Here is an opportunity to become an activitst for libraries. Let your congressperson know that you care about their support of our libraries and communities.
Registration for National Library Legislative Day Has Begun!
Registration is now open for National Library Legislative Day 2008! Come to Washington, DC, and join hundreds of library supporters from across the country visiting Members of Congress. Share stories about libraries in your community and tell your Congressmen and women about the needs and accomplishments of those libraries.
For more information on registration and accommodations, please visit http://www.ala.org/nlld.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Facebook the Frontier
I stumbled on this great site and want to pass it on. I think Facebook
is an exciting tool for use in libraries. For teens, e-mail is the "old
technology". Here is some more information from an interesting
website:http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/2007/04/some_resources_.html
The Bamboo Project: educate, advocate, innovate, collaborate!
is an exciting tool for use in libraries. For teens, e-mail is the "old
technology". Here is some more information from an interesting
website:http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/2007/04/some_resources_.html
The Bamboo Project: educate, advocate, innovate, collaborate!
Teens Need Libraries
The National Endowment for the Arts has issued a call to action. A call that the American Library Association intends to take stated ALA president, Loriene Roy.
According to the NEA's literacy study just released called "To Read or Not to Read" : A Question of National Consequence, reading for pleasure has declined for teens and adults. Resulting in lower standardized test scores and poor comprehension skills.
The Public Library Association published a statistical report which stated that only half of U.S. libraries have a librarian dedicated full time to young adult services. Even though, teens who have access to libraries are using them more than ever (30% use libraries more than 10 times a year while, 71% reported use of a library once a month). Young Adult Services Association (YALSA) stated that teens need a teen services librarian who can give the teen the right book at the right time.
The NEA also found that most American adults do not read even one book a year. Good reading habits must be modeled by adults by providing materials, time to read and trips to the library.
As well as vote for legislation to fund and support libraries.
According to the NEA's literacy study just released called "To Read or Not to Read" : A Question of National Consequence, reading for pleasure has declined for teens and adults. Resulting in lower standardized test scores and poor comprehension skills.
The Public Library Association published a statistical report which stated that only half of U.S. libraries have a librarian dedicated full time to young adult services. Even though, teens who have access to libraries are using them more than ever (30% use libraries more than 10 times a year while, 71% reported use of a library once a month). Young Adult Services Association (YALSA) stated that teens need a teen services librarian who can give the teen the right book at the right time.
The NEA also found that most American adults do not read even one book a year. Good reading habits must be modeled by adults by providing materials, time to read and trips to the library.
As well as vote for legislation to fund and support libraries.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
LOVE OF READING-LOST?
Here is an article from Education Week regarding a study of reading habits by today's youth. The study was conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is alarming. Reading habits are often formed from an early age. With so much competition for the attention of children and teens (T.V., Internet, video games, music, ipods, sports, etc.) leisure reading may be a low priority. As librarians, we often think and plan reading programs for children and teens, but, how can we have the far reaching effects of T.V. the Internet-etc.? Maybe, we use these to promote reading-What do you think?
Published Online: November 19, 2007
Young People Seen Losing Love of Reading
By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
American youths are reading less in their free time than a generation ago, a statistic that bodes poorly for their academic performance, job prospects, civic participation, and even social well-being, a report by the National Endowment for the Arts says.
Increasing use of electronic media is largely to blame for a decline in pleasure reading among young people, says the report, released today. But the failure of schools to instill a love of reading is also a contributing factor, according to endowment Chairman Dana Gioia.
“The study shows that reading is endangered at the moment in the United States, especially among younger Americans … and not merely the frequency of reading, but the ability to read as well,” Mr. Gioia said in a telephone conference call with reporters before the report’s release. The emphasis in many schools on bolstering reading skills and preparing students for tests, he added, is insufficient for nurturing an appreciation of reading.
“This functional approach to reading,” he said, “is not adequate to instill a lifelong love of the subject.”
The report, “To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence,” analyzes data from surveys—including the endowment’s 2004 survey on literary reading—as well as national assessments, independent reports, and other federal statistics. It synthesizes information on the nation’s teenagers and adults ages 18 to 24.
