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The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | July 25, 2012

Risk and Reward Conference

ALA Mobile Commons text alerts

AL Buyers Guide

American Libraries Online

Stop! Blocked websiteHave filtering rules changed?
Theresa Chmara writes: “Several libraries have been sued recently on the grounds that their internet filtering programs are unconstitutional, raising questions in the library community about whether the rules have changed about blocking software. The short answer is no. Since the 2003 decision in United States v. ALA, in which the Supreme Court upheld the Children’s Internet Protection Act, federal court cases have looked at whether the implementation of a particular library’s filtering policy is constitutional.”...
American Libraries news, July 24

Atlas Shrugged app iconInternet Librarian: Amped-up ebook apps
Joseph Janes writes: “We’re just starting to get our feet underneath us about what an ebook is, can be, could be, can’t be, and so on. And then a new wrinkle emerges: the book as app. Not an app like iBook or OverDrive’s, which allows you to download an ebook, but a standalone downloadable app that is a book unto itself. Penguin (pause for hissing) is in this game, and one of its offerings is an amplified version of Atlas Shrugged, the paean to Objectivism so much in vogue these days.”...
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

Linked dataDispatches: A new world of data
Karen Coyle writes: “The world today is clearly not that of our library predecessors, of Melvil Dewey and Charles Ammi Cutter, not even of Seymour Lubetzky or Michael Gorman. Doubts are growing about the ability of libraries to afford the costs of hand-hewn bibliographic control today and in the future. The evolution of library catalogs is dress rehearsal for moving library data from its storage silo in library systems and databases to the web of linked data. Through the Semantic Web, library data will link to other data sources in order to provide more value and services for users.”...
American Libraries column, July/Aug.

Melanie LightbodyCurrents
On July 30 Melanie Lightbody (right) will become director of libraries for the Butte County (Calif.) Library. In August, Lon Dickerson will retire as director of Jefferson Parish (La.) Library. Mabel Burklow, 101, former librarian and teacher, died July 11. Burklow served as librarian at the former Fleming-Neon High School in Kentucky for several years before moving to Hazard, Kentucky, in 1953. She then became teacher and librarian at Roy G. Eversole School in Hazard until her retirement in 1980....
American Libraries column, July

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ALA Editions

ALA News

ALA, PLA presidents write to Sunland Park, New Mexico
ALA President Maureen Sullivan and PLA President Eva Poole distributed a joint letter July 19 to members of the Sunland Park, New Mexico, city council to urge that it take library service off the chopping block, as the council attempts to reduce the city’s debt. Although the city voted on July 18 to double its property tax rate to help close a $1.88 million shortfall, the future of the Sunland Park Community Library is still uncertain....
PLA, July 19; Las Cruces (N.Mex.) Sun-News, July 18

ALA seeks candidates
The 2013 Nominating Committee reminds all interested ALA members that the deadline for completing the candidate biographical form is quickly approaching. The form will close on August 17. The committee is soliciting nominees to run on the 2013 spring ballot. It will select two candidates to run for president-elect, two candidates to run for treasurer, and no fewer than 50 candidates for the 33 at-large Council seats to be filled....
Office of ALA Governance, July 20

Troy Polamalu print PSATroy Polamalu chairs Library Card Sign-Up Month
This September, Pittsburgh Steelers two-time Super Bowl champion Troy Polamalu will encourage children to get the most important school supply of all: a library card. As the Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, Polamalu has donated his image to print and digital public service announcements. ALA will place the PSAs in magazines and on websites to remind parents and educators that a library card is a key tool in achieving academic success....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, July 23

Step Up to the Plate
Now is a great time to remind library users that there’s still time to win a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. As part of the Step Up to the Plate @ your library program, a new trivia question is posted each week. Players have one week to visit their libraries to use the print and electronic resources to answer the question correctly. All correct answers will be entered into a weekly drawing for a prize pack. The program concludes September 8....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, July 24

Victory Book Campaign launch, NYPL, January 30, 1942The Victory Book Campaign
Valerie Wingfield writes: “At the end of 1941, ALA and two other organizations, the American Red Cross and the United Service Organizations, formed the Victory Book Campaign. Its goal was for the public to donate books as reading material for soldiers and sailors serving in the armed forces and supplement the Army and Navy’s library service already in place. On January 30, 1942, the Victory Book Campaign was launched (right) on the steps of the New York Public Library.”...
New York Public Library Blogs, July 25

Cover of the Fall 2012 ALA Graphics catalogNew Graphics products for fall
With more than 25 new products and the entire backlist of available items, the latest ALA Graphics catalog (large PDF file) is a complete resource guide. Featuring the new Origami Yoda Poster on the cover, the catalog showcases many popular characters on posters and bookmarks and highlights the full range of items libraries and schools need to welcome kids back to class and into their local libraries....
ALA Graphics, July 20

Jennifer VelásquezLearn to build programs for teens
ALA Editions is offering a new facilitated eCourse, “Collaborating with Teens to Build Better Library Programs,” with Jennifer Velásquez (right). Only a foundation of teen participation can build a vibrant scene such as the one in San Antonio’s main library, where teens use computers, listen to music, take cooking classes, do homework, participate in book clubs, and generally hang out. Registration for this facilitated eCourse, which begins on September 4, can be purchased at the ALA Store....
ALA Editions, July 24

