Library Journal articles from January 2004

Library Journal archives from January 2004

San Diego is library city! ALA meets where leaders have mounted a big, bold, ten-year plan.(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... To San Diego, libraries are critical! They are a top priority, and even in these tough economic times in California and the nation, San Diego's political leaders have planned a secure, dynamic, and expansive future for their public library...

Absent from Wal-Mart.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I applaud Barbara Hoffert's "Taking Back Readers' Advisory" (LJ 9/1/03, p. 44-46). Readers' advisory is an important service that is absent from Wal-Mart, Amazon, and other cut-rate outlets. With so many services automated from paying for gas...

"Quirky" cloud.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I can't believe it's almost 2004 and I'm reading in the pages of LJ stereotypical references to "those quirky Southerners" (Mary K. Chelton, "Readers' Advisory 101," LJ 11/1/03, p. 39). I've lived in several parts of the country, and...

Age stereotypes.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Lynne C. Lancaster ("The Click and Clash of Generations," LJ 10/15/03, p. 36-39) insinuates that all people born during a certain time period share the same characteristics. While there can be very real clashes among the age groups, it is...

XML: wave of the future.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Thank you for Judy Luther's "Trumping Google" (LJ 10/1/03, p. 36-39). The article captured the issues surrounding the adoption of metasearch products in the library community.... A misunderstanding might arise from "The Players" chart on page...

Missed mismatches.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2004... LJ regrets that in the sidebar "9 More Real-Life Readalike Mismatches" that accompanies Mary K. Chelton's "Readers' Advisory 101" (LJ 11/1/03, p. 39) we bollixed up the listing of Elizabeth Peters's books. The character in question is not...

AAP launches library funding campaign.(Late Bulletins)(Association of American Publishers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Association of American Publishers' (AAP) Libraries Committee will launch a campaign at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting calling on publishers, librarians, distributors, and others to urge their state and federal...

ALA's Hayden honored by Ms. magazine.(Late Bulletins)(Carla Hayden)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ALA president Carla Hayden, cited for her forceful response to Attorney General John Ashcroft's Patriot Act comments (see News, LJ 10/15/03, p. 16), was named one of ten Ms. magazine 2003 Women of the Year. The winter issue of Ms. features...

$6 million given to NYC libraries.(Late Bulletins)(Wallace Foundation donation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Borough Public Library will split $6 million from the Wallace Foundation. The money, donated in response to NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's $36 million emergency fundraising campaign...

Hot topics at Midwinter Meeting.(Late Bulletins)(A.L.A.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Besides discussion of the USA PATRIOT Act, expect controversy at ALA's Midwinter Meeting over three other topics. A resolution on Cuba's "independent librarians" will be debated, in the wake of criticism of ALA's stance by columnist Nat Hentoff...

Gale eliminates 14% of work force.(Late Bulletins)(Thomson Gale)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Thomson Gale, the book and electronic reference publishing division of Thomson Learning, will by February 6 eliminate 181 positions, approximately 14 percent of its worldwide work force of 1300. The cuts center in Gale's editorial and...

ALA-APA hires director.(Late Bulletins)(American Library Association-Allied Professional Association appoints Jenifer Grady)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), formed to lobby for better pay and to provide certification, finally has a director. Jenifer Grady, a librarian with a business degree, took the job December 22 and...

Elephant folio sale furor at Providence Athenaeum: library needs funds; director resigns after struggle with small members' group trying to prevent auction.(News)(Jonathan Bengston)
January 1, 2004... The seven-month-long conflict between the Providence Athenaeum and a small group of members over the proposed sale of a copy of John James Audubon's double elephant folio has caused Director Jonathan Bengston to resign as of next month. The...

National survey: libraries matter: respondents would pay $49 for more public library services.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A new survey indicates that the public values its libraries and is willing to pay more to support them. In "The Public Library: A National Survey," by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, Poughkeepsie, NY, 67 percent of respondents...

I came to Nashville.(News)(Nashville Public Library Civil Rights Room opened)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... I CAME TO NASHVILLE: Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. (at podium), the first African American chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, was one of several speakers to address the crowd at the December 6 opening of the Nashville Public Library's...

