February 2003

In yet another announcement from Cader Books’ Publisher’s Lunch newsletter, “The last three volumes of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, WOLVES OF THE CALLA, SONG OF SUSANNAH, and THE DARK TOWER, [were sold] to Robert K. Wiener at New Hampshire’s Donald M. Grant Publisher (which has published the last four
Dark Tower books) for illustrated hardcover publication beginning in
November 2003, and to…Susan Moldow at Scribner, following with trade
paperback editions (and eventually mass markets from Pocket), by manager
Arthur Greene and King’s editor, Chuck Verrill at Darhansoff, Verrill,
Feldman, with Penguin Group publishers doing a special promotion of the Dark
Tower backlist prior to publication, accompanied by a new introduction to
the series from King. Scribner will also publish a two-volume concordance, a
reference for the series detailing character names, places and other
cross-references in the books, written by Robin Furth.”

A Mystery User writes: “I’m a bookish, somewhat introverted 40-year-old woman who has a lot of male friends. But that’s all they ever are. More than once I’ve heard the phrase: “You’re not like other women. I can talk to you!” It’s meant as a compliment, but it doesn’t feel so complimentary when I realize that they would never think of me as a romantic partner. Maybe if I were like other women, they would want to do something more than talk…”

Read the full Salon.com article. (premium content)

Here’s A Short One on The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Pehin Dato Seri Paduka Dr. Haji Awang Hussein Bin Haji Awang Mohd Yussof, who yesterday afternoon told members of the CONSAL XII from ASEAN countries while they made a courtesy call to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport that libraries in the country are in need of upgrading. During the informal discussion, Minister Dr. Haji Awang Hussein said that he was impressed with the library system in Singapore.

Bob Cox spotted This One on the S.C. Book Festival, opening its seventh annual celebration of writers and readers this weekend at the State Fairgrounds, has become South Carolina’s biggest book event and one of the premier literary festivals in the Southeast.

More than 35 readings, panel discussions and special programs are on tap, along with some of South Carolina’s most popular writers, including Dori Sanders, Bret Lott, William Price Fox, Sue Monk Kidd, George Singleton, Blanche McCrary Boyd, Darion McCloud, Nikky Finney, Janette Turner Hospital and Cassandra King.

The Ledger has one of the strongest worded Articles Yet on the closing of the Florida State Library.

They say the closing undermines years of careful work by professionals, is a display of contempt, it\’s bad for Florida and shows his total disdain for our state\’s rich history. They add, Bush has shown time and again an astonishing disregard for the state\’s cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Johnnie Byrd told Tallahasseeans on Thursday there is \”huge support\” in the Legislature for saving the State Library. Secret actions used against state archives, Genealogists, librarians, historians draw list of options to battle Bush\’s plan, and on the bright side of this, Vast collection could boost Nova library.

Jack Stephens passed along one of the Punniest stories I’ve read in a long time. The Macon Telegraph reports that guys who wouldn’t know a Dewey decimal from a Mountain Dew are after the SI swimsuit models and their barely covered, um, reference sections.

“I would say that of the group of people who are normally not interested in it, the biggest group of people who look at it are the librarians themselves,” she said. “Just out of curiosity, to see what’s gonna be in it this year that we need to be aware of, and how bad is it this year, and how ridiculous these girls look … how ludicrous.”

Presenting, the LISNews Librarian Pickup Lines!

Feel free to use them at work, conferences, out at your favorite pub, or anywhere you may find the librarian of your dreams.
Note: use at your own risk, may result in slapping, or having a drink thrown in your face.

What\’s your cutter number baby?

I bet you have quite a nice book worm!

You must work at a busy library, cuz baby you just increased my
circulation.

Are you a librarian? Well I really need to be shushed!

Damn… you have more hardcovers than my private stash

Presenting, the LISNews Librarian Pickup Lines!

Feel free to use them at work, conferences, out at your favorite pub, or anywhere you may find the librarian of your dreams.
Note: use at your own risk, may result in slapping, or having a drink thrown in your face.

What\’s your cutter number baby?

I bet you have quite a nice book worm!

You must work at a busy library, cuz baby you just increased my
circulation.

Are you a librarian? Well I really need to be shushed!

