Focus on the future
ALA President Maureen Sullivan (right) writes: “In late September, I led an ALA delegation to New York City to meet with publishers to discuss the many concerns of the library community about ebook publishing. Uppermost in our minds were the ebook concerns that have come to us from ALA members across the country—especially about pricing and availability (or the lack thereof) and the slow pace of progress in finding solutions. I expressed these concerns at a September 27 meeting hosted by the Association of American Publishers.” Christopher Harris and Jeremy Greenfield also provide summaries of that meeting....
AL: E-Content, Sept. 27, Oct. 2; Digital Book World, Sept. 27

Joint libraries: Models that work
Claire B. Gunnels, Susan E. Green, and Patricia M. Butler write: “In the past, academic and public libraries had very different missions and operations. But once the two cultures are merged during a joint venture, there can be some radical adjustments made by the librarians and staff of each type of library. What is a joint library’s mission? To educate, yes. To expand horizons, yes. To help with research, yes. It is a good manager who can harness the best of both worlds.”...
American Libraries feature

Rocking the joint
Laurie D. Borman writes: “A joint library sprouts in Chicago. When a series of floods forced the 2011 closure of a Chicago Public Library branch in the city’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, CPL figured it would cost $15 million to acquire land and build a new facility. Then a phoenix arose. Across the street from the closed library, a new high school was about to be built, including an 8,000-square-foot library building.”...
American Libraries feature

Library Snapshot Day turns three
Morgan Reeves writes: “How would you like to tell the world that in one day more than 160,000 people visited your state’s libraries and more than 1,000 people received job-search help? Thanks to Library Snapshot Day, you can. Launched three years ago in New Jersey, the effort has expanded to include librarians nationwide in collecting statistics, customer comments, and pictures from libraries all over their state during a single day, then compiling the results and posting them online. So far the event has taken place in at least 31 states.”...
American Libraries feature

Outside/In: Community connections
David Lee King and Michael Porter write: “Has your library ever thought about using technology and communitywide projects to connect with customers? It’s not easy to pull off, but if you’re successful, your library can make new friends and contacts and can provide useful knowledge or entertainment for the community along the way. Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library, where David works, has done a number of these projects—but with a technology twist. Here are some examples to get you started.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.

Library mentor and pioneer Clara Stanton Jones dies
Clara Stanton Jones, 99, the first woman and the first African American to direct the Detroit Public Library, died September 30. Jones’s 26-year career at DPL culminated in a promotion to the directorship in 1970, where she served until her retirement in 1978. A renowned mentor to young professionals, Jones was ALA’s first African-American president, serving in 1976–1977....
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 3

Top 100 libraries by collection size
Valerie Hawkins writes: “As you may know, the ALA Library has several pages called ALA Library Fact Sheets, which answer common questions about libraries, with sources noted. At some point in our history (and on September 30, we turned 88 years old), someone asked what were the top 100 libraries in the country, and we decided to use existing national surveys to respond, ranked by collection size. The Nation’s Largest Libraries: A Listing by Volumes Held is one of our oldest fact sheets, and therefore one of ALA’s oldest web pages.”...
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, Oct. 3

Romanian symposium draws francophones
Leonard Kniffel writes: “‘English is the language of globalization,’ said Velizar Sadovski, senior researcher at the Institute of Iranian Studies at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, during the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the international symposium ‘The Book. Romania. Europe.’ Gathered September 23–26 in the Romanian seaside town of Mamaia, francophone librarians from 18 countries delivered 54 papers, primarily in French, which is the traditional second language of Romanians.”...
AL: Global Reach, Sept. 26

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Ways to celebrate Banned Books Week
Amanda Christy Brown, Holly Epstein Ojalvo, and Katherine Schulten suggest some ideas for celebrating Banned Books Week—with your students, your children, and anyone who believes in having the freedom to read: “10. Have you ever been caught reading under the covers? So was the late Judith Krug (right), the librarian who created Banned Books Week—and her mother’s reaction to what she was reading taught her a lesson about having the freedom to read that later translated into her passion for the First Amendment and intellectual freedom. Be sure to thank your librarians.”...
New York Times, Apr. 14, 2009; Sept. 21

