Steve

Read this Story from the Ann Arbor News. Does anyone have any opinons on only using email for overdue notifications? It may save money but does it exclude many patrons, particularly on an economic level?

You\’d better make sure that\’s not a library book
languishing on the coffee table, forgotten for weeks.




Unless you\’ve given the Ann Arbor District Library your
e-mail address, you won\’t be getting an overdue notice.
As of March 6, the library stopped mailing notices to
customers, one of many cost-saving measures taken
since faced with an unexpected million dollar deficit.

Read this Story from the Ann Arbor News. Does anyone have any opinons on only using email for overdue notifications? It may save money but does it exclude many patrons, particularly on an economic level?

You\’d better make sure that\’s not a library book
languishing on the coffee table, forgotten for weeks.




Unless you\’ve given the Ann Arbor District Library your
e-mail address, you won\’t be getting an overdue notice.
As of March 6, the library stopped mailing notices to
customers, one of many cost-saving measures taken
since faced with an unexpected million dollar deficit.

The daily overdue book fine increased from a dime to a
quarter per day on materials borrowed as of April 3.
William Razgunas recently returned a book that was late
and paid $1.10. Had he waited until now – when the
daily overdue rate increased from 10 to 25 cents – he
would have owed $2.75.




Not only did he miss a mailed reminder, he resents the fact that the library hasn\’t done more to get the word out
about the change.




\”It\’s a major change in policy,\” said Razgunas, a regular
library user. \”Hollywood Video is for-profit, so they
have no obligation to their customers to set the fine one
way or another. But taxpayers don\’t support Hollywood
Video.\”




Even though the library is facing financial troubles, it still has an obligation to serve its customers, he said. \”From a service point of view, that\’s crazy thinking. It\’s the way commercial places think, but it\’s lousy service.\”

Read this Story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.




Stung by the Great Depression, Helen M. Brown knew the
value of a dollar and appreciated those who helped make
her money work.




The tiny, tight-fisted West Sider spent hours at a time in
the Cleveland Public Library studying the stock market. It
was time well spent, for Brown and the library – her
charitable trust has bequeathed $350,000 to the library
system and thousands more to local institutions that
touched her life.

Read this Story from the Omaha (NE) Wold-Herald.




A City Hall meeting over the prospect of extending library hours grew contentious Monday afternoon, and one Omaha City Council member walked out in anger.




The meeting between Mayor Hal Daub, Councilman Marc Kraft and others was supposed to address increasing tension over when extended library hours, which had been budgeted for by the council, would be implemented.




\”The meeting did not go well with the mayor,\” Kraft said. \”I ended up walking out of it after having been insulted.\”

Read this Story from the San Antonio Express-News.




For almost a year, longtime East Side activist Otis
Thompson has led a small-scale crusade to prevent
Internet access to pornography at city libraries.




Last month, bench advertisements popped up at various East Side bus stops, including one in front of the San Antonio Public Library\’s Carver branch.




Their message: \”Stamp out pornography at Carver Library.\”




\”We\’ve fought against gangs, alcohol and cigarettes,\”
Thompson said. \”Now we\’re faced with fighting pornography.\”

Read this Story from the Colorado Springs Gazette.




Libraries would receive financial incentives to ban \”obscene or illegal\” Internet sites from public computers under a bill given preliminary approval Wednesday by the state
Senate.




Senate Bill 85 was endorsed despite strong opposition from Colorado Springs-area lawmakers, who thought the bill didn\’t go far enough to prevent pornography on public library
computers.




If passed today, the bill would go to the House for consideration.

Check out this Story for the latest in the construction of the Clinton Presidential Library. From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.




The lawsuit keeping Little Rock from acquiring all the land it needs for the Clinton presidential library will be heard for the first time today when City Attorney Tom Carpenter and landowner Eugene Pfeifer III appear in Chancery Court.

Check out this Story for the latest in the construction of the Clinton Presidential Library. From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.




The lawsuit keeping Little Rock from acquiring all the land it needs for the Clinton presidential library will be heard for the first time today when City Attorney Tom Carpenter and landowner Eugene Pfeifer III appear in Chancery Court.At 8:30 a.m., Pulaski County Chancellor Vann Smith will hear Pfeifer\’sattorney argue that the city can\’t condemn private land for the proposed library because it would not constitute a public park, as state law requires.