The report draws “three unsettling conclusions,” stating: “Americans are spending less time reading”; “reading-comprehension skills are eroding”; and the “declines have serious civic, social, cultural, and economic implications.”
A Successful Habit
Fewer than one-fourth of 17-year-olds, for example, read almost every day for fun, and young people 15 to 24 read 10 minutes or less a day, on average, according to various federal statistics. During their voluntary reading time—time spent reading texts not required for school or work—middle and high school students regularly watch television, listen to music, or use other media.
The report notes that those shifts in voluntary reading have occurred at a time when scores on national assessments have remained flat and large proportions of secondary students have failed to demonstrate proficiency in the subject.
Reading appears to have a significant correlation with success in school and the workplace, the report says.
“People who read outside of school or work volunteer at twice the rate of those who don’t, they are three times more likely to participate in the arts, they earn higher wages, they are twice as likely to exercise, they vote at one and a half times the level of people who don’t read,” Mr. Gioia said. “Among people who read, there is not merely a cultural transformation going on,” he said, “the habit of reading does seem to awaken something in the individual.”
The findings repeat those found in the earlier survey by the endowment, which looked primarily at how frequently young people read literature, but the new report adds data on other genres.
Even so, some observers say the study leaves an incomplete picture, because it does not consider the kind of reading young people are asked to do in high school and college.
Will Fitzhugh, the founder and president of the Concord Review, a scholarly journal that publishes exemplary history-research papers by high school students, has been promoting the need to assign more nonfiction reading to middle and high school students, particularly history texts. He has found little support among foundations or government agencies for launching a study of nonfiction reading among high school students. Such reading is an indicator, he believes, of how well they are prepared to do college-level work.
The endowment’s report “still leaves open the big question of what kind of reading is assigned in school and college,” and whether it is adequate for challenging kids intellectually, Mr. Fitzhugh said. “The consequences for employment and adult reading habits are at least as much the result of the [required] reading done in high school and college as pleasure reading, but that’s what’s left out.”
Vol. 27
Back to Top
November 20, 2007 Receive RSS
Most Viewed Stories
1. 2007 NCLB Prospects Are Fading
2. Top-Achieving Nations Beat U.S. States in Math and Science
3. No Easy Answers About NCLB’s Effect on ‘Poverty Gap’
4. Commentary: Accountability Tests’ Instructional Insensitivity: The Time Bomb Ticketh
5. Ed. Dept. Web Site Seeks to Link Research, Practice
Related Stories
“Commentary: Technology Can Transform Schools,” May 2, 2007.
“Dark Themes in Books Get Students Reading,” March 30, 2007.
“Studies Connect Behavior, Reading,” February 22, 2006.
For more stories on this topic see Reading.
Published Online: November 19, 2007
Young People Seen Losing Love of Reading
By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
American youths are reading less in their free time than a generation ago, a statistic that bodes poorly for their academic performance, job prospects, civic participation, and even social well-being, a report by the National Endowment for the Arts says.
Increasing use of electronic media is largely to blame for a decline in pleasure reading among young people, says the report, released today. But the failure of schools to instill a love of reading is also a contributing factor, according to endowment Chairman Dana Gioia.
“The study shows that reading is endangered at the moment in the United States, especially among younger Americans … and not merely the frequency of reading, but the ability to read as well,” Mr. Gioia said in a telephone conference call with reporters before the report’s release. The emphasis in many schools on bolstering reading skills and preparing students for tests, he added, is insufficient for nurturing an appreciation of reading.
“This functional approach to reading,” he said, “is not adequate to instill a lifelong love of the subject.”
The report, “To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence,” analyzes data from surveys—including the endowment’s 2004 survey on literary reading—as well as national assessments, independent reports, and other federal statistics. It synthesizes information on the nation’s teenagers and adults ages 18 to 24.
The report draws “three unsettling conclusions,” stating: “Americans are spending less time reading”; “reading-comprehension skills are eroding”; and the “declines have serious civic, social, cultural, and economic implications.”