Banned Books Week flash mob at Lafayette College
As part of Banned Books Week, students, faculty, and librarians at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, took part in a literary flash mob (2:05) October 1 at the entrance to Skillman Library, reading aloud passages from 30 of the ALA’s top banned books. In conjunction with Judith’s Reading Room, a local nonprofit literacy organization, Kirby Librarian Ana Ramirez Luhrs and student Erin D’Amelio organized the event along with a number of related activities in protest of challenged books....
Easton (Pa.) Express-Times, Oct. 2; YouTube, Oct. 1

John Waters reads from Lady Chatterley’s Lover
American filmmaker, actor, writer, stand-up comedian, journalist, visual artist, and art collector John Waters reads (3:11) from D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover in City Lights bookstore, San Francisco, for Banned Books Week. The novel became notorious for its story of the physical relationship between a working-class man and an upper-class woman, its explicit descriptions of sex, and its use of then-unprintable words....
Abandon All Despair Ye Who Enter Here, Oct. 1; YouTube, Oct. 1

Banned book trading cards
The Lawrence (Kans.) Public Library is celebrating Banned Books Week by giving away limited-edition banned book trading cards that display drawings inspired by banned books and authors created by local artists. There is one for each day of the week. The week kicked off with an homage to George Orwell’s Animal Farm created by artist Barry Fitzgerald, followed by an homage to Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, drawn by Kent Smith....
GalleyCat, Oct. 2

The next big thing in banned books
Michelle Blank writes: “One trend that may point to the next big thing in banned books is the dramatic drop in the number of annual challenges. In 1995 there were 762 challenges, compared to only 348 in 2010. Could this mean that book banning is coming to an end? Another possibility for the next big thing in banned books might involve the reasons for book challenges (above). Some age-old favorites like ‘homosexuality’ have dropped off the list for the past couple of years.”...
YALSA The Hub, Oct. 1

Locked up with Vonnegut for Banned Books Week
Indianapolis writer and editor Corey Michael Dalton is spending this week “locked up with Vonnegut” at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library to call attention to continued efforts to ban books. His stunt is tied to the observation of Banned Books Week. Vonnegut’s book Slaughterhouse-Five, a satirical novel about the World War II experiences and time-travel adventures of an American soldier named Billy Pilgrim, is among ALA’s 100 most-challenged classics....
Indianapolis Star, Oct. 1; Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library blog, Sept. 30; WRTV, Indianapolis, Oct. 1

50 State Salute to Banned Books Week
Many libraries, bookstores, and schools have honored Banned Books Week by displaying challenged or censored books or hosting read-outs. To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Office for Intellectual Freedom coordinated the 50 State Salute to Banned Books Week, featuring videos from each state that demonstrate how they celebrate the freedom to read. Click on a state on the accompanying map to view your state’s playlist. Videos can be submitted through October 5. Shown above is a video (2:38) from the Idaho Library Association....
Office for Intellectual Freedom; OIF Blog; YouTube, Sept. 28

2013 Midwinter registration is open
Important conversations about the transformation and future of libraries will be taking place at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, January 25–29. Registration is open to attend the packed program that includes the Youth Media Awards, Auditorium Speakers Series, ERT/Booklist Author Forum, Networking Commons, Unconference, and ALA President’s Programs....
Conference Services, Oct. 2

Steven Johnson joins Midwinter Auditorium Speaker lineup
Attendees of the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle can be ready for an unforgettable presentation from Auditorium Speaker Steven Johnson on January 26. The bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From and Everything Bad Is Good For You, Johnson makes the case in his new book, Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age, that a new model of political change is on the rise despite the conventional wisdom that the political system is hopelessly gridlocked with old ideas. His appearance is sponsored by Penguin Group....
Conference Services, Oct. 2

Are you using cutting-edge technology?
The Office for Information Technology Policy and LITA are now soliciting submissions for the best library practices using cutting-edge technology. “Cutting-edge” refers to tested and successful implementations of technological advancements used in library services. Nominations must be submitted by November 6. A joint committee of members from the Subcommittee on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century and LITA will review all nominations and may conduct selected interviews or site visits....
District Dispatch, Oct. 2

At JCLC, a look at the US upcoming demographic shift
The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, September 19–23, came to a close with a powerful message from author and activist Jamal Joseph: “Libraries empower the communities that they serve.” Joseph’s closing note summed up the conference, which provided more than 800 attendees with strategies on how to prepare for the demographic shift. Read more at American Libraries’ Inside Scoop blog....
Public Information Office, Oct. 2; AL: Inside Scoop, Sept. 20–23

