November 2003

News From Indiana says The boards that oversee public libraries throughout Indiana could face more scrutiny under legislation being reviewed by the Indiana General Assembly, including rules that would require appointed board members to answer to elected officials.

State Rep. Bob Alderman sought a similar change in 2002 after the Allen County Public Library, through its seven-member appointed board, passed an $84.1 million project that overhauls the main library and 11 branch libraries. The project was financed with bonds, raising taxes for property owners.

“I’m tired of taking the rap for people who can approve whatever they want and don’t have to answer to anybody,” said Alderman, R-Fort Wayne, whose proposal was voted down by the House.

Here’s Another homeless and the library story, this time from Kansas, where the Wichita Public Library downtown library is a popular hangout.

The city’s director of libraries, Cynthia Berner Harris, said, “When the weather is very cold, very hot or inclement, we definitely see increased transient traffic in the Central Library.”

But, she said, “for the most part, they are very well behaved.”

Similar to an announcement a few weeks ago by IEE about the backfile growth of INSPEC, Thomson ISI will be expanding Web of Science coverage to 1900 in their Century of Science initiative (currently the file extends to 1945). 850,000 records from nearly 200 journals will be added.

The project is expected to be available to customers by 2005. Press release here.

(Via InfoToday NewsBreaks)

Anonymous Patron writes “Here’s an article written by Illinois Library Association employee, Donia, about her makeover on TLC’s show What Not to Wear.”

The deal gives Amazon the right to use the British Library’s bibliographic catalogue, which contains 2.55 million books. Crucially it includes 1.7 million produced before the introduction in 1970 of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a 10-character code that uniquely identifies any modern book.

Read the full story at The Independent.co.uk

Steve Fesenmaier wants to tell us about a new video featuring “unretired librarian” Sandy Berman:
Scott Lohman, who has lived in Minnesota for 14 years, interviews “unretired librarian� Sanford Berman about “libraries, books, and censorship.� This is Berman’s best video so far – he has the entire 25 minutes to precisely state what he thinks is going WRONG with the American public library as an institution. The interview he quotes, from New Breed, is not only his best single statement, but in my opinion, the best, most profound challenge to the contemporary corporatized public library. He was interviewed on June 10, 2003.
Read the continuation for more of Steve’s comments and information about obtaining the video.

Steve Fesenmaier wants to tell us about a new video featuring “unretired librarian” Sandy Berman:
Scott Lohman, who has lived in Minnesota for 14 years, interviews “unretired librarian� Sanford Berman about “libraries, books, and censorship.� This is Berman’s best video so far – he has the entire 25 minutes to precisely state what he thinks is going WRONG with the American public library as an institution. The interview he quotes, from New Breed, is not only his best single statement, but in my opinion, the best, most profound challenge to the contemporary corporatized public library. He was interviewed on June 10, 2003.
Read the continuation for more of Steve’s comments and information about obtaining the video.Sandy begins by reading part of an interview he gave the New Breed Librarian website several years ago. They asked him, “Have libraries been dumbed down?â€? To this question he answers most emphatically, – “YES!â€? Libraries, he says, have become part of the corporate mainstream, downsizing and outsourcing. They care only about circulation numbers, digitization, and want to act like a Borders or Barnes & Noble store. They have forgotten the library values that American libraries have used for a century, presenting themselves as the “peoples’ university.â€? Rather, they are concerned with blockbuster books, bestsellers, and Martha Stewart products. They have been told NOT to examine the actual preview copies of children’s books they receive, but are told to use Baker & Taylor “best lists.â€? They have also dropped many government docs because of the time and effort spent on their cataloging. He points out that Los Angeles Public and Hennepin County Library system both have either eliminated including these valuable government-printed docs or greatly reduced their number. Sandy points out that the actual data produced by government agencies and Congressional hearings will no longer be included in the collections. Rather, libraries buy hundreds of copies of best sellers because the publisher promises to spend millions on promoting them. Another way libraries have dumbed themselves down is by dropping thousands of periodicals, many of which have very limited access on the web. Some library periodicals will no longer be made available to the public so they cannot read the main professional review sources – Library Journal, etc. Libraries have always self-censored themselves, not subscribing to local political publications, comics, zines, labor publications, etc.

The host asks – what can people do? Sandy answers that they should suggest titles of books, periodicals, and other sources to their local public libraries. “They are YOUR LIBRARIES!,� he says. Recommend titles – as a group or as an individual.

He finally spends the last five minutes talking about the implications of the Patriot Act for libraries and booksellers. In Section 215 of the Patriot Act the federal authorities including the FBI are given the right to inspect all library and book dealer records. And they cannot tell the patron/customer that they have had this information requested. The FBI no longer has to get a court order and give the librarian a warrant. He says that there has been a storm of protest by some librarians and others, and that two national leaders have proposed laws to fix the situation. Rep. Berney Sanders has proposed the Freedom to Read Protection Act -–HR 1157- and Senator Boxer of California has proposed S1158 – the Library and Bookseller Protection Act. People should write these two leaders and express their support.

You can purchase a copy of this excellent videotape [for $20 including shipping] at:

Humanists of Minnesota
P.O. Box 582997
Minneapolis, MN. 55455-2997
(651) 335-3800

www.sanfordberman.org

Here’s A Follow Up on John Callaghan.

His decision to rip the cover off a gay and lesbian news magazine has cost him his borrowing privileges for a month, the Williamsburg Regional Library director said today.

“Everyone is deeply concerned about this issue and is concerned that library policy, as well as Virginia Code, was violated,” said library director John Moorman. “It’s an issue I think of tolerance and respect for the wide variety of individuals that live in our community.”

Callaghan, a resident of Ford’s Colony, said he won’t contest the library’s decision.

“If that’s what they wish to do, that’s their business. It’s their library,” he said. “I’ve made a point and I’m not a rabble-rouser. I’m not trying to cause trouble. I did what I thought was right.”

OCLC Is Annoucning they have reached a settlement agreement regarding the use of the Dewey Decimal Classification® system trademarks by The Library Hotel.

Both parties are say they are “pleased.”

Approximately 100 students, teachers and residents met to discuss a literature textbook being used in English classes in Fort Cherry (PA) schools. Parts of the 2,000 page text, “The Bedford Introduction to Literature” were deemed “inappropriate” after complaints were made by some parents and students about sexual content. The school board has pulled the book for review. The story, from the Washington (PA) Observer Reporter, doesn’t make mention of the specific offending works.

Grumpy Librarian writes “The managers at Cedar Rapids Library paid for staff massages recently, according to a brief blurb from TheIowaChannel.com.

Time to renegotiate our contracts!”