May 2011

School Librarians in Los Angeles Defend Their Jobs

Faced with budget cuts and layoffs, school librarians in LA are being interrogated by lawyers about their relevancy in schools. The LA Times reports:

“I’ve seen a lot of strange things in two decades as a reporter, but nothing quite as disgraceful and weird as this inquisition the LAUSD is inflicting upon more than 80 school librarians….To get the librarians off the payroll, the district’s attorneys need to prove to an administrative law judge that the librarians don’t have that recent teaching experience.”

Click here to read the LA Times article.

A teacher/librarian in LA has outlined her observations and opinions in an unsettling blog post, which gives a first-hand look at these interrogations.

Click here to read the blog post.

“Meanwhile, The San Francisco Library”

Artist Wendy McNaughton has created illustrations that portray the patrons at the San Francisco Public Library. Not only are these pictures beautiful, but they underscore the importance of libraries in today’s society.

Click here to see the illustrations on The Rumpus.net.

May 13, 2011 by ScrewyDecimal Librarians Libraries

200-year-old library book returned to Camden

200-year-old library book returned to Camden
The worn leather book might be riddled with tiny wormholes and have pages that are yellowed by time.

But two centuries after being part of Camden’s very first lending library, Oliver Goldsmith’s 1790 “History of England, Vol. 1,” has come home at last to the delight of astonished local librarians.

[Via SMFC]

May 13, 2011 by Blake Books Librarians Libraries

Library Journals New Landmark Libraries

The quest to identify the the most inspiring and innovative public libraries names ten winning public libraries and ten honorable mentions.

Full article

May 13, 2011 by Bibliofuture Librarians Libraries

The Future of Book Reviews Critics vs Amazon Reviewers

Top critics Morris Dickstein and Cynthia Ozick debate who are truly the book critics today (hint: Amazon reviewers) and what this means for reviewing. Jane Ciabattari reports.

In the age of rapid digital revolution in publishing, when readers have book review options ranging from decades-old publications like The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The New York Times Book Review, to Twitter book clubs, literary websites, online publications like this one, and Amazon reader reviews, what is the role of the book reviewer? And how has that role changed?

May 13, 2011 by Blake Amazon Books Internet

Interview of a Librarian

“Last week I had a slight buzz and randomly phoned 10 public libraries in 10 random states and asked to talk to a librarian. I asked the librarian if they would give me an email interview. Two hung up directly after the question. One woman coughed, and I heard her ask someone a question, and then she hung up. One said, “Quit calling me, Steven.” My name is not Steven. Six graciously said yes, and gave me their email addresses. Then, of the six, only one responded in full to the email interview questions. I have no idea why. These answers are from B. David. He manages a library in Mississippi.”

May 13, 2011 by Blake Librarians Libraries

The disgraceful interrogation of LA school librarians

The disgraceful interrogation of L.A. school librarians
A court reporter takes down testimony. A judge grants or denies objections from attorneys. Armed police officers hover nearby. On the witness stand, one librarian at a time is summoned to explain why she — the vast majority are women — should be allowed to keep her job.

The librarians are guilty of nothing except earning salaries the district feels the need to cut. But as they’re cross-examined by determined LAUSD attorneys, they’re continually put on the defensive.

“When was the last time you taught a course for which your librarian credential was not required?” an LAUSD attorney asked Laura Graff, the librarian at Sun Valley High School, at a court session on Monday.

May 13, 2011 by Blake Librarians Libraries School Libraries

Lady Gaga Declares Herself Librarian of Glam Culture

Lady Gaga Declares Herself ‘Librarian of Glam Culture’
“Glam culture is ultimately rooted in obsession,” she writes, “and those of us who are truly devoted and loyal to the lifestyle of glamour are masters of its history. Or, to put it more elegantly, we are librarians.

May 13, 2011 by Blake Librarians Libraries Music

Academic Peer-Review Crowd Sourced

Academic Peer-Review…Crowd Sourced

Sympoze: a network of high-quality academic publications that utilizes crowd sourcing for the peer-review process. Crowd sourcing the peer-review process improves a number of problems with the current academic publishing model.

Reduced referee burden
Reduced review time
Speed up finding qualified referees
Eliminate the bad luck of being assigned to a biased or overworked referee
More diverse feedback
Decisions better reflect opinion of the field
Sympoze will also offer…

High-quality peer-reviewed scholarship by experts in the field
Immediate open-access publication (for pieces that pass the review process)
Yearly print volumes for each discipline in traditional book and e-book formats

May 13, 2011 by Blake Academic Libraries EBooks

What Gingrich reveals in his many book reviews

What Gingrich reveals in his many book reviews
Along with college professor and bestselling author, the former Republican Speaker of the House added presidential candidate to his resume today. But if Gingrich wished, he might also include his ranking as an Amazon.com “top reviewer.” Indeed, he hit his peak in 2004 rising into the top 500 of the site’s reviewers, based on how often readers found his reviews helpful. Since then his ranking has slipped, and he hasn’t posted a review since 2008.

May 13, 2011 by Blake Books