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September 3, 2008

News

Demand for Library Computers Rising
Findings of the American Library Association’s report, “Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2007–2008,” show that while Internet access is increasing in public libraries, the demand still outpaces the supply of net-connected workstations and bandwidth. A second report, “Florida Libraries and E-Government,” reinforces the ALA study, focusing on the increased role of libraries and librarians in providing connections to online-only government services. » » »

SirsiDynix Debuts Symphony e-Library
Symphony 3.2.1 ILS users can now enjoy a new e-Library OPAC, a successor to SirsiDynix’s iBistro. The revamped product mirrors the user interface of the company’s recently debuted Enterprise faceted search product, and also includes improvements like an updated “My Account” feature, with “a new intuitive interface to engage patrons as they view holds, renew materials, check for library alerts, and complete other interactions.” » » »


Darien Library Launches Its Own Social Catalog
To pump up its web presence, the Darien Library is now offering SOPAC 2.0, a new open source social catalog created by staffer John Blyberg, which not only features faceted browsing, tag clouds, and total integration of patron-added content like ratings, comments, and reviews but is tailored to be a repository of community data from many libraries. » » »

Editorial: Knee-Jerk Values
Berry finds that librarianship’s gut reaction to protect patron’s privacy when the cops or the feds come calling is a standard that needs to be upheld, and those who protect the public at their own peril from prying eyes are the champions of the profession’s ideals. » » »

Blogs


In the Bookroom by Michael Rogers
“Watchmen” in Trouble
For Fanboys this has been the greatest movie-going summer since 1981 when The Empire ... Read On »


Tennant: Digital Libraries by Roy Tennant
Bloggers and Coders
This may or may not be obvious to everyone, but there are at least two distinct... Read On »


LJ Insider by Norman Oder
What Do We Know About Sarah Palin and the Wasilla Library? Not Much
John McCain's surprise choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on ... Read On »


E-Views by Cheryl LaGuardia
North American Women's Letters and Diaries -- Try It Here For Free!
When I asked for trial access to one of their products, Alexander Street Press... Read On »

Wyatt's World

Poetry To Close a Season

  • "Embers" in Blackbird and Wolf: Poems by Henri Cole (Farrar)
  • "The End of Summer" in Halfway Down the Hall: New and Selected Poems by Rachel Hadas (Wesleyan)
  • "Three Songs at the End of Summer" in Otherwise: New & Selected Poems by Jane Kenyon (Graywolf)
  • "End of Summer" in The Collected Poems by Stanley Kunitz (Norton)
  • "End of Summer" by James Richardson, online in The New Yorker

    For more on Collection Development, click here

    Review

    Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments

    color & b/w. 65 min. Edgar B. Howard & Tom Piper, Checkerboard Films, Checkerboard Film Fdn., www.checkerboardfilms.org. 2007. DVD $45; public performance $150. art-general

    Kelly is regarded as one of the most important of U.S. abstract painters, sculptors, and printmakers working today. The film explores the complexity of his work, beginning with black-and-white photographs from his time serving in the Ghost Army of artists and designers during World War II through the present day. The filmmakers follow him on a return trip to Paris, where he lived and worked after the war, showcasing the places that inspired him with gorgeous photography. » » »

    —Susan C. Awe, Univ. of New Mexico Lib., Albuquerque

    Xpress Reviews

    First Look at New Books
    Adam Davies’s Mine All Mine, Charles J. Chaput’s Render Unto Caesar: Catholic Witness and American Public Life, and Nuala Gardner’s A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World, and 16 other reviews just in for the fall season! » » »

    Highlights

    Editor’s Fall Picks
    LJ’s book review editors make their choices for this fall’s hot fiction and nonfiction titles coming from a selection of major houses. Titles run the gamut from Nadeem Aslam’s novel The Wasted Vigil to Polly Young-Eisendrath’s parenting guideThe Self-Esteem Trap to Moira Hodson’s cooking memoir It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, plus the audio of Thoreau’s Autumnal Hints. » » »

    The Breast Cancer Life
    October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and LJ’s Managing Editor Bette-Lee Fox gathers 15 new titles including straight health guides from the medical community to more personal reflections from survivors. » » »

    How Do You Manage: Check Your References
    What do you do when an exemplary new hire’s résumé contains some misinformation? Should they immediately be fired, reprimanded, or is their sterling work record enough to warrant forgiveness? » » »

    Online Databases: Dialog Finds a New Home
    Dialog’s quick purchase by ProQuest came as a surprise to many in the industry, but Carol Tenopir says it actually is a good fit: its new parent is better situated to grow the service, and there are many untapped opportunities for PQ and Dialog to help expand each others’ offerings. » » »

    The Boys of Autumn: Eight New Football Books
    Baseball gets all the love in print but it’s not the only game in town. Librarian John Maxymuk tackles the gridiron with previews of eight forthcoming football titles ranging from histories to biographies to statistics. » » »

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    LJ Alerts

    Best Small Library Nominations
    Follow libraries like Chelsea District Library, MI, and Grand County Library, Moab, UT, 2008 and 2007 winners respectively of the Best Small Library in America award, presented by Library Journal and cosponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Now in its fifth year, the award showcases the work of libraries with populations under 25,000. The winning library receives a $15,000 cash prize, a feature in LJ, conference costs for two library representatives at the 2010 Public Library Association conference, and a gala celebration. Two finalists will also receive conference costs for two at the PLA conference. Deadline for submissions is November 3, 2008.

    Best Sellers

    Fiction
    7. You've Been Warned James Patterson and Howard Roughan
    8. Playing for Pizza John Grisham
    9. The Choice Nicholas Sparks

    View All

    Nonfiction
    7. In Defense of Food Michael Pollan
    8. The Secret Rhonda Byrne
    9. The Last Lecture Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

    View All

    Job of the Week

    Dir. of the Div. of Libraries, Archives & Museums
    This position also holds the title of ALASKA STATE LIBRARIAN. A major responsibility in the next five years will be to lead the planning and design for a new State Library, Archives and Museums facility in Juneau. Travel is required. This is a partially exempt position, Range 27A, beginning at $7,508/month. View More
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