Library Juice 3:31 - August 16, 2000
Contents:
1. LAPD Blocks Satellite Feed of Indymedia Coverage of DNC in Los Angeles
2. Independent media coverage of the conventions
3. The Nation Convention Coverage
4. The Renegade Librarian
5. Documents in Information Science
6. No "Armenian Genocide" in Encarta
7. Canton Library Strike web site
8. Library Chat Room Registries
9. CREATE CHANGE
10. Filtering the Future? - paper by Christopher Hunter
11. "@yourlibrary" discussion on ALACOUN
12. MEXICO UPDATE: Connecting Libraries With Mexico
13. Prisoner Advocacy
Quote for the week:
"When a book and a head collide and there is a hollow sound, is it always
from the book?"
- Georg Lichtenberg
Home page of the week: Stephanie Davidson
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/StephND/____________________________________________________________________________top
1. LAPD Blocks Satellite Feed of Indymedia Coverage of DNC in Los Angeles
From: IMC-Austin
Phone: 476-3713
Email: imc-austin[at]indymedia.orgAugust 14, 2000
LAPD BLOCKS SATELLITE FEED OF INDYMEDIA COVERAGE OF DNC IN LOS ANGELES
The live satellite feed from the Los Angeles Independent Media Center,
covering the Democratic National Convention, scheduled to broadcast between
8 and 9:30 p.m. CST, was replaced by the following message:"FSTV live coverage of
Democratic Convention kept
off the air by Los Angeles
Police Department.
Please call LAPD toll free
1-877-275-5273."The Los Angeles Independent Media Center [ http://la.indymedia.org ] carries
this statement:"Breaking News
6:54pm - Based on an anonymous tip given to LAPD this morning that there
was a bomb in a van, at 4:30 PM, the County police detained the two owners
of the van, and blocked the parking lot including the area with the
satellite truck. This has eliminated our broadcast.
6:51pm - The IMC satellite broadcast has been delayed because of an LAPD
claim of a bomb threat in a Westfalia in the parking lot. The police are
detaining two people at this time and we are waiting for more info. The
satellite truck has been evacuated."
____________________________________________________________________________top
2. Independent media coverage of the conventions
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 14:20:46 -0400
To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l[at]ala.org>
From: Carol <radred[at]ix.netcom.com>
Subject: [SRRTAC-L:5110] Independent media coverage of the conventions
Many of you may already have this information, but I haven't
seen it posted to the list. Presumably it won't stick in the craw
of "One Voice." Sharing/re-distribution is encouraged.For independent media coverage of the conventions (archived and
live audio & video and much more), see:http://www.democracynow.org/
http://www.indymedia.org
http://satellite.indymedia.org/
http://www.phillyimc.org/
http://sacco.indymedia.org/ [mirror site for LA Independent Media]
http://www.thepartysover.org/____________________________________________________________________________top
3. The Nation Convention Coverage
____________________________________________________________________________top
4. The Renegade Librarian
http://www.renegadelibrarian.com/
Yet another page having fun with shattering the hair-in-a-bun image.
____________________________________________________________________________top
5. Documents in Information Science (DOIS) [.pdf]
Jointly managed by a European volunteer team, this new, free database
indexes close to 1,000 documents in the area of library and
information science, all of them downloadable from the site. Users
can browse the index by document type (article or conference paper)
or conduct a keyword search. Within each category, the documents are
organized by series (e.g., _D-Lib Magazine_, _Journal of Electronic
Publishing_). Clicking on a series title brings up article lists and
then detailed entries. The latter may include title, author name and
contact information, month published, and an abstract. All link to
the full text in either HTML or .pdf format. [MD]> From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2000.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
____________________________________________________________________________top
6. No "Armenian Genocide" in Encarta
From the Chronicle of Higher Education, 8/15:
TWO SCHOLARS who wrote entries for Microsoft's "Encarta" say
editors asked them to omit the phrase "Armenian genocide."
