Library Juice 3:15 - Library Juice is now a book and a blog

Library Juice 3:15 - April 19 Contents: 1. Waco 2. A16 coverage 3. The Paris Commune 4. Great new weblog from Casey Hill 5. Salon article on EFF award to "Librarians Everywhere" 6. Article on FatCity.com 7. Muzzle Awards 8. Pulitzer and Peabody Awards 9. Books and Reading in the Lives of Notable Americans 10. Library Philosophy and Practice 11. Transforming Traditional Libraries (new e-journal) 12. Government is primary challenger of first amendment rights, ACLU warns 13. 23 April - World Book and Copyright Day 14. Flood at the Livingstone Library in southern Zambia 15. Virtual (3-D) Libraries 16. Earth Day 2000 Alert #4 17. It's an Outrage that Libraries Require Books to Be Returned 18. The Wine Lovers' Page Quote for the week: "At some crucial moment in the 19th century, the means of production replaced the meaningfulness of the product as a subject of intellectual discourse. Recently, the same thing occurred with technology. What is now of critical moment is information technology (the means of communication), and not the thought communicated. Process has replaced substance." Information Technology: Seduction and Peril By Robert Hauptman _Educom Review_, Volume 33, Number 3, May/June 1998 http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/review/reviewArticles/33348.html Home page of the week: Phil Shapiro http://www.his.com/pshapiro ____________________________________________________________________________top 1. Waco April 19th, 1993 The massacre of 82 Branch Davidians by federal troops begins Details at http://www.kreative.net/carolmoore/davidian-massacre.html A review by Doug Holland of the important video, WACO: The Rules of Engagement http://www.waco93.com/avareview.htm (Doug Holland is the editor of _A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press_, formerly _Zine World_. ____________________________________________________________________________top 2. A16 coverage http://www.indymedia.org The Independent Media Center is once again the clearinghouse for independent journalism at a major protest event. This time, they have implemented a new system allowing anyone to upload stories directly to the website, which is putting it in danger of devolving into a newsgroup. A little selection would seem to be in order, as undemocratic as that might be. Well, we'll see how it goes. It's early to tell. http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Globalism/GlobalEcon.htm Background from Z Magazine ____________________________________________________________________________top 3. The Paris Commune The Paris Commune 1871: lessons for democracy? An experiment in popular power http://home.sol.no/~vals/commune.html? Has a summary, translated memoirs, excerpts from the commune sessions, a section on William Morris on the Commune, a bibliography, filmography, and a links page. A brief history of the Paris Commune, "The Paris Commune," by Aileen O' Carroll, October 1993 http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/talks/paris.html Lenin on the Paris Commune http://www.newyouth.com/archives/classics/lenin/paris_commune.html From: International Publishers, International Pamphlets No. 12, sponsored by the John Reed Club, an organization of revolutionary writers and artists in New York. Third edition, 1934. THE LESSONS OF THE PARIS COMMUNE BY ALEXANDER TRACUTENBERG http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/coldoffthepresses/tracutenberg/pariscommune.html Chronology of the Paris Commune http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1870/civwarfr/overview.htm Address by Frederick Engels on the 20th anniversary of the commune http://history.hanover.edu/modern/marx/marxfrc3.htm The Daily Bleed - http://www.eskimo.com/~recall/bleed/calmast.htm - dates the Paris Commune Constitution to April 19, 1871 ____________________________________________________________________________top 4. Great new weblog from Casey Hill New Pages Weblog: http://www.newpages.com/weblog/ It's about small press publishing and bookselling, with book, zine, and music reviews listed as well. ____________________________________________________________________________top 5. Salon article on EFF award to "Librarians Everywhere" http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/04/13/libertarians/index2.html "'Everyone stop eating,' he begins, and indeed we should, for what we are about to hear is akin to the more common story of a middle-aged person, communist in his youth, who grows more conservative as he grows older, renounces his youthful beliefs -- except we will hear it in reverse, right to left." Thanks, http://lisnews.com ____________________________________________________________________________top 6. Article on FatCity.com FatCity.com is a web service that is going to be sold to search engines where the user can type in a question and get in return not a URL but an answer with an attributed source. Kind of like what you are paid to do at work, perhaps? How well will it work? My guess, not very well, for a while. Librarians will be left to work on the tougher questions and to complain about the poor quality of the information that the average Joe, in his ignorance, will be quite happy with. Here is an article on FatCity.com: http://www.digitalmass.com/news/daily/04/17/fast_forward.html ____________________________________________________________________________top 7. Muzzle Awards http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2565690443-2ae "The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression awards the Muzzles annually to