AMERICAN LIBRARIES DIRECT
July 5, 2006
AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter e-mailed every Wednesday to personal members of the American Library Association.

Contents:

U.S. & World News
ALA News
Booklist Online
New Orleans Update
Division News
Awards
Seen Online
Actions & Answers
Poll
Datebook
AL Direct FAQ

U.S. & World News

Net neutrality loses a round in the Senate
Supporters of net neutrality were dealt a second blow June 28 when the Senate Commerce Committee rejected by an 11–11 tie vote a bill that mandated equal access to online content for all customers. The defeated Internet Freedom Preservation Act, sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.Dak.), would have prohibited network operators from charging tiered fees to either content providers or recipients of bandwidth-intensive applications....

EPA Region 9 Library10,000 EPA scientists protest elimination of libraries
The presidents of 17 locals of the American Federation of Federal Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, the National Association of Government Employees, and Engineers and Scientists of California have signed a letter asking Congress to halt the closure of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s network of research libraries....

Mayor makes libraries permanent line item
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has agreed to “baseline” funding for the library and two other programs, making them permanent allocations in the city’s annual budget. In the past, libraries have been a part of what pundits have dubbed the “budget dance,” in which the mayor would propose cuts that the city council and library leaders would negotiate to restore....

State officials mandate librarians in Milwaukee schools
Some three dozen schools in the Milwaukee Public Schools system have been given 14 months to ensure that a licensed librarian oversees each of their libraries. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction June 26 released the results of an investigation into a Milwaukee Teachers’ Association complaint that the schools were violating rules that call for a certified librarian on staff....

Gwinnett board restores funds for Spanish-language fiction
Two weeks after removing $3,000 earmarked for purchasing Spanish-language fiction from its budget, the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Library board of trustees voted June 28 to restore the funds....

Incarnate Word returns to the Times
The library of the University of the Incarnate Word, a private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas, announced June 30 that it was reinstating its print subscription to the New York Times only two days after ordering its cancellation as a protest. Dean of Library Services Mendell D. Morgan Jr. said in what the June 30 San Antonio Express-News termed a “hastily called press conference” in front of the library that he did not think his original decision was inappropriate but that he regretted failing to confer beforehand with other library staff....

Judge: A Visit to Cuba stays in schools for now
U.S. District Judge Alan Gold told the Miami-Dade School Board June 27 that it must keep possession of A Visit to Cuba and 23 other titles in the travel series for children until a preliminary hearing July 21, according to the June 27 Miami Herald. “One way or another, these books are going to remain here until I rule on the case,” he said....

Wisconsin mayor to fund Sunday hours from his salary
Charles Damaske, mayor of Muskego, Wisconsin, said in a news release June 23 that he would reduce his 2007 salary by half and remove himself from the city’s health insurance policy to provide funds for Sunday hours during the school year at Muskego Public Library....

Controversial Atlanta librarian Ella Gaines Yates dies
Ella Gaines Yates, who in 1976 became the first African-American director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System in Georgia, died in Atlanta June 27 of pancreatic cancer. She was 79. A controversial figure, Yates’s career at what was then called the Atlanta Public Library began in 1972, when she became assistant director....

ALA News

volunteers in New OrleansLibrary community draws national praise
With the eyes of the nation on New Orleans’ recovery from Hurricane Katrina, nearly 17,000 librarians, exhibitors, and library supporters attended the first citywide convention held in the Big Easy since the storm. Widespread news coverage praised ALA members who traveled to New Orleans for their intrepid spirit and impact on the local economy....

Stories and reports from New Orleans
The ALA wiki includes more than 50 reports on programs, events, and activities at Annual Conference....

 

 


Madame Chiang coverFeatured review:
Adult books

Li, Laura Tyson. Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China’s Eternal First Lady. Sept. 2006. 512p. Atlantic Monthly, hardcover (0-87113-933-2). Petite, elegant, and mighty, Madame Chiang Kai-shek lived to be 105, but when she died in 2003, many Americans had no idea of how powerful a woman she was or of how much she suffered. First-time biographer Li is the first to tell Madame Chiang’s dramatic life story....

