Library district fails by 6 votes

Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald, Loveland, Colo.

While voters passed the formation of the district, they rejected by a 1,174-to-1,168 margin the 2.4-mill property tax that would have been used to fund the district.

“Although the district question passed, we cannot form a district without funding,” said Library Director Sara Wright. . . . more

Library Board says 'no' to removing materials

Arizona Republic

"The board took their responsibility to the public seriously," Library Manager Brenda Brown said. "In the end, they recognized that banning the materials or restricting their access was not in the public's best interest . . . .more

This story has an icky headline

Telegraph.co.uk

Every secondary school in England is setting up a dedicated "boys' bookshelf" as part of a Government-funded initiative to improve reading among 11- to 14-year-olds. . . . more

Ask away!

QCTimes.com, Davenport, Iowa

AskAway, a new statewide cooperative reference service of Illinois libraries, can help people get a reliable answer from a professional librarian anytime day or night by logging on to askawayillinois.info or by accessing a link at the Moline Public Library site at molinelibrary.com. . . . more

How a library can still stack up in Internet-Starbucks age

The Villager, New York

“Young people are realizing how cool it is to become a librarian. . . . They’re realizing that if you like reading and writing, you don’t have to go into publishing. It’s sort of a post-modern pleasure of dusting off a stereotype.” . . . more

Stacked against him

Boston Globe

[Boston Mayor Thomas] Menino said he is hurt to be in a public fight over the library. He wistfully recalled that as a teenager he spent much of his time at the Hyde Park branch.

When asked about [former Boston Public Library president Bernard] Margolis's statement that he had been pressured into hiring friends of the mayor, Menino was evasive. "I've never made a phone call over there, ever," he said. "Maybe someone else has; I don't know." . . . more

Town Meeting OKs extra money for library

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, Mass.

ASHLAND - Town Meeting last night added $15,000 to the library budget for a new part-time employee, despite warnings from selectmen and the town manager that the town faces possible budget cuts and should not add staff. . . . more

Library to consider patron requests to ban materials

Arizona Republic

Objections to the Phoenix New Times and comedian George Carlin's audio book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, could lead to the publications being yanked from library shelves if the board agrees they're too racy, irreverent or politically incorrect for public consumption. . . . more

The library's next chapter

Boston Globe

What are [Boston Mayor Thomas] Menino's plans for the BPL? Will there be a truly open, wide-ranging search to find the Keith Lockhart of the library world? Or will Menino push for the more localized kind of search that begins and ends with friends and the politically connected? . . . more

Ouster prompts blast at Menino

Boston Globe

Longtime Boston Public Library president Bernard Margolis, breaking his silence within hours of his ouster yesterday, lashed back at Mayor Thomas M. Menino, accusing him of an "anti-intellectual" bent that threatens the city's cherished library system with too much parochial politics and too little funding. . . .

[When Margolis] sought clarity from mayoral confidants on why Menino was trying to force him out, he was told: "The mayor is fixated on this. He hates you." . . . more

Porn in libraries is wrong, say residents

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A library which allows sexually explicit materials to be viewed on the Internet," she said, "is no different from an adult sex shop, except that at the library, children are present and taxpayers are footing the bill." . . . more

What's Hillary hiding in Bill's library?

Los Angeles Times

One of the little-known reasons for the successful reshaping of Hillary Clinton's image from the cold, conniving spouse to the convivial candidate who laughs at aggressive questions and talks often about becoming the first female president is actually something Clinton has not done.

Despite previous promises of openness and transparency and even while denouncing the secrecy of the Bush administration, she and her husband have not authorized the release of millions of pages of documents, letters, calendars, appointment logs, e-mails and memos from her years as first lady.

more

Rollinsford boy's library dream comes true

Foster's Daily Democrat, New Hampshire

The Friends of the Rollinsford Library group along with the three library trustees gathered Wednesday to sign the lease for the first official space for a library the town has seen in 167 years. . . . more

Clinton library a closed book

Chicago Tribune

Almost three years after the library's opening and nearly two years after the administration's archives became subject to federal open-records laws, only a small fraction of the archives has been opened to the public. . . . more

Library fights for grants

Sand Mountain Reporter, Albertville, Ala.

Commissioner Buddy Allen . . . said libraries are becoming “a thing of the past” because of technology and expressed concern the county library would just be “an expenditure to the county down the road.” . . . more, plus a follow-up from the paper's managing editor.

Library selling off rare, collectible books Saturday

Arizona Republic

One of the most valuable is a 101-year-old copy of Folk Tales from Tibet by Captain W.F. O'Connor. Rare book sites value the work at $200, but Wilson said it can be purchased Saturday for $100.

An 1889 first edition of Louisa May Alcott's Life, Letters and Journals will have a $75 price tag. Several Tarzan books published between 1914 and 1924 will be $25 to $30. . . . more

A 17th-century library's remarkable renaissance

International Herald Tribune

"The Anna Amalia Library is a matter of the heart for the people of Weimar," said Michael Knoche, the library's director. "A lot of that has to do with the fact that this was one of the first real public libraries in Germany. It wasn't just open to royalty, but to the people as well." . . . more

Rare maps stolen from Spain's National Library returned

International Herald Tribune

MADRID, Spain: Precious maps stolen from Spain's National Library, including some cut out of 15th and 16th century books by Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolomy, were returned Monday after police tracked them to locations on three continents. . . . more

"Full-service" libraries

New York Times

From Princeton in New Jersey to West Hartford in Connecticut, libraries are starting to look more like Internet cafes and bookstores and less like quiet rows of book-lined shelves. . . .

While some feared the Internet would keep people glued to their home computers, visits to libraries across the country have increased. Circulation in libraries rose by 28 percent in the last decade, and visits increased 61 percent from 1994 to 2004, according to the American Library Association. . . . more

Razor Blade Found in Child's Book

WRCB TV, Chattanooga, Tenn.

On November 10, a book was purchased that had been printed and packaged in China. An elementary school student who had purchased the book found a razor blade, which had fallen out of the book and cut her finger. The razor blade was identified with Chinese writing on it. The school librarian notified the Building Principal David Smith, who then went to the school to investigate the matter. . . . more

Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library

San Francisco Chronicle

"A mecca for scholars and students of all ages, the library is the dullest place in the world - 91 percent of the time. It also attracts the homeless, the mentally ill, occasional pedophiles, Internet junkies, unattended children down to the age of two, con artists, thieves, beggars, cultish homeschoolers, and people who are in general angry with every level of state and federal government. Most of these people decide to fill out an application and get a library card. . . . more

The talk of the Reagan library

Los Angeles Times

A lavish gala was to kick off a display of Nancy Reagan's ball gowns Thursday night, but visitors to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near Simi Valley were buzzing more about the landmark's record-keeping problems -- lapses so severe that National Archives officials are unable to say whether gifts to the Reagans have been stolen or are lost inside the massive museum complex. . . . more

Library plan faces revisions after defeat

Louisville Courier-Journal

Everything is on the table -- except new taxes.

That was Mayor Jerry Abramson's message to Louisville Free Public Library leaders one day after voters overwhelmingly rejected an occupational tax increase that would have paid for new and renovated libraries, Abramson spokesman Chad Carlton said. . . . more

TOP TEN NEW LIBRARIANS REVEALED

24 Hour Museum

The judging panel, comprised of winners from last year’s ‘Top Ten Librarians of the Future’, were looking for entrants who challenged the outdated perception of librarianship as a stamping books and tidying shelves career.

This year’s winners included Emma Sherriff, who has been hosting karaoke sessions at the library in Plymouth; and Sam Davies of Manchester Library and Information Service, who set up live gigs and open mic sessions at his library. . . . more

Juvenile books with sex line phone number pulled from Collier libraries

Naples News, Naples, Fla.

Collier County Public Libraries has pulled 28 books from the Magic Attic series off the shelves as of this morning.

The move follows a news report out of Hillsborough County on Wednesday that a phone number in the back of some of the books in the series, aimed at 9-12 year old girls, was sold after the series went out of publication and now belongs to a phone sex line. . . . more

Florence Nightingale letter found at Auckland library

New Zealand Herald, Auckland, New Zealand

A letter from Florence Nightingale to George Grey before he took up a second term as Governor of New Zealand is among an exhibition of "Treasures" from the special collections at Auckland City Library.

"God bless you," she tells Grey while he was Governor of Cape Colony in South Africa. "You will do a noble work in New Zealand." . . . more

Alchemists of British Library preserve heritage

Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Bending over a mediaeval parchment, the curator carefully applies her "butterfly stitch" of minute strips of tissue to a rip in the age-browned paper.

