October 2000

It was a dark and Dewey night

Heraldnet.com has this Spoooky Story on a library ghost in Snohomish\’s Carnegie Building library. Miss Catharine McMurchy, who was a librarian there in the 20\’s and 30\’s still makes her rounds to keep the books \” neatly arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System\”.

\”At one point, her chair began to shake. A gust of wind rattled a windowpane; the chair shook harder, \”As if a heavy-footed person walked beside me,\” she said.\”

Any ghosts in your library you\’d like to share?

ACLU Vs. The “genre” stickers in a public library

Susan Hill writes:


Okay, I\’ve tried to hold my tongue, but I simply cannot remain quiet now. I
have just read October 30 American Libraries Online
specifically \”Kansas Library Stops Marking
Books as Suitable for Christians\”. I am appalled and outraged that the ACLU
has taken on the battle of \”genre\” stickers in a public library. The labels
had been brought to the ACLU\’s attention by a library user, the Associated
Press reported October 21. A LIBRARY USER? ONE LIBRARY USER? Where are the
voices of all the library users who want those stickers on the books?

Susan Hill writes:


Okay, I\’ve tried to hold my tongue, but I simply cannot remain quiet now. I
have just read October 30 American Libraries Online
specifically \”Kansas Library Stops Marking
Books as Suitable for Christians\”. I am appalled and outraged that the ACLU
has taken on the battle of \”genre\” stickers in a public library. The labels
had been brought to the ACLU\’s attention by a library user, the Associated
Press reported October 21. A LIBRARY USER? ONE LIBRARY USER? Where are the
voices of all the library users who want those stickers on the books?In our library, our \”inspirational reader collection\” is in gigantic demand.
We are a small, rural county where a large part of our fiction readers
request inspirational titles, many which reflect a \”Christian\” message. We
mark those books with butterfly stickers and our readers are grateful.


We also mark romance titles, mystery titles, science fiction titles, large
print titles, young adult titles, westerns, holiday, reference titles, etc.
This is done so our patrons can find the materials they want quicker and
easier.


According to the ACLU\’s position paper, found on their website www.aclu.org,
this group stands for 1. traditional American values; 2. they are not
\”anti-anything\”; 3. and they exist for \”you\”.


Well, if they exist in order to represent everyone, then they better not
stomp on the rights of — as the group puts it — \”the religious right\”.
This group also has to right to free and easy access to library materials.


The Christian religion has played a major role in the founding of this
country. If ACLU doubts this, just visit your local public library OR the
Library of Congress and do the research. The first prayer in Congress was
spoken on September 7, 1774 and is significant because among the
congressional members there was debate about whether or not the meeting
should start with a prayer. Some gentlemen were opposed with the argument
that the group was too diverse in religious sentiment to possibly agree on
one act of worship.


However, Samuel Adams, a Massachusetts representative and staunch
Congregationalist, proposed that they have Mr. Duché, an Episcopal clergyman
read morning prayers. This act of tolerance and recognition of difference
was agreeable to the members of the first Continental Congress.


The Library of Congress, from the collected reports of the various patriots,
recorded… Washington was kneeling there, and Henry, Randolph, Rutledge,
Lee, and Jay, and by their side there stood, bowed in reverence, the
Purtitan Patriots of New England, who at that moment had reason to believe
that an armed soldiery was wasting their humble households. It was believed
that Boston had been bombarded and destroyed.


They prayed fervently \”for America, for Congress\”…and who can realize the
emotion with which they turned imploringly to Heaven for Divine
interposition…


If anyone would like to see a copy of the text of the prayer just let me
know. I will send you a brochure our library has about an art print we have
hanging on our walls depicting this historical event.


I am sick and tired of hearing about libraries having to defend a \”local
control\” decision such as easy access to collections and materials (which is
all a \”cross sticker\” or \”butterfly sticker\” is) or worse yet, having to
change their local decisions because it doesn\’t fit another groups\’ national
platform.


I am sick and tired of hearing about local library boards bowing to groups
because they are afraid of \”legal action\”.
When groups such as the ACLU begin to interfere with the way our local
public library has decided to operate then you better believe that is when
we will step up to the plate and defend our rights in court, if necessary,
to make decisions on a local level.


If our founding fathers could agree on tolerance and recognition of
difference and STILL come together for prayer, then certainly a library can
place \”cross stickers\” on \”Christian fiction\” to help patrons looking for
this material find it.