--> SEE http://chronicle.com/free/2000/08/2000081501t.htm____________________________________________________________________________top
7. Canton Library Strike web site
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 12:22:12 -0500
From: Holly McCullough <mcculloughh[at]clpgh.org>
To: PLGNet-L[at]listproc.sjsu.edu
Subject: Canton strikeHere is a website where you can see some photos and get more info about the
Stark County Public Library Strike. Note the links to "I want to help in a
nice, clean way" or "I wanna teach the scabs and management bastards a lesson"
(which gives suggestions of stumping reference question to call and ask the
scabs).http://www.outcastradio.net/scabs.htm
In Solidarity,
Holly McCullough
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Holly L. McCullough____________________________________________________________________________top
8. Library Chat Room Registries
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 20:08:29 -0400
From: Libref-l moderators <librefed[at]kent.edu>
Subject: Library Chat Room Registries (fwd)
MIME-Version: 1.0=This message originated from Gerry Mckiernan
<GMCKIERN[at]gwgate.lib.iastate.edu>=
_ Library Chat Room Registries _
In response to my recent posting I have learned of three (3) sites that
have a listing with descriptions of Library Chat Rooms. These lists also
include services that are characterized by the phrases 'Live Reference' and
'Real-Time Reference1/ _ A Survey of Online Interactive Reference Services_
[ http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/hss/ref/chat/cc3.html ]
This is an appendix of a Web-based version of an *excellent*
poster shown at ALA 2000 entitled "Shall We Chat: Extending
Traditional Reference Services with Internet Technology"[ http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/hss/ref/chat/default.htm ]
prepared by Ann Lindel, Mimi Pappas, Jana Ronan and Colleen Seale of Humanities
and Social Services of the George A. Smathers Libraries of the University
of Florida. [Thanks Jana!]2/ The ELITE Project based at the University of Leicester (UK)
[ http://www.le.ac.uk/li/distance/eliteproject/elib/ ]
Contains an annotated listing of library
Chat services as well as
annotated listings of library E-mail and web fom sites, MOOs, 'MyLibrary'
projects, and videoconferencing. Each list also contains very useful key
citations [Thanks Danielle!]3/ LiveReference eGroups list
[ http://www.egroups.com/ ] The list maintains a 'links' list of
'livereference' services. at [ http://www.egroups.com/links/livereference ]
[You *may* need to subscribe to the list to access its Links [:?][Thanks Illene and Gretchen!]
If there are other lists of library 'real-time' reference services
I'd appreciate learning about them./Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011"The Best Way To Predict the Future is to Invent It"
Alan Kay
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9. CREATE CHANGE
CREATE CHANGE is a response to the serious crisis in scholarly
communication. A number of factors, chiefly the dramatic increases in
journal costs and the increasing commercialization of scholarly
publishing, have decreased scholars' access to essential research
resources all over the world.CREATE CHANGE seeks to address the crisis in scholarly communication
by helping scholars regain control of the scholarly communication
system-- a system that should exist chiefly for them, their students,
and their colleagues in the worldwide scholarly community, not
primarily for the benefit of publishing businesses and their
shareholders.CREATE CHANGE is sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries,
the Association of College and Research Libraries (a division of the
American Library Association), and SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing
and Academic Resources Coalition). Funding for this project has been
provided by the three organizations and the Gladys Krieble Delmas
Foundation.
____________________________________________________________________________top
10. Filtering the Future? - paper by Christopher Hunter
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2000 13:02:43 -0500
From: "Don Wood" <dwood[at]ala.org>
Subject: [IFACTION:970] Filtering the Future?: Software Filters, Porn,
PICS, and the Internet Content Conundrum
To: Intellectual Freedom Action News <ifaction[at]ala1.ala.org>Filtering the Future?: Software Filters, Porn, PICS, and the Internet
Content Conundrum, by Christopher D. Hunter, is now online athttp://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/hunterthesis.html
"This thesis examines the intersection between public policy, free
speech, and the use of Internet content filters and Internet rating
systems. In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in ACLU v. Reno,
the White House, Congress, and the Internet industry have endorsed
filters and rating systems as the solution to the problem of
objectionable material on the Internet. In an effort to protect
children from potentially dangerous Internet content like pornography,
hate speech, and violence, parents, librarians, and school
administrators have turned to these technological solutions.This thesis takes a critical look at these technologies, how they
work, and the ethical and constitutional questions raised by their
use. Popular filtering software programs like Cyber Patrol and
SurfWatch are tested for their ability to block objectionable Internet
content. The Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) is also
critically analyzed as a potential technology of global censorship.These technologies are also analyzed from the perspective of public
institutions such as libraries and schools who are now adopting them.
