Overall, libraries fare well at the ballot box
Beverly Goldberg and Jordan Brandes write: “Voters showed their library love at the polls November 6 by supporting a series of millages and bond issues for operations and construction around the nation, although there were also some notable disappointments. What follows is a quick snapshot of library-related election results.”...
American Libraries news, Nov. 14

Marketing your library
Ned Potter writes: “Terry Kendrick (right) is the guru of strategic marketing in libraries. His book Developing Strategic Marketing Plans That Really Work is a must-read, and he writes, speaks, and runs workshops on marketing libraries all over the UK and in no fewer than 26 countries abroad. I talked to him about all things marketing strategy for my recent book, The Library Marketing Toolkit (Facet, 2012).”...
American Libraries feature

Outside/In: Unforgettable passwords
David Lee King and Michael Porter write: “Regardless of the number of passwords you may have, we all know they can be difficult to keep track of. Now there’s an even greater concern about security because of improved computer processing speeds, which enable hacking programs to identify valid password combinations with rapid ease. So, how can you keep your passwords safe and memorable? Here are some tips.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.; Ars Technica, Aug. 20; New York Times, Nov. 7

Youth Matters: Connect guys with authors
Abby Johnson writes: “It was a sunny June afternoon, perfect for playing baseball, taking a dip in the local pool, or having a virtual chat with a favorite author over Skype about what you’ve been reading. That was the message the New Albany–Floyd County (Ind.) Public Library set out to impart this summer through our first Guys Read program series, designed to attract boys to the library and get them excited about books. We sought to make that virtual guy-to-author connection with the help of local high school teacher and Twitter legend Paul Hankins (right).”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

November/December issue online
In this issue, get advice for librarians about today’s job search (social media and networking), as well as Midwinter must-dos, personal branding, writing for nonlibrarians, daily life for librarians in Iraq, partnering with local musicians, how libraries count in the 2012 elections, how to put on a how-to festival, and new Americans and the digital literacy gap....
American Libraries

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Emerging Leaders of 2013
ALA has selected 56 individuals (PDF file) to participate in its 2013 class of Emerging Leaders. Instituted under former ALA President Leslie Burger, the program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. The program kicks off with a daylong session during the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle....
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment, Nov. 9

Get “News You Can Use” at Midwinter
Throughout the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, January 25–29, experts across library-related fields will offer the latest updates on policy, research, statistics, technology, and more, based on new research, surveys, reports, legislation/regulation, projects, beta trials, focus groups, and other data. For a complete list, visit scheduler sessions and click on “News You Can Use Updates” in the list of meeting types....
Conference Services, Nov. 13

The Midwinter Meeting scheduler is open
The 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting scheduler is now open. The scheduler is a powerful tool to help you plan your conference attendance and keep up with events and opportunities as they’re added. Highlights include the ability to browse sessions in multiple ways, easy-to-create personal calendars, and tailored lists of recommendations....
Conference Services, Nov. 9

2013 Midwinter T-shirt poll
Help us choose the colors of ALA’s Midwinter Meeting T-shirt. The 2013 T-shirt will once again be available in a men’s and a women’s cut. More than 650 people voted to select the colors of ALA’s Midwinter 2012 T-shirt—and it sold out quickly. With the 2013 Midwinter Meeting around the corner, it’s time to vote again. Check back on November 19 to see the winning colors....
Conference Services, Nov. 14

Outreach to Seattle’s homeless welcomed during Midwinter Day of Caring
Where do homeless people go after they visit the library? How do library workers best serve them? On January 25, about 100 ALA Midwinter Meeting–goers will have the opportunity to overcome stereotypes and barriers to service through a free hands-on introduction to Seattle’s varied organizations serving people who are homeless. Participation is free, but in-kind donations (backpacks, new or lightly-used outerwear, pillowcases, socks, sleeping bags, books, magazines, and paperbacks are welcome). Registration is open....
Conference Services, Nov. 13

“Let’s Talk About It” webinar
For more than 30 years, hundreds of libraries across the country have engaged their communities by offering “Let’s Talk About It” reading and discussion programs. On December 12, Frannie Ashburn, a state-level coordinator for LTAI, will present a webinar, “Let’s Talk About It: The National Model for Scholar-Led Reading and Discussion,” that will provide how-to information about bringing this popular, five-part series to your library. Registration is open....
Public Programs Office, Nov. 13

