American Libraries articles from May 2006

American Libraries archives from May 2006

Read Any Good Books Lately?
May 1, 2006... As an employer, ALA believes in staff development, each year allotting 1.5% to 2% of the staffing budget for ongoing training and learning. This year's CE goal for American Libraries editors, however, is an uncharacteristically cheap and simple...

More on Library Education
May 1, 2006... I chose to make the education of librarians one of the major topics of my term as American Library Association president because of my concern that some ALA-accredited LIS programs do not provide the kind of library-centered education that...

Report documents expanding role of libraries.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Libraries just aren't what they used to be. They're more--and better, according to the first State of America's Libraries report, released by ALA April 4, which details the positive impact libraries and librarians have on their users and the...

ALA opposes EPA library cuts.(American Library Association)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... ALA has joined the American Association of Law Libraries, the Special Libraries Association, and the Association of Research Libraries in opposing the proposed $2.5-million cut in the FY 2007 budget of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...

Candidates sought for 2007 election.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The 2007 ALA Nominating Committee is soliciting candidates for the offices of ALA president, treasurer, and councilor-at-large. The committee will select two candidates each to run for president and treasurer, and no fewer than 50...

Honorary member nominations open.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Nominations are being accepted for ALA honorary membership, the Association's highest honor, which is bestowed on living citizens of any country whose contributions to librarianship or a closely related field are so outstanding that they are...

"Be Well Informed" final report issued.(American Library Association)
May 1, 2006... The "Be Well Informed @ your library" Advisory Committee, chaired by Carla Hayden, director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, has issued its final report, available online at...

"Gathering at the Waters" conference.(American Library Association)(Gathering at the Waters: Embracing Our Spirits, Telling Our Stories)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Registration is now open for the first Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, "Gathering at the Waters: Embracing Our Spirits, Telling Our Stories," to be held October 11-15 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas. ALA's five ethnic caucus...

Booklist Online now underway.(American Library Association)
May 1, 2006... ALA's review journal Booklist officially launched Booklist Online April 1 during the PLA national conference in Boston (see p. 30-31). Billed as more than simply an online version of the print magazine, Booklist Online includes...

AASL supports 21st Century Skills report.(American Library Association)(American Association of School Librarians )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... AASL is applauding a new national report, "Results That Matter: 21st Century Skills and High School Reform" issued by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which finds school library media programs to be crucial to the success of high...

"Forever Free" libraries selected.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Sixty-three libraries have been selected to host a new tour of the "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation" exhibit, which reexamines President Lincoln's thoughts about slavery throughout his political career and the...

Student assessment focus of AASL forum.(American Library Association)(American Association of School Librarians)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... "Assessing Student Learning in the School Library Media Center" is the topic of the 2006 AASL Fall Forum to be held October 13-15 in Warwick, Rhode Island. The role of the school library media specialist in the assessment of student...

ALA members serve on science panel.(American Library Association)
May 1, 2006... Several ALA members served as judges for the Association for the American Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books and Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books awarded to recently published works that promote scientific literacy, are...

Working video guide available.(American Library Association)
May 1, 2006... A detailed guide now accompanies the ALA-APA video Working @ Your Library: For Love or Money? available online at www.ala-apa.org/salaries/videoguide.pdf. According to ALA-APA Director Jenifer Grady, the guide was developed to help those...

Quotable facts winners named.(American Library Associationpi)
May 1, 2006... The Texas and West Virginia library associations are winners of the first Quotable Facts competition, sponsored by ALA's Campaign for America's Libraries. Both associations will receive the design and printing of 10,000 copies each of their...

Rebuilding the bayou.(American Library Association)(finance to rebuild state's libraries)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels (second from left), President-Elect Leslie Burger (third from left), and President Michael Gorman (fourth from left) visit Waveland (Miss.) Public Library April 4 to present a $100,000 check to help...

Reading across the globe.(American Library Association)(Friends of Libraries U.S.A.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Kyrgyz librarians and their young patrons accept a large shipment of children's and young adult books March 13 from FOLUSA, an ALA affiliate, which collected the titles delivered to the Central Asian country. Kyrgyzstan, a new democracy, is...

One book 4 towns.(American Library Association)(Stewart O'Nan's )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... ONE BOOK 4 TOWNS, featuring The Good Wife by local author Stewart O'Nan (pictured), is underway in Connecticut at the Berlin, Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield public libraries through May 25. O'Nan holds his personal favorite, So Long,...