Cover of Managing Reference CollectionsManaging reference collections: The fundamentals
Whether a library’s reference collection is large or small, it needs constant attention. Carol A. Singer’s book Fundamentals of Managing Reference Collections, published by ALA Editions, offers information and insight on best practices for reference collection management (no matter the size) and shows why managing without a plan is a recipe for clutter and confusion. Readers will learn strategies for collection maintenance, including the all-important issue of weeding....
ALA Editions, July 19

Cover of Fundamentals of ReferenceAn all-in-one “reference reference”
As Carolyn M. Mulac writes in the introduction, her new book intends “to present an outline of the big picture that is reference.” Published by ALA Editions, Fundamentals of Reference is the all-in-one “reference reference” library professionals have been waiting for, an invaluable resource offering a concise introduction to sources and services for a variety of readers. Mulac’s work is an excellent training tool for both new and experienced library staff and will quickly become an essential reference....
ALA Editions, July 24

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Booklist Online banner

Booklist Online logo

Cover of The Betrayal of the American DreamFeatured review: Adult nonfiction
Barlett, Donald L., and James B. Steele. The Betrayal of the American Dream. July 2012. 320p. PublicAffairs, hardcover (978-1-58648-969-4).
Billionaire Warren Buffet famously observed that class warfare has been going on for decades, “and my class is winning.” Pulitzer Prize and National Magazine Award winners Barlett and Steele scored a bestseller decrying such class warfare with America: What Went Wrong? (1992). Betrayal carries their powerful critique forward into the present. For Barlett and Steele, the “ruling class” betraying middle-class Americans is a mix of politicians and special interests who’ve gamed the system on behalf of the richest Americans. Working in collaboration with American University’s Investigation Reporting Workshop, the authors trace the process of that betrayal from early deregulation fever (airlines and trucking) in the 1970s through today’s warnings of debt infernos, unaffordable entitlements, and the need for austerity. Expect demand....

Graphic for Top 10 Business BooksTop 10 business books: 2012
Brad Hooper writes: “The idea that all business books are only concerned with management and investing is an outdated concept. Effective public speaking (As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick), protecting your child against crass commercialism (Childhood under Siege: How Big Business Callously Targets Children), and computer hacking (Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker) all fall within the purview of today’s business books.”...

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

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Division News

Nominate a curriculum-based app
AASL is now accepting nominations for its new Best Apps for Teaching and Learning recognition. Nominations are being solicited for apps that encourage student engagement in learning, reinforce innovative teaching, and strengthen instruction, critical thinking skills, and inquiry. Apps can be nominated via the online form on the AASL website....
AASL, July 23

The sixth annual WrestleMania Reading Challenge World Finals were held during WrestleMania XXVII Week in Atlanta, 2011Register for WrestleMania Reading Challenge
Registration will end July 31 for the 2012–2013 WrestleMania Reading Challenge. This is the ninth annual challenge, sponsored by World Wrestling Entertainment and YALSA. WWE will send promotional posters to all registrants in September. Registrants can download completion certificates, pledge forms, and other materials from YALSA and WWE after registration closes....
YALSA, July 20

Cover of The Complete Summer Reading Program ManualSummer reading program manual
Summer reading programs are in full swing across the country—just in time for library staff to appreciate the helpful evaluation materials in The Complete Summer Reading Program Manual: From Planning to Evaluation, a new book available in the ALA Store from YALSA. Whether you’re just finishing your first summer reading program or you think you know all there is to know about summer reading programs, you are sure to find helpful tools and tricks in this dynamic new manual....
YALSA, July 24

Want to be a YA editor?
YALSA seeks a member editor for its award-winning quarterly journal, Young Adult Library Services (YALS), and its online companion. The deadline for applications is August 1. The member editor will be responsible for editorial content, including text and graphics. The editor will be selected by October 1. The term of the appointment is two years, beginning with work on the Winter 2013 issue. Submit a cover letter, résumé, and samples by email....
YALSA, July 24

Cover of Risky Business$5 off selected YALSA titles
Stock up on professional development this summer with a sale on three of the best-reviewed titles from YALSA and ALA Editions. These three titles, written by teen services experts, offer practical guidance on all things teen at the library, from planning to collection building to evaluation and risk-taking. Through September 1, use coupon code YAL12 in the ALA Store and you can save an additional $5....
YALSA, July 24

Cheryl GouldShake up your traditional management thinking
On August 8, PLA will host a live, hour-long webinar, “Are Your Mental Models of a Library Holding You Back?” to inspire library directors, managers, and supervisors to shake off assumptions about their library and start thinking outside the box. Join presenter Cheryl Gould (right) for an interactive webinar that will highlight mental models that can inhibit growth and new ideas in the public library world....
PLA, July 20

PLA on-demand webinars logoPLA on-demand webinars
On-demand webinars from PLA offer affordable, anytime access to the division’s archived webinars. Nearly 20 webinars are currently available, with more added each month. Current topics include: administration and leadership, adult services, advocacy and marketing, buildings and facilities, collection development and readers’ advisory, customer service and staff development, technology, and youth services....
PLA, July 20

LITA offers two web courses in August
LITA is making available two web courses: “Building Web Applications with HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript: An Introduction to HTML5,” presented by Jason Clark of Montana State University Library, and “Getting Started with GIS,” presented by Eva Dodsworth of the University of Waterloo Map Library. Registration and additional information on both courses is available on the LITA website....
LITA, July 20

