Utah suit restores access to In Our Mothers’ House
Beverly Goldberg writes: “As of January 14, Elementary-school students in the Davis (Utah) School District are once again free to borrow the Patricia Polacco picture book In Our Mothers’ House—a multigenerational tale about the family life of a lesbian couple with three children, told in the voice of the oldest child. The district’s change of heart since restricting access in May 2012 is a saga unto itself.”...
American Libraries news, Mar. 6

Technology in Practice: Just-for-me training
Meredith Farkas writes: “Librarians in all types of libraries provide training and instruction, the timing of which is usually critical. Teach first-year college students about a database when they have no assignment that requires them to use it and it will likely go in one ear and out the other. Screencasting software—technology that creates a video of activity on the computer screen along with the user’s narration—is sometimes used to solve this problem.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

Realizing the scope of digital change
Christopher Harris writes: “Sometimes you just have to stop and marvel at the incredible pace of technological change. It helps if you are sitting down, because when the scope of the change finally hits you, things might go all wobbly for a second or two. Luckily, I was sitting when I had that experience this weekend. I happened upon a story about the new AV adaptors from Apple (right) that go from the iPad’s Lightning connector to VGA or DVI. Not only are these new dongles actually computers, but they have 256MB of RAM in them.”...
AL: E-Content, Mar. 5; Engadget, Mar. 2

March/April issue online
In this issue, meet the next cohort of Emerging Leaders, revisit the highlights of the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting, read the ALA presidential and treasurer candidates’ statements, and learn more about the Digital Public Library of America, cultivating a special collection, filtering and the First Amendment, and how to teach your patrons about preservation....
American Libraries

Go back to the Top

Meet the candidates for ALA President and Treasurer
Four candidates unveil their campaign statements and appeal to ALA members for their votes: Barbara Immroth and Courtney Young for ALA President; and Clara Nalli Bohrer and Mario González for ALA Treasurer....
American Libraries feature, Mar. 5

ALA election information
The ALA election opens on March 19. By March 21 all eligible ALA members will be sent an email with voting instructions. This year, you can access the ballot either by using the credentials and a URL that will be contained in your email, or by going to the ALA website and using your ALA member ID. After voting, you will be able to download an “I Voted in the ALA Election” web badge. The election closes on April 26 and the results will be announced May 3....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 5

ALA/ProQuest Scholarship Bash to be held at Second City
Chicago’s legendary sketch comedy theatre, “Best of the Second City,” will appear on June 29 at the ALA/ProQuest Scholarship Bash during ALA Annual Conference, featuring some of the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from the Second City’s 52-year history. Conference attendees can have a laugh while raising money for an important cause. Tickets are $25 (nonrefundable) and going fast....
Conference Services, Feb. 28

Stories sought about promoting NLW
ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries is soliciting stories telling how libraries of all types are promoting the 2013 National Library Week, to be celebrated April 14–20 with the theme “Communities Matter @ your library.” Ideas will be shared on the NLW tools page, which includes a sample proclamation, press release, and letter to the editor as well as scripts for use in radio public service announcements and two download-ready radio PSAs in mp3 format. Email ideas to atyourlibrary@ala.org....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Mar. 5

Temple Grandin to discuss different kinds of minds at ALA Annual
Temple Grandin—diagnosed with autism at age 2 in 1949 and now one of the world’s most influential, accomplished, and well-known adults with autism—will inspire and inform attendees of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago as an Auditorium Speaker on June 30. Grandin’s appearance is sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, publisher of her forthcoming book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum (April). Register for Annual....
Conference Services, Mar. 5

Alice Walker to join Auditorium Speakers
Poet, feminist, and activist Alice Walker will appear at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago on July 1 as an Auditorium Speaker, sponsored by the New Press. She will share her two new spring 2013 titles from the New Press: The Cushion in the Road (essays) and The World Will Follow Joy (poems). Winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple, Walker was named Humanist of the Year in 1997 by the American Humanist Association....
Conference Services, Mar. 5

Vote for the conference sessions of your choice
Public voting is open through March 31 for nearly 40 talks in two formats to determine which sessions will be added to this year’s Annual Conference program. A general call is out for Conversation Starter talks—fast-paced, 45-minute sessions intended to jump-start conversations and highlight emerging topics and trends. Vote here for your favorites. ALA is also running a series of Ignite sessions that give presenters five minutes to share what they’re most passionate about in the library world. Vote here for the Ignite sessions....
Conference Services, Feb. 27

Apply to attend new ALA Leadership Institute
“Leading to the Future,” a unique four-day immersive leadership development program for future library leaders, is being offered by ALA in Chicago August 12-15. Led by ALA President Maureen Sullivan with ACRL Content Strategist Kathryn Deiss, this inaugural institute will include a structured learning track as well as the opportunity for individual development and is limited to 35 mid-career participants. Apply by May 10 by nominating yourself or being nominated by your employer....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 5; Transforming Libraries

