AL Direct, October 6, 2010 Contents American Libraries Online ALA News Booklist Online San Diego Update Division News Round Table News Awards Seen Online Tech Talk The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | October 6, 2010 Publishing Actions & Answers New This Week Calendar American Libraries Online Obama nominates Susan Hildreth for IMLS director President Obama announced his nominations for key administration posts September 29, including Susan H. Hildreth for director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Hildreth is city librarian of the Seattle Public Library and an active member of ALA, having served as president of PLA in 2006–2007. She also served as state librarian of California from 2004 to 2009.... Washington Office, Sept. 30; White House, Sept. 29 Conviction in 2006 bombing of Salt Lake City Public Library A federal court jury convicted Thomas James Zajac on October 4 of planting a pipe bomb in the Salt Lake City Public Library’s main facility that went off September 15, 2006, on the third floor and prompted the evacuation of some 400 patrons and staff members. Police attributed Zajac’s motive to anger over what he perceived as his son Adam’s mistreatment in being arrested in 2004 for a traffic violation.... American Libraries news, Oct. 5 Iraqi National Library director: “A critical crisis” American Libraries Editor Leonard Kniffel recently spoke by phone with Saad Eskander, director of the Iraq National Library and Archives. The September 13 conversation (12:55) covered President Obama’s announcement of the pullout of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, the progress made in rebuilding the library, and the mood of the people of Baghdad. Due to the poor telephone connection, the interview is transcribed within the podcast to the extent possible.... AL Focus, Oct. 1 Dispatches from the Field: Rethinking library linking http://aldirect.ala.org/sites/default/al_direct/2010/october/100610-2.htm[7/17/2014 2:52:21 PM] AL Direct, October 6, 2010 Cindi Trainor and Jason Price write: “OpenURL link resolvers have become a vital part of many libraries’ offerings, especially those of academic libraries. Only recently has an effort been devoted to improving resolvers’ functionality by examining in detail the accuracy of the data that drives them. Also of critical importance is how the standard is implemented within the source databases from which OpenURLs originate. The solutions to OpenURL failures vary widely.”... American Libraries column, Oct. Will’s World: The conservatives among us ALA Midwinter Meeting Will Manley writes: “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that in San Diego, California, politically the library profession is quite liberal. There may be a lot January 7–11, 2011. more conservatives in the profession than I know about but if they Institutes and optional exist, they are for the most part quiet and under cover. Many liberal events are not included librarians will tell you that they equate the conservative movement with a meeting with censorship and stringent fiscal policies. But these are two registration and usually reasons why, instead of shunning the growing conservative movement require an additional in this country, we should engage it in a vigorous dialogue.”... registration fee. When American Libraries column, Oct. you register for bundled, advance, or regular Going the distance without leaving registration you may also your desk register for these events. Beth Filar-Williams writes: “Travel, especially They may be chosen on flying, is a huge detriment to our environment. the online or paper Can librarians change their attitude on travel registration form. Please for learning and networking opportunities? ALA add the event code for and its divisions, committees, and round tables each event if you use the offer a number of learning opportunities, from paper form. one-time webinars to week-long courses. Log on from your desk or your home and participate without much more than a headset-mic combo.”... AL: Green Your Library, Sept. 30 ALA News Rupert Grint chooses A Clockwork Explore ways to find Orange funding to attend the A Yahoo! News story informed its readers October 1 Midwinter Meeting. that “Rupert Grint (right) has risked upsetting parents of young Harry Potter fans—he’s urging them to read Anthony Burgess’s controversial novel A Clockwork Orange.” Grint did so by joining his costars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson to pose for a trio of Celebrity READ posters. ALA Marketing staff reports that the latest READ posters have created more buzz than any ALA poster in recent memory.... AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 1; Yahoo! News, Oct. 1; ALA Graphics, Sept. 30 Major changes in place for Conference Services Leonard Kniffel writes: “Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels announced October 4 a new arrangement with conference management firm Hall-Erickson that will include replacing Conference Hang out and read. Services Director Deidre Ross with Hall-Erickson Vice President Paul The bats are loose in Graller, who will act as ALA’s conference services coordinator. Fiels’s the library! Encourage announcement noted: ‘Overall responsibility for conference services readers of all ages to will remain the responsibility of Mary Ghikas, senior associate hang out at the library executive director for member programs and services.’”