LISNews: Librarian News

As the current poll seems to have piqued our readers interests on both sides of the issue of joint-use libraries (public libraries and high school libraries sharing a facility), I'd like to ask you to please chime in with your knowledge/experience of currently operating joint-use libraries both in the US and elsewhere.

Do you, or did you ever work in a joint-use library? How does/did it work for both constituencies? What do/did you find to be the pros and cons? Please respond by adding a comment to this story, and let us know the approximate location, size and staffing of the library, and any other information/opinion you'd like to add.

Thanks LISNewsterz for your participation!

Ree_boy writes: "Hello Lisnewsers, I'm posting this request as a total newbie here. I saw this URL in a regional library newsletter a couple of weeks ago and have been lurking around reading all the interesting news for the past 2-3 weeks. It's only been today that I've had a request from my library director to find some information that I don't believe exists (at least in the format specified to me). Therefore, I created a user account and am proceeding to ask you knowledgeable folks to help prove/disprove my ignorance. The director would like to know if there are any studies available on GLTB librarianship? She's working with a group to review material in the field, but *I* haven't had enough exposure to the field to authoritatively say this is a snipe hunt. Any help, anyone?"

birdman writes "Developing a university curriculum regarding information sciences/research in the field of Conservation Biology. Would like input from others in the field of library science, special library personnel, related fields concerning1/ need for information specialists in the field of conservation biology2/ important aspects of information technology in this field that you have used or are aware of.3/ positions you are aware of that have been filled by those with library science background that were acquired outside of libraries. Does not need to be within the field of Conservation or Biology. Curriculum rational is the advantage that information specialists have in the world today.4/ the existance of surveys sent to businesses, organizations, industry, regarding the need for employees with information science background.5/ any suggestions in developing such a curriculum. This is a curriculum that is being designed to teach students in a Conservation Biology graduate/certificate program about conducting research in the field, how to write and research a scientific paper and conversely, to interest information specialists in the field of conservation."

Godfrey Oswald writes "Dear librarians,

I am in the process of putting the last few chapters to an extraordinary spy novel (The Kalahari Files) I hope to finish by xmas time.

As a librarian, I am toying with the idea of making the official profession of one of the lead characters of "The Kalahari Files" to be a librarian, (most spies working in foreign countries has an official profession to mask their real profession as a spy).

For instance Mata Hari was officially a famous dancer, but secretly a famous spy as well, and of course James Bond is offically a business man working for Universal Exports!

I am now looking for any press stories of a librarian who was once exposed as a spy. Doe anyone know of any librarian who turned out to be an intelligence agent or vice versa? It does not have to be in the last few years, it can go back as far as the 1950s or 1940s.

You can read a synopsis of "The Kalahari Files" at:

http://www.lwrw.com/novels.htm

Thanks for your help.

Godfrey,
London."