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"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them"

- Joseph Brodsky

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2002
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2001
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2000
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1999
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30nov01

Porsche gives Kafka library back to Prague. [ thanks michael ]

Not just getting children to read, but getting them to read adventurously. First nationally coordinated reading program for children in the UK. [ thanks eoin ]

The largest and "most international" literary award launched last week. The extra-cool part? It's administered by a public library. [ thanks eoin ]

Dream Job Corner: Private Librarian. "Dealing books is like dealing dope," he smiles. "If you’re gonna deal, you can’t use." The things he acquires for himself are like the little tastes a volume dope dealer allows himself. "My little nickel bags," [ thanks laura ]

"Are you storing an image of my fingerprints in the system?" No. More backgrounder on UltraScan technology. [ thanks chris ]

Character in Harry Potter book, or current US Navy Rear Admiral? Har har.

28nov01

Hi. I saw that Harry Potter movie, it was fine. I find the fact that children are going on school-sponsored field trips to see a Hollywood movie the most controversial aspect of the new movie, though there are some close runner-ups.

Remember the library cat, the one who attacked the dog? Well now it's getting sued. The patron claims it is an ADA issue. [ thanks deborah ]

Portraits in Grief: Yelena Belilovsky and Maureen Olson. Rest in Peace. [ NYT, thanks amylinda ]

The futurelib discussion group in Yahoo groups is dedicated to discussion and information for future librarians. There are some pretty thought provoking discussions going on over there, and it's an international group so intellectual freedom issues don't just revolve around the Library Bill of Rights. [ thanks eoin ]

The most interesting place you've never heard of. Chicago's Center for Research Libraries. Including a superceded reference collection. [ thanks chris ]

More hidden gem libraries, the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library celebrates its 75th anniversary.

How a Librarian Can Live Nine Lives in a Knowledge-Based Economy [ newbreed ]

Publisher's page of shame. More librarian activism: libraries list books that they have purchased [at top dollar] that fall apart almost as soon as they are opened. [ newbreed ]

Chat Reference Service, an analysis of one semester's worth of online reference service questions and answers. [ stuff ]

24nov01

"A library is a beautiful place to spend eternity." The story on the Kamman-Dale Library for Orphans and Jeanette Kamman, uber-book collector.[ thanks steve ]

A poem about the poetry books of the year, basedin a library. Confused? Read it. Live your lives, hug your children..

23nov01

Hi. A good way to cope on Buy Nothing Day is to go to the library.

More "sensitive" materials silently removed from libraries. [ thanks don ]

"I suppose [librarians'] duty to our fellow humans trumps everything else" Including patron confidentiality? A tricky issue where "national security" is concerned. [ NYT, thanks michael ]

Corporate archivists and librarians starting to save digital histories as well as paper ones. [ thanks chris ]

If they require my fingerprints for me to check out library materials, I might actually stop going to the library. [ thanks jude ]

Jocasta Nu, Jedi Librarian. [ thanks snave ]

"Nisswa elementary students played an important role in creating the library by forming a "book brigade." They formed a human chain from the old library to the new facility, passing books from kid to kid--like the old "bucket brigade" firefighting technique"

"I would like to give thanks for a Great American Tradition -- the School Librarian. She is a heroine for our times."

Headline: Library stroytime attracts future readers. Perhaps some headline writers could use a crash course as well?

The History of Interlibrary Loan -- the original [?] p2p file sharing system. [ newpages ]

19nov01

Hi. I think I failed to mention earlier that I am now the volunteer editor of a category in the Dmoz open directory project. I find the work really fulfilling and the project as a whole completely fascinating. While it is not without its flaws, it not only provides good directory services, but gives regular old humans with subject specialties a chance to get their feet wet in the weird world of online collection development. If you've ever looked at Yahoo and said "I'd love to try something like that" but can't conceive of a career shift and a move to San Jose, consider helping out.

My future dream job is working as an online reference librarian. My friend pointed me to 247ref.org who apparently employs real life librarians to answer questions round the clock. The nice lady I interacted with was smart, helpful and used really big words. Try it. Alas, they are not hiring.

"We have to get away from the ethos that knowledge is good, knowledge should be publicly available, that information will liberate us," said University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Arthur Caplan. "Information will kill us in the techno-terrorist age, and I think it's nuts to put [potentially sensitive information] on Web sites." Where information is power, it can also be danger. What do do? Freak out and destroy information? That is what the government is asking librarians to do. [ thanks thaddeus & sarah ]

The fact that children were taking a field trip from a public school to go see a movie is in and of itself ridiculous. The fact that the field trip was then cancelled due to fears of witchcraft only makes it more ridiculous. Why is this in here? I think you know. [ thanks victoria ]

Secret Land of Librarians. "This is not to imply that librarians are a licentious lot. But oh, they just might be sexy." Might? [ newbreed ]

Some sane thoughts on the recent library flag and penis incident in Colorado. [ libgeek ]

Librarian spends own money to buy fun books for her school library and inspires a book drive. Yes, but did she ever get paid back?