The thesis concludes that transparency must be injected into these
programs and protocols to ensure that democracy and free speech are
the default settings in the Information Revolution."_________________________
Don Wood
Program Officer/Communications
American Library Association
Office for Intellectual Freedom
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/index.html
____________________________________________________________________________top
11. "@yourlibrary" discussion on ALACOUN
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 08:50:40 -0500
From: "Don Wood" <dwood[at]ala.org>
Subject: [MEMBER-FORUM:1820] Campaign for America's Libraries
Campaign for America's Libraries
http://www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/"ALA has made a five-year commitment to speak loudly and clearly about the
value of libraries and librarians to our communities, schools,
academic institutions, and businesses, as well as to our society,
democracy, and the new digital age."
_________________________
Don Wood
Program Officer/Communications
American Library Association
Office for Intellectual Freedom
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-4225
800-545-2433, ext. 4225
Fax: 312-280-4227
dwood[at]ala.org
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/index.html.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:09:39 -0400
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
From: mark rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5009] Campaign for America's Libraries?
I wonder whether Councilors can have access to the underlying research (the
public opinion polls referred to, for instance) which is the basis for the
"Campaign for America's Libraries"' orientation?Can we perhaps be told how much the firm which was hired to produce this
PR strategy was paid (and is still being paid, perhaps?).I admit to some queasiness. The idea of"branding" seems to continue the
incursion of the mentality of the corporate world into the discourse of
librarianship (an incursion which is increasingly considered a virtue
rather than a problem). I refer you all to Naomi Klein's wonderful book
"No Logo" (Picador, 1999) for a critique of the culture of "branding". If
our so-called "branding" is simply a means to raise the collective profile
of libraries and librarians in public awareness I suppose that's fine. The
(unintended) effects however, may be much more profound, internally and
externally, as one of the last free public institutions becomes seamlessly
incorporated, functionally and ideologically, into the corporate-dominated,
world.Can we, for instance, assume that the materials produced for this campaign
will not, under the guise of public-private partnerships, introduce
corporate advertising wholesale into the nation's public libraries and into
the public cyberspace of the libraries' interfaces with users? Or isn't
that considered a problem?Also it is already apparent that the corporate-style narrowing of the scope
of "the message" for purposes of ostensible "effectiveness" in branding can
be seen in the emphasis on libraries as, above all, important to "success"
in the so-called "digital world" (what an intellectual vulgarism that is!).
Libraries are (or have been) about more than success and about more than
the digital world, isn't that so? What about enrichment, enjoyment,
knowledge, understanding, enlightenmnt, appreciation and (for lack of a
better word) "empowerment"? What about worlds other than the "digital
world" (or is that official Newspeak designation of our epoch now accepted
(along with "information age") by the ALA as capturing the singular
character of our times?Finally (for now),it may not mean much, but I take it as a bad sign, if a
"sign of the times", that the words "book" and "reading" do not appear in
the outline of the "Campaign". The words "Internet" and "Web" and
"Information" appear repeatedly.Banning books is bad. Shunning the words "book" and "reading", on the part
of a Library association, can't be too good either.Mark Rosenzweig
Councilor at large
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:13:14 -0400
To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l[at]ala.org>
From: mark rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
Subject: [SRRTAC-L:5099] Branding@yourlibrary
Let's see how the "----@yourlibrary" 'brand' is used in practice. If it
reflected reality (which, of course is not its purpose), rather than trying
to manipulate public perceptions, it would be something like:
pay-per-view@yourlibrary, fees-for-services@yourlibrary,
low-pay@yourlibrary, deteriorating-public-spaces@yourlibrary,
no-money-for-books@yourlibrary, filtered-internet-access@yourlibraryMark
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
At 12:18 PM -0400 8/11/00, Sally G. Reed wrote:
Mark, I share your wariness regarding the corporate model. The campaign is
designed truly to raise the profile of America's libraries. The research,
which is available (and voluminous) has been condensed into an executive
summary which was made widely available at conference. Perhaps a more
in-depth summary of the research could be made available.In the meantime, the bottom line of the research showed that while Americans
feel very positive about libraries, they don't think of them much or think
that they might need outspoken support. We're just part of the background
in many minds.As we work hard to create a more active voice in America that supports
libraries, I believe it is critically important to first raise our profile
in the minds of our various publics -- it's sort of the "education piece"
that precedes a good campaign. In my opinion, this is the very type of
thing ALA should be doing for its members -- essentially providing a
professionally developed framework for consistent and readily identifiable
(branded) public awareness campaigns that can be implemented at the local
level with a corollary national campaign.I understand your aversion to the term and concept of "branding" but I think
that concept, in this case, is used as a kind of short-hand way of
explaining what this campaign is trying to do. Again, that is to raise the
profile of the importance and value of America's libraries.I hope this helps alleviate some of your concerns. The market research is
very interesting and I hope that we can find a way to get it out to ALA
members. I think it would be very helpful for planning at the local level.Sally.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:43:06 -0400
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
From: mark rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5012] Re: Campaign for America's Libraries?