And, while I\’m at it, I believe in Jesus Christ as my personal savior and
will stand on Judgement Day with my heart open. And, I am a library
director, active in my community with a dynamic, awesome, growing library
system — where use is way up, staff and board is visionary, and where we
hold on to traditional library service while integrating high tech, high
speed electronic access to balanced information provided FREE for all
patrons.

Susan N. Hill, Director/Editor

Paulding County Carnegie Library

Last Chance on Filtering

ALAWON
Congressional leaders are now threatening to continue this session of Congress through Election Day. From day to day, prospects swing wildly for passage of the Labor, HHS, Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577). One thing that has not wavered in recent days is the apparent Congressional determination to retain the filtering rider within the bill.


Most congressional offices are claiming to have heard very little from the library community on the filtering issue. Now is the time to make library voices heard. A concerted effort by the entire field is the only chance for removal of this onerous, bureaucratic, resource-hogging burden.

ALAWON
Congressional leaders are now threatening to continue this session of Congress through Election Day. From day to day, prospects swing wildly for passage of the Labor, HHS, Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577). One thing that has not wavered in recent days is the apparent Congressional determination to retain the filtering rider within the bill.


Most congressional offices are claiming to have heard very little from the library community on the filtering issue. Now is the time to make library voices heard. A concerted effort by the entire field is the only chance for removal of this onerous, bureaucratic, resource-hogging burden. If you already filter and receive E-rate, LSTA or ESEA funds – THIS AFFECTS YOU


* If you are an academic library receiving LSTA funds – THIS AFFECTS YOU


* If you benefit from the E-rate or LSTA through a consortium – THIS AFFECTS YOU


* If your library or school cannot forego federal assistance to connect to the Internet – THIS AFFECTS YOU


Filtering proponents are claiming to have addressed local control issues by allowing communities to choose whatever technology they see fit to block or filter material that is obscene, is child pornography, or is harmful to minors. The end result is still a huge investment of time, money and additional resources to an issue that most libraries have already adequately addressed.


All library supporters need to CALL or FAX all of their legislators to voice opposition to this measure immediately. Let them know that the filtering rider is an onerous, bureaucratic burden that will rob vital resources from all types of vital library services. The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Fax numbers can be found at http://congress.ala.org. Please CALL or FAX and pass this message on to other library supporters and encourage them to call as well.

Congress’ commission on Internet

Lois Fundis writes \”A follow-up: the full text — all 95 pages! — of the report of the Congressional Interent Caucus Advisory Commission, released last week, is online at copacommission.org/report
It\’s available in either html or .pdf format.
Among other things, it finds filtering to be costly, inefficient, and dangerous to First Amendment values, and suggests other approaches to the problem of kids having access to \”adult\” materials on the web. \”

Media Centers Get Pinched

Sun-Sentinel.com has a Story on cuts in FL school library media centers. The cut backs in school funding are hitting the libraries hard. They talk about the Library Research Service in Colorado study that showed test scores were 18 percent higher in elementary schools and 10 to 15 percent higher in secondary schools with strong media centers.

\”We want to do the right thing and shrink classes, but who picks up those breaks?\” Correll said. \”It\’s awful, and it\’s not going to get any better.\”

Training of information professionals for the corp

Martin De Saulles writes \”Researcha (the global community for information professionals) asks whether library and information schools at US and UK universities are producing the right candidates for the private sector. There appears to be a consensus amongst employers that new graduates are not receiving appropriate training with an emphasis still placed on training candidates for public libraries. A major factor for this deficiency appears to be a lack of commercial experience amongst University faculty.


Visit the Researcha Web site to follow this debate and make your contribution in our Industry Issues discussion forum. Membership to Researcha is free and takes 2 minutes. \”

Man Booked In Library

Found this one on the AP Wire.

A man who got himself trapped inside a library has been booked — after calling 911 — for breaking and entering.


Gregory Roberts, 43, was arrested when he called police from a pay phone in the foyer of the library, police Sgt. Joel Cano said.


Officers found his shoeprints on broken glass where he allegedly gained entry by kicking in a window pane, and Roberts apparently cut his hands while dealing with glass shards, Cano said.
Wandering inside the library, Roberts got trapped between the outer and inner doors of the foyer, Cano said. He couldn\’t go back in, and he couldn\’t go back out.
Now Roberts is behind another door — a jail door.


\”Sometimes,\” Cano said, \”late night studying just doesn\’t pay.\”

Reconstruction of Libraries in Kosovo

Initiatives to begin the reconstruction of public libraries in the
war-torn province of Kosovo were agreed at a recent meeting in The Hague.