ALA urges Congress to pay UNESCO dues
ALA Council recently passed a resolution urging Congress to approve a national interest waiver, so the United States can again pay its dues to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and become a fully functioning UNESCO member. The resolution, adopted January 29 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, states that ALA policy recognizes the importance of membership for the development of libraries in the US and around the world. Congress halted funding to UNESCO in late 2011 after the agency admitted Palestine into its membership....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 4

Council supports US delegation to WIPO
ALA Council recently passed a resolution commending the US delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for its recognition of libraries as critical providers of accessible content. The resolution, adopted January 29 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, also endorses the Obama administration’s statement that access to information is a universal right and supports the call for a diplomatic conference to enact the WIPO International Instrument/Treaty on Limitations and Exceptions for Visually Impaired Persons/Persons with Print Disabilities (PDF file)....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 4; Freedom Info, Nov. 16, 2009; WIPO, Feb. 22

Tickets available for Michael Morpurgo
Tickets for the 2013 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture featuring Michael Morpurgo are now available. The lecture, “War Boy to War Horse,” will be held on May 16 at the Linehan Chapel in the Golisano Academic Center of Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Tickets are free for the lecture and must be obtained through the Youth Services Section of the New York Library Association....
ALSC, Mar. 1

FTRF announces slate for trustee election
Twelve candidates for the Freedom to Read Foundation Board of Trustees have been slated for the 2013 election by the Nominating Committee for the six board vacancies to be filled. Trustees are elected to two-year terms. Ballots will be mailed April 1 to all FTRF members who are current as of that date....
Freedom to Read Foundation, Mar. 5

Seeking women of library history
In celebration of March as Women’s History Month, ALA’s Feminist Task Force welcomes submissions for its Tumblr blog about the contributions of women in librarianship. This is the perfect time of year to remember a woman (or group of women) significantly involved with your local library, someone whose portrait you pass every day, or a woman who has made history at your library. Email an image and brief write-up by the end of March....
Feminist Task Force, Feb. 27

New workshop explores serving the DIY patron
With the emergence of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, librarians have been granted a new opportunity—to provide immediate services and resources to library users at their point of need. In a first-of-its kind workshop, “Serving the DIY Patron: Library Instruction at the Point of Need,” instructor Meredith Farkas (right) will explore the DIY mindset and ways to embed online instruction and live virtual reference help at patrons’ points of need, whether online, in the library, or out in the world....
ALA TechSource, Mar. 5

Taking embedded librarianship to the next level
In the May 23 online workshop, “Taking Embedded Librarianship to the Next Level,” instructor Buffy Hamilton (right) will show you how to create value for your library and yourself by becoming an instructional partner to faculty and a mentor to student researchers. Starting with course management system tools and citations lists, she will teach how to use free or inexpensive web-based tools to offer research instruction....
ALA TechSource, Mar. 5

Go back to the Top

Chicago Official Visitors Guide
Start planning your trip to the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 27–July 2, with this must-have guide that covers the city’s best attractions and sightseeing (view it online or order a paper copy). Discover Chicago’s great activities to pursue during your trip to one of the world’s greatest destinations. You can also download Choose Chicago’s free iPad app containing the latest content and stunning visuals from the Official Visitors Guide....
Choose Chicago

How well do you know Chicago?
Neil Steinberg’s book, You Were Never in Chicago (University of Chicago, 2012), is a treasure trove of Windy City trivia. Think you know the city? Take this quiz inspired by the book. For example: What’s so special about the city’s fire hydrants? Russian president Vladimir Putin said he was excited to visit Chicago because who once lived here?...
Chicago Magazine, Nov. 2012

The hottest US urban center: Chicago’s mega-Loop
Greg Hinz writes: “Barely a decade ago, the site at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street was a forsaken railroad yard. Today, it’s part of a 1.3 million-square-foot complex of shops, restaurants, and apartments. This is the new Chicago, a skyscraper-studded expanse that stretches well beyond the traditional Loop to cover 10 square miles roughly from Cermak Road to North Avenue and from the lakefront to Ashland Avenue. It’s the new economic engine of the metropolitan area and, increasingly, the rest of Illinois.” Watch the video (3:31)....
Crain’s Chicago Business, Mar. 4

Downtown Chicago restaurants
Visit DiningGuide.Network’s Downtown Chicago area list of 546 restaurants with links to authentic reader reviews. Click on the restaurant’s name to view its profile. Venues are arranged by type of cuisine. Try out the mobile version....
Chicago DiningGuide

