Mister Cow Cow writes “New York Times An ambitious international project to decipher 1,000-year-old moldy pages is yielding new clues about ancient Greece as seen through the eyes of Hyperides, an important Athenian orator and politician from the fourth century B.C. What is slowly coming to light, scholars say, represents the most significant discovery of Hyperides text since 1891, illuminating some fascinating, time-shrouded insights into Athenian law and social history.”
November 2006
Bush Jr. Seeks MegaBucks to Shape History
It really is hard to believe that Bush insiders are THIS blatant about their plans to hire people to make the Civil War in Iraq look like the cakewalk it hasn’t been.
Bush’s institute will hire conservative scholars and “give them money to write papers and books favorable to the President’s policies,” one Bush insider said.
Think Progress reports that the Bush Library Courts “Wealthy Heiresses, Arab Nations, Captains of Industry” To Polish History.
Bush is attempting to raise $500 million to build his library and a think tank at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
It really is hard to believe that Bush insiders are THIS blatant about their plans to hire people to make the Civil War in Iraq look like the cakewalk it hasn’t been.
Bush’s institute will hire conservative scholars and “give them money to write papers and books favorable to the President’s policies,” one Bush insider said.
Think Progress reports that the Bush Library Courts “Wealthy Heiresses, Arab Nations, Captains of Industry” To Polish History.
Bush is attempting to raise $500 million to build his library and a think tank at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Bush fund-raisers hope to get approximately $250 million from what they call “megadonations” of $10 million to $20 million each. Among the candidates for “megadonations,” whose names will remain anonymous:
Bush loyalists have already identified wealthy heiresses, Arab nations and captains of industry as potential “mega” donors and are pressing for a formal site announcement – now expected early in the new year.
Bush allies feel they need enormous funds to shape how history views Bush’s legacy. A Bush insider said,”The more [money] you have, the more influence [on history] you can exert.” Much of the money will be used to build a “legacy-polishing” institute:
The legacy-polishing centerpiece is an institute, which several Bush insiders called the Institute for Democracy. Patterned after Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, Bush’s institute will hire conservative scholars and “give them money to write papers and books favorable to the President’s policies,” one Bush insider said.
Bush had earlier indicated his desire to create a think tank “to talk about freedom and liberty and the DeTocqueville model of what [French political philosopher Alexis] DeTocqueville saw in America.”
UK Author McEwan Denies “Atonement” Copy Claim
Mister Cow Cow writes “Yahoo! News: British novelist Ian McEwan on Monday denied claims that he copied the work of another author when writing his acclaimed bestseller “Atonement.”
The claim is the latest plagiarism controversy to hit the literary world. U.S. author Dan Brown appeared in court in London in February and March to deny accusations he copied wholesale to write his bestseller “The Da Vinci Code.””
A Grandma, A Librarian, and oh Yes, Transgendered
From the Current (St. Louis, MO) a profile of Debra Davis, former Minneapolis high school librarian.
Reflections on the Death of H. Donald Wilson
Joe Hodnicki writes “A 50-something law librarian (me) reflects on the death of Mead Data Central’s (a.k.a LexisNexis) founder at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blo g/2006/11/first_president.html“
Mount Clemens PL pulls plug on internet access
RobertL writes “An article in the online edition of the
Macomb
Daily reports that the Mount Clemens Public Library in Michigan is no longer
providing intenet access for patrons because of a ‘”large increase” in
visitors using the free Internet service to access what the library termed
obscene material in violation of library policies.'”
New FGI Discussions: November 27, 2006
This week found the Free Government Information (FGI)
(http://freegovinfo.info ) volunteers posting the following stories:
- News of EPA library closures makes headlines – James R.
- Public Libraries and US Code Index – Daniel
- Smithsonian campaign and hacker tax credit – James R.
- Sunshine Week national audit – James R.
- Caution on comparing ACS to Census 2000 – James A.
- More on Google working with agencies – James A.
