Like it or not, a few hundred librarians have already signed
a
statement written by Mark Rosenzweig on behalf of
librarians in opposition to preparation for war in Iraq.
I signed it and I put it on the web, with a form for people
to use to add their signatures. I am a firm believer in the
ethic of neutrality on the job; but I also don\’t believe
that this neutrality means we shouldn\’t have opinions as
professionals or express our opinions as professionals off
the job. Read the letter; if you agree with it (strongly
worded though it may be) I urge you to sign it.
September 2002
A few nice words about librarians
Martin quotes John C. Dvorak from the latest issue of PC Magazine:
\”During the Internet age, we\’ve forgotten that professional librarians know how to find information better than anyone – especially better than computer programmers. Though at the beginning of the Web era in 1993, librarians did not have the computer and Web development skills to show their muscles, they do now.\”
\”Thanks, John, for the compliment.\” Martin adds. If you agree, head over to the comments area and let John know.
The Library in Crisis
Steve Fesenmaier writes:
The Library in Crisis Directed by Julian Samuel
\”Dense with the informed commentary of notable scholars, this documentary in effect traces the history of civilization through the phenomenon of the library. From ancient China, India, Islam, and the Graeco Roman world, we see how the library radiated knowledge and spiritual values, and facilitated the cross fertilization of ideas from one culture to another. Now this venerable institution is under siege, these scholars suggest, from a variety of forces: the internet, digital technology, copyright law and that most contemporary bugaboo, globalization.
\”Among those we hear from are Fred Lerner, author of The Story of Libraries; Peter F. McNally, McGill University; Islamic scholar Sumaiya Handani, George Mason University; and Donald Gutstein, Simon Fraser University. A challenging production for everyone in academia, including students!\”
Great website for A BOOK OF BOOKS
Steve Fesenmaier writes:
\”Outstanding photographer Abelardo Morell and saintly author Nicholson Baker have teamed up to create a fantastic new book, A BOOK OF BOOKS, showing Morell\’s photographs of books. I found this website which shows 9 of his photographs in an online slide show…very nice.\”
Technology vs. Civil Liberties?
Teddy writes \”Kind of an interesting story at the Washington Post
As acceptance for biometrics technology has grown, so too has opposition from a broad range of voices, including many like Dick Armey allies.
\”There\’s something about ourselves that is being captured,\” Kshirsagar added. \”This biometric identification will be linked to some kind of database. All of a sudden you have a pretty intrusive look into somebody\’s life.\”
\”
Banned books fly off the shelves in Missouri
Via the Freedom Forum:
Since Webb City, Mo.\’s school library banned three books in the award-winning Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, patrons can\’t find them on the public library\’s shelves either. That\’s because the decision to ban the books, which deal with an adolescent girl\’s development, only made them popular with readers in this southwest Missouri town.
\”It\’s been on the hold list since the challenge,\” said Sue Oliveira, the public librarian. \”The surest way to get everyone to read a book is to ban it.\”
Anti-Censorship: My critical review of a counter opinion of anti-censorship move
Mariam writes \”http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/dreamweaver/bannedbks/censorisso.html \”
The item is a detailed point-by-point refutation of an essay by academic librarian Steve McKinzie entitled \”Banned Books Week 1997: A Case of Misrepresentation\”. It\’s not clear, however, where McKinzie\’s piece was originally published or who \”Mariam\” is. This is the same item that was linked in a comment to this recent LISNews story under the name \”Michael Nellis\”.
Booker Prize panel pleads “smaller books, please!”
A new article from the Guardian newspaper says that the judges for this year\’s Booker Prize are asking publishers to send them smaller, funnier books for consideration. I\’m interested particularly in the class distinctions they make:
In a radical departure from convention – \”the beginning of a new era\”, according to their chairwoman, Lisa Jardine – they vowed to cast their net wider to more plebeian literary forms, and even into the lower depths of genre and \”popular fiction\”.
Heaven forfend!
This is another tidbit I found in Publisher\’s Lunch. I like it more every time I read it.
Keeping Books Open is Best for Students
This one comes by way of the Christian County Headliner. Joe Hadsall writes…
\”If our editorial staff can ever be accused of having a \”hot button,\” censorship would be it. We disagree vehemently with any attempts to limit anyone\’s access to any sort of material. We recognize that school districts are different, however. We don\’t grant the same rights to those in our public schools that we grant to American citizens. They are more controlled environments, deserving of special rules and regulations. It\’s times like those when we trust our educators to do what\’s best for their districts.\” Read More.
Picture book museum on Parade
Last Sunday\’s Parade magazine (the newspaper-insert tabloid) had two pages on the new Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. See the museum\’s top picture book recommendations here.
If you have a chance, find the article itself. It has some great information about how to read to a child that would be good to put on a poster or flyer (with copyright permission, of course).
Last Sunday\’s Parade magazine (the newspaper-insert tabloid) had two pages on the new Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. See the museum\’s top picture book recommendations here.
If you have a chance, find the article itself. It has some great information about how to read to a child that would be good to put on a poster or flyer (with copyright permission, of course).The Museum\’s Top 12
Anno’s Counting Book, written and illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno
The Cat in the Hat, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
Frederick, written and illustrated by Leo Lionni
Goodnight, Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
John Henry, written by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Leo the Late Bloomer, written by Robert Kraus, illustrated by Jose Aruego
“More, More, More,” Said the Baby: Three Love Stories, written and illustrated by Vera B. Williams
The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written and illustrated by Eric Carle
Where the Wild Things Are, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Yo! Yes?, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka
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