Thanks, Sally. I am actually very much in favor of a concerted attempt like
this to raise public awareness of libraries. However, it would be sad to do
it only to sell ourselves short or to so narrow our public significance
that we could disappear and our efforts come to nought with a shift in the
wind of techno-trends.The disappearance of reading and the book disturb me very much. I know they
are not sexy. But that's because of influences which are not advancing
something better for culture but only better for profits. The trick, for
us, is not to let info-technology make books "obsolete" - and therfore
expendable - while, at the same time, encouraging intelligent use of the
internet and advocating policy which keeps the internet open and accessible
and unfiltered, etc.The public advocacy role of librarians and libraries and ALA is underplayed
by this strategic PR orientation. That may not be as clever as it seems to
some strategists who above all want to raise libraries out of the realm of
controversy. Indeed, it may be the controversies over "banned books" and
internet filtering etc. which keep public libraries in the public
consciousness (and not in balance, negatively, I believe).Anyway, I am genunely interested in the research that was done. The
executive summary (which I now recall) was not adequate to my purposes.Cheers,
Mark
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
The following message is from Sally G. Reed, ALA Executive Board Member.
_______________________________________________
Mark, my apologies for not addressing the "book" issue in your first
message. Essentially, the campaign is designed around a very simple
concept/brand ---- [at] Your Library. Onto this tag line, libraries everywhere
and of every type can add a front line(s) that works for them. For example,
we at NPL could wage a campaign such as:"Creating a City of Readers [at] Your Library"
Ok, ok, a little awkward in the syntax but you get the general idea. The
idea is that the "[at] Your Library" will become a quickly identifyable symbol
and attract public attention and interest.I don't think reading or books are in any way precluded in this message.
The PR firm put together some samples as well including: Get Ahead [at] Your
Library. I can see a localized campaign to show the public all the ways in
which libraries help people be successful at all stages. Nancy Kranich is
forwarding a campaign to link libraries with democracy and has used:
"Smart Voting Starts [at] Your Library"There is more in depth information about this campaign (including the ex.
summary of the research) at http://www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/ I hope you and
others reading this message will give it a look.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
From: Nann Blaine Hilyard <nhilyard[at]lvdl.org>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5015] RE: Campaign for America's Libraries?
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 13:23:44 -0500
I, for one, am delighted that ALA has invested in the "@your library"
campaign. Having a theme that will continue for several years will be
helpful. Many of us have a stack of posters from years of National Library
Weeks, all different, all dated. ("We paid good money for these and they're
not worn out. We'll hang on to them even if we'll never put them up
again!")If you would like to emphasize traditional, print library materials you can
say, "Check out a good book@your library."Nann
[at]the library in Lake Villa
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:07:34 -0400
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
From: mark rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5016] asking for trouble?
Did the Executive (and the "braintrust" they hired) ever consider that the
ENEMIES of libraries (like FFL) could SO EASILY (and effectively) parody
this, or, rather, entirely SUBVERT it, by putting out messages with tags
like "pedophilia@yourlibrary", "internet-porn@yourlibrary",
"gay-agenda@yourlibrary". It's ASKING for trouble, isn't it?If I were your consultant, I would have warned about the virtual
inevitability of it. My consultancy, for the price of a few drinks at the
hotel bar, would've alerted the Exec to how quickly ths "tag" thing could
become an embarassment.Although I am very happy to see that ALA is addressing the issue of
changing public perceptions of libraries and librarians in a concerted and
sustained way, I'm afraid that The Great Five Year Plan may not go the
distance.Mark
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
From: "Needham,George" <needhamg[at]oclc.org>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5017] RE: asking for trouble?