Funds available for the News Know-how initiative
Public libraries and library consortia are invited to apply for more than $50,000 in training and support in the News Know-how initiative that helps students in grades 10–12 learn skills that will help them distinguish fact from opinion, check news and information sources, and distinguish between propaganda and news. The program is funded by the Open Society Foundations. Proposals must be submitted by December 8....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 9

Accreditation and the External Review Panel
Laura Dare writes: “It is important to make a distinction between the ALA Committee on Accreditation and the External Review Panel. The ERP is appointed by the COA to serve as its agent for the review to verify the assertions and evidence in the program presentation (self study) and to submit a report for the COA’s consideration. The ERP does not determine whether or not a program is in compliance with the standards and does not make or even recommend an accreditation decision.”...
Prism, Fall 2012

Belmont College qualifies for LSSC
The ALA–Allied Professional Association announced that it has completed an agreement with Belmont College’s fully online Library Paraprofessional Degree Program. This agreement will allow Belmont graduates who meet the established criteria to receive the LSSC (Library Support Staff Certification) designation....
ALA–Allied Professional Association, Nov. 9

Strategize your movie viewing
Offering a smorgasbord of carefully cultivated lists, Queue Tips: Discovering Your Next Great Movie by ALA Publishing’s Rob Christopher is a new suggestion guide that incorporates classic films with more obscure selections for a full array of watch-worthy movies. This all-in-one recommendation source includes capsule reviews; director, cast, and crew information; bits of trivia and quotable lines; and helpful tips on how to locate these and other intriguing movies....
ALA Huron Street Press, Nov. 9

Rob Christopher discusses his favorite movies
In the just-released Queue Tips, ALA staffer and Chicagoist contributor Rob Christopher gives short synopses of some real cinematic gems and lumps them into neat chapters with titles like “Man <3 Sheep, Teen <3 1958 Plymouth Fury, and Seven Other Unusual Romances” or “Nine Westerns That Aren’t Westerns.” Chicagoist had the opportunity to ask one of its favorite film critics a few questions about the book and Christopher’s own film preferences....
Chicagoist, Nov. 14

Managing your e-resources
E-resources now account for the bulk of materials spending in many libraries. Electronic Resource Management: Practical Perspectives in a New Technical Services Model, available through ALA Neal-Schuman, makes the case that technical services workflows need to make a corresponding shift toward e-centric models and highlights the increasing variety of e-formats that are forcing new developments in the field. Authors Anne C. Elguindi and Kari Schmidt use case studies to cover key topics....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Nov. 9

Information services and digital literacy
Presenting a new approach for understanding how information services help and hinder people in becoming informed, Information Services and Digital Literacy: In Search of the Boundaries of Knowing by Isto Huvila scrutinizes the role of information services and digital literacies in the age of the social web. Huvila examines how interacting with information affects people’s actions, including the different behaviors toward knowledge exhibited by the born-digital or new user....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Nov. 13

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Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Kurt Beecher Dammeier opened Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Seattle’s first artisanal cheese-maker, in 2003 in the heart of historic Pike Place Market at 1600 Pike Place. Prepare to wait in line at the shop, where you can watch the cheesemakers work and sample some of the award-winning cheeses. Consider buying their amazing mac and cheese or a gooey grilled-cheese sandwich, along with a wedge or two of whatever you decide is your favorite cheese. Its Flagsheep cheese took Best in Show at the 2012 American Cheese Society competition....
Take Part, Nov. 1; Beecher’s Handmade Cheese; Cheesy Chat with Pastoral, Oct. 31

Pike Place Market tours
The Public Market Tours are one-hour walking tours offering visitors an insider’s look at the oldest continuously operating farmer’s market in the United States. The tours take you inside the main thoroughfares of Pike Place Market, as well as the DownUnder where hidden treasures await. Enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds that make up the Soul of Seattle and learn what stinky onions had to do with the start of the market in 1907....
Public Market Tours

Seattle Public Library’s historic menu collection
Hanna Raskin writes: “The Seattle Public Library is slowly starting to digitize its collection of historic menus. Food historians currently have to visit the Central Library’s Seattle Room to learn what was served at the Dog House or Rosselini’s 610. But a library intern who this summer expressed interest in making the menus more accessible was given the go-ahead to put a small sampling of the menu collection online.”...
Seattle Weekly, Nov. 5

Meet me at the 1962 World’s Fair
Eight short radio features were produced for KBCS-FM in Seattle in May that included stories by former World’s Fair staff and visitors. “Meet Me at the Fair” was produced by 8th graders from the Denny International Middle School and Jack Straw Productions in celebration of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. You can listen to or stream all eight episodes on the JSP website....
Jack Straw Productions

