December 2005

The Boston Globe says Clyde Barrow, head of policy studies at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth wants the university to suspend a student who made up a story about being grilled by federal antiterrorism agents over a library book and to reprimand faculty members who spread the tale.

Salem Statesman Journal (Salem,OR) Reports The Willamina City Council has banned Agatha Christie from its public library.

No, not the popular mystery author. The short-haired, calico-like cat.

For eight years, “Agie” has lived in the Willamina Public Library. She suns herself under the front window. She lays on a shelf under the circulation desk, playing with children through the empty holes meant for wires to poke through. When she feels mischievous, she occasionally knocks a book or two onto the floor.

Odd One from Bonner County Daily Bee – Sandpoint,ID, where A trustee for the East Bonner County Library, who served the library for nearly three years, has resigned her position following a community outcry over the hiring of a registered sex offender as the library’s circulation attendant. Lutes, 42, was hired by the library in late September after seven months as a library volunteer. She pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Bonner County girl when she was 14 years old in 2003 and served one year in the Bonner County Jail.

Cheshire Connecticut Public Librarian Sarah Morgan Got Some Good Press in her local paper. Starting in January, her new and improved section of the teen library is developing brand new programming to entice teens and young adults to spend their time at a place notoriously known for quiet time and novel reading. Podcasts is just one program to harness in a group of young adults that has been neglected, nationally, in the public library sector.
Sarah Morgan started at the Cheshire Public Library in August and has taken the new position of teen librarian. Her focus is on teens and young adults and she is trying to broaden not only the teen book collection but the programming as well.

A major effort to digitize millions of books and other documents at libraries is beginning across Canada.

Canadian research libraries have formed a digitization alliance called Alouette Canada to get their books online.

The process involves scanning the millions of books available in Canadian libraries so they can be read by internet users. Parts of the virtual library should be available beginning next year — and it’ll be free to use. CBC Has More

AOL Has Released their third annual Top 10 Spam List.
Instead of generic pitches for products, “SOS” — or “special order spam” — attempts to trick the consumer by pretending to be from a friend, or part of a legitimate, customer-driven transaction. For example, this year’s Top 10 spam list features “Your Mortgage Application is Ready”; another claims to have sent “you to the wrong site,” and others simply say “Thank you” or “Re: ” as if they are responding to the recipient.

Returning favorites on the AOL Top 10 list include pitches for products that claim to improve physical appearance, sexual material, and offers for prescription drugs.

Four men who pleaded guilty to stealing rare manuscripts and sketches from Transylvania University’s library have filed notice that they will appeal their seven-year sentence.

Attorneys for Borsuk say the men are appealing a finding by Coffman that a dangerous weapon was used in the commission of the 2004 robbery. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, the use of a dangerous weapon during a robbery can increase the amount of time a defendant must serve.

The Dallas (TX) News Reports cleanliness will be next to lawfulness at the library next year. A revised code of conduct being adopted at the Dallas Public Library and the city’s recreation centers prohibits visitors from “emitting odors (including bodily odors or perfumes), which interfere with use of services by other users or the work staff.”

The code also prohibits sleeping, bathing, eating and drinking at the facilities.

Library officials say the rules – similar to those implemented across the nation – are meant to create a reader-friendly atmosphere.

Others believe the no-shower, no-service policy targets a specific group: the poor and homeless who congregate in the city’s center.

http://search-engines-web.com/ writes “For 2006 will be the year when I write the final book in the Harry Potter series,” the British author wrote on her official website.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051228/ennew_afp/afp entertainmentbritain“

Pete just barely beat mdoneil in with This One.It’s a brief story of the President’s reading habits.
“Mr Bush is said to be reading a book on former President Theodore Roosevelt and another chronicling the US military.
“He reads a lot of books, based on recommendations,” the president’s spokesman Trent Duffy said.”

I wonder if the White House would welcome additional recommendations from the LISNews faithful?”