American Libraries articles from May 2002

American Libraries archives from May 2002

WTO and GATS: The Challenge to Libraries. (President's Message)
May 1, 2002... The World Trade Organization (WTO) was created in 1995 as a result of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations that was launched in 1986 by ministers of member countries of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)....

Keith Fiels Named ALA's 22nd Executive Director. (News Fronts ALA)
May 1, 2002... Keith Fiels, director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in Boston since 1992, will become the American Library Association's 22nd executive director, replacing retiring ED William Gordon. The ALA Executive Board announced April...

Studies Reveal Library Usage Increase. (News Fronts ALA)
May 1, 2002... The results of two ALA-commissioned studies, released April 15 during National Library Week, reveal that Americans are using libraries more than ever, and that 91% of adults believe public libraries will play an important role in the future...

Library/Oprah ties to continue. (News Fronts ALA).(Oprah's Book Club titles)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ALA plans to continue providing its member libraries with books recommended by daytime talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, who indicated April 5 she would no longer be featuring Oprah's Book Club titles on a regular basis. Her highly publicized...

The Association's Associations: ALTA Supports the Library Community. (News Fronts ALA)
May 1, 2002... If the many goals of our profession--equity of funding, unfettered access to information, service to diverse communities, intellectual freedom, and literacy--are to be realized, they must be translated into policy and supported by the community....

Chapter Relations, IRO offices merge. (News Fronts ALA).(International Relations )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ALA Executive Director William Gordon has announced the merger of the Chapter Relations and International Relations offices at the Association's Chicago headquarters effective April 1. IRO Director Michael Dowling will head the new combined...

Rediscover America promo tools available. (News Fronts ALA).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Downloadable artwork, programming ideas, book lists, and sample press materials to help libraries get involved in the "Rediscover America @ your library" initiative are now available on the Campaign for America's Libraries Web site at...

YALSA renames Teen Read site. (News Fronts ALA).(Young Adult Library Services Association's "Teen Reading")(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The YALSA Teen Read Week Web site (www.ala.org/teenread) has been renamed and reorganized for year-round use. The site, now called "Teen Reading," is designed to gather and disseminate information about adolescent literacy, and to provide...

Global Reach database created. (News Fronts ALA).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ALA's IRO has created a Web-searchable database (http://cs.ala.org/global/) designed to track the participation of librarians in the worldwide library community. Global Reach allows individuals to include their own international...

LAMA Seeks Entries for Consultant Directory. (News Fronts ALA)
May 1, 2002... LAMA is seeking entries for the 2002 edition of its Library Consultants Directory, a special insert to be published in the Fall 2002 issue of Library Administration and Management (LA&M) magazine. Listing information and payment must be...

Public Library Community Gathers in Phoenix: PLA's 9th National Conference, March 12-16. (Special Report)
May 1, 2002... The communities they serve and the community they embody brought 7,891 librarians and library supporters to Phoenix March 12-16 for the ninth biennial national conference of the Public Library Association, ALA's second-largest division. "This...

Once and Future Libraries: Virtual and Real. (Grassroots Report)
May 1, 2002... In last month's column, the example of an Ohio library serving as a site for free or reduced-price lunch programs as part of summer reading activities was cited as the kind of thinking that libraries need to engage in to secure their place in...

Judges' Remarks Give Optimism to Opponents in CIPA Trial. (News Fronts Washington)
May 1, 2002... Opponents of the Children's Internet Protection Act expressed optimism at the close of the trial to determine the law's constitutionality. The three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court hearing the case openly voiced its skepticism over the...

How to get new School Library funds under ESEA. (News Fronts Washington).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ALA's Washington Office is offering advice for school media centers that want to obtain the funds to purchase library resources and technology that were included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization signed by...

Steven Garfinkel Receives 2002 Madison Award. (News Fronts Washington)
May 1, 2002... Steven Garfinkel, the leading architect of the current governmentwide security-classification system, received the American Library Association's 13th annual James Madison Award, which recognizes efforts to promote government openness. While...

Americans Want Free Access, Says Gates Foundation Study. (News Fronts USA)
May 1, 2002... The majority of Americans believe free access to computers and the Internet is vital, and they are willing to pay higher taxes to support it in public libraries. These findings are among those revealed in a study of the Bill and Melinda Gates...