The adhesive dabbed on the tissue is made from the bladder of a sturgeon, one of the centuries-old techniques used by the alchemists of the British Library to restore its ancient books.

more

Sentry Technology Wins Library Self-Service Contract

CNN

RONKONKOMA, N.Y., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sentry Technology Corporation announced today that the Calgary Public Library placed an order for an additional eight QuickCheck(TM) self-service kiosks. This is the fourth order for QuickCheck(TM) systems by Calgary following a public tender process. When the installation of the latest order is complete the library will have twenty-two self-service systems in service. . . . more

A question of security

Worcester Magazine, Worcester, Mass.

When operations at the Worcester courthouse finally moved to the newly opened Regional Justice Center at 225 Main St., the Worcester Law Library became the lone tenant at the old place, leaving its three librarians understandably nervous.

While the new place is a bright and shiny state-of-art facility, the old courthouse remains the dark and dingy haunt it has been for decades. While security in the new $180 million building is tight, the old courthouse has one guard at its entrance. . . . more

NY Public Library Honors Scorsese

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese has won yet another laurel.

Along with three others, he has been named a Library Lion by the New York Public Library.

Scorsese, a native New Yorker who grew up in Little Italy and won his first Oscar last year for "The Departed," was honored Monday along with historian John Hope Franklin, author Jhumpa Lahiri and playwright Tom Stoppard. . . . more

Libraries to be 'new channel' for direct marketing

Guardian, U.K.

A scheme to put thousands of advertisements into library books will find borrowers taking home a little more than they had bargained for.

Up to 500,000 inserts a month are due to be handed out by libraries in Essex, Somerset, Bromley, Leeds and Southend. . . . more

How libraries can help you make money, part one

The first in an ongoing feature on how libraries have helped businesses grow.

Congressman Dennis Cardoza

Whereas Ernest Gallo, with his brother Julio Gallo, founded E.&J. Gallo Winery at the end of the Prohibition Era in 1933, beginning with only $5,900 in savings and a winemaking pamphlet from the Modesto Public Library to make their first batch, growing their small family-owned winery into the world's second largest by volume, and selling an estimated 75,000,000 cases a year worldwide under approximately 100 different labels . . .

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress honors the life of Ernest Gallo, a pioneer in the field of winemaking, dedicated philanthropist, and community leader. . . . more

More on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act

Some Web sites that offer a little explanation of the implications of this new law.

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act

Government Printing Office

This bill became Public Law 110-84 on Oct. 1. Like all federal legislation, it is immensely complicated. Reading new laws is like reading a science textbook: you end up having to refer to another textbook (if you can find it) to know what it's talking about, and then you have to refer to another textbook to figure out what the second textbook is talking about, and so on.

At the moment I have no way of knowing how it will affect me or, basically, anyone else in this country. However, it does talk about student loan forgiveness for public service employees, and it includes library science students in that category.

I would encourage you to read the whole bill and try to find someone who can make some sense of it. I plan to do that, and will report back to you on what I find out. In the meantime, here is what I believe to be the pertinent language for anyone pursuing or considering pursuing an advanced degree in library science:

TITLE IV--LOAN FORGIVENESS

SEC. 401. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES.

``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall cancel the balance of
interest and principal due, in accordance with paragraph (2), on
any eligible Federal Direct Loan not in default for a borrower
who--

``(B)(i) is employed in a public service job at the
time of such forgiveness;

``(B) Public service job.--The term `public service
job' means--
``(i) a full-time job in . . .
public library sciences, school-based library
sciences and other school-based services . . . . more

Proposal to set up electronic manuscript library

The Hindu, New Delhi

NEW DELHI: In a bid to archive the manuscripts tracked down by the National Manuscripts Mission in its four-and-a-half-year-long existence, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) plans to create a National Electronic Manuscript Library.

This was informed by IGNCA Trust president Chinmaya R. Garekhan during a media briefing here on Thursday at the close of a four-day meeting of the representatives of 80 Manuscript Resource Centres and Manuscript Conservation Centres. . . . more

Libraries honor freedom to read banned books

Salt Lake Tribune

The Salt Lake County library system recently participated in the 26th annual Banned Books Week, an event sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and a host of other literary organizations.
Banned Books Weeks is somewhat of a misnomer. ALA officials say the event is really about:
* Celebrating our freedom to read.
* Emphasizing the importance of the right to express opinions, no matter how unorthodox or unpopular.
* Ensuring the availability of such views to all who wish to read them. . . . more

Rwanda: The Library Comes to the People

AllAfrica.com

The topic of Rwanda's reading culture, or lack thereof, has been the subject of lengthy discussions over the years. The recent launch of a riding library has brought the topic back into the lime light.