those who, in the opinion of the center's board, are guilty of censorship." ____________________________________________________________________________top 8. Pulitzer and Peabody Awards 2000 Pulitzer Prizes [.pdf] http://www.pulitzer.org/2000/2000.html The Pulitzer Prizes http://www.pulitzer.org/ 59th Annual Peabody Award Winners http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease.asp?ID=38 The Pulitzer Prize Board recently presented the 2000 Pulitzer Prizes for achievements in American journalism, letters, drama, and music. A list of the winners and their citations, the finalists, links to the works (many will not be available until this summer), short biographies, and lists of jurors are available at the site, along with official press releases. The main Pulitzer site offers a searchable archive and interactive timeline of all winners since 1917. The full texts of winning journalism entries for 1995-1999, including photographs and cartoons, are also provided. The Peabody Awards, which recognize "distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by radio and television networks, stations, producing organizations, cable television organizations and individuals," were also recently announced. At the site, users can view the full list of winners and read the official press release. [MD] > From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2000. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/ ____________________________________________________________________________top 9. Books and Reading in the Lives of Notable Americans Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 08:27:17 -0400 (EDT) From: "John A Mccrossan (LIS)" <jmccross[at]luna.cas.usf.edu> To: Reference and User Services Association List <rusa-l[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [RUSA-L:583] Details about my new book My new book is being recommended for reference, general reading , and book discussion groups. It is: Books and Reading in the Lives of Notable Americans: A biographical sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. $49.95. ISBN 0-313-30376-2 In the book I have profiled the book and reading interrests and library use of a number of notable Americans from early times to the present and from all backgrounds and walks of life. It includes such diverse hitorical people as Ben Franklin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Helen Keller, and Edison. Moderns include Albert Einstein, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rache Carson, and Bill Gates. It also includes a number of sports and entertainment figures, such as Oprah Winfrey, Marilyn Monroe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Martina Navratilova. Thank you. --John John A. McCrossan, Ph. D. Author of the new book: Professor Emeritus Books and Reading in the Lives of School of Library and Information Notable Americans. Westport, CT: Science, University of South Florida Greenwood Press, 2000. $49.95 Tampa, FL 33620 ISBN 0-313-30376-2 jmccross[at]luna.cas.usf.edu ____________________________________________________________________________top 10. Library Philosophy and Practice http://www.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lp&p.htm Volume 2, number 2 (Spring 2000) of Library Philosophy and Practice is now available at http://www.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lp&p.htm This issue includes articles by Steve McKinzie on the library as academic department, Bill Johnson on citation analysis of faculty in an environmental and human health program, Primoz Bizjak on a new paradigm for library science, and part 2 of Daniel CannCasciato's article on retrospective application of subject headings. Library Philosophy and Practice is a peer-reviewed electronic journal publishing articles that demonstrate the connection between library practice and the philosophy and theory which are behind it. Library Philosophy and Practice publishes reports of successful, innovative, or experimental library procedures, methods, or projects in all areas of librarianship, including both public and technical services. These reports are set in the context of applied research, with reference to current, past, and emerging theories of library practice. See LPP's homepage for instructions for authors. Mary K. Bolin, Gail Z. Eckwright, editors, Library Philosophy and Practice ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mary K. Bolin (208)885-7737 Head, Technical Services (208)885-6817 FAX Associate Professor mbolin[at]uidaho.edu University of Idaho Library [From NewJour-L] ____________________________________________________________________________top 11. Transforming Traditional Libraries (new e-journal) http://www.lib.usf.edu/~mdibble/ttl/ "The presentation and organization of the traditional library has been transformed in recent years because of new technology and ever-changing information needs. This transformation has had a profound effect on the structure and organization of libraries. Thus, libraries and librarians are now redefining their roles and exploring the best ways to aid their patrons as the library evolves. Transforming Traditional Libraries is a peer-reviewed e-journal covering aspects of the new library, including digital collections, electronic indices, OPACs, Internet research, bibliographic instruction, information literacy, and the task of integrating these and other new resources with the traditional services of the library." ____________________________________________________________________________top 12. Government is primary challenger of first amendment rights, ACLU warns The