Tuesday, June 18, 2002 OLOS Celebrates Diversity, Fair Hailed a Success by Glynis Wray Grau Librarians
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ala Issue IV CognotesAtlanta Tuesday—June 18, 2002 A Morning With Michael Moore By Michael Byrnes published and that the only copies in ex- with his book: New Jersey Institute of Technology istence were about to be recycled and Moore was on his Michael Moore attributes the publi- probably would come back as Rush own. cation of his latest best selling book Stu- Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly books. On the first day pid White Men: And Other Excuses for Moore read the first of chapters of his of its release, all the State of the Nation, to the efforts of a book to the group. “You’re probably the 50,000 copies were lone librarian. only people in America who will ever sold. The next day On September 10th, Harper Collins hear these words,” he said. He asked the it was the number printed the first 50,000 copies ready to people in the room that day not to go to one seller on be shipped. By the end of the following the press and make a fuss over it. It was amazon.com. By evening the publishing house decided it his battle and he was determined to fight the fifth day, the would be disastrous to distribute a book alone, away from the public eye. Some- book was in its containing an open later to President Bush where in the audience that day was Ann ninth printing. As asking him if he was ever a drunk, felon Sparanese, a librarian from Englewood, of today, it is in its or illiterate. New Jersey. She did not heed his warn- twenty-second “It wasn’t mean spirited,” says Moore, ing about going public. printing and is sell- “even I’m two out of those three.” Harper Like a cyberspace Paul Revere, ing faster than the Collins was in no hurry to publish a book Sparanese sent word to various email latest works from that surfed against the patriotic wave lists including SRRT and Library Juice, Grisham and sweeping across the country. “We’d like explaining Moore’s situation. She con- Clancy combined. you to rewrite fifty-percent of it,” they veyed this battle wasn’t just one man’s “It’s always one told Moore. They told him that “Florida struggle with a publishing house, but individual that cannot be called a coup,” and they re- was a battle to preserve free speech and sparks change; his- Michael Moore gives Englewood Public Library's Ann quested the chapter “Kill Whitey” to be to stop censorship. tory has proven this Sparanese a hug before delivering his speech. Moore credits reworded. When they asked Moore to Two days later Harper Collins phoned time and again,” Sparanese for saving his latest book from pulping. change the title, he suggested, “Bring Me Moore. “What did you tell the librar- Moore said in the Head of Antonia Scalia,” as an alter- ians?” they asked. “We’re getting hun- thanking Sparanese for completely ignor- an executive from United Artist to dis- native. They informed him that they dreds of letters a day from angry librar- ing his plea to keep his publishing cuss his most recent project, the Caans would reprint the first 50,000 copies for ians. Do you know how much business squabble hushed. award winning film Bowling for Colum- the low, low fee of $10,000. Moore was we do with these people?” He noted that the day Sparanese sent bine. Moore was informed that the larg- not about to cut one word from the book. Harper Collins eventually gave Stu- her letter to the email lists, was an im- est cinema chain in the country, Regal Tired of Moore’s resistance to censor pid White Men the green light but not portant day in American history, Decem- Cinemas, has banned this film from all himself, his editor called to tell him in before informing Mr. Moore “you are out ber 1st. On this day in 1955 a black seam- their screens. “Back in December, I told late that his book “was going to be of touch with the American people.” stress boarded a bus in Birmingham, Ala- that group in New Jersey that they were pulped.” They handed him the list of cities for the bama. When she was told to move to the probably going to be the only people to On December 1st Moore found him- book tour. There were only three listed: back of the bus, she remained in her seat. hear any part of my book. I hope that self giving a presentation in New Ridgewood, NJ Arlington, VA and Den- She had made her stand by sitting. Her you people are not the only ones who get Brunswick, New Jersey. He told the au- ver, CO. The message was clear to him, name is Rosa Parks. dience about the struggle to get his book Harper Collins wanted no association This past week Moore had lunch with Continued on Page 