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Awards & Grants

Axis 360 logoBaker & Taylor wins award for ebook platform
Book distributor Baker & Taylor has won a prestigious award from the National Federation of the Blind for making ebooks available to blind individuals through its Axis 360 digital media platform, which includes the Blio ereader. The company received the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award at the NFB’s annual convention in Dallas. Axis 360 and Blio allow patrons with reading or visual disabilities to explore their library’s digital collection, easily find and borrow items of interest, and have them read aloud....
Baker & Taylor, July 25

Cover of Shine2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English has announced Lauren Myracle’s Shine (Amulet Books) as the winner of its 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. The annual award presents $5,000 to the author of a young adult title that demonstrates a positive approach to life, widespread teen appeal, and literary merit....
Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, July 23

Cover of Witches on the Road Tonight2011 Shirley Jackson Awards
The 2011 Shirley Jackson Award winners were announced on July 15 at Readercon 23, the Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Burlington, Massachusetts. The winner for best novel was Witches on the Road Tonight, by Sheri Holman (Grove Press), and the winner for best edited anthology was Ghosts by Gaslight, edited by Jack Dann and Nick Gevers (Harper Voyager). The awards honor outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic....
Shirley Jackson Awards

Cover of All That I Am2012 Miles Franklin Award
Anna Funder has won the 2012 Miles Franklin Award for her debut novel All That I Am (Hamish Hamilton), a fictionalized account of true events about a group of people who resisted the rise of Hitler’s Third Reich and its throttling of German intellectuals. The annual award, which carries a $50,000A ($51,218 US) prize honors the best Australian published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases....
Perth West Australian, June 26

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Libraries in the News

Sign at front entrance of Penn State libraryPenn State’s Paterno Library keeps its name
Jenna Johnson writes: “Penn State University is in the process of stripping its campus of reminders of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was found guilty of 45 child sex abuse charges in June, and university leaders who are accused of covering up Sandusky’s actions. Early on July 22, a crew of workers dismantled a statue of the late football coach Joe Paterno. And there’s the Paterno Library, named for Joe and Sue Paterno, who led fundraising for the construction of the nearly $14 million facility that opened in 2000.” The university announced July 22 that Paterno’s name would remain on the library....
Washington Post: Campus Overload, July 22; Fox News, July 22

Seaside (Oreg.) Public LibrarySeaside Library changes policy following lawsuit
Religious ceremonies may soon be held at the Seaside (Oreg.) Public Library following a ruling by a federal court judge over the library’s policy prohibiting use of the library meeting rooms for religious meetings. US District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered the library to pay $10,500 to the Florida-based nonprofit Liberty Counsel, as well as court and attorney fees, following his June 6 decision over a lawsuit filed in February....
Seaside (Oreg.) Signal, July 18

Views clash on Seattle library levy
Both supporters and opponents of a Seattle library levy on the August 7 ballot agree libraries are a treasured part of the community and deserve public support. So what’s the disagreement? Supporters say the $123 million, seven-year levy would restore service hours, rebuild collections, and maintain neglected buildings. Opponents say the day-to-day operations of libraries are so important that they should be funded ahead of less important programs....
Seattle Times, July 24

Painting of Joel Osteen, by atrist Ralph BeachReligious art taken down from Gwinnett branch
When artist Ralph Beach first hung his art at the Grayson branch of the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Library, he was told he could keep it up until August 11. But after a complaint made by a library patron, he was asked to take it down on July 14. Beach’s exhibit consisted of paintings of eight well-known evangelical preachers, including Joel Osteen (right). A library official said that the scope of the art wasn’t realized until it was on view to the public....
Gwinnett (Ga.) Daily Post, July 18

Acquisitions row in Frederick County
Public libraries in Frederick County, Maryland, are likely to have a new process for making funding requests—and more oversight from the Board of County Commissioners on what they’re buying. County Library Director Darrell Batson is scheduled to present a plan to the commissioners on July 26, after Commissioner Billy Shreve raised questions at a July 12 meeting about what the county was getting for its money. Shreve said Batson will provide quarterly updates on purchases that county libraries make....
Gaithersburg (Md.) Gazette, July 17; Frederick (Md.) News-Post, July 13

A parent challenged The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney, at Paxton Keeley Elementary School in Columbia because it contains sexual situationsMissouri book challenges
Getting a book removed from a public school in Missouri is a long shot, but the odds haven’t stopped residents from trying. Since 2008, parents, students, and others have tried to toss or restrict 53 books from libraries or classrooms in school districts across the state. Of all the books challenged, 12 were banned by the school districts. Another 11 were removed from required reading lists, labeled with “young adult” stickers, or restricted in some other way. Twenty-nine of the 53 challenges were rejected and the books stayed....
Columbia Missourian, July 18

Artist's conception of new NOLA culinary libraryNew Orleans to have huge culinary library
It’s official: New Orleans will have the largest culinary library in the South, a partnership between the Southern Food and Beverage Museum and the New Orleans Public Library. It is scheduled to open in 2013 on O. C. Haley Boulevard near the museum’s new location. The museum already has more than 9,000 volumes of cookbooks, menus, recipes, archival documents, and other literature about food and foodways of the South that will be housed there....
New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 18

Library food for thought
The D.C. Public Library Foundation, D.C. Public Library, D.C. Hunger Solutions, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education are sponsoring free meals at 11 public library branches this summer to encourage reading. There are nearly 350 such meal sites participating in this summer’s meal program across Washington. More than half of the students in D.C. public or charter schools are reading below grade level, according to an OSSE report....
Washington Post, July 22