The 3B project, as it is officially called, was conceived by the association Ishyo, a grouping created in 2005 that brings together eight women from all walks of life, with the aim of promoting culture in all its form. Its most eye-catching component is the Biblio Bus, a truck that has been transformed into a library carrying 4000 books with stories, tales and images in Kinyarwanda, English and French. . . .
more

Baby blues gives birth to Mum’s book

Herts24.co, Hertfordshire, UK

Post-natal depression is what set Clare Burgess on the road to becoming a children's author.

She dabbled in cookery, the art of fencing , aerobics, power walking, health and nutrition before finally finding that writing for children hit the spot.

So she joined The Hertford Writers Group, and, being a Hoddesdon girl born and bred, took up a weekly vigil in the town's library and set about writing a novel. . . . more

Library interfaith panel to explore religious holidays

Indianapolis Star

FISHERS -- The community can learn and ask questions about three of the world's oldest religions when Christian, Jewish and Islamic holidays are discussed at a Nov. 13 forum.

The Fishers Library will host an interfaith panel at 7 p.m. led by the Rev. Timothy Brock, senior pastor of White River Christian Church in Noblesville, Rabbi Jon Adland of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation and Imam Shaker Rashid of the Alhuda Foundation in Fishers. . . . more

Library gets £1.5m lottery grant

BBC News

The Battle Library in Oxford Road, Reading, won £1,469,808 from the National Lottery to turn the facility into a "focal point for the community". . . . more

Singapore marks first Library Week

ChannelNewsAsia.com

SINGAPORE: It has been 50 years since the Raffles National Library Ordinance was enacted, marking the start of free library services to the public in Singapore.

According to the Library Association of Singapore, there are now more than 40 libraries in the city-state, with 23 public libraries under the National Library Board network. . . . more

Largo officials give nod to liquor in library, city parks

Largo Leader, Seminole, Fla.

Commissioner Mary Gray Black said she would hold off on giving full support for the changes, saying she has received several telephone calls from residents objecting to them.

“I have received several phone calls from people who don’t want alcohol anywhere in the library but would accept that if it were limited to the Jenkins Room,” she said.

Mike Staffopoulos, the assistant city manager, said city planners don’t want alcoholic beverages to be limited to the large Jenkins meeting room. . . . more

Monster Employment Index Edges Up Two Points in October

TradingMarkets.com

[O]nline opportunities for occupations in education, training and library - as well as community and social services - eased in October, as school, colleges and non-profit organizations wound down their fall semester hiring. . . . more

Correction

A reader pointed out recently that a post on this blog incorrectly identified the Sequoyah Regional Library System as being based in Davis, Calif. The system is actually based in Cherokee County, Ga., and several other communities north of metropolitan Atlanta.

The link in that post has been disabled. Please follow this link for more information.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
John Leonard

Nasty, dangerous things

The Economist magazine

The Talmud and the Koran allege that a library existed before the creation of the world. The Vedas take this singular idea one audacious step further: a library existed before the creator himself. Such is the fabulous potency of the idea of the book. But books are considered as much of a menace as they are a blessing. “Books on Fire”, written by a French historian who specialises in Chinese and Arab studies, is about those who regarded books as a threat—and consequently burnt them.

Books educate people and educated people ask awkward questions of those who govern them. The educated, in short, are considered ungovernable. Better to keep people ignorant of the past and to concentrate their minds upon the fanciful utopia that lies ahead. Thus thought Chairman Mao, and many dictators who came before him. . . . more

Getting spooky at the library

The Scope, Innisfil, Ontario

Sometimes, the library can be a scary place.

That was never more evident than on Saturday. Several children braved the creepy costumes of staff and the dark lighting at the Innisfil Public Library's Churchill and Alcona branches, during annual Spookfest celebrations. . . . more

Funding overdue for libraries

The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Library users in Pictou and Antigonish counties have launched a letter-writing campaign to Premier Rodney MacDonald, lobbying the government to increase funding for libraries.

