Home > News Archive > February 2005

February 25, 2005

The Toronto Star reports that the Toronto District School Board voted to add 65 new librarians in primary schools! "Since 1997, the number of Ontario schools with teachers who double as librarians fell 30 per cent and there has been a 60 per cent drop in the number of full-time librarians". "We are sending a strong signal we have to invest in libraries" said one of the trustees. Yeah!

source: Google News

February 24, 2005

Libraries: A Vision is the title of a discussion paper that was produced by librarians (middle managers) after a seminar hosted by the Laser Foundation. It's a discussion paper on the future of public library service. To be fair, I didn't read all of the document, and although some of the conclusions are interesting... others are from middle managers. Here are the ones that caught my eye:

• There will be continued need for free public service but with added premium services (research services, home delivery, access to national back catalogues (shouldn't that be free - being national and all?), etc.)
• Library services must follow retailing in being "customer-led". (What about treating the user as a person/citizen before a consumer?)
• The introduction of Radio Frequency Identification systems into libraries can revolutionise allocation of staff time (But what else do RFIDs do?)
• Library staff may have to adopt a corporate appearance, wearing a uniform, or adhering to a dress code. (Would you like fries with that order of books?) (!!!!)
• Good staff must be properly paid; less than adequate staff must be helped (?) to leave. (!!)

source: Lorcan Dempsey's weblog

IFLA has released a statement for the World Summit on the Information Society promoting the information commons. One of its proposal is:

We recognise that innovative financial mechanisms that should contribute to bridging the digital divide may rely on lowering the costs of access to information and software resources and on making those resources freely available to all. Such innovative efforts should include:

1. supporting the implementation of open access initiatiaves to scientific, technological, cultural and educational information; and
2. raising awareness about the existence and use of free software, open source software and low-cost proprietary software.

Also from OAN, The Economist has finally figured it out. When speaking of (social) technology, it was written: "co-operation, especially when repeated, can breed reciprocity and trust, to the benefit of all."

source: Peter Suber's Open Access News

February 23, 2005

On Feb. 21, the Atwater Library hosted a seminar on Open Source Software. They recorded the presentation and it's now available as a podcast. It's long (a little under an hour), but an excellent excellent introduction to Open Source Software. The recording is also licensed under a creative commons license.

source: Hugh

A nice story in the New York Times about a new school library funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, a non-profit in NY that fights poverty by, among other things, building libraries in the poorest elementary schools.

source: Google News

"Thousands of librarians from all over Texas will gather at the State Capitol April 6 from 4-5 p.m. to send a message to lawmakers: Libraries are an investment that works, and funding for libraries is critical for economic development." (Link to story). The Texas Library Association is planning this rally during their annual conference.

source: Google News

February 21, 2005

Looking for ways to get teens into your library? Stop wondering how, just ask them what they want. Read how the Cambridge Public Library created a teen advisory board to make the library more inviting.

source: Library link of the day

The rich countries are in Geneva right now finding ways on how best to sell our publicly funded services through the backing of the WTO and the GATS. Please fill out this form to tell our MPs and their corporate cronies to get their hands off our services! Speaking of GATS, it would be nice if someone at the EBLIDA conference on trade agreements and libraries would blog the event!

source: PLG-listserv

Forget Valentines Day... Celebrate Library Lovers' Month, "a month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries of all types. This is a time for everyone, especially library support groups, to recognize the value of libraries and to work to assure that the Nation's libraries will continue to serve."

source: Google News

An article by Lessig in the March issue of Wired Magazine talks about the efforts by Internet Providers in Philadelphia to outlaw government provided Wi-Fi! (Link to CNet article about it) LISNews also reports on similar shenanigans in Texas. Hopefully the non-profit Ile Sans Fil will be able to convince the city of Montreal to work with them before similar corporate greed takes over Canadian cities.

