[Joshua Zehner created the commercial, and its incarnation on YouTube
was blogged by Steve Backs at
Blog about the Library.]
“… And Good Will Toward Men”?
Posted November 30, 2006
The obligatory annual Xmas Season Segment of the ongoing Culture Wars has
officially begun, at least
in this Denver subdivision. No, this news story isn’t about a book or a
library, but it does raise issues all (U.S.) public libraries face these
days as librarians throughout the land try - a bit more thoughtfully than
of yore, perhaps - to put up non-offensive book displays commemorating the
holiday season. Let the head-scratching (and the carping) begin....
Two More Tools for Extracting LibraryLand Nuggets from the Internet
Posted November 30, 2006
Earlier this month we alerted our
readers to the advent of LISZEN.
Now comes a blog-searching tool called
LibWorm. And ALA has gotten into the Customized Google Search act by
creating something called
Librarian’s Library.
Which of these and other yet-to-be-developed search tools will emerge as
the customized search engine of choice for librarians, we wonder? In the
meantime, it's great to see so many tech-savvy librarians inventing ways
to more easily cope with the exponentially-expanding biblioblogosphere.
If you'd like to see some interesting stats about Georgia’s PINES system
and get an update about the PINES-generated Evergreen - the integrated
library system that many at AFPL hope will eventually replace SIRSI -
read this.
Learning from Customer Service Failures
Posted November 30, 2006
Favorite blogquote du jour: “It is not sustainable for an organization
to claim that it seeks to deliver excellent customer service and then have
no reliable, consistent and continuous measurement of actual service
delivery.” From
”Service Failure: Seize the Opportunity”, quoted (at greater length)
by Indiana public librarian Steve Backs in a recent posting to
Blog about the Library.
Service Desk Alert: Another Bibliography-Making Tool
Posted November 29, 2006
There are several software products on the market designed to create
book lists. Next time a student asks for help in doing a bibliography,
or next time a staff member needs to cobble together a book list to give
away to library users, he/she/you might try using EasyBib,
an Internet-based list maker that allows you to create (free) list while
advertising the non-free version.
[Cited by blogger
Lorcan Dempsey, who found it among some links posted by
Steve Lawson, who found it - and several other suggested list-makers -
among the responses to a query at
LifeHacker.]
Dept. of Deja Vu: Race Discrimination Lawsuit in DeKalb County
Posted November 28, 2006
This is really more of a "GovernmentLand" than a "LibraryLand" bulletin
(and thank goodness for that), but over the Thanksgiving weekend a federal
appeals court judge ruled that a lawsuit alleging that DeKalb County
officials sought to replace White underlings with less-qualified Black ones
may proceed.
Some of the particulars in the DeKalb lawsuit are extradinarily similar
to the comments and decisions of governing officials that led to a
race discrimination lawsuit six years ago
involving Fulton County's library system. The
story published last week by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
contains some of those particulars.
Looks like the taxpayers of DeKalb County may soon be geting an expensive
dose of what the taxpayers in Fulton got when the county settled its lawsuit
for $18+ million.
Michigan Library Shuts Down Its Public Internet Access Terminals
Posted November 28, 2006
Mortifed by the pornography some of its patrons were accessing on its
computers, the library's director pulled the plug until staff can decide
how to better handle the porn-viewing members of the public.
Details from Michigan's Macomb Daily.
Parents Want Maya Angelou's Autobiography Removed from School Curriculum
Posted November 28, 2006
Due to the sheer number of protested books in public and school libraries
across the country, AFPLWATCH usually limits its alerts to book-protesting
incidents in Georgia - such as the
Harry Potter-banning attempt that's due to be decided next month.
We depart from this practice, however, to relay an almost-incomprehensible
LISNews-reported
incident involving a set of parents in Wisconsin who want to remove
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings from their school system's reading
list because (are you ready?) it describes Angelou's rape and
subsequent pregnancy.
Library System Facilities Plan Includes Branch in "Milton County"
Posted November 27, 2006
U.S. Military Monitored Anti-War Meetings in Libraries
Posted November 27, 2006
A spokesman for the military confirms that the information-gathering did
happen, was a mistake, and isn't being done any longer; some are skeptical
of that claim.