The best shoes for travel? Ask a flight attendant
Stephanie Rosenbloom writes: “Who better to, er, pump for shoe advice? Flight attendants choose their shoes based on a number of factors, including their individual budgets, foot problems, and the rules of their airline. Typically, that results in crew members rotating between two sets of shoes: a snappy-looking pair to wear in the terminal and a more sensible, affordable pair that they change into for the service portion of a flight. What follows are some of their favorite shoes and brands, ideas you can steal for your own weary soles.”...
New York Times, Aug. 29

AASL offers assistance to schools hit by Superstorm Sandy
AASL offers its support to its East Coast colleagues as recovery from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy begins and encourages schools to apply for a Beyond Words disaster relief grant. The grant program, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, can be used to replace or supplement books, media, and library equipment in school libraries affected by natural disasters. More information can be found on the AASL Beyond Words website....
AASL, Nov. 9

AASL extends deadline for Superstorm Sandy libraries
AASL has extended the deadline for concurrent session proposals for its 16th National Conference to December 7, in consideration of school library professionals living in states impacted by Superstorm Sandy. AASL recognizes the difficulties faced by its East Coast colleagues due to the damage inflicted by the recent hurricane and wishes to allow those wanting to participate in an AASL national conference the time needed to submit a proposal....
AASL, Nov. 9

AASL’s national conference website launches
The website for the AASL 16th National Conference & Exhibition, “Rising to the Challenge,” to be held November 14–17, 2013, in Hartford, Connecticut, is now online. The website offers preliminary conference information including registration rates, preconference workshops, educational tours, general session speakers, and author events....
AASL, Nov. 13

Libraries and Online Learning symposium at Midwinter
Never has the partnership between libraries and learners been more important than in today’s online environment—from local public libraries to national and transnational digital public libraries, from primary schools to research universities. In the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting symposium, “Libraries and Online Learning: A Powerful Partnership” from ALCTS, attendees will learn to foster the strategic relationships possible. Mike Eisenberg (above) of the University of Washington Information School will keynote. Registration is open....
ALCTS, Nov. 13

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Now is a perfect time to apply for a RUSA award
RUSA has many awards to offer—even for nonmembers—in the areas of reference, genealogy, business reference, adult services, readers advisory, resource sharing, and technology. The deadline for all nominations is December 15, with the exception of the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of January 31. Details are on the RUSA awards page....
RUSA Blog, Nov. 1

Library trustee awards
United for Libraries is accepting applications for the ALA Trustee Citation and the United for Libraries/Gale Outstanding Trustee Grant. The ALA Trustee Citation recognizes public library trustees for distinguished service to library development, on the local, state, regional, or national level, or at a combination of levels. United for Libraries/Gale Outstanding Trustee Conference Grant of $850 enables public library trustees to attend the ALA Annual Conference. The deadline to apply for both is December 31....
United for Libraries, Nov. 13

Greek foundation offers $750,000 for Sandy relief
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation announced on November 12 that it will grant $750,000 to assist relief and aid operations in those areas of New York City devastated the most by Superstorm Sandy. The funds will be directed to support local communities throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The will go to organizations offering mental health services, food, restoration to affected areas, reconstruction of public libraries, and volunteer work. And Simon & Schuster is offering “any public or school library damaged by Hurricane Sandy a donation of 500 ‘best of’ titles in order to help in the restoration of their collections.”...
Greek Reporter, Nov. 12; Publisher’s Lunch, Nov. 12

Elissa Miller wins America Reads Spanish prize
Elissa Miller (right), associate director for collections at the District of Columbia Public Library, was named Librarian of the Year by America Reads Spanish. The award was announced at the Liber 2012 International Book Fair in Barcelona, Spain, October 2–4. The ARS prize is given to an American librarian who during the current year has promoted Spanish books and reading in the United States, increased the Spanish holdings of a library, and worked to disseminate the Spanish language in the United States....
District of Columbia Public Library, Oct. 31

2012 Governor General’s Literary Awards
The Canada Council for the Arts announced the 14 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards on November 13. The most significant literary award program in Canada, the GG’s are awarded in both English and French in seven categories: fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, children’s literature (text and illustration), and translation. The publisher of each winning book receives $3,000 to support promotional activities. The winner for nonfiction in English was Ross King’s Leonardo and the Last Supper (Bond Street Books)....
Canada Council for the Arts, Nov. 13

