American Libraries articles from January 2011

American Libraries archives from January 2011

An Exit Interview
January 1, 2011... What better way to make sure you're asked the right questions in your exit interview than to conduct it yourself? So after 22 years on the American Libraries staff, 15 of them at the helm, here comes mine: Why are you leaving AL? I'm...

New! Get AL on your smartphone.(american libraries magazine.org)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... New! Get AL on Your Smartphone * American Libraries magazine now has a theme enhanced for mobile viewing, offering easy access to the newest and most popular articles on your smartphone. Read, comment, and share anywhere, anytime! Find us at...

2011's 11 crucial trends.(PERPETUAL beta)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... 2011's 11 Crucial Trends While media outlets are looking back on the big news from the previous 12 months, trendsters are predicting what'll be big in the year to come. Perpetual Beta takes 11 consumer trends and evaluates several of them for...

American Libraries Direct.(americanlibrariesmagazine.org)
January 1, 2011... American Libraries Direct Every Wednesday in your e-mail, AL Direct delivers the top stories of the week. Sign up free.

Find us on facebook.(americanlibrariesmagazine.org)
January 1, 2011... * Find us on Facebook Now you can "like" our Facebook page and get online content delivered to your Facebook wall daily.

The Privatization Debate: Turning a Negative into a Positive
January 1, 2011... Over the past few months, I have been contacted by a variety of media. Quite a few of my interviews with them were about the privatization of libraries. Interest in this subject was initiated by LSSI, a private-sector firm with contracts in...

A Remarkable Ending: Executive Board Looks Ahead as a Tough Year Ends
January 1, 2011... Given the tough economy and the fiscal crisis that has affected libraries of ail types, it was no surprise that the American Library Association found itself facing a $2-million revenue shortfall this past year--about 10%. Thanks to a lot of...

Hooray!!Back in.(Comic)(Cartoon)
January 1, 2011... HOORAY!!BACK IN "BEDFORD FALLS"! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] POTTERS JILLE WHAT LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GEORGE BAILEY IF LIBRARIES HAD NEVER EXISTED

Idaho Commission launches "online @ your library".(ALA)(Idaho Commission for Libraries)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... The Idaho Commission for Libraries (IGFL) has launched the "online @ your library" program, using ALA's Campaign for America's Libraries' @ your library brand in an effort to provide free broadband access to internet-based resources in public...

COA announces accreditation action.(ALA)(Committee on Accreditation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... ALA's Committee on Accreditation (COA) has announced accreditation action taken during its 2010 fall meeting in Chicago. Conditional accreditation status was granted to the master of library and information science program offered by Valdosta...

ALA joins Combined Federal Campaign.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... ALA has joined the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) as a member charity of the Independent Charities of America and Educate America: The Education, School Support, and Scholarship Funds Coalition. This new opportunity is designed to enable ALA...

Trustee Academy courses available.(ALA)(Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Found)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... ALA's Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) has developed the Trustee Academy, a complete series of five webcasts to help trustees become excellent governors or advisors to their libraries. Taught by...

John Grisham named NLW honorary chair.(ALA)(National Library Week)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... John Grisham, widely recognized as one of the world's preeminent storytellers with more than 250 million books in print worldwide, will serve as honorary chair for National Library Week (NLW), April 10-16. In this role, Grisham appears in a...

Publishing welcomes alaeditions.org.(ALA)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... ALA Editions, the Association's publishing imprint, has launched a new website, alaeditions.org. The site offers an updated public face for ALA Editions and gives visitors a place to find out about ALA Editions products, authors, and news;...

AASL toolkit aids learning guidelines.(ALA)(American Association of School Librarians)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... A new resource, "Building Level Toolkit: Implementing AASL's Learning Standards and Program Guidelines in Your School Library," from ALA's American Association of School Librarians (AASL), is designed to help building-level school librarians...

Step high for reading.(ALA)(Westlake High Black Watch Drumline's Books with Beat)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... The Westlake (La.) High Black Watch Drumline, under the direction of Jay Ecker, kicked off the school's "Books with Beat" Teen Read Week (TRW) celebration. Other activities included poetry readings and writing activities during English Language...

Calendar.(ALA)(Brief article)(Calendar)
January 1, 2011... ALA EVENTS Mar. 6-12: Teen Tech Week, ala.org/teentechweek. Mar. 30-Apr. 2: Association of College and Research Libraries National Conference, ala.org/acrl. Apr. 2-9: Money Smart Week, ala.org. Apr. 10-16: National Library Week,...

