Baghdad Day to Day: Librarian’s Journal

Posted on by jessamyn

The New York Times discusses the day to day activities of Saad Eskander, the director of Iraq’s National Library and Archive in Baghdad, as detailed on his blog at the British Library.

In mid-January, he published a chart on the impact of sectarian violence on his staff for just the month of December. It included 4 assassinations of employees and 2 kidnappings, 66 murders of staff members’ relatives, 58 death threats and 51 displacements.

The newest entries, posted on Thursday, take readers through Wednesday, Jan. 31. Dr. Eskander writes that the week started off quietly: Most of the staff couldn’t get to work because of blockades and military checkpoints.

e-government shunting extra work to libraries?

Posted on by jessamyn

FreeGovInfo has this post by Chris Zamarelli about how the perception of libraries as being good places to get access to e-goverment resources is a mixed blessing for libraries who lack staffing and other resources to actually act as public information officers. The huge bummer is that this would be a great role for libaries to fill, IF library staff had better training and suitable funding to actually carry out these positions effectively.

who knows what we like? Archie McPhee of course.

Posted on by jessamyn

Folks who read this blog know that I rarely link to things for sale unless they are really special. This is one of those times. I only wish I had a birthday coming up. Please enjoy the Illustrated Librarian Temporary Tattoos.

Librarian stereotypes are as old and outdated as microfiche. Nowadays you’re just as likely to see your local librarian driving a Harley as a Honda Accord. This 3-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ hard-cover book contains twelve non-toxic temporary tattoos ranging in size from 1-1/2″ to 3-1/4″. Put one in a prominent place to prove once and for all that “smart” and “cool” are not mutually exclusive! Also great for bibliophiles and bookworms. All colors follow FDA cosmetic regulations.

[note: I drive a Honda Accord.]