ALTA Plays Active Role in Communities
May 1, 2006... 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 members of the...

You Have to See It for Yourself: AL Editor-in-Chief Assesses New Orleans' Readiness for ALA
May 1, 2006... In some strange way, the city of New Orleans is like a library. Culturally, it's part of the backbone of the nation. Economically, it's hurting, and some skeptics are questioning why we should invest in it when it's all below sea level (or in...

2006 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans
May 1, 2006... MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER JUNE 22-29, 2006 EVENTS WORTH GETTING JAZZED OVER! OPENING GENERAL SESSION FEATURING MADELEINE ALBRIGHT Saturday, June 24, 2006, 5:30-7:30 pm Morial Convention Center Hall F ALA is thrilled to...

Government Drops Appeal in Patriot Act Case
May 1, 2006... Federal prosecutors announced April 12 that they would drop their appeal in a case involving a Connecticut library that received a demand for patron records under the USA Patriot Act (AL, Dec. 2005, p. 11). The American Civil Liberties...

NARA Cooperated in Document Reclassification
May 1, 2006... A March 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Air Force shows that archivists were concerned about an ongoing program to reclassify thousands of previously released documents but...

Groups criticize Bush's Patriot Act signing statement.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A coalition of librarians, booksellers, publishers, and writers has accused President Bush of undermining new provisions in the reauthorized Patriot Act (AL, Apr., p. 10) that require him to inform Congress how the FBI is using its expanded...

Award-winning service.(Sharon Ruda wins Network Library of the Year Award )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service Director Sharon Ruda (back row, center) poses with librarians from the system's subregional libraries after receiving the $1,000 Network Library of the Year Award from the Library of...

NCLIS Health Information Awards for Libraries.(National Commission on Libraries and Information Science )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science March 24 announced state winners of the NCLIS Health Information Awards for Libraries, which recognize programs that address such issues as exercise, alcohol and drug abuse...

Grants to state library agencies.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced more than $163 million in grants to state library agencies March 23 under the Library Services and Technology Act. Given to each state according to a population-based formula, the grants...

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.(Regional Community Recycling Leadership Award)(Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... March 3 the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation gave its 2005 Regional Community Recycling Leadership Award to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for recycling 20 tons of rechargeable batteries.

Government Printing Office.(Bruce James retires)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Public Printer of the United States Bruce James (in photo, below) recently announced plans to retire as head of the Government Printing Office. James, who has held the post since 2002, will officially step down after a replacement is chosen....

Provo Schools Phasing out K-8 Librarians
May 1, 2006... The Provo, Utah, City School District is stepping up its plans to phase out most of its certified media specialists at the elementary- and middle-school levels. Instead of awaiting retirements and resignations to shift the positions to...

West Virginia District Eyes Savings from Librarian Layoffs
May 1, 2006... In response to a looming fiscal crisis, the superintendent of the Wetzel County (W.Va.) Schools has proposed eliminating as of FY 2006-07 all library staff at the system's four high schools. The $150,000 saved by laying off 1.5 certified media...

Boston PL Defends Reputation in Wake of Scathing Report
May 1, 2006... A story in the March 11 Boston Globe claimed that a new study shows the Boston Public Library is underperforming when compared to other large public libraries in terms of circulation, visitors, and public relations. The newspaper reported that...

DOJ after Other Companies Besides Google
May 1, 2006... The Department of Justice has gone beyond Google in its quest for evidence to develop a case in preparation for an October trial in Philadelphia over the Child Online Protection Act (COPA). Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request...

Indianapolis director declines pay raise.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library CEO Linda Mielke has declined a 4% pay raise that would have boosted her salary to about $122,000, saying in a statement that it "sends the wrong message" at a time when the library is "in the midst...

Britain Launches Campaign to Transform Libraries' Image
May 1, 2006... British Minister for Culture David Lammy launched a "Love Libraries" campaign, designed to transform the image of public libraries by presenting "a new vision of a 21st century reading service," with an announcement March 22 that three libraries...

Montana Challenges Complicate Policy Review
May 1, 2006... Challenges to four books at Lock-wood Middle School in Billings, Montana, may impact the school's challenged-book review policy--itself already under scrutiny as part of the school's scheduled assessment of the library curriculum. Three...

