June 2010

The Voice of Vision program, which provides talking books to visual or physical impaired residents in 12 counties, including dozens in Geneva and Batavia, has received funding to remain open for at least another year.

The DuPage Library System, which operated Voices of Vision in Geneva, and the Illinois State Library have signed an agreement to keep the center open thanks to a grant from the federal Library Services and Technology Act.

The center was slated to close after July this year because it had not received 97 percent of its 2010 grant from the state, which was worth about $450,000.

Authors fear cut in income from library loans
Minor romantic novelists might not be the first group to come to mind when you consider deprived victims of the current public spending cuts. But they and a host of the UK’s lesser known authors are up in arms at the prospect of a drop in their already limited incomes through cuts in the money paid out on library loans.

Academic publishing is archaic

What I find fascinating is the historical perspective: while still useful, the alphabetical index is hardly exciting anymore. It has been supplanted by full text search (in e-books). There are still reference books (such as dictionaries), but they are being replaced with online tools. Information overload continues to generate many inventions: the search engine (such as Google), the recommender system (as on Amazon.com), and the social networks (such as Twitter). Literally, these tools expand our minds. We become smarter.

In an call to action for libraries in the Huffington Post, Carol Fitzgerald of Bookreporter.com gave advice on what to do to fight the proposals by many local governments to cut library services–or in the case of her hometown, Cedar Grove, N.J., to cut the library system entirely.

“Write your Senators impassioned letters on what libraries have meant and mean to you today. Talk about how important all libraries–school, public and college–are to this country and how awful it will be when they start closing or experience devastating reductions in services. The more personal the note, the more effective…. Also, consider writing an Op-Ed piece or other article for your local paper.”

Don’t forget to check in at Save Libraries for the latest news on how libraries around the country are faring and what can be done to help. Another site in the same vein (although I think saving is a lot more encouraging than losing), Losing Libraries, in cooperation with Library Journal.

I am a huge fan of the book store, the library and all things book-related. The library has narrowly edged out the bookstore as my favourite air-conditioned hang-out (I do not have air conditioning) because of the free wifi. But is that enough? Can the bookstores and libraries of this world stay viable and relevant in this age of e-downloads?

I think they can. But they need to expand their definition of business a little if they’re going to do so. One clue as to how this may evolve can be found in the way other businesses are updating themselves these days. And in my news feed these days, the big buzzword has been the ‘hub.’

Full blog entry at Teleread.org

Story at CNN.com

It’s a big day for the porn industry.

On Friday, ICANN, the not-for-profit corporation that coordinates the internet’s naming system, voted to allow the application of the controversial “.xxx” top-level domain name for sites that display adult content.
The domain, which would need further approval before going live on the internet, would be applied to adult entertainment sites just as “.com” is now.

The .xxx internet suffix, which was first proposed six years ago by ICM Registry, a group that sells domain names, “will provide a place online for adult entertainment providers and their service providers who want to be part of our voluntary self regulatory community,” according to that company’s news release.

Full story

New Rikers ‘Librarian’ Looks Familiar
Robert Halderman, known as Joe, who was arrested last fall on charges of extorting David Letterman, is now helping inmates choose books at Rikers Island.

Story here

There is a three minute video included with the story.

What do you think of when you hear the word “library?” [ed.-no, not you librarians, the general population]

Go back in time, and you may recall the card catalog, the summer reading club, stacks of books, rows of encyclopedias, maybe some microfiche, and a librarian to help you find the right resource.

Fast forward: today, libraries are a much needed and – as a new research study notes – a much utilized essential service that keeps the books and helpful librarians but also combines technology, training and tools for today’s digital society. The changing role of today’s public library is on the agenda this week when thousands of librarians, authors, Friends, and library advocates of converge in Washington, D.C., for the American Library Association Annual Conference.
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If you need help finding your way around, try Boopsie.

Boopsie has partnered with ALA to bring you ALA Mobile…the fastest, easiest way to access important and useful information about the Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., directly from your cell phone.

What do you think of when you hear the word “library?” [ed.-no, not you librarians, the general population]

Go back in time, and you may recall the card catalog, the summer reading club, stacks of books, rows of encyclopedias, maybe some microfiche, and a librarian to help you find the right resource.

Fast forward: today, libraries are a much needed and – as a new research study notes – a much utilized essential service that keeps the books and helpful librarians but also combines technology, training and tools for today’s digital society. The changing role of today’s public library is on the agenda this week when thousands of librarians, authors, Friends, and library advocates of converge in Washington, D.C., for the American Library Association Annual Conference.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
If you need help finding your way around, try Boopsie.

Boopsie has partnered with ALA to bring you ALA Mobile…the fastest, easiest way to access important and useful information about the Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., directly from your cell phone.

ALA Mobile requires access to the data network on your phone (make sure you monitor your data use if you do not have an unlimited data plan). To get ALA Mobile on your cell phone, go toALA Boopsie, from your mobile phone’s browser; or,simply text the word “ALA2010” to 41411. You will receive a text message back with a link to download and install the small application to your phone. Just follow the simple steps. It only takes a few seconds. Then click on the ALA Logo and select “Exhibitors”, “Sessions”, etc.

There is help available from the menu of the application. To find an exhibitor, select the “Exhibitors” channel and start typing an exhibitor name. ALA Mobile is powered by Boopsie’s SmartPrefix search, so you only have to type the first few letters of each word of the company name — that should save you some time. To view a list of the sessions at the show, select the “Sessions” channel. You will see a list of sessions. If you want to see all sessions on Friday, just type ‘fri’ and the list of all sessions on Friday will appear. Clicking on a session will show you more details about the session. Be sure to check out the “add to plan” feature that allows you to keep a personal schedule the show. You can also find local restaurants, hotels and even taxi services through the ALA Mobile. Just click on one of the other channels, and search the same way you did for “Exhibitors” or “Sessions”. It’s easy and fun. Enjoy!

Feel free to send feedback to support@ boopsie. com. Boopsie also provides a world-class mobile library application with complete integration with your existing ILS.

library closing because landlord is scofflaw .
A storefront library on Chicago’s Northwest Side will close its doors on July 15 — during the height of the summer reading program — because the landlord is accused of being a city scofflaw.

Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey said the Department of General Services was negotiating a new lease at the Galewood-Mont Clare Library, 6969 W. Grand, when officials discovered that the brothers who own the property are deadbeats. They owe the city more than $70,000 in overdue fines and fees, including property taxes, water bills and building code violations at 12 commercial and residential properties across the city, she said.

50 Covers of 2009 selections
After careful and considered review of more than 800 entries, the 2010 jury of the “AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers” competition selected a group of 100 examples of outstanding book and book cover design produced in 2009.