source: Wired magazine, LISNews

Tired of only offering Quebecor or Hollinger News (or Time Warner in the US) to your patrons? Looking for an alternative newspaper for your library? Check out the Indypendent: "A free paper for free people".

source: A-librarians listserv

February 19, 2005

Check out the calendar of events that are happening across Canada.

source: danielle

Some libraries in London have teamed up to advertise their libraries during movie previews! Link to story.

source: Google News

The Atwater Library (an independent library in Montreal) is hosting a seminar about free and open source software. The seminar will be recorded and hopefully podcasted.

source: Hugh

February 17, 2005

The ALA is holding a National Library Legislative Day on May 3 and 4. Librarians will be going down to Washington to talk to Members of Congress about the needs and accomplishments of libraries.

source: NYLINE-listserv

Apparently the myth that the Internet can replace librarians is still pretty strong in North Wales were the University of Bangor is planning on cutting 67% of its librarians "because students can find the information they need on the internet" !!! (link to story).

source: Google News

More from the UK, where a decision in Northern Ireland may cause the closure of 12 libraries in the Ballymena area. The North Eastern Education and Library Board, responsible for this decision, says they are being "forced" to decide between school and library funding. (link to story) I guess it's easier to get the public sector to fight amongst themselves for money then to address the real issues of funding problems.

source: Google News

"One million books, 10 million documents and 14,000 archaeological artifacts have been lost in the U.S.-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq -- the biggest cultural disaster since the descendants of Genghis Khan destroyed Baghdad in 1258." Fernando Baez is an expert on the destruction of libraries in Iraq and has been documenting the violation of the Hague convention by the occupying forces. (link to story)

source: Google News

February 15, 2005

"The Ontario government is joining First Nations communities across Ontario to celebrate the vitality of First Nations' libraries and their contribution to the province's history, heritage and culture." (press release) (more info)

source: Google News

February 14, 2005

The trustees of the Nippersink District Public Library decided to drop ALA guidelines (or these guidelines?) after an incident over the movie "Happiness" where some wanted to remove it from the collection. The movie stayed, but ALA guidelines were dropped, even though they are just that: guidelines not rules. Link to story.

source: PLG-listserv

First it was Philadelphia with its Express Libraries. Now the Twin Cities want to create a (permanent?) library kiosk for the Lake Elmo library that hasn't found a home yet. "The machine, which would be located in a public building in the city, would allow patrons to search, order, pick up and drop off library books." Not everyone thinks this is such a great idea (link to article):

"It's no substitute for a library," said Paul Ryberg, president of Friends of the Lake Elmo Library. "You get into the question of 'what is a library?'" he said. "A library is a place you go to talk to a person about books, and it requires a collection of books and a librarian."

source: Google News

On February 8th, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold introduced the Library, Bookseller and Personal Records Privacy Act. The Act would (link to press release):

protect the privacy of citizens with no connection to terrorism by more carefully circumscribing the ability of the government to obtain library, bookstore, medical, and financial records and other sensitive materials under the Patriot Act, while still allowing the FBI to follow up on legitimate terrorism leads.

source: be Spacific

February 13, 2005

Article describing how in Japan, the "Designated Manager's System, implemented in 2003, allows a municipality to choose a private organization to run its facilities". The reasons for contracting out library services are obvious: "cheaper labor". Thankfully the Japan Library Association doesn't think this shift is such a great idea. One board member said: "Most privately managed libraries offer low wages, making it difficult for their staff to build long careers. I wonder how they manage to deepen their expertise as librarians that way. There is also the nagging concern that once a contract is completed, management may be taken over by another organization. Continuity is not assured." Interesting note: some of the contracts are handed over to nonprofit organizations composed of library workers layed off at public libraries.

source: Google News

"A London (Ontario) group is raising $35,000 to buy books promoting tolerance of different sexual orientations for schools." Link.

source: LISNews

February 10, 2005

I missed this one back in January. The ALA passed a resolution on RFID technology in libraries. It stresses the importance of the privacy of patrons.