What Chicago’s eating
Ordering the “usual” from that mediocre takeout place again? Trying out a swanky new dish at a five-star restaurant? Whatever the meal, Chicagoans are loud and proud about what’s for lunch (or dinner or brunch for that matter). Metromix’s Instagram page offers a wide selection of photos from Chicagoans who have shared their cuisine-de-jour....
Chicago Tribune: Metromix

ACRL preview, Indianapolis, April 10–13
Meredith Schwartz writes: “The next ACRL conference, ‘Imagine, Innovate, Inspire,’ will be held in Indianapolis, April 10–13. Why is this conference unlike all other conferences? Several of this year’s innovations are drawn from the current trends in professional gatherings that feature high-energy, interactive, bottom-up content rather than traditional presentations. Other changes include added support for body (yoga, massage) and brain (the new Buddy Program).”...
Library Journal, Feb. 27

ACRL presidential candidates to hold online forum
The 2013 candidates for ACRL president-elect will participate in an open online forum on March 20. Maggie Farrell, dean of libraries at the University of Wyoming, and Karen Williams, associate university librarian for research and learning at the University of Minnesota, will discuss their platforms and vision for ACRL and field questions from the audience. Details for accessing the online forum will be available on the ACRL Insider blog in mid-March....
ACRL, Mar. 5

Build web apps in March with LITA
“Building Web Applications with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript: An Introduction to HTML5,” presented by Jason Clark, will consist of four live lectures held on March 4, 6, 8, and 11, with additional self-paced modules in Moodle. Presented by LITA, the course will examine the trends and enhancements that HTML5, CSS3, and the new JavaScript APIs enable....
LITA, Feb. 28

TTW shows libraries as key teen destination
Libraries from coast to coast will throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens and showcase technological resources available @ your library during Teen Tech Week, March 10–16. This year’s Teen Tech Week theme is “Check in @ your library,” and teens will work with librarians to create their own unique web and technological content as well as learn how to become competent and ethical users of technology....
YALSA, Mar. 5

Tour southern France with ASCLA
Leave the gloom of fall behind with a trip to southern France, October 5–13, 2013, hosted by ASCLA. Destinations include Nice, Cannes, and Monaco (PDF file). This adventure is open to the library community, with no membership requirements in order to participate. A $500 deposit is due by March 31 to reserve your space. Email Michael Stillwell at Lyceum Tours or ASCLA Executive Director Susan Hornung for details....
ASCLA, Mar. 5

ASCLA Accessibility Academy webinar
ASCLA is developing an online interactive module to help improve library staff communication and interactions with people with disabilities. “Positive Interactions: Making the Library a Welcoming and Empowering Place for People with Disabilities” is the first presentation in the division’s Accessibility Academy series and will be held March 14. Participation is free but registration is required....
ASCLA Blog, Feb. 25

Webinar on how to find a job
Applying for and interviewing for a job can be fraught with anxiety and frustrations. But you can put yourself ahead of the herd with the right information. “Job Hunting for Today’s Libraries in Today’s Job Market,” a free webinar from LLAMA’s Human Resources Section, is intended for library students or recent MLS graduates about to enter the workforce or start a job search. Registration is required....
LLAMA, Mar. 5

Preservation webinars for pros and laypeople
During Preservation Week 2013, to be held April 21–27, free webinars will offered on family photos, digital archiving, and making good decisions on preservation supplies. The webinars will be given April 23-25. In addition, “Hosting a Personal Digital Archiving Day Event,” cosponsored by PLA and the Library of Congress, will be offered on March 20. Registration is required for all webinars. Also available is a toolkit of resources for planning and promoting Preservation Week events, which can be found here....
ALCTS, Mar. 5

Annual preconferences from ALCTS
Join your colleagues on June 27 and 28, just prior to the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, for several preconferences offered by ALCTS. Topics range from RDA to shared print monographs to the semantic web to crowdsourcing electronic resource management. Registration is open....
ALCTS, Mar. 5

RUSA programs at Annual Conference
Check out the slate of programs RUSA is hosting at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Register for the conference now in order to attend these programs, which will be held June 29–July 1....
RUSA Blog, Feb. 20

Work effectively with trustees
United for Libraries will present the webinar, “Working Effectively with Your Library Trustees,” on April 9. Led by Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed, this webinar will provide strategies and tips for working with library trustees. Topics will include orientation for new trustees, understanding roles, meetings, emergencies, and effective communication....
United for Libraries, Feb. 28