... with this new poster http://aldirect.ala.org/sites/default/al_direct/2010/october/100610-2.htm[7/17/2014 2:52:21 PM] AL Direct, October 6, 2010 AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 4 featuring art from the acclaimed book Bats at Warning: Avoid conference-housing poachers the Library by Brian ALA Conference Services cautions that sometime soon you will receive Lies. Young readers a phone, fax, or email transmission (if you haven’t already) that will enjoy the antics of offers you cut-rate housing for ALA’s Annual Conference or Midwinter the bats as they Meeting. The apparent intent is to convince you that the offer is made discover the library on behalf of ALA or that it is a viable alternative. Don’t be misled. after hours. NEW! Housing for the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference is From ALA Graphics. handled exclusively by Experient.... AL: Inside Scoop, Oct. 1 Academic libraries survey coming soon (PDF file) Every two years the National Center for Education Statistics collects basic statistical data from college and university libraries. That is happening again this fall with the launch of an online survey. Each academic library director will receive a letter containing a registration “Like” American certificate that shows a User ID and password for the library. The Libraries on Facebook. director will be asked to indicate a “key holder” who will use those codes to enter the library’s data. The survey itself will be online between November 9 and February 28.... Office for Research and Statistics New this week in American Banned Books Week Machinima Libraries Contest winner As part of its celebration of Banned Books Week in Second Life, the Office for Intellectual Freedom held a Banned Books Week Machinima Contest. Machinima is filmmaking within a real-time, 3-D virtual environment like Second Life. Four entries with the BBW theme of “Think For Yourself and Let Others Do the Same” were submitted. Clark Abismo’s robot-themed entry (5:00, above) was the winner, but the other submissions by MimiSoleil Dispatches from the Firelight (2:56), Tidewater Community College’s Rosie (2:39), and Field Iono Allen and Miso Susanow (5:29) are worth watching.... OIF Blog, Oct. 5; You Tube Will’s World The Washington Office is 65 years old Perpetual Beta In 1945, ALA founded the Washington Office to educate and work with legislators and public officials to obtain funding and policies that Inside Scoop support libraries and public access to information. Over the years, the office’s work has been instrumental in many important wins for Green Your Library libraries, including the passage of the first bill enacted by Congress granting federal aid to public libraries in 1956.... Ask the ALA District Dispatch, Oct. 1 Librarian OITP seeks cutting-edge technology practices Librarian’s Library The Office for Information Technology Policy is once again soliciting nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology. AL Focus Last year, OITP’s America’s Libraries for the 21st Century Subcommittee launched the “cutting-edge” contest to showcase libraries that serve their communities with novel and innovative methods and to provide the library community with some successful Great Libraries models for delivering quality library services in new ways. The of the World deadline for nominations is November 1.... District Dispatch, Oct. 6 ALA partners with Target’s Read With Me campaign http://aldirect.ala.org/sites/default/al_direct/2010/october/100610-2.htm[7/17/2014 2:52:21 PM] AL Direct, October 6, 2010 Target Corporation has announced a partnership with ALA in the retailer’s nationwide Target Read With Me campaign that aims to increase children’s reading proficiency and ability to read on their own by the end of 3rd grade. ALA has contributed recommended reading lists and tips on building a child’s home Olin Memorial library, as well as providing support and resources for a website Library, Wesleyan dedicated to encouraging adults to read to children, which includes a University, Middletown, search tool that locates libraries by ZIP code.... Connecticut. Development Office, Sept. 29 Wesleyan’s second general library, Olin New TechSource online workshop on was designed by Henry Bacon of McKim, using RDA Mead, and White and While some libraries are formally testing RDA as completed in 1928. It participants in the U.S. national libraries’ study, many was named after more are experimenting and exploring. ALA TechSource alumnus Stephen is offering a three-part online workshop series, Using Henry Olin by his RDA: Moving into the Metadata Future, October 27, widow Emeline, who November 10, and November 17 to examine what’s donated the funds for changed from AACR2 and explore the potential for applying RDA data its construction.