Library goers in these counties were recently notified the library has stopped ordering new books and halted training for staff in an attempt to save money. Without these measures, the library was looking at a $50,000 to $60,000 shortfall by the end of the year. . . more

A little effort, great job

Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh

It is a different scene at remote Ramanathpur village in Khoksa upazila in Kushtia. Unlike in other villages, people there have developed the habit of reading, thanks to a local philanthropic organisation. . . . more

Library leadership

CEO Forum, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia

ceoforum.com.au: What have you found the biggest differences having a leadership role in an organisation like a State Library, when compared to the multinational companies you had previously worked for?

RS: I guess a lot of the broader strategic systems and procedures that you would take for granted in a global company - such as a well thought out human capital and knowledge management framework, marketing and communications strategies to raise awareness of your brand, and formal business process improvement initiatives to drive efficiency improvements - were less developed than I expected. We are starting to implement some of these now at the Library within our new strategic framework. . . . more

Quiet of the library shattered

The West Australian, Perth, WA

Libraries are serious places, centres of order, restraint and control. These repositories of knowledge, culture and history are no laughing matter. So why is new ABC comedy The Librarians so funny?

The show is set in a suburban library and centres on a highly strung head librarian who rules her staff as though they were a group of miscreant high school children. Her quiet, ordered world is turned upside-down when, in an amusing plot contrivance, she is forced to employ her ex-best friend, forcing long-buried emotions to the surface. . . . more

High School Libraries Offer Coffee Shops

Associated Press

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Even before the bell rings each morning, students at Centennial High School are lined up to get into the library. But they aren't necessarily looking for books.

They are waiting for a morning cup of joe at the Cougar Cafe, a coffee shop run by students.

Coffeehouses are springing up in high school libraries around the country, marking a big departure from the days when librarians sternly prohibited food, drinks and talking. . . . more

New round of library closures threatened

Times Online, U.K.

Proposals to close library buildings across England are being explored by a government advisory body even though more than 100 buildings are estimated to have been lost in the past two years, The Times has learnt.

Two years ago a damning report by the Commons Select Committee for Culture condemned the shabby and neglected public library services, with their backlog of building repairs and refurbishments. MPs had urged the Government to give libraries access to lottery money, calculating that up to two thirds of a billion pounds would be needed to wipe out the backlog of repairs. . . . more

3M signs deals with Checkpoint for library products

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journals

3M Co. and Checkpoint Systems Inc. said Monday they signed a joint agreement to expand each company's services in the library market.

Under terms of the sales and marketing deal, Maplewood-based 3M's (NYSE: MMM) Library Systems will become the exclusive reseller of Checkpoint's line of library security and productivity products. Checkpoint will continue selling those products directly to libraries.

more

N.Y. Public Library Gets Hepburn Papers

Associated Press

When Hepburn died in 2003, the trustees of her estate chose to donate papers from her film career to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library. They decided to donate papers from her extensive though less-known stage career to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

"Miss Hepburn didn't throw away much, so there are boxes and boxes and roomfuls of material," McFadden said. . . . more

Video game tournaments draw teens to library

The Southern, southern Illinois

CARBONDALE - There aren't many places where the names Twain, Fitzgerald and Orwell sit under the same roof as the Super Smash Brothers, but you can add the Carbondale Library to that list.

Beginning this Friday the library will start hosting monthly video game tournaments and weekly game play sessions on its Nintendo Wii console. This Friday's game is the uber-popular Super Smash Brothers.

Mary Stoner, adult and youth services librarian said, despite what skeptics might think, video games do have a place in the library. . . . more

WTOL Editorial: Let's say 'yes' to the library levy

WTOL-TV, Toledo

The Library levy should be approved.

The Toledo Lucas County Public Library is a crown jewel of our community. And as far as your tax dollars go, hey, you've gotten your money's worth.

I'm standing in the main library (he is, just watch the video). This is an amazing place.

It has an area dedicated to children. It's about discovery and learning and it 'wows' every time. . . . more

Domestic violence shelter gets new library

Daily Herald, suburban Chicago

The books are a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

When mothers who are victims of domestic violence choose to leave home in the middle of the night, they often don't take much with them.

So, for their children, things like books or toys can be comforting reminders of home.

Children at Mutual Ground, Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Aurora, may be feeling a little more at home these days thanks to a new children's library. . . . more

Ready to read? At Lititz library, canine helpers are all ears

Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, Pa.