Pages from the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, said to be by Francesco ColonnaPeering into the exquisite life of rare books
Jennifer Schuessler writes: “On a steamy morning in mid-July, Mark Dimunation, the chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, was in a windowless basement room at the University of Virginia, leading a dozen people in a bibliophile’s version of the wave. The occasion was just an ordinary class meeting at Rare Book School, an institution whose football team, if it existed, might well take ‘Hypnerotomachia Poliphili’ (the title of an erotic love poem, above, printed in Venice by Aldus Manutius in 1499) as its official rallying cry.”...
New York Times, July 23–24

LC’s Twitter archive plan
Andrew Phelps writes: “In April 2010, the Library of Congress announced it would preserve every public tweet for future generations. At the time, it was 50 million tweets per day, but that number is now 400 million daily, according to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. ‘The process of how to serve it out to researchers is still being worked out, but we’re getting a lot closer,’ said LC spokesperson Jennifer Gavin. Good librarianship, she said, moves more slowly than Twitter.” Meanwhile, Twitter announced a new tool that will let users export their entire tweet history....
Nieman Journalism Lab, July 19; Library of Congress Blog, Apr. 14, 2010; CNET News, July 24

Or.2784, folio 96r Miniature depicting Aristotle instructing Alexander the Great, from The Description and Uses of Animals compiled from works by Aristotle and ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Bakhtishu. The undated copy was probably made in Baghdad in the first half of the 13th centuryBritish Library collaborates with Qatar
More than half a million pages of historic documents detailing Arab history and culture will be made available online for the first time as part of the British Library’s partnership with the Qatar Foundation. The £8.7 million ($14 million US) project will feature more than 500,000 documents from the East India Company and India Office as well as 25,000 pages of medieval Arabic manuscripts depicting Islamic science and medicine. The records will be fully searchable and available online for free for the public to use....
Reuters, July 18; British Library, July 18

Containing more than 400 books, the book-vending machine allows users to borrow and return books 24 hours a day. Photo by Lu Ming, China News ServiceBeijing’s new self-service libraries
Self-service libraries have become increasingly popular with residents of Beijing, China. Fifty have sprung up across the city over the past year and 100 more are expected to open in the coming months. The 24-hour service allows readers to choose from 20,000 books housed in book-vending machines scattered across the capital. The self-service libraries are responsible for loaning nearly 32% of all the books borrowed from public libraries in Beijing’s Chaoyang District since they were introduced in 2011....
China Daily, July 17

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Issues

Joe L. BartonEd MarkeyCongress to examine data brokers
In a move that could lay bare the inner workings of the consumer data industry, eight members of Congress have opened a sweeping investigation into data brokers—companies that collect, collate, analyze, and sell billions of details annually about consumers’ offline, online, and mobile activities. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Tex.), cochairmen of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, along with six other lawmakers, sent letters of inquiry July 24 to nine leading industry players requesting extensive information about how the companies amass, refine, sell, and share consumer data....
New York Times, July 24

Survey: People want control over personal data
Dan Tynan writes: “PricewaterhouseCoopers surveyed roughly 1,000 US adults on their feelings about privacy in 2012. The big picture conclusions: People are willing to share personal information with companies—to a point. But they draw the line when it gets too personal. They want something in return for giving up their data. And they want to know exactly what data companies are collecting about them and to have the ability to turn off the spigot, as needed.”...
ITworld, July 19

Acxiom Corporation logoConsumer data is not for consumers
Natasha Singer writes: “I recently asked to see the information held about me by the Acxiom Corporation, a database marketing company that collects and sells details about consumers’ financial status, shopping, and recreational activities to banks, retailers, auto makers, and other businesses. But the company simply sent me a list of some of my previous residential addresses. For a corporate client, however, the company is able to match customers by name with, say, the social networks or internet providers they use.”...
New York Times, July 21

Inappropriate viewing not just a problem at libraries
The San Francisco Public Library has been stung by complaints about the content, including explicit pornography, that some people watch in front of others. To address the issue, the library over the last six weeks has installed 18 computer monitors with plastic hoods so that only the person using the computer can see what is on the screen. It is an issue playing out not just at libraries, but in cafés and gyms, on airplanes, trains, and highways, and just about any other place with internet access....
New York Times, July 21

Library experts on call: A dwindling breed
Daniel Rubin writes: “Now that everyone’s an expert on fast facts, I wonder what has become of those Free Library of Philadelphia treasures known as the Know-It-Alls. When I last visited these general-information specialists, in 1991, business was brisk. The rotating staff of 14 librarians was in such demand that each caller was limited to three questions. Today, there’s one full-fledged Know-It-All left: Lori Morse, a librarian who runs the General Information department.”...
Philadelphia Inquirer, July 20

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Tech Talk

Women Who Code. Photo credit Adria Richards, used CC BY-SA 2.0The joy of hackathons
Margaret Heller writes: “Hackathons—aka hackfests, codefests, or codeathons—are time periods dedicated to hacking on a problem, or creating a quick and dirty technical solution. Increasingly, hackathons are used for solving technical problems or developing new ideas using technology in fields such as law, public data, water supply, and making the world a better place. Academic librarians should be thinking about hackathons for several reasons.”...
ACRL Tech Connect, July 23

iCloud demo on OS X Mountain Lion. Screenshot from videoEverything you need to know about OS X Mountain Lion
Adam Dachis writes: “OS X Mountain Lion for the Mac is here, and there are quite a few new features to learn all about. In this video (5:01), we take a look at the most important stuff and how to use it: Notification Center, iCloud, Notes and Reminders, Dictation, Messages, Share Sheets, AirPlay mirroring, and security and privacy settings.” Here are five things Mountain Lion can teach Windows 8....
Lifehacker, July 25; YouTube, July 24; PC World, July 25

