Introducing American Libraries Live
American Libraries knows how essential it is to stay up-to-date on new developments in our industry. American Libraries Live, a free, streaming video broadcast that you can view from your home, library, or on the go, is a new program that allows you to watch broadcasts about library issues and trends in real time and interact with our hosts via a live chat, giving you immediate answers to all of your pressing questions. The first program, “Library 2017: Tech at Warp Speed” featuring Jason Griffey (above), will be held on November 16. The programs are easy to view—just go to American Libraries Live. Watch Jason Griffey and Dan Freeman chat about Episode 1 in this video (3:55)....
American Libraries, Oct. 23; YouTube, Oct. 22

Georgia Archives to stay open
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced October 18 that the state will restore $125,000 to the budget to keep the Georgia State Archives open for the remainder of the budget year. This means the public will have access to its services and facilities through June 30, 2013. On July 1, pending approval by the Georgia legislature, the archives will be transferred from the secretary of state’s office to the University System of Georgia, the organization that oversees 35 academic institutions in the state....
American Libraries news, Oct. 18; Georgia Governor’s Office, Oct. 18

Seattle librarians fact-check local ballot measures
Jordan Brandes writes: “Librarians at Seattle Public Library are serving as an official fact-checking tool for the state’s Living Voters Guide, a free nonpartisan service that enables people in Washington State to discuss, research, and ask questions of fact about any of the state’s eight ballot measures for 2012. The online tool was developed by researchers at the University of Washington. Here’s how it works.”...
American Libraries news, Oct. 23; UW Today, Oct. 17

Tales from a haunted library
Ann Paietta writes: “Most libraries often have difficulty promoting events and receiving local media attention. That was the case for us, too, at Deep River (Conn.) Public Library—until people heard we were haunted. Since the 1950s, the library has experienced paranormal activity that includes early morning noises and voices that ask question after question in 20-second intervals—What is your name? What year is it? What am I doing here?—sometimes followed by flashes of light.”...
American Libraries news, Oct. 23

Technology in Practice: The DIY patron
Meredith Farkas writes: “In 2011, Bohyun Kim, digital access librarian at Florida International University Medical Library in Miami, wrote a thought-provoking guest post at ACRLog, arguing that the emphasis librarians still place on mediated models of service is misguided and may be moving us toward irrelevance. Kim is right: In an environment of information abundance, librarians are no longer gatekeepers of valuable bits of information and databases that cost us dearly for each search.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.; ACRLog, Aug. 11, 2011

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President’s Message: We are ALA
ALA President Maureen Sullivan writes: “I recently learned that another national library association has adopted the slogan ‘I am [my national library association]’ as a means to engage its members. My immediate reaction was to think of ALA and how, if we were to follow suit, I would want our slogan to be ‘We are ALA.’ We face many challenges as we increasingly work in a global society that is rapidly becoming a digital universe. In this ever-changing and fast-paced context, ALA must strive to be the best professional association it can be. To do this requires a collaborative effort to reimagine our Association for the 21st century.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

New Quotable Facts
One of ALA’s most effective and commonly used advocacy tools, Quotable Facts about America’s Libraries, has been updated with the most current research, including a new “Technology Trends” section. It provides quick, pertinent talking points and thought-provoking information for anyone interested in making the case for public, school, and academic libraries. A single copy (PDF file) can be downloaded; multiple copies are available for purchase....
Office for Library Advocacy, Oct. 22

ALA joins coalition to protect library lending rights
On October 23, a diverse coalition of retailers, libraries, educators, internet companies, and associations (including ALA and the Association of Research Libraries) joined together to launch the Owners’ Rights Initiative to protect ownership rights in the United States. ORI is committed to ensuring the right to resell genuine goods, regardless of where they were manufactured. The organization believes that this right is critical to commerce and will engage in advocacy, education, and outreach on this important issue. Today, this fundamental ownership right is at issue in the Kirtsaeng v. Wiley case, which will be argued before the Supreme Court on October 29....
Office of Government Relations, Oct. 23

Gaming connects communities on November 3
On November 3, more than 20,000 people in communities across the US and around the world will celebrate ALA’s fifth annual International Games Day @ your library. The event aims to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games. Library gaming programs encourage interaction between patrons of all ages and cultures....
Public Information Office, Oct. 23

