September 2012

Op-ed by George Hageman. He recently graduated from Harvard University. His father, Bob Hageman, is a retired librarian who worked for Seattle Public Library.

First, we need to change the layout of the branches and prioritize the needs of the modern patron. Nowadays, people come to the library to gather with friends and neighbors, to study in a peaceful environment, to watch DVDs and flip through magazines or to browse the Internet for free. As any librarian will tell you, they rarely come to read books.

Full op-ed here.

EveryLibrary is launching today as the first and only national political action committee (PAC) for libraries. Focused exclusively on local library ballot initiatives and measures, EveryLibrary is dedicated to helping libraries win at election time. The organization, found online at www.everylibrary.org, will fundraise nationally to support local library ballot committees and PACs, and provide them with technical support and consultancy on how to run – and win – at the ballot box.

“EveryLibrary is built on the idea that any library ballot initiative anywhere matters to every library everywhere,” says John Chrastka, executive director of EveryLibrary. “EveryLibrary will allow us to raise funds and support specific ballot measures that keep libraries open and thriving. Elections are the “last mile” of library advocacy and this new PAC is an amazing opportunity for our community to talk directly to voters.”

EveryLibrary is conducting a $50,000 fundraising round from September 5 to November 7, 2012 to underwrite the fees associated with its legal filings and to create campaign toolkits, voter education materials, and messaging targeted to 2013 election initiatives. Visit http://rally.org/everylibrary to learn more and to donate today. Individuals, corporations, unions, and certain foundations are eligible to donate. EveryLibrary will use donations to support local committees and PACs while providing technical assistance to campaigns.

Proposals Due Tomorrow!! Be a part of Computers in Libraries 2013 Deadline is September 5!

Information Today, Inc., a key provider of technology conferences for more than twenty-five years with Internet Librarian and KMWorld, is pleased to announce the 28th annual Computers in Libraries – the most comprehensive North American conference and exhibition concentrating on all aspects of library technology. Our theme this year is Evolving in New Directions.

With small steps and big leaps libraries and information organizations are evolving in new and exciting ways. The fast changing technology and social trends are fueling this evolution in both exciting and scary ways. Computers, spaces and library and information services are all evolving in different, and mostly positive, directions. This year’s Computers in Libraries theme focuses on mobile devices and electronic collections and how their use is changing the spaces and services in libraries. It focuses on the skills, competencies, and roles that are evolving to deal with all these changes in our communities, campuses and organizations. Opportunities abound but taking risks and trying new and different things is always a challenge. Computers in Libraries 2013 will share how leading edge libraries and information services are evolving, managing and excelling. It will provide lots of ideas and insights for jumpstarting your evolution strategies!

Proposals Due Tomorrow!! Be a part of Computers in Libraries 2013 Deadline is September 5!

Information Today, Inc., a key provider of technology conferences for more than twenty-five years with Internet Librarian and KMWorld, is pleased to announce the 28th annual Computers in Libraries – the most comprehensive North American conference and exhibition concentrating on all aspects of library technology. Our theme this year is Evolving in New Directions.

With small steps and big leaps libraries and information organizations are evolving in new and exciting ways. The fast changing technology and social trends are fueling this evolution in both exciting and scary ways. Computers, spaces and library and information services are all evolving in different, and mostly positive, directions. This year’s Computers in Libraries theme focuses on mobile devices and electronic collections and how their use is changing the spaces and services in libraries. It focuses on the skills, competencies, and roles that are evolving to deal with all these changes in our communities, campuses and organizations. Opportunities abound but taking risks and trying new and different things is always a challenge. Computers in Libraries 2013 will share how leading edge libraries and information services are evolving, managing and excelling. It will provide lots of ideas and insights for jumpstarting your evolution strategies!

If you would like to participate in Computers in Libraries 2013 as a speaker or workshop leader, please submit a proposal as soon as possible. The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, September 5.

On their 50th anniversary, “A Clockwork Orange” and its sociopathic antihero still have the power to disturb.

Essay in the NYT

The site for all things sci-fi and fantasy, iO9, has the story:

“Last night, robots shut down the live broadcast of one of science fiction’s most prestigious award ceremonies. No, you’re not reading a science fiction story. In the middle of the annual Hugo Awards event at Worldcon, which thousands of people tuned into via video streaming service Ustream, the feed cut off — just as Neil Gaiman was giving an acceptance speech for his Doctor Who script, “The Doctor’s Wife.” Where Gaiman’s face had been were the words, “Worldcon banned due to copyright infringement.” What the hell?”

This week’s episode brings a brief news miscellany.

Links:
ALA: September is Library Card Sign-up Month
The Register: Here we go again–Critical flaw found in just-patched Java
PCWorld: German Cabinet Backs Law That Could Allow News Publishers to Sue Google
PCMag Digital Network: As Isaac Looms, Can Consumer Tech Help Avert Disaster in a Post-Katrina World?
Washington Monthly: The Siege of Academe–For years, Silicon Valley has failed to breach the walls of higher education with disruptive technology. But the tide of battle is changing. A report from the front lines.
The Sustainable University

Download here (MP3) (ogg), or subscribe to the podcast (MP3) to have episodes delivered to your media player. We suggest subscribing by way of a service like my.gpodder.org. Support and subsistence items to further the work of the production team can be purchased and sent here via Amazon.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/.

In Southern California — once legendary for its love of freedom — cities, school districts and even libraries have been outlawing beach bonfires, napping and perfume.

Full article

Due to the Labor Day holiday in the United States and Canada, release of the program is delayed until later in the day on Monday, September 3, 2012.

Book: The Woman Reader
Publisher: Yale University Press
Description: This lively story has never been told before: the complete history of women’s reading and the ceaseless controversies it has inspired. Belinda Jack’s groundbreaking volume travels from the Cro-Magnon cave to the digital bookstores of our time, exploring what and how women of widely differing cultures have read through the ages.

Jack traces a history marked by persistent efforts to prevent women from gaining literacy or reading what they wished. She also recounts the counter-efforts of those who have battled for girls’ access to books and education. The book introduces frustrated female readers of many eras—Babylonian princesses who called for women’s voices to be heard, rebellious nuns who wanted to share their writings with others, confidantes who challenged Reformation theologians’ writings, nineteenth-century New England mill girls who risked their jobs to smuggle novels into the workplace, and women volunteers who taught literacy to women and children on convict ships bound for Australia.

Book: The Woman Reader
Publisher: Yale University Press
Description: This lively story has never been told before: the complete history of women’s reading and the ceaseless controversies it has inspired. Belinda Jack’s groundbreaking volume travels from the Cro-Magnon cave to the digital bookstores of our time, exploring what and how women of widely differing cultures have read through the ages.

Jack traces a history marked by persistent efforts to prevent women from gaining literacy or reading what they wished. She also recounts the counter-efforts of those who have battled for girls’ access to books and education. The book introduces frustrated female readers of many eras—Babylonian princesses who called for women’s voices to be heard, rebellious nuns who wanted to share their writings with others, confidantes who challenged Reformation theologians’ writings, nineteenth-century New England mill girls who risked their jobs to smuggle novels into the workplace, and women volunteers who taught literacy to women and children on convict ships bound for Australia.

Today, new distinctions between male and female readers have emerged, and Jack explores such contemporary topics as burgeoning women’s reading groups, differences in men and women’s reading tastes, censorship of women’s on-line reading in countries like Iran, the continuing struggle for girls’ literacy in many poorer places, and the impact of women readers in their new status as significant movers in the world of reading.

The Woman Reader