16nov01

[I had always imagined paradise as a kind of library -- Borges]

This was one of the stones at the entrance to the Denver Public Library. Feel free to copy the image.

Two more pictures: Library of Congress Police patch on the remembrance wall at the Oklahoma City Memorial, and an amusing comment on filtering. [ camworld ]

Coffee in the library? Librarians [and others] chime in.

Ten Reasons to Love a Librarian. I would add 11. Genius is sexy. [ thanks lynne ]

Camel as bookmobile. [ libgeek ]

Female? archivist? Please take this survey. [ juice ]

Some library history. Before there was a Progressive Librarians Guild, there was the Progressive Librarians' Council. [ juice ]

OCLC trying to buy netLibrary assets. [ libnewsdaily ]

Librarian.net will be particpating in Link & Think 2001 and encourages you to do the same.

Allen Kurzweil, hero to librarians everywhere. Go read The Grand Complication, stat. I loved it. [ ra link, newbreed ]

14nov01

Hi. I'm back in Seattle. Had a nice drive. Briefly gazed upon the outside of the Missoula Public Library but didn't have time to venture in. Oh yeah and the login page at Library Journal is gone. I'd like to think my complaints to them had something to do with that. Now if they could just get their easy-to-remember URL back.... Redirects anyone?

Tax supported male bashing pornography [i.e. penises] removed. The saga of El Dildo bandito. [ thanks dave & celia ]

Enemies of Pottermania abound. At least now that the movie is out, maybe some of the pressure is taken off libraries? [ thanks andrea ]

New issue of the Marginal Librarian.

"Books are important to me and I want books to be important to them." School media specialist vows to read every book in her library.

We love the library cart drill team.

Cataloging porn. "Some of it is from Italy and goes back to the earliest days of filmmaking -- there's one that I'm guessing is from 1910 or 1915 because it's very jerky," says the professor. "Oh, I guess I shouldn't use that word." [ libgeek ]

11nov01

Hi. I'm in Denver. I just visited the Denver Public Library and gazed upon its funky exoskeleton. Then I went inside and was happy to discover it's neat on the inside too.

You'll be pleased to know two things: 1) the Anarchist Librarians Web is open and ready for business, chock full of good information 2) Library Journal got reasonable and decided to stop requiring a login to view its news stories and other content, just in time for the "no on flags, yes on penises" story to break. I'd like to think my constant complaining maybe had a little something to do with that. [ thanks chuck & francine ]

Yes, penises. [ thanks claude & lynn ]

My friend Step is starting to compile stories for her Library Staff Censorship Project. "This newly born site will find out if the codes of conduct we claim to protect and declare as innate freedoms are truly and consistently practiced by the staff who work in our libraries." Help her out if you have a chance.

Society of American Archivists chimes in on the President's order concerning presidential papers "let me stress our professional concern over the most recent Executive Order. Not only does it challenge and abrogate existing statutory authority, it has the potential to seriously restrict the unfettered flow of information upon which our nation depends." [ thanks amylinda ]

Filters still not effective, maybe getting worse. "Even White admitted in tests that at one point the software declared pornographic a simple picture of a stick in a forest." [ thanks michael ]

PLA Awards deadline extended to December first. Nominate someone today. [ thanks mary ]

04nov01

Hi. Once again I'm going to be on the road for an indeterminate amount of time, maybe a week or so? You are invited to stand by, go explore some links, and stop by again in ten days or so. Updates on what I'm up to should be on jessamyn.com someplace.

Oh the randy randy library. Library planning to install toilet alarms to keep people from having sex in the bathrooms. [ thanks max & rick ]

Mitch Freedman speaks to WVLA about privacy, pay scales and so-called protection. "What can you do? A Hell of a lot!" [ thanks steve ]

"That state librarian Virginia Lowell has to go begging for money to buy books for the new public library in Kapolei should be embarrassment enough for state legislators to take action." [ thanks brandon ]

"Sitting in a comfortable chair with a nice lamp beside you and a book in your lap -- how much better does it get?" Agoura Hills residents happy as clams over new library.

03nov01

Hi. I got this from the mailbag this week: "Haile Selassie was four foot nine and weighed ninety pounds soaking wet.He nicknamed himself 'The Lion Of Judah' cool. Andrew Carnegie screwed over people most of his adult life. He nicknamed himself 'The Great Philanthropist' uncool."

Happy Birthday LISNews!
Seattle City Librarian named Public Official of the Year, the first librarian ever to receive this award.

LLRX: Bibliography on terrorism, bioterrorism, =the Middle East and 9/11 related issues.

Another California library system decided to not install filtering software. "It's not a painful decision," said Kevin James, chair of the board. "We get very little federal funding, so it's easier to take a principled position." [ libgeek ]

Government information removed from the web after 9/11. [ juice ]

ALAOIF's PATRIOT Act page, and some discussion of the ramifications. Is the Library Bill of Rights suspended during wartime?

Captain Underpants okay for library, says principal, but not for postponed bookfair.

"putting the rarin' back in librarian since 1993"

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