Toshiba Portege R835-P88How to buy an ultraportable
Joel Santo Domingo writes: “What is an ultraportable, and how does it differ from laptops, sleekbooks, and ultrabooks? In general, most ultraportables weigh less than 4.5 pounds, have screens 14 inches or smaller, use processors more powerful than the Intel Atom, and lack optical drives. Essentially, sleekbooks and ultrabooks are themselves subsets of ultraportables. Once a niche player, the ultraportable is poised to become the item people think of when they think of buying a PC.” Here are five of the best models....
PC Magazine, July 18

Scottsdale PL's Gimme Engine appMake your first mobile app a success
Aimee Fifarek and Anne Porter write: “About a year ago we launched the Gimme Engine, a mobile web book recommendation app, which will offer you a staff-recommended book from the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Public Library collection, complete with summary, staff review, and a quick link to the mobile catalog to check availability or reserve. Since launch, our app has won a number of awards. What’s our secret? We are happy to share what we learned in the process.”...
ACRL Tech Connect, July 25

Nexus 7 frontGoogle Nexus 7 tablet: Tips and tricks
Here is a list of 40 tips, tricks, and shortcuts for the Google Nexus 7 tablet, from basic getting-started tips for the beginner to hacks and ROMs for advanced users. For example, to select text, touch and hold on a word until the highlight and arrows pop up. Drag the arrows to the desired location and tap copy. Then go to any text field, long-press, and select paste. Read this review of the Google Nexus 7 by Sovan Mandal....
The Ebook Reader, July 18; Good E-Reader, July 21

Torn app iconTop 10 reasons why apps crash
Ray Aguilera writes: “The more we come to depend on mobile apps for taking care of business, the greater the need for reliability. Alas, many a user has seen many an app crash and Murphy’s Law usually sees to it that the timing is never good. SOASTA is just one of several services available for developers to test their apps under real-world and simulated conditions. Using the company’s automated testing platform CloudTest Mobile, SOASTA has identified what they say are the 10 most common reasons apps fail.”...
Mashable, July 20

Windows Disk CleanupHow to free space on a Windows drive
J. D. Biersdorfer writes: “Hard drives can fill up fast enough with photos, videos, and music that you want to keep, but Windows tends to accumulate system detritus like temporary files that you can easily dump to clear some space on your drive. In addition to unwanted programs, checking your drive for duplicate files (or old versions) and deleting old email attachments can also get some space back.”...
New York Times: Gadgetwise, July 18

MixTape made by MakerBotMakerBot branches out with MixTape
Rich Brown writes: “MakerBot is best known for its 3D printers. Would you have predicted an MP3 player for its newest product? The $25 MixTape Kit, aimed at those who already own a 3D printer, includes the guts of a basic MP3 player. Simply print out the enclosure using the plans on MakerBot’s Thingiverse site, plug in the electronics, and you’re ready to upload your music.”...
CNET, July 25

White line at top caused by upconverted SD. Screenshot by Geoffrey Morrison/CNETWhat’s that white line at the top of my HD screen?
R. Savoy has a white line along the top of his screen and wants to know if there’s something wrong. Geoff Morrison helps him out: “It’s not you, and there’s nothing wrong with your TV. It’s the station. There are two types of programming broadcast by TV stations: HD and upconverted SD. Your TV interprets these both as HD, but in fact they’re radically different.”...
CNET Reviews, July 25

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E-Content

OCRTools app can OCR a screenshot from iBooksThe Fair Use ebook crack
Christopher Harris writes: “Stupid me, I bought the ebooks I needed for a recent project through Apple’s iBookstore. In this case, I believe it would be quite legal to crack the DRM on an ebook. And so here was my chance to stand up for my legal right to tear down that DRM. And then I remembered. Stupid me, I bought the books from Apple’s iBookstore and they updated their security again. Curses, foiled again.”...
AL: E-Content, July 25

50MB bandwidth capAmazon cracks down on Kindle web browsing
Nate Hoffelder writes: “When the Kindle launched in late 2007, it came with an experimental web browser as well as free web browsing over the 3G connection. As nice as that was to have, all good things come to an end. There are reports over at MobileRead July 24 that Amazon has imposed a 3G bandwidth cap on some users. From what I can tell, a new 50MB monthly bandwidth cap was imposed at the start of July.”...
The Digital Reader, July 24

Aesop's Fox and the Grapes fable on Words to the WiseA fabulous ebook app from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has released “Words to the Wise: The Aesop’s Fables e-Book,” an interactive version of the classic Aesop tales, featuring the colorful illustrations of artist Milo Winter. The free ebook is available on the Library’s Read.gov website and as a free app for the iOS and Android platforms. The ebook is a project of LC’s Center for the Book....
Library of Congress, July 25

UK wants to review ebook library lending
The UK government is preparing to announce a review of ebook lending following calls from the opposition to move libraries “into the 21st century.” Although some UK libraries do offer ebook lending, many do not, and publishers have been wary of making their digital titles available for lending, meaning the range of ebooks in libraries is often restricted....
The Guardian (UK), July 19