Top 10 things I learned at my first ALA conference
Lesley Looper writes: “My first Annual Conference, like many firsts, is one that I will never forget. I had the pleasure of participating in the Student-to-Staff Program at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. It’s a program that allows 40 LIS students (from 40 different student chapters) to volunteer for 16 total hours, doing behind-the-scenes work. Here are my thoughts and advice for other ALA attendees, especially first-timers and future Student-to-Staffers.“...
Lesley’s Journey Through Grad School, Oct. 24

Submit nominations for Notable Videos
Have you recently seen a video that you want the world to know about? If you have, please take a moment and nominate it for Notable Video for Adults list. This list helps librarians serving adults identify and select the best offerings in the video marketplace. Librarians may nominate films by reading the criteria and filling out the form on the ALA Video Round Table website....
Video Round Table, Oct. 22

International papers and projects wanted
The International Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers and Projects Session scheduled for June 29. The session theme is “Emerging Technologies, Emerging Economies: Transforming International Libraries.” The deadline for submitting proposals is December 21....
International Relations Office, Oct. 23

The Hobbit and Jackman in new Graphics catalog
An exclusive Hobbit poster, bookmark, and button grace the cover of the ALA Graphics Winter 2012 catalog (PDF file), which lands in mailboxes this week. Also featured in the new catalog is Hugh Jackman, the latest star to join the Celebrity READ campaign. The catalog also introduces new promotional materials for library and community-wide celebrations, including the official 2013 National Library Week, Teen Tech Week, Choose Privacy Week, and School Library Month products....
ALA Graphics, Oct. 23

Licensing information resources and services
In The Librarian’s Legal Companion for Licensing Information Resources and Services, published by Neal-Schuman, legal expert Tomas A. Lipinski offers a definitive sourcebook for information licensing in libraries, including copyright and contract matters, general contract law concepts, developments in online and information contracting, and the advantages and disadvantages of licensing. Readers will find clear guidance on deciphering the legalese in agreements, advice on negotiating or countering provisions with library-friendly alternatives, and detailed explanations of specific licenses....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Oct. 19

Public libraries and vital communities
In Public Libraries and Resilient Cities, published by ALA Editions, noted urban planner and librarian Michael Dudley shows how public libraries can contribute to “placemaking,” the creation and nurturing of vital and unique communities for their residents. From the economic renewal potential of library development projects to the provision of public space in a privatizing world, this important new book explores the vital role that public libraries can play in the promotion of ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable communities....
ALA Editions, Oct. 23

How to work from home
Written from firsthand experience and supported by interviews with successful work-from-home people in a variety of circumstances, Working from Home: Earn a Living Where You Live by Jane Jerrard, is a thorough and thoughtful resource on generating an income outside the traditional office environment. Published by Huron Street Press, this handbook scrutinizes every aspect of working from home....
ALA Huron Street Press, Oct. 23

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Surveying Seattle
Seattle, Washington, the site of ALA’s 2013 Midwinter Meeting, January 25–29, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, known as a regional center for music and the performing arts, as a hub for green industry, and as a model for sustainable development. Its nickname is the “Emerald City,” because of the lush evergreen forests of the area. The Seattle Visitor Center offers a seasonal guide to activities, shopping, dining, and accommodations in the city. You can view a copy online....
Seattle Visitor Center

The best of Seattle
Seattle Weekly’s Best of Seattle 2012 issue celebrates the very best people, places, and products that this talented, teched-out town has to offer. Arranged by categories, you can select the best movie theater, the best neighborhood bar, the best bakery, the best hotel, the best used bookstore, and the best doughnuts—all chosen by readers and staff....
Seattle Weekly

The Seattle Great Wheel
Seattle’s latest tourist landmark, a 17-story Ferris wheel billed as the tallest to go into year-round operation in the United States, opened to the public on June 29, giving riders a new panoramic view of the city and its environs. The towering, white Great Wheel features 42 enclosed gondolas with space for up to 252 passengers total. The 53-meter-tall wheel cost $20 million and was constructed as part of a private-sector initiative to revitalize Seattle’s waterfront....
Vancouver (B.C.) 24 Hours, July 3; Seattle Great Wheel

