January 2010

An Open Letter To The Library Community
What you can do
Here are three things you can do to oppose exclusive licensing agreements:
1.Raise your voice. Join the Facebook group “Librarians for Fair Access to Content.” Tweet. E-mail us at [email protected]. Call publishers and information providers and share your library’s mission; tell them why these licensing practices are bad for libraries.
2.Pass this message along to other librarians and those who make decisions regarding your funding levels. Get others involved. There’s strength in numbers.
3.Don’t reward the behavior. Work with information providers who support your mission and understand your needs.
As the cost of licensing content increases artificially, prices will go up. If you worry about information costs going up, we ask you to take a stand.

Libraries: Monitoring best way to stop porn
What’s the best way to discourage people from looking at pornography on library computers?
Put the computers where everyone else can see them, say the folks at the Hickory and Catawba County libraries. “All of our screens face out and are visible from all angles,” she said. “Occasionally visitors will tell us about someone viewing something that’s inappropriate. We really try to stay on top of that.”

Suspected thief caught in library bathroom
Deputies caught an 18-year-old man rifling through the cash drawer late Wednesday at the north central branch of the Hamilton County Library. The suspect saw authorities and hid in the building. Deputies called library security officers to the scene so they could unlock the building for a search.

Stolen artwork returns to library
A valuable painting which was stolen from an Edinburgh legal library has been returned.

A member of staff found the I Cannae Hear Ye watercolour hanging on a railing outside the Signet Library on Thursday morning.

The painting, by Borders artist Tom Scott, had been stolen earlier this month.

Today marks the opening of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Job Help Center. NC State Librarian Mary Boone, county commissioner Jennifer Roberts and library director Charles Brown were on hand for the occasion.

Here’s the webpage for the Job Center, which allows you to reserve a PC, register for courses in Excel and other computer skills, create a resume and even try out interview techniques. Funding for the Job Help Center at Main Library has been provided by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Mecklenburg County ABC Board, Phillip L. Van Every Foundation, and The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation

Site by Publisher’s Weekly called BookLife

BookLife is for people like you…readers, book buyers, authors, sellers, recommenders, illustrators, publishers, librarians, trade, agents, distribution and media. The partner sites reflect the passions of their founders. You get incredible depth, insight, informative blogs, links and connections to others who share your interests. Discover new book destinations that satisfy your love for books.

Your favorite authors – interviews – thousands of book reviews – videos – publisher news – insider information – book signings and tour dates – and, most importantly, communities of people like you who love books.

If Your Password Is 123456, Just Make It HackMe
Despite all the reports of Internet security breaches over the years, including the recent attacks on Google’s e-mail service, many people have reacted to the break-ins with a shrug.

According to a new analysis, one out of five Web users still decides to leave the digital equivalent of a key under the doormat: they choose a simple, easily guessed password like “abc123,” “iloveyou” or even “password” to protect their data.

Former librarian indicted
A former Cherokee [That’s a town] librarian is scheduled to appear Feb. 25 in Colbert County Circuit Court for arraignment on theft and other charges. She is accused of misusing a credit card that belonged to the library.

She was indicted on first-degree theft of property, second-degree forgery and fraudulent use of a credit card charges by the January session of the Colbert grand jury.

Budget woes close a dozen south Mississippi libraries
Budget woes have closed the doors at a dozen of south Mississippi’s libraries, at least for now. The Pine Forest Regional Library System, which includes Stone County, is in the middle of a two week shut down. Officials say it’s because of state budget cuts.

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Of Ban Of Bible In Show-And-Tell
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of a Philadelphia woman who wasn’t allowed to read scripture during a kindergarten show-and-tell even though the Bible is her son’s favorite book.