Okla. Senate Won't Defund Inclusive Kids' Collections
May 1, 2006... Members of the Oklahoma Senate have allowed the April 6 deadline to expire without considering a bill that would have prohibited local funding authorities and library boards from funding their public libraries unless the libraries have "place[d]...

D.C. mayor offers details on library improvements.(U.S. and International)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Mayor Anthony A. Williams offered details March 22 on his plan to refurbish the District of Columbia library system, calling for an $8-million boost to the operating budget to fund additional materials, computers, and furnishings and to...

Group sues libraries for blocking its website.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A nationwide conservative political group has sued four Missouri libraries for allegedly using internet filtering software to block patrons from viewing its website. The Council of Conservative Citizens claims the Maplewood City Library,...

Canadian School Libraries and Achievement Linked
May 1, 2006... A study funded by the Ontario Library Association offers the first Canadian finding that shows a positive correlation between student achievement and library resources and staff. Released April 6, School Libraries and Student Achievement in...

Maine Seeks to Opt out of GATS Library Agreement
May 1, 2006... Maine Gov. John E. Baldacci has asked the Bush administration to exclude the state from General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) treaty obligations specifically related to libraries, archives, and museums. The World Trade Organization began...

National Recording Registry adds 50 sound recordings.(National Recording Registry)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced April 11 the latest group of 50 recordings for the National Recording Registry. Created by Congress through the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the registry is dedicated to...

First U.S. Carnegie Library damaged by lightning.(Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Allegheny branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) has been closed indefinitely after lightning struck the building's 115-year-old clock tower mid-evening on April 7. Miraculously, the building was empty at the time and no one...

It only takes a license.(New York State Library's )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The New York State Library's electronic library--which has offered access to subscription-based newspapers, magazines, and full-text scholarly articles through local libraries since 2001 (AL, Jan. 2000, p. 33)--is now available to state...

Smithsonian deal slammed.(Showtime Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Ken Burns and other prominent documentary filmmakers are blasting a deal between the Smithsonian Institution and the Showtime Networks cable channel to create television programming, saying it could cut off their access to the museum's...

Adept adaptation.(U.S. and International)(Capote writers receive 18th annual Scripter Award )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The writers of Capote received the Friends of the University of Southern California Library's 18th annual Scripter Award February 11 for the best realization of a book adapted to film. At the ceremony, screenwriter Dan Futterman (second from...

Entertaining with troupes.(Cassandra Shore of the Jawaahir Dance Company)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Cassandra Shore of the Jawaahir Dance Company performs one of many dances of Middle Eastern origin for some 150 patrons March 27 at Hennepin County (Minn.) Library's Eden Prairie branch. Presented as part of HCL's "Arts Access" program, the...

Reading is magic.(David Blaine )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Illusionist David Blaine signs copies of his book, Mysterious Stranger, at Brooklyn Public Library's Park Slope branch March 29, in the same room where he first read about famed magician Harry Houdini. Blaine is the spokesman for the 2006 New...

100 years of service stacks up.(Centennial Statue)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Zanesville, Ohio, sculptor Alan Cottrill stands beside the "Centennial Statue," a work he created to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Coshocton Public Library at an April 2 ceremony. Each book in the 12-foot-tall sculpture bears a...

A seussian chapeau.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Howard Haynes sports appropriate headgear March 8 at a reception for the "Art of Dr. Seuss" at the Southfield (Mich.) Public Library--the first library to host the national touring exhibition showcasing nearly seven decades of the beloved...

Flying high.(U.S. and International)(Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini speaks about his book at Toledo-Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini mingles and signs books at a VIP event before drawing a record crowd of 1,500 to a talk about his book and life at Toledo-Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library's "Authors! Authors!" series April 3. ...

Good Morning Lansing.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Robin Roberts (center), cohost of ABC-TV's talk show Good Morning America visits the Delta Township District Library in Lansing, Michigan, for its first annual Lissa K. McLean Gala. Roberts, joined by Board President Michael D. Moore and...

Miami school board nixes reconsideration end run.(Censorship Watch)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The board of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools voted 6-3 April 18 not to interfere with the system's established materials-reconsideration process in the review of A Visit to Cuba, which has been challenged by Cuban expatriate Juan Amador...