Portion of a user tracking chart by KoboPrivacy and e-reading: Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and Sony
Jane Litte writes: “The following is a summary of the data collected on ebook customers by Amazon, BN, Kobo, and Sony. According to the EFF charts compiled in 2010, the safest way to read is to download books to Adobe Digital Editions because ADE does not track your reading habits. Your purchasing data, however, is still compiled by the various retailers. The summary is divided by type and then by whether the retailer collects the data.” Part 1 is here....
Dear Author, July 15, 22; Electronic Frontier Foundation, Dec. 6, 2010

Have e-readers killed the book cover?
Dena Little writes: “There is growing evidence that book covers as we know them are dead—and e-readers have killed them. For many of us, cover illustrations are part of our reading experience and, because we do often judge a book by its cover, book choice. Our teen patrons tell me that seeking digital titles for their e-readers makes them feel out of touch with the materials, as if they are missing out on finding a book that really suits their preferences.”...
YALSA: The Hub, July 24; Technology Review, Apr. 19; CBS News, Dec. 19, 2010

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Great Libraries of the World

Bernadotte Library, Stockholm

Bernadotte Library, Stockholm, Sweden. The personal collections of the Swedish monarchs are housed in this library in the northeast wing of the Royal Palace, which took its name in 1952 from King Gustav VI Adolf of the House of Bernadotte. The library has been there since 1768, when it served as the de facto National Library. However, the royal collections (arranged on the shelves by monarch rather than subject) stayed behind when the National Library moved to Humlegården in 1877.

Carolina Rediviva

Carolina Rediviva, Uppsala, Sweden. In 1841, the 200-year-old Uppsala University library moved into this specially designed building that houses 5 million books and manuscripts. The name was given in remembrance of the old Academia Carolina building, which functioned as university library for most of the 18th century. Its treasures include the 6th-century Codex Argenteus, a Gothic translation of the four gospels probably written for the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great; the Cancionero de Uppsala, a volume of anonymous Spanish music printed in Venice in 1556; and the 1539 Carta Marina of Olaus Magnus, the earliest reasonably correct map of Scandinavia.

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. Some will be featured in The Whole Library Handbook 5, edited by George M. Eberhart, which is scheduled for publication in 2013 by ALA Editions. There is also a Great Libraries of the World Pinterest board.

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Research Librarian, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Participates in all research, teaching, and learning services and initiatives, including the development and implementation of library programs, online learning tools, and services in support of teaching and learning across the College, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the University. The position collaborates with library colleagues, teaching faculty, teaching fellows, and academic administrators in order to integrate into the curriculum opportunities for students to discover, critically evaluate, organize, synthesize, build upon, and ethically use information in diverse formats. This is a one-year Term Appointment....

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Digital Library of the Week

African-American banjo player in Florida, 1891

The Rollins College Digital Archives are designed to enhance public awareness and broaden users’ access to the unique historical materials in the Olin Library in Winter Park, Florida, and to promote the use of primary sources and support the teaching and learning at Rollins and in local communities. The project is funded by several rounds of Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grants, and currently has six collections: Hamilton Holt, Faces of Rollins, Rollins Architecture and Landscape, Student Lives at Rollins, Treasures at Rollins Archives, and Winter Park and Florida. Through thousands of historical images and textual records, Rollins’ liberal arts heritage and its tradition of excellence, innovation, and community are vividly represented.

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, Check out our Featured Digital Libraries Pinterest board.


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I do this for the money, prestige, and power. Said no librarian ever.

Cry for Help Ecard, June 30.

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The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine

Cosmopolitan Magazine cover 1894

Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals Subject of Traveling Exhibit

Great Songs: 'Blue Moon of Kentucky' and the Career of Bill 'Father of Bluegrass' Monroe

How to Pay for College: Scholarships

Rachel DeWoskin: 'We need centers of communication and learning and reading'

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Calendar

Aug. 6–9:
National Conference of State Legislatures,
Legislative Summit, McCormick Place, Chicago. “Build Strong States.” ALA Associate Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon will be a speaker on August 8.

Aug. 23–26:
International Board on Books for Young People,
33rd International Congress, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom. “Crossing Boundaries: Translations and Migrations.”

Sept. 1–30:
Library Card Sign-up Month.

Sept. 9–11:
R-Squared Risk and Reward Conference,
Telluride Conference Center, Telluride, Colorado.

Sept. 19–23:
Joint Conference of Librarians of Color,
Meeting, Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri. “Gathering at the Waters: Celebrating Stories, Embracing Communities.”

Sept. 20–22:
ALSC Biennial National Institute,
Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana. “Libraries Leading the Race.”

Sept. 30–
Oct. 6:

Banned Books Week.

Oct. 3–5:
Library 2.012 Worldwide Virtual Conference.
Founding sponsor: San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science.

Oct. 4–7:
LITA National Forum,
Hyatt Regency Downtown, Columbus, Ohio. “New World of Data: Discover. Connect. Remix.”

Oct. 7–8:
Innovation in Libraries 2012,
Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Library, Columbus, Ohio. Sponsored by OCLC as a post-LITA event.

Oct. 10–14:
Oral History Association,
Annual Meeting, Cleveland Marriott at Key Center, Cleveland, Ohio. “Sing It Out, Shout It Out, Say It Out Loud: Giving Voice through Oral History.”

Oct. 12–13:
AASL Fall Forum,
Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort and Conference Center, Greenville, South Carolina. Satellite sites in four other locations. “Transliteracy and the School Library Program.”

Oct. 12–14:
National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation,
National Conference, Hyatt at Olive 8, Seattle.