Dawson, Gossage Step Up for libraries.(ALA)(Richard Gossage and Andre Dawson)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... Hall of Fame relief pitcher Richard "Goose" Gossage was on hand to catch the ceremonial first pitch at the recent World Series Gala in Cooperstown, New York. The pitcher was 13-year-old Josh Smith, the grand prize winner of this year's ALA "Step...

Arbuthnot Lecture slated for Missouri.(ALA)(St. Louis County Library)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... The St. Louis County (Mo.) Library will host this year's May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture, which will be delivered by Lois Lowry, two-time winner of the Newbery Medal. The lecture, administered by ALA's Association for Library Service to Children,...

The Year in Review
January 1, 2011... 1 SUPPLY AND DEMAND Amid ongoing closure threats that dogged the profession through year's end, library boosters still managed to keep the vast majority of library doors open to accommodate millions of visitors seeking job-search assistance,...

Get Ahead of Outsourcing
January 1, 2011... How will politicians and library leaders respond to the challenges of shrinking budgets, increased community expectations, and ever more aggressive competition? One approach is to replace current library management teams with private...

Interactive Word Wall play.(Perspectives)(Parmly Billings Library)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... Children explore the Word Wall in Parmly Billings (Mont.) Library's children's services area, touted as the first interactive media wall of its type to be installed in a library setting. A gift from the estate of former children's librarian...

San Francisco eats.(Perspectives)(San Francisco Public Library)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... A photograph of a man painting a sign on the front of the Palace Lunch restaurant in 1932 is part of the "San Francisco Eats" exhibition on view through March 20 at San Francisco Public Library's main branch. The exhibit highlights the major...

ULC Report: Libraries Are Sustainability Partners
January 1, 2011... Libraries are and will remain critical partners in ensuring sustainable local development, according to a new research report by the Urban Libraries Council. The purpose of Partners for the Future: Public Libraries and Local Governments...

Back in the day.(Perspectives)(Rollins College, Then and Now)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... A mannequin that depicts a student enrolled in 1880 at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, is part of an exhibit, "Rollins College, Then and Now," celebrating students and the university's 125th anniversary. Five mannequins dressed as...

U. S. Poet Laureate W. S. Merwin Talks with Librarians about Reading
January 1, 2011... Before assuming his post as U.S. Poet Laureate on October 25, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner W. S. Merwin met with a select group of librarians at New York City's Poets House for an afternoon of reading and conversation. A nonprofit...

Californians Model How to Be Standards-Bearers for School Libraries
January 1, 2011... A call went out on the discussion list of the California School Librarians Association (CSLA) last November urging them to invite their school board members to attend a December 3 program at the California School Boards Association annual...

Global Reach
January 1, 2011... PANAMA 1 The village of El Cedro dedicated its first community library October 20. Named after American volunteer Maggie Murray, La Biblioteca Publica Margarita Murray was organized over four months by librarian and Peace Corps volunteer...

I Love My Librarian Award Winners Recognized in New York
January 1, 2011... Ten of America's favorite librarians were honored as winners of the 2010 I Love My Librarian Award at a ceremony in New York City December 9. The award recognizes quality service and dedication by library professionals across the country....

Federal Ban of WikiLeaks Website Embroils Library of Congress
January 1, 2011... The Library of Congress confirmed December 3 that it had blocked access from all LC computers to the WikiLeaks website in order to prevent unauthorized downloading of classified records. The action raised red flags in libraries all over the...

Children's laureates speak.(Perspectives)(Michael Rosen and Katherine Paterson)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... Katherine Paterson, U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and Michael Rosen, the 2007-08 United Kingdom Children's Laureate, shared stories of their journeys before a crowd of educators November 11 during "The Carle's Free...

Newsmakers: Leonel Fernandez and Margarita Cedeno De Fernandez
January 1, 2011... In what looks very much like the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez recently visited American Library Association Headquarters in Chicago, accompanied by First Lady Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez,...

I live with the tensions between the world.(Public Perception)(Joan Bakewell)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "I live with the tensions between the world out there I want to see and even contemplate, and the inner world to which the book gives me access. It is the inner rewards of reading a book in a private and concentrated way that lead you into...

If we mandated that every school.(Public Perception)(Jerry Jordan)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "If we mandated that every school provided children with fully stocked, technology-rich libraries, there wouldn't be as many inmates in need of prison libraries." Philadephia (Pa.) teachers' union President JERRY JORDAN, declaring at the...