Join your state library association
Don Wood writes: “Your state library association, also known as an ALA chapter, needs your help to support libraries in your state. If you’re not already a member, right now is a good time to join. ALA chapters also provide representation on the ALA Council and cooperate in the promotion of general and joint enterprises with ALA and other library groups.”...
ALA Membership Blog, Oct. 1

2013 ALA Student-to-Staff Program
Don Wood writes: “Each Annual Conference, ALA provides a great opportunity for 40 students engaged in ALA student chapters to participate in the Student-to-Staff Program. In exchange for working 16 hours for an ALA division or office during the conference, these students receive free registration, free housing, and a per diem for meals. In their free time, they may attend meetings, programs, and other conference events. Contact your ALA student chapter for its selection criteria.”...
ALA Student Membership Blog, Oct. 1

Audiobooks for youth
Mary Burkey, who has been following audiobooks for years, combines a fascinating history of the medium and practical tips for using them in Audiobooks for Youth: A Practical Guide to Sound Literature, published by ALA Editions. Applicable to school and public librarians as well as classroom teachers, her book is enriched with reflections and comments from authors, audiobook narrators, producers, reviewers, and librarians....
ALA Editions, Sept. 28

A comparative study of libraries and archives
In Libraries and Archives: A Comparative Study, available through Neal-Schuman, veteran archivist and librarian Tomas Lidman analyzes the facts and arguments behind a growing debate as to what extent libraries and archives are fulfilling the same missions. Offering a simple but comprehensive background to explain the key issues, this book stimulates debate, brings forth valuable facts, and presents scenarios for the future as libraries and archives approach the digital crossroads....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Oct. 2

Social media for academics
Social Media for Academics: A Practical Guide uniquely addresses the needs of academics, demonstrating how to use social media to benefit their teaching and research. This new book is edited by Diane Rasmussen Neal, a librarian with an extensive background in social media teaching, consulting, research and everyday use, and is available through Neal-Schuman. It offers sensible strategies for implementing a wide spectrum of social media and related technologies....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Oct. 2

Developing digital services
As the information environment becomes increasingly electronic, digital libraries have proliferated, but the focus has often been on innovations in technology and not the user. User Studies For Digital Library Development, written by Milena Dobreva, Andy O’Dwyer, and Pierluigi Feliciati and available through Neal-Schuman Publishers, focuses on the feedback that matters most when developing digital services: the library users....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Oct. 2

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Thinking purposefully at the ALSC Institute
Abby Johnson writes: “No librarian is an island, and nowhere was that more evident than at the 2012 ALSC National Institute held September 20–22 in Indianapolis. Hundreds of youth librarians from across the country gathered for three days of networking, sharing ideas, and learning from and teaching each other. I sat down with librarians after the very first session and it was evident what the theme of the conference would be for me: purposefulness.”...
American Libraries feature

Online course on reaching teens and tweens
What are the differences in need between teens and tweens, and how do librarians successfully serve both? Find out in “Navigating the Divide between Teens and Tweens,” a new self-paced online course offered by YALSA, October 1–29. The course will be cotaught by Beth Gallaway and Alissa Lauzon of the Haverhill (Mass.) Public Library. Register online....
YALSA, Sept. 28

Teen Read Week: Paths to promotion
Kate Vasilik writes: “With just two weeks left until Teen Read Week is upon us (October 14–20), it’s time to start putting some real enthusiasm behind your promotion. Besides the traditional print materials like flyers, signs, and bookmarks (don’t have yours yet? There’s still time to place orders with the ALA store), and paper press releases, how else can you spread the word to teens throughout your community? Here are some ideas.”...
YALSA Blog, Oct. 2

Submit a reference research paper
The Research and Statistics Committee of RUSA’s Reference Services Section invites the submission of research projects in the areas of user behavior, electronic services, reference effectiveness, assessment, and organizational structure and personnel for presentation at the 19th Reference Research Forum that will take place at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Send proposals by email to Committee Chair Lynda Duke by December 31....
RUSA Blog, Sept. 26

Consultant needed for ASCLA Accessibility Academy
ASCLA has issued an RFP (PDF file) for a project consultant to assist in the production of an online, interactive ASCLA Accessibility Academy module focused on improving library staff communications and interactions with people with disabilities. Responses are due by October 15. The consultant will develop and implement the first Academy module, which will include an online tutorial and webinars, and will assemble and manage an advisory team to provide long-term feedback on project content....
ASCLA Blog, Oct. 1