- Directorate of Legal Research at the Library of Congress – James A.
If you use Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com/) or some other RSS reader, consider subscribing to the FGI Feed at http://freegovinfo.info/blog/feed to get FGI stories as they are posted. 160 people already have.
Blog for the One Person Library
If you work in a one-person (or so) library, you might be interested in OPL Plus, a blog written by librarian and author Judith A. Siess. Ms. Siess is the author of the OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries (Information Today, 2001) and several other books.
OPL Plus bills itself as a “blog for librarians in all smaller libraries, not just for one-person or solo librarians–all kinds of libraries, anywhere in the world. Management information, links, and marketing tips that you can use right now.”
The blog is library-focused yet eclectic and might be a good resource for a harried solo librarian only able to monitor LISNews and one or two other feeds.
Full Disclosure: OPL Plus featured my blog in September, but I would have recommended this resource anyway.
Librarians & Booksellers Reject New Novel For Political Correctness
Anonymous Patron writes “John Dale’s young adult novel, “Army of the Pure” has already won critical acclaim, but librarians decided that they wouldn’t carry it based on some ideas it contains, so the publisher (Scholastic Australia) was forced to axe the book. I’ve never heard of literary works being refused by librarians because of their contents, an idea I consider shocking and appalling. Bookstores were in on it too, but librarians played a strong part. In this so-called age of information freedom, I wonder how many other literary works are being quietly censored because librarians don’t want to offend certain groups? (They seem to have no trouble offending certain other groups on a regular basis…)”
This Week in LibraryBlogLand: Double Edition
The final version is behind the jump. Thanks for your patience.
The final version is behind the jump. Thanks for your patience.This Week in LibraryBlogLand: Double Edition
November 13-26, 2006
……….
Sean Robinson (Library tech blog) has listed his guidelines for team management in libraries.
Remote access: Yukon College’s Laurie (LaurietheLibrarian.ca) has posted a couple of very helpful (and friendly) handouts explaining database access restrictions to non-students and offering alternatives. Laura Cohen (Library 2.0) writes about federated search vs independent databases.
Karen Coyle (Coyle’s InFormation) writes, “a catalog record is a form of metadata, but not all metadata, and not even all bibliographic metadata, is cataloging.” Christopher Harris (Infomancy) asks at what point does serendipity become an excuse for avoiding the root cause of problems in information location. He’s also wondering, what if OPAC query result order were influenced by the physical location of the querier? Helene Blowers (LibraryBytes) is starting to think about how catalogs address discovery.
Should the Library 2.0 article be deleted from Wikipedia? Update: The final vote was: Keep.
Web 2.0: sharynheili (Libraries and Librarians Rock) points to Realworld’s list of Best of the Best Web 2.0 Web Sites.
Laurie (LaurietheLibrarian.ca) writes in defense of students who don’t understand the reference desk, while Iris Jastram (Pegasus Librarian) says there are very good reasons for having a reference desk.
Bryan Loar (Brave New World) tried out the Cha-Cha browser’s guided search.
Gary S. (Books to Burn) says that internet filtering software is not the same as a collection development policy.
Customer service: Laura Cohen (Library 2.0 proposes having Wal-Mart greeters in the library.
Joyce Valenza (Joyce Valenza’s Neverending Search) and Ro Becker created a library Jeopardy game for PTA night. From the University of North Carolina – Greensboro: The Information Literacy Game.
Kathleen McCook (Union Librarian) reports on efforts by senators to save the EPA libraries. Rory Litwin (Library Juice) points to an article about the EPA’s hasty disposal of its library collection.
Liminal Librarian has posted the results of the Speaking fees in librarianship survey. Comments from Michelle Boule (A Wandering Eyre). K.G. Schneider (Free Range Librarian) writes about speaking.
Libraryland’s Santa’s wishlist.
Heather (Re:Generations) wonders how to connect willing mentors with new professionals.
