LISNews: Librarian News

Man arrested in Criss Library for possession of child pornography A man was arrested last Monday in the University of Nebraska library for allegedly viewing child pornography on one of the library's computers, according to a police report and Campus Security crime log.

The man, is a level three registered sex offender and not affiliated with the university, said Paul Kosel, assistant manager of Campus Security.

The former head librarian at Swaney Memorial Library in New Cumberland has entered a plea in two felony charges and now must make restitution.

Jane Mehaffey and her attorney appeared before Chief Judge Martin Gaughan of the First Judicial Circuit Tuesday after reaching a plea agreement with the county prosecutor's office.

Hancock County Prosecutor James W. Davis Jr., charged that from on or about April 1, 2005, to Sept. 26, 2006, Mehaffey committed the offenses of falsifying accounts, engaging in fraudulent schemes and embezzlement.

A former librarian at a Leavenworth, Kansas, elementary school has been indicted on child pornography charges.

A federal grand jury indicted Anthony Baker, 35, of Leavenworth, on one count each of producing and possessing child pornography.

Baker resigned as librarian at Muncie Elementary School in late July, said Mike Aytes, superintendent of the Leavenworth School District.

The library director speaks about the atrocious theft of books and media from Colorado libraries, reported earlier at LISNews.

The thief, Thomas Pilaar, 33, was suspected of using different names to obtain seven library cards from the Denver Public Library, then checking out 300 items per card and selling at least some of the items on Craigslist.

Jamie LaRue, Library Director at Douglas County Libraries and columnist comments: "I've been asked by a few media representatives if we're now going to crack down on everybody, just because one individual took advantage of us.

No. We're not. The Colorado Library Card has been running for almost a decade now, and it works very well. We place a high value on individual access to information.

Let me emphasize this: while there are many problems in the world, people using the library too much really isn't one of them."