Top Chef: Seattle premieres in November
Follow the Top Chef contestants this fall as they visit Seattle restaurants and other venues to compete in this rigorous culinary competition on the Bravo network. Top Chef: Seattle Host Padma Lakshmi and judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, and Emeril Lagasse join newly named judge Wolfgang Puck to crown the Top Chef in the country. The new season premieres November 7....
Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 19

Seattle history: A 10-minute slide show
Get yourself prepared for Midwinter in Seattle with this historical slideshow, written and curated by Paul Dorpat, courtesy of HistoryLink, the free online encyclopedia of Washington State history. It has 42 slides, beginning with the obelisk commemorating where the Denny party first came ashore in 1851 and ending with Seattle’s modern waterfront....
HistoryLink

If you are flying Southwest Airlines...
...you might get lucky and have this flight attendant (David) who avoids doing the regular, boring announcement and launches into an audience-participation rap (2:22). Stomp, clap, stomp, clap, come on! “Before we leave / our advice is / Put away your e- / lectronic devices.”...
YouTube, Mar. 16, 2009

It’s National Friends of Libraries week
United for Libraries is coordinating the seventh annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 21–27. The celebration offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate Friends—promoting the group in the community, raising awareness, and increasing membership, and also giving libraries and boards of trustees the opportunity to recognize Friends for their help and support of the library. Two awards of $250 will be given to Friends groups for activities held during the week. Entries are due by December 3....
United for Libraries, Oct. 18

Literary Landmark in honor of Harvey Pekar
The Cleveland Heights–University Heights (Ohio) Public Library was designated a Literary Landmark in honor of Harvey Pekar (1939–2010), author of the iconic comic book American Splendor, on October 14 at the library’s Lee Road branch. A crowd of roughly 175 of Pekar’s fans, friends, and family attended the program. The event also included the unveiling of a Harvey Pekar statue (right) by local sculptor Justin Coulter, which was donated to Heights Libraries by Pekar’s widow, Joyce Brabner....
United for Libraries, Oct. 19

Regina Gong selected ALCTS Emerging Leader
Regina Gong (right), manager of library technical services and technology at Lansing (Mich.) Community College, has been selected as the ALCTS sponsored Emerging Leader for 2012–2013. ALCTS sponsors one Emerging Leader who has chosen collections and technical services as a career and is a divisional member....
ALCTS, Oct. 23

Learn the latest on ebooks this Halloween
On October 31, PLA will host a live, hour-long webinar, “The State of Ebooks in Public Libraries and Publishing” with instructor Jessica E. Moyer, assistant professor in the School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She’ll help demystify libraries’ relationship with ebooks by discussing the most recent developments between publishers and libraries. Register by October 29....
PLA, Oct. 23

Go Beyond Literacy
ACRL and the Ontario Library Association have launched an online publication, Beyond Literacy by Michael Ridley of the University of Guelph. Beyond Literacy is an interactive, serialized online thought experiment exploring the demise of literacy and the rise of other capabilities, capacities, or tools that will effectively and advantageously displace reading and writing. The work is freely available for reading, comment, and discussion on the publication website....
ACRL, Oct. 23

AASL webinars archived
The archive of the recent webinar, “How to be a Ninja Warrior Filter Fighter!,” is now available online as a part of AASL’s professional development repository, eCOLLAB. Presented by Gwyneth Jones, the webinar focuses on how overly restrictive filtering of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools affects student learning. “Opening the Space: Libraries as a Site of Participatory Culture” by Andy Plemmons has also been archived. AASL members can access the webinars via eCOLLAB....
AASL, Oct. 23

Transliteracy at the AASL Fall Forum
Jennifer Habley writes: “Renowned author and media studies scholar Henry Jenkins set the tone for a weekend of dedicated learning at the opening of the AASL 2012 Fall Forum, ‘Transliteracy and the School Library Program,’ October 12–13. Jenkins characterized school librarians as central figures in the movement to reshape education. ‘You can change things in a high-tech way, low-tech way, or no-tech way and make a difference,’ he encouraged the more than 250 attendees.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 23

