September 2008 by American Libraries

NEWSMAKER Cory Doctorow

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TECH NEWS Gannett Database

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CONFIDENTIALITY Vermont

SEPTEMBER 2008

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

PRIVACY a national conversation

PLUS

AWARDS & HONORS: What Makes a Winner

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8/19/2008 11:41:38 AM

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CONTENTS AMERICAN LIBRARIES

September 2008

Cover Stories 56

THE FUTURE OF PRIVACY

With privacy under attack from all quarters, many wonder whether it’s an outdated expectation BY DANIEL J. SOLOVE

A PRIVACY VICTORY IN VERMONT A new law protects patron confidentiality BY TRINA MAGI

SPECIAL SECTION

WINNERS

This year’s crop of ALA award winners represents an impressive array of accomplishments

Cover design by Jennifer Palmer; photo by Robert Daly.

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CONTENTS AMERICAN LIBRARIES

SEPTEMBER 2008

VOLUME 39 #8

ISSN 0002-9769

Departments

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

30 47

TECH NEWS INTERNET LIBRARIAN The Right Question

BY JOSEPH JANES

DISPATCHES FROM THE FIELD

IN PRACTICE

Modular Management

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS

Technology Goes Local

BY MEREDITH FARKAS

PEOPLE

CURRENTS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

YOUTH MATTERS Novel Encounters

BY JENNIFER BUREK PIERCE

News 13 17 52

ALA U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL NEWSMAKER: Cory Doctorow

WORKING KNOWLEDGE

LIBRARIAN’S LIBRARY

ROUSING READS

Back to School Kid Lit Toolkit

BY MARY PERGANDER

BY MARY ELLEN QUINN

The Given Day

BY BILL OTT

SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES

OPINION AND COMMENTARY

Special Report 29

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIANS

FROM THE EDITOR

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Delusions of Privacy

BY LEONARD KNIFFEL

A Fundamental Freedom

READER FORUM

54 55

PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON MY MIND

BY JIM RETTIG

Letters and Comments

Consider the Jaybrarian

BY JEN WALLER

WILL’S WORLD

Rule-Benders Rule

BY WILL MANLEY

JOBS

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32 24

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FROM THE EDITOR | Contributors

Delusions of Privacy by Leonard Kniffel

Daniel J. Solove is a professor of law at George Washington University Law School and the author of Understanding Privacy (Harvard University Press, 2008), The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet (Yale University Press, 2007), and The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age (New York University Press, 2006). An internationally known expert in privacy law, Solove has been interviewed and quoted by the media in over 100 articles and broadcasts, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He has consulted in high-profile privacy law cases, contributed to amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court, and testified before Congress. He serves on the advisory board of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and is on the board of the Law and Humanities Institute. Solove lives in Washington, D.C., and blogs at the popular law blog Concurring Opinions (www.concurringopinions.com).

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ou know those privacy statements you receive regularly from banks and credit card companies? I generally throw mine in the wastebasket without reading them. Don’t get me wrong, privacy is important to me, but it’s also something I have always taken for granted, and too much insistence on it goes against my grain as a librarian. After all, information wants to be free. In this issue of American Libraries (p. 56), Daniel J. Solove asks, “Can we expect privacy anymore?” The George Washington University law professor observes that “nearly every organization and company we interact with now has tons of personal data about us.” The American Library Association is as eager as any of them to gather demographics in the name of selling products and services. And what is wrong with that? I’ve always insisted on having a listed phone number and readily available e-mail address. Why make it difficult Privacy is about much more for people to find me? I want them to find me. And caller ID keeps telemarketers at than keeping secrets; it is bay. But privacy is about much more than also about confidentiality. keeping secrets, says Solove; it is also about confidentiality. Our medical, financial, and sexual histories, not to mention our thoughts, are private and should be shared only when and where we decide to share them. As libraries have become subject to government invasions of privacy in the name of national security, librarians have come to understand that there is no better way to protect national security than to make sure that due process and basic rights are not sacrificed in the name of expedience. I noticed that my last privacy statement from Chase contained a “Special Notice for Vermont Residents.” On page 60, Trina Magi, associate professor at the University of Vermont’s Bailey/Howe Library in Burlington, talks about the state’s new library confidentiality law and how the Vermont Library Association played a leading role in its enactment. The state of privacy in our democracy demands a renewed advocacy for the readers’ right to privacy, says Deborah Caldwell-Stone (p. 58) of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “Beyond crafting effective privacy policy and beyond political advocacy, librarians must engage their own communities in the struggle to preserve privacy rights,” she says. ALA’s new initiative, “Privacy for All: Rallying Americans to Defend Our Freedoms,” is designed to lead to a national conversation about the importance of privacy rights and to give librarians the support they need to be community leaders in the discussion. Information does indeed want to flow freely, but the growing number of Americans who make a living peddling it know that it is the world’s most valuable commodity. Business thrives on collecting information about consumers, but it should be easy for professionals in information science to say no to yet another credit card or home equity loan offer. It becomes much harder to say no once we’ve let our government into our hospital rooms, bedrooms, and, by way of reading records, our minds. z

Trina Magi is an associate professor at University of Vermont’s Bailey/Howe Library in Burlington. She led Vermont librarians in opposing the USA Patriot Act, leading to the introduction of the federal Freedom to Read Protection Act in 2003. She also led the Vermont Library Association’s effort to enact the state’s new library confidentiality law. Magi has received numerous awards, including ALA’s Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award. Her publications include Protecting Our Precious Liberties: What Every Educator Needs to Know about Libraries, Privacy, and Freedom of Inquiry (Phi Delta Kappa International, 2005).

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indexed 1996–2007 index at www.ala.org/alonline/. Available full text from ProQuest, EBSCO Publishing, H. W. Wilson, LexisNexis, and Information Access. Full-text searchable database of 2003–2007 issues available online free to ALA personal members. reprints Glen Holliday, Reprint Department, 2137 Embassy Dr., Suite 202, Lancaster, PA 17603, 800-259-0470, gholliday@reprintdept.com subscribe Libraries and other institutions: $70/year, 10 issues, U.S., Canada, and Mexico; foreign: $80. Subscription price for individuals included in ALA membership dues. 800-545-2433 x5108, e-mail membership@ala.org, or visit www.ala.org. Claim missing issues: ALA Member and Customer Service. Allow six weeks. Single issues $7.50, with 40% discount for ﬁve or more; contact Charisse Perkins, 800-545-2433 x4286. published American Libraries (ISSN 0002-9769) is published 10 times yearly by the American Library Association (ALA). Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Personal members: Send address changes to American Libraries, c/o Membership Records, ALA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. ©2008 American Library Association. Materials in this journal may be reproduced for noncommercial educational purposes.

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08/06/2008 12:56:05 PM 7/15/08 9:35:41 AM

ALA | President’s Message

A Fundamental Freedom Celebrate during Banned Books Week

alues, like muscles, atrophy without exercise. Each fall, Banned Books Week —September 27 –October 4 this year—offers an exceptional opportunity for all who value First Amendment rights. Celebrated nationwide with displays, events, and read-outs, Banned Books Week helps librarians heighten people’s awareness that every time they use their library they exercise their inviolate right to read. Chris Crutcher, Lois Lowry, and other authors whose books regularly come under assault from would-be censors will share their work September 27 in Chicago to kick off the celebration. ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Judith Krug, ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels, and I will participate in a readout at Pioneer Plaza, just steps from the McCormick Freedom Museum, the nation’s first museum dedicated to freedom and the First Amendment.

For the past 20 years, I have lived in Williamsburg, Virginia. A walk in the restored historic area is a visit to our First Amendment rights’ origins. The streets and taverns of 18th-century Williamsburg incubated values the American people hold dear, values ALA promotes with passion and defends without compromise. As we demonstrate to others the value of the freedom to read, it is good to remember how it became our fundamental freedom.

Virginians made lenge censorship The library significant contriand to “cooperate is the Ellis butions to the powith all persons and Island of groups concerned litical and intellectual ferwith resisting ideas. We ment of the 1770s. abridgment of free welcome expression and free After the royal access to ideas.” governor dissolved ideas from all and On this bedrock the House of Burprovide a place where value of freedom of gesses in 1774, its they clash, meld, members left the speech we vigorously morph, and synthesize. defend American capitol building classics such as The and reconvened at Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, British the nearby Raleigh Tavern. They formed the first Virginia Convention, author J. K. Rowling’s tales of a young wizard in training, and a charming a foreshadowing of the Continental children’s book about two male penCongress. guins who care for an egg. The fifth Virginia Convention met We present programs on controin Williamsburg in May 1776, and on June 12 unanimously adopted the Vir- versial subjects, inviting proponents and opponents to share their views ginia Declaration of Rights proposed by George Mason. One of its 16 provi- in a trusted public forum. We make our meeting rooms available without sions states: “The freedom of the prejudice to groups whose own prejpress is one of the greatest bulwarks udices some may find repugnant. of liberty and can never be restrained The library is the Ellis Island of but by despotic governments.” ideas. We welcome ideas from all Fifteen years later, the Bill of and provide a place where they Rights became part of the U.S. Constitution. Its First Amendment owes clash, meld, morph, and synthesize to challenge society and energize its much to the fifth Virginia Convenpublic discourse. tion. Many of us know that majestic Welcome and celebrate the world amendment word for word: “Conof ideas “@ your library” this gress shall make no law respecting month. Read a banned book; sponan establishment of religion, or sor a read-out in your school, comprohibiting the free exercise theremunity, or campus; invite a speaker of; or abridging the freedom of on the First Amendment or a conspeech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, troversial topic. Exercise our fundamental freedom! z and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Our own Library Bill of Rights ALA President JIM RETTIG is university librarian at Boatwright Memorial Library, endorses these principles. It chargUniversity of Richmond in Virginia. Visit es us with responsibility to chaljimrettig.org.

american libraries

september 2008

Freedom’s roots

by Jim Rettig

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OPINION | Reader Forum

Letters and Comments Cuba Views Debated

in “politics.” In reality, we are concerned exclusively with intellectual freedom issues, not politics. Like anti-racism activists who focused on apartheid in South Africa, we believe the historically unprecedented repression of librarians in Cuba merits special attention on the part of the international community. We agree with Nat Hentoff’s viewpoint: “It would be astonishing and shameful if the American Library Association does not support—and gather support for—the courageous independent librarians of Cuba, some of whom have been imprisoned by Castro for long terms for advocating the very principles of the freedom to read and think that the American Library Association has so long fought for in this country.” Robert Kent Friends of Cuban Libraries New York City

Instead of pretending to argue the merits, one wishes that Mr. McDonald could be intellectually honest and clearly state the politically left agenda that is driving the ALA position on the issue of ALA’s stand on Cuba’s independent libraries. The word “nuance” is code for those on the political left to throw a bone to the rest of us. ALA is only fooling itself. Within the library world it is common knowledge that ALA has a leftist position on this issue; the nonlibrary world suspects as much. Maintaining this disingenuous approach diminishes the credibility of the

organization and the profession, and tarnishes libraries as an institution. Marc Futterman Pasadena, California

Fieldwork Feature Praised Regarding Elaine Yontz’s “Be Outstanding in Your Fieldwork (June/July, p. 56–59),” I want to praise American Libraries for spotlighting this important contribution! As a new library school graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science, one of the most positive experiences of my degree was obtaining field experience. I signed up because field experience was a requirement for those seeking school library certification. But what started out as a requirement turned into a true delight. My supervisor, Ruffin Powell, led me through the many different aspects of running a school library, helped me update my technological abilities, and even converted me from an elementary-only person to someone who loves middle-schoolers. ALA and American Libraries can go even further in supporting this aspect of professional development by regularly highlighting the many librarians who give their time and enthusiasm to students and new staff. Perhaps an occasional column or award? Libby Gorman Durham, North Carolina

E-books Not So Elusive The editors welcome letters about recent contents or matters of general interest. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Send to americanlibraries@ala.org; fax 312-440-0901; or American Libraries, Reader Forum, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611-2795.

While I commend the editors for featuring e-books in the May cover story (“The Elusive E-Book, p. 44–48),

american libraries

september 2008

Peter McDonald (“ALA’s Stand on Cuba’s Independent Libraries, “June/ July, p. 100–102 ) asserts that the ALA’s “nuanced” position on Cuba shows an “abiding understanding” of this “complex” issue. But there is nothing nuanced about the decadelong effort within ALA, continued by McDonald in his article, to cover up the plain truth: Cuba is the only country in the world where library workers are being systematically Cuba is the persecuted. There is nothing only country complex about the in the world burning of library where library collections, mob attacks against workers librarians and 25-year are being prison terms for the systematically “crime” of operating a library in Cuba, persecuted. which ALA committees and Mr. McDonald continue trying to ignore. Following in the footsteps of other icons of freedom, at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in January speaker Anthony Lewis declared: “I think there can’t be anything worse than putting librarians in prison. . . . Cuban librarians who have been in prison are entitled to the utmost support from this organization.” Contrary to Mr. McDonald, Lewis has not retracted his comments. In fact, Lewis has affirmed he is proud of his principled stand. McDonald erroneously claims that the Friends of Cuban Libraries engage

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“In closing your branch, we save on staff hours and eliminate the need for police security. It’s win, win.”

read lengthy texts on screens. Perhaps that’s not the intent. Maybe librarians want to present users with content and access options. Sottong’s criticisms of portable readers is also misleading. At least two of the readers currently avail2:18:29 PM able are just shy of most paperbacks

in dimension and have resolution similar to and can be read at the same angle as a print book. In addition, the Sony e-book reader stores books, music, documents, and photos, making it a multiuse device. Whether some read e-books in addition to print is hardly the point.

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it’s unfortunate the chosen article does little to assist those trying to make sense of this new format. Stephen Sottong doesn’t hide his preference for the print book, but if his intent was to convince with research findings and by presenting old and incomplete information, he failed. E-book sales in the United States increased to over $31 million in 2007, up from the $11.8 million in 2005. Although Sottong indicates that this increase may not signal the end of the print book, it cannot be ignored or omitted. With a variety of e-book platforms and more content available since the 2001 California State University E-book Pilot Project, recent experience may differ and be more relevant. Comparing e-book readers, computer monitors, and print pages, Sottong assumes users approach each in exactly the same way and AmLib TL 08-01-08.ai claims libraries won’t get users to8/1/08

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OPINION | Reader Forum As librarians, hopefully, we put our users before personal preferences. Will electronic books replace print books in libraries? Probably not. But, if they do it won’t be because e-books ‘work’ better than print. More likely it will be because libraries no longer have the resources—funds, staff, space—to manage and maintain large print book collections. Reeta Sinha YBP Library Services Las Vegas, Nevada

Proposed Merger Criticized The proposal to “expand” the scope of the now-separate Mid-Manhattan and Humanities Research libraries in New York City is disconcerting (May, p. 21). The final site as proposed is already failing to comply with ALA guidelines. Nowhere in the proposal is there any indication that a merger

will make them more compliant. Calling it an “expansion” is a contradiction of terms. The destination library isn’t adding a single room, just reallocating already occupied space. The Humanities Research Division currently closes its doors to the public at a whim, whenever a private function is reserved. They maintain no schedule of said closures and do not account for the funds acquired. As for specific breaches of ALA guidelines, many of the existing computers available to the public are designated non-internet (database or catalog) and, of these, a small fraction are in use by the public at any given time. The library staff hover and are militant about so-called “appropriate use” of these otherwise

vacant terminals, insisting that they only be used for vaguely-defined “bonafide“ research. The interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights titled “Restricted Access to Library Materials” reads, “Attempts to restrict access to library materials violate the basic tenets of the Library Bill of Rights.” These are a small sampling of the myriad shocking ineptitudes which are about to get a $300 million amplification. Before the merger takes place, American Libraries should take a hard look at the details of the proposal and verify the facts before helping to destroy the library system in Mid-Manhattan. The citizens deserve no less. Scott McCann New York City

Continue the conversation at al.ala.org/forum/

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8/19/2008 2:50:36 PM

ALA | NEWS

Carnegie Corporation Grant to Focus on Public Outreach

The Card That Keeps on Giving September is Library Card Sign-Up Month—a time to remind parents and kids that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Join NBA all-time leading scorer and author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the 2008 honorary chair, and thousands of public and school libraries in the celebration. Free tools are available at www.ala.org/ librarycardsignup or visit the ALA store at www.alastore.ala.org to order the Abdul-Jabbar READ poster and other materials.

Reading Freely

ALA has published Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study 2007–2008. Conducted with the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State University, the study is available for free download at www.ala.org/plinternetfunding. Bound copies are also available for purchase at the ALA Store (www .alastore.ala.org). Report findings include: staffing

Banned Books Week 2008, September 27–October 4, carries the

theme “Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas.” The national kick-off of the annual celebration of the freedom to read will be held September 27 from noon to 4 p.m. at Pioneer Plaza in Chicago. Celebrations will also take place nationwide. The observance is sponsored by ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and a number of other groups. Visit www .bannedbooksweek.org for more information.

Funding, Technology Report Available september 2008

A Month of Celebrations

Several ALA units, including the Public Programs Office, American Libraries magazine, and the Office for Library Advocacy, will collaborate in the project, which will develop news stories, videos, tips, and events highlighting library resources and libraries around the country through the website, as well as through social networking sites and other online and viral marketing. The project outreach will augment both the content and delivery of information for the public, with highquality design and editorial content. Features will be current and accurate, presented in an easy-to-use digest format, invite feedback and responses, and emphasize what libraries offer their users—in person and online. The information will be disseminated to the public through a variety of media, including ALA-sponsored sites and feeds, additional national library sites, local library sites, and public sites such as YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook.

Gregorian. “The Association’s continued advocacy will help to better inform the public about these wondrous centers of civic life and the knowledge, education, culture, and many other benefits and services libraries offer their communities. By championing these marvels of the American civic landscape, the Association is helping to uplift the spirit and, in the process, ease the struggles of daily life.”

american libraries

arnegie Corporation of New York has awarded $270,700 to ALA to enhance the “I Love Libraries” website (www.ilovelibraries.org) and to boost public awareness of libraries, focusing on programs, services, and resources. “The ALA celebrates the transformative power of libraries,” said Carnegie Corporation President Vartan

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NEWS | ALA levels are not keeping pace with technology growth; many libraries are shifting to soft funding sources to support technology; connection speeds are up in many libraries, but not adequate to increased bandwidth demand; and audio and video content, online homework resources, e-book, and digitized special collections grew between 13% and 33% in one year. The study also includes data from a national online survey, a questionnaire to the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, and site visits in New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The report provides state-level data summaries and information from libraries of all sizes. The project is funded by ALA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It continues work by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure that began at FSU in 1994. Learn more at www.ii.fsu.edu.

ALA Endorses Free Speech Protection Act ALA is urging passage of the Free Speech Protection Act of 2008 (S. 2977) to protect U.S. authors, publishers, and others from libel lawsuits filed in foreign countries. The measure was introduced by Sen. Arlen Specter (R–Pa.) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I–Ct.) and cosponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) The bill comes on the heels of several defamation lawsuits filed in Great Britain and elsewhere against U.S. authors and publishers that involved shopping around for favorable foreign court venues, a practice known as libel tourism. In one case, U.S. Department of Defense employee and terrorism expert Rachel Ehrenfeld, the author of Financing Evil, was sued in Great Britain by a wealthy Saudi Arabian. Though only 23 copies

of her book were sold in the United Kingdom, a British court ruled that all copies must be destroyed, and ordered Ehrenfeld to pay thousands of dollars in damages. “Libel tourism should be called ‘libel terrorism,” said Lynne Bradley, director of ALA’s Office of Government Relations. “Such legal maneuvers are an attempt to thwart the First Amendm ent rights of Americans when critics don’t like what our authors have to say.” AL A members and other First Amendment supporters are being asked to lobby senators during the summer recess, asking them to pass the measure when Congress reconvenes in September. The Association is also pushing for sponsorship of similar legislation in the House.

Member Alert Committee Volunteers Needed LA President-elect Camila Alire is seeking applicants and nominees for appointments to 2009–2010 ALA and governing Council committees. The deadline for submitting applications and nominations is December 5. Alire is asking volunteers to serve on the following committees: Accreditation; Advocacy, American Libraries Advisory; Awards; Budget Analysis and Review; Chapter Relations; Conference; Constitution and Bylaws; Council Orientation; Diversity; Education; Election; Human Resource Development and Recruitment Advisory; Information Technology Policy Advisory; Intel-

lectual Freedom; International Relations; Legislation; Literacy; Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory; Membership; Membership Meetings; Nominating; Organization; Orientation, Training, and Leadership Development; Policy Monitoring (current Council members only); Professional Ethics; Public and Cultural Programs Advisory; Public Awareness; Publishing; Research and Statistics; Resolutions; Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds; Scholarships and Study Grants; Status of Women in Librarianship; Website Advisory; ALA– Children’s Book Council (Joint); ALA–Association of American Pub-

lishers (Joint); and ALA–Society of American Archivists–American Association of Museums (Joint). Committee charges can be found in the ALA Handbook of Organization. Applicants must complete the online ALA Committee Volunteer Form that will be available at www.ala.org/ volunteerform September 12. The ALA Committee on Committees and Committee on Appointments will assist in making the appointments. Those selected will be notified after the 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver and will begin their committee service after the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago .

american libraries

september, 2008

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ALA President Jim Rettig has created the ALA Connections Salon to provide an online environment for members to participate in formal and informal discussions centered on a specific topic. The monthly salons will take place on OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries) at www .opal-online.org, The sessions will take place on Fridays, beginning at 2 p.m. (EST), and running for approximately one hour. Visit jimrettig.org for a listing of dates and topics.

New Library Literature Award Established

Sept. 1–30: Library Card SignUp Month. Sept. 18–20: Association for Library Service to Children Institute, Salt Lake City. www.ala.org.alsc. Sept. 18–21: Reforma: The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking National Conference, El Paso, Texas, www.reforma.org. Sept. 19–21: Association for Rural and Small Libraries Annual Conference, Sacramento, www.bcr.org/ARSL/ index.html. Sept. 27–Oct. 4: Banned Books Week, www.bannedbooksweek.org. Oct. 8–10: Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio, www .abos-outreach.org. Oct. 12–18: Teen Read Week, www.ala.org/teenread. Oct. 16–19: Library and Information Technology Association Forum, Cincinnati, www.lita.org. Oct. 17–19: American Association of School Libraries Fall Forum, Oak Brook, Illinois, www.ala.org/aasl. Nov. 7–9: Young Adult Literature Symposium, Nashville, Tennesee, www.ala.org/ yalsa.