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Books & Reading

Is academic publishing on the verge of disruption?
Simon Owens writes: “About 80% of a journal publisher’s subscription revenue comes from university libraries, and for the last decade librarians have complained of an unsustainable rise (~7%) in journal pricing. Librarians have been some of the loudest advocates for open-access journals. Though they have clear financial motives, they have been joined by many academics, along with some in the federal government who allocate billions of dollars annually in taxpayer-funded research grants—grants that go toward the very research that ends up published by these journals.”...
US News, July 23

Snarked! Forks and Hope, by Roger Langridge, won the Eisner Award for ages 8–12Collection development, Comic-Con edition
Jessica Lee writes: “Comic-Con International is not just a comic book convention, it is a media blitz. Major movie studios, television shows, and book publishers convene in San Diego to create a buzz for their upcoming projects. What is promoted at Comic-Con will soon be heavily advertised, and your patrons will be demanding it. So check your collections for the following items.”...
ALA Membership Blog, July 18

Cover of Donovan&'s Big Day by Leslea NewmanCelebrating diversity with children’s books
Tess Goldwasser writes: “I have personally witnessed the empowering effect an affirmative book about GLBT people can have on a questioning young person. It says: You are not alone. There are people like you. There are people who will support you. And, to quote Dan Savage, Terry Miller, and countless others, ‘It gets better.’ In that spirit, here are few books for children that I’d like to share with you, about how it is okay to be special.”...
ALSC Blog, July 21

Cover of Broken HarborEleven thrilling books for people who don’t read thrillers
Russ Marshalek writes: “We admit it, it’s a dirty word to us: genre fiction. That said, when we were breathlessly devouring Tana French’s newly released Broken Harbor, we were struck by something: the power of a well-written, perfectly plotted, tightly wound literary thriller. As an entry point, we’ve gathered some of our favorite recent literary thrillers here, for your perusal.”...
Flavorwire, July 25

Smelly old bookWhat causes “old book smell”?
Matt Soniak writes: “‘A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness’ is how an international team of chemists describes the unique odor of old books in a study. Poetic, sure, but what causes it? The researchers tested 72 books and found some 15 compounds that came up again and again. They were reliable markers for degradation. These include acetic acid, benzaldehyde, butanol, furfural, octanal, and other chemicals with funny-sounding names.”...
Mental Floss, July 19; Analytical Chemistry 83 (2011): 2371–2377

Screenshot from How to Read a BookHow to read a book
Cassidy Tucker (right) reads a lot. She also makes a lot of videos, and has gained quite a following for her fun (and funny) YouTube book reviews. In this video (1:41), she reveals the back, neck, and arm aches she suffers as she tries to discover the ideal way to read while reclining....
The Huffington Post, July 19; YouTube, June 26

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Tips & Ideas

The benefits of faculty-librarian collaborations
Andrea Gillaspy-Steinhilper writes: “Lower Columbia College libraries in Longview, Washington, have been using an LSTA grant to integrate librarians or library tutorials into face-to-face and online classes, thereby offering information-literacy instruction to students without increasing the teaching load of the discipline instructors. When incorporated with research assignments, this instruction, along with embedded librarians, facilitates both student learning and faculty grading of assignments.”...
Faculty Focus, July 16

Twitter/NBC Olympics hub, #Euro2012How to follow the 2012 Olympics online
Sam Laird writes: “After months and months of anticipation by athletes and fans alike, the 2012 Olympic Games officially begin July 27. For most fans, however, the world’s most global sporting event can be tricky to catch: Many of the competitions will take place during the workday, when posting up in front of a TV is tough. Not to worry. Here are the best ways to access quality social and editorial content online from now through the closing ceremony on August 12....
Mashable, July 25

April Kessler and Karen HoltCycling for Libraries in the Baltics
Cycling for Libraries, July 28–August 7, is a politically and economically independent international unconference for librarians and library lovers, and a bicycle tour. The event supports grassroots networking, internationalism, physical and mental well-being of library professionals, environmental values, and the crucial role of libraries in society and education. In August, participants will cycle and bus 600 kilometers from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Talinn, Estonia. Check out how University of Texas librarians April Kessler and Karen Holt (above) are preparing for the event....
Cycling for Libraries; Librarian Lifestyle, July 23

Edgy Retro outfitWhat should job candidates wear?
Emily Weak writes: “This week we will finally address the question that plagues interviewees everywhere, ‘should I wear a suit?’ I really know very little about clothes, so I asked Jill from Librarian Hire Fashion to collaborate with me on this one. Jill found six great examples. Then we asked people who hire librarians: Which outfit is most appropriate to wear to an interview with your organization? Why or why not? Please pick one for women and one for men. Bonus question: Can you share any funny stories about horrifying interview outfits?”...
Hiring Librarians, July 20

Research as a life skill
Jennifer LaGarde writes: “Research really is a life skill, but only if we redefine research. Given the number of times I still see teachers or librarians requiring 3x5 note cards and banning Wikipedia as an acceptable source, the more I believe that rethinking the research process is something we need to talk about. I don’t pretend to know all of the answers, but this is what I do know.”...
The Adventures of Library Girl, July 22

What library school taught me about genealogy
Amy Coffin writes: “Amy Johnson Crow wrote a blog post about her job and the general perception of librarians in the genealogical public. I share Amy’s frustration in the perceptions of librarians’ purpose and value. Each library school graduate takes a different path to meet different goals, but they share many of the same skill sets that are used in various aspects of the workforce. I’m going to tell you what I learned in library school and then you can see how it has helped me in genealogy.”...
The We Tree Genealogy Blog, July 20; Amy’s Genealogy, etc., July 18