Water-Damaged Texas Library Condemned, Closed. (News Fronts USA)
May 1, 2002... The Alvarado (Tex.) Public Library was condemned and the electricity and gas shut off March 19 after the city fire marshal declared the building unsafe. Although library staff knew the building--a former grocery store constructed before...

Wisconsin Eyes Repeal of Ban on Library Fees. (News Fronts USA)
May 1, 2002... The two houses of the Wisconsin legislature were at odds in early April over whether to repeal a 130-year-old statute guaranteeing no-fee public-library services for service-area patrons. The Assembly passed March 15 a budget-adjustment bill...

Books haunt devout teachers. (Censorship Watch).(teachers group to remove books from the Russell County High School library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A teachers' prayer group has proposed that dozens of titles be considered for removal from the Russell County High School library in Russell Springs, Kentucky. A letter from a group member listed more than 50 books-including J. K....

World-Record challenge. (Censorship Watch).
May 1, 2002... A materials-review committee in Waukesha, Wisconsin, decided March 21 that the Guinness World Records 2001 should remain on the elementary-school shelves of the School District of Waukesha, despite a teacher's request that all copies be...

Captain Underpants yanked again. (Censorship Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The objections of a parent in Page, North Dakota, has led to the removal of Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants from the library shelves of the Page elementary school. "I didn't care for the language....

Opt-out clause given pause. (Censorship Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The library board of the Marion County (Fla.) Public Library System approved March 26 a three-tier system of borrowing privileges--in effect rescinding an optional restricted-access policy for minors it had delayed implementing within six...

Judge reinstates ousted trustee. (Updates).(Ruth Newell)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A Will County circuit judge ruled March 21 that the Fountaindale Public Library District board in Bolingbrook, Illinois, did not have the authority to remove its president and 14-year member Ruth Newell, an action it took September 20 for her...

Budget plan saves State Library. (Updates).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A measure passed by the Washington state legislature March 14 saved the Washington State Library by recreating it as a separate department within the secretary of state's office. Gov. Gary Locke had proposed closing the library as part of his...

Wheeler leaves DPL for Texas. (Updates).(Detroit Public Library)(North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Detroit Public Library Commission accepted the resignation of Library Director Maurice Wheeler at its monthly meeting March 19 and announced the appointment of Nancy Skowronski as interim director. Skowronski has been serving as acting...

High demand for web at SFPL. (Quick Takes).(San Francisco Public Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... With a DSL connection at home costing around $50 a month, many laid-off dot-commers are turning to the local public library for free Internet access. According to a February 18 article in Business Week's e.Biz supplement, demand has gotten to...

Prankster spells it out for you. (Quick Takes).(Washington University library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Someone left a personal statement in the stacks of the Central Washington University library in Ellensburg, one not appreciated by the staff or the police. According to the March 7 Ellensburg Daily Record, a large number of education books...

Keep bedtime reading handy. (Quick Takes).(Library Bed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Most nocturnal readers have a bedside table for their books. The Hammacher Schlemmer catalog now offers a way to keep a small library within arm's reach. Its Library Bed sports a reading lamp at the top of each of four bedposts, each with...

Santa Fe PL reopens after cleanup. (Update).(toxic mold discovered)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Santa Fe (N.Mex.) Public Library, which was closed last August after toxic mold was discovered in the facility (AL, Oct. 2001, p. 25-26), reopened April 1 after a $1.2-million renovation that included a thorough cleaning and painting, a...

Hennepin catalog goes LCSH. (Update).(Minnesota's Hennepin County Library)(Library of Congress Subject Headings)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Hennepin County Library in Minnetonka, Minnesota, announced March 5 that it was replacing its current catalog database with records that conform to standard Library of Congress subject headings. The decision has caused consternation among...

Indiana circ clerk admits theft. (Update).(circulation clerk)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A former part-time circulation clerk of the St. Joseph County (Ind.) Public Library pleaded guilty March 5 to the felony theft of 2,768 books, videotapes, CDs, and videodiscs from the library between April 1998 and August 2001. Carol Jaworski...

Ex-librarian guilty of murder. (Update).(Broward County, Florida)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A former supervisor at the Broward County (Fla.) Library was found guilty April 10 of the bludgeoning and stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend in his Fort Lauderdale apartment in July 1997 (AL, Dec. 1997, p. 20-21). The jury will meet again in...