The attorney, Christopher O. Parker, will tell Smith that a recently passed city zoning ordinance prohibits a park from being built on the site. He will stress that the parcel isn\’t on the city\’s parks master plan and most public parks don\’t include condominiums for private use, like the one proposed for




President Clinton at the library. Then Smith will hear Carpenter defend Little Rock by arguing that the site is a park merely because officials call it one. The new zoning classification is temporary, he will say, and the future residence incidental.




Carpenter will also contend that since the grounds surrounding the library will serve as a park — a public marina, park benches and a riverfront bike path are among the proposals — the city is lawfully taking the land for just compensation.

Company Press Release




SOURCE: Harper Collins Children\’s Books




In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis\’ best-selling classic fantasy, Harper Collins Children\’s Books announces a massive year-long program of activities culminating in
a celebrity anniversary gala event in New York this November. The program, underwritten by Harper Collins, is anticipated to reach over 10 million American children.




Celebrations will involve every school in the U.S., partnerships with major media sponsors and one of the largest children\’s charities in the country. Libraries, bookstores and a host of non-traditional retail outlets will take part. Fans will be able to follow the festivities on the web-site, http://www.narnia.com, which will be launched this summer. Monthly announcements will reveal the various aspects and details of the plan which include the introduction of a “once in a lifetime\’\’ special collector\’s
edition of the entire Chronicles of Narnia.

Company Press Release




SOURCE: Harper Collins Children\’s Books




In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis\’ best-selling classic fantasy, Harper Collins Children\’s Books announces a massive year-long program of activities culminating in
a celebrity anniversary gala event in New York this November. The program, underwritten by Harper Collins, is anticipated to reach over 10 million American children.




Celebrations will involve every school in the U.S., partnerships with major media sponsors and one of the largest children\’s charities in the country. Libraries, bookstores and a host of non-traditional retail outlets will take part. Fans will be able to follow the festivities on the web-site, http://www.narnia.com, which will be launched this summer. Monthly announcements will reveal the various aspects and details of the plan which include the introduction of a “once in a lifetime\’\’ special collector\’s
edition of the entire Chronicles of Narnia.
A timeless classic, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a magical tale of four children who push their way through an old wardrobe to the enchanted world of Narnia. There are over 50 million copies in print for this title alone and it continues to make it onto bestseller lists every year.




Harper Collins Children\’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children\’s books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality books for children, Harper Collins is home to many of the classics of children\’s literature including: Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Giving Tree, Charlotte\’s Web, I Can Read beginning reader series and countless others. Harper Collins Children\’s Books is a division of Harper Collins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world.

Read this Story from the Toledo Blade.




Alonzo Costilla walked away impressed. Kim Johnson walked away wondering if she was still in Toledo.




Both came to see the grand opening yesterday of the 85,000-square-foot addition to the Toledo-Lucas County Main Public Library.

Read this Story from the Register Guard.




Glen and Zarifah Spain depend on the Eugene Public Library to supplement the courses they teach their two 6-year-old children,Nathan and Jemila, at home.




It\’s not only the books the couple values, but also the educational programs the library sponsors.




This past week, the family joined more than 100 children and their parents for the fourth annual Great Redwall Faire, an event sponsored by the library that examines the medieval period.

Read this Story from the Register Guard.




Glen and Zarifah Spain depend on the Eugene Public Library to supplement the courses they teach their two 6-year-old children,Nathan and Jemila, at home.




It\’s not only the books the couple values, but also the educational programs the library sponsors.




This past week, the family joined more than 100 children and their parents for the fourth annual Great Redwall Faire, an event sponsored by the library that examines the medieval period.The gathering, at First UnitedvMethodist Church, was part of
a weeklong celebration of medieval history that spins off of
a series of children\’s books by Brian Jacques.




\”What\’s exciting about the books is they attract boys – in
fifth, sixth, seventh grade,\” said Maura Scanlon, coordinator of medieval week. \”But people continue to read them through middle school and high school.\”




Glen Spain said his children hadn\’t read the books, but the
fair provided an opportunity to learn more about the food,
clothing, music, writing and weaponry of medieval times.

A group of average people has organized a not-so-average event to help raise some of the $3.1 million needed
to build a new library for Columbine High School.




Take a look at this Story from the Denver Post.