LISNews: Librarian News

Ben Ostrowsky Writes:

The
King County
Library System in
Seattle has gotten some
great publicity in the
Seattle Times recently.

I can go to my local library and take out a wide range of
fiction and
nonfiction materials. But, when looking for information
on a specific
topic, the most useful books often reside at other
libraries, are checked
out or can\'t leave the building. Yet, if I search the
Internet at home, I
can usually find the information I need, instantly.

Well, maybe not all the information I need, or at least as
many
authoritative sources as I should have to be
well-informed. It turns out
the library has precious online resources that are
available only through
a library\'s Web site.

Brian Smith writes \"A couple weeks ago, Laura Schlessinger, Ph.D., gave a speech on \"The Crisis of the American Family\" at the Claremont Institute. It looks like she mostly talked about herself and plugged her latest book, but she mentioned that \"libraries ignore their primary responsibility to protect and nurture our children.\"

Text is at http://www.claremont.org/publications/schlessinger000818.cfm

CSPAN televised the speech on Aug. 19. Video is available at http://www.cspan.org/ \"

Another library is turning to a collection agency to get back some overdues. The Springfield-Greene County Library is trying a collection agency. The City Council is also considering a bill that toughens a city law by holding library-card holders legally responsible for materials checked out.

\"We’re out to get the chronic abusers who do not return our material, and there are chronic abusers,” library Executive Director Annie Busch said.

The library currently mails about 113 notices each week to those at least 55 days overdue, Busch said.\"

The Springfieldnews-leader has the full Story

The Columbus Dispatch has a nice Story on how public libraries are adapting to the internet age, and how well it is working.
They cover E-Reference, DVD\'s, E-Books, and Audio Books.

\"In the past quarter-century, public libraries have undergone significant changes...The moves have been popular: Two out of three Americans visited a public library in 1998.\" -- Read More