Three Wishes Controversy Continues
May 1, 2006... School boards across Ontario continued to weigh in on Three Wishes, a controversial book that explores the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through interviews with children from both sides that had been recommended by the Ontario Library Association...

Scranton trustees restrict R-rated movie loans.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Scranton (Pa.) Public Library Board unanimously approved a policy March 30 to restrict R-rated movie loans to youths 17 and under unless a parent or guardian has given written permission. The policy, which was recommended by the...

Cheers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Upon arriving for his one-year deployment at LSA (Logistical Support Area) Anaconda near Balad, Iraq, in December 2005, Lt. Col. Brian McNerney noticed there was no library serving the 20,000 troops and civilians there--so he quickly set out...

The aging of the profession: keep out the Hair Dye.(U.S. and International)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... "Get Out the Hair Dye--We Really Are Aging" (AL, Feb., p. 35-36) presented some preliminary findings from the ongoing demographic survey of ALA members. As of March 22, the ALA Office for Research and Statistics has received 6,581 eligible...

By the numbers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 30 Points over the previous year's students on New Jersey's Language Arts Literacy Test achieved by a Newark 4th-grade class that participated in twice-weekly e-mail exchanges with peers in a Bologna, Italy, classroom. 1 Ranking of...

Global Reach
May 1, 2006... NETHERLANDS The Spijkenisse city library won first place in IFLA's 2006 international marketing award for its campaign to attract nonusers by sending out a postcard with the message "We miss you." The library kept track of how many recipients...

Straight Answers from Arthur Plotnik
May 1, 2006... He was the witty and wise editor of American Libraries for 15 years to 1989, then associate publisher in ALA Editions until 1997. While bringing the magazine and the Association into the modern age of publishing, Arthur Plotnik wrote The...

Boston Gets All Booked Up: Public Library Association National Conference
May 1, 2006... Welcome to what promises to be the best PLA conference ever," enthused Public Library Association President Daniel Walters at the start of the ALA division's 11th national conference. As things turned out, it was indeed a crowd pleaser--with...

Thus Said ... How the World Sees Us
May 1, 2006... "Why then do a lot of boys get turned off from reading sometime in elementary or middle school? The blame partly lies with librarians. They are mostly women, they tend to love stories, and they also have a thing for books that teach moral...

Correction.(Correction notice)
May 1, 2006... William Turner, not Jonathan Betz-Zall, is shown in the photo of bow tie wearers at Council II (Mar., p. 57). A photo of Lynn Berman (Apr., p. 74) was incorrect. Pictured was OCPL Executive Director Joyce Latham. Berman is pictured at...

On My Mind: Why Stop at One City?
May 1, 2006... American libraries have become accustomed (if uncomfortably so) to being situated between a rock of shrinking funding and a hard place consisting of the increasing demands and needs of our customers, many of whom are economically stressed...

Sacred Stacks: The Higher Purpose of Libraries and Librarianship; Though Secular Institutions, Libraries Can Be the Setting for a Spiritual Vocation
May 1, 2006... Hurrying to a meeting on the campus of a Catholic college where I worked, I nearly missed seeing the approaching student. "Hi, Sister," he said. "Thanks so much for helping me in the library. My paper came out great." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

The Subtle Approach: A School Librarian Surreptitiously Tantalizes Teens with Book Displays
May 1, 2006... Samuel Butler wrote: "Books are like imprisoned souls till someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them." I relish the image of students at my school finding their way to the library shelves on their own and liberating the books they...

It's the little things: the 2006 list of outstanding reference sources; Attention to detail attracts the selectors who picked this year's reference standouts.(REFERENCE)(Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography)(Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film 3 vols.)(Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, 2 vols.)(Black Women in America, 2d ed., 3vols.)(Immigration and Asylum: From 1900 to the Present, 3 vols.)(The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature, 5 vols.)(American Heritage Science Dictionary)(Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers)(Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications)(Americans at War: Society, Culture, and the Homefront, 4 vols.)(Encyclopedia of World War I: A Political, Social, and Military History)(Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinos in the United States)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... At each ALA Midwinter Meeting, the members of the Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) Reference Sources Committee gather in a meeting room to select the year's best reference sources for small and medium-sized libraries....

