June 2009

Filtering in Washington State

Tomorrow, the State Supreme Court will hear Bradburn v. North Central Library Region (NCLR). The North Central Library Region is a system spanning Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, and Okanogan (WA) counties. Like other library systems that receive federal funds for Internet access, the NCLR is required to have the ability to block minors from seeing materials deemed “harmful” to them. Typically, libraries disable those filters at the request of adults.

Nevertheless, the NCLR has instead decided that it will judge the merits of each adult’s request to disable the filter. This, says the ACLU, “hampers adults in researching academic assignments, locating businesses and organizations, and engaging in personal reading on lawful subjects.” ACLU spokesperson Doug Honig says that the majority of requests to lift the filter has been denied.

The organization sent out a partial list of sites that have been blocked by the filter:

* The website of an organization encouraging individuals to commit random acts of kindness
* The Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra website
* The website of an organization encouraging women to carry to term by creating “a supportive environment for women in crisis situations to be introduced to the love of Christ”
* YouTube

Legal concerns force Brigham Young library to shelve Kindles

BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library is suspending a short-lived pilot program using Amazon.com’s electronic book, the Kindle, as a substitute for interlibrary loans.

The program, which has been available to faculty members for about a month, created some buzz on library-related blogs for breaking ground in the uncertain area of lending books on the Kindle.

Although BYU had verbal permission to proceed with the program, Roger Layton, communications manager for the library, said the program is on hold until the university has a clearer picture of Amazon’s legal concerns.

Read the read of the story.

My previous editorials on Kindles and lending.
Post #1
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June 22, 2009 by AndyW Legal Issues Librarians Libraries

Geeky Campaign from OCLC

…called Geek the Library.

Geek the Library is a community-based public awareness campaign designed to highlight the vital role of public libraries for individuals and communities, and raise awareness about the critical funding issues they (we) face.

Tons of cool imagery and resources for ‘getting your geek on’.

June 22, 2009 by birdie Libraries

Kindle DRM Bites Users

Hypothetical situation.

You have a Kindle and you buy an e-book. How many times can you download that e-book? In other words can you download it to your Kindle once, but if you replace your Kindle can you download it again?

You don’t know?

Well, turns out, Amazon doesn’t either. And since the number of times that you can download varies from publisher to publisher and book to book, well, you can start to see the problem.

Hotels Hop on the Handheld Bandwagon

USA Today begins it’s report about a new courtesy to hotel guests as follows: “Electronic reading devices are kindling hotel guests’ interest.”

Last month, the three Gansevoort hotels — in Manhattan, South Beach and the Turks & Caicos islands — began lending Sony Reader Digital Books, handheld devices that allow users to peruse downloaded literature.

Meanwhile, popular Kindle readers are a hit at Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel and a good fit with its literary pedigree. Its Kindles are loaded with a variety of books, including some written by members of the venerable Algonquin Round Table, such as Edna Ferber and Robert Benchley.

Is it the same as stumbling upon shelf upon shelf of old wonderful looking books with a surprise or first edition here or there? No, but for some, it’s as good or maybe better.

June 22, 2009 by birdie Uncategorized

Ponzi scheme operator / author

Here is a story in the Omaha World Herald about a ponzi scheme operator (Stephen Bowman) whose first scheme was to publish a book.

From article:

As a budding author in 1975, Bowman pitched a different kind of investment.

The Red Oak, Iowa, native sent letters to 500 people asking them to “invest” $35 toward publishing his fictionalized book about the 1912 Villisca, Iowa, ax murders. He has published two other books.

One of Bowman’s websites that mention his books.

June 21, 2009 by Bibliofuture Authors

Mormon Church Dedicates New Library

Genealogy is a major tenet of the faith for members of the LDS Church, and now a new library has been dedicated at its headquarters in Salt Lake City. It’s a library, many believe, that’s a realization of God’s words to church founder Joseph Smith: “There shall be a record kept among you … for the good of the church … and the rising generations.”

It houses 600,000 photos, 270,000 books, pamphlets, magazines and newspapers, and 240,000 collections of original, unpublished records, journals, diaries, correspondence and minutes that detail Mormons’ experiences. More on the dedication of the library by LDS President Thomas S. Monson from the Salt Lake Tribune.

June 21, 2009 by birdie Librarians Libraries

City Of Detroit Spending Money Meant For Libraries

It’s bad enough that libraries are in the financial situation they are today, but it only makes it worse when they wind up fighting their city government for money that’s supposed to be theirs.

Such is the case in Detroit where the library learned that the City of Detroit is spending money out of the library’s fund. The Detroit Public Library is a separate municipal tax corporation and the use of it by the City not only raises ethical questions, but several legal ones as well. Even worse, the library found out about this practice the same time Detroit Public Schools learned that the City has been dipping into their equally separate tax fund.

Since July 1 of last year, the City spent around $6.2 million in money that didn’t belong to it. Library Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch said:

“It’s horrible, and it’s illegal. There’s a piggy bank that our money is supposed to be in, and the city is basically going into our piggy bank to pay their bills.”

The City’s misuse of money garnered the attention of the State Legislature and an investigation may be launched.

Ray Bradbury Fights For Libraries

Ray Bradbury loves libraries and Bo Derek. And since Bo Derek isn’t in any financial trouble right now and the Ventura County Public Libraries are, he’s stepping up to help.

A life long advocate of libraries, and a regular speaker within them, Mr. Bradbury will be the guest of honour on Saturday, June 20th at an event to benefit the library. There will be a screening of The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, a movie based off Bradbury’s short story of the same name. Afterward there will be a discussion with the author. Tickets are US$25 and all proceeds go the library.

For Colleges, Small Cuts Add Up to Big Savings

Excerpt from larger story about what universities are doing to cut cost:

Whittier College in California cut one day of its new-student orientation, saving $50,000. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., put a cap on students’ free printing in libraries and labs, limiting them to $60 worth of free printing per semester. Next year, students will be limited to $50 per semester.

Full piece here.

June 19, 2009 by Bibliofuture Academic Libraries Libraries