LC team calls for new Iraq library: for $5 million, club could be renovated and stacks built in six months.(News)(Library of Congress)
January 1, 2004... Experts sent to Iraq on behalf of the Library of Congress (LC) say that the damaged Iraq National Library building in Baghdad is unsuitable for reconstruction. A new library, they say, should be created by renovating a building on the banks of...

Atlanta-Fulton PL sued again: two previous plaintiffs protest recent personnel moves.(News)(Maureen Kelly)(Mary Starck)
January 1, 2004... Two white librarians who previously won a race discrimination lawsuit against the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library have filed another suit, this time in response to recent personnel moves that drew county scrutiny (see News, LJ 9/15/03, p. 20)....

Georgetown diary release criticized: Jesuits co-own Kennedy-related materials; library to review policy.(News)(Jacqueline Kennedy)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... After criticism over its release, it is unclear whether a Georgetown University collection of papers from Jesuit priest Richard McSorley, who counseled Jacqueline Kennedy following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, will again be...

Summit addresses information society: IFLA calls on nations to support increased library services.(News)(World Summit on the Information Society)(International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)
January 1, 2004... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS; www.itu.int/wsis)--the first effort to share and shape the use of information and communications technologies for a better world--was held December 10-12 in Geneva, and librarians had a place...

ERIC ready for relaunch soon: new contractor to offer different mode; clearinghouses eliminated.(News)(Educational Resources Information Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has been going through changes, as ERIC clearinghouses, AskERIC, and toll-free numbers were closed last month in anticipation of a relaunch early this year. A new contractor, still...

"Songs in the Key of Dewey"? Tori Amos cuts "librarian" album; OCLC, Library Hotel settle suit.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Ethereal songstress Tori Amos, who has garnered cult status through her confessional albums, recently released a "best of" album entitled Tales from a Librarian. "I've always thought that librarians know where the information is hidden," she...

Sen. Simon, library Booster, dies at 75.(News)(Paul Simon)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
January 1, 2004... Paul Simon, two-term Democratic Senator from Illinois and consistent library supporter, died on December 9 of complications following heart surgery. He was 75. He served in the state legislature beginning in 1954, was elected to the U.S. Senate...

Douglas County Libraries.(Public Libraries)(Philip Miller Library opens)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Douglas County Libraries, headquartered in Castle Rock, CO, recently opened the Philip Miller Library. Jamie LaRue, director of the libraries, was named Business Person of the Year by the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, based on his decision...

NY Times Librarian Award winners.(News)
January 1, 2004... In an expansion from the tristate area to the entire country, the 2003 New York Times Librarian Awards named 27 winners from 14 states. The nearly 2000 nominations from the general public were accepted from April through June 2003. In...

Williamsburg Regional Library.(Public Libraries)(patron loses privileges)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... After a patron at the Williamsburg Regional Library, VA, defaced a gay and lesbian news magazine, be was stripped of his borrowing privileges for a month. According to the Daily Press, John Callaghan, 77, was offended by a picture of two...

Detroit Public Library.(Public Libraries)(Rose and Robert Skillman Branch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The former downtown branch of the Detroit Public Library has reopened as the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch, in honor of the $5 million grant from the philanthropists' foundation that supported some two-thirds of the $7.3 million restoration...

Tampa-Hillsborough County Library.(Public Libraries)(Lutz Branch renovations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Lutz Branch Library of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library system, West Lutz, FL, last month closed its doors for renovations. To save staff from packing the collection, patrons were allowed if not encouraged-to borrow as many as 100...

Muncie Public Library.(Public Libraries)(Kennedy Branch reopens)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Kennedy Branch of the Muncie Public Library, IN, reopened last month following a lengthy cleanup to remove all traces of mercury found in several places in September (see Late Bulletins, LJ 11/1/01, p. 13). The library remains embroiled in...

Mesa Public Library.(Public Libraries)(Patsy Hansel resigns)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The director of the Mesa Public Library, AZ, was to leave at the end of last year in the wake of sexual harassment 'allegations (see News, LJ 8/03, p. 21) and retaliatory complaints. Patsy Hansel's severance package, according to the Arizona...

North Carolina State University (NCSU).(Academic Libraries)(not renewing Elsevier contract)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Both the faculty and staff senates at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, have approved a tough resolution opposing the practice of bundling content and essentially authorizing the library not to renew its bundled deal with...