Government is a primary challenger of First Amendment and other bill of Rights liberties, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which is launching a special web-based campaign -- http://www.aclu.org/liberties/index.html -- on LIBERTIES AT RISK. "In recent years, the ACLU's work has -- of necessity -- focused on threats to the Bill of Rights posed by the highly organized and lavishly funded religious right," said ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser in launching the campaign. "But, now a new and disturbing pattern has begun to emerge -- one that has happened so stealthily most haven't even noticed it: the government has again become a driving force for the majority of the anti-liberty proposals in our country today." "...as we enter the year 2000 our government is starting to look more like that of the year 1900 in terms of the oppression and the control it's trying to exert over our lives," Glasser stated. "Unfortunately, most Americans aren't aware of the government's abuse of power, much less that the problem is growing worse every day." current[at]artswire.org Mike Alewitz LaBOR aRT & MuRAL PRoJECTL PRoJECTDepartment of Art Central Connecticut State University 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 Email: lamp[at]igc.apc.org - Website: http://www.igc.apc.org/laborart ____________________________________________________________________________top 13. 23 April - World Book and Copyright Day The idea of a World Book Day was launched by the International Publishers Association (IPA) and was submitted to UNESCO by the government of Spain. It was expanded by the Russian Federation to include the concept of copyright. Thus, the General Conference, at its 28th session, 25 October-16 November 1995, could unanimously approve Resolution 28 C/3.18 proclaiming 23 April of each year as "World Book and Copyright Day". This celebration originated in Catalonia, Spain where, on 23 April (St. George's Day), a rose is traditionally offered with each book sold. A more universal reason for choosing this date: famous authors were either born or died on 23 April, for example, Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Maurice Druon, K. Laxness (Icelandic Nobel Prise winner), Manual Mejia Vallejo, Vladimir Nabokov, and Josep Pla. The "World Book and Copyright Day" aims at drawing the attention of government bodies as well as the public at large to this means of knowledge, expression and communication which, despite the emergence of increasingly sophisticated media, remains the basis of active education and critical thinking. It also emphasizes the role of books and copyright in the development of a culture of peace, tolerance and universal dialogue. In a statement about the importance of books and reading, Milagros del Corral, Director of UNESCO's Division of Creativity, Cultural Industries and Copyright, and Head of the organization's Publishing Office, said: "Reading means establishing an interactive dialogue with the virtual universe created by the author of a text: a universe of intellectual representations that differ according to the imagination of each reader". Ms del Corral highlighted the persistent inequalities in reading. "There are books on all subjects, for all publics and for all times. But we must make sure that books are accessible to everybody everywhere". For further information about World Book and Copyright Day, and on possible future activities and those undertaken in the past please contact: Georges Poussin, UNESCO Division of Creativity, Cultural Industries and Copyright, 1, rue Miollis, 75732 Paris Cedex 15, France (fax: +(33-1) 45685595; e-mail: g.poussin[at]unesco.org). Further information is also available on UNESCO's Web site: <http://www.unesco.org/general/eng/events/book/html>. ____________________________________________________________________________top 14. Flood at the Livingstone Library in southern Zambia IFLA Headquarters April 14, 2000 Please disseminate the following Prof. J. Desmond Clark, emeritus professor of paleoarchaeology at the University of California, Berkeley, and one of the preeminent paleoarchaeologist and Africanists in the world, has just shown me a copy of a March 29, 2000 article from the Daily Telegraph (London) entitled: "Last Record of African Explorers Faces Ruin." The article was written by Ishbel Matheson in Livingstone, Zambia. It reads in part: "A priceless collection of books and documents, detailing the earliest days of European exploration in Africa, is under threat of destruction. The Livingstone Museum in southern Zambia has hundreds of valuable books, written by the first missionaries, adventurers and prospectors in central Africa. But the building's leaking ceiling collapsed in recent heavy rains, and many publications were damaged beyond repair. Others need expensive conservation work to save them. Piles of ancient, sodden volumes, with subjects as diverse as elephant-hunting and native practices, have been left to dry in the tropical heat. Early newspapers, with vivid descriptions of life in what was then British-ruled Northern Rhodesia, can scarcely be opened, for fear of tearing fragile, brittle pages. Flexon Mizinga, the keeper of history at the museum, said: 'It means the whole history is wiped out. When you lose this kind of thing, there is no replacement. You can't get copies anywhere else. These are the only copies we have.' Valuable historical documents, which escaped the flood, are slowly disintegrating because the museum has no money for conservation. The original letters and journals of David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary, are