An annual award has been created to honor the best book in library literature by an author whose work exemplifies excellence in library and information studies.

The Freedom to Read Foundation has established the Carol A. Nemeyer Memorial Fund to honor the past ALA president and former FTRF board member who died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June 30. The fund was created to recognize Nemeyer’s long and distinguished career as a passionate advocate for libraries and their essential role in creating an informed citizenry. She worked as librarian at the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company before joining the staff of the Association of American Publishers in the early 1970s. Nemeyer also served as associate librarian for national programs at the Library of Congress, overseeing the creation of and gaining nationwide support for the Center for the Book. She also founded the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. Tax-deductible contributions can be made at tinyurl.com/5kpr49; click on the orange “Give Direct” button, and type “Carol Nemeyer Fund” in

ALA Events

september 2008

Rettig Launches ALA Connections Salon

Carol Nemeyer Memorial Fund Created

Calendar

Nominations are being accepted until November 1 for the position of endowment trustee for the ALA Endowment Fund. The candidate will be selected during the 2009 ALA Midwinter meeting in Denver and the new trustee will serve a three-year term, which begins at the conclusion of the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago and expires at the conclusion of the 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim. In order to ensure continuity among the trustees, the newly appointed trustee will immediately begin serving at the conclusion of the 2009 Midwinter Meeting in an unofficial nonvoting capacity. Three endowment trustees, selected by the ALA Executive Board, serve staggered three-year terms. Applicants can apply by visiting www.ala.org and clicking on “Our Association,” then “Treasurer.”

Beginning in 2009 and running through 2013, the Greenwood Publishing Group Award for the Best Book in Library Literature will consist of $5,000 and a commemorative plaque. It is donated by the Greenwood Publishing Group. The award will recognize authors whose works improve management principles and practice, promote understanding and application of new techniques, or further the education of librarians or other information specialists. The original work must be published in the United States or Canada. Publishers, authors, agents, or editors may nominate their own titles. Additional information and an online nomination form will be posted at www.ala.org this fall.

american libraries

Endowment Trustee Candidate Sought

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NEWS | ALA the comments section. For more information, call 800-545-2433, ext. 4226.

Tennessee Site of 2009 Arbuthnot Lecture

Clinton, Tennessee, is the site of ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, to be delivered by author Walter Dean Myers. The lecture will be hosted by the Langston Hughes Library of the Children’s Defense Fund Haley Farm, with the support of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the Knox County Public Library. It will be held April 18, 2009, in the Riggio-Lynch Interfaith Chapel that was designed by noted architect Maya Lin, and will be preceded by remarks from Children’s Defense Fund founder and President Marian Wright Edelman. The Langston Hughes Library will celebrate its 10th anniversary in the spring of 2009. Lecture attendance is free, but reserved tickets are required. Additional information will be posted at www.ala.org/alsc when available.

September 19 is the deadline to apply for “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery,” the latest traveling exhibition offered by ALA’s Pubic Programs Office. The exhibit is offered in cooperation with the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to mark 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is providing major funding. Forty libraries will house the exhibit from January 2009 through December 2010. Applications are

National forum Heads to Cincinnati The Library and Information Technology Association hosts its 11th annual National Forum, “Technology and Community: Building the Techno Community Library,” October 16–19 in Cincinnati, with more than 30 concurrent sessions, preconferences, keynote addresses, and poster sessions. The programs will explore leading-edge technologies and their applications in all types of libraries and will provide networking opportunities, including a reception, networking dinners, and an open gaming night. Preconference topics are “Innovations in Next Generation Library Management Systems” and “Marketing the Value of the Library’s IT Department.” Keynote speakers are Tim Spalding, founder and developer of LibraryThing.com; Michael Porter, community product manager at WebJunction; and R. David Lankes, director of the Information Institute of Syracuse University.

New Web initiatives Earlier this year, LITA’s Blogs, Interactive Groupware, and Wikis Interest Group (BIGWIG) launched YourBIGWIG at www.yourbigwig.com, designed to promote better communication among members and to provide a new virtual workspace. BIGWIG is responsible for maintaining the LITABlog and the LITA wiki and has also taken on conference blogging and podcasting. It also handles the Social Software Showcase, an online unconference held during ALA Annual Conferences. Interested members are encouraged to participate by signing up on YourBIGWIG. The LITA Web Coordinating Committee is in the early stages of redesigning the website. Committee members are in the process of developing an updated look for the site and adding Web 2.0 features and interactivity. The process includes usability testing, a survey of LITA members, and a review of other websites. The committee will be utilizing a sandbox server, currently equipped with apache, MySQL, PHP, phpMyAdmin, python, and django, to test ideas for the new site and to create learning opportunities for the membership. Visit www.ala.org/lita for more information. —Melissa S. Prentice. programs and marketing specialist

Each month the Association’s Associations spotlights the activities and agenda of one of ALA’s divisions. Next month: Public Library Association

especially being sought from public libraries in small towns and rural areas that have limited access to NASA resources, in addition to larger population areas. Selected libraries will receive $500 programming support sti-

pends, $250 collection development stipends, and additional materials to support library programming. To apply, visit www.ala.org/ visionsoftheuniverse. Selected libraries will be announced in late October. z

american libraries

september, 2008

“Visions” Exhibit Deadline Nears

The Association’s Associations: LITA

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U.S. & International | NEWS

FBI Ties Seized Library Computers to Anthrax Case

week after removing two public-access computers from the Frederick County (Md.) Public Libraries’ C. Burr Artz Library, the FBI obtained a court order to search the machines for clues to their July 24 use by army scientist Bruce Ivins. A suspect in the 2001 anthrax letter attacks who killed himself July 29, Ivins was under surveillance by agents who observed him going to the library and accessing a website about the case, according to a search warrant request granted August 7 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The warrant specified that what was being sought was electronic evidence of “threats to witnesses related to the anthrax investigation, and obstruction of that investigation,” allegedly by Ivins. The court document reveals that FBI agents observed Ivins visiting the Artz branch on the evening of July 24 and using library workstations 41 and 54; it goes on to specify that “Special Agents of the FBI observed Dr. Ivins reviewing a website dedicated to the Anthrax Investigation and examining e-mail accounts.” The New York Times reported August 8 that the need for a court order to examine the library computers was the reason why investigators did not close the case after unsealing hundreds of documents two days earlier. The affidavit stated that the FBI was hoping to find electronic files or e-mails about plans to commit suicide and/or murder. When the two FBI agents took the computers July 31, they did so without presenting a court order, although the library’s normal procedure for such requests requires one. Director Darrell Batson said in the August 3 Frederick News-

Post that he was persuaded to give the agents access after the case and situation was described to him. “They had an awful lot of information,” he said, explaining that “It was a decision I made on my experience and the information given to me.” Batson added that, while this was the third time the FBI has sought library records in his 10 years with FCPL, it was the first time agents didn’t bring a court order. Ivins, a biodefense researcher at Fort Detrick, Maryland, took a Tylenol overdose as federal prosecutors planned to charge him with sending the anthrax-laden letters that killed five people and sickened 17 in the fall of 2001. Batson told the News-Post the agents made no mention of Ivins, anthrax, or Fort Detrick. He went on to say, “Obviously it coincided with the events everyone is talking about.” Although the library refused interview requests from American Libraries and other news outlets, FCPL officials issued a written statement about the FBI raid stressing that “no mention of any person or suspect was ever stated by either party, and FCPL continues to be unaware of the details of the FBI’s investigation. Public-access computers are not connected to FCPL’s library patron records. No library patron records were provided to the FBI. Library patrons’ records are not made available to law enforcement authorities without a court order.” Articles in the New York Times and the Washington Post linked the removal of the library computers to the case against Ivins days before the FBI released its court-order request. ABC-TV affiliate WJLA reported August 4 that the FBI had been trailing Ivins and had seized his personal computers.

| american libraries

Nicole and Leah Blomquist of Plymouth, Minnesota, peek through the butterfly masks they created as part of the July 16 “Picnic at the Wayzata Library.” The Hennepin County Library branch held the 500-person multicultural event to celebrate the naming of its Children’s Garden as the city’s first official Monarch Waystation, as authorized by the University of Kansas Monarch Watch program. The theme was “Monarchs, Mariposas, y México,” and the day included Latin American music, traditional Mexican folk stories, and dancing.

september 2008

garden girls

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NEWS | U.S. & International

ACLU Challenges Expanded FISA Powers

resident George W. Bush signed into law ing monitored,” stated Emily Sheketoff, executive July 10 the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, director of ALA’s Washington Office July 9, after the a bill expanding legal authority for wireSenate passed the bill 69–28. The House had approved taps by spy agencies that has been hotly the legislation 293–129 three weeks earlier. debated since the February expiration of the Protect Caldwell-Stone explained that the FISA Amendments America Act (AL, Apr., p. 20). Within Act alters the requirement for obtaining a hours of the bill’s signing, the Amer- “Any librarian warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surican Civil Liberties Union filed suit veillance Court (FISC) to conduct wiretapin the U.S. Southern District Court ping. The amended law eliminates the who contacts of New York challenging the constineed for any specificity in an eavesdropcolleagues tutionality of the amended Foreign ping request, so FISC judges would no lonIntelligence Surveillance Act on First ger know whose communications they overseas could were allowing to be intercepted. For examand Fourth Amendment grounds. As modified, FISA “could affect any ple, she said, federal agents could obtain have their library user who uses the internet in the an order that “could simply collect e-mails library to communicate with foreign communications that pass through AT&T servers in San friends, family members living in other Francisco going to Asia in bulk under a countries, foreign companies—any inwarrant issued under the FISA rules, and monitored.” ternational communications,” said Debthen peruse them at their leisure.” —Deborah orah Caldwell-Stone, deputy executive The legislation also grants retroactive director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Caldwell-Stone immunity to telecommunications firms Freedom. “Similarly, any librarian who that allegedly shared with the federal govcontacts colleagues overseas or conducts business with ernment all telephone and internet communications foreign publishers could have their international comrouted through their networks since 2001, as some 40 munications monitored under the new FISA,” she told civil lawsuits contend. American Libraries. The plaintiffs in the ACLU’s Amnesty International v. “H.R. 6304 rewrites the Foreign Intelligence Surveil- McConnell suit include international human rights orgalance Act in a way that expands the executive branch’s nizations such as Amnesty International, PEN American spying powers without doing enough to protect the priCenter, and the International Criminal Defence Attorvacy of innocent people whose communications are beneys Association, as well as the political journal The Nation and its contributing journalists Naomi Klein and Chris Hedges. The In honor of her 100th birthday, the town of ACLU also filed a motion Guilford, Connecticut, officially proclaimed July asking that it be apprised 22, 2008, as Edith B. Nettleton Day. Nettleton of any consideration of was the town’s first librarian and served in that its lawsuit by the secret capacity from 1933 to 1978. In those 45 years, FISA court and that the she helped develop the Guilford Library from court’s decisions be a one-room barn to its current location in the made public “with only picturesque Guildford Green area, where she those redactions necesestablished a collection of the town’s historical sary to protect informamaterials. Even in retirement, Nettleton continues tion that is properly to volunteer two to three day per week. classified.” —B.G.

american libraries

september 2008

edith’s honor

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8/19/2008 2:53:42 PM

Oregon Libraries Regroup Without Timber Subsidies

“Folks need to know that this is the tipping point for library services.” —Martha Schrader

This piecemeal approach is characterized by Josephine County Commissioner Dave Toler as “the only way” to reinstate library service there. “There is nothing on the horizon as far as a levy or a district or anything like that,” he declared. Also searching the horizon for a funding solution is Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who formed the Governor’s Task Force on Federal Forest Payments and County Services last fall. The initial report, issued in June, urges continued lobbying for a four-year reauthorization of the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act with a built-in phase out of support, so local governing bodies have time to develop and establish alternate revenue sources. —B.G.

Clackamas County’s 13 libraries are trying to recover from the loss of $12.5 million in federal timber support, as well as the phase out by 2014 of $8.2 million the county provides in library financing. County commissioners are advocating for the November 4 passage of a library-district initiative that would dedicate to library service 39 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. Should the measure fail, the only three libraries funded and operated solely by the county would close. “Folks need to know that this is the tipping point for library services in this county,” commission member Martha Schrader said in the August 7 Clackamas Review. Meantime, the four-branch Josephine County Library continues its struggle to reopen after voter rejection of a library-district measure in 2006 closed system doors. The county has offered a private fundraising group calling itself Josephine Community Libraries a $1-per-year lease to run all four shuttered facilities once JCL has secured the funds. A sustained effort begun last fall has grossed $177,000 as of July 29 from 1,000 library members and area sponsors. “The beauty of our model, I think, is that those who don’t support us don’t have to become members or give us a dime,” JCL board member Jennifer Roberts said in the July 28

september 2008

Planting new seeds

Portland Oregonian. “Of course, we’ll still be there when they want to use the library for free.” The slow fundraising pace has recast the group’s 2008 goals as reopening by year-end only the Grants Pass library and recruiting a library administrator—the first step toward securing a $100,000 grant from Josephine County. “The other branches will open as we get the money and the skilled volunteers to do it,” JCL board President Doug Walker told the Oregonian.

he asserted. The four counties that are particularly hard-hit have traditionally relied on county generalfund appropriations, not a dedicated property tax, and happen to comprise “large amounts of federal forest lands.”

american libraries

n August 9, the town of Tualatin, Oregon, celebrated the dedication of its new $9.1-million city library. Four years in the making, Tualatin Public Library was built thanks to a combination of capitalimprovement bonds approved in 2004 and revenue earmarked for increased library expenses from property development in the city, which is situated in Washington County. “We wanted to have people walk in and say ‘Wow,’ and that’s what we’re hearing,” Library Manager Darrel Condra said in the July 17 Portland Tigard Times, a week after the facility’s soft opening to the public. Tualatin’s success story stands in stark contrast to the fiscal struggles of public libraries in four other Oregon counties, which continue to seek solid financial footing after having lost as much as $6 million in federal funds out of some $238 million that the state won’t be receiving after all. The shortfall for libraries in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine counties resulted from Congress rejecting in June a multiyear renewal of timber payments that had made up for logging revenues that have dwindled on federal lands shared with the counties since the implementation of regulations in the 1990s. Oregon State Librarian Jim Scheppke told American Libraries that “the large majority of Oregon’s 132 public libraries” are not impacted by the subsidy loss, and many have established library districts with their own taxing authority over the past 20 years. Those officials “looked into the future and saw that libraries could not rely on federal county payments for the long term,”

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NEWS | U.S. & International

D.C. Mayor Finds Funding to Avert Cuts in Staffing, Hours, Kiosks D

istrict of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for D.C. Public Library, announced at an August 4 press conference that funding has been found to reverse $2 million in projected budget cuts that would have drastically slashed “Mayor Fenty has been library hours. “Residents can rest assured that they can cona strong supporter of tinue to access all of D.C. Public Library’s resources seven days the library.” —Ginnie Cooper, a week next year,” Fenty said, explaining that city officials DCPL Chief Librarian never intended to trigger cuts to library service. The money is now available because payment for the district’s debt service on capital projects is less than originally budgeted—due to a combination of low interest rates on short-term borrowing and other factors. Cooper told American Libraries that 71 staff positions will be restored because of the newfound funds, and that

staffing levels will remain the same over the next fiscal year. The library was planning to begin advertising jobs on its website soon, she said, and this fall the system was planning to hire 100 D.C. high school students to work 12 hours per week. In addition to the restored hours, five kiosk libraries slated to close will remain open. Library board President John Hill also announced that four replacement or remodeled libraries, including the Georgetown branch that suffered significant fire damage a year ago (AL, Nov. 2007, p. 21–22), are on target to open in 2010. He added that the city is trying to speed the opening of the long-delayed Tenley branch, which was stalled by neighborhood redevelopment disputes. “Mayor Fenty has been a strong supporter of the library,” Cooper told AL. “That is why I remained hopeful that the potential reduction in the hours libraries would be open would not occur. Once the impact of the reduction was clear, we were delighted to see how swiftly the mayor responded to the need for additional funding.”

Feelings Run High as Funding Falters in Hartford n July 3, officials of Hartford (Conn.) Public Library narrowed an $870,000 budget shortfall for FY2009 by closing the Mark Twain and Blue Hills Avenue branches and laying off 40 staff members. Six weeks later, trustees announced they would reopen the branches August 25 to coincide with the first day of school. “We are fortunate to have families who understand the important role libraries play in the enrichment and education of their children,” HPL board President Geraldine Sullivan said in a statement August 12, the day after the city council unanimously restored $200,000. Sarah Barr, spokesperson for Mayor Eddie Perez, cautioned in the

August 13 Hartford Courant, “We haven’t had a chance to review what the council passed, but absent of additional tax increases and layoffs, the city is not in a position to provide additional money.” Because the closings and layoffs had been projected to save $530,000 in FY2009, trustees had to decide how best to stretch the restored $200,000. The result was “a focus on the after-school youth services,” according to the statement. Six branches, including the Mark Twain and Blue Hills facilities, were now to be open only weekday afternoons; the other three were to retain fullservice hours and the main was to become the only city library open on Saturdays. Sullivan concluded by

american libraries

september 2008

saying, “The board looks forward to working with the city council and Mayor Perez to explore long-term solutions for stable library funding.” That dialogue may be tense; in mid-July, Mayor Perez was threatening to take over management of the library because trustees would not dip into HPL’s $14-million endowment. Mayor Perez expressed disappointment that HPL would not “take the city up on its suggestions and offers of staff assistance and guidance,” the Courant reported July 17. The fiscal turmoil came shortly after an unrelated community outcry over a May 18 Courant article alleging substance abuse and sexual activity inside the building (AL, Aug., p. 26–27). A task force reviewing HPL’s patron-behavior and internet-use policies was slated to reveal its findings in September.

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and the winner is . . .

The best RA advice for your staff and patrons, direct from the #1 source!

The Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries, in conjunction with the county’s television station, the Network DC, receive two Emmy Awards July 19 at the 22nd Annual Heartland Regional Emmy Awards and Silver Circle Presentation for their “Discover Your Library” public service announcement. The PSA, which also airs in Texas, Michigan, and Wisconsin, took home Emmys for Community/Public Service–Single Sport as well as Short Form Editor. Posing with their awards are (from left): Gene Park of the Network DC, Katie Damp Klossner and Jennifer Pavlik of DCL, David Schler and Brad Johanson of the Network DC, and Susan O’Brien of DCL.

Take our FREE 30-day trial to see for yourself. www.booklistonline.com

The mayor and city manager of Long Beach, California, proposed August 1 as part of the FY2009 budget the closure of the downtown library to the public while expanding hours at neighborhood branches, as part of the city’s effort to close a $17-million shortfall. The budget, which must be approved by and may be altered by the city council by September 15, would expand service at each of the 11 neighborhood branches to seven

september 2008

Long Beach Proposes Library Closure

Trustees of the Boston Public Library offered the job of president to Hennepin County (Minn.) Library Director Amy E. Ryan August 14 after interviewing four finalists selected from a pool of about 160. Trustees cited her extensive knowledge of big-city library systems, management style, understanding of technology, and commitment to community libraries. Ryan will succeed outgoing President Bernard Margolis, who was ousted by the board November 13, 2007, in the wake of repeated clashes with the mayor (AL, Dec. 2007, p. 21). Ryan, who has served as Hennepin director since 2005 and worked at various positions in the Minneapolis Public Library for 28 years before that, was chosen unanimously over others in the shortlist of candidates— California State Librarian Susan Hildreth, former Greenwich (Conn.) Public Library Director Mario Gon-

zalez, and attorney and former Massachusetts Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham. Ryan was integral to the January 2 merger of the Hennepin and Minneapolis library systems (AL, Mar., p. 19). “I hate to lose her, but she needs to do what she needs to do,” Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein said in the August 14 Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Let us help your library provide world-class readers’ advisory services.

american libraries

Boston Public Library Chooses Amy E. Ryan

Our expert editors match up recommended new title reviews with hand-picked selections from our 120,000+ archive. Our custom search engine and work-flow tools are powerful enough for librarians but easy enough for self-service patron use.

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NEWS | U.S. & International days a week, the Long Beach PressTelegram reported August 1. Currently, four branches offer service six days a week, while the others are open five days a week. The main library would be closed to the public, although some administrative functions would continue to be housed there. The current plan calls for a “satellite” or temporary branch in an as-yet-unspecified downtown location. Director of Library Services Eleanore Schmidt told American Libraries that the precise services that would be offered have not yet been defined, and that the city manager has convened a task force to discuss options. A $571-million bond issue set for a vote November 4 would pay for construction of a new, smaller downtown library among other municipal infrastructure improvements.

Grand Jury Findings Rejected in Sacramento

The Sacramento Public Library governing board met August 6 to approve a 21-page response to a scathing county grand jury report (AL, Aug., p. 27) that charged both the board and library director Anne Marie Gold with mismanagement.

The board response essentially rejects most of the panel’s findings and ignores the recommendation that Gold be replaced. According to the August 7 Sacramento Bee, the board declined to respond to criticism of Gold’s performance because employee appraisals should not be discussed in a public document. “While the grand jury can—and should—speak freely about the library director’s management style, and critique her management skills, we cannot, and will not, participate in a public discussion of what must for us be a private personnel issue,” the response says. Gold was the subject of a 70-minute, closed-door evaluation at the start of the meeting, according to the Bee, and she said afterward that she has no intention of stepping down. “I’m planning on continuing to provide leadership to this library,” she said. “There are issues to be addressed.” The board was scheduled to meet again in private session August 28 to review Gold’s response to the grand jury report. Meanwhile, the Bee reported August 14 that the library paid $11,000 to hire a consultant specializing in crisis communications, even though the system al-

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Historic Maine Library Destroyed by Lightning

The Swan’s Island (Maine) Library burned to the ground July 24 after it was hit by lightning during an early morning thunderstorm. Librarian Candis Joyce said in the July 25 Bangor Daily News that in addition to more than 10,000 volumes, the library held irreplaceable local-history materials, including genea- “You should logical records, see all the historic photocharred, graphs, archives from local quarwet books. ries, weather It’s really data, and ferry devastating.” logs. “It just goes on and on,” Joyce —Resident said. “We really Siobhan Ryan need to get this back. It had become a community center.” The collection had been housed for the past 10 years in the Atlantic Schoolhouse, a century-old two-story structure that served as a village school from 1903 to 1954 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The building had gone through an extensive renovation in 2004 that added a large reading room, computer lab, exhibit space, and an archives and genealogy room. Neighbors noticed the blaze around 3:40 a.m. and immediately called the town’s emergency response team. Flames were already erupting from the structure by the time volunteers arrived. Local resident Siobhan Ryan, a librarian at the Conners-Emerson School in nearby

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ready employs both a public information coordinator and a marketing manager. Gold said library staff was unequipped to handle the media scrutiny following the grand jury report. “We realized this was going beyond normal media contact,” she said.

