October 2002

Pro-life group decries library arrangement at Planned Parenthood clinic

A Story From TX says abortion protesters used a Planned Parenthood open house to protest an agreement last year that allows Waco residents to check out Planned Parenthood materials from any Waco-McLennan County library.

Rusty Thomas, with Elijah Ministries and Waco Right to Life, said the agreement makes Planned Parenthood a de facto branch of the library system.

\”We are deeply disappointed in the civil leadership of the city of Waco for allowing this unholy alliance between them and Planned Parenthood to exist,\”

October 29, 2002 by Librarians Libraries

Boston’s loss is Chicago’s gain

The cash-strapped Massachusetts Horticultural Society has sold its collection of rare books and journals to the Chicago Botanic Garden. This story in the Chicago Tribune (free registration may be required) was front-page news in the hard copy delivered to my curb this morning. The Botanic Garden (which isn\’t actually in Chicago) now needs a place to put the stuff, which includes a Latin \”History of Plants\” published in 1483. There\’s a fact sheet about the sale on the Chicago Botanic Garden\’s website.

October 29, 2002 by Uncategorized

Hong Kong woman told to stop breastfeeding in library

Charles Davis writes \”A woman in Hong Kong was told to stop breastfeeding her son because the library they were in didn\’t allow any eating
or drinking.

Ng Lai Ping was reading to her 22-month-old son in the Central Library when she decided he needed feeding.
About half way through breastfeeding she was approached by a member of the library\’s staff who asked her to go to the sick bay instead and gave her a leaflet on the library\’s ban
on food and drinks.

Full Story at
Ananova \”

October 29, 2002 by Librarians Libraries

‘Special librarians’ handle research

A Nice Story from Business Courier takes a look special librarians. They say, “when you seek legal expertise, you find a lawyer, when you seek tax advice, you find an accountant, and when you seek valuable information — find a special librarian.”

It’s a nice look at what Those special people do for a living. Who knew librarians are also at the forefront of information sharing?!

“There’s no such thing as knowledge management; there are only knowledgeable people. Information only becomes knowledge in the hands of someone who knows what to do with it.”

October 29, 2002 by Legal Issues Librarians Libraries

Jesus Bills Fill Maine Libraries

An Odd Story from Maine, where counterfeit bills with quotes from the Bible and other pro-Christian literature are being stuffed in books at public libraries.

Students found the bills in the library\’s gay and lesbian literature section and reported it to college authorities. Believing that the bills were targeting homosexuals, the college asked the office of security to investigate the issue. But the bills were everywhere, according to Suanne Muehlner, director of Colby libraries.

October 29, 2002 by Libraries

So Many Books, So Little Space

Always excellent, Jen Young, spotted This NYTimes Story on weeding.

Yes, a NYTimes story, on weeding, and it\’s good too.

They say The NYC library system offers two opposing models to emulate: the research libraries, like the flagship on Fifth Avenue, which rarely discard anything, or the many branch libraries, where collections are tailored to patrons\’ tastes.

They cover a great history of weeding, collection development, and Nicholson Baker.

\”We must conceive of the library as a channel through which books pass on their way from the publisher to the incinerator,\” the librarian G. Hardin declared in an edict issued in 1947.

October 29, 2002 by Books Libraries

London Public Library Honored with Best Practices

Glenna Marr writes \”The London (Ontario) Public Library was honored with Industry Canada\’s LibraryNet Best Practices Award for its new Media Literacy Centre. The award was given for the library\’s work with CHUM Television to establish North America\’s first library-based Media Literacy Centre in the new Central Library, opened last August. The Centre provides access to print, electronic and audiovisual materials aimed at helping users to develop an informed and critical understanding of the media\’s role in society.\”

October 29, 2002 by Librarians Libraries

Wireless LANs in Libraries keeps growing

Bill Drew writes \”The growth of Wireless LANs in libraries continues. As of 2 PM Eastern time today, here is the country breakdown as reported to me for my list:


United States of America – 137 libraries or institutions. Number is actually higher as some universities have multiple libraries.


United Kingdom – 1


Italy -1


Canada – 1


Hong Kong – 1


Singapore – 1


Vanuatu- 1


Australia – 1



The complete list can be seen at
The Wireless Librarian

Bill Drew writes \”The growth of Wireless LANs in libraries continues. As of 2 PM Eastern time today, here is the country breakdown as reported to me for my list:


United States of America – 137 libraries or institutions. Number is actually higher as some universities have multiple libraries.


United Kingdom – 1


Italy -1


Canada – 1


Hong Kong – 1


Singapore – 1


Vanuatu- 1


Australia – 1



The complete list can be seen at
The Wireless Librarian
If you want to add your library send me the following information:

Library Name, Institution, Address
Web address for library
Web address for any wireless documentation on your website.

I have added ten libraries in the past week.

Wilfred (Bill) Drew
Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
SUNY Morrisville College Library
E-mail: drewwemorrisville.edu
\”

October 28, 2002 by Libraries

Fairytale Life for Princess Diaries’ Author

Here\’s A Nice Reuters Story on Meg Cabot, author of best-selling books \”The Princess Diaries.\”

She says for some reason, people think that she\’s a real princess and that the books are really about her.

Cabot\’s books about Mia Thermopolis, the gawky New York teenager who discovers she is really a princess and heir to a tiny European kingdom, have sold more than a million copies around the world and been turned into a film by Disney.

October 28, 2002 by Authors Yahoo

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