Merritt Fund Video
Here’s a short video on the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, which aids librarians who need financial assistance for legal or other needs when facing the consequences of taking a … Read more Merritt Fund Video
Eugene Morel: Pioneer of Public Libraries in France
New from Litwin Books: This study is a critical account of the works of Eugène Morel (1869-1934), a French Librarian who, along the lines of such eminent public library pioneers … Read more Eugene Morel: Pioneer of Public Libraries in France
A question for Radical Reference
Over time, Radical Reference moved from being simply an experimental virtual reference service for political radicals to being an activist organization sharing the same space as PLG and SRRT, but … Read more A question for Radical Reference
Emanuel Haldeman-Julius and his Little Blue Books
From the current issue of The Believer, an article by Rolf Potts on Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, publisher of those 5-cent “Little Blue Books” that educated the masses in the 1920s: “The … Read more Emanuel Haldeman-Julius and his Little Blue Books
Some good listening
Wisconsin Public Radio’s To the Best of Our Knowledge has an hour-long program this week on libraries, books and reading. Interviewed are Maryanne Wolfe, author of “Proust and the Squid: … Read more Some good listening
Call for contributions: Celeste West Festschrift
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO A CELESTE WEST “FESTSCHRIFT” BOOK PROJECT Co-editors Toni Samek and KR Roberto are seeking articles, stories, poems, photographs, letters, thought pieces and other individual and collective … Read more Call for contributions: Celeste West Festschrift
Nancy Kranich on Sarah Palin, would-be censor
Former ALA President Nancy Kranich has an editorial in the current issue of The Nation magazine, titled, “What’s Daddy’s Roommate Doing in Wasilla?” Kranich is writing about Sarah Palin’s attempt … Read more Nancy Kranich on Sarah Palin, would-be censor
Publishing industry shrinking pains
New York magazine has an article in this week’s issue about the pain that the publishing industry is feeling these days, titled, “The End.” “The end” is not the end … Read more Publishing industry shrinking pains
Richard Cox reviews Lara Moore’s Restoring Order
Dr. Richard J. Cox, head of the archives track at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, has posted a review of Lara Jennifer Moore’s Restoring Order: … Read more Richard Cox reviews Lara Moore’s Restoring Order
Mother Jones article on Connecticut librarians’ defiance of the PATRIOT Act
Amy Goodman and David Goodman (of Democracy Now) have an article in the current Mother Jones magazine about the great Windsor, Connecticut librarians’ defiance of the FBI and the PATRIOT … Read more Mother Jones article on Connecticut librarians’ defiance of the PATRIOT Act
Whose space?
Puzzle Me, Puzzle You: “My Account” “Your Account” Which is it? The autonomous liberal subject wants to know. Whichever it is, it’s somebody’s account – mine, yours, Jacques Lacan Jr.’s, … Read more Whose space?
International InfoLit Logo
That’s the winning design in the IFLA/UNESCO design contest for an International Information Literacy Logo. The winning designer was Edgar Luy Perez, of Havana, Cuba. I like the logo, and … Read more International InfoLit Logo
About that Beloit List
This link is flying around the internet and being talked about on NPR: The Beloit List. It is a list of facts about the Millennial generation’s cultural situation that is … Read more About that Beloit List
Iraq sites not really looted?
I just noticed this month-old article from the Wall Street Journal: So much for the ‘looted sites’. It says that many sites of purported looting of antiquities in Southern Iraq … Read more Iraq sites not really looted?
Privacy and markets
Nanette Perez of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom sent out a link to this AOL study on web users’ behavior and statements regarding data privacy. The study finds, unsurprisingly, that … Read more Privacy and markets
Reference librarians are authority figures with no jurisdiction
We live in an era (no blame to Baby Boomers intended) when people in positions of authority are often uncomfortable being authority figures. With a keen memory of disliking authority … Read more Reference librarians are authority figures with no jurisdiction
Boomers and their vision of the students of today
We’re told: “The Millennial generation, with their ipods and facebook profiles, are resetting the agendas for libraries, and aging Boomers are struggling to adjust by creating environments that are attractive … Read more Boomers and their vision of the students of today
UN says British libel law violates human rights
I’ve always been appalled by British libel law as long as I’ve known about it. Basically it puts a strong onus on defendants to prove that what they have said … Read more UN says British libel law violates human rights
Library Notes – a library history blog
Melissa Adler has started a new blog on library history: Library Notes, named for Melvil Dewey’s original journal. It will include lots of postings of old articles and primary source … Read more Library Notes – a library history blog
ACTA – Policy laundering IP
Public Knowledge, the DC public interest group, has a very informative discussion of ACTA – the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. ACTA is an international trade agreement now being worked out behind … Read more ACTA – Policy laundering IP