“There’s no better use of limited funds than paying attorneys to harass educators who’ve devoted their lives to helping our children,” Bennett Tramer of Santa Monica, California, said in a letter published May 17 in the Los Angeles Times. A tongue-in-cheek response to the May 13 Hector Tobar column, “The Disgraceful Interrogation of L.A. School … Continue reading LAUSD Doubts that Seasoned Teacher-Librarians Can Teach
Librarians, library support staff, vendors, and guests will once again bring their economic and muscle power to assist New Orleans’ public libraries, schools, and community rebuilding projects during the American Library Association’s 135th Annual Conference, June 23–28, taking place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, area hotels, and other venues. ALA held the first … Continue reading Renewing Our Mission in New Orleans
Virginia Mathews, 86, renowned advocate for family and early-childhood literacy and outreach programs, consultant, and author who was respected in the publishing and library worlds, died May 7. Instrumental in the success of both the 1979 and 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS), Mathews navigated a career that bridged the worlds … Continue reading Children’s Services Champion Virginia Mathews Dies
Federal budget threats targeted at library programs dominated the discussions May 9 during the briefing day preceding this year’s National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) held by the American Library Association’s Washington Office, but the 361 NLLD participants who came to Washington, D.C., were not deterred by the uncertainty in the Capitol. “I think it makes … Continue reading Library Advocates Head for the Hill
After “10 Reasons Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library,” a 2001 article in American Libraries, received some unwelcome attention two weeks ago, we sought your feedback to help create an updated version. Based on reader comments and staff discussions, we’ve drafted this list of reasons why libraries matter in a digital age. … Continue reading 10 Ways Libraries Matter in a Digital Age
The ability to digitize hard copies, the proliferation of born-digital content, and increased access to online distribution hold the promise of improved access to library materials. Despite these advances, the legal issues surrounding collections increasingly hinder libraries and archives in providing this access. This hurdle can be overcome by a mixture of good policy, careful … Continue reading Keeping Library Digitization Legal
In 2001, American Libraries published Mark Herring’s “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library.” The article, a celebration of the importance of physical libraries in a digital age, was a hit. It hasn’t aged well. Yesterday BoingBoing published a photo of a poster made from that list, and the commentary is, … Continue reading Revisiting “10 Reasons”
Libraries have seen more than their share of fiscal cliffhangers recently, and the celebration of National Library Week, April 10–16, offers no respite. But through the power of social networks, a loyal customer base, and elected officials who eventually read the handwriting on the wall, some rays of light permeate the gloom. The most recent … Continue reading Kicking Our Doors Back Open
The unions representing Library of Congress workers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with LC April 5 regarding employees’ furlough status in the event that a Continuing Resolution to go on appropriating FY2011 funding for the federal government is not enacted by midnight, April 8. The Library of Congress Professional Guild emailed its members that LC … Continue reading Contingency Plans for Government Shutdown Made by Library of Congress, Others [UPDATED]
“Libraries are not leaving the future of digital books to Google,” the HathiTrust partnership said in a prepared statement March 23. The statement came the day after U.S. Appeals Court Judge Denny Chin rejected (PDF file) the Google Books Settlement following some seven years of litigation and out-of-court talks with the Authors Guild and the … Continue reading Libraries Scan Bright Digital Horizon despite Google’s Court Defeat
London-based blogger, science-fiction author, and digital-rights champion Cory Doctorow opened Day 2 of the Conference on Privacy and Youth via Skype. “There comes a day when kids have to use their good judgment,” he said, arguing that adults are unwittingly undermining that goal by berating young people to guard their personal information while subjecting them … Continue reading Conference on Privacy and Youth: Day 2
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom's Conference on Privacy and Youth, currently meeting March 24–25 in downtown Chicago, is bringing together some 50 librarians, privacy advocates, educators, authors, artists, and policy experts to discuss the work they are doing to engage and educate young people in privacy protection so that they can make informed choices … Continue reading Conference on Privacy and Youth: Day 1
