Library Juice 1:14 - April 15, 1998
Contents: 1. SYMBOLS.com--Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms 2. Jan Alexander and Marsha Tate's "Evaluation of Web Resources" 3. Short news story on Public Libraries as internet access point 4. Federal Resources for Educational Excellence--US Dept. of Education 5. Technical Services and Library Home Pages 6. Social Research Update 7. Editorial from Progressive Librarian #14 8. TABLE OF CONTENTS from Progressive Librarian #14 9. UN Investigator tells US to halt executions in human rights report 10. The Top 500 Corporations in America 11. Katharine Sharp Review No. 6 released 12. Second Call For Papers - Katharine Sharp Review Quote of the week: "(_Auto-da-Fe_) had left me ravaged. I could not forgive myself for burning the books... I felt that I had sacrificed not only my own books but also those of the whole world, the books of all religions, all thinkers, all Eastern literatures, and those of the Western literatures that were still in any sense alive." Elias Canetti, author of _Auto-da-Fe_, quoted (from _The Play of the Eyes_) in _The Nation_, April 20, 1998, in a review of the newly published _Notes from Hampstead: The Writer's Notes: 1954-1971_. ________________________________________________________________________ 1. SYMBOLS.com--Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms http://www.SYMBOLS.com/ Provided by HME Media, this site is an online version of Carl G. Liungman's _Thought Signs_ (1975), an encyclopedia of graphic symbols. The site contains more than 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. Ranging from Cro-Magnon carvings in mammoth teeth to hobo signs and subway graffiti, the signs are explained and examined in 1,600 articles. Users may search for the meaning or history of a sign in the Graphic Index or use the Word Index to find an ideogram with a certain meaning. [MD] The Scout Report's Web page: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Jan Alexander and Marsha Tate's "Evaluation of Web Resources" The web site for Jan Alexander and Marsha Tate's "Evaluation of Web Resources" is now http://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/webeval.html ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Short news story on Public Libraries as internet access point Finance - Internet Daily for Wednesday, April 15, 1998 In alliance with Money Online at http://www.money.com/ Libraries popular Net access point Next to home, work or school, the public library is the most popular place from which to get on the Internet. Research analyzed by the MCI Foundation found the number of people who accessed the Internet from their public library increased 86 percent since January 1997. "This study reveals a dramatic shift in technology awareness and availability," Diane Strahan, the foundation's executive director said. "Today, 16 percent percent of users access the Internet from an alternative point, and by the year 2000, our data suggests that number will nearly double," she added. The percent of libraries that offer Internet access to their patrons has more than doubled to 60.4 percent today from 27.8 percent in 1996, according to a 1997 Public Library Data Service Statistical Report. Of 8,921 public libraries across the country, 72.3 percent are connected to the Internet, up from 44.4 percent in 1996. ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Federal Resources for Educational Excellence--US Dept. of Education http://www.ed.gov/free/ FREE is a new US Department of Education meta-site that acts as a gateway to US government sites that can be used as teaching tools or resources. It is highlighted by a searchable and browsable (ten subjects from arts to vocational education) interface to hundreds of government resources. For example, the science section points to resources from the US Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and US Geological Survey, among others. Arts contains educational resources from the Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, National Archives and Records Administration, and Smithsonian Institution, among others. FREE is a handy way for teachers to quickly find useful government sites that can be put to work in the classroom. [JS] The Scout Report's Web page: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. Technical Services and Library Home Pages Announcing - the brand new, totally revised Top 200 Techical Services Benefits of Library Home Page Development home page: http://tpot.ucsd.edu/Cataloging/Misc/top200.html Now equipped with directional frames, and expanded sections on Acquisitions, Cataloging, General, Serials, and Technical Services sections. I'm especially happy with the general section, but really all of the sections have been expanded and spruced up. And yes, in answer to your unspoken question, there are now approximately 600 "benefits" listed (Go figure ;-) ) As always, I welcome any of your comments, suggestions, or criticisms. ************************************************************************ Barbara Stewart Latin American Cataloger W.E.B. DuBois Library University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA 01003 (413)545-2728 stew[at]library.umass.edu http://tpot.ucsd.edu/Cataloging/Misc/top200.html http://www.library.umass.edu/catalog ************************************************************************* ------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from NetInLib-Announce, see http://www.targetinform.com/netinlib/ ------------------------------------------ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. Social Research Update http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/About_sru.html Social Research Update is a quarterly publication of the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey, UK. Its purpose is to help social researchers keep up to date with developments in their field. Each issue covers developments in one specific topic. Past Updates have covered such issues as focus groups, correspondence analysis, visual research methods, archiving qualitative research data, and analyzing qualitative data by computer, among others. Each issue is accompanied by a bibliography for further research. [JS] The Scout Report's Web page: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/ ________________________________________________________________________ 7. Editorial from Progressive Librarian #14 Progressive Librarian #14, Spring 1998 EDITORIAL: Institutionalizing silence within ALA? Appearing in the "Documents" section of this issue of Progressive Librarian is "Librarians Against War: an open letter." This letter expresses opposition to the US-planned bombing raids against Iraq that seemed imminent in mid-February. Written by PL editor Mark Rosenzweig and initially circulated for signatures over the Internet on listservs maintained by PLG, the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) and the Council of the American Library Association (ALA), the letter was signed within a few days by 107 librarians across the U.S. Released under the auspices of SRRT's governing Action Council, the letter appeared in both electronic and paper formats and was distributed to the library press, President Clinton, Secretary of State Madelaine Albright, and to members of both houses of Congress. Within a week of distribution, and just days before United Nation's General Secretary, Kofi Annan, successfully brokered a diplomatic settlement to the stand-off, SRRT's Action Council Coordinator was telephoned by ALA headquarters in Chicago with the request that SRRT not issue the anti-war statement on SRRT letterhead. Headquarters also wanted a disclaimer indicating that views expressed did not reflect any official position of either the Executive Board or the Council of ALA. It was feared that readers might believe the letter was issued by ALA, although it clearly states that signers are members of SRRT Action Council and supporters. The day following the telephone conversation, the SRRT Action Council coordinator received an e-mail message in which the request was changed - at the advice of ALA legal counsel! Now, headquarters desired "that [SRRT] include the following phrase '...the Action Council of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association voices its opposition to the planned US-led attacks on the nation of Iraq.'" The message, from acting ALA executive director Mary Ghikas, concluded, "I anticipate that the ALA Executive Board will address the broader issue beginning this spring." The "broader issue" is understood to be the issuance of statements of a political nature by bodies within ALA. Those within the library community who appreciate the freedom SRRT exercises to express "the conscience of ALA" should follow closely the Executive Board's pending deliberations on this matter. Recent experience leads us to anticipate a further tightening of bureaucratic and procedural mechanisms within ALA designed to rein-in those voices within librarianship that insist on expressing support or opposition to social and political issues as the need arises. Two examples from the not-so-distant past will remind us of the extent to which ALA will attempt to temper, alter, inhibit or control such expressions. Recall the debate that arose, during the January 1993 ALA midwinter convention, after librarians around the country received packages of posters, bookmarks and other materials promoting a joint ALA-McDonald's campaign "Together is better...let's read!" All materials prominently featured the McDonald's "golden arches" logo. Sanford Berman, PLG and SRRT member, drafted a resolution that received immediate support from SRRT Action Council. The resolution noted that the program "has resulted in an advertising windfall for McDonald's" and called upon ALA "to avoid collaborations or funding arrangements in the future that in effect equate books, reading, and libraries with hamburgers or other commodities." (from Resolution on the "Together is Better" Reading Program, SRRT Action Council, 1/25/93.) As soon as supporters of the ALA-McDonald's project got wind of the SRRT statement, they countered it with one of their own and prevailed upon ALA Council to convey to McDonald's Council's sincere appreciation of [McDonald's] support, (past, present, and