A Successful Habit
Fewer than one-fourth of 17-year-olds, for example, read almost every day for fun, and young people 15 to 24 read 10 minutes or less a day, on average, according to various federal statistics. During their voluntary reading time—time spent reading texts not required for school or work—middle and high school students regularly watch television, listen to music, or use other media.
The report notes that those shifts in voluntary reading have occurred at a time when scores on national assessments have remained flat and large proportions of secondary students have failed to demonstrate proficiency in the subject.
Reading appears to have a significant correlation with success in school and the workplace, the report says.
“People who read outside of school or work volunteer at twice the rate of those who don’t, they are three times more likely to participate in the arts, they earn higher wages, they are twice as likely to exercise, they vote at one and a half times the level of people who don’t read,” Mr. Gioia said. “Among people who read, there is not merely a cultural transformation going on,” he said, “the habit of reading does seem to awaken something in the individual.”
The findings repeat those found in the earlier survey by the endowment, which looked primarily at how frequently young people read literature, but the new report adds data on other genres.
Even so, some observers say the study leaves an incomplete picture, because it does not consider the kind of reading young people are asked to do in high school and college.
Will Fitzhugh, the founder and president of the Concord Review, a scholarly journal that publishes exemplary history-research papers by high school students, has been promoting the need to assign more nonfiction reading to middle and high school students, particularly history texts. He has found little support among foundations or government agencies for launching a study of nonfiction reading among high school students. Such reading is an indicator, he believes, of how well they are prepared to do college-level work.
The endowment’s report “still leaves open the big question of what kind of reading is assigned in school and college,” and whether it is adequate for challenging kids intellectually, Mr. Fitzhugh said. “The consequences for employment and adult reading habits are at least as much the result of the [required] reading done in high school and college as pleasure reading, but that’s what’s left out.”
Vol. 27
Back to Top
November 20, 2007 Receive RSS
Most Viewed Stories
1. 2007 NCLB Prospects Are Fading
2. Top-Achieving Nations Beat U.S. States in Math and Science
3. No Easy Answers About NCLB’s Effect on ‘Poverty Gap’
4. Commentary: Accountability Tests’ Instructional Insensitivity: The Time Bomb Ticketh
5. Ed. Dept. Web Site Seeks to Link Research, Practice
Related Stories
“Commentary: Technology Can Transform Schools,” May 2, 2007.
“Dark Themes in Books Get Students Reading,” March 30, 2007.
“Studies Connect Behavior, Reading,” February 22, 2006.
For more stories on this topic see Reading.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
California Fires Pose Threat To Libraries
The recent fires in California posed a significant threat to libraries.
The October 2007 fires in southern California burned hundreds of thousands of acres and destroyed thousands of buildings, and libraries were among those threatened. Helen Fried of the Orange County Public Library and Margaret Todd of the County of Los Angeles Public Library spoke to AL Focus on October 26, as the fires were still raging. They stated that libraries were being used by the fire departments as a base of communication and that library staffs were standing by for assistance. Three libraries were closed during the fires. The Malibu library came very close to burning but survived. Margaret Todd stated that she was so impressed with the level of dedication of library staffs in all areas and their willingness to go out in bookmobiles and provide services even with the threat of danger.
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The October 2007 fires in southern California burned hundreds of thousands of acres and destroyed thousands of buildings, and libraries were among those threatened. Helen Fried of the Orange County Public Library and Margaret Todd of the County of Los Angeles Public Library spoke to AL Focus on October 26, as the fires were still raging. They stated that libraries were being used by the fire departments as a base of communication and that library staffs were standing by for assistance. Three libraries were closed during the fires. The Malibu library came very close to burning but survived. Margaret Todd stated that she was so impressed with the level of dedication of library staffs in all areas and their willingness to go out in bookmobiles and provide services even with the threat of danger.
