to be looking for more of the same familiar comics. Watch the video (10:36)....
Robot 6, June 30

Records management for museums and galleries
Records Management for Museums and Galleries: An Introduction, published by Chandos Publishing and available through Neal-Schuman Publishers, offers a comprehensive overview of records management work within the heritage sector. Authors Charlotte Brunskill and Sarah R. Demb draw on more than a decade of experience in applying fundamental principles and practices to the specific circumstances of museums, introducing readers to the institutional culture, functions, and records common to museums....
ALA Neal-Schuman, July 2

Managing intellectual capital in libraries
Managing Intellectual Capital in Libraries: Beyond the Balance Sheet, by Petros Kostagiolas, presents information professionals with the knowledge they need to understand the potential uses, contributions, value, structure and creation of broadly intangible intellectual capital in libraries. Kostagiolas discusses the significance of managing intellectual capital as a source of innovation in the face of the global economic crisis, outlining practical methods and techniques that can be applied to real-life library situations....
ALA Neal-Schuman, July 3

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What to do when teens talk sex in the library
Teens often bring their questions about sex—or questions “from a friend”—to trusted staff at the library. But discussing sexuality with teens can be a difficult minefield to navigate. Library staff can find guidance on negotiating this tricky subject by joining mk Eagle for “Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Talking Sex and Sexuality with Teens,” YALSA’s July 19 webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Registration is now open....
YALSA, June 26

2012 Best of the Best Reading Challenge
The 2012 Best of the Best Reading Challenge is officially over. In total, 26 people finished the challenge by reading at least 25 titles. The grand prize winner is Robin A., who read nine Great Graphic novels, two Amazing Audiobooks, two Morris Award winners/honor books, three Popular Paperbacks, two Excellence in Nonfiction Honor titles, three Alex Award winners, two Quick Picks, and two Best Fiction for Young Adult titles....
YALSA The Hub, July 3

Recruiting the best employees
Library managers, directors, and deans may feel overwhelmed by choices in today’s economy when a single job posting attracts hundreds of applicants. But how can you ensure that you will find the best person for the job? On July 11, LLAMA will present “Finding the Best People in a Tough Economy: Strategies for Successfully Recruiting Employees.” This webinar will outline in detail how to develop an effective recruitment strategy that goes beyond shuffling through stacks of applications. Registration is now open....
LLAMA, June 26

Use screencasting to educate patrons
On July 18, PLA will host a live, hour-long webinar, “Screentastic! Using Screencasting as a Reference and Customer Service Tool,” designed to help libraries take patron instruction to a new level. Screencasts are excellent tools for library staff to demonstrate software, teach computer skills, and visually share step-by-step navigation of websites and databases. Registration is now open....
PLA, July 2

How to kick start National Friends of Libraries Week
ALTAFF will host “Kick Start Your National Friends of Libraries Week Celebration” on July 24. This free webinar will give libraries and Friends ideas and materials so that they can promote the 7th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 21–27, in their libraries and community. Registration is required....
ALTAFF, July 3

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Nominations open for 2012 I Love My Librarian awards
Library users can now nominate a librarian for the 2012 Carnegie Corporation of New York / New York Times I Love My Librarian Award, which invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college, and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their communities. Up to 10 librarians will each receive $5,000, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend an award ceremony and reception in December in New York City....
Public Information Office, July 2

PLA receives IMLS grant
PLA, in partnership with the International City/County Management Association, has been awarded a collaborative planning grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to facilitate the development of a replicable leadership training model that assists public library administrators, senior managers, and staff who want to increase their capacity to lead not only within the library, but also in the community. The PLA Leadership Task Force, chaired by Carolyn Anthony, will take the lead on designing a training model....
PLA, June 26

ULC recognizes top innovators of 2012
The Urban Libraries Council announced its 2012 Top Innovators during the ULC Annual Forum, June 21–22, in Newport Beach, California. The 10 winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from nearly 200 applications in the third annual ULC Innovations Initiative. Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library won in the civic and community engagement category for its I Street Press writing and publishing center....
Urban Libraries Council, June 22

School library wins Australian architecture award
A private school library where the walls double as whiteboards and the stairwell is used as a lecture space has won the celebrated Sir John Sulman Medal for public architecture presented by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (New South Wales Chapter). The Mabel Fidler Building at Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney was presented with the top honor June 28. The upper-level library, designed to float atop a brick base, is clad in a polycarbonate material that permits its internal walls to be finished in translucent white glass that can be written on....
Sydney (N.S.W.) Morning Herald, June 29

2012 Desmond Elliott Prize
Grace McCleen, author of The Land of Decoration, has been named winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize for new fiction. The story is narrated by 10-year-old Judith McPherson, a member of the Christian Brotherhood of the Last Days. After being bullied at school and shunned by the community, she finds solace in a model world she makes in her bedroom, inspired by the Old Testament’s Promised Land. The £10,000 ($15,690 US) prize honors the best debut novel written in English and published in the UK....
BBC News, June 29

2012 Caine Prize for African Writing
Nigerian author Rotimi Babatunde has won the 13th Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story, “Bombay’s Republic” (PDF file). He was awarded £10,000 ($15,690 US) at a July 2 dinner at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Chair of Judges Bernardine Evaristo described it as “the story of a Nigerian soldier fighting in the Burma campaign of World War II.”...
The Bookseller, July 3

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Louisiana eliminates state library funding
The budget signed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on June 15 eliminates $896,000 in state aid to libraries. Jindal excluded the funds, used for technology and collections, when he presented his proposed spending plan, and legislators failed to find funding for libraries during the regular session. Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater said, “Operations such as local libraries can be supported with local, not state dollars.”...
Library Journal, June 28; Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate, June 13