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Bar Harbor who had been a volunteer at the Swanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island Library, said in the July 24 Mount Desert Islander that no one was hurt and no other structures were damaged. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a complete loss,â&#x20AC;? Ryan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should see all the charred, wet books. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really devastating.â&#x20AC;? Joyce told American Libraries that firefighters recovered only a few items from the building, â&#x20AC;&#x153;mostly iron tools, some organizational files, a couple of quilts in pieces. A few of us sifted through the rubble later and found more metal tools and, believe it or not, a tobacco tin whose paint hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blistered, and a corn-cob pipe that looked like it was just purchased at a store.â&#x20AC;? Although the building was insured, a relief fund has been set up to help raise money for a new library. Donations, payable to the Swanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island Education Fund, can

be sent to First National Bank of Bar Harbor, 102 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609.

the Charleston Gazette reported July 17. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An at-will employee may be dismissed for good reasons, bad reasons, or no reasons, unless the Ousted Archivist employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivation for the disAppeals His Dismissal charge is to contravene some subFred Armstrong, West Virginia state stantial public policy,â&#x20AC;? Spatafore said in her judgment. archivist for 22 years until abruptly being fired last NoState officials have vember (AL, Jan./ not specified a reaState officials Feb., p. 24â&#x20AC;&#x201C;25), is son for Armstrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appealing in Katermination, alhave not specified nawha Circuit Court though his supervia reason for the dismissal of his sor, Culture and Armstrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, arguing that he History Commisdeserves a full hearsioner Randall Reidtermination. Smith, said in his ing with the state deposition that ArmPublic Employees strong was â&#x20AC;&#x153;not a team playerâ&#x20AC;? and Grievance Board. disrespectful in commission staff Armstrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original personnel meetings. Armstrong, however, begrievance was dismissed in June by lieves that the action was taken beActing Chief Administrative Law cause of his opposition to a plan to Judge Denise Spatafore because Armstrong was an at-will employee, put a cafĂŠ in the archiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space after

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NEWS | U.S. & International physically merging the archive with the state library. “Either or both of these actions would violate state law if they endangered the preservation of public records as required by state code,” argued Armstrong’s attorney, Jim Lees, in the appeal. “If an employee

is fired for attempting to insure that his superiors do indeed follow the law, then the firing is a wrongful discharge under state law.”

Appeals Court: Third Strike for COPA

After a decade of federal litigation and two decisions that were returned to lower courts from the Supreme Court for further review, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals July 22 unanimously declared unconstitutional for the third time the Child Online Protection Act of 1998 on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. “The government has no more right to censor the internet than it does books and magazines,” Chris Hansen, ACLU senior staff attorney, remarked after the ruling was handed down. During the string of legal proceedings, the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Foundation filed several amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the plaintiffs, the latest in November 2007 in Germany’s Magdeburg PupAmerican Civil Liberties pentheater performs “Little Union v. Mukasey. (The first Red Riding Hood” in English was filed in 1999 in supand German at the inaugural port of ACLU v. Reno; as the Nashville International Pupchallenge proceeded, it became known successivepet Festival held June 20–22 ly as ACLU v. Ashcroft and at the downtown Nashville ACLU v. Gonzales.) Signed (Tenn.) Public Library and into law by President Bill the city’s Church Street Park. Clinton in 1998, COPA The troupe from Magdemandated a $50,000-perburg—Nashville’s sister day fine and up to six city—joined puppeteers from months’ incarceration for China, France, and Italy to a website owner who posts a commercial online comparticipate in the three-day munication “that includes event, which drew 18,000 any material that is harmvisitors to the two venues. ful to minors,” defined as

Colorado Book Thief Sentenced

Thomas Pilaar, 34, who pleaded guilty in May to stealing thousands of items from Denver Public Library and the systems in nearby Aurora, Arapahoe County, and Douglas County (AL, Oct. 2007, p. 33–34), was sentenced Pilaar took 1,400 July 8 to 10 years in prison books and DVDs and $53,549 in by checking them restitution. out on his own Pilaar took about 1,400 and other people’s books and DVDs library cards. by checking them out on his own and other people’s library cards, the Rocky Mountain News reported July 9. He sold many on Craigslist, although about 500 items were recovered. “As a strategy for quick wealth, Mr. Pilaar would have been better off reading some investment management books,” James LaRue, director of Douglas County Libraries, told American Libraries after the sentencing.

Missing Durham First Folio Found?

A British man arrested over the theft of a First Folio edition of Shakespeare insists he is innocent. Ray-

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strings attached

anyone 17 or younger, unless the site keeps minors out through a digital age-verification gateway. Due to an injunction granted in February 1999, COPA has never been enforced. Agreeing with the lower court’s March 2007 findings (AL, May 2007, p. 20), the appeals court stated that blocking software, “although not flawless,” is a less-restrictive means of shielding youngsters from sexually explicit material. Filters “do not subject speakers to criminal or civil penalties,” and can block access to non-U.S. websites that COPA cannot, the ruling asserted.

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mond Scott, 51, walked into Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., June 16 seeking authentication for a 17th-century book that experts now say was stolen from Durham University Library in England in December 1998. But Scott claims the item he lent to the Folger was a different copy of the First Folio that he came across in Havana, Cuba, through a friend of his 21-year-old fiancée Heidy Garcia Rios, the London Daily Mail reported July 18. Scott’s story is that Odeiny Perez, a former bodyguard for Castro, asked him to take the book to the United States to have it authenticated—something Perez cannot do as a Cuban national. Perez told him it had been in his family since 1877. When Scott took it to the Folger, librarian Richard J. Kuhta said he’d like to have an independent expert, Stephen Massey, fly in from New York to examine it, so Scott left the

bugs in tubs

Students gather around the solar-powered boat they created June 12 at the Solar Bug Tug building workshop hosted by the Fayetteville (Ark.) Public Library. Thirty youngsters, ranging from 5th to 11th grade, received help from University of Arkansas engineering students in constructing the boats, which were raced at nearby Lake Fayetteville at the conclusion of the class. The boats are now on display in the FPL children’s library.



~ I Love My Librarian Award ~ Administered by the American Library Association’s Public Information Ofﬁce and The Campaign for America’s Libraries

www.ala.org/ilovemylibrarian

August 15 for public librarians September 2 for school and academic librarians

Photo: Hennepin County Library

Nominations begin:

american libraries

Up to ten winners will be honored and receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York hosted by The New York Times on December 9, 2008.

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This award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, academic, and school librarians.

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NEWS | U.S. & International folio in D.C. and returned home to Washington, a town in northeast England. On July 8, Massey informed Scott that he suspected the book was the Durham University First Folio—one of many rare books stolen in a multimillion-dollar theft—because it had “exactly the same dimensions.” Two days later, FBI agents working with the Durham police arrested Scott, raided his home, confiscated hundreds of books, questioned him, then released him on bail. He faces ar-

on Troilus and Cressida. But the Post reported July 12 that Scott’s folio was flimsy, with no binding and a few of the opening pages removed. Meanwhile, Scott has proclaimed his innocence in the British newspapers and recommended in the July 19 Darlington Northern Echo that Durham University sell off all its rare books to raise “billions of pounds” that could benefit the school and the rest of County Durham. The police would not comment on the case while it was still under investigation. z

raignment in November, after police have had time to look at all the evidence. Scott lives only 12 miles from the university but claims never to have visited there, according to the July 17 Washington Post. In a July 17 Slate article, Portland (Oreg.) State University Shakespeare expert Paul Collins wrote that the Durham folio had a number of identifying characteristics that should allow a precise identification—a patched hole in the colophon, a broken clasp, and a specific annotation

Global Reach UNITED KINGDOM

SWITZERLAND

The literary world is abuzz with the discovery of a complete medieval manuscript of Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji), which scholars say will likely shed light on the original text of this 11thcentury masterpiece. The classic work of prose is considered by many people to be the world’s first full-length novel. The 13thcentury manuscript, called the “Osawa Book,” was owned by the Osawa family in Nara Prefecture, Japan, until World War II, but its whereabouts had remained unknown since then.—Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, July 23.

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MALI

Women in the coastal city of Dammam are now able to use its library unaccompanied. 8 7 “Female students no longer need to be escorted by a male relative,” said Director Saad al-Harithi. Besides encouraging women to use the library more, al-Harithi said he also wants to create sections for children, to introduce them to literature.—Adnkronos International, Aug. 4.

Some 20,000 books damaged in a June 29 fire that spread through a wing of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, have been freeze-dried in an effort to save them. About 30,000 other books, which were not as thoroughly soaked, were dried out by ventilators. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire, which took place during the widely watched European Football Championship.—La Tribune de Genève, July 1–4.

JAPAN

Timbuktu, once the site of the world’s southernmost Islamic university, harbors thousands upon thousands of long-forgotten manuscripts. But its legacy is beginning to fade. Roughly a dozen academic institutions are now involved in saving and evaluating the documents. The French are developing a database, while the United States has donated a device to digitize the damaged documents. The Norwegian cities of Oslo and Bergen are training locals to become conservators.—Der Spiegel, Aug. 1.

SOUTH AFRICA

A state-of-the-art R374-million ($47.7 million U.S.) new home for the National Library of South Africa opened August 1 in Pretoria. The building design was a joint venture between Jeremie Malan Architects, Impendulo Architects, and Gandhi Maseko Architects. The facility is 10 times larger than the previous space and offers quality climate control for rare materials.—BuaNews, Aug. 3.

MICRONESIA

In 2004, Typhoon Sudal hit the island group of Yap. The Yap State Public Library, serving a population of 8,000, was devastated. Today, Yap has a beautifully rebuilt facility, but little additional funding exists to restore the collection. To find out how to help, contact Arlene Cohen at arlenegcohen@gmail.com.—IFLANet, June 27.

NICARAGUA

Jane Mirandette is giving power to the people of Nicaragua—one book at a time. In the past seven years, the Loveland, Colorado, resident has established the first lending library in the country, created a traveling reading program for schools, and helped found 25 more libraries around Central America. With 12,500 books in English and Spanish, the San Juan del Sur Public Library serves almost 5,000 library cardholders.—Loveland (Colo.) Reporter-Herald, July 27.

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SAUDI ARABIA

The British Library is embark1 6 2 ing on a major project with its collection of medieval and 5 3 Renaissance royal illuminated manuscripts, which will culminate in the first-ever exhibition 4 of the collection in 2011–12. In 1757, King George II presented approximately 1,950 manuscripts from the royal library to the newly founded British Museum; they survive as the largest collection of medieval and Renaissance paintings owned by English monarchs.—British Library, Aug. 4.

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FIND THE RIGHT BOOKS AND MEDIA

Whether you’re developing your library’s collection or performing readers’ advisory, you’ll spend less time researching high-quality books and media if you use the magazines more librarians say they trust.

$99.50 / 22 issues per year Designed especially for building library collections. With hundreds of reviews identified by reading audience, each issue of Booklist offers greater selection support and is more trusted than any other magazine or journal. You’ll love the time-saving policy of limiting published reviews to recommended-only titles, as well as features like the best adult books for YA readers. “Booklist is a review journal I always consult when making purchasing decisions.” — Ed Sullivan, Library Media Specialist, Knox County Schools, TN

$39.95 / 6 issues per year Focused content that helps you connect children with high-quality books and media-based products. Articles written by teachers, librarians, authors, and media specialists are diverse, clearly marked for age-appropriateness, and annotated with bibliographies of related titles. Print and Web-based teaching resources help make reading activities fun and engaging. “In a time when connections between libraries and curriculum are so vitally important, Book Links is the perfect magazine for elementary libraries in our district.” —Karen Weiss, Elementary School Librarian

Order today at www.ala.org or through your subscription agency

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NEWS | Summer Reading

Hip Hop, Bugs, Magic, and Art . . .

Los Angeles Braille Institute Library Director Henry C. Chang and reader Casey Merida assist participants at the “Saddle Up and Read, Bookaroo” event attended by more than 100 children and their parents.

Photos: Hennepin County Library; Al Pereira

. . . highlight the wide variety of summer reading activities at libraries nationwide.

The Lopez family (from left), Litzy, age 8, Ruben, age 5, and Hector, age 11, show off their face painting during a magic show at Hennepin County (Minn.) Library’s Augsburg Park branch in Richfield.

Caldecott Medal–winning children’s author and illustrator Eric Rohmann watches a young artist draw at Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Library’s Brown branch during one of the “Catch the Reading Bug” programs held at the library’s three locations.

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Students from Morris Koppelman Early Childhood Academy join hip hop legend KRS One at a kick-off event at Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library’s central branch.

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Special Report | NEWS

Touting tools

Several programs fell under the slippery rubric of “Library 2.0.” One offered a two-sides-of-the-coin

You’ve just been sued by the RIAA You’ve just been screwed by the RIAA Their attorneys say you committed a crime And there’d better not be a next time

Photo: Brian Huddleston

Young man, you were surfing along, and then Young man, you downloaded a song, and then Dumb man, you copied it to your ’pod Then a phone call came to tell you:

ebate on these collaborad tive, user-driven Web 2.0 tools and the way they can be implemented in libraries. Kumar Percy Jayasuriya of the Georgetown University Law Library demonstrated technologies like social bookmarking websites and other collaborative services. He encouraged law librarians to urge the attorneys, judges, and professors they work with to embrace these tools for the greater public good of helping to disseminate knowledge as New York Times columnist David Pogue spiced up his keynote widely as possible. Lance speech with technological tunes. Hayden, a doctoral student and instructor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information, agreed that these tools can be useful, but he urged the audience to be wary of falling into the “hype traps” that often surround the newest, coolest technologies. His advice was to always balance security and privacy against the benefits that “Library 2.0” applications can provide. Other sessions covered a variety of topics, from the workings of the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to methods for interacting with patrons who are mentally ill. A number of programs dealt with specific aspects of the different types of law libraries—in courts, law firms, and law schools—where AALL members work. These included the creation of a copyright-compliance policy for a law firm library and the ethical and legal considerations of providing research assistance, but not legal advice, to self-represented, non-lawyer patrons. Though it isn’t as large as some previous AALL conference cities, Portland was a perfect place for this year’s meeting. And with nearly 2,000 attendees enjoying the mild weather and local attractions, the City of Roses provided the association with a setting for one of its most well-attended meetings in recent years. —Brian Huddleston, senior reference librarian, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

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f more library conferences had sessions about beer and Harry Potter, attendance would skyrocket. Those were two of the more eclectic subjects covered in the 91 programs at the American Association of Law Libraries’ 101st Annual Meeting and Conference in Portland, Oregon, July 12–15. The “Beer and the Law” program covered the history of beer and of the laws regulating its brewing, sale, and consumption; and at the program about Harry Potter the audience learned, through movie clips and analyses of select plotlines from the books, how the legal system in Harry’s universe differs from our own. Unfortunately, neither session provided free samples of either beer or magic, so at the end of the day attendees were still a bunch of sober muggles. The conference theme was “Energize, Explore, Evolve,” which AALL President Ann T. Fessenden said expressed a basic truth that is becoming more relevant than ever: “We all have to evolve to keep up, because things keep changing.” She added that a fourth “E” could have been added as a warning—“or go Extinct!”—because that’s what can happen when an entity doesn’t evolve, whether it’s a species, an institution, or a profession. Keynote speaker David Pogue, New York Times personal-technology columnist, discussed several major technology trends and their potential to alter the legal landscape. Pogue, who is also a musician, concluded his talk with a medley of songs about technology and society, including his tribute to the Recording Industry Association of America (sung to the Village People’s “YMCA”):

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Law Librarians Hold Parley in Portland

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Technology | News

Gannett Releases Database Tracking Public Library Trends

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annett News Service released a searchable database July 17 that compares trends affecting public library systems between 2002 and 2006. The analysis used data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) as well as statistics collected from state library data coordinators, compared figures for the some 9,200 library systems, and found that library visits increased by roughly 10% Libraries are “not a during that fivewell-covered issue year period and that circulation in the media, yet of materials every community rose by 9%. has one.” Database users can select a library — Ledge King system from a dropdown list of counties by state to learn about changes in book and video circulation, number of visits, operating expenses, and the number of public-use computers. The Library Systems Database also offers lists of public libraries serving populations of 10,000 or more that have the highest circulation per capita, the most internet-capable computers per capita, and the highest operating expenses per capita. “If you didn’t do that you’d have very small systems looking very robust and off the charts,” Ledge King, one of the two reporters who created the database, told American Libraries. “Rate is always truer than whole numbers. If you did straight numbers of computers, all the big cities would be on top but might actually be below average per capita.” With 85 newspapers around the

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country “Gannett News Services has taken a particular interest in a lot of data-rich stories,” King said. Local papers are more interested in running stories supplied by Gannett when they are accompanied by “specific information about what’s happening in their local libraries,” he explained. Libraries are “not a wellcovered issue in the media,” King observed, “yet every community has one.” He added that local reporters were being encouraged to “use us as a national lens but talk to their local libraries and talk to people about why they are there, what they like about it, or don’t like about it.” King said that he and news assistant William Risser initially believed they could construct the database with information collected by NCES but they soon realized that the latest information available to them would be from 2004, “which was too old for us.” The only way to get current data was to go directly to the data coordinators for all 50 states, who were “for most part helpful, eager in some cases,” to cooperate. Robert Benincasa, Gannett database editor, joined the team, and it took only about three months to collect all the numbers. While the Gannett findings do not rank libraries per se, they are based on much of the same statistical information analyzed by Thomas Hennen in his annual HAPLR public library rankings, which are published in American Libraries. Reed Elsevier’s Library Journal announced June 15

that, in partnership with Bibliostat, it will publish a new ranking system that focuses “more transparently on ranking libraries based on their performance” than HAPLR does. SirsiDynix recently suspended work on the Normative Data Project, an effort similar to the Gannett database. Asked if Gannett plans to continue to update the database, King said, “I don’t know. We have set the template, but the next Ledge King federal data is for 2005, so it’s going to be a year behind ours.” He said many people at the state level observed that NCES “does not move fast enough” to make the numbers useful to news reporters. The Gannett database, said King, “gives us a fairly up-to-date and geographically accurate impression of what is happening in libraries around the country, how some are progressing more than others in computers available or funding available. It gives our newspapers much more of a connection to libraries in general and what’s happening, and allows them to see what’s happening in their own backyard in the context of national trends.” King also noted that Gannett’s 23 TV stations are being encouraged to use the database for local stories about libraries. —L.K.

data.gannettnewsservice.com/libraries/library_start.php

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Oxford University Halts VTLS Implementation

he University of Oxford and VTLS have ended their agreement to implement the Virtua library management system. The August 1 press release from Oxford announcing the decision noted several top-level personnel changes since the university contracted with VTLS in 2005, including the retirement of Oxford University Library Services Director Reg Carr and the appointment of Sarah Thomas as Bodley’s librarian and director of OULS. “Oxford is a complex organization,” said Thomas, “and it needs to simplify and standardize its operations to take full advantage of system functionality and efficiency. Until we resolve some of the issues around the diverse practices prevalent in our libraries, we are hampered in implementing an advanced library management system such as Virtua.” The press release said Oxford planned to delay system implementation until it can resolve various issues, nota-

bly those relating to its need for a custom-designed automated stack request feature; the library receives some 9,000 closed-stack delivery requests per week. When the contract was signed in October 2005, Oxford said the university chose Virtua over six other systems, noting that VTLS’s proposals to enhance Virtua addressed Oxford’s “unique and complex needs.” OULS is the United Kingdom’s largest university library service, holding some 15 million items in over 100 separate libraries. VTLS declined to comment on the development, citing an agreement with Oxford that the university would be the sole source of information on the matter. In response to an e-mailed query from American Libraries seeking additional information on the issues hampering the implementation, Thomas said it was “not possible to go into detail except to say that Oxford has over 100 libraries with much variation in policy and practice.”

OverDrive Offers DRM-Free Audiobook Downloads

| american libraries

roviding audiobooks to patrons became easier recently branch where you have hundreds of titles available.” The when digital distributor OverDrive began making titles site is integrated with the library’s ILS, so authentificaavailable in a DRM-free format compatible with iPods tion is done through the patron’s library card. In order to and most other MP3 players as well as most cell phones. download the files, users must install free OverDrive Media The initial OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks catalog for public Console software. Users are required to agree to specific libraries offers more than 3,000 popular novels, children’s terms of use before they can download the files. After books, and classics, complementing the firm’s 20,000 the lending period expires, the Media Console software DRM-protected audiobooks in the Windows-based WMA disables access to the expired title. format and 80,000 e-books. Elissa Miller, DCPL acting associate director for colThe service was launched at the District lections, called the service “seamless in of Columbia Public Library in June, and The website serves as terms of any problems, either technologisince then dozens of libraries have fol- “a virtual branch where cal or content-wise.” She told American lowed, including the New York, Brooklyn, Libraries in mid-August that the 730-title you have hundreds of Queens, and Boston public libraries, said collection had seen 630 circulations since OverDrive Director of Marketing David titles available.” it began June 23, an average of about Burleigh, who expects that most of the 15 per day. firm’s 7,500 library customers will eventually add the Miller noted that the library has also experienced circulacatalog to their offerings. tion increases in its other digital offerings recently, likely Burleigh explained that OverDrive hosts a download- a result of a revamp of its website and enhancement of ing website for each client library that serves as “a virtual content at the time of the OverDrive launch.

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Technology | News Library Improves Its Online Readability The International Children’s Digital Library Foundation (www .childrenslibrary.org) announced June 17 the implementation of its ClearText technology, which improves the readability of books available in its free online c ollection. ClearText removes the text of a scanned page from the image of the book itself, and then displays the text on top of the image of the book. Users can click a passage of text to see a magnified version of it or to view it in a different language. The text can also be read by a screen reader. The library is also expanding the number of languages in which its holdings are available, through a major translation project involving more than 1,200 volunteer translators. “The ClearText application was developed specifically for the ICDL and makes it possible for more children from more countries to enjoy more books,” said Tim Browne, ICDL executive director.

