American Libraries articles from August 2009

American Libraries archives from August 2009

Austerity and Opportunity
August 1, 2009... The great irony of this year's ALA Annual Conference in Chicago is that while attendees from across the country were collectively commiserating about the sad state of library budgets, they were simultaneously breaking attendance records. But...

American Libraries Direct.(ala.org)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Free every Wednesday in your e-mail, American Libraries Direct delivers a roundup of library-related news links from around the country and the world, featuring links to AL Online and dozens of newspapers and websites. Stay informed. Let...

The public.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... The Public Link to @ your library on your website and turn on potential users to the treasures that await them in person and online.

joblist.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... JobLIST Your #1 source for careers in library and information science and technology. Job seekers and recruiters sign in at joblist.ala.org.

Advocacy.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... Advocacy Show your devoted patrons how they can take action to support library services in their schools and communities at ilovelibraries.org.

Legislation.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... Legislation Let the ALA Washington Office make a library lobbyist out of you at wo.ala.org/districtdispatch. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

AL focus.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... AL Focus Twelve new videos from Annual, including interviews with Cokie Roberts, Wanda Urbanska, Christie Hefner, and Tracy Kidder. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Meet AASL.(ala.org)
August 1, 2009... Meet AASL Join ALA's American Association of School Librarians in Charlotte, November 5-8, for "Rev Up Learning @ your library." Details at aasl.org.

Books.(ALA STORE)
August 1, 2009... Crisis in Employment: A Librarian's Guide to Helping Job Seekers, by Jane Jerrard, based on interviews with librarians across the country. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

CDs.(ALA STORE)
August 1, 2009... READ CD Box Set with Adobe Photoshop elements, newly optimized with everything you need for producing your own posters, bookmarks, and giveaways. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

connect.ala.org.(BOOKMARK IT!)
August 1, 2009... ALA Connect lets you work with ALA groups, start a new community, or find your friends and add them to your network. Members/nonmembers welcome.

al.ala.org/insidescoop.(BOOKMARK IT!)
August 1, 2009... Inside Scoop delivers news and views from 50 East Huron, plus more than 40 reports from Annual in Chicago.

Advocacy: Part I: Route 66: From Chicago to L.A
August 1, 2009... As your 2009-2010 ALA president, I invite all ALA members to join me on a journey along a symbolic Route 66. The real Route 66 passed through many states, including New Mexico, where my family is from. Since my recent inauguration occurred...

ALA partners in "United We Serve" volunteer effort.(ALA)(American Library Association)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... California libraries posted 843 volunteer opportunities in July on the VolunteerMatch website and received 681 offers to help. * More than 250 local youth participated in Palm Beach County (Fla.) Library System's VolunTeen program June 22,...

ALA president speaks out.(ALA)(American Library Association's Jim Rettig)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... "In today's economic climate, libraries face increasing challenges in carrying out their mission to provide opportunities for lifelong learning," Rettig said. "In an era when demand for library services is increasing but funding for them is...

AL Interview: Stevens to Continue Advocacy Focus
August 1, 2009... Roberta Stevens, outreach projects and partnerships officer at the Library of Congress and project manager for the National Book Festival, was elected ALA vice-president/president-elect this spring (AL, June/July, p. 12). She will take office at...

Reading freely.(ALA)(celebration of Intellectual Freedom)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... "Speak, Read, Know" is this year's theme for Banned Books Week, September 26-October 3. The annual event celebrates the freedom to read and is administered by ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Visit www.ala.org/bbooks. [ILLUSTRATION...

Broad speech ban rejection urged.(ALA)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), an offshoot of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, has joined publishers, booksellers, writers, and other media groups in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a 1999 statute that, if upheld,...

ALA joins in Salinger amicus brief filing.(ALA)(American Library Association wants to reverse the decision on J.D. Salinger's filing of copyright infringement )(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... ALA and its Association of College and Research Libraries joined the Association of Research Libraries, the Organization for Transformative Works, and the Right to Write Fund in filing an amicus curiae brief August 3 asking the U.S. Court of...

The smartest card.(ALA)(Candace Parker as honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Candace Parker, 2008 Women's National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and Olympic gold medalist, is honorary chair of this year's Library Card Sign-up Month. Observed each September since 1987, the observance reminds parents that a...

Salary survey offers mixed results.(ALA)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Data from more than 1,179 public and academic libraries included in the 2009 ALA-Allied Professional Association (APA) Salary Survey: Librarian--Public and Academic shows that the mean salary for librarians with ALA-accredited master's degrees...