the pride of the collection. He was the first European to discover the nearby Victoria Falls, and he is remembered affectionately in the area as a Christian who campaigned to stop slavery. His notebooks describing his second Zambezi [River] expedition in 1858 are stored in the museum, with those of his companions, even though the institution is ill-equipped to preserve them. The journals of Sir John Kirk, a botanist, and Richard Thornton, a geologist, which record their first impressions of the African landscape and its commercial potential for the British Empire, are in battered cardboard boxes. The acidity of the brown paper which wraps the notebooks is slowly eating away the handwritten testimony of these Victorian explorers. In the museum's clock tower, amid a jumble of books and newspapers, is the work of Thomas Baines, an artist and a member of the Zambezi expedition. A beautiful first edition of his famous Victoria Falls watercolours lies on a tabletop, vulnerable to the fierce heat and high humidity of the southern Zambia climate. Kinglsey Choongo, a museum curator, says, 'The documents will not see the beginning of another century.' Family members of the early explorers and settlers gave historical items to the museum because they wanted their ancestors' contribution to this part of Africa remembered. It seems, however, that in Livingstone and Zambia the history of the whites in Africa is being erased from the national consciousness. Tim Holmes, an author, lives in Zambia and has written a biography of Dr. Livingstone. He believes the museum has been starved of funds because its collection is perceived as a relic from the colonial past. 'After independence came, what Zambians wanted to know most of all, is their own history. The colonial history was seen as an irrelevant burden. But trying to ignore colonialaism is like trying to tell the history of Britain without the Romans.' It is the former colonial countries who are now trying to help the museum out of its immediate crisis. the European Union has pledged 250,000 pounds. Conservationists fear that the money is too late because so much damage has been done. Nor will it be enough for the extensive upgraded needed to preserve the collections." Dr. Clark was the director and primary curator of the Livingstone Museum in its early manifestations from 1937 to his departure for Berkeley, California in 1961. In 1951 he raised the funds needed for a major expansion of the museum complex and library in Livingstone. A modest man, Clark neverless has told me in recent oral history interviews I have conducted with him for the Regional Oral History Office of the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, that it was he who built the magnificent book and manuscript collection for the museum's library. He personally worked with the descendants of David Livingstone and others to do so. Though now eighty-four years old, Clark can list practically every rare book title, journal and manuscript collection which is held in the Livingstone Museum library. Curiously, however, Clark's great legacy to the world will be his work as a paleoarchaeolgist in Africa. The paleolithic and neolithic archaeolgical collections at the Museum are the result of his work over the course of his years working in Central and East Africa. It was always Clark's intention also to build the museum's collections and library for the Zambian people. He the 1950s he instituted museum outreach educational programs in a concerted effort to help the local peoples learn more about their early history. Long before other museums instituted the practice, Clark designed small, portable travelling exhibitions for this purpose. Understandably it saddens him greatly to see that the museum and its resources are falling into ruin. I would hope that IFLA and its membership could rally support for Flexon Mizinga, Kingsley Choongo and others in Livingstone who are waging the uphill battle to preserve what remains of this priceless library collection. Thank you for spreading the word. Yours sincerely, Timothy Troy, Research Librarian Regional Oral History Office The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley ____________________________________________________________________________top 15. Virtual (3-D) Libraries From: jack colbert <colbertj[at]mail.spalding.public.lib.ga.us> To: Reference and User Services Association List <rusa-l[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [RUSA-L:586] Virtual (3-D) Libraries Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 15:53:05 -0400 Jack Colbert Public Services Librarian, Flint River Regional Library System Griffin Ga. 30224 Colbertj[at]mail.spalding.public.lib.ga.us This item has been posted on several library-related lists, please excuse any cross-posting..... For the past few months I've been building virtual libraries on the WWW, these are fully navigable, 3-D libraries, with books (linked to web-based resources) shelves, ceilings, floors, etc. My latest adventure is a world called "Librarea", located in the "activeworlds.com" universe, and purchased specifically to provide professional librarians with space to experiment with virtual library interfaces. This world has room for about 75 librarians to build, and each builder/librarian will completely control his/her building project. In Librarea, you can build functional, beautiful, information-rich environments, meet with other librarians from around the world, create a work of art, an aesthetic expression of your particular information specialty.... "Librarea" is a non-commercial project that is