With less than a day to spare before layoff notices were to be sent to library staff, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a law September 17 that gives Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter the revenue to fund the Free Library of Philadelphia. “This is indeed the legislation that was needed for the City of Philadelphia to avoid … Continue reading Philly Dodges “Doomsday”; Other Pennsylvania Libraries in Limbo
A little over a year ago, I received an e-mail from Cantaloupe Music announcing the release of a new live recording of Brian Eno’s Music for Airports, available solely as a download-only digital file through iTunes and the label’s website (Cantaloupe CA21045). At Northwestern University we typically buy most CDs released by Cantaloupe, so I … Continue reading The Download Dilemma
We expect to close the revenue/expense gap in ’09,” said James Neal, chair of ALA’s Budget Analysis and Review Committee, “but the conference revenue picture will be critical.” The Annual Conference saw an attendance bump-up in Chicago, he noted today at the final meeting of the ALA Executive Board, but the final numbers will tell. … Continue reading Chicago Crowd a Record
Ohio libraries have been spared the proposed budget cuts that had threatened to lower their state funding by 30%. However, the biennial budget passed by the state legislature July 13 still includes a reduction in library funding of some 11%. The budget legalizes racetrack slot machines and cuts several state programs to close a projected … Continue reading Ohio Budget Deal Includes Less Severe Funding Cut
American Libraries: With many libraries being forced to reduce hours because of funding problems, just when so many more people need service, what can the federal government do to help? Arne Duncan: You hit the nail on the head. At a time of pretty significant increases in usage among children, among parents, among families, unfortunately … Continue reading Arne Duncan on Libraries in Economic Recovery
ALA sure picked a great place for its headquarters when it moved here in 1909. Sure, the winters are terrible, and the sticky heat of a Chicago summer is enough to tax anyone’s patience, but when it comes to restaurants, Chicago has the best in the country. Think of a cuisine, any cuisine, and you … Continue reading Chow Down in Chi-Town
Looking back, what would you say was the biggest threat to intellectual freedom that you have encountered? Judith Krug: The biggest threat that we have not only faced in the past, but that we face today and I presume we’ll face tomorrow, is ourselves. And this threat becomes much more pronounced as outside pressures begin … Continue reading On the Line for the First Amendment
Congress made history with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama February 17, and now libraries have their turn. The ARRA will ultimately release an unprecedented level of federal spending—$787 billion—into the U.S. economy in an effort to put our nation back on track through saving or creating … Continue reading Stimulate Your Library
Many academic libraries are facing major planned or potential budget cuts as the nation’s economic meltdown plays itself out. Online reports and announcements from major U.S. universities show that significant budget cuts may be widespread among members of the Association of Research Libraries and other college and university libraries across the country. The NorthEast Research … Continue reading Cuts, Freezes Widespread in Academic Libraries
The executive director for networked library services at the world’s largest library consortium paints the big picture regarding OCLC’s web-platform initiative in an April 24, 2009, conversation with American Libraries Editor-in-Chief Leonard Kniffel. American Libraries: Who is the target market for this new management service? Andrew Pace: You’re talking about the web-scale management services, not … Continue reading OCLC’s Andrew Pace Reveals Plans for Web-Scale Management
