May 2005

Singapore Reads 12 Books in 4 Languages

kathleen writes “A National Library Board survey found that only 52 percent of Singaporeans read for leisure. The board is seeking to increase this number with a first-ever nationwide reading project.READ! Singapore is a nation-wide initiative by The National Library Board (NLB) to promote the culture of reading inspired by the success of similar initiatives in cities like Brisbane, Chicago, Houston and Seattle.

kathleen writes “A National Library Board survey found that only 52 percent of Singaporeans read for leisure. The board is seeking to increase this number with a first-ever nationwide reading project.READ! Singapore is a nation-wide initiative by The National Library Board (NLB) to promote the culture of reading inspired by the success of similar initiatives in cities like Brisbane, Chicago, Houston and Seattle. READ! Singapore’s National Steering Committee, has selected 12 books, in 4 languages. Readers could then come together to have book discussions, whether in formal groups such as book clubs, reading clubs, literary societies, book discussion sessions in the libraries, schools, offices, book stores, coffee clubs, community clubs or simply get together with their families and friends at an informal social gatherings.

ENGLISH: Tangerine, Colin Cheong; To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee; Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon.
CHINESE: Love at the Convenience Store, Han Han; Short Stories by Xi Ni Er; Memories of the Southern Suburbs, Lin Haiying.
MALAY: Satu Bumi, Isa Kamari; Badai Semalam, Khadijah Hashim; Batas Langit, Mohamed Latiff Mohamed.
TAMIL: Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (Some People at Some Moments), D. Jeyakanthan;Thedi (a novelette Velvi), Govindasamy Naa; 47 Naatkal,
Sivashankari.”

Snags add millions to cost of Indianapolis library

Anonymous Patron writes “The Saga Continues. Work on the Central Library expansion and renovation should resume within two weeks, but library officials said Tuesday that they may have to borrow up to $30 million to cover costs associated with a 16-month delay.

A loan would cover any increase in the $103 million price tag, officials say, and would be paid back with money from legal settlements the library reaches with contractors.”

May 25, 2005 by rochelle Legal Issues Librarians Libraries

New libraries in Nepal

teaperson writes “From The Christian Science Monitor: An American NGO has been building libraries in remote areas of Nepal, organizing local communities to support them, and stocking them with books. From one or two libraries in 1988, there are now 35 libraries.

“It’s my favorite place in the world,” says 7-year-old Pratikshaya Pariyar as she studies Richard Scarry’s “Big Book of Things,” repeating to herself the names of all the objects in both Nepali and in English.”

And a sign on the wall has Ranganathan’s 5 laws.”

May 25, 2005 by rochelle Legal Issues Libraries

The all conquering Googlelization Machine targets Europe

Cortez writes “Google’s plan to digitize the world has upset some in Europe: Wired
“When U.S.-based Google announced plans in December to undertake the cost of digitizing the world’s books and making them searchable to the public for free, France called foul, with the country’s top librarian complaining loudly of yet another example of “crushing American domination.””

May 25, 2005 by rochelle Google Libraries

Critics Debate Time Mag’s All-Time 100 Best Films

librarianscott writes “Two film critics talk about the snubs in the recent list from Time Magazine of the 100 All-Time Best Movies.”

May 25, 2005 by rochelle Libraries

Disputed book stays in Sauk Rapids schools

Anonymous Patron writes “St. Cloud Times reports A book about diverse families that refers to a girl who has two mothers will stay in the elementary school libraries in Sauk Rapids-Rice, Minnesota school district, board members decided Monday.
Board members unanimously accepted a recommendation from a four-person committee that took public testimony May 17 on “All Families Are Special,” by Norma Simon.

In its recommendation to the board last week, the committee said the book is age appropriate and supports the district’s mission to embrace all children.”

May 25, 2005 by rochelle Books Libraries School Libraries

Google’s Library Project Challenged By Assoc. of American U. Presses

Google Inc.’s plan to digitize the collections of some of the world’s biggest libraries is facing stiff criticism from a group of academic publishers who complain that the project may violate copyright laws and hurt book sales.

The San Francisco Gate has the story of why academic publishers, members of the Association of American University Presses, who publish about 750 academic journals and 11,000 books annually, are peeved at the search engine’s plans to digitize books in the collections of several esteemed college libraries.

Peter Givler, Executive Director of AAUP, discounted the possibility that his group will sue Google. It would put him in the uncomfortable position of fighting against universities that are cooperating with Google’s library project and have publishing arms that are association members.

It is also this authors opinion that the publishers just don’t want to give up their portion of that sweet $125.00 (approximately) per college textbook sold.

May 25, 2005 by birdie Google Legal Issues Librarians Libraries

Gossip Girl: The New Young Adult Novel – Adolescence Plus Wealth Equals Big Sales

Gossip Girl: The New Young Adult Novel – Adolescence Plus Wealth Equals Big Sales, from nymetro.com says The notorious, best-selling Gossip Girl series laid bare the titillating, too-much-too-soon world of private-school Manhattan. But what will happen now that its creator is moving on to new obsessions?

May 25, 2005 by Blake School Libraries

Kerouac play discovered in New Jersey warehouse

Reuters.com Says previously unknown play by Jack Kerouac, written in the same year as his beatnik classic novel “On The Road” was published, has been discovered languishing in a warehouse more than three decades after his death.
Best Life magazine, which plans to publish an excerpt from the play called “Beat Generation” in its July issue, said on Monday the play came to light when Kerouac’s agent Sterling Lord was going through old files in a warehouse in New Jersey.

May 25, 2005 by Blake Uncategorized

Italian Commission for the recovery of Jewish bibliographic heritage

kathleen writes “A 17th-century book was returned to Rome’s Jewish community on Monday, one of thousands Jewish volumes seized by the Nazis in 1943. The pocket-size religious book, published in Amsterdam in 1680, belonged to the library of the Rabbinic College of Rome, which was looted during the Second World War.

The Italian Commission for the recovery of Jewish bibliographic heritage has been investigating the status of the seized volumes since 2002..The Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg took the volumes to Germany.”

May 25, 2005 by Blake Libraries