This is not breaking news.
Public library funding in NYC is under attack.
Cutbacks mean drastically reduced service hours; severe cutbacks to programs for patrons of all ages; and significantly fewer books and DVDs to borrow. Library maintenance and the cleanliness of the branches will also suffer and there could be fewer staff to service the public.
Write now to tell your elected officials how important your public library is to you.
Please click on the link to your public library system below and join the campaign to save public library funding.
The U.S. Department of Justice decided not to appeal an April 29 federal court ruling awarding transgender veteran Diane Schroer the maximum compensation for the discrimination she suffered after being refused a job with the Library of Congress. The Obama administration’s decision whether to appeal the final ruling in the case has been closely watched in part because the Bush administration defended the case so vigorously, arguing that transgender Americans are not protected by any existing federal laws. The American Civil Liberties Union has represented Schroer in her case. “The administration’s decision not to challenge this important civil rights ruling is a welcome sign that it intends to live up to its commitment to help end transgender discrimination in the workplace” says Sharon McGowan, a staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project. Read ACLU’s full Case Profile here.
Over the past five years, Google has partnered with some of the world’s most famous research libraries to scan over seven million books. In 2005, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers filed lawsuits against Google challenging the company’s right to scan copyrighted material and making it searchable online. A $125 million settlement was reached last year, but it’s still awaiting court approval…
Amy Goodwin, of Democracy Now interviews Brewster Kahle, of Internet Archive on the Google lawsuit, the role of libraries and the implications of mass commercial digitization. Kahle is among critics concerned that Google, a private corporation, could end up with a monopoly on access to information and exclusive license to profit from millions of books.
Annette Lamb is a Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She is a prolific author who writes about the role of new technologies in teaching and learning. Lamb writes: “Rather than viewing social-networking tools as negative, school library media specialists should investigate the value of online tools for furthering intellectual freedom by promoting creative thought, communication, and collaboration.” Intellectual Freedom for Youth: Social Technology and Social Networks (PDF) explores eight ways librarians, teachers, and school media specialists can address key issues related to intellectual freedom and social technology for young people.
Libraries have the potential to benefit from specific provisions in the stimulus including $13 billion for Title I, $650 million for Enhancing Education Through Technology, $7.2 billion for Broadband, $53.6 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, $120 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program, and an additional $130 million for the Rural Community Facilities Program. ALA has posted more detailed information on how these provisions can benefit libraries. The challenge faced by librarians and library advocates is effectively communicating their cases to local and state government officials and, in many cases, informing them about the opportunities available for libraries in the ARRA.
“How Young Adult Libraries Support Teen Sexual Health” is the title of a presentation curated by mk Eagle, a librarian and recent presenter at Sex::Tech 2009, which lends insight and resources pertaining to youth, technology, and library access (or lack thereof) to sexual health information. Says Eagle: Folks from all over the map in universities, non-profits, health departments and more came to share the exciting work that’s being done where sexual health and technology collide to serve teens. And guess what? Some of that work is happening in libraries. (For the text accompanying this presentation, please see Sagittarian Librarian.)
April is National Poetry Month and New York City is getting in the mood for it by hosting the 7th annual Poem In Your Pocket (PIYP) Day on Thursday, April 30, 2009. Write a poem or borrow one from your favorite poet; the point is to share it. Poems will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, and bookstores; including a full day of open-mic sessions for NYC public school students in Bryant Park. For a sneak peak, NYC public school student poetry can be read here.
Need some inspiration of your own? Visit your local library:
Citing budget pressure, the nonprofit organization, Libraries for the Future (LFF), has announced that the current economic climate has made it impossible to continue. The recent news is, indeed, a tremendous loss to library advocates everywhere.
Influential in its advocacy efforts for libraries nationwide, LFF oversaw the birth of programs that have run in close to 400 libraries in 33 states; the good news: most will continue to run. Middle Country Public Library (NY), for example, will continue to oversee Family Place Libraries, a network of children’s librarians “who believe that literacy begins at birth, and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families.”
Other programs include Lifelong Access Libraries, which focuses on active older adults, and the Wellness Information Zone, which aims to support free, reliable consumer health information. LFF also trained many librarians to achieve EqualAccess Libraries, a program that addressed “this ever-changing digital age.”
Begun as an advocacy organization in 1992, LFF produced three important publications aimed to help advocates make the case for libraries including, Long Overdue, a national public opinion study, Worth Their Weight: An Assessment of the Evolving Field of Library Valuation, and Act for Libraries, a library advocacy web site.
Tragic beyond belief: Faced with hard times and city budget cuts, New York City’s three library systems are gearing up to impose major layoffs and reductions in branch hours and other services despite respective increases in branch visits and circulation. Daily News staff writers report.
A blog highlighting activism around (and general advocacy for) libraries, library workers, and library/information science education.
Libraries exist to help people find information that solve problems, answer questions, or otherwise address important individual and community interests and needs. This blog was created to highlight some of the issues and work, pertaining to and carried out by, librarians, library science students, library patrons and general supporters in order to inspire further support of, and investment in libraries.
Something About The Blogger:
Caitlin is a graduate of Pratt Institute's School of Information and Library Science and a Reference Librarian at an academic library in Brooklyn, NY.
Annette Lamb is a Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She is a prolific author who writes about the role of new technologies in teaching and learning. Lamb writes: “Rather than viewing social-networking tools as negative, school library media specialists should investigate the value of online tools for furthering intellectual freedom by promoting creative thought, communication, and collaboration.” 
April is 