Berkeley PL reopens. (Briefs).(California public library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... After a one-and-a-half-year delay, the renovated Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library reopened April 6, drawing more than 7,000 visitors. Understaffing and the complexity of the project--which included restoration of existing areas as well as...

Report: there's faith in filters. (Briefs).(University of Oregon research report 'Filtering Software: The Religious Connection')(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... According to a University of Oregon research report titled "Filtering Software: The Religious Connection," eight filter-makers whose products are being used in public schools are basing their stop-list decisions on conservative Christian...

LC rescues 50,000 books. (Briefs).(Library of Congress takes possession of Russian-language books from evicted bookstore in Maryland)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Library of Congress has taken possession of some 50,000 Russian-language books in the inventory of an evicted warehouse-based bookstore in Rockville, Maryland. LC's intervention ensures that the items are no longer bound for pulping or...

Fire destroys Sikh library. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The 15,000-to-20,000-book library at the Sikh Cultural Society temple in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York City, was virtually destroyed in an early-morning fire March 8 that killed one of six visiting priests from India, and injured the others...

Philly flood closes Law Library. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A burst valve on an air-conditioning unit sent a cascade of water into the law library, city council chambers, and the mayor's reception room in Philadelphia's historic City Hall, the largest municipal building in the United States, during...

Woman abducted from library. (Briefs).(St. Joseph County Public Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A 23-year-old Indiana University/South Bend student was abducted as she left the St. Joseph County Public Library's downtown library shortly after 8 p.m. March 6. A witness reported a struggle near a vehicle outside the library to a security...

No-shoes lawsuit kicked out. (Briefs).(Robert Neinast vs Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A software programmer who sued the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library for requiring him to wear shoes lost his case in federal court March 27. U.S. District Court Judge Algernon L. Marbley told plaintiff Robert Neinast that the library was...

Canadian Library Assn. Fires Executive Director Whitmell. (News Fronts International)
May 1, 2002... In a surprise move, the Canadian Library Association's executive council dismissed CLA Executive Director Vicki Whitmell, effective March 20. "They terminated my contract without an explanation," Whitmell told American Libraries, adding that she...

Aussie Librarians Win Landmark Case. (News Fronts International)
May 1, 2002... Librarians, library technicians, and archivists in the Australian state of New South Wales will receive pay increases of up to 26%, thanks to a March 28 ruling by the N.S.W. Industrial Relations Commission. The commission found that the work of...

Alexandria opening delayed. (News Fronts International).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak postponed indefinitely the planned April 23 inauguration ceremony of the showcase Biblioteca Alexandrina, saying that such celebrations are inappropriate in the wake of Israeli-Palestinian violence, the...

French Library snaps up photo. (News Fronts International).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The world's first-known photograph was auctioned March 21 at Sotheby's in Paris after being stored in a private home for the last 50 years. Joseph Nicephore Niepce's faded photograph of a 17th-century Dutch pen-and-ink drawing of a boy and a...

More Canada water damage. (News Fronts International).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Sprinklers went off in a sub-basement of the National Library of Canada in Ottawa early in the morning of March 6, causing extensive damage to valuable materials on that level and the one below it. The sprinkler system was activated by the...

Pilfered-Books Case Dismissed. (News Fronts International)
May 1, 2002... An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled February 21 that the grandson of a Canadian publisher had failed to prove that some 4,500 books in the possession of the Memorial University of Newfoundland library in St. John's rightfully belonged to his...

Monkeys attack College Library. (News Fronts International).(Darjeeling, India)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Scores of langur monkeys overran a women's college in Darjeeling, India, in early April, destroying thousands of books, stalling classes, and harassing students, according to the April 3 Calcutta Statesman. The monkeys tore to shreds about...

Scotland. (Global Reach).(plans to renovate Mitchell Library in Glasgow)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... An ambitious plan to renovate Glasgow's 125-year-old Mitchell Library and turn it into an international cultural center is under consideration by the city council. According to the April 12 Glasgow Herald, the five-year plan includes a new...

European Union. (Global Reach).(opposes use of Internet filtering software)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The European Parliament voted 460-0 April 11 to oppose the use of filtering software by Internet service providers to regulate Web content. ISPs were encouraged to continue with self-regulation, according to the europemedia.net online news...