With her makeover and glasses.(Public Perception)(Tina Fey)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "With her makeover and glasses, she also had the right look--one that said 'hot librarian,' perfect for a fake authority figure," wrote Washington Post staff writer Paul Fahri November 9 in "From Second City to 30 Rock, Tina Fey Rocketed to...

I believe in simplicity.(Public Perception)(James Carville)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "I believe in simplicity. One of my favorite expressions is, 'It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.' Every time that a library closes, we blow a candle out.... You need to make the case in a rather dramatic way--that this...

To say communities need libraries.(Public Perception)(Tony Horne)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "To say communities need libraries more than ever is archaic because, whether you like it or not, communities are becoming virtual." Columnist and British radio D.J. TONY HORNE, decrying the advocacy arguments made for retaining public...

If you're interesting enough to find your refuge in the library.(Public Perception)(Glenn Slater)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "If you're interesting enough to find your refuge in the library, you're usually pretty interesting to talk to." Tangled lyricist GLENN SLATER, on his preferring to work on his music in the New York Public Library's Library for the Performing...

We have no business tinkering.(Public Perception)(defunding of Sheboygan Public Library's Mead branch)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "We have no business tinkering with our most cherished possession, where riches increase by their very consumption, our public library." GERALYN LEANNAH, doubting that budget-makers "even considered" an alternative to defunding the Sheboygan...

The librarian is not simply a checkout.(Public Perception)(Quotation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "The librarian is not simply a checkout clerk whose simple task could be done by anyone and need not be paid for." Author PHILIP PULLMAN, on the massive budget cuts looming over British public libraries, "Library Cuts and Job Losses Condemned...

Last week, the [New York] board of regents.(Public Perception)(Marc Bernstein)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "Last week, the [New York] Board of Regents reduced the number of times speech services must be provided to special education students. That's a minor first step toward mandate relief. Other avenues to explore, especially when evidence is...

"A library needs a librarian.".(Public Perception)(Gabriel Dennis)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... P.S. 9 first-grader GABRIEL DENNIS, on his New York City school's unstaffed new library, "Prospect Heights Schools' Library Opens With No Librarian," New York Times, Nov. 16.

The library: so big it doesn't need a name.(Public Perception)(David Tennant)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... "The library: So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big The.'" DAVID TENNANT as sci-fi BBC-TV legend The Doctor in "Silence in the Library," Dr. Who, first aired in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2008.

Why Must a Card Be a Card? with Little Risk and a Small Investment, Patrons Can Turn Mobile Phones into Virtual Library Cards
January 1, 2011... The library world, in general, has done a poor job of keeping up with new technologies over the past decade, and that has hurt us in many ways. Many libraries and librarians are working hard to catch up, but the broader library culture is still...

Web-Scale Discovery: Rapidly Evolving Tools More Important Than Ever
January 1, 2011... Connecting users with the information they seek is one of the central pillars of our profession. Web-scale discovery services for libraries are those services capable of searching quickly and seamlessly across a vast range of local and remote...

No Relax: Sophisticated Search Operator Is a Metaphor of Modern Life
January 1, 2011... I had a splendid time at the Internet Librarian conference last fall (and not just because I made it into a birthday-celebration weekend in Monterey, though that and the yummy meals didn't hurt matters any). It's a crisply conducted conference...

Keeping Up, 2.0 Style: Current Awareness through RSS
January 1, 2011... When I first received my library degree, I religiously kept up with blogs and journals in my areas of professional interest. I'd read blogs through an RSS reader--in my case, Google Reader--and I'd try to remember to read the journals I was most...

Info Pro: Adopting Tools from the World of Business Consulting: A Successful ServiceScape Encourages Consumer-Staff Interaction and Makes Everyone's Tasks Easier
January 1, 2011... As professionals serving increasingly business-savvy consumers, librarians must realize that we are, in fact, consultants. As such, we need to adopt some of the tools and thinking of business consultants to better communicate our value to...

Booking to the Future: Paper or Electronic? Futurists Have Been Pushing One Option for Years-But Do We Have to Choose?
January 1, 2011... It's no secret that librarians like books. For decades, those pages sandwiched between rectangles of cardboard have been the primary reason librarians sought and secured employment. As methods of communication and information sharing evolve,...

When Small Is All: The Successful Small Public Library Director Wears Many Hats Smartly
January 1, 2011... In 2007, the 9,214 public libraries in the United States served 97% of the total population, a figure that has remained steady for more than a decade. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But while large public libraries may serve the majority of...