Take the PLA summer reading survey
Library staff members involved in summer reading are invited to participate in a survey developed by PLA. The survey should take contributors 15–20 minutes and is designed to inform the division’s efforts to develop a plan for a National Digital Summer Reading program website application....
PLA, Oct. 23

November webinars from ALCTS
RDA, holdings comparison, and long-term storage are webinar topics coming to you in November from ALCTS. Registration is easy. Just click the title of your choice and sign up....
ALCTS, Oct. 23

Celebrating the importance of play
ALSC and Lego Duplo recently concluded a “Read! Build! Play!” project, in which nearly 550,000 people participated. The most nominated library, Mount Airy (N.C.) Public Library, in the project will receive $5,000 for books and supplies. The top 200 libraries will receive a special Lego Duplo toolkit chock-full of cutting-edge, early literacy programming that combines preschool books with a versatile collection of Duplo bricks....
ALSC, Oct. 18

Great Websites for Kids expands
ALSC has added more outstanding websites to Great Websites for Kids, its online resource containing hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children. The site features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings....
ALSC, Oct. 22

ALSC online courses for winter 2013
Registration is now open for ALSC’s winter 2013 online courses. Classes begin January 14, and ALSC members receive a discounted registration rate. ALSC has increased the number of courses offering certified education units. ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. Registration information is available on the ALSC website....
ALSC, Oct. 18

Registration ends October 25 for Genealogy 101
“Genealogy 101,” an online course offered by RUSA, prepares librarians and library staff to provide reference services for this relevant and popular subject. Registration for the next course session will end on October 25....
RUSA Blog, Oct. 22

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Step Up to the Plate prize winner announced
Stuart Wolf, a Wilmette (Ill.) Public Library patron, has won the grand prize in the 2012 Step Up to the Plate @ your library program. Wolf’s father and son will join him on a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, at the end of October for a once-in-a-lifetime, behind-the-scenes tour of the library and archives. With a father who worked for the Chicago White Sox, Wolf was destined to love baseball....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Oct. 23

ALA, StoryCorps receive IMLS grant for outreach
The ALA Public Programs Office, in partnership with StoryCorps, has announced that it received a National Leadership Grant of $249,867, with a matching amount of $109,169, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The funds will support the implementation of a national initiative to bring StoryCorps’ interview methods and recording equipment to libraries as a springboard for programming and collaboration....
Public Programs Office, Oct. 23

Nominations for 2013 CSK–Hamilton Practitioner Award
ALA is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is named for children’s author Virginia Hamilton (1936–2002) and pays tribute to the magnitude of her exemplary contributions in literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African-American life, history, and consciousness. Nominations will be accepted through December 15....
Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, Oct. 22

EBSCO offers five grants to attend Midwinter
ALA and EBSCO are partnering to offer five scholarships for librarians to attend the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, January 25–29. Each EBSCO grant will be in the amount of $1,500, and one of the five will be awarded to a first-time conference attendee. The money is to be used for conference registration, travel, and expenses. Apply by November 1....
Office of ALA Governance, Oct. 22

Ezra Jack Keats Award nominations
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, is accepting submissions for the 27th Annual Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards. Submissions must be made by the book’s publisher. The deadline is December 30....
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Oct. 24

2012 Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry
The Library of Congress will award the 2012 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to Gerald Stern for his book Early Collected Poems: 1965–1992. The 2012 prize—the 12th to be given and the first to be given for a book of collected poems—is awarded for the most distinguished book of poetry published in the preceding two years, 2010 and 2011. Stern will receive the award and read selections from his work January 24 at the Library of Congress....
Library of Congress, Oct. 23

2012 Dagger Awards
The winners of the Crime Writers’ Association’s final three Dagger Awards for 2012 were announced at the lavish Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House Hotel in London on October 18. The major prize, the CWA Gold Dagger for the best crime novel of the year went to Irish author and journalist Gene Kerrigan for The Rage (Vintage), a “suspense driven storm of violence” set in the back streets of Dublin. Charles Cumming won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller for his novel A Foreign Country....
The Guardian (UK), Oct. 18