Survey: Filtering is ongoing issue for US schools
According to an AASL survey, the filtering of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools continues to be an issue in most schools across the country. 98% of the 4,299 respondents reported that school or district filters are in use. Data also suggests that many schools are going beyond the requirements set forth by the Children’s Internet Protection Act. The executive summary of the supplemental survey questions on filtering is now available in conjunction with the observance of Banned Websites Awareness Day on October 3....
AASL, Oct. 2

White paper on technology in schools released
AASL has released a white paper covering the appropriate use of educational technology in schools. “Educational Technology in Schools” covers the topics of filtering practices, acceptable use policies, apps, social media, bring your own device practices, and other related subjects....
AASL, Oct. 2

Sign up for Business Reference, Genealogy 101
The next sessions of Business Reference 101 and Genealogy 101, two popular online courses offered by RUSA, begin in October. Registration is now open for those and six other RUSA online learning opportunities....
RUSA, Oct. 2

Apply for ACRL’s Immersion ’13 program
ACRL is accepting applications until December 7 for the Teacher and Program tracks of its Information Literacy Immersion ’13 Program, July 28–August 2, 2013, at Seattle University. The Teacher Track focuses on individual development for those who are interested in enhancing, refreshing, or extending their individual instruction skills. The Program Track develops, integrates, and manages institutional and programmatic information literacy programs. Read complete program details and application materials....
ACRL, Oct. 2

Libraries and Online Learning symposium
At the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, ALCTS will offer “Libraries and Online Learning: A Powerful Partnership” on January 25, a unique opportunity to engage in an important discussion of the role of learning in our libraries. Attendees will learn to foster the strategic relationships possible between libraries and online learners. Register through the ALA Midwinter registration form....
ALCTS, Oct. 2

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Best Friends Awards
Nine Friends groups have received Best Friends Awards from United for Libraries. The awards are given to Friends groups for outstanding publicity and marketing materials that promote the group and its programs and projects. Winning groups receive a certificate and are recognized in the United for Libraries newsletter, The Voice. Winning materials are posted on the United for Libraries website....
United for Libraries, Oct. 2

New sponsor for Excellence in Library Programming Award
The ALA Cultural Communities Fund is the new sponsor for the ALA Excellence in Library Programming Award. The $5,000 award recognizes a public, academic, school, or special library that demonstrates excellence in library programming by developing and presenting a cultural or thematic program or series during the previous year. The deadline for nominations is December 1....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 2

Nominations open for 2013 ASCLA awards
ASCLA welcomes nominations for its 2013 awards, which recognize projects focused on library services to people with disabilities; the advancement of library services for the blind and physically handicapped; exceptional achievement in extension and outreach services; exemplary leadership and achievement in consulting, state library services and library cooperatives; and service to ASCLA. Nominations must be received by December 15....
ASCLA, Oct. 2

Call for nominations for ALA Presidential Citation
The ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects recognizes innovative contributions to international librarianship and is awarded each year by the ALA president at the International Librarians Reception during the ALA Annual Conference. Projects must be nominated by December 1 by an ALA member or an individual with an IFLA affiliation....
International Relations Office, Oct. 2

AASL receives grant for a personal learning network
AASL has received a grant from the National Center for Literacy Education to create a personal learning network centered on transliteracy, the topic of AASL’s 2012 Fall Forum. The funding will support minigrants to school librarians and their teaching partners for the collaborative development of materials for a transliteracy practice exchange. Those who attend the forum in Greenville, South Carolina, are invited to an October 12 information session to review participant expectations and complete a statement of interest....
AASL, Oct. 2

Columbia University launches Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama
Columbia University Libraries and former US Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith have announced the establishment of a significant theater award, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History (abbreviated as the EMK Prize). Smith has created the prize to honor the life and legacy of her late brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy. The first recipient of the EMK Prize will be announced on Kennedy’s birthday, February 22, 2013....
Columbia University Library News, Sept. 27

Marine Corps library receives special designation
When Rose Krauss became a librarian at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, she hoped the 6,760-square foot facility across from the base’s gas station would one day join a list of the Defense Department’s best libraries. She admits she didn’t know it would take more than five years of tweaks, changes, and upgrades for the library to be named a Premier Library, an award the air station library received in September, joining just seven other facilities in the Marine Corps to earn the distinction....
Bluffton (S.C.) Island Packet, Sept. 30