The WebJunction online community (webjunction.org) migrated its content to a new platform August 4. The new WebJunction features a personalized “My WebJunction” page where users can keep links to sections of the service most relevant to them and view their friends’ recent updates. The new site also offers public profiles that track professional interests and activities, the ability to easily contribute documents or other relevant files to existing topics, and improved methods for connecting to other users. An August 4 posting on WebJunction’s blog noted: “We’ve worked,

The Digital Bookmobile launched a national tour August 10, from Central Park in New York City to promote audiobook, e-book, music, and video downloads from public libraries. Inspired by the New York Public Library’s “Virtual Branch” download website at ebooks.nypl.org, the Digital Bookmobile is operated by OverDrive. The tour will continue through 2009 with events scheduled across North America. sometimes feverishly, over the past 12 months to design, solicit feedback, iterate, prioritize, and redesign a site that more fully realizes the original vision we set out to achieve: a place on the internet that was ‘by and for’ library staff.” WebJunction has also announced partnerships with 15 state libraries that now offer branded WebJunction portals for libraries and staff in their states. Participating states are Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Facebook FastestGrowing Network

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is also the fastest growing, with a 153% increase in unique visitors in June 2008 over June 2007, according to comScore. Much of the growth comes from overseas, the TechCrunch blog reported August 12, as Facebook began this year efforts to create translated versions of the site. The network experienced 38% growth in North America, which accounts for 49 million of its 132 million visits, while

the rest of the world jumped from 16 million visits to 83 million. Social networks received more than half a billion unique visits in June 2008, up 25% from the year before. Facebook accounted for 132 million of those visits, while secondranked MySpace had 117 million visitors but only grew by 3%.

Search Engines Gain Users

Nearly half of internet users utilize search engines in a typical day, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Search engines were used by 49% of respondents daily in May 2008, up 69% from January 2002, when the project first tracked search-engine use. E-mail was the most popular internet application, used daily by 60% of respondents, but its usage grew by only 15% over 2002. The survey suggests that the proliferation of search engines on individual sites, wider access to high-speed internet connections, and improvements in the search engines themselves are the factors driving search engine growth. The survey is available at www .pewinternet.org.

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Revised WebJunction Offers New Features

DIGITAL BOOKMOBILE

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Sensitive color design. A new tool allows users to view web pages as they would be seen by people with common types of colorblindness. The Colorblind Web Page Filter (colorfilter.wickline.org) offers eight color filters, as well as links to resources for selecting colors. Meetings by webcam. Errol Pierre-Louis writes at pcmag.com (search “webcam meetings”) July 30, “Whether you want to chat with a friend or have an informal business meeting, videoconferencing is more personal than voice-only conference calling, and it’s a lot cheaper (and greener) than today’s plane trips.” His article includes recommendations of five next-generation videoconferencing applications and three webcams.

Create. Archive. Access. Search. It’s really quite simple. NDLSWeb® is a simple and economical digital collection

management solution that provides web access to your digital data. NDLSWeb features include: See for yourself. Go to www.normicro.com for more information and a software demonstration. Full text search across collections Easy navigation within documents Extended character set support

View/Print metadata and bibliographic data Email or print a portion or range of pages Administrative control functions

1.800.236.0850

www.normicro.com

Online app options. Cloud Trip (cloudtrip.com) is a directory of cloud computing applications— web-based software, often free, that performs functions traditionally done by desktop applications. The site features more than 160 applications in 18 categories.

What website visitors want. A new report by the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement, Finding Information: Factors that Improve Online Experiences, finds that

Keep things running. In June, during the ALA Annual Conference, the Library and Information Technology Association hosted “Keeping Your Computers Up and Running,” which offered general maintenance and troubleshooting techniques for libraries without an IT department. Handouts on general PC, printer, and network troubleshooting; the MaintainIT information-sharing project; and WebJunction educational resources were posted on the LITA blog (litablog.org) July 4. z

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EBSCO update. EBSCO Publishing has introduced EBSCOhost 2.0, its next-generation database interface. New features include article images and citation previews within a search-result list; redesigned basic, advanced, and visual search screens; and result-limiting options. EBSCO offers demonstrations, and other support materials at support.ebsco.com/ebscohost2/.

website visitors tend to have a higher standard for an effective website than site designers do, but that the gap can be closed with clear design, easy-to-find information, and quick access. Download the report at www .idea.org/find-information.html.

Digital bookclubbing. Booksprouts (booksprouts.com) is a free online community for book clubs in beta release as of mid-August. Users can find existing clubs or create their own, with tools for online discussion, book selection, and meeting management.

Visual music. Andrew H. Bullen details his experiences using optical music-recognition software to digitize sheet music into audible MP3 files in the June 23 Code4Lib Journal (journal.code4lib.org). While converting a 280-measure song produced 223 errors that had to be corrected manually, Bullen calls the process worthwhile. “It can provide a very powerful enhancement to an online exhibit, for example, or allow a library patron to download or purchase an aural ‘souvenir’ of their visit, increasing library and museum visibility.”

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8/19/2008 2:59:43 PM

The National Endowment for the Humanities presents

America’s History Through Our Nation’s Art

Free American art and history resources available for schools and public libraries—Apply by October 31st! Picturing AmericaSM is a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office. The goal of Picturing America is to promote the teaching, study and understanding of American art and history. Public, private, parochial, and charter schools and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public library systems and school districts, are invited to apply for Picturing America, an education initiative that provides a collection of large-scale laminated reproductions depicting works of American art, as well as other educational information on American art and history.

Online applications will be accepted August 4–October 31, 2008. For more information about Picturing America, including the artwork featured and the online application, visit http://picturingamerica.neh.gov. Past recipients of the Picturing America collection are not eligible for a second award. With questions, contact publicprograms@ala.org.

Grant Wood (1892-1942), detail, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, 1931. Oil on Masonite, 30 x 40 inches. (76.2 x 101.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arthur Hoppock Hearn Fund, 1950 (50.117). Photograph © 1988 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Art © Estate of Grant Wood/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

www.neh.gov www.ala.org www.imls.gov www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb www.nps.gov

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WINNERS

Call them movers, shakers, or just plain overachievers, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crop of ALA award winners represents an impressive array of accomplishments. From the top award of Honorary Membership for the stellar careers of Pat Mora, Effie Lee Morris, and Peggy Sullivan to project awards like San Diego County Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gateway/Al-Bawaba community outreach, these honors represent the best of the best. Selected for recognition by their peers, the professionals showcased here represent but a fraction of the 200+ awards presented annually by the American Library Association, its divisions, round tables, offices, and other units. Meet more ALA winners at www.ala.org.

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8/20/2008 9:19:14 AM

Duane Webster Mentor and trainer of current and future leaders

or his nearly 20 years as executive director of the Association of Research Libraries, Duane Webster has played a leading role in developing, training, and mentoring current and future leaders in America’s research libraries. In addition, he has demonstrated unwavering commitment to increasing diversity through the establishment of such opportunities as ARL’s Diversity Scholars Program. The Lippincott Award lauds Webster for launching and Joseph W. Lippincott promoting such initiatives as Award of $1,000 the Coalition for Networked for outstanding participation in Information, the Scholarly professional library Publishing and Academic Reactivities, notable sources Coalition, and the published professional Library Copyright Alliance— writing, or other programs that are having a significant activities on behalf of the profession. lasting impact on America’s libraries—as well as his work Donor: Joseph W. Lippincott III. with other national and international associations.

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he 56th recipient of the coveted Melvil Dewey Medal, Sandra Nelson, librarian, author, and consultant, has excelled throughout her 35-year career. Well known for her editorial work on ALA’s Public Library Association’s Results series, Nelson is the author of Strategic Planning for Results and author or coauthor of several other titles in the series. She has worked at the Arizona State Library ArMelvil Dewey Medal chives and Public Records and $2,000 for creative Division and the Tennessee professional achievement in State Library and Archives. library management, training, cataloging and classification, As a consultant, Nelson and the tools and techniques has helped many libraries of librarianship. and library professionals Donor: OCLC. understand, develop, and implement planning processes for their own organizations. Her efforts embody creative leadership of the highest order and have earned her advocate many other professional awards.

Sandra Nelson

for strong public libraries

8/19/2008 3:29:17 PM

Honorary Member: Pat Mora

Equality Award of $1,000 for an outstanding contribution that promotes equality in the library profession. Donor: Scarecrow Press.

Liana Zhou champion for sex education and gender equality

atina poet and author Pat Mora has made a mark on behalf of bilingual reading for children with the establishment of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), her commitment to libraries, and the promotion of reading and inclusiveness. Mora’s books for children and adults have been recognized for their excellence by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and they helped earn her ALA’s top award, Honorary Membership. In 2002, the Texas Library Association recognized her as one of 100 Library Champions. In 1996, Mora proposed El día de los niños/El día de los libros, also known as “Día,” to the ALA affiliate Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. Día, now a daily commitment to link all children with books, languages, and cultures, culminates annually on April 30 with celebrations around the country. It is currently sponsored by Reforma and ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children.

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irector of the Library and Archives at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in Bloomington, Indiana, Liana Zhou is a strong advocate for sex education and gender equality. Zhou has excelled in her research, having published works on sexual equality, as well as in her work with national and international associations on issues related to minority concerns. A past president of the Chinese American Librarians Association, an ALA affiliate, Zhou has received numerous awards and honors and also served as CALA’s representative on the 2006 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Steering Committee, a group that included individuals from ALA’s five librariansof-color caucuses. In addition to her work with CALA, she served on ALA’s governing Council and the Diversity Council. According to Sally Tseng, CALA honorary executive director, “Liana‘s energy and enthusiasm for equality and diversity are contagious and re-energize those around her.” In addition to her library training, Zhou studied at Nanjing University in China and at Earlham College’s School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.

Photos: Curtis Compton; Daniel Quat

8/19/2008 3:29:33 PM

Ching-chih Chen Builder of worldwide partnerships

he recipient of numerous fellowships and distinguished service awards, Ching-chih Chen, professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College in Boston, is no stranger to high recognition . A consultant and speaker Beta Phi Mu Award in more than 40 countries, of $1,000 for Chen has authored or edited distinguished service more than 35 books and in to education in excess of 200 journal artilibrarianship. cles. She also produced an Donor: Beta Phi Mu award-winning interactive International Library Honor Society. videodisc and multimedia CD, The First Emperor of China. Winner of the Beta Phi Mu Award, Chen created the ongoing Global Memory Net digital-image library, supported by the National Science Foundation’s International Digital Library Project, and is also developing the World Heritage Memory Net.

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he career of Patricia Tarin, former director of Knowledge River in the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, is noted for her risk-taking and for providing positive long-term changes to librarianship. Described as “a mentor to many librarians from underrepresented backgrounds,” Tarin Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change has been a constant in incorpoAward of $1,000 to a rating values of culture and ethlibrarian who invests nic diversity into library settings. time and talent to True to the Catalyst for Change make positive changes Award she has earned, Tarin dein the profession of librarianship. veloped “Guidelines for Library Service to the Spanish-SpeakDonor: Futas Memorial Fund. ing,” helped to shape ALA’s Spectrum program, and developed Knowledge River, which recruits Hispanics and American Indians to librarianship.

Patricia Tarin

culture and diversity sculptor

8/19/2008 3:29:50 PM

Honorary Member: Effie Lee Morris Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children to an individual who has shown exceptional understanding and support for public library service to children while having general management, supervisory, or administrative responsibility that has included public library service to children in its scope. Donor: Peggy Sullivan, a 2008 Honorary Member.

Harriet Henderson early-childhood literacy promoter

ormer San Francisco Public Library coordinator of children’s services Effie Lee Morris was selected for ALA’s top honor for her vision, advocacy, and legacy to children’s services in public libraries. She established the first Negro History Week celebration for children at Cleveland Public Library and was the first children’s specialist for the blind at New York Public Library. In San Francisco, Morris created the library’s Children’s Historical and Research Collection, which was later named in her honor. In 1977, the San Francisco Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) established an annual lecture in her name to accompany the collection. Morris served several terms on the ALA’s governing Council and in 1971 became the first AfricanAmerican president of ALA’s Public Library Association. She is the recipient of several awards including he WNBA National Book Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Trailblazer Award, and the University of San Francisco Reading the World Award.

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arriet Henderson, director of the Richmond (Va.) Public Library, has been selected for the Sullivan Award for her commitment to public libraries and their impact on children, demonstrated through her leadership on ALA’s Public Library Association/Association for Library Service to Children Early Literacy Task Force and the establishment of the “Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library” initiative. Henderson’s focus on early childhood literacy and the role of the public library in promoting early education has been a hallmark of her career. She has been a constant leader in working to improve children’s services by using research from respected institutions to develop strategic early-literacy initiatives. In each of the libraries in which she has worked, Henderson established early childhood literacy as a value and trained and developed dozens of library workers in the field. Her work improved children’s collections and children’s programming and resulted in the development of strategic partnerships with organizations in each of her communities.

Photos: Curtis Compton; Debra Zeller

8/19/2008 3:30:03 PM

Lawrence Adrian Moore unassuming diplomat and visionary

nspiring teacher, empowering leader, supportive mentor, and creative visionary is how Larry Moore, former Ontario Library Association executive director who retired in February after 24 years, is described by colleagues. The Haycock Award winner is acknowledged for his quiet leadership and diplomacy that has resulted in greater public recognition and appreciation of librarianship, Ken Haycock Award for his passionate support of for Promoting intellectual freedom, and for Librarianship his commitment to mentoring. of $1,000 for Moore participated in creatcontributing significantly to the ing Partners in Action: the School public recognition Library Resource Centre in the and appreciation of School Curriculum, developed librarianship through by the Ontario School Library performance, Association, which influenced teaching, or writing. a movement that has still has Donor: Ken worldwide support . Haycock.

ohnson County (Kans.) Library is one of the first in the nation to identify and address the needs of teens and women in the justice system with the creation of “Literature in the Justice System: The Surprising Antidote,” earning the MarMarshall Cavendish shall Cavendish Award. Excellence in Library The program encompasses three Programming Award of $2,000 to a school outreach activities—the “Read to or public library Succeed” literature program for that demonstrates teens incarcerated at the Juvenile excellence in library Detention Center; “Changing Lives programming by Through Literature,” an alternative providing programs that have community sentencing program for teens and impact and respond adults; and “Stories about Women,” to community needs. an adaptation of Read to Succeed for Donor: Marshall women in the Johnson County CorCavendish rections Adult Residential Center. Corporation. Participants have the opportunity to have a voice and frequently become leisuretime readers.

Johnson County (Kans.) Library

JCL Deputy County Librarian Tricia Suellentrop (seated) and (left to right) Technology Manager Monique Sendze, Youth Outreach Librarian Kathy McLellan, and County Librarian Donna Lauffer, represent the award-winning team.

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change-agents for imprisoned teens and women

8/19/2008 3:31:35 PM

Honorary Member: Peggy Sullivan

Scholastic Library Publishing Award of $1,000 for an unusual contribution to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people that exemplifies outstanding achievement in the profession. Donor: Scholastic Library Publishing.

Carolyn S. Brodie Inspirer of those devoted to the young

ore than 50 years of distinguished service to the profession have earned Peggy Sullivan ALA’s top honor. Her wide-ranging career includes service as president of ALA’s Children’s Services Division (now the Association for Library Service to Children), assistant commissioner for extension services at Chicago Public Library, ALA president, ALA executive director, dean of the LIS program at Rosary College (now Dominican University), and dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northern Illinois University. She is the author of the definitive scholarly history of the tenure of Carl Milam (ALA secretary from 1920 to 1946) and the growth of the Association to international acclaim. Sullivan was also director of the Knapp School Libraries Project, which had national impact on the need for high-quality school library media programs. A past recipient of ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award, she established the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators in 1994 to recognize those in management, supervisory, or administrative responsibilities who have excelled in public library service to children.

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arolyn S. Brodie, professor at the School of Library and Information Science at Kent (Ohio) State University, has devoted her career to children’s literature and youth librarianship, inspiring children’s and school librarians across the country. She created the Reinberger Children’s Library Center at Kent State, which includes a state-of-theart classroom and a videoconferencing facility for students as well as the 21,000-piece Marantz Picture Book Collection. Brody also codirects the university’s Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth. The Scholastic Library Publishing Award winner has helped to write more than 15 grants that resulted in the receipt of over $5 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and other funding sources and co-principally investigated a U.S. Department of Education/IMLS grant that together disbursed more than $2.75 million to create the Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education. A extensive writer on topics involving children’s literature, youth librarianship, and school libraries, Brody has presented hundreds of workshops and programs on youth literature, information literacy, and librarianship.

Photo: Curtis Compton; Tanya Tucka

8/19/2008 3:31:50 PM

Orange County (Fla.) Library System

builders of Broad-based staff training Debbie Tour, acquisitions services manager, Orange County (Fla.) Library System.

he Orange County (Fla.) Library System is gearing up for “Ready, Set, Go,” a support staff training program that will extend to those working at the Osceola County Library System.Utilizing a webbased reference interview program from ALA’s Reference User and Services Association, the project will include facilitated sessions on such topics as how to evaluate print and online resources, readers’ advisory, reference guidelines, and customer service. The Wilson Library Staff Development Grant–winning project is designed to enhance customer service skills and to aid in a better understanding of the library services offered. The ultimate goal is to determine if this resource -sharing effort could extend to libraries throughout Central Florida . H. W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant of $3,500 to a library organization for a program to further its staff development goals and objectives. Donor: H. W. Wilson Company.

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nternet and computer instruction were provided to the growing immigrant Middle Eastern population in San Diego County through the libraries’ “Gateway/AlBawaba Project,” which involved the use of Arabic-speaking instructors recruited to teach patrons enrolled in biALA/Information lingual classes Today, Inc. Library of held at three the Future Award of county $1,500 to an individual libraries. library, library consortium, group of Translated librarians, or support class materials organization for supported the innovative planning, classes that inapplication or volved lessons development of patron training programs in basic comabout information puter use, technology in a library Arabic keysetting boarding, Donor: Information internet and Today. e-mail use, finding maps and directions, and using the SDCL online catalog and premium databases. The winning Library of the Future project encouraged adult learning and technological literacy while attracting a segment of the community that might not have otherwise been served.

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San Diego County Library TEACHERS OF A GROWING immigrant community

Safa Arabo (seated), SDCL library technician IV, and Nawal Alkatib, project instructor (left) are members of the county’s Chaldean/Middle Eastern community. Joining them is Jacqueline Ayala, SDCL principal librarian.

8/20/2008 9:19:46 AM

Book Awards W. Y. Boyd Literary Award

Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development Award of $2,500 to a library organization that has exhibited meritorious achievement in carrying out a financial development project to secure new funding sources for a public or academic library. Donor: Gale Cengage Learning.

Photos: Curtis Compton

taff at Elmont (N.Y.) Memorial Library created an avenue for ongoing revenue for such projects as the library’s Early Childhood Learning Center and to fund college scholarships for local high school students. The new library opened in 2006, constructed around an existing junior high school auditorium and restored into a theater of professional standards. Additional plans included leasing the auditorium to a local theater company that would hold three annual performances. Revenues from the performances would be dedicated to fund library projects. A board-appointed Fundraising Committee created a development plan that resulted in $3,800 for library-related projects. Other performances and additional funds are expected. “The Gale Cengage Learning Award jury members saw this innovative financial development plan not only as a sustainable fundraising program for the Elmont Memorial Library, but also a model for other libraries in the future,” noted Award Committee Chair Lydia M. Acosta.

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Schneider Family Book Awards T he Schneider Family Book Awards of $5,000 honor authors or illustrators for books that encourage artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Recipients are selected in three categories: young children (age 0–8), middle grades (age 9–13) and teens (age 14–18). Author Andrea Stenn Stryer and illustrator Bert Dodson won the young children’s category for Kami and the Yaks (Bay Otter Press, 2007), about Kami, a deaf Sherpa boy who rescues his family’s yaks in the Himalayan Mountains during a violent storm. Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, author of Reaching for Sun (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 2007), received the middle grades award. Her book tells the Pictured are (from top to story of 13-year old Josie, who has cerebottom) W. Y. Boyd Award recipient Robert N. Macomber, bral palsy, and her relationship with her and Schneider Family Book grandmother, conflicts with her mother, Awards winners Andrea Stenn Stryer, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, her friendship with a new neighbor boy, Ginny Rorby, and Bert Dodson. and her care of the family garden. The teen award winner is Ginny Rorby for Hurt Go Happy (Starscape, 2006), about Joey, a deaf teen who was initially isolated by her mother’s refusal to let her learn American Sign Language, and Sukari, a signing chimpanzee. Joey ultimately grows into an animal rights activist. september 2008

moneymakers at work

Elmont (N.Y.) Memorial Library

Robert N. Macomber is the 2008 W. Y. Boyd Literary Award recipient for Excellence in Military Fiction for his novel A Different Kind of Honor. The $5,000 award is given to the author of a military novel that honors the service of American veterans during a time of war. Macomber’s book showcases the assignment of U.S. Naval Lt. Cmdr. Peter Wake during the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) between Bolivia and Peru versus Chile, when he observes the first battle between sea-faring ironclads, rides the world’s first deep-diving submarine, and sees machine guns in combat for the first time. Macomber is an internationally recognized writer, lecturer, and television commentator. His A Different Kind of Honor is the sixth book in a series.

american libraries

Mara Marin, young adult librarian, Elmont (N.Y.) Memorial Library.

8/19/2008 3:32:48 PM

Trustee Citations Community Mover and Shaker

nder the leadership of Donald W. Green, the Clinton-Macomb (Mich.) Public Library was transformed in just 10 years from a corner in a local school to one of the largest library systems in the state. As a trustee, Green’s advocacy efforts convinced two independent municipalities to form one library district with combined services and greater efficiency. He worked to encourage the passage of a millage issue that increased annual operating revenues and negotiated a gift of 10 acres of land for the main library. Green also oversaw the construction of several other branches. Library Director Larry Neal said, “Green is not shy about using all of his connections to help the library grow. He is a brilliant strategist, hard worker, and exemplary library supporter.”

proven library board leader at the national, state, and local levels, Barbara Prentice, past president of ALA’s Association for Library Trustees and Advocates, has worked tirelessly on the Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library’s advisory, Friends, and foundation boards. She has been an advocate for the library on many issues, including becoming a library district and fundraiser for the 21st Century Library Campaign. Prentice was also founder of the statewide Friends, helping to support many smaller communities as they created Friends groups. She has created a record of leadership and achievement in service on ALA, Friends of Libraries USA, and ALTA committees.

strong library advocate

ALA Trustee Citation Awards recognize public library trustees for distinguished service to library development, and they symbolize and honor the best contributions and efforts of the estimated 60,000 American citizens who serve on library boards. Sponsor: Association for Library Trustees and Advocates.

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public relations

T Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award to recognize individuals who have contributed substantially to the Foundation through adherence to its principles and/or substantial monetary support. Sponsor: Freedom to Read Foundation.