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A new trend? Library nurses
A slight man with a stethoscope and black medical bag regularly walks through Tucson’s Joel D. Valdez Main Library, helping patrons with issues that have nothing to do with books. Daniel Lopez is not a librarian but one of the nation’s first library nurses. He checks the feet of diabetics, takes blood pressure, gives out condoms, and intervenes in medical emergencies. Lopez is Pima County’s novel answer to a common issue in public libraries across the country—a growing number of patrons living without shelter, health insurance, medical care, or computer access....
Tucson Arizona Daily Star, Oct. 21

Medina County’s Paranormal Fest unnerves some
Rev. Tony Myles said he didn’t go to the Medina (Ohio) Public Library to protest its “Paranormal Fest” program on October 20. “I went to build relationships,” he said. Myles, the lead pastor of Connection Church in Sharon Township, was one of at least a dozen people who complained to the library and urged it to cancel the event or add a Christian perspective. Lisa Rienerth, a library associate who was involved in planning the event, said the program “went off without a hitch.”...
Medina (Ohio) Gazette, Oct. 22; Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal, Oct. 19

Uncle Bobby likely to stay on Brentwood shelves
A challenged picture book, Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, looks like it will survive a parent’s challenge that it be removed from the Brentwood (Mo.) Public Library. Library director Vicki Woods said October 19 that it’s only because of a lack of a quorum that the board of trustees had not voted on whether to remove the book. However, not a single trustee appears to be in favor of removing the book, which is about a girl guinea pig’s relationship with her engaged uncle....
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Book Blog, Oct. 19

Historic law library in jeopardy
Robert L. Ferris, an estate-planning attorney, says the documents he has accessed through the San Francisco Law Library have helped him handle cases for nearly two decades. But he might be on his own next year when the War Memorial Veterans Building, which houses the historic library, closes for renovation in May. City and county officials are required to provide space for the library and fund its operation, but a new location has not been secured....
San Francisco Bay Citizen, Oct. 19

University students arrested for selling library books on eBay
Two University of Missouri–St. Louis students have been charged with library theft, a felony, October 10 after campus police say they stole about 70 books from the student library to sell them on the internet. Larry McCoy and Danielle Campbell admitted selling all but 15 of the books on eBay. The scheme unraveled when a physics professor at Western Illinois University notified the dean of libraries at UMSL that he or she had purchased a book on eBay that appeared to belong to UMSL....
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oct. 19

Houston librarians create traveling library
The Billy Pilgrim Traveling Library is the brainchild of two Houston-area librarians, Kelly Allen and Chris Grawl, a couple who met while getting their LIS degrees from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information. The BPTL will essentially be a free-range bookmobile, operating on a rent-barter-donate system. Named after the protagonist of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, the BPTL will concentrate on the Greater Houston area, but its founders are open to collaborations further afield....
Library Journal, Oct. 22

Library gun ban misfires in Michigan
An effort on the part of the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, Michigan, to ban people from bringing guns into public library buildings is likely going nowhere. At its July 16 meeting, the board voted to send a letter to state legislators, asking them to consider a bill that would add libraries to the list of places that are exempt from the open-carry law. The letter was written after a pro-gun rally spilled into the library, with armed people and a film crew parading around the building. But legislators seem tepid about changing firearm regulations....
Birmingham (Mich.) Eccentric, Oct. 21

Amazing map collection saved from the dumpster
The discovery that real estate agent Matthew Greenberg made when he stepped inside a cottage in the Mount Washington neighborhood will put the Los Angeles Public Library on the map. Stashed everywhere in the 948-square-foot tear-down were tens of thousands of maps, stuffed in file cabinets, crammed into cardboard boxes, lined up on closet shelves, and jammed into old dairy crates. The occupant of the 90-year-old cottage had died in February, so Greenberg invited LAPL’s map librarian, Glen Creason, to look at the trove....
Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19; LAist, Oct. 21

Libraries are among the first budget cuts
Ever-shrinking budgets nationwide have taken a toll on so-called nonessential services at all levels of government, leaving such facilities as libraries vulnerable to cuts like those suffered in Dougherty County, Georgia, which recently closed its sparsely used Westtown and Southside branches in what officials say was a necessary cost-cutting measure. Meanwhile, the Randolph and Calhoun County library systems are headed by one person, who usually spends two days a week at one and three at the other....
Albany (Ga.) Herald, Oct. 20

