LISNews: Librarian News

The Digital Missourian has an encouraging Story on libraries and how well (or is it good?) they are doing now. Nice to see the popular press not sounding the death bells for libraries for a change.

\"Maybe reports of the death of the book in the age of the Internet were greatly exaggerated.
It seems public libraries are attracting crowds of children and adults as never before. And that is translating into expanded hours, renovations and construction of new libraries in Kansas City and the surrounding area. -- Read More

Kathy Leeds writes in about Innovative Internet Applications in Libraries.

Intended primarily for the library community, Innovative Internet Applications in Libraries is a sampling of new and interesting uses of the Web by public, corporate, academic, and school libraries. The project (begun in 1995 by Ken Middleton) has sought to provide best practice models of both traditional and non-traditional library service provision using Internet technology.

Suggestions for new links are welcomed in categories from interactive readers advisory to personalized interfaces to virtual reference and local database creation and access. Innovations may involve either form or content or both.
\"

A Story on the new National Library in Lebanon. The newly reconstructed library will contain 250,000 books, reconstruction of the National Museum cost $5 million. The first library was damaged during the civil war.

“Without a National Library, a cultural pillar, Lebanon will lose the intellectual heritage that we’re so proud of,”, said Youssef Beydoun, Education Minister -- Read More

National Geographic has a nice Story on The Library of Alexandria in Egypt. The Great Library was destroyed, 1,400 or more years ago and has now been rebuilt. This time it cost 180 million US Dollars. No word on how many papyrus scrolls they have to lend this time. The New version has \"he world\'s most advanced
cataloguing system, computerised book transport,
CD-roms, microfilms, internet connections and a fire
prevention system to ensure it doesn\'t suffer the same
fate as its predecessor. \" -- Read More