LISNews: Hawkish On Libraries Since 1999

Article about librarian Will Johnson.

Will Johnson worked at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore for 17 years before coming to Cecil County eight months ago. He’s now manager of the Elkton Central Library. Johnson said he loves the area, especially how the pace of Cecil County compares to Baltimore.

How did you get your start? In 1996, I was working for Foot Locker in high school and went to Atlanta to work the Olympics. That experience changed my life. I met people with different nationalities and it opened my eyes. I came back and took a job as a security officer for the library. At that time, I realized the smartest people worked at the library. One day that week, I was watching Jeopardy, and the contestant was a librarian. I took that as a sign. I went to college and got my undergrad and decided I wanted to become a librarian. I worked three years doing clerical work while going to school.

http://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_68031536-675f-502d-b743-97b928e5ddf3.html

A hip-hop pioneer was stunned to learn that his 1984 song “Roxanne, Roxanne” was at the center of an explosive legal war between a pair of Long Island library staffers.

“Before, we had to worry about mediating hip-hop beefs in the streets,” Kangol Kid told The Post. “Now, we have to worry about them in libraries. That’s crazy.”

Riverhead Free Library director Joy Rankin allegedly told underlings to only hire black and Latino job applicants to right historical wrongs committed against them, according to a lawsuit.

http://nypost.com/2014/11/08/rapper-shocked-his-song-dragged-into-legal-battle-on-li/

From The Annoyed Librarian in LJ:

A librarian named Joe Murphy is suing two female librarians for $1.25 million for claiming he sexually harasses women at library conferences. As sex scandals go, that’s pretty mild, but the standards for scandal are lower in libraryland.

You can go give them a donation or sign a petition asking Murphy to drop the lawsuit if those are your kinds of thing.

I haven’t seen a corresponding Support Joe Murphy’s Lawsuit website or petition, but if there is one someone can post it in the comments.

He’s also suing them in Canadian court, even though as far as I can tell both he and one of the defendants are Americans. Canadian libel laws are more friendly to plaintiffs, it seems, whereas American libel laws tend to favor something librarians are supposed to favor, free speech. So he’s a cunning little fella, you have to give him that.

I’m seeing the story pop up in more and more places, so it looks like Murphy has a growing reputation among librarians.

The New York City Department of Education must stop violating rules on the minimum number of librarians required at city high schools, state education Commissioner John B. King Jr. has decided.

The United Federation of Teachers had appealed to the commissioner several times in recent years to force the city to comply with regulations spelling out how many librarians are necessary, depending on enrollment. City school officials argued last year that fewer were needed because of advancements in technology and the ability of small schools to share them.

In a decision signed Sept. 15, Mr. King said the union didn't have standing to argue on behalf of students deprived of librarians' help, but the city must comply with the staffing minimums.

A spokeswoman for the city education department said it would work on a plan to address the issue, noting that school libraries have "tremendous value." Article from The Wall Street Journal.