NPR librarian Kee Malesky
Kee Malesky (right), National Public Radio’s longest-serving librarian, was in New York on October 15 for a book talk at the New York Metropolitan Library Council. She explained that after being under the News umbrella, the NPR library is now part of NPR’s Digital Media, as the librarians perform research duties for the entire organization, not just the News department. In all, they field more than 11,000 reference questions per year, produce briefing books for major events, work on investigative projects, and keep an internal wiki....
WYNC-FM, New York City, Oct. 23

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ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29. In the ALA Masters session “Outreach 2.0: The Digital Revolution of Public Relations” on Sunday, January 27, library Facebook guru Ben Bizzle will show how to maximize the reach and impact of your library’s Facebook page. This library innovator provides strategies for taking advantage of this cost-effective outreach tool, using examples from eight libraries across the country that added more than 9,000 fans in 28 days. Keep an eye on these ALA Midwinter Highlights for more details and other Masters sessions.

Public Warming Up to Global Warming How to Pay for College: Where to Look for Jobs 14-Year-Old Pakistani Girl Shot for Advocating for Education Daniel Suarez: 'It just fostered a deeper love of books' (video) Great Films: When We Were Kings—Ali-Foreman Rumble in the Jungle Remembered Information About Third Parties @ your library Iconic Image of Statue of Liberty Can Be Seen Throughout Our Culture Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

My 6,128 favorite books
Joe Queenan writes: “I started borrowing books from a roving Quaker City bookmobile when I was 7 years old. Things quickly got out of hand. Before I knew it I was borrowing every book about the Romans, every book about the Apaches, every book about the spindly third-string quarterback who comes off the bench in the fourth quarter to bail out his team. I had no way of knowing it at the time, but what started out as a harmless juvenile pastime soon turned into a lifelong personality disorder.”...
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 22

The future of YA horror
Allison Tran writes: “Horror was big in YA fiction when I was a teen in the 1990s. Alas, for a time from the 1990s to early 2000s, horror seemed to take a backseat to other genres. Sure, there were vampires, but they were sparkly and alluring instead of terrifying. But have plenty of fear: YA horror seems to be on the rise these days. Clearly today’s YA readers enjoy a little darkness in their literature; why not take it a step further into full-fledged horror?”...
YALSA The Hub, Oct. 22

Top 10 YA books that Buffy fans will want to read
We are in the midst of our Sunnydale Project here at TLT, where we are discussing all things Buffy. Today we share with you some favorite must reads that will definitely satisfy Buffy fans. For example, Rotters by Daniel Kraus: Trust me, Rotters is seriously dark and twisty and reminiscent of some of the best moments and themes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer....
Teen Librarian’s Toolbox, Oct. 20

What Jane Austen can teach us about our brains
Maria Konnikova writes: “The neural correlates of attention are a hot research topic. But it’s rare to see a qualitative attention comparison, where we really pay attention across the board—but do so in different ways. Indeed, so strange is the notion that close attention comes in multiple flavors that, when researcher Natalie Phillips decided to tackle that very issue, she was met with skepticism. Phillips had a group of English graduate students read the first two chapters of Mansfield Park—once for pleasure in print and once critically on screen.”...
Scientific American: Literally Psyched, Oct. 22

Librarians as detectives
Jessy Randall writes: “I thought I would research librarian detectives for this week’s post, but it turns out that the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the folks at Stop, You’re Killing Me have already done my work for me. The best-known of the librarian detectives is probably Elizabeth Peters’s Jacqueline Kirby, who appears in four novels: The Seventh Sinner, The Murders of Richard III, Die for Love, and Naked Once More....
Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room, Oct. 21; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; Stop, You’re Killing Me!

