GAZETTE Volume 20, No. 13 • April 17, 2009 • A weekly publication for Library staff New Communications Tools Library, UNESCO, Push Library Content to Public Partners to Launch “The Library of Congress launched WDL on April 21 By Erin Allen the first U.S. agency-wide blog two years he Library of Congress has gone ago and continued its pioneering social- The Library of Congress, UNESCO viral, and no, that doesn’t mean it media role with initiatives such as the and 34 partner institutions on April 21 T has caught a cold with all systems immensely successful Flickr pilot project,” will launch the World Digital Library, on lockdown. Quite the contrary—the said Librarian of Congress James H. Bil- a website that features unique cultural venerable institution is more “out there” lington. “We have long seen the value of materials from libraries and archives for the world to see than ever before. such interaction with the public to help from around the world. Information on Library news and events achieve our missions, and these agree- The site will include manuscripts, is available through Twitter, more than ments remove many of the impediments maps, rare books, films, sound record- 30 RSS and e-mail news-alert services, to making our unparalleled content more ings, and prints and photographs, which and one of the first blogs from a federal useful to many more people.” will be available without restrictions agency. A channel on the video service (www. to the public and free of charge. The In addition to these Web 2.0 enter- youtube.com/user/LibraryOfCongress) browseable, searchable site will function prises, YouTube has begun sharing Library is devoted to Library content, including in seven languages and offer content in content from its vast video collections talks and lectures of authors and scholars dozens of languages. on the YouTube web service as part of a and film presentations from the American The launch will take place at a recep- continuing initiative to make its incom- Memory collections. tion at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters. parable treasures more widely accessible Librarian of Congress James H. Billington NEW COMMUNIcaTIONS, to a broad audience. Continued on page 5 WDL LAUncH, Continued on page 7 Author of 1976 Copyright Act Dies By Judith Nierman and Gail Fineberg her most significant legacy. The preceding law had not been changed substantially Barbara Ringer, the principal architect since 1909. of the first major revision of the nation’s Former U.S. Rep. Robert Kastenmeier, copyright law in 67 years and the first who served for many years as chairman woman to serve as register of copyrights or acting chairman of the House subcom- at the Library of Congress, from 1973 to mittee that dealt with copyright matters 1980, died on Thursday, April 9, in Lexing- and who worked closely with Ringer ton, Va. She had been in declining health and the Copyright Office to revise the for several years. She was 83. copyright law, said: “Barbara was the Ringer, an attorney whose legal heart and soul of that project.” career as a specialist in copyright law She not only crafted the legislative spanned 32 years in the Copyright Office, material, he said, but she also was “the was known for her brilliance in drafting political strategist, the one who figured legislation, her authorship of works on out how to deal with all the divisive inter- copyright, and her ability to harmonize ests.” divergent points of view. She was a key A 1949 graduate of Columbia Uni- adviser to Congress in the preparation versity Law School, Ringer joined the Library of Congress and passage of the legislation resulting in Copyright Office that year as an examiner Barbara Ringer the Copyright Act of 1976, which remains RINGER, Continued on page 4 2 Library OF CONGRESS GAZETTE APRIL 17, 2009 NOTICES BRING KIDS TO WORK ON APRIL 23 Staff members are invited to participate in the Volunteers are needed to help organize GAZETTE Library’s annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to escorts for the tours and to serve as escorts, www.loc.gov/staff/gazette Work Day,” which is a national event that helps girls to register young people for the tours and other and boys discover what the adults in their lives do MATTHEW RAYMOND assignments. Staff wishing to volunteer may Executive Editor every day in the workplace. contact Tynesha Adams, Human Resources GAIL FINEBERG This also is an opportunity for young people to learn Services, by e-mail [email protected] or call 7-5232. Editor about Library careers to which they might aspire. People may register participants online at www. Contributing Editors: Erin Allen, Calendar; Whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, Carlin “René” Sayles, Moving On and Length of Service; loc.gov/staff/todsd from their own computers Runako Balondemu, Donated Leave uncles, or nonfamily mentors, Library staff