November 2001

All the Hu’s Down in Hu’ville

It\’s already December (in much of the world), and my mind\’s been filled with thoughts of the man who knows if I\’ve been bad or good, who keeps a list of who\’s naughty or nice, who sees and hears what I say and do.

But in a break from thinking about John Ashcroft, I pulled up my favorite winter-holiday-related Web page:

Welcome Christmas! The Story of a Holiday Hymn

This has been around for a few years, but it\’s still fun to see how many people you can get to believe that the song from the Grinch cartoon is derived from an ancient folk song from a remote area of Norway.

Or, if you want to use the page for good instead of evil, present it as a cautionary example in the next Internet research class you teach.

Harry Banned Again

Harry Potter has been Banned from the library at 60 Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia. The book is said to not meet the criteria for acquisition. The school\’s policy existed long before Harry Potter. According to the school\’s director, the Tolkien\’s \”Lord of the Rings\” will likely be allowed in the library. More from The Daily News.

Letters of Support for U.S. Troops Can be Sent Online

From the web site of \”Any Service Member…\”
\”Concerns about mail delivery have prompted the military to suspend this year\’s letter-writing campaign for troops abroad. However, the United States Department of the Navy\’s LIFELines Services Network is providing this private and secure online resource that will allow you to send a Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman or Coast Guardsman a holiday greeting.\”
Visit the site at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/

Librarian Arrested as Terror Suspect

\”Italian authorities arrested two people early Thursday and raided several Islamic centers in northern Italy as part of an investigation into an alleged terrorist cell linked to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network. One of the men arrested was a librarian at the Islamic Cultural Center.\” More from MSNBC.

Federal Judge Donates Rare Lincoln Docs to State Collection

Someone writes…
\”A federal judge from Missouri has donated a document signed by Abraham Lincoln to the Illinois State Historical Library to be displayed in the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Senior U.S. Judge Edward Filippine donated the document on Wednesday to the state’s Henry Horner Lincoln Collection. The document is dated Nov. 5, 1864, three days before Lincoln’s re-election.\” More

Internet Child Porn Ring Bust

Police from several countries have broken yet another Internet child pornography ring. Some of those involved are from the United States. \”Police said thousands of new images of child abuse had been discovered and more than 10,000 people were found to have visited the Internet sites in a two-week period.\” More from Wired News.

Campaign for Canada’s Libraries

The Canadian Library Association has begun a Campaign for Canada\’s Libraries.


The purpose of this campaign is to \”educate government
decision-makers and the public on the importance
of libraries in the government’s new innovation
agenda and to the emphasize the need for a
Canadian Council of Libraries, a new National
Library building and the continuance of the Library
Book Rate\”.



Unfortunately, detailed information is only available on the members only section of the CLA website.

Sampling The Circle Of Gifts

I\’m not sure Walt Crawford ever sleeps, or, he may actually write in his sleep….

This month in Econtent Magazine [The story isn\’t online] he has a story about what\’s working on the web today.


He says it\’s OK that not everything on the internet isn\’t about making money, unlike what we see on TV all the time, and in fact, the internet got started by an informal circle of gifts. Everyone chipped in a little, and things worked pretty well. He covers several internet based media types that are working well (Weblogs like this being one) and says being in the current circle of gifts is just fun.

He\’s right, it really is fun!