Have 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

Internet 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.

Dispatches: 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.

Currents
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, 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 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

The 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

New 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

Learn 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

Managing 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

An 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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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

Register 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

Summer 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

$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

Shake 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
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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Baker & 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

2012 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

2011 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

2012 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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Penn 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 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

Religious 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

Missouri 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

New 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

Peering 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

British 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

Beijing’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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