Gates renews technology grant.(ALA)(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation )(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is continuing to fund ALA's Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study by providing a $2-million, three-year grant renewal. The study assesses public access to computers, the internet, and...

The Association's Associations: LITA
August 1, 2009... SALT LAKE CITY SITE OF FORUM The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) will host its 12th annual National Forum October 1-4 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The forum will feature more than 30 concurrent sessions, preconferences,...

COA announces new accreditation actions.(ALA)(Committee on Accreditation )(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... ALA's Committee on Accreditation (COA) has announced accreditation actions taken during Annual Conference in Chicago. Continued accreditation status was granted to the following programs: master of arts in library and information science at...

Book Links to become Booklist supplement.(ALA)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Beginning in October, Book Links magazine will be published quarterly as a print supplement to ALA's review journal Booklist. The new supplement is being offered at no additional cost to subscribers. It will also appear in Booklist Online. ...

One Book conference selection named.(ALA)( Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives )(Conference notes)
August 1, 2009... ALA's American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has chosen Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives (Basic Books, 2008) by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser as the One Book, One Conference selection for its 14th...

The Association's Associations: LLAMA
August 1, 2009... A HOME FOR LEADERS The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) serves more than 5,000 members from all types of libraries who value the many opportunities for learning that come from associating with professional peers. In 2009,...

ALA events.(American Library Association)(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2009... Sept. 11-13: Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, www.bcr.org/arsl. Oct. 1-4: Library and Information Technology Association National Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, www.ala.org/lita. Oct. 7-9:...

State Budgets Hammer Public Libraries Nationwide
August 1, 2009... The financial woes that are constricting state budgets coast to coast--and beyond--loom large over local library systems as they fact the threat of devastating reductions in services. While in most cases the cuts, which would include closures...

Got the beat.(U.S. & International)(Hennepin County Library's African Drumbeat and Trickster Tales)(Photograph)
August 1, 2009... Francis Kofi helps young Nico Ostrov try out African drums at the fourth annual community picnic July 15 at Hennepin County (Minn.) Library's Wayzata branch. This year's event, with a theme of "African Drumbeat and Trickster Tales," featured...

Derby days & Dewey Decimals.(U.S. & International)(April Witteveen's passion for library service)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Some librarians spend their off hours with quad roller skates and full-contact action. April Witteveen, left, a teen librarian at Deschutes Public Library in Bend, Oregon, leaves her opponents in the Jet City Roller Girls roller derby league...

NYPL's Ferriero is Obama pick to head National Archives.(U.S. & International)(New York Public Library's David S. Ferriero is Barack Obama's selection for the National Archives and Records Administration)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... President Barack Obama announced July 28 that he had selected David S. Ferriero (right) to serve as archivist of the United States. The archivist heads the National Archives and Records Administration, which oversees the public release of...

Black newspaper archive unveiled.(U.S. & International)(Chicago Defender)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... The Chicago Public Library unveiled an archive May 27 that chronicles the history of the Chicago Defender, one of the nation's most important African-American newspapers. The Abbott-Sengstacke Family Papers encompasses the extensive personal...

Wisconsin Board, Staffers Cope with Would-Be Book Burners
August 1, 2009... In a censorship battle involving book-burning and board dismissals, West Bend (Wis.) Community Memorial Library, located some 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee, has become an unlikely national testing ground for the freedom to read. The recent...

Gift to Virginia Tech Is Boon to Tech Services
August 1, 2009... An avid knitter, Jean Quible was pleased to see the latest issue of Workbasket magazine arrive in her mailbox. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed a frequency change in the publication schedule--a habit she picked up from her time...

Pigskin Poets.(U.S. & International)(University of South Carolina's summer reading featuring college athletes)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... University of South Carolina Gamecocks Lamar Scruggs (left) and Terrence Campbell read to hundreds of children at Richland County Public Library's "Pigskin Poets" Summer Reading Club event July 24. The annual event, now in its 12th year,...

HAPLR Library Rankings Mark 10th Anniversary with Ohio on Top
August 1, 2009... The 10th-anniversary edition of Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR), the annual ranking of over 9,000 libraries nationwide, was published online June 30 at www.haplr-index.com. Compiled by Thomas J. Hennen Jr., director of the...

Lexington Firing Takes Personal Toll
August 1, 2009... When the board of the Lexington (Ky.) Public Library fired Director Kathleen Imhoff July 15, it sent a shiver up the spines of public library directors nationwide. Terminating her contract even though it was set to run until June 2011, the board...

