May 2007

David Rothman writes “Librarians should consider how they might contribute to Wikipedia and cooperate in other ways, says Peter Brantley, recently appointed executive director of the Digital Library Foundation. That sounds like a yawner, but isn’t — given the skepticism that many top librarians have shown. He believes, correctly, that librarians could “significantly enhance” Wikipedia’s value to library users on and off the campus. More details via TeleRead post and CNI audio interview online via Educause.”

ADHD_librarian writes “Webcomic Questionable Content (a good read with occasional library scenes) has asked the question does the public library have happy hour?
Well I for one support our new barmaid overlords and will happily transfer to any public library with a liquor license.
Welcome to storytime and pass the scotch.”

At least six Polish translators have been arrested for illegally subtitling foreign films that have no licensed Polish translation. Because the translations are not commercial, they might fall under fair use. However, concerns that the free distribution of such films online might undermine legitimate sales has prompted a crackdown on distributors and downloaders in Poland and worldwide. The Polish translators, affiliated with the popular translation site, napisy.org, may face up to two years in prison if convicted of illegally distributing copyrighted material.

At least six Polish translators have been arrested for illegally subtitling foreign films that have no licensed Polish translation. Because the translations are not commercial, they might fall under fair use. However, concerns that the free distribution of such films online might undermine legitimate sales has prompted a crackdown on distributors and downloaders in Poland and worldwide. The Polish translators, affiliated with the popular translation site, napisy.org, may face up to two years in prison if convicted of illegally distributing copyrighted material.

For more information, see Nate Anderson’s “Polish, German Police Bust Subtitle Archive” and Tech.Blorge.com’s “Police Raid Polish Subtitle Site.”

We all have our stories about interesting things found in library books. But a clerk at the Hillsboro (Or.) Shute Park Library found a big one: over $6000 in cash. A local patron donated a bunch of books to the library, forgetting that he had been storing his stash of cash in an Eric Van Lustbader novel. Luckily, he remembered and retrieved the cash a few days later.

The man is staying anonymous: he has been socking away the cash, a little at a time, to buy a surprise 20th anniversary present for his wife.

Full story from The Oregonian.

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Into What America Eats

On Tech Nation —
What’s inside a twinkie? Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with Steve Ettlinger, author of “Twinkie Deconstructed,” who reveals that it isn’t all technology.

An Anonymous Patron writes “Just got back from vacation and found a letter in my mailbox. Apparently I am one of the amost 90,000 people whose information was posted. I graduated in 2003 and have no idea why or how I ended up in this list.

Here’s The story“

New From Florida: Ex-Fort Lauderdale librarian William Coday was all smiles Wednesday as a judge condemned him again to die for the 1997 murder of girlfriend Gloria Gomez.

Broward Circuit Judge Alfred J. Horowitz ruled after reading Coday’s chilling, handwritten 25-page confession. In it, Coday repudiated his trial defense that the crime was not premeditated, explaining how he had planned for a month to murder Gomez.

”I am writing this letter to disclose the truth about the murder, and why I believe I should have been sentenced to death,” Coday wrote.

The War May Be Over. A ban on pornographic Web sites at Monroe County libraries was adopted Wednesday, a move expected to preserve county funding for the Central Library of Rochester but leaves library leaders at odds over whether the decision is censorship.

The two boards that oversee policies for the Central Library and the county library system were under threat of essentially having the Central Library shut down by County Executive Maggie Brooks over a long-held policy that had let adult patrons — upon request — unblock potentially inappropriate or pornographic Web sites.

But how the policy will be implemented and what librarians will deem pornographic remains unclear. And because both library boards didn’t approve the policy, officials were unsure whether the new policy would extend to the Central Library. Also, it’s uncertain what impact the policy would have on existing rules at town libraries, each of which has its own boards.

Seth Godin the author of All Marketers are Liars speaks at Google. The ideas that he gives to Google should be considered by librarians.

.Here are some questions. To understand these questions you will need to watch the segment.

Do libraries have the blue box problem?

What story can libraries tell? (Focus on the discussion about Fancy Feast cat food and bottled water to understand this idea)

Anonymous Patron writes “Here’s a letter to the editor from a local citizen assailing the proposed Illinois mandatory filtering bill:

Interesting commentary, given all the talk by some lisnews.org commenters that “the people” want filtering in the library.”