South Africa. (Global Reach).(financial problems at public libraries)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Public libraries have been losing a battle for public support since 1994 when a new law made them solely the responsibility of provincial governments and absolved local authorities from any financial obligation over them. Johan Swiegelaar,...

Hungary. (Global Reach).(Esperanto collection at Budapest Public Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Budapest Library opened a new collection of more than 40,000 Esperanto documents to the public April 11. "This is the fourth-largest collection of Esperanto works in the world, and we are proud to give it a home," National Library of...

Indonesia. (Global Reach).(island of Java seeking plundered ancient books)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The royal family of Yogyakarta Palace on the island of Java has called for the return of thousands of the palace's ancient books that were looted from its library by Dutch and British soldiers during the colonial era, especially during the...

Georgia. (Global Reach).(rare books destroyed in fire at Ketskhoveli Institute of Botany)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Hundreds of rare books were destroyed in a fire March 21 at the library of the Ketskhoveli Institute of Botany in Tbilisi after 150 Abkhaz refugees occupied the building to protest Georgia's portrayal of Abkhazia as a haven for terrorists,...

Japan. (Global Reach).(small towns lack public libraries)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Japan Library Association reports that nearly 50% of the country's small towns have yet to establish public libraries. In addition, about 20% of all public libraries are not staffed with professional librarians, and the average annual...

New Zealand. (Global Reach).(National Library Bill concerning digital publishing)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Parliament is debating a bill that would require publishers of electronic materials--including CD-ROMs and Web sites--to provide digital depository copies to the National Library in Wellington. The National Library Bill aims to extend the...

Thus Said. (Opinion)
May 1, 2002... "[Librarians] don't mind doing a little community policing, but they do mind that the government has decided to get involved." National Public Radio's Larry Abramson, Morning Edition, March 25, the day the American Library Association and other...

How Many Times Can They Say "Children and Pornography"? (Editorial)
May 1, 2002... Leonard Kniffel As the challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act was unfolding in court last month (see p. 18-19), news reports about the case were fast and plentiful. Many followed a particular pattern: They started out by using...

Are We Sabotaging Ourselves with Our "Professional" Image? (on My Mind)
May 1, 2002... Not too long ago a friend of mine revealed to me his librarian fantasy. You know, the one with the dowdy-looking woman, hair pinned up, glasses on a chain, long plaid skirt, cardigan sweater, and cotton blouse with Peter Pan collar. A portrait...

Reference around the Clock: Is It in Your Future? the Availability of 24/7 Reference Is Less Crucial Than the Capability to Offer It. (Reference)
May 1, 2002... The Internet is invigorating reference and information services as no other development in this generation. Librarians now have the opportunity, using real-time virtual reference systems software, to demonstrate their professional expertise in...

Outstanding Reference Sources 2002: The Annual Recommendations of Distinguished Reference Works Selected by Reference Librarians from Public and Academic Libraries. (Reference)
May 1, 2002... A mid the hubbub and excitement in New Orleans as the city geared up to host the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras festivities, a group of 11 librarians convened in a conference room during ALA's Midwinter Meeting to complete the annual task of...

On-the-Fly Reference: The Art of Answering Burning Questions in the Nevada Desert. (Reference)
May 1, 2002... As librarians, we can see them coming a mile away. People with questions. They see something in our eyes and know we have the answer, or know where to find it. We're mistaken for clerks in stores, hosts at parties, and librarians in other...

Presidential Libraries: Presidential, Yes; Libraries, Not Really; These Monuments Serve More as Museums and Archival Repositories. (Special Collections)
May 1, 2002... Presidential libraries often make newspaper headlines, especially when sites for new libraries are under consideration or when new libraries are dedicated. The libraries are often the targets of media exposes. For decades, columnists for such...

ALA annual conference Atlanta June 13-19, 2002: programs & author events presented by the public programs office.(American Library Association)(Brief Article)(Directory)
May 1, 2002... www.ala.org/publicgrograms/events Register Now Creating Community Dialogue: Cultural Programs for Adults Preconference-Friday, June 14, 9:00 am-4:00 pm Learn now to build and improve your library's cultural programs at this...

The Care and Feeding of Speakers and the Spoken-To: Danelle Hall and Janet Swan Hill Reflect on the Life Lessons They've Learned from Opposite Sides of the Podium. (Staff Development)
May 1, 2002... The following articles, which were written independently of each other, offer practical tips on what makes for meaningful conference programming--and, by extension, a successful conference experience for speakers and listeners alike. A View...

