Submitted by John on December 15, 2017 - 11:13am
Can you believe it's almost 2018? That means it's time to look back at some of the notable library-related stories from the past year.
10. Librarians Fight Fake News
The problems with fake news caused many of us to revamp our web evaluation handouts into guides for spotting bogus information sources.
9. Elsivier Roundup
Elsivier made several headlines this year, in the form of boycotts and resignations. Their buyout of bepress also raised eyebrows.
In related news, Beall's List went dark in January.
8. ALA's Trump Statements
Late last year, many librarians were quick to jump on an initial (and now retracted) press release by the American Library Association about being "ready to work with President-elect Trump." Recent statements have taken a far more militant tone.
7. Milo's Book Cancelled
Submitted by birdie on December 15, 2017 - 9:27am
Via the Verge, New York Public Library’s CEO and president Anthony Marx and associate director of information policy Greg Cram discuss the issue, explaining exactly which library resources an open internet protects, who would be hurt the most by net neutrality’s rollback, and why handing the internet to ISPs could threaten the basic foundation of American democracy.
The rollback of net neutrality opens the possibility for ISPs to start to play with how we pay for the internet, but because [it hasn’t] been rolled back yet, we don’t have evidence that they will in fact do those things. It’s a little speculative at this point. I think everyone is speculating a little bit in this. But the indications we got from the ISPs are that there will be paid prioritization and for us, there are specific things that would likely end up in the slow lane.
Submitted by birdie on July 16, 2017 - 8:07pm
From
AZ Central an explanation and video of how the sprinkler system was set off by an atypical monsoon on Saturday.
Phoenix Fire Capt. Reda Bigler said a pipe in the ceiling of the building's fifth floor ruptured when the storm lifted the roof and caused it to move in a wave-like fashion.
“When (the roof) slammed back down it broke a sprinkler pipe," Bigler said. “That caused about 50 to 60 gallons a minute of water to start flowing through the building." All five stories were affected.
Submitted by John on December 15, 2016 - 9:04am
Can you believe we're closing in on 2017? It's time once again to look back at the notable library-related stories from the past year.
Dishonorable Mention: Librarian Arrested in "First Amendment" Issue
In May, an altercation with security personnel at a Kansas City Public Library event led to violent arrests against several people, including the programming director.
10. Google Books Case Finally Ends
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the last appeal of the Authors Guild in the nearly decade-old Google Books copyright case.
9. Open Data Initiatives
This year saw continued growth of efforts to make research data freely available.
8. Libraries Catch Pokémon Go Fever
Many libraries got on board with the latest augmented reality app based on collecting and fighting with other Pokémon creatures.
7. Intellectual Property Disputes Aplenty
Legal cases involving everyone from Anne Frank to the NFL made headlines this year.
6. Libraries Fund Open Access
More libraries now offer to pay author fees for open access publications.
5. Welcome, Robot Overlords
This year AI agents won a game against a grandmaster of Go, made medical diagnoses, and drove a truck across the highway. Time will tell how these advances impact libraries.
Submitted by Blake on April 22, 2016 - 8:10am
From WHAS, the artist formerly and forever to be known as Prince was a fan of libraries. May he RIP.
Submitted by John on March 17, 2016 - 8:27pm
Submitted by John on December 15, 2015 - 12:10pm
It's that time of year again! Here's our thirteenth annual rundown of notable library stories from the last twelve months.
10. Go Set a Watchman Raises Eyebrows
Strange circumstances surrounded Harper Lee's first publication since To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. Mixed reviews and strong sales followed.
9. Open Source Textbooks Gain Momentum
This year saw an increased push for more affordable course readings, as well as the growth of the Open Textbook Library.
Submitted by dubuquer on December 5, 2015 - 9:54pm
<P align=justify><blockquote>MOUNT HOREB — In a turnout that stunned organizers, nearly 600 people filled the library here Wednesday night to hear a public reading of a children’s book about a transgender girl, with many in the crowd expressing strong support for a local family with a transgender child.</blockquote></P>
From <A HREF="http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/in-response-to-controversy-hundreds-pack-mount-horeb-library-for/article_095da109-0caf-534e-9879-3cb4e0c769ee.html">http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/in-respon
Submitted by birdie on October 15, 2015 - 12:10pm
From the New York Times:
A pipe burst in the Times’s morgue which occupies the sub-subbasement of the former New York Herald Tribune building on 41st Street. Morgue manager Jeff Roth is quoted as saying "this was the stuff of nightmares. It’s always been a worry."
Roth stated that most likely 90% of the photos could be salvageable. But it raised the question of how in the digital age — and in the prohibitive Midtown Manhattan real estate market — can some of the company’s most precious physical assets and intellectual property be safely and reasonably stored?
Week in Review photos protected the card catalog.