completely free and open to any professional librarian -- all are welcome... You can visit this world by downloading the free AW browser, available at ActiveWorlds.com, then, click the "Worlds" tab, top left, and scroll down to "Librarea". If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact me (from your professional email address) at colbertj[at]mail.spalding.public.lib.ga.us ____________________________________________________________________________top 16. Earth Day 2000 Alert #4 April 12, 2000 Task Force on the Environment American Library Association http://www.ala.org/alaorg/rtables/srrt/tfoe/ Please Route to Others. Alerts 1-3 are available upon request. Fred Stoss What Can Libraries Do to Promote Earth Day? (10 Simple Things Your Library Can Do to Celebrate the Earth) I often wonder who is out there reading the Email messages I send to various lists. Sometimes I am surprised. Recently, I received a question from Dr. Eugene Garfield that made this reference librarian hustle. Scott Adams (a fellow alumnus of Hartwick College) once replied to an eMail message sent to a discussion list (I bet I remember the event more than does he). When you are talking about Earth Day and your eMail bell chimes and you see the name of Denis Hayes on your screen, you drop what ever you are doing and investigate. Here is such a message: Fred -- Your alert just came to my attention, and I wanted to thank you for helping get out the ED-2000 message. Since it is titled E.D. Alert No. 1 (which implies a possible #2), I hope you will consider mentioning our Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2000). We'd LOVE to get a few into every library in America. All royalties go to Earth Day. Best, Denis Hayes Chair, Earth Day Network http://www.bullitt.org First response: Yes, there are Alerts beyond #1 and they are on their CyberWay. You have been added to the list to receive future issues. The Electronic Green Journal is going to run these alerts in their special Earth Day 2000 issue. This Alert #4 addresses the concern raised in Denis Hayes' message: "We'd LOVE to get a few into every library in America." Last fall I gave a presentation to the Annual Meeting of the New York Library Association for a program, "How Green Is My Library?" For details and presentations see: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/99-fall/conf5.html. My presentation, "Earth Day 2000: Catalyst for Community Action," gave a brief history of Earth Day, and what libraries can do to serve as active participants in Earth Day Celebrations. There are still some last minute programs, Web inventories, collection highlights that can be planned quickly. Some librarians might be interested in getting themselves and their libraries involved for Earth Day 2001 and might be interested in a planning calendar to get started. An October 2000-to-April 2001chronology has been put together to help you and your library get ready for the next Earth Day: http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/bio/edaycal.html. So, go to your calendars, date books, and time planners and mark the URL in the September 22 date (seven months to the day for Earth Day 2001) and get ready to start planning for Earth Day 2001. So what can your library do? Here is a list of 10 activities with which you and your library can plan for Earth Day 2001 (OR FOR ANY OTHER DAY YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE THE EARTH): Your Library Provides: Facilities Resources (videos, books, speakers, handouts, etc.) Facilitators (introduces speakers, videos, authors/book, topic: background, significance, topic; stimulates discussion) Backgrounders (handout of related environmental resources found in the library, mini-directory of state and local environmental agencies and organizations; resources in your collections, Internet guide) Your expertise Other resources as needed #1 Hold an Environmental Video-Fest as a Single Event or Series Get videos from: Bullfrog Films http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/ Environmental Media: Media to Support Environmental Education http://www.envmedia.com/ Films for the Humanities and Sciences http://www.films.com/ Hawkhill Video http://www.hawkhill.com/ Media Basics Video http://www.mediabasicsvideo.com/ The Video Project: Media for a Safe and Sustainable World http://www.videoproject.org/ Hold a discussion group after the showing. Invite environmental leaders to attend and serve as discussion leaders #2 Hold and Environmental Book Review and Discussion Series as a single event or series Librarians select book(s) to be reviewed and discussed: set historical setting for the book's subject or content, background of author and previous and subsequent works, significance of book, the book in current perspective: how the work stimulates or sustains thoughts or activities about the environment and how it pertains for today's environmental issues and concerns. An ideal setting to involve many leaders as moderator or facilitator. #3 Host and Environmental Lecture Series A more ambitious project of having local (state and national if possible or feasible) speakers representing different perspectives or constituencies of environmental quality, conservation, data and information resources (from books to the Internet), natural resources and wildlife management. Speakers would be drawn from: government agencies, departments, or bureaus; elected officials; colleges or universities; community or neighborhood groups; environmental education centers (museum, science centers, and teachers); local business and industry environmental managers; newspaper