Global Reach
August 1, 2009... SCOTLAND (1) Louise Brown, 91, has read several books a week since 1946 without incurring a fine. She mostly borrows large-print books, but has read almost every book in her local library's collection. The staff of the Stranraer Library in...

A Tribute to E.J. Josey
August 1, 2009... There was no librarian as devoted to the profession as E. J. Josey; nor was anyone more caring of all his friends. We have lost a giant, and I, a beloved compatriot." These words by friend and colleague Dorothy S. Puryear epitomize the many...

Newsmaker: Arne Duncan
August 1, 2009... It's not about being selfish or self-serving; it's about demonstrating the difference that you're making in our students' learning." That's how Arne Duncan advises librarians to advocate for library services in tough economic times. In a June 22...

NYPL Integrates Fiction and Research Catalogs
August 1, 2009... The New York Public Library has rolled out a new catalog and OPAC, integrating its fiction and research collections into one interface. The interface and back-end database, which the library calls the Catalog, is powered by Innovative's Encore...

Montana recognized for GIS.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Montana State Library's geographic information system)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Montana Recognized for GIS The Montana State Library's Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) received a Special Achievement in Geographic Information Systems Award at the ESRI International User Conference in San Diego July 15. NRIS created...

Browser battle.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Firefox 3.5 )(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2009... Browser Battle PC Magazine rated Firefox 3.5 as the top web browser July 16, citing its "willingness to champion emerging web standards and continue to improve speed," as well as its extensions and customizability. The magazine found something...

Fight the spam harvest.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Fight the Spam Harvest Technology Review reported July 15 on how spammers find e-mail addresses. The addresses posted in comments are far more likely to draw spam than those provided to legitimate sites during a registration process. However,...

Old maps on new phones.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Old Maps on New Phones The Centered Librarian (centered librarian.blogspot.com) reported July 31 on the forthcoming Old Map App for the iPhone. The Old Map App layers historical maps on a modern coordinate system to compare maps of the same...

Better search through play.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Page Hunt)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Better Search Through Play Microsoft has released Page Hunt, a free online game intended to gather information on user search habits that can improve search algorithms and rankings. The game displays a web page, and asks players to guess the...

No place like 127.0.0.1.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(nerdy computer skills)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... No Place Like 127.0.0.1 Wired magazine's GeekDad blog published a list of 100 essential geek skills and knowledge nuggets July 10. Among them: recovering data from a dead hard drive, stealing Wi-Fi from neighbors while retaliating against...

Computers for Caring.(TECH NEWS IN BRIEF)(Alachua County Library District's grant for computers purchasing)(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... Caleb Perez uses one of six Classmate PCs at the Newberry Branch of Alachua County (Fla.) Library District Kids Laptop Connection. The library received a $4,000 Community Libraries in Caring grant from the Florida Department of State to purchase...

Gaming, All Grown Up: Library Gaming Programs Offer Transformational Experiences for Youth and Adult Users Alike
August 1, 2009... We may remember 2008 as the year in which gaming became just like any other service in libraries, with librarians implementing gaming initiatives that look very much like those we already offer for books, movies, music, and computers for as...

Diamonds in the Rough: Playing the Numbers Game Shows the Evolution of the Web
August 1, 2009... Rabid "Internet Librarian" fans may remember that for my 50th column (AL, Feb. 2007, p. 27), I Googled the number 50 to see what came up and what Deeper Implications might emerge. This, by my count, is number 75, so I figured, "What the heck." I...

Prioritizing the Patron: Vendors and Librarians Reaffirm Their Shared Goals at ALA Exhibits
August 1, 2009... As a library technologist, I've always tried to achieve harmony between the practicalities of our profession and the application of technology. So when I look at specific solutions, it's always through a critical lens: "Is this something that...

How the World Sees Us
August 1, 2009... "Libraries raised me. I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money.... I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years." Science fiction...

Back to the Future: For the Job Market, Forget the Predictions
August 1, 2009... Let's suppose you're a library school graduate. You take a year to land your first librarian job, only to promptly lose it in a round of layoffs. Of course, you're luckier than many other new graduates, who often settle for part-time work or end...

Public Libraries: Necessities or Amenities?
August 1, 2009... These are hard times for publicly funded libraries. Local governments have less money for all the services they traditionally fund, not just for us. It seems fair, if not desirable, that public libraries take our share of reductions. It's not...

From Gatekeepers to Gate-Openers: Our Future Lies in Designing Meaningful Library User Experiences
August 1, 2009... As gatekeepers we can aspire to only a limited professional role: making information accessible. But in today's crowded information-provider landscape, that role fails to distinguish the many great assets libraries bring to their communities....

