Lessons From Ohio | LJ Feature Story
Over the last 20 years or so, if the success of an Ohio public library initiative was mentioned at a national library conference, it was not uncommon to hear a groan or witness a roll of the eyes from non-Ohioans. Occasionally, a quick often dismissive...
Opportunity Knocks | Editorial
Opportunity. That was one of the watchwords at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego early last month. We heard it at the Urban Libraries Council program on broadband and at OCLC’s 2010 update to the Perceptions of Libr...
Ain't No Sunshine: Promoting Open Government | Peer to Peer Review
Go back to the Academic Newswirefor more storiesI knew when I browsed the ALA program that one of the speakers I wanted to be sure to hear was Tom Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, a trove of official documents liberated thanks to the Fr...
Petitioner Loses Case To Solicit at Leased Library Branch
Petitioner allowed at nonleased branchesLoses small claims court case, pursues legal actionPetitions ACLU of Arizona to take caseRetired librarian Michelle Graye has spent the last six months gathering signatures for the Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiativ...
Faced withToo LittleBandwidth, Some LibrariesLimit Streaming Media, Porn
Most libraries have inadequate connection speedsSites like MySpace can hog networkNeed for more capacity planningNearly 60 percent of public libraries report inadequate Internet connection speeds to meet patron demand, according to the American Library As...
Federal Broadband PushPoses Major Opportunities for Libraries; ALA Says Local Efforts Still Needed
$9 billion in stimulus funds under debate$200 million for public computer centers, including librariesALA says overall package would have major impactQuestions about whether money is too little, or targeted wronglyALA says sustainability will remain focus...
NewPush in Congress To Exempt Books from Lead-Ban Regulation
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) has introduced legislation that would exempt ordinary books from a regulation in the recently enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), which seeks to protectchildren from the dangers of lead. Implementa...
Senators Weaken Proposed Patriot Act Reforms
Substitute bill marked up ThursdaySection 215 has higher standard for library recordsALA seeks reform of procedures regarding NSLsWhile at a September 23 hearing Democratic Senators seemed to welcome adjustments in the USA PATRIOT Act, behind-the-scenes n...
Topeka Board Agrees To Keep Sex-Related Books on the Shelves
Vote apparently aimed to avoid lawsuitLibrary will post new noticesBoard member says books are not kids' magnetApparently aiming to avoid a lawsuit over its February decisionto restrict minors' access to four sex-related books books, the board of the Tope...
After 18 Months, San Jose Council Says No to Internet Filters
Issue comes down to costNewspaper editorializes against filtersPlan would have been similar to CIPAThough much of an 18-month debate over Internet filters at the San Jose Public Library, CA, concerned the appropriateness and effectiveness of filtering, th...