and broadcast media (columnists, writers, broadcasters); local/regional professional organizations, such as: American Chemical Society County Bar Association Air & Waste Management Association Sea Grant and Agricultural Extensions American Library Association Special Libraries Association Society of Toxicology American Medical Association/American Nursing Association nonprofit groups (especially speakers from local chapters of national environmental organizations): Sierra Club National Audubon groups Trout Unlimited National Wildlife Federation The Junior League League of Conservation Voters This lecture series could be provided as individual lectures over a period of time (brown-bag noon-time series, evening after-dinner series), panel discussions, or one-half day to full-day conference. Sponsorship and support could come from participating groups. #4 Hold Environmental/Nature How-to-Enjoy the Environment Series: A series of workshops on outdoor/nature photography birding (bird watching) organic gardening composting road-side geology road-side biology: identifying wild flowers (butterflies, birds, other critters, too) crafts from nature hiking/backpacking (hiking programs could include actual hikes to local parks and places) wilderness in your backyard technologies and strategies for energy conservation/alternative energy sources (energy efficiency/conservation in the home, solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) Speakers and presenters for the "How-to- Series" sessions would be drawn from the same pool of speakers for a lecture series. #5 Conduct Teaching Sessions: The Environmental Classroom -- Empowering Citizens of the Global Commons Adult education experiences for single or multiple teaching/learning sessions or workshops on Ecology -- Basic Sciences for Studying the Environment Energy Efficiency and Conservation (from insulating your home/small business to solar energy installations) Environmental Education for Teachers and Youth Leaders Environmental GIS (geographic information systems) Environmental Health Issues: Toxicology for the Non-Toxicologist (lead poisoning, lawn care chemicals, pesticide use, eating fish and wildlife, dioxins) Environmental Information (using the Internet to locate data and information related to ecology, the environment, natural resources) Environmental Law for Non-Lawyers Environmental Mediation: Community Resource Tools Environmental and Socially Responsible Investing Land Use Planning and Zoning for Community and Neighborhood Leaders Recycling: Stimulating and Sustaining Programs to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Transportation: Environmental Impacts of Moving Us Around (mass transit use, car pooling, fuel standards) Instructors, speakers, and presenters for the "Classroom" sessions would be drawn from the same pool of speakers for a lecture series. #6 Sponsor Environmental Quality Awards Provide community recognition for outstanding service on behalf of environmental stewardship for a community leader, nonprofit organization, community group, student, teacher, organization, business, that has developed a noteworthy service, action, project, plan to address issues about environmental quality, sustainable growth, natural resources, habitat protection and restoration. A nominating panel can be made from librarians alone or with assistance from other members from outside the library. Award(s) can be made at a recognition luncheon/dinner with featured speakers talking about local/community issues. #7 Conduct a Program on Home Energy Savings Libraries working with local power utilities, hardware stores, architects, and contractors and with state or county energy agency staff can conduct a workshop or lecture series (or for the ambitious library a demonstration project) for constructing or adding energy efficient features to an existing house (fuel sources [natural gas, electric, oil, wood], renewable technologies, wind power, insulation, solar [passive and active] energy, heating systems, hot water tank insulation efficiency). Libraries could also provide a similar program for area small businesses (increasing attention and participation from state energy agencies and authorities, public utilities, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/. Libraries in close proximity to the Depart of Energy's National Laboratories http://www.doe.gov/people/peopnl.htm should contact the appropriate liaison through that laboratory's public affairs office for finding technical expertise (also as potential sources of funding, speakers, technical support, etc. These national treasures can and should be exploited to their fullest potential by ALL libraries). #8 Provide a Green Reading Room This would be a Saturday morning reading program for children (can be held at different K-12 levels) with book selections taken from fiction and non-fiction works allowing children to explore the world in which they live. Librarians would select readings and could themselves read book and lead discussions or could arrange to have teachers, community leaders, and others. In addition to children's books, age-appropriate videos, audio recordings, and other activities could be arranged. #9 Facilitate Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS), http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/OBIS/OBISpubs.html OBIS is a basic science instructional program developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California at Berkeley. OBIS is a series of indoor and outdoor activities about ecosystems: natural selection, food webs, species diversity, and how plants and animals (including humans!) interact. OBIS consists of 97 activities in 27 modules and are provided as games, crafts, role playing, simulations, and experiments. Nearly ALL equipment and supplies for activities are easily found in the home, grocery store or department store. A library could easily partner with any number of local environmental education programs (formal and informal education settings) to provide instruction for teachers and youth leaders or actual OBIS programs conducted on the grounds of the library. #10 Sponsor a Children's Environmental Poster, Poetry, Essay, and Activity Contest Pick a theme and a panel of judges (librarians and community leaders), invite students to submit their poster about the environment (work with individual schools and teachers), judge the posters, select winners (awards can range from simple ribbons and certificates to gift certificates or scholarship-type awards -- depends how ambitious you want to get). Display ALL poster and feature winners. -------------------------------------------- About the American Library Association Task Force on the Environment http://www.ala.org/alaorg/rtables/srrt/tfoe/ TFOE Objectives... Promote awareness for environmental issues for ALA, its members, and others Unite librarians and information professionals for mutual benefit and support Provide TFOE members with opportunities for career development, skills enhancement, and leadership experiences Facilitate networking among peers and professional associates Provide services, programs, and publications that assist TFOE members and others in their careers, work places, homes, and in their communities Librarians, publishers, vendors, and others interested parties from a wide variety of settings -- public libraries, school libraries and media centers, college and university libraries, government agencies, public interest groups, publishers, and vendors and other information providers -- comprise the Task Force on the Environment. The Task Force on the Environment was created in 1989 in the spirit of the 20th Anniversary of Earth Day (1990). Issues-oriented task forces, including TFOE, comprise the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) of the American Library Association ALA. SRRT is administratively linked to ALA's Office of Literacy and Out Research Services (OLOS). For additional information about the American Library Association go to their Web site at: http://www.ala.org ____________________________________________________________________________top 17. It's an Outrage that Libraries Require Books to Be Returned by Phil Shapiro If you just stop to think about it, you'll soon realize how outrageous it is for libraries to require that books be returned. Just who do they think they are? Do they think we have unlimited free time? Yes, and we enjoy the chore of keeping track which books are due, where the books are located, and which library system they need to be returned to. And it's raining, the kids are hungry, the plumbing is backing up, phone messages go unanswered, the car keeps stalling, the rent is due --- and you want us to return library books? Don't libraries realize that books are supposed to be deleted rather than returned? And who came up with idea of "sharing" anyway. Sharing sickens me. It's an idea that appeals to the very worst in human beings. Sharing books is despicable. That's the only way to describe it. Libraries have no idea at all the burden they place on people by requiring books to be returned. And then when newspapers bemoan that people are reading less, do they ever mention the outrageous burden of returning library books? No, you don't ever hear newspapers criticizing libraries. It's just not done. No matter how outrageous the library's policies, newspapers will stand by and praise them as if they could do no wrong. I'm sick of it and I won't stand for it any longer. I can put up with a lot of life's turmoils, but I refuse to put up with having to return library books. It's too much to ask, plain and simple. When I go to a library I expect to sign out books that I can delete after I've read them. That's the only civilized way of doing things. And after I've deleted the books I've read, I'll answer the unanswered phone messages, feed the kids, fix the backed up plumbing, get the car working properly and pay the rent. Phil Shapiro pshapiro[at]his.com April 1, 2000 http://www.his.com/pshapiro ____________________________________________________________________________top 18. The Wine Lovers' Page - http://www.wine-lovers-page.com/ The title says it all: tasting notes on 50,000 wines; articles about the basics of wine; a wine pronouncing glossary and wine tasting dictionary; a chat room; wine quotes; recommended books and links; vintage charts; even wine country weather and wine cartoons, and much, much more. Searchable. - de Subjects: Wine and wine making From Librarians' Index to the Internet - http://lii.org ____________________________________________________________________________top L I B R A R Y J U I C E | http://libr.org/Juice/ | | Library Juice is supported by a voluntary subscription | fee of $10 per year, variable based on ability and | desire to pay. You may send a check payable in US funds | to Rory Litwin, at PO Box 720511, San Jose, CA 95172 | | Original material and added value in Library Juice | is copyright-free; beyond that the publisher makes | no guarantees. Library Juice is a free weekly | publication edited and published by Rory Litwin. | Original senders are credited wherever possible; | opinions are theirs. 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