Awards for Innovative Approaches to Literacy
On September 28, the US Department of Education announced it will award $28 million in 46 two-year grants to local school districts to be used for school libraries as well as other nonprofit organizations that work for childhood literacy. These grants are being awarded as a part of the department’s Innovative Approaches to Literacy. These grants went to awardees in 22 different states, including the District of Columbia....
District Dispatch, Oct. 1

Calvin Trillin wins 2012 Thurber Prize
Calvin Trillin (right), author of Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff, has been named the winner of the 2012 Thurber Prize for American Humor. He won $5,000 in prize money and a crystal plaque. The announcement was revealed at an October 1 ceremony in New York City. The prize, awarded annually, was established to honor the legacy of humor writer/cartoonist James Thurber....
GalleyCat, Oct. 2

National Book Foundation reveals 5 under 35 honorees
Jennifer duBois, author of A Partial History of Lost Causes; Stuart Nadley, author of The Book of Life; Haley Tanner, author of Vaclav & Lena; Justin Torres, author of We the Animals; and Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Battleborn, will be honored as this year’s 5 under 35 authors at the National Book Awards. Crime novelist Elmore Leonard will receive the 2012 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the National Book Awards ceremony on November 14....
GalleyCat, Sept. 20, 27

Nominations open for the 2012 Cybils Awards
Abby Johnson writes: “Are you familiar with the Cybils Awards? If not, you should be. The Cybils Awards are the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards; they are awarded each year to books that combine literary merit with kid or teen appeal. Awards are given in many different categories, from picture books to teen novels to poetry to book apps. Nominations are open through October 15 and anyone can nominate one title in each of the award categories.”...
ALSC Blog, Oct. 3

2012 Academy of American Poets Prizes
The Academy of American Poets has announced the winners of its annual collection of poetry prizes. This year, the organization has awarded nearly $200,000 to poets at various stages of their careers. The recipients will be honored at the Academy’s award ceremony as part of the annual Poets Forum at the New School in New York City on October 19. Gary Snyder (right) received the $100,000 Wallace Stevens Award, which is given annually to recognize outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry....
Academy of American Poets, Sept. 18

2012 Forward Prize
Jorie Graham has become the first American woman ever to win one of the UK’s most prestigious poetry accolades, the £10,000 Forward Prize for best collection. The Forward judges expressed their hope that her win on October 1 for her 12th collection, Place, would earn her “startling, powerful” poetry a wider readership in the UK. Graham previously won a Pulitzer prize for her poetry in the US....
The Guardian (UK), Oct. 1

2011 Lane Anderson Award
The two winners of the 2011 Lane Anderson Award were announced September 27 in Toronto. The award celebrates the best science writing in Canada during the previous year. The winner in the adult category was Harry Thurston’s The Atlantic Coast: A Natural History (Greystone); for young readers it was Caitlyn Vernon’s Nowhere Else on Earth: Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainforest (Orca)....
Lane Anderson Award, Sept. 28

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Class, today’s word is “irony”
James Klise writes: “In September, I got an email from a librarian in Kansas. She was organizing a program at her school that would take place during ALA’s Banned Books Week. Her event was called ‘The Right to Read’ and she invited me to speak to her 8th-graders on the topic of censorship and teen books. A few days later, I received a second email explaining that she and her principal had decided that my first young adult novel, called Love Drugged, about a closeted gay teen, might be too edgy for some parents.”...
Chicago Tribune, Sept. 27

License plate supports Kentucky’s libraries
A new Kentucky license plate gives drivers the opportunity to show their support for libraries. The new plate is available at any county clerk’s office in Kentucky for a $25 application fee. The Kentucky Library Association worked with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to make the license plate available. Citizens from across the state signed the application petition, which requires a minimum of 900 signatures to create a new plate....
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Sept. 28

SUNY Potsdam vs. the ACS: The story continues
John Dupuis writes: “The State University of New York at Potsdam recently cancelled its American Chemical Society journal package because the subscriptions on offer sucked up too high a percentage of their total budget. Library Director Jenica Rogers wrote about the decision on her blog, garnering quite a bit of attention. Comments from a representative of the ACS inspired a blogosphere firestorm, concentrating on the disrespectful, dismissive, and personal attacks by the ACS towards the library world.”...
Confessions of a Science Librarian, Oct. 1; Attempting Elegance, Sept. 12