-->
Trackback URL for this post:
http://alfocus.ala.org/trackback/63
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
ALA President-elect requests Library of Congress to Maintain Public Service
On October 24, ALA President-elect Jim Retig testified before the U.S. House of Representatives' House Administration Committee at an oversight hearing pertaining to the services of the Library of Congress.
Retig stated that “The diminution of the quality and quantity of Library of Congress cataloging has had an enormous financial impact on the nation's libraries,” Rettig stateds. “Cataloging that the Library previously provided must now be performed by multiple libraries, often doing duplicative work, thereby wasting tax dollars.”
The Library of Congress' communication efforts are a theme that ran through each aspect of Rettig's testimony. Rettig also expressed concerns about the need for more funding for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), which serves more than 750,000 people, and surely more in the near future, as the baby boomer generation ages.
“ALA strongly recommends that the Library of Congress return to its former practice of broad and meaningful consultation prior to making significant changes to cataloging policy.”
For more on the testimony:
Jim Rettig Library of Congress Testimony -- October 24, 2007 (PDF)
"ALA President-elect Jim Rettig calls for Library of Congress to maintain its service to the public." American Library Association. 2007.http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/rettigtest102407.htm (Accessed 31 Oct, 2007)
Retig stated that “The diminution of the quality and quantity of Library of Congress cataloging has had an enormous financial impact on the nation's libraries,” Rettig stateds. “Cataloging that the Library previously provided must now be performed by multiple libraries, often doing duplicative work, thereby wasting tax dollars.”
The Library of Congress' communication efforts are a theme that ran through each aspect of Rettig's testimony. Rettig also expressed concerns about the need for more funding for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), which serves more than 750,000 people, and surely more in the near future, as the baby boomer generation ages.
“ALA strongly recommends that the Library of Congress return to its former practice of broad and meaningful consultation prior to making significant changes to cataloging policy.”
For more on the testimony:
Jim Rettig Library of Congress Testimony -- October 24, 2007 (PDF)
"ALA President-elect Jim Rettig calls for Library of Congress to maintain its service to the public." American Library Association. 2007.http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/rettigtest102407.htm (Accessed 31 Oct, 2007)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
New Orleans Library Recover Still Underway
It has been a while since ALA held the annual conference in New Orleans. It was evident that Katrina had devastated the libraries of the Gulf Coast. That rebuilding effort has continued. The 9th Ward, the area hit the hardest by the hurricane has triumphed over adversity with the opening of their library. This story was reported by the Associated Press in the Times Picayune Newspaper (http://www.timespicayune.com). Think about making donations or finding ways to help with this continued effort.
Library branch opens in hard-hit 9th Ward
10/6/2007, 2:34 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It's being called a beacon of hope for recovery in the Lower 9th Ward.
On Friday, the Martin Luther King Jr. branch library was officially reopened more than two years after it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.
"This is the place where you can touch the rest of the world," Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu told students of Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology who attended the event.
Library branch opens in hard-hit 9th Ward
10/6/2007, 2:34 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It's being called a beacon of hope for recovery in the Lower 9th Ward.
On Friday, the Martin Luther King Jr. branch library was officially reopened more than two years after it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.
"This is the place where you can touch the rest of the world," Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu told students of Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology who attended the event.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
ALA applauds Senate SNL Reform Bill
Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH) introduced the National Security Letter Reform Act of 2007. This legislation takes a stand against one of the more invasive measures of the US Patriot Act.
The bill comes in response to the abuses of NSL by the FBI last spring. Libraries are particularly vulnerable to the demand for records due to the access they provide to internet access for their patrons.
ALA supports and urges reforms to the National Security Letters according to Loriene Roy, president of ALA and stated that "Law enforcement is extremely important but, those efforts must be balanced against Americans' rights to privacy, in our case their library and internet usage records.
"ALA Applauds Senate NSL Reform Bill." American Library Association. 2007.http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/september2007/nslreformact2007.htm (Accessed 07 Oct, 2007)
The bill comes in response to the abuses of NSL by the FBI last spring. Libraries are particularly vulnerable to the demand for records due to the access they provide to internet access for their patrons.