Representatives of key players agreed a plan of action, which would
establish a network of mobile libraries throughout the country.
65 library buildings had been destroyed or severely damaged during
the recent conflict. Following the recommendations of a recent report
on libraries in Kosovo [see note], it was agreed that the quickest and
most effective way to serve the needs of people, in the greatest number
of communities, would be a mobile library and information service.

Initiatives to begin the reconstruction of public libraries in the
war-torn province of Kosovo were agreed at a recent meeting in The Hague.

Representatives of key players agreed a plan of action, which would
establish a network of mobile libraries throughout the country.
65 library buildings had been destroyed or severely damaged during
the recent conflict. Following the recommendations of a recent report
on libraries in Kosovo [see note], it was agreed that the quickest and
most effective way to serve the needs of people, in the greatest number
of communities, would be a mobile library and information service. The Open Society Institute in Kosovo, \’KFOS\’, has already ordered one
vehicle. Two others are expected to be funded by donors, and sources
for several more are currently being sought. All vehicles will provide
Internet access. The United Nations\’ civil administration in Kosovo,
UNMIK, has agreed to provide security for the service and to ensure
its continuation after completion of the initial projects.


Other initiatives agreed were:

To establish a Kosovo Libraries Consortium, consisting of
key players, to act as the focal point, linking international interests
with interests in Kosovo

To take steps to establish an effective library infrastructure
in Kosovo, including a Kosovo Library Council, which would give
advice, and make recommendations to relevant bodies, on library and
information services and on projects and expenditure

To develop the role of the National and University Library, to
enable it to provide central technical services and a range of
services to support libraries at the regional and local level

To develop a network of regional resource centres, supporting
all types of libraries in their districts

To hold seminars and workshops to disseminate best practice.



It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the group in Prishtina, and
to plan a general conference of library staff in Kosovo and a training
workshop on the same occasion.



Ross Shimmon, Secretary General of IFLA, who chaired the meeting, said:
\”Libraries are a vital tool for reconstruction and the establishment of
democracy. That is why we need to rebuild the library network in Kosovo,
where people lack truly basic necessities such as houses, heating, and
electricity.\” He stressed that the meeting was determined that the
thought-provoking, yet practical, report Libraries in Kosova/Kosovo
should not, like so many others, be left to gather dust on the shelves.
\”I believe that the key international agencies, working closely
with librarians and local communities can help make a difference
to people\’s lives\”, he said.


FURTHER INFORMATION FROM:

Ross Shimmon or Sjoerd Koopman

IFLA HQ

Tel: +31 70 31 40884

Fax: +31 70 3834827

Email:

NOTES FOR EDITORS



1. Libraries in Kosovo/Kosova: a general assessment
and a short and medium-term development plan is the report by Carsten
Frederiksen and Frode Baken, of a mission undertaken by them on the
behalf of UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Federation
of Library Associations (IFLA) Freedom of Access to Information and
Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) Office. Copies are available from:
IFLA/FAIFE Office, Islands Brygge 37, DK 2300, COPENHAGEN S.
Denmark. Tel: +45 33 66 46 27/37 Fax: +45 33 66 70 64

Representatives of UNESCO, IFLA, UNMIK, and the
Open Society Institute attended the meeting, together with the two
authors of the report. The Director of the National and University
Library of Kosovo and the representative of the Council of Europe were
planning to attend, but were unable to do so at the last minute.


What is librarianship?

Jud Barry writes:

What is librarianship? Your readers might be interested in the Defining Librarianship website, which is looking for the common ground of librarianship-a source of ethical behavior-on which all librarians stand.


All librarians: whether a modified librarian whose body-pierced unconventionality need not mean a lack of professionalism, an anarchist librarian preparing to catalog the revolution, a librarian in frankly pro-censorship China, or a librarian for the equally (but differently) pro-censorship Concerned Women for America.


They can go to Defining Librarianship and help find the common ground.

Copyright Office backs content holders

ZD Net is Reporting more on how the U.S. Copyright Office (part of the Library of Congress) has backed the right of companies to limit access to their content when it is offered on the Internet.
The Copyright Office said people should be able to read filtering software\’s black lists, and allow folks to bypass malfunctioning security features of software and other copyrighted goods they have purchased. This gives copyright holders a whole new level of protection.

\”The decision will \’significantly impede efforts for libraries to continue to provide information in the digital age.\’
— Miriam Nisbet, American Library Association
\”