Overriding mayor’s veto, council defunds Pennsylvania library
About 100 people overflowed Middletown Borough Council’s chambers October 1 to protest an ordinance defunding and severing the borough’s financial ties with the Middletown (Pa.) Public Library. After 45 minutes of public protest, the council voted 7–1 to pass the ordinance over Mayor Robert Reid’s September veto. The library has enough reserves to stay open through 2013, after which it will become a nonprofit organization....
Middletown Press and Journal, Oct. 3; WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 1

Fewer New Jersey school librarians
Over the last five years, the number of certified school librarians in New Jersey public schools has dropped by almost 15%, according to the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, whose own membership has been cut almost in half. There were 1,580 school librarians statewide last year, down from 1,850 in 2007–2008, serving about 2,500 schools. The biggest contributor to the drop was the state budget crisis two years ago....
NJ Spotlight, Sept. 26

MyLibraryNYC initiative to expand
City officials announced the expansion of MyLibraryNYC, an initiative that connects New York City public schools with the millions of books and other learning materials available through the public libraries. MyLibraryNYC supplements the materials available in public school libraries and will provide access to the more than 17 million books and other items that are a part of the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Library catalogs for up to 250,000 students in 400 public schools this year and 1.1 million students by 2015....
New York Public Library, Sept. 28

Early In Cold Blood book donated to Washburn
Author and Washburn University English Professor Tom Averill (right) had an Antique Road Show moment when he laid eyes on the first-edition copy of In Cold Blood. The volume had the autograph of author Truman Capote, who traveled to Kansas to research the brutal slayings of the four members of the Clutter family in November 1959. But it also had the signatures of six Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents tied to the investigation. The book has now been donated to the Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas....
Topeka (Kans.) Capital-Journal, Sept. 30

Conway trustees cancel decision to fire four librarians
Conway (N.H.) Public Library trustees were mostly silent during a 90-minute meeting September 27 that rescinded a decision to restructure positions at the library, effectively killing the process that would have eliminated four positions and created four new ones. Several apologized to four library employees for previously voting to eliminate their jobs after listening to emotional testimony. Some present at the meeting called for the resignations of Library Director Tara Thomas and trustee chairman Linda Fox Phillips....
Manchester New Hampshire Union Leader, Sept. 27

Fired SIU law librarian’s lawsuit persists
A lawsuit filed against Southern Illinois University by a former law librarian who was “effectively terminated” in 2009 after allegedly threatening to bash a colleague with a crowbar has survived a motion to dismiss. US District Judge Michael Reagan on September 25 dismissed most of Donald Jason Raymond’s claims against the university, but allowed two claims of retaliation and two claims of tortious interference against Alexander and a law library colleague to proceed, provided that Raymond repleads those counts by October 12....
National Law Journal, Sept. 26

Police train library staff to handle dangerous situations
Holly Schoenstein writes: “It started with one of the loudest noises I’ve ever heard. I jumped and covered my ears a second too late to protect them from the boom of a gunshot that reverberated through the main entrance area inside the Stow-Munroe Falls (Ohio) Public Library. The shot was just a blank, thankfully, and the first of three that were used in succession throughout the building September 18 during a two-hour police training session for library employees.”...
Stow (Ohio) Sentry, Sept. 30

Saugus library worker pleads guilty to theft
Linda Duffy, a former senior library associate at the Saugus (Mass.) Public Library accused of stealing more than $800,000, pleaded guilty September 28 in Lynn District Court to 15 counts of money laundering, mail fraud, and identity theft. Instead of depositing charitable donations and library fines into the library account, police say Duffy would put the money into a decoy account before transferring the money into her personal account. Duffy had previously served time for the theft of $150,000 from a Boston insurance firm....
WBZ-TV, Boston, Sept. 28; Boston Globe, Feb. 23

Cambridge library staffer finds forgotten fungus
During the Cambridge University Herbarium’s big move to a state-of-the-art new home at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, Chief Technician Christine Bartram stumbled upon some forgotten fungi—and discovered they were long-lost, unsorted samples collected by Charles Darwin himself on his groundbreaking Beagle voyage in 1832–1833. She was going through a box from 1950 labeled “to be sorted” when she found some specimens wrapped in a newspaper from 1828....
Cambridge (UK) News, Sept. 27

