Obama’s “Safe Schools Czar” Targeted in New Jersey Challenge

March 10, 2010

A reconsideration request regarding three anthologies in the collection of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School (RVRHS) library in Mount Holly, New Jersey, may be part of a national campaign supported by a Burlington County group to get a Department of Education official ousted from the Obama administration. And learning how to evaluate the validity … Continue reading Obama’s “Safe Schools Czar” Targeted in New Jersey Challenge


Save the Library, Urge Los Angeles Public Library Workers

March 3, 2010

The union that represents Los Angeles Public Library workers has mounted a campaign to stave off an anticipated reduction in LAPL’s workforce over five years. As of early March, the FY2010 plan to help narrow a municipal deficit of $212 million hinged on the early retirement of 145 library employees and the elimination of 110 unfilled … Continue reading Save the Library, Urge Los Angeles Public Library Workers


Olympic Sponsorship Rules at Library Raise Vancouver’s Eyebrows

January 26, 2010

As the city prepares for the upcoming Winter Olympics, local media—on the lookout for games-related malfeasance—pounced on a request from the Vancouver (B.C.) Public Library administration asking staff to adhere to the sponsorship rules of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) when holding Olympics-related programming. A memo (Word file) sent to branch heads and supervisory staff … Continue reading Olympic Sponsorship Rules at Library Raise Vancouver’s Eyebrows


Branch-Closing Threat Galvanizes Northwestern University’s Neighbors

January 24, 2010

The determination of grassroots activists in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois—home to Northwestern University—has motivated the city council to put off shuttering two beloved public library branches as of March 1, and to agree instead to study the efficacy of creating a third branch in an underserved part of town. “This is an unofficial … Continue reading Branch-Closing Threat Galvanizes Northwestern University’s Neighbors


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Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement

January 13, 2010

Progress implies change. Not all change is progress, but all progress requires change. Change can be planned or unplanned. Libraries have experienced some serious unplanned changes in the recent past; they have been buffeted by changes in technology and scholarly communication and the downturn in the economy. Even so, most libraries have adapted wonderfully to … Continue reading Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement


Newbery Award Winner Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

January 6, 2010

Katherine Paterson, two-time Newbery Award winner for Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, has been appointed the 2010–11 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress and the Children's Book Council's Every Child a Reader initiative. Paterson succeeds Jon Scieszka, who became the first-ever … Continue reading Newbery Award Winner Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature




Community Outrage Prompts Officials to Reopen Colton Libraries

December 2, 2009

Less than a month after city administrators in Colton, California, abruptly shuttered both public libraries as part of an effort to close a $5-million budget gap, Colton Public Library is back in business. The December 1 reopening of the main library came just two weeks after some 100 area residents, including library board President Pete … Continue reading Community Outrage Prompts Officials to Reopen Colton Libraries


It May Cost Too Much to Close Libraries in Reading, Pennsylvania

November 4, 2009

Concerned citizens in Reading, Pennsylvania, have been brainstorming about how to keep the three branches of the Reading Public Library open ever since the board announced in late October that it had to close the three facilities at year’s end and lay off nine of the 20 branch library workers, leaving the city of about … Continue reading It May Cost Too Much to Close Libraries in Reading, Pennsylvania



Village Residents Demand Return of Beloved Library Director

October 21, 2009

The centennial of the Castleton (N.Y.) Public Library is being overshadowed by controversy, as area residents and local and state officials continue to demand the reinstatement of Darlene Miller as director of the library a month after the board summarily fired her. About 75 concerned citizens in the village of 1,600 gathered October 20 for … Continue reading Village Residents Demand Return of Beloved Library Director