LITITZ, Pa - Lititz kindergartner Mara Hessler is just learning how to read. Furry golden retriever Dixie doesn't know how to read at all.

Put the two together and you have PAWS for Reading, a program at Lititz Public Library that partners young new readers with canine listeners that never criticize, judge or get impatient.

Only very rarely will they bark, and usually in approval. . . . more

Librarian gets state award

Daily Democrat, Woodland, Calif.

Woodland Library Services Director Paul Miller will be receiving a state award Sunday for his outstanding work with the board of trustees.

The California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners, or CALTAC, award will be presented to Miller during the California Library Association Conference in Long Beach.

Miller, who took on the job of library director in August 2004, was nominated for the recognition by George Goding, president of the Woodland Public Library Board of Trustees. . . .

Miller says his approach was fairly simple - he started out by listening to the Board of Trustees, Friends of the Library and the library staff to find out what changes they wanted, and then he took on a few of the suggestions as projects.

"They all just seemed to have years of pent up desires for the library," Miller said. . . . more

Removal of library books in Bedford County schools prompts process review

News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.

The removal of two books from school libraries in Bedford County since August has sparked a system-wide review of how the schools select library books and how they should handle challenges to a book’s content.

In both cases, administrators at the schools pulled the books from the shelves after parental complaints. While the school system’s general policy on content challenges calls for a formal committee’s review of the book, that policy was not followed with either book. . . . more

Concert in a public library? What's next, wings and draft beer?

CantonRep.com, Canton, Ohio

On Oct. 13, I arrived at the Jackson Township Stark County branch library to do some financial research on its computer system. To my surprise, a musical concert with audience participation was under way inside the library. This library is not a large structure, and it also has an open architecture that doesn't permit one much solace from sounds emanating in any part of the building. . . . more

Reagan Library: They Don't Stop Democrats at the Door

LAist

My folks are Republicans. I am not. On a recent visit from the East Coast, they wanted to go to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. I kinda didn't. But since they were only in town for a few days -- to see me and I wanted to spend time with them -- I put our political differences aside and drove them out to Simi Valley (via the 118 -- the Ronald Regan Freeway).

I had a better time than I expected. Seeing a president's propaganda history preserved was pretty cool. (They really gloss over Iran-Contra
and his House Un-American Activities Committee participation.) But the grounds were cool, and the library houses a retired Air Force One and Marine One in a hangar. Visitors get to go inside Air Force One, which was the highlight of the day. . . . more

European libraries face problems in digitalizing

International Herald Tribune

PARIS: In the early stages of its planning, the European Digital Library held the promise of a counterstrike to Google domination of digital archives through the search engine's vast book search project and powerful alliances with American universities.

But as the European project prepares for its debut early next year, the 80 museums, film institutes and national libraries involved are facing the reality of limited government funding for the enormous task of digitizing material, and they are now developing a new realism about striking a variety of alliances with private companies, including national deals with Google. . . .more

Library plan is only sound option

Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.

The return on investment is dramatic -- most studies show a return of $3 in community benefits for every $1 invested in public libraries. The levy ensures that the library will be able to build and operate the facilities that the community wants and needs for the next 100 years. And it exempts retired seniors who already have contributed their share to vital community resources such as the public library system. . . . more

The Wisdom of Crowds

YourHub.com

In 2004, James Surowiecki wrote a book called "The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations."

The basic idea is this: if you quickly poll a bunch of people about what they think is true, the mean of their guesses is usually close to right. Surowiecki marshaled a lot of evidence to prove the point.

I tested this recently at a gathering of high level librarians. By that, I mean the folks who run state libraries, or are deans of university library systems, or manage multi-state library networks. I asked, "Which technological trend or idea, in your judgment, will have the biggest effect on libraries over the next 5-10 years?"

I didn't give them any time to think about or discuss it -- just respond.

Both to my surprise and theirs, three clear trends emerged. . . . more

California Library System wins Award for Use of RFID

RFID News

Davis, Calif., based Sequoyah Regional Library System received the 2007 Excalibur Award for small organizations for its use of Apex RFID technology, developed by the Integrated Technology Group (ITG).