Go back to the Top

Kolderup, Task Force win YALSA Volunteer of the Year Awards
Gretchen Kolderup (right), member manager of YALSA’s literature blog The Hub, has received a Volunteer of the Year Award for her efforts. Kolderup’s hard work on The Hub is credited for the blog receiving more than 25,000 page views a month. The YA Literature Symposium Planning Task Force also received a Volunteer of the Year Award. It assisted YALSA staff with the planning, marketing, and implementation of the YA Literature Symposium in St. Louis in November....
YALSA, Mar. 5

Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award
Linda Baker (right), manager of reference, instruction, and collection development at the El Centro College Library in Dallas, Texas, has been chosen to receive ACRL’s 2013 Community and Junior College Libraries Section EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award of $500, sponsored by EBSCO. Baker was commended for dedication to developing a model library instruction program and her commitment to being an active colleague with teaching faculty....
ACRL, Mar. 5

Community College Learning Resources Award
The staff members of the Palo Alto College library in San Antonio have been named the recipients of ACRL’s 2013 Community and Junior College Libraries Section EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Award of $500, sponsored by EBSCO, for the Library a la Carte project (right). The project provides face-to-face reference and instruction services away from the physical library through an electric golf cart modified as a library services station....
ACRL, Mar. 5

2013 Notable Children’s Books
ALSC has selected its 2013 list of Notable Children’s Books. The list of titles includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and picture books of special interest, quality, creativity, and value to children 14 years of age and younger....
ALSC, Feb. 28

2013 Notable Children’s Videos
ALSC has selected its 2013 list of Notable Children’s Videos. The list includes videos for children 14 years of age and younger that exhibit especially commendable quality, show respect for children’s intelligence and imagination, and reflect and encourage the interests of children in exemplary ways....
ALSC, Feb. 28

2013 Notable Children’s Recordings
ALSC has selected its 2013 list of Notable Children’s Recordings. The list includes recordings for children 14 years of age and younger that demonstrate respect for young people’s intelligence and imagination, exhibit venturesome creativity, and reflect and encourage the interests of children and young adolescents in exemplary ways....
ALSC, Mar. 5

ProQuest Library Support Staff Scholarships
ACRL has awarded eight ProQuest Library Support Staff Scholarships for the 2013 ACRL National Conference to be held April 10–13 in Indianapolis. The scholarships, underwritten by ProQuest, include complimentary registration to the ACRL 2013 conference and a travel stipend for nonlocal recipients....
ACRL, Mar. 5

Apply for an ALSC preconference scholarship
ALSC and the Friends of ALSC are offering two scholarships to their 2013 ALSC preconference, “A Wild Ride: 75 Years of the Caldecott Medal.” The preconference will take place on June 28 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Scholarship recipients must be ALSC members who work directly with children in a library setting. Applications must be submitted by May 3....
ALSC, Feb. 28

Better World Books LEAP grants
Better World Books, a socially responsible online bookseller, is offering its third annual Literacy and Education in Action Program (LEAP) grants for libraries, an initiative designed to turn the company’s revenue into literacy support. $45,000 in funding is available for programs that address the literacy needs of underserved populations in the community. The deadline for library applicants is April 5, and winners will be announced May 14....
Better World Books, Feb. 27

Gale’s Librarian Superheroes
Gale has announced the winners of its second annual “Are You a Librarian Superhero?” contest, which recognizes the often heroic efforts put forth by librarians around the country. Hundreds of nominations were received from fellow librarians, library patrons, students, and school administrators that highlighted a superlibrarian who makes a real difference in their libraries and communities. The winners were Scott Wille, Lauren Comito, Lauren Maggio, and Jackie Davis....
Gale Cengage, Mar. 4

Diane Kelly to receive BCS award
Diane Kelly (right), associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s SILS, has been selected to receive the 2012 British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group Karen Spärck-Jones Award. The award will be presented in Moscow during the annual European Conference on Information Retrieval, to be held March 24–28. Kelly was cited for her contributions to the analysis of information-seeking behaviors....
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SILS, Feb. 22

2013 Paralibrarian of the Year
Laura Poe (right), staff member at the Athens-Limestone (Ala.) Public Library since 2006, has been named Library Journal Paralibrarian of the Year, an award sponsored by DEMCO. Poe was cited for her teaching of e-reader classes, her creation of a Mystery Book Club, and collaboration with World Book Night....
Library Journal, Mar. 1

National Book Critics Circle Awards
The winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced in February. Ben Fountain won the fiction prize with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (Ecco) and Andrew Solomon took nonfiction with Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity (Scribner). Leanne Shapton won the autobiography award for Swimming Studies (Blue Rider) and Robert A. Caro took biography with The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson (Knopf)....
GalleyCat, Mar. 1

2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation announced March 4 the winners of its 27th annual New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards. The awards ceremony will be held April 11 during the University of Southern Mississippi’s Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. The winning new writer is Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring (Neal Porter) and the winning new illustrator is Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten! (Frances Foster Books)....
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Mar. 4