Illinois State University.(Academic Libraries)(student volunteers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... As many as 40 students will begin volunteering five-hour shifts to restore hours at the Milner Library at Illinois State University, Normal. Facing a $700,000 budget shortfall, the library was forced to cease 24 hour operation last year.

British Library.(National/International News)(economic benefits)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A study funded by the British Library but conducted by a ream of American economists concludes that the venerable institution's services add 363 million [pounds sterling] ($634 million) a year to the national economy, more than four times its...

Ghana Library.(National/International News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Legislators are calling for the Ghana Library to gain new funding. "What used to be the greatest public library system in Africa in the 1960s has now deteriorated to a level of national embarrassment," declared Ghanaian legislator Kosi Kedem.

2003 proves prosperous year for automation vendors: a preponderance of products feeds the market while top personnel changes add new flavors to several firms.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Vendors somehow managed to beat the odds in 2003. The vacuum caused by the steadily imploding economy that devastated public, academic, and special libraries nationwide seemed to bypass tech companies, with many such as Dynix, Sirsi, and most...

CSL renews Tutor.com help: libraries hold 150,000 live help sessions in program's third year.(Infotech)(California State Library)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The California State Library (CSL) has re-upped its contract with Tutor.com to continue its Live Homework Help program for the third year. Fourth- through 12th-grade students visiting the 85 participating public libraries can enjoy tree...

Gale debuts Consulta 2.0: Spanish-language resource center includes optional English interface.(Infotech)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Gale is now marketing Consulta 2.0, its Spanish-language resource center, which now features an optional English interface to assist those learning the language and culture. Other enhancements of this new version include help in English;...

Sirsi forms two new partnerships: cuts deals with Northern Light and Brodart for increased services.(Infotech)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sirsi Corporation has cat a deal with Brodart Co. to streamline the acquisitions process for its customers. According to Sirsi, both operations are working in tandem to "utilize the X12 standard format" to simplify ordering and invoicing, etc.,...

EBSCO offers theater database: International Bibliography of Theatre maintained by Brooklyn College.(Databases)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... EBSCO Publishing has purchased the rights to the International Bibliography of Theatre (IBT) database. Initiated by the American Society for Theatre Research, Brooklyn College's Theatre Research Data Center has been publishing the volumes since...

Wilson elected OCLC chair: Univ. of Washington library director has been board member since 2002.(Infotech People)(Lizabeth (Betsy) A. Wilson)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Lizabeth (Betsy) A. Wilson the University of Washington's director of libraries, has been elected chair of the OCLC Board of Trustees. Wilson ,served as OCLC Members Council president from 1999 to 2000 and has been a member of the OCLC Board of...

NYPL offers free Wi-Fi service: wireless Internet at branches in the Bronx and Manhattan.(Library Corner)(New York Public Library)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The New York Public Library (NYPL) has introduced free Wi-Fi Interact access at 53 branch locations throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. The library said that patrons bringing in their own wireless-equipped laptops will have access to "the...

KCLS movie preview service: patrons can view film trailers and place holds via library web site.(Library Corner)(King County Library System)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The King County Library System (KCLS), WA, claims to be the first system in the nation to offer patrons a movie preview service over its homepage (www.KCLS.org). According to the library, the "At the Movies" service offers previews of more than...

The collaboration imperative: if librarians want to lead in creating the digital future, they need to learn how to work with their colleagues in museums and archives.(Info tech feature)
January 1, 2004... IF YOUR MUSEUM'S web exhibition on ancient Egypt has links to circulating books at the public library, chances are the two institutions are collaborating. Most museum and library collaboration in this country has been of this sort--at the local...

Building a new bibliographic infrastructure.(Digital Libraries)(Column)
January 1, 2004... MORE THAN A YEAR AGO I called for the death of MARC (see LJ 10/15/02, p. 26ff.). That column sparked a lively discussion among librarians--especially catalogers. As I thought about it and discussed the issue with others, I decided I had...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... eBooks conference in New York City; "Vibrant Voices, Vital Libraries" at FLA; ILF is "All for One, One for All!" in Indianapolis MARCH 16--eBooks in the Public Library Conference, McGraw-Hill Auditorium, New York City. Contact: John...