source: Google News

Interesting programme on the BBC about libraries in the 21st century (to listen, click on the "listen again" link in the left hand column of the programme's webpage). It describes how one library had to "learn the tricks of the retail trade" to become an Idea Stores which stays open as long as supermarkets." To stay relevant in our consumer society, the librarians are called Idea Stores Managers. To get to this stage, the library did a market research study which found that citizens wanted the "library" to be close to shopping areas, to have longer hours, to provide IT support, to have more books, and to support learning (adult education centers). Which is what they managed to do by changing the name of the library to Idea Stores. Shakespeare had it wrong: a rose by any other name smells sweeter.

source: BCLA-listserv

February 7, 2005

Celebrate Black History Month and protest restrictive copyright laws. A screening of Part 1 of Eyes on the Prize will take place in Montreal on Feb. 8 at Intertainment Cafe (1425 Rene-Levesque W. @ 19h00). For future screenings of the other parts of the documentary, check out this page from Cogitateurs-Agitateurs.

source: Cogitateurs-Agitateurs

According to a story in the Independent, "the standard of libraries [in the UK] in many primary and secondary schools is so poor that pupils' education is being damaged."

source: Google News

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project in New York houses the Terrence Trans Collection of printed materials for the transgender and gender variant communities. The "collection seeks to cover the wide interdisciplinary range of publication on transgender from personal narrative, scientific research, legal histories and current practices, and including some small or personal press items such as zines."

source: PLG-listserv

February 4, 2005

A great article in Information Today about how a public library helped some non-profits set up their own websites and a resource page about non-profits.

source: ResourceShelf

The student chapter of the PLG at the College of St-Catherine's started a blog. Here's what it's about: "Founded in late 2004, the stkatesplg works to create positive social change and champion the efforts of activist librarians everywhere. The stkatesplg blog serves as a forum for ideas and discussion of progressive library issues, past and present!" Yeah!

source: PLG-listserv

February 3, 2005

A concerned Philadelphia library student writes: "In the Free Library of Philadelphia system, 20 of the 55 branches are in the process of becoming "Express Branches." This means that they will be open only a couple of hours a day; there will be NO librarians and there will be NO programming! Many neighborhoods will suffer from the cuts. Patrons with reference questions will be forced to travel to a full-service branch. This will be impossible for many patrons."

A rally will take place Feb. 12 @ 10h30 outside the central library to protest the librarian lay-offs and the service cuts at Philadelphia Free Library.

source: A-librarians listserv (?)

The Atwater Library (an independent library in Montreal) is hosting a seminar about free and open source software. It would be great, as Greg from Open Stacks suggested (podcast #2), if the seminar could be recorded and podcasted!

source: Hugh

February 1, 2005

Peter Suber reports on library groups that have drafted a set of principles for the WIPO Development Agenda. "These principles were prepared for use in discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization concerning the impact of intellectual property protection on economic development and the significance of copyright exceptions for libraries, educational institutions, and the disabled." Two of the goals for this agenda are:

• A robust and growing public domain to provide new opportunities for creativity, research, and scholarship.
• Effective library programs and services as a means of advancing knowledge.

source: Open Access News

Downhill Battle reports that a "teacher who was planning a February 8th screening of Eyes on the Prize in Vienna, VA for students and community members has been forced to cancel after a threat of lawsuit from the "licensee level". (...) if there is any fair use, free speech right at all, it applies to screenings of a historical documentary in a school. This is a public screening in an educational, non-commercial, one-time use setting." The free download of the movie that was available at Eyes on the Screen has also been taken down due to a request from the company that made the film. Check your local library for a copy of the film and on February 8th, have some friends over for a history movie night.

source: Downhill Battle

Dose Magazine reports on a presentation by Brewster Kahle, of the Internet Archive, who wants to digitize (democratize) all of human knowledge.

source: Hugh

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