Women’s Library in London saved from closure
The Women’s Library (right), the oldest and most extensive collection of women’s history in Europe, has been saved after being threatened with closure over funding issues. The London School of Economics and Political Science has successfully bid for custodianship of the collection, whose future was under review after the London Metropolitan University announced it could no longer maintain it....
The Guardian (UK), Sept. 28

Perpusnas, Indonesia’s National Library
Antonny Saputra writes: “Until the 1980s, Jakarta’s major libraries were spread out across the city. But in 1989, First Lady Ibu Tien Suharto brought the collections together under one roof as the Perpusnas, or the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia. The main library building is a modern structure. The nine-story concrete building houses a different collection on each floor with one or two reading rooms each. The library has an impressive collection of about two million books, manuscripts, research papers, newspapers, and magazines, enjoyed by an average of 400–500 visitors a day.”...
Jakarta Globe, Sept. 30

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ALA Midwinter Meeting registration and housing are now open. Critical conversations about the transformation and future of libraries will be taking place in popular destination city Seattle, January 25–29. Details will follow in the coming weeks; in the meantime, get updates on the Midwinter Meeting website.

Defending the Freedom to Read: The History of Banned Books Week Celebrating the Tradition of Mexican Art Hispanic Heritage Month: Composer's Exhibit Highlights Spanish Translation of Star Spangled Banner Prediction Models Believe President Obama Will Win Re-Election in Hotly Contested Race Voices for Intellectual Freedom (video) How to Get a Great Job: Ready to Negotiate! Banned Books Week Book Cover Remix Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

Top 10 historical fiction about epidemics
Karen Jensen writes: “I am a huge fan of epidemics. I wouldn’t want to live in one, but like zombie fiction, they make us question who we are and what we will do to survive. Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is my favorite historical fiction book for teens. Here are some other great books that deal with epidemics, only a few of which are historical fiction; many of them are actually science fiction. It turns out that plagues are a great way to make both vampires and zombies.” There is a Part 2....
Teen Librarian’s Toolbox, Sept. 25–26

KidLitCon 2012: No one was eaten by a bear
Elizabeth Bird writes: “My standards are pretty low when it comes to conferences. Essentially if ursine consumption does not occur, I consider the day a success. Fortunately there are other ways of defining success, and though I was the organizer of KidLitCon 2012, September 28–29, and therefore not wholly without my own prejudices, everything went well. Amazingly, surprisingly, some might say shockingly, well.”...
School Library Journal: A Fuse #8 Production, Oct. 1

All Hallow’s Read
All Hallow’s Read is a new Halloween tradition. It’s simply that in the week of Halloween, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book. Author Neil Gaiman came up with the idea in 2010, and he explains the process in this video (1:52). If you’re giving a kid a scary book, make it a kid-appropriate scary book. Feel free to give a new book or a second-hand book or a book from your own shelves. You can even gift it to your friend’s Kindle....
All Hallow’s Read; Neil Gaiman’s Journal, Oct. 23, 2010; YouTube, Oct. 6, 2011

Science fiction and fantasy books for October
Charlie Jane Anders writes: “October brings an amazing horde of great books that will keep you reading way into the night. Lois Lowry concludes the Giver saga, Justin Cronin continues the Passage trilogy, and Iain M. Banks has a new story of the Culture. Plus Catherynne M. Valente’s latest Fairyland novel and Cory Doctorow’s follow-up to Little Brother. Here are 16 books you should not ignore in October.”...
io9, Oct. 2

Library 2.012 starts today
Joyce Valenza writes: “Library 2.012, October 3–5, the free, global event addresses the current and future unique state of libraries. The full (seriously full) hour-by-hour schedule is posted here, with instructions on connecting and participating, no matter where you are on the globe. The keynote schedule is here.”...
School Library Journal: NeverEndingSearch, Oct. 3

2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries
The 2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries: Pushing Boundaries: Mobility, Community, Accessibility (PDF file), edited by Marie Kaddell, is now available on the LexisNexis website. A collaborative document that is put out annually on a specific topic of interest to government libraries, the work includes content submitted by government librarians and community leaders with an interest in government libraries. The 2012 edition includes over 70 articles and other submissions from more than 75 contributors including librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military....
Government Info Pro, Sept. 28