2012 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
Canadian writer Wade Davis is the winner of the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction for Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest (Bodley Head), a substantial and meticulously assembled account of George Mallory’s ill-fated attempt to scale the summit of Mount Everest. This annual prize of £20,000 ($31,750 US), now in its 14th year, is open to all nonfiction books written in English by writers of any nationality....
BBC News, Nov. 12

2012 Prix Goncourt
A novel that’s been described as a poetic Corsican epic has won France’s top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt. French writer and teacher Jérôme Ferrari was named winner of the venerable literary honor November 7 for his book Le Sermon sur la Chute de Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome). First awarded in 1903, the Prix Goncourt recognizes “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year.”...
CBC News, Nov. 8

2012 Prix Renaudot
Scholastique Mukasonga, a Rwandan author living in France, has won this year’s Prix Renaudot, a prestigious French literary award, for her novel Notre-Dame du Nil. The book is set in Rwanda long before the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. It describes life in the isolated elite girls school Notre-Dame du Nil and the tensions between Hutu and Tutsi pupils that exist in this very closed community....
Rwanda Focus (Kigali), Nov. 7

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Superstorm Sandy swamped NYU’s Ehrman Medical Library
Jennifer Howard writes: “When Hurricane Sandy struck New York City on October 30, powerful winds and higher-than-usual tides sent a 14-foot surge of water from the East River through New York University’s Langone Medical Center, shutting down the hospital, drowning thousands of mice and rats used in research, and swamping the Ehrman Medical Library. The floodwaters wiped out most of the library’s on-site print collections, along with study spaces and work areas, according to the library’s website.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 12; NYU Health Sciences Libraries, Nov. 12

Raccoon seeks refuge in Queens Library branch
A clever raccoon sought shelter from Superstorm Sandy in the atrium of the Baisley Park branch of the Queens (N.Y.) Library. The masked intruder was found curled up under a shrub when neighborhood volunteers arrived to clean up after the storm and quickly became the darling of the library. Children who visited the library fondly named him Mr. Rocky Books. They fed him, made him a house, and read to him through the window glass....
WNBC-TV, New York City, Nov. 8

Utah school district sued over In Our Mothers’ House
A Kaysville, Utah, parent sued the Davis School District on November 13, alleging her children’s First Amendment rights were violated by a school committee’s decision in May to remove a book about lesbian mothers from shelves of elementary school libraries. Students can read the picture book, In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco, only if they have a permission slip signed by parents. The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah is representing plaintiff Tina Weber in the case....
Salt Lake Tribune, May 31, Nov. 13

Memphis photo IDs prove popular
When the Memphis (Tenn.) Public Library started issuing new photo library cards, 2,466 people signed up for one. The city spent more than $60,000 for the equipment and software needed to produce the cards. The topic became a hot legal issue after the city said it could be used for voter identification. The state objected, but a court ruled the library ID is valid for voting. However, there is a petition before the Tennessee Supreme Court....
WREG-TV, Memphis, Nov. 9

New teen space opening in Schaumburg library
A high-tech, state-of-the-art Teen Place will officially open November 24 in the Schaumburg Township (Ill.) District Library. The new 6,000-square-foot area features a digital production studio with green screen; advanced music-creation and video-production and editing software; two smart discussion rooms; a multipurpose room for programs, movies, gaming and performances; a digital whiteboard; high-tech collaboration stations; and 30 MacBook Pros, four iMacs, five iPads and (for gamers) four versions of PS3, Xbox 360 Kinect, and Wii consoles....
Chicago Tribune, Nov. 14

Niagara Falls hit with $100K budget reduction
Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Public Library officials are worried over their page in the mayor’s proposed budget. The system takes a $100,000 reduction in its budget from last year in the “disaster budget” that Mayor Paul Dyster presented in early November. The reduction in funds is particularly painful because of a $94,000 annual increase in the library system’s payroll that started last year. Library officials have circulated a petition....
Niagara Gazette, Nov. 8

Scottsdale library helps preserve historic sights and sounds
The Scottsdale (Ariz.) Public Library recently went live with the Papago Salado Story Tour Collection, which features digitized historic photos of several of the city’s notable buildings, accompanied by audio files of locals telling stories about them. The collection got its start in 2011, when Arizona’s Papago Salado Association received a grant to record memories of historical buildings. The association envisioned a walking-tour program; now, using prominently posted QR codes, anyone visiting the buildings can use a mobile device to call up the collection of photos and MP3s....
Library Journal: The Digital Shift, Nov. 9