Peta Hopkins (librariesinteract.info) has some complaints about the image of libraries in Australian commercials. Anne-Marie Nichols (A Readable Feast) gives thanks for libraries, librarians, and waffles (via). Josh Neff (The Goblin in the Library) has some questions about a love of libraries.
Christina Pikas (Christina’s LIS Rant) points to a 2005 radio piece about Portland Public Library’s free piano.
Mark Leggott (LoomWare) gave a talk on the Slow Library Movement (podcast). Comments from Ryan Deschamps (The Other Librarian).
Steven Chabot (Subject/Object) writes about library as cultural memory.
LibWorm: “the librarian RSS engine.” About. More about.
Stephen Abram (Stephen’s Lighthouse) posted a list of uses of podcasts in libraries.
LaurieTheLibrarian, Knowledge Translator?
Redhaired Future Librarian responds to Josh Neff’s, “Degree or Not Degree, That Is the Question.”
Andrew Pace (Hectic Pace) tells about talking to children about books.
Discussion: pros and cons of working in an academic library vs a public library.
lislemck (Biblioblather) responds to Dorothea Salo’s article about what library design says to people.
Have you been wondering why you haven’t heard from the PUBLIB and Web4Lib mailing lists lately? The technical explanation.
Aaron Schmidt (walking paper) has some thoughts about libraries, technology, and age bias. Comments from Sarah Houghton-Jan (LibrarianInBlack).
The Ubiquitous Librarian has some ideas for promoting the library’s movie collection.
Michael Sauers (Travelin’ Librarian) has been stealing passwords on unsecured Wifi connections.
Funding: Alice Sneary (It’s all good) wonders, why do some bonds/levies/millages pass and others don’t? Jessamyn West (librarian.net) is trying to get state funding for Vermont libraries.
BLOG READING
Someone asked, What value do you receive from blogging? David Lee King points to a compilation of the answers. Steven Cohen (Library Stuff) points to Marshall Kirkpatrick’s “How to Read Feeds and Rock the Blogosphere.”
THE LIGHTER SIDE
From antieuclid (The Ranting Geek): The top six signs you’re working in a public / academic library.
Dispatches From a Public Librarian: Paris library rules, circa 1300 (via)
im in ur ifla faceting ur classification.
Videos:
– The Library Cheer
– Dan Paquette, the Librarian Comedian
– Speaking of catalogs: The OPAC Sucks (by The anAACRonisms).
CONFERENCE NOTES AND PRESENTATIONS
ASIS&T 2006 (November 3-8)
– washtublibrarian.
The Library Rebooted (October 6 and November 15)
– Several bloggers (The Library Rebooted: Unwrapped).
– Darlene Fichter (Blog on the Side)
PLA Results Boot Camp 2 (November 13-16)
– Mindy (Garfield County Public Library System’s Library Lounge)
– Evette Miya Atkin (The unLibrarian)
Internet Librarian (October 23-25)
– Presentations
– Michael Stephens (ALA TechSource) learned five things at Internet Librarian.
Internet Librarian International (October 16-17)
– Delf Public Library videoblog (via)
Future of the Integrated Library System (November 15)
– Amanda Etches-Johnson (blogwithoutalibrary.net)
– Peter Binkley (Quædam cuiusdam)
– More bloggers.
KM World & Intranets (October 31 – November 2)
– Presentations
Ohio Library Council Management and Administration Conference (November 1-2)
– Michael Stephens (Tame the Web)
CODI 2006 (October 4-6)
– The Gordian Knot (podcasts)
Georgia Educational Technology Conference (November 15-17)
– Cliff Landis (clifflandis.net)
New York Library Association 2006 Conference (November 1-4)
– Dave Fulton (Daveman’s Tech Tips)
Online Information 2006 (November 28-30)
– Information Today Blog
………………..
This Week in LibraryBlogLand (TWiL) appears on lisnews.org every Monday. [Feeds]
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