Roll of Honor Award star first amendment litigator

he world’s first round library card is among the winners of the John Cotton Dana Award. Created by children’s author and illustrator Trevor Lai for Richmond Public Library in British Columbia, the card is part of a unique campaign for promoting the library to children from kindergarten to grade 7. Dubbed the Ralphy, the card made youth memberships soar by 30%. More than 1,600 people attended the Ralphy library card campaign launch, video highlights of which can be seen on YouTube. Inspired? Visit www.ala.org for dozens more innovative PR ideas.

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Meet dozens more ALA Winners at www.ala.org.

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t’s hard to imagine someone more deserving of the Roll of Honor Award than Burton Joseph,” said Freedom to Read Foundation Executive Director Judith Krug. Burton, a prominent Chicago First Amendment attorney, works in private practice with his firm Joseph, Lichtenstein, and Levinson, as well as counsel to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and special council to Playboy Enterprises. He is also founder of Chicago’s Lawyers for the Creative Arts. His First Amendment work began in the 1960s as a volunteer attorney for the defense of Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer. In the intervening years, Burton has tried a number of landmark First Amendment cases, including ANA v. Hudnut and ABA v. Virginia. He also served as counsel for American Library Association v. Reno, the case that led to the overturning of portions of the Communications Decency Act of 1997. According to Krug, Joseph’s dedication to the FTRF is “unparalled and his yeoman’s efforts on behalf of the First Amendment are historic.” She added that his litigation successes have helped librarians “ensure that we are able to practice our profession to its fullest extent.”

Photos: Curtis Compton

8/19/2008 3:33:22 PM

A unique guide to eight decades of literature that might be hidden away in your library. NEW!

Essay & General Literature Index Retrospective: 1900-1984 Essay & General Literature Index Retrospective offers precise access to tens of thousands of essays that are all but inaccessible—unsung tracts in larger works. N Coverage spans the entire range of the humanities and social sciences, including literary works, art history, drama, and film. N Indexes single and multi-author collections, plus selected annuals and serials. N Covers publications from the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. N Find the precise articles you need, with searching by keyword, subject, title, author, date of publication, or any combination. N Search seamlessly with Essay & General Literature Index for more than a century of coverage.

“A boon to librarians in reference…A must for all academic and large public libraries.” —American Reference Books Annual on Essay & General Literature Index

Free 30-day trials available! Visit www.hwwilson.com/trial Less Searching, More Finding

H.W. Wilson www.hwwilson.com

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/ Ê Àii\Ênää ÎÈÇ ÈÇÇäÊUÊ/i \ÊÇ£n xnn n{ääÊ >Ý\ÊÇ£n x ä £È£ÇÊ ÀÊnää x ä £È£Ç E-mail: custserv@hwwilson.com

08/13/2008 9:48:29 AM

Internet Librarian | TECHNOLOGY

The Right Question Knowing what to ask is the first step in facing the future

The moral is obvious, but there must have been folks who really wanted to make buggy whips and went down with the ship (mixing my transportational metaphors) as a consequence.

Joseph Janes is associate dean in the Information School of the University of Washington in Seattle. Send ideas to intlib@ischool.washington.edu.

Allow me to propose a focal question for our profession. Your humble columnist was on the panel to wrap up to a surprisingly peppy late-afternoon crowd. In my remarks, I posited that the essential elements of a “library” were stuff, support, place, values, and interaction. Take away any of these, and what remains leaves something I wouldn’t recognize as a library. While each is essential, and can be unique to us, I might hazard to offer one as a focal point for our discussions. If we could know the future of how people will want to interact with our resources and with us for that matter, a great deal might follow from that knowledge, including what sort of spaces and places and support will be best, and what kinds of values we might add to our already critical and cherished stock. I left this day with more questions than answers, but also with a renewed sense of optimism, driven by the vigor and passion in the room, which would have been a useful tonic for buggy-whip fans . . . but that’s another story. z

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Reductive reasoning

american libraries

eople often ask if I still expert J. C. Herz, both smart and fun enjoy writing this colto listen to. umn (six years and 66 The day was framed and structured columns after I started, by consultant Joel Garreau, who, as a the answer remains an enthusias- reporter for the Washington Post, tic yes!). And do I struggle finding knows the value of a good question. In ideas? Regular readers know my prior work he has done with teachers, inspirations have been ecumenihelping them to consider their next cal (The New York Times, Entertain- steps, the focal question they came up ment Weekly, game shows, friends with was “What is the future of bonking me over schools?” Nothing the head with shocking there. If we could know great ideas). However, Garthe future of how Often, it’s as reau sees that as people will want simple as finding likely the wrong a great question. I to interact with our question. A more was invited to effective, useful, resources, a great deal take part in a fasprovocative, and might follow. cinating session productive quesheld by the Urban tion would probLibraries Council at the ALA Annual ably have been, as he suggested, Conference in Anaheim. The day “What is the future of education?” was devoted to exploration of the So, dear colleagues, what’s our quesfuture of learning, particularly sotion? About the future of libraries? cial learning, which the council has Or of information? Or reading? Or identified as a useful approach to books? All the above? Something thinking about what large urban else again? libraries should do in the next 10 There were a heap of “future of” years or so. and “rethinking libraries” sessions The estimable researcher John going on in Anaheim. Many bright Seely Brown opened the day, merci- people and institutions are trying to fully not giving the “I’m famous and work this through, and we all know smarter than you are” talk, explorthere’s a lot riding on getting it right ing lots of invigorating and occaand thus in getting the right focal sionally unsettling ideas about question—perhaps that’s even the self-motivated learning, technolomost important challenge of all. gy, and the role of thinking and There’s a well-worn analogy knowledge (see his piece in the Jan- about the dawn of automobiles, uary/February 2008 issue of Eduwhen buggy-whip manufacturers cause). He was followed—and nicely ultimately had to decide whether challenged—by internet analyst they were in the buggy-whip busiOmar Wasow and computer-game ness or the transportation business.

by Joseph Janes

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TECHNOLOGY | Dispatches from the Field

Modular Management Using Drupal to create a dynamic CMS

mission for Libraries is using these capabilities to provide library websites across the state that can be centrally managed for technical support. Drupal’s user management system also provides a scaffold for creating a more interactive site for library patrons. Outside users can be provided with accounts that let them comment on stories or write book reviews. The library can decide whether these comments or reviews are published without review or are held for approval by library staff in a process called moderation. For school or public libraries not ready to take the full plunge into radical trust, moderation still allows users to be part of a more social, interactive experience.

Maintaining focus

In the end, Drupal has been an incredibly powerful tool for our school library system to use in meeting the challenges of Library 2.0 and the digital reshift. Libraries excel at creating experiences but may not have the digital tools necessary for success. An open source content management system like Drupal provides the tools that let libraries maintain their focus on user services while operating within a technology enriched framework. z CHRISTOPHER HARRIS is the coordinator of the School Library System for Genesee Valley BOCES. This article was adapted from the May/June 2008 issue of ALA’s Library Technology Reorts, co-authored by Andy Austin, library technologies specialist with the Genesee Valley BOCES.

american libraries

september 2008

s library services conAndy Austin was able to create a new tinue to move online, library portal at Fish4Info.org for having a powerful the member libraries of the Genesee internet presence beValley BOCES region. comes even more important. Just having a library website is no No codes longer enough. With increasing The other major feature of a CMS levels of interactivity and social like Drupal is that it allows the creconnectedness in ation of dythe commercial namic sites Except for very Web, our library that can be sites need to bemanaged in high-level custom come just as much a distributcoding, users really of an engaging ed fashion. never have to look experience for Since all of our users. A conthe content at actual web page code. tent management on a Drupal system (CMS) site is provides a set of tools that allow stored as an entry in a MySQL datalibraries to remain focused on the base, adding a new story or changend result of patron happiness. ing content is handled through a simple web form. Except for very high-level custom coding, users reDeciding on Drupal There are many choices for a library ally never have to look at actual web page code. Drupal also provides a CMS, but after extensive review the powerful user management system School Library System of Genesee that allows a site administrator to Valley BOCES in LeRoy, New York, customize access levels for each part selected the open source system of the site. Drupal to power a new set of online applications. Drupal provides an excellent choice because it offers a Publishing permissions These two aspects combine wide variety of enhancements to create a working environthrough a customizable module ment where individual users system. or groups of users assigned to There are already many free library modules available for down- a role can be given permission to complete certain tasks. load from Drupal.org, including While some users may be able to tools for working with MARC recreate drafts of new posts for the cords, collecting book reviews from website, only certain other users users, and interacting with library will have permission to publish the catalogs. By combining these modchanges to the site. The Idaho Comules with additional custom coding,

by Christopher Harris

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WE THE PEOPLE BOOKSHELF

PICTURING AMERICA A P R O J E C T O F T H E N AT I O N A L E N D OW M E N T F O R T H E H U M A N I T I E S ( N E H ) I N PA RT N E R S H I P W I T H T H E A M E R I C A N L I B R A RY A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S ( A L A ) P U B L I C P R O G R A M S O F F I C E .

Free books for libraries PUBLIC AND SCHOOL LIBRARIANS— A NEW GRANT O P P O RT U N I T Y I S C O M I N G YO U R WAY T H I S FA L L !

KICK OFF THE SCHOOL Y E A R B Y A P P LY I N G O N L I N E

our thousand public and school (K–12) libraries will be selected to receive the Bookshelf—a collection of classic books, plus Spanish translations of selected titles, for young readers related to the theme Picturing America. This Bookshelf seeks to accomplish with literature what NEH’s Picturing America program (www.PicturingAmerica.neh.gov) accomplishes through art. The Picturing America Bookshelf will include two additional selections to appeal to audiences of all ages: 1776: The Illustrated Edition by David McCullough and Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. Other book titles will be announced in September 2008.

BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

The Bookshelf program is part of the NEH’s We the People program, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. Apply online from September 2, 2008, through January 30, 2009, at www.neh.gov and www.publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf. To access a list of programming ideas for your fall application, visit www.publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf.

Image courtesy of Julie Paschkis

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www.juliepaschkis.com

08/11/2008 10:12:24 AM

TECHNOLOGY | In Practice

Technology Goes Local Collecting local knowledge with social software

hen I first moved to Vermont, I searched the Web for information about the area and found very little. In Chicago, it’s easy to go online and find the best place to get curly fries, the best dry cleaner, and the best park to take your kids to. In Vermont, that information tends to stay locked in the minds of the people who live here. So for newcomers, there’s sure to be a lot of trial-and-error involved in finding the “bests.” And I certainly made lots of mistakes before finding the places I now frequent. Why should people have to reinvent the wheel when there’s so much community knowledge just waiting to be shared? We usually think of social software as technologies to connect people with common interests who are geographically distant. However, it can also be used to connect people around local interests and to collect local knowledge more effectively. Libraries have always been keepers of local history and culture, from genealogical resources to artifacts in special collections. Librarians also are frequently asked about local services of which they may not have firsthand knowledge. Some of our patrons may know more about these services than we do. Using social software to collect community knowledge fits in well with most library missions on many levels. Since a wiki can receive contributions from many people, it’s a perfect tool for collecting local knowledge.

Wikis have been created for cities in- Virginia and Melbourne, Australia’s cluding Davis, California; Omaha, Ne- WikiNorthia (wikinorthia.net.au). Another wonderful local resource braska; and Birmingham, Alabama. is SkokieNet (skokienet.org). Created One of my favorites is RocWiki by the Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, (rocwiki.org). Billed as the people’s SkokieNet is an impressive commuguide to Rochester, New York, the nity portal built on the online content RocWiki website contains informamanagement system Drupal, which tion about restaurants, public transallows for the creation of static pages portation, hair salons, malls, as well as blog content. Any commurecreation, local culture, and much nity member can more that has submit news, been added Why should people photos, local by the people reinvent the wheel information, who live when there’s so much and even crethere. It’s reative writing to ceived concommunity knowledge the site. The tributions just waiting to be shared? Skokie Stories from over section in3,000 peocludes personal stories from commuple, reflecting diverse knowledge and nity members, which also makes the viewpoints. site a repository for local culture and Interested individuals residing in history. the area developed RocWiki, rather When thinking about projects like than a community organization or the this, it’s important to consider the local government. However, to me, a culture of your population. Some local wiki seemed like the perfect project for libraries. Having all of that communities may not be comfortable sharing knowledge so openly, while useful local information on the others will take to it like a duck to library’s website would likely make it water. You also want to make sure the online hub of the community. that the technologies you use are not The wiki created by Stevens a barrier to your patrons. County (Wash.) Rural Library DisThe local knowledge residing in the trict (scrldwiki.org) collects and disseminates local knowledge about minds of our patrons is a treasure. Using social software, we can collect the large and sparsely populated county. The wiki is still quite young, and preserve that knowledge for the benefit of the entire community. z but it’s already become a wonderful resource with a growing number of MEREDITH FARKAS is head of instructional contributions from the community. initiatives and liaison to the social sciences at Other libraries have started local Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. She blogs at Information Wants to Be Free and wikis, including the LoudonPedia created Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. (loudounpedia.wetpaint.com) in Contact her at librarysuccess@gmail.com.

american libraries

september 2008

A perfect match

by Meredith Farkas

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8/19/2008 3:02:23 PM

R R

NEW TITLES NOW NEW TITLES TITLESFROM NOW NEW NOW AVAILABLE AVAILABLE FROM FROM AVAILABLE

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Teen

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Booktalking Bonanza: Ten Ready-to-Use Multimedia Sessions for the Busy Librarian Booktalking Bonanza: Ten Ready-to-Use Multimedia Sessions for the Busyand Librarian Betsy Diamant-Cohen Selma K. Levi Betsy Diamant-Cohen Selma K. LeviMultimedia 240 Booktalking pages | 6” Bonanza: x 9” | Softcover Tenand Ready-to-Use 240 pages 6” Busy x 9” |Librarian Softcover $40.00 Sessions | ALA for |the Members: $36.00 $40.00 | ALA Members: ISBN13: Betsy Diamant-Cohen 978-0-8389-0965-2 and$36.00 Selma K. Levi ISBN13: 240 pages |978-0-8389-0965-2 6” x 9” | Softcover $40.00 | ALA Members: $36.00 ISBN13: 978-0-8389-0965-2 toll

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07/08/2008 12:45:10 PM

News | Interview

NEWSMAKER: Cory Doctorow ory Doctorow is a Canadian journalist, privacy activist, coeditor of the Boing Boing blog, proponent of liberalized copyright law, and science-fiction author. His most recent novel, Little Brother, revolves around a group of teens who use technology to foil an oppressive Department of Homeland Security that has created a police state in the wake of a terrorist attack in San Francisco. It remained on the New York Times bestseller list for seven weeks after its release in April. Doctorow spoke to American Libraries after he appeared on a June 29 privacy panel sponsored by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.

American Libraries: What threats to privacy do we face in the United States?

ence between totalitarianism and freedom is whether you get to choose the circumstances under which you disclose your personal information. Librarians should make clear how much or how little personal data about their patrons they retain. Furthermore, the information architecture that we build into our libraries and information systems is reflected in the politics that emerges from it. If we create a system where disclosure is the norm, then through technology we’ll end up in a political system where disclosure is the norm.

How close is the United States to beIs it harder to find relevant informa-

coming the kind of place that you de-

american libraries

september 2008

CORY DOCTOROW: The core differ-

we’ve done in response to the September 11 attacks. By harvesting information indiscriminately, we make it harder to generate legitimate conclusions. The wider we cast our net, the more innocuous activities we find. When we increase our security from terrorism through unbridled governmental authority, we become vulnerable to what the framers of the Constitution thought we needed to be most protected from. Who among us doesn’t have something they wouldn’t prefer to be kept private? As Cardinal Richelieu said, “If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him.”

tion about terrorists if you collect an

scribe in Little Brother? I really fear

enormous amount of data? Abso-

that that may be the case. The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 [passed in July] was a real illustration that the internal inertia of overreaching se-

Here’s one thing that librarians reading Little Brother will want to know. Can you really cook a library book in a microwave oven for 30 seconds and destroy the RFID chip? That really

depends on the RFID. But this illustrates an important principle, which is that the customers for RFIDs are not demanding that vendors produce chips that are user controllable. There is no way to set a policy on an RFID that determines under what circumstances it will disclose its identity. Vendors will tell you that would raise the cost. True, but it’s also true that putting brakes on a car raises the cost, yet we don’t allow car dealers to sell them without them, even though there might be a market for a low-cost car with no brakes. Libraries are essentially putting black boxes into the hands of patrons and giving them no control and no disclosure and no transparency into their operations. That is a serious privacy issue. z

lutely. Only a fool would think that bigger haystacks make the needles easier to find, and that’s really what

curity is very hard to overcome, even when you have people of good will who are supposedly on your side voting. The only reason that we know about shoe bombs is because of Al-Qaeda attacks that didn’t work. We caught the people. They failed to go off. But if you ever say, “All right, you can keep your shoes on,” and a plane falls out of the sky, someone will say it was Senator Soand-So’s idiot plan to let us wear our shoes again that was clearly responsible for this. This noose is only tightening and can’t loosen in a real political sense.

Photo: Deborah Caldwell-Stone

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OPINION | Public Perception

How the World Sees Us “I suppose it’s possible that Mayor Perez has in mind a kind of Mad Max gladiator spectacle in which ragged, yellow-eyed librarians would battle against docents from the Old State House and tour guides from the Mark Twain House for scraps of public resources. I picture, at the end, Hartford chief librarian Louise Blalock rollerskating around and around the outer edge of the arena with the severed head of Twain House director Jeffrey Nichols tucked under her arm, while we in the stands chant her name in a mindless frenzy.” Columnist COLIN McENROE opposing Mayor Eddie Perez’s suggestion that the city take over the Hartford Public Library, in “Librarians Vs. Docents in Perezdome,” Hartford (Conn.) Courant, July 20.

“This monumental, brutalist incinerator has no place in the centre of our city, flanked by the glorious 19th-century architecture and sculpture of our other civic buildings. Visitors to the city walking through Victoria Square and into Chamberlain Square from New Street are confronted with this import from post-revolution Russia.” FREDDIE GICK

al, historical, or cultural significance, The Daily Telegraph (U.K.), June 24.

“[The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]’s announcement comes on the heels of a controversial decision in December by a Hawaii librarian to allow a gay Honolulu resident, Dean Farlaine, 47, to check out three books, A July 5 response from “Sparqy” to which promptcomments from others in the vein of “Who needs a library ed strong proanyway?” following a story on the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Public tests from Library flood damage, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids, July 4. proponents of

“I’m assuming 32,000 books having been checked out at the time of flooding indicates that at least a few people appreciated the resources the library has had to offer.”

traditional library values. Opponents of the move petitioned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who reversed the card-granting decision. Further complicating the growing legal entanglements, Farlaine has reportedly been too intimidated by the periodic demonstrations outside the library to return the books.” “Nation’s Gays Demand Right to Library Cards,” The Onion (satire), June 26.

of the Birmingham (U.K.) Civic Society on the city’s Central Library, which is in line to be officially listed as of special architectur-

Yoga and wine-tasting sessions supplement story hour, poetry readings, and lectures. Some libraries have become de facto senior centers, resource labs for home-schoolers, rehearsal studios for community dance and theater

“Comic books and CDs can be checked out along with books and magazines.

groups . . . but still. Video games? What’s next—miniature golf? Walk-in medical clinics? Taco Bell?” “Quiet in the library? Shhh!” Chicago Tribune, July 24.

“You know, sometimes I’ll go to an 8thgrade graduation and there’s all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers. And I think to myself, it’s just 8th grade . . . . An 8th-grade education doesn’t cut it today. Let’s give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library!”

september 2008

Illinois Democratic Senator and presidential candidate BARACK OBAMA, in a Day address at Chicago’s Apostolic Church of God, Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star, June

Secret Asian Man newspaper comic strip by Tak Toyoshima, published 5/10/08.

27. z

american libraries

June 15 Father’s

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On My Mind | OPINION

Consider the Jaybrarian and experience. They want your guidance, skill, and wisdom. But you want their fresh eyes. The two of you can walk together along the marked lines, sometimes crossing over, sometimes staying inside. Then comes the radical idea: over time, give them the opportunity to take your job. Yes, that’s right: Good managers want their employees to replace them. You can do it for self-serving reasons (it’s the easiest method of job advancement I know of). Or you can do it because encouraging your employees to become leaders creates an atmosphere of continual improvement benefiting everyone. You, your employees, your library, and your community will flourish. You will make way for the cycle to begin again, creating room for the next round of freshfaced graduates. I’m not one of those jaybrarians entering the profession this year; I still have a year to go before I get my MLIS. However, I’m thrilled for my second-year colleagues about to find their place in the profession. I know how incredibly insightful and talented they are; I see how well our school has taught them to think critically and grapple with difficult problems. They are poised for leadership. Consider these jaybrarians, for together you have the opportunity to better yourself and enrich the lives of others. z

JEN WALLER is a 2009 MLIS candidate at the University of Washington Information School.

september 2008

Planned obsolescence

e’ve all heard of kid.” The new degree-holders enterjaywalkers, right? ing the profession are in similar posiA jaywalker crosses tions. They will see things with fresh the street outside eyes. Their unfamiliarity with your the marked lines of a crosswalk. “library ways” can be to your benefit I’ve been a jaywalker, and chances and, more important, to the benefit of are you have too. But quick–do your users. you know where the word “jayAt first, jaybrarians might notice walker” comes from? In the early the looks on users’ faces when they 20th century, the word “jay” was warily approach the reference desk slang for a newcomer who was unsure if they should interrupt you. unfamiliar with “city ways.” During their first week at work the Each year hundreds of “jays” enter jaybrarian might be surprised by the the library profession. They are the placement of a sign you walk by every newly graduated LIS students, full of day. They might see the long line of optimism and users waiting enthusiasm, all for a chance at Their unfamiliarity polished and the computer. with your “library shiny, eager to Perhaps you no ways” can be to take their place longer notice in the library these things; your benefit. world. Many of or perhaps you them are newcomers, unfamiliar do, but you’re so busy juggling 30 othwith “library ways.” They are the er things that you don’t have the time “jaybrarians” and they will, perhaps or energy to do anything about it. inadvertently, walk outside the lines. But now you have your jaybrariSome of us live in cities with rules ans. Use them. Encourage them. against jaywalking. The rules were Listen to them. They may have solucreated because reckless jaywalking tions. Ignore your impulse to say, could potentially endanger lives. Yet “That won’t work,” “We tried that it endangers no one’s life when already,” or “That’s too idealistic.” these newcomers walk outside the Allow them to veer outside the lines marked lines of your organization. of your comfort zone a bit. Their Therefore, I encourage you to connew eyes provide you with somesider the jaybrarian. thing valuable: the opportunity to Years ago, when I was a newly hired reexamine your operations and see manager, my boss sat me down and your organization in a new light. warned me, “You have six months to Yes, you have the wisdom of expemake change. After six months you rience and lessons learned. Good start seeing the same things the rest of jaybrarians won’t discount that. In us see day in and day out. Take full ad- fact, they will rely on your judgment, vantage of your first impressions, and they will crave your knowledge

by Jen Waller

american libraries

Newly minted professionals offer fresh eyes

0908_Opinion_On_My_Mind.indd 55

8/19/2008 3:04:03 PM

by Daniel J. Solove

Illustration: Campbell Laird

With privacy under attack from all quarters, many wonder whether it’s an outdated expectation

an we expect privacy anymore? At every turn, it’s under assault. Businesses are collecting an unprecedented amount of personal data, recording the items we buy at the supermarket, the books we buy online, our websurfing activity, our financial transactions, the movies we watch, the videos we rent, and much more. Nearly every organization and company we interact with now has tons of personal data about us. Companies we’ve never heard of also possess profiles of us.

american libraries

october 2007

The Future

of Privacy C

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8/19/2008 3:04:33 PM

We’re increasingly invading each other’s privacy and exposing our own personal information.