Presidential library plays a role in Spielberg film
Debbie Husar writes: “James Cornelius and other Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum staff played a key role in adding authentic touches to the new Steven Spielberg film Lincoln (to be released nationally on November 16) from the recorded sounds to the mood of Springfield and Lincoln’s world and costume details. Listen closely during the film and you might hear the sound of the dinner bell from Robert Lincoln’s dining room table in Chicago, with a similar sound and look to what his parents used.”...
Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig, Nov. 8

Whitefish Bay bans Little Free Libraries
The village board of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, decided to enforce its existing village code and ban Little Free Libraries from front yards across the village, not out of a hatred of literacy but because mailboxes and other structures are not allowed in front yards. With more than 4,000–5,000 Little Free Libraries erected in 34 countries, Whitefish Bay is the first municipality to restrict the structures....
Whitefish Bay (Wis.) Patch, Nov. 11

Baltimore document thief sentenced
The younger of two men who admitted to stealing a wealth of culturally significant documents was sentenced November 9 to a year and a day in federal prison, ending the prosecution of a case that began at the Maryland Historical Society and rattled archives, museums, and libraries across the continent. US District Judge Catherine C. Blake said the sentence reflected the valuable cooperation of Jason James Savedoff, the accomplice of master thief Barry H. Landau, in identifying and recovering thousands of stolen items. More on Landau and his special coat pockets here....
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 9; OUP Blog, Nov. 7

Ex-Gov. Blagojevich starts work in the prison library
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has headed from the kitchen to the library at the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado, as he continues his 14-year sentence for corruption charges. Blagojevich’s former defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. said the ex-governor found washing dishes painfully boring and applied for a library gig. “He’s either in the library, or just about to get in the library,” Adam said....
WBBM-TV, Chicago, Nov. 10

Poppy petals found in book from McMaster’s WWI collection
Special collections and archives librarians at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, have discovered the remnants of several poppy flowers preserved in a 1936 Guidebook of the Pilgrimage to Vimy and the Battlefields once owned by the wife of George Muir, a Canadian soldier who served in World War I. Associate Librarian Wade Wyckoff believes the poppies came from fields in Flanders. Library staff will eventually remove the flowers from the book and encapsulate them....
Hamilton (Ont.) Metro, Nov. 8

Camel libraries improve literacy in Kenya
Bosire Boniface writes: “At a village square in Kalkach, Kenya, librarians Adan Abdi and Mohammed Adow command two camels to kneel down. Nearby under an acacia tree, a group of enthusiastic children and adults watch as the librarians unload wooden boxes full of books. Thousands of residents of North Eastern Province have benefited from the Camel Mobile Library, a service that was initiated by the Kenya National Library Services in 1996 to improve literacy in the region.”...
Sabahi Online, Nov. 7

Russian librarian fined for circulating extremist books
A librarian from the city of Novokuznetsk in the Kemerovo region of Russia was convicted of disseminating banned books and fined 2,000 rubles ($63 US). The 55-year-old chief librarian faced criminal proceedings after a reader requested a book from the federal list of extremist materials and she granted his request. Police did not disclose the book’s title or author, saying it might cause unnecessary interest in extremist literature....
RIA Novosti, Nov. 9

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ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29.

Author Terry Brooks (above) is joining Ivan Doig, Gregg Olsen, and Ruth Ozeki to talk to Brad Hooper about the state of the novel and the influence of the Pacific Northwest on their work in the “ERT/Booklist Author Forum” on January 25. This will be the first of many opportunities to hear and see favorite authors up close at Midwinter in Seattle.

Healing Nature of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Thirty Years Later Laura Moriarty: 'I'm so grateful for libraries and librarians' (video) Libraries Promote Use of E-books Celebrating the 'Etceteras' of the World—Newly Discovered Photography of Vivian Maier Popular Oak Ridge Boys Reflect Southern Gospel Movement that Helped Create Elvis and Patsy Cline Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

OCLC partners with Goodreads
OCLC has expanded its strategic partnership with Goodreads, the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations, to help provide greater visibility for all libraries. The new agreement pledges to improve Goodreads members’ experience of finding fresh, new things to read through libraries. It will also provide libraries with a way to reach this key group of dedicated readers through social media. As a WorldCat traffic partner since 2007, Goodreads has sent more than 5 million web referrals to WorldCat....
OCLC, Nov. 9

2013 selections for World Book Night
World Book Night is an international “celebration of books and reading” wherein volunteers give away books to those in their community who are not regular readers. Last year, over 80,000 people signed up to be book givers, and more than 2.5 million books were given away across the US and parts of Europe. Next year’s World Book Night has been scheduled for April 23, and today the list of giveaway books was announced. Find out how your library can participate....
Book Riot, Nov. 9