2013 Rilke Prize for poetry (PDF file)
Paisley Rekdal’s Animal Eye (University of Pittsburgh) has won the 2013 University of North Texas Rilke Prize. The $10,000 prize recognizes a book written by a mid-career poet and published in the preceding year that demonstrates exceptional artistry and vision. Animal Eye explores the fundamental hunger for light and ever-greater perspective and revelation....
University of North Texas, Feb. 26

Go back to the Top

Publisher withdraws lawsuit against McMaster librarian
A US-based publishing company says it is dropping at least one of its lawsuits against a McMaster University librarian after scholars across North America came to his defense. Edwin Mellen Press had filed a lawsuit against Dale Askey (right) and McMaster, claiming a total of $4.5 million in damages. In a separate action, EMP founder Herbert W. Richardson sued Askey for $1 million for personal remarks made in the blog’s comment section. In a tweet, Askey confirmed that the latter suit has not been dropped....
CBC Hamilton, Mar. 4; Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired Campus, Mar. 4; Against the Grain, Mar. 5

Innovative Interfaces withdraws OCLC lawsuit
Innovative Interfaces and SkyRiver Technology Solutions have withdrawn a lawsuit filed in 2010 against OCLC that alleged the membership organization was “unlawfully monopolizing the markets for cataloging services, interlibrary lending, and bibliographic data, and attempting to monopolize the market for integrated library systems.” OCLC President Jay Jordan released a statement March 4 that read, “Inclusion, reciprocity, trust, and the highest standard of ethical conduct have guided the OCLC cooperative in the past and will guide us in the future.”...
OCLC, Mar. 4

Federal cuts will hit museums, libraries
According to Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Susan Hildreth, innovative programs to help schoolchildren, job seekers, and underserved communities through libraries and museums will likely be casualties of the federal budget crisis. The federal sequester, she said in Seattle on March 4, will mean a 5% cut in the $232 million her agency hoped to allocate this year to libraries and museums across the country. The House took its first step March 6 to avoid a government shutdown, passing a measure that funds the government through the end of the current fiscal year....
Seattle Times, Mar. 4; Washington Post, Mar. 6

Missouri middle school keeps Intensely Alice over principal’s challenge
A reconsideration committee voted unanimously in late February not to remove the coming-of-age novel Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor from Buffalo Prairie Middle School in Buffalo, Missouri. Principal Matt Nimmo had reviewed the book and two days later filed the formal complaint himself, prompted by hearing that a student’s grandparent had complained about the title to a school counselor. On February 15, the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri (PDF file), and ALA and the Missouri Library Association (PDF file) had written letters recommending the novel’s retention....
Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, Mar. 2, 4

Steve McQueen bio flagged in Flagstaff
Not everyone thinks Steve McQueen, King of Cool: Tales of a Lurid Life, the biography of the action-movie antihero, should be on the shelves of the Flagstaff City–Coconino County (Ariz.) Public Library. The board did not agree; however, Director Heidi Holland said a trustee volunteered to review the tome chronicling the life and times of McQueen and report back to the board. The book remains in the adult section, as does Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read by Robert P. Doyle, which was also challenged at one time....
Flagstaff Arizona Daily Sun, Mar. 1

Paterson library bans all video games
In February, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund joined the National Coalition Against Censorship in signing a letter opposing the banning of certain types of video games in the Paterson (N.J.) Free Public Library. Instead of banning only first-person shooters, the library has installed stronger computer filters for library patrons under age 12. NCAC reports that the filters now block access to “all computer games as well as other content, including internet radio, web-based email, online auctions, and self-defense pages.”...
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Mar. 6; Blogging Censorship, Mar. 5

Fiber-optic installation lights up Teton County Library
Designers Brian W. Brush and Yong Ju Lee of E/B Office New York created an extensive fiber-optic installation (right) for the Teton County (Wyo.) Library grand opening January 31 that visualizes library searches in flashes of colored light. Dubbed Filament Mind, the installation uses over five miles of fiber-optic cables and 44 LED illuminators to collect, categorize, and render searches from libraries all across the state of Wyoming into glowing bursts of color....
Wired, Mar. 6; Teton County (Wyo.) Library, Feb. 1

The eyes of Texas are on the Alamo library
If you’re looking for a place to learn about Texas, your first stop might be a building right by the Alamo in San Antonio that is run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. However, a Texas attorney general’s report in November said state money spent on the organization’s library “should have been used to support the Alamo.” The facility has been closed since January 14 for an inventory to determine which items belong to the DRT and which are the state’s, but the staff still will help researchers who have traveled there, unaware of the closure....
San Antonio (Tex.) Express-News, Mar. 2