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:50:23 -0400
Almost any tag line opens itself to parody, but I don't believe that this is
a good reason not to move forward.Our opposition could just as easily parody the "READ" posters: a picture of,
say, John Wayne Gacy or some other villain, holding a spurious copy of "The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Molestation," could be superimposed on the "READ"
logo just as easily as the Elvis picture was.The " @your library " concept strikes me as an effective way to get the
message out that there's more to the library than people may remember. And
it manages to convey this message by using a reference to a current cultural
icon, the " [at] " address sign.George Needham
Councilor-at-Large
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
From: "Therese (Therese Bigelow)" <therese[at]kclibrary.org>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>
Subject: [ALACOUN:5019] RE: asking for trouble?
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:08:38 -0500I philosophically have a problem with calling the FFL (Family Friendly
Library) group "ENEMIES" of libraries. While I do not agree with some of
their philosophies I certainly never view them individually or groupwise as
an enemy.
Therese Bigelow____________________________________________________________________________top
12. MEXICO UPDATE: Connecting Libraries With Mexico
Date: Mon, 29 May 2000 12:33:59 -0700
From: Antoine Morrison <vsi[at]adnc.com>
To: calix[at]listproc.sjsu.edu
Subject: MEXICO UPDATE: Connecting Libraries With Mexico
MEXICO UPDATE
May, 2000
"Connecting Libraries with Mexico"I have received several e-mails about books and publishers in Mexico.
In this issue we will highlight one of Latin America's most prolific
(and polemic) authors, Mario Vargas Llosa from Peru. He is in Mexico to
present his latest book, La Fiesta del Chivo, a painful history of the
Trujillo dictatorship. We will also give you contact information for
some of the most important publishers in Mexico City including
telephone, fax, e-mail, and web sites. I hope these contacts make your
information search in Mexico more enjoyable. Saludos!Antoine Morrison, Editor
vsi[at]adnc.comIN THIS ISSUE
1. Cultural Events in Mexico
2. Books
3. How to Contact Publishers in Mexico
4. A Little Politics
5. Mexico Internet
6. Business
7. University Life: The Making of a Lawyer in Mexico
8. Bilateral Affairs1. Cultural events: Mario Vargas Llosa presents book at Bellas Artes
One of the most celebrated authors in Latin America arrives in Mexico
City, one hour late to be sure, to present his latest book La Fiesta del
Chivo, a devastating chronicle of the prototype Latin American dictator,
Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic.Almost as mythical as the subject of his book, Vargas Llosa is
surrounded by reporters, photographers, agents, and admirers who crush
in on him. The first press conference is held in the trendy Lomas de
Chapultepec area, with the official presentation taking place in the
Palacio de Bellas Artes. Vargas Llosa finishes his Mexico City tour with
a book signing at Sanborn's Perisur.Vargas Llosa, who ran against Alberto Fujimori in the Peruvian
Presidential elections and lost, doesn't leave politics out of his
agenda. He announces he will meet with the PAN presidential candidate,
Vicente Fox, and counsels Mexicans if they want democracy they must have
opposition Presidents (alternancia en el poder).The PRD party in Congress immediately condemns Vargas Llosa for trying
to influence the presidential race and demands he be expelled from
Mexico.2. Books: La Fiesta del Chivo by Mario Vargas Llosa (Alfaguara 2000, 518
pages)
La Fiesta del Chivo was born during an eight month period Vargas Llosa
lived in the Dominican Republic while filming a movie. "Trujillo's
terrifying thirty-year dictatorship probably best symbolizes the
phenomenon of the Latin American dictatorship, the authoritarianism, the
violence, the personality of the dictator and his theatricality", says
Vargas Llosa.Trujillo uses unspeakable violence and terror, say Vargas Llosa, and
"converts himself into a monstrous demi-god who uses sex in a
systematic way as a mechanism to affirm his power. He forces the wives
of his subordinates to sleep with him to test the level of sacrifice
they are willing to accept. To be a woman in the Dominican Republic was
terribly traumatic."Vargas Llosa's new novel moves us because we know that behind the
fiction lies a vicious and systematic reality spanning many decades in
Latin America.However, for Vargas Llosa, Trujillo is an out-of-date dictator: "The
Peruvian Alberto Fujimori has inaugurated a new model of dictatorship
for the XXI century which is beginning to have imitators." He uses
judicial, economic, and technological blackmail and electoral
technofraud to manipulate public opinion and give the impression that
there is a functioning democracy.3. How to contact publishers in Mexico Finding a publisher in Mexico, a
country of 100 million, and Mexico City, the largest city in the world,
appears daunting. Using the yellow page directories it becomes a simple
task.In the English Index of the yellow page directory for Mexico City locate
"Publishers". The Spanish word is "Editores" and is found on page 1171,
where we find a listing of 800 publishers. Some have offices in
Guadalajara and Monterrey.A few of the most important are:
McGraw-Hill Interamericana Editores, tel: 5117-1515, fax: 5628-5350,
e-mail: tele-marketing[at]mcgraw-hill.com
web: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.mx
Larousse. tel: 5208-2005, fax 5208-6225,
e-mail: larousse[at]larousse.com.mx, web: http://www.larousse.com.mx
Pearson Educacion Latinoamerica, tel: 5387-0915, fax: 5387-0817,