The fuss about Albus

Times of India

At Mumbai’s Utpal Shanghvi School, principal Abha Dharam Pal has told the librarian to discourage children from borrowing Harry Potter for the Diwali vacation. Pal hasn’t read the series but is quite clear about her decision. “I announced that no child would be given a Potter book, but as it turned out not a single student has asked for the books so far. They know what it will imply,” she says. . . . more

Harry Potter series removed from local Catholic School's library

WHDH-TV, Boston

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- A local Catholic high school has banned the Harry Potter series from their library.

The books were removed at the St. Joseph School in Wakefield because the school feels that the books have themes of witchcraft and sorcery. . . . more

Public libraries and Kaakbay

Inquirer.net, Philippines

The business of promoting literacy cannot be left only to the classroom teachers. Libraries need to support the difficult job of teaching. And on especially tiring teaching days, teachers need to be reminded by administrators and librarians about the wonderful and timeless legacy of books.

For those who feel computers and technology are the ultimate answer to all that is wanting in the educational system today, do be reminded that books and ideas endure forever. . . .more

The Library

The Lookout News (Santa Monica, Calif)

In an age of laptops and search engines, it seems libraries would go the way of the stone tablet. Thankfully, the Santa Monica Library Main Branch, at 6th and Santa Monica, is one which has kept up with the times by transforming itself into what students of library science now refer to as “information centers.”

It is anything but musty. The cavernous two-level facility feels like a Swedish modernist experiment-meets-Battlestar Gallactica. Its gray cement floors, stainless steel railings, glass panels, beehive-looking ceiling lamps and monotone color scheme make some operating rooms look downright cozy. . . . more

Hanoi hosts Marguerite Duras photo exhibition

Thanh Nien News (Vietnam)

The Vietnam National Library and Hanoi’s Center for French Culture, L’Espace, are holding a photo exhibition running through November 5 on the life and works of Marguerite Duras, French author of The Lover.

The exhibition displays thirty-five photos from Duras’ life and work, including pictures taken from her high school years in Saigon (the pre-liberation name of Ho Chi Minh City). . . . more

Christian activist found dead in Gaza

Middle East Times (Egypt)

October 7, 2007

GAZA CITY -- A Christian activist was found dead in Hamas-run Gaza Strip Sunday with signs of torture on his body, after receiving threats and being followed by strangers, medics and his family said.

The body of Rami Khader Ayyad was found by Hamas police at a farm near Gaza City, a day after he was reportedly kidnapped. Medics said the 31-year-old died of two gunshot wounds to his head and his body showed signs of torture.

Ayyad ran a library of the Bible Association run by the Baptist Church, one of the few organizations for the tiny Christian community in Gaza, where Islamist Hamas seized power in mid-June.

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School libraries important

BOPA Daily News Archive (Botswana)

SEROWE - The International School Library Day, which was incepted in 1999, drew attention to the significance of school libraries in childrens education.

Marking the day on Monday, which was celebrated under the theme, Learning: Powered by your School Library, the Library Officer at the Serowe Library, Ms Victoria Sekani said the theme highlighted the importance of school libraries, as the driving force in the learning process. . . . more

Calendar Girls 2008 - Get your sizzling copy NOW!

San Pedro Sun (Belize)

With their second edition now released the Calendar Club gears up for yet another fruitful year with one set goal – to provide financial and educational opportunities to the children of Ambergris Caye. Their first edition, Isla Bonita Calendar Girls 2006, showcased the beauty of our environment and of the “young at heart” ladies willing to take their clothes off for a good cause. . . . more

Virtual library in Madagascar opens Saturday

AngolaPress

Paris, 10/21 - A virtual library as well as 12 reading and community art centres (CLAC) will be opened Saturday in Madagascar, according to the International Organization of the Francophonie (IOF), which funded the project. . . . more

An Arab outlook into Imperial Brazil

Brazil-Arab News Agency

São Paulo – The only known record of the outlook of a Muslim Arab into the Brazilian society in the 19th Century. This is the content of book "Deleite do estrangeiro em tudo o que é espantoso e maravilhoso: estudo de um relato de viagem bagdali" (Foreign delight in all that is surprising and marvellous: a study of a Baghdadi trip), to be launched tomorrow (24) at Itamaraty Palace, in Brazilian capital Brasília. . . . more

LC, UNESCO Sign World Digital Library Agreement

Library Journal

Less than a year after Librarian of Congress James H. Billington detailed for international librarians at UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) headquarters in Paris initial plans to create a global digital library, Billington returned to Paris last week to announce that LC and UNESCO have signed a deal pledging "cooperative efforts" to make the World Digital Library web site a reality. . . . more

Five books on terrorism you aren’t allowed to read

SpikedOnline.com

In recent years, a Saudi billionaire has sued various authors and publishers of books about terrorism in England’s archaic libel courts.