Defining novels of the Millennial generation
Millennials (sometimes also called Generation Y) are usually defined by demographers as the age cohort that was born starting in 1983 (perhaps a few years earlier). This generation has not yet turned 30, and unlike poets, mathematicians, or gymnasts, novelists don’t generally flower until after that. While the bulk of Millennial masterpieces are no doubt just now beginning to be written, here are the 10 best novels about their experiences so far....
TeleRead, Oct. 30

LGBTQ teens and their literature
Molly Wetta writes: “I am an unabashed fan of queer YA literature. This is perhaps partly due to the first young adult novel I read in high school: Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger. I come back to these kinds of books again and again when looking for a good contemporary young adult read. My only problem? There’s simply not enough of them. It isn’t just LGBTQ kids who can benefit from an increased awareness and acceptance of queer characters. Many youth are wrongly identified by peers as queer due to stereotypes, so support and education benefits everyone.”...
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 9

Surf’s up!
John Schoppert writes: “There’s something about diving into a surf mystery that quenches the soul, and I’ve finished a great one by Don Winslow called The Dawn Patrol. There are few things more potent in literature than accurately described physical endurance, and Winslow captures what it’s like to be held under water after a big-wave wipe-out. Surfing holds a place in the imagination that almost matches the power of catching a gnarly ride. Here’s some surf fiction worth considering when waiting for your next set to come in.”...
Booklist Online: Shelf Renewal, Nov. 8

10 great authors we should stop pigeonholing
Emily Temple writes: “We read a great article at Slate about Ursula K. Le Guin (right) and the genre distinctions (or lack thereof) in her work. This article portends an even greater event, the publication of Le Guin’s new self-chosen best-of collection, The Unreal and the Real, later in November, so we’ve decided to take a look at authors who have found themselves neatly boxed and categorized by the collective consciousness—but shouldn’t be. Check out a few of the great authors we should all really stop pigeonholing.”...
Flavorwire, Nov. 4; Slate, Nov. 2

20 essential books on the future of human evolution
Annalee Newitz writes: “Evolutionary theory teaches us that life never remains the same. It is constantly changing and adapting. So what might be the next stages in the evolution of humanity and our planet? Here are 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction, that try to answer that question. In The Bohr Maker, Linda Nagata imagines that our future evolution depends on how we’ll use strong nanotechnology to reshape our bodies and the environment.”...
io9, Nov. 12

LC to host first International Summit of the Book
The Library of Congress on December 6–7 will host the first International Summit of the Book, a gathering of leaders in academia, libraries, culture, and technology to debate and discuss the powerful and crucial form of information transmittal—the book. The summit will take place in the Coolidge Auditorium of the library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. Keynote speeches and panels throughout the event are free and open to the public. Registration is required....
Library of Congress, Nov. 9

Who has better book covers? US or UK?
Gabe Habash writes: “During a stop at Dublin’s Hodges Figgis bookshop, I was struck by two things as an American reader. One: Most UK paperbacks have cheap binding. Two: The covers of most books on the other side of the Atlantic differ drastically from what we see in the States. With the exception of Penguin Classics and a few other publishers that are in both markets, a trip through a UK bookstore is an altogether different experience. Here are 10 books, UK on the left and US on the right. Which do you prefer?”...
Publishers Weekly: PWxyz, Nov. 8

Take the Guardian’s kid-lit library quiz
It’s time to prove just how much you love your library with this quiz. Do you know stacks about the subject—or are you a stranger to your shelves? The quiz involves libraries in children’s literature....
The Guardian (UK), Oct. 26

Maps of Middle Earth
Richard Byrne writes: “Earlier I shared some maps of Middle Earth from Google Maps Mania that are built on the Google Maps API. Keir Clarke added a comment with a link to the LOTR Project’s Middle Earth Timeline (right), which is a combination of a timeline and a map. Each event in the timeline is directly linked to a location on the map. Click on any event in the timeline to see where it took place in Middle Earth.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Nov. 9; Google Maps Mania, Apr. 25

Pining for Pinterest
Laura Perenic writes: “As a self-confessed book-cover judger, displays of jacket art and themed book displays make my mental taste buds water. Imagine my delight when I realized that Pinterest, in addition to having loads of other content, is a veritable smorgasbord of fiction suggestions to please my YA palate. As a fan of an author’s work, you can follow their page, boards, and pins for the latest news. Many teen authors use Pinterest to reach their audience; YA Highway has a compiled list.”...
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 12