web: http://www.pearson.com.mx
Editorial Diana, tel: 5575-0711, fax: 5575-3211,
e-mail: 4sales[at]diana.com.mx, web: http://www.editorialdiana.com.mx
Oxford University Press, tel: 5592-5600, fax: 5535-0299,
e-mail: oxford[at]oupmex.com.mx
Editorial Trillas, tel: 5633-0995, fax: 5633-0870,
Porrua, tel: 5702-4934
Oceano, tel: 5282-0082, fax: 5282-19444. A little politics:
Mexico in the final stretch of the most important presidential election
in its history. This election could radically change Mexico's political
landscape and will decide if the PRI, the ruling party for the last
seven decades, remains in power. The country's print and electronic
media talk of little else. Every word from each candidate is carefully
scrutinized for consistency and ideology and the impact on Mexico's
future.There are six candidates for Mexico's highest office. Of these, three
have a chance of winning the election set for July 2, 2000: Francisco
Labastida of the PRI, Vicente Fox, PAN, and Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, PRD.The embattled Labastida stresses steady progress in health, education,
and trade made by Mexico with the PRI. Fox underscores widespread
poverty and lack of opportunity for 30 million Mexicans. Cardenas
focuses on high levels of corruption, rural poverty, and demands the
petroleum and electricity industries remain in state hands.5. Mexico Internet:
Mexico's internet world is expanding swiftly and most urban youth are
well adapted to virtual reality. Bookstores abound with computer
magazines, universities have numerous high-tech career options, and
e-mail communication and web sites are common.Business uses, however, are lagging far behind because of high charges
for credit and difficulties with importation, IVA taxes, product safety
labeling, customer service, delivery, and repair or return guarantees
when ordering goods outside of Mexico.Most cities and towns in Mexico have internet cafes where students,
professionals, and the curious can search their favorite sites.Cafes are increasingly popular because hooking up to the internet in
Mexico can be expensive. Not only is there a monthly charge for internet
use; the "cibernautico" pays the telephone company for each minute of
use. Usually, total charges work out to about US$0.05 per minute of
usage. A typical bill for light internet use will run about US$60 per
month and can easily exceed US$100. Many families shut down their
internet when telephone bills top US$200. Rarely do they return.In Latin America there is general agreement that excessive telephone
charges is the single most important factor inhibiting internet growth.
Since most telephone companies are recently privatized monopolies this
is not expected to change much in the short term.(Editors Note: Next month we will begin a new section of MEXICO UPDATE
bringing you the best web sites in Mexico and Latin America. Keep
posted)6. Business:
How do you help your library patrons find distributors and new
customers, make fool-proof mail lists, locate e-mails and web sites,
check the competition, and see what products are offered in any Mexican
city? Simple. Just help them look in the yellow pages. In fact, more
than 90% of Mexico's consumers locate products using the yellow pages.For example, to help your library patrons locate computer businesses in
Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city (pop. 4 million), look in the
English Index under "computers". There are 21 categories for computers,
from sales to schools to installation. Sales are found on pages 1018 to
1071. These 53 pages are a virtual Who's Who in computing and include
every business in Guadalajara involved in computer sales and services.(Editor's note: Our staff pointed out there are another 10 pages for
Internet listings!)In Mexico and Latin America, telephone yellow pages are still the most
reliable, accurate, and heavily used medium for business. They are
updated yearly and cover every city and town in Mexico. In fact, in
small and medium-sized towns the yellow pages are the only practical way
consumers can locate commercial, government, medical, and local
information.7. University Life: The Making of a Lawyer in Mexico
Universities in Mexico offer a wide selection of careers. As in European
universities, students begin career studies immediately after completing
preparatory school, or 12 years. There are no "general ed" requirements,
since these courses are taught at the prep school level.Students entering law school (age 17 or 18) take 6 legal courses per
semester during 41/2 years of study. In addition, they must work for 300
hours of social service by the fifth semester and another 400 hours of
professional service by the 9th semester.An english proficiency exam, e.g., TOEFL, must be passed after the 9th
semester is successfully completed. The law students are then qualified
to sit for a four hour professional oral board examination given by
three law professors. Only after passing the professional oral boards
does the law student becomes titled or "titulado" and can practice law
in Mexico.8. Bilateral Affairs:
>From Mexico's perspective, and reflected throughout Mexico in print and
electronic media, the most important item on the agenda of the bilateral
meeting held in May in Washington, D.C. is the continuing deaths of
migrant workers crossing the Mexico/US border.In the last several years, over 500 Mexicans have died crossing
mountains and deserts in search of jobs easily available in most US
cities. For undereducated, extremely poor, rural Mexican males with
large families and little prospect of finding work in Mexico's
increasingly competitive and high-tech industries, risking death to feed
their families has become part of a tragic new survival equation.