anticipated future), our assurance that the SRRT speaks for itself in this matter and not for the Association, and our hope that libraries that voluntarily decide to use the materials that have been sent to 16000 of them and order others through ALA Graphics, will find that the materials do indeed achieve their purpose: to encourage more and more "reading together." (from ALA Council Doc. #48, Midwinter 1993.) While, on one level, the action and reaction generated by this lively debate can be seen as evidence of a healthy democratic environment within ALA, it is disturbing that the substantive issues raised by SRRT (free advertisement and product identification with libraries) and the widespread anger expressed by many librarians who had received the unsolicited materials were completely ignored in the Council statement. More disturbing was ALA Council's recommendation, also in January 1993, to increase quorum at ALA Membership meetings. This move came six months after the infamous Resolution on Israeli Censorship was passed, first by SRRT, then by ALA Membership, and finally by ALA Council - only to be rescinded by Council in January 1993. Many believe the recommendation to raise quorum was a direct result of attempts to keep "controversial" issues from Council's agenda. So far, it's worked fairly well, and not one ALA Membership meeting has taken place since. The ALA Executive Board's upcoming deliberations occur as ALA's president-elect (and, therefore, Exec. Board member) Anne Symons is circulating for discussion the draft of a document intended for the general public that outlines ALA's commitment to intellectual freedom. At press-time the document concludes: ...libraries in the U.S. can contribute to a world free of fear and want, a world which values and protects freedom of speech, a world which tolerates cultural differences and respects individual beliefs, and a world where all are truly equal and free. How can libraries make any such contribution, if within ALA itself an atmosphere is created that causes librarians to become hesitant, cautiously circumspect or even fearful of voicing opposition to those political, social or "market" forces often responsible for generating, maintaining and promoting fear, want, intolerance and inequality around the globe? Being debated on the Internet right now is a resolution concerning the Boy Scouts of America and its discriminatory policy prohibiting atheists, agnostics and homosexuals from membership. ALA continues to maintain official relations with BSA, in spite of ALA policies against affiliating with organizations that practice discrimination. Another hot topic is the planned official visit of Anne Symons to Turkey, a country mired in some of the worst human rights abuses. Nothing in Symons' description of her proposed trip indicates even any awareness of the state of intellectual and civil rights in Turkey, much less any plans to take the opportunity to meet with human rights supporters, or to establish relations with those who struggle against a repressive political regime. These will certainly not be the last controversial issues debated within ALA. If ALA members, officers, staff and divisions are truly committed to a world free of fear and want, one characterized by commitment to intellectual freedom and human equality, then we must not be afraid to support those beliefs in word and deed - consistently. We must ally ourselves with others who share those beliefs, and we must not let self-interest, political expediency or economic pressures provide excuses to restrain the expression of views that seek to put into practice our profession's highest values. ________________________________________________________________________ 8. TABLE OF CONTENTS Progressive Librarian #14, Spring 1998 Articles Editorial: Institutionalizing silence within ALA? page 1 Garlic, Vodka, and the Politics of Gender: Anti-intellectualism in American Librarianship page 5 by Michael Winter Competing Visions of Library Service by France Bouthillier page 13 Growing Our Communications Future - Access, Not Just Wires by Karen Coyle page 22 The "Invisibles" - Lesbian Women as Library Users by Heike Seidel page 34 "Lesbians & Libraries" Resource List page 41 Outsourcing Federal Libraries by R. Lee Hadden page 44 Documents Librarians Against War: an open letter by Mark Rosenzweig page 47 Added Entries St. Petersburg NGO Libraries page 51 Notes on Contributors page 54 ________________________________________________________________________ 9. United Nations Investigator Calls on United States to Halt Executions Until it Can Ensure Fairness and Impartiality in Use [of] Capital Punishment http://www.unog.ch/news/documents/newsen/hr9821e.html Commission on Human Rights Report http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu4/chrrep/98chr68a3.htm 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights http://www.unhchr.ch/news/chr98/54chr.htm The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (Bacre Waly Ndiaye of Senegal), in a report to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights 54th Session, has recommended that "the United