Nominate your program Sara Jaffarian from the 2007/2008 school year by December 1, 2008. To learn more and apply, visit www.ala.org/jaffarianaward. Sponsored by the American Library Association Cultural Communities Fund and the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians.

september 2008

One school library or media center is recognized annually with a $4,000 cash award and a plaque presented at the ALA Annual Conference.

The threat to privacy involves more than just records: Surveillance cameras are popping up everywhere. It is getting increasingly harder to have an unrecorded moment in public. The National Security Agency is engaging in massive telephone surveillance. At work, many employers monitor nearly everything—every call their employees make, every keystroke they type, every website they visit. Beyond the government and businesses, we’re increasingly invading each other’s privacy and exposing our own personal information. The generation of young people growing up today is using blogs and social network websites at an unprecedented rate, spilling

Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming

Every breath you take

intimate details about their personal lives online that are available for anybody anywhere in the world to read. The gossip that circulates in high school and college is no longer ephemeral and fleeting; it is now permanently available on the internet, and it can readily be accessed by searching Google for a person’s name. In my book The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet (Yale University Press, 2007), I chronicle dozens of stories where people’s reputations were ruined by gossip and rumor online, where their future opportunities will forever be affected, where they will be forced to explain some foolish mistake in their past, often made as a teenager. With all these developments, many are asking whether privacy is still alive. With so much information being gathered, with so much surveillance, with so much disclosure, how can people expect privacy anymore? If we

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Digital dossiers about our lives and personalities are being assembled in distant databases, and they are being meticulously studied and analyzed to make judgments about us: What products are we likely to buy? Are we a good credit risk? What price would we be willing to pay for certain items? How good a customer are we? Are we likely to be cooperative and unlikely to return items or complain or call customer service? Today the government has an unprecedented hunger for personal data. It is tapping into the data possessed by businesses and other organizations, including libraries. Many businesses readily comply with government requests for data; only a few resist. Libraries, for example, have a long tradition of protecting people’s privacy, and librarians have fought efforts by the government to gather more data. But so many others readily comply. When the government sought millions of internet search records from search engine companies, only Google resisted the subpoena; the rest simply turned over the information. When the government asked the airlines to hand over their passenger records, they did so without missing a beat. Government agencies are mining this personal data, trying to determine whether a person is likely to engage in criminal or terrorist activity in the future based on patterns of behavior, purchases, and interests. If a government computer decides that you are a likely threat, then you might find yourself on a watch list, you might have difficulty flying, and there might be further negative consequences in the future.

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Privacy, Libraries, and ALA In a library (physical or virtual), the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information about users and keeps that information private on their behalf. —Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

can’t expect privacy, is it possible to protect it? Many contend that fighting for privacy is a losing battle, so we might as well just grin and bear it. These attitudes, however, represent a failure to understand what privacy is all about. The law often focuses on whether we expect privacy or not, and it refuses to protect privacy in situations where we don’t expect it. But expectations are the wrong thing to look at. The law isn’t merely about preserving the existing state of affairs—it is about shaping the future. The law should protect privacy not because we expect it, but because we desire it. Privacy is often understood narrowly, and these restrictive concepts lead to people neglecting to recognize privacy concerns. For example, it may be true that many businesses hold a lot of personal data about you. Does

this mean you lack a privacy interest in that data? Those who view privacy narrowly as keeping information totally secret might say that you no longer have privacy regarding information that others possess. But privacy is about much more than keeping secrets; it is also about confidentiality. Data can be known by others, yet we have social norms about maintaining that information in confidence. For example, although librarians know information about the books we read, they understand that they have an obligation to keep the information confidential. Doctors know our medical information, but they, too, are under a duty of confidentiality. Privacy also involves maintaining data security. Those who possess data have an obligation to keep it secure and out of the hands of identity thieves and fraudsters. They

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he freedom to read and receive ideas anonymously is the foundation of individual liberty and full participation in a democratic society. It assures the individual’s right to gain knowledge and to form opinions according to his or her own conscience—the foundation for self-determination and meaningful participation in our political process. When the reader’s right to privacy is eroded or stripped away, many will abandon or curtail any exploration of unorthodox or unpopular points of view—the infamous “chilling effect” that discourages the intellectual development of our citizenry and impoverishes our public discourse. In a global society where information is power, protecting the impulse to be curious, read, and learn is essential for the health of our democracy and our society. Protecting reader privacy and confidentiality has long been an integral part of the mission of the American Library Association and the library profession. As early as 1939, librarians affirmed a right to privacy for library users. By 1973, librarians were encourag-

ing state legislators to adopt laws protecting reader privacy, a campaign that continues today in the state of Vermont, where the governor recently signed new legislation protecting the privacy of library users’ records (see p. 60–63). Libraries are under increasing pressure to discard this longstanding commitment to readers’ privacy rights. Law-enforcement agencies are exploiting fears about terrorism and child safety to encourage lawmakers to strip away statutory privacy protections for library records, eliminate anonymity in the library, and encourage the philosophy that “good” people should have nothing to hide. Federal laws use gag orders and national security claims to prevent judicial review of potential privacy abuses. This state of affairs demands a renewed advocacy for readers’ right to privacy. Beyond crafting effective privacy policy and beyond political advocacy, librarians must engage their own communities in the struggle to preserve privacy rights. ALA’s new initiative, “Privacy for All: Rallying Americans to Defend Our Freedoms,” will develop tools and strategies for librarians who want to lead their communities in a conversation about the importance of privacy rights in protecting the individual and sustaining our democracy in the 21st century. To participate in the initiative and help lead the conversation on privacy in your community, contact Angela Maycock, associate director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, at amaycock@ala.org. —Deborah Caldwell-Stone, ALA OIF deputy director

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Those who possess data have an obligation to keep it secure and out of the hands of identity thieves and fraudsters.

profiles and informaare also obligated to tion they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even prevent data leaks. know about. Another dimension Privacy thus involves of privacy is having more than keeping control over our insecretsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is about formation. Just behow we regulate inforcause companies and mation flow, how we the government have ensure that others use data about you doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t our information remean that they should be allowed to use it however they desire. We can readily sponsibly, how we exercise control over our information, agree that they shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to use personal infor- and how we should limit the way others can use our data. Some argue that it is impossible for the law to limit how mation to engage in discrimination. The law can and should impose many other limits on the kinds of deci- others use our data, but this is false. Copyright law is a clear example of the law regulating the way information sions that can be made using personal data. Those that use data about us should have the respon- is used and providing control over that data. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sugsibility of notifying us about what they have and how they gesting that copyright law is the answer to privacy, but it plan to use it. People should have some say in how their illustrates that it is possible for the law to restrict uses of information is used. There needs to be better â&#x20AC;&#x153;data due data if it wants to. We can protect privacy, even in light of all the collecprocess.â&#x20AC;? Currently, innocent people are finding themselves on terrorist watch lists with no recourse to chal- tion, dissemination, and use of our information. And it lenge their inclusion on the list. Financial and is something we must do if we want to protect our freeKINGSLEY AL FEBdecisions 08:AMERare LIB 1/5/2008 3:52based PM on Page dom 1 and intellectual activity in the future.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; z employment made about people

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september 2008

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A Privacy Victory in Vermont A new law protects patron confidentiality

by Trina Magi

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octOBER 2007

state police detective entered the tiny Kimball Public Library in Randolph, Vermont, June 26 and attempted to seize the public access computers. A 12-year-old girl was missing, and the police had received a tip that she sometimes used the terminals. Children’s librarian Judith Flint demanded a search warrant, as required by the library’s boardapproved policy. “The lead detective said to me that they need to take the public computers and I said, ‘OK, show me your warrant and that will be that,’” she told the Associated Press.

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| american libraries

cided to do something to address it,” says Gail Weymouth, director of the Sherburne Memorial Library and current chair of the VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee. “In 2006, a survey of library directors in Vermont showed a tremendous level of support for a new statute, so we set to work looking at laws in other states and drafting language,” Weymouth explained. “This was truly a grassroots effort initiated and conducted by librarians in Vermont. Of course, many other people and groups offered assistance or information, including a faculty member and student at Vermont Law School, the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont ACLU, the American Library Association, and a lobbyist that VLA had hired to work on a library funding initiative.” The 2006 survey also showed that libraries in Vermont had received at least 1,200 requests for patron information in the year before the survey. “The requests came from many different sources, including neighbors, friends, teachers, law enforcement and parents,” says Barbara Doyle-Wilch, recently retired dean of library and informa-

He told her he would go file the paperwork and get a judge’s signature. Instead, he returned with four additional state police officials, but no court order. “He did say he didn’t need any paper. I said ‘You do.’ He said ‘I’m just trying to save a 12-year-old girl,’ and I told him, ‘Show me the paper.’” Investigators returned with a warrant about six hours later. Flint’s demands were backed up by library Director Amy Grasmick, but the pair might have had an easier time had the confrontation occurred just a week later: A new state statute that went into effect July 1 affirmatively declares patron registration and transaction records confidential in all types of libraries—public, academic, school, archives, and others open to the public. The law prohibits sharing those records except: 1) with written permission of the library patron; 2) to library officers, employees, volunteers, and agents as necessary for library administration; 3) in response to an authorized judicial order or warrant; and 4) to custodial parents or guardians of a student by the library at the school the student attends, in accordance with the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The Vermont law also allows any library to release information to custodial parents and guardians of patrons under age 16, a compromise provision written into the bill by a Senate committee after hearing testimony from parents, some of whom wanted the law to protect the confidentiality of all minors and others who wanted full parental access to records of their children under 18. The Vermont Library Association (VLA) initiated work on this legislation almost two years ago to address longstanding confusion in the state about library records. While the state’s open-records law said that library records were not public documents, it fell short of explicitly saying that they were confidential. “This led to a lot of different and conflicting interpretations by state officials, members of law enforcement, librarians and others. The association has been dealing with that confusion for years, and we de-

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“It was satisfying to see that the right to privacy is something people fundamentally agree with.”

tion services at Middlebury College and past president of Vermont Library Association. “Most of the time, people making the requests are well-meaning, such as the patron who is curious about whether her friend read and liked a certain book. But our code of ethics requires that we treat all patron information as confidential, because we can’t be sure that a patron doesn’t mind someone else knowing. We wanted the law to affirm [ALA’s] code of ethics.” In spring 2007, VLA contacted the Vermont School Library Association (VSLA) and invited school librarians

to join the effort. After consulting its membership, the VSLA board decided to collaborate. “The law is very important for students,” says —Susan Monmaney Jean Fournier, librarian at St. Johnsbury Academy and VSLA past president. “We live in a complex society, and as our students come into discovering who they really are and determining their values, they need the confidence to explore the issues that they’re concerned about. It’s very healthy for them to do that,” Fournier recounts, “When VLA asked us to join the effort, we were in a state of heightened awareness about intellectual freedom because we had been dealing with three book challenges that year,” Susan Monmaney, technology coordinator/teacher and former librarian at Main Street Middle School in Montpelier and current VSLA president, testified at one of the hearings regarding the bill. “It was a fascinating process, and I was pleased with the degree of respect in the room during the hearing,” she says. “It was satisfying to see that the right to privacy is something people fundamentally agree with. And the process sparked some very good discussions among librarians about best practices for protecting patron confidentiality. For example, is it a good idea to have student volunteers checking out materials to their peers in the school library?” Monmaney acknowledges that school librarians must abide by FERPA, but she is disappointed by the fact that the law doesn’t give minors full confidentiality protection in the public library. “Some people seem to believe that by advocating for confidentiality for everyone, librarians were trying to take away a longstanding right of parents to access library records. That’s simply not true. In reality, before recent automation of library records, it would have been a daunting task to try to figure out what a patron had checked out.” Weymouth agrees. “There are many ways parents can be involved in their

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Visit www.icanhaz.com/ngd and register your library today!

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september october 2007 2008

Participate in ALA’s ﬁrst National Gaming Day @ your library

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and provided materials about the bill that librarians could share with their constituents; ■ had a continuous presence in the statehouse to monitor the bill’s progress, and was available on short notice to testify at hearings; and ■ recruited librarians in the towns of legislative committee members to call their representatives and urge action on the bill. During the process, the Intellectual Freedom Committee learned that while it was important to focus on the principles of free speech, access to information, and the library code of ethics, testimony would have been strengthened by including personal stories and anecdotes to illustrate the impact of these principles on people’s lives. Librarians in other states planning similar initiatives would be wise to gather such compelling stories. VLA is now working with the Vermont Department of Libraries to assist librarians in writing and updating their confidentiality policies. While many libraries already provided confidentiality protection for their patrons, with the new law in place, library patrons across Vermont have greater assurance that their reading habits and research interests are private matters that they alone can decide to share with others. ❚

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children’s use of the library. And we encourage parents to talk with their children about what they’re reading and to help them choose appropriate materials,” she says. “But sometimes kids are dealing with serious issues–like child abuse, an alcoholic parent, or a health question–and they need good information. We want them to be comfortable getting that information at the library. Confidentiality is important for them, just like it is for adults.” Allen Gilbert, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, says he is very pleased the bill passed. “Librarians ‘get it’ when it comes to the importance of privacy rights. The ACLU was proud to work with VLA and VSLA on Vermont’s library patron rights bill. The freedom to read without someone looking over your shoulder is a fundamental right.” VLA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee views several of its actions as important to the success of the bill. The committee: ■ reviewed other state statutes and drafted language that was clear and appropriately inclusive; ■ presented a united front, with school, public, and academic librarians testifying together in support of the legislation; ■ kept the association membership well informed

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People | Announcements

Currents n Nancy E. Adams became librarian at Harrisburg (Pa.) University of Science and Technology July 1. n Diane L. Ambrose has joined Washington County (Pa.) Library District as director of Citizens Library. n June 16 Alicia A. Antone started as director of development for the University of Florida Libraries in Gainesville. n July 21 Deborah Barrow became director of San Diego Public Library. n Katy Bleyle recently became a youth librarian at Fayetteville (Ark.) Public Library. n Paula Brehm-Heeger was promoted August 10 to manager of the Central

Region at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. n June 30 Annalee Bundy retired as executive director of Ames Free Library in Easton, Massachusetts. n August 18 Glenda Claborne became metadata management librarian at the University of Oregon in Eugene. n September 10 Carol J. Connor retires as director of Lincoln (Nebr.) City Libraries. n The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa has named Jody L. DeRidder head of digital services. n Jeannie Dilger-Hill has been appointed director of La Grange (Ill.)

n Sandra Feinberg, director of Middle Country Public Library in Centereach, New York, was inducted into the Suffolk County Women’s Hall of Fame August 13. n Erin Helmrich, teen services librarian at Ann Arbor District Library, received the Michigan Library Association’s Pletz Award for outstanding quality of service to teens. n Carol Nersinger, director of East Brunswick Library, was named the New Jersey Library Association’s Librarian of the Year April 30. n Lisa C. Wemett, assistant director for reference and teen services at Webster (N.Y.) Public Library, received the Murray Award June 6 from the New York State Library Assistants’ Association for contribution to the recognition or professional growth of library assistants.

Arnold Maurins

Sonja Sutherland

n Kathy K. Kennedy retired June 30 as director of Washington County (Pa.) Library District’s Citizens Library. n October 1 Robert Kieft becomes college librarian at Occidental College in Los Angeles. n The University of Southern California has named Robert Labaree head of VKC Library, Zofia Lesinska as a director, and Anne Lynch as head of the science and engineering library. n WebJunction Executive Director Marilyn Gell Mason retired September 1. n Washoe County (Nev.) Library System has appointed Arnold Maurins director. n David McCaslin has become head of access services at Yale University’s Social Sciences Libraries and Information Services in New Haven, Connecticut. n Pam Nissler retired as associate director of community services at Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries in July. n In March George Oberle became head of Johnson Center Library at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

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Public Library. n Steven Ely has been named reference librarian at West Texas A&M University in Canyon. n Denise A. Garofalo is now systems and catalog services librarian at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York. n Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has appointed Ann Hanlon digital projects librarian. n July 14 Terry B. Hill became director of North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh. n Claudia Holland recently became copyright officer for George Mason University Libraries in Fairfax, Virginia. n July 1 Madeline Miele Holt was promoted to director of Ames Free Library in Easton, Massachusetts. n Rosita Hopper was promoted to dean of libraries at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, as of July 10. n July 14 Nancy Howe was promoted to deputy county librarian for Santa Clara County (Ca.) Library. n September 1 Damon Jaggars became associate university librarian for collections and services at Columbia University Libraries in New York City. n Richard Jasper joined the State University of New York at Buffalo as head of the continuing resources division in May.

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Julie Walker

of Jefferson County (Colo.) Public Library. n Carol E. Vreeland has been named associate director of North Carolina State University’s Kenan Library of Veterinary Medicine. n The University of Alabama at Birmingham has promoted Carolyn Walden to head of cataloging. n Julie White Walker has been appointed Georgia

deputy state librarian. n Marlo Welshons became director of communications and public relations for the University of Minnesota Libraries in Minneapolis May 27. n September 1 Mark Winston became assistant chancellor and director of the John Cotton Dana Library at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. z

Send notices and color photographs for Currents to Greg Landgraf, glandgraf@ala.org.

september 2008

peake (Va.) Public Library in August. n Sonja Sutherland has been appointed reference librarian and instructor of library science at Valdosta (Ga.) State University. n The University of Oklahoma in Norman has hired Jaymie Turner as serials and electronic resources librarian. n July 1 Marcellus Turner became executive director

librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1957 to 1972 and a faculty member of the UNC School of Library Science until 1976, died July 13. Orne received ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the profession in 1974, as well as the 1971 American Society for Information Science Award of Merit and ALA’s Melvil Dewey Award in 1972. n Doris Sargeant, 76, director of Brentwood (N.Y.) Public Library from 1978 to 2003, died July 25. During her career, she advocated for financial support for basic literacy and English-as-a-second-language programs, and in 2003, won the Literacy Award from ALA’s Association for Library Trustees and Advocates. n Sara L. Siebert, 88, coordinator of young adult services at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore from 1962 until her 1977 retirement, died of heart failure July 24. Siebert was 1961–62 president of ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association, and won ALA’s 1971 Grolier Award for encouraging reading among economically disadvantaged children.

n Winston Rabb Henderson, 89, director of Phoenix Public Library from 1959 to 1982, died June 19 of complications from surgery. During his tenure, he initiated a branch library ex pansion program and oversaw an addition to the former Central Library. n Robert “Allen” Meyer, 57, director of Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, Illinois, since 1988, died June 22 of cancer. Meyer oversaw the library’s move to a new building in 1993 and created foreign-language sections for Asian and Russian patrons. n Carol Nemeyer, 1982–83 ALA president, died June 30. During her career, she was associate librarian for national programs at the Library of Congress, senior associate at the Association of American Publishers, and assistant librarian at McGrawHill. ALA’s Freedom to Read Foundation has created a memorial fund in her honor. n Eileen F. Noonan, 88, professor emerita at the Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science in River Forest, Illinois, died June 28. n Jerrold Orne, 97, university

Marcellus Turner

obituaries

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n The University of California at Davis has appointed Mary Page as assistant university librarian for technical services. n July 7 Michael Peper became librarian for mathematics and physics at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. n Beth Perry has retired as library program manager at the Office of Library and Information Services in the Rhode Island Department of Administration in Providence. n September 2 Jane Pyper was promoted to chief librarian of Toronto (Canada) Public Library. n Siobhan A. Reardon has been named president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia effective in September. n The University of Southern California in Los Angeles has named Ross Scimeca head of Hoose Library of Philosophy, and Lynn Sipe associate dean of collections. n Jacqueline Sipes became instructional design librarian at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, in July. n Irina Stanishevskaya has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham as cataloging librarian. n Margaret Stillman retired as director of Chesa-

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Professional Development | Youth Matters

Novel Encounters Remembering what centers us

Pueblo in New Mexico. My mother learned how the vivid details of family stories allowed Gomez to recognize the places where her father and uncle stopped for water while hunting during her own mountain walks. The intimate experience of reading was often in mind during these moments. I met Elizabeth Knox, whose Dreamhunter was named a Printz Honor Book. Learning that her second YA title was to be honored left her feeling “absolutely thrilled,” she said, adding that YA fantasy has been a regular part of her reading. “The best fantasy writers are writing for young adults,” Knox asserted. A new project is in the works, she told me, taking place in the same quasi-realistic setting as Dreamhunter but in 1959, during the polio epidemic. As Knox signed books for librarian Kim Bauer of Chaparral High School in Harper, Kansas, Bauer talked about how the young readers she knew would respond. “Kids just love the signed copies,” Bauer told Knox. “It means so much.”

Sagas of every size

At the Archaia Studios Press booth, Mark Smylie, author and illustrator of the Artesia graphic novel series (intended for mature readers), talked about how the genre has been received by libraries. Smylie’s press may be best known for Mouse Guard: Fall 1152. (If you haven’t picked up a copy of this story for readers 10 and up yet, I have only two words for you: You must.) Smylie observed that despite gen-

erally increasing interest, librarians’ reactions to graphic novels vary, with some remaining uncertain about the form while others are actively building collections. Format seems to play a role in librarians’ receptiveness, Smylie noted, which increased with the appearance of graphic novels that looked more like books and less like comics. The relatively sparse aisles of the purveyors of larger-sized graphic novels on the perimeter of the Gaming Pavilion, versus the long lines that formed for signings of the tradebook version of the Prince of Persia videogame, bore out his observation. Smylie also noted the need to build not a single graphic novel collection, but separate ones for children, teens, and adults. As Barbara M. Joosse signed copies of her books, including her new title Grandma Calls Me Beautiful, and received compliments from fans (“That was my mom’s favorite color,” one man told her as she inscribed I Love You the Purplest), she talked about writing. Joosse praised reprints of children’s classics like those from the New York Review of Books press, observing that rereading such enduring tales puts her back in mind of the emotional center “where children really are.” Joosse, too, enjoys Annual because “I leave thinking about things. The conversations are meaningful.” z JENNIFER BUREK PIERCE is assistant professor of library and information science at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Contact her at youthmatters@ala.org.