At the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCHC), Steve Belongia has been appointed Client Services Manager, Information Services Department.(People)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... At the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCHC), Steve Belongia has been appointed Client Services Manager, Information Services Department. He was Manager of Information Services at Washington-Centerville Public Library, OH....

Jason Buydos is Acquisitions Department Manager, Main Library.(People)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Jason Buydos is Acquisitions Department Manager, Main Library. He was Head of Acquisitions, Louisville Free Public Library. KY. Angela Farmer, new Branch Manager, Sharonville Branch Library, joined PLCHC in 1982. David Siders, new Branch...

OCLC Digital Collection and Preservation Services.(People)(Liz Bishoff appointed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Liz Bishoff has been named Vice President, OCLC Digital Collection and Preservation Services, Dublin, OH. She was Executive Director, Colorado Digitization Program, Denver.

Carmen Doering is the new Reference/Subject Librarian for Art and Architecture, Washington University Libraries (WUL), St. Louis, replacing Ellen Petraits, who was promoted to Art and Architecture Librarian.(People)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Carmen Doering is the new Reference/ Subject Librarian for Art and Architecture, Washington University Libraries (WUL), St. Louis, replacing Ellen Petraits, who was promoted to Art and Architecture Librarian. Doering was Reference Assistant....

Brooklyn Public Library (BPL).(People)(Mary Graham appointed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Mary Graham has been appointed Director of Neighborhood Services (ONS), Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), NY, where she has been contributing part-time for over three decades.

Library System of Lancaster County, PA.(People)(Susan Hauer appointed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Susan Hauer is the new System Administrator, Library System of Lancaster County, PA. She was Assistant Director for Development and Operations, Southern Adirondack Library System, Saratoga, NY. She is an LJ 2002 Mover & Shaker.

Dundee Township Public Library District.(People)(Elisa F. Topper is the new Director)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Elisa F. Topper is the new Director, Dundee Township Public Library District, East Dundee, IL. She served as Assistant Dean, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, for the past five years.

Obituaries.(People)(Obituary)
January 1, 2004... Warren Horton, former Director General of the National Library of Australia. died on November 25, 2003. A former President of the Australian Library and Information Association mid Honorary Fellow of IFLA, his career spanned 42 years.

Correction.(People)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2004... Correction: In a previous People column (LJ 11/15/03), the announcement of Varina Howell Davis and Mary Todd Lincoln as joint directors of the John Brown Historical Center and Library, Harpers Ferry. WV, was a hoax. LJ apologizes for the...

Toni Garvey: Phoenix Public Library.(Librarian of the Year 2004)(Biography)
January 1, 2004... SHE HAS PRACTICED her profession in a Western courtly jail, for the politicized board of a Southern public library, in the children's room of a university community, and through the up and down economics of a major American city. She's managed...

Best books of 2003.
January 1, 2004... SCINTILLATING FICTION debuts by Mark Haddon and Jincy Willet. Graphic novels, never before featured on LJ's Best Books list, by Marjane Satrapi and Craig Thompson. Insightful commentary on Iran by Satrapi and Azar Nafisi. Translations of...

Best genre fiction of 2003.(Bibliography)
January 1, 2004... MYSTERY Blevins, Meredith. The Hummingbird Wizard. Forge: Tor. ISBN 0-7653-0769-1. $24.95. The murder of her oldest friend forces widow Annie Szabo to learn up with her fortune-telling Gypsy mother-in-law to hunt the killer. Blevins's...

Budget blues: the situation may not be worse than in the early 1990s, but public libraries are definitely hurting.(2004 state of the states)
January 1, 2004... PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE suffering budget cuts in most states nationwide, according to an informal LJ survey, with a significant segment--though not a majority characterizing the strictures as worse than in the early 1990s, the last time libraries...

The "antiaging" remedy.(Healthy Aging)(Bibliography)
January 1, 2004... WE'VE WATCHED IT COMING: the first wave of the 81 million babies born between 1946 and 1964 have now reached midlife (ages 45 to 64, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau). This boomer generation can expect to live into their 70s, 80s, and...