States stop executions until it can ensure that death penalty cases are administered fairly and impartially, in accordance with due process." The recommendation is the result of an investigation that culminated in a visit by the Rapporteur to the US in September and October 1997. A press release explains the rationale behind the recommendation. Full text of the report the press release is based on is available at the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights site, along with other information about the Session, including a large number of documents about the status of human rights around the world. [JS] The Scout Report's Web page: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/ ________________________________________________________________________ 10. The Top 500 Corporations in America _Forbes_ 500 http://www.forbes.com/tool/toolbox/forbes500s/ _Fortune_ 500 http://www.pathfinder.com/fortune/fortune500/ For those interested in top business lists, both _Forbes_ and _Fortune_ magazines have recently released their 1998 lists, based on 1997 performance, of the largest corporations in America. The Forbes site contains a "super 100" list, based on an aggregate of sales, net profits, assets, and market value ranking. In addition, users can retrieve a company list sorted by any of those individual rankings, or search by name, state, or industry type. There is also a link to a relevant _Forbes_ story. The _Fortune_ 500 ranking is based on annual revenue. In addition, it contains industry medians, top performers, and a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) list, among other features. Each company in each listing is hyperlinked to more information about that company. [JS] The Scout Report's Web page: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/ ________________________________________________________________________ 11. Katharine Sharp Review ISSN 1083-5261 http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review Katharine Sharp Review, the review of student scholarship in library and information science, announces the publication of issue No. 6, Winter 1998. KSR is published by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Articles are available in both HTML and PDF formats. http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review/6/ Table of contents: * Jonathan W. Estrin Instructional Communication as a Core Service Competancy: A Call for Curricular Change in Professional Library Education * Ali Al-Ghamdi, Mohsin Al-Harbi, Natalie A. B. Beacom, Jennifer Dedolph, Marci Deignan, Charles Elftmann, Nancy Finley, LeAnn LoCicero, John Middlecamp, Christine O'Regan, Faymarie Pluskota, Andrew A. Ritter, Scott Russell, Irene Sabat, Joseph Schneider, Maria Schoeberl, Phyllis Tragash, and Bonnie H. Withers Authorship in JASIS: A Quantitative Analysis * Harold E. Thiele, Jr. Appraisal, Provenance, and the Computer Revolution: An Examination of Organizational Records in the Electronic Age * Eron Main Records Management for Electronic Mail * Jonathan W. Estrin From Bibliographic Instruction to Instructional Management: A Process-Oriented Approach for Reengineering Library Instruction Programs * Line Pouchard Cataloging for Digital Libraries: The TEI Scheme and the TEI Header -- Katharine Sharp Review is also available on the following mirror site: http://mirrored.ukoln.ac.uk/lis-journals/review/review/ + + Kevin Ward Editor Katharine Sharp Review review[at]edfu.lis.uiuc.edu http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review + + ________________________________________________________________________ 12. Attention Students!! Second Call For Papers Katharine Sharp Review GSLIS, University of Illinois ISSN 1083-5261 (This information can also be found at http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review) This is the second call for submissions to the Summer 1998 issue of the Katharine Sharp Review, the peer-reviewed e-journal devoted to student scholarship and research within the interdisciplinary scope of library and information science. Submitting to KSR not only gives you the chance to publish some of your work, but gives you the opportunity to take part in the academic publishing process. All submissions should be received by Monday, May 11, 1998. Although it is not required for submission, we would appreciate an abstract (of 150-200 words) or indication of intention to submit. Submitted articles must be accompanied by an abstract of no more than 200 words. For more information, including instructions for authors, please see the KSR webpage at <http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review/call.html> or email us at <sharp-review[at]edfu.lis.uiuc.edu&> **If you know of other listservs or locations to which this call should be posted, please let us know, and feel free to distribute this call!** + + Kevin Ward Editor Katharine Sharp Review review[at]edfu.lis.uiuc.edu http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/review + + ________________________________________________________________________
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Date: Thursday, October 29, 1998 12:11 PM