Art curation students at an Independent Curators International courseThe fine art of being a curator
Randy Kennedy writes: “While not exactly lucrative—the most recent snapshot by the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the estimated mean salary of a curator, broadly defined, in the United States at $53,540—the profession of curator has grown rapidly in cachet. The word itself has seeped into the language, a little too deeply. And while the term ‘independent curator’ is misleading, the example of itinerant curators who have become art-world celebrities in recent years, like Okwui Enwezor, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, and Neville Wakefield, has had an effect.”...
New York Times, July 18

Data Curation Lifecycle ModelThe data curation lifecycle
Kevin Read writes: “One glaring issue with data curation is that not many librarians are knowledgeable enough about the topic to feel comfortable managing a large-scale project. This is when I read about the Digital Curation Centre Lifecycle Model in an article by P. Bryan Heidorn in the Journal of Library Administration. The Lifecycle Model is an excellent introduction to data curation, and I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight some of its important points. What I particularly like about this model is that it works through the steps of data curation systematically.”...
Kevin the Librarian, July 20; P. Bryan Heidorn, J. Library Admin. 51 (2011): 662–672

Imagining the Internet logoBig data in 2020
Big data—which powers everything from Netflix recommendations to fraud alerts—is changing the way we live. But is that a good thing? In the latest Pew Internet/Elon University survey, 53% of a handpicked group of “internet experts, observers, and stakeholders” said big data would produce an overall positive effect by the year 2020. Meanwhile, 39% said it would have an overall negative effect. (8% didn’t answer.)”...
Pew Internet and American Life Project, July 20

Open Repositories 2012 logoOpen Repositories 2012
Leslie Johnston writes: “Open Repositories 2012, held at the University of Edinburgh July 9–13, had over 480 registered attendees from more than 40 countries. The entire conference was live-blogged, which provided some remarkable coverage. And there is a tweet archive for the tag #or2012. But if there was one word that that was woven into almost every presentation, it was this: data. Which made me very happy.”...
The Signal: Digital Preservation, July 20

Databib logoDatabib needs some editors
Databib is a tool for helping people to locate online repositories of research data. More than 200 data repositories have been cataloged in Databib, with more added each week. Users and bibliographers create and curate records that describe data repositories that users can browse and search. Its advisory board is calling for nominations to an Editorial Board that will ensure the ongoing coverage and accuracy of the service....
Databib, July 18

Chelmsford (Mass.) Public Library library card table. Photo by Brian Herzog, used CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Chelmsford’s library card table
Brian Herzog writes: “Earlier this summer, my coworker Tommy at the Chelmsford (Mass.) Public Library got the idea for a library art project: Mail a letter to 200+ libraries across the country, asking them to send him one of their library cards. In the end, the number of cards he got fit more or less perfectly on one of the coffee tables in the library, so he got permission to arrange them on a table and cover them with a protective epoxy.”...
Swiss Army Librarian, July 25

Book earringsHow to make book earrings
Book earrings make a great gift for anyone who loves to read, including yourself. You can make your own in a matter of hours and express your status as a bookworm or your belief in literacy. Use this step-by-step guide to get started. First, cut two rectangles out of cardboard, each 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall by 1.75 inches (4.5 cm). Use a ruler or paper cutter to get the edges square and straight. This will provide the structure for the cover of your book....
WikiHow

Please don’t say this to a librarian
Ingrid Abrams writes: “When I’m dealing with the public, I’m usually sitting at a desk, out in the open, trying to look approachable enough so that people feel comfortable in asking me questions. This invites all kinds of verbal shenanigans. You never know what you’re going to hear, and I like having a good story to tell my boyfriend at the end of the day. There’s so much variety in the crazy. Then again, there’s the sorts of things I hear over and over again.”...
Magpie Librarian, July 9

Sir Eli hangs out at the Los Robles Elementary School Library in Porterville, California, twice a week to keep watch over the kidsFamous library cats
Alison Nastasi writes: “Although we haunt our local libraries regularly, we advocate them as a great summer hangout spot to keep your brains from being scrambled by the sun. Our motto during the dog days of summer is, ‘Come for the books, stay for the cats.’ Books and cats have always been two great things that go well together. Meet a few famous library cats that take naps in the reference section, work the circulation desk, and warmly greet visitors.”...
Flavorwire, July 23

Screenshot of Rosenbach Museum and Library Curator Derick Dreher peruses Stephen Colbert's bestseller, I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)The Rosenbach acquires Stephen Colbert
The Rosenbach and Museum and Library in Philadelphia has added to its remarkable collection the manuscript of Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert’s picture-book parody, I Am a Pole (And So Can You). It is on display alongside the manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses (“heralded to be the greatest novel of all time by people who have claimed to have read it,” according to Colbert) through November 18. Watch (5:13) Rosenbach Curator Derick Dreher (above) withstand his Colbert Report interview, which aired seven months after Maurice Sendak, another Rosenbach luminary, sat down with Colbert....
The Colbert Report, July 17

Screenshot from The Most Interesting Librarian in the World videoThe most interesting librarian in the world
David Tyckoson, associate dean of the Henry Madden Library at California State University, Fresno, and member of the 817’s comedy troupe, debuted this video (0:52) at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim in June. A parody of the Dos Equis advertisement, it features former ALA President Michael Gorman (right) as “the most interesting librarian in the world.”...
YouTube, July 18

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