June 2004

phoenix04 spotted a NYTimes Piece on the debut of J. K. Rowling’s home page last month. www.jkrowling.com is smoothly “executed and witty.” The author is said to have written it entirely herself to help dispel rumors, share unpublished material and hint at what’s ahead in Book Six, the penultimate volume of the Potter saga.

Search Engines Web notes an AP Article says with basic tools and skills, Internet sleuths can learn much from Web sites and online discussion boards beyond what terror groups and their sympathizers may be saying in the open.

Jimmy Doyle, a former computer crimes investigator with the New York Police Department, listed a few tools he considers part of Computer Crime Investigator 101.

An Anonymous Patron writes “In honor of the 100th anniversary of the date that Ulysses is set, this lauded book is being presented here page by page starting with page one on Bloomsday, June 16, 2004 ending with the last page on June 14, 2006.”

The Pickerington Public Library in Ohio is closing off a section of the library that has been a magnet for vandalism by teenagers. While the idea was to remodel the area anyway, the decision has been made to close the section early in order to eliminate the problem once and for all. Read More.

There’s an article in NWI Times about the versatility and convenience of eBooks that the Lansing (MI) Public Library makes available online. These don’t require a special reader, but can be accessed via the Web. Each eBook is available for 14 days. After that, it disappears for the next patron to download. The library limits eBook checkout to two per patron per loan period. They promote it as a way to avoid overdue fees. Read More.

The ALA is getting Some Press Coverage from an AP Story that says it will survey thousands of libraries to determine how often federal agents have used the USA Patriot Act to try to secretly obtain patrons’ records.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said the idea that agents are running around libraries is absurd. “I would be happy for them to do” the survey, he said.

MILive Reports troubles at the Ann Arbor, Michigan, library. Last summer, Ann Arbor City Council beefed up its panhandling ordinance to add new areas downtown where the practice is prohibited, including outdoor restaurants, areas within 12 feet of the entrance or exit of a public parking structure, Nickels Arcade, the Galleria and the Pratt Building.

Ann Arbor District Library administrators wish the council had gone a step further.

Last year, the security staff made 44 calls to police for assistance in dealing with problems such as intoxication, theft, vandalism, indecent behavior and fighting.

Fang-Face writes “Following up the non-library story of interest that is Michael Moore’s film: Stuart Klawans, of The Nation, had his review of Fahrenheit 9/11 posted to Alternet.org. All will not like it, of course, but there is one anamolous factor in the controversy Klawans notes:

Moore apparently didn’t criticize Bush alone, he bashed the whole government and the part played by the Democrats. ”

Another ridiculous law suit is going to be tying up the federal court system and costing the taxpayers money because some clown thinks he’s above the rules. Fredric Maxwell, the guy who was banned from the Ann Arbor (MI) Public Library for excessively using obscene language, is suing the library in federal court for $115,000 and other “unspecified damages.” He also wants a full-page apology in several newspapers. He thinks his rights were violated. What about the rights of the other people to not have to listen to his garbage? He is acting as his own attorney. Of course, if he were to win, this would establish a whole new precedent as far as what patrons “think” they are allowed to get away with. Who wants more headaches? Read More.

An Anonymous Patron writes “Before Disney is a neat look at the story behind Bambi. Bambi was written in 1923 by Felix Salten, who was born Siegmund Salzmann in Budapest. Bambi was actually produced as a novel for adults, which will not come as much of a shock to those who have read the original book as opposed to the versions produced for the wee ones. In this one little book are the mingled stories of four interesting men, and that’s even without thinking of the little fawn and his forest adventures.”