"Copyright 2000 by VSI Directory Services as an educational service for
libraries. May be freely reproduced for noncommercial purposes as long
as attribution is given."
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13. Prisoner Advocacy
Prison Activist Resource Center (PARC)
http://www.prisonactivist.org/
This Berkeley, CA organization is involved in educational and
outreach efforts, has a prisoner support program where members
communicate directly with prisoners, maintains a directory of
prisoner support groups, at http://www.prisonactivist.org/psd.htm ,
maintains a prisoner supporters email list, and publishes an
organizing guide for prison activists and advocates. They also
put out numerous publications, including a book called _Criminal
Injustice: Confronting the Prison Crisis_, and some articles
online. Information and links to these can be found at
http://www.prisonactivist.org/pubs/ . This web site is a great
reasource for prisoner advocates.
Human Rights Watch Prison Project
"Ending the Abusive Treatment of Prisoners"
http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/prisons/
"Human Rights Watch has conducted specialized prison research and
campaigns for prisoners' rights since 1987, to focus international
attention on prison conditions worldwide. We believe that a
government's claim to respect human rights should be assessed not
only by the political freedoms it allows but also by how it treats
its prisoners, including those not held for political reasons. Our
experience has repeatedly shown that a number of democratic countries
that are rarely the focus of human rights scrutiny are in fact guilty
of serious human rights violations within their prisons. Working in
conjunction with numerous local partners, Human Rights Watch monitors
conditions of detention around the world, pressuring governments to
bring their treatment of prisoners into compliance with basic human
rights standards." The site includes links to several reports.
Prison Legal News
http://www.prisonlegalnews.org/
The Prison Legal News is a monthly newsletter edited by Washington
State prisoner Paul Wright. The PLN has been regularly published
since May of 1990. PLN covers prison-related news and analysis from
across the country and around the world. It's focus is on prison
struggle in all arenas. The PLN reports on court decisions
affecting prisoners and contains information designed to help
prisoners vindicate their rights in the judicial system. PLN is aimed
at prisoners and their friends and loved ones on the outside, with the
goal of helping prisoners and their supporters organize themselves to
have a voice, and to be a progressive force in developing a public
policy debate around the issue of crime and punishment. With those
objectives in mind, the PLN motto is: "Working to Extend Democracy to
All."CURE - Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants
http://www.curenational.org/
"We are a non-profit nationwide organization dedicated to the
reduction of crime through the reform of the criminal justice system.
We are a prison and jail reform advocacy group headquartered in
Washington, DC with chapters or affiliates in most states of the
union. Among the changes we seek are fair and humane treatment for
our prisoners, far less reliance on incarceration as a solution to
our crime problems, far more reliance on alternatives to prisons and
abolishment of capitol punishment."
The Prisoner's Advocate
http://www.priad.com/
This is a membership organization which gives assistance to prisoners
in a variety of forms, including a book service, a penpal service,
an art outreach service, a fund to support prisoners' families,
information for prisoners seeking transfers to other facilities,
and a drive to develop a prisoner voting block through families and
friends of prisoners who wouldn't otherwise vote... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
"Building more prisons to address crime is like building more
graveyards to address a fatal disease."-Robert Gangi, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .."The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things and
expecting different results."
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can
change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."- Margaret Mead
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