The Download Dilemma: The Demise of the Compact Disc Signals an Uncertain Future for Library Sound Recording Collections
August 1, 2009... A little over a year ago, I received an e-mail from Cantaloupe Music announcing the release of a new live recording of Brian Eno's Music for Airports, available solely as a download-only digital file through iTunes and the label's website...

Learning with Blogs: Selected Blogs That Will Enlighten and Inform Every Library Professional
August 1, 2009... Like other professions, librarianship shares its knowledge through journals and books. Blogging is the brash new kid on the block, getting louder all the time and demanding more of our attention. Blogs bring immediately, interactivity, and...

Best of ALA 2009: American Libraries Magazine Presents
August 1, 2009... There is no prouder moment for those who have dedicated their lives to a career in librarianship than being recognized by colleagues and friends for achievement above and beyond the ordinary. From the top award of Honorary Membership to the late...

A Record Crowd in Chicago: This Year's Annual Gathering of Library Professionals Examines Privacy, Intellectual Freedom, and the Economy's Impact on Libraries
August 1, 2009... Nearly 29,000 librarians and library supporters attended the American Library Association's Annual Conference July 9--15, held at the McCormick Place convention center in downtown Chicago. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The total of 28,941--the...

ALA Council: Association Finances, Gay Marriage Rights, Electronic Participation, the Patriot Act, and the Google Book Search Settlement Top Busy Agenda
August 1, 2009... The Association's overall financial health and its effect on member services was a part of much of the governing Council's business at its three sessions held July 12, 14, and 15 during Annual Conference in Chicago. Although membership is...

ALA Executive Board: FY2009 Division, Round Table Endowment Contribution Delayed
August 1, 2009... The ALA Executive Board approved a recommendation from the Finance and Audit (F&A) and Budget Analysis and Review (BARC) committees that will delay the FY2009 and FY2010 division and round table ALA endowment transfers (Executive Board...

Patrick Alexander.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Patrick Alexander has been promoted to director of Penn State University Press in University Park.

Roger Ashley.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Roger Ashley, executive director of the Michigan Association for Media in Education, retired in June.

Kathy Bailey.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Kathy Bailey was promoted to public services assistant director for Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Library May 1.

Katy Baum.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Katy Baum has joined Hollins University's Wyndham Robertson Library in Roanoke, Virginia, as cataloging and periodicals librarian.

Terry Belanger.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Terry Belanger, director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, has announced his retirement.

Erik Blomstedt.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Erik Blomstedt retired as director of Three Rivers Public Library District in Channahon, Illinois, June 30.

Elizabeth Bradt.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Elizabeth Bradt retired as public services assistant director for Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Lubrary April 30.

Stephen Brooks.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * April 6 Stephen Brooks became head of monographic services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Erica Brown.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Erica Brown has been promoted to manager of Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library's Webb Wesconnett branch.

Stefanie Buck.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Oregon State University in Corvallis has appointed Stefanie Buck as instructional design/social sciences librarian.

Brian Doherty.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * July 1 Brian Doherty became director of Jane Bancroft Cook Library at the University of South Florida at Sarasota-Manatee.

Joshua Finnell.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Joshua Finnell has joined Denison University in Granville, Ohio, as humanities liaison librarian.

James H. Fish.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Baltimore Country Public Library director James H. Fish has been appointed chair of the Maryland Advisory Council on Libraries through June 30, 2010.

Kim Forster.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Kim Forster has been promoted to manager of Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library's Argyle Branch.

David Fulton.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * David Fulton has joined Polaris Library Systems as site manager.

Paula Ganyard.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Paula Ganyard has been appointed director of Cofrin Library at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay.

Laura Goldhamer.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Thiells (N.Y.) Elementary School Librarian Laura Goldhamer retired in June.

B. Donald Grose.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * July 1 B. Donald Grose retired as dean of the University of North Texas Libraries in Denton.

Eileen Heeran.(Currents)(promoted to assistant head of technical services )(Brief article)
August 1, 2009... * July 6 Eileen Heeran became assistant head of technical services and head of cataloging for Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Daniel Hickey.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * Daniel Hickey has been appointed business and information sciences librarian at Penn State University in University Park. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Carol G. Hixson.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * In August Carol G. Hixson became dean of Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg.

Karen Horny.(Currents)
August 1, 2009... * June 30 Karen Horny retired as dean of library services at Missouri State University in Springfield.