New Orleans Update

Signs of life
Columnist Chris Rose writes: “I don’t think I’m quite ready to climb to the top of the Superdome and scream ‘We’re BACK, baby!’ But as harbingers of recovery go, the ALA conference last weekend was a serious step in the right direction.”...
New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 30

When the librarians come marching in
Columnist Bob Greene writes: “They’ve recarpeted hell. They’ve given it a deep cleaning, taken a deep breath, and opened its doors for business. The ALA gathering, which ended yesterday, was remarkable not so much for what was being discussed and merchandised—books, library equipment, software—as for where it was held: The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.”...
New York Times, June 29

Flooded and forgotten (subscription required)
Author Susan Straight writes: “The partying is subdued these days in New Orleans. The French Quarter is open for business, music cascading from open bar doors, the smells of spicy food mingling with shouts and laughter. The city is so grateful for this convention that welcome banners hang everywhere, saying, ‘We're jazzed you’re here!’ (And in many souvenir shops, newly printed T-shirts proclaim, ‘Librarians Do It by the Book! ALA 2006.’)”...
Salon, July 1

Realtors register for New Orleans conference in record numbers
Advance registration for the 2006 Realtors Conference and Expo in New Orleans, November 9–13, is outpacing all previous Realtor conventions. Some 30,000 are expected to attend the convention, which would make it the largest event to take place in New Orleans this year. Former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, cochairs of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, will address the General Session on November 11....
National Association of Realtors, June 28

Division News

Applications/nominations invited for C&RL editor
Applications and nominations are invited for the position of editor of College & Research Libraries, ACRL’s bimonthly scholarly research journal. The editor is appointed for a three-year term, which may be renewed for an additional three years....

Awards

Laura Bush announces Librarian Recruitment and Education grants
First Lady Laura Bush announced $20.9 million in grants through IMLS June 28. Thirty-five awards will go to universities, libraries, and library organizations across the country to recruit and educate librarians. The grants are designed to help offset a current shortage of school library media specialists, library school faculty, and librarians working in underserved communities....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 28

PLA awards applications available online
PLA has introduced a new online awards application for its seven service awards. Members can now nominate their colleagues and libraries for PLA awards through the PLA website....

Seen Online

Laura Bush with Tomas performersTomás and the First Lady
The Maricopa County (Ariz.) Library District was thrilled when First Lady Laura Bush accepted its invitation to attend a performance of Tomás and the Library Lady at its Guadalupe branch June 16. The play was the centerpiece for a children’s library card sign-up campaign. About 200 people attended, including 100 children....
Maricopa County Library District

LC strengthens its flood defenses
While the Library of Congress was largely high and dry last week after flooding closed several other federal agencies containing important documents, officials in the preservation office stood ready to save items in the collection if necessary....
The Hill, July 5

Social networking for bookworms
For Tim Spalding, a computer programmer and bibliophile, listing a few titles in an online profile isn’t enough. He sought a way to catalog his entire book collection—and to check out what was lining other people’s shelves. Spalding launched LibraryThing.com in August as a way to bring the organizational joys of the librarian to a wider array of book nerds....
Wall Street Journal, June 27

Bookbinding groups resurrect craft worldwide
Revolutionary War reenactor DeLea Sayers already has an unusual hobby. He recently stumbled across another one when he decided to record his rebellious activity in an 18th century–style journal. Unable to find authentic books from the era, Sayers decided to make his own and discovered the intricate world of bookbinding....
Bryan–College Station (Tex.) Eagle, July 2

Santa Ana phases out its bookmobiles
On June 29, Santa Ana, California, became the latest city to say goodbye to the bookmobile, citing high costs and relatively low patronage. Santa Ana was one of only three Orange County cities with regular bookmobile routes....
Orange County (Calif.) Register, June 30

Osama’s words to stay on library shelves
A Marion County (Fla.) Public Library System patron has requested that a book containing Osama bin Laden’s writings be removed from the library shelves, but Library Director Julie Sieg has said it should remain. Her decision is being appealed to the County Commission....
Ocala (Fla.) Star Banner, June 28

Dos and don’ts for getting kids to read
Librarians offer the same advice for all ages: Keep a wide variety of books available. Check out your local library’s summer reading program for activities and prizes. Ask for recommendations. “We live, eat, and breathe books and can share lists of show-stoppers for kids to read,” enthused Sharon Chastain, a King County (Wash.) Library System children’s librarian....
Seattle Times, July 1

Make a Noise in Libraries logoLibraries helping the blind
July 3 was the start of the UK National Library for the Blind’s Make a Noise in Libraries campaign. The Harlow Library in Essex is taking part, with a display of some of the talking books and large-print texts it has available....
Harlow Herald, June 29