Up and coming historical fiction
Jessica Miller writes: “I used to think that I hated historical fiction. I would talk myself out of picking up historical fiction titles unless they were basically forced upon me. However, in the last year I have read so many absolutely stellar historical fiction books that I have finally rewired my brain. By scouring the interwebs, I’ve been able to pick out what I think are a few of the trends in upcoming historical fiction releases. So, as we look to the past, what can we see more of in the future?”...
YALSA The Hub, Oct. 18

Vintage craft books
Beth Carswell writes: “There are books about everything including how to make many useful things. Create your own toys, dolls, or puppets. Master woodworking, sewing, or paper engineering. All the vintage craft books you could hope for are here. Whether you fancy beads or boxes, paper or sequins, origami or something in between, this selection of craft and hobby books from years gone by will be sure to have something you want to get your hands on.”...
AbeBooks’ Reading Copy, Oct. 22

The all-important acknowledgments page
Keir Graff writes: “There is no better form of literary one-upmanship than a well-written acknowledgments page. The beauty of this approach is that nobody can accuse you of being a pompous jerk, because you’re hiding your pomposity in the guise of thanking people. Here is a crash course in writing an acknowledgments page that allows you to wear the guise of a humble and gracious scribe while, in reality, letting every writer who is less successful know exactly how much more successful you are.”...
Booklist Online: Likely Stories, Oct. 17

Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons in the library
Holly Lipschultz writes: “For those of you who already know me, I’m profoundly deaf and wear a cochlear implant and a hearing aid. Deafness is an invisible disability. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to accommodate the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, making them feel more welcome in the library. Here are some tips on two things: communication and accessibility of library programs and services.”...
Tame the Web, Oct. 20

Google Wallet ushers in a new era of fundraising
Heather Mansfield writes: “On August 1, Google quietly launched Google Wallet for the Web, technology that can transform online and mobile fundraising as we know it. Described simply, donors can sign up for a Google Wallet account, enter and save credit card information, and then donate to any nonprofit (or purchase from any online store) that has a Google Wallet merchant account. Nonprofits that have mobilized their web content and built their mobile lists can text links to Google Wallet donation pages.”...
Nonprofit Tech 2.0, Oct. 19

Access Google Docs even when offline
Richard Byrne writes: “Google has released three new Chrome apps that allow you to access Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Presentations in one click. I’m actually surprised that it took Google this long to make one-click access available through Chrome. The Docs app (each app is a separate install) allows you to create documents even when you’re offline (this feature has been available through your browser for a while).”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Oct. 23; Google Drive Blog, Oct. 23

Bad Google Scholar results
Wayne Bivens-Tatum writes: “I’ve seen lots of criticism of Google Books, but I find Google Scholar to be more frustrating. Google Scholar tends to be something of a last resort for me. It’s where I go when I’ve tried everything else and hope that the keyword searching will pull up something with at least some relevance that might have been missed in standard indexes. Usually I’m disappointed.”...
Academic Librarian, Oct. 22

Wikipedia, libraries, and the GLAM project
Brianna Marshall writes: “Though Wikipedia can be a contentious issue for some librarians, particularly those from a different generation, Wikipedia’s GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) project is making new strides toward partnerships with cultural heritage institutions. The reason many disparage Wikipedia—it’s not necessarily a credible information source, they say—is exactly the reason it needs librarians. If you’re so inclined, here are some ways to get involved, from least time-intensive to most.”...
Hack Library School, Oct. 17

10 things I didn’t learn in library school (academic edition)
Jessica Olin writes: “Eric Riley wrote a similar post about public libraries that you should also read, since plenty of academic libraries (especially large, urban ones) have the same issues. However, I had a request for a similar post about academic libraries. So here it is, for the most part in no particular order: 10 things I—an academic librarian—didn’t learn in library school.”...
Letters to a Young Librarian, Mar. 8, Oct. 23

Libraries and museums as afterschool allies
Kamila Thigpen writes: “Whereas many of us have memories of our neighborhood library providing a setting for solitary (and preferably quiet) learning opportunities, today’s youth are being introduced to an entirely different experience that is vibrant and—dare I say—cool. For older youth especially, these community bedrocks are evolving into destinations for hands-on, collaborative, and informal learning through a mixture of in-house and outreach programs. This year, we’ve teamed up with the Institute of Museum and Library Services as a national partner of Lights on Afterschool.”...
Afterschool Snack, Oct. 17