Vandal haunts Library of Virginia stacks
Nearly 350 books from the closed stacks of the Library of Virginia in Richmond have been vandalized in the past two years. The damage was first discovered by library staff in December 2010, but the culprit has eluded both librarians and the Virginia Capitol Police, who began an investigation in May 2011. In each case the vandal rips the books, in some cases tearing pages out at the spine, at other times ripping pages in half....
Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, Mar. 3

Ex–high school librarian sentenced in sex charges
Marisa Anton (right), former librarian at New Rochelle (N.Y.) High School, was sentenced to three years of probation February 26 after pleading guilty to sexually pursuing a 16-year-old student. She was arrested in May 2012 at the home of the teen, who several days earlier had gone to police headquarters to report Anton exchanging sexually explicit emails and texts with him. She resigned from her post in August 2012 after four years of service....
New Rochelle (N.Y.) Daily Voice, Feb. 27; May 31, 2012

The Bright Star Mobile Library in Islamabad
Jackie Northam writes: “Many young Pakistanis have grown up in the grip of religious extremism, and there’s little sign that that is likely to change in the near future. But the founder of the Bright Star Mobile Library is trying to reverse that trend, starting at the most basic level. Saeed Malik decided to take books to the children. He said the idea of creating a mobile library came to him after seeing a similar project at the San Francisco Public Library.”...
NPR: All Things Considered, Feb. 28

Go back to the Top

ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, June 27–July 2. Cory Doctorow, Lois Lowry, Patrick Ness, and Veronica Roth are in the stellar lineup for “Bleak New World: YA Authors Decode Dystopia,” the Booklist Books for Youth Forum on Friday, June 28, 8–10 p.m. Register now for the conference.

Sing-along @ your library Vivid War Photos and the Career of Robert Capa The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Words of Robert Kennedy The Entrepreneur's Starter Kit: Willingness to Stick It Out Peter Brown: 'I'm at the library as often as possible' First Lady Wants Schools to Help Kids Get Fit Norman Rockwell's Art Chronicles Lives of Ordinary People Madlyn Schneider: Opening Up New Worlds DNA Testing Has Exonerated Several Hundred Wrongfully Convicted People Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

How reading Jane Austen affects your brain
Humanities scholar Natalie Phillips (right) has conducted a study at Stanford University that examined what effect reading Jane Austen had on the brain, and the results, she hopes, might give new polish to the battered reputation of a liberal arts degree. Phillips placed volunteers inside an MRI scanner, hooked them up to eye-tracking equipment, and asked them to read—on a mirror above them—the second chapter of Mansfield Park. The impact on the brain was far more extensive than she had expected....
eSchool News, Mar. 5; The Airspace, Sept. 17, 2012

New UK Jane Austen stamps
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, the Royal Mail in Britain issued six commemorative Jane Austen stamps on February 20. Each of her novels is represented by a separate stamp. The artwork was produced by Angela Barrett. You can order the stamps (even from America), as well as other commemorative material, via the Royal Mail website....
Fine Books Blog, Feb. 21

Nonfiction picks for fans of I Hunt Killers
Molly Wetta writes: “When I read I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, I was instantly drawn into Jazz’s world and couldn’t help but be fascinated by a boy who grew up with a serial killer for a dad and went on to team up with police to solve a copycat case. Not only did I want to know more about the forensic science touched on in the book, I was intrigued enough to want to know more about what makes someone capable of such violence. Here are some nonfiction titles that fans of I Hunt Killers can read to learn more about the topics the book explores.”...
YALSA The Hub, Mar. 1

International Children’s Book Day
Since 1967, around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday on April 2, International Children’s Book Day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. The US Board on Books for Young People has been awarded the sponsorship of the 2013 celebration. Artist Ashley Bryan and poet Pat Mora have created an inspirational downloadable poster titled “Bookjoy Around the World” (right)....
ALSC Blog, Mar. 4; US Board on Books for Young People

The Saturday Books
Richard Davies writes: “The Saturday Book was an annual miscellany that featured art, literature, and comment on British life during World War II and the decades that followed until 1975. The series was initially edited by Leonard Russell, with John Hadfield taking over the reins in 1952. Readers were treated to short stories, poetry, and art from the likes of Evelyn Waugh, P. G. Wodehouse, Graham Greene, Siegfried Sassoon, John Masefield, Cecil Beaton, Edward Ardizzone, and Robert Gibbings.”...
AbeBooks’ Reading Copy, Feb. 22

20 bookish murals worldwide
Emily Temple writes: “When we caught a glimpse of this beautiful bookish fresco on the Municipal Library of Lyon, France (right), we realized we’d been missing a whole category—street art honoring authors and characters is all very good, but how about the books themselves? We’ve put together a roundup of fantastic book murals on buildings from Russia to Sardinia (and quite a few from the United States).”...
Flavorwire, Feb. 22