Preparing your community for Election Day
Jazzy Wright writes: “In our continued effort to provide librarians with quality content for their libraries, we want to offer libraries materials for the upcoming election. The League of Women Voters recently released several print resources that will help you get your community ready for Election Day. Librarians are encouraged to share the League resources with their communities by printing out copies of the publications, or by adding links to the resources on their library’s website.”...
District Dispatch, Oct. 1; League of Women Voters

“Bing It On” shows you when Bing is most useful
Melanie Pinola writes: “More people might be using Google search, but search underdog Bing isn’t afraid to challenge that preference. Microsoft’s ‘Bing It On’ challenge encourages you to do a blind comparison test to see which search engine you really prefer. The test does a side-by-side search of 5 keywords of your choice. For each round, you select which results are the best or if there’s a tie. If you take the test as objectively as you can, you might be surprised by Bing.”....
Lifehacker, Oct. 3

The National Archives by the numbers
Archivist of the US David S. Ferriero writes: “This is a snapshot of a variety of data points we are tracking to measure how we are doing. I am especially interested in trends as we focus more and more on digital access. Is the investment paying off in terms of numbers of eyeballs on our content? What impact does online access have on onsite visits? Are our efforts around social media paying off? Are we finding the people where they are and making it easy for them to discover our content? What difference has having a Wikipedian-in-Residence had?”...
AOTUS: Collector in Chief, Sept. 28

Diversity standards: Cultural competency for academic librarians
The following standards were developed by the ACRL Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee and are based on the 2001 National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. The standards, approved by the ACRL board of directors in April, are intended to emphasize the need and obligation to serve and advocate for racial and ethnically diverse constituencies....
College & Research Libraries News 73, no. 9 (Oct.): 551–561

It’s Canadian Library Month
The Canadian Library Association has designated October as Canadian Library Month. The event provides an opportunity to celebrate libraries across Canada and the important contributions they make to Canadian life. This year’s theme, “Libraries Connect / Bibliothèques Branchées,” is a great reminder of just how essential libraries are in the interconnected world in which we live....
Canadian Library Association, Oct. 1

Gearing up for Star Wars Reads Day
The Force will be with more than 1,200 bookstores and libraries across the US on October 6, when they will host events on the first-ever “Star Wars Reads Day.” An initiative of Lucasfilm and its publishing partners, the event marks the first time that the franchise’s publishers have banded together for such a broad-reaching venture. Ryder Windham, author of 60-plus Star Wars books, has helped organize an event at the Providence (R.I.) Community Public Library’s Rochambeau branch with librarian Tom O’Donnell that will be a blood drive as well....
Publishers Weekly, Oct. 2

Card catalog redux
Highland Park (Ill.) Public Library celebrated its 125th anniversary with the lobby installation of a 12-foot sculpture made of card catalog cards. The design, created by Crystal Grover and Linsey Burritt of Chicago-based design studio INDO, used more than 17,000 card catalog cards to craft a textural piece of art called Open Book. In addition to the sculpture, there is an interactive card catalog with drawers of book-related questions....
AL Focus, Oct.3

Parenting programs @ your library
Sharon McClintock writes: “As a children’s librarian I love many aspects of my work, but I find no part of it more gratifying than coordinating our Parenting Speaker Series (PDF file). These 90-minute workshops on childrearing and life as a parent are taught by child development specialists and other professionals. The Mountain View (Calif.) Public Library has offered these free programs monthly during the school year for the last eight years, which typically draw an audience of 75–100 adults.”...
ALSC Blog, Oct. 2

Help teachers move from technophobe to technofab
Jennifer LaGarde writes: “In my experience there are many teachers who remain either afraid or suspicious of technology. This provides a window of opportunity for the school librarian whose charge it is (among other things) to act as both an instructional and technological leader within the school. Rather than simply avoiding the kill switch when it comes to teachers and technology, it’s our job to discover enthusiasm where there seems to be none, then cultivate and nourish it. Here are six tips for doing that.”...
The Adventures of Library Girl, Sept. 30

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Research as a public good
Mark A. McCutcheon writes: “Buffy and her friends spend a lot of time reading. This is uncharacteristic enough for a Hollywood prime-time serial drama. More specifically, they spend a lot of time doing research. And it’s rare that the research doesn’t pay off with knowledge that reliably helps Buffy to kick some serious demonic ass. Buffy the Vampire Slayer routinely dramatizes research in action as a public good.”...
Academicalism, Oct. 1

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