Read the Herald Tribune story.
Perhaps we should add a disclaimer to AFPL's meeting room application that
reads:
"Despite your constitutional right to peaceably assemble, the
meeting room applicant should realize that U.S. government agents may be
entering into its anti-terrorism database the names of those conducting
and attending your meeting. Should the purpose of your meeting be deemed
incompatible with (or hostile to) the goals, values, and tactics of the
current U.S. President, assemble at your own risk."
Holiday Gift Idea for Librarians: Temporary Tattoos
Posted November 22, 2006
For a mere 8 bucks, you can order a whole set of these things!
Details.
Gwinnett's Acting Library Director Gets the Permanent Job
Posted November 20, 2006
After Gwinnett County's library board fired Pinder last summer, apparently
not many people applied for her suddenly-vacant job.
Details from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Zadie Smith: Reading is Not "Entertainment"
Posted November 20, 2006
On Beauty author Zadie Smith, recently interviewed on the Santa Monica,
California-based radio station KCRW's "Bookworm" program, says that reading
is more like sitting down to play the piano than it is watching a movie.
Listen to the interview.
Meanwhile, AFPL staff still haven't received the many-times-promised
instructions for temporarily disabling the filter from a terminal when an
adult library patron wants the unfiltered access the federal courts have
guaranteed to adult users of Internet terminals in public libraries.
After years of staff begging for these instructions and never getting them,
we can only surmise that the Fulton County Powers That Be are waiting
for a lawsuit to be filed here in Georgia before getting around to issuing
those instructions.
Missouri Library Employee Who Refused to Work Sundays Wins Lawsuit
Posted November 17, 2006
It would be intersting to learn if the
ruling in this federal lawsuit has ramifications for library workers
required to work at AFPL branches open on Sundays.
Michigan Librarian Files Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Posted November 18, 2006
The 62-year-old plaintiff claims she's being pushed out of the library to
make way for a less-qualified 30-year-old. Meanwhile, her 53-year-old
predecessor has also filed her own age discrimination lawsuit.
Details.
Police Shoot UCLA Library User with Taser
Posted November 18, 2006
The incident, involving a person in the library without proper ID, was
videotaped by an
onlooker with her cellphone.
Details.
British Government Consultant's Advice for More Successful Libraries:
Highlight 'Racy' Books, Hire 'More Photogenic' Staff, Ditch the 'Librarian' Moniker
Posted November 18, 2006
We absolutely love one of the alternative terms for "librarian" a reader of this
report heard someone suggest: "information choreographer"!
Bye, Bye, Fulton - Hello Milton?
Posted November 16, 2006
A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial claims that
specific legislation enabling the re-establishment of Milton County out of
northern Fulton County will definitely be introduced early when the
legislature convenes again next January. The editorial includes some
interesting numbers, as well as referring to some recent county history,
including the library race discrimination lawsuit. There's also this
statement:
"Fulton taxes and spends double the state average on libraries, but reports
below-state-average library materials usage."
$185 Million More Needed to Fix County Jail
Posted November 16, 2006
The skyrocketing costs of maintaining "PrisonLand" in Fulton County will
certainly affect the annual budgets for other county services, like
libraries, for years to come. On the other hand, the library system's
annual upkeep costs are quite a bargain compared to the $65,000-per-year
cost of imprisoning a Fulton County inmate.
Details of the latest (and also expensive) jail consultant's report are
reported in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Shooting at Chicago Public Library
Posted November 16, 2006
Toronto Library Worker Extradited for 1969 Shooting of U.S. Policeman
Posted November 16, 2006
Details from a posting earlier this month at ALA's website.
We've Heard of Book Exhibits, but This Takes the Proverbial Cake
Posted November 16, 2006
As Bibliophile Bullpen
puts it, "British artist Su Blackwell has been doing some beautifully
naughty things lately with books." Take a look at
these amazingly imaginative works of book-based art.
Wouldn't it be interesting for AFPL to someday sponsor an exhibit of
book-based art created by local artists, and display it in the Central Library
and then circulate the exhibit to branch libraries?