members or at the computers in room LM-107. Online Proofreaders: Jennifer Gavin, George Thuronyi are encouraged to bring the children in their lives to registration opened on March 9. For additional Design and Production: Susan Washington work on Thursday, April 23. information contact event co-chairwomen Robin PETER BRAESTRUP JAMES W. McCLUNG Activities for children ages 8 to 15 will begin at 9 Patterson at 7-7191 or e-mail at [email protected]. or Founder Founding Publisher a.m. in the Madison Hall of the James Madison Cynthia Murphy, 7-5773 or by e-mail, cymu@loc. (1990 – 1997) (1990 – 1994) Building and will end at noon. gov. Both work in Human Resources Services. An official publication of the Library of Congress, The Gazette encourages Library managers and staff to submit articles and photographs of general interest. Submissions will be edited to LC BIG Plans Three Events convey the most necessary information. Membership Drive Deadline for submission of articles is 5 p.m. Wednesday, one week prior to publication date. Please submit text in digital 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22 form via e-mail ([email protected]) preferably as an attachedM icrosoft Join the Library of Congress Chapter of Blacks In Government (LC BIG) at the table Word file. outside the Madison Snack Bar, or contact Shamika Mungin at [email protected]. Back issues of The Gazette in print are available in the Public Job-preparedness Workshop Affairs Office, LM 105. Noon, Thursday, April 23 Electronic archived issues and the a color pdf file of the current BIG’s Mumford Room (LM 649) presentation on AVUE, the Library’s electronic job- issue are available online at www.loc.gov/staff/gazette. application system, will include an overview of AVUE, strategies and tips on creating a profile online and how applications are scored. Seating is limited. RSVP to [email protected]. Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-1620 Oratorical Competition Editorial: Gail Fineberg, 7-9194, [email protected] 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 6 Design and production: Susan Washington, The Library chapter will hold its Youth Oratorical Contest in Dining Room C of the 7-9193, [email protected] Montpelier Room, LM 619. Contestants will compete by speaking about the theme, ISSN 1049-8184 “Has The Dream Been Fulfilled?” The chapter’s first-place winner will compete at the Printed on paper that contains recycled paper by the Region XI contest on June 20 in Silver Spring, Md. For further information, contact Printing Management Section, Office Systems Services Michelle Chisholm at [email protected]. Gazette Welcomes Letters from Staff The staff is invited to use the Forum pages for lively and thoughtful debate relevant to Library issues. However, just as other newspa- Follow-up Survey Jamaica’s Ambassador per editors exercise discretion over which letters to publish and how to edit them, so do we. In deciding whether or how much On Redesign of Staff to Speak on April 21 to publish, we consider content (including misstatements of fact, Intranet Site to End Anthony S. Johnson, ambassador libel, innuendo, ridicule of individuals or the institution, personal of Jamaica, will discuss “The History attacks, and redundancy) and length (the limit is 600 words). The Library’s Intranet Task Group of Education in Jamaica” at noon Letters must be signed by the author, whose place of work and telephone extension should be included so we can verify author- seeks staff opinion of the new on Tuesday, April 21, in the Woodrow ship. Letter writers should understand that when they sign their design of the Library Staff Intranet Wilson Library in LJ 113, Thomas letters and release them to us for publication they are relinquishing site, which was launched in January. Jefferson Building. Reserve a seat privacy. If a letter calls for management response, for example, an explanation of a policy or actions or clarification of fact, we Library staff members are asked to by calling 7-2013. Sponsored by the will ask for management response.—Ed., MtM take approximately 10 minutes to Hispanic Division and the John W. complete a follow-up survey that can Kluge Center of the Library. be accessed at the new www.loc. Request ADA accommodations Gazette Deadlines gov/staff/ page in the upper right- five days in advance at 7-6362 or The deadline for editorial copy for the May 8 hand column under “News.” [email protected]. Gazette is Wednesday, April 29. The online survey will be available E-mail editorial copy and letters to the editor until April 24. Staff members who to [email protected]. prefer to provide their responses 2009 WINDOWS EYES To promote events through the Library’s offline may obtain a printed copy online calendar (www.loc.gov/loc/events) Screen-reading software will be and the Gazette Calendar, e-mail event and of the survey in the Office of demonstrated at l1 a.m.