Damn… you have more hardcovers than my private stash

Are you a librarian, because when you walked in the room I knew I was
overdue!

I couldn\’t help noticing what a great book bag you have

Have you heard the one about the librarian with more stacks than she
could handle?

You look like a real challenge!

No one believes I am a librarian, maybe you should try to check me out.

You have the tightest hair bun in the place.

I\’m like Google, more results than you can deal with.
 
Did I mention I write for LISNews?
 
Let\’s play search engine:  enter your terms and see if you get
positive results.
 
Soooooo, people tell me that I look like Chris Sherman.
 
I\’d catalog you under \”Desirable!\”
 
You have some back-end architecture.
 
Either my sight\’s fading fast, or you\’re the hottest guy I\’ve checked
out all week.

So, you\’re a librarian? Do you mind if I work on your desk?

So… they say Dewey had a harem, care to help me start mine?

So they say you\’re like a public library, anyone with a card can check
you out.

Mind if I check you out?

I may not be a cataloger, but I bet I can find a place to fit you in.

You\’d find me in the RC560.S43\’s!

Let\’s play shelf reading, you be the shelf and I\’ll jump in.

So is it true academic librarians only let scholars in?

My mom was a librarian, she taught me every should have access to my
stacks

Do you sleep on your books? Can I?

What\’s you cutter number baby?

Forget that! Playing doctor is for kids! Let\’s play librarian.

So do you mind if I use my Dewey Decimal on you?

My budget just got cut, buy me a drink

damn… you\’re stacked better than the LOC

Hey baby, let\’s play library, you can be the door and I\’ll slam you!

Do you know the difference between sex and The LC Subject Headings?
(No.) Do you want to go up to my room?

So is it true public librarians let anyone in?

Didn\’t I see you on the cover of American Libraries?

Are you a librarian? So then you can belive in open access to your
stacks?

You\’re a librarian?? You\’ve got to refer me to your plastic surgeon.

I\’d luuuuuv to check you out

So when\’s the last time you were \”on the desk\”

Care to do a little shelf reading?

Want to come back to my room and play cataloger? I brought my own Dewey.

Hey baby, wanna go knit?
 
Let\’s go get Dewey.
 
I can do the neatest thing with a full set of the OED.
 
I do collection development for 613.96
 
As a librarian, I\’ve learned to work very well with women.
 
My library or yours?  Better make it mine, we don\’t have filters.
 
I\’ll make you scream LC subject headings.
 
My fingers are quite strong from typing all day.
             
 
You\’ve never seen a LAN like mine.

List compiled, but not tested by Blake, Aaron and Steven.

“Gov. George Pataki’s proposed 8.5 percent budget cut to public education spurred loud and widespread opposition from lawmakers, schools, parents and local governments.”

“But barely a word has been said about the governor’s decision to offer $ 13.3 million less for libraries — an almost 15 percent cut. Librarians predict a reduction in services statewide, from a slimmer book selection to shorter hours of operation, if the state Legislature doesn’t restore their funding.”

“The total funding we would receive is one-tenth of one percent of the state budget — one tenth of a penny, that’s all the state is willing to spend on libraries,” said Susan Lehman Keitel, executive director of the New York Library Association.” (from The Times Union)

“Some booksellers are troubled by a post-Sept. 11 federal law that gives the government broad powers to seize the records of bookstores and libraries to find out what people have been reading.”

“Bear Pond Books in Montpelier will purge purchase records for customers if they ask, and it has already dumped the names of books bought by its readers’ club.”

“When the CIA comes and asks what you’ve read because they’re suspicious of you, we can’t tell them because we don’t have it,” store co-owner Michael Katzenberg said. “That’s just a basic right, to be able to read what you want without fear that somebody is looking over your shoulder to see what you’re reading.” (from AP)

\”Nova Southeastern University could acquire nearly 350,000 books — the lion\’s share of the Florida State Library collection — under a proposal that would make NSU\’s fledgling library a major destination for government researchers and scholars.\”

\”If the Broward university gets the books, its holdings will increase to approximately 836,000 volumes. NSU\’s library, which is open to the public, would have a collection larger than those of either the main Florida Atlantic University library or the main Miami-Dade library.\” (from The Miami Herald)

See also: Library defenders consider court