YouTube or Vimeo: Which is better for library marketing?
Ned Potter writes: “Video is a pretty essential format for marketing your library these days, and can be done surprisingly cheaply and easily. If you’ve produced your videos—tutorials, advertising, virtual tours, or whatever—then where do you put them to maximize their impact? So what are the differences between the big two video sharing sites, YouTube and Vimeo, and how should they play in your marketing choices?”...
The Library Marketing Toolkit, Nov. 9

San Francisco picks its library card designs
San Franciscans have voted for penguins, butterflies, and sunshine to grace their library cards. The five winning designs in the San Francisco Public Library’s contest to create new library cards were recently unveiled. More than 14,500 people weighed in online at ImproveSF, where 3,500 designs in five different age groups were submitted. The library issues about 60,000 new cards every year....
City Insider, Nov. 11

Auraria Library skates its way to contest victory
Gale, part of Cengage Learning, has announced that Auraria Library in Denver is the winner of its “Out-of the-Box” marketing contest, which called on librarians to submit their risky but actionable marketing ideas for a chance at $5,000. The winning campaign idea, Books & Boards (1:47), capitalized on the local explosion of skateboarding as a chance to rebrand the library and connect with students. Five other finalists were also named and their ideas included everything from custom-printed toilet paper to “tagging” local neighborhoods with temporary graffiti....
Gale Cengage, Nov. 13

Hertz announces “I Love My School Librarian” contest
Hertz Furniture, a New Jersey–based supplier of school and office furniture, has announced an “I Love My School Librarian” contest. Students, teachers, principals, and parents are invited to recognize a school librarian and enter them into the competition by completing an online form and writing a short paragraph on “why you love your school librarian.” The contest runs through December 28....
Hertz Furniture, Nov. 12

Kansas reads to preschoolers
Roughly 6,000 copies of the children’s book Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn have been distributed throughout Kansas and are being read to Kansas preschoolers during Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Week, November 11–17. The Kansas State Library’s eighth annual one-book/one-state reading initiative has the goal that every Kansas child ages 0–5 will be read to during the week....
Kansas State Library, Nov. 9

Curious George on PBS
Curious George is a little monkey with an insatiable curiosity. The Curious George series on PBS takes full advantage of children’s natural curiosity, using George to motivate them to expand their own investigations of the world. George’s memorable adventures offer the perfect vehicles for introducing preschoolers to key concepts in science, engineering, and math. This colorful activity booklet (PDF file) can be used as a handout or the basis of children’s programming in the library....
PBS Parents

Animals as teachers
Caroline McKinley writes: “Our lovebird, Holly GoFlightly (right), charms many of the children coming into the Hampton Bays (N.Y.) Library, and that is not an easy feat. There is evidence that associating with animals enhances a child’s overall learning beyond their ABCs. It is not difficult to integrate the appreciation of animals into a library’s programming. The national campaign ‘No Child Left Inside,’ is one of many ways to arrange walks through a nearby nature preserve. You can then coordinate a storytime or discussion around some inspiring books similar to the ones listed here.”...
ALSC Blog, Nov. 14

IT people: Children’s librarians in disguise?
Melanie A. Lyttle writes: “In the tradition of My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle, I offer this observation. I’m pretty sure library IT people are children’s librarians in disguise. Unfortunately, I do tend to agree with many of my colleagues that it can be difficult to communicate with the IT people that populate libraries. However, I didn’t realize until I had the privilege of working closely with an IT person on several projects that there are similarities between us as well. I just hadn’t looked hard enough.”...
ALSC Blog, Nov. 10

Express yourself
Betsy Blankenship writes: “I am always on the lookout for easy marketing and outreach activities that take little effort and staff time. In November 2011, as I was reading messages on an email discussion list one day, someone mentioned using an Expression Wall as an outreach tool to students. Typically it involves allowing students to post responses to a posed question, a particular topic, or simply a conversation starter on a wall of some sort. I chose to offer a Thankful Wall; it was close to Thanksgiving and it had been a tough year in many ways.”...
Programming Librarian blog, Nov. 13

The LSD library goes to Harvard
Stephen J. Gertz writes: “The Ludlow–Santo Domingo (LSD) Library of rare books, the world’s first, largest, and most distinguished collection of the literature of psychotropic drugs, has been placed at Harvard’s Houghton Library on long-term loan after extended and highly sensitive negotiations with the family of the late Julio Mario Santo Domingo Jr. (1958–2009), the eldest son and scion to the fortune of his father, Columbian business magnate Julio Mario Santo Domingo (1923–2011) and omnivorous collector of books associated with the 1960s counterculture in the US and Europe.”...
Booktryst, Nov. 12