Leaders as Readers: Books That Make Their Mark; Prominent Librarians Talk about Some of the Books They Love
May 1, 2006... Aren't people who read always wondering what other people are reading? Haven't we all craned our necks more than once to see what that person behind us on the bus is reading? Don't we all wish we knew what book that lady on the park bench has in...

Opening New Worlds for Latino Children: Librarians Can Play a Special Role in Serving the Literature Needs of a Growing Minority Group
May 1, 2006... If we truly wish to address the reading needs of Latino children, we cannot ignore numerous studies that highlight the difficult challenges that confront Latinos--especially those who reside in high-poverty urban neighborhoods across the United...

Partners in Your Backyard: A Library Proves That Local Artists Can Be Turned into Allies
May 1, 2006... The partnership between the Anderson (Ind.) Public Library and artist David Reddick began with a talking dog who loved libraries and was friends with a brainy dog called Max. He even appeared on the library's card... but no one knew who he was....

The Tiny Threat: Those Little Strips That Appear on Your Incoming Periodicals and Newspapers Are Dangerous to the Preservation of Serials
May 1, 2006... The official name is "Flats Identification Code Sort" or "FICS." If you still don't know what I'm talking about, reach for the mail in your inbox or check your trash can for discarded envelopes and you'll find these 4-3/8-inch strips with a bar...

Currents: Professionals on the Move
May 1, 2006... March 7 Ronald S. Brashear was named director of the Othmer Library of Chemical History at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia. * Ed Byers will retire as director of Oak Park (Ill.) Public Library June 30. * John J. Callahan III...

At ALA.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Tarshel Beards has joined the Office for Diversity as project coordinator. * Adam Burling became program coordinator for the Association of College and Research Libraries April 24. * Charles Carter, executive assistant in the Governance...

Obituaries
May 1, 2006... Former University of California at Los Angeles University Librarian Page Ackerman, 93, died February 28 of congestive heart failure. She held the position from 1973 to 1977, and is believed to be the first woman in the United States to lead a...

Cited.(library employees honored )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Linda Bennett, manager of Stark County (Ohio) District Library's East Canton branch, won the library's 2006 Lena Calhoun Black History Maker Award. * University of Arizona librarians Marianne Stowell Bracke and Jim Martin shared an Emerald...

Grassroots Report: The Next Great Download
May 1, 2006... This month finds us back in Maricopa County, Arizona, where I found another story too good to miss. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Arizona Republic said it "has all the elements of a good mystery." * Eliza T. Dresang, Eliza Atkins Gleason...

Internet Librarian: What Is Google?
May 1, 2006... Nobody's ever accused me of not being able to take a hint. Well, OK, in all honesty, lots of people have, including several likely reading this column (you know who you are). Anyway, a couple of years ago, I taught a course here at the...

Technically Speaking: Handhelds across America
May 1, 2006... I tend to follow so much of the library automation and software industry that it's easy to lose track of all the general-consumer gadgets and gizmos that are out there these days. I had the chance to catch up recently with two great...

EBSCO.(Announcements)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... EBSCO has announced an expansion of its electronic offerings with a new e-book program, including content from publishers such as Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Cambridge University Press, Springer, and others. While the content might be familiar...

Auto-Graphics.(AGent-book buying feature)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Auto-Graphics has created a new book-buying feature in its AGent integrated system. Libraries can now establish a storefront on their web presence and allow patrons to directly purchase materials from Baker and Taylor. Libraries will share in...

ARTStor.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The ARTStor collection of over 400,000 digital images has recently enabled access from metasearch agents with the release of its XML gateway, which is based on the SRU protocol. More than 500 institutions subscribe; the project was piloted...

Softlink and MuseGlobal.(partner to offer metasearch capabilities )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Softlink and MuseGlobal have partnered to offer metasearch capabilities through the Liberty 3 and Oliver integrated library systems. MuseGlobal has partnerships with integrated system vendors and content providers, including Innovative...

FAST.(SirsiDynix partners )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Following the trend of providing better public access to library materials, SirsiDynix has partnered with Norwegian search engine developer FAST to deliver search results more quickly and efficiently. FAST will be bundled with the Rooms...

Working Knowledge: Be Your Own Successor
May 1, 2006... Are you feeling bored and restless at work? Are you looking for new challenges in a job you still enjoy? Conversely, are your current job satisfaction and performance not what they could be? If one of these three scenarios describes you, then...