The War on Terror: Darkest Days; from Exile in Paris, Afghan Librarian Latif Pedram Relives the Nightmare. (International)
May 1, 2002... On August 12, 1998, Afghan library director Latif Pedram lived what he refers to as "the darkest day of my life," a librarian's worst nightmare. Pedram was powerless to stop groups of soldiers from setting fire to and destroying the library in...

Letters from Home: Love and Friendship in Times of War; with Books and Moral Support, a Children's Librarian Helped Young Japanese Americans Endure Internment during World War II. (Library History)
May 1, 2002... Librarians celebrate the power of the written word and its ability to change lives. Whether rallying against censorship or finding the perfect book for a reluctant or burgeoning reader, library professionals have a rich history of helping people...

Surveys Show Periodical, Serials Prices Remaining Steady: 2002 Numbers Reveal Cost Increases Largely Unchanged from Previous Years. (Price Indexes)
May 1, 2002... Serials and periodical prices are continuing the steady price increase trend begun in the 1990s, according to two annual surveys. The surveys, the 2002 U.S. Periodical Price Index, prepared by Barbara Albee of Divine/Faxon Library Services...

Roula Anninos-Creighton. (Currents).(at Syracuse University Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Roula Anninos-Creighton has been named staff development specialist at Syracuse (N.Y.) University Library.

Steve Austin. (Currents).(named at Boulder Public Library, CO)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Steve Austin is the new branch services manager for the Boulder (Colo.) Public Library.

University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa libraries. (Currents).(Martha Ann Bace and Cheryl Ballard named)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... At the University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa libraries, Martha Ann Bace is now catalog librarian and Cheryl Ballard is Web services coordinator.

Barbara Bailey Bauer. (Currents).(named director of Easton Area Public Library, PA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... March 1 Barbara Bailey Bauer began as director of the Easton (Pa.) Area Public Library. She had been the library district's consultant since 1993.

Richard Jean Bazile. (Currents).(of Chicago State University)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... At Chicago State University, Richard Jean Bazile was recently named director of library information systems and technical systems.

Chris Beckett. (Currents).(appointed at Ingenta, UK)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Chris Beckett has been appointed Ingenta's vice president of library services in the United Kingdom.

Jennifer Bliss. (Currents).(of Southeastern Library Network)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Jennifer Bliss is now project manager of Solinet's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Project.

Barbe Bonjour. (Currents).(Pasco County Library System, Florida)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Barbe Bonjour, head of the Pasco County (Fla.) Library System since 1995, has announced she will retire May 31.

Pamela G. Bonnell. (Currents).(Elyria Public Library, Ohio)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... March 1 Pamela G. Bonnell began as director of the Elyria (Ohio) Public Library.

Kristin Carlson. (Currents).(Dover Public Library, Delaware)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kristin Carlson is now head of adult services at the Dover (Del.) Public Library.

David Carter. (Currents).(University of Michigan/Ann Arbor Media Union Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... At the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor, David Carter has joined the Media Union Library as engineering librarian and Beau Case has begun as field librarian for classical studies at the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library.

Thom Cummins. (Currents).(appointed Washoe County Library, Nevada)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... At the Washoe County (Nev.) Library's downtown library in Reno, Thom Cummins is the new manager.

Kathleen Degnan. (Currents).(appointed, Chicago State University library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kathleen Degnan was recently appointed assistant to the director of public services at Chicago State University's library.

Kathleen Dort. (Currents).(appointed Clearwater, Florida Public Library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kathleen Dort has been named manager of the Clearwater (Fla.) Public Library System's main library.

Judith A. Downie. (Currents).(appointed, California State University library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Judith A. Downie has begun duties as humanities librarian for California State University/San Marcos.

Cheryl Ewing. (Currents).(appointed Ohio University health sciences library)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The new director of Ohio University's health sciences library in Athens is Cheryl Ewing, who had previously been assistant health sciences librarian.

Public Library. (Currents).(appoints Concepcion Farrel, Charlotte, North Carolina)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Concepcion Farrell recently began as the Spanish-language program coordinator at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina.

Werner Gundersheimer. (Currents).(retires, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D. C.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Werner Gundersheimer will retire at the end of June after 18 years as director of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.