ALA supports and urges reforms to the National Security Letters according to Loriene Roy, president of ALA and stated that "Law enforcement is extremely important but, those efforts must be balanced against Americans' rights to privacy, in our case their library and internet usage records.
"ALA Applauds Senate NSL Reform Bill." American Library Association. 2007.http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/september2007/nslreformact2007.htm (Accessed 07 Oct, 2007)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
SecondLife: Virtual World Celebrates Banned Books
ALA celebrates Banned Books Week in virtual world
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is pleased to announce Banned Books Week activities for librarians and the general public in virtual worlds Second Life, Teen Second Life and on social networking sites MySpace and Facebook. ALA is working with other library partners to provide an interactive experience centered on Banned Books Week, September 29-October 6, 2007, to help librarians and others to feel comfortable in social networking spaces and to reach out to new audiences. Partners include Alliance Library System, Alliance Second Life Library, TAP Information Services and the new ALA membership group Virtual Communities and Libraries.
“Since 1982, Banned Books Week has been an opportunity for Americans to learn more about how censorship still occurs, explore a wide range of ideas and authors and celebrate our freedom to read,” said OIF Director Judith Krug. “Online communities present an ideal opportunity to reach out to new audiences and expand our programming.”
“We are thrilled to work with ALA on this exciting project,” stated Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System. “It is important to get the word out about censorship and the impact banning books has on democracy and access to information.” Second Life/Teen Second Life:To tie in with this year’s theme of “Aye, mateys…celebrate your freedom t' read!,” ALA has created a “Pirate Paradise” in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world complete with pirate ship and a wharf with interactive displays on banned books. ALA Banned Books Week graphics will be used to create virtual posters, displays and T-shirts that can be worn by Second Life avatars. The Topeka and Shawnee County (Kan.) Public Library has loaned a virtual display on banned books they created for their National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Big Read initiative. All ALA Second Life activities will take place on ALA Arts InfoIsland.
On September 29, ALA will host a kickoff event in Second Life: a pirate's party with the theme “Arrgh Mateys—Celebrate Your Freedom t’ Read!” Later in the week there will be fireworks displays, book discussions and other intellectual freedom educational programs.
Throughout the week, visitors will have access to a professional welcome center, a listening station for podcasts, and an interactive classroom on one of the most frequently challenged books, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” An updated calendar of SL and real world BBW activities can be found at various SL kiosks and at www.ala.org/bbooks.
Second Life Programs scheduled to date are listed as follows (note: all times are in “SL” time, which corresponds to Pacific Daylight Time). Dates and times are subject to change:
September 29, 6–9 p.m.: Kickoff Pirate Party, “Aye, Mateys - Celebrate Your Freedom t' Read!” featuring a pirate ship, music, dancing, displays, fun and free banned books and posters
September 30, 7 p.m.: Fireworks
October 1, 5 p.m.: Book Discussion, “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck, moderated by Tom Peters of TAP Information Services (Second Life name Maxito Ricardo)
October 2, Noon: Fireworks
October 2, 5 p.m.: Book Discussion, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou, moderated by Tom Peters
October 3, Noon: Intellectual Freedom Program, “Frequently Challenged Books,” moderated by OIF Deputy Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone (Second Life name Pachelbel Dagostino)
October 4, 5 p.m.: Intellectual Freedom Program, "Challenges and Customer Service Opportunities," presented by Rose Chenoweth, Alliance Library System (Second Life name Enya Theas).
On Teen Second Life, there will be an underwater pirate ship/banned books display on Eye4You Alliance during all of Banned Books Week. On October 5, from 4–8 p.m. (Second Life/Pacific Time), there will be a “Dress as Your Favorite Banned Book Character” party also on Eye4You Alliance.Social Networking SitesALA has set up a Facebook group for librarians and the public who want to share ideas, experiences, events and banned book recommendations. The name of the group is “Celebrate Your Freedom to Read! Banned Books Week 2007.” Beginning September 24, members of the “Celebrate Your Freedom to Read” Facebook group will receive a Banned Books “Challenging Fact of the Day.” All are welcome to join the group (search for Banned Books Week 2007).
ALA also has a MySpace page for Banned Books Week. The page features a blog about BBW activities, music, videos, photos from BBW events and more. The page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/bannedbooksweek.Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) is a 3-D virtual world with over nine million residents. Over 200 colleges and universities are investigating Second Life as a distance learning tool and there are over 700 librarians in Second Life working collaboratively to test library services in a virtual environment. You must download Second Life software and sign up for an account to participate in Second Life; basic accounts are free.
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) is a social networking tool that connects people by interest, location and more. Members can share news about themselves and others, favorite books, pictures, movies and to meet other people who live and work around them.
MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/) is a social networking site offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos.
For information on ALA Banned Books Week, contact Nanette Perez at nperez@ala.org. For more information on Second Life events, contact Lori Bell at lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com, in Second Life as Lorelei Junot or Tom Peters at tapinformation@yahoo.com or in Second Life as Maxito Ricardo. For more information on Teen Second Life please contact Kelly Czarnecki at kczarnecki@plcmc.org. Eye4You Alliance sponsored by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is pleased to announce Banned Books Week activities for librarians and the general public in virtual worlds Second Life, Teen Second Life and on social networking sites MySpace and Facebook. ALA is working with other library partners to provide an interactive experience centered on Banned Books Week, September 29-October 6, 2007, to help librarians and others to feel comfortable in social networking spaces and to reach out to new audiences. Partners include Alliance Library System, Alliance Second Life Library, TAP Information Services and the new ALA membership group Virtual Communities and Libraries.
“Since 1982, Banned Books Week has been an opportunity for Americans to learn more about how censorship still occurs, explore a wide range of ideas and authors and celebrate our freedom to read,” said OIF Director Judith Krug. “Online communities present an ideal opportunity to reach out to new audiences and expand our programming.”
“We are thrilled to work with ALA on this exciting project,” stated Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System. “It is important to get the word out about censorship and the impact banning books has on democracy and access to information.” Second Life/Teen Second Life:To tie in with this year’s theme of “Aye, mateys…celebrate your freedom t' read!,” ALA has created a “Pirate Paradise” in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world complete with pirate ship and a wharf with interactive displays on banned books. ALA Banned Books Week graphics will be used to create virtual posters, displays and T-shirts that can be worn by Second Life avatars. The Topeka and Shawnee County (Kan.) Public Library has loaned a virtual display on banned books they created for their National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Big Read initiative. All ALA Second Life activities will take place on ALA Arts InfoIsland.
On September 29, ALA will host a kickoff event in Second Life: a pirate's party with the theme “Arrgh Mateys—Celebrate Your Freedom t’ Read!” Later in the week there will be fireworks displays, book discussions and other intellectual freedom educational programs.
Throughout the week, visitors will have access to a professional welcome center, a listening station for podcasts, and an interactive classroom on one of the most frequently challenged books, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” An updated calendar of SL and real world BBW activities can be found at various SL kiosks and at www.ala.org/bbooks.
Second Life Programs scheduled to date are listed as follows (note: all times are in “SL” time, which corresponds to Pacific Daylight Time). Dates and times are subject to change:
September 29, 6–9 p.m.: Kickoff Pirate Party, “Aye, Mateys - Celebrate Your Freedom t' Read!” featuring a pirate ship, music, dancing, displays, fun and free banned books and posters
September 30, 7 p.m.: Fireworks
October 1, 5 p.m.: Book Discussion, “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck, moderated by Tom Peters of TAP Information Services (Second Life name Maxito Ricardo)
October 2, Noon: Fireworks
October 2, 5 p.m.: Book Discussion, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou, moderated by Tom Peters
October 3, Noon: Intellectual Freedom Program, “Frequently Challenged Books,” moderated by OIF Deputy Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone (Second Life name Pachelbel Dagostino)
October 4, 5 p.m.: Intellectual Freedom Program, "Challenges and Customer Service Opportunities," presented by Rose Chenoweth, Alliance Library System (Second Life name Enya Theas).
On Teen Second Life, there will be an underwater pirate ship/banned books display on Eye4You Alliance during all of Banned Books Week. On October 5, from 4–8 p.m. (Second Life/Pacific Time), there will be a “Dress as Your Favorite Banned Book Character” party also on Eye4You Alliance.Social Networking SitesALA has set up a Facebook group for librarians and the public who want to share ideas, experiences, events and banned book recommendations. The name of the group is “Celebrate Your Freedom to Read! Banned Books Week 2007.” Beginning September 24, members of the “Celebrate Your Freedom to Read” Facebook group will receive a Banned Books “Challenging Fact of the Day.” All are welcome to join the group (search for Banned Books Week 2007).
ALA also has a MySpace page for Banned Books Week. The page features a blog about BBW activities, music, videos, photos from BBW events and more. The page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/bannedbooksweek.Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) is a 3-D virtual world with over nine million residents. Over 200 colleges and universities are investigating Second Life as a distance learning tool and there are over 700 librarians in Second Life working collaboratively to test library services in a virtual environment. You must download Second Life software and sign up for an account to participate in Second Life; basic accounts are free.
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) is a social networking tool that connects people by interest, location and more. Members can share news about themselves and others, favorite books, pictures, movies and to meet other people who live and work around them.
MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/) is a social networking site offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos.
For information on ALA Banned Books Week, contact Nanette Perez at nperez@ala.org. For more information on Second Life events, contact Lori Bell at lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com, in Second Life as Lorelei Junot or Tom Peters at tapinformation@yahoo.com or in Second Life as Maxito Ricardo. For more information on Teen Second Life please contact Kelly Czarnecki at kczarnecki@plcmc.org. Eye4You Alliance sponsored by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Concerned about the "Right to Read"
One issue that I think is particularly important for librarians to maintain and ensure for their patrons is the "Right to Read." During our reading recently, I saw this article and wanted to post it to my blog. It came from (Radreffies' blogs)U.S. Airport Screeners Are Watching What You Read
Free Government Information - Sat, 09/22/2007 - 12:35pm
The "right to read" is essential in a democracy and is abridged when citizens can get "authentic" government information only from government-controlledcomputers.
Stories such as the following two make us even more concerned about privacy and the right to read because they show the lengths to which the government will go when it has any access to information about the reading habits of citizens.
It is particularly revealing that these articles show that the government defends its right to do this by saying that some materials are acceptable and some are not. A DHS spokesman says, "We are completely uninterested in the latest Tom Clancy novel that the traveler may be reading" but the book "Drugs and Your Rights" fell into the category of an item that "leads the inspection officer to conclude there could be a possible violation of the law."
This is precisely the problem. Under these conditions, citizens may fear reading things that they think a low level bureaucrat might find suspicious -- and thus the right to read is abridged.
U.S. Airport Screeners Are Watching What You Read, by Ryan Singel, WIRED (09.20.07)
Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented; U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Knownm by Ellen Nakashima Washington Post (September 22, 2007) y blog. So, here it is:
Free Government Information - Sat, 09/22/2007 - 12:35pm
The "right to read" is essential in a democracy and is abridged when citizens can get "authentic" government information only from government-controlledcomputers.
Stories such as the following two make us even more concerned about privacy and the right to read because they show the lengths to which the government will go when it has any access to information about the reading habits of citizens.
It is particularly revealing that these articles show that the government defends its right to do this by saying that some materials are acceptable and some are not. A DHS spokesman says, "We are completely uninterested in the latest Tom Clancy novel that the traveler may be reading" but the book "Drugs and Your Rights" fell into the category of an item that "leads the inspection officer to conclude there could be a possible violation of the law."
This is precisely the problem. Under these conditions, citizens may fear reading things that they think a low level bureaucrat might find suspicious -- and thus the right to read is abridged.
U.S. Airport Screeners Are Watching What You Read, by Ryan Singel, WIRED (09.20.07)
Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented; U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Knownm by Ellen Nakashima Washington Post (September 22, 2007) y blog. So, here it is:
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