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t’s the conversations that tend to linger in my mind following ALA’s Annual Conference—the chance meetings that create a sense of human connection amid thousands of unfamiliar faces and the exchanges that spark new ideas and richer understanding. At one point, I turned a corner and came upon a dark-haired man who was explaining how he loved his black-and-white patterned shirt because it turned into rainbows when photographed; he turned out to be illustrator Peter Sìs, at ALA to sign copies of The Wall and Chance receive the meetings Association for created a Library Service to Children’s sense of Sibert Medal connection, and for nonfiction the intimate as well as a Caldecott Honexperience of reading was often or. (His children, he in mind. confessed somewhat ruefully, told him not to tell jokes while speaking at ALA.) I also found myself listening to Lea Lyon’s dynamic and engaging explanation of the processes involved in creating the illustrations for Keep Your Ear on the Ball and The Miracle Jar. Then there was the conversation my librarian mother Ann Burek had after the ALA President’s Program with speaker Henrietta Gomez, Head Start instructor at the Taos

by Jennifer Burek Pierce

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Working Knowledge | Professional Development

Back to School Continuing your education

I love to purchase the CDs or DVDs at professional conferences for later use at home. (In fact, your library may pay for these as an economical educational tool, accessible by all employees who did not make the trip.) Recently I have been listening to ALA’s Public Library Association podcasts on the long drive to work each morning. PLA handouts are also available through special web links. For maximum time efficiency, I accelerate the presentations to double speed. They are still very intelligible, once you adapt to the helium-voice effect!

Do not limit your learning options to activities of the mind. Exploring a new physical skill, such as yoga or rock-climbing, engages the mind and the body, often with stress-reducing effects. Chess players are notorious for strenuous workouts to improve physical stamina and increase oxygen flow to the brain, thereby facilitating mental focus.

Mary Pergander is director of Deerfield (Ill.) Public Library. Send comments or questions to working@ala.org.

Home schooled

WORKING WISDOM

september 2008

Many local high schools and community colleges offer reasonably priced general-interest adult education courses. These classes may meet only once or regularly over a period of few months. Some park districts or senior recreation centers offer a variety of programs for learners of all ages. In addition, your local library system or state association may offer free or inexpensive links to professional web-based continuing education. If library school classes are too expensive to audit, find out if

Adult education

your university offers interesting Try one of the free web-based tuspeakers or lecture series that are torials (admittedly, of varying qualiaffordable or even free. With sitety). Naturally, these can help you learn software basics or advanced based learning opportunities, not only may you pick up an idea or two, techniques. Did you know they exist but you might Are there skills you want to also renew an acquaintance or develop in support of your current make a new or future role in your library, or friend along the to respond to the needs of your way. Are you takpatron base? ing full advantage of your employer’s tuition for many other topics of interest, support plan, if any? If you work for too? Just search for “free tutorial” an institute of higher education, are and your topic of interest. you eligible for discounted rates for Decide now to take yourself back courses? Ask about any restrictions to school this fall, and have fun prior to registering for desired choosing among the many exciting classes. possibilities. z There are additional options for those who prefer to learn at home, and many of them are accessible day or night for your convenience.

american libraries

any librarians are committed to lifelong learning, practiced year-round. Still, there is something energizing about the back-to-school season. Remember the beauty of a box of fresh crayons, and the anticipation of all the new classroom discoveries that lay ahead? Maybe you should consider returning to school this fall! Are there skills you want to develop in support of your current or future role in your library, or to respond to the needs of your patron base? Should you develop new computer skills? Learn a new language? Become more persuasive or master ways to deal with conflict? Perfect the art of speaking or storytelling in front of an audience?

by Mary Pergander

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Professional DEVELOPMENT | Books

Librarian’s Library Kid lit toolkit

Indexed, 321 P., PBK., $50 from Libraries Unlimited (978-1-59158-557-2).

A wealth of practical applications takes this volume beyond the classroom.

you’ll welcome Making Library Web Sites Usable by Tom Lehman and Terry Nikkel. This eminently practical LITA Guide describes several possible components of a well-designed usability study, among them heuristic evaluation, surveys, focus group interviews, paper prototyping, and web server logs analysis. Ways to entice usability testers and to record testers’ responses are also discussed. Finally, there

are six usability case studies from academic, public, and special libraries. A very useful tool for developing a site as well as for evaluating current sites. Indexed, 183 P., PBK., $65 from Neal-Schuman (978-1-55570-620-3).

Radical, Dude

Any book with an introduction by Sanford Berman is bound to be irreverent, and Radical Cataloging: Essays at the Front doesn’t disappoint on that score. Edited by K. R. Roberto, the book doesn’t merely take swipes at some of cataloging’s

New From ALA Regarding reference Reference sources, at least in their print form, are disappearing. In fact, the word “reference” seems to be disappearing as well—in my local library, the reference desk is now called “readers’ services.” Why, then, do we still need Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries? In his preface to the seventh edition, editor Jack O’Gorman notes, “with the changes happening in reference, this guide becomes even more important.” Based on rigorous review by the contributors, the number of entries is down by 14%, but there is increased coverage in some areas, including religion beyond Christianity and Judaism, and international topics. And, of course, the page space devoted to electronic resources continues to grow. Invaluable for identifying the reference sources that are still vital. Indexed, 329 P., PBK., $80, $72 for ALA members (978-0-8389-0943-0).

Untangling the Web

If you’re involved in designing or maintaining your library’s website

Order from ALA Order Fulfillment: 866-746-7252, Fax: 770-280-4144; www.alastore.ala.org.

american libraries | september 2008

nlike textbooks on children’s literature that are written for teachers, Sylvia M. Vardell’s Children’s Literature in Action: A Librarian’s Guide is written specifically with librarians and library media specialists in mind. It surveys a number of genres, among them picture books, poetry, fantasy, and informational books, and suggests ways to use both current and classic books with young patrons in grades K–6. The introductory chapter is an overview covering readers’ advisory, awards, reviews, and other general topics. A rich mix of resources is included for each genre, including a survey of subgenres, a focus on the work of particular authors such as Laurence Yep, T.A. evaluation criteria, and creative activities. The chapter on fantasy devotes space to audio books and graphic novels. A wealth of practical applications takes this volume beyond the classroom and into the realm of working librarians.

by Mary Ellen Quinn

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ROUSING READS

Indexed, 311 p., PBK., $45 from McFarland (978-0-7864-3543-2).

Fundamental Shifts

As the way people deliver and access information changes, what happens to one of librarians’ fundamental roles, that of information provider? In Renewing Professional Librarianship: A Fundamental Rethinking, Bill Crowley explains how librarianship needs to move away from an infocentric model and towards a “lifecycle librarianship” that promotes reading and lifelong learning. In many libraries, this change is already underway (as in the shift from reference to readers’ advisory in public libraries). It’s Crowley’s contention that more needs to be done to promote the shift at the professional education level, and he calls on ALA to adopt an accreditation process that places less emphasis on information science.

The given day

ast month in this column, I rhapsodized about all the new fall galleys that were coming my way at Booklist and how I couldn’t resist the temptation to read more than my fair share of them. Well, they’ve kept coming, and I’m still greedy—even to the point of claiming Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day (William Morrow), all 720 pages of it, as my own. Lehane usually writes crime thrillers that jump between past and present (Mystic River, for example), but this time he has produced his first full-scale historical epic, a detail-rich exploration of America at the end of World War I. This was the time of the Seattle General Strike, the rise of the IWW, and a flurry of anarchist bombings. One of the first of these galvanizing public events to strike fear into both the American middle class and the country’s entrenched power elite was the Boston Police Strike of 1919. The strike is the climactic event in Lehane’s novel, but the tale follows multiple characters through the year leading up to it, setting the stage by showing how the image of bomb-throwing anarchists had created a building sense of panic across the country and particularly in the Northeast, where the influenza epidemic of 1918 hit especially hard, leaving the citizenry doubly wary of outside forces capable of wreaking havoc. At the center of Lehane’s story is Danny Coughlin, an Irish beat cop from a family of Boston cops (his father is a legendary captain on the force). When Danny becomes involved in the new policeman’s union, he quickly becomes a pariah in the family, giving the larger societal conflict a personal context. Lehane’s many-tentacled plot isn’t confined, however, to one family of Boston cops. Sharing center stage with Danny is Luther Laurence, a young black man from Oklahoma who lands work in Boston as a servant in the Coughlin house, and swirling around Danny, Luther, and their families are such historical figures as Babe Ruth and Calvin Coolidge, out to prove his mettle by dealing forcefully with the strikers. It is a robust plot, but it never becomes ungainly. Lehane masterfully blends stories of human tragedy and hope with the larger cultural and political conflict in which the action unfolds. Naturally, since this is a story of powerhungry politicians using fear to consolidate their power, comparisons to contemporary life are unavoidable, but they arise on their own, without authorial intervention. Until now, Lehane has most often been compared to George Pelecanos and Michael Connelly, superb crime writers whose work has blurred the distinction between genre and literary fiction. With this broadcanvas historical novel, Lehane finds himself in a different company. Like William Kennedy’s Albany novels, The Given Day looks closely at the conundrum of the American family and its power to simultaneously imprison and sustain us. And like E. L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, Lehane captures the sense of a country coming of age, vividly dramatizing how the conflicting emotions and tortured dreams that drive individual human lives also send a nation roiling forward. I’m convinced that The Given Day will stand as one of the year’s best novels. At least until the next juicy galley lands on my desk, begging to be read.

Indexed, 173 p., PBK., $45 from Libraries Unlimited (978-1-59158-554-1). z Bill Ott is the editor and publisher of ALA’s Booklist.

Mary Ellen Quinn is editor of ALA Booklist’s Reference Books Bulletin.

american libraries | september 2008

sacred cows. It collects essays from a rich array of contributors, who offer insights into topics ranging from AACR2, MARC, and OCLC to folk art terminology, queer subject access, and patron tagging. Even among librarians, who should know better, cataloging is often considered a bore. This collection serves as a corrective to its musty back-room image.

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SHOWCASE | New Products

Solutions and Services <<< www.capstonepub.com Capstone Publishers has introduced the CollectionWiz free online collection-analysis tool. CollectionWiz interprets MARC record data from a library’s automation system to report on the number of items and copyright dates in each of the main Dewey areas. The tool allows users to filter data by criteria they set; create graphs, charts, and lists; recommend titles for a collection; and identify duplicate titles in a collection before purchase.

www.tutor.com Tutor.com has expanded the Live Homework Help service to students of all ages, including K–3 students and adult learners. The service now offers one-on-one online tutoring for GED training, résumé and business writing, and adult continuing education, as well as resources to improve computer literacy and fine motor skills for young children, in addition to tutoring in math, science, English, and social studies.

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The Crowley Company offers the Zeutschel OS 12000C color tabletop scanner for digitizing large documents, newspapers, and books. The 12000C can scan items up to paper size A1 (23.4-by-33.1 inches) and features a rear anti-glare LED lighting system, an integrated monitor for viewing scanned images, and Perfect Book 3D software that compensates for distortion that occurs near the spine of a book.

<<<

american libraries | september 2008

<<< thecrowleycompany.com

pop.greenwood.com Greenwood Publishing Group’s Pop Culture Universe database offers more than 300 full-text volumes, 4,500 book chapters, and 16,000 encyclopedia entries on pop culture from the 1920s to the present. The database features at-aglance pages for each decade, hundreds of photos, resources for classroom use, and regularly monitored links.

To have a new product considered for this section, contact Brian Searles at bsearles@ala.org.

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www.multiplexdisplays.com Multiplex has introduced a painted pegboard option to its Portable Display Panels, allowing the display of three-dimensional items. Each panel provides 48-by-66-inch dual display areas, locking casters for mobility, and snap-lock buttons securing support feet. Three pegboard color options and two hook styles are available, as well as tackboard or loop-fabric panels.

webanywhere.cs.washington.edu The WebAnywhere screen reader is a free online application in alpha release that links to and reads any web page for visually impaired users. The software runs on any computer with speakers or a headphone jack and requires no installation. Users can skip around section titles or tab through charts.

CASE STUDY SIMPLIFIED BOOK SALES

| american libraries

ike most libraries, Howard County (Md.) Library donates another 5% of proceeds to nonprofit organigenerates a large supply of discarded and donated zations focused on literacy and education, including books. The library used to mount large sales: twice a Books For Africa, Room To Read, the National Center year at the library’s largest branch, and occasionally at for Family Literacy, and Worldfund. HCL’s share of the a local shopping mall. proceeds last year was about But those sales entailed $80,000, which went into the costs of sorting, storing, library’s general budget. and shipping books. “It The library checks for damcosts more to pull one of aged books, and it pulls out these off than we earn,” paperbacks to sell on its own said Brian Auger, deputy racks because BWB doesn’t executive director. accept used paperbacks for The library began sellresale. Beyond that, the library ing unwanted materials simply boxes the books. Three through a local company of the six branches serve called Super Book Deals, as pick-up points; the other but the volume soon branches use the system’s exbecame more than the isting interbranch delivery syscompany could handle, tem. BWB picks up the books so it referred HCL to Bet- A Better World Books employee picks up a load of books “regularly,” Auger said—up to from Howard County Library. ter World Books about weekly, depending on need. three years ago. Auger noted that some patrons complained when Better World Books sells the books on 17 online the library discontinued its sales, but that they are usumarketplaces, repurposes them for educational use, ally satisfied when staff tell them the reason. “We were or, as a last resort, recycles them. The library receives never booksellers; it’s not something we’re equipped 15% of net proceeds from the online sales, and BWB for,” explained Auger.

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Connect with hard-to-reach, underserved teens by conducting a Great Stories CLUB reading and discussion program in your library. Online applications will be accepted through November 3 at www.ala.org/greatstories. The Great Stories Club reaches underserved, troubled teen populations through books that are relevant to their lives. Libraries located within or working in partnership with facilities serving troubled teens (including juvenile justice facilities, alternative high schools, drug rehabilitation centers and nonprofits serving teen parents) are eligible to apply. Teen participants are invited to read and keep three theme-related books and encouraged to consider and discuss each title with a group of their peers. The program's ultimate goal is to inspire young adults who face difficult situations to take control of their lives by embracing the power of reading.

Untitled-6 1

INSPIRE GROWTH

Apply by November 3 for a Great Stories CLUB Grant

YALSA's Outreach to Young Adults with Special Needs Committee selected “Breaking Boundaries” as the 2009 Great Stories Club theme, along with the following titles: �

Luna by Julie Ann Peters (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2004)

�

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007)

�

Black and White by Paul Volponi (Viking Juvenile, 2005)

For tips on preparing an application, a list of the titles included, guidelines and the online application, visit www.ala.org/greatstories or contact publicprograms@ala.org. The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens, and Books) is a book club grant program organized by the American Library Association Public Programs Office , in cooperation with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Funding was provided for this program by Oprah’s Angel Network.

08/04/2008 4:15:28 PM

Classifieds | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Career Leads from Your #1 source for job openings in Library and Information Science and Technology

Print Deadline Sept. 5 for the October issue, which mails about October 1. Ads received after the 5th will be published as space permits through about Sept. 15.

Contact E-mail joblist@ala.org or call 800-5452433, Jon Kartman, ext. 4211. C areer Leads, American Libraries, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; fax 312-440-0901.

Academic Library

A salary range is requested for all job recruitment ads per ALA guidelines. The ALA Allied Professional Association endorses a minimum salary for professional librarians of not less than $40,000 per year. Job applicants are advised to explore “faculty rank” and “status” carefully. ALA opposes residency requirements and loyalty tests or oaths as conditions of employment. Job titles should reflect responsibilities as defined in ALA

tarleton@hawaii.edu. Continuous recruitment. For more information on this position visit www.uhh.hawaii. edu/uhh/hr/jobs.php. For information about UH Hilo visit www.uhh. hawaii.edu. The University of Hawai’i at Hilo is an EEO/AA Employer D/M/V/W. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: At rank of Librarian II: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent. At rank of Librarian III: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent; 24 post baccalaureate credits in addition to the MLS; at least 3 years of experience in public services in a college or university library. At rank of Librarian IV: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent; second master’s degree in a subject area in addition to the MLS, and at least 7 years of appropriate experience. Minimum qualifications for post-baccalaureate credit and years of appropriate experi-

Billing Payment Terms: Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. If pre-approved, net 30 from invoice date. Invoice and tearsheet mailed to the advertiser following publication. Cost of ad furnished upon request.

ence for rank are non-negotiable. Pay range: Librarian II: $32,640-$49,296; Librarian III: $38,184-$58,512; Librarian IV: $43.200-$60,768. Relocation funds available when appropriate. To apply: Submit letter of application which addresses the applicant’s ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position and how the applicant meets each minimum and desirable qualification, a current resume, a sample of professional writing, official graduate and undergraduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation from people able to address the candidate’s professional qualifications and achievements, and the names and contact information of three additional references. Interviewees will be expected to make a presentation to library faculty and staff as part of the screening process. Continuous recruitment: The position will remain open until filled;

ACCESS SERVICES LIBRARIAN II, III, or IV, (Circulation/ILL/Reserves), Position No. 83826, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo Hawaii. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Edwin H. Mookini Library, full-time, tenure-track, general funds, to begin approximately September 1, 2008 (negotiable), pending availability of funds. This position will be required to work some Saturdays, and may be required to work some evenings. This position may also need to fill-in on short notice some evenings and weekends when staff call in sick. Application address: Ms. Veronica Tarleton, Search Committee for Access Services Librarian, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Edwin H. Mookini Library, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720-4091. Inquiries: Ms. Veronica Tarleton, 808-974-7759,

Advertising Policies

personnel guidelines. ALA requires that organizations recruiting through the Association’s publications or placement services comply with ALA antidiscrimina tion policies. Policy 54.3 states that the Association “is committed to equality of opportunity for all library employees or applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, disabilities, individual life-style or national origin.” By advertising through ALA services, the orga nization agrees to comply with the policy. Ads are edited only to conform to standard style. Acceptance of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement. ALA reserves the right to refuse advertising.

september 2008

“Librarians’ Classifieds” and “ConsultantBase” are convenient and economical ad sections that put your products and services in front of more than 100,000 readers. See print ad rates above. No ALA institutional member discount. Discounts for multiple insertions: 2–5 months, 5%; 6 months or more, 10%. ConsultantBase appears in the January, April, June, and October issues.

Consultants or Classifieds

Visit JobLIST.ala.org to establish an institutional account in order to place Webonly ads, print ads in American Libraries and C&RL News, or any combination. Print ads in American Libraries cost $7.50 per line, $5.50 for ALA institutional members. Display ads range from $125 to $2,340. Print ads may be posted on JobLIST for 60 days for an additional $75, $65 for ALA institutional members. Complete rate and size information at JobLIST.ala.org.

american libraries

Place a Job Ad

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CAREER LEADS | Academic Library Assistant Engineering Librarian Princeton University Library Requisition #0800389 The Princeton University Library, one of the world’s most respected research institutions, serves a diverse community of 7,200 students and 1,100 faculty members, with more than 6 million printed volumes, 5 million manuscripts, and 2 million nonprint items. The holdings in its central library and 15 specialized libraries range from ancient papyri and incunabula to the most advanced electronic databases and digital collections. The Library employs a dedicated and knowledgeable staff of more than 300 professional and support personnel, complemented by a large student and hourly workforce. More information can be found at the Library’s Web site: http://libweb.princeton.edu Available: Immediately. Responsibilities: The Princeton University Library seeks a creative, energetic, and service-oriented librarian to help meet the ever-growing student and faculty information needs in all areas of engineering, computer science, plasma physics and fusion research. This librarian will work closely with faculty, students and staff of all departments of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The successful candidate is expected to balance a wide range of service-oriented activities including reference services, library instruction and collection development, while working with a diverse population of faculty, students and research staff. The librarian will join a dynamic, collegial team and will work in a collaborative and supportive environment. This is one of eight professional positions providing instructional and reference services and developing collections for sciences and engineering. The position reports to the Engineering Librarian and is part of the Science & Technology Libraries Division of the Special Libraries Department. Responsibilities include: traditional and electronic reference services for faculty, students and staff in a research-rich academic environment; participating in instruction programs using traditional classroom methods and educational technologies; providing subject-related consultative and instructional services utilizing innovative online communication tools (blogs, podcasts, interactive Web-based and multimedia formats etc.); participating in the development, selection and evaluation of resources for subject guides, tutorials and other user services; cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with faculty and students in SEAS departments and research staff of PPPL (proactive interaction between faculty, research staff, students and the librarian is essential); participating in the science and engineering collection management program; collaborating with library groups and others in coordinating services, initiating projects, and implementing programs; participating in planning, policy formation and team decision making relating to library services for PPPL and engineering departments. Qualifications: Required: MLS from an ALA-accredited library school; undergraduate degree in engineering, physics or chemistry; demonstrated proficiency with both print and electronic information resources in engineering and sciences; demonstrated ability to provide engineering and/or science reference and instructional services in an academic setting; demonstrated commitment to customer service; excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to work well both independently and collaboratively; ability to adapt well to change and to be flexible in a rapidly changing environment.