The yoga poses of literature appreciation
Elizabeth Bastos writes: “The pose of ‘Very Much Wanting To Understand Ulysses by James Joyce’ is Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana or Revolved-Head-to-Knee Pose (right) and you’ll probably need someone to help you so you don’t sprain yourself. ‘Ta-dah! Asana’: You piled paperbacks into an astoundingly tall stack. ‘The Proust Pose’ is reading anything in English translation while eating a French sugar cookie shaped like a scallop.”...
Book Riot, Mar. 5

Libraries can be the hub of a maker revolution
Cory Doctorow (right) writes: “Society has never needed its librarians and its libraries more. The major life skill of the information age is information literacy, and no one’s better at that than librarians. It’s what they train for. It’s what they live for. But there is another gang of information-literate people out there, a gang that is a natural ally of libraries and librarians—the maker movement. They make robots, flying drones, 3D-printed stuff, jewelry, tools, printing presses, clothes, and medieval armor: whatever takes their fancy.”...
Raincoast Books blog, Feb. 24

What I learned in 30 months looking for a library job
Kristen Jaques writes: “It took me two and a half years to get hired as a librarian. I spent that long stretch of time applying for many entry-level and even paraprofessional positions, looking to build my skill set, gain experience, and demonstrate my ability to succeed in a professional role. I experienced the frustration of being passed over for these opportunities. I want to share what I learned in the hopes that it will help you get the job that is perfect for you.”...
INALJ, Feb. 28

Surviving as a librarian employed in another field
Alyssa Vincent writes: “The good news for those of us stuck in LIS unemployment is that even if you take a job outside of the field, you can still find your way back. Your MLS degree can be put to use in a variety of research, customer service, and marketing positions, and all of those fields can provide you with skills that will prepare you for future library work. This article is about how to make that happen.”...
In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Mar. 6

Massive (and not-so-massive) Open Online Courses
Paul Signorelli writes: “Completely immersed in #etmooc (the Educational Technology and Media massive open online course) with more than 1,600 other learners from several different countries since early February, I have just received a lovely reminder that we make a mistake by not paying attention to what is happening in our own learning backyards. Although far from massive, a new free learning opportunity provided by the San Francisco Public Library system for its users is beginning to roll out.”...
Building Creative Bridges, Mar. 5

From Wikipedia to libraries
John Mark Ockerbloom writes: “Looked at the right way, Wikipedia can be a big help in making online readers aware of their library’s offerings. One of the things we spend a lot of time on is organizing information into distinct, conceptual categories. That’s what Wikipedia does too. So far, their English edition has over 4 million concepts identified, described, and often populated with reference links. So how do we get people from Wikipedia articles to the related offerings of our local libraries? Essentially, we need three things.”...
Everybody’s Libraries, Mar. 4

Sharing comes at a cost on Facebook
Nick Bilton writes: “Soon after Facebook instituted a feature that let people subscribe to others’ feeds without being friends, I quickly amassed a healthy ‘subscriber’ list of about 25,000 people (it’s now over 400,000). Yet now, when I share my column, something different happens. From the four columns I shared in January, I have averaged 30 likes and two shares a post. Some attract as few as 11 likes. Photo interaction has plummeted, too. But after I paid Facebook $7 to promote my column to my friends, I saw a 1,000% increase in interactions.”...
New York Times: Bits, Mar. 3

How a social network dies
Robert McMillan writes: “Friendster was once the hottest thing in social networking. Google wanted to buy it for $30 million back in 2003, but—burdened by technical glitches and a more nimble competitor in Facebook—it was pretty much dead in the US by 2006. That said, it trudged along for a few more years, helped by a relatively strong following in southeast Asia. Then, around 2009, a site redesign crushed it. If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that it takes more than a lot of users to build a viable social network.”...
Wired Enterprise, Feb. 27

Six library tech blogs for state and local government
Jimmy Daly writes: “As libraries discover better ways to deliver information via new media platforms and improve operational efficiencies, they will have a greater impact on a broader population. In fact, technology represents an opportunity for libraries to inspire a new generation of readers and curious minds. Here are six library technology blogs that do a great job of providing resources and information to the people who run America’s libraries.”...
StateTech Magazine, Mar. 6

The beard does not make the philosopher
John Lubans writes: “On March 4, I gave a talk in the University of Warsaw’s new library (right). Cosponsored by the Polish Librarians Association (Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polski) and the library, the title was ‘Working Together: Ways of Organizing, Old and New.’ From the start, I cautioned the audience that a Polish proverb might apply: Broda nie czyni filozofa (The beard does not make the philosopher). Here are some photos of the new library.”...
Leading from the Middle, Mar. 6

