Info, links and musings from a (non-librarian) Library supporter.
Oprah Winfrey pulls disputed children’s book from her Web site
–Houston Chronicle2
Oprah Winfrey has pulled a discredited children’s book, Forrest Carter’s The Education of Little Tree, from a list of recommended titles on her Web site, blaming an archival “error” for including a work considered the literary hoax of a white supremacist.[snip]
Footnotes
2=article may expire in a few weeks
Authors to converge at book festival
– Houston Chronicle2
Novelist Tom Perrotta, first daughter Jenna Bush and historian Joseph
J. Ellis are among headliners at this weekend’s Texas Book Festival in
Austin. More than 200 writers — some Texas-rooted, others with a
national profile — will be on hand at the annual event on the grounds
of the Capitol.[snip]
This is the 12th year for the book fest, which Laura Bush started to
raise money for Texas libraries. More than 45,000 people attended last
year. For a complete schedule, visit www.texasbookfestival.org.
Footnotes
2 = article may expire in a few weeks
Am I the only person who actually doesn’t care about what J.K. Rowling recent revelation about her belief that Albus Dumbledore is gay? Dumbledore is one of the central characters in her very popular series of Harry Potter books.
Personally, I just think it’s a publicity ploy.
Others, however, do care.
Outing gives new meaning to passages about wizard Dumbledore in Harry Potter books
– Houston Chronicle2
With author J.K. Rowling’s revelation that master wizard Albus Dumbledore is gay, some passages about the Hogwarts headmaster and rival wizard Gellert Grindelwald have taken on a new and clearer meaning.The British author stunned her fans at Carnegie Hall on Friday night when she answered one young reader’s question about Dumbledore by saying that he was gay and had been in love with Grindelwald, whom he had defeated years ago in a bitter fight.
[snip]
Footnotes
2 = article may expire in a few weeks
Libraries Shun Deals to Place Books on Web
– New York Times
Several major research libraries have rebuffed offers from Google and Microsoft to scan their books into computer databases, saying they are put off by restrictions these companies want to place on the new digital collections.The research libraries, including a large consortium in the Boston area, are instead signing on with the Open Content Alliance, a nonprofit effort aimed at making their materials broadly available.
Libraries that agree to work with Google must agree to a set of terms, which include making the material unavailable to other commercial search services. Microsoft places a similar restriction on the books it converts to electronic form. The Open Content Alliance, by contrast, is making the material available to any search service.
It costs the Open Content Alliance as much as $30 to scan each book, a
cost shared by the group’s members and benefactors, so there are
obvious financial benefits to libraries of Google’s wide-ranging offer,
started in 2004.[snip]
I can see why libraries would decline to participate. What do you think?
Houston social media innovator Ed Schipul responds to Shel Israel’s request for feedback on the following question: “What should I tell the librarians?” Shel is presenting at the California Association of Librarians conference about how social media can help libraries.
Ed has a very good response that goes way beyond social media.
What do you think Shel should tell librarians?
Found this on Lifehacker:
Use WorldCat to Search LibrariesThe next time you need to find something at your local library, try searching through WorldCat, a ginormous network of libraries, library content, and library services. You can use WorldCat to search for everything you would search for at your local library, find free content (downloadable audiobooks, for example), articles and citations, historical documents, and many more kinds of information from libraries all over the world. You can also use WorldCat to check out items directly from libraries you have an active membership with (this can vary by library).
I just got this from the Houston Public Library:
ScreamWorld Offers Free Entry To Houston Public Library Power Card Holders
–Opening weekend offer takes the fear out of library card registration drive–
HOUSTON (September 18, 2007) … ScreamWorld Halloween Scream Park and the Houston Public Library (HPL) have partnered for the “Don’t Be Afraid of the Library” program which provides free admission to HPL Power Card holders opening weekend, Friday through Sunday, September 21st through 23rd at ScreamWorld Halloween Scream Park. Customers who present their HPL Power Card at ScreamWorld receive one free entry (good Sept. 21, 22, and 23 only) to ScreamWorld valued at $22. ScreamWorld is located at 2225 N. Sam Houston Parkway (Beltway 8), between Ella and T.C. Jester, 1.5 miles west of I-45.The promotion is part of HPL’s Library Card Sign-Up Month, a campaign held by libraries across the country each September to encourage library card sign-up for children and teens just after the new school year begins. HPL expects to sign up an estimated 15,000 new cardholders in September as part of the month-long campaign.
To assist in ongoing HPL Power Card sign-up efforts, ScreamWorld will continue to distribute library card applications to its patrons through the Halloween season. To learn more about becoming a Power Card holder and FREE HPL services, visit us online at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832.393.1313.
[snip]
Local author headlines book reviews at Helen Hall Library
– reported by the Houston Chronicle
Helen Hall Library in League City will host local author, Patty Mayeaux and area photographer, Linda Lapointe, as they kick off the fall book review series beginning Sept. 13 at the library.[snip]
Helen Hall Library hosts book reviews on the second Thursday of each month beginning at 10:30 a.m. Other book reviews will take place on Oct. 11, Nov. 8 and Dec. 13.
Call Susie Moncla at 281-554-1101 for more information.
The Alternative Teen Services blog posts their guidelines for commenting:
- Please use appropriate language.
- For your safety, comments containing or requesting personal information, including phone numbers, will be deleted.
- Feel free to speak your mind, but please be respectful to others; offensive and inappropriate comments will be deleted.
- Comments are moderated; CADL is not responsible for the content of posted comments.
- CADL reserves the right to delete comments at any time for any reason; comments not directly related to the discussion will be deleted.
Resources:
Found via Library Technology in Texas:
Accessible Digitization Projects Resolution
WHEREAS, ALA Policy 54.3.2 states that “library materials must be accessible to all patrons including people with disabilities”; and
WHEREAS, Technology has given libraries the mechanism to make materials available electronically; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Government had created regulations based on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act that ensures that its technology is accessible to its employees and the public; and
WHEREAS, ALA Council adopted a Resolution on Accessible Voting in 2004, which resolves that all electronic and information technology procurement (e.g. internet resources, telephony, captioned and audio described videos) shall follow the standards established by Section 508, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the American Library Association strongly encourages all libraries engaging in digitization projects to adopt Section 508 regulations to ensure that they are creating versions of materials that are accessible to persons using screen-reader or other assistive technologies; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That ALA forwards this resolution to other agencies and organizations that help libraries digitize their materials and design access software, such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and state library agencies, and to companies that work with libraries and other entities doing digitization projects.
Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In Washington, D.C.
Resources: