Newsletter 2671 Issue 267120092171336

News

Editorial: Better Than Hennen
Since Hennen’s ratings of American public libraries have been the critiqued for years, we thought we could do better—and we called on two researchers who have taken on the Hennen rankings. Introducing “America’s Star Libraries,” LJ’s new ranking system (see below), which focuses on public library service indicators. » » »

America’s Star Libraries
LJ’s Index of Public Library Service evaluates more than 7000 libraries using four reliable statistics to determine the only performance that really matters: what you deliver to your users. Find where your library ranks and check out the Models You Can Use, where five-star libraries share their strategies for success. » » »

Fed Stimulus Bill: What’s in It for Libraries
The government’s stimulus bill includes provisions directly for libraries, but ALA says advocacy is still paramount to ensure that state officials actually invest the funds in your institutions. » » »

Massive Budget Cut Could Be Disastrous for Pennsylvania’s Bureau of State Library
The library budget would drop from $4.8 million to $2.4 million for the fiscal year starting July 1, and hearings on appropriations will be scheduled over the next several weeks. » » »

Blogs

Wyatt's World

Poetry for Black History Month

For more on Collection Development, click here

Review

The Dashiell Hammett Tour: Thirteenth Anniversary Guidebook.
Herron, Don.

 Emery Books. Mar. 2009. c. 214p. illus. maps. bibliog. index.$19.95. TRAVEL

It’s lucky 13 for Hammett fans as Don Herron updates his original volume with a new preface by Hammett’s daughter Jo and an intro by best-selling mystery writer Charles Willeford. More than just a book of maps (although there are eight) this offers a Hammett biography, a timeline of his San Francisco residences, 60 photos and illustrations, walking and driving maps, details on 40 sites connected to the author and his works, an annotated bibliography, and an index. Quite a thorough and fun package. With Joe Gores’s Spade & Archer hitting shelves, there should be additional interest in Hammett and The Maltese Falcon. For fans, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a copy of Herron’s Dashiell Hammett Tour. Recommended.—Mike Rogers, LJX/LJ

Xpress Reviews

Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books
Karen Harper's Mistress Shakespeare, William Van Meter's Bluegrass, Peter Welsh's Enough Already!, and other reviews just in! » » »

Highlights

Web Design Matters
A web site is a web site is a web site, right? Wrong!Brian Mathews says you need to think of your library homepage as “an ongoing personal experience and not just a URL” and offers ten essentials for a top-shelf homepage. » » »

Play Ball!
Spring training is in full swing and the ’09 baseball season is near. Cover all the bases with these 15 titles including biography, memoir, and the game and its history. Plus get a bonus of web exclusive extras. » » »

Oscar Fever Heats Up
Part II of our roundup of Oscar-nominated documentaries has an international flair ranging from Antarctica to Laos to good old Brooklyn, NY. » » »

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