As a consequence, some important books on terror and the ‘war on terror’ are simply no longer available in the UK. Some have been withdrawn by publishers following libel rulings that found in favour of the Saudi billionaire; others have been withdrawn by publishers following threats of libel action by the Saudi’s lawyers. In some instances, the books were thrown into pulping machines so that all evidence of their existence was destroyed. . . . more

Materials Missing At Library Of Congress

Washington Post


About one-sixth of the books, monographs and bound periodicals at the Library of Congress weren't where they were supposed to be because of flaws in the systems for shelving and retrieving materials, according to a survey to be made public at a congressional hearing today.

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Library behind bars gets forced into closet

Toronto Star

Darlene Soares helped a lot of guys escape from jail. Oh, relax. She put no files in cakes. She ran the library at the Toronto Jail. She gave out books.

Not any more.

We met in her apartment building the other day. She took me back to the beginning. "I was a legal secretary for 20 years. After I retired, I started working as a volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, at Old City Hall. One day we went over to the jail for a visit and I found myself filling out an application as a volunteer."

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Congo Nya opens library at Angoy's Avenue

Stabroek News, Guyana

Residents of the Angoy's Avenue community should not have much time to be "idle" since the Congo Nya Cultural Foundation Library & DVD Club was recently launched to keep them occupied. Ivelaw James, who spearheads the library and the Congo Nya group, said the library has already started to bring about positive changes among persons. The aim of establishing the library is "to get people to read more." He said since the formation of the African cultural group in the 1980s he wanted to open a library for the people in the community. But this dream was not possible then, since he had not acquired enough books. . . . (more)

Business, labor leaders endorse library tax

Business First of Louisville

Some prominent local business and labor leaders on Tuesday endorsed a ballot measure to improve Louisville's library system by increasing taxes.

Joe Reagan, president of Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce; Rocky Comito, president of the United Auto Workers Local 862; Charlie Clephas, president of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council; and David Jones Sr., co-founder of Humana Inc., were expected to gather at the Shively Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library this morning to express their support for the measure, which will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. . . . (more)

Gates Foundation makes grants to keep library computers current

Seattlepi.com/AP

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday announced plans to give $8.3 million in grants to help keep library computers up-to-date in 10 states.

Library branches in Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wyoming are eligible for computer hardware grants in this first round in a series of new grants, the foundation said. The money will be targeted toward poor communities. . . . more

Library map thief gives himself up

Times Online (UK)

The mystery thief of some of the rarest maps in the world has been unmasked after a worldwide investigation by Spanish police that led them to Britain, Australia, America and Argentina.

Spanish detectives flew this weekend to Buenos Aires after a man there admitted to stealing up to 19 valuable maps from a collection held at the Spanish National Library, some more than 500 years old. . . . (more)

Libraries Shun Deals to Place Books on Web

Several major research libraries have rebuffed offers from Google and Microsoft to scan their books into computer databases, saying they are put off by restrictions these companies want to place on the new digital collections.

The research libraries, including a large consortium in the Boston area, are instead signing on with the Open Content Alliance, a nonprofit effort aimed at making their materials broadly available. . . . (more)

San Jose mayor wants to block online porn at libraries

SAN JOSE, Calif.—The mayor of San Jose supports a new plan to block library patrons' access to online pornography.

Mayor Chuck Reed says it's the right way to keep children from viewing sexually explicit material on library computers. . . . (more)

Leaders step up, show boys reading is manly

ROCKFORD (Ill.) - Reading is getting a new reputation among students at Stiles Elementary School on the city’s far west side. . . . (more)

Moving in, book by book

Three weeks later, and we’re back online. But, you know, amid the confusion surrounding my recent house-move, lack of co-operation from both my Internet provider and my apparently exhausted motherboard, and fear that Re:Print would never again see the light of day, there was an upside. I got to read—a lot. . . . (more)

Library hosts literacy benefit

About 460 Phoenix Public Library supporters attended Dinner in the Stacks on Saturday evening at Burton Barr Central Library. The hushed atmosphere of the ... (more)