Get over the "graying" profession hype.(NextGen)
January 1, 2004... FINISHING UP LIBRARY school and starting to look for that first job? You should feel courted. The American Library Association (ALA) and other professional associations have gone into full-court press recruitment mode, pointing out that...

It hurts to ignore work injury roots.(Your Money's Worth)
January 1, 2004... I WAS TALKING WITH a friend not long ago about one of the hottest political topics in California these days--the high cost of the workers compensation system. "But libraries don't have to worry about that, do they?" asked my friend. "Aha!" I...

Prepub alert.
January 1, 2004... COMING IN MAY 2004... while megastars like Berg, Delinsky, and Kellerman revisit familiar territory, Parker plunges in a new direction. In nonfiction, coverage of World War H runs from Warsaw to the Mediterranean, and Campos battles with...

Prepub best sellers: week ending December 20, 2003.(Bibliography)
January 1, 2004... 1 Emma's Secret [17] Barbara Taylor Bradford. St. Martin's. Jan. ISBN 0-312-30702-0. $24.95. 2 The Sight of the Stars [F] Belva Plain. Delacorte. Jan. ISBN 0-385-33683-7. $25.95. 3 The Second Chair [F] John...

Librarians for our times: there aren't enough awards to go around.(Inside Track)
January 1, 2004... When a dynamic librarian like Sara Weissman, who launched one of the nation's first electronic reference services in Morris County, NJ, wonders what she's been doing with her time, you know you're in pretty heady company. Weissman was one of...

Graphic novels.(Xenia Community Library)
January 1, 2004... One morning in 1996, my home library, the Xenia Community Library, inaugurated its graphic novel (GN) section by placing 55 books on the shelf--some older books that we recataloged and some new additions. Most of what we had were the Marvel and...

Irwin, Jane (text & illus.) & Jeff Berndt (text). Vogelein: Clockwork Faerie.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Fiery Studios. 2003. c.168p. ISBN 0-9743110-0-6. pap. $12.95. F Vogelein is a mechanical fairy doll made in 17th-century Germany who took on a life of her own. Since her creator's death, she has passed from one caretaker to another, each of...

* Kubert, Joe. Yossel: April 19, 1943.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... ibooks. 2003. 128p. ISBN 0 7434-7516X. $24.95. F Renowned artist Kubert, known for his work on DC's Tarzan and Sgt. Rock, plus the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Fax from Sarajevo, was brought to the United States from Poland in 1926 by...

Kumakura, Yuichi. Jing: King of Bandits: Vol. 2.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Tokyopop. 2003. 232p. tr. from Japanese by Kong Chang. ISBN 1-59182-177-0. pap. $9.99. F In this fantasy adventure in the mold of Akira Toriyama's original "Dragon Ball" series (as opposed to the more combat-oriented sequel Dragon Ball Z),...

Moore, Alan (text) & others (illus.). Across the Universe: the DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... DC Comics: Warner Bros. 2003. 208p. ISBN 1-4012-0087-7. pap. $19.95. F In addition to his work on Swamp Thing and Barman: The Killing Joke, during the mid-1980s master comics writer Moore (Watchmen) also wrote other stories set in the...

Pekar, Harvey (text) & David Collier (illus.). American Splendor: Unsung Hero.(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Dark Horse. 2003. c.80p. ISBN 159307-040-3. pap. $11.95. BIOG Acclaimed comics writer Pekar, known for such autobiographical comics as the Harvey Award-winning Our Cancer Year, has been in the public eye recently following the widespread...

Brown, Chester. Louis Riel: a Comic-Strip Biography.(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Drawn & Quarterly. 2003. 272p. bibliog. index. ISBN 1-896597-63-7. $24.95. BIOG Brown (The Little Man; Ed the Happy Clown) has taken a brave step into what one hopes will be a popular new genre: historical biographical graphic novels, He...

Hernandez, Gilbert. Palomar: the Heartbreak Soup Stories; a Love and Rockets Book.(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Fantagraphics. 2003. 522p. ISBN 1-56097-539-3. $39.95. F With the skill and spirit of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (and even a couple of nods to him in the text), Hernandez brings us to a mythical South American village, Palomar, where magic...