Here's the popular NYT Photo Archive tumblr account, the Lively Morgue.
Submitted by Blake on September 11, 2015 - 8:58pm
The average scientist is not statistically more likely than a member of the general public to have an artistic or crafty hobby. But members of the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society -- elite societies of scientists, membership in which is based on professional accomplishments and discoveries -- are 1.7 and 1.9 times more likely to have an artistic or crafty hobby than the average scientist is. And Nobel prize winning scientists are 2.85 times more likely than the average scientist to have an artistic or crafty hobby.
From The Correlation Between Arts and Crafts and a Nobel Prize
Submitted by Blake on May 22, 2015 - 8:50am
“Over the last five years, OCLC has been in a period of significant investment in new products and services,” the nonprofit computer-service and research organization said in a statement. “To support that investment, we have increased staffing in a number of areas and completed acquisitions to strengthen our position.”
From OCLC lays off 27 in Dublin as libraries struggle | The Columbus Dispatch
Submitted by John on December 15, 2014 - 12:14pm
With 2015 around the corner, it's time to look back at this year's notable headlines.
10. Little Scofflaws
The Little Free Library movement ran afoul of local ordinances in several locations this year.
9. IKEA Catalogue
Amidst the hoopla over 3D printers, many of us got a chuckle out of this tongue-in-cheek parody.
8. The Bottom Line
If a library visit is as good as a pay raise, does that explain librarian salaries?
7. Prix Fixe
A payout structure was established this year for the long-standing case over Apple's illegal price-fixing practices with e-book publishers.
6. Fuhgettaboutit
Google and other search engines started removing results to comply with a new European Union ruling over the "right to be forgotten."
5. Quote of the Year
Speaking about the publishing industry, Ursula Le Guin stated, "We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable-–but then, so did the divine right of kings."
4. Texas Textbooks
Controversy over the purported slant of social studies textbooks were again in the news this year.
3. Honorable Mention
The protests in Ferguson, Missouri were the backdrop for one positive story: the public library stayed open, and received much acclaim for doing so.
2. Open Access Baby Steps
As more authors and publishers embrace ways for their content to be freely available, questions remain about the best way to do so.
1. The Year of Discovery
"Discovery" has become a buzzword, but the way that libraries deal with new search systems is a pivotal issue.
What was your favorite library story of 2014?
Submitted by Bibliofuture on November 12, 2014 - 11:10pm
Submitted by dbigwood on October 20, 2014 - 11:22am
<p>NASA Watch reports <a href="http://nasawatch.com/archives/2014/10/jsc-is-abandoni.html">JSC Is Abandoning NASA History</a></p><blockquote>NASA JSC is shutting down its Media Research Center. The MRC employees, with more than a century of collective service stretching back to the Apollo era, are being laid off effective 22 October. The building that houses this team will be closed. All materials will be put in boxes - and forgotten.</blockquote>
Submitted by birdie on August 21, 2014 - 10:52am
From the Teen Librarian Toolbox, a description of how the Ferguson, MO Public Library is serving the populace of this troubled town.
If you would like to donate to Ferguson Library, their address is:
35 N Florissant Rd,
Ferguson, MO 63135.
Submitted by birdie on August 12, 2014 - 11:09am
Submitted by Pete on July 17, 2014 - 10:30am
This from the usually forward looking site io9, "A historian has reconstructed the lost library of books that accompanied Charles Darwin during his five-year scientific voyage across the world, allowing the public to read the more than 400 volumes that served as reference and inspiration for the young naturalist whose theories would revolutionize biology.
The library was dispersed at the conclusion of the voyage. But now, nearly 180 years later, it has been electronically reconstructed in its entirety by historian John van Wyhe and is freely available at his Darwin Online website. The collection consists of more than 195,000 pages containing over 5,000 illustrations."
Here's the link to the Charles Darwin Beagle Library
Submitted by Bibliofuture on July 15, 2014 - 11:12pm
Submitted by Bibliofuture on July 9, 2014 - 5:22pm
The City of Lincoln has evicted a Little Free Library from its location near a church in the Indian Village neighborhood, saying the library box can't sit in a public right of way.
The city gave the group and the church, New Visions Community-Southminster site, until Thursday to move the box onto private property or face fines that could hit $500.
Full story
Submitted by Bibliofuture on July 7, 2014 - 9:58am
A parade float that rolled down the streets of Norfolk, Neb., on Friday is drawing national attention and statewide debate.
The float featured a wooden outhouse labeled 'Obama Presidential Library', next to an upright figure in overalls.
Parade organizers said the float was one of the most popular in the show and received an honorable mention award.
Story at Nebraska local news station: http://www.ketv.com/news/parada-float-sparks-political-firestorm/26817664#ixzz36n4oShkm
Washington Post story.
FOX News story here.
Story in Nebraska newspaper.
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