15 Librarians Rock with The Indigo Girls By Frederick J. Augustyn, Jr. librarian mother of Emily Saliers, the Library of Congress musical and business partner of Amy Ray. Hyatt Regency Centennial Ballroom ALA credits Mrs. Saliers as influential in hosted ALA’s 2002 Scholarship Bash bringing the Indigo Girls’ talent to the sponsored, as it has been since the begin- Bash. ning, by ProQuest. Lead-in band Since first playing together in high Ruppert’s Orchestra, played a medley of school in Georgia, Emily and Amy pur- songs including “Midnight Train to Geor- sued their education separately until gia” and crowd-pleaser “Dancing Queen.” moving to Atlanta to study at Emory Audience members wore glow-in-the-dark University. This contemporary folk mu- luminescent blue pendants given out as sic group, know as the Indigo Girls since souvenirs at the door. By the time ALA 1985, acknowledges an influence by Neil President Berry ushered in the Indigo Young, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Girls, the hall was standing, or rather, It is evident from their popularity dancing room only. among their fans, many of who sang Berry introduced and bestowed a bou- along during the concert, that they have The Indigo Girls, Amy Ray, left, and Emily Saliers, right, donated their time to quet of roses upon Jane Saliers, the local an appeal all their own. perform at the ALA/ProQuest Scholarship Bash at the Hyatt Regency. Page 2 Cognotes Tuesday, June 18, 2002 OLOS Celebrates Diversity, Fair Hailed a Success By Glynis Wray Grau librarians. son Avenue advertising executives do, ing this event is getting more diverse Rutgers University MLIS Student In addition to the fair at the Confer- that a positive approach wins every time. every year. This year we have about 40 The Office of Literacy and Outreach ence each year, resources are available While prefixes like para- and dis- can exhibits. Next year, I’d like to see it grow Services (OLOS) held its fifth annual online year-round with links on the ALA translate to incorrect and abnormal nega- to 100.” Diversity Fair Saturday, sponsored by website to aid librarians interested in pro- tive terms, other, more positive adjec- Said Diane Covington “I really like DEMCO and ALA. moting diversity. During the event, tives can easily be supplied such as able, it. It’s overwhelming, and I can’t see ev- Diversity is a fundamental value of DEMCO announced that the company accessible, universal, designed for every- erything, but I have been trying!” the association and one of the five key would provide continued financial sup- one and unique. While working her first poster ses- ALA action areas. OLOS promotes eq- port for both the Diversity Fair and the Event organizers are pleased by the sion on diversity, Covington, a librar- uity of access to information and the website. growing interest in the fair. Rebecca ian at the Mellon Institute Library, Diversity Fair provides an opportunity Among the presentations at the fair, Bobbitt, an ALA student-to-staff par- added that she is proud of the SIS staff for libraries to exchange ideas for pro- Ellen Perlow, MLS JD, provided infor- ticipant out of UNC Greensboro, as- scholarships that help foster diversity gramming and outreach. mation on accessibility ideas. At her signed to the OLOS office, said, “I wish by providing money for minority li- John W. Berry, ALA President, wel- booth, “A is for Accessibility,” she pre- I had a dollar for everyone who spoke brary students. In the spring of 2000 comed attendees to the poster session sented information on the importance of to me as I was leaving the Diversity and 2001, a Carnegie Mellon librarian and table talk event. The fair show- making changes in terminology. Among Fair who remarked how wonderful it and two associate librarians donated cased and celebrated examples of qual- these were the implementation of “People was.” their salaries to the library school to ity programs and outreach ideas by pro- First Language” and the use of other posi- Tanga Morris, administrative assistant provide scholarships where the crite- viding a venue and outlet to share in- tive descriptions when referring to at the OLOS office and coordinator of ria for an award were both need and novative plans and initiatives among people. Perlow believes, as many Madi- the fair, commented, “The crowd attend- diversity. Graduate Students Share Award-Winning Research By Andrew B. Wertheimer sity of Iowa, and was a careful analysis of University of Wisconsin-Madison the Cherokee Phoenix. It explored ques- tions of literacy within the Cherokee na- University of Iowa MLS student tion between 1828 and 1835, when the Jacqueline P.