Actions and Answers
Freedom of Information at 40
Forty years ago on July 4, 1966, Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark Freedom of Information Act while vacationing at his Texas ranch. But the event does not even appear on LBJ’s Daily Diary, which is the first indication (the dog that didn’t bark) that something was amiss on the Pedernales....
National Security Archive, July 4

Landmark agreement to preserve digital data
The National Archives and Records Administration and UCSD’s San Diego Supercomputer Center signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding June 28 that provides an avenue for preserving valuable digital data collections. This collaboration marks the first time NARA has established an affiliated relationship for preserving digital data with an academic institution....
National Archives, June 28

LITA’s annual Top 10 Trends extravaganza
Panel members Marshall Breeding, Clifford Lynch, Eric Lease Morgan, Andrew Pace, Karen Schneider, Roy Tennant, and Tom Wilson predicted the tech future at Annual Conference in New Orleans....
LITA Blog, June 25

Virtual reference in the age of pop-up blockers and firewalls
We know that young people love to chat and that many universities and colleges cater to a growing number of distance and off-campus users—the perfect audience for virtual reference. Various theories have been proposed as to why usage statistics are so low. Most focus on marketing and user behavior. Relatively little has been written about how technical problems impact VR services....
Online, July/Aug.

Ten rules for new librarians
Submitted for discussion is this short list—a cautionary list of things to ponder in a Library 2.0 world (or whatever you choose to call it) as new grads hit the streets and start their first jobs....
Michael Stephens, Tame the Web, June 30

Canadian Library Month posterCelebrate Canadian Library Month in October
The Canadian Library Association has estabished October as Canadian Library Month. The idea for a month dedicated to library and information services in Canada was developed by provincial and territorial library partners from across the country to help raise public awareness of the valuable role that libraries play in local communities....
Canadian Library Association, June

A primer on open access (PDF file)
Heather Morrison defines open access literature as literature that is free online for anyone, anywhere, to read, download, and use, providing that the author is properly cited. There are three major definitions of open access: Budapest, Berlin, and Bethesda. There are two main approaches to open access: open access publishing, and self-archiving of articles in open access archives....
Coady International Institute, June

Kid Survey graphKids and family reading report (PDF file)
The time kids spend reading for fun declines sharply after age 8 and continues to drop off through the teen years, according to a national study (PDF file) released June 14 by Yankelovich, a leader in consumer trends tracking, and Scholastic, a children’s publishing and media company. While 40% of kids between the ages of 5–8 are high-frequency readers (reading for fun every day), only 29% of kids ages 9–11 are high-frequency readers. The percentage continues to decline through age 17....
Scholastic, June 14

25 to-do lists to stay productive
Brian Benzinger reviews 25 checklist websites that help you create to-do lists, planners, start pages, and calendars....
Solution Watch, June 22

Cataloging electronic resources: OCLC-MARC coding guidelines
This revised set of guidelines is intended to assist catalogers in creating records for electronic resources in WorldCat, the OCLC Online Union Catalog. These guidelines pertain to OCLC-MARC tagging (content designation)....
OCLC, June 20

OneSource imageRecent public library trends
Public libraries in the United States have seen usage increase and revenues decline during the past few years, and these funding facts have affected other aspects of those libraries. This article examines those trends, probes the underlying causes, and considers future trends. It is based on analysis presented in some detail on a page at the Normative Data Project’s website....
SirsiDynix OneSource, April

Privatization of internet domain names and addressing
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration seeks comment on the continuation of the transition of the technical coordination and management of the internet domain name and addressing system (Internet DNS) to the private sector. The deadline for comments is July 7....
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, May 23

LC staircaseLibrary of Congress user survey
In an effort to better serve the needs of its patrons, the Library of Congress wants to hear from users about the effectiveness of its services, resources, and programs. Responses will provide valuable feedback to LC for continuous improvement....
Library of Congress

Sponsor: Sirsi Dynix

Sirsi Dynix ad


Great Web Sites for Kids search button
Use ALSC’s Great Web Sites for Kids page to locate kid-friendly online information on animals, art, history, math, and other subjects.

Public Libraries Briefcase logo
The June issue of the RUSA Business Reference in Public Libraries Committee’s Public Libraries Briefcase consists of Barbara Vlk’s “Building Business Connections: Outreach 101.”