When There Is No Frigate but a Book
January 1, 2011... I am writing this letter to tell you that I am personally very, very satisfied with your services at the Adult Corrections Facility. I am also grateful that I could get books ordered for me to help me take my medical board certification even...

Ted Danson, Neil Gaiman Headline Midwinter: Youth Media Awards, Celebrity Authors, and What to Expect from the New U. S. Congress Highlight San Diego Conference
January 1, 2011... Business meetings, celebrity authors--including Ted Danson, Kathy Reichs, Andre Dubus III, and Neil Gaiman--visits with vendors, and an abundance of discussion opportunities will highlight the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in...

Where to Eat at Midwinter: Sample the Local Cuisine at These San Diego Restaurants
January 1, 2011... Everyone needs to eat, and San Diego offers plenty of terrific options. Highlighted here are mostly restaurants in and near the Gaslamp Quarter, convenient to the San Diego Convention Center and most ALA hotels, with a few farther-flung...

Is ALA Ripe for Rebellion? ALA Connect Is the Library World's Communication Tool
January 1, 2011... During my 34 years as a member of ALA I have heard others--some members, some former members, some never a member-complain about the Association and its value. Complaints I have heard again and again include: * It costs too much. * It...

Rosemary Huff Arneson.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In January Rosemary Huff Arneson became librarian at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Tammy Baggett.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * November 29 Tammy Baggett was appointed director of Durham County (N.C.) Library. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Hulen Bivins.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * December 6 Hulen Bivins became North Dakota State Librarian.

Carol Blaney.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In October Carol Blaney retired as librarian of the Louise A. Conley School in Whitman, Massachusetts.

Peter H. Brandt.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Peter H. Brandt was recently appointed information technology division head for the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Library System.

Jim Brown.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In January Jim Brown became director of the St. Charles City-County (Mo.) Library District.

Adele Carter.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In November Adele Carter retired as director of Flint Public Library in Middleton, Massachusetts.

Scott Curtis.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Scott Curtis was recently appointed research and instruction librarian for science and engineering at the University of Missouri--Kansas City.

Donna Dziedzic.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In June Donna Dziedzic will retire as executive director of Naperville (111.) Public Library.

Jane Fisher.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Jane Fisher retired as director of Rutherford (N.J.) Public Library October 14.

Donna Gartenmann.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Donna Gartenmann retired as interim library director of Boulder (Colo.) Public Library in November.

Karen George.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * September 7 Karen George was appointed director of Atlantic County (N.J.) Library System.

Don Gourley.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Don Gourley became associate director for the information systems division at the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland, September 27.

Suzan Harris.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Suzan Harris will retire as librarian of Thomson-McDuffie County (Ga.) Library in March.

Connie Harrison.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In February Connie Harrison will retire as director of Ida Public Library in Belvidere, Illinois.

Greg Heid.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In January Greg Heid became director of the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Library.

Gair S. Helfrich.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Gair S. Helfrich was appointed chief librarian for library services at Atlantic County (N.J.) Library System.

Sue Hoadley.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * September 13 Sue Hoadley became director of the Westerlo (N.Y.) Public Library.

Bethany Hoglund.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In October Bethany Hoglund became head of children's services at Bellingham (Wash.) Public Library.

Rosanne Hoss.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Rosanne Hoss retired as assistant library director at Le Mars (Iowa) Public Library in September.

Sarah Ann Long.(Currents)(Dominican University)(Brief article)
January 1, 2011... * In October Sarah Ann Long was appointed coordinator of professional development and adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

Rice Majors.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Rice Majors will become assistant professor and faculty director for University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries Information Technology Department March 1.

Anthony W. Marx.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In July Anthony W. Marx will become president and CEO of New York Public Library.

Alice Meister.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In December Alice Meister retired as director of Bozeman (Mont.) Public Library.

Mary B. O'Neil.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * September 16 Mary B. O'Neil became associate director of employee relations and development at Jefferson County (Colo.) Public Library. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Patricia Presti.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Patricia Presti was recently appointed head, learning and curriculum support, at the University of Guelph (Ontario) Library.

Lynn Reed.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Lynn Reed retired as assistant library director at Boulder (Colo.) Public Library in November.

Richard J. Ring.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * Richard J. Ring recently joined the Watkinson Library at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, as head curator and librarian. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Alexandra Rivera.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * In January Alexandra Rivera became student engagement and community outreach librarian at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

William J. Rodgers.(Currents)
January 1, 2011... * September 13 William J. Rodgers became resources division manager and Sarah W. Rosenblum became library strategies division manager at Hennepin County (Minn.) Library. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]