EveryLibrary: Making it happen
John Chrastka writes: “EveryLibrary is more than just an idea for voter outreach about libraries. It is an active organization with hundreds of supporters who want to see a better outcome for libraries at the ballot box. November 7 closed our first round of fundraising, awareness building, and organizing. I want to provide you with some insights on our growth and accomplishments in making this idea a reality.”...
EveryLibrary, Nov. 8

Personal disaster management
Michelle Kraft writes: “I live in a suburb of Cleveland, and we used to joke all the time that besides snowstorms there really weren’t any natural disasters to worry about. Wrong. Superstorm Sandy uprooted or split trees here, causing them to fall on power lines, houses, and across streets, leaving large areas of the Cleveland area without power for 6–7 days. I thought I would take a bit of my blogging time to share some things I learned while I was without power. This is primarily about personal prep for disasters.”...
The Krafty Librarian, Nov. 13

The 12th-century Reading Abbey library catalog
Chantry Westwell writes: “A number of catalogs and book lists survive from the Middle Ages, but one of the most interesting is a 12th-century library catalog from Reading Abbey (London, British Library MS Egerton 3031), one of the wealthiest Benedictine monasteries in medieval England, founded by King Henry I in 1121. If we wish to learn more about the monks’ daily lives, the library catalog is a great place to look.”...
British Library: Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts Blog, Nov. 12

LC exhibits rare Civil War–era boy’s diary
The little-known diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham (right) has never been published before, and the Library of Congress is featuring selected pages as part of an extensive display of its voluminous Civil War material to mark the 150th anniversary. (LC has launched a blog to accompany the exhibit.) It is the saga, in seven volumes, of a precocious, delicate boy who was a voracious consumer of books and newspapers, but who was often confined to a special wagon that was pulled about town by slaves. Crippled by a broken left leg years before and tormented by a host of other infirmities, LeRoy is exposed to a full range of Victorian remedies that offer little relief....
Washington Post, Nov. 8; Voices of the Civil War

Making Find A Grave better
Michele Simmons Lewis writes: “I have received many emails asking about how to make corrections to Find A Grave. This post will show you what sort of corrections you can make and how to make them. I think that everyone who uses Find A Grave should also take the time to help make it better. If you find an error on an individual memorial, the first thing you do is hit the Edit tab and send a message to the creator explaining what is wrong.”...
Ancestoring’s Ask A Genealogist, Nov. 10

10 questions to distinguish real science from fake science
Emily Willingham writes: “Pseudoscience is a shaky set of ideas and practices, often related to medicine, that lack sufficient evidence. What science consumers need is a cheat sheet for people to use when considering a product, book, therapy, or remedy. Here are the top 10 questions you should always ask yourself—and answer—before shelling out money for anything, whether it’s anti-aging cream, a diet fad program, books purporting to tell you secrets your doctor won’t, or jewelry items containing magnets.”...
Forbes, Nov. 8

What every cataloger needs to know about character encoding
Jonathan Rochkind writes: “Okay, I tricked you, I’m not going to tell you myself, I’m going to direct you to this very useful blog post. If you manage metadata that includes diacritics, non-Latin characters, or anything else that’s not ASCII, or if you have to deal with MARC-21 records in the MARC-8 encoding, then you need to know about character encoding.”...
Bibliographic Wilderness, Nov. 12; Kunststube, Nov. 5

BiblioWorks builds libraries in Bolivia
In 2004, Biblio.com—a leading supplier of used, rare, and out-of-print books—recognized a need for a library in a rural indigenous community in Bolivia. With the support of its strategic partners, Biblio.com was able to fund the construction of the first rural library ever built in one of the most impoverished regions of Bolivia, La Biblioteca Villa Zamora. Since 2005, its nonprofit foundation in Asheville, North Carolina, BiblioWorks, has established eight community libraries in rural areas outside Sucre....
BiblioWorks

The CatCase: Bookcase and cat playground
Produced by Urban CatDesign, the CatCase combines a bookcase and a cat tree in one. It stores books and DVDs while serving as the ideal playground for your cat. Inside the CatCase your cat can sleep or jump the stairs from shelf to shelf in order to finally reach the top level, where it has a comfortable lookout. Cats feel best high up with a clear view in all directions; this is exactly what the CatCase offers....
Design rulz

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