Tezuka, Osamu. Buddha: Vol. 1: Kapilavastu.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Vertical. 2003. 400p. ISBN 1-932234-43-8. $24.95. F This excellent book begins an eight-volume hardcover presentation of one of manga master Tezuka's mature works: an epic historical fiction GN based on the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the...

Thomas, Roy (text) & Barry Windsor-Smith & others (illus.). The Chronicles of Conan. "Col. 1: Tower of the Elephant and Other Stories.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Dark Horse. 2003. 168p. ISBN 1-59307-016-0. pap. $15.95. F Robert E. Howard's stories of Conan the Barbarian, first published in the 1930s, defined the genre of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and spawned a long line of prose pastiches, two...

Thompson, Jill. Death: Vol. 1: at Death's Door.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Vertigo: D.C. Comics. 2003. 204p. ISBN 1-56389-938-8. pap. $9.95. F In this manga-esque spin-osff of Neil Gaiman's popular series, Thompson presents a retelling of some of the events of the fourth "Sandman" volume, Season of Mists,...

Tomizawa, Hitoshi. Alien Nine: Vol. 3.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... CPM Manga: Central Park Media. 2003. 224p. tr. from Japanese by Laura Jackson & Yoko Kobayashi. ISBN 1-58664-893-4. pap. $15.95. F Sixth grader Yuri Otani is a member of the Alien Party, a three-girl team that defends its school from alien...

Ueda, Miwa. Peach Girl: Change of Heart: Vol. 4.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Tokyopop. 2003.176p. tr. from Japanese by Ray Yoshimoto. ISBN 1-59182-197-5. pap. $9.99. F Pretty Japanese high school girl Momo used to be in love with Toji, but Toji was blackmailed into breaking off their romance by Momo's spiteful and...

Espinosa, Rod. The Courageous Princess: Masterpiece Edition.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Antarctic. 2003. 240p. ISBN 0-97289786-0. $24.95. F This enjoyable all-ages fantasy adventure was originally available in three separate volumes, the second of which was nominated for an Eisner Award. It has now been collected in this...

Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules! The Whole World's Crazy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... ibooks. 2003. 176p. ISBN 0-7434-7503-8. pap. $14.95. F Nine-year-old Amelia McBride's parents have just divorced, and she and her morn now live in a new town with her Aunt Tanner, a Bob Dylan-quoting rock musician. Amelia makes some new...

Takahashi, Rumiko. Maison Ikkoku: Vol. 1.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Viz Comics. 2003. 214p. tr. from Japanese by Gerard Jones & Matt Thorn. ISBN 1-59116054-5. pap. $9.95. F The hugely popular Takahashi is known for fantasy series such as Ranma 1/2 and Inu Yasha, but this wonderful true-to-life romance is...

Kwitney, Alisa. The Sandman: King of Dreams.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Chronicle. 2(103. 180p. ISBN 0-8118-3592-8. $35. GRAPHIC ARTS This guidebook to Neil Gaiman's celebrated "Sandman" series, written by one of the series' editors, includes commentary on the series and excerpts from many of its stories, along...

Bijlefeld, Marjolijn & Sharon K. Zoumbaris. Encyclopedia of Diet Fads.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Greenwood. 2003. 242p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-313-32223-6. $55. REF Even as the country fights an epidemic of obesity, Americans remain obsessed with being thin--a paradoxical situation that makes this resource timely indeed. In their...

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Billboard: Watson Guptill. 2003. 448p. ed. by Paul du Noyer. photogs. index. ISBN 0-8230-7869-8. $45. REF Edited by du Noyer (We All Shine On), this attractive coffee-table book contains a wealth of information on the popular music genres...

Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Dekker. 2003. 1185p. ed. by Dennis R. Heldman. illus. ISBN 0-8247-0938-11. $395. REF The broad objective of this large, single-volume encyclopedia is to provide a better understanding of the processes used to produce raw agricultural...

Firefly Geography Dictionary.(Firefly Guide to Flags of the World)(Firefly World Factbook: An A-Z Reference Guide to Every Country in the World)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Firefly Geography Dictionary. ISBN 1-55297-838-9. $ 14.95. Firefly Guide to Flags of the World. ISBN 1-55297-813 3. $14.95. Lye, Keith. Firefly World Factbook: An A-Z Reference Guide to Every Country in the World. ISBN...