Re-Programming Libraries for Virtual Users
Posted November 15, 2006
"Librarian in Black" Sarah Houghton-Jan has posted to her blog some of the
highlights from librarianship guru Stephen Abrams's disconcerting keynote
address to the recent annual conference of the California Library Association.
If you want to get even more disconcerted, read "Travelin' Librarian"
Michael Sauers' blogpost
of a Colorado Association of Libraries conference presentation sub-titled
"How Popular Trends in Technology Can (And Should) Be Put to Use in Your
Library."
Why are news of these recent presentations "disconcerting"? Because
they both will remind you of all the technology outreach-related issues
AFPL administrators have been neglecting for years. (That neglect began
the day several years ago that Mary Kaye Hooker ran off the library system's former Technical
Services Division manager; her successors have not yet hired that individual's
replacement.)
What a particularly unfortunate time for AFPL to have not had on its staff
for so very long a competent, forward-looking Technical Services Manager
to help guide the institution into adapting promising technologies that
would help AFPL fulfill its mission among computer-savvy citizens - its
users who prefer, for whatever reasons, to virtually interact with
libraries (and librarians) instead of actually visiting them.
"The User is Not Broken" - Not Even the Younger User
Posted November 15, 2006
Interesting commentary by "It's All Good" blogger Alane includes this
excerpt of an article she quotes:
"...in any other industry, the discovery that your potential future
customers weren't interested in buying your product would prompt an
investigation into whether there was something wrong with the product."
More Libraries and Librarians Posting Book Reviews on the Internet
Posted November 15, 2006; updated November 21, 2006
Illinois librarian Rick Roche is asking the readers of his
blog to help him compile a list of library websites and blogs where
librarians post book reviews (as distinguished from recommended book lists -
such as the online booklists
the Morton Grove Public Library, also in Illinois, keeps track of via its
"Reader's Corner").
Here's what Rick, his readers, and a Google Custom Search have come up with
so far:
Perhaps one day Rick will be able to add to this list a staff-reviews
blog sponsored by AFPL? (Or, better, a blog or a wiki that AFPL's users,
as well as library employees, can post their reviews to?)
Stabbing at Toronto Public Library
Posted November 14, 2006
Dept. of Humorous Blog Entries: The Lesser-Known Proofreader's Marks
Posted November 13, 2006
We've always wished that certain memo/email authors at AFPL were forced to
submit their drafts to an editor before unleashing them upon a hapless
workforce. Here are some dandy
proofreading marks such an editor would doubtless find herself using quite often with some of The
Main Offenders' screeds.
Some Public Libraries Teaching Way-Beyond-the-Basics Computer Classes
Posted November 10, 2006
Princton Public Library's Technology Training Librarian [!] Janie Hermann
recently tried to find out what sorts of computer classes various larger
public library systems are offering these days. Since PPL sponsors a lively
staff blog - as well as a fab
wiki for booklovers - Janie was able to post her findings and comments, and her readers were able to post their comments as well. All of it - including a
reader's that public libraries should never have gotten into the computer
class-teaching business in the first place - is thought-provoking. Read
Janie's
blogpost.
Utah Library Was Apparently a Random Target for Bomb
Posted November 10, 2006
Library Journal has posted an
update on the motives of the guy who's been arrested for setting off a
bomb in September inside the Salt Lake City Public Library.
One of Three Outside Lawyers Hired by County Sheriff Resigns
Posted November 10, 2006
Apparently there's
disharmony as well as incompetence in
the Fulton County Sheriff's Department.
At least this resignation will save county taxpayers some money, provided the
sheriff is allowed to struggle on in his lawsuit with only two instead of
three outside attorneys - in addition to the county's own staff attorneys -
to help him with that.
Voters Approve Revenue-Earmarked License Plates
Posted November 10, 2006
No, they won't look like this, but some sort of "Rah, Rah Libraries!"
message will be available for library-loving people to purchase next year.
If enough people buy them, the extra money they'll cost will supposedly
trickle down (through the Georgia Center for the Book) to purchase
additional materials for Georgia's public libraries.
The purchase of the speciality plates may not generate much money, but the
free publicity of periodic public reminders that libraries exist will
probably be worth the trouble it took to get this measure onto the ballot
last week.