Bradford County (Fla.) PL bookmobile
Parade of Bookmobiles:
A Celebration of Bookmobile Services
is a series of links to bookmobile sites supplied to OLOS by subscribers of the BKMOB-L electronic discussion list of Clarion (Pa.) University’s Department of Library Science. A PowerPoint presentation of the history of bookmobiles shows photographs of off-site vehicles and historical perspectives, policies, schedules, and varying degrees of service delivery.


What do YOU think?

Should state officials mandate that a certified librarian staff every public school library, as the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has done in Milwaukee?


Click here
to ANSWER!

This is an unscientific poll that reflects the opinions of only those AL Direct readers who have chosen to participate.


Results of the
June 28 poll:

Judging by nationwide media coverage, did the American Library Association conference in New Orleans, June 22–28, make a difference?

YES................79%
NO..................21%

(325 responses)

For cumulated results and selected responses to all AL Direct polls, visit the AL Online website.

“The nation’s librarians proved themselves an intrepid lot last week, venturing into this limping city where other conventioneers have feared to tread.”

—Reporter Adam Nossiter, in “Librarians Convene in New Orleans,” New York Times, June 25.



ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST FOR UNIVERSITY RECORDS AND DIGITAL PROJECTS,

Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Engage in the acquisition, processing, digitization, preservation, and use of archives and special collections materials; administer university records management program that includes electronic records....

See American Libraries
HOT JOBS ONLINE
for more career opportunities.

Serving the Underserved Trainers logo
Are you looking for professional development or continuing education activities for your public library staff? Do you need presenters at your state conference? Then you might want to contact one of the YALSA Serving the Underserved Trainers who have been trained to help public library staff members provide quality service to young adults.

June-July 2006
AL cover
Stories inside include:

The Crux of the LIS Education Crisis

Building Stronger Bridges over the Continuing- Education Gap

Information Science: Not Just for Boys Anymore


Information Literacy is the set of 21st-century skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information. ACRL has set up an information literacy resource website with bibliographies, standards and guidelines, ideas, experts, links, and a glossary.

Oshkosh student
The Oshkosh West (Wis.) High School Library Media Center will host its first Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens, and Books) meeting in the fall and has already been featured on the Oshkosh Area School District website. The YALSA and Public Programs Office–sponsored program features a book discussion group targeting troubled teens.

Aug. 9–12:
Pacific Northwest Library Association, Eugene. “Common Spaces and Far Out Places: Libraries in the Pacific Northwest.” Contact: Jason Openo, 503-588-6183.

Aug. 15–19:
Nevada Library Association
, North Las Vegas. “Tools for the Future.” Contact: Leo Segura, 702-507-3658
.

Sept. 16–19:
Maine Libraries Conference
, Augusta Civic Center. Sponsored by the Maine Association of School Libraries and the Maine Library Association. Contact: Edna Comstock, 207-441-1410.

Sept. 27–29: Minnesota Library Association Conference, St. Cloud. “Creativity and Collaboration: Minnesota Libraries Lead the Way.” Contact: Barb Vaughan, 651-641-0982.

Sept. 27–30:
Kentucky Library Association/ Kentucky School Media Association Joint Conference and Exhibition
, Marriott Downtown, Louisville. “A Century of Change: From Carnegie to Gates.” Contact: John T. (Tom) Underwood, 502-223-5322.

Sept. 27–30:
Wyoming Library Association Annual Conference
, Gillette. “Re-energize @ WLA!” Contact: Laura Grott, 307-632-7622.

Nov. 1–4: New York Library Association Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs. “Adding Value: Formula for the Future.” Contact: NYLA, 518-432-6952.

Nov. 12–15: Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference, Hilton Pittsburgh. “Libraries Alive: Grow, Dream, Realize.” Contact: Kim Snyder, 717-766-7663.

More Datebook items...

American Libraries Direct

George M. Eberhart,
Editor:
geberhart@ala.org

Karen Sheets,
Graphics and Design:
ksheets@ala.org

Send feedback: aldirect@ala.org

AL Direct FAQ:
www.ala.org/aldirect/

To advertise in American Libraries Direct contact:
Leonard Kniffel, Editor-in-Chief, lkniffel@ala.org

All links outside the ALA website are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site.

American Libraries
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.ala.org/alonline/
800-545-2433,
ext. 4216

ISSN 1559-369X.