How to locate free case law on the internet
Robert Brammer and Barbara Bavis write: “Until recently, case law has not been widely available on the internet, leaving researchers with no choice but to seek out print reporters and commercial electronic databases to locate cases of interest. This situation has started to change, however, and now researchers have several free, online databases at their disposal. Here are some of the most prominent.”...
In Custodia Legis, Feb. 25

The role of libraries in the hours after school
Jen Rinehart writes: “In my 10 years with the Afterschool Alliance, there hadn’t really been any conferences that dealt specifically with how libraries are providing expanded learning opportunities for kids after school—but that seems to be changing. Within the first six weeks of 2013, I had the opportunity to participate in two convenings comprised largely of public library staff members who are working to provide expanded learning opportunities for youth after school and during the summer months.”...
UpNext: The IMLS Blog, Mar. 5

New Seattle Public Library cards
Patrons of the Seattle Public Library can choose from six designs in 2013: the old one; four featuring Seattle landmarks Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, and the Central Library; and one specially designed for kids....
Seattle Public Library

South African Library Week, March 16–23
The Library and Information Association of South Africa has chosen “Educate Yourself @ your library” as the theme for its South African Library Week celebration, March 16–23. As LIASA explains on its website, “The inclusion of the word ‘yourself’ places a responsibility on the individual to empower themselves.” Librarians in South Africa use the annual event to highlight the role that libraries play in a democratic society....
Library and Information Association of South Africa

ASIS&T changes its name
With nearly 90% of all ballots cast voting in favor of a name change, the American Society for Information Science and Technology has become the Association for Information Science and Technology. While the ASIS&T acronym stays the same, the name change recognizes the growing influence of ASIS&T in the international arena....
Association for Information Science and Technology, Mar. 1

Tennessee’s Love Your Libraries 5K race
Many runners turned up in Knoxville’s Circle Park on March 2 to participate in the 20th annual Love Your Libraries 5K. Sponsored by the University of Tennessee’s Graduate Student Senate, the event has been around for 21 years. The race is held each year to raise money for libraries around campus to purchase new books, equipment, and electronics. The weather was less than ideal, but students and community members came out to show their support anyway....
Tennessee Journalist, Mar. 2

The dog ate my metadata
Jennifer Eustis writes: “Have you heard the story of Legacy Metadata? The moral of the story is that legacy data can cause trouble because it is inconsistent and inaccurate. The reasons are many, but one that comes up often is that people were learning how to create digital collections. Hence, mistakes were made and inconsistent and inaccurate metadata followed. But what is really going on? There are certainly a number of hypotheses. I would like to look at a few possible ones.”...
Celeripedian, Mar. 3

Retired man has digitized 21.8 million newspaper pages
Jim Epstein writes: “Armed only with a few PCs and an inexpensive microfilm scanner, retired engineer Tom Tryniski created in his living room a site that has grown into one of the largest historic newspaper databases in the world. After digitizing a collection of postcards of his hometown, Fulton, New York, Tryniski went on to tackle the entire run of the Oswego Valley News. Fultonhistory.com really got going in 2003, when Tryniski bought for only $3,500 a scanner that handles microfilm.” Watch the video (4:48)....
Reason.com, Mar. 5

Academics discuss cloud computing in New Delhi
R. N. Sharma writes: “Cloud computing is an emerging area in the LIS profession, but India took the lead to host the Second International Conference on Academic Libraries, February 12–15, with the theme ‘Academic Library Services through Cloud Computing: Moving Libraries to the Web.’ The conference was held on the beautiful campus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in New Delhi. Marshall Breeding (above), an authority on cloud computing, was the plenary speaker on the opening day.”...
ACRL Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Section, Mar. 4

Harvard Library Labs releases 20 project overview videos
Gary Price writes: “Here are some very interesting viewing for information-retrieval types (geeks): 20 new videos about different Harvard Library Lab projects and programs, including Library Cloud (3:29, right) and the Awesome Box project. From tracking mobile usage to converting MARC to RDA to social tagging, there is much interesting material here for everyone. Most videos run 2–5 minutes; blurbs were provided by Harvard.”...
Library Journal: InfoDocket, Feb. 28

Cataloging unchained
This video (3:24) was created by OCLC’s Roy Tennant to introduce his talk, “Leveraging WorldCat: Data Mining the Largest Library Database in the World” at the OCLC EMEA Regional Council Meeting on February 26. It was produced by OCLC Research and features Roy Tennant and Lorcan Dempsey explaining the mysteries of WorldCat hardware and software. More background here....
YouTube, Feb. 26; hangingtogether.org, Feb. 27

Go back to the Top