AFPL Ranks Low (Again) in Latest Hennen Ratings of Public Libraries
Posted November 9, 2006
The seventh annual Hennen Ratings were announced earlier this week. As usual,
Ohio libraries led the pack, with a suburban Cleveland system jumping from
4th place last year to 1st place this year.
Also as ususal, AFPL received a dismally low ranking: 441, vs.
top-scoring library systems in Ohio with rankings in the 800s and
900s.
Other metro Atlanta library system scores:
Clayton County PL - 285
Cobb County PL - 347
DeKalb County PL - 338
Gwinnett County PL - 627
Georgia's composite ranking among all U.S. states sank further toward the
bottom of the heap, falling from 44th last year to 47th this year.
This year's Hennen Rankings are available
here, and American Libraries published a
summary in its November issue.
Earlier this month Rick pointed out
what he likes about a similar book review service (this one limited to
staff-written reviews) that Wisconsin's Madison Public Library operates on
its website.
CMPL's "Reader's Club" and MPL's "MADreads" are the kind of thing that
AFPL should be experimenting with on its own website. Such a blog
would demonstrate the library system's tangible support of, and guidance for,
library users who intend to continue using their local libraries for (drum roll, please)
Good Reading Material instead of (or in addition to) free Internet connections.
Checklist for Public Library "Online Outreach"
Posted November 8, 2006
Warning: After scanning through Sarah's excellent slideshow to see how
AFPL is faring in this increasingly important aspect of public library
service, you may find yourself quietly weeping.
Booklover's Alert: Free Bookplate Designs
Posted November 8, 2006
Librarians and library patrons - especially kid-age patrons - who want to
put bookplates in their personal books don't need to settle for some
home-made, boring design.
These bookplates would be useful, too, for pasting inside any gift books
given out as an award for a library contest or as a personal gift to a
youngish recipient.
Service Desk Alert: Another Internet Tool for Anxious Voters
Posted November 3, 2006
Every time an election is about to be conducted, public libraries get lots
of people asking how they can find out where they're supposed to vote.
Some library workers at AFPL have long since bookmarked
the relevant website that can answer this question for Georgia citizens.
For those who haven't done that, there's another website tha will take you
to the Georgia voter registration site as well as to any other state's. We
heard about it yesterday on NPR's "Fresh Air" program, and it's called
Can I Vote Dot Org. Perhaps this site, with its easy-to-remember name,
will come in handy for those non-bookmarkers out there in AFPL-land between
now and this month's elections.
LISZEN uses Google technology to search
keywords in over 500 librarianship blogs. Since blogs are often where nifty
ideas and imaginative applications for libraries of low- and high-tech
first surface, you might want to bookmark LISZEN on your office computer.
Selector Alert: Is the "Best Science Book Ever Written" in Your Library?
Posted November 3, 2006
Last month, the British newspaper The Guardian announced the nominees and
the winner for "The Best Science Book Ever Written" contest. Although one
of the nominees was a Tom Stoppard play rather than a book, selectors may
want to be sure they've added the nominees - and certainly the winner - to
their library collections.
Read the Guardian article, which AFPLWATCH found out about via the
blog Conversational Reading.
Why Wait for E-Books? Welcome to LibriVox!
Posted November 3, 2006
AFPL staffers confronted by patrons who keep asking about the availability
of e-books can refer them to LibriVox, an Internet site that offers
downloadable audiobooks - for free - from works in the public domain (think
Famous Dead Authors like Jane Austen and Mark Twain).
Our thanks to Fade Theory
for alerting us to this volunteer-supported audio counterpart to
Project Gutenberg;
LibriVox has been around for over a year now, and we'd never heard of it.
.com
No, they won't look like this, but some sort of "Rah, Rah Libraries!"
message will be available for library-loving people to purchase next year.
If enough people buy them, the extra money they'll cost will supposedly
trickle down (through the Georgia Center for the Book) to purchase
additional materials for Georgia's public libraries.
Librarians and library patrons - especially kid-age patrons - who want to
put bookplates in their personal books don't need to settle for some
home-made, boring design.