Katharine Hepburn as fashion icon
A new exhibition is hailing the fashion sense of Katharine Hepburn, whose trademark khakis and open-collar shirts were decidedly unconventional in the 1930s and 1940s. But skirts and dresses abound in “Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen” at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which opened October 18. Hepburn, who died in 2003 at age 96, saved almost all the costumes from her long career....
Associated Press, Oct. 18; New York Public Library

Almost as long as the river itself
Lindsay Elgin writes: “Recently, I was working on a patron request that involved photographing multiple foldout maps from a range of books. Foldouts in books are always tricky, and involve both conservation and photographic issues. We do sometimes run into foldouts that require photographing in multiple steps and stitching the pieces together. This image comes from Chisholm’s All Round Route and Panoramic Guide of the St. Lawrence, a book that is 5 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall with a map that is about 7.25 inches wide and almost 13 feet long.”...
Curio, Oct. 19

How to care for your personal treasures
On October 17, the Smithsonian held a live Facebook Q&A, with archival and conservation experts answering the public’s questions about their own personal archival items live. Five staff members were on hand to answer questions, which included how to preserve photographs, recipes, bibles, watercolors, vinyl records, film, and audiotapes....
The Bigger Picture, Oct. 23

Black and white and (still) read all over
Jennifer Gavin writes: “Short of watching a well-assembled documentary, or a movie like The Godfather that recreates another place and time in great detail, there’s nothing like an old newspaper to give you a dimensional sense of a past era. Old newspapers can be addictive. And if you’d like to find out just how, the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities have a little something to show you: a website called Chronicling America, which recently digitized its 5-millionth old newspaper page. It features 800 newspapers from 25 states.”...
Library of Congress Blog, Oct. 23; Library of Congress, Oct. 22

British Library Journal now online
The Electronic British Library Journal publishes scholarly research into the history of the British Library and its collections. The eBLJ (for short) is the successor to the British Library Journal, which appeared between 1975 and 1999. Articles from the British Library Journal are now available online, bringing the combined back catalog of the British Library Journal and eBLJ into one simple location....
British Library: Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts Blog, Oct. 18

Center for Research Libraries to expand news coverage
In an October 1 message to library directors, Center for Research Libraries President Bernard Reilly reported that he has begun to explore options with a few large aggregators to provide expanded coverage of news content to researchers. The recent offerings of seven key news databases from Readex are a step in that direction, providing favorable terms for access to a range of historic and current news content....
Center for Research Libraries, Oct. 22

Wisconsin’s library lions
Larry Nix writes: “By far the most famous library lions are those that grace the front entrance of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The Oshkosh (Wis.) Public Library also has a pair of library lions and, like those in New York, they have served as important visual symbols of the public library. They were named Harris and Sawyer in 1977 for two of the prominent early donors to the library, and this year they are celebrating their 100th birthdays.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Oct. 24

10 geeky office supplies for librarians
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Let’s face it, a lot of us librarians are geeky, and thus we enjoy geeky office supplies in the workplace. Here are 10 suggestions for stocking up on geeky stuff for this winter. How about these comfy, cute handwarmers shaped like little pieces of toast (right), which plug into your USB port to heat up? They have two settings (high and low) and they are similar to fingerless gloves so they don’t interfere with typing.”...
iLibrarian, Oct. 23

Halloween costume ideas inspired by the Smithsonian collections
Megan Smith writes: “Looking for a creative costume for your upcoming Halloween celebration? We have some quick ideas pulled straight from the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, guaranteed to make you stand out in a sea of ninjas and pirates. If you already have a long dress with long sleeves, dressing as Mary Pickersgill (right), who sewed the Star-Spangled Banner, as well as a second, smaller flag for Fort McHenry in Baltimore, should be a cinch.”...
O Say Can You See?, Oct. 24

10 classic Halloween cartoons you can watch right now
Alison Nastasi writes: “In the days leading up to Halloween, creepy cartoons always set the mood with spine-tingling tales and famous animated characters channeling the dark side. We’ve collected several classic cartoons that pay homage to all things haunted and hair-raising, so head past the break to see what we came up with.”...
Flavorwire, Oct. 22

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