Compensation and Benefits: Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience and accomplishments. Twenty-four (24) vacation days a year, plus eleven (11) paid holidays. Annuity program (TIAA/CREF), group life insurance, health coverage insurance, disability insurance, and other benefits are available. Nominations and Applications: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations and applications (cover letter, resume and the names, titles, addresses and phone numbers of three references) will be accepted only from the Jobs at Princeton website: http://www.princeton.edu/jobs. For information about applying to Princeton, please link to: web.princeton.edu/sites/dof/ApplicantsInfo.htm Princeton University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Position Summary: Elmira College in Elmira, New York, is seeking a service-oriented librarian to manage circulation, electronic resources, Web content and library systems, to provide reference and instruction services and to serve as collection development liaison with faculty in curriculum areas, in the student-centered Gannett-Tripp Library. This is a 12-month position with faculty rank (not tenure), 22 vacation days, TIAA-CREF, and salary commensurate with experience. Some evening and weekend work required. Elmira College—first to offer a comprehensive curriculum for women, home of the Center for Mark Twain Studies—is a small, residential, liberal arts college in a pleasant community in the Finger Lakes region of New York State (county population 100,000). The College’s enrollment continues strong. 14% of the current student body graduated first or second in their high school or prep school class. Average class size is 17; student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Qualifications: ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS required. The successful candidate must be service-oriented with knowledge of reference and database sources, and library systems. Excellent communication and organizational skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively. Working knowledge of Innovative Interfaces and supervisory experience preferred. Application close date: Review of applications is beginning and will continue until the final candidate is selected. To apply: Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. EOE. Send 1) a letter with salary expectations or history, 2) resume, 3) three current letters of recommendation, and 4) a list of three references to: Information Services Librarian Search, Dr. Peter Viscusi, Dean of Faculty, Elmira College, One Park Place, Elmira, NY 14901. For further information, contact scarpenter@elmira.edu.

Regional salary guide Listed below are the latest minimum starting salary figures recommended by state library associations for professional library posts in these states. The recommendations are advisory only. Job seekers and employers should consider these recommended minimums when evaluating professional vacancies. The ALA-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) Council has endorsed a nonbinding minimum salary for professional librarians of not less than $41,680. For additional information on librarian salaries or to update a salary figure, email salaryguide@ala.org. Connecticut .................................. $44,681 Illinois ...................................... $47,235.60 Indiana .............................................varies* Iowa .............................................. $23,911 Louisiana....................................... $26,000 Maine...........................................$30,811* Massachusetts .............................$45,107* New Jersey ................................... $47,390 Pennsylvania ................................$33,748* Rhode Island................................. $41,000 Texas ............................................. $37,000 Vermont ........................................ $33,025 Wisconsin ..................................... $32,700 *Rather than establish one statewide salary minimum, some state associations have adopted a formula based on variables such as comparable salaries for public school teachers in each community, or the grade level of a professional librarian post. In these cases, you may wish to contact the state association for minimum salary information.

american libraries

september 2008

Preferred: Minimum one year of professional experience in engineering or science librarianship; demonstrated ability to utilize emerging instructional and communication technologies as appropriate; demonstrated successful liaison work; engineering and/or science collection development experience; familiarity with multimedia applications and web development; strong potential for meeting the requirements for continuing appointment.

Information Services Librarian

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however, applications received after July 25, 2008, cannot be guaranteed full consideration.

LIBRARY DIRECTOR Responsible for the provision of library services to the Daytona Beach campus (residential) and Embry-Riddle Worldwide (off-campus sites and distance learning) communities. Responsibilities include: managing a 2.5 million dollar budget; providing leadership for 40 staff members (organized in four functional areas - Circulation/ Media Services/Interlibrary Loan, Electronic Library Services, Reference/Worldwide Library Services, and Technical Services); monitoring the day-to-day operations of all departments; developing goals and objectives for the library via strategic and assessment planning; supporting the application of emerging technologies; supporting staff training and development; promoting the library to the ERAU community; and serving as liaison to the University administration.

This is a 12-month staff position with excellent benefits. For a review of benefits, see http://www.erau.edu/omni/er/erhr/hrbenefits.html. Please include a letter of application, a resume, and contact information for five professional references with your application, referencing IRC27901 to: online at http://www.erau.edu/jobs, email: karen.jacobs@erau.edu, fax (386) 323-5060 or via US mail to: Embry- Riddle, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114; Fax: 386-323-5060. Application review begins November 5, 2008. EOE.

september 2008

Requires a Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited library program, seven years of progressively responsible post-degree library experience, academic library experience, budget management expertise, and excellent oral and written communication skills. A creative approach to library planning and problem solving, a strong commitment to customer service, knowledge of library trends and technology and the ability to work in a collaborative environment are also required. Distancelearning experience preferred.

HE AD OF C ATALOGING, Tulane University. Howard-Tilton Memorial Library seeks a knowledgeable and

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the world’s oldest, largest, accredited aviation-oriented university. The Daytona Beach, Florida, campus is located adjacent to the Daytona Beach International Airport and just miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The Hunt Library at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University supports the teaching, learning, and research needs of the Daytona Beach campus, online students, and over 125 campus centers around the world and is seeking dynamic, creative, results-oriented applicants for the following position:

american libraries

HAWAII COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE LIBRARIAN II or III, or IV, Position No. 73359, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo Hawaii. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Edwin H. Mookini Library, full-time, tenure-track, general funds, to begin approximately Sept. 1, 2008 (negotiable), pending availability of funds. This position will be required to work some Saturdays, and may be required to work some evenings. This position may also need to fill-in on short notice some evenings and weekends when staff call in sick. The Edwin H. Mookini Library is a shared used facility and serves both the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College. Application address: Ms. Veronica Tarleton, Search Committee for Hawaii Community College Librarian, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Edwin H. Mookini Library, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720-4091. Inquiries: Ms. Veronica Tarleton, 808-9747759, tarleton@hawaii.edu. Continuous recruitment. For more information on this position visit www.uhh.hawaii. edu/uhh/hr/jobs.php. For information about UH Hilo visit www.uhh. hawaii.edu. The University of Hawai’i at Hilo is an EEO/AA Employer D/M/V/W. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: At rank of Librarian II: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent. At rank of Librarian III: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent; 24 post baccalaureate credits in addition to the MLS; at least 3 years of experience in public services in a college or university library. At rank of Librarian IV: ALA-accredited MLS or international equivalent; second master’s degree in a subject area in addition to the MLS, and at least 7 years of appropriate experience. Minimum qualifications for post-baccalaureate credit and years of appropriate experience for rank are non-negotiable. Pay range: Librarian II: $32,640-$49,296; Librarian III: $38,184-$58,512; Librarian IV: $43.200-$60,768. Relocation funds available when appropriate. To apply: Submit letter of application which addresses the applicant’s ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position and how the applicant meets each minimum and desirable qualification, a current resume, a sample of professional writing, official graduate and undergraduate transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation from people able to address the candidate’s professional qualifications and achievements, and the names and contact information of three additional references. Interviewees will be expected to make a presentation to library faculty and staff as part of the screening process. Continuous recruitment: The position will remain open until filled; however, applications received after July 25, 2008, cannot be guaranteed full consideration.

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CAREER LEADS | Academic Library LIBRARY EDUCATION

Three Graduate Faculty Positions

Indiana University, School of Library and Information Science–Indianapolis (www.slis.iupui.edu) The positions may be appointed at the tenure-track rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, depending on the candidate’s credentials. The successful candidate will provide evidence of excellence in teaching and research potential in one or more of the following areas pertaining to graduate studies in library and information science: • School library media • Public libraries • Information technologies in library environments, digital libraries Basic qualifications include: Ph.D. or Ed.D. in library and information management (or equivalent doctorate in a relevant field) and successful professional practice. MLS preferred. Candidates should be willing and able to adapt to new instructional delivery systems through interactive television and online learning environments; experience with these technologies is preferred. The Indianapolis campus provides faculty support for innovations in instructional delivery with advanced networking capabilities. Candidates will also be expected to demonstrate a cogent library and information science research and service agenda that would lead to successful promotion and tenure. The position is a ten-month, tenure-track appointment with the option to teach up to two summer courses at 20% of base salary. The successful candidates should be prepared to join the current full-time faculty no later than August 1, 2009; January 1, 2009 appointments preferred. Review of applications will begin August 1, 2008, and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should send a letter of interest in which they describe teaching experience as well as other qualifications. A complete curriculum vita, names and addresses for three references, and writing samples should be included. Questions and applications should be addressed to: Dr. Marilyn Irwin, Associate Dean, Indiana University School of Library and Information Science - Indianapolis, 755 W. Michigan, Indianapolis, IN 46202; irwinm@iupui.edu; 317-278-2376. The Master’s of Library Science program at Indiana University is accredited by the American Library Association. A full curriculum of courses leading to the MLS is provided at Indianapolis. SLIS has been nationally ranked among the top schools in library science, information systems, youth services, school library media, and law librarianship. The Indianapolis Campus - www.iupui.edu Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis is a leading urban research campus with over 27,000 students. As a part of the recently renovated central convention and business areas of the capital city, the campus is adjacent to new structures housing government, museum, athletic and cultural institutions. The expanding metropolitan Indianapolis campus offers the largest range of academic programs in the state combining the best from Indiana University and Purdue University. In addition to library science, IUPUI is a center for professional schools in medicine, law, nursing, business, engineering, social work, education, philanthropic studies, and informatics.

american libraries

september 2008

Committed to the principle of diversity, Indiana University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Director, Digital Library Technology Services New York University Libraries seeks Director, Digital Library Technology Services

Description: Leads the design, development and ongoing implementation of digital library operations that support teaching and research. Programs reporting to the DLTS Director include: digital library development, digital repository services, Digital Studio technology, digital reformatting, and tools/software that facilitate discovery and use of research resources. Collaborate closely with NYU ITS in the planning and development of systems for supporting the research portal, metadata management, searching support, user interface, and repository services for library digital resources. Lead NYU Libraries in the development of global digital technology services. Provide on-going evaluation of current systems and research and recommend new digital initiatives. Develop and implement policies and procedures and supervise administrative staff and manage internal and grant-funded budgets. Qualifications: Seven or more years of increasingly responsible, professional experience including development of digital library services, planning, implementing and managing projects. Working knowledge of image capture and delivery technologies, full text mark-up and searching methods and database management systems; in-depth knowledge of at least one of these areas. Knowledge of HTML, and SGML or XML; experience with CGI and knowledge of one or more of the following programming languages: SQL, C, C++, Java and Perl. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills; ability to lead a collaborative team. Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. Salary/Benefits: Attractive compensation package. Salary commensurate with experience and background. New York University Libraries: Library facilities at New York University serve the school’s 450,000 students and faculty and contain more than 4 million volumes. Please apply through NYU’s application management system: www.nyu.edu/hr/jobs/apply. At this page click on “External Applicants” then “Search Openings.” Type 7239BR in the “Keyword Search” field and select search.

Clark County Public Library (www.ccpl.lib.oh.us) seeks a Library Director to oversee the Main Library, four branches, bookmobile services, and a library staff of 110 (78 FTE). Located between Dayton and Columbus in southwest Ohio, Clark County, home to Wittenberg University and Clark State Community College, offers a rich and diverse cultural life. CCPL serves a population of approximately 144,000 and circulates over 1 million items per year with an annual operating budget of $6 million including anticipated capital improvement expenditures of $2 million in the next two years. Preferred requirements include an MLS or MLIS from an ALA accredited institution, eight years of progressive supervisory management, and fiscal experience. Equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, including seven years as an Assistant Library Director or five years as a Library Director will be considered. EOE Salary range begins at $80,000, commensurate with experience, plus an excellent benefits package. Applications received by September 30, 2008, will receive preference. Send resumes to:

Melanie Torok Library Director Search Committee Clark Co. Public Library, P.O. Box 1080 Springﬁeld, Ohio, 45501-1080 mtorok@ccpl.lib.oh.us

Library Director Clark County Public Library

team-oriented cataloging professional to join the technical services division. The division consists of 5 departments: Acquisitions, cataloging, database management, elec tronic resources management and stacks management. RESPONSIBILITIES: The complete list of position duties is available at library. tulane.edu /s taf f /employment.php. This position oversees all cataloging functions for an ARL-level library. This position reports directly to the director of technical services and oversees a department of 4 librarians and 7 FTE staff. Responsibilities include leadership and management of cataloging in all formats and languages. The HowardTilton Memorial Library is a rapidly changing environment, and its head of cataloging is expected to develop expertise with emerging technologies and lead and/or participate in innovative library projects. REQUIREMENTS: ALA-accredited MLS or its equivalent; minimum of 3 years of experience in an academic library or research library with 2 years of original cataloging experience using an automated cataloging system and OCLC’s WorldCat; demonstrated knowledge and understanding of AACR2 Rev., LCRI, LCCS, LCSH, and MARC21 formats for bibliographic, holdings, and authority data; minimum 2 years of supervisory experience; excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills; demonstrated time and project management skills; demonstrated ability to adjust workflow for service needs; proven ability to solve problems; vision to see the library as a

american libraries

public library

september 2008

NYU is an equal-opportunity, afﬁrmative-action employer.

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08/19/2008 3:22:01 PM

CAREER LEADS | Academic Library

Library Director

The Board of Trustees of the Greenwich Library seeks an energetic, inspirational and collaborative leader to take this outstanding Library to its next level of organizational excellence. The Library serves 62,755 residents through its exceptional system (120,000 s/f) of a Main library and two branch libraries—one currently being renovated and expanded. A dedicated staff of 167 (97 FTE), a collection of nearly 500,000 items and a $9.5 million annual budget from public and private sources enable the Library annually to circulate 1.4 million items, host 675,000 visitors and sponsor over 1,100 programming events with an attendance of nearly 46,000 patrons. Already the second busiest public library in New England, all of the components are in place for this Library with the right leadership to be one of the premier public libraries in New England and the nation. Responsibilities. The Greenwich Library Director reports to the Board of Trustees and works closely with Town of Greenwich elected and appointed officials to establish a strategic vision for the Library that aligns its mission, goals and objectives with community needs and priorities. Overall responsibilities include: preparation of budgets and plans for submission to public and private funding sources; oversight and monitoring of all library operations, staff development and service initiatives; recommendation and implementation of Board policies and administrative procedures to carry out the Library’s service program; active promotion of the Library at local, state and national levels; support of the Board in its private fund raising activities; and direction and participation in monitoring approved construction projects. Additional information on the position, the Library and the community, including a detailed job description, can be found at www.gossagesager.com. Qualifications. A master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited program; and at least ten years of progressively responsible library experience, six years of which were in an administrative position managing professional staff and programs. Essential attributes include strong collaboration and consensus-building skills; vision and creativity; superior written and oral communications abilities; excellent interpersonal and team-building skills; political acumen and a history of responsiveness to staff, customer and community needs and concerns; an understanding of the role and potential of technology in the delivery of library services; and a thorough knowledge of budgetary planning and successful fiscal and personnel management. Successful leadership experience in a similar sized library and proven experience working with a policy-making board, collaborating with municipal officials and administering labor contracts is highly desirable. Compensation. Starting salary range of $115,000-$135,687 (placement dependent upon qualifications) and an excellent fringe benefits package. To apply or obtain further information: Contact Dan Bradbury, Gossage Sager Associates, danbradbury@gossagesager. com or 816-531-2468. The closing date for applications is October 12, 2008. To apply, send a cover letter and current resume as attachments to: danbradbury@gossagesager.com. The Town of Greenwich is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce.

MEDICAL LIBRARY LIBRARY SUPERVISOR, New York Medical College, Health Science Library, Valhalla, New York. Provides daily management and supervision of the access services department of health sciences library. Supervises services and staff of the department. Maintains departmental manuals and documentations. Master’s degree required. Please fax resume to 914-594-3171, New York Medical College, Health Science Library.

PUBLIC LIBRARY LIBRARY DIRECTOR. Suburban New Jersey shore community of 60,000+ one hour from New York City seeks an imaginative, energetic new leader for its active library. With a central library and one branch, a staff of 30 FTE including 14 professionals and a budget of $3 million, the Library looks forward to a promising future with a supportive community and board. The Director we seek will have strong inter-

american libraries

september 2008

Greenwich Library, Greenwich, Connecticut

whole and recommend solutions; reading knowledge of at least one modern European language; strong commitment to continued personal and professional development. PREFERRED: Experience with cataloging digital resources; experience with outsourcing cataloging; working knowledge of metadata standards; familiarity with Ex Libris Voyager. ENVIRONMENT: Tulane University is an AAU/Carnegie Research I institution with its main campus located in picturesque uptown New Orleans. Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is the university’s main library, an ARL research collection supporting programs in the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences. Recently, the library has been reorganizing, building its collections, and developing an architectural plan for expanded library facilities. During this period of dynamic change, the library seeks to build its professional staff by recruiting talented, energetic librarians interested in participating in the recovery of Tulane and New Orleans. Compensation: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Librarians are academic appointees. Librarians do not have tenure or faculty rank, but in other respects receive the benefits of faculty members. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply, qualified candidates submit a letter of application, résumé, and names of 3 professional references via email to Andrea Bacino (abacino@tulane. edu) or mail to: Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Attn.: Andrea Bacino, Tulane University, 7001 Freret St., New Orleans, LA 70118-5682. Tulane University is an ADA/AA/EO employer. Women, minorities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

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personal skills, a sound understanding of the library as a pivotal force in community life, a working knowledge of library technology as well as a grasp of its future potential, an understanding of library planning as a management tool, political acumen and firm grasp of such basic areas as budgeting, personnel management and facilities management. MLS with seven years of professional librar y experience including four years in a management capacity. Standard benef its package with generous leave and membership in a progressive retirement program. Competitive salar y depending on qualifications and experience. Applicants should respond by Oct. 1 with resume, cover letter, a one or two page statement of your management philosophy and the place of public libraries in contemporary society

LIBRARIAN I Permanent and temporary part-time librarian positions available with the County of Los Angeles Public Library. People with bilingual skills and/or interest in children services especially needed. Monthly salary: $4,006-$5,255. Go to www.colapublib.org for job announcement and standard application. Contact Human Resources at (562) 940-8434 for interview appointment. M.L.S. required.

to: Search Committee, Old Bridge Public Library, 1 Old Bridge Plaza, Old Bridge, NJ 08857.

SALES LIBRARY AUTOMATION SALESPERSON. The Integrated Technology Group (ITG) is seeking outside salespersons located throughout North America to meet the demands of its quickly growing RFID, self-checkout, materials handling, PC reservation, and print control systems. Position requires experience within the library industry, either selling high end software applications to public and academic libraries or working for at least three years in library IT. Applicant must be conversant with library automated circulation and materials management systems and be prepared to travel. Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes base of $50,000+, attractive commission package, profit sharing and full benefits. Submit your resume to careers@integratedtek.com.

CONFERENCE

October 1-4, 2008 Louisville Marriott Downtown Louisville, Kentucky

Contact: Kentucky Library Association 1501 Twilight Trail Frankfort, KY 40601 502-223-5322 www.kylibasn.org/conferences620.cfm

DOCTORAL PROGRAM

PERIODICALS AND SERIALS JOURNALS AND BOOK COLLECTIONS WANTED. Ten years of service, work worldwide. Managed numerous projects of 100,000+ vols. Archival Resource Company, PO Box 488, Collingswood, NJ 08108; JournalSets@ Gmail.com; 800-390-1027; 215-7011853 (e-fax).

WANTED THEOLOGICAL BOOKS AND PERIODICALS for seminary. Books for Libraries, Inc., Jim Stitzinger, 23800 Via Irana, Valencia, CA 91355; 800-321-5596; e-mail jstitz@pacbell.net. UNNEEDED LIBRARY MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT WANTED. Books for Libraries, Inc., Jim Stitzinger, 23800 Via Irana, Valencia, CA 91355; 800321-5596; e-mail jstitz@pacbell.net.

WANT TO BUY

CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL AB STRACTS AND OTHER SCIENCE JOURNALS. Contact: e-mail eva@rpbs.com; 713-779-2999; fax 713-779-2992.

september 2008

KLA/KSMA/SELA/ARL National Diversity in Libraries Conference “Spectrum of the Future”

FOR SALE USED STEEL LIBRARY SHELVING. 90 inches, double-faced cantilever, excellent condition. $135 per section. Jim Stitzinger, 800-321-5596; e-mail jstitz@pacbell.net; www.booksforlibraries.com.

Something for everyone!

Librarians’ Classifieds

american libraries

Four great conferences at one site!

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08/19/2008 3:22:35 PM

COMMENTARY | Will’s World

Rule-Benders Rule It’s the humanity, stupid

Good stores— onize people. We all change in price is and libraries— like to think that we not a valid reason. focus on people, If they didn’t fit, have unique needs, preferences, and that would be a not policies. desires. I concludvalid reason.” ed that good stores—and libraries— “Can’t you make an exception?” focus on people, not policies. “Even if I could—and I can’t—the The biggest skeptics were always the computer wouldn’t accept it.” circulation clerks. They often asserted “So my husband will have to sneak that it was simply immoral to collect in here when you are off your shift, fines from “honest” patrons and forreturn these clothes, and say they give the fines of “whiners.” “Wouldn’t didn’t fit. Then he will have to put on you waive the fines of a man who had a fake mustache and buy them back been in the hospital with a broken tomorrow at the reduced price.” leg?” I asked the circ staff one day. Al“I’ll alert the computer, which will most immediately, the circ supervisor deny him return privileges.” responded with a question of her own: “May I see your supervisor?” “What would happen to the library’s The woman appealed to the superbudget if we began waiving the fines of visor on the basis of fairness and anyone who had to go to the hospital?” need. His inflexibility was a model of This memorable response came to demented creativity. “Yes, this clothmind the other day when I happened ing line is now on clearance, but the to observe a rather noisy encounter specific clothes that you bought at a big-box store. A woman carrying would not be on clearance; they an infant was returning a pile of baby would have been sold since they are clothes. “I bought these yesterday, sizes that are in demand. The sizes at and today they are 50% off are all odd sizes. That’s why I on the clearance am not willing to give you a refund.” rack at half off. Can My next stop that day was at the you give me the dis- Livermore Public Library, where I counted price now had an overdue fine even though I had or do I have to rereturned the book on time. With turn them for a resome trepidation, I explained to the fund and buy them circ clerk, who smiled and said, “I am all over again at the sorry for your inconvenience. I have reduced price?” wiped out your fine.” “Neither,” replied Where can I get an “I Love My Circ the desk clerk Clerk” bumper sticker? z smugly. “Store policy states that items WILL MANLEY has furnished provocative on librarianship for over 25 years can only be returned commentary and nine books on the lighter side of library for valid reasons. A science. Write him at wmanley7@att.net.

american libraries

september 2008

hen I was in library school, I was given an assignment to go to three different retail stores and observe how well each store treated its customers. I have never forgotten that assignment. In fact, as my library career progressed, I couldn’t enter any store without comparing its service patterns to those at my library. Were our circulation clerks as impersonal as the cashiers at Wal-Mart? Were our reference librarians as hard to find as Home Depot’s elusive area specialists? Did our children’s librarians know more about preschool resources than Borders’ desk attendants? Were our supervisors as inflexible as those at United Airlines? The more I observed, the more I began to formulate the notion that flexibility is the key to pleasing customers. Retail outlets that adhere strictly to store policy tend to antag-

by Will Manley

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8/19/2008 3:20:25 PM

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08/04/2008 4:39:58 PM