Abandoned atlas finds its way home
(PDF file)
In 1958, during a renovation of Gettysburg (Pa.) College’s Breidenbaugh Hall, a sophomore and self-described book lover spied a treasure in the construction debris. It was an atlas containing maps of America from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Lee A. Dallas (on left) said, “I retrieved it and after closer examination took it to the college library. I was, however, greeted by a librarian who informed me, ‘We don’t have room for old books in the library. Take it back to where you found it.’” Thankfully, Dallas didn’t follow that brusque advice....
Friends of Musselman Library newsletter 12, no. 2 (Fall 2011): 12

Waldseemüller map rediscovered
Reseachers at the Munich University Library announced July 3 they had discovered a long-forgotten version of a map of the world by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller (1470–1522). Library Director Klaus-Rainer Brintzinger said that two researchers had discovered that the valuable, 500-year-old map had been erroneously bundled together a few hundred years ago with volumes on geometry. The map is a smaller global map created by Waldseemüller, who became famous for a much larger world map that was the first to refer to he New World as “America.”...
Der Spiegel, July 3

Harvard won’t cut library staff
Despite initiatives to centralize its workforce, the Harvard Library System will not be significantly reducing its approximately 930-person staff, according to an emailed announcement from Harvard University Library Executive Director Helen Shenton and Senior Associate Provost Mary Lee Kennedy. New elements of the library organization will be announced soon, and support services staff members are to be contacted with information about changes to their occupation....
Harvard Crimson, June 30

Baltimore-area residents use libraries during power outage
Sitting on the floor of Catonsville (Md.) Library with an iPad, laptop, and cellphone charging around her, Angie Howard summed up the feelings of many who went without power since a violent storm hit June 29. Dozens of the more than 220,000 Baltimore Gas and Electric customers who were without power July 2 visited the library on Frederick Road to cool off in the air conditioning and charge their electronic devices....
Baltimore Sun, July 2; Catonsville (Md.) Patch, July 2

Toronto gives GLBTQ speed dating a reboot
Speed dating has been given a bookish twist, thanks to the Toronto Public Library’s debut GLBTQ Literary Speed Dating night, which took place July 4 at the TPL’s Bloor/Gladstone branch. Organized by librarian Raymond Lam to coincide with the end of Toronto’s Pride Week, the event gave participants a chance to discuss a favorite book, CD, or DVD with like-minded people....
Quill and Quire: Quillblog, July 3

Where Walmart failed, a library succeeds
McAllen, Texas, was once home to a Walmart—but no longer. When the discount superstore closed its doors, it left behind a vast empty building. The community took advantage of the space and converted the warehouse-like building into a public library. The new McAllen Public Library opened in December 2011; after it had been open for just a month, new-user registration increased by 23%. Take a video tour (4:22)....
Los Angeles Times: Jacket Copy, July 3; AL Focus, Mar. 14; YouTube, Feb. 15

Story of Michelle Obama’s ancestor researched at Birmingham Public Library
In October 2009, New York Times correspondent Rachel L. Swarns wrote a story about first lady Michelle Obama’s multiracial family roots. That led to her writing American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama. Part of Swarns’s research was done at Birmingham (Ala.) Public Library, where she hoped to find out more about the life of Dolphus Shields, Obama’s biracial, maternal great-great-grandfather, who was born a slave in Georgia and moved to Birmingham in the late 1880s....
Birmingham (Ala.) News, July 3

Landau sentenced to seven years for thefts
Disgraced collector Barry H. Landau was sentenced June 27 to seven years in federal prison for stealing thousands of historic documents worth as much as $2.5 million from archives along the East Coast, including one in Baltimore, where the scheme unraveled last summer. The 64-year-old Manhattan resident, who for years fooled celebrities and political players into believing he had significant ties to the White House, was also ordered to pay $46,525 in restitution and to stay away from all archives and libraries after he is released....
Baltimore Sun, June 27

Monitors stolen from DCPL branch
The District of Columbia Public Library’s new Francis A. Gregory branch, hailed as an architectural gem and a welcome addition to the community, was damaged June 26 when burglars broke in through one of its glass walls and made off with six computer monitors. Five burglars apparently used a rock to break one of the large, diamond-shaped panels that form part of the library’s outer wall....
Washington Post, July 2

Sonoma County director under fire
Harsh criticism of Sandra Cooper’s (right) management of the sprawling Sonoma County (Calif.) Library System is fueling calls for county supervisors to seek more authority over her position, a move that could put Cooper’s job in jeopardy. A grand jury report released June 27 called Cooper an “unresponsive” leader and claimed she micromanages her staff, edits minutes of meetings to paint herself in a more favorable light, and makes arbitrary decisions that have alienated her from the public and from city and county officials. Critics of Cooper packed a meeting July 3 to relay their concerns....
Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat, June 28, July 3

A deadhead’s delight at Santa Cruz
Deadheads and music aficionados now have a new resource for all things Grateful Dead with the launch of an online archive June 29. Former band members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart announced in 2008 that the band would donate its archives to the University of California at Santa Cruz. The Grateful Dead Archive Online features thousands of images and materials, including a timeline marking milestones in the band’s 30-year career. Papers, art, and artifacts also went on display in an exhibit at the school’s McHenry Library....
Sonoma (Calif.) Patch, July 1; Los Angeles Times, July 1

Arlington offers books for newborns
Babies born at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital will go home with a library card and a board book, thanks to the new Books for Babies program launched jointly by the hospital and the Arlington (Tex.) Public Library. Mayor Robert Cluck (right), a former obstetrician, presented the first Books for Babies Library Card Pack on June 27 to one of Texas Health Arlington’s most recent arrivals....
City of Arlington, June 29

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